Brandeis Magazine

In June, Mansur Hasib won the global invitational online speech contest hosted by Online Presenters Toastmasters. He delivered a humorous 6.5-minute speech that described his experience with learning the English language.

Luis Figueredo is a partner at Holland & Knight in the law firm’s Miami real-estate practice group. He previously served as the attorney for the city of Doral, Florida.

In June, Rebecca Diamond reached her goal of chanting every verse in the Torah in a formal setting. Her aspiration to achieve this aim stretched back 40 years. Rebecca completed the cycle at Temple Ramat Zion, in Los Angeles.

Ellen Gordon is vice president, head of business development, at Dallas-based Almaden Genomics, a company that seeks to accelerate genomic discovery.

Teta Moehs left her last posting as a foreign service officer in July, retiring after 30 years of federal service. She and her husband, Bill, plan to do volunteer work in their new home in Maine and abroad.

Mindy Frankel Strauss and Ralph Strauss, who met in a Brandeis art-history class taught by Professor Gerald Bernstein, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in August.

No Class Notes submissions this issue.

Stephen Coan, Heller MMHS’90, PhD’97, is a corporator at Chelsea Groton Bank, based in Groton, Connecticut.

Michael Macht-Greenberg is chief operating officer at McLean Hospital, in Belmont, Massachusetts, overseeing the psychiatric hospital’s clinical services. He previously served as associate chief operating officer at the hospital.

In July, Brian Saber celebrated the publication of his book “Fundraising for Introverts.” He is a consultant, trainer, and writer who specializes in teaching others how to ask for gifts.

James Baron is a hearing officer for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and the New Hampshire Department of Education.

Gary Wingens, P’14, was named one of the Top 50 Law Firm Executives of 2023 by Attorney Intel. He is chair and managing partner at Lowenstein Sandler, practicing in the areas of structured finance, mortgage finance, and commercial real estate, and helped create the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest to strategically channel the firm’s pro bono and public interest efforts.

Tania Ibanez has retired from the California Department of Justice after practicing law for 34 years. In 2013, appointed by Kamala Harris, she became the senior assistant attorney general in charge of the charitable trust section of the California Attorney General’s Office. As section chief, she led a staff of 77 lawyers, auditors, paralegals, and registry staff analysts in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco.

Jason Swedlow, a professor of molecular cell and developmental biology at the University of Dundee, Scotland, was given an honorary Order of the British Empire for his work in the field of bioimaging. The award is given to foreign nationals who have made a significant contribution to British life.

Michael J. Abrams, a partner at law firm Lathrop GPM, helped negotiate contracts, complete title work, and secure private investment related to the $12 million Rock Island Bridge entertainment-district project in Kansas City, Kansas.

Douglas Rosner was named one of the 500 Leading Bankruptcy and Restructuring Lawyers of 2023 by the legal news outlet Lawdragon. Douglas is a director at law firm Goulston & Storrs.

Hildy Zevin-Silverman is senior digital marketing manager at Oticon Medical. A member of the Crazy 8 Press authors collective, she is the author of “Invasive Species,” a 2023 novella, as well as several new short stories collected in anthologies. For more information about her writing, visit hildysilverman.com.

Anne Ward-Masterson’s first book of poetry, “Getting Home From Here,” was published in June.