Brandeis Magazine

Christina Akers-DiCenzo is founder and owner of a boutique employee-side employment law firm in Buffalo, New York. The firm provides legal counseling, and negotiation and litigation services.

Comedian Myq Kaplan released three projects in 2023: an illustrated book of his jokes titled “Heart Brain Art Train”; a stand-up comedy album called “Live In Between Albums”; and a stand-up comedy special called “Live From the Universe,” on the Dry Bar Comedy app (to get a free month-long subscription to Dry Bar, use the promo code MYQKAPLAN).

Shannon Saccocia is chief investment officer at NB Private Wealth, part of investment management firm Neuberger Berman.

Nicole Bottomley is the principal at King Philip Regional High School, in Wrentham, Massachusetts. She previously held the same role at Holliston High School for a decade. In May, she received the Bertram H. Holland Award for High School Principal of the Year from the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association, for her work in Holliston.

Kirsten Robbins is associate chief counsel at ICI Global, which carries out the international work of the Investment Company Institute, an association representing regulated investment funds. Kirsten earlier worked for 11 years at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Benjamin Schiffrin, GSAS MA’01, is director of securities policy at the nonprofit Better Markets, which aims to make American financial systems more secure. He previously worked as associate general counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Kimberly A. Truong and Gardy Guiteau enjoyed a mini-reunion at the National Association of Diversity Officers of Higher Education conference, where they each made presentations. Kimberly is the second Asian American to serve on the organization’s board of directors.

Catherine Walker was named the 2024 Teacher of the Year by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development for her service as a high school science teacher in Anchorage.

David Lauer, IBS MA’03, was profiled by The Wall Street Journal for his work with a grass-roots investor advocacy group he co-founded called We the Investors. He is co-founder and CEO of the finance platform Urvin Finance.

Rabbi Leah Berkowitz is the author of “The Moving-Box Sukkah,” published by Apples & Honey Press in August. The illustrated book for young readers in grades 1-2 tells the story of a homesick boy celebrating Sukkot in a new apartment in a new city. Leah is the spiritual leader at Congregation Kol Ami, in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.

No Class Notes submissions this issue.

Jennifer Helgeson and Stewart Latwin welcomed their second daughter, Raphaelle Irys, in April 2022.

Rabbi Daniel Horwitz is the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville. Previously, he worked with the Jewish community in the Detroit metro area.

Adam Irving directed and produced “Kids in a Cage,” a documentary about children who fight in legally sanctioned MMA competitions in the U.S. The film premiered on A&E in July.

Benjamin Freed is the state team lead at Bloomberg Tax. Formerly, he was editor-in-chief at StateScoop and EdScoop, reporting on cybersecurity issues nationwide. He also worked at Washingtonian magazine, covering politics, media, and culture.

Jessica Whitman-Raymond Lucier has co-written a book titled “Where’s Becky: How Becky Raised Her Family” (Newman Springs Publishing, 2023). It’s a family memoir that spans 30 years.

Lauren Ruderman, an NBC Sports and Olympics producer, earned a 2023 Emmy when her network’s coverage of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics won in the Outstanding Live Special category (Lauren produced the curling segments). In 2012, she won an Emmy in the Outstanding Daily Studio Show category when she was a producer at MLB Network.

Claire Moses, who has worked at The New York Times since 2017, is part of the paper’s Express Desk in London, covering breaking news. She formerly worked on the NYT’s Morning Newsletter.

Adriana (Campos) Leon was named 2023 CFO of the Year in Government by the Boston Business Journal for her work with the Worcester, Massachusetts-based Cannabis Control Commission.