GEMS Alumni Information
please contact Jonathan Husch at husch@rider.edu or 609-896-5330.
Stacy Aron '97 just completed her ninth year of teaching earth science, biology, and oceanography at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, NJ and says she still loves every aspect of it. She also is a trainer for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Stacey reports that she'll soon be starting her work on a Masters Degree in Geosciences through a distance learning program with Mississippi State University. Congratulations on all accounts! Stacy can be reached at isostracy@comcast.net. (Listing updated 7/8/08)
BRobert Baron '2000 was promoted recently to Senior Marine Biologist at Coastal Planning & Engineering, Inc., Marine Science & Biological Research Department, in Boca Raton, Florida. Rob says he loves his job and that he finds it diverse and challenging. Prior to starting work, Rob completed his Masters degree in marine biology from Nova Southeastern University in July, 2002. His thesis topic dealt with the impact of beach nourishment projects on nearshore fish populations. Rob and his wife, Susan, are expecting their first child in November 2007. Rob can be reached at work at 561-391-8102 or at rbaron@coastalplanning.net. (Listing updated 5/28/07)
Kevin Becker '06 is a Project Geologist, doing geotechnical inspections, for Earth Engineering Inc. in West Berlin, NJ. He can reached at 856-206-2517 or at kevinbecker217@yahoo.com. Also check out his company's web site at http://www.earthengineering.com. (Listing updated 10/16/08)
Steven Bell '79 recently brought us up to date on what he's been up to over the past 30 years. Without a doubt, he is enjoying a most successful, interesting, and rewarding life. After Rider, Steve received his masters degree in geology from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and also his MBA from the Wharton School of Business - Univeristy of Pennsylvania. Most of his professional career has been spent with a number of companies within the energy and production sector, including Sun Oil Company, EnCana, Apache Corp., BHP Billiton Petroleum, and most recently, Remora Energy. Steve is President & Chief Executive Officer of Remore Energy and leads the management team of the company. Over his professional career, Steve has explored for energy resources on six continents, doing fieldwork from jungles to deserts and mountain ranges, while also negotiating with heads of state and government ministers from many countries. He also sits on a number of boards of various organizations, including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the American Geological Institute, and the University of Pennsylvania. Splitting his time between Houston and Colorado, Steve also somehow manages to find the time to enjoy his hobbies, which include rock climbing (naturally!) and fly fishing. Steve can be reached at sbell@remoraenergy.com and you can check out a short biography at www.remoraenergy.com/stevebell.html. (Listing updated 10/23/09)
Erik Bender '85 received his doctorate in 1994 from the University of Southern California where he completed a thesis entitled, "Petrology of Early Proterozoic plutons from southeastern California, western Arizona and southern Nevada: Implications for crustal growth of the southwestern United States." Dr. Bender is now Professor of Geology and Chair of the Geology Department at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. In addition to teaching and running the department at OCC, Erik also is teaching geology courses at Chapman University and California State University at Fullerton. Over the years, he also has taught geology courses at Chaffey College, Mount San Antonio College, Pasadena City College, and California State University at Long Beach. Erik and his wife, Linda, are the proud parents of three daughters, ages 5, 7, and 11. He can be reached at OCC at 714-432-5681 or at ebender@occ.cccd.edu. You might also want to check out his personal web site and complete biography at http://occonline.occ.cccd.edu/online/ebender. (Listing updated 2/14/07)
Cindy Benkert Parmentier '95 married Tim Parmentier in December, 2006, and are enjoying their son, born in September, 2007. Congratulations on both accounts! Cindy and Tim live in St. Petersburg, Florida and can be reached at cbparmentier6@yahoo.com. (Listing updated 2/25/08)
Louise Bolge '97 successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis on the geochemistry and petrogenesis of Hawaiian and Central American volcanics in October 2005 at the Department of Geological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Congratulations Dr. Bolge! After completing her doctorate, Louise initially worked as a research technician for the Earth Sciences Department at Boston University where she was in charge of their ICP-MS, ICP-ES, and related laboratory equipment. Louise now is on the research staff at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University in Palisades, New York. She's in charge of running their multicollector and single collector ICP-MS units, their laser ablation system, and the lab in which the instruments are housed. Louise is happily living in northern New Jersey and can be reached at work at bolge@ldeo.columbia.edu. (Listing updated 8/22/07)
Tanya Brown '03 finished her master's degree in biotechnology at SUNY Buffalo's School of Medicine. Her thesis was entitled "Differential gene expression of an Anthox-like gene in the Gorgonian, Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae." Congratulations! Tanya is now working full time as a lab technician for the University of Buffalo's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She also is certified as a scientific diver and will dive for the Buffalo Underwater Reef Research (BURR) Lab. Tanya can be reached at tan80ya@hotmail.com or tbrown6@buffalo.edu. (Listing updated 12/7/07)
Russell Burke '02 is a Dean's Fellow pursuing his doctorate in Marine Conservation Biology in the Department of Fisheries at the College of William and Mary's School of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science. His Ph.D. research has centered on the predator-prey interactions between blue crabs and native oysters in the York River Estuary of Chesapeake Bay. In 2006, Russ appeared in a CBS News video on oysters returning to the bay. View his 10 second cameo (about 3/4 of the way through the story) at cbsnews.com. Recently, Russ was a co-author on a research paper published on-line in Science Magazine dealing with improved methods for restoring the native oysters. Because of its potential economic and ecological ramifications, the article was the subject of numerous news stories around the country, including one in the New York Times Science Section. Russ can be reached at russ@vims.edu or at rpburkeny@hotmail.com. (Listing updated 8/5/09)
Mike Ciaramella '09 is starting a Masters of Veterinary Science: Pathology and Microbiology at the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada. He also will be working for the University at their Atlantic Veterinary College Lobster Science Center on a project dealing with lobster nutrition (talk about eating your data!). Mike can be reached at ciaramellam@gmail.com or at his new address: 9 Clarke Street, Charlottetown, PE Canada C1A 1P2. (Listing updated 9/2/09)
Dawn Chicano '96 is living in Vero Beach, Florida and teaching marine science at the Indian River Charter High School. Before that she worked as a biologist for the company, Oceans, Reef & Aquariums, at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, breeding and raising ornamental marine fish. Dawn can be reached at reefgirl05@hotmail.com. (Listing updated 12/14/06)
Cheryl Coffee-Gomez '93 and her husband, Jorge Gomez, are the parents of two girls, Laura and Sarah. Cheryl is now working as the Environmental Manager for the Congoleum Corporation's two facilities in Hamilton, New Jersey. She also is taking online courses with the University of Denver that will lead to a Masters Degree in environmental policy and management. Cheryl can be reached at work at 609-584-3000, ext. 3241. She and Jorge also can be reached at home at coffee-gomez@email.msn.com or at 609-882-7244. (Listing updated 2002-2003)
Rob Croskey '03 has left Normandeau Associates, Inc. in Stowe, PA, where he was a Level 2 Fisheries Scientist, and has moved to New Port Richey, FL (on the Gulf coast just north of Tampa) where he is an Environmental Scientist with Alpha EMC. His duties there include responsibility for the EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Rob says he is using his geology background extensively and also enjoying Florida's sunny and warm weather, as well as getting the chance to go fishing and diving in his spare time. More importantly, Rob recently became engaged to Kathryn Knauss (Rider '07) with the wedding planned for December '08. Rob can be reached at 215-510-3627, or by e-mail at blueshark13@hotmail.com or rcroskey@alphaemc.com. (Listing updated 6/15/07)
Greg Dietl '95 and Joanne Gore Dietl '95 are the proud parents of three children, daughter Samantha and sons Alex and Stephen. Greg completed his Ph.D. in Zoology at North Carolina State University where he studied predator-prey interactions between whelks and clams. After a post-doctoral appointment at Yale University, Dr. Dietl (sort of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?) now is Director of Collections of the Paleontological Research Institution, Museum of the Earth, Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. Greg gave a wonderful and moving tribute to Dr. Richard Alexander at Alex's memorial service. Greg also is assisting the department in ensuring that Alex's teaching and research shell collections are organized and preserved. Greg and Joanne can be reached at work at 607-273-6623 ext. 17 or at gpd3@cornell.edu. (Listing updated 1/27/07)
Jennifer Durkin '00 is still working at the National Aquarium in Baltimore as the organization's School Programs Coordinator and Chair of the Internal Conservation Committee. After graduating from Rider, Jen interned at The Living Seas in the Epcot Center at Walt Disney World where she did a variety of school and visitor programs and assisted in the care and training of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and Florida manatees. She also was scuba diving in the 6.2 million gallon aquarium, feeding its inhabitants and doing presentations. Prior to her present position and duties at the National Aquarium, Jen was an Education Specialist, doing a variety of school and visitor programs, as well as caring for, and training, animals. One of Jen's prior responsibilities involved leading Dolphin Discovery Immersion Tours, a behind-the-scenes look at the lives and behaviors of the National Aquarium's eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Jen and the tours she led were the object of the January 31, 2003 Saturday's Child column in the Washington Post's Weekend Section. More recently, Jen was interviewed about conservation projects by WBAL, one of the local Baltimore television stations. The story and her interview can be viewed at www.wbaltv.com/video/16647710/index.html. Jen can be reached at the National Aquarium at 410-576-3871 or at jdurkin@aqua.org. (Listing updated 1/5/09)
Bill Edelman '82 wrote recently with an update of what he's been up to since graduating from Rider. After completing a Masters of Science degree in geophysics from North Carolina State University, Bill joined Conoco (now ConocoPhillips) in Houston, Texas as an associate geophysicist where he was responsible for several offshore commercial oil/gas discoveries. When the oil slump hit in the 1980s, Bill took an environmental and regulatory compliance supervisory position with Conoco in their drilling and production office in New Orleans. After moving back to Conoco's Houston office, Bill has been the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Manager and Company Security Officer for Marine Operations for the past ten years where he works with ConocoPhillips' global fleet of oil tankers, tugs, barges, and other vessels. Bill and his wife have been married for 24 years and they have four sons. Bill can be reached at work at bill.d.edelman@conocophillips.com or at home at 281-395-8411. (Listing updated 1/26/07)
Bethany Eden '05 received her Masters in Biological Oceanography on May 11, 2008 from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) of The College of William and Mary (which she attended with a full Graduate Research Fellowship). Congratulations! After working for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) in Newport News, VA as a Marine Specialist for the past year, Bethany recently took a position teaching marine and environmental science to academically advanced high school students at the Chesapeake Bay Governor's School (CBGS). CBGS is a magnet high school that focuses on marine and environmental science; Bethany says she couldn't be happier! You can check out what CBGS is all about at www.cbgs.k12.va.us. Bethany also gave a talk at Rider in October of 2007 entitled, The Effect of Mesoscale Eddies on Zooplankton Community Structure in the Sargasso Sea as part of Rider's Science Seminar Series. She did a great job and both students and faculty enjoyed it immensely. This research will be published in the journal, Deep Sea Research Part I. Bethany can be reached at work at beden@cbgs.k12.va.us. (Listing updated 7/17/09)
Mike Eldert '97 has undergone a career change, recently graduating from the Sentara School of Health Professions' Registered Nursing Program and receiving his RN license in November 2007. Congratulations! Mike, his wife, Tanya, and daughter, Sianna (see photo), live in Virginia Beach, VA. Mike now is working as an Emergency Department Nurse at Sentara Leigh Hospital. After 14 years as an EMT, he still is volunteering with Virginia Beach EMS, the largest volunteer EMS system in the United States, and teaching CPR to new incoming EMTs. Tanya is an entrepreneur helping small, family-owned businesses expand and optimize their companies using internet marketing while developing their long-term strategic goals. Mike, Tanya, and Sianna can be contacted at michael.eldert@cox.net. (Listing updated 1/28/08)
Robyn Epstein Katzenstein '86 writes that she is married, living and working in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and the mother of two children, Nikki, 10, and Michael, 7. After Rider, Robyn received her Masters of Geology degree, with a speciality in structural geology, from Bowling Green University. She then worked for five years for an environmental consulting firm, first in Dayton, Ohio and then Cleveland. Robyn then worked for a chemical manufacturer, selling soil and water immunoassay kits that tested for PCB, BTEX, and explosives. Currently, she is working for VWR International, a laboratory supplies distributor, as a Senior Sales Representative, handling most of the major accounts in the Cleveland area. Robyn can be reached at work at robyn_katzenstein@vwr.com. (Listing updated 8/9/07)
Jennifer Fager '00 is now a Project Geologist for Environmental Resources Management, an environmental consulting firm located in Ewing, NJ. Jen says her job responsibilities still generally consist of writing preliminary assessment and site investigation reports, groundwater sampling, soil boring and sampling, test pit evacuation, and monitoring well installation. Recently, she has been working on manufactured gas plant sites. Jen can be reached at work at 609-895-0050. Jen also can be reached at home at jenniferfager@yahoo.com. (Listing updated 3/1/06)
Jacki Frizano Beck '93 married Robert Beck in 2006 and they are living in Allentown, PA. Congratulations! Jackie not only has her doctorate in environmental geology from the University of Pennsylvania, but also her Professional Geologist certification for the State of Pennsylvania. Congratulations again! Dr. Frizano recently switched jobs and now is working as a geologist for an environmental consulting firm, HDR, in Allentown. She can be reached there at 610-740-1010 ext. 21, or at jfrizano@yahoo.com. (Listing updated 12/22/06)
Alison Golinski '06 enjoyed her first semester as a graduate student in the Department of Animal Sciences at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. She's been working on Radio Immuno Assays on tadpole samples to determine their stress levels due to the effects of pesticides and/or the presence of predators (well someone's got to do it!). Alison can be contacted at golinski@aesop.rutgers.edu. (Listing updated 2/3/07)
Joanne Gore Dietl '95 (see Greg Dietl '95)
Matthew Greenberg '98 is working at CH2M Hill, an environmental consulting firm located in the Boston area. At the present time, Matt is involved on a contract with the Air Force Center for Engineering and Environment, performing a major clean up of an aquifer in the vicinity of a large military base on Cape Cod. CH2M Hill operates and maintains several groundwater treatment systems to remediate a number of contaminant plumes at the site. Matt married Grace Kim in October 2006, traveling to Hawaii for their honeymoon, with Volcano National Park being the highlight of the trip. Congratulations! Even though he has lived in the Boston area since 2001, Matt says he is still a Yankees fan. Matt can be reached at Matthew.Greenberg@CH2M.com. (Listing updated 8/17/07)
Karen Guido '82 is now residing in St. Augustine, Florida. She lives at 104 Southwind Circle, St. Augustine. FL 32080 and can be contacted at 904-471-3226 or at karen@antiquetiles.com. (Listing updated 3/25/07)
Dan Hewins '07 has started his doctoral program in ecology and evolution at New Mexico State University. Dan was awarded an NMSU Graduate Assistant Tuition Fellowship (only 56 offered each year with the expressed purpose to "recruit outstanding graduate students"), which provides for a three-year teaching assistantship stipend and full-tuition grant. He also was elected to be the Secretary-Treasurer of the Biology Graduate Student Organization. Congratulations on all accounts! The teaching assistantship requires him to teach two lab sections, either for an introductory biology or plant ecology course. Dan also is working in the lab of Dr. Heather Throop, a biochemist, looking at nutrient cycles in arid systems. He will be focusing on the physical drivers of leaf litter decomposition and the formation of soil organic matter and carbon dioxide. For more about Dr. Throop's lab and research projects, including Dan's, go to http://biology-web.nmsu.edu/throop/. Dan, who says he is still getting used to the constantly sunny and warm days of New Mexico, can be reached at hewinsd@gmail.com. (Listing updated 10/26/07)
Marsha Hostetter Nix '93 moved back to Decatur, Illinois in 1996, married her college sweetheart, Bruce Nix, and completed her Masters Degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Illinois, Springfield, in June 1998. Her thesis, "A life history comparison of Daphnia obtusa from temporary ponds, cultured with a low-quality food,” was published in Aquatic Ecology in 2000. After finishing graduate school, Marsha worked for the Macon County Solid Waste Department as an Environmental Educator. After that, she worked as an office assistant at Fairview Hospital for Animals, a job she truly loved. Marsha also found another passion – working, instructing, and helping the local dog obedience club train dogs in the sport of agility; the running of various obstacle courses (jumps, tunnels, dog walk, etc.). She and her basset hound, Ralphie, show in 3 venues: AKC (American Kennel Club); TDAA (Teacup Dog Agility Association); and CPE (Canine Performance Events), and have earned 9 titles. Way to go Ralphie! While in Decatur, Marsha and Bruce (and Ralphie!) lived in a 5-acre, 110 year-old farmhouse, which they gutted and restored, in the middle of corn and soybean fields. Recently, Marsha and Bruce relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas when Bruce was presented with a job offer he couldn't refuse. Marsha, Bruce, and Ralphie can be reached via e-mail at agilitybasset1@hotmail.com. (Listing updated 5/2/07)
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Jim Ierubino '82 was inducted, as part of the inaugural class, into the Science Stairway of Fame on June 24, 2006. The Science Stairway of Fame is meant "to honor alumni who were exemplary students and have achieved significant professional success in their chosen careers following graduation. The honorees have been loyal and generous supporters of Rider's science programs." Congratulations Jim and well deserved! Jim, who has worked for Mobil/ExxonMobil in various capacities at locations around the country and world since 1986, received his Masters in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 1986 and his MBA from the University Michigan in 1997. Since 2004, Jim, his wife, Colleen, a programmer/analyst, and their two children have been located in Doha, Qatar (Persian Gulf region) where he is the technical manager of RasGas, a joint venture between ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum. In that capacity, he is leading the effort to bring into full production one of the world's largest natural gas fields and to ship the resulting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to a number of countries, including the United States. Jim can be contacted at work at jim_v_ierubino@exxonmobil.com, by phone at (01) 974-553-6732, or in the U.S. at 4672 Bradley Court, Doylestown, PA 18901. (Listing updated 6/29/06)
Robert Jakubicki '94 is in the process of purchasing a well and pump company in Tucson, Arizona. In order to do so, he's had to pass the Arizona Sate Business Exam, obtain his contractor's license, and become a member of the National Ground Water Association. Eventually, he would like to become a certified geologist as well. Currently, Rob works full-time for the Arizona Air National Guard, whose mission is pilot training (that's why they haven't been sent to Iraq), as an aircraft mechanic. Rob can be reached at robert.jakubicki@aztucs.ang.af.mil. (Listing updated 1/27/07)
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Ken Kacperowski '06 continues to work toward his M.S. in geoscience degree at Montclair State University where he recently received a research assistantship position deciphering the geologic history recorded in deep-marine sediment cores from Antarctica. Ken can be contacted at kkacperowski@gmail.com. (Listing updated 8/21/08)
Kathy Keely Edmonds '93 and her husband, Shawn (Rider '93), had a son, Matthew, in 2006, joining older brother, Jack. Congratulations! The Edmonds live in Belle Mead, New Jersey where Kathy is a seventh grade science teacher at the Upper Middle School of the Montgomery Township School District. She can be contacted at work at 609-466-7603 or at kedmonds@mtsd.k12.nj.us. She also can be contacted at home at edmonds@patmedia.net. (Listing updated 8/9/07)
Brian Kennedy '01 is now a Senior Project Specialist for the Natural Resources Department at ENSR, Inc. in Piscataway, NJ. His job responsibilities include permit writing and task management for freshwater wetlands, CAFRA and ACOE projects, stream encroachment, and waterfront development. Brian also assists other departments at ENSR with various geological needs, including soil classification, well installation, and soil and ground water sampling. Brian is now a Certified Subsurface Evaluator and is taking his Pennsylvania Professional Geologist exam this spring. Good luck! Brian can be contacted at 732-981-0200, ext. 3099, or at bkennedy@ensr.aecom.com. (Listing updated 10/31/2006)
Randy Kertes '84 was inducted into the Rider University Stairway of Fame on June 13, 2009 (see story here). The Science Stairway of Fame, located in the research wing of the Science and Technology Center, honors individuals who were exemplary students and who have achieved significant professional success in their chosen careers following graduation. The honorees are also loyal and generous supporters of Rider’s science programs. Our congratulations to Randy for this new and richly-deserved honor and recognition.
Randy is now a Senior Project Manager with Sadat Associates, an environmental consulting firm located in Trenton, NJ. He can be contacted at work at 609-341-800 or at rkertes@sadat.com. Randy still serves as an adjunct instructor and outside research advisor for our department with an expertise in environmental and watershed issues, as well as serving as a valued member of the Rider University Science Advisory Board. We're very proud and happy to have him with us in all these capacities! (Listing updated 7/15/09)
Kim Kessler '99 is a Senior Geologist for the NJDEP, Bureau of Inland Regulation in Trenton. She reviews all kinds of construction permits that may impact wetlands, open waters, floodplains, and waterfront areas. She also works on identifying and delineating freshwater wetlands. Kim recently completed a Master program in Environmental Policy at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in May. She can be reached at 609-633-6760 or at kkessler@dep.state.nj.us. Also check out her office's web site at www.state.nj.us/dep/landuse. (Listing updated 2/19/05)
Kevin Kilmartin '77 is the manager of the geology department at Tetra Tech NUS in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He's been with NUS for 12 years and is a hydrogeologist with responsibilities in hazardous waste site investigation and remediation for a variety of government clients, including the EPA, the Navy, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Prior to working for NUS, Kevin spent 9 years with Exxon in Houston as a biostratigrapher and regional geologist. While at Exxon, he worked with Richard Brown '76 and Henry Posamentier (Former Faculty). Kevin also has run into Hilary Johns '76 and Rob Fisher '78 over the years. Kevin and his wife, Jill, have two daughters, Catherine and Rebecca. Kevin can be be contacted at work at 610-491-9688 or by e-mail at kilmartink@ttnus.com. (Listing updated 2001-2002)
Darin Klewsaat '88 is now a Field Services Representative for the Harbison-Walker Refractories Company of Pittsburgh, PA. He's in charge of sales to all cement and lime plants in the southeast region. Darin says the job requires a good knowledge of mineralogy and high-temperature geochemistry, so he's very glad he kept all his geology textbooks (see, there is a reason). Darin says he has travelled recently to a number of "exotic" locales, including the desert west of Las Vegas, Nevada where the deep red Navajo Sandstone is exposed (see photo). Darin and his wife, Theresa (a Rider finance graduate), have two sons, Austin and Tristan, and a daughter, Jenna. Darin can be reached at work at 205-982-1636 or at darin.klewsaat@hwr.com. His mailing address is Harbison-Walker Refractories Company, 528 Oak Glen Trace, Hoover, Alabama 35244. Darin and family also can be reached at home at geosphere@mindspring.com. (Listing updated 11/14/05)
Harmony Liff '06 has been accepted into the doctoral program in the marine sciences at the University of South Carolina. Furthermore, USC has awarded Harmony a teaching and research assistantship that includes a stipend and full tuition. Congratulations on all accounts! Harmony's Ph.D. thesis topic, under the direction of Dr. Venkat Lakshmi, will look at the effects of global climate change on intertidal species, specifically California mussels. Harmony, who was a Marine Science/Fine Arts-Dance double major and biology minor at Rider, has spent the past year working in the lab of Dr. Joanna Burger, Department of Ecology, Rutgers University, working on heavy-metal analysis in fish and bird species. Oh yes, in her spare time Harmony also teaches dance. (Listing update 5/6/07)
Ashleigh Layton '09 is now working as an environmental contractor at Fort Monmouth, NJ. Her job responsibilities thus far have mostly involved quality checking analytical data reports resulting from the long-term soil and groundwater monitoring of potentially contaminated sites at the fort. Eventually, she'll be working her own sites and doing field work. Ashleigh also recently graduated from the fire academy and is now a volunteer firefighter for the town of Long Branch, NJ; she's also planning to finish the EMT academy in December. Can't wait to see her on a 911 call! Ashleigh can be reached at layton.ashleighc@gmail.com. (Listing updated on 10/23/09)
Jill Loveland '07 is a biology teacher at Bethpage High School in Bethpage, Long Island and is pursuing her Masters degree in Secondary Education/Biology at CUNY Queens College in Flushing, Queens. As if that weren't enough, Jill also is coaching track at JFK Middle School in Bethpage. Jill can be reached at jill.loveland@hotmail.com. (Listing updated 2/17/09)
Kelli Lucarino '07 is an environmental project scientist working for Weston Solutions, Inc., a global environmental consulting firm. She says her job is going really well and that she has spent a lot of time in the field at company projects in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as the World Trade Center site in New York City doing indoor air sampling. When she is in the office, Kelli works on site assessments reports for many of the Caribbean projects. Kelli can be reached at kelli.lucarino@westonsolutions.com. (Listing updated 12/7/07)
Don Machusak '90 is a Project Manager for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in Harrisburg, PA. Don has been there since finishing his Masters in Geoscience at Penn State. In that time he's been involved in groundwater exploration, water resource assessments, acid mine drainage studies, and the hydrogeochemical impacts of landfills. Currently, Don is managing and coordinating a noise impact assessment, a wastewater system engineering plan, a flora/fauna survey, and a waste management plan. Whew, and we all wondered what you could do with a geology major! Don can be reached at 717-901-8817. (Listing updated 10/1/03)
Mark Manning '01 is now a science teacher at Nottingham High School in Hamilton, NJ. Prior to that, he was an Analytical Chemist for Envirogen, Inc. here in Lawrenceville. (Listing updated 7/1/04)
Tammy Marquart Grillon '88 is a Senior Project Scientist with Weston Solutions, Inc. in their Edison, NJ office. Tammy, along with her husband and two daughters, live in Middletown, NJ. She can be reached at tamara.grillon@westonsolutions.com. (Listing updated 12/20/07)
Nicholas Masi '04 completed his undergraduate degree requirements at the University of Port Elizabeth, Republic of South Africa, and officially graduated from Rider in December 2004. In addition, Nick and his wife, Zenda, welcomed their first child in 2005. After working for ENSR in Piscataway, NJ, Nick recently started a new position with Sunburst Consulting on a natural gas prospect in western Pennsylvania. After training, he will be monitoring drilling progress, advising on where the most profitable directions and locations for gas extraction are to be found, and writing many, many reports documenting his work (and you thought all those lab reports we assigned were a waste of time!). Nick also mentioned that Sunburst Consulting is looking to hire additional recent graduates (or soon to graduate) for this type of work. Nick and Zenda can be reached at nmasi09@gmail.com. (Listing updated 11/18/09)
Julian Master '85 is an Associate for the SMITHGROUP, Inc., an architectural, engineering, and interior planning design company in Washington, D.C. Julian has spent the past year working on a project involving a state-of-the-art ambulatory care facility for returning wounded soldiers in San Antonio, Texas. Julian can be reached at work at julian.master@smithgroup.com or at 202-974-0802. (Listing updated 1/27/07)
Kelly McAloon Lowe '98 married Martin Lowe on May 6, 2006. Congratulations! After completing her Master degree in coastal estuary studies at the University of Maryland, Kelly worked for the non-profit organization, Restore America's Estuaries, in Arlington, Virginia, and as an environmental scientist for Versar, Inc. in Springfield, Virginia. Recently, she accepted a new position with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their Health Effects Division, located in Arlington, Virginia. Her work there involves performing occupational and residential risk assessments for new pesticides and new pesticide uses. Kelly can be reached at the EPA at lowe.kelly@epamail.epa.gov or at home at kmm41076@yahoo.com. (Listing updated 8/7/06)
Jason Morson '04 is starting a Master program at Hofstra University, working on either the biology and behavior of chain catsharks or on the ecology of a new species of deep-sea gulper shark. (Listing updated 8/1/04)
Brandon Muffley '96 completed his Master in Fisheries Science at the University of Maryland in the spring of 2002. He's now working on multispecies management issues and studies throughout Chesapeake Bay as a fisheries biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Brandon and his wife, Kimberly (also a Rider graduate), reside on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. (Listing updated 2002-2003)
Michelle Nannen '98 completed her Master degree in Marine Environmental Science at SUNY Stony Brook. She is now a Marine Ecologist for EEA, Inc., an environmental consulting firm. Michelle conducts fishery studies in New York Harbor and surrounding waters. Michelle can be reached at 631-751-4600 or at mnannen@eeaconsultants.com. (Listing updated 12/1/04)
Pamela Neeb Wade '99 and her husband, Patrick, celebrated their second wedding anniversary in October 2004. They live in Monterey Bay, California where Pam is an education specialist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. (Listing updated 6/13/05)
Tracy Nestor Schilling '98 married Matt Schilling in November, 2000. Congratulations! Matt is in the Navy, currently stationed at Atlantic Beach, Florida where he is attached to a helicopter squadron. Tracy is now working for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a Level 1 Environmental Scientist/Researcher. Her job responsibilities include site inspections, permitting, and court liaison activities. Tracy and Matt can be reached at tracyschilling@aol.com. (Listing updated 2002-2003)
Brandi Novak '07 is living in Glen Gardner, NJ and teaching science at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington. You can still take a virtual tour of Rider with Brandi when she was a senior environmental sciences/secondary education double major by clicking here. Brandi can be reached at work at bnovak@hcrhs.k12.nj.us. (Listing updated 9/21/07)
Ruth Obergfell Leing '00 and her husband, Peter '01 (CIS), live in Ewing, NJ. Ruth is a lab technician at Medical Diagnostic Lab and Peter is a Webmaster at Cenlar. (Listing updated 6/13/05)
Jennifer O'Reilly '01 was inducted into the Rider University Athletics Hall of Fame on January 20, 2007. Jen was twice the Rider University Female Athlete of the Year, was a three-time Andrew J. Rider Scholar, was named one of the top 25 Performers in the 25-year history of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and graduated with a perfect 4.0 gpa! She graduated with a total of 24 MAAC gold medals, including four straight 100 freestyle MAAC Championships, eight team records, four Rider pool relay records and two MAAC relay records. Jen became Rider’s first-ever Barry Goldwater Scholarship Award recipient in 2001 and is still the only Rider student-athlete to be awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Congratulations Jen and well deserved!
In other news, Jen finished her Master thesis in marine sciences at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington in 2003. After graduation she worked at the University's Aquatic Ecology Laboratory, performing water quality work in a variety of environments, from tidal creeks, estuaries, and rivers to offshore marine sites. In 2004, Jen switched jobs and became an Analytical Chemist, working on nutrient cycling in river flood plains, for the United States Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia, where she also lives. Recently, she took a new position with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Jen still swims in Master (i.e. old people) meets, including the 2006 FINA Masters World Championships in Palo Alto, CA, goes mountain biking, and competes in triathlons (whew!). Jen can be reached at oreilly_j@hotmail.com. (Listing updated 1/27/07)
Phil Pappano '90 is a Senior Geophysicist with PGS Seres, Inc. in Houston, TX. He and his wife, Peg, have two children, Phillip III, and Maggie. Phil writes that they have done a lot of travelling, including trips to Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, and Ohio. Phil also has made trips to Oslo, Norway and New Orleans for work. Phil and the gang can be reached at phil_pappano@yahoo.com. (Listing updated 1999-2000)
Julie Pasternak Santaniello '01 married Drew Santaniello, a Rider accounting grad, in October 2004 (congratulations!) She also switched jobs last year and is now a project scientist for ARCADIS in their Boston office (actually located in Lowell, MA). Julie's primary responsibilities include data evaluation and reporting for sites with on-going remediation, including systems, in-situ treatments, and phytoremediation. She also is responsible for tracking all of her office's sites through the Massachusetts waste site clean up program and staying current with changes to the regulations. Julie can be reached at ARCADIS at 978-937-9999 ext. 315, or at JSantaniello@arcadis-us.com. (Listing updated 10/6/06)
Michelle Pelc '96 has been working for Baxter Healthcare in Cherry Hill, NJ for the past five years as a Scientist in the Technical Services Department. She recently bought her first house in West Deptford, NJ where she lives with her three "children," a dog, Brody, and two cats, Quint and Hooper (yes, all three are named after characters in the movie Jaws). Michelle also volunteers a couple of weekends a month as a science interpreter at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Michelle can be reached at either seachelle212@hotmail.com or michelle_pelc@baxter.com. (Listing updated 11/29/06)
 Joey Amanda Rabin Pace '97 and Vincent Pace were married on October 4, 2003 in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Joey is now a Project Manager/Projet Hydrologist in the Waste Programs Division, Remedial Projects Section, Voluntary Remediation Program Unit (VRPU) of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Vince is still an Environmental Business Manager for BP Oil, although now he has to fly in order to commute back and forth to work. In 2004, Joey and Vince spent three days in the Grand Canyon hiking the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails (see photo). Joey says rock climbing in Yellowstone is next! Joey can be reached at work at 602-771-4574 or at Pace.Joey@azdeq.gov, and at home at jp1027@cox.net. (Listing updated 5/20/08)
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Lori Roth '00 will be defending her Master thesis on November 8, 2004 at the University of Maryland (Good Luck!). However, she already has begun her new job as a Research/Lab Technician at the Cancer Research Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii. Lori's project there involves the impacts of micronutrients on the prevention of cancer. She also has applied to teach chemistry, oceanography, or environmental science at Honolulu Community College for the spring semester. Lori can be reached at work at lroth@crch.hawaii.edu. (Listing updated 11/1/04)
Doug Ruhlin '81 is an Environmental Consultant at Resource Management Associates (RMA), Inc. in Forked River, NJ where he has owned and operated RMA for over 15 years. Doug's company specializes in environmental and operational consulting for the construction materials industries. As a result, RMA provides consulting and services to just about every mining, asphalt, and concrete facility in New Jersey and for many others throughout the country. Doug is on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association, where he serves as Chair of the Environmental Committee. He's also involved with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association. Doug also develops and teaches training courses, dealing with regulatory compliance, water quality management, pollution prevention, environmental management, etc., for the concrete industry. Doug lives in Lanoka Harbor, NJ with his wife of 25 years and three children. The oldest son is a sophomore at Monmouth University (my how the time does fly!). Doug can be reached at work at 800-964-3250 or at druhlin@verizon.net. (Listing updated 1/27/07)
Carl Scharpf '88 has been working around the world in the petroleum industry since graduation, first as a petroleum geologist with Amoco in Houston, Texas, and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam. He then became the Lead Far East Geologist with Union Texas Petroleum back in Houston with much of his time spent in China. After that, Carl became the China Exploration Manager for Burlington Resources International, the largest independent petroleum company in the U.S., where he split his time between their Houston and Shekou, China offices. Carl then returned to Houston to work for Marathon Oil in their Southeast Asia New Ventures division and presently is in the process of moving to Jakarta, Indonesia where he will be the Vice President for Exploration, Marathon Indonesia Oil Company (whew, got all that!?). Carl and his wife, Nhan, have two daughters, Anna and Sarah. Carl can be reached at Marathon Oil Company, Attn Jakarta Office, P.O. Box 1228, Houston, TX 77251-1228 or at cscharpf@marathonoil.com. (Listing updated 12/22/06)
Reed Schwimmer '84 and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, Kelsey and Madelyn (Maddie), and live near campus in Lawrenceville, NJ. Sarah is a teacher for the Princeton School District, while Reed, who completed his Ph.D. in coastal geology at the University of Delaware in 1999, is a tenured Associate Professor of Geological and Marine Sciences in our department. Reed can be reached at rschwimmer@rider.edu. Congratulations to Dr. Schwimmer on his promotion and tenure in 2007, and it's great to have you at Rider, hopefully for years to come! (Listing updated 12/20/07)
Jenn Sliko '00 will receive her Masters Degree in coastal geology from Florida State University in the spring of 2006. She already has started her Ph.D. degree studies at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Jenn is part of USF's Paleontology/Paleoclimatology Group, working on two different projects. The first involves looking at gastropods from the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary in Florida and trying to correlate them with the hypothesized permanent "El Nino-like" state that existed in the Pacific prior to the closure of the Isthmus of Panama. The second project involves Weedon Island, a Holocene archeological site south of Tampa, and how the placement of middens there affected the island's morphology. Jenn also is teaching an introductory geology recitation class at USF. Jenn can be reached at 267-688-5437 (cell) or at jsliko@cas.usf.edu. (Listing updated 11/30/05)
Steven Snopkowski '03 is working for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Supply, helping to monitor the city's drinking water supply. As he points out, supplying the huge volumes of water the city requires involves a vast and complex water distribution system, one few people are really aware of or appreciate. Steve can be reached at work at 516-924-2245 or at steves@dep.nyc.gov. (Listing updated 11/19/09)
Jessica Stephen '96 received her Masters in Marine Sciences from the University of South Carolina. Since then she has been employed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources as a fisheries ecologist. She currently is working full-time while simultaneously pursuing her Ph.D. in marine science. Jessica's current work investigates the effects of commercial fishing pressure on the life-histories of fish populations, with particular emphasis on the potential for evolutionary responses through fishing mortality. Jessica can be reached at work at 843-953-9827 or at stephenj@dnr.sc.gov. (Listing updated 12/13/06)
Doug Sturgis '83 has been a Supervisor of a North American Field Studies and 4D Seismic Interpretation Team for ExxonMobil in Houston, Texas. Starting in August 2008, Doug and his family will be moving to London where he will become a Supervisor for North Africa and Europe. Doug has over 20 years with ExxonMobil and spent three years (2001-2004) for them in Malaysia, where he also was able to travel to China, Thailand, Nepal, New Zealand, and Australia. Doug says the best part of being overseas the last time was hiking in the Himalayas and diving and snorkeling on the island of Sipadan, Malaysia and on the Great Barrier Reef with his family. Doug and his wife of 22 years, Melissa, have two children, Nathan, 19, and Jennifer, 14, and lived in Kingwood, Texas prior to their recent move to London. Doug can be contacted at work at doug.s.sturgis@exxonmobil.com, or at home at mbsactress@mac.com. (Listing updated 7/28/08)
Tim Swavely '07 is an Environmental Scientist/Geologist with Stell Environmental. Tim adds that soon he'll be heading down to Texas to work for four months with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a coring project. Tim can be contacted at toby2bse@comcast.net. (Listing updated (2/1/08)
Kerry Szemple Drennan '96 married Bill Drennan, a Bayonne, NJ fireman, in September, 2006. Congratulations! They live in Bayonne, where Kerry is a Geologist/Assistant Project Manager with AquaTek Environmental of Livingston, NJ. For their honeymoon Kerry and Bill spent three weeks backpacking through Europe. They would like to go back to northern Europe next fall for a second trip. Kerry can be contacted at work at 973-716-9110 or at kjszemple@aquatekenvironmental.com. She also can be reached at roscoe95@yahoo.com. (Listing updated 12/15/06)
Chuck Trione '85 is now living in Arlington, Virginia and working for EarthTech, Inc., a global engineering, construction, and environmental consulting firm, in their Alexandria, VA office. He's very interested in hearing from, or getting information about, Mark Eliason (as are we!). So if you know something, get in touch with Chuck (and us) at 703-549-8728. (Listing updated 2/3/07)
Serena Turner '02 is working as a Senior Research Technician for the Center Quantitative Fisheries Ecology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She'll also be taking graduate courses there. (Listing updated 2002-2003)
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Megan Tutera '98 is now a Marine Mammal Trainer, working with dolphins, at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Prior to that, Megan was a parrot trainer (!) at the Rain Forest Cafe in Las Vegas, Nevada. Before it closed in April 2004, Megan worked at Sea World in Ohio where she was responsible for training sea lions. As you can tell from the picture to the right, Megan enjoyed her work there almost as much as her friend seemed to have enjoyed Megan. Megan can be reached at Lauren Tyler '93 is living in St. Petersburg, Florida. She received her MBA with a marketing concentration from the University of Tampa in 2002. Congratulations! After graduation Lauren left her position in zoo education at Busch Gardens to work as an Environmental Communications Consultant in Gainesville, FL. However, she missed the zoo and aquarium world so Lauren now is back at the Florida Aquarium as their Education Programs Manager where she develops and manages fee-based education programs. Lauren can be reached at work at ltyler@flaquarium.org or at 813-367-4017, or at ltyler4@tampabay.rr.com. (Listing updated 6/1/07)
Kristin Van Nest Romanok '95 has been a Hydrologist with the USGS in West Trenton, NJ for the past 11 years, specializing in water quality. She and her husband, Craig, a Rider '94 marketing graduate, live in South Brunswick and have two children, Clayton and Samantha. Kris mentioned that her office is always looking for summer interns and part-time or volunteer student workers. Kris can be reached at kromanok@verizon.net. (Listing updated 10/2/07)
Jodi Wendt McDonald '96 is the Chief of the Rivers and Lakes Section, Planning Division, for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' New York District. She manages approximately 12 multi-million dollar Federal Maintenance Dredging Projects along coastal Long Island (both north and south shores), the New Jersey shore (to Shark River Inlet) and New York Harbor. Jodi says the work is really challenging, but she loves it. Jodi's work address is: Ms. Jodi M. McDonald, Chief, Rivers and Lakes Section, US Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, 26 Federal Plaza, New York, NY 10278-0090. She can be reached at work at 917-790-8720 or at jodi.m.mcdonald@usace.army.mil. (Listing updated 1/27/07)
Matthew Wojtko '02 is working as a Geologist for Earth Data, Inc., a groundwater and environmental consulting firm located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He can be reached at 410-758-8160 (ext. 231) or at mwojtko@earthdatainc.com. (Listing updated 2002-2003)
Jaime Wuelfing'98 works as an Associate Geologist for Groundwater & Environmental Services, Inc. in Wall, NJ. She can be reached at 732-919-0916 (ext. 164) or at jwuelfing@gesonline.com. (Listing updated 2002-2003)
