newsmakers | 2000s

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Newsmaker: Tony Alleyne ’05

Tony Alleyne ’05 is the recipient of the Teach for America Delaware Markell Leadership Award. Alleyne is the executive director for Delaware College Scholars, a program is designed for first-generation college-bound high school students and those traditionally marginalized by the higher education system. “Dr. Alleyne’s leadership . . . has positively impacted the lives of countless students across the state,” said Teach for America-Delaware’s executive director, Tamara Smith, in a press statement. Recently, Alleyne has also received leadership awards from the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and the Delaware Business Times. At Wesleyan, Alleyne majored in African American studies and sociology and earned graduate degrees from Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

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Sunny Chyun ’02

Sunny Chyun ’02 is the winner of the 36th United Overseas Bank (UOB) Painting of the Year Award for her linen artwork titled. Dyspraxia. The UOB judges said, “[We] were impressed by the artwork’s details which consisted of various embroidered patterns created with a mix of threads, acrylic, oil and glow-in-the-dark paint.” She was honored at an awards ceremony in November. Chyun was a studio arts major at Wesleyan and earned an MFA from the Korean National University of Arts.

 

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Gregory Heller ’04

Gregory Heller ’04Gregory Heller ’04 was named one of Urban Land’s 40 Under 40. This award highlights the best young land-use professionals from around the globe, as selected by members of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). ULI is a member-supported nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to providing leadership in the responsible use of land. Heller is the executive director of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. He recently published Ed Bacon: Planning, Politics, and the Building of Modern Philadelphia and spoke at a TEDx conference. While at Wesleyan, Heller was an American studies major with a concentration in German studies.

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Eduardo Medina ’00

Eduardo Medina ’00Eduardo Medina ’00, MD, MPH, co-authored “Structural Racism and Supporting Black Lives—The Role of Health Professionals,” published last December in the New England Journal of Medicine. Working with colleagues at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, the article addresses the link between premature deaths, both in the criminal justice system and in the healthcare system in America. Medina’s integration of social justice and medicine, he notes, actually echoes a history of political activism among Latin American physicians, like Che Guevara and Salvador Allende, something he studied as a Latin American Studies major, even while on the pre-med track at Wesleyan. After Wesleyan, Medina earned advanced degrees at the University of Minnesota.

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Mosah Fernandez Goodman ’04

Mosah GoodmanMosah Fernandez Goodman ’04 was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Omahans (“TOYO!”), exemplifying community ideas and exhibiting extraordinary leadership. Active in the Omaha community, Goodman serves on the board for the Child Saving Institute, has served on the metro area board for TeamMates, is a co-founder of 24HoursofImpact.com, and is a graduate of Leadership Omaha. A theater major as an undergraduate, he also earned an MALS from Wesleyan, as well as a JD/MBA from the University of Iowa. Currently serving as counsel at Gavilon, he has managed the construction of the company’s downtown headquarters, supported many business development efforts, and has worked on a variety of legal and compliance issues.

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Nathan Rich ’02

Nathan Rich '02 was chosen as one of only 15 Henry Luce Scholars for the 2004-05 academic year. The Luce Foundation will subsidize Rich for one year of work and study in China and in an intensive Mandarin language program prior to his departure. He plans to work in an architecture firm and study urban development in preparation for graduate work in architecture.
Nathan Rich ’02 was chosen as one of only 15 Henry Luce Scholars for the 2004-05 academic year. The Luce Foundation will subsidize Rich for one year of work and study in China and in an intensive Mandarin language program prior to his departure. He plans to work in an architecture firm and study urban development in preparation for graduate work in architecture.
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Kevin Lohela ’06

Kevin Lohela ’06, a member of the 2006 Teach for America (TFA) Corps in New York City, was named a national semi–finalist for the 2008 Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award, one of only seven TFA elementary teachers in the country out of about 1,500. A philosophy major with a focus in ethics while at Wesleyan, he recalls that it was his commitment to social justice programs that led him to apply to TFA. However, “Once I was there, I fell in love with teaching,” Lohela says. He taught at a South Bronx elementary school and was recognized for implementing Teaching for Leadership strategies and leading his students to dramatic academic improvement. Of the recognition, he says, “I’m very honored. I know from first–hand experience—living with four other TFA corps–members—that a lot of people are working very hard and having a positive impact at Teach for America.”
Kevin Lohela ’06, a member of the 2006 Teach for America (TFA) Corps in New York City, was named a national semi–finalist for the 2008 Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award, one of only seven TFA elementary teachers in the country out of about 1,500. A philosophy major with a focus in ethics while at Wesleyan, he recalls that it was his commitment to social justice programs that led him to apply to TFA. However, “Once I was there, I fell in love with teaching,” Lohela says. He taught at a South Bronx elementary school and was recognized for implementing Teaching for Leadership strategies and leading his students to dramatic academic improvement. Of the recognition, he says, “I’m very honored. I know from first–hand experience—living with four other TFA corps–members—that a lot of people are working very hard and having a positive impact at Teach for America.”
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Kim Stolz ’05

Kim Stolz '05 was one of the top 12 contestants chosen to compete in season five of America's Next Top Model, hosted by Tyra Banks on UPN. Stolz, who in an opening interview had said that she hoped her education would give her a strategic edge, won a prize in one of the weekly competitions: a cameo role on Veronica Mars. Stolz played a car-rental agency employee whose by-the-book boss was played by Joss Whedon '87. A government major as an undergraduate, Stolz wrote a thesis comparing the U.S. exit strategies in several recent interventions.
Kim Stolz ’05 was one of the top 12 contestants chosen to compete in season five of America’s Next Top Model, hosted by Tyra Banks on UPN. Stolz, who in an opening interview had said that she hoped her education would give her a strategic edge, won a prize in one of the weekly competitions: a cameo role on Veronica Mars. Stolz played a car-rental agency employee whose by-the-book boss was played by Joss Whedon ’87. A government major as an undergraduate, Stolz wrote a thesis comparing the U.S. exit strategies in several recent interventions.
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Matt Kushner ’03

Matt Kushner ’03 earned a screening for his animated music video of indie singer Justin Catalino’s “When the Sky Is Falling,” at the 11th Annual LA Shorts Fest. The piece, which he animated, directed, and produced, served as his thesis for his master’s degree from New York University’s Center for Advanced Digital Applications. Initially, it had won in the online competition, Famecast, which sent it to the Shorts Fest. At Wesleyan, Kushner majored in film studies, with a focus on computer animation. To view Kushner’s work, see www.mattkushner.com.
Matt Kushner ’03 earned a screening for his animated music video of indie singer Justin Catalino’s “When the Sky Is Falling,” at the 11th Annual LA Shorts Fest. The piece, which he animated, directed, and produced, served as his thesis for his master’s degree from New York University’s Center for Advanced Digital Applications. Initially, it had won in the online competition, Famecast, which sent it to the Shorts Fest. At Wesleyan, Kushner majored in film studies, with a focus on computer animation. To view Kushner’s work, see www.mattkushner.com.
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Ameenah Lloyd ’03

Ameenah Lloyd ’03, a student at the University of Virginia Law School, was recently awarded the Reed Smith Fellowship by the firm’s Philadelphia office. The award is given to a first-year law student who demonstrates excellent academic achievement while overcoming economic or social adversity in pursuit of a law degree, in addition to demonstrating a commitment to community involvement. The fellowship entitles Lloyd, who served in the Peace Corps, to summer employment at Reed Smith. At Wesleyan, she majored in sociology.
Ameenah Lloyd ’03, a student at the University of Virginia Law School, was recently awarded the Reed Smith Fellowship by the firm’s Philadelphia office. The award is given to a first-year law student who demonstrates excellent academic achievement while overcoming economic or social adversity in pursuit of a law degree, in addition to demonstrating a commitment to community involvement. The fellowship entitles Lloyd, who served in the Peace Corps, to summer employment at Reed Smith. At Wesleyan, she majored in sociology.