JOSEPH A. DIPAOLO, a renowned cancer researcher, died Nov. 3, 2015. He was 91. A member of Delta Upsilon, he was elected to Sigma Xi, received a master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University, and a doctorate from Northwestern University. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy. His wife, Arleta Schreib DiPaolo, predeceased him. Survivors include his son, John K. DiPaolo ’89, his daughter, and a granddaughter.
Gregory 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.
Gari Mayberry ’97 was the subject of an EARTH Magazine article for her work with the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP), the world’s only volcano crisis response team, which is made up of what EARTH writer Bethany Augliere described as “a small group of U.S. volcanologists that works around the world to prevent eruptions from becoming disaster.” Since its inception, VDAP has responded to more than 30 major volcanic crises. Mayberry is also the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance Geoscience and Natural Hazards Advisor. She studied geology at Wesleyan, and earned her master’s degree from Michigan Technical University.
Eduardo 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.
Laura Hardin ’89, a damages expert for international arbitrations with Alvarez & Marsal Disputes and Investigation, recently testified for the Federal Republic of Germany in the case of Vattenfall AB vs. the Federal Republic of Germany. This case is related to Germany’s decision to shut down all nuclear plants by the year 2022, in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. Hardin notes, “This case was very significant. It was the first time the Federal Republic of Germany has been sued by an investor under any type of investment treaty arbitration.” A Russian major at Wesleyan, she earned her MBA from George Washington University and has 20 years of experience calculating damages for international arbitrations.
Kofi Appenteng ’81 was appointed president and CEO of the Africa-America Institute. Colin Campbell, president emeritus of Wesleyan, said, “Kofi’s lifelong commitment to African affairs and to US-Africa relations make him an outstanding choice to lead the Africa-America Institute at this critical time.” Appenteng has 30 years of domestic and international experience as a corporate lawyer, investment banker and board director. He previously served as senior counsel at Dentons, a global law firm, and is a senior advisor to The Rock Creek Group, a global investment and advisory firm. Born in Ghana, he majored in history at Wesleyan and earned a JD from Columbia University.
Jim Friedlich ’79, P’14 was appointed the chief executive officer of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism in Philadelphia. This newly formed Institute has an endowment for investment in technology and innovations that advance the future of journalism. The Institute is also the parent company of The Philadelphia Inquirer, a winner of 20 Pulitzer Prizes and now the largest newspaper in America operated as a public-benefit company. Cable mogul and philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest said, “The hiring of Jim Friedlich—one of the most talented and capable thinkers in the business of journalism—will help propel our mission: developing effective models for powerful public-service journalism on a local and regional level in the digital age.” An English major at Wesleyan, Friedlich was chief executive of digital media advisory firm Empirical Media which was purchased by Lenfest. He worked as group publisher of The Wall Street Journal International and was a seed investor in Business Insider.
Ellis Neufeld ’79, M.D., PhD., was appointed clinical director, physician-in-chief, and executive vice president of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an internationally renowned center that pioneers research for and offers treatment to children with catastrophic illnesses. St. Jude President and Chief Executive Officer James Downing, M.D., said: “Dr. Neufeld’s leadership and experience will help steer St. Jude clinical operations as we expand our patient care programs, increase the number of patients treated and work to set the standard for pediatric cancer care delivery.” A biology and chemistry major at Wesleyan, Neufeld earned his doctoral degrees at Washington University in St. Louis, with specialty training in pediatrics and medical genetics at Boston Children’s Hospital and in pediatric hematology/oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s.
Leon Vinci ’72 is now a national technical advisor on climate change for the National Environmental Health Association, a membership organization for practitioners and others working in environmental health. He has worked in the public health arena for the past 40 years, specializing in environmental and health policy. After a career in management of environmental and public health agencies, he serves as the CEO and president of Health Promotion Consultants, an environmental health consulting firm which he founded. He lectures frequently on environmental and public health topics and is an adjunct professor at Drexel University. A biology major at Wesleyan, he earned his MPH from Yale School of Medicine, and his doctorate in health policy from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Joseph Wright ’79, MD, MPH, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at Howard University College of Medicine was recently elected to the prestigious American Pediatric Society (APS). Wright, as one of the nation’s leading pediatricians, has been recognized as an advocate for childcare, working to advancing pediatric research, developing educational opportunities for trainees, and expanding advocacy initiatives. For Wright, “Election to the APS is a special honor,” as membership provides a platform for him to further not only “Howard’s commitment to outstanding patient care and service to the community,” but also the missions of the numerous national advisory boards he serves on, including the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC), the American Hospital Association’s Maternal and Child Health Council, and recently, as an Obama administration appointee to the Food and Drug Administration’s Pediatric Advisory Committee.
