Health and Medicine
Stay up to date on the latest from your fellow Violets! Read about what alumni are up to in health and medicine, from public health and policy to dentistry and nursing, and more.
Please note: Class notes are organized first by school (you may use the links on the right to jump to a school or college you'd like to view notes from) and within each school or college, notes are organized by class year (most recent graduates to older graduates).
College of Arts & Science
Cindy Qiang (CAS ’21) has founded the non-profit Bridging Smiles Organization to use online teaching to provide oral hygiene instruction to the local pediatric population with the help of NYU's dental students. (Spring 2023)
Caitlin Miller (CAS ’06) was named Young Optometrist of the Year by the Arizona Optometric Association. (Summer 2021)
Helen Arteaga Landaverde (CAS ’99) has been appointed CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst; Helen is also an NYUAA board member. (Winter 2021)
Dr. Michelle K. Watson (CAS ’94) has launched an innovative, groundbreaking healthcare equity and medical DEI media firm Elementary My Dear Edutainment Media, and an associated podcast, the Humanities in Medicine Podcast Experience. (Winter 2023)
Dr. Vincent J. Perciaccante, DDS, FACS (WSUC ’92, DEN ’95) has been named President of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS). (Fall 2021)
Nicholas Rallis (WSUC ’85, DEN ’88) was the first NYU alumni to be named as an Associate faculty member of the prestigious Dawson Academy. Dr. Rallis hosts a mini-residency course at his practice, Center for Smiles, where he teaches the Dawson Academy curriculum serving dentists from the United States and around the world. (Winter 2022)
Iris Dorbian (WSUC ’83) will be a featured speaker at the Business of Cannabis, New York Summit on November 3, held at the New York Academy of Medicine. Her feature on private equity investing in Hollywood (and production companies founded by celebrities) is the September cover story for Buyouts magazine. (Summer 2022)
Louis Tartglia MD (WSC ’72) recently published his fifth book, Last Gift of the Magi, a Christmas parable, which became the #1 new release in Religious historical fiction on Amazon. (Winter 2023)
Louis Mazawey (WSC ’71) is celebrating the continuation of serving as the President of The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy, the nation's only non-profit dedicated to this medical condition affecting 30 million Americans. (Spring 2023)
Richard Lynn (WSC ’67) is presently the Immediate Past 2nd Vice-President of The American College of Surgeons, after a long career as a vascular surgeon. (Spring 2023)
Joan Dinah Liebmann (WSC ’67) is an award-winning medical writer and the co-author of a newly released book Medical Marijuana: Dr. Kogan's Evidence-Based Guide to Medical Cannabis and CBD (Avery/Penguin, October 2021). Medical Marijuana is her 5th book. (Fall 2021)
Janet K. Look, Ed.D. (WSC ’64) has been named the Distinguished Psychologist for 2021 by the Washington State Psychological Association. (Spring 2022)
Dentistry
Analia Veitz-Keenan (DEN ’99) was installed as the President-Elect at the NYS Academy of General Dentistry. (Spring 2022)
Grace Lee (DEN ’96) has graduated from this leading program in Board Governance in June 2021. She currently serves on the Board of the Ontario Dental Association. (Summer 2021)
Robert C. Rawdin (DEN ’86) has been installed as the president of The Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics. (Winter 2022)
William Silver (DEN ’53) is the author of the textbook Dental Autopsy and is the deputy chief of forensic odontology at Miami Dade Medical Examiner Department. (Spring 2021)
Grossman School of Medicine
Alejandro Badia (GSM ’89) is a world renowned hand surgeon, healthcare disruptor, and surgeon educator. His new book Healthcare from the Trenches is an open discussion of the failure of the U.S. healthcare system from the perspectives of its providers and patients. (Winter 2022)
Heights: Arts and Engineering
Janet Kaplan Look (HEIGHTS ’64) was named, by the Washington State Psychological Association, the Distinguished Psychologist 2021. (Fall 2022)
Robert P. Lisak (HEIGHTS ’61) was awarded the 2021 Distinguished Neurology Teacher Award by the American Neurological Association. (Winter 2022)
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development
Rebecca Kangwa (STEINHARDT ’19) is celebrating the success of her women-owned and operated private practice, Kangwa Psychotherapy, and the launch of her revolutionary product, Pilli. (Winter 2023)
Phil Lombardo (CAS ’00, STEINHARDT ’02) is named Director of Medical Advisory Board for MOVNAT international. (Spring 2021)
Marcia Zorrilla (STEINHARDT ’92) is a Public Health Specialist and Director of Positive Youth Development at the REACH, Stanford School of Medicine. She is the Project Director of Speak Up! A pilot study on Youth Perceptions of the Racialization Of Cannabis: Implications for Prevention and Policy. (Summer 2022)
Patricia A. Farrell, Ph.D. (GSAS ’78, STEINHARDT ’90) has been named one of the 30 Women Transforming Healthcare by Medika Life and a Top Health writer on Medium.com. (Fall 2022)
Mary V. Donohue (STEINHARDT ’73, ’85) was nominated by the American Occupational Therapy Press to have her tool, The Social Profile, included in Buros' Mental Measurement Year Book in 2021. (Spring 2021)
James C. O'Neal (STEINHARDT ’71) is an aging expert and dedicated community health care advocate. He has been appointed State President of AARP New York. In this position, O’Neal will chair the AARP New York Executive Council, a select leadership group of AARP New York members with an outstanding record of service and a commitment to the goals of the Association. (Winter 2022)
Stern School of Business
Abby Coleman (STERN ’06) was recently named to the College Diabetes Network Board of Directors. (Summer 2021)
Harish Dave (STERN ’06) is the co-founder of AUM Biosciences, a clinical stage biotechnology company announcing that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp. V. (Fall 2022)
Lorn Davis (STERN ’96) was named as the incoming chair of the board of directors of Pine Street Inn, New England’s largest homeless services organization. (Summer 2022)
Stephen J. Varone (STERN ’79) was appointed to the Board of Directors of Springfield Medical Care Systems In Springfield, VT. (Winter 2022)
Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service
Ramon Jacobs-Shaw (WAG ’17) was listed as a 2022 Top Diversity Leader in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare. As Chief Clinical Officer at Belong Health, he has helped to build a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Spring 2023)
Katie Riconda (WAG ’15) is celebrating the launch of a nonprofit organization she co-founded called MA Mom Advocates (MAMA)! MAMA connects birthing people with compassionate advocates to reduce their burden by providing resources, referrals, and connection to services before and after birth so they can raise the next generation. (Fall 2022)
Jeffrey Yip (WAG ’08) was promoted to Program Manager at NYU Langone Health in May 2022. Additionally, he co-runs the Yip's Dragon Style Kung Fu and Tai Chi Club with his father, who founded the club in 1974. (Spring 2022)