Alumni Bulletin-Spring26

52 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES itself from Dallas to Houston and back with no human intervention: youtube.com/ watch?v=TZv1krlPfb4. Travis LaBerge is executive director and founder at Parlando School of Musical Arts, which is nearing its 25th anniversary, and Parlando (named after the Lehigh music department newsletter) is now the largest standalone music education, outreach and advocacy organization in Colorado. Travis’ wife Christine (Galli) LaBerge ’99 left the federal government this past spring and co-launched Landfall IP— an AI-native patent law firm built to fundamentally change how innovators develop and protect their ideas. Christine serves as head of innovation and engineering, focusing on leading the development of many AI-native systems that power Landfall’s approach. People interested in exploring ideas and getting actionable insights before drafting a patent can try their patented “Discovery Agent” for free at landfallip.com. Travis recently saw Gabe Grifoni in L.A. He and his family still live in West Hollywood, and Gabe is growing/scaling his tech startup, Rufus Labs. They specialize in AI-enabled wearable barcode scanners, handheld devices and labor intelligence for warehouse and manufacturing. His website is getrufus.com. Jennifer (Keegan) Kovatch shared that she recently relocated to Greenville, S.C. Please continue to share your news, and I will make sure that it makes our class column. Class of 1998 Facebook Page: facebook.com/groups/ Lehigh98/ ’99 Karen (Smith) Fischer, kms5lehigh@ gmail.com Hello, fantastic Class of ’99! I hope all is well with you and your families, and that 2026 is off to a great start! No classmate news to report this time around, but check in anytime—I’d love to hear from you. Wishing you all the best! ’00Corina Fisher, (732) 688-3671 (C); corina_fisher@yahoo.com This past year brought new beginnings and heartfelt moments to our class, and I’m delighted to share some highlights from our community. Here’s to health, happiness and even more memorable milestones! Personal update: new career chapter and furry family members On the personal front, I embarked on an exciting professional journey this year by joining CVS Health to lead talent strategy for digital, data and analytics. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of talent in a rapidly evolving space, and I’m energized by the teamwork and innovation happening every day. Life at home is just as lively—we rescued two more kittens in 2025, bringing our household family member count to a joyful (and sometimes chaotic!) total of two dogs and five cats. The furry crew certainly keeps things interesting and reminds me daily of the power of compassion, play and the occasional nap in a sunbeam. Alumni Spotlight: Mike McKeon’s legal leadership and service Congratulations to Mike McKeon on his new role as shareholder at Segal McCambridge in Philadelphia! Mike specializes in environmental and toxic tort litigation, representing clients with expertise and integrity in this complex field. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Mike lives in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., with wife Jenn and daughters Ava and Alyssa. Mike also served as a Lower Merion Township Commissioner from 2018-2024 and currently serves as a director of the Belmont Hills Volunteer Fire Company. We’re proud to see Mike’s impact across his community. Alumni Spotlight: Mark Hanna’s partnership at Fox Rothschild Kudos to Mark Hanna, who has stepped into a new position as partner at Fox Rothschild in Morristown, N.J. Mark brings a wealth of litigation experience, representing clients in highstakes matters with dedication and strategic insight. Mark’s achievements are a testament to his professionalism and passion for the law. Keep the updates coming! As we celebrate these milestones, I encourage everyone to keep sharing your stories—career changes, family moments, adventures big and small. Your updates make our community strong and inspire us all. ’01 Abby Dawes Columbo, abbywdawes@gmail.com ’02 Laura (Schwamb) Carino, lcarino@att.net ’03Jessica DeSantis-Berg, jessicadesantisberg@yahoo.com Hello, Class of 2003! I’m excited to share an update on David Shoup. After graduating, David continued his education, completing his master’s at University of Maryland in 2006 and then his Ph.D. in mathematics from George Washington University in 2015. David served as a math professor at Alvernia University in Reading, Pa., for eight years before being promoted to dean for the College of STEAM in 2024. He now oversees the departments of engineering, business, science, computer science and fine arts at Alvernia. He also happens to be my husband Jon’s high school classmate, and whenever we get together, it’s obvious how committed he is to Alvernia and how much time he devotes to supporting his students and colleagues. As always, I’d love to feature more classmates in future editions. Please reach out if you’re willing to share your news! ’04 Michael Zurat, 202-549-2222; mzurat@icloud.com Greetings, Class of 2004! I hope you’re doing well. This week, I helped my mom ring the bell to mark the completion of her cancer treatments. And we are all grateful for the excellent care she received at the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, N.C. The plaque on the bell says to ring it to share a success, no matter how small. It’s been quiet in my inbox. Don’t be shy, feel free to interrupt my doom scrolling and share a LU memory or success, no matter how small. Drop me a line with your news, career and family updates or recommendations for that next great vacation or dinner spot! Michael Zurat ’04 M’05 on social media at @mzurat on LinkedIn, @there alzur.bsky.social or via email at therealzur@icloud.com. ’05 Jessi (Schimmel) McMullan, jessi.mcmullan@alum.lehigh.edu Happy spring, all! I heard from Lawrence Schienert just before the holidays last year. He’s been keeping very busy and offered this update: “After graduating from Lehigh, Lawrence earned his law degree from the University of Florida and began his career practicing corporate law at White and Case in Miami, Fla. He later moved to Washington, D.C, where he completed an LLM in securities and financial regulation from Georgetown Law School before joining the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Since joining the U.S. Treasury Department, he has served in a variety of roles focused on financial crime, anti-money laundering and economic sanctions. He currently oversees the enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. Lawrence credits Lehigh’s courses (and fantastic professors) in finance, international relations and pre-law for shaping his professional path. He now lives in Bethesda, Md., with his wife and two awesome kids!” Do we have any other gov-

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