Danielle Rolfes ('97 B.S. Accountancy; University Honors Scholar) was honored as the 2009 Honors Distinguished Alumni at the June 11 graduation reception in the Student Union.
Danielle Rolfes is a partner at Ivins, Phillips & Barker in Washington, D.C., and has been with the firm since 2002. Her practice focuses on general corporate income taxation, with an emphasis on international and tax accounting issues. She writes and lectures frequently in her field and has participated on expert panels hosted by the American Bar Association, the D.C. Bar, the Federal Bar Association, and BNA Tax Management. Rolfes, a certified public accountant, is a gold medal winner for achieving the highest score on the CPA exam in the State of Ohio.
From 1997 to 1999, Rolfes was an accountant at Procter & Gamble, where she worked full-time on the implementation of the cost accounting modules of SAP, an enterprise-wide software system.
She graduated with honors from Harvard Law School in 2002 and earned her LL.M. in Taxation, with distinction, from Georgetown University Law Center in 2005. Congratulations, Danielle!
More Alumni News
Maria Williams Alexander (B.S. ’03 Psychology [UHS]; Psy.D. ’08) and Menelek Alexander (B.S. ’07 Organizational Leadership) were married in April. Maria began a new job in August as a staff therapist at Purdue University. (F09)
Dawn Allen (DuBois) (B.S. '96 Education; DHS) lives in Saint Paris, OH, and is a Principal for Graham Local Schools. She serves on the Champaign County Arts Council Board of Trustees. Dawn earned a M.Ed. from Urbana University and was a Martha Holden Jennings Scholarship recipient. (S09)
Rebecca Barton (B.S. ’06 Nursing; DHS) received an M.S. in Nursing Education from Walden University in June 2009 and teaches at Hondros College in Fairborn, OH. (F09)
Joshua Beery (B.A. '07 Anthropology; DHS) has undertaken postgraduate studies in urban planning at The University of Melbourne in Australia, specializing in urban design and economic development. His urban design framework was competitively selected for display in the 2008 EYES Exhibition at The University of Melbourne and will soon be formally published by the university. Joshua credits his undergraduate research with Drs. Anna Bellisari and Robert Riordan with encouraging him to both further himself and contribute to his fields of study. After completing the Master's degree, he plans to continue his studies in biomedical anthropology. (W09)
Dylan Borchers (B.A. '07 Political Science; DHS) is living in Vienna, VA, and working as a business consultant at Accenture. He is part of a team guiding a Department of Defense intelligence agency through a business transformation. His wife, Molly--also a Wright State grad--is an account executive at the PR agency O'Keefe and Company. (W09)
 
Rachel (Beyer) Brady (B.S.’96 Biomedical Engineering; UHS) lives in Houston and works in the Neurosciences Laboratories at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Her team researches the effects of spaceflight on the human vestibular system, specifically as it relates to postural balance and locomotion. Her first mystery novel, Final Approach, was released in August. Visit her Website at www.rachelbrady.net. (F09)
Tracy Brewer (B.S. ’01 Education; DHS) is currently substitute teaching and working on a Masters degree in reading. She has four children.
Jessica (Westgerdes) Broerman (B.A. '04 Mass Communication; UHS) moved to Orlando, FL, after graduating. Her experience as a student employee in WSU's Undergraduate Admission Office led her into a career in higher education, where she is currently an advisor and instructor in the Interdisciplinary Studies Department at the University of Central Florida. She is working on a Doctorate in Education Leadership and hopes to move into a director role in academic affairs upon completion. (W09)
Mary Beth Caudill (B.S. '94 Psychology; GSHS) lives in New Concord, OH, and is the soccer and tennis coach and lecturer in the physical education department at Muskingham College. Her second child, Ty Truman Caudill, was born in April 2008. (W09)
Claudius Winston Christmas (B.S. '97 Management Information Systems; UHS) is the board secretary for the Columbus charity organization MAP Furniture Bank, which is similar to a food bank but for furniture. Its annual Tables for Thanksgiving event was highlighted by Daytime Columbus, the local NBC4 news program. The event not only provides tables for families in need, but the Thanksgiving dinner as well. Follow this link to the November 2008 news video. (W09)
Lauren (Cuff) Faller (B.A. '08 History; UHS) and Derick Faller (B.S. '08 Computer Science [UHS]; M.S.E. ’09 Computer Science) were married in Fairborn, OH, in August 2009. Lauren is continuing her graduate work in WSU's Industrial and Human Factors Engineering program, and Derick recently accepted a position as a Software Engineer at Ball Aerospace. (F09)
Tharu Fernando (B.S. ’07 Biological Sciences; UHS) completed an M.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology at Wright State this past June and is now working towards a Ph.D. in Pharmacology at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. (F09)
Jason Gilder, Ph.D. (B.S. ’01 Computer Engineering [UHS]; M.S. ’03 Computer Science) is a Systems Engineer at Forensic Bioinformatics, Inc., a Fairborn, OH, consulting company that reviews criminal cases involving forensic DNA evidence. Jason is the author of the Genophiler® automated DNA software analysis system, which he has used to analyze the electronic data in more than 800 DNA cases over the past seven years. He has provided expert testimony and lectures frequently at Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars and continues to perform research in the areas of forensic DNA interpretation and population genetics. He also continues to develop new software tools, such as GenoStat®, and has published multiple scholarly papers and authored a chapter in Wiley's Encyclopedia of Forensic Science. Some of the international high profile cases that Jason has been involved in include the Washington D.C. Beltway sniper, the Jaidyn Leskie Coroner's Inquest in Australia, the Omagh IRA bombing in Northern Ireland, and the Deventer murder in The Netherlands. He works closely with the Innocence Project and has been involved with exoneration cases, including most recently Paul House in May 2009. (F09)
David Glassmeyer (B.S. '08 Mathematics; UHS) plans to finish a M.Ed. in July and become a high school math teacher. He will be working toward licensure in Adolescent- Young Adult Integrated Mathematics. (W09)
Christian Holfinger (B.A. ’91 English; DHS) was been employed by Speedway SuperAmerica since 1996 and in 2004 became Manager of Development, overseeing and facilitating centralized training programs for a company of nearly 19,000 employees. In 2007, Christian began working with Dr. James Munch and Tom Wamsley in the Raj Soin College of Business on the WSU/SSA Emerging Leaders Program, which focuses on higher-level development for Speedway SuperAmerica’s top performers. Christian enjoys spending time on campus, both with this program (the fourth since 2007), and as a student in the MBA Program starting this fall. He plans to finish his graduate degree in 2011. (F09)
Lori (Scheckelhoff) Honner (B.S. '96 Accountancy; UHS) lives in Dublin, OH, and is a Finance Director with Abbott. She is involved with Habitat for Humanity and the New Directions Career Center
in Columbus, which provides career counseling to assist individuals, especially women, to achieve financial stability. (R09)
Julie Jackson (B.S. ’02 Electrical Engineering; UHS) is an assistant professor at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Julie also earned an M.S. (2004) and Ph.D. (2009) from The Ohio State University. (F09)
Donna Jacobucci (B.S. '08 Psychology; UHS) is pursuing a Master's degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling at WSU. (W09)
Mindy Sue (Williams) Jones (B.A. '08 Spanish and International Studies; UHS) lives in Lewisburg, OH with her husband, Vincent, whom she married in April 2009. This past summer, Mindy graduated from WSU with a M.Ed. (concentration in Spanish) and accepted a position teaching high school Spanish at Union County High School in Liberty, IN where she shares her passion for the Spanish language and Hispanic culture with her 90 students. Mindy continues to be active in her community, volunteering as an Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate with Gratis EMS and West Alexandria EMS. (F09)
Jim Knupp (B.A. '06 International Studies; UHS) is working as the Outreach Coordinator for Congressman Mike Turner and is a thesis away from completing a M.A. in International and Comparative Politics at WSU. (W09)
 
Stefanie (Badders) Laufersweiler (B.A. ’96 Mass Communication; UHS) lives in Cincinnati with her husband of 13 years, fellow WSU grad Matt Laufersweiler (B.S. ’96 Chemistry) and their three children: Amy (5), Paul (3), and Emily (7 months). Stefanie is a freelance editor and writer currently specializing in illustrated books. Her latest book project, Art Journey New Mexico: 104 Painters' Perspectives, will be released in November 2009 by F+W Media. Matt, who went on to earn his M.S. in Chemistry from The Ohio State University, recently celebrated his tenth year at Procter & Gamble, where he began his career as a pharmaceutical chemist and is currently a regulatory affairs manager in the skin care division. (F09)
Liz Madigan (B.S. ’80 Nursing; DHS) was recently promoted to full professor of nursing at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. (F09)
Ross Martin (B.A. '87 Political Science; UHS) just accepted the role of Senior Manager of Technology Integration and Life Sciences at Deloitte Consulting LLC. He continues to be based in the Washington, D.C., area. Click here to visit Ross's blog. (W09)
Erin O'Brien (B.S. '07 Psychology; DHS) is currently in the Industrial-Organizational/Human Factors Psychology graduate program at WSU. She is hoping to defend her Master's thesis in Spring 2009. (W09)
Michael R. Peterson (B.S. ’01 Computer Engineering [UHS]; M.S. ’03 Computer Science; Ph.D. ’08 Computer Science and Engineering) has spent the last year in the frigid north as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Alaska Anchorage. This year he traded moose and bears for dolphins and sea turtles; he is now an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. “Aloha!” (F09)
Andrew Rivetti (B.A. '93 Modern Languages; GSHS) is a tenured Spanish instructor at Three Rivers Community College in Missouri. He received a M.A. from Miami University and is a recipient of the Irvin Essay Award. Andrew is married and has three children. (W09)
Tasha Rouse (B.A. '99 Music, UHS) is working as a lifeguard at the Fairborn YMCA and as a caregiver through the Ohio Board of MRDD. In her spare time she enjoys interpreting ASL at church, on volunteer caregiver trips (this year to D.C., Hawaii, and Pittsburgh), and helping others with eating disorders. Tasha and her husband, Seth--an aerospace structural engineer at CDI in Cincinnati--have been married eight years and would love to hear from friends. Email them at totleeha@gmail.com. (W09)
Jennifer Rowland (B.S.N. '04 Nursing; DHS) recently graduated from OSU with a Master's degree as a Nurse-Midwife and Women's Health Practitioner. She is currently in private practice with an OB/Gyn in Springfield, OH. (W09)
 Elaine Schaaf (B.S. ’08 Exercise Biology; UHS) has been attending the WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine. Over the summer, she put her medical knowledge into action while serving with Lifeline Christian Ministries in Grand Goave, Haiti for three weeks. Also this summer, Elaine conquered a long-time personal goal of completing her first Half Iron-Man, placing 1st in her age division. (F09)
Nicole (Lark) Scrivner (B.A. ’08 English; UHS) is employed as a Digital Marketing Coordinator for Cox Ohio Media (Dayton Daily News). She and Chuck Scrivner, a senior in WSU’s Organizational Leadership program, were married this past June and honeymooned in Cancun. Nicole and Chuck are both proud Raiders! (F09)
Anne Strothman (B.A. '91 English; UHS), recently designated as an Ohio Master Teacher, has been teaching English at Greenon Local Schools for seven years and was awarded tenure last year. She was married in January. (W09)
Derek Thomas (B.S. '06 Biological Sciences; GSHS) is in his third year of medical school at WSU. Derek and Karen Coppess, also a Wright State graduate, were engaged last June in Central Park while vacationing in New York City. They are planning an October 2009 wedding. (W09)
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