Newsmakers

Waverly Deutsch, AG89, AG92, won the Method of Teaching Entrepreneurship Award from the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship for developing a course at the University of Chicago based on the popular role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. Titled “Building the New Venture,” the course teaches students the basics of carrying out a business plan.

Dr. Jonathan Epstein, V02, M02, collaborated with a group of international scientists to uncover the origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known as SARS. The researchers, whose specialties ranged from veterinary medicine to epidemiology, determined a horseshoe bat was to blame for the spread of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly virus, which rapidly spread through dozens of countries and infected thousands of people in 2002.

Caroline Larson, J73, was named Volunteer of the Year by the Easter Seals organization this past October. Larson first began working with the Easter Seals 40 years ago as a Girl Scout earning her “aid to the handicapped” badge. Since then, she has served the organization as a board member, fundraiser, and advocate for people with disabilities.

Joe Neubauer, E63, has been recognized as a 2005 Outstanding Director by the Outstanding Directors Institute. The annual awards program, now in its eighth year, honors directors of public companies who have been recognized by their peers for notable leadership in corporate governance. Neubauer currently serves on the boards of Federated Department Stores, Verizon Communications, and Wachovia Corporation, in addition to his position as chairman and CEO of Aramark.

Leonard Radin, D73, was given the Points of Light Award, presented by Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, for his work in educational theatre. In 1989, Radin founded the Drury Drama Team, which began as an informal extracurricular activity for Drury High School ( North Adams, MA) students and has since evolved into a nationally known theatre department.

Linda Rahal, J86, finished third in the World CEO Ironman Challenge in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Rahal was only one of three women who competed in this 18-person challenge, which consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile marathon run. She is the CEO of Trow & Rahal in Washington, DC.

Gregory N. Stone, A65, has been honored with a Yankee Quill Award, presented by the Academy of New England Journalists, in recognition for his grass-roots efforts as a reporter and editor during his 35-year career. An influential voice in Connecticut public affairs, Stone has won several awards for editorial, feature, and opinion column writing.

Catherine Stoodley, J97, won the Senior II division of the Paris Head Race on the Thames River tideway in London this past October. She and Christina Bursill recorded the fastest race time of any women’s pair in the race, including those in the Elite Division. More than 300 crews from a number of countries competed.

Mark Treitel, A91, has made it to the final round of competition on Bravo’s new Situation: Comedy reality show, which chronicles the making of a sitcom and gives amateur writers a chance to launch their Hollywood careers by creating a comedy pilot from start to finish. Treitel’s script was one of only two picked from more than 10,000 entries by network executives to go to production.