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Alumni Notes

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1999 Journalism

Laurie Alicia Roth

was re-appointed as borough administrator at the Borough of Allentown (Monmouth County, N.J.) in March 2023. She was initially hired in Allentown in 2015. She obtained tenure as municipal clerk in 2019.

Laurie Alicia Roth headshot

2004 Journalism

Emily Mahler (Evans)

was appointed to the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners for a term of three years, commencing on April 1, 2023.

Emily Mahler headshot

1985 Mass Communication

Bernard A. Oravec

was named general sales manager at Seven Mountains Media

Bernard Oravec headshot

2017 Broadcast Journalism

Kathleen Ritter

was hired as the player and media relations coordinator for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Kathleen Ritter headshot

1988 Broadcast/Cable

John Shaffer

works as a nationwide anchor for USA News (USAMediaGroup.com).

He writes and anchors news updates ad the top and bottom of the hour for affiliates across the country, and can be heard from 4 to 8 p.m. ET Monday to Wednesday and again from 1 to 3 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.

USA News is based in Dallas. Shaffer works from a studio in Las Vegas.

John Shaffer portrait

1983 Broadcast Journalism

Susan Sheaffer Rickens

retired as the director of marketing for Commonwealth Media Services after 31 years of service in state government. She is a former Emmy Award-winning broadcast and radio news producer/reporter. She served 10 years on the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications Alumni Board.

2022 Broadcast Journalism

Dale Ostrander

has joined WSTM, WSTQ and WTVH in Syracuse, New York, as a multimedia journalist.

Dale Ostrander portrait

2015 Advertising/Public Relations

Danielle Schall

accepted a position as international communications manager at UPMC.

Danielle Schall headshot

2009 Journalism

Alexandra E. Petri

covers trends and breaking news for the Los Angeles Times.

She previously covered live news at the New York Times. A two-time reporting fellow with the International Women’s Media Foundation, she graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism and international studies.

Alexandra E. Petri headshot

2001 Journalism

Jason Fagone

was awarded first place in this year's Best American Newspaper Narrative contest.

Fagone, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, was honored for "The Jessica Simulation," a longform story about a freelance writer who created an A.I.-powered chatbot to replicate the voice of his deceased fiancee.

The award was given as part of the annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, a prestigious event for writers hosted in Dallas by the University of North Texas. Its writing contests award cash prizes and publishing opportunities for authors of book manuscripts, unpublished essays and longform journalism.

Jason Fagone headshot 2022

2012 Print Journalism

Lynn Schoof

is the communications manager at Via of the Lehigh Valley, marking her second job in the non-profit sector since 2016.

Relying on skills learned in college, Schoof is committed to telling the stories of the lives impacted by the services Via provides to those with disabilities in the Lehigh Valley community.

Lynn Schoof headshot

1990 Journalism

Patrick Evans

was promoted to the rank of captain in the United States Navy. Currently, he serves as the Navy’s Deputy Chief of Information (CHINFO) in the Pentagon.

Patrick Evans headshot