Career Exploration Summit

Director of Beyond Beer Operations, Anheuser-Busch

Conor McNamara ’13, E5 ’14 completed his BS in Chemical Engineering in 2013 and, in 2014, participated in Rochester’s e5 Program, where he worked on developing a product line of zero-waste soap.

Associate Principal Scientist in Oral Formulation Sciences Team,
Merck & Co., Inc.

MayLin Howard ’16 is an associate principal scientist in the Oral Formulation Sciences team at Merck & Co., Inc., where she works on drug product development of oral solid dosage forms (tablets, capsules).

Associate Director of Institutional Giving, Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Bryce Davis ’20 is a creative, dynamic non-profit professional based in New York City. Bryce is Associate Director of Institutional Giving for the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, where he is responsible for millions in corporate, foundation, and government grants each year.

Paralegal, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

Samantha “Sammi” Becker ’23 is a paralegal at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. She works in the Rackets Bureau where she assists in the investigation of complex white-collar criminal cases. Prior to her work at the DA’s Office, Samantha interned at the Middle East Media Research Institute.

President, Novem Group

Pat Manuel ’06 is currently the President of Novem Group, a Rochester based investment management company which works with independent advisors across the country. Pat currently serves on the boards of CDS Life Transitions, The Italian Heritage Foundation, and is the co-founder of The Novem Foundation, which aims to help families in the greater Rochester, NY area break the cycle of poverty for their children and families.

Updates Editor, Forbes Advisor

Evan Coleman ’23 began his career as an intern at Forbes Advisor, where he wrote over 60 original pieces on personal finance, credit cards, and travel. He then transitioned into a full-time editor role, splitting his time between the company’s Legal vertical and the Data & Automation team, editing content, collaborating with freelance writers, and leveraging data and AI tools.

Career Education Circuits

Participate in a 5-minute resume workshop, LinkedIn photo booth, and update your Handshake and Greene Center profiles.

Cofounder, Benchmark Labs

Ulrik Soderstrom ’16, MS ’17 is the cofounder of Benchmark Labs, a climate tech company that provides point specific environmental forecasts. Ulrik has a Master of Science in Data Science and became an operations practitioner at McKinsey & Company.

Researcher in Electoral Attacks and CS Theory, Assistant Professor, Denison University

Michael Chavrimootoo ’20, MS ’21, PhD ’24 is an Assistant Professor at Denison University and an enthusiastic researcher with publications with professional experience in software/web development, algorithm design, and process optimization.

Assistant Nurse Manager, University of Rochester Medical Center
Farrell Cooke ’14 is an Assistant Nurse Manager in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Strong Memorial Hospital.  Prior to Nursing, Farrell was a clinical research associate at NewYork-Presbyterian | Weill Cornell Medical Center in the Dept. of Anesthesiology where she published numerous scientific papers and presented at international anesthesia conferences.

Communications Director, U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi

Ian Krager ’22 is the Communications Director for U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. He has worked in Speaker Pelosi’s office for nearly three years and previously served as her press secretary. As communications director, Ian manages and executes Speaker Pelosi’s communications and media strategy to advance her official and political priorities.

Senior Associate, EY-Parthenon

Daler Beisenbayev ’22 is Senior Associate at EY-Parthenon, a management consulting firm under the Ernst & Young umbrella that helps clients address their most pressing strategic challenges (e.g., market entry studies, growth strategy, commercial due diligences, etc.). Daler is based in the Boston office and is part of the Life Sciences practice, working with both corporate strategy and private equity clients.

Electrical Engineer,
Unither Pharmaceuticals

Chuck Chimera ’21 is currently an electrical engineer at Unither Pharmaceuticals in Rochester, NY. He works on the building and optimization of new and current pharmaceutical manufacturing lines. Before joining Unither Pharmaceuticals he worked as an engineer at a materials research startup.

Chief of Staff, LINK Strategic Partners

Jamal Holtz ’20 is a native Washingtonian, having grown up in Ward 8 of Washington, DC. Jamal serves as Chief of Staff at LINK Strategic Partners (LINK), where he helps lead the firm’s executive functions, business development, strategy, and public affairs portfolio, as well as its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging work internally and externally.

Manufacturing Manager,
Rochester Precision Optics

Sarah Bjornland ’17 is currently a Manufacturing Manager at Rochester Precision Optics, where she oversees the company’s three optical assembly departments.

Principal Innovative Finance Team, The Rockefeller Foundation

Lorenzo Mendez ’12 is a Principal on The Rockefeller Foundation’s Innovative Finance team, which makes impact investments aimed at unlocking private capital flows, with a focus on climate finance.  Prior to joining the Foundation, Lorenzo was an investment banker with J.P. Morgan helping clients access public and private capital markets.  He began his career at Barclays Capital.

Human Subject Research Specialist, University of Rochester Medical Center

Alejandro Vera ’21, MS ’23 is a double-alum of the University of Rochester! He is a first-generation student and originally from the Bay Area in California. Alejandro’s undergraduate journey started in 2018 on the River Campus, and he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Bioethics in December of 2021.

Supply Chain Analyst,
QED Technologies

Brad Carroll ’16 is currently a Supply Chain Analyst with QED Technologies in Rochester. He graduated from the University of Rochester in 2016 and have held positions with local companies like MirrorShow Management, and RES Exhibit Services, and large international companies like General Electric.

Experiential Learning Fair

Participate in interactive activities hosted by University of Rochester departments to jump start your exploration and pursuit of co-curricular experiential learning opportunities.

PhD Candidate, Stanford University; Physicist, US Army Space & Missile Defense Command

Ian Gabalski ’17 is a PhD Candidate in Applied Physics at Stanford University, where he uses high-intensity, ultrafast pulsed lasers to study quantum molecular dynamics and strong-field light-matter interactions. He worked at the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command, focusing on the development of high-energy laser systems for countering airborne targets.

Senior Analyst Safety Portfolio Management Team, United Airlines

Louis Fusilli ’18 is the Senior Analyst on United’s Safety Portfolio Management Team, charged with assessing hazards identified throughout the United global network and providing pilots with data-driven guidance to conduct flights in accordance with our standards.

News Verification Reporter,
The Associated Press

Melissa Goldin ’13 is a New York-based news verification reporter at The Associated Press, where she analyzes, tracks, and debunks misinformation. She writes about a diverse array of subject matter, including U.S. elections, international conflicts, and fake alien invasions.

Program Manager, AidData

Lea Thome ’22 received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations with a minor in Chinese language and culture from the University of Rochester. During her time as a student, Lea served as the President of UPSIRC, founded the International Students’ Association, and was involved in SA Government and Class Council. 

Assessment and Accreditation Officer, La Salle University

Matthew Smalarz PhD16 serves as the Accreditation and Assessment Officer and the Accreditation Liaison Officer to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education at La Salle University, which is also his alma mater, in Philadelphia.

Regional Director, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Austin Ponce ‘19 currently serves as the Rochester-Finger Lakes Regional Director for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. In this role, he advises on local issues and builds relationships with elected officials and community leaders in a 10-county region of New York.

Chief Program Officer, Foodlink

Mitch Gruber PhD ’17 has filled a number of positions at Foodlink since 2008, with the common thread being expanding Foodlink’s partnerships in the communities they serve. Before Foodlink, Mitch worked as a Head Start teacher for Action for a Better Community.