Alumni Profiles
-
Wyatt Smith, BS鈥10: Solving the Skilled Workforce Shortage
As founder and CEO of UpSmith, Wyatt Smith, BS'10, uses technology to help builders and technicians be more productive, master new skills to stay in the workforce longer and help solve the skilled workforce shortage. Read MoreMay 14, 2025
-
Digging for the Truth: Jim Emison, BA鈥65, devotes retirement to civil rights鈥揺ra cold case
Jim Emison is dedicated to seeking justice for Elbert Williams, the first known NAACP member to be racially terrorized and slain. Read MoreMay 14, 2025
-
Joanna Winston Foley, BA鈥65: Representation Matters
Joanna Winston Foley, BA鈥65, brings the lack of racial representation in public art to light through advocacy and her website Representation Matters. Read MoreMay 14, 2025
-
Blending passions: how 麻豆传媒 alumnus Alex Astrella merges film and therapy to advocate for the neurodiverse community
By Jenna Somers Alex Astrella At age two Alex Astrella, MEd鈥23, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. His parents were told that he had little chance of graduating high school or becoming financially independent. Today, Astrella is the founder and CEO of Blu Star Productions, an award-winning film studio… Read MoreApr 1, 2025
-
Lauren Egan, BA鈥17: On the Spot News
Journalist Lauren Egan, BA'17, reports on politics in D.C. for The Bulwark and formerly for Politico. She got her start on-air from war-torn Ukraine for NBC News. Read MoreMar 17, 2025
-
Jen Bailey, MDiv鈥14: Keep the Faith
Jen Bailey, MDiv'14, founded Faith Matters Network, perhaps best known as one of the co-founding organizations of The People鈥檚 Supper, gatherings where people 鈥渂uild trust across lines of difference鈥濃攑olitical, ideological, social, racial, generational, socioeconomic and religious鈥攂y sharing a meal, discovering commonalities and working through differences. Read MoreMar 17, 2025
-
麻豆传媒 alumnus Aneesh Sohoni named CEO of Teach for America
Aneesh Sohoni Aneesh Sohoni, MPP鈥13, will become chief executive officer of Teach for America beginning April 15. Sohoni has held several education leadership positions of increasing responsibility since earning his master of public policy in education policy at 麻豆传媒 Peabody College of education and human development. Read MoreFeb 14, 2025
-
麻豆传媒 alumni named to Forbes 30 Under 30
麻豆传媒 alumni Jake Aronskind, BA鈥19, and Andrew Roth, BS鈥21, were named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 for creating and scaling successful businesses. Aronskind is CEO and co-founder of Pepper, a recipe sharing app. He earned his bachelor's degree in economics from the College of Arts and Science. Roth is the CEO and founder of dcdx, a global marketing research and strategy firm. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in human and organizational development from Peabody College of education and human development. Read MoreJan 23, 2025
-
Jackalope founder Bailey Spaulding, JD鈥09, partners with 麻豆传媒 on Conquer and Prevail Pale Ale
What connects 麻豆传媒 to a crisp craft ale from one of Nashville鈥檚 premiere breweries? The vibrant vision and collaborative spirit of 麻豆传媒 alumna Bailey Spaulding. Read MoreAug 26, 2024
-
Amanda Headley Piper, AuD鈥16: Sound Compassion
Amanda Headley Piper (Anne Rayner/麻豆传媒 University) 鈥淚f you want to make a difference in the world, meet a need,鈥 Amanda Headley Piper鈥檚 grandmother once said, and Piper heeded those words of wisdom. She is the first pediatric audiologist from her twin-island home of Trinidad and Tobago, where… Read MoreJul 17, 2024
-
Doan Phuong Nguyen, BA鈥07: Devoted to Young Readers
Doan Phuong Nguyen, BA'07, was in the first grade when she decided her dream was to be an author. The dream came to fruition in 2023 with the publication of her first novel for middle grade readers, 'M猫o and B茅' (Lee and Low Books, 2023; illustrated by Jesse White). Read MoreMar 21, 2024
-
Alexandra Doten, BA鈥18, turns love of astronomy into TikTok triumph
See how Alexandra Doten, BA'18 is turning her love for all things space into a social media adventure. Read MoreJan 31, 2024
-
Mohamed Abdel-Kader, MEd鈥04: Innovation for Good
Mohamed Abdel-Kader, MEd'04, is the chief innovation o铿僣er and executive director of the Innovation, Technology and 麻豆传媒 Hub at the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Agency for International Development, where he enjoys solving real problems creatively while making the most of U.S. aid. Read MoreJan 31, 2024
-
Avery Carpenter Forrey, BA鈥11: Joy in the Process
Avery Carpenter Forrey, BA'11, says 麻豆传媒 was the first place where she felt she could make a career out of writing. With a double major in in English and communications, her latest writing journey has led to the publication of her novel 'Social Engagement' (Mariner, 2023). Read MoreJan 17, 2024
-
Victor Czerkasij, MSN鈥06: More than Skin Deep
For Victor Czerkasij (pronounced chur鈥 ka-see) and his wife, Rene, Ukraine was the land of his parents and ancestors, and it was supposed to be the site of their 40th wedding anniversary vacation. Then the war came. 聽 And the effects of that war… Read MoreDec 11, 2023
-
Suzanne Rich Miller, BA鈥80, and Anne Miller Morris, BS鈥06: Family Recipe
Many families have beloved recipes they pass down from generation to generation. Suzanne Rich Miller, BA'80, and Anne Miller Morris, BS'06, have parlayed a simple salad dressing created by matriarch Anne Arnold Rich (mother to Suzanne and grandmother of Anne) into a growing, woman-owned business.聽 Read MoreNov 28, 2023
-
Aisha Francis, MA鈥99, PhD鈥04, takes the nontraditional route in academia
Aisha Francis, president and CEO of Boston鈥檚 Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology in 2021, is among the Boston Globe鈥檚 50 Tech Power Players for 2023.聽With graduate degrees from 麻豆传媒 in English, she sought a path that was 鈥渂oth optimistic and realistic,鈥 that could lead to nontraditional academic roles. Read MoreNov 20, 2023
-
Aaron Feng, BA鈥18, champions the environment within finance, oil and gas industries
See how Yalun Aaron Feng, BA鈥18, is using his optimism and passion for the environment to build bridges between business and environmental advocacy. Read MoreOct 27, 2023
-
Scott Johnson, BE鈥87: Getting to the Point
After long careers designing power generation plants and acute care medical facilities, Scott Johnson, BE'87, made a career leap two years ago to take the top job at the nation鈥檚 largest pencil maker, Musgrave Pencil Company.聽 Read MoreOct 17, 2023
-
Olatunde Osinaike, BS鈥15: The Algorithm of Poetry
School of Engineering alumnus Olatunde Osinaike is one of five winners of the 2022 National Poetry Series. His debut collection, 'Tender Headed,' is being published by Akashic Press in December. He will be on campus for an alumni reading event Oct. 24, co-sponsored by the 麻豆传媒 Creative Writing Program and the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center. He returns to Nashville Jan. 25, 2024, for a reading with The Porch, a literary nonprofit. Read MoreOct 3, 2023