Brandeis Alumni, Family and Friends

All Brandeisian Stories

Brandeisians are remarkable.

They’re making a difference in the worlds of science, literature, arts and entertainment, public policy and various other fields — and they’re doing so in service to others, boosting a culture of generosity at the same time that they are repairing the world. Here are a some of their stories. Read them and get inspired.

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March 7, 2024

Bruce Litwer ‘61 and his wife Vicki want to create a ripple of new opportunities for students who need financial aid.

December 15, 2023

Joy and passion, fueled by a relentless work ethic. That’s the trademark vibe of actor John-Andrew Morrison.

December 11, 2023

Alan Rosenberg ’74, P’07, first conceptualized a campus tavern as an election campaign promise. A half century later, it’s still a uniquely Brandeisian jewel.

October 26, 2023

Faced with a moral dilemma, Nathan Cohen ’77 created new technology to negate one of his own inventions

September 13, 2023

To mark Brandeis' 75th anniversary, Athletics Hall of Fame alumni share the impact the university has had on their lives.

August 31, 2023

At Georgia’s Global Village Project, Edber oversees schooling for young girls whose families have fled persecution around the world

August 1, 2023

The new course will center health and well-being in the conversation around climate change.

June 30, 2023

Meet newest Alumni Association President Amy Cohen ’85.

June 9, 2023

New MBTA board chair Thomas Glynn, Heller MSW’72, PhD’77, talks reliability and rider safety.

April 12, 2023

Richard Rosenberg, former CEO of Bank of America and benefactor to the International Business School, is remembered.

April 4, 2023

Maya Sigel ’04 speaks about her time at Brandeis, the art of production design and her new project, "Hello Tomorrow!."

March 3, 2023

Meyers shares what a day in her life looks like as the Director of Canadian Affairs with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as well as some Brandeis memories.

February 14, 2023

Her voice has taken her from NPR’s airwaves to a cameo performance in a best picture nominee.

February 3, 2023

Elizabeth Alexander ’67 gives back in honor of cherished faculty mentor.

February 3, 2023

In this second installment from his book "Overruled Mr. Bernstein! Sometimes Down But Never Out," Jules Bernstein ’57 remembers a few of the great minds at Brandeis who influenced his life.

December 31, 2022

Jules Bernstein ’57 cements his Brandeis legacy with a new bequest. And in a new collection of personal essays, the labor lawyer reflects on Brandeis’ early years, and his own.

December 19, 2022

Yael Buechler ’07 and her business Midrash Manicures make the perfect gifts for the holiday season. Her hair scrunchies were a favorite of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

December 19, 2022

Former prosecutor Jeremy Hamburgh ’04 is the founder of My Best Social Life, helping young adults with autism find love and friendship.

December 19, 2022

New Alumni Board member Gary “Sundance” Clay ’80 has a driving mission: nurturing relationships.

November 29, 2022

This Brandeisian lineage has deep roots.

November 2, 2022

Members of the Coburn family, whose allegiance to Brandeis is seven alumni strong, share what Brandeis means to them and why they give back.

October 14, 2022

New gathering space on campus honors the memory of Barbra Barth Feldman ’86.

October 11, 2022

Actress and podcaster Michelle Miller '11, recounts a captivating and emotional evening watching “A Strange Loop” with fellow alumni.

September 29, 2022

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we take a look back at the on-campus community and activism led by Hispanic students in the early 1970s.

August 15, 2022

Aviva Davis '21 writes about intersectionality, battling prejudice, and "continuing to promote essential conversations" about antisemitism and racism.

July 20, 2022

Journalist and publisher Peter Osnos ’64 looks back on a transformative trip to Mississippi to meet with civil rights pioneers.

July 19, 2022

Civil rights attorney Laura Wolf ’08 is giving Brandeis students opportunities her grandmother didn't have.

July 15, 2022

Unexpected DNA test results send an only child on a search for her extended “bamily.”

June 29, 2022

Fellow alumni and theater colleagues John-Andrew Morrison ’95 and Rachel Peters ’99 discuss how their Brandeis connection evolved into a working relationship and friendship as they navigate careers in the theater.

June 28, 2022

In the cut-throat entertainment industry Josh Gondelman is known for being the nice guy of comedy.

June 7, 2022

Students Alexander Wicken ’23 and Daphne Ballesteros ’24 discuss the benefits of peer mentorship and why it's inspired by Brandeis values.

June 1, 2022

Jennifer Post ’86 empowers queer entrepreneurs to become leaders in business.

April 29, 2022

Jiahuan “Green” Xia ’15 is bridging cultural divides while building a streetwear empire.

April 22, 2022

A Westchester-based book club that includes several Brandeis alumnae, reflects on over 50 years together.

April 20, 2022

A tenacious Gerry Guttell ’60, P’86, G’22 pays it forward.

April 15, 2022

In honor of National Poetry Month, we celebrate Elisa New ’80, who brings poetry to the masses with a pop-culture twist.

April 14, 2022

Behind the notorious trial of Leo Frank in 1915 and the letters and archives held by Brandeis that help to tell his story.

April 14, 2022

The story behind the founding and purpose of the Brandeis National Committee in the 1940s.

April 14, 2022

How the efforts of the Brandeis National Committee are evolving to meet the current needs of the university.

March 30, 2022

After heading off to dental school post-Brandeis, Daniel Levine ’94 pivoted to becoming a performer and now heads to the Grammys as a nominee.

March 24, 2022

As the head of passenger operations at Ukrzaliznytsia – Ukrainian Railways – Oleksandr Pertsovsky ’10 i is one of the people keeping Ukraine moving.

March 14, 2022

Elana Hagler ’02 was chosen to honor the first American woman astronaut in a unique form - the US quarter.

March 11, 2022

A forward-thinking Black Indian Brandeisian excavates his past and comes full circle, back to the Rose Art Museum.

March 3, 2022

Retired businessman Bob Mallet established the Robert and Toni Mallet Endowed Scholarship with a $1 million gift. The scholarship provides financial assistance to undergraduate business students who have a commitment to the Jewish community.

March 1, 2022

Physicist extraordinaire, Deborah Berebichez ’96, is celebrated in a Smithsonian exhibition honoring 120 female scientists this Women's History Month.

February 28, 2022

Lizzy Topper ’21 and her experience at Brandeis inspired her parents to support the university's accessibility efforts.

February 23, 2022

Co-founder of the advocacy group the Breasties, Brianna Majsiak ’16 supports people dealing with breast cancer throughout their journey.

February 23, 2022

A member of the national volunteer network Team Rubicon, Laura Block ’91 helps people rebound after a disaster.

February 17, 2022

Former Facebook engineer Sahar Massachi ’11, GSAS MA’12, is leading a high-profile group of tech experts trying to fix the social internet.

February 13, 2022

Erica Rabner ’13 and her filmmaker husband put together a not-your-average wedding video. It's narrated by their 90-year-old Jewish grandmothers. Just in time for Valentine's Day.

February 11, 2022

This award-winning alumna brings Brandeisian values to the world's largest retailer.

February 10, 2022

Actor and podcast host Michelle Miller ’11 says versatility is the key to any creative journey.

February 7, 2022

In a powerful new book, Anita Hill describes the true costs and consequences of gender-based violence.

February 4, 2022

Paula García, MA SID’13, is taking a people-first approach to solving the climate crisis.

February 4, 2022

Heller alumni are advancing health equity from every angle.

February 4, 2022

Yoni Battat discovered the oud as a teenager and has been in love with Arabic music ever since.

February 2, 2022

Brandeis student William Kevorkian ’23 interviews inspiring alumni for his WBRS radio show.

February 1, 2022

The subject of a recent documentary, Pauli Murray was a pioneer of law, social justice and gender identity, at Brandeis and worlds beyond.

January 27, 2022

A successful field project at Brandeis International Business School helped Elan Kawesch ’20, MA’21 land a full-time job with a tech startup.

January 21, 2022

David Allon '81 talks about his father's life and the process of writing his memoir.

January 18, 2022

Members of the Alumni Club of Chicago were recently treated to a unique - and tasty - theater production by Amy Rubenstein ’00 .

December 21, 2021

Since his time at Brandeis, Donald Soffer ’54 has realized his business vision and inspired students that have come after him.

December 21, 2021

As the hospital's director of spiritual care, Harris helps kids and families withstand the trials of hospitalization and serves as a supportive advocate for young patients like Spencer Raifman.

November 23, 2021

With the creation of the Baruchowitz Family Fellowship for Dysautonomia Research, Brandeis Neuroscience Professor Susan Birren will aim to broaden understanding of a chronic, sometimes debilitating, condition that’s often misdiagnosed.

November 15, 2021

More than 100 alumni volunteers answered the call when Prof. Ed Bayone set up virtual networking opportunities for his students during the pandemic. “You never know what connections you might create,” says Allan Volf ’15, MA ’16.

November 15, 2021

For scholarship recipient Peter Agaba, MA’20, a lifelong passion for learning led him to Brandeis. Now he’s giving back to his home village in Uganda by supporting the next generation of students

November 15, 2021

Klodeta Janaqi’s childhood dream of studying in the U.S. was out of reach. Then the Peter Petri Global Fellowship changed everything. “Donors should know they are making many people’s dreams come true,” says the MBA’21 graduate.

October 8, 2021

Natasha Frye ’14 honors her indigenous heritage through her work and her art.

October 7, 2021

The late Professor Robert Stevenson “was pivotal in my life,” says Elaine Yamaguchi ’71. She hopes the fund will provide career guidance as well as support for research.

September 23, 2021

Daniel Estrin ’06, NPR's Jerusalem bureau chief, helps Americans understand the complexity — and the possibilities — of the Middle East.

September 22, 2021

Artist Amelie de Cirfontaine ’18 covers storefronts on the streets of San Francisco with joyful color.

September 21, 2021

Michael Horowitz ’84, inspector general of the U.S. Department of Justice, is committed to truth, even unto its innermost parts.

September 17, 2021

Classically-trained pianist Benjamin Schore ’56 had success in real estate and a long-standing commitment to the arts.

September 17, 2021

Angela Self ’22 is researching why so many young Americans are leaving Christianity behind.

September 15, 2021

Journalist Elizabeth Bruenig ’13 peers into the human condition’s dark corners to explore sin, guilt and evil.

September 14, 2021

Matthew Ginsburg and Joanna Fung, parents of Anna Ginsburg ’21, honor her grandparents and their reverence for education with a gift to Brandeis.

August 23, 2021

Jazz bassist Chuck Israels ’59 reflects on a career playing with legends, the current state of jazz and his time at Brandeis.

August 19, 2021

Prince Charles Alexander ’79 has played many starring roles in the music world.

July 27, 2021

Proud alumni Ira and Nancy Shapiro, both Class of 1969, support Brandeis to honor all that makes the university great.

June 23, 2021

Health-conscious entrepreneur Michael Shoretz ’09 enjoys the sweet taste of success.

June 9, 2021

Former Traquina Scholar Shekeyla Caldwell Sandore ’14 turned her childhood experience into a children's book to promote diversity and inclusion.

June 7, 2021

As one of few out trans rabbis in the United States, alum Lily Solochek ’11 shares their perspectives on recent anti-trans legislation and violence.

May 17, 2021

2021 marks signature anniversaries of several commencements, including one that became a sing-along.

April 27, 2021

Exceptional graduates of Waltham High School express gratitude to the Stroum Family Foundation for the opportunity to attend Brandeis with full scholarships

April 16, 2021

Scott Feinberg ’08, awards columnist at The Hollywood Reporter, knows a thing or two about winning and losing.

April 14, 2021

In her Instagram account Nail the Cocktail, Claudiane Philippe ’13, MA’14, combines an interest in cool libations with a passion for social change.

April 14, 2021

Ariana Boltax ’14 helps vets learn how to communicate with grieving clients.

April 14, 2021

Up at bat: Amelia Schimmel ’08, public-address announcer for the Oakland Athletics.

April 14, 2021

Alex Goldstein ’06 uses his Twitter account @FacesOfCOVID to remember lives ended by the coronavirus.

April 14, 2021

The scion of a progressive-politics family, Lily Adams ’09 has made her own way as a Democratic Party operative through smarts, moxie and, occasionally, sharp elbows.

April 2, 2021

The alumni of the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program hail the impact it had on their lives.

March 22, 2021

Bela (Apparao) Labovitch ’87, P’17 is making a difference in the tech world and is attracting more young women to do the same.

March 22, 2021

Chari Smith, PhD’89 found that enthusiasm for science was contagious during her time at Brandeis.

March 22, 2021

CSO of Faze Medicines Rachel Meyers ’84 looks back on her time at Brandeis and her introduction to the wonders of biochemistry.

March 19, 2021

When Classical Studies Lecturer Alexandra Ratlaff encountered Helen Wong ’19, she knew she’d be an asset to the field of archeology.

March 16, 2021

Although Alana Hodson ’19 planned to pursue a career in medicine, a research opportunity studying hearing loss revealed a new way she could help.

March 16, 2021

Bonnie Ronish ’09 gained much more than a polished resume from her experience as an undergrad esearching infectious diseases.

March 3, 2021

Space scientist Rachel Zimmerman Brachman ’95 is motivating the next generation to consider careers in STEM.

March 3, 2021

Ulrike Tillmann ’85 wasn't initially settled on a career in mathematics research but was eventually drawn in by the challenges it offers.