July 25, 2017: Bay ’02 Coaches Actors on Accents; Hu ’14 Studies Asian-American Representation in Judgeships; and More

Samara Bay ’02 is one of a small but growing number of dialect coaches who help actors and actresses from around the world portray American accents accurately. — The New York Times Magazine

Recent Yale Law School graduate Xiaonan “April” Hu ’14 co-authored a study examining the underrepresentation of Asian-Americans in state and federal judgeships. — The Washington Post

President of the California Society of Anesthesiologists Dr. Karen Sibert ’74 was featured in a televised report about the dangers of using anesthesia on young children. — NBC News

Why are dogs so friendly? Princeton professor Bridgett M. vonHoldt recently published a study that looked for sources of hyperfriendliness in dogs’ DNA; the paper’s co-authors include Emily Shudiner ’16. — The New York Times

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell ’86 was tapped to co-chair the Democratic National Committee’s efforts to fight voter suppression in the wake of President Donald Trump’s Commission on Election Integrity. — Time.com

Jennifer Brea ’05’s documentary Unrest, a Sundance Film Festival prize-winner that chronicles Brea’s struggle with a debilitating illness, has been set for a domestic theatrical release in September. — Variety

In a recent essay, Danielle Allen ’93 writes about her efforts to help her cousin, Michael, who became a convicted felon in his teens. — The New Yorker

A. Scott Berg ’71, an authority on F. Scott Fitzgerald 1917, has been vetting scripts for writers who want to adapt Fitzgerald’s fiction for the screen and served as a consulting producer of Amazon’s The Last Tycoon. — The New York Times

Former New Jersey State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff ’85 opines on how New Jersey could implement a statewide carbon tax without affecting gas prices for consumers. — NJSpotlight.com 

Since graduating in June, Anna van Brummen ’17 has kept a busy schedule: After competing in the World Fencing Championships in Leipzig, Germany, this month, she will be working on a master’s degree in geophysics at ETH Zurich in Switzerland. — TeamUSA.org

Carter Cleveland ’09, co-founder and CEO of Artsy, a New York startup that serves as a “platform for people to learn about visual art online as well as explore opportunities to buy and sell work,” recently raised $50 million in funding. — TechCrunch

The Beer Institute recently awarded William “Bill” Coors ’38, director emeritus and technical advisor at MillerCoors, with the 2017 Jeff Becker Beer Industry Service Award for his lifetime of dedication to the industry.  — Brewbound

Nevada State Treasurer Dan Schwartz ’72 said it is “virtually certain” that he will run for Nevada governor as a Republican next year, and that he would officially announce his campaign in the next two months. — The Reno Gazette-Journal

Taylor Branch *70, a frequent critic of the NCAA, believes that there has been “a philosophical shift” by the organization to focus on academic integrity in order to justify the economic restrictions placed on student-athletes. — The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.)

Richard Land ’69, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary near Charlotte, N.C., recently spoke out in favor of a Congressional bill that would allow religious organizations greater latitude to participate in overt political activity. — The Recorder (Greenfield, N.C.)

John Weingart *75, associate director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, co-authored a new report on best practices for gubernatorial transitions. — NJTV

President Trump recently announced his intent to nominate Michael James Dodman *99 to be the U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania. — WhiteHouse.gov

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