June 12, 2018: Justify’s Part Owners Celebrate Triple Crown; Roth ’97 as ‘Broadway’s singular showman’; and More

Genomics pioneer Eric Lander ’78 told Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduates that while progress in the lab may seem slow from week to week, “it’s breathtaking what can happen over the course of a decade or two.” Read more from alumni who spoke at graduation ceremonies this spring.

For Bo Nixon ’50 and son Ted Nixon ’74, part owners of Justify, following their horse’s Triple Crown run has been “an unreal experience.” — The Courier Journal

Summit, the world’s fastest supercomputer, will advance complex tasks like modeling the climate, according to Ian Buck ’99 of Nvidia, the company that supplied Summit’s graphics processors. — The New York Times

Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson ’91 will become the vice chair of the Starbucks board of directors when chair Howard Schultz leaves the board later this month. — Fortune 

Jordan Roth ’97 “has become Broadway’s singular showman, pushing the boundaries of what it means — and, yes, what it looks like — to be a theater tycoon,” according to a recent profile. — The New York Times

After visiting detention centers that house immigrant children, Sen. Jeff Merkley *82 called the federal government’s zero tolerance approach “zero-humanity.” — Time

Former Celgene CEO Bob Hugin ’76 won the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in New Jersey, where he will take on Sen. Bob Menendez. — CNBC

Democrat Jessica Morse *10 will move on to the general election after qualifying in the top-two primary for California’s 4th Congressional District. The Sacramento Bee

“I have a large wardrobe. I had not a single purple object.”

— Former Kenyon College President Georgia Nugent ’73, discussing an overlooked aspect of taking a top job at a new school: remaking one’s wardrobe to showcase the college’s colors. Read more in a story from The Wall Street Journal.

On Commencement day, MPA graduate Zach Wahls *18 won the Democratic primary for an Iowa State Senate seat. — CNN

Susan Bodine ’83, the head of enforcement at the EPA, announced that the agency would level fines on Magnolia Homes, the company owned by the stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper, for mishandling lead-based paint. — The Hill

Jeffrey Herbst ’83, the former president of Colgate University and CEO of the Newseum, was named the next president of the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. — Jewish Journal

California Gov. Jerry Brown nominated Stephanie Thornton-Harris ’86 to serve as a judge on the San Bernardino County Superior Court. — Highland Community News

Antulio Echevarria *94 was named a senior fellow of the Program in National Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. — FPRI

Jim Griffith ’76 announced his re-election bid for a third term as Oneida County Family Court judge, citing his work on the opioid crisis. — Rome Sentinel

Architects Adam Yarinsky *87 and Kim Yao *97 are leading a renovation project of all of Dia Art Foundation’s locations, including the flagship New York and Beacon sites. —The Architect’s Newspaper

Ge Wang *08, an associate professor at Stanford, and Princeton music professor Dan Trueman *99 describe the origins of laptop orchestras and their cutting-edge work in musical experimentation. — Wired

Zhan Okuda-Lim ’15 describes why he decided to return to his native Las Vegas to work on education policy. — Las Vegas Review-Journal

Kristen Bethke Wendell ’03, an assistant professor at Tufts University, was named a “20 Under 40 Young Pacesetter” by the American Society for Engineering Education. — Tufts University

Connor Diemand-Yauman ’10 founded Philanthropy University, which helps bring online courses on sustainable development to nonprofit organizations in developing countries. — Geauga County Maple Lea