May 30, 2017: Vigoda ’87’s Star Turn Off-Broadway; Kelner ’89 Represents Former National Security Adviser; and More

Electric violinist Val Vigoda ’87 stars in the off-Broadway musical Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, which features a love affair between a single mom and the Antarctic explorer, who emerges from her apartment’s refrigerator. — The New York Times

Robert Kelner ’89 is representing former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn in the congressional and federal investigation of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. — Politico

Ryann Manning ’01 received Harvard Business School’s Dean’s Award for her work in Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis. She co-founded a charity dedicated to improving health care for children and mothers in Sierra Leone. — Harvard Business School

Bronze Star recipient and Iraq War veteran Joe McConnell ’05 announced his run for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District, which encompasses the Kansas City suburbs. — The Kansas City Star

Journalist Evelyn Gordon ’87 argues that an increase in American political liberalism among American Jews is leading many to choose “liberalism over Judaism,” driving down support for Israel. — Jewish Press

Michigan State University Professor Michele Root-Bernstein *81 discusses the idea that children, adults, and societies need to engage in creating imaginary worlds, which she calls “worldplay,” to foster innovation and problem-solving. — Korea JoongAng Daily

University of Pennsylvania bioengineering professor Susan Margulies ’82 has been named the Wallace H. Coulter Chair of the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. — Emory News Center

Three Princetonians — Ralph Kleiner ’05, an assistant professor of chemistry at Princeton; Hani Goodarzi *10, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco; and Joseph Mancias ’00, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School — were among the 15 recipients of the 2017 Kimmel Scholar Award for Cancer Research. — Princeton University

Amanda Packel ’96, managing director of the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University, explains her approach to running the Director’s College, an executive-education program now in its 23rd year. — Corporate Counsel

California Gov. Jerry Brown named former Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Fernando Aenlle-Rocha ’83 to serve as a judge on the Los Angeles Superior Court. — La Cañada Flintridge Patch

Jonathan Massey ’91 *01 has been selected as the next dean of University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. — MLive.com

Tapan Ray *99, India’s secretary of corporate affairs, has been named secretary of economic affairs in the country’s finance ministry. — Business Standard

Author Jonathan Safran Foer ’99 discusses his latest novel, Here I Am, and how his Princeton experience helped shape his writing career. — Cleveland Jewish News

John Bednar ’65 discusses his first book, The People’s President, published in the 1970s, which describes a world where politics and money don’t mix, and how the novel squares with the current political situation. — The Swamp

Larry Lucchino ’67 made a lasting mark as president of the Boston Red Sox, but writer Thom Loverro says Lucchino also belongs in the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame for his role initiating the design of the team’s ballpark at Camden Yards. — Washington Times

Christine Beauchamp ’92, an executive who has worked for L Brands, Ann Taylor, and Ralph Lauren, is joining Amazon Fashion as the division’s president. — Business of Fashion   

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