Oct. 10, 2016: Merriweather ’00 Endorsed for County DA Post; Jaouad ’10 Works on New Book; and More

Mecklenburg County, N.C., district attorney Andrew Murray endorsed homicide prosecutor Spencer Merriweather ’00 to be his successor; Merriweather would be the first African American DA in the state’s largest court district. — Charlotte Observer

Suleika Jaouad ’10 is the latest writer in residence at the Kerouac House in Orlando, where she is writing a book about her recovery from cancer. — Orlando Sentinel

Stephen Still *85 donated $4 million to the University of Buffalo to support its Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics. — The Buffalo News

Author Liza Mundy ’82 has written a new book detailing the U.S. Army and Navy’s recruitment of 10,000 women to work as code breakers during World War II. — Sweet Briar College

Indian economist Surjit Bhalla *72 *77 will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisory Council. — Times of India

Verge Genomics co-founder Alice Zhang ’10 says that those with unique insights in the medical field shouldn’t hesitate to start a company, “even if you don’t look like a pharma CEO.” — Forbes

“We were drawn that way at a young age on the main line / west from St. Louis to the Columbia spur north to Moberly / where our grandparents picked us up at the station” 

— opening lines of “Defiance,” a poem by Sally Van Doren ’84 that was featured in the Oct. 4 edition of Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac. Read the full poem at writersalmanac.org

Blair Labatt ’69, CEO of Labatt Food Services, describes how he grew his family company over 40 years to encompass 1,700 employees who provide food items to 75 percent of Texas school districts. — San Antonio Express-News

Boston University professor Andrew Bacevich *82 says that President Donald Trump’s “crude” and “unsophisticated” language is dangerous, especially when it comes to dealing with foreign adversaries such as North Korea. — Moyers & Company

Babur Habib *07 and Doug Schachtel ’01 founded the Portfolio School in New York City, which emphasizes “guided choice and a personalized education” and is part of a growing trend of schools rooted in technology and creativity-based teaching. — CNN

Author Bianca Bosker ’08 will star alongside actress Judy Kuhn and comedian Mo Rocca on the live show (and podcast) In Your Face, which features sketches, songs, and monologues at the Merkin Concert Hall. — Broadway World

University of Wisconsin-Madison astronomer Eric Wilcots ’87 describes how his interest in stargazing and the universe translated into his current work as a professor. — Madison Magazine

Minneapolis lawyer John Gordon ’69, who has a background in civil liberties and pro-bono work, has been named the new director of the ACLU of Minnesota. — Star Tribune

The Kansas City chapter of the Urban Land Institute presented land-broker Whitney Kerr ’56 with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his “leadership in the responsible use of land.” — Kansas City Business Journal

Doug Snyder ’78, the boys’ basketball coach at William Allen High in Allentown, Pa., will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at Princeton High School, where his teams captured three straight Central Jersey Group II Championships from 1992-94. — The Morning Call

Robert Ireland ’76, the managing director for engineering and maintenance at Airlines for America, was awarded the 2017 Marvin Whitlock Award by engineering association SAE International. — PRWeb

Investor Michael Novogratz ’87 has started the Galaxy Digital Assets Fund, a $500 million hedge fund to invest in cryptocurrencies. — The Edge Markets

Richmond architect Haigh Jamgochian *52 describes how his avant-garde style inspired his designs of several buildings in Richmond, such as the Markel Corporation’s headquarters. — WTVR CBS 6

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