Upper Dublin High School announces 2027 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees

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Upper Dublin | Education

October 24th, 2026 | By Ryan Genova

Press Release:

Upper Dublin High School will induct 10 distinguished graduates into its Alumni Hall of Fame, it was proudly announced by Dr. Daniel Ortiz, principal of Upper Dublin High School, and Dr. Heidi Yutzler-Overton, program chairperson. Following a rigorous nomination and committee review process, these UDHS graduates were selected for the Hall of Fame’s sixth class. 

The Upper Dublin Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have achieved distinction, an outstanding accomplishment or have made a significant contribution within their professions, in their communities or in the world. 

The Alumni Hall of Fame is co-sponsored by the School District and the Upper Dublin Education Foundation. The inaugural class was inducted in March 2017 (21 honorees); the second class in April 2019 (16 honorees); the third class in April 2021 (18 honorees); the fourth class in March 2023 (13 honorees); and, the fifth class in April 2025 (10 honorees). 

Inductees are selected according to six categories: Arts, Entertainment & Communications; Business & Law; Education; Government & Military; Medicine, Science & Technology; and Philanthropy, Theology & Community Service.

The 2027 honorees are:

ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

  • Jordan Fein (’05) – Award-Winning Director. Acclaimed theater, opera, and film director working across New York and London; winner of Tony, Olivier, Obie, and Lucille Lortel awards; NYU Playwrights Horizons adjunct faculty and former Boris Sagal Fellow at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
  • James Tralie (‘15) – Creative Director and Producer. Emmy-winning and 10-time Webby award-winning digital creator; known worldwide for digital and print content for global brands, government agencies and major media platforms including NASA+,Netflix, PBS, Hulu and Prime Video; highly skilled in video production, 3D animation, motion graphics and live event management

BUSINESS & LAW

  • Benjamin Kirshner (‘96) – Corporate Innovator. Digital marketing expert; business founder, CEO and leader known for innovation in approaches to corporate culture; secured accolades and honors from Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Crain’s, Glassdoor, Google, Yahoo and MSN; Harvard Business School Executive Fellow; currently serves as the inaugural Chief Transformation Officer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Aliza Shatzman, JD (’09) – Legal Advocate. Nationally recognized advocate, activist, thought leader and subject matter expert on judicial accountability; founded The Legal Accountability Project and the Clerkships Database; frequent legal commentator, speaker, podcast guest, columnist and leading voice on clerkship transparency

EDUCATION 

  • Leon Smith (‘97) – National Educator of the Year. Educator, leader, mentor and coach dedicated to empowering and inspiring students, teachers and fostering connections; recognized for volunteer service, policy and urban education; 2025 PA Teacher of the Year; 2026 National Teacher of the Year; passionate about culturally relevant teaching, growth mindset and belonging strategies

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY 

  • Peter Kim, JD (‘97) – Military Leader. U.S. Army Ranger School (Honor Graduate), U.S. Army Pathfinder School (First in Class) and U.S. Army Airborne School; Top 10 Finisher in the 2006 U.S. Army Best Ranger Competition; Military Intelligence officer; various leadership roles for the U.S. Army’s Infantry Training Center including Sniper School

MEDICINE, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

  • David Marcovitz, MD (‘02) – Addiction Psychiatrist. Board-certified general and addiction psychiatrist; nationally respected physician, educator, trainer, researcher, consultant, published author and leader; co-founder of Valence to help families facing serious mental health and substance issues; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Associate Professor; U.S. State Department Fulbright Grant recipient for HIV/AIDS prevention work in Russia
  • Meredith Ringel Morris, PhD (‘97) – AI & Computer Scientist. Internationally renowned and award-winning pioneer in human-AI interaction, gesture recognition, information retrieval and accessible technology design; Director for Post-AGI Interaction Research at Google DeepMind advancing AI safety and human agency; University of Washington Professor; holder of 20+ U.S. patents; published author and dedicated mentor to doctoral students; champion for the inclusion and advancement of women and minorities in computer science

PHILANTHROPY, THEOLOGY & COMMUNITY SERVICE 

  • Linda Long-Cumberbatch (‘81; posthumous) – First Responder Trailblazer. Historic leader in the Philadelphia Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services division (1990) and later, re-climbing the ranks in the fire division (2004); named paramedic captain (1997), first female fire captain (2010), then 3rd Division’s 9th Battalion Chief (2017); public safety expert, popular instructor and mentor at the Philadelphia Fire Academy; mental health advocate; first female volunteer firefighter at the Wissahickon Fire Company in 1984
  • Francis X. Wheatley (‘82) – Chief of Police. Law enforcement career with numerous commendations spanning 40+ years; Chief of Police for Upper Dublin Township since 2019; also served Whitemarsh (1986-2015) and Upper Pottsgrove (2016-2019) Police Departments; FBI National Academy graduate; committed to excellence and champion of community engagement, guaranteed right of civil treatment of citizens, and the protections of constitutional rights

The Alumni Hall of Fame Gallery is located across from the Cardinal Room on the second floor of the high school. 

A full day of Alumni Hall of Fame activities is scheduled for Friday, April 9, 2027.  Honorees will have opportunities to interact with students throughout the school day which also features an Inductee Meet & Greet continental breakfast, a mid-day lunch with administrators, and a high school building tour. An evening dessert reception for inductees, family, friends and the public, to be held at the UDHS Alumni Hall of Fame Gallery, will be followed by the 2027 Alumni Hall of Fame Awards Program in the UDHS Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the evening reception and awards program may be purchased online beginning early March 2027.   

The inaugural UDHS Alumni Hall of Fame was made possible by a generous donation of two members of the Class of 1996: Ben Kirshner and Josh Lamberg in honor of Carl Janetka, Upper Dublin teacher and coach. Sponsorships for the 2027 event are available. If you’re interested in making a donation in honor of someone to support this event, please contact Michelle Boas at mboas@udsd.org.