Twenty-one alumni have been selected for the inaugural class of inductees into the School District of Upper Dublin Alumni Hall of Fame. The creation of the Alumni Hall of Fame first was announced in March 2016. The community was encouraged to nominate alumni 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. Following a rigorous nomination and committee review process, Upper Dublin High School Principal Robert Schultz and UDEF member and program chairperson Heidi Yutzler Overton proudly announced the names of the alumni who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on March 24, 2017.
Inductees in the six categories are:
Arts, Entertainment and Communications
Suzy Kolber (1982) – ESPN sportscaster
Josh Tower (1988) – Broadway and television performer
Josh Singer (1990) – Academy Award-winning screenwriter with movie and television credits
John Tartaglia (1996) – Tony and Daytime Emmy nominated Broadway, television and radio actor, singer, dancer and puppeteer
Business and Law
Michael Stiles (1963) – Executive VP and COO for the Philadelphia Phillies and former First Assistant District Attorney in the City of Philadelphia, elected trial judge, and federally- appointed US Attorney for the Eastern District of PA
Scott (1972), Guy (1974) and Jon (1978) Orens – partner in Orens Brothers Real Estate, a full service real estate development and property management company in PA and NJ
Alex Furmansky (2003) – founder and CEO of two successful startup companies
Education
Robert Field (1958) – UDSD teacher, coach and principal largely credited with raising UDHS to prominence and earning the National Blue Ribbon School distinction
Rudi Klobach (1962; posthumous) – immigrant survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, outstanding teacher and soccer coach in NJ
Richard Mitchell Brown, III (1964) – highly-regarded Professor of National Security, US Naval War College, following a 26+ year Naval career as a Naval Aviator with more than 700 combat flights in South Vietnam among other stellar credentials in Intelligence and Strategy
Government and Military
Vice Admiral (ret.) George Sterner (1958) – United States Navy, submarine commander and Pentagon staff
Colonel (ret.) Steven Hogg (1973) – United States Marine Corps, Commanding Officer at Parris Island, SC, Recruit Training Regiment
Commander (ret.), Brian Solo (1982) – United States Navy, mission capability analyst, Navy ship Reactor Officer, Executive Officer and Commanding Officer
Colonel Robert Beale (1998) – United States Army, pilot and Commander, Special Operations Aviation Soldiers, more than a dozen deployments to the Middle East, currently Army Staff at the Pentagon in the Special Operations Division
Major William Hackenbracht (1998) – United States Army, Special Operations Civil Affairs with multiple operational deployments to the Middle East with special recognition for shaping senior level policy decisions and humanitarian efforts related to refugees
Medicine, Science and Technology
Dr. Christopher Clark (1964; posthumous) – neurologist whose career was devoted to the study of Alzheimer’s disease, including a landmark study for advancing clinically applicable Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics using a specific PET ligand
Dr. Paul Mansfield (1975) – surgical oncologist, Vice President of Acute Care Services and Professor of Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX
Dr. Debra Somers Copit (1981) – radiologist, Director of Breast Imaging at the Einstein Medical Center, honored with the Founder’s Award from Living Beyond Breast Cancer, recognized by Philadelphia magazine more than 10 times as a top doctor in Philadelphia
Philanthropy and Community Service
H. William Gift (1963) – more than 30 years volunteer community service in elected and appointed positions with Upper Dublin Township, Oreland and Fort Washington Fire Companies, Community Ambulance Assn. of Amber, Angel Flight East and Patient Airlift Services
Lawrence and Christine Jenkins Smith (both 1965; Lawrence, posthumous) – established a family charitable trust that has provided significant gifts to organizations providing a variety of children’s and family services, to stewardship of natural resources and disaster relief
Dr. Richard DeMaria (1971) – a physical therapist recognized nationally and internationally for his approaches and techniques within and beyond the treatment room working with people recovering from cancer, recently honored with the Founder’s Award from Living Beyond Breast Cancer
The Alumni Hall of Fame will be located across from the Cardinal Room on the second floor of the high school. Additional event details will be available in January.