Alumni Stories

Many alumni have shared their stories with the Magnet Foundation over the past several years. Here they are organized by Class Year: 

• Class of 1989: First Class (Summer 2009)

  • • Naomi Cleghorn: Uncovering Human Origins (Fall 2014)

    • Lorrie Cranor: Usable Privacy (Winter 2014); Cup of Java (Fall 2022)

    • Howard Gobioff: Remembering Howard (Spring 2009)

• Class of 1990:

  • • Maneesh Agrawala: MacArthur Genius (Summer 2012); Computer Graphics (Summer 2023)

    • Sarah Manchester, Middle School Math (Summer 2021)

    • Robert Pless: Windows on the World (Summer 2013); Distinguished Alumnus (Winter 2020)

    • Craig Rice: County Leadership (Fall 2019)

    • David Weinstock: Cancer Research (Summer 2020)

• Class of 1991:

  • • Reva Gupta: Foreign Service (Winter 2016)

    • Kevin LeClaire: Consulting and Photography (Fall 2011)

• Class of 1992:

  • • Matías Duarte: Design at Google (Winter 2017)

    • Hormuzd Katki: Cancer Risk Models (Fall 2012)

    • Patrick Lee: RottenTomatoes.com (Spring 2011)

• Class of 1993:

  • • Steve Chien: Silicon Valley Research (Summer 2013)

    • Michael Douma: Ideas on the Web (Spring 2013)

    • Helen Fields: Science Journalist (Summer 2013)

    • Danyel Fisher: Analyzing and Visualizing Big Data (Fall 2014)

    • Nicole Hindman: Academic Radiology (Winter 2021)

    • Wei-Hwa Huang: Puzzle Master (Winter 2013); Feeling Puzzled (Winter 2020)

    • Aaron Hughes: Military Cyber Policy (Spring 2018)

    • Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio: Climate Change Resilience (Fall 2013)

    • David and Ming Tomayko: High School Sweethearts (Winter 2013)

    • Joshua Weitz: Theoretical Ecology (Winter 2013); Distinguished Alumnus (Winter 2018)

• Class of 1994:

  • • Alenda Chang: Growing Games (Spring 2014)

    • Tyrone Giordano: Theatre Career (Winter 2014)

    • Jesse Hahnel: Teaching and Advocacy (Summer 2014)

    • K. Tabetha Hole: Physics Professor (Spring 2019)

    • Aaron Klein: Economic Policy (Fall 2019)

    • Drew Linzer: Votamatic.org (Fall 2012)

    • Emily Schuster: Dimensions (Summer 2014)

    • Meredith TenHoor: Architectural History (Winter 2019)

    • Kasima Tharnpipitchai: Consulting, Coding, and Comedy (Spring 2015)

• Class of 1995:

  • • Aaron Andalman: Neuroscientist and Entrepreneur (Spring 2021)

    • Samit Dasgupta: Algebraic Number Theory (Fall 2015)

    • Deirdre Mundy: Family and Freelance Writing (Winter 2015)

    • Nikki Privé: Climate Science at NASA Goddard (Spring 2015)

    • Horace Rhee: Research and Medicine (Spring 2015)

• Class of 1996:

  • • Amir Caspi: Chasing the Eclipse (Fall 2017)

    • Rahman Culver: Blair's Diversity Coordinator, in Silver Chips (Fall 2020) and Silver Quest (Summer 2021)

    • Zeki Mokhtarzada: webs.com (Spring 2011)

    • Lesley Ott: Climate Science at NASA Goddard (Spring 2015)

    • Pat Yongpradit: Computer Science for All (Fall 2016)

• Class of 1997:

  • • David Andalman: American Milkshake (Fall 2013)

    • Grace Brannigan: Biophysics and the Brain (Fall 2017)

    • David Hu: Animal Biomechanics (Spring 2017)

    • Carl Miller: Quantum Information (Spring 2022)

    • Haroon Mokhtarzada: webs.com (Spring 2011)

    • Paul Shin: Apollonix (Summer 2018)

    • Beth Weinstein: NASA Mission Manager (Spring 2018); Space Careers (Winter 2023)

• Class of 1998:

  • • Cynthia Addai-Robinson: Hollywood Actress (Winter 2012)

    • Jonah Berger: Contagious Ideas (Spring 2013); Catalyst (Spring 2020)

    • Melissa Coleman: Surgery Fellow (Winter 2018)

    • Jason Ernst: Computational Biology (Winter 2022)

    • Jiehae Park: Peerless Playwright (Spring 2018)

    • Jessica Shin: Apollonix (Summer 2018)

    • Jon Urban: Poker Player (Spring 2010)

• Class of 1999: A Hundred Paths (Summer 2009)

  • • Anna Browne Ribeiro: Amazonian Archaeology (Summer 2019)

    • Craig Erdrich, James Hansen, and Scott Safranek: Yes We Did (Spring 2009)

    • Ani Manichaikul: Distinguished Alumna (Winter 2019); Statistical Genetics (Winter 2022)

    • Greg Novick: Apple Insider (Summer 2020)

    • Kyle Retterer: Genetic Diagnostics (Fall 2021)

    • Robyn Sanderson: Simulating Dark Matter (Winter 2020)

• Class of 2000:

  • • Sarah Oh: Technology Policy (Winter 2021)

    • Jon Simon: Quantum Materials (Summer 2016)

• Class of 2001: Ten-Year Snapshots (Fall 2011)

• • • Hans Arora: Medical Practice and Policy (Spring 2017)

    • Rachel Carlson: Choral Career (Summer 2011)

    • Aleta Quinn: Philosophy of Biology (Spring 2021)

    • Chris Williams: NASA Astronaut (Spring 2022)

• Class of 2002:

  • • Alison Cardy: Career Coach (Spring 2016)

    • Chris Chen: Dessert Truck (Winter 2009)

    • Peter Cirincione: Teaching at Blair (Summer 2018)

    • Jennifer Coster: Artistic Alumna (Summer 2011)

    • Elizabeth Green: Building a Better Teacher (Fall 2014)

    • Jennifer Helgeson: Environmental Engineering (Spring 2019)

    • Samantha Henig: Journalist and Author (Fall 2012)

    • Will Hwang: InnoWorks Academy (Winter 2012)

    • Kang-Xing Jin and Dan Kim: Working at Facebook (Summer 2012)

    • Rahul Satija: Single Cell Genomics (Fall 2022)

    • Bingni Wen Brunton: Neuroscience Data (Summer 2016)

• Class of 2003: A Decade After Blair (Fall 2013)

• • • Kevin Fang: Teach for America (Fall 2010)

    • Alexandra Lockwood: PhD Movie (Spring 2012)

    • Kristin Mink: Getting Political (Spring 2023)

    • Emma Simson: Legal Policy (Fall 2023)

• Class of 2004: Ten-Year Check-In (Spring 2014)

  • • Jessica Shang: Fluidly Focused (Summer 2019); Distinguished Alumna (Spring 2024)

    • Valerie Shen: National Security Policy (Spring 2024)

    • Sam Wen: Inventor and Entrepreneur (Spring 2022)

• Class of 2005:

  • • Wilma Bainbridge: Memorability Research (Fall 2019)

    • Martino Choi: Catholic Priest (Spring 2016)

    • Abigail Fraeman: Martian Geology (Summer 2015)

    • Julia Simon-Mishel: Legal Assistance (Winter 2016)

• Class of 2006: Ten-Year Reunion Update (Fall 2016)

• • • Alex Brown: Sous Chef (Fall 2018)

    • Abhishek Dhar: Doctor and Advocate (Fall 2021)

    • Jordy Goldstein: Space Simulation Testing (Spring 2023)

    • Varun Gulati: Educational Entrepreneur (Fall 2016)

    • Samir Paul: Magnet Teacher (Summer 2015)

• Class of 2007: Ten-Year Update (Summer 2017)

  • • Jordy Wolfand: Environmental Engineering and Outreach (Spring 2017)

• Class of 2008: Ten-Year Reunion ;(Fall 2018)

  • • Hareesh Ganesan: Medication Management (Summer 2019)

    • Holman Gao: BoostMySchool (Summer 2016)

    • Dawn Maldonado and Caleb Fan: Pandemic Response (Spring 2020)

• Class of 2009: Five-Year Update (Winter 2015)

  • • Jean Fan: Little Book of Big Dreams (Summer 2015)

    • Jonathan Gootenberg: CRISPR Enzymes (Winter 2019); Lab to Life (Fall 2021)

• Class of 2010: Ten-Year Update (Fall 2020)

  • • Mikey Cohen: In Memoriam (Fall 2017)

• Class of 2011:

  • • Erik Agard: Crossword Champion (Spring 2019); Diversity in the Crossworld (Fall 2021)

• Class of 2012:

  • • Nina Lu: Coder and Founder (Summer 2022)

• Class of 2014:

  • • Paul B. Ellis: Democracy Summer (Spring 2020)