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JRB Enterprises, Inc.  has announced Thomas Saeli '79 as chief executive officer. Saeli will oversee the operations of sister companies Duro-Last Roofing, Inc., Plastatech Engineering, Ltd., Oscoda Plastics, Inc., TIP-TOP Screw Manufacturing, Inc., Energy Solutions Insulation, Inc., and JRB Personnel, LLC. Chairman Jack Burt said Saeli was the "unanimous choice" of the Board of Directors and that they "are confident that Tom will provide excellent leadership for Duro-Last and the other businesses in the John R. Burt Enterprises family of companies as they grow and strengthen their positions in the marketplace."

The World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) has announced the appointment of Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs '68 as president of the organization. The WUPJ is active in 45 countries and is the international umbrella organization of the Reform, Liberal, Progressive and Reconstructionist movements, and seeks to strengthen Jewish life by establishing and supporting modern, pluralistic congregations and institutions, developing Jewish communal and youth leadership and advancing social justice. As president, Fuchs will spend time in the United States and Israel to encourage the advancement of Progressive Jewish life.

Abby Abelson K'74 has been named chair of the Department of Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases at Cleveland Clinic. Abelson joined Cleveland Clinic in 2002 and had served as interim chair since May 2008. "I am honored to chair a department that has a long tradition of accomplishments in patient care, research and education. Our staff includes national leaders and it is an honor to support them in our continued growth," said Abelson.

On March 30, the BBC World News America on PBS and BBC networks worldwide aired "The American Dream,"a three-minute segment about the family of Ron Kim '02 and their journey from South Korea to the United States.

Routledge has recently released An Introduction to Nineteenth-Century Art by Michelle Facos K'76. The work provides a "basic historical framework" and includes Scandinavian, German, and Eastern European artists in addition to those from France, Britain, and the United States.

In May 2011, Charles River Press will release Fruit of the Vine, the debut novel by Cynthia Kolko '91 The book's setting is inspired by the Finger Lakes region, and the story focuses on Jemison "Jem" Loud, a vineyard worker who inherits a historic farm after his father's death and uncovers family secrets as he decides what to do with the property.

"Emergence," a solo exhibition by Trudy Kraft K'76, will open at the Gross McCleaf Art Gallery in Philadelphia on March 4, 5-7 p.m. Kraft uses a combination of watercolor, sumi ink, gouache, and frisket for her paintings and says she views her work as a "physical expression of the underlying interconnectedness of all things."

In Ideasicle Podcast Episode #10, host Will Burns '88 spoke with Tom Butta '78 about "how transformative ideas and creativity can be inside companies." Butta, founder and managing director of brand value accelerator 21Weeks, discusses the role of CMO as "creative director for the brand," the importance of picking the right team, and getting a company excited about an overarching idea. Hamilton also is mentioned in the podcast.

Hugh Sampson '71 was interviewed for the article "New Rules for Food” in the Dec. 7 edition of The Wall Street Journal. The article outlines the clinical guidelines that The National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases released for diagnosing and treating food allergies. Sampson, director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York and one of the authors of the guidelines, specified that blood and skin tests are not enough to test for allergies.