Page 71 - University of Delaware Messenger Vol. 24 no. 2

named an IBM Fellow for her accomplishments in computer research. Cited for her work in “container cloud” technology, she joins 10 other innovators in receiving the company’s most prestigious technical honor.
Tim Kittila, BE04M, of Victoria, Minn., has been named director of the Data Center Practice at Parallel Technologies, a facilities and IT infrastructure rm.
Bryan Porter, BE04, of Upper Falls, Md., has been promoted to director at Ellin & Tucker, an accounting and business consulting rm.
Russell J. Verducci, HS04, of Fanwood, N.J., has been promoted
to associate vice president of NAI James E. Hanson, a New Jersey commercial real estate rm.
Bonnie Wright, AS05, of Aurora, Colo., has joined Behavioral Healthcare Inc. as a quality monitoring specialist.
Julie Harrigan, BE06, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., has opened Twist, a quick-serve café and juice bar on Wilmington Avenue and First Street that o ers cold-pressed juices, cleanses, smoothies, acai bowls and more.
Jennifer Weidler Karpchuk, AS06, of Conshohocken, Pa., was featured as a speaker at the ABA/IPT Advanced Tax Seminars, an annual
conference that brings updates to professionals nationwide.
Ti any Koontz McFadden, EHD06, of Bel Air, Md., recently achieved National Board Certi cation in the area of exceptional needs specialist.
Christopher J. Metki , AS06, of New Castle, Del., has been named president of Swarthmore Financial Services in New Castle.
Ketul Mody, BE06, of Newark, Del., has been named senior associate with Diamond State Financial Group, a nancial services rm.
Michael Sparrow, AS06M, of Bethlehem, Pa., received the Professional Sta Excellence award
from Northampton Community College, where he is director of the Learning Center.
Stephen A. Spence, AS06, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., has joined the law rm of Baird Mandalas Brockstedt LLC.
Amanda Ayers, EHD07, of Branchville, N.J., is working as Harvard University’s rst general health educator in the Department of Health Promotion and Education, where she provides workshops about sexual health, mindfulness and meditation, sleep and self-care.
Scott Beale, AS08M, of Washington, D.C., founder and CEO of Atlas Corps, has been selected
CLASS NOTES
MASCOT OF THE YEAR
First, let’s dispel some preconceived notions you might have about Nicholas Tennant, BE07, and his work as Wull E. Bull, the Class AAA Durham Bulls’ resident on- eld jester that was recently named minor league baseball’s Mascot of the Year by Baseball America.
No, he did not apply for the job because of the classic 1988 Kevin Costner ick (though he saw Bull Durham a er landing the job and soon realized how important it was to the team and the North Carolina town).
No, the mascot is not the basic ragtag bull you see in the movie (though Tennant dons a cute, fuzzy out t adorned with a Bulls hat and jersey).
And no, this job ain’t easy. Tennant spends eight half- innings riding a Go Kart, running around to spots on the eld and working the crowd—his favorite part of the job, because he gets to improvise.
Wull E. is so well known that he has become an ambassador for both the Bulls and Durham, working 5Ks and other events in the community.
Tennant got his start working as YoUDee, the University’s beloved mascot. He then went on to behind-the-scenes jobs
with the Aberdeen Iron Birds and the Miami Heat before landing the Bulls job with the recommendation of another former Blue Hen, Dave Raymond, HS79, the original and longtime Phillie Phanatic and member of the selection committee.
“I’ve learned a lot from my mentors—the UD mascot alumni who came before me,” he says. “My time at Delaware introduced me to people that I would have not met otherwise. Being able to learn from some of the best in the mascot industry has helped me become one of the best in MiLB.”
Tennant’s goal is to make it to the majors, kind of like a mascot version of Nuke LaLoosh, the wild rookie pitcher in Bull Durham who eventually leaves for the big leagues, but he’s also content with being like the movie’s veteran catcher Crash Davis, and making a career out of being a minor league legend.
“I’m probably a mix of the two of them,” he says.
—Peter Bothum, AS97
Notable alumni mascots
• DaveRaymond,HS79, the original and longtime Phillie Phanatic;
• Robert Boudwin, BE97, the original YouDee and longtimeß Houston Rockets mascot, Clutch;
• Brandon“Summy” Williams, AS03, who plays Baltimore Ravens mascot Poe; and
• Ryan Hughes, BE99, former mascot for the Philadelphia Eagles.
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