Alumni Updates

Family Ties

When Frank Ludovici (A&S ’81) was an engineering technology student at Point Park, he lived in the former Sherwyn Hotel (now Lawrence Hall), one of only two buildings that made up Point Park’s campus in the early 1970s. His daughter, Kelly Ludovici-Grady (COPA ’90) recalls traveling between the same small downtown campus and performances at the original Pittsburgh Playhouse in Oakland when she earned her degree in dance.

Kelly’s daughter Kelsey Grady, a first-year dance student in 2019-20, doesn’t have to pirouette far. Her classes, rehearsals and performances all take place on Point Park’s dramatically expanded downtown campus, from the spacious dance studios of the George Rowland White Performance Center to the new Pittsburgh Playhouse on Forbes Ave.

All three generations came together on Oct. 25, 2019 to share memories and see what’s new at Point Park, including a tour of the Playhouse. “It was great to visit campus with Dad, and hear about the differences from when he was a student and when I went, and now Kelsey,” said Ludovici-Grady. “He remembered wearing a white shirt and tie as a student, and when we visited Wolfie’s Pub there he was in a [vintage] picture on the wall, the students were all wearing white shirts and ties!”

Amazing development

“It’s amazing to see the development of Point Park,” added Ludovici-Grady, who owns and operates Ludovici Dance Academy in Newcastle, Pa. “It was always an excellent Dance program, but now the facilities are just state-of-the-art. I’m so happy [Kelsey] chose Point Park. They offered her a great scholarship. And she will study with one of my former teachers: Judith Leifer-Bentz.”

A native of Newcastle, Pa., Frank Ludovici earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering technology at Point Park, and later a master’s degree in human resources management at LaRoche University. He has extensive experience in project engineering, project management and purchasing, and held positions at such companies such as Calgon Corporation, Merck & Company, and Neville Chemical.

“Point Park really prepared me well for my profession,” said Ludovici, who said he is delighted that his daughter, and now granddaughter, decided to follow in his footsteps at the University. “I had a great experience as a student,” he added, including time spent in the Alpha Delta Iota fraternity and engineering society. “I like to tell people that Point Park is one of Pittsburgh’s best kept secrets.” At a small school, students can receive personal attention and enjoy opportunities for personal and academic growth, he said.

Some things never change.

1960s

Duane Ready (BUS ’66) writes, “I attended Point Park soon after it became a junior college in 1964-65, majoring in management. I received an associate’s degree in 1966. I was not a very good student in high school, but was allowed to start at Point Park on probation. I am glad to say that I produced much-improved results. I later received a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University (1968) and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh (1972). I worked at Pittsburgh National Bank before going to Penn State, and also during the summers and year end as well, while attending Penn State. I attended Pitt graduate school in the evenings. I remain grateful for the efforts put forth by Dean Phyllis Davis to allow me to be the first Point Park Junior College graduate to transfer to Penn State, and hope that my achievements there confirmed her trust in my academic abilities. Soon thereafter Point Park Junior College became Point Park College. I subsequently attained a Certification in Management Accounting (1979) and held positions with several public and private organizations, as well as, the federal government in the area of management accounting, financial planning, and tax before retiring several years ago. There was a nice group of people at Point Park in those days, and I remember working in the library, playing intramural basketball at the YMCA across the street, and walking over to Market Square with others and getting fruit at the market and then going on to the ‘Bridge to nowhere’ to eat our lunch. I lived at home in Dormont, and took the streetcar back and forth to school. I bought an old Underwood typewriter to type papers for English composition classes, and spent days typing papers before learning how to type.”

1970s 

Dennis Iurlano (BUS ’72) writes, “I was very sad to read of the passing of Arthur (Art) Kramer (a professor emeritus at Point Park who died on Nov. 8, 2019). He was the professor in the first accounting class I took at Point Park.”

1980s

Peter Wentzel (COPA ’82) served as the studio finance executive on the recent hit film Knives Out, a contemporary ‘whodunnit’ starring Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Kurtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson and more.

1990s

Brian Rutherford (COPA ‘94) has been honored by the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind, as winner of the 2019 Peter J. Salmon Employee of the Year Award. He received his award during the organization’s national symposium in May 2019. Rutherford previously worked as a costume designer for Walt Disney World. After losing his eyesight, he moved to Pittsburgh to be near family and attended Adjustment to Blindness training at Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services (BVRS). Afterward, he joined the agency’s textiles department where, drawing on his extensive knowledge and experience, he regularly provides input on ways to improve processes and sewing accuracy. Away from the agency, Rutherford shares his lifelong love of theater arts with others, serving as an audio description coordinator and consultant to Pittsburgh-area theaters. “Brian’s commitment to advocacy and employment for people with vision loss has been an asset to our organization as well as the general community,” said BVRS President Erika Petach. “I’m constantly impressed by his motivation, positive attitude, and desire to help others.”

Jessica Bowser Acrie (COPA ’98) writes, “I recently accepted a new role at Carnegie Mellon University as the Director of the Master of Arts Management program. Founded in 1987, the Master of Arts Management (MAM) program at Carnegie Mellon is designed to create innovative leaders in the visual and performing arts. The program combines rigorous quantitative management, marketing, technology, and fundraising coursework with practical experience to prepare students to excel in a public, private or nonprofit arts environment. The MAM degree is offered through a joint partnership between the Heinz College’s School of Public Policy & Management and the College of Fine Arts.”

2000s

Amy Constantine Kline (BUS ’00) is director of client education and support at Showclix. 

Brian Edward (COPA ’03) plays the title role in the world premiere of Quentin Crisp: The Last Word at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre Feb. 6 - 16, 2020. The new play is adapted from the posthumously published autobiography of author and icon Quentin Crisp. Crisp first rose to global notoriety with the publication of his 1974 autobiography, The Naked Civil Servant, detailing his years in London as a model, rent boy, and flagrantly unapologetic homosexual during a time when it was forbidden by law. Living as a resident alien in New York City during the 1980s, he became a champion of outsider artists, was frequently sought after for late-night talk show appearances, and empowered audiences with his one-man-show expounding his forthright views on current affairs, social manners, and personal style. Shortly before his death in 1999, Crisp dictated his final autobiography to author and colleague Phillip Ward, who is also the executor of Quentin Crisp’s estate. He published the autobiography The Last Word in 2017. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Crisp’s passing, Ward began work on extracting a new stage play from the autobiography. Performer, playwright, and long-time Crisp aficionado Brian Edward (Leach) was selected by the estate of Crisp to collaborate on the development of the script and to portray Crisp in the stage premiere. Edward is the creator of the critically acclaimed musical comedy Amish Burlesque, and was named among the top leading actors of 2002 by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  He is also the host of ‘Burgh Vivant, Pittsburgh’s online arts and culture talk program. Following its February 2020 Pittsburgh debut, Quentin Crisp: The Last Word will have productions in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and locations throughout the United Kingdom. Select performance dates will include a post-show panel discussion, and a book signing meet and greet with Phillip Ward. Information and tickets: quentincrisp.org.

Melissa Meighan (BUS ’09) writes, “I was a financial analyst for the U.S. Department of the Treasury in D.C., and am happy to announce that I am now a senior financial analyst for Mozilla in San Francisco.”

2010s

Jamia Ramsey (Jones) (COPA ’10) is the founder of her own dancewear company, Blendz Apparel, which was recognized by NPR and the “How I Built This” Summit. She explains, “Blendz Apparel is a dancewear company that specializes in providing high quality flesh-tone dancewear and dance shoes in a variety of shades to accommodate dancers of all complexions. A former dancer and artistic director of her own dance school, Ramsey experienced first-hand the troubles of finding nude dancewear and dance shoes that matched medium to dark skin tones. Out of this need she created Blendz, not only to fulfill an unmet need in the market but to ensure that every dancer is wholly represented, feels comfortable and confident inside and out!”

Cassidi Parker (COPA ’11) is an actor and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. She writes, “I was supposed to graduate in 2013, but studied every moment and took as many classes as I could to graduate early, so that I could go to Paris to study French and travel. I later moved to L.A. and am proud to say that I’ve produced and starred in a play that I worked on in one of my second-year classes at Point Park. I also produced, wrote and starred in my own short film that’s been on the festival circuit and [appeared] in a national commercial that ran during last year’s Winter Olympics (and more than a year afterward). In 2019, I was in … two episodes of Better Things on FX and three episodes of Dear White People on Netflix.”

James Ogden II (COPA ’12) is a production director for Alonzo King LINES Ballet. He is based in San Francisco. Prior to joining Alonzo King LINES Ballet, he served in such positions as: stage-manager at Shamu Theatre, Sea World San Antonio; stage-manager, company stage-manager and director of artistic operations at Charlotte Ballet; and production supervisor at Martha Graham Dance Company. Read more: pointpark.edu/news-copa/James-Ogden-II-12

Ariel Meadows (BUS’14) is a credit analyst at Bridgeway Capital.

Haleigh Kopinski (A&S’15) writes, “I [have] received a promotion from social media assistant to social media coordinator for the Aerie brand at American Eagle Outfitters. Kopinski earned a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing/English at Point Park.

James Nusser (BUS ’17, ’19) is a senior tax analyst at Vitro Architectural Glass. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and MBA at Point Park. Read more: pointpark.edu/news-business/James-Nusser-17-19

Heart of Point Park

Kristin Snapp (Andreassi) (COM ’17) and Jon Andreassi (COM ’16) were married on September 7, 2019. Kristin writes, “We got engaged in Lawrence Hall in the old newsroom for The Globe, where we first met.”

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