Kate Kendell JD’88 is the new CEO of the Gill Foundation, one of the preeminent national financial supporters of LGBTQ issues in the country. Kendell is a former executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, where she spent 23 years advocating for LGBTQ people and their families.
Mike Mower JD’93 is now the longest-serving senior staffer in any governor’s office in America and has been part of three Utah governors’ administrations. Currently Gov. Spencer Cox’s senior advisor for community relations, Mower first joined the staff of Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. in 2005. His previous stints included two years with Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake; a year as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C.; and service as director of community and government relations for the city of Provo. He notes, “My daughter Abigail Mower Rampton graduated from Utah Law in 2023, so it’s fun to have a multi-generational family perspective. The S.J. Quinney College of Law has trained a couple of generations of us, and we’re all much better off because of the education we’ve had there.”
Larry Menlove BA’96 is publishing his debut novel this fall. A literary crime noir set in the Rush Valley in Utah’s West Desert, Rush was developed from a short story that won the 2012 Utah Original Writing Competition. Featuring numerous ne’er-do-well characters caught up in drug dealing, human coyoting, and steamy late-night shenanigans, the novel was described by one contest judge as a cross between a Cormac McCarthy book and a Coen Brothers film. Menlove’s writing has appeared in Drunken Boat, Sunstone, Dialogue, and other venues. He recently retired after nearly 30 years in the library industry.
Heidi Nestel JD’97 has spent more than 20 years leading the Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic (UCVLC), which provides free legal services and other resources to crime victims statewide. “Victims’ rights” was a brand-new area of law when Nestel started law school, pioneered by U professor Paul Cassell. She dove into it immediately, eventually representing abused and neglected children in court, and then prosecuting domestic violence and other special victim crimes cases, before being recruited to start the UCVLC. The clinic also works to create good case law defining victims’ rights, continuing to work closely with Professor Cassell. “He understands how to argue and bring these issues to the appellate courts,” Nestel explains. “When there’s an adverse ruling that hurts victims’ rights, we ask Paul to help us appeal it. He has done it masterfully.”
Ashley Gregson JD’11 is president of Women Lawyers of Utah, which works to support and advance female attorneys and all women in Utah. Gregson serves as assistant general counsel at Dentons Durham Jones Pinegar, P.C., and on its board of directors, and she has served on the board of the WLU for many years. “We are fortunate in Utah to have such an active and close legal community, and the women in that legal community are exceptional,” Gregson comments. “Growing our numbers in the Bar and expanding women’s roles in every corner of the legal profession is key.”
Elli Legerski BA’12 BA’12 produced the satirical short film Jane Austen’s Period Drama, which recently received an Oscar shortlist nomination for Best Live Action Short. At the U, Legerski landed jobs with acclaimed filmmakers including Peter Jackson. She now produces and writes full time, with her projects having premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Outfest, and Sitges.
Adam Kuban PhD’12 was recognized as the 2026 Journalism & Mass Communication Teacher of the Year in the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards, among the nation’s top competitions. A professor at Ball State University, Kuban is known for leading media-based, community-engaged projects, including books, magazines, websites, and apps, often focused on science- or sports-related issues. As co-creator of Water Quality Indiana, which brings together science and journalism students to explore water issues, he led a documentary project that earned two regional Emmy nominations. He is also a high school tennis coach.
Claudia Quintero MS’13 was selected as a recipient of the Fearless Women Award by the Springfield (Mass.) Symphony Orchestra in recognition of her advocacy for underprivileged communities. She was also recognized with the Legal Services Award from the Massachusetts Bar Association for her excellence in advocacy and legal services to low-income and indigent communities as director of Central West Justice Center. Quintero joined the center in 2017 right out of law school. She also teaches at Western New England University College of Law and co-leads the Fairness for Farmworkers Coalition.
Susan McCarty PhD’13 has published a new book, 2008. The novel historically, politically, and artistically considers its time: the dawn of social media, the heyday of the blog, the year the bottom fell out of the American economy while the country was on the verge of a historic election. Also author of the short-story collection Anatomies and numerous essays, McCarty is an associate professor of creative writing at Oakland University, in the Detroit area.
Physician Akintunde Akinjero MS’15 notes that his diagnostic approach was shaped by the transformative mentorship and scientific training he received at the U. “Most importantly, hypothesis testing became a guiding skill. This skill has significantly shaped both my personal and professional life over the past decade,” he says. “As a critical care physician, I currently approach each case with curiosity and care. Every patient inspires new questions, and I employ reflective thinking and scientific rigor to find the most effective answers.”
Yitian “Chloe” Zeng MAE’17 was senior project designer on the mobile and tablet app project EcoEat, which recently received a Red Dot Design Award, one of the world’s most prestigious international design honors. The project addresses sustainable and socially responsible concepts for reducing food waste and responsible consumption through design and technology. Zeng is a full-time product designer.
Seyyed Sharifi BS’20 MEd’24 represented Utah in the national America’s Favorite Teacher competition, placing fifth in the quarterfinals. Sharifi is a special education teacher in Granite School District, working with post-high school students who have significant disabilities. He was previously recognized as the 2024 Granite School District Teacher of the Year, a 2025 Utah State Teacher of the Year finalist, the U’s Outstanding Public Educator for 2025, and a 2025 national Discovery Education Teacher of the Year.
Satin Tashnizi HBA’20 is the vice president chief of staff for Apple Card Operations for Goldman Sachs as well as the executive director of the Salt Lake City–based Emerald Project, which she cofounded. The Emerald Project is dedicated to empowering young Muslims through civic engagement and service. Over the past nine years, the organization has built bridges across communities while supporting young people in developing confidence, agency, and belonging. Tashnizi credits the U’s Hinckley Institute with providing her with the skills and confidence to build something new, and lasting, for the community.
Arden Cook HBS’26 is now a local entity specialist at the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, where he oversees municipal annexations and incorporation, advising on local boundary adjustments and state code compliance. Previously, Cook was a legislative intern and a Salt Lake City Council intern. At the U, he was involved with the Associated Students of the University of Utah and in Hinckley Institute of Politics internships.
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