Class Notes

Aleeza Granote, MSW ’04, has been named a 2026 Woman of Achievement, recognizing more than 15 years of extraordinary volunteer leadership supporting children and families facing cancer. Granote founded Care Card Connection in 2010 to send handwritten messages of encouragement to patients in treatment. The effort has grown into a nationwide network of more than 400 volunteers. The St. Louis Women of Achievement Award, founded in 1955, honors women volunteers.

Jessica Herczeg-Konecny, AB ’02, is lead technical analyst, digital asset management, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She co-edited the anthology Digital Asset Management for Museums published by Bloomsbury and the American Alliance of Museums.

Jessica, AB ’02, and Jason Garnreiter, AB ’02, relocated to Toronto with their teenage sons. Last October, Jason joined the faculty at the Hospital for Sick Children as a pediatric electrophysiologist, with a joint appointment as an associate professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto.

Danica (Rodemich) Mathes, JD ’01, was named to Lawdragon’s 2026 “500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers” list, which recognizes top counsel advising clients across the entertainment, sports and media industries. Mathes is a partner at Bell Nunnally in Dallas and heads the firm’s intellectual property, entertainment, advertising and media practices.

Christy Loebach, BSBA ’99, was appointed chief financial officer for the Chicago-based American Medical Association. Previously, she was chief financial and transformation officer for O’Hara’s Son Roofing Company and was a former chair of the WashU alumni and parents admissions committee.

Miwa Fujii, PhD ’99, received the 2025 Academic Educator Award from the Association for Death Education and Counseling, becoming the first Japanese recipient of this award. Fujii is a professor at the Graduate School of Human Welfare Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan.

Rin-rin Yu, AB ’98, penned her debut novel, Goodbye, French Fry (Penguin Random House, February 2026). The book’s main character is Ping-Ping, who has a lot going on as an American-born Chinese: She’s “more American” than people realize, but not “Chinese enough” for her relatives. 

Mike Uram, AB ’98, a rabbi, was named ninth chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Uram previously served as the first chief Jewish learning officer at Jewish Federations of North America. Over the course of his career, he has led and advised a wide range of Jewish educational and community-focused initiatives, including serving as chief vision and education officer for Pardes North America. 

Margie Kraft Kindt, MAED ’97, co-authored the graphic novel Gilt Frame (Dark Horse Books, March 2025). The book is a classic whodunit murder mystery about an eccentric aunt and her nephew who solves crimes.

D. Mara Lowenstein, JD ’96, was named general counsel and a member of the executive leadership team of quantilope, a global insights technology company. Lowenstein is an active panelist and member of The L Suite, a premier peer-to-peer organization for general counsels and chief legal officers.