Jim Mandelaro

2 months ago | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

Seven years after leaving the University to play professional baseball, the Virginia native earned a bachelor’s in engineering science. John Ghyzel ’24 spent his baseball career trying to throw a ball over home plate. Once that ended, he looked home again—to the University of Rochester. The Northern Virginia native was part of the Class of 2018 but left during his junior year to pursue a career in professional baseball.

2 months ago | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

The film and media studies major worked numerous part-time gigs before landing a job with the company that produces Star Wars. After graduating from the University of Rochester with a film and media studies degree, Steve Blank ’07 had his future planned. “I was going to be a movie editor,” he says. “I love taking all these different pieces and putting them together into a complete whole story.”But his plans didn’t match his luck—or the economy.

Mar 7, 2025 | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

The former Students’ Association president offers advice on how Rochester students can ‘make their hive a home.’Jamal Holtz ’20 didn’t know a soul when he arrived at the University of Rochester in 2016. By the time he graduated, he was arguably the most recognized face among the student body. Holtz grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in the District of Columbia, one of five children to a single mother (in October 2024, he lost his brother Joseph to gun violence).

Feb 20, 2025 | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

Krager shares takeaways for students and graduates who want to land a dream job after college. As communications director for House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Ian Krager ’22 interacts with the national media on a regular basis. “My job is to be the spokesperson for an incredibly high-profile Member of Congress,” he says. “If any reporter wants to talk to Nancy Pelosi, they go through me.” He also pens all of Pelosi’s speeches and social media posts.

Jan 27, 2025 | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

The innovative professor prioritizes inclusiveness in the classroom. Mark Buckley was already working on his doctorate in physics when he was first introduced to the world of biomedical engineering (BME). It was love at first byte. “I didn’t even know what biomedical engineering was until then,” he says. “But my thesis was a collaboration between my physics lab and a BME lab. And each day, the BME field became more and more of a passion to me.