Jim Mandelaro

Rochester

Contributor at Freelance

Dad, husband, writer, author. 2022 Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame inductee. Beatles, beagles, Bills, Red Sox.

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Articles

Neurodivergent Rochester undergraduates mentor the next generation

1 month ago | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

The University’s chapter of the national program Eye to Eye engages and uplifts area middle schoolers with learning differences. It’s Wednesday morning at Rochester Prep Middle School—time for another classroom visit from a group of University of Rochester students. The impromptu questions start immediately.
Students, alumni receive national merit-based awards for study, research, and service

1 month ago | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

They’ll head to nations around the globe to pursue their academic passions. University of Rochester students will perform research and volunteer service—both home and abroad—while others will further their education after receiving merit-based national awards during the 2024–25 academic year. This year’s recipients will travel to France, Germany, China, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, and other parts in between as scholars and researchers honored by prestigious programs. Meet this year’s honorees.
Teaching the teachers to be calm, cool, and collected

1 month ago | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

A University program trains faculty to embrace mindfulness in the classroom, with instructors and students alike benefiting. Kate Soules began teaching at the University of Rochester in the fall of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What she observed in her classroom caused great concern. “I saw students struggling to complete their work due to anxiety or other mental health issues,” she says. “Others showed an inability to focus, complete tasks, or participate in class.
How a campus start-up is reinventing the networking experience

2 months ago | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

Four juniors and one graduate are behind Penpal, the first digital business card created by students for students. Ameenul (Gem) Haque ’26 was amazed by the frenzied networking that took place at the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers conference in Boston last fall. “It was really fast-paced, and the recruiters just wanted to know if you were a perfect fit for their companies or not,” he says.
Lea Thome ’22: A global citizen helps shape global policy

2 months ago | rochester.edu | Jim Mandelaro

At Rochester, the German native forged her path to a career analyzing international relations in an interconnected world. Lea Thome ’22 has lived all over the world, but Rochester, New York, holds a special place in her heart. “Rochester is where I found myself and discovered what I wanted to do with my life,” she says. Thome spent her first 15 years in Germany, then attended boarding school in China for a semester and in Slovakia for two years before enrolling at the University of Rochester.
John Ghyzel ’24: From pro pitcher to Rochester graduate

Mar 25, 2025 | 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.
Steve Blank ’07: A ‘zigzag’ path to Lucasfilm

Mar 11, 2025 | 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.
Jamal Holtz ’20: How to find yourself-and your people-on campus

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).
Ian Krager ’22: Congressional communications director meets the press

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.
Mark Buckley: Biomedical engineering as a passion worth sharing

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.