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Melissa Rothermel Biernacinski, ’06 BA Journalism and Media Studies, celebrated her 10th year at local marketing/public relations firm Imagine Communications in 2015. She is married to Marek Biernacinski, ’05 BA Communication Studies. He is president and CEO of Words by a Pro, a company that was honored at the Las Vegas Digital Media Awards by being named Best Business Blog for the second year in a row.

Cynthia De La Torre, ’03 BA Communication Studies, is the communications manager for a $20 million grant from the National Institutes of Health that is housed at 51�ԹϺ���. The grant involves 13 institutions in seven states. She handles all social media and communications for the grant, including campaigns for its various funding mechanisms. Each year she organizes a meeting for 200 scientists and faculty members across the Mountain West. An advocate for immigration, prison reform, and higher education, she facilitates a support group for women coping with incarcerated family members. Her hobbies include hiking, cycling, reading, and networking. She has an 11-year-old daughter.

Jon Castagnino, ’03 BA Communication Studies and BS Sports Injury Management, is an instructor in 51�ԹϺ���’s Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies. He launched the “Rebel Report,” a student-run TV and social media platform covering 51�ԹϺ��� athletics and Las Vegas events. He began his career as a student journalist for the show 51�ԹϺ���iews, broadcast from the basement of the Flora Dungan Humanities building, and went on to write and produce for TV news in Wyoming and Texas. Most recently, he worked as a sports anchor/reporter at FOX5 News in Las Vegas.

Magdalena Zepeda, ’02 MA Communication Studies, this year was promoted to assistant principal at Central Middle School in Riverside, California. Her hobbies are long-distance running, mentoring, reading, and writing. She lives in Coachella.

Sara Mallett Leoni, ’96 BA Communication Studies, is CEO of Rafter, a college course materials management company that focuses on making education more affordable, accessible, and effective for college students. She says the company has saved 2.7 million students more than half a billion dollars on textbooks. Previously, she held leadership roles at several companies, including Sharpcast, Cafepress, Yahoo!, and E*Trade. While at 51�ԹϺ��� she played center field for the softball team and was named a Second Team All American. 

Alfred McDonald, ’91 BA Criminal Justice, in February became a judge pro tem in Marana Municipal Court in Arizona. He lives in Tucson.