New Caltech Alumni Association Board of Directors Members and Officers Elected
Five new members have been elected to the Caltech Alumni Association’s (CAA) Board of Directors. John S. Abbott III (BS ’74), Rebecca Adler Miserendino (BS ’06), Edgardo Garcia Berrios (PhD ’11), Zachary A. Rivkin (BS ’14), and Jay Turner (BS ’01) will serve three years. They join Frederic Caldwell (BS ’96), Tara Gomez-Hampton (PhD ’11), Miral Kim-E (BS ’78), Jasmine Soria Sears (BS ’12), and Elizabeth Lee Stameshkin (BS ’03) who were re-elected to the board.
“I am excited to work with the breadth of perspective and talent that our new board members bring,” says CAA Board Chair Dan Liebling (BS ’02). “Together, we are committed to addressing the needs of our alumni, including pursuing more opportunities for meaningful connections for the Techer community. As we plan for long-term success, we will work to address the financial sustainability of the organization and explore more ways to engage with current students and welcoming them into the alumni community.”
Directors serve as stewards of the Association’s mission and funds, leveraging their professional skills and experiences as Institute alumni to help guide and shape strategic services and programming. The board’s 2024-2025 officers include: Liebling as chair; Gomez-Hampton as vice chair, Finance; Kim-E as vice chair, Governance; and Caldwell as vice chair, Leadership and Outreach.
“The Alumni Relations team looks forward to collaborating closely with Chair Liebling and the board in casting the widest net possible to connect with alumni,” says Mario Peraza, assistant vice president for alumni relations and chief executive officer for the CAA. “Whether you graduated in 2024 or 50 years ago, all Techers should feel a strong sense of connection to their alma mater.”
Read more about all CAA board members here.
Meet Your New CAA Board Members
John S. Abbott III (BS '74)
Caltech Connections: Ricketts House librarian, Caltech Fencing, The California Tech
As a new board member, Abbott is looking for opportunities to listen, learn, and help. “The CAA board needs to keep the interests of fellow alumni foremost, work collaboratively to build on the strengths that make Caltech unique, and continually improve our Association,” he says. One example, according to Abbott, is strengthening the Association’s finances to enhance programs that connect alumni regionally and encourage them to return to campus. Recalling his time as an undergraduate, Abbott shares a favorite memory of renting camping equipment from the Caltech Y and taking a weekend study break with a classmate friend on Henniger Flats near Mt. Wilson.
Rebecca Adler Miserendino (BS '06)
Principal at Lewis-Burke Associates LLC | Bethesda, Maryland
Caltech Connections: SURF, Caltech Y Executive Committee, Student Activism Speaker Series Steering Committee, Caltech Women’s Swimming and Diving team
A key priority for Adler Miserendino is to collaborate with the Association staff and fellow board members to enrich the experience of the entire Caltech community, including fostering connections with current students. “I envision creating more opportunity for Caltech alumni to engage with one another while increasing the visibility and awareness of what is happening on campus,” she says. These opportunities could include more in-person networking events, increasing awareness of alumni achievements, and enhancing the use of online platforms to communicate. As an undergrad, you might have encountered Adler Miserendino and friends in the steam tunnels with professional-grade climbing gear headed to an undisclosed campus location for a late-night adventure.
Edgardo Garcia Berrios (PhD '11)
Caltech Connections: SURF, MURF (now WAVE), Resident Associate, Ricketts House, Caltech Surf and Windsurf Club
Garcia Berrios would like to increase a sense of connection for alumni through the sharing of stories and experiences. “When I was on campus last June, I felt that sense of community that we can bring back through stories and photos to alumni,” he says. He recalls as a student caller for the Caltech Fund that alumni would ask about his student experience and request campus updates. As an alumnus, he also re-engaged with the Institute after reading a Caltech story that featured a friend with whom he had lost touch. Garcia Berrios also counts interaction with leading faculty, such as Harry B. Gray, as some of his favorite student memories. “You read about these people in textbooks and then all of a sudden you see them on campus and they know you.”
Zachary A. Rivkin (BS '14)
CEO of Gatsby Labs | Austin, TX
Caltech Connections: ASCIT president, Avery House president, Caltech Chess Club, Frisbee team
“Caltech has been a cornerstone of my life, and my commitment to its community runs deep,” says Rivkin. One of his top priorities is to “seismically increase” alumni connectivity with each other and Caltech. In addition to serving on the CAA board, he also serves on the board for the Caltech Associates. Rivkin envisions helping to increase alumni engagement by fostering quality friendships among Techers and encouraging alumni to share their wisdom with the next generation. While there are too many favorite “only-at-Caltech” student memories to choose from, Rivkin points to meeting epic people as an undergraduate—whether it was faculty, trustees, or introducing President Rosenbaum at a campus event in his role at ASCIT president.
Jay Turner (BS ’01)
Manager at Southern California Edison | Los Angeles, CA
Caltech Connections: Intramural sports, student house officer
Turner returns to the board after temporarily serving as a member in late 2022 and early 2023. One of his key priorities will be to improve the board election process and seek areas to reduce expenses. In addition, as one of the hosts for the inaugural Table for Techers, he is thinking of additional ways to encourage alumni engagement. “I think the Association can continue to expand efforts to support local alumni chapters for both in-person and virtual networking events,” he says. Turner also suggests exploring opportunities to involve alumni in campus events such as Ditch Day, which he counts among some of his favorite Caltech memories.