Jobs Landed

After participating in 2005 to the LHC particle accelerator design at CERN, the goal for my career was to further improve my education in advanced fields of engineering. The decision was driven by the fact that the requirements for LHC project did not allow errors or billions would have been wasted for a wrong design. As a young engineer I was impressed how nowadays you have the tools to simulate reality in its minimal details and deliver accurate results before any prototype has been built. Given my natural curiosity and the desire to understand “what is under the hood”, I decided I wanted to be able to develop such tools, rather than simply being a user of them. Moreover the desire of studying this field represented the perfect fit for my background in classical engineering and the personal passion for programming.

For these reasons in 2006 I moved to Chicago to study for a PhD in multibody dynamics with a project founded by Caterpillar. After earning my PhD I continued my research activity working for CAT in the Chicago area. In December 2011 I was offered a position in Ann Arbor by MSC.Software, the worldwide leader in virtual prototyping and owner of products like NASTRAN and ADAMS. MSC collaborated with NASA since the 60s to develop NASTRAN for aerospace programs, while ADAMS was born at the University of Michigan in the 1974 and through the years become the reference in multibody dynamic simulation software. Just to mention one of the last achievements, ADAMS played a key role in designing the rover Curiosity that NASA landed on Mars on August 5th 2012, especially for the ability to simulate conditions of operation unattainable on the Earth.

With the above premises it was obvious for me to accept the position and move to Ann Arbor, since it represented the possibility to work and learn from the people who made the history in my field of studying. The initial project from the 70s is still the core of today software – showing how much a good initial design can be durable – and some people who currently work at MSC in Ann Arbor have almost 30 years of experience in dynamic simulation. Every day I go to work I am amazed how much I can learn from the experience of my colleagues, wishing one day to have their same strength in this field.

It has to be underlined that the driven factor for virtual prototyping is not just the advantage of cutting costs and a faster deliverable design, but mostly the possibility to simulate conditions which are not easy to reproduce in real life and to perform optimization algorithms on virtual models unattainable with standard techniques. For these reasons the areas of application include typical engineering fields like aerospace, automotive, rail-road systems, while new developments in the medical field are the frontier of simulation. For instance using fluid-dynamics equations to model the blood inside human body is just fascinating and opens the possibility of studying new treatments for illnesses. I believe this is a valuable field where engineers and doctors can work together for making a positive impact on our society, as well as predicting the life of an aircraft, car or high-speed train via dynamic simulation makes everyday life safer.

Richner & Richner is pleased to announce the promotion of Daniel Jenuwine to Senior Consultant.

Jenuwine joined the firm in 2007 as Consultant and Director of Operations. As Senior Consultant he will guide and coach Richner & Richner’s non-profit clients on all aspects of relationship-based fundraising, including major gifts, planned giving, and campaigns.

“This promotion is in recognition of the outstanding service Dan has provided to our clients over the past six years and the great skills he has honed providing strategic fundraising counsel,” said Richner & Richner co-founder and partner Cedric Richner.

Jenuwine lives in Troy with his wife and two children. He has over twenty-two years of experience in fundraising and non-profit finance, operations, and program development. Prior to joining Richner & Richner, he held key positions at the Michigan Colleges Foundation, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and at Wayne State University.

Founded in 1997, Richner & Richner advises non-profit organizations across the U.S. on the design and implementation of comprehensive, tailored fundraising strategies to achieve ongoing, sustainable success. Services include strategy development; campaign planning; staff development and training; donor portfolio and relationship development; feasibility studies; planned giving program development; and program audits. The firm serves a wide range of clients including: retirement communities and senior service organizations; health & human service organizations; poverty alleviation organizations; education organizations; and community, cultural & environmental organizations.

I took a sort of roundabout path to my current position, with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering, followed by some time spent in Chicago, working in finance. However, after graduating from law school, I was ready to move back to my home state to begin work as an attorney. My main focus in my practice is on transactional work as a member of Varnum's regulatory law group. Much of the work that I do involves corporate transactional work and also working with lending institutions in commercial financing transactions; i.e., loan origination transactions.

My job...It is an amazing position, Machinetools.com is the worlds #1 machine tool marketplace. To help understand what we do, we are like autotrader.com for manufacturing machinery and tooling. Our customers come to us to connect with people all over the world who are looking to buy machinery and tooling. I oversee all of the day to day operations of the company. We have a team of 15 located in 4 states and 3 countries around the globe. We are going through some internal organizational changes that I am playing a key role in helping to restructure the company in order to pursue growth opportunities. Specifics include; leading the redevelopment of our sales initiatives, launching a new version of our website, created a new software application aimed our our industry, creation of a new mobile site and a Machinetools App, among other projects.

Before I was hired, I was actually working with the CEO/President of the company as a consultant when he decided to make an offer I couldn't refuse and I joined Machinetools full time. While the company is based in West Bloomfield Michigan. We decided that with everything that Ann Arbor has to offer, we should open an Ann Arbor Satellite office, which is where I now work.

As a sales rep for Pearson Education, I represent the largest educational publishing company in the world.  I am in charge of a sales territory that consists of 10 colleges and universities in Metro Detroit and Lansing, Michigan.  I visit college professors, deans, and department chairs at each of these schools to not only service my current customers, but also expand my products in other courses and departments.  I started with Pearson in Columbus, OH and was promoted to my current position in January 2011.  I chose this area because I really liked my hiring manager and the sales growth opportunity thay my terriory displayed.  My favorite part of my job is working with all the amazing professors.  I have learned so much from them and have gained an even greater respect for Michigan Higher Education!

I’m a marketing coordinator for Canton Leisure Services and a Johns Hopkins University student pursuing a master’s degree in digital communication. This fully-online program addresses how to use the Internet and social media to reach out to diverse audiences and how to incorporate digital with traditional communication campaigns; the coursework accordingly compliments my professional experiences with Facebook, Twitter, Paperlinks, and an email newsletter service. We’re currently promoting the Canton Liberty Fest (a community event, with elephant ears and fireworks) via Instagram. My coworkers are lovely.

I am a Technical Recruiter at OtterBase. We are a staffing agency located in Livonia. OtterBase has 5 offices, Livonia, Grand Rapids, Minniapolis, Boston, and Nashville. At the Livonia office, we essentially work as an extension of different company’s HR staff, by way of finding candidates to fill temporary or permanent positions at that company. After learning the in’s and out’s of a specific position that needs to be filled, I hit the job boards and social media to try and find potential candidates. After finding a candidate that may be a good fit, I bring them in for an interview with myself. I then submit them and guide them through the interviewing process with the company. I really love my job. I’ve learned a lot about different companies, industries, and jobs that I never knew existed, and I get to talk to new and interesting people every day. Being that I work on different jobs every few days, no day is the same. It is an immense feeling of success when one of my candidates gets hired! I found the job by speaking with Jaime Benzin, the Special Projects Manager at OtterBase, at a career fair at Western Michigan University. I was living in Kalamazoo at the time, and quickly moved out to Ann Arbor to be close to my new job.

At MOST Ministries we send short term mission teams all over the world, providing for physical and spiritual needs of thousands of people each year. Some of our projects include: providing clean water, medical clinics, eyeglass clinics, dental clinics, construction, agriculture and many more. My position as finance administrator is primarily to support the staff in facilitating the mission trips. I am responsible for bookkeeping, budgeting/forecasting, some human resource functions, IT support and various other office related duties. I am currently pursuing my Master's of Accounting at Walsh College in Novi and I am hoping to sit for the CPA Exam within the next few years. I love being apart of this organization and knowing that the work that I do, helps to deliver resources to people around the world that are in desperate need of hope and support.

I have always had a passion for people and organization.  After planning campus wide events in college, and then conferences, seminars, and gatherings in a corporate setting, I decided to go out on my own and indulge in the more creative and personal side of events...weddings.  I love the creativeness and uniqueness of every couple we work with and every event we design.  We offer full planning, partial planning, "day of" coordination services, and hourly assistance.  Design services are priced separately and can be added a la carte to any planning package or purchased on their own.  Prior to starting my company, I worked in the retail industry for a year and it taught me so much about customer service and the value of building real relationships.  We view our clients as family, and often end up keeping in touch long after the wedding is over!
 
I grew up in Ann Arbor, and after meeting my husband and starting our family, we felt like the Metro Detroit area, specifically Ann Arbor, is where we wanted to be, close to our friends and family. Though my business is based in Ann Arbor, I find myself and my team traveling all over Southeastern Michigan to service our clients and plan, design, and coordinate some really awesome weddings!  I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love.

My job is to spread the word about the Credit Union and that people in this community can join UMCU.  I belong to many different social networking groups from meetup.com to the A2Y Chamber for work to name a few.  I attend other events in the community and volunteer as well on behalf of UMCU’s community outreach efforts.  I setup information tables and give away many premium items to members in the community to promote the GREATNESS of UMCU.  I found my job on Careerbuilder.com.  What I like most about my job is interacting with people, building lasting relationships and not being tied to the desk.  The credit union movement is “People Helping People” and we are only in business to help people out.

If you have ever or will ever need to do research at school, odds are that ProQuest will be involved in some capacity.  Originally, I arrived at ProQuest as a Customer Service Representative (via a college friend's recommendation), but now I work as a Technical Support Consultant.  The group offers 24/7/365 support to customers worldwide for ProQuest products and platforms.  My group primarily deals with authentication issues and troubleshooting bugs, but also dabbles with content related questions and search assistance.  In addition to these customer facing duties, I also work with our social media team by monitoring social media channels and assisting with Spanish language related communications.  The two things I enjoy most about my job is 1) interacting with different people everyday and 2) figuring out why things are not working correctly and then getting them to work.  I also have to mention that everyone that I have encountered at ProQuest is friendly and easy to talk to.  My coworkers make ProQuest a great working environment, which I think is something the company really strives to achieve. 

I am a research fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, and an emergency physician in the Veterans Affairs health system and in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan. In the clinical scholars program, I've been able to develop my health services and policy-relevant research skills and to move forward in my own work looking to improve the delivery of acute stroke care in the Emergency Department (ED). My research focuses on time-sensitive processes and reflects the way that we function in the ED -- with an eye on the clock. Much of our clinical work in the ED is time-sensitive... and it is certainly never dull! This fellowship has been an unparalleled opportunity for me to have great mentors, tremendous support, and, amazing peers. While some of our co-fellows perfect "dry erase board art", others cook and dance their stress away, and others of us dream of statistical modeling, I've found an inspiring group of friends and colleagues and I couldn't be happier to have the opportunity to be learning from and working with all of them.

As a project engineer, I provide environmental engineering support for a wide range of water issues including stormwater control, watershed management, water quality modeling, and water quality regulations.

I have recently been hired as a Financial Planner at Vintage Financial Services in Ann Arbor, MI. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western Michigan University where I earned a degree in Finance with a minor in Economics.

During my time at Western I was a member of the Lee Honors College where I researched monetary unions in developing countries.  I also gained some excellent experience as an intern with another fee only wealth management firm in the Kalamazoo area.  

I have completed the coursework toward the Certified Financial Planner designation and will take the board exam soon. Coursework covers the financial planning process, risk management, investments, tax planning, retirement, employee benefits and estate planning.

I first heard about Performance Network Theatre when I worked with one of our associate artists, Joseph Zettelmaier. I was in a staged reading of the musical he was working on and we premiered it at Eastern Michigan University. A couple of months later the cast was offered the opportunity to perform the play again at Performance Network's Fireside New Play Festival. The Fireside Festival is a series of staged readings (which basically means you read the script right on stage) and the audience provides feedback after the performance and is then submitted to the playwright who chooses to use the comments or not in his or her revisions of the new scripts. So I was very lucky in the sense that I was introduced to this theatre my freshman year of college because I was granted the opportunity to perform! Ever since then I've been a fan of Performance Network Theatre.

Before the position for the Marketing Director opened up I became acquainted Artistic Director, David Wolber, when I did ANOTHER staged reading for Joe Zettelmaier at EMU. We read Dead Man's Shoes which Performance Network did in co-production with the Williamston Theatre last season. After the last performance I mentioned to David that I'd be graduating soon and to keep me in mind if anything opened up! We also lobbied Congress together at Arts Advocacy Day in Washington DC!

I would also like to point out that I am not yet a graduate. I still have 15 credits left to wrap up! I have been taking Accounting all summer (ick!!!) and I have a few more classes to wrap up and then I'll have my degree. For the Fall and Winter semesters, I was working as the Social Media Specialist at EMU Theatre and was doing a lot of research on the effects of social media in the theatre industry. My boss, Pam Cardell, informed me that the position of the Marketing Director at Performance Network had opened up and she suggested that I apply. I thought it was a long-shot but I read the job description and qualified! I submitted my resume and cover letter, participated in three interviews, and was offered the position within a week! I then had to leave my three other jobs I was working to support myself so I could start right away!
I was very overwhelmed when they offered me the position. I still can't wrap my mind around it. How is it that I'm not even graduated and I have my dream job? in the ARTS? I've gotten a lot of concerned glares when the word "Arts" is mentioned in reference to my degree. Artists and young people spawn the idea of "no work opportunities" and I'm living proof that  you need to work hard and look hard. It doesn't just happen. Be specific and get what you want!

Getting your dream job is not the end result of success story. After that, it's time to get to work. I am so lucky to be a part of this staff because they're a group of extremely dedicated and passionate people. Everyone is here because they love and believe in theatre. We are challenged everyday with a new task or obstacle but we constantly remind each other that we are a team and we make magic happen.

I immediately had to put together the promotions for our show (which has opened! woo hoo!) Burn This. Now I get to focus on the upcoming season:
-The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (Sept 27 - Oct 28)
-A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler (Nov 15 - Dec 30)
-Brill by David Wells and Music by Frank Allison (Jan 10 - Feb 10)
-Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire (Feb 21 - March 31)
-The Mountaintop by Katori Hill (April 25 - June 2)
-Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo
and
-My Name is Asher Lev by Aaron Posner based on the novel by Chaim Potok (Aug 8 - Sept 8)
 
I plan on incorporating a lot of social media, community outreach, and audience development in this season. We're hosting themed Happy Hours before every performance ($2 beer / $3 wine) and getting in touch with charitable organizations that could benefit from the specific publicity of each performance.

Performance Network Theatre also has a few Well-Kept-Secrets such as The Fireside New Play Festival, The Children's Theatre Network, and The Mosh Pit Series (a black-box cutting-edge theatre experience) which I plan to bring to the attention of the community.

Also, check out my personal blog at marissakurtzhals.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @immastereo.