Chili Fest Brings Alumni to Town

From left, former editor-in-chief Erin Geismar ’09, former
multimedia editor Kaydi Poirier ’11, former managing editor
Casey Musarra ’11, and former design editor Michelle Barrie ’10

Erin in the big chair.

This year's Great Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook Off — better known as Chili Fest — brought crowds of people from near and far to The Commons, including Ithacan alumni. Erin Geismar ’09, Casey Musarra ’11 and Kaydi Poirier ’11 — “Team Newsday,” as we affectionately think of them, since all three of them are working there — made their annual pilgrimage on Feb. 15 to sample the city’s best chili. Former design editor Michelle Barrie ’10 came to town that night as well to join them for drinks and dinner. 

Assistant multimedia editor Stephen
Adams ’16 discusses digital media trends
with Kaydi and Casey.

The next day, Erin, Casey and Kaydi stopped by the Ithacan office to check out our new digs and say hello to current students. Erin even got to sit at the new editor-in-chief’s desk, a far cry from the desk crammed into the corner of the small office off 269 that she ran the paper from back in 2008–09.

Write When You Find Work

Lisa Boyars Gehrke

Lisa Boyars Gehrke ’01 has left Conde Nast to become executive director of group marketing at Heart Men’s Group. Among her responsibilities will be supervision of the “Car and Driver,” “Popular Mechanics” and “Road and Track” marketing teams. She begins work today. 

Kelli B. Grant

Former news editor and special projects manager Kelli B. Grant ’04 has left her job as senior consumer reporter at SmartMoney.com after eight years to take a position on the enterprise team at CNBC.com.

Jeff Morganteen

Former sports editor Jeff Morganteen ’07 is working as a reporter and multimedia producer at the The New York World as a post-graduate research fellow in Columbia University’s graduate journalism program. He’ll be covering criminal justice and producing multimedia coverage of the New York City mayoral race.

Lydia Dimitriadis

Former chief proofreader Lydia Dimitriadis ’08 has taken a new position as publications coordinator at Jacobs Levy Equity Management in Florham Park, N.J., beginning July 22. She will be the project manager and overseer of projects compiled by the firm’s principals and writers, including books and investment articles and journals.

Former photo editor Evan Falk ’09 is working as an associate producer at FOX Business Network. He had been freelancing and working in photography at his own Evan Falk Photography studio.

Former design editor Michelle Barrie ’10 is working at Jack Nadel International, a promotional product marketing/branding agency in Los Angeles. The firm has clients like Guess, Hot Topic, Dooney and Bourke, and MTV. 

Former Sports Editor Kevin McCall ’12 is Athletic Media Relations Assistant at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

Kevin McCall