The Latest | Spring 2026
Spring 2026 Issue
Have you ever had an aha moment? Maybe it came quietly, like inception, a subtle idea that clicked and wouldn’t let go. Perhaps it was more a thunderclap of revelation that rearranged the furniture of your mind.
This issue of Innovator is devoted to those moments, to inspiration in its many disguises.
Feature Architect of Dreams
Mythic dragons soaring through the air, fierce Vikings around every corner, and a cup of mead to toast a battle well won — these are just a day at the office for Gabrielle Kemberling ’12, who recently completed eight years in an integral role designing and building How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk in Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe.
The Oughton Family Legacy of Gratitude
For John Oughton III ’71 and his family, a generational connection to Jefferson and their service to the United States are the inspiration for their extraordinary generosity.
Time Machine A Colorful History
At a moment when the United States was awakening to its role as a global power, Jefferson and Edward France, a national authority on dyes and fiber, gave the U.S. Army something as unassuming, and as enduring, as a color: olive drab.
Feature Beyond the Seams
For fashion design students at Thomas Jefferson University, a well-rounded education based in science, art, and an awareness of the world around them prepares them for careers beyond the runway. The stories of Caitlin Quirk ’12, Jennifer Pellechio-Lukowiak ’90, and students in a Diversity in Design class illustrate how an education based in progressive and innovative thinking has redefined the fashion degree at Jefferson.
-
Caitlin Quirk ’12
Style & Sustainability
-
Jennifer Pellechio-Lukowiak ’90
Fashionista, Novelist, Survivor
-
Style for Every Body
Students Develop Adaptive Dashion for Clients with Disabilities
More From This Issue
-
Question & Innovate: From Breakthrough to Bedside
At Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, the newly launched Clinical and Translational Sciences Center (CTSC) is built around a simple but urgent question: How do we move breakthrough discoveries to patients — faster?
-
Thackrah Capital Markets Research Lab Unveiled
The recently unveiled $1.8 million Thackrah Capital Markets Research Lab expands access to live market data, news, and research tools, including 12 Bloomberg terminal data feeds, to help students make informed financial investments.
-
The Sound of Jefferson
Elizabeth Avril Barden, a 2025 graduate of Jefferson’s health services management program, penned “Jefferson, How We Adore Thee,” the school's official alma mater — the first in its 202-year history.
-
Jefferson Students Embrace New Studio Art Minor
Students across Jefferson, not just those within design fields, sought creative outlets that felt just as meaningful as their major coursework.
From Jefferson News
Vastano to Lead International Student Organization
Bachelor of architecture and master of urban design student Luke Vastano has been elected the 70th president of the American Institute of Architecture Students.
-
Jefferson College of Nursing Announces Expansion to LVHN
This effort strengthens academic-practice pathways across the enterprise — creating new opportunities for workforce development, clinical placements, and leadership advancement. Beginning in fall 2026, the college plans to offer onsite classes at the Lehigh Valley Health Network Center for Healthcare Education.
-
University Announces College Restructuring
Beginning July 1, 2026, the University will reorganize and rename its colleges of architecture, design, and business to better align programs and better prepare students for success in a rapidly changing world. The Kanbar College will transition into two new, distinct colleges: the College of Business and the College of Fashion and Textiles.
-
Retirement of Provost Matt Dane Baker, DHSc
Thomas Jefferson University announced that Matt Dane Baker, DHSc, will retire as provost and chief academic officer, effective July 3, 2026, concluding a 32-year career at Jefferson. Baker was appointed provost in August 2023 after serving as interim provost beginning in July 2022.
Ram Roundup
Check out the latest from Thomas Jefferson University Athletics.
-
Trading Cleats for a White Coat
Women's soccer senior Nikki Dedes capped off a standout career, earning first team All-America honors among many other awards. In the fall, Dedes plans to attend Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, where she intends to pursue a career in sports medicine.
-
Shirley to the PA Sports Hall of Fame
Tom Shirley, head women’s basketball coach for the past 36 years, will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame this fall. Shirley is the winningest active women’s basketball coach in NCAA Division II history and ranks fifth all-time across all divisions.
-
#Trending on TikTok
Meet Chris Cervino — Jefferson freshman, hoops player, and now TikTok influencer. What started out as a project to make a funny piece to throw his opponents on the court off their game recently spun into a TikTok video that went viral.
Ram Roundup Which Ram was the GOAT?
Whether the jersey read Textile, PhilaU, or Jefferson, the school has produced athletes who didn’t just win games; they changed the temperature of the room.
But, which Ram was the greatest of all time?
Class Notes A Match Made in the Jefferson Studio
Fashion design alumni Ruchi Ladd ’24 and Terrence Bridges ’23 remember the first time they met — over Zoom in a figure-drawing class. “Not to sound too cliché, but it was love at first sight,” they recall. The couple got married last year, with many of their Jefferson classmates in attendance.
Class Notes
Mayne Tabachnick '94
Mayne Tabachnick, Physical Therapy, recently retired after 30 years of federal service at the Seattle VA Medical Center. He arrived in Seattle in 1995 to fulfill a two-year scholarship commitment to Veterans Affairs in return for the support he received during his last year at Jefferson.
Troy Hannigan '09
Troy Hannigan, Architecture, was named on January 1 as the new executive director of Community Ventures Inc. upon the retirement of David La Fontaine, CV’s executive director since 2013. CV is a nonprofit real estate developer, property manager, and supportive services provider in Philadelphia.
Nicholas A. Siciliano, PhD '15
Nicholas A. Siciliano, PhD, Immunology, was honored at the 2025 Science Center Nucleus Awards, where he received the 2025 Commercialization Award. He serves on the boards of Vittoria Biotherapeutics and NexEos Bio, a privately held medical diagnostics and therapeutics company.
Share your story!
Where have you been? What have you been up to? Tell us what’s new—jobs, weddings, moves across the country. Share your story with fellow alumni by submitting a Class Note for an upcoming issue of Jefferson Innovator.
A Message from the President Strength, Elegance, and the Art of Learning How to Ask Better Questions
A letter to alumni from President Susan Aldridge, PhD.