Reunion 2009 -- Notable Alumni Panelists
Patrick G. Ryan (Bus59)
Mr. Ryan is Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Northwestern where he is named for both of its major athletic facilities: the Welsh-Ryan Arena and Ryan Field. He is the founder and retired executive chairman of Aon Corporation and a civic leader known for his work with Millennium Park and Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid. He is also a leading benefactor of the Art Institute of Chicago building's Modern Wing addition and partial owner of the Chicago Bears.
James Di Pasquale (M64)
Upon graduating from Northwestern, Mr. Di Pasquale has had an active career in the music industry as a composer, arranger, performer, and record producer. A former guest player with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Di Pasquale has played or recorded with a number of famous musicians such as Barbara Streisand, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Mr. Di Pasquale is also a three time Emmy award winner for his work in film and television score, an active member of several professional societies and a past guest lecturer at several major Universities including UCLA, USC and Depaul.
Wayne D. Watson (SESP69, GSESP70, PhD72)
Dr. Watson recently assumed the Presidency of Chicago State University. He is Chancellor Emeritus of the City Colleges of Chicago, an urban community college system which is one of the largest in the nation. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees at Northwestern. Dr. Watson currently serves as the Chair of Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy Board of Advisors, as a member of the Fantus Health Center Board, the Capital Campaign Leadership Committee for the Institute of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, and as a volunteer to the Capital Campaign for the DuSable Museum of African American History. Prior to his appointment, he served as president of Kennedy-King College and Harold Washington College.
Bonnie Swanson Daniels (WCAS69)
Ms. Daniels is a recent NAA Board Member, an NAA Merit Award winner in 2005, and a member of Northwestern's Admissions Council. She is the director of Management Systems International, an international management consulting firm working in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and other developing countries. She is also a chair of the Class of 1969's Reunion Committee
George de Lama (J79)
Mr. de Lama is the External Relations Advisor for Inter-American Development Bank. He recently completed a distinguished 30-year career at The Chicago Tribune where he was last a managing editor for news, overseeing the paper’s daily news report and a news-side staff of nearly 500 journalists. In his position, he oversaw a team of reporters that won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, the George Polk Award, and the Casey Medal. He is on the Medill Board of Advisors and the Class of 1979's Reunion Committee.
Smita N. Shah (McC94)
Ms. Shah is an engineering entrepreneur who started her own company, SPAAN Tech Inc., which is now on the INC 5,000 list of fastest-growing private companies. She received her graduate degree from MIT in environmental and civil engineering and more recently, completed the Advanced Management Program and received a Certificate in Management Studies at Oxford University.
Whitney Kroenke Burditt (C99)
Ms. Burditt is the co-founder of the Playing For Change Movement, a non-profit organization which utilizes multimedia to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. A longtime advocate and participant in the arts, she has worked as a choreographer, dancer, and actress. Playing for Change’s CD of music and interviews of musicians from around the world recently began selling nationwide at Starbucks. She is on the Class of 1999’s Reunion Committee.
