Posted: Mar 14, 2024

Two Men's Basketball Alums Featured in Tartans on the Rise

Two portrait-type photos of two males inside squares with the words Tartans on the Rise centered between them

Now in its third year, Tartans on the Rise celebrates alumni who graduated in the last 10 years and are making an impact on their organizations and in their communities, across the nation and around the world through leadership, innovation and career accomplishments.

“Alongside the entire Carnegie Mellon University community, I congratulate this year’s class of Tartans on the Rise,” said President Farnam Jahanian. “The passion, creativity and leadership of these remarkable Tartans truly embody the CMU spirit. We're inspired by their successes to date and eager to see how they'll shape the future."

These recent alumni are reducing workplace accidents with computer vision, developing technology to prevent HIV infections and promoting inclusion in beauty and cosmetics. They’re driving data-centric solutions to improve air quality and helping veterans to transition successfully to civilian life. And they’re breaking barriers that create systemic poverty and amplifying underrepresented voices through architectural design.

“CMU’s Tartans on the Rise are elevating and enhancing industries, communities and people everywhere,” said Teresa Trombetta (HNZ 2018), assistant vice president for alumni and constituent engagement. “I am so thrilled to celebrate the contributions of these incredible members of our Tartan community.”

Read about men's basketball alums, Blake Chasen (TPR 2016) and Darren Riley (DC 2014).

Chasen, co-founder and CEO of Tally Labs, anonymously revolutionizes entertainment by blending fan fiction and interactivity through the NFT character Jenkins the Valet, fostering a new era of participatory storytelling. Chasen was a member of the men's basketball team from 2012 to 2016 and played in 69 career games with 39 games started.

Riley, CEO of JustAir Solutions, leverages his personal battle with asthma and technical expertise to pioneer a neighborhood-level air quality monitoring platform, aiming to unveil and mitigate air pollution disparities and drive data-driven environmental health solutions, particularly in communities affected by systemic racial injustice. Riley was an All-University Athletic Association (UAA) Honorable Mention honoree his sophomore season and started 84 of 96 games played. He finished his career sixth in three-pointers made with 119 and is still in the program's top 10.

Find out about the other 28 Tartans on the Rise in the original release published in the alumni news by Amanda S.F. Hartle.