The Classes

Adam Nelson ’94 AM, ’98 PhD, published two books with the University of Chicago Press, Exchange of Ideas: The Economy of Higher Education in Early America and Capital of Mind: The Idea of a Modern American University.

Peter McHugh ’90 ScM, ’92 PhD has been appointed as the deputy president and registrar at the University of Galway in Ireland, where he has been a faculty member for many years. This is the second most senior position in the university and Peter is excited about the very many possibilities that it presents. He will take up the role on May 1, 2024.

Amy Mendillo ’09 MPP published I’ve Just Seen a Face: A Practical and Emotional Guide for Parents of Children Born with Cleft Lip and Palate with Luminare Press on May 15. The book contains essential medical information, emotional insights, insiders’ tips, and personal stories that will help parents feel supported during a challenging time. Learn more at amymendillo.com. 

Theresa DiDonato ’05 ScM, ’08 PhD, coauthored The Science of Romantic Relationships with Brett Jakubiak. The book was published on Aug. 31 with Cambridge University Press. Theresa writes: “I love perusing Fresh Ink.”

Steve Morse writes that he attended many concerts in his Brown days and especially remembers seeing Janis Joplin at Meehan Auditorium and Jimi Hendrix at Marvel Gym. He later fashioned a career as a rock ’n’ roll journalist, spending nearly 30 years as a staff critic for the Boston Globe, for whom he interviewed Bob Marley, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Madonna, Metallica, B.B. King, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, the Grateful Dead, Tracy Chapman, and many others. He took a buyout in 2006 and was then hired by Berklee College of Music to author and teach their rock history course for Berklee Online, which he continues to do. “Anyone who knew me at Brown will get a kick out of knowing that I made a career out of what I loved—and that’s rock ’n’ roll.” In 2023, he was inducted into the New England Music Hall of Fame. He has an autistic son, Nick, who has become a successful artist. Steve invites you to check out Nick’s website at nickmorseart.com. 

Ross McElwee ’70, documentary filmmaker and professor of the practice of filmmaking at Harvard University, was the recipient of the Pennebaker Lifetime Achievement Award at the 8th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards gala. The film Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie received five awards this year, including one for Davis Guggenheim ’86, as best director.

Joy Javits writes: “Hello all you darlings from my class. I wrote once before, long ago, about Shyamoli Sen, whom we all loved—and I continue to delight in her audacity in directing Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? under the aegis of James O. Barnhill, with a brilliant cast of four men. The person who played Martha revealed this to playwright Edward Albee on a call-in PBS radio program and Albee was furious. But it was brilliant and fit perfectly. If I may, I would like to offer my services as a public speaking coach to all of you. I especially hope to work with progressive candidates for public office, local, state, or national. I focus on the extremely important initial impression and on connecting with your audience. My father, Senator Jacob K. Javits, spoke with great conviction, clarity, and conciseness to boot. We can zoom from anywhere. Contact me at inthepubliceye@gmail.com. See you all at the next reunion. To your good health!”

Richard S. Bush writes: “I took my wife, Arla Couvillion Bush, to New York City on May 14 for her birthday (also Mother’s Day) and had drinks and dinner with William R. “Bill” Griffith, and visited my brother, Fred M. “Mike” Bush ’67. Bill and I, both retired lawyers, reminisced about our years at Brown and talked about what we had done since graduation. Although living in central Louisiana far away from Brown, I keep in touch with many classmates, including my fraternity brother Richard R. “Rick” Funk. I am looking forward to visiting with my classmates at our 55th reunion in 2025.” 

Jessica Dai writes: “The third issue of Kernel Magazine, an annual print publication about technology and society, is now out! It’s filled with carefully researched yet deeply personal pieces, on topics such as the complications of computer-generated legal evidence, a vision for more holistic climate modeling, and a manifesto for grief as political practice—plus, creative work including fiction, poetry, and visual art. Thirty-six contributors poured their hearts into this project and it was an honor to serve as editor-in-chief. Take a look at kernelmag.io." 

Niki Osvalds ’12 ScM and Heather Myatt were married on Sept. 9 in Montreal, Canada. Heather and Niki were introduced through Brown Sailing friends Emily Dellenbaugh ’12 and Elizabeth Barry after Heather, Emily, and Elizabeth met training together during a campaign for the 2016 Olympics for sailing in the 49erFX. Emily and Elizabeth were there to celebrate along with Tucker Adams, Pan Chaudhury, Ashley Noble ’13, Sam Speroni, Fred Strammer, Max Straus, Mark Towill, Amy Walker ’16 MD, Mike Yanagisawa ’13. 

Abby Schreiber married Jacob Stein in Westerlo, N.Y. on Aug. 5 and a multi-generational group of Brown alums were in attendance. Guests included Matt Doup, Ben Hyman, Ariel Hudes, Allie Kriesberg, Whitaker Lader, Maura Lynch, Kate Gannett Merrill, Liz Mooney, Charlie Posner, Kelsey Keith Posner, Kayla Ringelheim, Allison Seidner Robbins ’81, John Robbins ’78, ’81 MD, Eliot Schreiber ’78, Amin Shaikh, and Cecilia Strombeck. 

Taosha Way, a portfolio manager at Fidelity, published Techonomics You Should Know: Life-Changing Economics of Disruptive Technologies on Oct. 10. It is available on Amazon. As a seasoned tech investor and trained economist, Taosha breaks down the techonomic impacts on three essential fronts: jobs, income, and wealth. The book provides refreshing clarity on how to deal with the latest technologies from the perspective of real-life individuals. 

Nat Seelen and Amy Seibel ’09 announce the birth of Elana Seibel Seelen. Elana was born on July 9 at 11:25 a.m. at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, weighing 8 pounds 4.8 ounces and measuring 19 inches. She joins Amy, Nat, and her older brother Benny in Newton, Mass. “Come say hello next time you’re in the neighborhood.”

Christina Sanabria writes: “123 Andrés, the kids’ music duo that I’m a part of, won a Grammy for Best Children’s Album. Our album “We Grow Together/Crecemos Juntos” is a collection of songs especially for preschoolers, with versions in both Spanish and English. The ceremony was held in LA in February. In the meantime, we’ll be working on Season 2 of the PBS Kids podcast Jamming on the Job. The podcast, which features us as hosts alongside co-collaborator Pierce Freelon, gives kids and families an opportunity to learn about cool jobs and careers they may not have heard of, in 20-minute, story-based, sonically-rich episodes with original music. I always love it when we’re performing a concert and a family comes up afterward to me to let me know they have a Brown connection, so please say hi if you catch us at a show!”

Margaret Barry writes: “I write to share that I have had an illuminating, epiphanic experience ghostwriting for my mother’s memoir, AGAINST MY FATHER'S WILL. While my mother, Jane Morgan Barry, fought for and achieved success, her real battles began as she struggled to accept the role of gender discrimination in her life. Fighting publicized legal battles against flagrant sexism felt trivial relative to her discovery that she was ultimately a 'part of the machine'. As a privileged ghostwriter, I eavesdropped on the inner conversation of a woman struggling to find the confidence to assert her equality, both inward and outward. How many women of her, and of today’s, generation can relate?

Karla G. Gallardo ’05 was one of three Latinx women featured in an article about inspiring founders in the Latin Times. Karla cofounded Cuyana, a luxury fashion brand focused on craftsmanship and sustainability. She left a lucrative banking job at a top investment bank and obtained her MBA in order to start her fashion line, she said in an interview on Today.

Eddie Ahn’s graphic memoir, Advocate, about his work and life, will be published by Penguin Random House on April 16. A self-taught cartoonist and public interest lawyer, he works as the executive director of Brightline Defense, an environmental justice nonprofit based in San Francisco. He also serves as a commissioner to three government agencies, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and as president of the SF Commission on the Environment.

Shirley Johnson hosted and taught the Peaceful Warrior Yoga Retreat in Chacala, Mexico, in October. In attendance were Yaya DaCosta and Takiyah Gray ’06. “We had a fabulous time practicing yoga, dancing, going on adventures, and watching sunsets over the ocean.”

Gigi Otalvaro-Hormillosa writes: “My book, Erotic Resistance: The Struggle for the Soul of San Francisco, was published by UC Press in February. The book is based on the dissertation I completed at Stanford in 2018, previously titled Erotic Resistance: Performance, Art, and Activism in San Francisco Strip Clubs, 1960s-2010s. 

Todd Guren writes: “Greetings and salutations to Class of ’96 and all midyears! An impromptu text exchange and a change of jobs prompted me to send a class note. The change of jobs involves starting and leading the product department at iRedeemHealth, a subsidiary of Tryko Partners based out of New Jersey. iRedeem is a full-service healthcare solutions distribution company serving employers and Medicaid and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. I am enjoying working for a smaller organization, which has meant fewer meetings, quicker decisions, and I get to play many roles. The impromptu text exchange involved Halloween costumes and tattoos but the larger Brown alumni group probably doesn’t need to hear any more details than that.”

Bill Watterson writes: “Finally getting around to reading a hard copy of BAM and felt compelled to send in an alumni update. Thank you for curating for all of us. I returned to Providence for the first time in nearly 20 years and was shocked by how quickly I was able to navigate the campus (thanks in part to tour guide and classmate Kip Bradford) and by how many dormant memories sprang to life at every turn. I am currently in Los Angeles working for Mattel on their social media team. It’s Barbie’s world and I’ve just been lucky enough to live in it recently, directing stop motion and puppetry shorts for her TikTok channel, including collaborations with Walmart, Monopoly, and more. I was honored to celebrate classmate Daniel Lee’s 50th birthday in Ojai with fellow ’95ers Ty Alper, Kirby Smith, and Marc Vogl (From left to right: Marc Vogl, Bill Watterson, Ty Alper, Daniel Lee, and Kirby Smith), amongst other alumni and friends. My daughter Ruby turned 4 this fall and is a constant source of inspiration and joy. Wishing you all the best, and thank you again for helping to provide a platform for us to stay in touch and share ourselves all these years later.” 

Eric Klinenberg’s book 2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year Everything Changed was published on Feb. 13 with Knopf Publishing. Eric writes: “The book is about the year 2020 and the cascading crises (Covid, police violence and the fight against racism, the assault on democracy, and the hollowing out of the city) that upended the country.”

Dominic Boyer published No More Fossils with the University of Minnesota Press. 

Meg Bishop Kaufer, Lori Jackson, and Leigh Snitiker met for dinner on a beautiful fall evening in D.C. 

Sharon Lean took on a new role as chair of the department of political science at Wayne State University, where she has been serving on the faculty since 2005. She writes: “I hope to reconnect with Brown friends at our upcoming reunion and would love to hear from friends if your travels bring you to Detroit.”

Daniel Azcona published his third book of short stories, The Adventures of Rufus. 

Ian Todreas writes: “After 22 years in my previous role, I started a new job in July at SLR Consulting as head of U.S. sustainability solutions. This global company is focused on delivering climate and environmental solutions to industry, government, and civil society all over the world. I welcome anyone committed to these topics to connect with me to see how we can partner and collaborate.”

Lisa Amico Kristel invites you to #YeahYouWrite (yeahyouwriteevents.com), the author reading she hosts at Someday Bar (somedaybarnyc.com)  in Brooklyn, N.Y. Lisa writes: “#YeahYouWrite is not an ordinary reading series. Since 2015, critically acclaimed authors have tasted their own custom #LiteraryCocktails, shared their work, and participated in an entertaining rapid-fire Q&A session. Guests enjoy dinner and drinks throughout the lively event. On January 22, guest authors Cleo Qian, Jakob Guanzon, Ben Purkert, and Eliot Duncan appeared. On February 26, Asha Lemmie, Daniel Lefferts, Kerri Schlottman, and Aaron Jacobs read. No cover/no minimum, but please support our hosts at Someday. Reservations required: lisa@yeahyouwriteevents.com. Feel free to contact me if you have a recently or soon-to-be published novel or short story collection and would like to present at #YYW. We are booking late 2024.”

Lisa Rothstein writes: “I was thrilled to be given my very first gallery show of my cartoons (ones that ran in the New Yorker and otherwise) that opened on Sept. 29 at Gallery-by-the-Sea in La Jolla. “Pet Projects” focused on animal themes, with 32 framed cartoons on display, featuring dogs and cats of course, but also a rhino, some horses, a snake, a couple of cows and— naturally—plenty of bears! On the two Sundays of the show, I gave an animal cartooning class and drew live cartoon portraits of people’s pets—both big hits with two-legged attendees of all ages. (These activities were repeat performances of my recent appearances at the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City.) In 2022, I was admitted to the National Cartoonists Society, the world’s largest and most prestigious organization of professional cartoonists, which was established in 1946. I’m still doing business communications consulting after a 25-year advertising agency career. It’s been so much fun to finally see my first childhood dream come true. Please follow me on Instagram.”

Rich Jones writes: “I had an awesome time at my first Black Alumni Reunion. The Class of ’82 had a great turnout. But what made it extra special was seeing classmates from ’79-’85 that overlapped during my Brown years. I’m already looking forward to BAR 2028.”

Paul “Alfred” K. Siewers was ordained to the priesthood in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia in August at Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, N.Y. Father Paul is assigned to St. John’s Russian Orthodox Mission in Lewisburg, Pa., where he lives with his wife Matushka Olga and their two sons. He also continues as associate professor of literature at Bucknell University.

Thomas Kenney writes: “After 37 years with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Regional Counsel, Region 5 in Chicago as a senior attorney, I have retired from federal service and am looking forward to new adventures and experiences in the coming years, including traveling and chasing down astronomical events like the recent solar eclipse. I hope and plan to make the next reunion in 2026.”

Roberta Lawrence writes: “I’m settling into life in Savannah, Georgia, and the extra coastal garden season we enjoy each year. I’m privileged to work at Ray Ellis Gallery on Ellis Square in the picturesque historic district. Ellis (1921-2013) painted for more than 70 years and on all seven continents. His work was commissioned for the official U.S. White House Christmas card three years consecutively and was awarded the Salmagundi Club’s Medal of Honor for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.” Contact Roberta at RobertaLawrence@RayEllis.com.

After long public service careers—32 years with the Department of Veterans Affairs for John and 24 years in the Florida public schools for Meg—John Auerbach and Meg Scholl Auerbach ’81 have retired and moved from Gainesville, Fla., to Plantation, Fla., to work for Nova Southeastern University. John is a professor of psychology and Meg teaches English in the Upper School at that institution’s University School.

Carla Greenbaum ’78, ’81 MD, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Puget Sound Business Journal for her leadership in type 1 diabetes clinical research. Dr. Greenbaum serves as the director of the Benaroya Research Institute’s Center for Interventional Immunology.

David Hahn writes: “I collaborated on a video with brilliant visual artist Andreas Karaoulanis (also known as bestbefore). People have described the abstract style of the video as a Paul Klee painting in motion. ‘LIGHTNING ON SATURN’ uses my original composition that includes electric guitar, Moog synthesizer, and actual sounds of Saturn recorded by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which explored the planet for many years beginning in 2004. (Andreas also created video for my piece Corporate Coitus.) You can see ‘LIGHTNING ON SATURN’ at davidhahnonline.com/videos. 

Allen Schauffler writes: “I was delighted to host an October gathering of Brunonian friends here in “Sagebrushestan,” Powell Butte, Oregon. On hand for boondocks hiking, high desert exploration, much hilarity, fine ranch dining, and toasts to the past and future were David Ellenberg, Steve Golub, Jeff Janer, Paul Marantz ’78, ’81 MD, Randy Sunshine, Doron Weber, and David Weiss ’78. It was pretty good. Ever true….”

Karen Misler writes: “My husband, Barry Feigenbaum, and I had a thrilling summer of 2023. Our daughter, Stephanie Feigenbaum, married Avi Arfin on July 3. In attendance at the wedding—in addition to her brother Jeremy Feigenbaum ’11—were Laurie Bass ’76, Katherine Johnston Hutto (my Brown roommate who transferred after sophomore year), Susan Israel ’76, and Randa Reitman ’80, ’83 MD (Avi’s aunt). Then our son Jeremy married Adam Amir on September 3. Wedding guests included Laurie Bass ’76, Jerry Cedrone ’11, Katerina Wright ’11, and Gabriella Ra’anan ’11. Our cup runneth over.”

Joel Scheraga ’79 AM, ’81 PhD writes: “I had the privilege of working with a remarkable team of dedicated individuals from across the federal government to produce President Biden’s National Climate Resilience Framework. This document was released at the White House Summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities that was held in September 2023. The National Climate Resilience Framework is a call to action to help communities confront the climate crisis and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, but also more safe, healthy, equitable, and economically strong. On October 31, I was honored to receive a national honor award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for outstanding performance management as a member of the climate adaptation measures team. I was also proud that the climate adaptation implementation plan development team that I oversaw received an EPA gold medal for exceptional service.”

Geoffrey Garth writes: “In August, eight Sick Puppys floated the length of the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River: Tommy Childs, Gary Dunn, Steve Elliott, Gary Faryniuk, Rick Heimbach, Phil McMorrow, David Patchen, and myself. Six of us had floated the top half of the canyon 10 years ago when we were all turning 60. It was an awe inspiring trip and we agreed that when we turned 70, we should float the full canyon. This was the year and we spent 12 days on the river, allowing us to slow down and soak up the grandeur and to avoid having to climb out up the Bright Angel Trail. We organized the trip with Hatch River Expeditions, and on learning that one of the Hatch guides was a Brown alum, we arranged to have him—Dave Kashinski ’93 was our trip leader. Dave has made 300-plus trips through the canyon and added greatly to what was a fantastic trip with jaw-dropping views around every turn, interspersed with some big white water. Getting to spend 13 days isolated from the rest of the world with so many Sick Pups, spouses, and new friends, was incredibly special. I wonder what we’ll do when we all turn 80?”

John Taylor writes: “After 40-plus years in finance I have failed retirement twice already and now am failing again by being elected to a four-year term on the Village Council in Pinehurst, North Carolina.”

George Thurston was awarded a three-year grant from the NIH to continue his work on the human health effects of particulate matter air pollution as a function of particle composition and source. He also hosted a pre–United Nations COP Climate and Health meeting in Abu Dhabi. 

Lewis Kostner writes: “Choosing Fatherhood: America’s Second Chance is a book of mine published in 2012 by George F. Thompson Publishing. Juan Williams wrote the introduction, and as Larry Elder points out in the piece in the BAM, his relationship with his father, or lack thereof, for many years took full precedence over most of what was going on in his life at that time. My book explores, through photographs and interviews and essays by David Travis, Shipra S. Parikh, Roland Warren, and Derrick M. Bryan, the lives of children all over the United States who grew up without a father in their life. In the end, all the fathers and children I photographed and interviewed wanted nothing more than to be part of each others’ lives. Many of them even had to learn how to communicate, an experience they had never been able to learn about until later on in life when they decided to get to know who their kids were. My connection to Larry’s words and thoughts is laid out very explicitly in my book. Thanks to Larry for sharing his caring with all of us.”

Paul Backalenick published his third suspense novel on Amazon. Empty Luck is a new take on the Cain and Abel story. Kirkus Reviews said “Each character’s inner sense of right and wrong, balanced against their actions in the moment, keeps the novel barreling toward its inexorable showdown.” To learn more, see paulbackalenick.com.

John Mogulescu writes: After working for 49 years at the City University of New York (CUNY), where I was the senior university dean for academic affairs and the founding dean of the CUNY School of Professional Studies, I retired in 2021. Since retiring I have been writing a book about my CUNY experience. I am delighted to announce that the book was published in December of 2023. Entitled The Dean of New Things: Bringing Change to CUNY and New York City, it uses the story of my unusual career to consider how change—difficult but necessary—can happen in higher education. To learn more about the book, please visit the book’s website. It is deanofnewthings.com.

Don Roth retired at the end of August after a 17-year tenure as executive director of the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis, which was the culmination of a career as an arts executive that began in 1977. Several weeks later, he received the emeritus award from the Western Arts Alliance at its annual conference. Don plans to remain in Davis and remain active on three arts boards: the San Francisco Classical Voice, the Sacramento Alliance for Regional Arts, and the Bear Valley Music Festival. He writes: “It all began with a stint as BRU’s classical music director!”

The Brattleboro Family Health Care (BRHC) softball team, founded by Bob Tortolani in 1974, claimed a division title in the Brattleboro, Vt., area. They currently have a 21-game winning streak. Bob is still playing as he has for 50 years. The age range on the team is 17 to 83 with many team members who have played for more than 25 years.

Nancy Scull writes that Friends of Meali International, the organization she founded to help Tanzanian children, has held a successful capital campaign and built a new primary school in the Monduli District near Arusha. “It serves primarily Maasai families, who otherwise had no school available. This was a joint effort with the Tanzanian government. Ina Schwartz Heafitz ’66 was in attendance for the dedication.” Contact Nancy at
NancyCScull@gmail.com.

Linda and Gene Kopf continue their life in paradise: Jupiter Island, Fla. They are students three days weekly at Florida Atlantic University plus they attend serious drama biweekly and are on the treadmill at home daily and in the gym. Gene writes that they have had some contact with fellow grads, especially Helene Schwartz Kenvin who keeps them updated on other ’62 grads, and Ned Clayton ’63, who leads Delta Phi activities.

Marjorie Tingle writes: “Ten members of our class have met regularly for over 60 years! For the first two decades after walking down College Hill the group gathered annually at a member’s house large enough for growing families. Fiftieth birthdays were celebrated together at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York. In following years, memorable meetings were planned at destination sites across the country. Sadly, two members, Martha and Hope, have recently departed. (The photo was taken in August 2014, the last time all 10 of us were together. From left to right: Martha White Keister, Joanne Tenedine Rees, Marjorie Tingle, Barbara Jones Nicholson, Elaine Tetreault Smith, Minna Saxe, Suzy Werber Dworsky, Hope Cranska, Barbara Little Jaffe, and Peggy Durham). Yet we are constantly amazed and thankful that in our mid 80s, we still have eight members who anxiously await monthly Zoom meetings (husbands included). We still reminisce about our time at Brown but also have good conversations about books, current events, and family members. Over the years, our friendship has grown deeper as we supported others through the many ages and stages of life. Our group is an example of the power of friendships developed during college years.”

Brent Harold, Arnold Hetzer, and Bob Pearson of Wellfleet, Mass and Vieques, PR; Bridgeport, Conn. and Venice, Fla.; and Wellfleet, Mass. and Tucson, Ariz., respectively, converged in Newport, R.I., for a reunion of walking, eating, and talking. 

Bonnie Brooke Hunt Mitchell has illustrated her second children’s book, with all proceeds again directed to a not-for-profit. The first, Willy of the Crooked Lake, by Gary Brown, was for the Finger Lakes SPCA to help increase donations. The second, Maggie of the Crooked Lake, is benefitting hospice care in the Corning, N.Y. area. She and her twice Grammy-nominated daughter, Elizabeth Mitchell ’90, are planning to attend Bonnie’s reunion. 

Edith and Marvin Catler are still living in Sarasota. Marvin writes that he has spoken to Dave Kramer. 

Class President Barbara Kirk-Andrews Hail unfortunately is resigning as class president. She writes: “I don’t get around much due to arthritis and have large family obligations. I loved working on our 70th anniversary memories booklet and becoming reacquainted with my classmates through their reminiscences of their lives. It was special for all of us.” 

Janet Brof published a book of poetry entitled Tell Them My Love Has Come with Levellers Press. 

"Please save the date!  There will be an informal, unofficial ’92(ish) gathering in San Francisco during the weekend of June14-16, 2024. The main event will be dinner on Saturday, June 15. Contact Catherine Harbour for more information at ckharbour@gmail.com.

Class Secretary Marshall H. Cohen reports: "As you probably know, Brown is in the process of creating a memorable weekend for our class during the weekend from May 24th (Friday) to May 26th (Sunday.)  It  will be a notable accomplishment to celebrate our 70th reunion, our last 'official' reunion and I believe we have through our participation in class affairs, reunions, and mini -reunions, friendships and funding shown a rare sense of service and dedication to the Brown Community.  Shortly, I’m told, classmates will receive more details from Brown regarding on campus housing at selected dorms, and locations where we will be enjoying three meals (the venues will be the Hope Club and University Club and subsidized by Brown). We will, as before, hold a class meeting at one of these venues. As usual ,hotels will be in high demand and likely to raise room costs for the weekend. Please make you book ASAP at one of the Providence or nearby hotels, B&B’s, or with private friends. As mentioned, Brown will be sending out information soon about on campus subsidized rooms. Given the senior status of our classmates, all of our activities will be campus centered and a bus or van will be available for the return walk following the traditional College Hill trek (given our VP status we are near the start of the line and the distance is shorter). Looking forward to seeing you again soon on campus. Meanwhile stay healthy and in good spirits." 

Dr. Shani Belgrave ’07 MD is featured in the September issue of Best Self Atlanta magazine. Dr. Belgrave is a bariatric surgeon at Peachtree Surgical and Bariatrics. The practice won the magazine’s 2023 award for best bariatric surgery practice.

Bernice Howse-Middleton was a U.S. voting delegate for the 33rd session of the Committee of Experts of the Nice Union for the International Classification of Goods and Services, which was held at the UN’s WIPO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in May. Bernice specializes in trademark classification policy as an attorney in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. 

Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture Kevin Young ’96 MFA has been appointed as an inaugural member of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States. The council will provide guidance to the White House and reinforce cultural, social, political, and economic ties between the U.S. and Africa. 

Stephen Eskilson ’90 AM, ’95 PhD (see Arlene Brown Eskilson ’59).

The Flaws in the Story, the most recent book of poetry by Liane Strauss ’89 AM, ’93 PhD, won 2023’s Marsh Hawk Press Prize judged by Mary Jo Bang and will be launched in New York City at Poets House in May 2024. Liane writes: “It will be the first one published in the States. My three previous books were all published in the UK, where I lived for the better part of the past 25 years.”

Bryan R. Monte ’86 AM announces the publication of his poetry book, On the Level: Poems on Living with Multiple Sclerosis by Circling Rivers. He writes: “This book depicts many aspects of my more than 40-year struggle with MS: from first signs and misdiagnoses, to tests, scans, medicines, clinic visits, and hospitalizations, and finally to increasing disability. On the Level has been praised by T.S. Eliot Prize Winner Philip Gross for its candor and humor.” Bryan is a poet, anthropologist,

Mary Hutchings Reed ’73 AM (see ’73).

Maire Sheehan Doench ’73 MAT (see Timothy Thurlow ’72).

Mary Hutchings Reed ’73 AM launched her sixth book, Free Spirits, on Oct. 1 and it is available on Amazon.com in print, on Kindle, and by contacting her through her website maryhutchingsreed.com. Her first historical novel, Free Spirits is inspired by real events, including the efforts of Victoria Woodhull to reform the marriage laws, the trial of spirit photographer William Mumler, the hoaxes of P.T. Barnum, and the cultural fascination of 1860s America with spiritualism.  She thanks classmate Thomas Mallon for introducing her, through his many novels, to the 1860s and ’70s and the fun of writing historical fiction. Free Spirits was named a finalist for the 2023 Pacific Northwest Writers Association prize for unpublished historical fiction. Mary and her husband, William ’74, moved to Walworth, Wisc., full-time during Covid and continue to enjoy gardening, sailing, golfing, duplicate bridge, and escaping Midwest winters on long cruises, most recently a 75-day journey around South America, Antarctica, and the Amazon.

Chronicle Books published The New Brownies Book: A Love Letter to Black Families by Karida L. Brown ’13 AM, ’16 PhD and her artist husband, Charly Palmer, in October. 

Claire Donato ’10 MFA is acting chairperson of the writing department at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y. Her third book and first major fiction publication, Kind Mirrors, Ugly Ghosts, was published on Nov. 3, 2023, with Archway Editions, distributed by Simon & Schuster.

Kelly Ricciardi Colvin ’03 AM, ’08 PhD, a history professor at UMass Boston, has published Charm Offensive: Commodifying Femininity in Postwar France with the University of Toronto Press. 

From left: Alan Johnston ’68, Dick Cauman ’71, John Klaffky ’69, Candy Hoffmeier Cauman ’70, Alicia Phillips Klaffky ’70, Janice Kruger ’70,  Susan Williams ’70, Karol Adam Neufeld ’70, Annie Cross ’70, Joyce Reback ’70, Fran Rothstein ’70, and John Neufeld. 

Annie Cross writes: “On August 6, eight Pembrokers in the Washington, D.C., area from the Class of 1970 gathered for a potluck dinner party. They included Dick Cauman ’71 and Candy Hoffmeier Cauman, Alan Johnston ’68, John Klaffky ’69 and Alicia Phillips Klaffky, Janice Kruger, John and Karol Adam Neufeld, Joyce Reback, Fran Rothstein, and Susan Williams.

Sarah Grace and Jared Schober were married on August 13, 2022 in Boston. Quite a few Brown alumni were in attendance, including Samuel Brebner, Ross Dispenza, Loren Dowd, Norman Grace ’58, Robert Grace ’84, Stephanie Grace ’87, Corey Holman, James Janison, Natasha Nelson, Perry Rosenberg, Barbara Anderson Rotger ’86, Jose Rotger ’86, Miriam Grace Silverman ’66, Celina Stewart, Alice Sun, Amy Sung ’14, Caleb Tower ’85, Edith “Dede” Tower ’85, and Klara Zimmerman ’15. Jared and Sarah met on the first day of college at Brown—they were neighbors in Perkins Hall. They currently reside in Berkeley, Calif. 

Matthew Lorito ’15 joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as a professional scout. He will focus on professional teams in the United States midwest region. He joins the Penguins after spending nine years as a professional hockey player in both North America and Europe, most recently for the German professional hockey team Grizzlys Wolfsburg. 

Kate Doyle published a debut short story collection I Meant It Once with Algonquin Books in the U.S. and with Corsair in the UK in 2023. The Irish Times calls the collection “quietly devastating” and the Washington Post says “Doyle’s prose reads like Lydia Davis at her most arch and pensive.”

Joshua Lerner writes: “I received a Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching. I will be living in Medellín, Colombia, conducting research to understand the experiences of Venezuelan migrant families in Colombian schools. As a 14-year veteran Spanish bilingual teacher in Chicago Public Schools, I was inspired to develop this project as the result of welcoming an increasing number of Colombian and Venezuelan students in my district. Along with fellow educators, I have been part of volunteer efforts to support Venezuelan asylum seekers here in Chicago. Expected outcomes of my project include: fostering greater respect for and familiarity with the culture and language of newcomer students in Chicago, deepening of international-mindedness among Chicago students and staff, implementation of professional development on the project topic for area educators, and publication of an article in a professional journal. Accompanying me will be my wife, Emma Tai ’07.5, and our children, Isaac, 5, and Rosa, 3, who will enter Colombian kindergarten and pre-K programs while we are abroad.” 

Rina Foygel Barber ’05 was named a 2023 MacArthur Fellow (perhaps best known as a “genius grant”). Barber is a statistician studying the theoretical foundations of formal inference and prediction models and designing new methods for working with massive and multidimensional datasets. Her research focuses on reducing false discovery rates and cross-validating machine learning prediction models. She was a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at Stanford prior to joining the department of statistics at the University of Chicago, where she is currently a Louis Block professor. 

Shani Belgrave ’07 MD (see ’03).

The San Diego Air & Space Museum announced that Jessica Meir ’99 was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame with the Class of 2023 on October 21 in San Diego. She is a distinguished NASA astronaut, biologist, and member of the groundbreaking Artemis program aimed at landing the first woman and next man on the moon. Read about Jessica in “Safe Space” in the September-October 2020 BAM.

Andrew A. Schwartz, a law professor at the University of Colorado, published his first book, Investment Crowdfunding, with Oxford University Press in June. The book is based on ten years of research around the world, including as a Fulbright Scholar in New Zealand.

Pavlos Krontiras writes: “I met up with Demetrios Iatrides ’95 and caught up on all the exciting changes in our lives. On my side, I started my MBA at IE Business School in September 2023 and I’m very excited to be back in school. Very different from my Brown days, but equally thrilling. IE also has a joint executive MBA program with Brown, so I’ll try to visit Brown for an elective. Demetrios started his new position as the Secretary General for Reception of Asylum Seekers of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum in the Greek Government in July 2023. It’s quite a challenging role given the ongoing migrant crisis and the impact it’s had on Greece, but Demetrios already has experience with difficult government posts so I’m confident he’ll make a difference in this critical position.” 

Paige Davis writes: “During my junior year at Brown I studied abroad in Australia and, consequently, spent a week traveling the country alone by Greyhound bus when the dorms closed for break. As a solo female traveler, I’m sure my parents thought this was foolish and risky. But it paid off, as I’ve spent almost 20 years working in the travel industry. In March 2023, I accepted my dream job as president of AdventureWomen—a group travel company that brings together women on active adventures around the world. I’d love to help you meet like-minded travelers and plan your next adventure.” Contact Paige at paige@adventurewomen.com.

Sophia Ruan Gushee writes: “After 16 years of studying and crafting an evidence-based practical nontoxic lifestyle (including eight years of writing my first book, A to Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide To Reducing Our Toxic Exposures), I’m thrilled to distill the common sense strategies that can simplify nontoxic living for you through my 40-Day Home Detox. To learn more, please visit ruanliving.com/40_day_home_detox.” 

Mark Shanahan was appointed artistic director of the Westport Country Playhouse. As a playwright and director, he is the adaptor of The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd in partnership with Agatha Christie Ltd and A Sherlock Carol, which was nominated as Best New Play by the Off Broadway Alliance in 2022 and has played annually in New York and in London.

Diane Greco Josefowicz’s novel, L’air du Temps (1985), which is published by Regal House, will be available on March 12. Diane writes: “L’Air du Temps (1985) is set in the fictional suburb of Maple Bay. At the center of the story is a prickly, foul-mouthed, but mostly good-hearted teenager named Zinnia Zompa, whose life is upended when her family is implicated in the fatal shooting of a neighbor. Rhody fans of Ready, Set, Oh, which was named a 2022 Bookshelf Notable Indie, will feel right at home with this latest dispatch from Maple Bay while being introduced to a whole new set of characters. (And they are all characters.) As with my first novel, the historical context is carefully evoked, with plenty of atmospheric detail, from moon roofs to mixtapes; and women’s lives are front and center, linked up this time with intimations—which could be clearly sensed in the 1980s—of impending climate collapse brought on by unbraked consumerism and a cultural addiction to carbon-heavy luxuries on the cheap.”

Jordana Friedman (see Arlene Brown Eskilson ’59).

BAM contributing editor Tim Murphy published Speech Team: A Novel on July 25, 2023, with Viking Press. His third novel, Speech Team is “a funny, gossipy, and ultimately poignant novel about four Gen X teen friends turned 21st-century adults who awkwardly come back together to confront an influential teacher whose brutal remarks have haunted them all for years.”

Jody Anastasio led the National Park Service team that won the national Excellence in Education Award. As education specialist at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Jody started the Earth, Sea, Sky program in partnership with two other local organizations—Mokupāpapa Discovery Center (sea) and ʻImiloa Astronomy Center (sky). More than 1,700 students from the Island of Hawai’i have completed Earth, Sea, Sky field trips.

Jenny Backus joined the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women advisory council this September. She writes: “I’m truly honored to be a part of this group of incredible women dedicated to supporting and promoting groundbreaking research by Brown scholars, excellent teaching for Brown students, and bringing together Brown alumnae/alumni. If you haven’t checked out the Pembroke Center lately, visit them on campus, attend one of the Center’s excellent virtual or live events, or read more on their website at pembroke.brown.edu.”

Sharon Lean writes: “I took on a new role as chair of the department of political science at Wayne State University, where I have been serving on the faculty since 2005. I hope to reconnect with Brown friends at our upcoming reunion and would love to hear from friends if your travels bring you to Detroit.”

Ravi Chandra was named an Asian American Trailblazer in Psychiatry by the American Psychiatric Association Library and Archives. Ravi is on the voluntary clinical faculty at UCSF and in private practice, in addition to writing for Psychology Today and East Wind magazine. At the most recent APA Annual Meeting Ravi chaired sessions on megalomania in the American psyche, Asian American identity, microaggressions, and restorative psychiatry, and was a discussant on the history of the Indo-American Psychiatric Association. 

Stephanie Grace (see Sarah Grace ’16).

Barbara Anderson Rotger and Jose Rotger (see Sarah Grace ’16).

Amy Rosenberg Cohen’s first book, Black History in the Philadelphia Landscape: Deep Roots, Continuing Legacy, was published by Temple University Press. Wendell Pritchett  penned the foreword to the book. Learn more about the book and see Amy’s other writings at amyjanecohen.com.

Brenda Barbour writes: “Laton O’Neal Palmer and I are enjoying the freedom of having launched our children and left our full-time gigs. After 15 years managing a communications team at the World Bank, I am thrilled to announce the release of my latest venture—the Body Wealth podcast. My sister and I have both experienced medical challenges that have taught us about the unique issues Black women face when navigating the healthcare system. So we created a podcast to gather and share lessons and inspiration. Each week we chat with one Black woman to hear about what she is doing to work toward her best mental or physical health. At the time of this writing, an episode with Krista Rimple Bradley is scheduled for October. Join the conversation to laugh, learn, and be inspired. You can listen on all major podcast platforms or at bodywealthsisters.com, and connect with us on IG @bodywealthsisters.”

Business Wire reported that Sheila Bridges ’86 has launched an exclusive collaboration with Williams Sonoma and Williams Sonoma Home. Selected home pieces feature her iconic pattern Harlem Toile de Jouy, which confronts African American stereotypes and has been featured in the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Cooper Hewitt Museum, the Museum of Art and Design in New York City, and the Musée de la Toile de Jouy in France.

 Caleb Tower and Edith “Dede” Tower (see Sarah Grace ’16). 

Robert Grace (see Sarah Grace ’16).

Sheryl Renee Franklin Dobson’s mixed media analog collage “Hokolesqua,” inspired by her maternal fifth great-grandfather Chief Cornstalk, was selected for the fifth annual juried exhibition at the Idaherma Museum of Art in Princeton, N.J. “Hokolesqua” was also selected for the juror’s choice prize in the Susquehanna Art Museum’s Future Places juried exhibition that was displayed during 2022. And her mixed media analog collage, “In Deo Speramus,” was selected to appear in the National Collage Society’s 39th annual juried exhibition, which was on view at Kean University Gallery in Union, N.J., from Aug. 29 through Sept. 30, 2023. Her works “Shield of Faith,” along with “Hokolesqua,” and “In Deo Speramus,” were published in Artistonish’s January, April, and May 2023 issues, respectively.

NASA appointed David Grinspoon ’82 the new senior scientist for astrobiology strategy. He is a co-investigator on the team that proposed the DAVINCI mission to Venus in 2029 and a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute.

Christine Eskilson (see Arlene Brown Eskilson ’59).

Peter Anderson writes: “Invincible friendships and the endless summer were celebrated on July 18 with a Brown ’81 mini-reunion on the Wallis Sands Beach, Rye, New Hampshire beachfront. Food, drink, and birthday wishes were followed by body surfing in the warmer-than-usual New Hampshire waters with Peter Branagan (the birthday alum), Tom Kong, Paul Sangree, Simon Tse and myself.” 

Bob Krumenaker writes: “After 41+ official years as a ranger, biologist, manager of natural resource programs, and park superintendent, I retired from the National Park Service on July 15, 2023. It’s actually 46 years since I first started with the NPS as a volunteer, taking off the second semester of my sophomore year at Brown. I am now living in Carlsbad, New Mexico, where my partner is the superintendent of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. While my principal goal for a while is spending time woodworking and doing home improvement, I remain involved in conservation and land management, most notably with keepbigbendwild.org. This is the effort to revive the long-dormant and very important goal of seeing Congressional designation of wilderness for the undeveloped areas of Big Bend National Park. Keep Big Bend Wild recently received the NPS national award for wilderness stewardship by a non-NPS partner organization. I am also (selectively) available and interested in consulting or contract work where my experience and expertise can make a difference in land management or conservation.”

Todd Berman and his wife Kristen Shepherd have moved to Bend, Ore. He can be reached at bermantodd@gmail.

David Shields cowrote the feature film I’ll Show You Mine, which received a rave review in the New York Times and is now streaming on multiple platforms, including Prime Video. 

Peter Pitegoff has been named professor of law emeritus at the University of Maine School of Law in Portland, where he served as dean from 2005 to 2015.

Steven Guarnaccia published The Museum of Nothing on Oct. 17 with Minerva, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers. It is a picture book about a visit to the Museum of Nothing, which proudly displays every kind of nothing. Steven is an illustrator and professor emeritus of Parsons School of Design. His work has appeared in major magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times and Rolling Stone, and he has created murals for Disney and exhibition drawings for the Museum of Modern Art. He is the author of books on popular culture and design, has designed watches for Swatch and greeting cards for the Museum of Modern Art, and won awards from the AIGA, the Art Directors Club, and the Bologna Book Fair. His children’s books include his fairy tales about design, The Three Bears: A Tale Moderne, The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale and Cinderella: A Fashionable Tale. 

David Baldwin writes: “My wife, Karin Kramer Baldwin ’74, has been a runner for as long as I can remember. In the last ten years she has traveled the world, competing in marathons in Big Sur, Paris, New York, Berlin, Lubec, TromsØ, the Redwoods, and her most recent was in the Reykjavik Marathon in Iceland in August. With the race behind us, there were three women, Karin included, in the 70+ age group. That puts her in an elite group of older women who run marathons.”

Daniel G. Jay writes: “Since June 1974… After a year of travel and various jobs, I took a train from New York to St. Louis. I had been accepted into a joint architecture/MBA program at Washington University, which I completed in four years. The day after graduation, I joined Christner Partnership, at the time a 24-person architecture firm. I retired after 26 years as managing partner. My practice was focused on corporate work environments, cultural institutions, and some urban planning. Almost all of my work was in the St. Louis community, and we grew the firm to be a local leader in our markets. While in grad school, I purchased a gut-rehab house in the city, and armed with this asset, I wooed Mary Ann Lazarus. We were married in the back yard in 1980. As a fellow architect, she became a national leader in the green building movement, serving in national leadership roles, and receiving national recognition. We had three children and now have three grandchildren. The house was our unfinished home for 43 years. I am now retired and serving on museum, theater, and community sustainability boards and enjoying travel and furniture making. I went to wooden boat school for two weeks and hope someday to build my own boat.”

Annaliese Marston Bischoff, a Western Massachusetts artist and landscape architect, has been collecting drawings and etchings of trees by Frank A. Waugh for the past decade. She is currently writing a book called The Man Who Loved Trees, designed to show some of these little known works and tell something of the man who made them. Annaliese writes: “I would like to note that I was a student of both Walter S. Feldman and Edward Koren between 1970 and 1973. They both influenced my work. I am sad to learn that they are no longer with us; I would have liked to share my upcoming book with them. I have many memories and anecdotes from both of these important teachers.” 

Karin Kramer Baldwin writes that she and her husband, David Baldwin ’75, welcomed in her 70th birthday skinny-dipping in the Mediterranean Sea, on the island of Formentera, Spain. Just prior to that, Karin enjoyed a Dead & Company show with Steve Zieff. After, she met up with Kit Kinports ’76 for dinner at Balthazar in New York City. Karin and David capped it all off with a week in Maine with Peter Hetz ’75 and Charlie Weinstein ’75. Karin writes: “Thanks to Brown for inspiring everlasting friendships.”

lass Co-Vice President Scott Harris reports: “We are continuing our class Zooms titled ‘Life’s Journey after Brown.’ Since the last BAM, Steve Barlow, Sandy Darity, Chris Gallo, Candy Heald, Jean Rosenheim Lange, and Mike Nichols have spoken or are scheduled to.”

Keith “Fudd” Carlson writes: “Brad Falkof, Jay Tierney and our wives Kate, Ellen, and Angela attended the wedding of Donna and Ted “Bear” Karwoski’s son, Nick, in Boston. We sorely missed Denise and Brad Cruickshank, who had to cancel plans to attend at the last minute. It was great catching up with everyone while enjoying wedding events, historic Boston, and the harbor.  We also discussed plans for our upcoming 50th reunion and look forward to reuniting with former classmates and our KDU brothers this coming May.” 

Timothy Thurlow and his husband, Ken East, visited Greg and Marie Sheehan Doench ’73 MAT on July 31 at their home on the slopes of Mount Greylock in the Berkshires. Timothy writes: “I didn’t know Greg as an undergraduate, but Ken and I bonded with Greg and Marie at the last two reunions—45th and 50th. They urged us to come visit if we were ever in the area. This summer that happened. We drove up a winding road, Greg and Marie greeted us and showed us the lovely post-and-beam house they had constructed. The house has a set of windows, three stories high, facing Mount Greylock. Must be stunning in the fall. We sat having drinks on the porch, reminiscing about Brown and the difference it had made in our lives. We hope we can return the favor and that Greg and Marie will come and visit us in Chicago one of these days.” 

Miriam Grace Silverman (see Sarah Grace ’16).

Ronald Dwight writes: “Although I am still doing some legal work (trusts), I am mostly busy running my farm in Poland, where we raise Trakehner horses (Prussian warmbloods) and garden on a vast scale. We have a luxury Airbnb over the stable. Poland is a very safe place to visit.” 

John Delehanty published a brief memoir called Beyond the Chokecherry Tree (90 pages). “The book includes a story about my admission to Brown in 1962. It is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.” Contact John at john@delehantyresolutions.com; (914) 645-3711.

Richard Chused writes: “2024 will be a big year—I’ll be retiring from teaching law school after 55 years—five at Rutgers Newark, 35 at Georgetown, and 15 at New York Law School—though I hope to continue teaching one course a year. My wife, Elizabeth Langer, and I also will celebrate our 50th anniversary. She has been a full-time artist for almost 20 years, a talent she has nurtured her whole life but did only part-time while practicing law for many years in Washington, D.C. Since fulfilling our long lived hope to live in New York City in 2008, her creative talents have blossomed as law fell by the wayside.”

Elaine Piller Congress writes that she is still working as associate dean and professor at Fordham University School of Social Service in New York City. The third edition of her book Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees was published in August. She first developed this interest when she majored in American Civilization at Brown. Contact her at congress@fordham.edu.

Class Secretary Barbara Smith Langworthy writes: “During our 60th reunion we became aware that our classmate Hilary Ross Salk had published a novel, Eavesdropping in Oberammergau. This novel, is based on her experiences as a Jewish American child from 1948 to 1952, where her father was serving in the U.S. Army in Oberammergau. Since then, many of us have enjoyed this novel which gives insight into the post World War II period in this German town famous for its Passion Play.”

Brucie Hiland writes: “Ginny ’64 and I celebrated our 60th anniversary in June and are enjoying our 36th summer in Middlebury, Vermont. Vero Beach, Florida, is very nice for four months but Middlebury is home. Our wonderful family is reasonably nearby and our four grandkids are out of college and happily engaging in real life. My book Retiring? Your Next Chapter Is About Much More Than Money should pass 20,000 copies soon. (Full disclosure: it took me three tries to retire but now we’ve got it right.) Despite the tattoo of bad news filling the media, life really is good and warrants our daily appreciation.”

Gayla Burnside Gordon writes: “After Brown, I taught migrant pickers’ children in California. Then I spent four years in Spain, returning to Virginia, where I taught Head Start for four years. I brought back a Rolls-Royce limousine and piled my Head Start kids in it for multiple excursions. I traded it for a 1955 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn Shooting Brake. We raised three children, putting them through law school, medical school, and conservatory. Two moved to California. One became associate general counsel of Portland Cement, one was concertmaster of the Kennedy Center Opera but married a comedy writer and moved to Beverly Hills. My son, Chris Gordon, is a pediatric craniofacial surgeon. He made national news with interviews on Good Morning America and in People magazine for his groundbreaking separation of twins conjoined at the head. I opened two antique shops in Alexandria in the historic district and started restoring houses in Old Town, and pursued this for 30 years. After traveling back and forth from Virginia to California all these years, I have moved to Pasadena. After my husband died, I bought a 1906 cottage, completely gutted it and moved in two years later. At 85, I am not too old to have fun.  I just returned from taking my son and four grandchildren to Africa on safari. I have six grandchildren in college: Amherst, Colby, Indiana and USC—love the visits.  A fond hello to all of my classmates and friends from Class of ’59.”

Arlene Brown Eskilson writes: “My grandson, David Eskilson ’26, who graduated in 2022 as valedictorian from a Chicago public high school, follows two grandparents— John Eskilson ’57 and me—as well as his parents Jordana Friedman ’93 and Stephen Eskilson ’90 AM, ’95 PhD, and aunt Christine Eskilson ’81 to Brown. Yay!”

Steve Diamond writes: “I have finally retired from my environmental engineering consultancy and have converted to a historian. My first paper, titled ‘What Happened to the Agriculture in the Jewish Agricultural Colony in Woodbine, N.J.,’ can be accessed via Academia.edu. It explains why the farming initiative for Russian Jewish immigrants, sponsored by the Baron de Hirsch Fund of New York City at the end of the 19th century, did not succeed. However, what was the first self-governing Jewish community since the fall of Jerusalem did go on to become a successful industrial community for more than 65 years. About 4,000 Jews lived in Woodbine at one time or another. Amongst them was my family of origin, as well as Gregory Goodwin Pincus (1903–1967), the biologist and researcher who co-invented the combined oral contraceptive pill.  I have been asked to present the paper as part of a presentation at the New York Public Library next spring.”  

Beth Harper Chappel will not be attending the 65th Reunion but sends her “best hello” to everyone. Beth writes: “After 35 years with major corporate commercial real estate companies, I started my own business during Covid, Chappel Solutions LLC. I do advisory work and transactions for commercial real estate focusing on buyer and tenant representation. 

Jill Hirst Scobie writes: “Continuing a tradition started after our 50th reunion, a tiny remnant of the Angell House dorm mates got together after Labor Day at the Long Beach Island (N.J.) summer home of Joe and Jane Bertram Miluski. Roz Kennedy Johnson and I were their happy guests, though we regretted the circumstances that prevented many of those who attended in earlier years from coming. On my way back to Massachusetts, I  had lunch in one of the jazziest diners in the U.S.A., the Stanford Diner (Conn.), meeting up with another “Angell,” Betty Wolin Baer.” 

Lois Hammersberg Lowry was hospitalized in Jackson Hole, Wyo., with Covid-19. Once she was discharged she was faced with her real problem: how to return to Maine while still testing positive and lugging an oxygen tank. The answer? She chartered a small private jet which got her to Portland in four hours for a formidable sum. The current challenge? Getting the insurance company that provided her with vacation insurance to reimburse her for this expense. Lois’s most recent book, TREE. TABLE. BOOK., will be published with Clarion Books on April 23. 

Norman Grace (see Sarah Grace ’16). 

Jim Furlong published Uncertain Perceptions on Aug. 11. It is available through Amazon or Kindle in eBook or paperback form. The back cover reads: “A once-vigorous 25-year-old news reporter, fearful of the schizophrenia that felled his father at the same age, regains his courage by fighting enemies in a small Connecticut town.” 

Peter Corning writes: “My new book, Superorganism: Toward a New Social Contract for Our Endangered Species, written for Cambridge University Press with a “recipe” for our growing climate crisis, was published on August 3. I was a professor in human biology at Stanford.” 

Al Gerstein writes: “For these past four years the overarching issue has been the impact of Covid on our daily lives. During this period of time we canceled one trip to Europe, have not gone to a theater nor eaten in an indoor restaurant, avoided shopping in supermarkets, and now order everything from Amazon—including a packet of 25 safety pins (who knew one could ever run out of safety pins?). As a new experience we drove a 26-foot RV from Philly to our cabin in Maine and in doing so avoided staying in motels or eating in restaurants. That’s one experience I would gladly have forsaken. However, it paid off! Neither my wife Naomi nor I contracted Covid and we are gradually returning to the lives we were leading before Covid. We’ve been going to the movies, have enrolled in an orchestra series, have rejoined the trip we had to cancel, and most important of all, plan to attend our 70th reunion. Hope to see you all there.”

Class Secretary Ed Bishop reports: “Our 70th Reunion in May 2024 will provide us with a significant chance to see classmates and renew old friendships…and maybe make new ones. I would like to have a meeting of the class officers on Saturday afternoon (May 25), right after our planned luncheon.”

Janet Brof published a poetry book titled Tell Them My Love Has Come. Janet writes: “I have begun doing readings at libraries in New York City. Though I entered Brown as a math major, I discovered in my first year it was poetry that was my medium thanks to Brunonia and to a returned veteran at Brown. Sara Hurdis, Charlie Philbrick, and Jay Saunders Redding ’28, ’32 AM encouraged me—bless them.”

 Akemi Brodsky ’08 published The Brill Pill in August. 

 Chloe Dlamini Dugger and her husband, Nhlanhla Dlamini, welcomed their daughter, Naledi Dahlia Dlamini, on October 17, 2022, in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Benjamin McGuire was appointed chair of the public finance and infrastructure practice in Greenberg Trurig’s Boston office, where he has practiced since graduating law school in 2007. Benjamin leads a team of finance, securities, tax, and real estate professionals in connection with tax-exempt bond financing for infrastructure projects throughout the United States, including for colleges, research institutes, schools, hospitals, human service providers, assisted living facilities, passenger rail and transit systems, water and sewer facilities, airports, and renewable energy facilities. Greenberg Traurig is a global law firm with over 2,600 professionals practicing across 45 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia.

Azadeh Ghotbi writes: “We just organized a terrific reunion weekend in London with dinner and dancing at a Greek restaurant in Soho followed by lunch at my place the following day. We were some 50 alumni (mostly the class of ’90 to ’92) with people flying in from as far as  Colombia, California, and India. Our biggest contingency, after Londoners, were those coming from Athens. The organizing committee was made up of myself, Diana Frescobaldi ’92, Greger Hamilton ’90, Charles Perry ’92, and Ashley Wodtke Chiampo. Nearly 50 alumni came to London from around the world, including Babak Arbabha, Arif Baigmohamed, Rahul Bhat, Frederic Bruce ’92, Parvesh Chhibber, Ashley Wodtke Chiampo, Shivani de Chassey ’92, Arvind Dubash ’92, Diana Frescobaldi ’92, Oliver Gardey ’90, Andrew Jarvis Hamilton, Catalina Hoyos-Lago ’92, Ronil Malaney, Anastasia Manias ’92, Miles Montgomerie ’90, Charlie Perry ’92, Stefanos Pesmazoglou ’92, Cristina Piedrahita ’92, Aly Rahimtoola ’92, Goya Gallagher Sawiris, Julien Sevaux, Andrea Shen ’92, Konstantin von Unger, Helen Ytuarte White ’92, and Casimir Ysenburg. 

Michelle Melicosta, ’94 MD, was appointed by the Kennedy Krieger Institute as the new associate chief medical officer and vice president of quality, patient safety, and professional affairs. 

Edward Krigsman’s podcast series, Power of Place—Stories of the Pacific Northwest, honors places that matter in his beloved corner of the country, as well as the people who steward, protect, or celebrate them. Recent guests include geologist David B. Williams, Black travel movement influencers Anthony and Marlie Love, novelists Jim Lynch and Mary Lane Potter, publisher Eric Reynolds of Fantagraphics, cartoonist Susanna Ryan, marine salvager Matt McCauley, and graphic artist Art Chantry. The series has also included owners/leaders of Seattle’s Blue Moon Tavern, Orcas Island’s North Beach Inn, as well as Ray Gibson’s Caballeros Club and The B&I Circus Store, both of Tacoma, Wash.

Tina Patterson was the first non-lawyer to be accepted into the College of Commercial Arbitrators Associates Program. 

Copresident Robert Lupone reports: “The Class of 1981 was unable to hold its 40th reunion on campus in 2021 due to COVID restrictions. On May 5-7, the class held an “off cycle” reunion in Providence featuring a rooftop cocktail party, a campus tour with Brown’s facilities planning and architect personnel, a faculty lecture, an a cappella concert, and a gala Saturday night dinner. Some classmates enjoyed a Sunday brunch at the Ratty and a tour of a vineyard in southern Rhode Island. About 80 classmates returned to College Hill for the get-together and enjoyed spectacular weather for the entire weekend. My thanks to copresident Naeem Zafar and the entire planning committee for organizing a memorable event.”