The Classes

Richard A. Wright ’94 PhD, professor of New Testament in the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University, where he teaches courses on languages and literature, published A Reader in Biblical Greek with Eerdmans Publishing. It is an intermediate reader for students, clergy, and scholars who have completed at least one year of Greek instruction and want to build reading proficiency.

Peter McHugh ’90 ScM, ’92 PhD, writes: “Graduates in solid mechanics from the Brown University School of Engineering met at the 11th European Solid Mechanics Conference in Galway, Ireland, in July 2022 (esmc2022.org). Present were Horacio Espinosa ’89 ScM, ’90 ScM, ’92 PhD;  Brian Moran ’86 ScM, ’88 PhD; Noel O’Dowd ’90 ScM, ’92 PhD; KT Ramesh ’85 ScM, ’87 ScM, ’88 PhD; Nicolas Triantafyllides ’78 ScM, ’81 PhD; David Reynolds ’91 ScM, ’93 PhD;  Min Zhou ’90 ScM, ’93 PhD; and myself. And to top it off, three of the plenary lecturers at the conference had very strong Brown solid mechanics connections: Alan Needleman is the former Florence Pirce Grant University Professor of mechanics of solids and structures, and former dean of engineering; Javier Llorca was a Fulbright visiting scholar in solid mechanics; and Vikram Deshpande was a visiting professor in solid mechanics. All of the ‘Brown Group’ had a wonderful time meeting again, catching up, and remembering the great times back in Barus and Holley at Brown.”

Dr. Kang Sun ’88 PhD has launched an IPO on NYSE of his third renewable company, Amprius Technologies Inc. Contact Dr. Sun at kangsun@alumni.brown.edu.

Ian M. Taplin ’86 PhD published The Napa Valley Wine Industry with Cambridge Scholars Press. He is professor of sociology, management, and global studies at Wake Forest University, N.C. He continues his research on the wine industries in Napa, North Carolina, and, Bordeaux, and on the emerging English wine industry where sparkling wines continue to win international awards. He has been visiting professor at Kedge Business School, Bordeaux, where he taught in the wine and spirits MBA program. Contact him at taplin@wfu.edu.

Maya Sonenberg ’84 AM released an award-winning short story collection, Bad Mothers, Bad Daughters. Maya had a book tour at independent bookstores in Seattle and at the KGB Bar in New York City. The book generated a great deal of early interest including a starred review in Foreword Reviews.

Carol Bonomo Albright ’70 AM published her novel Hold Up the Head of Holofernes. It is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble or at independent bookstores.

Larry Robert Smith ’68 ScM continues to work part-time as a forensic and consulting engineer and stays active in a number of engineering societies, including being a National Governor of the Order of the Engineer, the group that bestows Engineers Rings, and a director of the National Institute of Engineering Ethics (NIEE); serving on the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Honors and Awards committee; chairing the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) finance committee; and being a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He completed his 30th year as the senior advisor to the R.I. Section of ASCE.

Tengteng Chen ’16 AM, ’20 PhD, is the first author on a paper accepted for publication in Science Magazine. This is proof of a Brown alum continuing to contribute to the large scientific community and society. Contact Tengteng at (401) 441-4241.

Dr. Megan L. Ranney ’10 MPH, deputy dean at Brown University’s School of Public Health and a professor of emergency medicine at the University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Over the past five years, Ranney has worked with the National Academy of Medicine and its members on issues related to firearm injury, COVID-19, and science communication. As a researcher, she has focused on developing, testing, and disseminating digital health interventions to prevent violence and related behavioral health problems, as well as on COVID-related risk reduction

Alice Goldberg Lemos ’81 PhD writes: “I was made a director of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation and have published in CNS News and American Thinker.”

Harris Solomon ’07 AM, ’11 PhD, published Lifelines: The Traffic of Trauma with Duke University Press in October. Harris is Fred W. Shaffer Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Global Health at Duke University and author of Metabolic Living: Food, Fat, and the Absorption of Illness in India, also published by Duke University Press. His new book takes readers into the trauma ward of one of Mumbai’s busiest public hospitals, narrating the stories of the patients, providers, families, and frontline workers who experience and treat traumatic injury from traffic.

Seventeen years ago, after retiring from her career as a clinical psychologist, Dani Friedman Baker became an organic farmer on Wellesley Island in northern New York. Ten years ago, she began planning and planting her “Enchanted Edible Forest,” a landscaped permaculture-inspired acre of edible perennial plants. This past May, her book, The Home-Scale Forest Garden: How to Plan, Plant and Tend a Resilient Edible Landscape, was published by Chelsea Green publishing. Go to enchantededibleforest.com for more information and see the November-December BAM Fresh Ink review.

The Boston Lyric Opera appointed Bradley Vernatter ’18 general director and CEO following a two-season term as acting general and artistic director, during which he moved the company through COVID shutdowns, created new artistic and organizational opportunities, and steered a five-year strategic planning process. In 2020, he was recognized by Boston Business Journal as one of the “40 Under 40” rising young leaders. He is a member of YW Boston LeadBoston for 2022 and serves on the board of advisors at Artists For Humanity.

Julia Stoller and Caleb Weinreb met freshman year in their Perkins freshman dorm and dated ever since. They got married this past summer. Julia writes: “We figured the alumni association might be interested in our story, as it affirms the mythology around Perkins couples. We met during the orientation games run by our RAs at Perkins and had our first conversation when Caleb sat down next to me while I was doing my art homework in the Perkins basement lounge. We had our first kiss on Halloween of freshman year behind Perkins." Julia is now a math instructional coach in the Cambridge Public Schools and Caleb is a neuroscience postdoc at Harvard.

Justin Klee ’13 and Joshua Cohen ’14, cofounders and co-CEOs of Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, received news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Amylyx’s drug for slowing the progression of ALS, reversing its earlier decision after an outside panel of advisers recommended approval based on new data analysis. The drug, now branded as Relyvrio, was approved for the treatment of ALS in adults, as reported by Nasdaq.

Liz Young and Maria Queen were married on Sept. 10, 2022, precisely one year after Liz proposed. She writes: “The weather was perfect, the cake was plentiful, and the brides were elated to celebrate their union with a small group of friends and family.”

Antonia Angress writes: “Random House published my debut novel Sirens & Muses on July 12. The novel follows four artists drawn into a web of rivalry and desire at an elite art school and on the streets of New York City against the backdrop of the Occupy movement. Sirens & Muses, which I began writing shortly after graduation, feels to me like a very Brown book. The setting is modeled off College Hill and, as a writer, I feel that I owe a great debt to the wonderful, generous teachers I had as an undergraduate in the Literary Arts and Comparative Literature departments, particularly Ottessa Moshfegh, Meredith Steinbach, and Stephanie Merrim. I’ve been especially excited to share it with fellow Brunonians, who’ll appreciate some of the hidden references. Since its publication, it has been featured in Glamour, Bustle, Autostraddle, Buzzfeed, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Vulture, and more.”

Erin E. Adams’s debut novel Jackal was published by Bantam of Ballantine books in October.

Nate Bowling writes: “In April 2022, Thalia Beaty, Daniel Dodson, Matthew Novick, William Parker, Lenson Pellouchoud, and Jason Portenoy were able to get together to celebrate the self-publication of Anthony Johnson’s first short story: A Tale of Two Crownge.”

Karen Knee and Charlotte Hoffman (University of Chicago ’01) eloped to Brooklyn with Karen’s daughter Maggie and Charlotte’s daughter Thessaly on June 25. They enjoyed a celebratory picnic with friends in Brooklyn Bridge Park, went to the NYC Pride Parade, and spent several days in Manhattan on a family honeymoon. Karen also, not too long ago, began a three-year term as chair of American University’s Department of Environmental Science.

Alison Friedman writes: “After 20 years in greater China, I’ve moved to North Carolina. In Fall 2021, I became the new executive and artistic director of Carolina Performing Arts at UNC-Chapel Hill. We bring dance, theatre, music, opera, comedy, and more from around the world to the Research Triangle. I’d love to (re)connect with Brown friends in the area. Carolina barbeque anyone?”

Ainsley MacLean ’05 MD writes: “As a result of a pandemic project, I wanted to share that I self-published and authored my first children’s book, What Nature Friends Surround Me?, illustrated by my boy-girl twins Ramona and Ramsey (I used my visual arts photography focus at Brown to take a few photographs for it as well). It’s an A to Z poetic nature guide of the most common birds, animals, and trees in the greater Washington, D.C., area. It’s available on Kindle and in paperback.”

Josh Edelglass writes: “I recently illustrated my first full-length graphic novel. It’s called José and the Pirate Captain Toledano. It’s written by Arnon Shorr and published by Kar-Ben. A tale about Jewish pirates set in the years after the Spanish Inquisition, it’s a coming-of-age story about José Alfaro, a young refugee who forms a powerful bond with the mysterious Pirate Captain Toledano. It’s a fun pirate adventure on the high seas, and also a story about finding oneself and connecting to one’s heritage.”

Meredith Ainbinder writes: “I married David Shein (BU ’89, ’92 MD) on June 12 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, surrounded by family and friends, including so many from Brown. The bridal party included my freshman roommate Karla Encarnacion Sigler, Sheryl Koenigsberg, and Lisa Cole Olin. Jonathan Olin signed the Ketubah. Other alumni joining us were Rebecca Roback Blitstein ’00, Lisa Gambone, Rebecca Erickson Krasnof, and Sarah Greenberg Sachs ’98. We are living in Wayland, Massachusetts. David is an internist with a practice in Wellesley and I started a new position as chief of staff and senior advisor to the president of Brandeis University.”

Trishna Patel ’98, the 1997 Ivy League player of the year (tennis) who led the Bears to the NCAA with a 19-3 record and won the Ivy League title that season with a 7-0 mark, was inducted into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame in October. She currently works as head pro at The Trails Racquet Club and the head tennis coach at Seabreeze High School (Fla.)

Max Kayla Strassfeld published Trans Talmud: Eunuchs and Androgynes in Rabbinic Literature this past Spring with the University of California Press. The book explores nonbinary categories in classical Jewish legal texts through a transgender studies lens. Max Kayla was also promoted to associate professor at the University of Arizona.

Young Whan Choi writes: “I published Sparks into Fire: Revitalizing Teacher Practice Through Collective Learning. My time at Brown was critical to this book. The strong service orientation at Brown inspired me to teach after school with Providence Summerbridge Program, which in turn led to my career in teaching. As an educator in Oakland Unified School District, I wrote our board policy on ethnic studies and led the expansion of ethnic studies classes to more than 1,500 ninth graders annually.”

Anya Weber writes: “I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2020 with my master’s in social work. Since then, I’ve been working as a counselor at a community mental health agency primarily supporting people with opioid addiction to get stable in their recovery. I’m on the outpatient side of things and I am about to transition to a role at the same agency focusing on a broader range of mental health disorders. I married George Stericker in May 2022. We are enjoying living in St. Louis (he was born and raised here, and it’s become my home too over the last four years). I love showing people around the city and I am always happy to hear from my fellow Brown alums at anya.r.weber@gmail.com.”

Brian Jones’s first book, The Tuskegee Student Uprising: A History, was published in October with NYU Press. Brian is the inaugural director of the Center for Educators and Schools at the New York Public Library.

Licity Patterson Collins writes: “I am excited to announce a new release of spoken word stories scored by several solo musicians to make a strange and beautiful dialogue of word and sound. The Flower in the Mirror was Dead is out and can be heard on my website, LicityCollins.com, and on all streaming services. The collection is an inquiry into grief, love, loss, longing, frustration and neglect, sorrow and misunderstanding. There is no false hope. It is deep with honesty, beauty, and discovery. It has sounds that range from bassoon to violin to electric guitar. Sounds from classical to jazz to punk rock. Musicians ranging from Washington, D.C., to California, to Paris, France. This work is special. It will have an important meaning to those who connect with it. I am looking forward to people telling me what their experience is with it.”

Carolyn E. Chen published Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley with Princeton University Press.

Ebru Alcici Köksal ’90 has been appointed to the Australian Professional League’s board of directors. The first woman to be elected to the executive board of the European Club Association and the first female general secretary of the Turkish Football Federation, Ebru chairs the organization Women in Football.

Amanda Mei Kim received the prestigious Steinbeck Fellowship to complete a significant work-in-progress. Amanda is writing about the ways that climate, culture, resistance, and capitalism weave through the lives of rural Asian Americans.

On June 1, 2022, Derek Charles Livingston became the interim artistic director and director of New Play Development for the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah.

James Thomas writes: “We just finished staging Cato, George Washington’s favorite play, to make it available to a general audience. It’s about the last day of democracy in Rome—before Rome becomes an empire. With epic heroes, scheming villains, sword duels, love triangles, and a pro-democracy message, it’s easy to see why Cato was the most popular play in America before the revolution. George Washington famously staged it at Valley Forge. Benjamin Franklin so admired the work, he practiced writing it down from memory. It’s been a wonder to submerge in making ‘America’s Founding Drama’ and I find myself using lines from the play in everyday conversation. If anyone knows of venues that might be interested in projecting it, please let me know. Cato stands outside all the partisan divides so it’s timely now as it speaks to our unifying democratic core. It also makes a great read. Oxford University is coming out with a new annotated edition.”

Diane Thiel ’90 MFA published Questions from Outer Space with Red Hen Press. She is the author of 12 books, a Regents’ Professor at the University of Minnesota, and the mother of four children.

Steve Tapper writes: “After serving as a seasonal reader in the Emory University Office of Undergraduate Admission, I am excited to share that I have joined Fine Educational Solutions as an educational consultant. We help high school students navigate all aspects of the college application process.”

Annie Lanzillotto published Whaddyacall the Wind? on Oct. 11. It is a work of creative nonfiction memoir and poetry.

Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health’s telehealth intensive outpatient (IOP) program was named Program of the Year by the Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare, a national organization representing outpatient providers. Jody Kashden, senior clinical director, codeveloped a retrospective study of 12,000 patients who received in-person, virtual, or combined treatment at Princeton House. The results were presented at the Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare’s annual conference in Baltimore on April 12, 2022.

Washington Magazine released its list of Tech Titans 2022, the 225 most important and innovative leaders in Washington’s digital economy. Among the honorees were: David Cicilline ’83, chair of the antitrust subcommittee, U.S. House of Representatives; Catherine Marsh ’82, ’87 PhD, director, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity; Tobin Moore ’04, cofounder and CEO, Optoro; Stefanie Tompkins ’93 ScM, ’97 PhD director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and Adam Vitarello ’05, cofounder and president, Optoro.

Jeremy Cohen writes: “In late 2021, after almost 38 1/2 years, I retired from IBM. From my start in the Kingston New York Site Education Department teaching programming skills to new IBMers, I had a versatile career with stints in marketing, sales, technology and strategy consulting, program management, project management, and people analytics. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at IBM and the wide variety of opportunities I had. What’s next? Well, I’m taking off some time now, then I’m planning on doing a variety of volunteering, including at the new Atlanta P-Tech school, and at other IBM-sponsored events, such as Engineers Week. I also look forward to doing some travel, when/if the COVID pandemic finally subsides. I hope to see people at our 40th reunion in 2023 or hear from them at jmcohen100@gmail.com.”

Kenneth Wishnia writes: “I coedited Jewish Noir II, an anthology of crime stories by authors from around the world (OK, half of them live in New York), which finally came out after a two-year pandemic-related delay.” Ken can be reached at: wishnik@sunysuffolk.edu.

Howard Yaruss writes: “After a career in law, I started teaching economics, a subject that has fascinated me since college. This led me to write a book that brings together my best classroom hits/anecdotes/analogies: Understandable Economics, which was published in September with Prometheus Books. I still live in New York, serve on my local community board (the Upper West Side), am active politically and would love to hear from classmates.”

Brad Richards writes: “I have returned to Houston after living in London for almost five years and serving as the managing partner of the London office of Haynes and Boone, a large U.S. law firm based in Texas, at which I just celebrated my 30-year anniversary. I have been married for 41 years and have three grown married children and two grandchildren. I wish I knew more of my classmates, but I had to work full-time to afford Brown (aid was hard to get then and there were no limits on student work in those days), so I didn’t get to know as many classmates as I would have liked.”

Claire Nobles married Tim Mehok at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 6, 2021, with Mary Jo Gagliardo and Joe Colagiovanni ’78 in attendance. Claire and Tim live primarily in Oberlin, Ohio, with some time spent in Alexandria, Va.

Roberta Lawrence moved to Savannah, Ga. She writes that she is enjoying creative work, visits to the beach, southern living, and avoiding hurricanes. Friends visiting the area are urged to contact her.

Peter Bonner writes: “Big events happened in 2022! My grandson, Adrian Evan Stern, was born on September 24, and I retired at the end of December after 38 years of practicing law, 33 of which were with the federal government.”

Ruth Bloomfield Margolin is enjoying retirement, keeping busy as president of her local Jewish Family Service agency board, serving on several other local boards, and finishing the occasional NY Times crossword puzzle. She enjoyed seeing several of her ’80 Brown friends at the wedding of her son, Nathan Margolin ’11, last May.

On July 21, Steve Owens was nominated by President Joe Biden to be chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). He already is serving as a member of the CSB Board, after being nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2021. The CSB investigates accidents at chemical facilities in the United States that result in a fatality, serious injury, or substantial property damage and makes recommendations for preventing future accidents and minimizing the consequences from such accidents if they occur.

Les Servi ’77 ScM writes: “I don’t remember the last time I sent in an update. I was elected president of the Military Operations Research Society. My day job, however, is chief scientist in cyber operations research at the MITRE Corporation.”

Robert Schechter writes that his poems for children have been published in Highlights, Cricket, Cricket Ladybug, Cricket Spider, and lots of other places, and now they will be collected in a book called The Red Ear Blows Its Nose, to be released in early 2023. “I knew my semiotics degree from Brown would come in handy,” says Robert. Kenn Nesbitt, former Children’s Poet Laureate, calls the book a “dazzling tour de force,” and A.F. Harrold calls it “a masterful collection by a masterful poet.”

Douglas W. Diamond ’75, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and two other economists were the recipients of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Economics. They were honored for improving “our understanding of the role of banks in the economy, particularly during financial crises,” announced the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Douglas’s pioneering research has changed the way people view banks and laid the groundwork for how central bankers, regulators, policymakers, and academics approach modern finance. His research focus for the past four decades has been to explain what banks do, why they do it, and the consequences of these arrangements. His earliest research explained how the economic role of banks generated an essential link between the properties of their assets and the form of their liabilities.

Beth Shadur’s son, Jordan Mainzer ’13, married Kelsey Donahue on July 22 in Chicago. They were joined at the wedding by Jordan’s Brown friends Anish Gonchigar ’12, Luke Jeffrey ’12, and Arman Uguray ’12.

Nancey Rosensweig writes: “Just when most of my friends are retiring, I finally have my dream job. I stopped doing hospital shift work and opened up a private gynecology and midwifery practice a few years ago in my home in Catskill (N.Y). The practice is now as full as I’d like it to be. I even have to say no to potential clients so I don’t have to be on call constantly. My pregnant clients are all fabulous women engaged in their careers and community, and my gynecology clients range from 20s to 70s, with quite a few in perimenopausal age. Autonomy keeps me from burnout. There is nothing better than creating your own work and schedule.  Thanks go to the wonderful obstetricians and nursing
staff at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, New York, who back me up and support true midwifery care.”

Steve “Buddy” Greco and his wife, Audrey, celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary on May 28 while attending the Brown Reunion weekend. Steve and Audrey were married on the porch of the old Delta Tau Fraternity house (now South Wayland) on May 28, 2010. Steve was a member of Delta Tau. Presiding over the ceremony was University Chaplain Reverend Janet Cooper Nelson. Steve and Audrey live at the Jersey Shore in Little Egg Harbor. Steve now practices dentistry part-time since selling his private practice. They have three grandsons and another one on the way.
They enjoy going back to Brown as often as they can.

Judge Robert Holzberg ’74 was recognized as one of the top mediators in the country  by Chambers USA, a leading business guide to the legal profession. He is one of just 42 mediators selected nationwide. Holzberg retired from the Connecticut Superior Court in 2012 after more than two decades of service, and now leads the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practice at Pullman & Comley, one of Connecticut’s largest and oldest law firms. The Best Lawyers in America named Holzberg 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” for mediation in the Hartford area and he was also recognized on the 2023 Best Lawyers list for arbitration. Under Holzberg’s leadership, Pullman’s ADR practice has been recognized as the top ADR provider in New England by ALM publications.

Ted Clarke writes: “Twelve classmates from 1974 (Don Bogan, Mike Cirello, Bob Condon, Jim Dawson, Bruce Gelfand, Roscoe Howard, Jim Hutchison, Jamie Kiernan, Marshal Luther, Mike Miller, Bob Watt, and I) gathered in Vegas this spring to watch March Madness, reminisce about Brown, brag about offspring, pretend to play golf, complain about bodily aches and pains, avoid discussing politics and religion, and rekindle old friendships. All intend to be at the 50th reunion.”

Scott Blake Harris resigned from Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, the law firm he founded, to take a new position as senior spectrum advisor at the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. NTIA is the Executive Branch principally responsible for advising the President on telecommunications and information policy issues. Scott previously served in government at the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Bureau of Export Administration at the Department of Commerce. With his departure, the law firm was renamed HWG.

Oliver Cromwell writes that he continues to be active as president of Bentley Associates, a boutique investment banking firm of two dozen managing directors, which he founded 32 years ago. Like many New Yorkers, he is working remotely most of the time with only occasional visits to the Manhattan office. He was very disappointed to miss the 50th Reunion because of a Paxlovid rebound positive COVID test as he was about to drive to Providence. He had been to every prior Brown reunion (as well as every high school and business school reunion).

Stephen M. Sagar published VITAMIN C: A 500-Year Scientific Biography from Scurvy to Pseudoscience. Stephen writes: “Susan Semonoff and I are living in San Francisco and enjoying the summer fog. Susan’s main creative activity is ceramics and our house is filled with her work.”

Tony Lioce and Peter Perl ’72 reunited to form two-thirds of ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out) at an Irish pub in Oakland, Calif., where they and third member Terry McCarthy are suggesting ways to solve the problems of our complex modern world, which they attribute to the deaths of print journalism and top 40 radio.

Robert Liotta writes: “A recent heavily nostalgic visit on campus nudged me to provide BAM with an update. My son Ben Liotta ’07 and his spouse Yeye Zhang ’08 had their first child—our first grandchild—in November 2021. She is the gorgeous, talented, and above-average-in-every-way Coco Liotta. This delightful news was followed by my younger son, Joey Liotta (’09 Hamilton), marrying the spectacular Katie McEnaney in July in Barcelona, where they live. The entire expanded family then decamped for two weeks to a rented villa in Menorca, Spain. What a treat after more than two years of COVID restricted travel. (Yes we did get COVID, but only the day after we returned). Personally, I am still practicing family law in Washington, D.C., and still loving being married to my ever-successful artist wife, Barbara. On the professional front, I was named to the Top Lawyers Hall of Fame by Washingtonian magazine. This status was granted to about 400 practicing lawyers in Washington so I feel quite honored.”

Elaine Piller Congress had three books published in her UN book series: Behavioral Science in the Global Arena: Addressing Timely Issues at the United Nations and Beyond; Behavioral Science in the Global Arena:Global Mental, Spiritual,and Social Health; and Behavioral Science in the Global Arena:Global Health Trends and Issues.

Jennifer Williams Ketay Brock writes: “It’s been quite a while since my last submission of news to the BAM, so there’s quite a bit to share. I also want to share good news and bad news of some of our other classmates. The bad, actually sad, news first; last spring, in our local Allentown newspaper, the Morning Call, I found an obituary for a classmate whom I dated briefly during our sophomore year, Winslow (Win) Tweed ’62. (His obituary appears in the November-December BAM). I’m sorry that we didn’t reconnect via the Brown Club of Eastern Pennsylvania, founded in 2011. The good news is my recent reconnection with Anne Goldwater Landis at her ongoing one-woman show at the Stover Mill Gallery in Erwinna, Pennsylvania, in early August. Anne has been painting in transparent watercolors for many years. Following her retirement from teaching about 15 years ago she’s been able to devote more time to painting, and the gallery was full of examples of her lively and colorful work. We enjoyed catching up with each other at the show. Other good news; classmate Andrea Whitaker Baumann, now living with husband Walt at a retirement home in Virginia, continues to teach strength and exercise classes to seniors in Arlington County, a career she started 25 years ago. Two of her three grandkids are off to college soon. And Leslie Leopold Sucher and husband Arnie are hanging in on Long Island, enjoying visits from daughters and a grandson. We hope to soon revive our in-person visits in Manhattan, though that will depend on the status of COVID in the area. Please, fellow classmates, start contributing to our Class Notes in the BAM! From the lack of entries for our class, you would think we had all rolled over and slunk off into the night. The younger classes are doing amazing things, and so are many of us. Wave the flag for ’63 and send in news of what you’re doing—in addition to letting your classmates know what you’re up to, it will give inspiration for those younger than we that life isn’t over at 80 (unless, of course, it really is), and that we are engaged in vital activities of personal and societal value. 

Roger Breslow writes: “I have retired after 49 years in the practice of internal medicine. Pre-med at Brown gave me a good start and it has been a great ride since.”

Ernst Rothe’s exciting story of braving the elements while competing in the prestigious Newport-Bermuda race, then cruising across the North Atlantic to Ireland, is told in his recently released book, The Ocean’s Call: A Transatlantic Passage. Contact Ernst at be4long@gmail.com.

Glenn Cashion has written Baseball Is in My DNA: A History of Baseball in Freehold, 1857-1973. This story chronicles the glory of baseball in a small town in America (Glenn’s hometown) while also telling of his family’s strong influence on Freehold’s baseball history. Contact Glenn at gcashion@comcast.net.

The 60th reunion is fast approaching. This is a wonderful opportunity to renew friendships and see the ever-expanding Brown campus. If you haven’t already indicated you will be attending on May 26-28, 2023, contact Reunion chairpersons Mary Lou Levine at mllevine@hotmail.com or Glenn Cashion at gcashion@comcast.net, to be added to the attendee list. Further details will be distributed via Bravo messages.

Catherine Kidder Ware, Karin Borei and Aldie Nordquist Laird met for their annual roomie reunion in Harpswell, Me. in August. “Lobster every day,” writes Catherine.

Joseph D. Steinfield published Time for Everything: My Curious Life. He writes: “Like Claremont Boy published a few years ago, this book contains essays on various subjects—friends and heroes (including Brown alumni Lewis Eigen ’56 and David Fischer ’60), family, travel, being Jewish, sports, health, and the like. The second part of the book, called ‘Thinking About the Law,’ deals with the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and the rule of law.”

Emily Arnold McCulley writes: “I have published two children’s picture books in the past year: Taking Off Airborne with Mary Wilkins Ellis, one of the adventuresome women who delivered dozens of brand new fighter planes to RAF bases in World War II, and Our Little Mushroom, a biography of Franz Schubert narrated by the friends who protected and encouraged him.”

Joseph Juhasz writes: “My fifth grandchild, Guthrie, was born five months ago. I am back from six weeks in Hungary. I’m managing to keep my head above water in these difficult and confusing times.” Joseph is professor emeritus of architecture and environmental design at the University of Colorado.

Peter Hurley writes: “I had a marvelous time with other alums at the Dunes Club, which hosted the Brown Club dinner featuring Wendy Schiller as the speaker. I also enjoyed the summer at my Watch Hill Beach Club. Life is good!”

Doug Hackett writes: “I went on a guided group tour to Egypt last April. Egypt has been on my bucket list ever since I was a kid.  I spent six days at a hotel on the Nile in Cairo, visiting the Egyptian Museum, a mosque, a Coptic Christian church, a bazaar and spice market, the pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza, Saqqara, and Memphis, then seven days on a river boat sailing from Luxor up the Nile to the Aswan Dam, visiting Karnak, Valley of the Kings, King Tut’s tomb, Abu Simbel, Ramses’s Temple, and the Sahara Desert. I even rode a camel (not a smooth ride; don’t see how Peter O’Toole did it….)”

Heather Strachan Foley writes: “Since I last wrote I have become more than an Airbnb superhost; I am now, in addition, a landlord and a Swimply host. As a Swimply host, this past summer I rented out my swimming pool to the community and it is great fun but a lot of work. I still haven’t decided what is the easiest filter for a pool like mine when it is used so much. As a landlord, I found myself refurbishing two units that I rented out long-term to new tenants.  Fortunately, my former tenants looked after the units exceedingly well, so major work was not required. Now I only rent out two rooms in my house through Airbnb and enjoy meeting all kinds of wonderful people. In between I enjoy seeing friends like Helen Fish Marek and her boyfriend. I most recently enjoyed hosting some Japanese friends who flew all the way from Tokyo to spend a week with me. I find friends are an essential part of life. I am still disturbed that our politics are so nasty and worry about the lack of civility.  I wonder if it would help restore civility in our discourse if more courses were taught in our schools on reconciliation and mediation. Does anyone else have some thoughts about this idea? I would love to hear from you. Of course, if you should find yourself in Washington, D.C., and would like to stop by, please feel free to let me know at hsfoley@gmail.com. I would love to see you.”

Dave Babson writes: “As I approach middle age, I realize that chasing cows in the middle of a snowy December night is not getting any easier so I sent my cows to freezer camp. So that ends my ‘factory direct to you’ milk business but the hamburger is delicious. I still have my four draft horses so that I don’t have to mow all my fields or put up as much hay. Poor, dead Charlie Watts: he got his money’s worth from me. Lots of classmates have dogs or cats for pets, my pets are just a little bigger (at about a ton a piece ) and a little difficult to fit in my lap. I continue to be amazed, as I read the “Big Bite” list every month in our Brown Alumni Magazine about how many classmates live in or have retired to Maine or New Hampshire and I never knew them or even knew they were here. Then there are the others that haven’t figured out that snow eventually melts and have moved to Florida. This is all the news from God’s Country.”

F. William Abbate writes: “I’m still managing to spend summers at Old Saybrook family cottage on Long Island Sound, built in 1910 and purchased by my maternal grandfather in 1920.”

Ted Grand writes; “After years of flying below the radar, here is what goes on with me. I am within a month or so of publishing a book that describes much of my scientific work and a few adventures doing fieldwork. It is a treatise in mammalian biology from moles and prehensile-tailed porcupines, many primates, and African hoofed species, to elephants and rhinoceros. I include a few academic stories, two of which involve favorite undergraduate teachers, I.J. Kapstein and Leallyn Clapp.”

After 60 years as a classics, ancient history, and archaeology professor at SUNY Buffalo and Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Stephen L. Dyson has put away his academic robes for retirement. Steve and his wife, Pauline, marked their 60th wedding anniversary this past summer with family, including six grandchildren, in attendance at a gathering planned by their daughter Stephanie Dyson ’85 and sons Christopher (’87 Yale) and Jon-Paul (’91 Oberlin). 

Kay Ulry Baker went on a pilgrimage with her church to Rome, Assisi, and Oberammergau in July. Kay writes: “We were privileged to see and hear Pope Francis conduct a special mass for a Congolese delegation in St. Peter’s Basilica. After visiting many of the traditional Roman sites, we spent several days in Assisi perched on the side of a mountain. Cobblestone streets that seemed to be almost vertical were a challenge. Then we were on to Bologna, Verona, and through the Brenner Pass (Alps), and next the quaint villages of Bavaria. Then the highlight of the trip: the Passion Play in Oberammergau, which dates back to 1634 and a promise made to God when the plague was brought to the village, is performed every ten years. On to Florida, renewing old acquaintances, then driving slowly back to New York, visiting friends and family along the way. I believe I have had enough walking and driving for another year and am looking forward to our 65th in May.”

Paul Schaffer writes that he has enjoyed reading about his fellow ’58s and being reminded about his Brown years and the friendships that were made, especially with his roommate, Dr. Bernie Asher. Paul, who has been married to his artist wife, Betty, for 62 years, is still active in his family’s business, A La Vieille Russie, specializing in Russian art and precious objects. “Our son Mark, despite his PhD in plant molecular genetics (Harvard, Berkeley, Weizmann), is active in our business, and our daughter, Catherine Schaffer Rose ’86  (Columbia MBA), is actively raising our two grandchildren, while continuing to use her business skills.”

In 1958, Dr. Lois Hodgins Monteiro ’70 PhD married George Monteiro ’54, ’64 PhD, and he later became a faculty member in the English department. After Lois received her PhD she was a faculty member in bio-med until she retired. “Apart from Martha Sharp Joukowsky ’58 PhD and Artemis Joukowsky ’55, I think that we might be the only other couple with ’58 affiliations who made their lifelong professional lives at Brown, quite an accomplishment. Please let me know if you know otherwise. Furthermore, son Stephen ’90 and daughter Kate Monteiro ’87 AM graduated from Brown.”

Dr. Dorothy “Doe” Cotton-Pemstein continues to play piano for sing-a-longs both for residents in independent living and for those in the memory unit. Doe writes: “Music remains even when many other cognitive abilities decline. It would be a superb gift to hear from any classmates in the area (Greater Boston) and to connect by either phone, (781) 234-2238, or email at drcotton16@gmail.com, or even personally if we wear name tags to identify ourselves—hah!”

Martha Collins Keen writes that she is the third member of the Collins family to graduate from Brown. The first was Frederic W. Collins, class of 1928; the second Susan D. Collins Wroth ’54.

Class Secretary Jill Hirst Scobie reports: “Hear ye, hear ye, or read ye, read ye!! Class of 1958, our 65th Reunion is approaching. Please mark your calendars for May 26-28 (Friday to Sunday), 2023. You’ll be glad to know that Jim Noonan says, ‘If I’m alive, I’ll be there!’ and Van Radoccia notes that he’ll ‘be there on May 26-28, the good Lord willin’ and the crick don’t rise.’ So please follow the fine example of these intrepid ’58s! And now, to repeat the sage counsel given in an earlier communication from the Alumni Office, if you intend to go to a hotel: ‘Book your rooms early! With larger classes at Brown now, hotel rooms become harder to find and are taken quickly. Or make life easy and go back 65 years by booking a room on campus in one of the quads.’ More about how to do that, as well as specific plans for our 65th Reunion will come at a later date.”

Jill Hirst Scobie and Lois Dean visited with Joseph and Jane Bertram Miluski at their summer house on Long Beach Island (N.J.) for a post–Labor Day get together. “We were freshmen at Angell House back in the day. A jigsaw puzzle, the beach, great food and drink, and the pleasure of interesting company and conversation. What good fortune.”

Judy and George Rollinson continue to enjoy living in Prestwick Chase, a retirement community in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. George writes: “Residents are friendly and the staff does a fine job managing a complex of about 200 people.” They are in regular contact with their four sons, who live in Greenfield Center, N.Y., Hadley and Bedford, Mass., and Middletown, R.I. They enjoy good health, although in this chapter in their lives they have regular medical appointments. George is saddened by the passing of his brother, John Thomas Rollinson ’60 on February 21 (see September-October ’22 Obituaries).   

Roger G. Smith of Cornelius, Ore., who is a former naval aviator, retired in 2018 after 50 years of internal medicine practice. He writes that his eldest daughter, Audrey Smith ’86, is practicing law in San Mateo.

Anne Larkosh Burton writes: “After living in New Jersey, where I enjoyed raising two daughters as well as pursuing a doctorate in ministry and maintaining a private practice in marriage and family therapy for 30 years, I retired to a delightful island on the coast of Maine. There, I found many spirited, bright, and fun loving women with whom I enjoyed developing my skill as a poet and, as a member of the Deer Isle Writers group, where I helped publish volumes of prose and poetry.”

Class Copresident Paul Lipsitt reports that he and his wife, Brooke Kruger Lipsitt ’63, hosted Nancy L. Buc ’65, Carol Norton King ’63, and her daughter Stacey King ’89 in Marion, Mass., this past summer. “A great time was had by all. Carol’s husband, Peter King, made gravlax, which was a big hit with those in attendance. It would be great to hear from other classmates.”

Gloria Markoff Winston writes: “I hope you can join us for our 75th Reunion, but even if you can’t make it, please share your news with me at gmwinston@yahoo.com; 401-751-6139.”

Carolyn Whitney-Brown ’86 AM, ’91 PhD, published her fourth book, coauthored with the late Henri Nouwen, Flying, Falling, Catching: An Unlikely Story of Finding Freedom (HarperOne, 2022). The book tells the story of Nouwen’s friendship with the Flying Rodleighs trapeze troupe and why his last manuscript was left unfinished at his death in 1996. Links to reviews, interviews, and events can be seen at writersunion.ca/member/carolyn-whitney-brown.

Planetary geologist and assistant professor in the department of physics at the University of Central Florida Kerri Donaldson Hanna ’10 ScM, ’13 PhD, has been selected to lead a $35M science mission that will land a spacecraft on a part of the moon never visited before—the Gruithuisen Domes. The Gruithuisen Domes are a geologic enigma and we need to visit them in order to truly understand their puzzling features.

Odemi Pessu ’20 MPA writes: “Shortly after completing my Master of Public Affairs in 2020, I published my first book, Force of Nature. Force of Nature is a lyrical compilation of narrative poetry that explores the intersections of African womanhood, emotional vulnerability, and spiritual liberation.This body of work is an ode to the divine feminine energy and power that exists within all African women. I was inspired to write this book because I am an Itsekiri and Ijaw woman whose parents immigrated from the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s oil-rich and impoverished coastal area. I published Force of Nature to inspire young African women globally to honor their divine feminine power through love, creativity, and decolonization of their mind, body, and spirit. I’d love for the Brown community to join me in embracing the complexities of African womanhood, exploring decolonization of the mind, reconciling tradition with growth, rejecting patriarchal oppression, and discovering new ways to love ourselves.”

Dashiel Carrera’s first novel, The Deer, which was his undergraduate thesis at Brown, was published on August 2 through Dalkey Archive Press. Dashiel writes: “In keeping with Brown’s interdisciplinary spirit, I’m also currently a PhD student in Human-Computer Interaction at the University of Toronto.”

Janine Melvin married her high school sweetheart, Nick Quarantillo, on their 11th anniversary, November 16, 2019. The celebration took place at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, PA, and was attended by: Lawrence (Jay) Davis Jr. ’15; Ade Oyalowo ’18 ScM, ’21 PhD; Maegan Sloggett; Erica Kahn ’16 ScM; Meghan Wenzel; Kelsey Hom ’15; Jessica Cherness ’15; and Margot Harris ’15.

Eric Lewin writes: “On July 3, I married the love of my life, Emily Shire, in Mamaroneck (N.Y.)  Although Emily made the grave mistake of turning down Brown to attend a school just outside of Boston and not Tufts, fortunately many, many Brunonians, including numerous Brunonian family members, were in attendance. These included father of the bride Howard Shire ’75, mother of the bride Sharon Eisenstat Shire ’81, best man and brother of the groom Adam Lewin ’09, bridesmaid and sister-in-law of the groom Sara Epstein Lewin ’08, and groomsman and brother of the bride Ethan Shire ’19. Other family and friends attending included faculty and alumni ranging from the class of 1975 to the class of 2022.5. I sincerely thank the Alumni Office for letting me borrow a banner for the photo. Ever True!” (see Howard Shire ’75).

Nick Carter writes: “I moved back to Providence to expand my small business, a clothing project called ASMR Homegoods. In February, my business and I received a $15,000 catalyst grant from the Providence-based nonprofit Design X RI. These funds are helping me design and create a new collection in my studio off Elmwood Ave. in South Providence and market to stores around the country and online. I am in the process of completing the collection and beginning to document it before its release. ASMR Homegoods is inspired by natural camouflage and decorative craft patterning; each piece is a 1-of-1 wearable monoprint, often made using bleach and dye on upcycled or deadstock garments. Each item is designed to create intimacy between the wearer and their own body while simultaneously confounding the eye of a surveiller. ASMR Homegoods can be found at asmrhomegoods.com and on instagram at instagram.com/asmr_homegoods.”

Bruktaweit Addis and Tif Slama celebrated their marriage on May 16 at Awbury Arboretum in Philadelphia, two years after eloping during the early pandemic. They were joined by family and friends, including Tif’s brother-in-law, Bill Seeley ’93, bridesmaids Courtney Baskin, Jenna Harris, Nic Mooney, Michelle Morales, Brice Peterson, Nicole Taykhman, and friends Michael Danna, Kelly Devlin, Lakshmi Madhavan, Brian Mastroianni, Celina Pedrosa, Yaa Sarpong ’10, Felipe Umana, and Randi Siegel Weniger ’05. The couple’s one-year-old daughter, Beza Slama, was a special part of the celebration, serving as a flower girl alongside her cousins.

Nicole Dungca  launched a podcast with another colleague at the Washington Post. Nicole writes: “It’s the second investigative podcast that the Post has ever produced, and it tackles no-knock warrants and raids, the controversial and dangerous policing tactic that was thrust into the spotlight after Breonna Taylor’s death in 2020. We produced a six-part podcast that shows how these warrants are prevalent all over the country and how easy they are to get. It’s a mix of narrative and investigative reporting. It has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times, and we just published two written stories as part of the project.”

Emma Leinhaas Boshi writes: “I am a history graduate but have made my career as a classical music concert producer and program manager. I worked for Itzhak Perlman’s wife, Toby, for a number of years, producing live music and educational programming from New York City to Shelter Island to Tel Aviv, but recently moved on to produce the Peoples’ Symphony Concerts series in New York City for renowned artist manager Frank Salomon. The series was founded in 1900 to present music to the citizens of the New York area with limited incomes; 122 years later the mission thrives and our audience can hear Carnegie-quality artists for less than $10 a concert, and children attend for free. I was fortunate to play in the Brown orchestra as a violinist during my four undergrad years and attended the tour of China around New Years in 2006-07. The thrilling experiences of that tour and some well-timed summer work led me to New York City to work in ‘the industry,’ and I have worked for truly brilliant minds and terrific artists.”

Ross Trudeau (ed. note: BAM’s newsletter crossword creator extraordinaire) writes that he and Jessie Trudeau née Bullock met when she returned from Rio de Janeiro, where she was doing fieldwork for her PhD dissertation at the Harvard government department on how politicians work with organized crime. “We moved in together after a few months of dating to quarantine together in the spring of 2020 and got engaged in the summer of 2021. Since then we’ve authored several New York Times crossword puzzles together. This year I’m finishing my MFA in creative writing at Emerson while Jessie will be doing a one-year post-doc at Brown before beginning her appointment as assistant professor of political science at Syracuse University in August of 2023.”

Shereen Kassam delivered a TEDx talk titled, “Chicken Wings Made Me Unstoppable,” where she shared how to be unstoppable by embracing the lesson of the chicken wing—the ability to resauce yourself. It will have you laughing, thinking, and craving a good chicken wing. Her TEDx talk is available to watch at: funnybrowngirl.com/tedx. How will you re-sauce yourself?

Maggie Barron Biroscak writes: “Greetings from Boston. I’ve spent the years since graduation doing some web content editing, captaining a whaling ship (long story), raising two amazing daughters, and working on my one-woman show, A Map of Mongolia. I would love to hear from anyone in the area to chat about kids, gardening, flensing, or all-things-Gobi-Desert!”

Calvin Ho and Jason Wahlman ’04 traveled to Denver for a reunion with Jared Eddy ’04 this past spring. Calvin writes: “Jared is an infectious diseases physician at National Jewish Health in Denver. Jason continues his human resource consulting practice at Mercer in Minneapolis and I juggle with different change management projects for KPMG in San Francisco. The “hotel Andrews” alums enjoyed spending a weekend hiking the Rocky Mountains and exploring the microbrewery scene in Denver. While I’m living an erratic lifestyle, Jared is still keeping late hours, and Jason remains the most sensible of the bunch. Nevertheless we are all looking forward to our respective in-person reunions in the coming years.”

Rick Jaime-Bettan and his husband, Gabe Jaime-Bettan, welcomed Elton Sterling (“please, call me Sterling”) on February 13.  Rick writes: “Xander, now 3, is extremely excited to be a big brother. We have been extremely proud to grow our family through adoption. We live in Dobbs Ferry (N.Y.).” Contact Rick at Rickbettan@gmail.com.

Cassidy Puckett published Redefining Geek: Bias and the Five Hidden Habits of Tech-Savvy Teens with University of Chicago Press. In Redefining Geek, Cassidy overturns the stereotypes around the digitally savvy and identifies the habits that can help everyone cultivate their inner geek.

Cathryn Cluver Ashbrook writes: “After the long pandemic months, we finally made good on our promises to move closer to family, and in June 2021, we relocated to Berlin, Germany, where our second child, daughter Madeleine, was born in September. I am now executive vice president of the Bertelsmann Foundation leading the Transatlantic Futures Forum that President Biden and former Chancellor Merkel created last year. Looking forward to hearing from friends and classmates passing through Berlin.”

Jennifer L. Martin ’97 became the president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine board of directors during the membership meeting at SLEEP 2022, the 36th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. Under Martin’s leadership, the AASM will continue to raise awareness that sleep is essential to health and will supply resources and education for healthcare professionals, patients and the public. One of her priorities as president will be for the AASM to collaborate with other stakeholders to identify and prioritize strategies to increase access to high-quality care for insomnia disorder.

Amy Sohn won the HMH First Amendment Award in the book publishing category for her book, The Man Who Hated Women: Sex, Censorship, and Civil Liberties in the Gilded Age.

Eleana Kim published Making Peace with Nature with Duke University Press in July. Eleana is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Irvine, and author of Adopted Territory: Transnational Korean Adoptees and the Politics of Belonging, also published by Duke. Her new book shows how a closer examination of the Demilitarized Zone area in South Korea reveals that the area’s biodiversity is inseparable from scientific practices and geopolitical, capitalist, and ecological dynamics.

Rachel Harper’s third novel, The Other Mother, named a Time Best Book of the Month, was published by Counterpoint Press in May. Much of the story takes place on the Brown campus and follows three generations of a Black family and their unique relationship to the University.

Pat Kelleher writes: “Sam Lafferty ’18 and I attended the men’s hockey world championships in Tampere, Finland. Sam was the first Brown men’s alum to represent Team USA in hockey since 1977 and helped our team to a fourth place finish at the tournament, which concluded on Sunday. I have been the executive director of USA Hockey since 2017.”

Amanda Mei Kim was named a 2022 Marion Weber Healing Arts Fellow and will complete her residency at Mesa Refuge in Point Reyes, Calif., where she will write about rural Californians of color and racial capitalism in our food system.

Greg Galer writes: “After nine years as executive director of the Boston Preservation Alliance, working with residents, developers, and city officials, and engaged with over $5 billion in development, I’ve taken a new role—I’m now the executive director of the Association for Preservation Technology International [apti.org], the premier technical organization for professionals restoring and preserving historic structures around the world. I was recognized as one of five in the nation to receive honorary membership in the American Institute of Architects and by Boston City Council for my impact on the city. Check out this recent interview by the Boston Society for Architects, where I talk about Brown’s importance in my career path. [architects.org/news/greg-galer-hon-aia].”

Peter Lurie’s third book, Black Evanescence: Seeing Racial Difference from the Slave Narrative to Digital Media, will be published by Bloomsbury Academic. In 2018, Peter became editor of the Faulkner Journal. He is associate professor of English and Film Studies at the University of Richmond.

Jennie Jones Hanson attended the reunion this year with her mom, Nancy Dawn Zarker Jones ’56, brother Wes Jones ’87, and son Christian Hanson ’17. All three generations walked through the gates during the parade. “A very special day!”

The Board of Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) has selected Lee Dunst to serve as a magistrate judge for a term of eight years. He will serve on the bench at the Alfonse M. D’Amato United States Courthouse. Prior to his appointment, Judge Dunst was a litigation partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in New York City, where his practice focused on white collar criminal and civil investigations, as well as complex civil litigation. During his tenure of more than 20 years at Gibson Dunn, he represented numerous clients, including Fortune 500 companies, accounting firms, corporate executives, and special board committees in connection with a wide range of civil litigation and government investigations. From 1995 to 2000, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York and was involved in a series of significant criminal investigations and prosecutions. While in government service, Judge Dunst received the director’s award for superior performance from the department of justice and also served as the Deputy Chief of the narcotics section in Brooklyn. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he worked as a litigation associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP. During his legal career, he has spoken and written extensively on white collar regulatory issues, as well as matters concerning civil commercial litigation. He also serves as an advisor to the American Law Institute’s Principles of the Law of Compliance Enforcement & Risk Management project and as a member of the Federal Bar Council American Inn of Court. He has been recognized for his legal representation over the years. In 2020, the National Law Journal cited him as one of their “Masters of the Courtroom: Our Winning 2020 Litigators” for his role in obtaining a successful civil jury verdict on behalf of a Fortune 250 company, and the Am Law Litigation Daily named him “Litigator of the Week” for that same successful case. He also has been recognized for his white collar defense and investigation work in The Legal 500 US and has been named a “litigation star” and “local litigation star” by Benchmark Litigation.

David Whitacre’s book, The Seven Gifts, argues that all of humanity falls squarely into one of seven motivational gifts and that explains our core behaviors. The work was published by HenschelHaus Publishing, Inc. and has received seven awards, ranging from inspiration to business communications (see Fact, Fiction & Verse, pg. 56).

Tom Mullen writes: “Thirty-eight years after graduating from Brown and moving to the D.C. area for my career job (which I retired from in 2018—it pays to be a federal employee), my wife Christine and I are finally making the big move to our long-intended retirement location, Colorado (specifically, Colorado Springs). Although we once visited the Denver area for a few days back in 2003 (and really enjoyed our time there), Christine decided she’d prefer the Colorado Springs area, which actually is only a little over an hour’s drive away from Denver...why exactly? I’m not sure. Anyway, we’re expecting to totally enjoy living in a new part of the country. Hopefully, we’ll reconnect with some of my old pals from Brown after the move and in the coming years—although we generally all live far apart.”

Ellen Clark Clemot released a new book with Cascade Books, an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers, titled Discerning Welcome: A Reformed Faith Approach to Refugees.

Jeffrey M. Bloom writes: “Hats off to Newell Maynard Stultz, professor emeritus of political science at Brown, who continues to demonstrate insight into the machinations of divided societies and who, in early February of 2022, explained to me how since 2015 it’s been clear that NATO’s expansion meant that Vladimir Putin would one day exact brutal revenge. One reunion weekend years ago, Newell generously shared insights with my sons, David Bloom ’21 (applied mathematics, economics, & political science) and Aaron Bloom (environmental management at Cornell ’23), and I’m sorry that he’s not yet met my daughters (Julia, Biology, Cal Poly ’24 and Ciera, almost 7th grade). It was wonderful to see many of you at our 35th reunion and I hope to see even more of you at our 40th (i.e., less than two years from now). Hats off as well to our classmate Rhonda Gans, who kindly called me to see whether I was okay after one of our California earthquakes. Thanks, Rhonda.”

Anne Schwartz writes: “After more than 35 years working in the field of health policy, I retired at the end of April 2022.  Since 2012, I had served as executive director of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), which advises Congress, the Secretary of HHS, and the states, on policies affecting Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.”

Garet Lahvis published a moving essay in Aeon magazine that asks whether scientists can ever fully understand mental illness by remaining blind to the mental experiences of their lab animals (tinyurl.com/mv6n3yuh).

Vicky Oliver received her MFA in creative writing from the New School in May. She writes that it helped keep her mind off the pandemic and focused on her writing. On April 28, 2022, otherwise known as Pay-It-Forward Day, along with the Class of 1982, she enjoyed a sumptuous, pre-reunion get-together at The Grill on East 52nd Street in New York City. Much fun was had by all.

Stephen Curtin writes: “Hello old classmates! I was going through BAM and perusing ‘The Classes’ and ‘Obituaries’ sections and thought it would be nice to be able to look up a picture from our glory years. As more and more of the past gets foggier and foggier a picture would speak a thousand words. I can’t find my yearbook (not sure I ever got one!) and the alumni site alludes to class pictures being digitized but are inaccessible. This should be an easy fix in the age of data. I look forward to seeing what we all looked like 41 years ago.”

Reginald Boddie writes: “I am serving as the presiding justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Commercial Division, in Brooklyn. Class members are welcome to stop in and say hello when in town. In February, my memoir Living Life Against the Odds was published. The book is available online or wherever books are sold.”

Howard Yaruss writes: “After a career in law, I started teaching economics—a subject that has fascinated me since college. This led me to write a book that brings together my best classroom hits/anecdotes/analogies: Understandable Economics (September 2022, Prometheus Books). I still live in New York, serve on my local community board (the Upper West Side), and I am active politically and would love to hear from classmates.”

Dorothy Powe Holinger writes: “My book, The Anatomy of Grief (Yale University Press, 2020), was released in paperback. The color of the cover is different and it has a subtitle: The Anatomy of Grief: How the Brain, Heart, and Body Can Heal after Loss. Here is a link to the website: dorothypholinger.com.” (see Fact, Fiction & Verse, pg. 56)

Classical pianist John Davis ’79 has been awarded the prestigious 2022 Rolland Rome Prize.  His project is titled Keys to the Highwa

Nutter law firm chair Paul J. Ayoub ’78 has been reelected chair of the national Board of Governors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As board chair, Ayoub oversees governance of St. Jude, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Previously, he served as chair of the board of directors of American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude. Since the outbreak of war in the Ukraine, St. Jude, working with its network of partners and ALSAC, helped evacuate over 700 Ukrainian children with cancer and their families to countries across Europe, as well as to St. Jude in Memphis. The far-reaching effort provided urgent help to Ukrainian families suffering through two profound events simultaneously: a cancer diagnosis of a child and a war.

Lisa Solod writes: “My first published novel, Shivah, is now out from Jaded Ibis Press. It’s been a lot of years of book writing and agents and submissions and contests placements and ‘almosts’ and then here it is. Essays and stories, etc. continue apace. Looking toward more novels out in the world before I die. Kids are grown and long flown, husband will retire next year and we shall relocate from Savannah to Asheville, where my daughter lives. You can access my work at lisasolod.com.”

Joy Sheffield Handelman and Marc Swift ’80 were married in Albany, Ga., on June 24, 2021, more than 40 years after meeting in Professor Silverman’s film class in 1977. They live in Albany, where they have been writing songs and recording them together. Marc creates amazing art and Joy teaches English at Albany State University.

Lisa Hall Brownell’s novel, Gallows Road, was published by Elm Grove Press in April. Inspired by true events in 1750s Connecticut, it gives a voice to a young indentured servant who was condemned to death for a crime she swore she did not commit.

Emerson Coleman ’76, retiring senior vice president of programming for Hearst Television, was honored by the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation, in partnership with Hearst Television, with the launch of the Emerson Coleman Fellowship, a new fellowship established to create a more diverse workforce at every level of the broadcast industry.

Howard Shire writes: “My daughter Emily married Eric Lewin ’12 on July 3, at the Mamaroneck Beach & Yacht Club (NY).  There must have been at least 20 Brown alums at the wedding, including our classmates Bob LoBue and Jerry Cohen, my wife Sharon Eisenstat Shire ’81, my cousin Amy Shire ’81, and my son, Ethan Shire ’19. The best man was also a Brown alum, Adam Lewin ’09. The weather was glorious with the bride and groom taking their vows under a tent overlooking Long Island Sound with a view of the north shore of Long Island. When Emily was in 12th grade she made a fateful, and obviously poor, decision to turn down an offer to attend Brown and instead attend a pretentious WASP school named Harvard. Well, karma has paid her back. Not only are her parents, husband, brother, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law Brown alums, but so too are her sister-in-law’s dad, brother, and sister. We had the wedding photographer take a picture of all the Brown alums who were at the wedding with a Brown banner in front of us. In more mundane news, I am a partner at the law firm Troutman Pepper, in the New York office. I practice intellectual property law.”

Frank Morgan writes: “On the advice of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, graciously appointed me as an honorary member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (‘MBE’). This honor is conferred by Her Majesty in recognition of my services to British charities in New York.”

Jacqueline Doyle retired from her job as an English professor at California State University, East Bay, and accepted a position as creative nonfiction editor at CRAFT literary magazine. Ten years ago she shifted her emphasis from literary scholarship to creative writing. She has earned seven notable essay citations in Best American Essays, first place in Black Lawrence Press’s chapbook competition, and numerous other awards. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Find her work and contact information at jacquelinedoyle.com.

Karin Kramer Baldwin and David Baldwin ’75 welcomed in Karin’s 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. And after, she met up with Kit Kinports ’76 for dinner at Balthazar in New York City.  Karin and David plan to cap it all off with a week in Maine with Peter Hetz ’75 and Charlie Weinstein ’75. Thanks to Brown for inspiring everlasting friendships.

Bruce Miller writes: “In June 2022 I was awarded the UBC Killam Research Prize. The prize very kindly includes money. My thanks to them. My tenth book, Witness to the Human Rights Tribunals: How the System Fails Indigenous Peoples (Vancouver: UBC Press), will be published in December 2022. Meanwhile, with Stephen Baines, my Brazilian friend and colleague from the University of Brasilia, we have recently edited a volume, ‘Indigenous Peoples, Tribunals, Prisons, and Legal and Public Processes in Brazil and Canada,’ Vibrant 18, Virtual Brazilian Anthropology. I plan to retire from the anthropology faculty of the University of British Columbia at the end of this year but continue with my research, and especially work with Indigenous communities.”

Paul Espinosa writes: “I’ve been a longtime producer of documentaries for PBS. My latest film, Singing Our Way to Freedom, will be presented nationally on PBS stations around the country as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month beginning September 1.”

Donald Young writes: “I retired in December after practicing family medicine in Cincinnati for 40 years. Many goodbyes were tough since I cared for three or four generations and even delivered some of them. I feel satisfied with my legacy as the first medical director of the family medicine program at the University of Cincinnati and I chaired the ad hoc committee to establish a second program at Bethesda Hospital. I’m now enjoying more reading, swimming, hiking, travel, and classes at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Beth and I enjoy time with our two happily married kids and three grandchildren. My old phrase by Studs Terkel for patients still holds true for my retirement:  ‘Take it easy but take it!’ Brown was a true crossroads for me as I turned from the dream of a Nobel Prize in chemistry to the field of family medicine guided by teachers such as Dr. George Morgan, Dr. Fred Barnes, and Richard Cassill.  Hail to the power of their word. My bucket list is getting longer, not shorter! P.S. To my friends at Brown, my nickname of Yogi still stands with my wife, friends, and family and please note that after marrying, my name is now Donald Nunlist-Young.”

Robert Wells writes: “My son, Joseph Wells, graduated from Hampton University (Va.) on May 8.  He received a BA (with honors) in International Studies and a minor in sociology. Two days prior, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army, having completed four years of ROTC. He will serve in active duty, infantry branch: The career he’s wanted since age 11—sometimes dreams
do come true.”

Kitty Walker Keane is the new president of Greater Naples Leadership. GNL takes 40-50 executive-level retirees who are new to Southwest Florida and puts them through a yearlong experience learning the history and current issues affecting the region. At the end of the program, GNL facilitates introductions for the participants to nonprofits in the community needing board members and volunteers, and through the program the participants have been armed with insights and skills to be effective.

Class officers Joel Bennett, Tom Coakley, Ginger Heinbockel Ignatoff, Jack Keane, Marty Mueller, and Sandra Richards report: “ Our 55th Reunion is May 26-28, 2023, and it won’t be the same without you! Please make sure Brown has your email address so you don’t miss out on class emails and other reunion news. Type myBrown.edu in your browser to log in and update your contact information on your profile page. Helpdesk links can be found if you have trouble logging in or need to set up an account. Your myBrown account gives you access to the Alumni Directory, Rosetta Stone, and more. You will need a myBrown account to register for our 55th Reunion, too. Keep an eye out for emails from us starting this fall. We hope you will join our private, classmate-only Facebook page by searching for “Brown University Class of 1968.” If you are not on Facebook, consider sharing your news with us by emailing classof1968@alumni.brown.edu. We hope to connect with you soon!”

Michael Hutter writes: “Elaine Zimmer Davis passed away in May in Providence. She was the widow of Capt. Jerry Zimmer ’66, a Marine fighter pilot who was killed in action on August 29, 1969, in Vietnam. Since Jerry’s death, Elaine was dedicated to bringing home for a proper burial Jerry’s remains, including a visit to the crash site and keeping his memory alive.  She spent much time at Brown since 1969 and kept in touch with Jerry’s Delta Tau Delta fraternity brothers. She attended the Class of ’66 50th Reunion. Her efforts are chronicled at bringingjerryhome.com. At the May 2022 graduation weekend, her passing was noted and her devotion to Jerry commemorated at the Delta Foundation memorial procession attended by Jerry’s friends, classmates, and DTD fraternity brothers.”

Walter Donway writes: “Back in September, I self-published my sixth novel (15th book), Retaking College Hill. It is dedicated to Brown and its core (perhaps now ‘historic’) standards, but also critical of what I see as contemporary contradictions of those standards. Many themes are inspired by Heather Mac Donald’s The Diversity Delusion: How Race and Gender Pandering Corrupt the University and Undermine Our Culture (2018). Not exactly uncontroversial. The novel takes the form of a thriller and briefly became a #1 Amazon bestseller in political fiction. Among the reviewers on Amazon so far are two Brown men. I could not avoid and did not want to avoid nostalgia about my years at Brown. I spent my career in New York City foundations, including as education program officer at the Dana Foundation, where I became founding editor of Cerebrum: The Dana Forum on Brain Science. I was encouraged and edited by then Chairman William Safire. I freelanced over the years (Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Iowa Review), but only when I retired at 62 did I begin to write books and hundreds of articles, including for a publication I helped to start, Savvy Street. My wife and I live in New York City and East Hampton on Long Island. From the ‘small world department,’ my brother-in-law is also Brown ’66. I enjoyed our 50th reunion and saw a few old friends and made some new ones. My brother-in-law refused to attend, disapproving of current trends at Brown, but, I think, from a different perspective than mine. He did like Retaking College Hill, though.”

Daniel Kurtz writes: “A long overdue note. After a long marriage, my then-spouse and I divorced in 2016. I subsequently married Shveta Kakar, whom I met when working at the Skadden law firm. We now are both partners at a mid-size firm, Pryor Cashman, where we represent exclusively nonprofit clients. In June, our twin girls, Amna and Mia, will be four. And, yes, I have no retirement plans.”

“On Sunday, May 29, Jim Gardner ’68 ScM represented the class in the Commencement procession. On the march down the hill he carried a sign, “Class of 1965,” and was granted a space between the Classes of 1962 and 1967. Like all classes, our class was recognized and cheered during the procession. He writes: ‘It was wonderful to see the traditional Commencement procession happening again.’”

Larry Rand writes: “Yesterday, Tiina and I trekked to Brooklyn where I was inducted into the James Madison High School Wall of Distinction. There I join some other alums you may know: senators Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, Norm Coleman (all served in the Senate at the same time. No other secondary school in America can say that!). A couple of jurists, Judge Judy (Blum) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a singer-songwriter or two (Carole King) and some writers (Irwin Shaw, Pamela Gray). My class of inductees included two Nobel laureates (Madison boasts of 6…highest number of nonspecialized secondary schools in America), a poet, an artist, a financier, and an NBA All Star whose team (and he) beat up on Brown when he played for Penn. Quite a crowd and I could not hold it totally together in my remarks. But did succeed in bringing the audience to tears. Enjoy life and stay well.”

Cochairpersons of the 60th reunion for the Class of 1963 Glenn Cashion and Mary Lou Levine report that they are hard at work, in concert with Brown’s Alumni Relations Office, to plan for an outstanding reunion in 2023. Monthly email updates on reunion details will be distributed to classmates. If you plan to attend the 60th gala, please let either Glenn (gcashion@comcast.net) or Mary Lou (mllevine@hotmail.com) know. “Looking forward to seeing you next year.”

Gene Kopf writes: “Still enjoying paradise in Jupiter Island, Florida, while several of our golfing neighbors have joined LIV for millions—we’re staying here with Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, etc. We are spending our time with grandkids that include a Navy Seal, a professional dancer, a teacher, a PR person, and a therapist, all sending thank you checks every month. While I don’t buy into everything Brown is doing today, politically correct, I’m impressed that two major publications rated us number two behind Harvard. When I went there we were rated number 5-6. So much for political correctness and diversity today. Apparently it’s a winner. Very impressed with our president.”

Jane Cayford Nylander writes: “I’m pleased to pass along the news that  my new book “The Best Ever!” Parades in New England, 1788-1940 has been published by Bauhan Publishing, Inc. and Old Sturbridge Village. OSV has made parades a major theme of their 75th anniversary celebration and mounted a special exhibition on the topic at four sites within the museum. Digging deep into local historical societies and museum collections to research this topic has been a vastly entertaining retirement project over the last 16 years and I’ve found new material in every corner of New England. The book includes 308 illustrations that reveal an aspect of popular culture that has seldom been studied. I’m hoping the book will bring forth even more when readers begin to wonder what may be squirreled away in attics and archives close to home.”

Bob Sanchez had COVID and attended his granddaughter’s graduation from the College of Charleston in step with the times—he streamed the ’22 graduation, which was very long with two graduation classes marching. Among his numerous activities are: secretary of the weekly men’s coffee speaker program, a group leader of Great Decisions seminars, Naples Daily News opinion contributor, participant in monthly progressive luncheons, a board member of the Reserve Officers Association, the Brown University Club of Southwest Florida, and the Pelican Bay Property Owners Association.

Lois Hodgins Monteiro enjoyed a post-pandemic Fourth of July in downeast Maine with her daughter and son Stephen Monteiro ’90.

Gerald (Jerry) Levine’s granddaughter, Ilana, daughter of Jodi Levine Avergun ’84, is heading up the New York Yankees PR department for all off field events and activities. Jerry writes: “Shades of George Costanza from Seinfeld, she doesn’t have to report to George Steinbrenner. If the Yankees keep playing as well as they are now (July), I may have an inside chance to get some World Series tickets come this October.”

Pete Howard and Jane Loveless Howard write: “We are mostly at home for medical reasons that most of you probably share.We follow events in Arlington, Massachusetts, where we have lived for the last 58 years. It is heartening to see some of the things we have worked on still going strong, such as the Arlington Human Rights Commission’s Vision 2020 (now called Envision Arlington), active garden maintenance in the Town Hall gardens, small repairs to Town Hall furnishings, and various repairs to most of the houses in our neighborhood.” Jane adds that a granddaughter, whose father is David Howard ’89, ’91 ScM, ’95 PhD, is teaching at an elementary school in Providence, her third year.

Class Secretary Jill Hirst Scobie writes: “I repeat what you have, no doubt, read in our class newsletter. Please mark your calendar for Friday through Sunday, May 26-28, 2023, for our 65th reunion. If you are hoping to stay in a nearby hotel or motel, be sure to book your rooms early. With the larger classes at Brown, hotel rooms are more difficult to find and are taken quickly. Or make life easy for yourself, go back 65 years and book a room on campus. Information about how to do this
will be forthcoming.

Joe Gerstein writes: “I was the founding president of SMART Recovery [Self-Management Addiction Recovery Training] in 1994 and I am still on the board. SMART’s handbook was recently published in Haitian Creole and Japanese, its 15th and 16th languages.Recent grants from Health Resources & Services Administration to introduce SMART into 100 rural county sober homes and Anthem Health to introduce SMART into 150 sober homes in 14 states are in progress. Visit smartrecovery.org.”

Barbara and Ron Baker came from Ottawa, Canada, to join the 65th Class reunion with 14 classmates present who included: Patricia Checchia Abbatomarco, Phil Abbatomarco, Sandra Sundquist Durfee,  Jack Giddings, BG Goff, Raya McCully Goff ’58, Barbie Davies Ramsdell,  J. J. (Pete) Roe III, Cliff Slater, Barbara Sears Tessmer, Tom Wiener, Louise Ladd Wiener ’58,  Marilyn Mapes Yeutter, and Bruce Yeutter. Ron writes: “On a bright Sunday morning, a jolly gang of four (Bruce, Pete, Ron, and Tom) carried the 1957 banner, helping lead a group of oldest grads down College Hill. We were met by thunderous applause and loud cheers from a huge crowd: faculty, Class of ’22, and alumni. A grand finale for our Class of ’57, “ever
true to Brown.”

Peter Corning and his wife Susan are now living in Bellevue, Wash., near all three of their children and their grandchildren. Long retired from teaching (in the interdisciplinary human biology program at Stanford University), Peter is still actively writing professional journal articles and books. A groundbreaking new volume, coedited with four other biologists, will be published next year by MIT Press. The title is Evolution ‘On Purpose’: Teleonomy in Living Systems. Many more of his publications can be found at complexsystems.org.

Al Gerstein announces the Oct. 27, 2021 birth of his youngest grandchild, Andromeda (Andie) Web Lichtman. She was welcomed by her parents Hilary Gerstein ’03 and Martin Lichtman ’01 and her older sister Winnie. “The family is doing fine.”

Class Secretary Marshall Cohen writes: “As you may have noticed our number of class notes has been getting thin. But as we approach our 70th reunion in 2024, please send me a few lines about…anything! Keep it positive if possible, but do include contact information and news about your daily life, recommended books, tips on travel and/or restaurants, activities of children and grandchildren, family members, recent paroles, books read or written, ways in which Brown’s education helps one cope with current events…in short, there is no editorial censorship, of course.”