The Classes

Lena Sisco ’97 AM writes: “I would like to share my fourth book publication with everyone, especially since it can help keep you safe. It is called The 13 Power Moves of Dark Psychology: Learn the Tricks to Protect Yourself from Abuse and Covertly Influence Anyone.”

Sara Levine ’94 AM, ’98 PhD writes: “My new novel, The Hitch, was published by Roxane Gay Books (an imprint of Grove Atlantic) in January. The Hitch is narrated by a woman who is looking after her nephew the week he gets possessed by a demon corgi. Elizabeth Gilbert described it as ‘one of the most wildly comedic and unhinged novels I have ever encountered.’ As a grad student at Brown, I was lucky enough to teach an undergrad seminar called Unreliable Narrators. This book was a long time in the making!”

Martha Dunham ’93 PhD writes: “On June 3, my first patent was issued on assembling the gyroid structure using traditional manufacturing methods. Discovery of the triply periodic minimal surface named the gyroid was announced in 1970, yet my patent is the first to describe a method of assembly that can be automated and does not require 3D printing technology. Practical uses of the gyroid range from heat exchange to carbon fixation, and from vibration damping to water harvesting. My broad experience at Brown laid a solid foundation for my patented process.” Contact Martha at [email protected].

Eswar S. Prasad ’86 AM, now a professor at Cornell, published The Doom Loop: Why the World Economic Order Is Spiraling into Disorder on February 3. “The book started as my attempt to make sense of changes in the world order—and whether we’re simply on a volatile path in transition to a more stable order characterized by greater balance in the distribution of economic and geopolitical power. I arrived at a darker conclusion than I’d anticipated.”

Jim Wolper ’81 PhD writes: “After teaching and doing mathematics for a century (if you round to the nearest century), I have turned my attention to poetry. My first chapbook, Misdirections, appeared from Finishing Line Press in October.” Contact Jim at [email protected].

Gary Kulik ’80 PhD published Conscientious Objectors at War: The Vietnam War’s Forgotten Medics with Texas Tech University Press in April 2025. The book is based on interviews, oral histories, and memoirs. Gary retired from the Smithsonian Institution and from Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, and he also served as a conscientious objector medic with the 4th Infantry Division and the 61st Medical Battalion from 1970-71. He lives in Wilmington, Del.

Elise Baseman Chadwick ’80 MAT published her first chapbook of poetry, Poems on the Precipice, with Kelsay Books on September 25.  Read more of her published poetry at elisechadwick.com.

Lisa Weil ’79 AM, ’87 PhD writes: “I’m proud to announce the publication of Dreams Before Extinction, a print anthology celebrating ten years of Dark Matter: Women Witnessing, the online journal I founded in 2014 as a home for writing and artwork in an age of extinction and ecocide. You can subscribe to the free journal at darkmatterwomenwitnessing.com.”

Joel Simpson ’76 PhD writes: “Since graduating I have engaged in 10 years of college teaching, 22 years of professional jazz and cabaret piano performance in New Orleans (including the acquisition of a master’s of music degree at Loyola University), and 13 years as a wedding, event and portrait photographer. I have now devoted myself to fine art photography, especially of geologically oriented landscapes. I have written and published a book laying out an original approach to landscape photography, Faces in the Rocks: Beyond Landscape to Psycho-Geological Photography. In addition to its 212 images, this book presents an extended analysis of my approach in a thoroughly annotated text that invokes my predecessors (notably Aaron Siskind, whom I met at RISD). Realizing that I’m challenging the norms of a well-established photographic genre, I mustered my academic training in literary criticism from Brown to overcome objections that any innovator faces and to invite other photo-artists to expand their vision and practice by following my example. By doing so, they can create images that transcend the limits of their imagination.”

Jean-Louis Claudon ’74 ScM writes: “I have been retired for ten years and still live in Tokyo. I have published two books (thrillers) in French and finished writing a third one last month.”

Mariahadessa Tallie ’20 AM, ’25 PhD published We Go Slow, a picture book with Simon and Schuster in August. The book earned a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly and has been chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

Ja-Nae Duane ’18 EMBA writes: “I wanted to share some exciting news: SuperShifts: Transforming How We Live, Learn, and Work in the Age of Intelligence, the book I coauthored with Steve Fisher ’16 EMBA, was recognized as a 2025 Distinguished Favorite by the NYC Big Book Award.

Sarah Rovang ’16 PhD published Through the Long Desert: Georgia O’Keeffe and Frank Lloyd Wright on Sept. 9 with Rizzoli Electa. Sarah writes: “Though the two heroes of 20th-century art and architecture never collaborated, they maintained a friendship and mutual admiration, exchanging roughly two dozen letters during their lifetimes. This unique meditation on American artistic expression explores the nature of intellectual kinship, as well as home, place and material.”At the time of this entry, Sarah was scheduled to speak at Brown on Nov. 11 as part of her book tour.

Catherine Simpson Bueker ’00 AM, ’03 PhD writes: “In September I published Beyond White Picket Fences: Evolution of an American Town with the Russell Sage Foundation. The book examines the changing demographics of Wellesley, Massachusetts, over the past 100+ years. Drawing on interviews, archival data, and participant observations, I examine how Italian, Jewish, and Chinese newcomers influenced and were influenced by the established community. I examine the ways in which immigrant groups assimilate, retain their cultural backgrounds, and respond to discrimination, sometimes simultaneously, and, in doing so, alter the mainstream.”

Sean Mitchell writes: “My memoir, Irresistible Calling: A Memoir of Journalism and the Arts, was published by TCU Press in August and is available from TCU, Amazon and other outlets. It’s the story of a boy born in a steel town in Pennsylvania and transplanted as a toddler to North Texas, where I grew up with the sound of the Lone Star State in my ears but my own voice descended from Yankees. After teaching English at a private school in Ohio, I became a journalist for newspapers and magazines, focusing on the arts and eventually covering Hollywood for the Los Angeles Times. The book includes four chapters describing life at Brown in the late 1960s, when everything changed.” Contact Sean at [email protected].

Steve Hochstadt ’70, ’75 AM, ’83 PhD writes: “Two of my publications cover two very different themes. My article in the Journal of African American History, “The Curtis Family: Four Generations of Black Protest Against White Supremacy” (vol. 110, Spring 2025), traces the impact of an extraordinary family on civil rights activism since the Civil War. In April 2026, Berghahn Books published my book Jewish Refugees in Shanghai: Experiences, Memories, Interviews, Histories, about the Shanghai lives of those who fled the Nazis, which included my grandparents. Retirement can be relaxing and productive.”

Richard S. Bush writes: “I have just finished reading Irresistible Calling: A Memoir of Journalism and the Arts by Sean Mitchell, which was a wonderful read that all alumni would enjoy. Sean and I were members of Casements, formerly the Lambda Sigma Nu fraternity at Brown. The chapters about his life at Brown and our fraternity were especially significant and brought back a lot of good memories. So congratulations to Sean for his outstanding memoir, and I hope he writes a sequel.” 

Caroline Warren ’21 was appointed to the Pembroke Center Advisory Council for a three-year term. She is currently serving as the assistant director at Georgetown University’s Center for Business and Public Policy and looks forward to supporting the groundbreaking feminist research conducted by Brown scholars. Contact Caroline at [email protected].

James Pawelski writes: “My new wife Kaley O’Connor Pawelski ’19 and I got married on October 12. We met in Professor Daniel Vaca’s class, Spiritual But Not Religious, in the Spring of 2018 and he was the officiant of our wedding!”

Emily Wingrove writes that she married Peter Toth (Villanova ’14 missing from photo) on Sept. 20, 2024 in a beautiful ceremony on Cape Cod. An amazing group of Brown alumni (family and 2014 classmates) were in attendance to help celebrate, including  MC Barrett,  Kiersten Berg, Sophie Beutel, Eunice Cho, Lauren Clarke, Nick Kondon ’84, Aidan Leonard, Alison Mullin, Louisa Pitney, Lauren Pope, Mika Siegelman, Amber Bledsoe Spragg, Mary Kondon Toth ’81, Maddie Weiner and Theresa Gingras Wingrove ’79.

Natan Last published Across the Universe: The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle, with Pantheon/Penguin Random House in November. 

Bess Kalb published her highly anticipated new children’s book, Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo, on Sept. 30 with Penguin Random House. It’s the sequel to her #1 New York Times bestselling debut, Buffalo Fluffalo, which NPR called “a funny book about toxic masculinity” that teaches empathy through laughter and follows a grumpy bison who learns he doesn’t have to “act tough” to be loved. This follows her 2020 book and soon-to-be feature film Nobody Will Tell You This But Me, a New York Times Editor’s Choice, about her first-generation Jewish Russian-American grandmother, Bobby Bell.

Kristen Hornung’s poetry and prose have appeared in Psychological Perspectives, Zooscape, Kelp Journal, Beyond the Veil Press, and San Diego Poetry Annual. Her book, Too Jagged to Hold, is her debut poetry collection. “It is a luminous and intimate debut that traces the long, spiraling path of recovery after sexual violence. With tenderness and vivid imagery, these poems offer a resonant presence for anyone who has ever asked themselves, Am I recovered yet?”

Felipe Valencia ’11 AM has joined the Brown faculty as the Dean’s assistant professor of economics and political economy this fall.

James Tierney was promoted to associate professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law in July 2025. A few days later, he was named its associate dean for academic affairs. 

Jessica Pesce joined Wellesley College in January as assistant provost of faculty affairs. She and her husband, Dan Ullucci ’04 AM, ’09 PhD, also welcomed their second child, Aurelia Rose, in the fall. 

Sara Cunningham was elected secretary of the Brown Alumni Association (BAA) Board of Governors.

Cynthia Pong writes: “My Anthem Award–winning training and coaching firm, Embrace Change, reached a major milestone: the Embrace Change Coaching Certification (ECCC) program has been accredited as a Level 1 program by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). ECCC is the first coaching certification program specifically designed to train BIPOC coaches to serve BIPOC clients, filling a critical gap in the coaching industry. The inaugural cohort graduated in 2024, and with accreditation now in place, future graduates will be eligible to pursue ICF’s Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential, the global standard for professional coaching.” Contact Cynthia at [email protected].

Nina Mongendre published her first book, Reclaiming Your Inner Child. It became an Amazon bestseller in three categories this summer. She’s living in Avignon, France, with her husband Mikhail Samonov and their two daughters. They’d welcome any Brown visitors. 

Dr. Nelson Sanchez writes: “I organize an annual LGBT Health Workforce Conference in NYC, and we will be celebrating the conference’s 14th anniversary on April 30, 2026. The conference provides an overview of up-to-date practices (climate, educational, research, and clinical) in preparing the health care workforce to address the health concerns and disparities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities.”

Emily Lieb writes: “My book, Road to Nowhere: How a Highway Map Wrecked Baltimore (Chicago), was published on November 4. It is about how Baltimore looted a thriving Black neighborhood three times in three decades. Though it is a scholarly book from an academic press, it covers a lot of ground in not a lot of pages, and it’s very readable. It’s my hope that students, activists, and general readers in cities nationwide will be able to see in their own communities the patterns.”

Jeffrey T. Spinazzola writes: “The depth and breadth of an attorney’s legacy can only be judged in time given the nature of American jurisprudence and an evolving common law. Of all the tests I’ve taken, the tests of time continue to speak most beautifully to me about the power of education. For example, only because of my education from Brown and NYU Law can I now fully appreciate the enduring quality of my success before the First Circuit of Appeals as co-lead on a brief for appellees in a case that 20 years later continues to influence federal courts nationally on the application of market efficiency in securities class actions. See, In Re: Xcelera.com Securities Litigation (2005).”

Caitlin Thompson writes: “Well, after a recent brutal divorce that upended my life and sense of self, I’ve regrasped the reins and spent the past year making a full reset. I moved to Central Virginia, quit my job and started my own one-woman consulting company, and have continued the incredible adventure of being mom to my brave, compassionate, artistic, and hilarious 12-year-old son, Kippie. Here’s to new beginnings, fabulous adventures, and the great wide open.” Contact Caitlin at [email protected].

Youna Kwak writes; “My second book of poetry, For This and Other Cruelties, was published in the Kuhl House Poets series at the University of Iowa Press in September. I’ll be reading in various cities including L.A., San Francisco, Portland (Ore.), Austin, Houston, and Brooklyn, and would love to be in touch with friends who are local to those areas.” (kwakyouna.com/ for dates/times/locations).

Andrew Shelden writes: “It’s been 20+ years since I’ve submitted a class note. Since then I’ve gotten married, moved back to near my home town in Vermont, celebrated 25 years of marriage to my wife, Marcy (UVM ’95), and raised a son, Ethan (SDSU ’24), to at least adulthood, if not yet independence. I’ve stayed in touch with my roommates Eric Humke and David Bowsher ’95, with whom I get together almost every year for a weekend of  fun, reminiscing, and acting like we’re still living in Young O 30 years ago. I also have been a board member of our regional alumni club, the Brown Club of the Upper Valley (NH/VT), where Barbara Smith Langworthy ’63, Sara Lightner ’98, Lys Ray ’92, ’93 MAT, Todd Taska ’81 and I attempt to cajole area alumni to various events with highly suspect success rates. With all of that, my best alumni moments have been reconnecting with former Brown Ultimate players. I reunited with many beginning in 2022 at USA Ultimate College Nationals in Milwaukee with a crowd led by David Stevenson ’96 cheering on the ’22 Brownian Motion men’s team to a second-place finish. I returned again in ’23 with a smaller group to Cincinnati (Austin Lear ’97, Ben Saper ’07, and Ben Galeota-Sprung ’05) and most recently to Madison, Wisconsin in ’24 with fellow 30-year reunion classmate Jeff Albenberg and another 30 alumni to cheer on BMo to their fourth national championship win. On the heels of that fantastic experience, David Stevenson, John Toupin ’85, Kyle Weisbrod ’02 and I  organized an amazing celebration of 50 years of Brown Ultimate, which just wrapped up over Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend with over 250 participants filling Sayles Hall with absolutely fantastic energy.” Contact Andrew at [email protected].  

Marco Fernandez writes: “I never set out to become an advocate, but years in medicine showed me how corporate consolidation was changing the profession I loved. As an anesthesiologist, I watched decisions drift farther from the bedside—shaped less by physicians and more by shareholders. That experience led me to help found the Association for Independent Medicine (AIM), where I now serve as president. AIM brings together physicians, policymakers, and economists to confront the forces undermining patient-centered care and to champion transparency, accountability, and professional autonomy. From national panels to the American Economic Liberties Project’s Anti-Monopoly Summit in Washington, D.C., we have become a leading voice for independent, physician-led medicine. Our mission is simple but urgent: to restore balance in healthcare and return medicine to those who practice it.”

Jen Corn writes: “In addition to my new role as an elected school board director in Berkeley, California, and my work as director of school improvement for Oakland Public Schools, I have been volunteering with Stand Strong Brown because I’m furious about Brown’s recent agreement with the Trump administration. We aim to keep the pressure on Brown to mitigate the harms in its recent deal. I’m particularly focused on protecting transgender students and the free speech of students and faculty. You can join us at standstrongbrown.org or find us on IG or FB. Oh, and I’ll be at reunion this May, even though it’s not our year, because my daughter will be graduating! Will anyone else from the class of ’94 be around?” Contact Jen at [email protected].

Helen Kapstein writes: “I’m delighted to announce the publication of my second book, Petroforms: Oil and the Shaping of Nigerian Aesthetics (West Virginia UP, 2025). Part literary studies, part cultural studies, and a work of petrocriticism, it argues that, especially in places like the Niger Delta, where oil is everywhere and inescapable, art that engages with it has to find new forms through which to do so. I can trace a straight line from my undergraduate studies at Brown with Roger Henkle, Neil Lazarus, and others to my work as a postcolonial scholar today.” Contact Helen at [email protected].

John Roberti is looking forward to connecting with friends at Reunion this May. Eiko and John will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary just one week after Reunion. John writes that their twins, Clara Roberti and Jonah Robert, are both members of the Brown class of 2028 and their son, Dominic, has proudly completed his high school certificate and attends a day program with other autistic people. After nearly 30 years, John left Big Law in 2025 and started Zaiger Linden Roberti & Pepe, a 10-lawyer firm that does litigation and antitrust work for all types of clients. Desmond Pepe, the son of one of John’s partners, is a member of the class of 2029. Contact John at [email protected].

Wendy Walker published BLADE with Thomas & Mercer on January 6, 2026.

Jeff Orenstein completed the “Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming” on October 1, when he swam the Catalina Straight (32 km) in 10 hours and 49 minutes, adding to his swims of the English Channel (32 km) and the Manhattan 20 Bridges (46 km).

Andrew Seth Meyer’s book, To Rule All Under Heaven: A History of Classical China from Confucius to the First Emperor, was published by Oxford University Press on Feb. 5. 

Dr. Linda Liau ’87, a professor and chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is the recipient of the J.E. Wallace Sterling Lifetime Achievement Award in Medicine. Dr. Liau’s pioneering research has advanced the development of innovative immunotherapy approaches for glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive primary brain malignancies. She has held various prestigious positions, including the first woman to chair the American Board of Neurological Surgery, and is an elected member of Academia Sinica and the National Academy of Medicine.

Marcy Miller Schaffir and Jonathan Schaffir ’90 MD, enjoyed a surprise mini-reunion with classmate Rabbi Serena Eisenberg at the wedding of their niece, Clara Miller, held at a château in Chantilly, France. Rabbi Eisenberg, mother of a friend of the bride and groom, beautifully officiated the ceremony and it was a delight to catch up. The bride is the daughter of Anne and Scott Miller ’81, the niece of Cathy Miller Schlosberg ’80 and Jeremy Schlosberg ’80, and the granddaughter of Inabeth Rabinowitz Miller ’56 and William Miller ’53. 

Christopher Andrew Jarvinen, a corporate restructuring partner with Berger Singerman LLP in Miami, obtained an Executive LL.M. degree from Columbia Law School in Global Business Law.

Tom Billington writes: “I was excited and deeply humbled that my mission-focused business, Billington CyberSecurity, was acquired by global Closer Still Media, owned by Providence Equity Partners based in Providence. I founded the company from humble beginnings in my basement 16 years ago with the singular mission of forging serious, nonpartisan public-private dialogues to enhance our country’s cybersecurity. Little did I know that cybersecurity would move from being an afterthought to front page news. Never underestimate the importance of luck. I had worked in the publishing and events worlds ever since writing for the Brown Alumni Magazine and the two Brown newspapers. Growing the business required year after year (and tons of tons of hours) of building trusted relationships among experts in the federal government. I am extremely grateful and humbled by all the friends and supporters who led us to this stage. I will continue as Chief Content Officer focusing on what I love the most and exploring new growth opportunities to enhance our cybersecurity ecosystem. CSM has a global presence which is exciting as our public sector business currently serves the federal, state and local governments, our allied partners, and critical infrastructure owners and operators. Our 16th Annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit attracted over 2,500 attendees, nearly 200 sponsors, and over 300 speakers.” Contact Tom at [email protected].

David Auerswald writes: “My latest book on civil-military relations, Overseen or Overlooked: Legislators, Armed Forces, and Democratic Accountability, was published in September with Stanford University Press. The book explores similarities and differences across the world’s democracies regarding the role of legislatures in overseeing the military. Most legislatures face capability and motivational impediments to conducting truly robust oversight. The U.S. Congress, in particular, suffers from the latter when a single party controls the executive and legislative branches, which is relevant to today’s debate over federalized National Guard deployments in U.S. cities.”

Lori Miller Kase is an award-winning journalist, short story writer, essayist, and young adult author. Her new book, The Accident, was published on Oct. 14 with Woodhall Press.

Caroline Goldberg Igra is a freelance writer, an art historian, and a triathlete. Her book, Pictures of My Desire, was published with Koehler Books in October. She writes: “It incorporates a great deal of art, a passion I developed under the tutelage of the fabulous Brown University Professors Kermit Champa and William Jordy.”

P. Todd Pickens writes: “In August, I had a happy introduction to the theater world when my play Communion was presented as a staged reading at the Atlanta Black Theater Festival. To my amazement, the reading sold out and Communion went on to receive the ‘Best Staged Reading Award’ out of the 13 featured at the festival. Having written the play, as well as directed and produced the reading, I was thrilled to watch the talented, hard-working cast come together as a true ensemble after weeks of Zoom rehearsals and one-on-one telephone coaching sessions. Honestly, if I’d known live theater could be this much fun, I might have gotten involved back at Brown! The afternoon turned into an impromptu Brown mini-reunion, too. Robinson “Bob” Alston Jr. flew down from Providence for the reading, Rick Thigpen ’81 happened to be in town, and locals Toni Fannin ’82, Keith Harris, and Atiba Mbiwan ’82 came out to cheer me on. What a joy to reconnect and be reminded how friendships from College Hill are still going strong.” Contact Todd at [email protected].

After seven years in Houston, Mary Murrin returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh to lead Rivers of Steel as President & CEO. Created by Congress in 1996, the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area offers tours, exhibitions, metal arts experiences, and workforce development training in traditional trades, honoring the region’s history of innovation and hard work.

Mike Marks writes: “Dave Plant ’86 ScM, ’89 PhD, Ian MacColl, Rich Topol and I celebrated 45 years of friendship with an epic backpacking trip in the Sierras. The high point wasn’t about the elevation—it was about the fellowship, the natural beauty, timelessness, and gratitude. The reunion never ends!”

Jecca Jecca is an artist, athlete, writer, and Buddhist. She has worked in 165 cities and now lives in New York City. She has also had international artist residencies and holds multiple graduate degrees, as well as an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Jecca writes: “I have published Buddhism and Infinity: A Fun Thought Experiment About Mind Energy. It is for sale on Amazon.com in paperback and as a Kindle eBook. The book contains eight questions that explore the energy of mind, such as ‘What are thoughts made of?,’ ‘Where do they come from?,’ and ‘Where do they go when we die?’ Explore the book’s references to fascinating texts, films, podcasts and videos that open the door to the luminous philosophy of Buddhism and the infinite power of imagination. There are blank pages where you can add your own inspirations, references and notes from discussions with others.” Contact Jecca at [email protected].

Maureen O’Brien, accompanied by her husband George Garcia, was honored to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota. She was nominated based on her 25-year career in nonprofits that support families and young children. Contact Maureen at [email protected].

Jeffery Lesser ’84 AM writes: “I am happy to report that my book, Living and Dying in São Paulo: Immigrants, Health, and the Built Environment in Brazil, was published by Duke University Press in English in April 2025 and Editora UNESP in Portuguese. Thanks to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, both editions have open-access e-versions.”

On Sunday, Oct. 5, Brown friends Richard Paik, Joe Lellman, Jean Pappas Harrington ’84, and her husband, Dave Harrington ’84, ’89 MD met to watch the Rhode Island Football Club play a match against the Las Vegas Lights in RIFC’s beautiful new stadium in Pawtucket, R.I. Jean’s law firm, Duffy and Sweeney, is a sponsor of the team. Joe writes: “It was a fun reunion with beautiful weather, and the RIFC won the game in come-from-behind fashion!”

American artist Matthew Rose writes: “Natural Causes: The Inheritance of Anxiety is my book and catalog on the occasion of the exhibition of the same name at Galerie 727, in Montmorillon, France. There are 100+ works in Natural Causes, as well as a series of short, fictional texts that describe my unique and often times painful point of view about birth, life, death, sex, dreams, the afterlife and everything in between, as well as some raw and odd observations about consciousness, flight, Vespas, tequila, inheritance, anxiety and of course, poverty, gold teeth, and a handful of bad Bible jokes. It’s a scream.” 

Kristin Faust writes: “Since 2019, I have been in public service as the executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), the state’s housing finance agency. I was named Woman of the Year by the Illinois Women’s Affordable Housing Network. My passion for affordable housing for all continues. I was sorry to miss our reunion. I made plans to be there but I have to blame my absence on DOGE: a work trip to France to study affordable housing originally scheduled for February was reinstated over that weekend. It was interesting to compare the housing system in France, where housing is a right, to that in the U.S., where housing is not a right. Despite missing the reunion, I was fortunate to see classmate Eric Schnurer in August and I stay in touch with my freshman roommate Leila Afzal, who shared her online yoga teacher with me during Covid, for which I’m very grateful. The Brown connection also continues in that fortunately Fred Cooper ’79 invites me to his real estate panels.”

Tim Wolff writes: “After 38 years on faculty, I have retired as a professor of psychiatry from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas). I plan to travel with my wife, visit family and friends, and aspire to take idle chattering, hobnobbing, and pontificating to a higher level. Friends who need to gird themselves (in no particular order) include Brown classmates Baer Ackerman ’75, Jay Boulas ’80, David Cheney, Robert “Bobby” Fields, Joe Gaspari ’75, Ingrid Holm, Abby Jennis, Barbara Glazer Rosenblatt, Joan Wolff, and Margaret Y. Woo.”

Jeffrey Sacks is senior counsel with law firm Nixon Peabody LLP, having dedicated his career to the development and preservation of affordable housing. Rogerson Communities, which provides affordable housing for low-income older adults in Massachusetts, honored Jeff with the Charles E. Rogerson Welcome Home Award, the organization’s highest recognition. Walter Ramos, president and CEO of Rogerson Communities, said, “Rogerson wouldn’t be the organization it is today without Jeff’s support and passion. Jeff’s work has tremendously bolstered the impact we’ve had on older adults in our community over the last few decades.”

Dorothy Powe Holinger writes: “Yale University Press published my essay ‘What Do We Know about Tears?’ in their July 24, 2025 Health & Medicine Science Blog.”

John Farrell retired from teaching in the department of literature at Claremont McKenna College and moved to Cambridge, Mass., where he writes the Substack Thinking Out of School on literary and cultural topics. Contact John at [email protected].

Andrew Chaikin writes: “In June I returned to campus for ‘Brown in Orbit,’ a reunion symposium of the Brown planetary geology group organized by professor Jack Mustard. More than 100 former grad students and undergrads, including my freshman year Olney House dormmate Jim Garvin ’81 ScM, ’84 PhD, now chief scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, filled MacMillan 115, along with professors Jim Head ’69 PhD, Carle Pieters, and Marc Parmentier. Almost half a century after taking Jim Head’s course on the geology of Mars as a sophomore, I had the pleasure of leading him through a reminiscence about the planetary group’s remarkable history and accomplishments. Especially poignant were his memories of my concentration advisor and the group’s visionary founder Tim Mutch, a pioneering planetary geology researcher and inspirational professor who lost his life climbing in the Himalayas in 1980. Then came a day-long series of presentations about fascinating new discoveries from across the solar system, mixed with passionate and often humorous personal recollections. Again and again, the presenters voiced gratitude for the mentoring and life-changing wisdom they received at Brown, and for the profound impact on our life trajectories (in my case, leading to a career as a science journalist and space historian). ‘Brown in Orbit’ turned out to be one of the most heartwarming and inspiring celebrations I’ve ever experienced.”   

Deborah Chick Burke writes: “Mark your calendar for Memorial Day weekend, May 28-30, 2027 to return to Brown for our 50th reunion. The 50th reunion is a special milestone and we hope you will join us in Providence to enjoy catching up with classmates and renewing friendships. Since all Reunion information will be sent by email, we encourage you to make sure that Brown has your current email address.”

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases celebrated Dr. Anne E. Goldfeld ’76, a visionary physician-scientist and humanitarian. Dr. Goldfeld received the 2025 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award in recognition of her groundbreaking contributions that helped change the course of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS. She cofounded a transformative-treatment and research program in Cambodia for TB, drug-resistant TB, and HIV—and later for drug-resistant TB in Ethiopia.

Since retiring from her job as professor of sociology at Pomona College, Jill Grigsby ’77 AM has become even more involved in the nonprofit world. She serves on the board of Mt. San Antonio Gardens, a continuing care residential community, and is a member of the Napier Initiative, whose mission is to promote social justice, peace, and care for the Earth through intergenerational leadership. She is still attempting to visit the inside of every U.S. state capitol building (nine to go).

John Andrews writes: “Reminder—this is our 50th Reunion year as well as the 250th anniversary of the country. We graduated in the year of the Bicentennial. Our reunion committee is in the stages of planning our event. Interested parties in either joining the reunion committee or submitting a class note to BAM in the run up to reunion weekend can send an email to John Andrews at [email protected]. Notes can also be submitted through a submission page at bamforms.brown.edu/
submit-a-class-note/ See you this spring!”

Frances Wood writes: “I published a new novel on August 20, 2025. The Fractal Melody begins in 1969 and follows three women as they grow up in college and enter adulthood. The book has been described as ‘an epic journey into the decade that rocked our world.’ That decade, of course, being the 1970s. The Fractal Melody is a novel about sisters and friendship and loss and hope. To find out more, please visit my website at francesmwood.com.”

William B. Spillman Jr. writes: “About 15 years after I had retired from the Virginia Tech physics department, my wife Barbara and I found we could not keep up our 73-acre property, 2,800 feet up on Wills Ridge, with its wondrous and beautiful views in Floyd, Virginia, so we reluctantly left Floyd (just at the beginning of the Covid epidemic) and relocated to Savannah, Georgia, where we live now. Shortly after we moved here, I happened to be able to photograph a SpaceX resupply flight to the International Space Station. I have been thinking about how that moment was a perfect intersection of past and future. For all our faults as a species, we are so very fortunate to live on a most wonderful, beautiful and inspiring planet.”

William “Bill” Mack writes: “This is my first class note. Time and space don’t permit a full recounting, so I’ll summarize. Three daughters from a prior marriage, one of whom sadly has passed. Two grown or nearly grown granddaughters, one at Florida State and the other finishing high school in St. Pete. After Penn Law, 20 years in law practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and 20 more in non-utility power generation. My wife Gail and I live in Easton, Pennsylvania. No kids from this marriage unless you count our rabbit. We’ve cared for many rescued rabbits over the years. I have the good fortune of remaining employed, at least part-time. By happy accident, I met the founder of Glenfarne Group at its inception a few years ago and played several roles in the early years of its growth as a nascent infrastructure investor. Now that it employs hundreds, with thermal and renewable electric generating plants in four countries and several large projects in development, I’ve taken on the role of senior advisor. I’m in decent health and taught skiing at a local resort until recently. Looking forward to our 60th reunion.”

Jesse Jupiter writes: “I have retired from my clinical practice but am still teaching and doing clinical research. I’m currently completing the seventh edition of a text on orthopedic trauma which will be the 22nd text I have co-edited or written. My wife and I split our time between Florida (where I get to play golf with classmates Buzz DiMartino and John Adamiak) and Telluride, Colorado.”  Contact Jesse at [email protected].

Karen Witkin Berberian writes: “I am enjoying a relaxed retirement. I like to cook and work in the garden. I am growing tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, and catnip, as well as assorted flowers. John and I are lucky that most of our kids and grandkids are nearby. My college roommate, Paula Rosenfeld Schram, and I keep in touch by email almost every day.”

Michael J. Hutter writes: “Many Delta Tau Delta brothers ’65 to ’69 had a Zoom get-together celebrating the publishing of fellow Delt Bill Kolibash ’66’s book Justice Never Rests in January 2025. The book recalls Bill’s days as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia prosecuting organized crime, drug rings, and even surviving a planned bomb effort to stop his exploits. Bill recounted a lot of his cases and the Delts reminisced about their days at Brown. Bill “Shooter” Reynolds ’68 and his books were also part of the discussion, with former captains of Brown’s basketball team and Bill’s teammates, Al Fishman and Rick Landau ’68, adding stories. Joining in was Jon Land ’79, an author of numerous books, who worked with Bill and Bill’s daughter in writing the book. A good time was had by all.”

Ron LoLordo writes: “I retired in August as a trial attorney in the homicide division of the Albuquerque District Attorney’s Office. My last case was a first degree murder conviction for an axe murderer. I look forward to portrait painting.” Contact Ron at [email protected].

Class Secretary Barbara Smith Langworthy reports: “The Class of ’63 held their annual mini reunion in Providence this year. The attendees included Hal Barwood, Karen and Glenn Cashion, Richard Croteau, Bobbi and Joe Fisler, Ellen and Larry Gross, Marty Lawyer, Mary Lou Clark Levine, Brooke Kreuger Lipsitt and her husband Paul Lipsitt ’50, Ann Reilly Mostoller,  Adriana and Bob Phillips, Nancy and Ernst Rothe, Eva and Jim Seed, Bob Tortolani and myself. The September weather was perfect and Mary Lou and Joe had many wonderful events for us, such as touring Fox Point and the Lindemann Performing Arts Center, attending a computer science course, visiting the robotics lab, and enjoying a wonderful meal at the University Club. Some of us stayed for the Brown football victory on Saturday. Marty Lawyer, a past Brown cheerleader, went over earlier to visit the current squad and show them the old cheers. Hal Barwood drove from Oregon to the reunion and used the trip home to visit air and space museums across the country to gather material for his next novel.  We look forward to reading it.”

Steve Pizer has made a notable research accomplishment that was published in the Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision entitled “Interior Object Geometry via Fitted Frames.” He writes: “The culmination of 45 years of research has developed a computer representation for anatomic objects, the evolutionary s-rep, that is designed to support statistical operations, such as diagnosis (classification) based on shape properties. It is tested to do that particularly effectively. An important geometric underpinning is the discovery of how to produce shape properties not only on the boundary but also in the interior of an object.” Steve is a Kenan Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina. He is in his 59th year there and will be retiring from that position on June 30, 2026. However, thereafter he will be continuing his research in anatomic shape analysis at a leisurely pace as research professor of computer science. Contact Steve at [email protected]. 

Dale Burg writes: “In April 2020, right after the Covid lockdown, Helene Schwartz Kenvin suggested that we host regular Pembroke ’62 Zooms as an antidote to the isolation we were feeling. Open to all class members, weekly at first, then biweekly, Mondays from 1-2 p.m. ET, these meetings have now been going on for nearly five and a half years. Our ‘regulars,’ of whom there are now between 12 and 15, most of whom hadn’t connected with one another during our college years, have become a wonderful support system. Though we have a suggested theme each week, we usually go off topic. (Women have no problem finding something to talk about). Any class member who’d like to join us should email [email protected].”

George “Jerry” Bitting writes: “Having practiced law and worked for Apache Oil, for G. H. Walker on Wall Street, and for Wainoco Oil of Calgary and Houston, and having built an oil and gas exploration and cattle feeding business in Texas and Oklahoma, I can report that my favorite times were in the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma with other oil field hands.” 

Peter A. Corning writes: “I am still actively writing/publishing. See Evolution “On Purpose:” Teleonomy in Living Systems, published by MIT Press (2023), The Synergism Hypothesis: A Theory Whose Time Has Come (ISSS, 2025) and Teleonomy and Synergy: How Living Systems Have Shaped Biological Evolution, (Third Way Conference, Oxford University, 2026). A total now of 176 scholarly articles and nine books complexsystems.org.”  

Eli Motycka writes: “An old saying advises that the best time to plant a tree was yesterday—and just like the Main Green’s mighty canopy, Brown’s Ultimate Frisbee program showed off its extensive network of branches on College Hill in October after five decades of care and nourishment. More than 250 alums poured in from all corners of the globe to mark the program’s 50th year, meet current players and relive their playing days over the long Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend. Since its founding in 1975, the Brown Ultimate program has spawned five teams consisting of men’s squads Brownian Motion, Polyester Funkadelic and Mothership, as well as the women’s and gender expansive teams Shiver (founded as Disco Inferno) and Cosmic Rays  within the University’s club sports department. Six players have won the college MVP recognition, called the Callahan Award, and Brownian Motion has taken home four national championships, most recently in 2024. This year’s golden anniversary included various social gatherings, an all-alum game at Brown Stadium on Saturday, and a Saturday evening banquet, where a packed Sayles Hall heard from founding team members Ron Kaufman ’78 (who addressed the gathering via video message from Singapore), Jacques Lord ’79, Peter Norvig ’78, and Alan Winson ’75. Josh Ziperstein ’05, one of Brown’s four Ultimate Hall of Fame inductees alongside Ron Kaufman, Billy Rodriguez ’85, Fortunat Mueller ’99, ’00 ScM, and Katie Yezzi ’94, ’94 MAT, spoke about Brown’s different ultimate chapters through the years. Equal parts reunion and celebration, the weekend was blessed with perfect Providence weather and lasting inter-generational connections.”

Katharina Galor ’96 PhD writes: “My new book Out of Gaza: A Tale of Love, Exile, and Friendship was published by Potomac Books (University of Nebraska Press) on September 1. The book traces the story of Dima Mansour, a young Palestinian woman who grew up in Gaza and later sought refuge in Europe, and the friendship that formed between us. Through this personal narrative, the book explores themes of love, exile, identity and the lasting impact of historical trauma.”

Martha Dunham ’93 PhD is an independent researcher whose first patent, #12318851, Subtractive Manufacturing of Gyroid Structures, was issued on June 3, 2025. A second, divisional patent is pending.

Communications Vice President Geri Williams reports: “The Class of 1970 had a wonderful 55th Reunion in May with 118 class members and additional spouses and partners attending various events. About 50 women attended the Pembroke breakfast and enjoyed cranberry coffee cake and mimosas while catching up. The thought-provoking forum on the ‘Soul of the University’ with panelists Harold Bailey Jr., Ken Miller, and University Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson, moderated by Rev. Peter Laarman, nearly filled Metcalf Auditorium with many classmates and members of other classes and generated many questions and answers. Our Saturday night clam boil dinner was a festive event and another great opportunity to catch up with classmates. One of the highlights of the weekend was the jubilant procession out of the Van Wickle Gates and down College Hill. A large, boisterous group of 1970 alumni marched together behind our banner with lots of signs reading “1970 Strikes Again.” We peeled off beside the Rock and cheered on all the younger classes and new graduates and then we were cheered on by all as the procession inverted. A loud and joyous event enjoyed by all. If you have any memories of the reunion or other information to share, send an email to me at [email protected].”

The Poetry Foundation named Andres Cordoba ’25 MFA as one of five 2025 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg poetry fellows. Andres is the recipient of the 2024 John Hawkes Prize, the 2024 Edwin Honig Memorial Award, and the 2025 Keith & Rosmarie Waldrop Prize. He is currently the co-poetry editor for Big Score Lit and an MFA candidate in fiction at New York University.

Lily Zhao and Ian Reardon ’16 held their wedding celebration on July 20, 2024 in the Catskills, N.Y., after an eight-year relationship that began at Brown with a first date at the Avon. Attending were members of the wedding party Laila al-Nuaimi, Arun Varma ’16, Andy Chen ’15, Advik Iyer Guha ’16,  Corey Marsh ’17, and Vicky Zhou.

Philadelphia Flyers Charities’ Garnet Hathaway ’14 and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery cofounder Mariah Draper Calagione ’93 launched Engine 19 IPA, a citrus-forward pale ale brewed with a purpose. The collaboration is an effort to support Hathaway’s ongoing commitment to supporting local first responders and their families through his and his wife Lindsay’s Hath’s Heroes initiative. Engine 19 IPA reflects a shared passion between Hathaway and Dogfish Head for crafting something that brings people together for a cause.

Flynn Berry’s new novel Trust Her was published on June 24. Flynn writes: “My most recent novel Northern Spy was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and a New York Times bestseller.”

Angela Siew was awarded a 2025 Connecticut Artist Fellowship for a selection from her poetry chapbook “Coming Home,” which was a finalist for the 2023-24 CutBank Chapbook Contest (University of Montana). Learn more at angelasiew.com/books. Contact Angela at [email protected].

Class Officers write: “Excited about our upcoming 20th Reunion? So are we! Share recent updates and what you are most looking forward to at Reunion here in Class Notes or send to [email protected] for a chance to be featured!”

Emily Weinstein writes: “My debut memoir Turn To Stone was published on September 2 with Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. It is a memoir of sex, angst, and rocks, chronicling one woman’s ascent—on walls of stone and within herself—as she faces her demons and finds freedom and power in the raw and wild adventure of rock climbing.” Contact Emily at [email protected].

Gretchen Green ’98 MMScM, ’00 MD writes: “I’m excited to share the news that I did astronaut training as a member of the Blue Origin New Shepard NS-32 crew, which launched on Saturday, May 31. Our flight mirrored that of Alan Shepard, first American in space, whom I had the pleasure to meet while I worked as a crew trainer at Space Camp in 1994. It seemed impossible until now, but it was always worth fighting for despite all the challenges. I followed just over 100 women to fly in space in human history, and I am humbled, honored, and so incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”

Diane Johnson Grant and Joseph Grant ’95 eloped in July 2024 and had a church wedding in Manning Chapel on Feb. 7, 2025. There were several Brown alums in attendance including Brown Corporation members Joelle Murchison ’95 and Kwame Campbell ’92, and Brown’s VP for Campus Life Patricia Poitevien-LeBlanc ’98 MD. Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson was the officiant.

Ian Reifowitz writes: “My new book Riling Up the Base: Examining Trump’s Use of Stereotypes through an Interdisciplinary Lens (coauthored with Dr. Anastacia Kurylo) was published by DeGruyter Brill in August. Also, the Progressive Policy Institute published my article “How Democrats have lost sight of Obama’s vision of American national identity.” Jane Kaufman ’94, a gynecologist, and I live in New York City with our two wonderful daughters, Lauren, who just graduated from Cornell, and Kate, who starts at Emory in the fall.” Contact Ian at ian.
[email protected].

Dr. Paco Rodriguez, a musculoskeletal radiology specialist, has been assistant team radiologist for the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues (formerly St. Louis Rams), consulting radiologist for the NFL Combine and, from 2008 to 2025, head team radiologist for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s pictured with new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen who spent three years as QB coach at Brown (2010, 2012-2013). “Go Bruno in the NFL!”

Dan Pearson writes: “My screenplay Gan (The Garden) was copyrighted this past spring; it combines the Book of Tobit and Paradise Lost (in the original iambic pentameter) with an unsubtle concern for the environment and fun action scenes. An unformatted edition may be found at my blog, aneremia.wordpress.com. As I fumble around on the wrong coast for a Hollywood producer, I ask: Are you one, or do you know one? Ever true.” Contact Dan at [email protected]. 

Evie Ladin writes: “True to those who create independent concentrations, I have a successful three-decade-plus career as a professional musician, songwriter, dancer, choreographer, and square-dance caller. Roots music was not popular when we were launched into careers, but due to its current popularity and the fact that many of our kids are grown, I am finally meeting more of my age group in the scene. Recent releases include a live album of original songs and the second edition of old time fiddle/banjo duets with 17 different fiddlers, as well as Bay Area performances with my body-music dance company MoToR/dance. National tour dates abound and I hope to cross paths with Brunonians wherever I land.” See dates at evieladin.com/events. Contact Evie at [email protected].

Pebble Kranz ’07 MD writes: “I am pleased to share two recent professional milestones. As a sexual medicine and menopause medicine specialist, I serve as founder and medical director of the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness, where our team is dedicated to advancing care for individuals of all genders across the spectrum of sexual and relational health. At the 2025 SSTAR (Society for Sex Therapy and Research) conference, I was honored with the Sexual Tipping Point Award for a presentation introducing a trauma-informed protocol designed to help individuals who have not been able to undergo pelvic exams due to prior trauma. This approach aims to reduce barriers to essential gynecological care through a stepwise, patient-led process that highlights consent, bodily autonomy, and empowerment in medical settings. Additionally, I recently contributed a chapter to the third edition of New Directions in Sex Therapy, focusing on sexual health education in medical training. I am grateful for the strong foundation Brown provided and for the mentors and colleagues who continue to inspire my work in this important field.”

Tim Crellin writes: “After nearly 30 years in the ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church, I finally got around to finishing my first novel. The Land of the Living was published in February and shortlisted for an American Fiction Award. I was also a featured author at the Brattleboro Literary Festival in October. More info at timothycrellin.com.” 

Jessica Roeder has been named a 2025 McKnight Writer Fellow.

Kaui Chun DeMarzo writes: “I attended my 40th high school reunion. While there were seven of us from Punahou School in Honolulu who matriculated at Brown in the fall of 1985, there were four of us at our high school reunion: Brent Lee ’93 MD, Christina Ching, Mina Yang, and myself. I snapped a picture of me, Brent, and Christina, along Jared Crean ’13, ’14 MAT. Also, I met up with Adam Frankel at Stanford Law School, where he was attending a directors conference and I was near the area for a nice catch-up.”

Ravi Chandra was the recipient of the 2025 Kun-Po Soo Award for achievement in Asian American psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association and Association Foundation. The title of his award talk was “The Struggle with the Battleship of Biases is Real: Dark Horses, Black Sheep, Scapegoats, Underdogs, and Claiming Face in the Asian American Psyche.” Contact Ravi at
[email protected].

Phi Pham and Don Swann ’81 proudly celebrated the graduation of their son Ty Pham-Swan ’25 on May 25. Phi writes: “It’s been a blast visiting campus haunts while Ty was at Brown.”

Rebecca Pearlman Sy has two new occupations: retiree and empty nester! After 32 years of teaching high school mathematics, most recently in the Bay Area, she has retired and moved to Olympia, Wash. She will be playing maximum pickleball and doing a lot of exploring with her husband and dog in their Winnebago Travato.

Class Communications Chair Cecilia Francesca Pineda reports: “Brown ’86 is officially on the Road to Reunion. This fall we gathered in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, and Providence for mini-reunions that warmed us up for the big one. Thanks to every classmate who came out, shared stories, and sparked new connections. Now the countdown begins: our 40th Reunion hits College Hill over Memorial Day Weekend 2026. Mark your calendar, watch your inbox for registration details and keep an eye on our class Facebook and Instagram pages for photo recaps from the road. Let’s make the next stop of this journey the biggest celebration yet! See you back on campus.”

Andrew Lorin and Cheryl Malat are filled with pride and joy as they celebrate their son, Spencer Lorin ’25, on his graduation from Brown. They look forward to cheering him on through all the bright milestones that lie ahead. Contact Andrew at [email protected].

Joan MacLeod Heminway became the director of the Clayton Center for Entrepreneurial Law at the University of Tennessee’s Frank Winston College of Law on August 1, 2025—the 25th anniversary of her start date as a law professor. The center focuses on practical legal training for business law students. Its work includes publishing a student-edited business law journal (Transactions, The Tennessee Journal of Business Law), managing a business law curriculum and related concentration program within the J.D. curriculum, supporting experiential learning opportunities for J.D. students, and promoting practical business law scholarship and teaching. Contact Joan at [email protected].

Linda Peters writes: “I’m a Chicago-based writer, where I also work for a nonprofit serving low-income residents on the Northwest Side. My first book, The George Floyd Chronicles: And Other Selected Writings, released on Amazon in paperback on May 16. Hardcover was released later in the week. These provocative writings deal with social injustice, race relations, politics, and deeply personal stories in both poetry and prose. The bulk of the collection is a series of poems written in 2020 in the aftermath of the brutal murder of George Floyd on May 25th that sparked national and international protests. It is a fitting gift as this year marks the fifth anniversary of that tragic and momentous event. I had my first book signing at a local cafe in Chicago on June 1, and on June 12 I was interviewed on a local podcast called “Move Ahead.” I’ve also published a Spanish translation of my book on Kindle, also available on Amazon. And I’m preparing to do a voice-recorded version for Audible Books on Amazon.”

Don Swann and his partner Phi Pham ’87 visited Brown in May to celebrate their son Ty Pham-Swann’s 2025 graduation. Don and Phi live in Tucson, Ariz., and their daughter Inge Pham-Swann (Macalester College 2022) lives in New York City. Don retired in April after more than 32 years as a biologist at Saguaro National Park. He plans to continue working on Sonoran Desert conservation research and restoration, especially related to climate and the saguaro cactus. He can be reached at [email protected]. 

Sarah Rosenthal writes: “I’m excited to share news of my latest book, One Thing Follows Another: Experiments in Dance, Art, and Life through the Lens of Simone Forti and Yvonne Rainer, cowritten with Valerie Witte. It comprises formally inventive, poetic essays that combine investigation of the two groundbreaking choreographers’ work with our own experiences of dance. Collaboratively written footnotes between Rainer and us bring her perspective into the text. It was published March 28, 2025 by Punctum Books.”

Jonathan Phinney writes: “I retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in May after a rewarding federal career in conservation, although not the career that I anticipated when graduating with a history degree. Along the way, I managed to get through a few personal and professional obstacles with my humor and self-esteem intact. I am now happily remarried and have two kids and three steps—all adults, thankfully. For my next career, I will help a friend in his team and leadership training program that revolves around rowing. So I may have come full circle to Brown, where I spent a huge amount of time plowing the Seekonk River in a crew shell. I’ll remain in the D.C. area for the time being and invite others to contact me when in the area or just to reconnect. Ever true!”  Contact Jonathan at [email protected].

Christina Neal writes: “In April, I said goodbye to 42 years as a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) volcanologist. I carry precious memories into retirement including summer field seasons in Alaska; two years as a geoscience advisor at USAID; serving as scientist-in-charge of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) and representing HVO as a finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America award; and leading the USGS Volcano Science Center. I thank inspirational Brown mentors Tim Mutch, Jim Head, Jan Tullis, Barrett Hazeltine, and Giles Milhaven for launching my journey. My partner and I will stay in Alaska for now, splitting time between Anchorage and Homer. We look forward to more time with friends and family, travel and freedom to work on causes dear.” Contact Christina at [email protected].

Allan Chernoff, Steve Vogler, Marshall Jaffe, and Richie Feder hiked through snow, hail, and rain as they experienced the majesty of Rocky Mountain National Park in early June. There were stretches of sunshine too, as they climbed mountains, forded streams, and came face-to-face with moose, elk, and marmots. Contact Allan at [email protected].

Susan B. Squires received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts on Jan. 11, 2025, where Robin MacArthur ’00 serves as a faculty member. During the program, author Andrew Greer ’92 generously agreed to be interviewed for Hunger Mountain Review about Less Is Lost, the sequel to his Pulitzer Prize–winning novel Less. Susan welcomes opportunities to collaborate on projects and invites fellow alumni to visit her website, susanbsquires.com.

Nathan A. Bicks, a member of Burch, Porter and Johnson, PLLC in Memphis, Tenn., has been named to the inaugural Forbes Best-in-State Lawyers 2025 list, recognizing his practice in government relations. Contact Nathan at [email protected].

Noel Rubinton Jr. writes: “In May, Princeton University Press published my first book, Looking for a Story: A Complete Guide to the Writings of John McPhee, about the great nonfiction writer. I have been reading and admiring McPhee since I was 14 and the book is part guide and part biography. My goal is to help readers explore his vast work—including much that is little known, such as remarkable stories in Time magazine never before attributed to him. I’ve been on a terrific book tour through the spring and summer, including a wonderful stop at the Brown Bookstore. It has been heartwarming to see so many Brown alums, faculty and staff along the way.”

Lucinda Flowers writes: “During a busy Super Bowl Weekend in New Orleans, it was great to have Chris Berman take the time to join a Brown Club of New Orleans gathering to talk about his years at ESPN. Peter Kovacs ’78 moderated the conversation (see Peter’s note in the Fall ’25 BAM).”

Frank Feldman completed a brand-new album of instrumental music titled Notes from Underground. It is available for streaming and/or purchase at/through all the usual suspects: Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, iTunes, etc. It was a labor of love, and the composer very much hopes you will enjoy and even be moved by it.

Class 50th Reunion Cochair Deborah Chick Burke writes: “Planning has begun for our 50th reunion. Since communication about the reunion will be sent via email, we ask that you please make sure that Brown has your correct email on file. We hope to see many classmates return in May 2027.”    

Keith Glassman writes: “My feature documentary film about male contemporary dancers, Lives Beyond Motion, was awarded the Best Feature Documentary at its festival world premiere at Dance Camera West in Hollywood. A decade-long project, it’s now reaching audiences all over the world. I’m not sure when it’ll get to Providence and College Hill, so please pass the word.”

Joe Meis writes: “Members of the Brown Class of 1975 crew, along with several spouses, friends, and assorted hangers-on, returned to campus over Memorial Day weekend to celebrate our 50th reunion. Charles Tansey ’74, in addition to serving as the event instigator, activity coordinator, and general all-around master of ceremonies, graciously hosted us at his home in Bristol, R.I. for a picnic on Saturday afternoon. On Friday, we got together for lunch at India Restaurant on Hope Street, attended the Campus Dance, and spent time wandering around campus reliving old memories. The high point of the weekend was, without a doubt, an alumni row on the Seekonk River Saturday morning (see photo above). Men’s crew head coach Paul Cooke ’89 provided an eight-oar shell for us to use and a coxswain to steer us while assistant coach Rufus Biggs ’19 followed along beside us in the coach’s launch to ensure that none of us fell out of the boat and drowned. Our freshman year coach Albin Moser ’67 even joined us in the boat, rowing in the five seat! Everyone agreed that the weekend was a success and that we should all make plans to get together again soon, hopefully before another 50 years elapse.” 

Ronald Grelsamer writes: “I enjoyed my 50th reunion. The new buildings are fabulous,  but what happened to the Grad Center? It’s in shambles. What used to be white is now a dirty gray. Can some of the building funds not be used for a good powerwash? I’ll be glad to furnish pictures of the Grad Center in 1975.”

Joseph E. Fieschko Jr. writes: “I just returned from my 50th reunion and many thanks to everyone who put together this massive undertaking. It is appreciated. I did not want this milestone to pass without making note of one very important cultural and athletic phenomenon that was unique to the class of 1975. The basketball coach James “Gerry” Alaimo ’58 did something completely revolutionary in Ivy League history in recruiting almost all Black players for our class. Edward “Eddie” Morris, Phillip “Phil” Brown, Lloyd Desvignel, and Vaughn Clark, along with others, played an extremely exciting brand of basketball as they dominated their freshmen season. All of the cheerleaders were also Black, and there were a lot of them. They were a very spirited and disciplined group and made the games a completely unique cultural experience. Eddie Morris and Vaughn Clark roomed next to me and Neil Derechin at Slater Hall freshman year, so we were able to get to know them on a personal level. The core stayed together for the rest of our tenure at Brown and always were taking runs at the Ivy League title and battling Marvin Barnes and Ernie DiGregorio from Providence College in the annual Providence game. Those were heady days and kudos to all of those groundbreaking individuals!  It was unforgettable.”

Dusan Culich and Marianne Michael Culich returned from a Brown Travelers trip to Alaska. They were accompanied by William Frost ’74 and his wife Quiana, Linda Papermaster ’72 and her husband Nahum Gat, and Mark Scott and Diane DiGianfilippo Scott.

Richard Brust writes: “On May 20, I published Chambers v. Florida and the Criminal Justice Revolution. It demonstrates the influence of African American lawyers in early criminal and civil rights cases, as well as the growing public awareness of abuses of power by white sheriffs and law enforcement authorities during this time. It highlights the ever-present need to safeguard protections for minority and impoverished individuals accused of crimes, reminding readers that with perseverance and vigilance, justice can prevail.” 

The Class of 1975 officers report: “We celebrated our 50th reunion in May. Not only was it a significant milestone, it was the first opportunity for our class to come together in 10 years after missing our 45th reunion during Covid. Approximately 250 classmates and 90 guests came together for a weekend of camaraderie, reminiscing, dining, dancing, and celebration. The highlight of the weekend was the march down College Hill on Commencement Day, where we cheered for the new graduates and other alums and they cheered for us.”

Leslie Schover retired from her career in clinical psychology and is enjoying writing fiction. Her first novel will be published in January 2026 by SheWrites Press. Fission: A Novel of Atomic Heartbreak is based on Leslie’s parents’ tales of life in the secret city of Oak Ridge, Tenn., during the Manhattan Project. She was also inspired to write it by revelations that two Soviet atomic spies operated there, working in the same building as her father. Like him, they were both electronics engineers from first-generation immigrant Jewish families. The novel imagines what might have happened if they’d met.

Carl Robbins writes: “In April, I received a significant award from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the Jerilyn Ross Clinician Advocate Award. It’s a kind of career recognition honor that reads: “To honor the memory and lifework of Jerilyn Ross, ADAA’s cofounder and president from 1985 to 2010, this award acknowledges a professional who exemplifies excellence and outstanding advocacy for patient education and care, training, and research.” I continue to work full-time as a psychotherapist at the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland. I’m a senior clinician, training director, and mentor for this large group practice.”

Steve Cowell writes: “To my friends at Brown: As a ’72 graduate, I have two stories—one sad and one very positive. First is the sad one: I attended a goodbye gathering a year ago of some of us who created the Brown student cooperative housing, or BACH, in 1970. It lasted more than 50 years and unfortunately went under for financial issues. As the founder of BACH (which changed its name to PEACH 5-7 years ago), I was sad to see it end. On the positive side, I attended a presentation by the Brown urban studies program with the medical team about urban impacts on resident health. We then had a gathering of the urban studies members after the event and it was a great feeling to see it continue after we helped it get started in 1971. My great appreciation stands with the leaders in the beginning such as professors Chinitz, Chudacoff, and Vanecko, who helped me get it started with about 15 fellow students using the New Curriculum as a foundation to create a collaborative new curriculum. We move on. Thanks to all, and particularly the new director, Samuel Zipp.”  

Robert Waxler writes: “In 1966, David Beckman and I met at Brown as undergraduates and became good friends, participating in literature discussions as freshmen in our dorm rooms in Mead House, then around the seminar tables of the English honors program and as seniors in a house off-campus on Hope St. After graduation, we both pursued our love of literature and language. I became an English professor at UMass Dartmouth; David became a commercial writer in New York City as well as a poet and playwright. For the next 60 years we had little direct contact with each other,  but our friendship, sealed at Brown through those memorable discussions, was not forgotten. As good fortune might have it, we recently rekindled that friendship through an extensive exchange of letters (as we call them), email discussions ranging from our views of Shakespeare to the Romantic poets, Greek culture to contemporary American fiction, to language and life itself. Eventually, those letters became our new book, published by Rivertowns Books at the beginning of August. Readers of early drafts of the book have commented on the way our discussions often weave our personal joy and friendship together with significant commentary and insights about literature and language. No doubt our experience at Brown is in many ways the foundation for the book itself, and I want to thank the Brown community for the wonderful gift they have granted us.”

David Beckman, along with classmate Robert Waxler, cowrote You Say, I Say: Staying Alive with Literature, Language and Friendship. “Our book has its origins at Brown, where, as undergraduates, we became friends and colleagues, began our lifelong love of literature, and even published a poetry chapbook. Only in recent years have we reconnected to write this book—part joint memoir, part three-year rumination on the huge role that language and literature has played in our very different writing and professional lives.”

Ward Thompson writes from the Sierra foothills of Northern California. After years of participating in local governance, he and Diana are transitioning into their “bonus retirement phase” with emphasis on grandparenthood, not-so-active gardening, and annual visits to his native New Hampshire, where he recently enjoyed lunch with Bob Tortolani. Ward continues his stellar thespian pursuits begun in Sock & Buskin’s Blood Wedding as third woodsman and continuing last year in Death by Design, where he played “The Body.”

Marty Lawyer is currently living in downtown Dunedin, Fla., where he can walk to church, restaurants, and pubs. He can also jog and bicycle on the Pinellas Trail. He enjoys time with his sons, who live in nearby Tampa. All three love soccer and the Green Bay Packers.

Evan Gost retired after piloting for the U.S. Navy and Delta and is an active volunteer in California. Among his many commitments is an organization that supports a Marine battalion that had a difficult deployment to Afghanistan—25 were killed in action and more than 150 were wounded (80 became  amputees). He reports that he has had the honor and privilege of comforting Gold Star families and assisting wounded veterans. He also assists and runs in Memorial Day races that honor and include amputees.

George McCully writes: “I published a short (116 page) book, Christianity Then and Now: Can It Be Saved? Christianity today is generally acknowledged to be in possibly terminal decline. Whereas twentieth-century church membership was stable at about 69% of American adults, in the past 25 years median congregation size has dropped from 137 to 65; 100,000 churches are now expected to close soon. But in 2023, the Pew Research Center reported that a closely equivalent number, 62%, call themselves “Christian,” whatever that may mean. What may have happened is not necessarily a decline of spirituality or religiosity but a simple flight from Christian churches. This book has two purposes: first, to define Christianity correctly, anchored in a new textual analysis of John’s Gospel and later authorities; and second, to suggest a number of fundamental adaptations traditional Christianity must now make to reverse the trend and gain viability today. 

Personal news: I have been twice married and have four children and three grandchildren. Between the two, I was for 10 years the single father of two boys. I am now semi-retired and living in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. Health is excellent and finally after 20 years of commuting from Boston, I am joined by Barbara Ardan, a former professor of painting in Oneonta, New York. Most of my time now is spent writing, gardening, and working out at the local Y.” Contact George at [email protected]. 

Marilyn Carlson Simon and William Simon celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with family and friends on May 28. They reside in Pomperaug Woods in Southbury, Conn.

Al Gerstein writes: “The mailbox for the class of ’54 has been rather barren these past months. So I thought: ‘Why not submit some of my meanderings?’ Naomi and I are doing remarkably well for people our age (me 93 and she 83). We both still drive and go for daily walks of one to two miles plus (plus for her). Our social life with close friends continues to get winnowed down by the Grim Reaper, who stands in our not-too-distant future. New friends tend to be younger and our time with them is spent in sedentary pursuits. We continue to spend the winter months in our condo on Longboat Key and enjoy beach walking, continuing education classes, Gulf swimming, and going to an excellent gym four floors down from our apartment. No more trips to Europe or summering in Maine. (It’s just taking too much out of me. Aging has sapped my resilience.) 

Two adult grandchildren live nearby and enrich our lives sharing their interests and activities. Two others, ages three and ten, live in Madison, Wisconsin with their two alumni parents, Hilary Gerstein ’03 and Martin Lichtman ’01. Our traveling now focuses on flying to share significant events in their lives. We’re planning to downsize and move to a continuing care facility next year and have already started the process of winnowing down those things which we’ve been accumulating over these past 48 years in this one house. I’ve gotten rid of 15 boxes of books and it has barely dented the pile. I dread how it will proceed once we are under any time pressure. What will I do with my Yankee whaling memorabilia—a harpoon, lance, and gaff hook? Also, my collection of operas on 45 rpm records (haven’t been played since 1970). Time will tell. 

Oh, one last thing—Gordon Webster, a fellow classmate, has moved into the same continuing care facility. We barely crossed paths when we were classmates. But who knows? There may be the opportunity for both of us to further enrich our lives. I also received a certificate of appreciation in February 2025 from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Dept. of State, for my service as a final Volunteer Evaluator for the Department of State’s Youth Program. I have read applications for over a decade from students, primarily from Eastern European countries. As many as 45,000 applications from students from about 16 to 21 years of age are submitted to overseas offices annually and are pared down to about 1,200 in the United States. Students are assigned to American families throughout the country and attend local schools among students in their age bracket. There is a high degree of success among the students, with many following a professional career track in their countries in politics, medicine, education, and business.”

Lawrence Lundgren writes: “I am halfway to becoming 94 years old and am enjoying every day of my life here in Sweden, especially because we have a home service system that provides employees to come to me three days a week to place grocery orders, walk with me, and discuss their history in their home countries, their life here, and hopes for the future in the home countries. My favorites are the Middle East, Northern Africa, and South America. My family in Sweden consists of Ann and Annika. My two most important professors at Brown were Alonzo Quinn (geology) and Arlan Coolidge (music).” Contact Lawrence at
[email protected].