The Classes

 Ann Harleman ’88 AM published her fifth book Tell Me, Signora, a novel set in Italy just after 9/11. Its heroine, an archaeologist caught up in efforts to aid refugees from the Kosovo War, must make the choice of a lifetime.

Joseph Coughlin ’86 AM, founder and director of MIT’s AgeLab and author of The Longevity Economy: Inside the World’s Fastest Growing, Most Misunderstood Market, will partner with CI Financial Corp. on how better to serve retired and aging clients whose investment needs and expectations are changing. He was named one of ten innovators for the 2019 Icons and Innovators list by InvestmentNews.

Rakesh Kaul ’75 ScM writes “I published my second novel, Dawn: The Warrior Princess of Kashmi, with Penguin Press.”

William Stork ’66 MAT writes: “I am still active as an educational consultant and have been asked to join the board of the Brown Club of Boston. As you may know from the news, Hong Kong has a bit of turmoil, but Brown’s spunky professor Josiah Carberry was there to see if the rumpus would have any effect on his research (he said ‘no’). A good visit, I hadn’t seen him since that celebration in his honor at the Brown Club of Boston several years ago.”

Kaitlin Moran ’09 MAT launched Juntos Boston to support undocumented, unaccompanied youth in the greater Boston area. Visit juntosboston.org.

Stephanie Fortunato ’08 AM, director of Providence’s Department of Art, Culture and Tourism since 2016, is among the four new appointees to the New England Foundation for the Arts Advisory Council. Contact Stephanie at sfortunato@providenceri.gov.

Michelle Manes ’04 ScM, ’07 PhD is a coauthor of Linear Algebra and Geometry, published through the American Mathematical Society.

 Marcia Chatelain ’03 AM, ’08 PhD, published Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America with Liveright Publishing. Franchise examines the hidden history of the relationship between the civil rights movement and the fast food industry. She was promoted to the rank of professor at Georgetown University, where she teaches history.

Ernesto Renda had his first solo exhibition, “Frottage Works,” at the National Arts Club in New York City on February 3-27, 2020.

Ivy Alphonse-Crean and Jared Crean ’13, ’14 MAT, are thrilled to welcome their son Wesley into the world.
Wesley Anthony Alphonse Crean was born on Nov. 30, 2019.

Chelsea Walters and Justin Batcheller were married on June 16 at 320 Guest Ranch in Big Sky, Montana. The couple met at the Grad Center Bar during Spring Weekend in 2013. Currently, Justin is studying dentistry at UPenn and Chelsea is a general dentist. They live in the Philadelphia area. Fellow Brunonians in attendance were Clay Aldern, Moss Amer, Phil Bartel ’14, Annette Lopez ’14, Celi Khanyile-Lynch, Hannah Miles, Logan Mutz, Jeremiah Oteh, Jake Price ’14 ScMIMEE, Joey Resnick, and Sidney Scott.

Katya Potkin married Bart Stein ’09 on June 29, 2019, in Park City, Utah. The wedding was officiated by Max Potkin and the wedding party included Ben Bernstein ’09, Alexandra Grieb ’17 MD, Catherine Gross, Emma Ramadan, and Tom Trudeau ’09.

Writer Meara Sharma is the editor-in-chief of Adi, a newly launched literary magazine of global politics (adimagazine.com). Based in London, she can be reached on Twitter @mearasharma.

Alex Michael and husband Harrison Noffs ’07 welcomed daughter Penelope Rhys Noffs to the world on Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. Alex writes: “Both mom and baby are healthy and our family couldn’t be happier.”

Copresidents Roophy Roy and Jabari-Jason Tyson-Phipps report: “It’s been almost 15 years since we walked out the Van Wickle Gates and into the real world. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to share old memories and new stories during reunion 2020, May 22-24. Come join our 15-year reunion and take a walk down memory lane during Campus Dance and Field Day. Join us for exclusive class events, to kick back and catch up, or do some networking. Registration is open. Consider contributing to the class fund so we can have the best reunion ever. Sign up early to save more and look for our class Social Media groups to start the party early. We look forward to seeing you all.”

Nicholas Bayard writes: “In 2018, my wife, Sedia, and I welcomed a baby boy, Keaton, into our family. This past year, our oldest son, Ukweli, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and I was appointed assistant chief equity officer for the city of Tacoma. My work involves addressing disparities in recruiting, hiring, and retention practices throughout the city, ensuring an equity lens is applied to all policy decision making and that we are building our collective consciousness as a city around issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We have an amazing office of ten people who investigate civil rights claims and provide training, community outreach, and policy support. Our chief equity officer, Diane Powers, is leading nationwide efforts to embed racial equity into public policy.”

Jessica Blanco-Busam ’04 MAT was appointed to the board of directors of the San Miguel School in Providence, R.I. San Miguel is a mission-based Lasallian boys school located in Providence that has been in operation since 1993. The school serves grades 5-8 students who come from underserved populations in the Providence area. Jessica has served on the Executive Director’s Council and is the middle school principal at Highlander Charter School in Providence. Contact her at jessica.blancobusam@gmail.com.

The Humans, a one-act play written by Stephen Karam, was performed at the San Jose Stage Company November 20 to December 15, 2019. The play opened on Broadway in 2016 after an engagement Off-Broadway in 2015. The Humans was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play.

Daniel N. Kantrovitz ’01 joined the Chicago Cubs as new vice president of scouting. Previously Daniel was assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics and director of scouting for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Courtney Maum’s new book, Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book, was published on Jan. 7.

Cassidy Puckett received her PhD in sociology from Northwestern University and is an assistant professor at Emory University. She conducts research on the relationship between technological change and inequality in education, occupations, and health care. She published a solo-authored study in Harvard Educational Review called “CS4Some? Differences in Technology Learning Readiness” about new educational policies concerning computer science education. She is currently working on a book under advance contract related to this topic.

Rowan Paul and Naomi Ture are still living in the Bay Area. Naomi had a big year with her docuseries Pick of the Litter launching on Disney+, and her other doc, Blessed Child, premiered at Doc NYC. After a decade as a partner in an orthopedic group in San Francisco, Rowan has decided to launch his own regenerative sports medicine and orthopedics practice to allow him to stay at the cutting edge and innovate freely. He continues to be involved with several startups, including a wearable robotic exoskeleton company and a neuromodulation device for chronic pain. Rowan writes; “Our son, Teilan, now 5, is growing up to be a sweet, musical, happy boy.”

Spencer and Bethany Blanchard Haller dated all four years at Brown and tied the knot in Manning Chapel the August after graduation. They celebrated with family, friends, and classmates at the Faculty Club and heard that some enjoyed a post-wedding celebration at the Grad Center Bar. The Hallers live with their three active children in East Longmeadow, Mass. Spencer is a primary care physician and Bethany owns a yoga and meditation studio. Bethany writes: “Our family’s story began with meeting at Brown, and it will always hold a special place in our hearts.”

Sarah Johnson Atunah-Jay ’07 MD writes: “I can’t believe it’s been 20 years. I live in Minnesota with my sweet husband and three phenomenal children. I am an assistant professor of pediatrics at Mayo Clinic, where I conduct community-based participatory research on bias and discrimination and early childhood literacy.”

Communications cochair Jennie Kerson Pritzker reports: “Get ready for our 20th Reunion, which will take place May 22-24. We have lots of great activities planned and we are looking forward to catching up with all of you!”

Elana Horwich is on tour with her comedic cookbook-memoir Meal and a Spiel: How to be a Badass in the Kitchen. The book is based on her experiences living in Italy while taking time off from Brown, which ultimately led her to become an Italian studies major. She spoke at The Strand Bookstore in New York City and was interviewed by Andrew Shapiro ’90.

Kevin Murphy was appointed as a Municipal Court Judge for the City of Warwick (R.I.) in September 2019. Kevin writes: “It’s an honor to serve my community and my home state in this new capacity.”

Mark Tracy has joined Cloud Agronomics as their CEO. He writes: “Cloud Agronomics was founded by Jack Roswell ’20, David Schurman ’20, and Oleksiy Zhuk ’20, which is just the start of the many Brown connections to the company. Cloud Agronomics is transforming agriculture by utilizing hyperspectral imaging to capture unparalleled insights into plant health. With these insights Cloud is building a living, breathing map of global agriculture, which will make the food system more sustainable while also increasing its production.”

Communications chair Denielle Bertarelli-Webb reports: “We hope to see you in Providence in May to celebrate our 25th reunion. Friday, May 22: Stop by Andrews Commons between 7 and 9 p.m. for class drinks and appetizers before Campus Dance. Saturday, May 23: See you at Field Day starting at noon (wear your Class of 1995 reunion T-shirt), then join us from 6 to 10 p.m. for our very special “Camp Bruno” 25th Reunion Celebration Dinner and entertainment on the Ruth Simmons Quad. It’s not to be missed. Stay updated on all reunion activities via our class website https://bit.ly/38fDB9g and follow our Class of 1995 Facebook page.”

Stephen J. Thoma writes “After recently completing my third marathon, all within 18 months, I am pleased to announce that I will be competing in my second straight Boston Marathon in April 2020. Hoping to execute a 3:10 finish (hey I’m 49 years old). So I’m getting back into an appropriate training plan here in Colorado Springs. I would love to see my Brown wrestling buddies and fraternity brothers every half mile along the route holding up big signs of encouragement and to celebrate afterwards LOL. Anyways, a big thanks to my stepdaughters Breanne and Makenzie for all their support, motivation, and encouragement.”

Becky Bleifeld Black and Matt Black ’91 are still living in Paris. Becky writes: “We originally came for my job at the NBA, fast-forward 15 years and we’ve started a nonprofit, Rock U. (www.rock-u.fr), that brings kids together from all over the world to learn responsibility, confidence, and teamwork by playing rock music together. Brunonians whose kids are part of the past and present Rock U. family include Anne Beale ’84, Nicole Williams Roland ’88, Johnny Stein ’88, and Laura Voorhees Victoir ’00. We’ve had innumerable Brown alums stop by as they pass through Paris; please look us up next time you’re here!”

The class reunion committee reports: “Hey class of 1990! We’re counting down the days until our 30th Reunion. We’ve got a lot of great things planned for reunion weekend, and we can’t wait to see everyone. Registration is now open, so please head to brunonia.brown.edu to sign up. We’ll be kicking things off Friday night with a class welcome celebration in front of Meehan and then head over together to Campus Dance. Don’t miss our class forum on Saturday and a special dinner on Saturday night. There’s a lot more planned so make sure you’re following our updates on the Class of 1990 Facebook page and our tweets at @brownclassof90. See you soon.”

Ellen LaPointe ’89 is the new CEO of Fenway Health, an LGBT health care, research, and advocacy organization headquartered in Boston. She previously served as president and CEO of Northern California Grantmakers in San Francisco.

Ka Yee Lee ’86 has been appointed new provost of the University of Chicago, the first female in the role. She joined the university in 1998 as an assistant professor of chemistry and was named vice provost in 2018.

Darcy Honig Simon writes: “I am so excited to attend not only my 35th reunion, but also the graduation of my daughter, Juliana Simon ’20. Juliana followed in my footsteps, playing varsity tennis at Brown, and is my favorite doubles partner. We have competed in mother/daughter tennis tournaments over the past few years and to date have won two national titles. Professionally, after earning a JD/MBA at UCLA, I practiced corporate/securities law for 10 years and am now the executive administrator of a full-service law firm in Century City (Los Angeles).”

Reunion chairs Daphne Moore and Nancy Shaw Chochrek write: “Hey, classmates, we’re super excited about our upcoming reunion. We have a really fun line-up of events scheduled, beginning with a pregame party Friday evening on the Front Green before Campus Dance. On Saturday, we’re trying out something new—an afternoon forum looking at the question of how we lean into the third act with a renewed and maybe revised sense of purpose. We’ll hear from a panel of our classmates about the twists and turns their own paths have taken and how the lenses they’re using to shape their journeys now relate to the ones they were using when they graduated from Brown. The highlight of the weekend’s festivities will be Funk Nite on Saturday night at Sayles Hall, where we plan to party like it’s 1999 (or even 1985) and, as always, on Sunday we’ll walk through the Van Wickle Gates once again in the Commencement procession. If you haven’t made your plans yet, please do so now. We’re looking forward to an amazing weekend in which we relive some great memories and make some wonderful new ones.”

Sheryl Renee Dobson’s work has been selected by the Staten Island Arts Council to appear in its upcoming “Dawn of a New Decade” group art exhibit. The opening reception for the exhibit was on Thursday, January 23, 2020 and the exhibit will run until the end of April 2020. See ttps://statenislandarts.org/event/12331/.

 Linda Peters writes: “I can’t believe I turned 60 in January. As part of this milestone in my life, I’m inviting Brown folks who know me to send me photos and remembrances—especially humorous ones (Brown Chorus members, hint, hint...) to my email so I can share them with my family here in Chicago. Send to: Ljpagape12@gmail.com. I’ve collaborated with two amazingly talented Brown grads, Simon Moore ’00 and Stephanie Morimoto ’99, in my former position as director of development at the Northwest Side Housing Center. In October, I transitioned to a newly created position as director of older adult programs—how appropriate. As part of my job, I run the Kelvyn Park Senior Satellite Center and I’m still doing development work, but now focused on our older adult programs. I’m also in my first year of an Ed.D. program in Higher Education Leadership at National Louis University.”

Kristin Faust was named by Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker as executive director of the state of Illinois ’s housing finance agency, the Illinois Housing Development Authority. She writes: “IHDA is something akin to a public bank for affordable housing. It administers the vast majority of funding for the creation and preservation of affordable housing for the state. With my daughter, Sojourner, off studying at Emory University in Atlanta, I was just getting the hang of being an empty nester. I spent the last five years as president of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago. I’m looking forward to this new challenge.”

Our 40th reunion plans are in place. Please join classmates for a fabulous celebration May 22-24, 2020. Our theme? “Reunited and It Feels So Good!” We’ve got tunes to guide our way…with blasts from the past and cheers to the future. A slide show is being created for the weekend so send photos from our time at Brown. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to reminisce. Email pictures to tmotolanez123@gmail.com by April 30, 2020.

Steven Maricic writes: “In my novel Defense Mechanism, Colonel Sam Sawyer, the chief of security at a crucial Air Force base in the Arizona desert, learns of a plot to destroy the U.S. in a massive attack and tries his best to stop it. The antagonist, Johnnie Lonetree, is Native American, and Native culture pounds like a drum throughout the tale. In one sense it is a suspense story, but on another level it is about the psychological defense mechanisms all of us employ:
how we protect ourselves, often without knowing it, from the slings and arrows of harsh reality. Visit https://maricic.weebly.com for more.”

Joan Reede ’75, dean for diversity and community partnership at Harvard Medical School and professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been elected as a 2019 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was recognized for her “distinguished contributions to the fields of workforce, mentoring, and leadership development in biomedical sciences and health policy.”

Rhonda Port Walker reports: “Our 45th reunion is just around the corner. Join your 1975 classmates in the festivities May 22-24, 2020. All reunion communications will be electronic so be sure to visit brunonia.brown.edu to update your email address. Check our class website and Facebook page for reunion weekend details—both can be accessed through the Brunonia website.”

Class president Marie Stoeckel and class secretary Mary Hutchings Reed have teamed up with the $3.5 million Build Together campaign to help establish a Catholic Center on Prospect Street to serve the Brown and RISD communities. They are hoping to raise $250,000 to name the Center’s garden in memory of Fr. Howard O’Shea, who was the Catholic Chaplain from 1967-1994. Details about this and other giving opportunities are available at www.Brownrisdcatholic.org/campaign [or /fr-oshealegacy].

According to PR Newswire, Elie Hirschfeld ’71 has been appointed to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, a government agency whose mission is to identify, protect, and preserve cemeteries, monuments, and historic buildings in Eastern and Central Europe that are associated with U.S. heritage.

 Allen G. Castner has retired from Castner Wealth Management after more than 40 years in the financial services business. He and his wife, Erin, enjoy their retirement spending time with their four children and four grandchildren and living in Morristown, N.J., Kiawah Island, S.C., and Vero Beach, Fla.

Your class officers and reunion committee urge you to join us at our 50th Reunion May 22-24. This will be a wonderful opportunity to reminisce about our time at Brown, catch up with friends, and experience all the changes that have occurred at Brown over the years. We have planned festive dinners on Friday and Saturday nights, lunch with our own forum on Saturday, an architecture tour of changes at Brown led by Class President Jack Renshaw, a memorial service, and of course the commencement procession down College Hill on Sunday. Thanks to the generosity of classmates donating dues over the past four years, fees for registration and events will be significantly subsidized allowing classmates to pay, on average, $19 less per event than previous 50th Reunion classes. Make sure your email address is correct on Brunonia (brunonia.brown.edu). Registration is online only and opens in early April. Register early so that your name will be on the attending list, which may encourage more classmates to decide to attend. Also, by registering early you will save additional fees imposed after May 1. Don’t forget to fill out your survey for your page in our 50th Reunion yearbook. The invitation came in an email from Class President Jack Renshaw in late November. Denny Arar (denny@miaow.com) has been updating our website and Class of ’70 Facebook page; you can send her information about you, pictures, and whether you will be coming to reunion, or you can do it the old fashioned way by emailing Geri Williams at geri3williams@comcast.net. Hope to see you in May.”

Ruth Medak writes: “I am still enjoying the benefits of my great education at Brown. My career started with private practice in internal medicine primary care, then medical quality improvement and finally shifted to hospice and palliative care about 10 years ago. I still can’t believe my luck in being hired by a great hospice serving about 550 patients in a remarkable health system, working with fabulous people from the top of the hierarchy to the aides. Seven years ago (at age 65!) I became the hospice medical director and have enjoyed it so much that I will be working until they make me retire. Meanwhile, life is good, health is excellent, energy outstanding, and friends and family are all doing well. I am soon off to Kathmandu to attend my goddaughter’s traditional three-day Nepali wedding and go on my third trek with one of my sisters. Portland is beautiful with the leaves turning and not too much rain yet. Sadly, I missed the reunion but was thinking of you all. Stay well, contented, and fulfilled.”

Celebrating a career of work on major law firm mergers, dissolutions, and other disputes that have shaped the industry, the New York Law Journal honored Les Corwin, managing partner of Eisner, LLP’s New York office, with its 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Doug Gortner writes: “In my eleven years living in wonderful Nashville, I have met but one Brown alumna, no alumnus. I retired from development work to devote my full time to my artistic bent. Those few of you who can conjure up my face may recall that I played jazz piano in a coffee house up above Toy Suns. Well, I still can’t read music, have had bones removed from both thumbs, and now have no feeling in my fingertips (inherited from my dad). Nonetheless, to my total consternation, l am now considered a top private-party corporate-function pianist in Music City. I am also acting in commercials and music videos. Finally, I sell photographs, taken with a $250 camera, for $350. I’m very excited to have been invited to hang a one-man show at a downtown gallery. If you are in Nashville let’s get together.”

Paul Hammond’s fourth historical novel, Diamond, a novel of the American Revolution, is available on Amazon.

David Brodsky writes: “I am approaching my tenth year as a full-time arbitrator and mediator of complex commercial and financial disputes, acting out of my independent firm of Brodsky ADR LLC. Last May, I was elected as a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA) and I was inducted in October. See ccarbitrators.org. The CCA is a peer-selected group comprised of nationally and internationally recognized commercial arbitrators. Meanwhile, five members of the class of 1964 still meet monthly for lunch: Richard Fried, Philip Hahn, Jonathan Small, Larry Sorkin, and me.”

Dale Richard Perelman’s nonfiction book, New Castle’s Kandunce Murders: Mystery and the Devil in Northwest Pennsylvania, was released in November.

Class secretary Martha McCauley Anderson reports: “The class of ’63 is planning our 2020 mini-reunion as a wrap-around event to the Fall Alumni Weekend. We will gather Wednesday evening and schedule activities up to the start of the weekend. As soon as the Alumni Weekend dates are announced, we will hunt for the best hotel prices and get all the information out to you. Providence is beautiful in the fall and we hope many of you can join us. Contact Barbara Smith Langworthy for details: blangwort@aol.com.”

Ed Sheridan writes: “This class of ’60 alumnus lives across the country from Brown in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. I remain involved in education of one sort or another. I tell traditional folktales in our elementary school on Lopez Island and I am active with the Family Resource Center here as a mentor. Our three children live in California and Alaska and my wife Diana and I live in a small senior community here on Lopez Island where I learn about community development every day.”

Class copresidents Bill Brisk and Cheryl Lampe Tennille report: “Our 60th reunion—can you believe it?— is coming up on May 22-24. Our committee has put together a weekend full of events planned for your enjoyment in seeing old friends and making new ones and stimulating your academic interest. Please join us.”

Pat Fogarty-Cavagnaro writes: “I have been in Italy for 45 years, married here, and have a son who’s been sent as a parish priest to just south of Amsterdam, Holland. My first 15 years were in Florence, where I taught English at Scuola Superiore per Interpreti e Traduttori and did lots of translations as well as my own writing. The last 30 years I have lived in Rome, where I started an English series on Italian arts for a Roman publisher. After that I did freelance work, translations, and further writing and book columns. On the non-work side, living in Florence and Rome is just as amazing as you might imagine. My memories of Pembroke and Brown remain strong, especially working with many classmates on The Pembroke Record and in the Student Government Association.”

Gus A. White III was the Feb. 27 guest speaker for the Black History Month Fireside Chat Series, sponsored by the Offices of Diversity and Inclusion of the Harvard Medical School, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He was also a plenary session speaker for the 2019 Annual Medical Education Conference of the Student National Medical Association. The session was entitled, “First Among Firsts: Breaking down barriers and defining the leadership path” held in Philadelphia on April 18, 2019. On May 9, Gus presented the Dr. Augustus A. White III and Family Faculty Professionalism Award at Stanford School of Medicine. In mid-May, Gus led a “Fireside Chat” presentation at the Feagin Leadership Forum at Duke University, a program founded by his former Vietnam colleague, the late Dr. John Feagin. He was a guest on the Movement is Life Health Disparities podcast series. The episode is entitled: “Fellow humans, meet Professor Augustus White III, MD.” It was posted May 31, 2019. Podcast page: http://www.movementislifecaucus.com/podcasts/ Gus recently became a member of the HistoryMakers Medical Advisory Board. His term will extend through 2022. The second edition of his book, Seeing Patients: Unconscious Bias in Health Care, which he cowrote with David Chanoff (Harvard University Press, 2011), was updated and published under a new title: Seeing Patients: A Surgeon’s Story of Race and Medical Bias (Harvard University Press, November 2019). Gus and his coauthors, David Chanoff and Jon Land, are currently working with their literary agent on a book with the working title Overcoming.

Jim McGuinness, Tom Holmes, and their families attended the Brown-Dartmouth hockey game. All were impressed with the rink and the pictorial display of men’s and women’s hockey, but were disappointed with the meager student turn-out supporting the team.

John O’Brien writes: “Sad to learn of the death of Gordon Perry. He was a stalwart member of our class who devoted countless hours to the Sports Foundation and the Football Association. He was a founding member of these important University functions. Gordon, along with Art Joukowsky and Dave Zucconi, were instrumental in making all men’s and women’s sports a significant part of the Brown education. I hear regularly from Don DeCiccio who is enjoying the warm Florida weather. He and Sandy have already made their reservations in Providence for our 65th year reunion. The 65th is coming up fast. The plans for the event are coming together and details will soon be sent to the class members. We look forward to seeing everybody.”

Warren Ilchmann writes: “It is hard to believe that we graduated from Brown 65 years ago and will celebrate that occasion with a reunion in May. I didn’t retire until seven years ago and so have pursued an active life since graduating. In retirement, however, I find the chief responsibility daily is to invent a purpose. I soften that process by belonging to two book groups, attending two “short courses” at a local college and taking a nine-week course twice a year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I am now in my sixteenth course. Fortunately, Brown is here with frequent visits with classmates Ken Peterson and his wife, Joe Blumberg and his wife, John Monaghan, and Walter Goldfarb—people I did not know well in 1955, but who have become close friends since. More reacquaintances will be made as we organize for our 65th reunion. Thanks to the University and our class subsidies, there is no charge for any of our class events. However, please register the meal choices for you and your guests. You may register online at www.brunonia.edu or by calling the reunion headquarters at 401-863-7783. Please join us for this special event. Let me add a personal note about giving at the time of our 65th Reunion. The most I have ever given anywhere and at any time and what I have just contributed to Brown, in gratitude, is $19,550.00. I hope another classmate can give in gratitude $1,955,000.00 or $195,500.00 or even $1955.00. Brown provided the framework and composition for our future lives. We need to say thank you and help Brown continue to play that critical role.”

Class secretary Lucy Brubaker Tortolani reports: “Looking forward to seeing members of the class of 1955 at our 65th reunion. Hope you’re planning to come back to College Hill for this special occasion May 22-24, 2020. Exciting class events, as well as University programs featuring faculty and distinguished alumni, will be on tap for the weekend. Please look for news from the University with more details on the weekend schedule and on suggested accommodations in the Providence area.”

UPDATE: Class president Paul Lipsitt writes: “Much is topsy turvy since our last class note. The bad news is that our well planned 70th Reunion for May has been postponed. The good news is that we will look forward to it. My co-chair, Caroline Decatur Chick and I, are thinking ahead to that time and that many classmates will be with us then. We are remaining sheltered, and maintaining contact with friends and relatives through the marvel of electronics. FaceTime reassures us that grandchildren do not forget us, and Zoom is wonderful for courses and parties. Ever true.”

Class copresidents Caroline Decatur Chick and Paul Lipsitt report: “We hope you will be joining us for our 70th reunion on May 22-24, 2020. Thanks to the University and our class subsidies, there is no charge for any of our class events. However, please register meal choices for you and your guests. You may register online at www.brunonia.edu or by calling the reunion headquarters at 401-863-7783. Please join us for this special event.”

Anne Day Archibald writes: “By the time you read this message the 2019 Reunion Weekend is long over. However, it’s not too late to list the 49ers who came to their 70th—Vivian Bergquist Clark, Delores Pastore DiPrete, Barbara Falconer Lofton, Lois Jagolinzer Fain, Rose Jamiel Falugo, Marian Stewart Wenzel, and myself. It was a wonderful opportunity to renew friendships, reminisce, appreciate the outstanding hospitality of the University’s staff and student helpers, and experience the excitement of campus life today. Also, Delores reports that in December, she and Marjorie Logan Hiles and Virginia Fitzpatrick Bainton joined other members of the Kent County Pembroke Club for their annual holiday luncheon at T’s Restaurant in East Greenwich, R.I. In the future, anyone who has a new address or news they’d like to share, please send it directly to the BAM for publication. As we start a new year, may we each do whatever we can to help make the world a kinder, safer place.”

Bernard Gluckstern ’91 AM established the Center for The Preservation of American Democracy on Sept. 6, with a mission of protecting the American electoral process. He calls on tech CEOs, especially, to devote resources and technology toward the urgent task of updating and protecting voting software before the next presidential election. He writes that tech leaders should hold a summit to “devise a strategic paradigm that is adequate to this task and then to ensure its deployment throughout the United States prior to the 2020 election.” For more information visit preserveamericandemocracy.com.

Christopher Hewitt ’65 AM, ’70 PhD, had his book Catching Terrorists in America: From Martin Luther King Jr.’s Murder to the Boston Marathon Bombing published in 2019. He writes that this will be his last book as he spends most of his free time playing with his four-year-old granddaughter. Contact him at hewitt@umbc.edu.

Julia Gibson’s first collection of poetry, Two Doors, is available for pre-order at claresongbirdspub.com/new-voices. Among other topics, the collection explores the vicissitudes of a long-term relationship started when she and her partner were both at Brown. Also an aerospace engineer, her personal site is at julia-gibson.com.  

Patrick Cox married his Perkins sweetheart, Nicole Peterson, on Aug. 2, in Brooklyn, N.Y. They were delighted to have several classmates attend, including his brother, Alex Cox ’08, and Jimmy “Sprinkles” Besancon ’15 ScM, Brian Drake, Richard Mosesso, Mariana Munera ’16, Jane Park ’15, Lena Parker-Duncan, Elizabeth Ruben ’16 MD, Sylvia Tomayko-Peters, Andrea Wister, and Sabrina Yu ’15.

Laura Curlin and Matt Nichols were married on Sept. 7 in San Francisco. The couple met during orientation at Brown in 2009 and got engaged on campus at their five-year reunion. They celebrated their nuptials with many friends from the class of 2013, exactly ten years after the day they met.

Lily Cohen writes: “After spending four years living in a cabin without running water, I mastered the art of the one pot meal and the one baby wipe shower. I have since completed over a year with indoor plumbing after moving for an employment opportunity to crash robots around the world. Unfortunately, Snuffles, my small corgi, got jealous of my frequent travel with the robotic dogs so I went back to school. You can contact me @lilyofthepingo.”

Andrea B. Korb married Greg Hardes in Maine on August 25. In attendance were Miriam Altman, Clare Barkeley Berman, Doug Berman ’09, Steve Daniels ’09, Jadie DeTolla, Sophie Elgort, Cyprian Kibuka, Richard Korb ’73, Mariana Lee ’06, Jordan Middendorf, Alejandra Piers-Torres, Chloe Southern ’10, Meredith Woodhouse and Yeye Zhang. 

Linnea Anderson Drew has begun her annual campaign to bring awareness and knowledge to her immediate neighbor.

Amy Baxter Bailey continues construction of a division of space against neighbors and unwanted trespassers.

Natalie Hewitt upgraded to 50 more square feet in her apartment and found an unused coffee press.

Megan Denault married Greg Costigan at Blithewold Mansion in Bristol, R.I. on July 6. In attendance were fellow Brunonians Sarina Chernock, Michelle Denault ’01, Lydia Hamilton, Michael Keefrider ’04, Carrie Petri Meatto, Chris Meatto ’06, Dara Mendelsohn, and Matthew Weaver ’02.

Matt Kozar married Noelle Bucellato on Aug. 18 at St. Joseph’s Church in Somers, N.Y., with a reception at Le Chateau in South Salem, N.Y. Matt writes: “We celebrated with friends and family, including our Brown family, Paul Berry ’07, Neil Rajan ’07, Steven Stacey ’07, who were groomsmen; and Saul McDonald flew across the country from California to join the festivities. Noelle and I live in the suburbs of New York City. She works in the compliance department at BNP Paribas, a French bank. I work at the Mount Sinai Health System, where I handle press, communications, and media relations. I’ve also continued news reporting on a part-time basis. I file stories on the weekend for WCBS-TV in New York City. If you’re in the area, let us know. We’d love to catch up.”

Nadiem A. Makarim ’06 was named by Indonesian President Joko Widodo as the country’s new Minister of Education and Culture. Nadiem, cofounder of ride-hailing and payments firm Gojek, stepped down from his CEO position of Gojeck to accept this role.

Alida Kinney McGlone and Patrick McGlone, along with their daughter Marin, announce the Sept. 21 birth of baby brother Thomas. Alida writes: “He surprised the family by arriving five weeks early and while the family was away on vacation at Myrtle Beach, but everyone is doing well now.”

Katy Flynn-O’Brien married Morgan Doocy, whom she met when doing her general surgery residency at the University of Washington. They were married in Seattle, with Caroline Carney Hayes, Jessica Brown Bailey, and Kristina Casadei in attendance. Katy and Morgan live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Katy is completing her pediatric surgery fellowship. Contact Katy at kflynnobrien@gmail.com.

After a 12-year partnership and the birth of their two sons, Brooke Stevens and Till Wirth (’07 NYU, ’12 Oxford) were married in Oxford, England on August 9, where they completed their MBAs together in 2012. In attendance were bridesmaids Frances Betancourt, Erika Faires ’04 and Ellen Goldstein ’04, all former Brown women’s crew teammates. They were also joined by Alex Agloro ’05, Luke Balleny ’06, Eric Heimark ’14, Andrew Keats ’04, Nicole Morris ’04 and Matt Salzler ’02. 

Frank Lesser’s short-form animated series, You’re Not a Monster, premiered on IMDb TV in October. He writes: “It’s 10 episodes, each around four or five minutes long, and it stars Kelsey Grammer, Eric Stonestreet (Cam on Modern Family), and Aparna Nancherla, as well as guest actors Ellie Kemper, Amy Sedaris, Patton Oswalt, Adam Pally, and more.”

Lila Rose Kaplan’s play, We All Fall Down, played at the Huntington Theatre in January, directed by Melia Bensussen ’84.

Kali Wallace’s science fiction thriller Salvation Day is being developed as a movie. Producer Ben Forkner and screenwriter Karl Gajdusek are adapting the novel for Entertainment One. Salvation Day tells the story of a group of people trapped aboard an abandoned spaceship with a dangerous and mysterious virus.

Rick Jaime-Bettan and his husband Gabe Jaime-Bettan announce the Feb. 15, 2019 birth of their son, Xander Noah Jaime-Bettan. The family moved from Manhattan to Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. and would love to connect with Brown alumni, particularly any other LGBT families in Westchester.

Elizabeth Alsop announces the publication of her book, Making Conversation in Modernist Fiction, by Ohio State Univ. Press.

Cindy Limawararut Gunja writes: “My husband, Mushtaq Gunja, appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy! on October 24. I posted to the Brown class of 2000 Facebook group, too. Mushtaq makes this the third Brown ’00 alum to compete on Jeopardy! in the last year, joining Adam F. Watkins and Cristina Somolinos Morales. Exciting times! We’re both looking forward to our 20th reunion this May.”

Rachel Roegman’s first book, Equity Visits: A New Approach to Supporting Equity-Focused School and District Leadership, was published on September 17. She writes: “This book is intended to be a resource for professional learning communities at the school and district level; for district and school level leaders who are engaged in the implementation of an equity-focused agenda; and as a resource for schools of education invested in preparing leaders in traditional and non-traditional preparation programs.”

Sushma Joshi’s exhibition of paintings about the Nepal earthquake in the group exhibit The Art of Resilience opened at the World Bank in October and runs through January.

Catherine Kai-Ping Lin’s book Sports and Foreign Policy in Taiwan: Nationalism in International Politics, was published in September 2019 by Academica Press.

Sarah Abrevaya Stein, professor of history and Maurice Amado Chair at UCLA, announces the publication of her ninth book, Family Papers: a Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2019).  Contact Sarah at sarahastein.com or @sarahastein.

Courtney Wilson writes that Didier Jean-Baptiste, Ruta Brickus, Joan Gelin, Elena Gerli, John Kim, Jeff Snow, and Jonathan Steinberg attended the Reunion Summit during the 2020 Alumni Fall Weekend.

Adam Komisarof was voted the next president of the International Academy for Intercultural Research, a global academic association composed of scholars dedicated to the understanding and improvement of intercultural relations through social science research. Contact him at komisarof.adam@gmail.com. 

“I’m at the Big House! After dropping my oldest daughter Sara off in Nashville to launch her music career, I headed to Ann Arbor to visit my other daughters, Liv ’21 and Mary ’23, at the University of Michigan.”

Ellen Taschioglou Parsons writes: “Get ready to celebrate our 35th reunion on May 22-24, 2020. Find the latest info and updates by logging onto our class website on Brunonia (brunonia.brown.edu) or by joining our Class of ’85 group on Facebook and LinkedIn. If all else fails, just reach out to me directly at ellenparsons@gmail.com.”

We All Fall Down, a play by Lila Rose Kaplan’s ’02, played at the Huntington Theatre in January, directed by Melia Bensussen.

Calastone, a global funds network, appointed Dan Kramer vice chairman to lead their American expansion.

Harry Holt writes: “On Oct. 3, the company I work for, BITHGROUPTechnologies, was recognized as one of the Top 100 Minority Business Enterprises for 2019 by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council. We also received an award for being the Supplier of the Year in the Class 3 category business with sales between $10-$50 million. I am the vice president of operations. Another alum, Tina Patterson ’85, was also recognized at this event. Her company, Jade Solutions, LLC, was also selected as a Top 100 MBE winner by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council. Tina is a principal at Jade Solutions, a woman-owned, minority-owned business.”

John J. Sullivan ’81, Deputy Secretary of State, was also nominated by President Donald Trump to be the U.S. Ambassador to Russia.  

Laila Mehdi writes: “We now have two Brown grads in our house. It was a blast marching in the alumni procession for my son Jack Hilfinger’s ’19 graduation in May. Jack concentrated in computer science and economics. I have been living outside Seattle with my family since 1996. I am a member of the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra and teach private violin and viola lessons.”

Brian T. Moynihan ’81, CEO of Bank of America, hosted this year’s Latino Corporate Directors Association Convening in New York. Launched in October 2016, LCDA’s inaugural convening has become the most prominent gathering of U.S. Latinos at the highest levels of corporate leadership.The event brings more than 130 CEOs and C-suite executives to discuss boardroom issues, particularly the business case for board diversity and inclusion. Three corporations that have two or more U.S. Latinos on their boards received awards, including Regional Management Corp., where Peter Knitzer ’80 serves as president and CEO.

David Shields’s film Lynch: A History, a documentary about retired NFL star Marshawn Lynch’s use of silence as a form of protest, appeared in the International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam, “the premier documentary film festival in the world.”

Leora R. Levy ’78 was nominated by President Donald Trump to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Chile. She currently serves as the Republican National committeewoman for the State of Connecticut and previously was finance chair of the Connecticut Republican Party.

Rhonda Port Walker reports: “Our 45th reunion is just around the corner! Start planning now to join your 1975 classmates in the festivities May 22-24, 2020. All reunion communications will be electronic so be sure to visit alumni.brown.edu to update your email address. As reunion weekend activities are finalized, information will be posted on our class website and Facebook page (both can be accessed through the alumni website—Community/Classes).”

Mike “Mendy” Sobol writes: “I released my second speculative novel, Virtual Fire, on July 1. The book’s opening chapters take place during the height of the Vietnam War protests on the campus of a fictional university based on Brown. Special thanks and a shout-out to Brown archivist Raymond Butti, who helped with my research and provided me with copies of the BAM from the fateful month of May 1970. My 2015 novel, The Speed of Darkness—A Tale of Space, Time, and Aliens Who LOVE to Party! features a hockey-playing, space-faring Brown University professor. I hope that somewhere in an English department in the sky, my creative writing teacher, author John Hawkes, and my beloved classmate, author, attorney, and thoroughbred racehorse trainer Cary Robertson ’70, are smiling.”

“I hope that somewhere in an English department in the sky, my creative writing teacher, author Jack Hawkes, and my beloved classmate, author, attorney, and thoroughbred racehorse trainer Cary Robertson ’70, are smiling.

 

Class vice president of communications, Geri Williams, writes to remind you that the 50th reunion is coming up May 22-24, 2020. “The Reunion Committee, chaired by Carole Collins and John Salinger, has already been meeting to plan fun and interesting events and ensure that our treasury is able to subsidize costs to make the reunion affordable for all. If you prefer hotel accommodations you should make reservations now, as most Providence hotels are already fully booked. Dorm rooms are guaranteed for all our classmates, but cost and location have not yet been determined. Our class webmaster, Denny Arar ’71 AM, will be posting classmate notes and reunion information updates on our class website sites.google.com/a/brown.edu/brown-class-of-1970 and on our Facebook page, which is only open to classmates. It’s easy to sign up: type ‘Brown University Class of 1970’ into the Facebook search bar, and ask to join the group. You can also send a note about yourself for the next class email newsletter to me at geri3williams@comcast.net. Since reunion registration and all updates and other information will only be communicated by email, it is important that Brown has your correct email address. To make sure you never miss an update about reunion or other activities, take a moment to check that your alumni profile is accurate at brown.edu/go/profile-contact. Need help? Email  alumni_help@brown.edu  or call (401) 863-9662. Hope to see you at Reunion in May.”

Class president Jack Renshaw writes: “On behalf of all of the class of 1970 I want to thank all of our classmates serving on both the Class Reunion Activities Committee and those on the Class Gift Committee for their hard work preparing for our upcoming 50th reunion in May. With all of the energy being put into these preparations I am confident that this reunion will be setting records. One goal we are working hard to ensure is that this reunion will be the most fun ever! Another goal is to set a record for our Class Gift to the Annual Fund, and we can do that if we all try to achieve a personal best in our individual gifts. It is largely because of our giving to the Annual Fund that Brown has become the extraordinary educational institution it is today. Please also be aware that in the near future we will all be receiving an email with instructions about how to participate in our 50th Reunion Yearbook. This document will be a fun way to connect with other classmates both to share what we have been doing, as well as to learn what others have been doing over the past 50 years. Let’s try to get 100 percent participation. I know it has been requested previously, but please be sure that the Alumni Office has your up-to-date email address. Virtually all class communications, including the invitation to register for the reunion, will be coming BY EMAIL ONLY so if Brown does not have your current email address you will unfortunately miss out. Thanks very much…and I will be looking forward to seeing everyone in Providence May 22-24, 2020.”

On October 26, the Brown University Corporation dedicated a memorial to Trustee Ken McDaniel. The memorial is an engraved concrete block lining a brick walkway in the Maddock Alumni Center gardens. Ken died on June 11, 2019, just 16 days after celebrating his 50th class reunion (See Farewell, BAM Obituaries, September/October). Following the dedication, the Class of 1969 presented a 154-page book created and published by his classmate Thelma Austin. The title is A Faithful Servant: Biographical Tribute to Kenneth Harrison McDaniel, 1947-2019. In addition to his biographical summary, the book features 24 tributes. Tributes were from President Christina Paxson and seven current and emeriti trustees, including Bernicestine McLeod Bailey ’68, Harold Bailey ’70, Sheryl Grooms Brissett Chapman ’71, Spencer Crew ’71, Galen V. Henderson ’93 MD, Susan Adler Kaplan ’58, ’65 MAT, and Preston Tisdale ’73. Nine classmates who contributed were Linda Abbott Antonucci, Phyllis Cunningham-Hutson, Gail DeCosta, Ido Jamar ’74 ScM, ’77 PhD, Anderson Kurtz, class president Joseph Petteruti, Theodore Sherrod, Wesley Smith, and Randall Ward. Two other alumni also contributed: Glenn Dixon ’70 and Russell Malbrough ’98. Others who contributed were professor Françoise Hamlin, Reza Clifton, Paul Simas, Stanley Thompson, and Rev. Adam Young. Copies of the book were presented to President Christina Paxson; Ken’s wife, Susan McDaniel; and the John Hay Library. All alumni are encouraged to have their autobiographies and biographies archived in the John Hay Library.

Leo Plante and Richard Verney had a surprise mini-reunion at a reception commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Monadnock Paper Mills in Bennington, N.H. Monadnock is the oldest continuously operated paper mill in the U.S. It has been owned by the Verney family for two generations.

Jack and Kitty Walker Keane, along with Elissa and Bob Bernius; Joni and Bob Cohan; Mary and Richard Grant; and Alan ’67 and Janet McClendon Vaskas were participants on a Brown Travelers cruise in the Greek Islands in September. 

David Brodsky writes: “I am approaching my tenth year as a full-time arbitrator and mediator of complex commercial and financial disputes, acting out of my independent firm of Brodsky ADR LLC. Last May, I was elected as a Fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA) and I was inducted in October. See ccarbitrators.org. The CCA is a peer-selected group comprised of nationally and internationally recognized commercial arbitrators. Meanwhile, five members of the class of 1964 still meet monthly for lunch: Richard Fried, Philip Hahn, Jonathan Small, Larry Sorkin, and me.” 

Margaret Smith Skovira and her husband, Joe, enjoyed the Brown Travelers trip to Portugal in July. They live in Lexington, Va. She writes that she is looking forward to the 60th reunion.

James T. Johnson writes: “It’s about time for me to send in a summary update on myself. When I entered Brown in the fall of 1956 as the first of my family to go to college, I had no idea how Brown would open new worlds to me and help to shape the development of my life. Starting out in physics, I eventually got my degree in mathematics/economics and went on to pursue a PhD in religious ethics at Princeton. I embarked on a teaching career at Rutgers University, received several national grants, authored a number of books, and edited two scholarly journals. Mine has been a full, happy, and productive life, and I honor Brown for the experiences that got me started.” Contact James at jtj@scarletmail.rutgers.edu

Aaron Mendelson fully retired from Northwestern Mutual five years ago and has been involved in urban education in Springfield, Mass. In 2011 he was a founding trustee of Veritas Preparatory Charter School, in addition to working with a group of business leaders in Springfield to improve the district schools. Sadly, his wife of 59 years, Cyndy, passed away in early summer 2019, having suffered from Alzeheimer’s for nine years. He is now living in a retirement community in Longmeadow, Mass., where he is very active. He remains close to fellow classmates Jerry Moskowitz and Alan Weber, whom he visits in Mill Valley, Calif. He writes: “Thankfully my health is good and I am able to remain active and happy.”

Bob Sanchez continues to interview Brown applicants and represents Brown at “College Night” at Golden Gate High School. He writes many letters to the editor (Naples Daily News) and articles for the Pelican Bay Post and serves as president of both the Pelican Bay Property Owners Association (14,000 residents) and the Reserve Officers Association. After 10 years, he is turning over the presidency of the Brown Club but remains on the board. He leads Great Decisions seminars for the Council on World Affairs and serves on the Golden Apple Committee for Collier County, which recognizes outstanding teachers and awards grants to worthwhile schoolroom projects. He manages to play tennis and bridge three times a week.

Ellen Lowenstein Boschwitz completed a year-long yoga course and is now a certified yoga instructor and is teaching classes. Her husband of 63 years, former U.S. Senator Rudy Boschwitz, remains deeply involved with his former Senate colleagues.

Class secretary Jill Hirst Scobie reports: “Once again, the old Angell House ‘Angells’ were lucky enough to gather for several days right after Labor Day at the Jersey shore (Beach Haven, Long Beach Island).  Joe and Jane Bertram Miluski were our warm and welcoming hosts. This was the first time that Betty Wolin Baer attended. Hooray for that!  Lois Dean was our photographer and videographer. Hooray for that! Coming from California, Judith Ann Perlin travelled the farthest distance. Hooray for that!  Roz Kennedy Johnson kept us in stitches. Hooray for that! And I write about it in the BAM. Dick Scobie (Dartmouth ’56) became an honorary Angell by entertaining us all with his beachside bagpiping. 

“On Alumni Weekend, Jim Furlong, John Reistrup, and I received the annual Alumni Service Award ‘by developing an exceptional communication strategy and digital plan…[they] have kept their class meaningfully connected.’  You’ll be glad to know that the interactive newsletter developed by John and Jim is ‘so popular, it is being included in the Brown University archive.’ Class co-presidents Sandy McFarland Taylor and Jim Moody, along with Jim’s wife Donna Moody, also attended. Highpoints of the evening were addresses by President Paxson and Spencer R. Crew ’71, a brilliant historian who is currently serving as the interim director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. There were several other ’58s in attendance, including Susan Adler Kaplan ’65 MAT, but, alas, we didn’t meet.”

J. Roy McKechnie ’55 writes: “Our 65th reunion now pends…actual dates are May 22-24, 2020. We hope to have a good turnout so if you plan to attend it’s vital that you make accommodation arrangements pronto! Those charged with reunion plans will confer shortly and you will be informed of their decisions. Also, if you would like to help please contact me at blmckechnie@msn.com. Although classmates requested seating on the hill, it will not be possible for us post filing under the Van Wickle Gates. If the walk down the hill is too strenuous you can return to campus if needed. Barbara and I continue to tend to the grandkids we came out here to help with (they’re doing splendidly, of course), and we have become more deeply involved in local doings than anticipated, and get out of town as frequently as possible. Our Puerto Vallarta hideaway is a blessing. Meanwhile, industrial-strength travel absorbs us. Last year’s key trip was Vietnam and Cambodia and this year’s, sans outright warfare, Israel/Jordan/Egypt. Blessings… and more later.”

Timothy J. Cooley ’99 PhD was elected president of the Society for Ethnomusicology in 2019. He succeeds Gregory Barz ’97 PhD. Cooley is professor of ethnomusicology at UC Santa Barbara and Barz is the director of the School of Music at Boston University. In addition, Cooley’s edited volume Cultural Sustainabilities: Music, Media, Language, Advocacy, was published this past spring by the University of Illinois Press. The volume pays homage to Brown emeritus professor of ethnomusicology, Jeff Todd Titon.

Thomas S. Harrington ’94 PhD has published the following titles over the past five years: A Citizen’s Democracy in Authoritarian Times: An American View on the Catalan Drive for Independence Valencia (University of Valencia Press, 2019); Una democràcia cívica en temps autoritaris: Apunts d’un nord-americà sobre el Procès sobiranista a Catalunya (Barcelona: Gregal, 2018); Public Intellectuals and Nation Building in the Iberian Peninsula 1900-1925: The Alchemy of Identity (Bucknell University Press, 2015); and Livin’ la Vida Barroca: American Culture in an Age of Imperial Orthodoxies (University of Valencia Press, 2014).

Eileen Angelini ’89 AM, ’93 PhD writes: “After an amazing year as the 2018-2019 Whichard Distinguished Visiting Professor in the humanities in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences in the department of foreign languages and literature at East Carolina University, I am thrilled to begin my new position as the associate dean of the School for Graduate Studies at SUNY Empire State College.”

Jane H. Hong ’06 AM published Opening the Gates to Asia: A Transpacific History of How America Repealed Asian Exclusion on Nov. 18 through UNC Press.

Olga Rocha and Peter Vail were married on Aug. 3 at Grace Episcopal Church in downtown Providence. Molly Lao officiated the nuptials with Stephen Albright, Brittany Fidalgo, Anthony Rivera ’14 and Zach Sosa serving in the bridal party. Fellow Brunonians Mahalia Clark ’15; Mariah Lohse ’14; Annam Nguyen ’12,’13 ScM; Grace Palmer; Brian Sokolow; and David Storch were also in attendance.
 

BBC Sports reported that Robert T. Farnham ’12 has been added to the Belfast Giants of Northern Ireland ice hockey roster for the 2019/2020 season. A power forward, he joins the Giants from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds having previously played in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens.  

Kevin Koopman and his wife, Devin, celebrated the April 3 birth of their son, Ky Benaldo Koopman. He joins the family with their daughter, Lael.
 

Andy Newton and Michael Bleicher published From the Campaign Trail or Thereabouts on September 12 with Humorist Books, an imprint of the Weekly Humorist.

Mark K. Ramadan ’08 is CEO of Hu Master Holdings, which includes the restaurant Hu Kitchen, as well as its growing chocolate and snack food division, Hu Products. Mark was previously cofounder of Sir Kensington’s, which he started with Scott W.H. Norton ’08, who serves as CEO of the company. Both alums were featured in “Niche Marketers” in the July/August 2008 BAM.

Julia Hazen married Zev Simpser on June 8. In attendance were Michelle Beaulieu, Sally Berman ’81, Kimbie Casten, Hillary Dixler, Dave Eichler ’09, Liz Berman Hazen ’76, Ned Hazen ’73, Lara Henneman ’07, Howell Jackson ’76, Nancy Leopold ’76, John Magladery ’73, Jordan Middendorf, Connie Berman Moore ’85, Nina Mozes, Stuart Schussel, and Jeff Wagner ’73.

To celebrate their clandestine 2014 Copenhagen City Hall wedding, Andrew Shield and Ib Tunby Gulbrandsen enjoyed merrymaking this summer in Copenhagen, Winchester (Mass.), Los Angeles, and Fredrikstad (Norway), with Thomas Bassett ’05, Zinzi Clemmons, Andrew Jacobs ’08, Michelle Joy, Nicholas Kennedy ’10, Madeleine Lipshie-Williams, and Michael Norris ’11.

Jessica Pearce Rotondi married Ravi Mody on May 26 at The Crane Estate in Ipswich, Mass. Jessica is an editor and writer in New York. Her first book about her family’s 36-year search to bring her missing uncle home from the CIA-led “Secret War” in Laos, inspired by Professor Elizabeth Taylor at Brown, will be published in April 2020 by Unnamed Press. What We Inherit chronicles her journey across Southeast Asia in the wake of her mother’s death, following a trail of declassified documents and maps that lead her to family secrets. Ravi is vice president of data at Daily Harvest. Jessica and Ravi met at a startup in Soho, where they decided to test firsthand what happens when you combine marketing and data. Jess thought it was strange but delightful that Ravi was always in the office kitchen when she was. Ravi heard the jingling bells of Jess’s dog, Lola, following her every move, so Ravi knew when it was time to snack. Their wedding was a three-day celebration combining Indian and Western traditions, including a blanket ceremony where they were draped with a quilt Jessica’s mother made her during her freshman year at Brown. In attendance were Lauren Anderson, Erikson Arcaira, Kate Johnston, Rahim Kassam-Adams ’09, David McNamee, Elizabeth Dickson McNamee, Stephanie Minor, Maggie Mustard, and Sam Rotondi ’69.