The Classes

Ravi Bellamkonda ’95 PhD, who served as Ohio State University’s executive vice president and provost since January 2025, was named the university’s new president in March. The university’s board of trustees skipped the traditional national search process, instead relied on depth of experience and character when it hired Bellamkonda.

John Stasko ’85 ScM, ’89 PhD, writes: “This past summer I retired from the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech after 36 years on the faculty. I joined GT out of grad school in 1989. Computing here at GT has grown from a relatively small department to a full-fledged college, and is one of the country’s largest computer science programs. My research over the years focused on the areas of data visualization and human-computer interaction. In addition to teaching courses on those topics, I enjoyed teaching one of our large intro courses (Object-Oriented Programming) for most of my career. This class typically had 250–300 students, mostly freshmen, so it kept me on my toes. Teaching this class allowed me to stay closer to the core educational mission of the university, which can be lost with the strong focus on research at R1 schools today. In retirement, my wife, Christy, and I hope to travel. We live in Marietta, a suburb of Atlanta. Our three children are grown and living in Baltimore; Richmond, Va.; and New York City. I still play a lot of golf—well, as much as my aging body allows me.”

Alexander ter Weele ’65 MAT writes that after a 25-year career at the World Bank (upgrading and expanding education in some 100 countries), he retired to become an author. At Brown, his thesis for the physics department was “Modified Bremsstrahlung Spectrum of 5.4 Bev Electrons in Copper,” which he says was “not much fun reading that!” His more recent publications are from “the other end of the spectrum—none of that scientific research stuff!”  To see his writing, visit alexterweele.com and look up A Family’s Flight from Holland During World War II, Poems from the Blue Ridge, or short stories about camping and canoeing. (Flight is a true story of Alex and his family fleeing Hitler’s Gestapo.) Given that Alex spent hours in Brown’s physics department in the ’60s, he writes that he was particularly dismayed at the recent murders there.

Jazlyn Nketia ’19 ScM, ’23 PhD, has been selected for the Museum of Science–Boston’s 2026 Digital Science Communication Fellowship, a national program supporting emerging leaders in public science engagement. Dr. Nketia will join a cohort of 40+ fellows from across the United States in workshops, mentorship sessions, and hands-on communication labs culminating in a public capstone presentation in Boston.

Following her field hockey career at Brown, Julia Hitti led the Atlanta Field Hockey Club to their first national title, winning the 2025 U.S. Field Hockey League Women’s National Club Championship. 

John Lin writes: “I am writing to share a new book published on February 3 that I believe may be of interest to the Brown community. The Medical Student’s Field Guide to Research is a practical, empowering guide published by Johns Hopkins University Press designed to help medical students engage meaningfully in research and scientific discovery. Our book is authored by three Brown alumni, one who is also a Brown professor (Dr. Paul Greenberg ’17 MPH, Victoria Tseng ’08, ’12 MD, and me). We bring together perspectives from senior and junior faculty and a current medical student to demystify the research process—from preparation and project design to publication and presentation. Through practical tools and case studies, the guide reinforces the idea that every student can contribute to advancing medicine.”

The Good Daughters, published with Pegasus Books on Nov. 4, is the moving and vivid debut novel of Brigitte Dale. The book has been selected as a Women’s National Book Association Great Group Reads for the 2025 season. The Good Daughters follows three suffragettes and their battle for equality that tests the strength of their will and the bonds of their friendship.  

Jennifer “Jenny” Gorelick wrote an illustrated humor book, The Book of Red Flags, with illustrator Margalit Cutler. The book was published on Jan. 20 by Rizzoli. 

Katie Quimby ’14 MPH writes: “My nonfiction book, Protected: Birth Control’s Remarkable Story and Uncertain Future, was published on November 13, 2025 by Bloomsbury Academic. Protected explores questions such as: How has birth control changed over the years? Will there ever be a birth control pill for men? Why is birth control so political? Why might Black women be more likely to prefer methods they can start and stop without a visit to the doctor? Are the hormones in birth control safe? What impact will the overturn of Roe v. Wade have on the ability to get birth control? What does religion really say 

The EQUUS Foundation honored Brianne Goutal-Marteau ’12 with the foundation’s Spirit Award. The Spirit Award is presented to equestrians who have significantly elevated the image and desirability of horses. As a young rider, Goutal-Marteau was featured on Animal Planet’s series, Horse Power: Road to the Maclay where viewers watched her train and compete. Not only did she win the Maclay, she still holds the record of winning all four equitation finals. She continues to win major show-jumping events and is a sought-after equestrian trainer. Throughout her career, she has leveraged her reputation to speak out for horse welfare, helped find homes for adoptable horses, and adopted horses herself.

Breadless, founded by Mark Howland ’11, LaTresha Howland, and Ryan Eli Salter, has been recognized as one of the “Top 20 Fast Casual Brands to Watch.” Breadless was born out of a simple but powerful vision: to redefine fast-casual dining with bold, energizing meals that fuel your next goal, moment, or adventure. Being recognized among the top 20 brands to watch is a testament to the impact Breadless is making in the fast-casual dining industry. 

Kira Ganga Kieffer, who is married to Aaron Eisman ’23 PhD, ’24 MD, published Unvaccinated Under God: Religion and Vaccine Hesitancy in Modern America in May with Princeton University Press. This is Kira’s first book. She is currently a visiting assistant professor of religious studies at Fairfield University. She received her PhD in religious studies from Boston University and was a dual history/religious studies concentrator at Brown. 

Emily Nemens published her novel Clutch on Feb. 3 with Tin House. The story follows five women who have been friends for 20 years, now facing the biggest personal and professional challenges of their lives and wondering if their friendship is the only thing that will see them through. 

Benjamin Mathis ’08 MD was appointed chief medical examiner of the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department on Sept. 29. In this role, he oversees the operations of the largest medical examiner district in the State of Florida, ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality, science-based death investigations that serve the public interest. He was also named program director of the department’s accredited fellowship in forensic pathology.

Tuckernuck was originally founded by Maddy Grayson, September Votta, and Jocelyn Gailliot ’03 as an online direct-to-consumer clothing boutique. Named for an island off Nantucket, where the three cofounders grew up summering, Tuckernuck now has its own in-house label and two brick-and-mortar stores, one by the Georgetown waterfront in Washington, D.C., and the other on New York’s Upper East Side. CEO Jocelyn Gailliot calls the clothing “classic with a twist.”

Olivia Wong writes: “At the 30th anniversary presentation of the 2025 Hilton Humanitarian Prize Ceremony this past October, which celebrates organizations fighting human suffering, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) was honored with the $3 million award. Representatives from the U.S. contingent of MAG were present at the awards ceremony gala in New York City, which included Steve Solow ’80, MAG U.S.’s pro bono counsel, and me, U.S. secretary of the MAG board of directors and vice president of the Brown Club of Boston. MAG aims to save lives and build safer futures through the removal of landmines and explosive remnants of war, and reduce the impact of small arms and light weapons and ammunition on people and communities.” 

Jamie Effros writes: “I’m excited to announce that Big George, a short film I wrote and directed, has been released on Omeleto, a YouTube channel featuring the best short films in the world. After 20 festivals, including two Oscar-qualifiers, and several awards, you can watch it online for free. The synopsis: When a New York actor gains too much weight to pull off his survival gig as a George Clooney impersonator, he must justify to his nine-year-old daughter, and to himself, why he’s still chasing his dream. It’s an ode to working artists, and a heartfelt father/daughter story about the compromises we all make for our passions and the people we love.”

Lee M. Hoffman ’03 is the cofounder and president of Runwise, the leading smart controls platform that operates key heating and water systems more efficiently in 7,500 buildings throughout the country. Hoffman cofounded and managed technology for companies as diverse as Time Warner, Razorfish Studios, and Terabolic, Inc. Most recently, he cofounded and served as CEO of Veri, a venture-backed NYC mobile startup that was acquired by The Knot in 2018.

Darren “Magnus” Jorgensen announces the forthcoming publication of his memoir, STILLBORN: How They Taught the Nightingale to Scream (2026). “This 75,000-word narrative nonfiction work chronicles a lifetime of survival.”

Col. Vincent F. Capaldi II ’02, ’03 ScM, ’07 MD, was announced as the 2025–’26 winner for the American College of Physicians award for Distinguished Contributions to Behavioral Medicine. This award recognizes an individual who has furthered the care of patients by recognizing the importance of caring for the whole patient, both mind and body. He accepted the award at the National ACP meeting in San Francisco in April 2026.

Vita Redding Shields released her debut album, Vitaologee, on Nov. 25. She wrote the 11 tracks, which blend neo soul, R&B, and pop/R&B in an exploration of love, healing, and loss. Each song grew from journals and poems capturing her journey through grief, personal challenges, and self-reflection. The album blends her songwriting with her voice through guided vocals to form melody while utilizing AI-assisted music and lead vocals to create raw, soulful, and vibey tracks. Vitaologee turns life’s challenges into music that inspires, uplifts, and resonates. A Brown Sports Hall of Fame athlete and longtime recruiting leader and coach, Vita brings a lifetime of reflection, guidance, and storytelling into her songwriting. The album’s title reflects her study of life: Vita meaning life and ologee a playful remix of  the suffix “-ology” symbolizing the lessons she has learned.

Jeremy Harley writes: “The band ‘the hot,’ featuring Ismail Lawal ’99 and me, has a new single available digitally and as a physical CD release. The recording also features Michael Esper and Andy Bernick. Order online at rcarchives.com/thehot.htm or find it on the major streaming services. A new album of entirely different songs will be available sometime next year, so please like and follow.” Contact Jeremy at [email protected].

Madelyn Postman writes: “My story collection, Staring into the Sun: Stories from a Chinese American Family 1895–2015, will be published in May 2026 by Ten16 Press. It links memoir and narrative nonfiction about my family.”

Pat Kelleher writes: “Tara Mounsey ’03 was officially inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame on December 10, 2025. In the photo posted by the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Tara is flanked by me, executive director of USA Hockey, and Jim Madich ’75, board member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum.”

Helen Kapstein’s second book, Petroforms: Oil and the Shaping of Nigerian Aesthetics, was published in November 2025 with the West Virginia University Press’s Energy & Society series. Petroforms offers a theory of petrocriticism, the critical study of fossil fuels from a humanities perspective. It is a finalist in the humanities/ literature category for the PROSE Awards from the Association of American Publishers. 

Andrew Sean Greer’s book, Villa Coco, was published on June 9, 2026, with Doubleday. Andrew is the best-selling author of seven works of fiction, including Pulitzer Prize winner Less and its companion, Less Is Lost. He is the recipient of the Northern California Book Award, the California Book Award, the New York Public Library Young Lions Award, the O. Henry Award for short fiction, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Public Library. Greer lives in Venice.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Lisa Gelobter ’91 as New York City’s chief technology officer and commissioner of the Office of Technology and Innovation. A recognized leader in social impact and digital equity, Gelobter recently founded tEQuitable, which helps organizations identify and address systemic workplace culture issues and uses technology to make workplaces more equitable. She has served in the Obama Administration as Chief Digital Service Officer at the U.S. Department of Education and has also worked as Interim Chief Digital Officer at BET Networks. She has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the 100 Women Building America’s Most Innovative and Ambitious Businesses and named to Fast Company’s list of Most Creative People. 

Joshua Garren ’96 AM, ’97 MD, writes: “We have moved to Manhattan. Daniel is studying medicine at Oxford. Ariella was a Rhodes finalist this year and is in Buenos Aires doing fertility research, and has just received her first medical school acceptance. Maya has her first medical school interview next week. Uzi and Shira are continuing the Parysow Project, which so far has published Oy Mame! Oy Mame!, The Parysow Yizkor Book (Volumes I and II), Memories of Vilna, On the Jews of Yemen, and several other volumes. The first volume of their latest project, the Salonika Memorial Book, a translation from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Ladino, is in press. Michelle and I would love to see old friends, and we have guest bedrooms.” Contact Joshua at [email protected].

The children’s book Spark: Jim West’s Electrifying Adventures in Creating the Microphone, by Ainissa Ramirez, was selected by the National Science Teaching Association, in conjunction with the Children’s Book Council, for their list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students. These books represent the best science trade books published in 2025 for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The books featured on the list include captivating stories, compelling characters, and beautiful illustrations. 

Alison Stewart, host of WNYC’s daily arts and culture show All Of It, was awarded the Gracie Award for Interview Feature for her interview with her neurosurgeon, Dr. Randy D’Amico. Together, they recount the sudden loss of speech that Alison experienced in February 2024 that precipitated the need for emergency brain surgery—a procedure that required her to remain wide awake. In the conversation, they discuss the groundbreaking technology used for brain surgeries like Alison’s, what her recovery process entailed, and a surprising connection—Dr. D’Amico, a music obsessive who plays rock music while he operates on patients, remembered Stewart from her early career role as a correspondent for MTV News. This episode marked her return to the airwaves following a four-month recovery period.

Douglas Stearn writes: “After more than 17 years at the FDA and 15 years at the DOJ, I retired from government service in September 2025. I held a number of positions during my time at the FDA, including principal deputy associate commissioner for inspections and investigations, deputy associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, deputy director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, director of the Office of Enforcement and Import Operations, and deputy director of the Office of Compliance in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. I spent my time at the DOJ litigating civil and criminal cases that involved consumer protection statutes. After spending a few months in retirement, I began working at a consulting firm for FDA regulatory issues, Canal Row Advisors. Andrea and I enjoyed seeing folks at our last reunion and are happy to see friends when they come to the D.C. area.” Contact Douglas at [email protected].

Lynne Greenberg’s book, Masculine Births: Milton, Women, and the Law, was published in March by Northwestern University Press. The book is an interdisciplinary study focused on the writings of the 17th-century poet John Milton, through the lenses of feminist history and early modern law.

Leah Eskin’s first novel, Like Wafers in Honey, was published Apr. 14, 2026, by Levine Querido (see p. 49). Editor and publisher is Arthur Levine Ferrante, and Leah’s agent is Kimberly Witherspoon, with literary advice from Karen Dukess. “Go class of ’84!” Contact Leah at [email protected].

Elise Ansel writes: “I am a visual artist. An exhibition of my paintings was held at the Miles McEnery Gallery in Chelsea [N.Y.] on April 2, my fourth solo exhibition at a major New York gallery. I’ve had solo exhibitions in Milan, Cologne, and London. I was an adjunct lecturer, visiting artist, and critic in the visual art department at Brown on and off from 2007 through 2019. My daughter, Ingrid Ansel-Mullen ’24, graduated with a dual concentration in honors MCM and visual art. Every aspect of my Brown education informs the work I do as a visual artist. I concentrated in comparative literature and this catalyzed the conceptual framework foundational to my work.”

Eric Dolin published The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail on June 2. A powerful story of survival and a revealing window into the great age of sail—a time when maritime ambition collided with local sovereignty, and when the outcome of one voyage rippled across oceans and empires. Eric writes: “My wife, Jenn, and I purchased our dream house in the historic district of Marblehead [Mass.], which was built in 1753. It retains most of its original details, and I love writing in my home office surrounded by so much history. If any classmates visit Marblehead and want a history tour of the town, send me a message via my website, ericjaydolin.com, where you can also read about my other books.”

Diana Badger writes: “Following in the footsteps of two prominent women astrologers who are Brown alumnae, I’ve published my first book, Dance of the Archetypes: How Astrology Informs Our Lives and Connects Us to the Earth. The book is available on Amazon. My predecessors in this endeavor are Caroline Casey, who wrote Making the Gods Work for You: The Astrological Language of the Psyche (published in 1998), and Jessica Murray ’73, who wrote Soul-Sick Nation: An Astrologer’s View of America (published in 2008). The latter is a great read for the modern moment. I don’t have the reputation of a giant the way these astrological elders do, but I have combined my writer’s talent to create what I hope is a work of art, inspiration, and awakening.” Contact Diana at [email protected].

Forty-plus years later, Nina Bogosian, Sara Schley, and Bonnie Waltch are thrilled to be working together on BrainStorm, a documentary film about the bipolar spectrum, out spring 2026. Leslie Gell, Lisa Gossels, Elizabeth “Beth” Gould, Betsy Hinden, Mary Jo Kaplan, Melissa Lukin, Janet Friedman Mann ’83, Claude Mellins, Nancy Roosa, Marie Skomoroch Stein, Greg Stern, David Tausik, and Scott Triedman ’85 MD are also generous supporters of the endeavor. “So much so that our kids now refer to us as the ‘’82 Cabal.’” For news on the project, visit brainstormthefilm.com.

Rob Whitney writes: “I am a partner in the Boston office of the law firm McAngus, Goudelock & Courie and have specialized in insurance coverage and reinsurance issues for over 30 years. I recently tried my hand at playwriting. I submitted the first play that I have ever written, a 10-minute short play titled Puck, for consideration for inclusion in the 24th Annual New Works Festival. Puck was one of eight short plays selected out of over 150 submissions to be performed during the festival. My play is set in Beacon Hill, Boston, and features a conversation between a father and son about hockey. It premiered on January 24, 2026, at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was great to have family and friends in attendance at the premiere. I have been bitten by the playwriting bug because I am working on my next play.” Contact Rob at [email protected].

Erroll Southers writes: “I was honored to be the recipient of the 2025 William H. Webster Profiles in Leadership Award for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Law Enforcement. The award is named after Judge Webster, who was the FBI director when I was appointed to the Bureau, and is presented by the National Economic Security Alliance. The ceremony was hosted at the Boeing headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.” Contact Erroll at [email protected].

David Shields’s films Lynch: A History and How We Got Here (which he wrote, produced, and directed) are streaming on Amazon Prime and many other platforms. I’ll Show You Mine (a feature film that he cowrote) is streaming on Prime and Apple TV+; Salinger (he cowrote the companion volume) is also streaming on Prime and Apple TV+. I Think You’re Totally Wrong: A Quarrel (he cowrote the book and the screenplay and plays himself in the film) is streaming on Fandango at Home. The Very Last Interview (adapted from his book of the same name) is streaming on Vimeo, and The Loser is streaming on YouTube (Kris Borgli, Bret Easton Ellis, and Shields play versions of themselves).

Bonnie MacWhinney-Cramer continues to serve as the Hillel director at Union College. She and her husband, Steven Cramer, are the proud grandparents of Ari, Cole, Juliet, and Caleb. Steven was named a recipient of the 2025 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education from the National Academy of Engineering.

David Gottsegen writes: “I’m excited to announce the publication of my first book on the intimate and amazing connection between mind and spirit, Mending the Body with the Mind: Harnessing Kids’ Superpowers to Heal and Stay Healthy. It’s the result of my 39 years of experience as a pediatrician in a diverse community, utilizing language, play, and tools like hypnosis, meditation, and biofeedback to heal everything from headaches to bed-wetting to sleep problems to ADHD to the fear of shots. It’s available online at ThriftBooks, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Books-A-Million.”

Richard “Rick” Carrell writes: “Now that you checked the obituaries, time for some 1977 class notes. My wife, Aileen Jordan Carrell ’78, and I celebrated our 45th anniversary in Newport, Rhode Island, where we had spent our honeymoon. We visited Brown and it was beautiful. I often joke that we attended college in a Revolutionary War museum. There are many new buildings on the Hill, but they are artfully camouflaged to blend in with the colonial ambience. Aileen, a former swim team captain, was impressed by the new aquatics center. I was surprised by all the new indoor sports facilities in the AD complex and wondered if there were any grass fields remaining. George Caraberis scored tickets for the Princeton football game in the end zone VIP section. George, Janice, and their lacrosse phenom daughter, Jennifer “Jen” Caraberis ’08, hosted an Aperol Spritz–themed tailgate, under the copyright-infringing Grateful Dead/Brown Bear flag in Lot A. The tailgate area was our spring lacrosse practice field except when Coach Stevenson made us clear snow from the Marvel Gym parking lot. Shoveling snow before practice is so central to the Brown lacrosse myth that my roommate, Danny Scofield, and his brother Frank Scofield ’69 spread some ashes of their sibling Rupert Scofield ’71 there last spring. We watched the game with Brown football royalty, including Mike Bernert ’76, Attilio Cecchin ’78, Nancy and John Gaddis, Gerry Muzzillo, and Fred and  Lori Goldstein Polacek ’80. I introduced myself to Dean Barrett Hazeltine, who was 94 years old and attended with his daughter. George said, ‘If you took ENGN 9, he would have remembered your name.’ Unfortunately, the Bruins lost. Looking forward to our
50th reunion.”

50th Class Reunion Cochair Deborah Chick Burke reports: “The reunion committee is busy planning a memorable weekend for our upcoming 50th reunion, which will take place next Memorial Day weekend, May 28–30, 2027. We will be communicating details about the reunion by email, so please log in to Brown Connect+ to update your contact information. Select the profile icon at the top right corner of the page. Select the red ‘My Profile’ button, then click on ‘Edit Profile’ to make any additions or corrections. If you are planning to return for our reunion and stay at a local hotel, we would like to strongly encourage you to book your hotel room now. Our class emails will contain more details about hotel accommodations in the Providence area. We hope you will reach out to friends to make plans to return to campus in May 2027, and we look forward to seeing you at our 50th reunion.”

Franklin “Bud” Zimmerman ’80 MD writes: “I received a lifetime achievement award from Phelps Hospital/Northwell Health at their October 2025 annual gala, which celebrated my 36-year career in cardiology and hospital leadership. I served two terms as president of the medical staff, was director of the critical care units and cardiac rehabilitation program, and remain on the board of directors. I retired from clinical medicine, and I stay active by teaching and writing. My textbook of electrocardiography, ECG Core Curriculum, was published by McGraw Hill. I’m also continuing my work on preventing heart disease in law enforcement personnel and serving on the police physicians section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Laurie Grant Zimmerman and I split our time between Chappaqua, New York and Manhattan and are looking forward to seeing our fellow classmates at the 50th reunion.”

Bob Tracy, along with Tom Clark, Mark Herendeen, and Paul Koza, got together for a few days to enjoy a mini reunion in Chattanooga, Tenn., at the residence of Tom Walsh. 

CCAR Press, a division of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, is honored to announce the October 2025 publication of Moments That Matter: Marking Transitions in Midlife and Beyond by Rabbi Laura Geller and Rabbi Beth Lieberman.

Jack Keane writes that four couples with Brown class of 1968 ties enjoyed their time together during two weeks in France, including Chip Filak and Kay Filak,  Richard Grant and Mary Grant, Jack Keane and Kitty Walker Keane, and Dag Wittusen and Robin Newsome Wittusen. They enjoyed one week in Paris and a second week on a barge on the Burgundy Canal. 

Sally Kusnitz Horn writes: “Some 30-plus years ago, a group of women in the Pembroke Class of 1968 began meeting in person periodically in New York City. Over time, the meetings expanded to include milestone celebrations and women in the class who lived outside of the New York City metropolitan area, and pre-reunion gatherings in Newport, R.I. Covid turned these occasional in-person meetings into weekly Zoom gatherings. The weekly gatherings strengthened existing friendships and forged new friendships among classmates who barely knew each other at Brown. They also led to the creation of the Pembroke Emergency Gap Fund endowment to help undergraduates meet unexpected financial challenges and emergencies. These gatherings are still going strong, every Monday at 6 p.m. on Zoom. They are a weekly source of friendship, where participants share smiles, laughter, wisdom, advice, comfort, and contemplation. Among those who have joined past Zooms are: Molly Erb Adams, Dinah Lamb Bain, Martha “Marty” Barylick ’69 MAT, Karen Maziarz Bell ’70 MMSc, Kathleen Cook, Leigh Dickerson Davidson, Anne Emerson, Shelley Fidler, Judith Ginsberg ’68 AM, Joyce Wolfenden Goff, Carol Pilkinton Grave, Eva Benes Hanhardt, Maggie Harrer, Nina Salant Hellerstein, Ginger Heinbockel Ignatoff, Vikki Aldridge Kingslien, Marcia Knight, Jean Trescott Lambert, Mary Lark Lovering, Connie Berkley Margolin, Helaine Benson Palmer, Nancy Parr, Gay Parrish, Fredi Pearlmutter, Binnie Ravitch, Sandy Richards, Carole Sayle, Kathy Schreiner, Nancy Carlson Schrock, Shelly Sender, Gwyneth Walker, Sharon Wilkerson, and Ancelin Vogt Wolfe. If you are a member of the Pembroke Class of 1968 and haven’t Zoomed with us or haven’t recently Zoomed with us, please consider joining one of the upcoming Zooms. Contact Ginger Heinbockel Ignatoff at [email protected] to join the Pembroke ’68 list serv and receive notices of our weekly gatherings, or contact me at [email protected].”

Fred Brack writes: “When I retired from IBM in 1999, my wife Kathy, who is blind, suggested that I take a class on how to be an audio describer since I had been doing it for her for more than 25 years. Audio description is the narration of key visual events at live theatre, cinema, or on TV for people with visual impairment. I’ve been an audio describer locally in Raleigh, North Carolina, since then. In 2003, I started a website on audio description for a blind gentleman named Barry Levine that was later picked up by the American Council of the Blind as the Audio Description Project. In the summer of 2025, I received the Barry Levine Memorial Award for Achievement in Audio Description from the ACB for my 22 years of work on the website, for which I now list nearly 13,000 movies and series available with audio description across nearly 25 providers (like cinema, TV, and streaming services like Netflix). I encourage any readers or their family members with impaired vision to visit the website.”

Joel Bennett enjoyed the Oct. 27–Nov. 14 Brown Travelers India Trip that visited Delhi, Pashkur, Jaipur, and Agra.

Michael Joseloff, an Emmy Award–winning television news and documentary producer (The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, CBS News productions, and several cable programs), published a book in March. The Greatest Scientific Gamble: A Story of Impossible Odds, Rival Scientists, and the Atomic Bomb tells a little-known story about the launch of World War II when former friends—the German physicist Werner Heisenberg, architect of Germany’s atom bomb program, and Manhattan Project scientists Robert Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi, and Sam Goudsmit—squared off in a high-stakes race to build the atom bomb.  

Susan Seal writes: “On October 24, 2025, the government of France made me a Knight in the French Order of Merit. Deputy Consul General Myriam Gil gave me the medal in a beautiful event at Scarsdale Golf Club in Hartsdale, New York, where I live. This is in recognition for the many years I have spent saving a national register site near my home, Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters. It is on the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail. This house was the residence of the leader of the French forces in America, the Comte de Rochambeau, for six weeks in 1781 while he met with George Washington. There were 5,000 French soldiers and 4,000 Continental troops camped around the house (some on my front lawn). This has been my ‘retirement’ project since 2010. My husband, David, and I have been married for 55 years and have two daughters and four grandchildren. We have weathered major health crises and managed to have two successful careers. Now we work almost full-time to open the Odell Rochambeau Museum in time for the 250th commemoration of the American Revolution, in 2026.”

Dale Perelman has completed his eleventh book with The History Press, New Castle’s Las Vegas Guys: Gangsters, Gamblers & Dealers. Based on extensive interviews, the author unfolds a cavalier group’s frolicking adventures as they navigate their way from the belly of the downtown Golden Gate to some of the Vegas Strip’s premier casinos, all while teetering along the right side of the law.

Joseph Papa writes that two of his daughters, Giavanna Lau ’89, ’97 MD, and Marianna Krejci-Papa ’86, are Brown grads. He and his wife, Madeline, have been married 63 years and have four children, 18 grandchildren, and three great-grandkids so far. He remembers Theta Delta Chi and the baseball team. He hopes some of his grandsons keep the tradition.

Glenn Cashion’s latest literary effort is a heartfelt tribute to his family, faith, and the Irish spirit that flows through generations. My Irish Heart is the story of Irish immigrants who dared to cross an ocean and build new lives during the Great Famine. Glenn recounts how these struggles shaped his own life and struggles. The book is available by emailing Glenn at [email protected].

Gene Kopf writes: “Loving living in paradise, or Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. We are getting our 10,000 steps a day in, and regularly attend the theater and classes at FAU. Three other Brown alumni are living in this great retirement village, Devonshire, where we have regular entertainment, reading clubs, and education. At this point in our lives, we are very happy here.” Contact Gene at [email protected]. 

Joan Hoost McMaster writes: “Pembroke Hall was rededicated as the exclusive home of the Pembroke Center on October 17. The celebration began with a forum, Fashion as Armor, at which archivist Mary Murphy displayed five garments from the archived collection and described the significance of each. A panel discussion followed with a Q&A. The afternoon reception featured a toast by President Christina Paxson praising Pembroke College and was well attended by alumni, faculty, students, and the public. It was a wonderful and heartwarming occasion.”

At the time of publishing, John Willenbecher’s exhibition of his new work was scheduled to be at the Babst Gallery in Los Angeles,  Feb. 13 through April 18, 2026.

Jack Giddings retired from medical practice after 60 years. He says he has seen three generations of families grow up and flourish. “Giving up was very difficult,” he relates, “but there comes a time to turn things over to younger colleagues and look for new activities and challenges.” Jack and wife Sue have been in Jacksonville, Fla., for nearly all of that time and are fortunate to have their son, a college professor, nearby with his wife and young daughter. Contact Jack at [email protected].

Class Vice President Dean John Seibert writes from the small frontier city of Yoro, Honduras. “Four years ago, I established the Honduran Tolupán Education Program in order to build libraries in indigenous communities, where villagers forget how to read because there is nothing to read. For women of childbearing age, illiteracy can be more than a burden, it can be a death knell. I have been providing medical care, following and sometimes during wars or natural disasters, in Liberia, Indonesia, Haiti, Albania, Pakistan, Kosovo, the Mosquito Coast of Honduras, and, much closer to home, San Antonio following Katrina. At the grand opening of a Tolupán library in the community of El Salitre, about 300 people showed up to join the celebration. I brought my Brown cap. Wherever I go I am always proud to show our symbol of excellence and humanitarianism recognized around the world.”

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.”

Class Co-Presidents Jacki Horn Laxon and Pat Gasbarro report that plans are underway for the 60th reunion scheduled for May 22-24, 2026. “Our reunion committee has planned the following on-campus activities: a reception on Friday night (May 22), a Saturday luncheon, and a class dinner on Saturday night (May 23). All are encouraged to stay for Commencement on Sunday morning (May 24) and march down College Hill with our class. Please join us for our 60th and remember to reserve your lodging early! All communications about the reunion and registration are electronic. Be sure that Brown has your current email address. To update your contact information, access your profile at alumni.brown.edu. As always, please be sure to make your 60th reunion gift to the Brown Annual Fund at gifts.brown.edu.”

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.”