Class of 2009
Send your news to the BAM at alumni_magazine@brown.edu .
Mark Bloom and Colleen Gribben Bloom announce the Dec. 21 birth of their son Kiernan Ryan Bloom on Long Island, N.Y. Kiernan joins sister Grace Catherine.
Toby Cohen and Matthew Hernandez ’11 were selected this year for the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 40 Under Forty list.
Mark your calendar! Reunion 2024 will take place May 24-26. It’s essential to confirm that your alumni profile has the correct email address for updates regarding Reunion Weekend, which will be sent via email. Simply visit my.brown.edu and follow the instructions provided to access your profile.
Erin Mancuso Hobey writes: “The Derbies’ visit kicked off January in an unforgettable way! Peter Freer ’98 and I continue to have great Brown Club of Spain programming this year, with several events on the calendar in the next few weeks including a meet up for the CASA BCN Brown exchange students, private gallery opening, and library visit. I’m working to organize a Madrid event as well. We have a phenomenal group of alums in España. Many thanks to Zachary Langway ’09 for his introductions. Keep them coming! Ever true! On behalf of the Brown Club of Spain, Jonathan Charnas ’65 hosted a dynamic group of CASA-Granada Brown University exchange students including Michelle Gibble ’24, Dana Herrnstadt ’24, Nia McGregor ’24, and Siri Pierce ’24 at the beautiful Cafetería Hospital Real in Granada.”
Erin E. Adams’s debut novel Jackal was published by Bantam of Ballantine books in October.
Eric Lewin writes: “On July 3, I married the love of my life, Emily Shire, in Mamaroneck (N.Y.) Although Emily made the grave mistake of turning down Brown to attend a school just outside of Boston and not Tufts, fortunately many, many Brunonians, including numerous Brunonian family members, were in attendance. These included father of the bride Howard Shire ’75, mother of the bride Sharon Eisenstat Shire ’81, best man and brother of the groom Adam Lewin ’09, bridesmaid and sister-in-law of the groom Sara Epstein Lewin ’08, and groomsman and brother of the bride Ethan Shire ’19. Other family and friends attending included faculty and alumni ranging from the class of 1975 to the class of 2022.5. I sincerely thank the Alumni Office for letting me borrow a banner for the photo. Ever True!” (see Howard Shire ’75).
Gabby Salazar writes: “My first book came out on Feb. 01, 2022, with National Geographic Kids Books. My 160-page book is called No Boundaries: 25 Women Explorers and Scientists Share Adventures, Inspiration, and Advice and is for 9 to 12-year-olds. The book exposes kids to outstanding female scientists of diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and fields of study—many of whom are just beginning their game-changing work—by shining a light on the unique journeys and struggles that led to their modern-day achievements.”
Janine Kwoh published her first book, Welcome to the Grief Club, with Workman Publishing in February. Based on her own experience with grief—Janine’s partner died when both were in their late twenties—and those of other Grief Club members, the book uses brief writings, illustrations, and creative diagrams to explore the wide range of emotions and experiences that grief can encompass, with humor and empathy.
Gabby Salazar writes: “My first book was published on February 1 with National Geographic Kids Books. The 160-page book is called No Boundaries: 25 Women Explorers and Scientists Share Adventures, Inspiration, and Advice and is for 9- to 12-year-olds. The book exposes kids to outstanding women of diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and fields of study—many of whom are just beginning their game-changing work—by shining a light on the unique journeys and struggles that led to their incredible modern-day achievements.”
Sonia Russo graduated from Emerge Colorado’s six-month-long candidate training program, which trains Democratic women to run for office. She was touched to have the support of several of her classmates, including Lisa Arias ’07, David Berliner, Kate Stoughton Berliner, Ojus Doshi ’08, Christopher Mun ’08, Ravi Ramanathan, and Sam Terman. Sonia was also listed in the American Bar Association’s 2021 “On the Rise Top 40 Young Lawyers” list and launched a podcast for the ABA called “Young Lawyer Rising” in April 2021, one episode of which featured Ravi Ramanathan. She’s currently training to run the 2021 Denver Colfax Marathon, which will be her second marathon. She hopes Brown classmates will be in touch if they’re in Denver.
Mark Bloom and Colleen Gribbin ’09 welcomed daughter Grace Catherine Bloom to the world on July 5 in New York City.
M.P. Carver directed the 2021 Massachusetts Poetry Festival, which featured more than 50 events and headliners such as Pulitzer Prize winner Tyehimba Jess and renowned poet and former chancellor of the Academy of American Poets Naomi Shihab Nye. Mass Poetry, the nonprofit organization that ran the festival, focuses on growing the audience for poetry and bringing poetry into schools and public art projects. Carver, also a poet herself, began as director of the Festival last November, but has been a friend of the organization for many years.
Nat Seelen and Amy Seibel ’09 announce the Aug.12 birth of their son, Benjamin Tony Seibel Seelen, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. They can’t wait to introduce him to all of you at the next Campus Dance.
Jihoon Yoon ’13 MD (see Lorenna Ellis ’09).
Holleigh Bergstrom Oliveira ’16 MAT (see Lorenna Ellis ’09).
Marquita Ellis ’14 ScM (see Lorenna Ellis ’09).
Holleigh Bergstrom Oliveira ’16 MAT (see Lorenna Ellis ’09).
Kristin Richardson Jordan wrote this summer: “I am running for New York City Council in District 9, which is Central Harlem. I’m running a grassroots campaign for the primary against an incumbent who’s been in New York politics for more than 30 years. My platform is composed of six focus areas which can be simplified into the acronym HARLEM:
H: Holding police accountable and police abolition
A: Actually affordable housing
R: Redistribution of wealth
L: Living longer with more resources for our seniors, as well as gun control
E: Education for all and environmental justice
M: Meaningful change
If elected, I will be the second woman, the youngest ever, and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent District 9 on the Council. I would also be the first Black lesbian to serve on the City Council. More information about my platform can be found at www.kristinforharlem.com.”
Lorenna Ellis and Cameron Lee married in a two-part wedding over Zoom on July 4, with the first half in the Boise area and the second half in Orange County, Calif. In attendance/members of the wedding party were David Atkinson ’08; Alberto Castellón; Kara Kamikawa DeBaun; Marquita Ellis ’12, ’14 ScM; Julia Kim Ho ’12; Janice Kim; Holleigh Bergstrom Oliveira ’14, ’16 MAT; Christina Tang; and Jihoon Yoon ’13 MD. Cameron and Lorenna met through the Brown student group College Hill for Christ, dated briefly, and were next door neighbors in Young Orchard their senior year. They stayed in touch over the years and finally dated again following their eight-year class reunion. At their 10-year class reunion they got engaged at Prospect Park. Cameron is working at a family medicine clinic and Lorenna continues directing business systems for a Christian nonprofit. She will serve on the Alumni Board this year to help the class of ’09 build connections that support Brown and each other during these challenging times. They will be living in Los Angeles and look forward to a lifetime of growing and serving others together.
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.
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.”
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.
Laura Thompson writes: “I joined a group of Bay Area social justice and healthcare leaders on a pilgrimage to Alabama to learn more about the racial disparities in economic opportunity and healthcare there. I was astounded to learn that two of our wonderful hosts, Tamera Coyne-Beasley ’87 and Morissa Ladinsky ’85, were both proud Brown alumnae! Three members of Brown’s Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life, Jeremy Ogunba, Ulli K Ryder, and Rabbi Michelle Dardashti, were also meaningful members of our group. I continue to be amazed by the powerful work being done by Brown staff and alumni across the globe.”
Ijeoma Njaka and Jeff Bayne were married on Sept. 29 in Washington, D.C. Alumni celebrating with them included Ross Beckman ’13 MD; Kimberly Dickinson ’14 MPH, ’14 MD; Mark Doss; Miles Fujiki; Amal Hassan ’10; Rohan Keshwara; Jasmine Leonard ’14 MD; Katie Okamoto; Neeta Pal, Patrick Pangan; Lydia Sharlow; Kam Sripada; and Daniel Woolridge ’10. The couple met while studying abroad in Stockholm, Sweden, during their junior year—although, Ijeoma writes, “Jeff is pretty certain we were in the same multivariable calculus class in our first year.”
Emilie Aries published her first book, Bossed Up: A Grown Woman’s Guide to Getting Your Sh*t Together, in May, and she hosted a free book tour stop at the Brown CareerLAB during reunion weekend. The book chronicles Emilie’s own story paired with research-backed actionable advice and dozens of real stories from a diverse array of women in the Bossed Up community who’ve applied these lessons to their own careers.
Miguel Angel Blancarte Jr. graduated in December 2018 from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and the Walsh School of Foreign Service with a Master of Arts in International Business and Policy.
Ariana Cannavo and Jack Murphy ’11 were married July 28 in Providence. In attendance were: Libby Boghossian ’09, Marc Bergschneider ’73, Mark Dee ’11, Daniel Deisley ’11, Casie Horgan ’11, Misha Joukowsky ’87, Allan Just ’05, Lawrence Livornese ’11, Lindsay McAlpine ’09, Luke McGee ’01, Portia Johnson McGee ’01, Phoebe Manzella Murphy ’82, Victoria Nguyen, Serin Seckin ’11, Catherine Starr ’05, and Deborah Dryer Vo ’06. Professor Barrett Hazeltine was also at the wedding.
It is time to start thinking about our 10th reunion coming up on May 24-26. The celebrations will kick off on Friday night during the opening reception at Alumnae Hall. We will roll out from there to Campus Dance to reconnect and dance, dance, dance the night away. There is plenty of time on Saturday to rendezvous on Thayer Street, join in the games at Field Day and take in some alumni forums. Saturday night the DJs Alex Werth ’09 and Alicia Maule ’11 will get you moving at the ‘Best I Ever Had’ 10th Reunion Throwback Party. The weekend won’t be complete without the procession honoring the Class of 2019 and our fellow alumni on Sunday morning. Be sure to log in to Brunonia and update your profile with your latest contact information so that you don’t miss out on our class communications.
Almaz Dessie ’11 MD married Michael Moffat on Oct. 7 at the Belle Isle Boat House in Detroit, Mich. Their friend Kira Neel ’05,’19 MD officiated the ceremony. Almaz is an assistant professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center in New York and practices as a pediatric emergency doctor at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. Michael is also a physician, practicing as a pediatric hospitalist at NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn. The couple met in 2012 during their pediatrics residency at the University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland. They have a mutual love of music, global health, and travel. The wedding was a four-day celebration of love, community, and blessings. They honored their Ethiopian and Jewish traditions and surprised their guests with a reunion performance by their band from their residency days in California (Almaz sings lead and Mike plays guitar). Members of Almaz’s former dance company at Brown, New Works/World Traditions, also surprised them with a West African dance performance at the reception. In attendance were Senior Lecturer in Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Michelle Bach-Coulibaly; Elizabeth Anto ’06, ’11 MD; Tarik Asmerom ’05; Praveen Basaviah ’05; Nora Blackall ’08; Alykhan Boolani ’06; Mark Brown II ’09; Jalle Dafa; Vanessa Danziger ’11; Sheila Desai ’05; Sybil Dessie ’04, ’08 MD; Chris Erway ’06 AM, ’11 PhD; Sushil Jacob ’05; Jazzmen Johnson’15 AM; Jori Ketten ’02; Kira Neel ’05, ’19 MD; Meghan O’Brien ’06; Ethan Philbrick ’08; Micah Salkind ’06, ’10 AM,’16 PhD; Sophie Shackleton ’09; Daniel Sobol ’09; Matthew Soursourian ’08; Ida Specker ’09; Alexx Temeña ’16; Nicole Thompson ’08; Monica Tilly ’11 MD; Jessica Vosburgh; Chantel Whittle ’12; Kenya Wright ’15; Ali John Zarrabi ’06, ’12 MD; and Leonora Zoninsein ’08.
Vanessa Merker married John Swoboda on Sept. 16, 2018, at the Charles River Museum in Waltham, Mass. Maid of honor Emilie Aries ’09 and guests Rakesh Patel ’09, Christie Ciarlo ’09, and Micah Lapping-Carr ’09 lived with the bride on the second floor of Woolley during their freshman year. Also in attendance was Leiszle Ziemba Lapping-Carr ’09.
Annie Matusewicz ’11 and Max Montgelas celebrated their marriage in Warren, Conn. In attendance were Kiana Alzate ’10, Alexa Baggio ’09, Sam Baker ’11, Dominique Ferraro ’11, Moira Gallagher ’10, Justin Klee ’13, Andrea Bonilla Munoz ’10, Jennifer Randall ’11, Meaghan Caulfield Sandtorv ’10, Olga Usyk ’09, and Sheila Walsh ’01. Annie manages responsible investment products at Eaton Vance, while Max leads the engineering and product teams at a home renovation startup, Renoviso.
Brian Christian ’06 married Rose Linke on Aug. 26 in Piedmont, Calif. In attendance were Robin Averbeck ’06, Liat Berdugo ’08, Alex Collins-Shotwell ’06, Andrew Evans ’09, Joshua Finn ’07, Elizabeth Forsyth ’06, Leora Fridman ’07, Graff Haley ’06, Melissa Riess James ’06, Henry Kaplan ’06, Raphael Lee ’06, Blair Nelsen Prata ’06, Alicia Ridenour ’06, Felicity Rose ’06, Stefanie Simons ’06, and Shawn Wen ’10.
Lissette Jimenez and Peter Wilmot ’12 were married on Mar. 24 in Berkeley, Calif. Peter and Lissette were given away by family members who are also Brown alums; Thomas Wilmot ’77 (Peter’s dad) and Aaron Jimenez ’09 (Lissette’s brother).
Devin Cohen and Sarah Cohen welcomed their first child, Isabelle, on Apr. 22, 2017.
Grace Cheung ’08 MD married Thomas Yu in Cape May, N.J. In attendance were Eugene Cha; Michael Chang ’02; Junarm Choi ’98, ’03 ScM; Melissa Choi ’09 MD; Teddy Youn ’02, ’09 MD; and John Kim ’01. Grace works as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s digital director, and Tom is an outpatient pharmacy manager at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago.
Kimberly Dickinson ’14 MPH, ’14 MD, and Ross Beckman ’13 MD announce their Aug. 26 wedding at the Evergreen Museum and Library in Baltimore. Anabel Agloro, Rebecca Binder, Emily Eng, Heather Jones ’14 MD, Rachel Marano ’14 MD, Emma Reitman, and Leona Rosenblum were bridesmaids. Chris Mardy, Adam Margolius, Will Packer, Aaron Small, Brett Weinstock, and Ben Wolpaw were groomsmen. Other alumni in attendance included Neishay Ayub ’14 MD, Jeff Bayne, Ellen Loudermilk Cone ’10, Eugene Cone ’13 MD, Brad Cotter ’13 MD, Paul Cotter, Josh Drago, Julia Goldner ’11, Mark Hepokoski ’13, Shreyus Kulkarni ’14 MD, Ijeoma Njaka, Laura Mercurio Ouellette ’14 MD, James Simmons ’13 MD, Shannon Oppenheim Simmons ’09,’13 MD, Devin Smith ’13 MD, Pamela Escobar Smith ’13 MD, Ina Soh ’13 MD, Adam Vasconcellos ’07, ’11 MD, Mansi Vasconcellos ’10,’14 MD, and Lauren Vitkus. The couple works at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where Kimberly is a pediatric pulmonary fellow and Ross is completing his residency in general surgery.
Sara Garrity-Gentile and Brian Garrity announce their Sept. 23 wedding in Massachusetts. In attendance were Dan Bailey; Danielle Wright Besuden; Rebecca Brady; Anna Devine; Tad Devine ’78; Alexandra Dreyzin; Will Garrity; Mara Gregory; Melissa King ’08, ’09 MPA; Susan Mai; Nat Seelen ’08; Amy Seibel; Richard Silverman ’45; and Dara Steinberg ’09.
Alex Michael and Harrison Noffs ’07 announce their July 8 wedding in Santa Barbara, Calif., among family and closest friends. In attendance were Lindsay Cunningham, Emily Geldwert, Matthew Krevis ’07, Han-Hui Ling, Ben Lux, Daniela Ponte, Julie Wu Scripps, and Julia Shapira ’08. Harrison and Alex were both members of the Brown athletic community (he was on the men’s varsity football team, and she was on the women’s varsity soccer team), but they didn’t meet while they were at Brown; they met through mutual friends (also Brown alumni) in Los Angeles.
From the November/December 2017 Issue
Send your news to class communications cochair Susan Kovar or directly to the BAM at alumni_magazine@brown.edu.
Lindsey Gaydos (see John Gaydos ’68).
From the September/October 2017 Issue
Send your news to class communications cochair Susan Kovar or directly to the BAM at alumni_magazine@brown.edu.
Allison Bernstein and Andy Garin were married on May 28 in Baltimore. The two met on their shared Southwest flight to ADOCH in 2005 and currently live in Cambridge, Mass. Other alumni in attendance included Amanda Bauer ’10, Amanda Duffy ’17 PhD, Sandra Eskin ’80, Jennifer Fallon, Aleksander Garin ’04, Martha Gimbel, Chris Havasy ’10, Andrea Levere ’77, Gary Mason ’84, Jimmy Rotenberg ’13 MD, Naomi Heilweil Rotenberg ’12, Dana Scott ’13 MD, Caroline Silverman, Stuart Duncan Smith, and Max Winograd.
From the July/August 2017 Issue
Send your news to class communications cochair Susan Kovar or directly to the BAM at alumni_magazine@brown.edu
From the May/June 2017 Issue
Send your news to class communications cochair Susan Kovar or directly to the BAM at alumni_magazine@brown.edu
From the January/February 2017 Issue
William T. Shore ’09 ScM (see Rula Patterson Shore ’67).
From the November/December 2016 Issue
Kimberly Gemme married Alex Kaz (Columbia Univ. ’09) on June 26 at Piney River Ranch in Vail, Colo. Kimberly writes: “We rang in the next chapter of our lives together at 9,350 feet on a beautiful day. Many fellow Brunonians helped us celebrate, including bridesmaid Tess Hart, ceremony pianist Ben Skerritt-Davis, ceremony reader Andy Loomis, and officiant Billy Popwell. Also attending were Sam Bollier ’10, Andrew Feinstein ’06, Nancy Ku ’08, Leiszle Lapping-Carr, Micah Lapping-Carr, Alexandra Lubensky, Eric Rudisaile, Steven Skerritt-Davis ’11, Kait Stanhope, Jono Warren, and Paul Wozniak. Many thanks to our wonderful Brown family for sharing in our special day, and a shout-out to the Unit 7 Wonders.”
From the July/August 2016 Issue
Yifan Luo and Jeffrey Ericson were married on Mar. 20 in Berkeley, Calif. They met more than nine years ago while working at 95.5 WBRU and have been together for more than eight years. Alums in attendance at the wedding included Daniel Bailey, Stephanie Bernhard, Andrew Brindamour, Jennifer Coletta, Austin Freeman, Ben Friedman, Bart Galvin, Mara Gregory, Adam Kran, Matthew McCabe ’14 MPP, Claire Santoro, Hallie Pope, Manuel Possolo, Kyle Tajima ’06, and Jenna White.
From the January/February 2016 Issue
Renée Ahlers and Steven Beckoff ’08 were married on Sept. 12 at Linden Place in Bristol, R.I. Rebecca Brown, Libby DeLucia, and Rebecca Richardson were bridesmaids, and Steve Alerhand ’08, David Beckoff ’08, ’08 AM, and Jonathan Levin ’08 were groomsmen. Other alums in attendance included Brenna Brucker ’13 MD; Toby and Anya Rothstein Cohen; Ross Frazier; Ryan Gise ’08; Michael Gladstone ’07; David Guttmann ’07; Libby Kimzey, Jay Levin ’08, ’12 MD; Adam Lewin and Sara Epstein Lewin ’08; Mike Morgenstern ’08; Chris Schmitt ’06; Juli Thorstenn; and Tom Trudeau. Renée is an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in Manhattan, and Steven is a resident at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. They have been together since meeting at Brown nine years ago. Renée writes: “We couldn’t have been happier to celebrate the day with our nearest and dearest Brunonians.”
Lily Shield and Henry Harrison met on their first day at Brown in 2005, where they were assigned rooms down the hall from each other in Champlin Hall. They were married in upstate New York on Sept. 26, the 10-year anniversary of when they started dating. Alumni at the wedding included Charlie Harrison ’15, Amy Littlefield, and David Shield ’03. The mother of the bride, Renée Rose Shield ’70, ’84 PhD, is a clinical professor of health services, policy, and practice at Brown.
From the November/December 2015 Issue
Adam Lewin (see Laura Epstein Flink ’04).
Anson Nickel and Reva Gaur ’07 were married in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 20. Anson writes: “The joyous Brown spirit cut through the brief rain showers and made for a wonderful day.” In addition to the groom’s mother, Allison McMillan ’74, 40 alums attended.
From the September/October 2015 Issue
Amy Seibel and Nat Seelen ’08 were married on Oct. 12, 2014, in Plymouth, Mass. Nat and Amy met through the Brown University Orchestra and got engaged in Nov. 2013 at Boston Symphony Hall. They now live in Madrid, Spain, where Amy is a Fulbright grantee and MBA student at the IE Business School, and Nat is writing a novel and composing music. Attending were 47 alums. Many alums attended the wedding, including Zachary and Lisa Arias Auger ’07; Zach Beiley ’08; Isaac Belfer ’08; David Berliner; Karla Bertrand; Bonni Brodsky; Daniel Byers ’08; Jonathan Cannon ’08; Karen Dannemiller; Ojus Doshi ’08; Amanda Duffy; Ansley Erickson ’95; Josh Finn ’07; Ben Flaherty; Leora Fox ’08; Bob Frantz ’08; Leora Fridman ’07; Alexander Gard-Murray; Sara Gentile; David Glazier ’05; Jeff Glazier ’03; Peter Goldstein ’08; Sally Grapin; Leah Harrison ’08; Debra Kao ’10; Jennifer Lambe ’06, ’07 AM; Sara Mann ’10, ’12 MAT; Adam Mazer ’08; Chris Mun ’08; Drew Nobile ’07; Phillippa Pitts; Ravi Ramanathan; Sonia Russo; Bob Saphirstein ’07; Jamie Schlessinger ’07; Daniel Seltz ’96; Steven Seltz ’00; Jennifer Seltz ’93; Kate Stoughton; Christine Sunu; Stella Tan-Torres ’08; Sam Terman; Axel Tifft ’10; Divya Vohra ’07; Max Winograd, and Lana Zaman ’08.
From the May/June 2015 Issue
Claudia Carranza Gardner ’09 (see Sue Wotiz Goldstein ’71).
Aviad Haimi-Cohen (see Araceli Mendez ’12).
From the March/April 2015 Issue
Emily Shapiro (see Elizabeth Robertson Laytin ’76).
From the January/February 2015 Issue
Rachel Nash (see Es Rolnick Nash ’78, ’81 MD).
From the November/December 2014 Issue
Sara Walter Weiser married Neil Weiser on July 26 in Harrisburg, Pa. Sierra Salton was a bridesmaid. Additional alumni in attendance included Kristina Kelleher-Bianchi, Alissa Cerny, Adam Rodriquez-Dunn, McCall Lewis Weibel ’08, and Tara Vega ’07.
From the September/October 2014 Issue
Frankie Nuzzo proposed to his girlfriend, Stella Vigorito, in June at the Cape Cod oceanfront home owned by Brian Wallace ’54. Frankie writes: “Brian served as my mentor during my time at Brown and was an enormous influence on my life. He graciously granted me permission to propose to my girlfriend at his home, where I lived for three summers while working for him. It was an incredible moment. P.S. She said yes!”
Amy Tan, Julia Brooks ’08, Kwan Lin ’07, Claudia Schwartz, Phoebe Sloane ’08, and James Williams ’10 graduated with their master’s degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts in May. Amy and Julia were corecipients of the Leo Gross Law Prize, and Amy was one of the class speakers at commencement.
From the July/August 2014 Issue
Andrea Batchelor ’13 MD and Ryan Patrico ’08 announce the April 2013 birth of their daughter, Rosalie.
Toby Cohen and Anya Rothstein write that they were married in January in a very Brunonian filled wedding featuring renditions of “Ever True” and “I’m a Brown Man Born." Brown alumni in the wedding party included the father of the groom, Dr. Arnold Rothstein ’58, bridesmaids Anna Darby ’10 and Rebecca Richardson, best men Adam Lewin, Jason Ziplow ’10, and groomsmen Dr. Stephen Alerhand ’08, Dr. Steven Beckoff ’08, Alex Forte, Adam Kroll, Akash Kumar ’10, Dr. Jon Levin ’08, and Daniel Sobol. In addition to aunt of the bride Dr. Iona Aibel ’82 and nephew of the bride Max Godnick ’13, other Brown alumni in attendance included: Renee Ahlers, Lizzie Baron ’11, Dr. Rebecca Brown, Dr. Brenna Brucker ’13 MD, Joel Cohen ’10, Leora David, Katie Davis, Libby DeLucia, Sara Epstein ’08, Ross Frazier, Jacqui Friedman, Dr. David Guttmann ’07, Jessie Hornig ’13, Einat Kadar, Dr. Jay Levin ’08, ’12 MD, Adam Lubitz, Christina Ma, Michael Morgenstern ’08, Ryan Mott, Erica Palmiter, Sam Pucci ’10 ScM, Adam Robbins, Ben Rome ’10, Talia Rozensher, Daniel Scheinerman, Troy Shapiro ’10, Juli Thorstenn, Nermarie Velazquez ’10, Elena Weissman ’10, and Adrian Williams ’11.
Cory McAlister and Marta da Silva were recently engaged. The two met freshman year in East Andrews, where they lived two doors apart. They are looking forward to an October wedding.
Dan Rosenberg ’10 ScM married Meghan Patrolia ’10 on Oct. 12 in Norwalk, Conn. The wedding party included Aurora Durfee ’10, Aviad McMullen Haimi-Cohen, Miles Hovis ’08, Caroline Rieser ’10, Rachel Shelley-Abrahamson ’10, and Jenica Shipley ’11. Dan is a grandson of Allan Rosenberg ’46 and the late Barbara Maskell Rosenberg ’49, and a son of Arthur Rosenberg ’82. Other family members present included Scott Sammis ’74, Emily Shapiro, Lawrence Rosenberg ’72, John Rosenberg ’74, and Nancy Ellis Rosenberg ’76. Many other alums and Zeta Delta Xi members were also present.
From the May/June 2014 Issue [5th]
Jeanine Pollard writes: “Are you ready for our fifth reunion, May 23–25? The reunion committee has been busy planning a memorable weekend. Visit us at the Brown University class of 2009 Facebook page or on Twitter @Brown09Reunion for details. While you are making your plans to come back to campus, don’t forget to also give back! Our class aims to reach a fifth reunion class gift of $109,000 by June 30, so please help us reach our goal and make a positive impact by making your gift to the Brown Annual Fund today!”
Dan Rosenberg ’10 ScM and Meghan Patrolia ’10 were married on Oct. 12 in Norwalk, Conn. The wedding party included Rachel Shelley Abrahamson ’10, Aviad Haimi-Cohen, Aurora Durfee ’10, Miles Hovis ’08, Caroline Reiser ’10, and Jenica Shipley ’11. The groom is the son of Arthur Rosenberg ’82 and grandson of Allan Rosenberg ’46 and the late Barbara Maskell Rosenberg ’49. Other family members present included John Rosenberg ’74, Lawrence Rosenberg ’72, Nancy Rosenberg ’76, Scott Sammis ’74, and Emily Shapiro. Many other alumni and members of Zeta Delta Xi were also present to celebrate.
Jason G. Smoller married Rachel Starr on Jan. 4 in his hometown of Little Rock, Ark. The couple met playing in the Brown Orchestra. In attendance were Sofia Almanza ’11, Sarah Cocuzzo ’10, Kate Fritzsche ’10, Adrienne Langlois ’10, Sara Powell ’11, Ravi Ramanathan, and Omar Taveras ’11. The couple lives in New York City with their cat, Neville.
From the March/April 2014 Issue [5th]
Emily Borromeo pulled together a group of friends, including two alums who sang with her at Brown, to compete on NBC’s The Sing-Off. The group, called Element, comprises ten women, all pursuing careers in New York City. They auditioned and were chosen to compete with nine other groups from around the world.
Michaela Corrente ’11 AM married Travers de Groot (Boston University) on Oct. 12 in Providence. The bridal party included Marissa Cruz-Enriquez and Miriam Gordon ’08. Also in attendance were Warren Alpert Medical School professor Dr. Anthony Caldamone ’72, ’75 MD; Amy Caldamone ’06; Nikki Churchwell ’11 AM; Steve DeLucia ’10; Sam Goldman ’08 and Katie Evans Goldman ’10; Ashley Kingon ’06; Rickie Kostiner ’10, ’11 AM; Elizabeth Leary; Meredith Lee ’11 AM; Ben Rome and Rachel Rome; and Olivia Winfrey. Michaela is a policy analyst for the Southern Regional Education Board, and Travers is a captain in the United States Air Force. They live in Panama City, Fla.
Jeanine Pollard writes: “Are you ready for our fifth reunion, May 23–25, 2014? The Reunion Committee has been busy planning a memorable weekend. Visit our Facebook page, Brown University Class of 2009, for details on the weekend. And, while you’re making your plans to come back to campus, don’t forget to give back for our fifth reunion! Our class is aiming to reach a fifth reunion class gift of $109,000 by June 30, so please help us reach our goal and make a positive impact on life at Brown by making your gift to the Brown Annual Fund today!”
Tom Trudeau and Juli Thorstenn were engaged at Commencement 2013—their four-year reunion at Brown. They met at Brown and have been dating since their senior year. A June 2014 wedding is planned.
Kangyi Zhang writes “Thank you, friends and professors, for my unforgettable moments at Brown. Hit me up if you come to Los Angeles.”
From the January/February 2014 Issue
William Packer teaches seventh-grade mathematics at Democracy Prep Charter School in Harlem, N.Y., and will earn his master’s in teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education in June.
Jeanine Pollard writes: “Are you ready for our fifth reunion, on May 23–25? The reunion committee has been busy planning a memorable weekend. Visit our Facebook page, Brown University Class of 2009, for details on the weekend. And, while you’re making your plans to come back to campus, don’t forget to also give back for our fifth reunion! Our class is aiming to reach a fifth-reunion class gift of $109,000 by June 30, so please help us reach our goal and make a positive impact on life at Brown by making your gift to the Brown Annual Fund today!”
Ben Skerritt-Davis (see Engagements & Weddings, Erica Seidel ’97).
From the September/October 2013 Issue
Alice Alpert (see Engagements & Weddings, Alexandrina Tzanova ’11ScM).
Rudmila Rahman, cofounder of Good-Benefits.com won top prize at the Dell Social Innovation Challenge 2013 in Austin. Good-Benefits allows people to create micro-foundations through their employers to generate billions of dollars for charity. The cofounders competed against 2,600 teams around the globe to win $20,000 in seed money from Dell to help launch the business this summer.
From the September/October 2012 Issue
Christina Tang was selected by Acumen as a class of 2013 Global Fellow. She has worked with Bain & Co. as an associate consultant and previously with Rainwater for Humanity.
From the May/June 2012 Issue
Colin Cloherty and Michael Dougherty (see Engagements & Weddings, Maggie Connolly ’03).
From the March/April 2012 Issue
Molly Josephs writes: “My friends and teachers at Brown continue to enhance my life and enrich my daily experience despite distance in space and time. Brown, thank you!”
From the November/December 2011 Issue
Julie Spector-Sprague (see Engagements & Weddings, Lisa Spector '07 MPP).
From the September/October 2011 Issue
Stephanie Bernhard received a Jefferson Fellowship to pursue a PhD in English at the UVA. She was chosen for this merit-based fellowship out of 34 nominees, distinguishing herself by presenting research undertaken at Brown.
From the March/April 2011 Issue
Tobias Cohen and 12 other Brown medical graduates were among the 140 first-year students at the Sept. 13 white-coat ceremony at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.
From the January/February 2011 Issue
Alissa Cerny (see Engagements & Weddings, Kristina M. Kelleher).
Miles Craigwell attended an intensive three-day USA Men's Sevens Training selection camp in Sept. Find more information at www.universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=493042.html.
Katherine Kirby Hosea (see Engagements & Weddings, Hadley E. Hosea '01).
Lindsay Houle (see Engagements & Weddings, Kristina M. Kelleher).
Kristina M. Kelleher (see Engagements & Weddings).
Sara Walter (see Engagements & Weddings, Kristina M. Kelleher).
From the September/October 2010 Issue
Eva Kranjc (see Susan Warshauer Kahn '83).
Julie Sygiel writes: "Ben Flaherty and Karen Dannemiller tied the knot on June 26 in Fairlawn, Ohio. The ceremony included bridesmaids Dara Steinberg, Julie Sygiel, and Danielle Wright, and groomsmen Matt Groot, Samuel Terman, and Will Wei. The bridal party celebrated with milkshakes from Steak 'n Shake and a quick game of mini golf before the reception. Joining them to celebrate were Megan Algeo, Caitlin Ashley-Rollman, Sara Berglund, Gerry Della Rocca, Vivette El Fawal, Sara Gentile, Nick Imbriglia, Cameron Jue, Samantha Marder, Ravi Ramanathan, Nat Seelen '08, and Amy Siebel. Ben and Karen live in New Haven, where they are both pursuing doctoral degrees at Yale."
From the July/August 2010 Issue
Miles Craigwell is a Gatorade athlete. He has teamed up with Gatorade and Action Against Hunger to help raise awareness of global hunger as he makes his journey to the NFL.
Jazmin Perez married Joseph Potucek IV on Mar. 13 in an outdoor ceremony at the Clipper House Inn in Kemah, Tex. Classmates at the wedding included bridesmaids Joanna Culver, Liz Encarnacion, Emily Lau, and Julie Sygiel, as well as Josh Esteban, Hannah Mellion, Nick Imbriglia, and Kara Kamikawa. Jazmin and Joe live in Houston, where Jazmin is pursuing a master's in public health.
In January, Ryan Garbutt and Sean Muncy were selected to play in the Central Hockey League 2009 All-Star Game. Sean was MVP. See www.chl.com for details.
Chris Rommel married Colleen McCann (Stonehill '04), on June 20 in Newport, R.I. Chris and Colleen met four and a half years ago while coaching middle school sports teams at the Gordon School in East Providence. Jason Smith was a groomsman. Brunonians in attendance included Allie Briggs '08, Paul Costa, James Feldman, Kent Haines, Amy Hunckler '08, Jake Kling, Zach Lerner, and Jimmy Tasso. Chris and Colleen honeymooned in Puerto Vallarta, successfully avoiding both the swine flu and a hurricane in the process. The newlyweds are living in Medway, Mass., with their boxer puppy, Bruno.
Obituaries
Michael A. Vargas ’09, of San Benito, Tex.; Jan. 4. After Brown he continued to the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where he earned a master’s degree in educational leadership. His commitment to community and public service was evident during his tenure as a Congressional intern under the mentorship of former Congressman Solomon Ortiz of South Texas. In addition, he furthered his experience by interning with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C. His federal career reached its culmination as he assumed the role of Congressional Affairs Assistant for the Presidential Classroom Program. In this capacity, he was instrumental in organizing and facilitating student visits to federal agencies and Capitol Hill and shared his knowledge about domestic and foreign policy with the students, family, and friends who visited. He went on to be selected by Teach for America, becoming an educational ambassador committed to uplifting impoverished communities such as St. Louis, where he taught in the Hazelwood School District. Returning to San Benito, he embarked on a distinguished career in public service, serving as an elected trustee on the San Benito CISD School Board. At the time, he was their youngest board president at the age of 31. As president, he implemented groundbreaking policies, including the creation of the district’s Dr. Raul Garza, Jr. STEAM Academy and Early College Academy. He played key roles in various campaigns and was a member of the Texas Association of School Boards’ Legislative Committee, working toward positive changes in state education policies. Additionally, he served as the executive secretary of the Mexican American School Board Association, which awarded him the Héroes de MASBA award for the district’s five consecutive years of MASBA membership. He later became the assistant director of public affairs with the City of Pharr and cofounded School Board Leaders for Safe Schools. He is survived by his partner, Mario Cortez; his mother; two brothers; and nieces and nephews.
Erinn Phelan ’09, of Swampscott, Mass.; Apr. 16, after a long struggle caused by a hit and run accident that occurred in February of 2010. While at Brown, she served on the Undergraduate Council of Students and was secretary general for Brown’s Simulation of the United Nations. Her dedication to public service was evidenced by her taking part in a summer fellowship with New Sector Alliance and working with Brown’s Careers in the Common Good Program. After graduating from Brown, she moved to New York City to work as a coordinator for a volunteerism initiative through Mayor Bloomberg’s office. She was in charge of managing a docket of New York City Civic Corps members and worked to increase their roster of volunteers. She had enjoyed traveling. She is survived by her parents, a sister and brother-in-law, two brothers, a sister-in-law, and extended family.
Fiona Heckscher ’09, of Washington, D.C.; Feb. 18, after a fall while rock climbing. For the past five years she was an attorney with the U.S. House of Representatives’ Office of the Legislative Counsel, which helps members of Congress write legislation. She earned her law degree from Yale in 2014. She is survived by her parents.
Tara D. Parente ’09, of Philadelphia; Nov. 15. She is survived by her mother and sister.
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