The Classes

Robin Arehart ’93 MAT published Eco-freak on Dec. 1. Robin writes: “For all the Ecofreaks from Brown.”

Elizabeth Searle ’88 AM is cowriter of the feature film I’ll Show You Mine (Duplass Brothers Productions), released last year in select theaters and now widely available on home screens via AmazonPrime, Peacock, AppleTV and more. She cowrote the film with David Shields ’78 and Tiffany Louquet, and it stars Poorna Jagannathan (Wolfs) and drew positive reviews in the New York Times and elsewhere. Elizabeth is also the author of five books of fiction, including A Four-Sided Bed, which is in development as a feature film; and the playwright of Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera, which has been produced in Boston, L.A., Chicago, and New York City.  The rock opera and I’ll Show You Mine have both drawn national media attention. elizabethsearle.net.

Ann Marie Jodoin ’86 AM and Michael H. Wright ’88 MD first met, dated, and fell in love at Brown. After graduation, they followed different paths, but 32 years later, the two reconnected and have been making the most of their time together ever since. Last summer their adventures led them to Mount Rushmore. They write they are savoring every moment, from rediscovering each other to exploring new places. “Thank you Brown for bringing us back together!”

Kate Schapira ’06 MFA writes: “My first book of nonfiction, Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth: How to Live With Care and Purpose in an Endangered World, was published on April 9, 2024, with Hachette Go. The book addresses our collective concerns about climate change with empathy, grace, and practical strategies to help us all envision a viable future. By moving through personal and general climate anxiety, frustration, helplessness, and grief, readers can move toward a sense of shared purpose and community care. The book is rooted in over ten years of listening to people’s climate anxieties. I’ve staffed the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth at environmental justice convenings held by Communities First and at the Bloomberg Green Festival, and I’m currently supporting climate and community resilience work in Warren, R.I.” 

Chris Holmes ’00 MAT, ’12 PhD published Kazuo Ishiguro Against World Literature on Nov. 14 with Bloomsbury Press. 

Intus Care founders Robbie Felton ’22, Evan Jackson ’22, and Alex Rothberg ’22 were among those announced on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Intus Care builds healthcare analytics software to help identify risks and optimize healthcare for low-income seniors (see “Data-Driven Elder Care,” Jun.-Aug. ’22).

Louisa Conwill writes: “Daniel Tully ’23 and Julia Toth Tully ’24 were married at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Kula, Hawaii, on July 12. The wedding Mass was celebrated by two former Brown Catholic chaplains—Fr. Edmund McCullough and Fr. Albert Duggan ’03. A number of Brown alumni were in attendance.”

Paige Morris is the cotranslator of We Do Not Part, a novel by the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Han Kang. The English translation has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Contact Paige at [email protected]. 

Ria Mirchandani writes: “I’ve partnered with my good friend and RISD ’15 illustration alum, Shivantika Jain Kothari, to create a book about our two favorite cities, Bombay and New York. The book, Bombay || New York, tells the tangled tale of two cities that are as alike as they are different. Through 20 whimsically illustrated vignettes, the book draws parallels between daily life in these vibrant megacities, evoking appreciation for where you are, nostalgia for where you long to be, and inviting you to embrace the beauty of the in-between. Check out bombaynewyorkbook.com.”

Jonathan Staloff ’19 ScM, ’19 MD, a family medicine physician at the University of Washington in Seattle, coauthored Reshaping Health Systems: What Drives Health Care and How You Can Change It. Jonathan writes: “I am hopeful it can be a foundational resource for health professions students and trainees to learn about the core health systems structures and policies that influence patient care and provide concrete tools they can use to make change in their clinical environments. My education at Brown, studying public health in undergrad, and population medicine in medical school, were essential to my involvement in this book and its content.” 

Eric Lewin writes: “On November 4, my wife, Emily Shire, and I welcomed our daughter Adira Hazel Lewin into the world. She has already brought immeasurable joy to us and numerous Brunonians, including Grandpa Howard Shire ’75, Grandma Sharon Eisenstat Shire ’81, Uncle Adam Lewin ’09, Aunt Sara Epstein Lewin ’08, and Uncle Ethan Shire ’19.”

Emily Dellenbaugh and Kyle Droniak were married on Sept. 7 in Guilford, Conn. Emily was on the Brown sailing team, many members of which were there to celebrate, as well as alumni friends and family, including Fariha Ali ’10, James Barry ’16, Susan Scavone Benz, Brad Dellenbaugh ’76, Elizabeth Gordon Dellenbaugh ’87, Spencer Dellenbaugh ’24, Sally Evans ’11, Victoria Wilson Foster, Lauren Bosso Kowall, Nate Myers ’08, Ashley Noble ’13, Nikolas Osvalds ’11, ’12 ScM, Megan Grapengeter Rudnick ’17, Yoojin Rhee, Cecilia Strömbeck ’11, and Elizabeth Barry Swanson ’11 

Wendy Castillo and Kamden K. Strunk published How to QuantCrit on Oct. 30 with Routledge. Wendy writes: “It’s the first book of its kind. It equips researchers and users of quantitative data with practices to alter how they collect and analyze quantitative data. Using Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) as a framework, this book develops the foundation for an iterative praxis to explore a range of questions that prompt practitioners and stakeholders to be engaged critics in working toward a more just and equitable society.”

Kevin Pratt and Lauren Elizabeth Mansy were married on Dec. 16, 2023, at College Church in Wheaton, Ill.

This past fall, Jeffrey Prystowsky started a new job at Loeb & Loeb LLP, an entertainment law firm in New York City, to practice music copyright law. 

Jason Lambrese ’10 MD writes: “What better way to celebrate entering our 40s than a reunion in San Diego where Ariana Lupercio and Tim Courchaine live? I flew in from Cleveland, Katherine O’Keefe from Philadelphia, Meghan Edwards from New York, and Emma Zuroski from Auckland. Can’t believe it’s been 22 years since we lived in NP3!” 

Thyra Heder published Nose to Nose on Sept. 17 with Harry N. Abrams Publishing. Thyra writes: “This is my sixth picture book for children I’ve made as both the author and illustrator, and it’s a particularly fun one to gift. It’s very funny and told through revealing what dogs are telling each other through their pee markings. It’s also an emotional story of how misunderstandings can spiral and what it takes to enter a new community.”

Keally DeWitt writes: “I was elected vice chair of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) board for a two-year term. SEIA is the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry. Every day I put the advocacy skills I learned at Brown to use in service of the energy transition.”

Lauren E. Oakes published Treekeepers: The Race for a Forested Future on Nov. 12 with Basic Books. The book offers a critical look at how forests contribute to the fight against climate change, revealing the complex roles they can play in making the planet more habitable for life into the future. Lauren writes: “I spent four years working on this project and interviewed 150 people around the world to craft the narrative. Many people paused their pressing work in research groups, nurseries, fields and forests, companies, NGOs, and governments to speak with me. Their perspectives helped shape this story, and I hope it makes a positive contribution to the wider discussion on the reforestation movement today.”

Raffi Bilek, director of the Baltimore Therapy Center, published The Couples Communication Handbook: The Skills You Never Learned for the Marriage You Always Wanted on Nov. 11 with HeartZig Press.  

Former Coursera executive Leah Belsky ’02 was hired by OpenAI as its first general manager of education. In this role she will work to bring the artificial intelligence startup’s products to more schools, boost its engagement with teachers and students, and work with OpenAI’s team on their partnerships with the academic community. 

Adam Marcus and Andrew Kudless cowrote Drawing Codes: Experimental Protocols of Architectural Representation. It explores the overlaps between computational design and architectural drawing. The book features 96 commissioned drawings and six essays.

Colonel (Dr.) Vincent Capaldi ’03 ScM, ’07 MD, chair of the department of psychiatry in the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University, was honored Nov. 19 with the prestigious 2024 Army Surgeon General’s Award for Military Academic Excellence. This award is the Army Surgeon General’s highest honor and recognizes the outstanding leadership of one active duty officer and one reserve officer in military medicine, as well as their contributions to national academic achievements. He was selected for the award based on his distinguished career in military medicine and his contributions to advancing psychiatry and behavioral health research.

Adriana Valdez Young writes: “This year, I became associate chair of the MFA in Interaction Design (ixD) at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where I have been teaching design research and inclusive design since 2020. I am excited to be crafting new courses in accessibility, inclusion, and community design, which I have focused on in my own design practice. At ixD, we push students to consider interactions beyond apps and screens to build people-centered solutions to real-world problems. I invite friends and classmates new to the ixD studio to stop by for coffee, cowork for the day, tinker in our play lab, or even teach a workshop. Also on the ixD team is William Allstetter ’23,  a creative technologist and writer serving as the studio technology assistant.” Contact Adriana at [email protected] or via interactiondesign.sva.edu.

Q Mixers, a premium mixer company cofounded by Jordan Silbert ’98 and Ben Karlin ’98, announces the appointment of Betsy Frost ’98 as its new chief executive officer. Betsy is a leader in the beverage industry bringing more than two decades of experience in driving innovation, growth, and brand transformation. Most recently, she served as the CEO of Hoplark. Prior to Hoplark, she served as president of DRY Soda Co., driving its premium positioning and building a 13-year career at General Mills. 

Jennifer Kleeman Wall writes: “We’ve just held our inaugural fundraiser for Zach’s Bridge at the home of Kate Egan Gilbane ’97 and Tom Gilbane III ’97. We exceeded our fundraising goal and had a blast with a few other Brown alumni that included Steven Birnbaum ’74, Daniel M. Gilbane ’98, Eleanor Heard Gilbane ’98, Katherine Egan Gilbane ’97, Stuart Kleeman ’67, and Alexandra Gordon Patel. We’ve had a wonderful response from some of my Brown classmates after the class notes were posted and look forward to continued connections.”

Executive coach and former Olympic athlete Whitney Post Otto and body image therapist Deb Schachter published Body Image Inside Out: A Revolutionary Approach to Body Image Healing on October 29 with Sheldon Press. The book teaches you how to become more skillful at listening, interpreting, and responding to your body image thoughts, so that you can develop a more constructive and connected relationship with your body. 

Jody Buckley Keating writes that some Brown women’s basketball teammates reunited in Iceland in October, including Jen Shaw Finch, Ellen Lenihan Fleherty ’96, Jenn DeLucia Garofolo ’95, Michelle Pagliaro Haywood, Martina Jerant ’95, and Carol Ryan Livingood ’93

Akiko Ichikawa presented five iterations of her performance Limited, Limited Edition in Harlem and Woodside, Queens, for NYC Summer Streets, Flushing, and the South Bronx funded by Korea Art Forum, a NYC-based art nonprofit. She received a Puffin Foundation grant to further her ongoing piece, Sometimes They Listen. Akiko attended the 30th class reunion and was thrilled to catch up with Jessica Arons, Class President Haru Okuda and his wife Hemie, Jen Corn, and Matt Zaklad. Akiko writes: “I was dismayed when the corporation of my beloved alma mater chose not to divest from Israel in October.” Akiko works four days a week as a case manager at Cypress Hills, Brooklyn’s men’s shelter for an organization overseen by NYC’s Department of Homeless Services.

Jesselyn Brown Radack writes: “Our sons (an architect and a data scientist) are happily adulting and our daughter is in her final year at the Naval Academy. Now that our nest is empty, we moved to Paris! I’ve run into a number of Brunonians including Richard Morrill ’61, Charlie Undeland, MJ Batson ’13, and the parents of Zara Massiah ’28. If you find yourself here, please reach out to [email protected] because I love catching up and hosting old friends.”

Jad Daley ’90, president and CEO of American Forests, was named to the 2024 TIME100 Climate list as one of the top 100 innovative leaders driving climate action. He was recognized in the Defender category for his role in leading the strategic direction of American Forests to advance the organization’s mission to create healthy and resilient forests that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water, and wildlife. His long history of climate leadership includes founding key coalitions such as the Forest-Climate Working Group and U.S. Chapter of 1t.org, as well as authoring federal legislation to establish forest programs. 

Michael Delman writes: “As part of a focus on ‘Boys Are Struggling’ that relates to school success, college readiness, and executive function skills, I was featured on Good Morning America along with a client of my company, Beyond BookSmart. We have launched two new divisions: BrainTracks.com, to train schoolteachers; and WorkSmartCoaching.com, to train corporate professionals and other adults (including college students) who are trying to be more productive and balanced.”

Andrea Horvath Link, executive director of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston Galveston, was honored to give the Fellowship’s Humanitarian of the Year award to fellow Brunonian Mike Nichols ’74 for his work addressing homelessness in Houston. Andrea has been in the nonprofit sector since she left clinical practice in 2001. 

Ben Hall writes: “I’m in my eighth year as the senior content producer for Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School in Boston and still enjoying it. I got to travel with a student group to Rwanda in early 2024 to write about and photograph the journey for our alumni magazine. With both our boys now in college, Kelly and I are managing to do some traveling ourselves, including Peru, Portugal, France, Scotland, and an oddly rewarding six-hour walk down all of Broadway, from the northern tip of Manhattan to Battery Park.” Contact Ben at [email protected].

Juan F. “Pancho” Alemán writes: “I moved back to the U.S. after 12 years living and working in Tokyo, Singapore, and London as part of a 24-year career with Citibank. In August, I joined the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C. It would be wonderful to reconnect with classmates there or in the vicinity of Princeton, New Jersey, where my husband and I spend most weekends.” Contact Juan at [email protected].

Pamela Gerrol writes: “In an effort to make the best of being unemployed, I spent nine days in California visiting friends and family last June. I had a lovely visit with my cousin Seth Kertzer ’98 and his family in the beautiful setting of the San Jose Rose Garden, which was in full bloom. I was treated to a home-cooked meal by my cousins in Berkeley, Ari Johnson ’04 and his wife Jess Beckerman ’06. I have no idea how they had time to do this between their roles as parents and physicians and running their health organization Muso, in Mali, but it was a wonderful visit and a delicious meal. Later in the week a great group of classmates came together from all over the Bay area for a festive dinner in Noe Valley, which included Eric Bloch and his wife Isabell, Cathy Cockrum Dean, Carl Haverl, Jim Kleinmann, Joy Shiragian, Mike Tempero, and Adrienne Wong. Fun Fact: Nearly all attendees were meeting each other for the first time. There was also al fresco Mexican dining in Santa Clara with Greg Corning, and a bonus Italian dinner in San Francisco with Felice Liang. My nephew and I were hosted (and chauffeured) by Donald and Jennifer Don Apy for an unforgettable day in Napa with VIP treatment, complete with wonderful private wine tastings at two of their favorite wineries—St. Supéry and Davies—and a fun picnic at V. Sattui. Thank you again to everyone for your generosity and for making time to see me. The trip was the highlight of the year for me. On a separate note, I’d like to wish all of my classmates a happy 60th birthday.”

Ian Maxtone-Graham writes: “I wrote an afterword for one of my favorite novels, Providence, by Geoffrey Wolff, which was reissued in October 2024 by Godine Press. The book is set in the Providence of the early ’80s, when the city was ruled by Buddy Cianci and Raymond Patriarca. I met Geoffrey when he came to speak to a journalism class I was taking, and I subsequently read all of his books. Years later we became close friends, and being asked to write the afterword was both flattering and terrifying. I highly recommend the book to all, especially those who remember Providence as it was back then.”

Steven Kowalski published Creative Together: Sparking Innovation in the New World of Work. The book is about rethinking what creativity is, who we are as creators, and how to create together with others in teams and organizations.

Armand Fasano writes: “My son and I had the privilege of attending a lecture by Arn Chorn-Pond ’90, a remarkable individual. Mr. Chorn-Pond’s work in Cambodia, particularly his efforts to revive music and culture after the devastating impact of the Khmer Rouge regime, is nothing short of extraordinary. The lecture we attended was a deeply moving experience. Mr. Chorn-Pond’s personal stories of survival and his passion for his work were truly inspiring. He spoke eloquently about the importance of music and culture in healing and rebuilding communities. His message resonated deeply with both my son and me. While Mr. Chorn-Pond’s work has been featured in Ted Talks and articles, including a notable piece in BAM [“Songs of Survival,” Jan.-Mar. ’22], nothing compares to the experience of hearing him speak in person. His presence, his passion, and his commitment to his cause are remarkable. Attending this lecture was a genuinely transformative experience. It reminded us of the power of music and culture to bring people together, to heal wounds, and to inspire hope. Mr. Chorn-Pond’s work is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of preserving cultural heritage.”

Judy Kosan Cohen writes that her daughter, Wendy Cohen ’19, had artwork on view at the Brooklyn Museum as part of the Brooklyn Artists Exhibition. Blending weaving techniques with found objects, Wendy creates playful and often precarious-looking forms that embody physical comfort and anxiety. Gram’s Door recreates the front door of Cohen’s grandmother’s apartment, complete with the fixtures from the original door. In the same way that Cohen’s crochet process becomes a record of her time and hand, these objects hold memories of her grandmother’s touch.

Russ Ellsworth ’85 ScM writes: “On August 8, I summited Mt. Katahdin in Maine, completing a 20-year section hike of the Appalachian Trail. I hiked most of it (1,500 of 2,200 miles) in the past four years since retiring from a 40-plus-year career as a software engineer working mostly on sensor systems.” Contact Russ at [email protected]. 

Tom Finn writes: “This year, Jeff Robbins and I are writing together again, though slightly differently than while at Brown. In 1976, while I typed his paper due the next morning, Jeff and Andy Chaikin assisted in the background by having a cherry yogurt fight. Pre-word processors, the inevitable cherry plops on the typed pages were more disastrous than now; but Jeff promised to stay up all night re-typing the paper. He was last seen running across Wriston Quad, paper aloft, to deliver the paper to a professor’s Pembroke office. Reaching greater heights in 2024, Jeff has published his book, Notes From the Brink: A Collection of Columns about Policy at Home and Abroad, about which former Massachusetts Governor William Weld said, ‘You hardly know whether to laugh or cry and will likely wind up doing both.’ I published my second book, The Shift Effect: How Small Shifts Improve Leader Performance, a book for leaders based on evidence from 50 of my clients that small shifts in behavior or attitude can make big bottom-line impact, from implementing big systems to shoring up a cross-race relationship.” Contact Tom at [email protected].

Barbara Sunderland Manousso writes that she has been invited to serve on the International Labour Employment Relations Association (ILERA) advisory board. She also serves as a LERA Houston chapter board member. She has been CEO of Manousso Mediation and Arbitration LLC: Solution2Conflict since 1993, an international training program for mediators and arbitrators based in Houston and Portsmouth, R.I.

Vassie Ware, professor of biological sciences at Lehigh University, is the recipient of the University’s Inclusive Excellence Faculty Award. This award recognizes and honors a faculty member for outstanding contributions to research, administration, practice, advocacy, and/or policy, and whose work informs and advances the understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence at Lehigh University.

Communications Chair Rhonda Port Walker reports: “Mark your calendar for May 23-25, 2025! Our 50th reunion is almost here. A 50th reunion is a huge milestone, and ours will be even more special after missing our 45th. Reunion information will be sent ONLY via email, so be sure to visit my.brown.edu to confirm that your contact information is accurate. If you have news to share or any questions about the 50th reunion, contact me at [email protected] or send your news directly to the BAM at [email protected]. Please consider joining our class site on BrownConnect+ at brownconnectplus.brown.edu and the nearly 300 classmates who are members of the Class of 1975 Facebook group (private group for just our class) at facebook.com/groups/103075568767/” 

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research conferred the William F. Neuman Award, its oldest and most prestigious honor, on Andrew Arnold ’74 for his scientific contributions in the area of bone and mineral research and for contributions to associates and trainees in teaching, research, and administration. He is a pioneer studying endocrine tumors and hyperparathyroidism. His work includes discovery of cyclin D1, the first known parathyroid oncogene and fundamental cell cycle regulator.

Cy A. Stein writes: “I was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society last year at a meeting in Barcelona. The Society celebrated 20 years in 2022. Oligonucleotides are small bits of DNA or RNA that can be used as therapeutic agents. I received my award for a lifetime of study of phosphorothioate oligodeoxyribonucleotides. There are about half a dozen of these molecules that are FDA-approved and marketed for a variety of indications that otherwise have few or no treatments.”  

Mary Hutchings Reed ’73 AM and her husband, William Reed ’74, attended the Faulkner for All Festival in New Orleans in September, where Thomas Mallon ’73 was honored by The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society with an ALIHOT (A Legend in His/Her Own Time) Gold Medal for his “multi-genre literary achievement.” Tom gave a keynote address on political fiction and a second presentation on AI, plagiarism, and originality. Mary’s unpublished novel, Markers, was recognized by the Society in its novel writing competition. Her seventh novel, Harmony’s Peace & Joy, launched in September and was recommended by BookLife as “Great for fans of Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House and Lauren Groff’s Arcadia.” It is available in paperback and on Kindle on Amazon: a.co/d/2hs2vSo

Peter Szura writes: “I finally returned to Providence in May 2018. I was shocked how green the Green was. I want to agree with Marty Cohen ’53—‘trying to understand politics as they are, not what we studied.’”

John Jaworski writes: “I am retiring from my lifelong avocation of refereeing varsity high school sports (soccer, 25 years; basketball, 43). However, I will still be training new basketball officials and teaching basketball to pre-high school players. Athletics has been a genuine blessing throughout my life, including my three season participation (flag football, basketball, and softball) in Brown intramurals during my four year undergrad career. Many great memories of games in Marvel Gym with some wonderful friends!  Go Gents!!” 

Pete Johnson writes: “I’m officially retired from the department of mathematics and statistics of Auburn University, but, due to a resignation and a death in our research group, I’m advising eight PhD candidates, and also teaching a course that I’ve been teaching for almost 30 years in hopes of luring one of our young rascals to teach it so that it won’t disappear from our course offering. Eight PhD students is a lot, so I’m working almost as hard as I was before retirement. It’s cutting into my drinking time! That may be a good thing.”

Charles Seagrave writes that he and his wife now reside on a small farm in Northern Wyoming with their “new neighbors”—a herd of 50 buffalo. So far, they seem to ignore him and his Aussiedoodle. 

David Garnes retired from UConn 22 years ago, but has been very busy since. He has published several books available at amazon.com/author/davidgarnes. He has also been involved in theater, book discussions, and literature programs in the greater Hartford (Conn.) area.

Deb Pulikowski Clapp ’93 MAT has retired from teaching after 27 years in the classroom. She has joined her husband Dan working full-time at the 1634 Meadery in Ipswich, Mass. She writes, “Come by for a ‘Brown University Special’ flight of mead and say hello!”

Matthew Kapstein ’87 PhD is now professor emeritus at theÉcole Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, France. He is also an associate of the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, where he taught as a visiting professor until 2022. In 2018, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His most recent book, Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books (Cornell University Press, 2024), has been awarded this year’s Toshihide Numata Book Award by the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at UC Berkeley. 

Ian Malcolm Taplin ’86 PhD published Technology, Culture and Change with Cambridge Scholars Press in June. He is professor of sociology, management, and global studies at Wake Forest University and continues to research into the economics and organization of the wine industry in Napa, North Carolina, and England—the latter being his most recent project and the focus of his next book. He can be reached at [email protected].

Kirti Patel ’15 EMHL, an ob-gyn with more than 20 years of experience and graduate of Brown’s Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership program, has launched a new podcast called The Gynarchy. “I am incredibly excited to create a platform where women can learn about their health and important feminist issues of the day in a supportive and empowering environment. My goal is to break down the barriers of misinformation and stigma that often surround women’s health issues and inspire and empower women to take control of their health and lives.” The podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and other common podcast platforms. Visit thegynarchypodcast.com to learn more.

Al Basile ’70 AM writes: “2018 marked the 50th anniversary of Bill Griffith’s and my Brownbrokers musical Good Times Illustrated Weekly, and I wanted to get some of the original cast together to work on a new project. During the later 70s, I worked for University Relations producing multi-image slide shows for the Development Office and the Freshman Week committee, so I had access to a small recording setup. Bob Sloan ’78 and I created a radio theater that ran for a half hour on WBRU Saturday nights for the fall ’77 semester, so I had experience writing and producing audio drama. I decided to write an audio play and enlisted the aid of alums who had been in Good Times—John Barylick ’71, Sharon Coleman ’69, Bill Griffith ’70, and Tony Lioce ’68. We had a lot of fun doing the play, which was called Flash Blind, and it won a silver award at the HEARnow National Audio Theater Festival in 2019. I’ve written, directed, and produced a new play every year since then; two of them, Hill & Dale and Open Question (which featured old friend Bob Sloan ’78), won Gold and Platinum awards at HEARnow in 2022. Last year I added faculty emeritus John Emigh to the company, and we’re now rehearsing our sixth play, which was submitted to an audio theater festival in the UK this winter, along with the Tribeca Film Festival (which has recently added an audio narrative category) in 2025. All of the plays in this run are distinguished by being written entirely in blank verse, but in the modern idiom, so they sound like natural conversation and hide their metric identity. Aside from the fun of working with old friends on new plays, I enjoy the chance to write parts tailored to the voices and talents of our alumni actors—something that they haven’t had done for them before. They don’t have to memorize lines or blocking, and age is not an impediment to their participation, as it can be for the stage (we are all veterans, and parts for actors of a certain age are few!). So we’re keeping the flame alive that was kindled for us in the Brown theater all those years ago. And we do excellent work together (the plays are all available at my YouTube channel).”

Henry Hollingsworth ’22 rowed with Team USA to earn bronze, while Emilie Bydwell ’08 became the first female rugby head coach to win an Olympic medal. As a member of the U.S. figure skating team, Vincent Zhou ’26 was presented with a gold medal more than two years after earning it in a team event upended by a Russian doping scandal.

Max Chung writes: “My multimedia installation, metroequilibrium, opened on Governor’s Island in New York City in September and ran through October 27. This audiovisual installation creates contrasting experiences from intense, urban sounds and sharp imagery to calming, human-based recordings. The still moments that capture sounds of respiration and vocalization create a reprieve within an architecture of chaos and disorientation. This immersive experience captures life in New York City with an overwhelming abundance of noise and light.”

Soumitri Barua ’21 MD and Vishal Khetpal ’20 MD were married in June . The celebration uniquely blended elements of their Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Members of the wedding party included maid of honor Alyssa Gonzalez ’21 MD (married to bridesman Alex Vidmar ’18), Isabel Kim, Michelle Kwon ’22 MD, Vishnu Kadiyala, and Edgar Garcia ’16, ’20 ScM, ’21 MD. They were joined by more than 30 of their closest friends from Brown, along with Vishal’s uncle Vijay Khetpal ’10, adding a special touch to the joyous occasion.

Katie Harris married Jake Miller in Boulder, Colo., on July 13. The ceremony was officiated by Oliver Pucker. Guests included William Spector and father of the bride, Scott F. Harris ’84. The couple are returning to the Bay area.

Suzannah Weiss published her first book, Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, with Polity Press on July 11. Suzannah writes: “It describes my search for sexual empowerment and lays out a vision for moving beyond the objectification of women, incorporating many ideas I learned while studying Modern Culture & Media and Gender & Sexuality Studies at Brown.” 

Theresa Arrioala ’10, a cofounder of Our Common Wealth 670, is a Grist 50 honoree. Grist Magazine, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on climate and the environment, publishes the Grist 50 each year. The list includes scientists, artists, policymakers, farmers, social justice advocates, storytellers, entrepreneurs, technologists, chefs, clean energy wonks—all kinds of people pointing the way toward a just, sustainable future. 

Leah Segal, a tax lawyer at Goulston & Storrs in Boston, has been named a “New Leader in the Law” by Law.com in its 2024 New England Legal Awards for her professional excellence, outstanding leadership in client service, and dedication to the community. Leah’s tax practice includes commercial real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, tax controversies, and tax-exempt governance and compliance issues for educational, medical, charitable, and other tax-exempt organizations. Contact Leah at [email protected].

Christopher Malikschmitt started working as the inaugural chief operating officer at Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP in September. Chris works out of their Rye, N.Y., office and is excited to be back in the New York metro area with his wife and three little boys. Contact him at [email protected].

In March 2024, Marisa Hernández-Stern was sworn in as a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge by her father, Judge Michael L. Stern, and brother, Judge Benjamin Hernández-Stern ’03. In attendance were Marisa’s family and friends, including her mother Antonia Hernández, who holds an honorary degree from Brown, her brother Michael Hernández-Stern ’09, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Susel Carrillo-Orellana ’00, Ashley Goodrich-Mahoney, Liliana Ornelas ’08, and her undergraduate history faculty adviser Professor Michael Vorenberg. Many others joined the ceremony virtually, including Kristin Bartholomew and Carlos Lejnieks ’00 

Adriana Valdez Young writes: “I was named associate chair of the MFA in interaction design (ixD) at School of Visual Arts in New York City, where I have been teaching design research and inclusive design since 2020. I am excited to have crafted new courses in accessibility, inclusion, and community design, which I have focused on in my own professional practice. At ixD, we push students to consider interactions beyond apps and screens to build people-centered solutions to real-world problems. I invite friends and classmates to the ixD studio to stop by for coffee, cowork for the day, tinker in our play lab, and even teach a workshop.” Contact Adriana at [email protected] or via interactiondesign.sva.edu.

Sara Schaff ’00 was recognized with a 2024 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Fiction. She is the author of the story collections The Invention of Love and Say Something Nice About Me, a CLMP Firecracker Award finalist in fiction, and a 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist for short fiction. Her writing has appeared in Catapult, Kenyon Review Online, The Missouri Review, Yale Review Online, Michigan Quarterly Review, LitHub, and elsewhere. 

John Polansky writes: “A group of 13 alumni and family gathered to celebrate 30 years of friendship and our 50th birthdays in August. We took an amazing horseback packing adventure deep into the wilderness of the Grand Tetons of Wyoming. We enjoyed hiking, riding, fly fishing, and fireside stories and poetry. We were hosted by Kim Havell ’96 and her husband Pete, who own and operate Pendergraft Outfitters. In attendance from all over the world were Tim Baldwin, Julian Baring, Porter Collins ’98, Josh Crosby, Nate Merriman, Mike Noble, George Patterson ’98, Jason Peifer, Rupert Roxburgh, Patrick Walsh and myself.”

Mark Tracy writes that he has joined the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES) as a professor of Practice for Sustainable Finance and Investing. He is honored to be joining a world-leading, cross-disciplinary team focused on climate, sustainability, and the environment, and he is looking forward to educating the next generation of Brown leaders who will play key roles in driving solutions to scale. He can be reached at [email protected].

Adam Sobsey’s new memoir, A Jewish Appendix, was published in October from Spuyten Duyvil Press. Adam writes: “A Jewish Appendix is about my deep reckoning—first ambivalently, then traumatically, and then passionately—with a Jewish identity that meant little to me until a life-changing trip to Romania, where I have ancestry. My story is ‘unique, thrilling, and epically weird—in the best sense,’ according to Squirrel Hill author Mark Oppenheimer, and ‘the most variable and memorable use of the metaphor of the appendix since Brian Eno’s A Year with Swollen Appendices,’ in the words of Gene Smith’s Sink author Sam Stephenson. It’s also a very timely book in this moment of conflict in Gaza and resurgent antisemitism here in America.” Adam is the author of rock icon Chrissie Hynde’s biography, coauthor of a book about minor league baseball, and a contributor to The Paris Review, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many others. He is a staff writer at PopMatters and Spectrum Culture. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Texas’ Michener Center for Writers.

Liza Cooper writes: “While I continue to work in healthcare to improve the pediatric experience at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, I started a venture several years ago supporting women to find healthy relationships, especially after loss, divorce, or a long dating pause. My interactive group Zoom workshop series (FindLoveafter50.guru) helps participants identify their gifts, the qualities they seek in a partner, negative relationship patterns, and to navigate excitement and disappointment in the often daunting dating world. I welcome fellow alumni to sign up for upcoming sessions. My personal Moth story of finding love after divorce went viral this year (I Want That on TikTok and other platforms). Would love to hear from classmates at [email protected].” 

Jeff Orenstein writes: “I am happy to report that I crossed the English Channel in 11 hours and 22 minutes. Thank goodness it is over. Other than feeling like a fire truck hit me, I am mostly thinking, wow—did that just happen? And then: I am glad that I’m not swimming the Channel today. Or tomorrow. And likely again. On the up, the sunshine on my back was divine, I had an amazing crew, and the Channel was mostly flat. Interestingly to me, when I switched to a higher-tempo stroke to counter the tide, I could no longer hold a thought nor sing a tune, and the swimming rhythm became meditative, causing a trippy perception of time speeding up, noted from the programmed 30-minute hydration/nutrition feeds, which started to feel like five minutes apart. Making the landing was a lifetime highlight, triggering a euphoric feeling that has yet to leave me—a feeling that all the effort has been rewarded many times. I am hopeful that the story will be retold, by me, my family and friends, well into the future, sitting on a sandy beach, looking into a never-ending blue horizon.”

Gary Schwartz won a blue ribbon in the baking competition at the 2024 Minnesota State Fair. His opera cake was judged as the best entry in the international baking category. The Minnesota State Fair is the second largest state fair in the country, with attendance of 2 million people over its annual 10-day run. 

Sean McDevitt, a partner at Arthur D. Little and member of the TIME (Telecommunications, Internet, Media, and Electronics) and Private Equity branch, was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in September 2023 to serve on the board of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority). In October 2024, Secretary Raimondo announced that Sean has been reappointed to serve a three-year term on the board. The board oversees activities to ensure that the FirstNet Authority and AT&T develop and operate a nationwide public safety broadband network that will best equip first responders to save lives.

Chuck Han writes: “On the summer solstice of this past leap year, I exchanged vows with Mutsuko Adachi at our commitment ceremony at the beautiful Bernardus Spa and Lodge in Carmel Valley, California. In attendance were fellow ’86ers Domenic Di Meo, John Mannato, David Geffen, and Wendy Chin, and leading the procession were our children Mina Han, Dylan Han, and Lauren Adachi ’22. We then ran into Amy Shimm-Noveshen ’88 and her husband Aaron the next day, who were celebrating their anniversary in Carmel Valley, returning to the place where they also said their vows.”

Eric Rosso writes: “Aloha! I offer wellness on the inside and out on the island of Oahu. I own one of the top yoga studios (Yoga Room Hawaii) and facilitate breathwork classes (breathworkwitheric.com). If you are ever in paradise Hawaii, please look me up.” Contact Eric at [email protected].

Geoffrey Wawro published The Vietnam War: A Military History. The book outlines in unsparing detail the war’s strategic debates, military operations, and political posturing, offering the most comprehensive history of the conflict to date. Kirkus calls the book “Among the best Vietnam War histories” in a starred review.

Andrew Kau writes: “A motley crew met for a boys weekend on the crystal clear waters of Torch Lake in Michigan. Participants included Peter Krupp, Tom Sander, Jim Weinberg, Paul Wood, host Brad Middlekauff, and myself. As could be expected, the ensuing discussions were raucous and spirited when throwing together, without proper guardrails, a judge, lawyer, political strategist, biotech exec, psychiatrist, and a venture capitalist. Some of the debates needed to be settled by kayak races across the lake and ping-pong elimination tournaments, all over much fudge and bourbon. Among the topics discussed were: the fault lines of gender and politics, the maximum stable angle of a 500-foot-high Sleeping Bear sand dune, caring for aging parental units, phone bill subsidies after kids graduate from college, and our most traumatic experiences at Brown (as well as best classes, which could be one and the same). In the end, the most that this crew could agree upon was that ‘poor is the hen that lays the egg.... in soggy grass’ (ancient proverb invented by Jim). Paul provided free psychiatric consultation during all of the above, which can be boiled down to two words of advice to being healthy, learn how to ‘Move On!’ Next year’s boys reunion (and spouses this time by popular demand) will be in Andy’s mountaintop retreat on Orcas Island—eagles and salmon included. Hopefully this time it won’t take over 75 texts just to arrange the car rental logistics!” Contact Andrew at [email protected].

Jaqueline Charlesworth, former General Counsel of the U.S. Copyright Office, has joined the Frankfurt Kurnit law firm as a partner in the firm’s Entertainment Litigation Group based in the firm’s Los Angeles office. A nationally known litigator and transactional attorney, she represents clients in copyright disputes and complex licensing matters, with a particular focus on music.

Philip Wey ’86 MD, a managing partner of Plastic Surgery Arts of New Jersey, recently returned from Nice, France, where he placed 7th overall (1st US Team) at the HYROX World Championships - Men’s Doubles Open (AG 60-69). HYROX is a new global fitness competition that originated in Germany in 2017. It combines running with functional strength. Contact Philip at [email protected] 

Ken Conca published After the Floods: The Search for Resilience in Ellicott City with Oxford University Press on Sept. 27. The book explores how Ellicott City, Maryland, recovered—or tried to—after two devastating floods in two years. Ken is a professor of environment, development, and health at American University and is a globally recognized expert in water politics and policy who lived in the community for 14 years.

Joe Hollander writes; “The roommates were together again—this time in Ponta Delgada, Azores, to jointly celebrate our 65th birthdays. They were Alessandra and Jeffrey Paul Greenbaum, Dave Muller, Diana Marcus Muller ’82, Barbara Levy Hollander, and myself.”

Sarah Sharlot Dietrich writes: “After nearly a lifetime in Texas, my husband and I have moved to Snohomish County, Washington, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest—in part to escape the heat, floods, and hurricanes, but mostly to be closer to our grandchildren (and their parents too). If any classmates are ever up this way, I’d love to catch up.” Contact Sarah at [email protected].

Paul Ayoub, chair of Boston Law Firm Nutter, has had a busy 2024. Last spring he cochaired the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and was recognized for Outstanding Contribution to DEI (for his cofounding and leading the Commercial Real Estate DEI Collaborative, a collection of several of the region’s largest real estate trade groups and leaders focused on advancing diversity in the commercial real estate sector). In addition, he has been recognized by the Boston Business Journal as one of the region’s Power 50: Movement Makers and by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a member of its inaugural Hall of Fame. 

Martha Zeiger writes: “I am an endocrine surgeon at National Institutes of Health. I, along with another surgeon from the Netherlands, was asked to go to Mwanza, Tanzania, to Bugando Medical Centre to help surgeons there start an endocrine surgery unit. In the photo below, I am the one in the center operating on a patient with a massive thyroid goiter.”

Richard A. Rosen writes: “I retired from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a New York law firm where I had been a litigation partner since 1986. As of October 1, 2024, I assumed the role of senior vice president of legal advocacy at the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, which provides strategic and legal guidance to Americans experiencing antisemitic discrimination and harassment, helping students, employees, and others obtain effective responses from universities and other institutions. When those institutions fail to comply with their legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and other laws, the Center seeks to hold them accountable through federal and state court litigation and through complaints to administrative agencies such as the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education. I am responsible for overseeing all litigation and administrative proceedings nationwide. I am also an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School, where I teach a seminar in complex litigation. I frequently teach overseas, and in recent years have been a visiting professor at law schools in Budapest, Hungary; Vilnius, Lithuania; and Odessa, Ukraine. I may be reached at [email protected].”

Robert Lufkin writes: “I am thrilled to announce that my new book, Lies I Taught in Medical School, has just been named as a New York Times bestseller. Based on my experience as a full professor at both UCLA and USC medical schools, the book has been described as a riveting, cautionary tale of how medicine has gotten things so wrong (and continues to) in the area of metabolic health.” Contact Robert at [email protected]. 

Communications Chair Rhonda Port Walker reports: “Mark your calendar for May 23-25, 2025! Our 50th reunion is almost here. A 50th reunion is a huge milestone, and ours will be even more special after missing our 45th. Reunion information will be sent only via email, so be sure to visit my.brown.edu to confirm that your contact information is accurate. If you have news to share or any questions about the 50th reunion, contact me at [email protected] or send your news directly to the BAM at [email protected]. Please consider joining our class site on BrownConnect+ at brownconnectplus.brown.edu and the nearly 300 classmates who are members of the Class of 1975 Facebook group (private group for just our class) at facebook.com/groups/103075568767/ 

Ken Field writes: “My newest album release, which I think might be of interest to the Brown alumni community, is The Canopy, Neuma Records, September 20. Music for the album was commissioned by choreographer and dancer Joanie Block (selmadanse.com) for her 2024 production of Under the Canopy, which focused on expressions of love, loss, and resilience from members of the Boston dance community.”

Class co–vice president for communications Scott Harris reports: “24 percent of our class attended our 50th Reunion, which is well above the percent turnout of 50th Reunions in recent years (specifically 242 classmates; 348 overall). Weather was terrific, comments were very positive, and many good memories. See the Class Facebook page for pictures. The class thanked Carol Norris Brown for her many years as a class officer including the past 25 years as president. Class Zoom calls have resumed on a now quarterly cadence. The first call featured Ken Field (saxophonist, flutist, and composer) and Dan Jay (architect, community volunteer, and outdoorsman).” 

Jay Butcher writes: “After a hiatus of more than 40 years, I recently returned to the stage, cast in Snow Falling Faintly by James McLindon (see photo, at left.) The play placed second at the Ten-Minute Play Festival of Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake (Minn.). I was encouraged by being cast and hope to do more of the same in my retirement years. To my Sock & Buskin friends: I finally played a role my own age!”

Warren S. Boothman writes: “The Brown Rugby Septuagenarian Scrum Caucus (plus one) convened on a rainy Saturday in New Rochelle (N.Y.) last October to cheer the most recent version of the Club on to victory over Iona University. Making the show were Joe Steed ’73 ScM (supported by wife Rita), Dave Novack ’72, Warren ‘Turkey’ Boothman, Amleto ‘Pooch’ Pucci ’71, and Davie Mahon ’72. With a tight head prop and a couple of flankers, the boys were ready to go. As Davie M said, ‘like Timex watches, 50+ years of wear and tear, and still rollin.’ Hoping to see more of the (really) Old Boys on the Bruno sidelines.” 

John Whitehouse writes: “I’m pleased to report my latest book, From Vietnam to the Arctic Circle, Memoir of a Naval Officer in the Cold War, published by McFarland Press, is doing well. Several of the first chapters deal with my time at Brown, 1964-68. Brief reviews are available on Amazon.”

Class of ’68 welcome, congratulate and thank the new officers who will serve until after the next class reunion in 2028. Copresidents Sally Kusnitz Horn and Bob Bernius; cosecretaries Kitty Walker Keane and Marty Mueller; and cotreasurers Ancelin Vogt Wolfe and Chip Filak. Marty Mueller writes: “Our first task as your new officers was to send out the 2024 class dues e-letter to begin building a reserve to defray the costs (mostly, catered meals) of the 60th reunion. We hope everyone has already responded to that letter—if you haven’t, it’s never too late! Additionally, we urge all our classmates to make sure their alumni profiles and contact information are current. That can be done easily here: my.brown.edu/group/alumni-friends/profile. If you don’t yet have a Brown alumni account, now is a great time to set one up on this page because going forward, we will be using the new Brown Connect + platform for all class communications.” Contact Marty at [email protected].

Edward J. McEntee published Paradise Found: Photos, Memories and Contemplations on a Magical Island in April. The book documents the different aspects of Block Island through musings, pictures, and poetry across the different seasons. Focusing on the many scenic viewpoints and beautiful architecture, he’s able to show why the island is a draw for tourists and himself.

Gene Jaleski writes that he married Dolores Kelley at their home in Clyde Hill, Wash., in 2023. The event was attended by family and close friends. 

Class Secretary Barbara Smith Langworthy reports: “The class mini-reunion was held in Portsmouth, N.H., in early September. The classmates attending were: Glenn Cashion, Beverly Nanes Dubrin, Leslie Hart Eckholdt, Joe Fisler, Barbara Smith Langworthy, Mary Lou Clark Levine, Ann Reilly Mostoller, Bob Phillips, Ernst Rothe, Bob Tortolani, and spouses. The weather was perfect and the historic city, remarkable. Where will we go in ’25?”

Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina published her memoir The Lure of the East: A Curator’s Fascinating Journey in May. Some biographical information can be found at https://archivesspace.mit.edu/repositories/5/resources/1229.

John Donovan writes: “After traveling with my wife Phyllis to 76 countries since our 1962 wedding, my body said ‘STOP,’ so we have. I had a long career in technology, ending up as an assistant vice president for telecommunications at Aetna Life & Casualty in Hartford (Conn.). I left Aetna in 1991 to start my own consulting business and finally retired in 1998. We were able to visit all seven continents and Greenland, traveling sometimes twice a year, and a few years, three times. We’ve got about 35,000 pictures to show for it and memories that will last forever. In 2018, we permanently moved to Boca Raton (Fla.) from Connecticut. We walk for exercise and enjoy our life and our family as much as ever.” Contact John at [email protected]. 

Mark Joseph writes: “This past May I attended the graduation of my granddaughter Sylvie Weiman ’24. Her mother—my daughter, Cara Weiman ’92—graduated from Brown as did her husband, Bob Weiman ’91. My younger daughter, Kippy Joseph ’94, attended this wonderful University as did Bob Weiman’s sister, Pam Thiessen ’90. Their stepfather, David Good ’52, also matriculated at Brown. Now my grandson, Theodore Weiman ’28, is a freshman. Blessed by Brown, I graduated a long time ago.”

Jane Doane Anderson and Joan Hoost McMaster report: “Our first Pembroke Class of 1960 Inaugural Mini-Reunion was held at the Lodge on the Haffenreffer property overlooking Mount Hope Bay in 2003 and was enthusiastically attended by 15 classmates. Warm greetings and laughter accompanied our lobster bake as we rekindled our friendships over a sumptuous luncheon. Perfect weather and a tour of King Phillip’s extensive property with seaside views and breezes. In subsequent years, additional Pembroke Class of 1960 Mini-Reunions were held in Newport at Rough Point, Newport Art Museum, Redwood Library, and the International Hall of Fame followed by luncheon at La Forge Restaurant and a cruise of Newport Harbor and Brenton Point on The Flyer catamaran. Wonderful times and memories. The following classmates attended: Jane Doane Anderson, Mary Birdsall Cervoni, Hope Cranska, Joan Voelker English, Linda Blackman Feldman, Sue Heller, Barbara Little Jaffe, Dot Vischi Kelly, Rosemary Smith Kostmayer, Joan Hoost McMaster, Barbara Jones Nicholson, Deborah Kingman Ormsby, Minna Saxe, Ann Wennberg Seddon, and Marge Tingle.”

Caryl-Ann Miller Nieforth reports: “There were 25 attendees on campus for our 65th Reunion events last May. More than 100 men and women of the Class of 1959 contributed to our Class Gift, which topped $500,000! Thank you.” 

William E. Corrigan Jr. joined the Brown Club of Rhode Island Board of Directors in June, 1966. He served as president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and house chairman. Presently he is a BCRI trustee and a former member of the Brown University Commencement Pops Concert Committee 1966-2005. He served as cochairperson of the Concert on two occasions. He is the recipient of a 2013 Brown Alumni Association’s Alumni Service Award.

Marian Stewart Wenzel writes: “The absolute highlight of 2024 for me was attending the 75th Pembroke/Brown reunion in May. I wore my 25-year-old ‘Pembroke 49’ hat and was escorted by a handsome young Brown man as I walked down College Hill. I was 96 and a half. (We brag about our years to astound people that we are upright and cheerful at this advanced age). As we approached the younger classes they were giving me high-fives and fist bumps and cheering, to which I’d say, ‘Have a good life and come back.’ It was exhilarating! Keep in touch. Did you figure out whose grandma I am?” Contact Marian at [email protected]. 

John Manyak and Janet Harvey Manyak celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. John was originally the Class of ’46 but enlisted to serve in the Army during World War II, where he achieved the rank of first lieutenant serving in the Pacific campaign in Okinawa. Janet was a sophomore at Pembroke when John returned to Brown to finish his education and they met and fell in love that same year. They were married on August 20, 1949. At the ages of 101 and 97, they still live independently in their own home in Vero Beach, Fla. They have four children, eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.  

Alan Greenglass ’75 MD published Curing Physician Management: Why Physician Managers Fail with Winterberry Press on May 16. Alan writes: “The book is written for physicians who are in or taking on a management role in healthcare, and for anyone who is managing health care professionals. Much of what has been written on becoming a successful physician manager comes from the business and academic communities and often takes a system-level approach, adapting elements from fields other than healthcare. Instead, the premise of this book is that much can be learned from understanding the personalities and values of those who aspire to leadership and management, what challenges might be unique to healthcare, and what strengths and weaknesses healthcare professionals might have as they enter management.” Contact Alan at [email protected]. 

Jasmine L. Tyler ’99 AM assumed the role of executive director at the Justice Policy Institute in February 2024. A seasoned and influential advocate for justice reform, her advocacy has played pivotal roles in the passage of landmark legislation such as the federal Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 and the District of Columbia’s Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Amendment Act of 2012. She also helped to repeal the federal syringe exchange funding ban in 2016 and contributed to the passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.

The George Abbott Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts will be presented to Nilo Cruz ’94 MFA on Nov. 11. Nilo gained national prominence in 2003 when he won the Pulitzer Prize for drama for his play Anna in the Tropics, for which he also received a Steinberg Award and Tony Award nomination. 

Jonathan Wiesen ’92 AM, ’98 PhD writes: “My Brown colleague Pamela Swett ’93 AM, ’99 PhD, and I are the authors of Nazi Germany: Society, Politics, and Culture, published with Bloomsbury on July 11, 2024.” Contact Jonathan at [email protected]. 

Cheri Shakiban ’79 PhD is a retired professor of mathematics from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. She is also the recipient of an honors doctorate degree of science from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. For more information see shorturl.at/dABaf. 

Steve Greenbaum ’78 ScM, ’82 PhD, CUNY Distinguished Professor of Physics at Hunter College, and his department have received a five-year, $5 million award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for advanced research on storing energy for use in space. He and several physics department colleagues will be developing and characterizing materials for advanced batteries and supercapacitors for planetary exploration missions. The project involves close collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a significant portion of the funding will support student research internships there. Contact Steve at [email protected].

Cristina Taylor ’20 MPA and David Randl were married on July 5 in Colfosco, Italy. Many of their friends from Brown attended the wedding, including Tamara Brattoli, Bruce Bybee ’23, Dorian Charpentier ’20, Aaron Gruen ’22, Shane Niesen ’20, Nathaniel Ostrer ’21, Christopher Yates ’21 PhD.

Aaron Gokaslan ’18, ’19 ScM, has been featured in this year’s Mozilla Rise 25, which honors a select group of visionaries who are using AI to drive social impact. Aaron

Javier Sandoval’s first poetry book, Blue Moon Looming, was published by CutBank. It was reviewed by National Book Award nominee José Olivarez as ‘poetry for the unruly, and yes, the brilliant among us.’ Poems from the book have appeared in top literary journals. Contact Javier at [email protected].

Max Ladow was selected for the prestigious Science & Technology Policy Fellowship in Sacramento by the California Council on Science and Technology. He is placed in the California State Senate working on the Housing Committee. In a blog post for CCST, he describes the surprising connections between their neuroscience research and the complicated world of housing policy. Contact Max at [email protected].

Owen Greenwald’s sci-fi novel Weapons of the Mind was published by Will Dreamly Arts on July 2. Written with his longtime friend Paul Kivelson, Weapons of the Mind is the pulse-pounding story of one woman’s quest to clear her name and take vengeance on the one who framed her: a galaxy-spanning journey of moral dilemmas, political machinations, and planet-shattering secrets. Weapons of the Mind is the first in a planned trilogy and draws on many of the lessons Owen learned in his creative writing classes at Brown. Contact Owen
at [email protected].

Indy Shome was named one of the Citizens of the Year, specifically the “Educator of the Year,” by the Philadelphia Citizen, which wrote: “In collaboration with his colleagues, Shome launched Future Visions Lab, a paid, after-school leadership program where students identify an issue in their community and develop a project around it. Students created a documentary about the connection between violence and environmental issues in Philadelphia and planted a garden at school where students grow vegetables and herbs they can use for cooking and natural
cosmetic products.”

Valeria Khislavsky writes: “I’m a humor author/illustrator. I just published The Ultimate Butt Coloring & Activity Book on Aug. 6 with Chronicle Books. The coloring pages and activities are suitable for all ages. The book’s precursor, The Cat Butt Coloring & Activity Book (Chronicle, 2020) has sold over 70,000 copies to date and continues to be a backlist hit.”

Tristan Freeman and his wife, Alejandra Rojas ’10, announce the July 7 birth of their son Langston Mateo Taylor Rojas-Freeman. Tristan writes: “Dad, mom, and baby are excited to see classmates at future reunions.” 

Dr. Nataniel Lester-Coll has been appointed chair of Radiation Oncology at University of Vermont Health Network. Contact Nataniel at [email protected].

Andrew Lee lives in the Boston area with his family. He serves as the assistant head of school at Fayerweather Street School, a progressive PreK-8th grade independent school in Cambridge, Mass. Contact Andrew at [email protected].

Elizabeth Hoover received the 2024 Pat Holt Prize for Critical Art Writing from Lambda Literary. For more information see shorturl.at/hIZOy

In September of 2023, Freddie O’Connell was elected mayor of Nashville, Tenn. He and Whitney Boon ’99 are enjoying raising their daughters (ages 7 and 13). Whitney is practicing pediatric neurology at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Contact Freddie at [email protected].

Shalinee Sharma published Math Mind: The Simple Path to Loving Math in August with Avery. Shalinee writes: “Math Mind is born from my journey—from a student unsure about math to dedicating my life to working with and studying young math learners, as CEO and cofounder of Zearn. The book busts the myths that hold us back, explains why math matters more than ever, and shares practical strategies for parents and educators to help all kids thrive in math.”

Peter Ermey, former music director of the Jabberwocks, has put together an oral history collecting the reflections of Wocks from the ’90s around the group’s arrangement of the Prince song “7,” which has been a staple in the group’s repertoire for more than 30 years. The oral history can be found at peterpedropierre.wordpress.com/2024/05/11/32-years-of-7-2/ Contact Peter at [email protected].

Jordan Silbert writes: “After building Q Mixers for 17 years from an idea in my kitchen to placement everywhere from Whole Foods to Walmart and from Laser Wolf in Brooklyn to Buffalo Wings everywhere, Ben Karlin and I brought in a CEO to run it and are now back to doing what we love—creating something new and trying to make a bigger impact. Our new business is called AGRO Power Jerky, a line of amazing tasting, high-protein snacks made from plants. Available in four terrific flavors, each bag has 25g lean plant protein, 40 percent less sodium than beef jerky, and none of the cholesterol or other issues of meat.”More info on page 33.

Neil Roberts published Creolizing Hannah Arendt on June 11 with Rowman & Littlefield. 

Jennifer Kleeman Wall writes: “I look forward to reading the BAM each time it arrives in my mailbox, and especially learning about what my classmates and friends have been doing in the last almost 30 years. My husband Jon and I are honoring the legacy of our son, Zachary, who passed away in November 2021 at the age of 16 from osteosarcoma. Since his passing, I have returned to school to obtain an MSW (my second masters!) because Jon and I started a nonprofit, Zach’s Bridge, which provides peer support for families facing an advanced childhood cancer diagnosis. We’re fortunate that so many in our communities reached out during Zach’s illness. Two of our board members are also Brown graduates—my father, Stuart Kleeman ’67, and my roommate, Kate Egan Gilbane ’97—and have been an incredible support, as have so many of my Brown classmates. We’d love to connect more with the alumni community.” 

Joshua Spector writes: In January I opened a Miami office for Rossi, P.C., a Los Angeles-based entertainment, sports, and new media law firm with a focus on Latin music. Our three boys didn’t get dad’s height but they got mom’s smarts and good looks. Maybe one applying to Brown this year. Other developments include certification as a FIFA player agent and curing insomnia with the eighth edition of my book, Florida Defenses and Procedural Objections. Venturing to New York and LA often. Reach out at [email protected].”

Roku announced the original series Tracee Travels, helmed by award-winning actress and Pattern CEO and founder Tracee Ellis Ross ’94 and due to debut on its channel in 2025. “A champion of solo travel, Tracee invites viewers on her journey as she meticulously, laboriously, and sometimes ridiculously prepares for and travels solo to spectacular locations,” says Roku’s press release. “Tracee charts her own path as she explores the intersection of beauty, fashion, design, food, and culture at each stop.”