Class Notes
River Campus /Undergraduate
1949
Susanne Behrendt Esan ’52 (MA) (see ’76).
1959
Stefan and Jane Rearick Shoup ’62, Robert Scaer ’63M (MD), and Sandy Rhodes Rice ’62 took a Grand Canyon Colorado River rafting trip in October 2010. The Shoups write: “Along with 15 traveling companions, we spent 18 days running world-class rapids in dories, camping on the river bank, hiking side canyons, and reflecting on environmental issues.” Pictured in Lower Granite Gorge, near the end of the trip, are (left to right) Jane, Stefan, Robert, Sandy, and Sandy’s husband, Don.
1962
Sandy Rhodes Rice (see ’59). . . . Jane Rearick Shoup (see ’59). . . . Brian Turner writes that he was ordained to the priesthood of the Episcopal Missionary Church in October 2010. He is the assistant rector of Christ Anglican Church in Warrenton, Va., and the deputy chancellor for the national church. He also works full-time in radio propagation analysis and prediction. Brian adds that he played football at Rochester, and has since also earned both a doctorate from the University of Kansas and a JD from Albany Law School.
1966
Harrington (Kit) Crissey attended a November concert of the Abington Symphony Orchestra near Philadelphia that showcased the work of many graduates and other associates of the Eastman School. He writes: “Barbara Sauer Prugh ’75E (MM) was the trumpet soloist in the premier of David Finko’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra. Joan Regli Paltenstein ’69E is the concertmaster of the orchestra. Also on the program was former Eastman School director Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 (‘Romantic’).”
1969
Michael Isaacs, an attorney in private practice in Rhode Island, writes that he has been reelected to a fourth term as president of the town council in East Greenwich, R.I. He adds that he received the highest number of votes in the November general election, in which all candidates ran at-large. . . . Dick and Judy Levy Meltzer (see ’02). . . . Carol Novack sends an update. Last fall, she published an illustrated collection of fiction and poetry, Giraffes in Hiding: The Mythical Memoirs of Carol Novack (Spuyten Duyvil). She also publishes an online multimedia journal, Mad Hatters’ Review (www.madhattersreview.com) and maintains a blog at carolnovack.blogspot.com. She adds: “For many years, I was a criminal defense and constitutional lawyer. I also have a master’s degree in social work with a focus in community organizing.” . . . Donald Winter (see ’80).
1970
Judith Wagner DeCew, a professor and chair of the philosophy department at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., received Clark’s Senior Faculty Fellowship Award last fall in recognition of her scholarship, teaching, and service. Her research focuses on legal and ethical issues related to privacy.
1971
Philip Lewin writes that he has written his second book of Oz-related fiction, The Master Crafters of Oz (Nikidik Press, 2009).
1974
Kevin Feeney ’75S (MBA) sends a photo and an update. He writes: “I ‘pre-tired’ as a vice president at Gartner Inc., in Stamford, Conn., and am at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., as a visiting assistant professor of accounting for the 2010–11 academic year. I got a doctorate in accounting from Pace University back in 2004.”
1976
David Esan ’82S (MBA) writes that he welcomed his first granddaughter, Ayelet, last June, making Susanne Behrendt Esan ’49, ’52 (MA) a great-grandmother. . . . Karen Geiger has earned a PhD in leadership and change at Antioch University in Ohio. She’s the president of Karen Geiger and Associates, a consulting company in Charlotte, N.C., specializing in leadership training and organizational development. She also teaches courses on executive leadership at Queens University’s McColl School of Business. . . . Al Power ’80M (MD), an associate professor of medicine at Rochester, writes that the American Journal of Nursing has named his book, Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care (Health Professions Press), a 2010 Book of the Year. “Having chosen professional care staff as the core audience for my book, I am very gratified to have this recognition,” he adds.
1978
Michael Corp has been selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of the annual peer review publication Best Lawyers in America. Michael heads the trusts and estates practice group at the Syracuse, N.Y., law firm Hancock & Estabrook. . . . Scott Glenn, a professor of marine science at Rutgers University, was named New Jersey’s Professor of the Year in the annual competition presented by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The awards are granted to one professor in each state who has had an outstanding impact on undergraduates. In 2009, Scott and his students navigated the first unmanned underwater glider across the Atlantic Ocean.
1979
Brian Davison was awarded the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Science Communicator of the Year award last November. The honor recognized Brian’s work communicating the science of biofuels research to public as well as scientific audiences. Brian is the chief scientist for systems biology and biotechnology at the lab, which is located in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
1980
Michael Mahoney has been promoted to senior vice president and general manager of the Tennis Corporation of America. He’ll oversee tennis operations at nine locations of the company’s subsidiary, Midtown Athletic Clubs, in addition to retaining his current role as general manager of the Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago. . . . Sara Zak, a retired Navy commander, writes that she organized a reunion of fellow graduates of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at Rochester between the years 1974 and 1983. She writes: “On September 24 and 25, 2010, 60 Rochester NROTC alumni and many spouses gathered in Alexandria, Va., for a fantastic reunion. Though the majority of participants live in Virginia, people came from across the United States, including five from the West Coast. We enjoyed a casual reception on Friday night, Saturday lunch at the Museum of the United States Marine Corps in Quantico, and dinner on Saturday night. The University hosted breakfast on Saturday morning at which former Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter ’69 spoke about his experiences while in office from 2006 to 2009.”
1981
Mike Ryan ’84S (MBA) was promoted to chief investment strategist at the financial services firm UBS.
1982
Cynthia Kocialski has published a book, Startup from the Ground Up (CreateSpace). After working as a systems engineer and in other roles at IBM, and as general manager of Matrox Electronics, Cynthia founded two high-tech start-up companies in telecommunications. She is a start-up consultant and maintains at blog for entrepreneurs at www.cynthiakocialski.com.
1983
Jim Kurkhill (see ’84).
1984
Karolyn Solis Baumgartner writes that last September, Jim Aloise hosted a minireunion of several optics graduates at his home outside Albany, N.Y. Pictured from left to right are Jim Kurkhill ’83, Nikki Hocheder, Colin Nass, Karolyn, Peter Baumgartner, Steve Hocheder, Jim, and Deb Aloise. Jim is married with two daughters and is an attorney with his own litigation consulting firm in Southern California. Colin is married with two children and is a relationship manager at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York City. Karolyn is teaching high school science and Peter is a systems engineer at ASML lithography in Wilton, Conn. They have three adult children. Steve is an emergency medicine physician in Tucson, Ariz., and he and his wife, Nikki, have three children. Jim works at Columbia University, licensing technology to private companies, and he and his wife, Deb, have two children. . . . Leah Finkel Kaltman, a New Jersey internist and member of the consultant medical staff of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, received a Gold Doc award from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, founded in 1988 to foster empathy and compassion in physicians-in-training. Gold Docs are nominated by their patients, who have cited their combination of compassion and clinical excellence. . . . Gregg Levin, an attorney specializing in securities and derivatives cases, has been promoted to partner at Motley Rice, a plaintiffs’ litigation firm in South Carolina.
1988
Ron Adams writes that he has published his second book, Car Lover’s Guide to Southern Germany (Via Corsa, 2010). . . . Dan Rosenthal has been named senior vice president of the Albright Stonebridge Group, an international business consulting company led by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former National Security Advisor Samuel Berger, and former U.S. Sen. Warren Rudman. Dan served on the senior staff of the White House from 1995 to 2000, assisting President Bill Clinton with international travel and public diplomacy. For the past 10 years, Dan has been vice president of strategic alliances and corporate development for United Online, a Los Angeles–based information technology company. . . . Andrew Zack writes that he and his wife, Nadene, welcomed their second son, Samuel Louis, in October. Andy adds that he was managing editor of Interpres and that the photo was taken by Scott Bruce, then editor of Interpres.
1990
Mark Bennett has been promoted to colonel in the U.S. Air Force. . . . Adam Konowe writes: “I delivered a series of guest lectures on public relations to undergraduate and graduate marketing students at Keele University (my study abroad alma mater) in Staffordshire, England, last Thanksgiving break.” Adam is vice president of public relations at the communications firm Sullivan Higdon & Sink and a lecturer at American University’s school of communication. . . . John Sotomayor writes that last October, the City of Ocala, Fla., named his firm, Sotomayor Media Creations, the winner of the Mary Sue Rich Diversity Award for the business category. Also in October, John’s work won three awards in the Florida Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism competition: first and second place in community news (West Marion Messenger and Conexion Latina) and second place in minority news (Conexion Latina). John adds that he loves to hear from friends at john@sotomayormedia.com.
1991
Sandra Stahlman writes that she has been studying mindfulness meditation with master Shinzen Young. . . . Daniel Williams ’92 (MS) has made partner at the law firm Faegre & Benson. Daniel specializes in commercial litigation and works in the firm’s Boulder, Colo., office.
1992
Chris Fite was inducted into the Wendy’s College Classic Hall of Fame last fall. The Wendy’s Classic is the oldest NCAA Division III basketball tournament in the nation. As a Yellowjacket center, Chris was twice named the tournament’s MVP. He’s now the assistant coach of the men’s basketball team at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Pictured from left to right are Randy Morien, the CEO of Wendy’s Hamburgers of Rochester; Chris’s wife, Susan; Chris; and Mike Daley, the executive director of Wendy’s Classic.
1993
Paul Kasper and Heather Symecko send a photo and an update. They write: “While searching for a current event on National Public Radio for school, our son discovered there was a Quidditch World Cup. For non–Harry Potter fans, this is a sport played while flying around a stadium. Thanks to a beautiful fall day and some perfectly placed ‘pleases and thank-yous,’ we piled into the car and drove into Manhattan. We arrived just in time to watch Rochester compete, having had no idea they would even be there. Unfortunately, they lost the match, but it was a great afternoon. We missed the finals, but I think Middlebury defeated Tufts in the end.” The photo shows Paul’s and Heather’s children Jack, Justin, and Ava in front of the Rochester Quidditch sign.
1995
Marcy Balunas writes: “I recently accepted a position as an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Connecticut. My laboratory focuses on marine natural products drug discovery and we’re always looking for engaged and enthusiastic new students.” . . . Christy Van Dusen Fennessy writes that she and her husband, Steve, welcomed a baby boy in January 2010. Christy, Steve, and Casey live in Decatur, Ga., where Christy is a freelance journalist. . . . Daniel Goldberg sends an update. “After my job was outsourced in 2009, I decided to take a new career path, using skills I gained working at the Faculty Club in my undergraduate days, and opened a new restaurant called Rib City in Frederick, Md. We opened last Labor Day weekend and business has been doing great so far. Would love to catch up with more of my Rochester friends, so if you happen to live or travel into this area, please stop by or e-mail me at frederick@ribcity.com.” . . . Bridget Klenk Larrabee ’97 (MA), ’97W (MS) and her husband, Rich, welcomed their first child, Richard “Elliott” Larrabee, last September. Bridget writes: “Just six weeks later, Elliott made the road trip from northern Virginia to western New York, where he met my Rochester roommate, “Aunt” Gretchen Harris Zenner ’02S (MBA), Gretchen’s husband, “Uncle” Al, and their one-year-old son, August. Just like their moms, who met as freshman roommates in 1991, Elliott and August hit it off immediately. Future Yellowjackets?”
1998
Larry Bobo has published a book, Becoming An Outstanding Man: Marriage, Family and Relationships (CreateSpace, 2010). Larry is a self-help author and motivational speaker. . . . Thomas Nasheri ’99 (T5) won first place in the resident poster contest at the 2010 American College of Osteopathic Internists annual convention and scientific sessions in San Francisco. Thomas writes: “My case was titled ‘Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy in Multiple Myeloma.’ I am in my last year of residency in internal medicine at University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. I am planning a career in hospitalist medicine in the Cleveland area after my training.” . . . Jon Scahill ’04S (MBA) married Alexis Fabricant last September at the Sagamore Hotel in Bolton Landing, N.Y. They live in New York City. Pictured are (back row, left to right) Ryall Carroll (best man), John Almansberger, Eric Thurley, Julian Hale ’99, Damon D’Arienzo ’01, Marc Mannella, and Matthew Friedman ’95; (front row, left to right) Jennifer Miller Thurley ’02N (MS), ’05N (Pmc), Kara O’Leary Carroll, Samantha Fabricant ’12 (Alexis’s younger sister), Alexis, Jon, Mark Gallego ’95, and Jeff Smith ’99, ’01M (MS).
1999
Nathan Heslink writes that he married Christina Abel in July 2009 in Alexandria, Va. In attendance were (left to right) Ben Hilliker, Erin Florio Spata, Sean Moore ’98, Cindy Lui, Kate Parsons, Eric Hayduk, Sharon Weiss ’05 (PhD), and Alison Palmatier. . . . Thomas Nasheri (T5) (see ’98).
2000
Jill Brogadir Boussy writes that she and her husband, Scott, welcomed a baby girl in May 2010. Baby Julia joins her big brother, Jake.
2002
Adam Fay was recognized by the Rochester Business Journal as one of 2010’s “40 Under 40” business and community leaders. Adam is vice president of operations at First American Equipment Finance. . . . Carrie Meltzer married Adam Pergament in Jackson Hole, Wyo., last August. “Rochester alumni spanning many generations attended the wedding,” she writes. Pictured are (back row) John McCauslin, Martha Morenstein ’69, Joe Bonder ’10, Brian LaClair, Joel Bonder ’71, Larry Gelber ’69, Julie Reinitz, and Brendan McAllister ’05; (middle row) Sandy Lee ’69, Judy Levy Meltzer ’69 (mother of the bride), Sunisa Matthews ’14, Melody Wollgren, Adam, Cassie, Dick Meltzer ’69 (father of the bride), Carol Epstein Gelber ’69, and Elaine Rubinstein Leaverton ’69; (front row) Eve Bigelow Macaluso, Jess Lerman, Lauren Mele McCauslin, and Kate Allen LaClair.
2003
Kellena Wilson Kane and her husband, Doug, welcomed a baby boy, Atticus Kane, in February 2010. They live in Buffalo, where Kellena works in real estate finance for Uniland Development Company and Doug owns a website design and development company, ExternalExperts.com.
2004
Adam Smith married Tammy King ’08W (MS) last August. Pictured are (front row, left to right) Tammy, Adam, Lindsay MacMillan ’03, John Feroleto ’02, Michael McCormick, and Michael Tynan; (back row) Michael Hakiel, Sarah Phillips ’08M (MD), Eric Schweigert, Andrew MacMillan ’02, and Ken Lumb ’03.
2005
Sam Caito ’10M (MD) writes that he and Jennifer Newell ’09M (PhD) were married last September in Brunswick, Maine. Pictured from left to right are Christine Young ’06, Katherine Shen, Dan Perlmutter, Sharon Caito (sister of the groom), Sam, Jennifer, Scott Newell (brother of the bride), Amy Griffiths, Whitney Vitale, and Kriti Gaur ’08M (MS). The flower girls were Kaitlin and Meagan Morrison, cousins of the bride. Also attending the wedding, but not pictured, were John Skwiersky ’08, Eleanor Cashmore ’07, Ivan Rydkin ’09, Ann Rossi ’09M (PhD), Marie Rossi ’08M (PhD), Melanie Baker Preston ’10M (PhD), and Holly Kuzmiak-Ngiam ’07M (MS). . . . Lindy Falvey writes that she married Justin Alan Fink in March 2010. Alumni in attendance included Erin Charnow, Sam Stavis, Niki Reitz, Colin Theis ’04, Katie Harvey ’06, and Jeremy Boardman ’06.
2008
Glenn Diller, a lieutenant in the Navy, has been designated a Naval aviator. Glenn received his wings of gold after completing a flight training curriculum including a basic course in engineering and navigation, training flights using simulators, instrument training, navigation flights, and takeoffs and landings aboard aircraft carriers. . . . Eric Janosko (see ’09). . . . Gregory Skipton writes that he and Kate Cieply are engaged to be married in June 2011. The bridal party includes Daniel Allan, Evan Buchberger, David Lu ’07, Erica Skipton ’09, and Courtney Callahan ’09.
2009
Kristen DeCarlo writes that she and Eric Janosko ’08 are engaged to be married in September 2012. She adds: “I am in my last year of working on my master’s degree in sport administration and was awarded a graduate assistantship at Canisius College in Buffalo. Eric is a process engineer in the emulsion aggregation toner department at Xerox in Webster, N.Y. . . . Riley Robinson and Nikki Socash ’10 were married in August 2010 in Syracuse, N.Y. Riley is serving as an ensign in the Navy aboard the USS Gridley based in San Diego. Nikki is at Rochester in the School of Nursing’s accelerated bachelor’s RN program. Several Rochester students and alumni posed with the bride and groom. Pictured from left to right are: (front row) James Mannion ’09, Brittany Crowley ’11, Riley, Nikki, Abbie Stern, Vasily Liapis ’12, and Trey Socash ’12; (middle row) Tyler Socash, Brian Turkett ’10W (MS), Linnell Randall, Karen Lee, Emily Zevon, and Marissa Coir ’10; (back row) Gregory Smith, Jeremy Cabanel, John Bertola ’10W (MS), Tim Kish, Matt Linton, Jessica Marino ’10, Eric Weissmann ’10, Jesse Cramer ’12, Eric Socash ’14.
2010
Liz Gabster sends a photo and an update. She writes: “In lieu of being able to make it to Meliora Weekend, a number of 2010 alums who are studying across Europe convened in London for a Rochester reunion abroad over Thanksgiving weekend. This picture was taken after finishing our massive American Thanksgiving meal. We are all living in various parts of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland.” From left to right are Samara Schwartz, Alex Georgieff, Libia Jimenez, Liz, Victoria Yam, Chris McCoy, and Daniela Schofield. . . . Kellie Ileto sends a picture of herself with her new puppy, Meliora. Kellie and Meliora are living in Baltimore, where Kellie is working toward her master’s degree in special education, with a concentration in autism spectrum disorders, at Johns Hopkins University. She’s also doing research on autism at Kennedy Krieger Institute, which offers clinical programs and other services to children with developmental disorders. . . . Nikki Socash (see ’09).
