Class Notes

College/Arts, Sciences & Engineering

1942

Zazel Whitney writes that Theodore Whitney, to whom she’d been married since 1990, died in September. “He was alert, continuing to study science and playing golf while walking the whole 18 holes until his diagnosis of brain cancer in April,” she writes. “Upon graduation he worked for Kodak in Rochester and left to join the Navy and served in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, he worked for the U.S. Naval Ordinance Test Station in China Lake, California. There he met and married Jean Warren and had two children, Ted Jr. and Christy. He eventually started his own business, Pacific Infrared in Reseda, California, where he worked for over 40 years.” Jean and their daughter, Christy, both died of cancer. He’s survived by Zazel and Ted Jr.

1948

Pierce Day ’53 (MS) has published a book, Career in Optics: A Memoir that Spans 36 Years of Optics History at Eastman Kodak (self-published). Pierce was an optical engineer at Eastman Kodak from 1950 to 1986.

1952

Chesley Kahmann has released a new CD of original songs, Time Goes Dancing (Orbiting Clef Productions).

1956

Arlene Eichen Stolnitz writes that a conversation between her and Patricia Weil King at the Class of 1956 50th reunion “was the spark that led to the creation of a choral work that will be performed this spring in Venice, Florida.” As they were getting reacquainted, Arlene and Patricia discovered their mutual interest in music. Pat, who studied music at Rochester, is a piano teacher and composer on Long Island. Arlene, after retiring from teaching in Rochester, moved to Florida and founded the Sarasota Jewish Chorale. “We started talking about the creation of a choral work for the Sarasota chorale, and in short time Pat created Prayer of Joy and Peace! The work, arranged for four-part harmony, is based on a Hamsa prayer. Hamsa, also known as Hamesh or Chamsa, is an ancient Middle Eastern amulet symbolizing the hand of God. It’s a protective sign that brings its owner happiness, luck, health, and good fortune.” The chorale will premiere Pat’s work at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice on April 19 at the Hour of Remembrance, an interfaith service commemorating Yom Hashoah.

1957

Dick Leger visited Harry Kroger and his wife, Sandy, at their new home in Austin, Texas, last fall. “I’m happy to report they’re both doing very well,” he writes. “Harry and I were roommates, fraternity brothers at Alpha Delta Phi, and remain close friends.”

1959

Warren Eddy writes he visited Warsaw in August, a trip following from an interest in Poland he developed during an honors seminar in modern European history at Rochester taught by Arthur May. Warren’s visit included “a seven-hour visit to the Warsaw Uprising Museum and participation in the 5 o’clock minute of silence, where all Warsaw stood to remember and honor those who fought in the valiant but doomed summer 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis.” He adds: “Poles today seem immensely proud of their mastery of English, since 1989 the second language taught in their public schools.”

1963

Jeanine Sullivan Cushman was honored by the Boy Scouts of America in September. A former First Lady of Scouting, Jeanine earned four Eagle Mom pins, one for each of her sons. She’s served on the board of directors of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Boy Scouts and is the all-time leading fundraiser for the group’s Stars & Stripes benefit. . . . Marianne Utz Pauley (see ’67 Graduate).

1964

Don Liebich has written a book, Fault Lines: The Layman’s Guide to Understanding America’s Role in the Ever-Changing Middle East (Elevate). Don spent his career in the Navy and in the private sector, and has been part of economic development, citizen diplomacy, and human rights projects in the Middle East. He lives in Hailey, Idaho.

1971

Nan Levinson has published a book, War Is Not a Game: The New Antiwar Soldiers and the Movement They Built (Rutgers University Press). The book explores the contemporary soldiers’ antiwar movement, as carried out by the group Iraq Veterans Against the War. Nan teaches journalism and fiction writing at Tufts University. . . . Ron Thomas writes that he married Charlene Clinton in June in Atlanta. Joining him in the celebration were Bill Staton and Deborah Mullen ’72. He adds that he’s the director of the journalism and sports program at Morehouse College; Deborah is acting president and dean of faculty at the Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia; and Bill is retired after 33 years as an attorney at the U.S. Department of Labor.

1972

Andrew Barowsky is chairman and CEO of Abaco, president of the Barowsky Foundation, and chair of the board of trustees of Dominican University of California. In September, he committed $1 million for a fellowship for students at Dominican who pursue graduate degrees at Rochester. About a quarter of Dominican’s students are the first in their families to attend college, nearly one-third are Pell grant recipients, and nearly one-half are members of a racial or ethnic minority group. . . . Deborah Mullen (see ’71). . . . Walker Smith, a professor at the College of William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science, has been named King’s Professor at Gothenburg University in Sweden. “I’ll spend a year there as part of the department of chemistry and molecular biology, working with colleagues on polar oceanographic issues and new ocean technologies.”

1973

Sandra Byers, professor of psychology at the University of New Brunswick, was awarded the 2013 Alfred C. Kinsey Award by the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. Sandra is coauthor of a popular textbook for undergraduates, Understanding Human Sexuality, now in its fifth edition.

1977

Bob Dardano sends a photo. He writes that he and Patrick O’Connor ’78 “ran into Rocky in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco.”

1978

Glenn Boreman has been elected as 2015 vice president of SPIE, an international society for optics and photonics. As SPIE vice president, Glenn is slated to serve as president-elect in 2016 and president in 2017. Glenn is professor and chairman of the physics and optical science department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and cofounder and chairman of the board of Plasmonics Inc. . . . Jane Dubin ’79 (MS) offers an update on her latest Broadway project, An American in Paris. The musical will open at the Palace Theater in March. Jane is owner and president of the production company Double Play Connections. . . . Robert Herloski ’80 (MS) won an Anne Mulcahy Inventor Award, Xerox’s highest honor for innovation, in October. Robert was recognized for his work to enable low-cost, high-quality printing. . . . Patrick O’Connor (see ’77).

1979

Bryndis Savage Andrade (see ’83). . . . Peter Blanck has published a book, eQuality: The Struggle for Web Accessibility by Persons with Cognitive Disabilities. The book is part of the Cambridge University Press Disability Law and Policy Series. Peter holds the title University Professor at Syracuse and is chairman of Syracuse’s Burton Blatt Institute, an organization to advance the civil rights and participation of people with disabilities.

1980

David Higgins ’87 (PhD), president of the Parkinson’s Association, has been appointed to the governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. David, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011 and has several relatives who have suffered from the illness, also serves on the board of the Parkinson’s Action network and on the executive committee of the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology. . . . Warren Wolfeld (see ’83).

1981

Bob Gibbs (see ’83). . . . Alan Hodesblatt (see ’83). . . . Randy Otto has published a book, Forensic Reports and Testimony: A Guide to Effective Communication for Psychologists and Psychiatrists (Wiley). Randy is an associate professor in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida. . . . Scott Pomerantz ’83S (MBA) has joined MC10, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, company developing wearable electronics, as president and CEO. A specialist in wireless communications, Scott is also a member of the board of advisors of Rochester’s Hajim School. . . . Ed Swartz (see ’83).

1982

Josh Hurwitz (see ’83). . . . Randy Sue Marber, a New York State Supreme Court justice, was sworn in as a member of the board of the Theodore Roosevelt American Inn of Court in September. The group is a local chapter of the national legal mentoring organization, American Inns of Court. . . . Marianne Miserandino (see ’83). . . . Tim Reed ’85 (MS) (see ’83).

1983

Tony Macchiarella sends news and a photo of a reunion of music interest floor residents from the late 1970s to 1990. The reunion was hosted by Pamela Noack and Stewart Ashkenazy ’85. Pictured are Pam, Sally Knakal Wituszynski, Josh Hurwitz ’82, Tim Reed ’82, ’85 (MS), Ed Swartz ’81, Alan Hodesblatt ’81, Warren Wolfeld ’80, Bryndis Savage Andrade ’79, Marianne Miserandino ’82, Tony, Nancy Niemi ’84, Carolyn Duff Gibbs, and Bob Gibbs ’81. Also in attendance were Steve Tulchin ’89, John Noble ’90, and Rob Novick ’90.

1984

Nancy Niemi (see ’83).

1985

Stewart Ashkenazy (see ’83). . . . Mark San Fratello has been named chief operating officer of Pegasus Sustainability Solutions, based in Madison, Wisconsin.

1988

Tim Talley, the inventor of U-Lace shoelaces, has signed deals with Target and 7-Eleven that will make the laces available in those stores. Tim appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank last spring, during which he won a $200,000 investment from Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, among other businesses.

1989

Steve Tulchin (see ’83).

1990

John Noble (see ’83). . . . Rob Novick (see ’83). . . . Tom Schneider ’97D (Pdc) writes: “I was featured as a periodontal expert in the July issue of New Jersey Monthly magazine. They did a nice breakout article about me because I have been selected by my peers as a ‘Top Periodontist’ for the past six years running.” Tom practices in the Jersey Shore community of Toms River.

1991

Bill Pryor (see ’92).

1992

Marc Esposito has been named vice president of values relations at JetBlue Airways. In that role, Marc will help oversee labor relations for the airline . . . Jeff Reznick sends a photo from a gathering last fall in Washington, D.C. Pictured are Livia Quan Aber, Andrea (Reiko) Tsunoda, Kasia Kozlowski, Jeff, Bill Pryor ’91, and Ellen Rogers.

1995

Janice Ruffini Horner writes: “Like the old adage, I’ve turned lemons into lemonade, using an unexpected layoff to pursue my certification as an integrative health coach, something I’ve wanted to do for several years. I am currently enrolled in the program at Duke Center for Integrative Medicine and hope to obtain my certification by summer 2015. I recently launched my business and website, Ever Better Integrative Health Coaching (www.everbetterihc.com)—and yes, Meliora was the inspiration for the name. I am also a part-time practice manager at a primary care physician’s office in Raleigh. I am excited to attend my 20th reunion in 2015 and hope to connect with some Rochester friends I have not seen since graduation!”

1996

Craig Irwin has joined the investment bank Roth Capital Partners as a senior research analyst covering the clean energy technology sector. . . . Christine Tebaldi ’96N, ’01N (MS) (see ’98). . . . James Walker sends an update. After graduation, he earned a doctorate in philosophy, taught at Union College in Schenectady, and then accepted a tenure-track position at Frostburg State University in Maryland. After completing a dissertation on 19th-century German theories of normativity, he writes, he became interested in “the striking amount of warfare that was occurring around the world.” Focusing on conflicts in East and Central Africa, he developed an interest in grassroots economic development, health care, education, and women’s empowerment initiatives. “Well, you can only talk for so long,” he writes. “I ended up joining forces with a small NGO in southern Uganda, and then, while helping out at a clinic there, made the decision to resign my tenure-track academic position and enroll in nursing school. This new chapter of my life started about four years ago.” James now works with the Northern Uganda Medical Mission, founded and run by local Ugandans, as director of grant writing and fundraising.

1998

Lindsay Greene Koenig sends a photo from a baby shower that she and several classmates held for Kerri Cleghorn Lai ’00 last summer. Kerri and her husband, Peter, welcomed a daughter, Josephine, in August. The shower was at the home of Rebecca Hart Goldberg. Pictured are: (back row, left to right) Lorye Wexler Peddie, Amy DiVirgilio, Evyenia DiVirgilio, Christine Tebaldi ’96, ’96N, ’01N (MS), Lindsay, Krissy Grugan Donohue ’99, Cathy DeJesus Wong, Margie Siegel Carmody ’99; (front row, left to right) Jill Sibley Lawson ’99, Kerri, and Rebecca.

1999

Margie Siegel Carmody (see ’98). . . . Krissy Grugan Donohue (see ’98). . . . Jill Sibley Lawson (see ’98). . . . Jeff and Alexandra Boyer Reidmiller ’01N welcomed their fourth child, Jocelyn Barbara, in August. Also pictured are siblings Sebastian, Josephine, and Amelia.

2000

Kerri Cleghorn Lai (see ’98). . . . Jennifer Chapek Moon writes that she’s joined the contemporary art department of the Art Institute of Chicago. . . . Kelley Tatro ’00E has been hired as an assistant professor of music at North Central College, near Chicago. After graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in English as well as a bachelor of music degree from Eastman, Kelley earned a master’s degree in verbal and visual representation in British culture from Reading University in the United Kingdom, and a master’s in art history and a doctorate in music, both from Duke. Her research and teaching span several related areas, including the relationship between music and politics, Latin American music and dance, and the anthropology of sound.

2002

Kathy Jahnke married Alex Raksin in August. Pictured with Kathy and Alex are John Brach, Michelle Swanger-Gagne, Jenny Thalappillil, Maria Ferrante, Simon Chiew, Courtney Forbes ’01, and Andy James.

2004

Josh Fink and Sarah Rosen ’05 welcomed a daughter, Josie, in September 2013. . . . Brandon and Renee Williams Laws ’05 welcomed their first child, a son, Carter Robert Laws, last March. Renee writes: “We have been married since July 2010 (we were married at the Interfaith Chapel) and now live in Boston.”

2005

Renee Williams Laws (see ’04). . . . Sarah Rosen (see ’04).