Class Notes

College/Arts, Sciences & Engineering

1942

James Vick ’73D writes that William Mason ’50M (MD), his stepfather, died last October. After graduating from Rochester, William earned a doctorate in chemistry at Princeton and worked on the Manhattan Pro-ject. He returned to Rochester for his medical degree. He held a number of positions in pathology and clinical chemistry, including at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, at Xerox, and at GlaxoSmithKline, from which he retired as vice president of new ventures in 1986.

1957

Nature photographer Bob Mumford has published a book of more than 300 photographs taken during 16 trips to Ecuador over a seven-year period. The Exquisite Birds of Ecuador (Laurel Hill Press) includes mostly images of tropical birds, but also of wildflowers, reptiles, and mammals that populate the nation that’s internationally recognized for its exceptional biodiversity. Before becoming a professional photographer, Bob was a naval officer and a management consultant. He lives in Maryland.

1959

Noal Cohen is a musician, jazz historian, and record collector in Montclair, New Jersey. He’s the coauthor of Rat Race Blues: The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce (Current Research in Jazz). He writes that the book, which won an Award for Excellence from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections when it was first published, is now in its second edition. The new edition includes updated information on the saxophonist and composer, based on research Noal and his coauthor, Michael Fitzgerald, have conducted over the past few years. Noal maintains a website on jazz history, www.attictoys.com. . . . Brett Hawkins, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, writes that he’s the subject of a biographical record in Who’s Who in America for the 25th year. Brett is the author or coauthor of numerous books on state and local politics and government and urban policy.

1960

George Hole ’68 (PhD) is retired after teaching philosophy for 49 years at Buffalo State College. A SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, George writes: “I’ll continue to write philosophy and poetry, paint, play squash, and provide philosophical counseling.”

1962

Les Simon sends an update. He writes: “After I completed treatment for lymphoma, I wrote a book describing the experience with the idea of helping newly diagnosed patients understand what they can expect.” He chose the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to distribute the book, Surviving Lymphoma: A Patient’s Story, “because their very effective communications program reaches 250,000 people around the world, including the users of Facebook and Twitter. The society has begun to serialize the book as a series of blog postings on their website.” The society’s website is www.lls.org.

1965

Sheila Blumstein, a life trustee of the University and the Albert D. Mead Professor of Cognitive Linguistic and Psychological Sciences at Brown, has won the Silver Medal in Speech Communication from the Acoustical Society of America. Sheila studies how the brains of typical individuals as well as those of injured patients process speech, turning acoustical signals that vary from speaker to speaker into single, recognizable words.

1969

Joan Ross Sorkin, a librettist, writes that she and composer Brian Schober ’73E, ’80E (DMA) collaborated on an opera, White Witch, A Moondrama for Contralto and Percussion. It premiered last October at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space in New York City. Joan writes: “The opera is based on the 19th-century folk legend of Annie Palmer, notoriously known as the White Witch of Rose Hall, who uses her voodoo powers to kill three husbands, slave lovers, and even a young rival to satisfy her insatiable sexual appetite.”

1970

Henry and Marlene Herman Etlinger (see ’74). . . . Bob Kirschbaum has a solo show at the University’s Memorial Art Gallery. “The 42-Letter Name,” opened in December and continues until April 12. It features print folio works and sculptures evoking Hebrew letters, Jewish sacred space, and ritual objects. Bob is a professor of fine arts at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. . . . Martin Richardson (see ’74).

1973

Paul Richardson ’78 (PhD) (see ’74).

1974

Linda Herman Richardson ’76W (Mas) sends a photo and an update. She writes: “Paul Richardson ’73, ’78 (PhD) and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with our family, which consists of three daughters, their husbands, and five grandchildren. Our youngest daughter, Deborah Richardson ’07, ’08S (MBA) was recently married to Jeremiah Demme at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. In attendance were eight family members who are also alumni, as well as friends from both generations.” Pictured are: (first row, left to right) Rebecca Hayes ’07, Henry Etlinger ’70 (brother-in-law), Marlene Herman Etlinger ’70 (sister), Deborah, Linda, and Paul; (second row, left to right) Meghan Crawley ’07, Laura Richenderfer Higgins ’08, Nora Craighead Park ’07, Allison Altman Singles ’07, Jeremiah, Anita Sun ’07, ’11S (MBA), Charlotte Reardon ’07, Alexandra Bozenhard ’07, ’09S (MBA); (back row, left to right) Daniel Schatz ’08, ’13M (MD), Whitney Silkworth ’07, David Etlinger ’03 (nephew), Martin Richardson ’70 (brother-in-law), Rebecca Etlinger ’99 (niece), Daniel Etlinger ’06 (nephew), and Eugene Renner Jr. ’73.

1976

Kurt Spielmann (see ’09).

1977

Elenore Rehbein Arquette has joined the insurance firm Brown & Brown Empire State. . . . Alice Phillips Check sends an update, and some reminiscences. “In 1973, I arrived to meet my freshman roommate Phyllis Storch in 308 Morgan (I believe) on ‘The Hill’ (Susan B. Anthony Halls). Her high school boyfriend, Sheldon Willner, and a friend they met the first day, Tom Check, were frequent guests. After we all graduated in 1977, Phyllis and Sheldon were married. They have two daughters and live in Danbury, Connecticut. Tom and I were married and have two daughters and a son and live in Beaverton, Oregon.” The four classmates have kept in touch and visited one another and now, Alice adds, as they approach their 60th birthdays, she’s updated a poem she first wrote 20 years ago in honor of Sheldon’s 40th birthday, called “The Saga of the Freshman Four.” “I believe it may evoke some memories in classmates who attended the U of R from 1973 and 1977,” Alice writes.

1978

Michael Corp has been included in The Best Lawyers in America for 2015. He leads the elder law and special needs, tax, and trusts and estates practice areas.

1981

Patrick McNamara is the new owner and operator of the Albany, New York, area Sylvan Learning franchise. Before purchasing the franchise, Patrick practiced general business and entertainment law. . . . Victor Nitti has been appointed the American Urological Association’s chair of education. Victor is professor and vice chairman of the urology department and director of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at NYU School of Medicine.

1983

Christine Branche has won a professional award for her contributions to workplace safety and health. Christine conducts research on injury prevention in her roles as principal associate director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and director of the institute’s Office of Construction Safety and Health. The International Safety Equipment Association presented Christine with the Robert B. Hurley Distinguished Service Award at a celebration last December. . . . Jeff Kranis sends a photo and writes: “Thirty-five years ago these U of R freshmen were strangers residing in Susan B. Anthony and quickly became friends. Time has not changed a thing as seen in this photo at a December 14, 2014, brunch on Long Island. From left to right are Yoram Yossefy, Dominick (Dom) Palma, Keith Sommers, Jeff, and Doug Roth.

1985

Novelist Jennifer Donnelly writes that she’s published Rogue Wave (Disney-Hyperion), the second book in her Waterfire Saga series. She adds that she’s planning on coming out with two more books in the fall: Dark Tide, the third Waterfire book, and These Shallow Graves, a work of historical fiction set in Gilded Age New York.

1986

Randy Abate is editor of Climate Change Impacts on Ocean and Coastal Law: U.S. and International Perspectives (Oxford University Press). Randy is a professor of law and director of the Center for International Law and Justice at Florida A&M University College of Law. . . . Christine Joor Mitchell writes: “On April 20, Kim Dio Date Shamah and I are running the Boston Marathon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Kim is running in honor of Dawn Magaletta FitzGerald and I am running in honor of Doreen Gostin Massie and in memory of Nancy Melvin Taylor.” . . . Bill Tretter was inducted into the Notre Dame High School Hall of Fame last October. A member of the Yellowjackets football team at Rochester, Bill had excelled in both football and basketball as a student at Notre Dame, in Batavia, New York. In 1982, he was the school’s Male Athlete of the Year and was named an All-Greater Rochester and Times Union Super 22 in football. Bill lives near Pittsburgh and works for GlaxoSmithKline. . . . Paul Turner ’88 (MS) has been named vice president of customer success at Jobvite, a Silicon Valley–based developer of software for recruiting firms.

1987

Amy Silbert Blake sends a photo from her swearing in as associate justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court by Gov. Deval Patrick. She adds: “I was thrilled to celebrate with some of my Phi Sigma Sigma sorority sisters.” Jennifer Carpenter Siedman ’88, Jodi Rubtchinsky Smith ’90, Suzy Yesley Awad, and Meghan Daly Lippman ’88 attended the ceremony. . . . Wendy Weitzman Cohen ’88M (MPH) was elected to a four-year term as secretary of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Democratic Central Committee. . . . Carol Sulcoski has published her fourth book, Lace Yarn Studio (Sterling Publishing), which includes patterns and technical information for handknitters. She writes: “I am now a freelance writer and designer in the handknitting field. My articles are frequently published in knitting magazines like Vogue Knitting, and in addition to my books, my designs have been published in various magazines, books, and by yarn companies. I own my own boutique business hand-dying yarns and publishing my own patterns.” . . . Julie Taddeo ’97 (PhD) has coedited a collection of essays, Upstairs and Downstairs: British Costume Drama Television from the Forsyte Saga to Downton Abbey (Rowman & Littlefield). Julie teaches history at the University of Maryland and is associate editor of the Journal of Popular Television.

1988

Dawn Davidson Drantch is in-house counsel for Alcott HR, based in Farmingdale, New York. Last October, she was named to the board of directors of the Moxxie Mentoring Foundation, which promotes the career development of young women by fostering intergenerational mentoring. Dawn has long been involved with the foundation and is a past recipient of its Mentor of the Year award. . . . Mary Reed McCall has published her eighth novel, Moose Tracks on the Road to Heaven (Teabury Books). She writes that she first explored novel writing at Rochester in a class with Thomas Gavin, now professor emeritus of English.

1989

John Carter, a captain in the Navy, was named commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan last November. The change-of-command ceremony took place in Norfolk, Virginia. John has previously commanded two ships: USS Salvor, from 2001 to 2003, and USS Roosevelt, from 2006 to 2008. . . . Jud Sherwood writes that he’s released The Man (Jazz Project), the 12th CD on his Jazz Project label, as part of the trio Blues Union, which consists of Jud on drums, Josh Cook on tenor saxophone, and John Carswell on vocals, piano, and Hammond B3 organ.

1990

Adam Konowe writes that he’s been elected a fellow of the United Kingdom’s Royal Aeronautical Society. He continues to serve as vice president of client strategy for the communications firm TMP Government, where he serves aerospace clients. He’s also an adjunct professor of communication at American University.

1992

Jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger Brian Pareschi has released his debut recording as leader of an octet. Brian Pareschi and the BP Express (Brian Pareschi) contains a mix of originals and standards. Brian writes: “The recording features an array of very talented sidemen in New York, and features my playing and writing for this midsize group. Currently it is climbing on the Jazzweek charts, and is receiving rave reviews in print and online media.” Brian has lived in New York City since 1996 and has performed as a sideman for jazz, Broadway, and commercial work.

1994

Hideaki Hirai writes that he’s been named music director of the New York Festival Orchestra.

1996

Craig Irwin has joined Roth Capital Partners as a senior research analyst covering the clean technology sector.

1998

Rebecca Grant Lederman writes that she and Mark Osorio Lederman ’99S (MBA) welcomed Eden Lindsay in February 2014. Eden is pictured with Rebecca, Mark, and her two big sisters, Maya, 7, and Gabrielle, 5. Rebecca adds: “Shortly after Eden’s birth, Mark joined Synchronoss Technologies in Bridgewater, New Jersey, as senior director of product management.” They’ve been living in nearby Livingston since 2012. . . . Jon Scahill ’04S (MBA) writes that he and his wife, Alexis, welcomed a daughter, Rieve Anyela, last November. Rieve is pictured with her big sister, Maeven. Jon adds that Samantha Fabricant ’12 is their aunt.

1999

Rebecca Etlinger (see ’74).

2000

Tiffany Miller writes that she and her husband, Miguel Chumacero, welcomed their first child, Zaashila, in December.

2001

Joseph Brennan ’05S (MBA) has been named senior commercial banker and vice president of Five Star Bank, a banking system in western and central New York. . . . Steven Person has joined Bristol Instruments, an optical instrumentation developer, as part of the product development team. Steven’s specialty is designing instrumentation for the optical detection and imaging of nanoparticles and fabrication of nanostructures with light scattering properties. . . . Adriana Puleo Schwartz has been promoted to special counsel at the New York City law firm Schulte Roth & Zabel.

2003

Avital Levy Carlis has joined Cooley Dickinson Hospital as the administrative director of the Massachusetts General Cancer Center and service line development. . . . David Etlinger (see ’74). . . . Sudhir Shenoy has been named a partner of the Charlotte, North Carolina, law firm of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice. . . . Jian Wong ’03 (MS) has joined Armbruster Capital Management.

2005

Alex Brody writes that he and Michelle Potash ’06 married in South Carolina last October. Pictured are: (front row, left to right) Annie Herzog ’06, Meredith Lepore ’06, Sarah Rastegar ’06, Caitlin Wiley Georges-Picot ’08, Eunjui Han ’07, Michelle, Alex, Lynne Klasko, Russell Wyner ’06, Marc Perez ’06, Beth Devine ’07, Len Zheleznyak ’06 (MS), Brad Henson, Brie Dixon Anderson ’06, Bijan Pajoohi, Alex Gustafik ’08W (MS); (back row, left to right) Annie O’Brien ’06, Elie Diner ’06, Sam Frommer ’06, Kendra Andersen, Dan Israel, Lauren Pulwer, Gardiner Von Trapp ’07, Mark Salama ’06, Francis Liu, Keil Anderson, Alec Immerman ’06. Dulip Ratnasoma was in attendance, but not pictured. . . . Portia Bridges Levasseur (see ’06). . . . Pete Nabozny and Lindsay Wech were married in Buffalo last September. Pictured are: (back row, left to right) John Maigret ’06, Chris Nolan ’06, Andy Macmillan ’02, Brian MacIlvain ’07, Dan Duett, Sean Czaja ’08, Neil Janowitz ’04, Ethan McKenney, Brendon Troy ’03, Erin Fraser, Alex Voetsch ’04, Terence Cordner, John Feroleto ’02; (front row, left to right) Nick Roosa ’07, Caralyn Perlee ’07, Lyndsey Macmillan ’02, Angela Hamarich, Brienne Bellavita, Kathryn Pearson, Deborah Zlotnik, Corinne Ulrich ’12N, Katharine McGlynn, Katie Quinn, Anna Troy, and Niki Reitz.

2006

Daniel Etlinger (see ’74). . . . Jessica Kernan-Dudley, previously the U.S. director of eye make-up marketing for the cosmetics company Lancome, has been promoted to global chef de groupe for Lancome Paris. . . . Robert ’07 (MS) and Portia Bridges Levasseur ’05 welcomed a baby girl, Simone Carol, last October. Simone is pictured with her sister, Eleanor, in a photo by Fishkill, New York, photographer “Artistically Amy.” . . . Michelle Potash (see ’05). . . . Brian Solomon writes that he and his wife, Lauren, have welcomed their first child. Audrey Claire Solomon was born last November and weighed seven pounds, 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. “We now live in beautiful Palm Beach, Florida, and are truly blessed.” . . . Naomi Weinstock got married last July. She writes: “We were fortunate to have many wonderful friends from U of R in attendance. The wedding took place in my hometown of Geneva, New York. My husband, Brian Gordon, and I live in New York City, where I am the deputy director of major gifts for the Metropolitan Opera and he teaches science at the Manhattan School for Children.” Pictured from left to right are Catey Juravich Roe ’04, ’08W (MS), Matt Roe ’07, ’08 (MS), Dan Bromfield, Eliza Kaye ’09, Meredith Flouton-Barnes, Naomi, Brian, Martha Guenther ’08E, Russell Wyner, Laura Weaver ’07 (MS), and Sam Frommer.

2007

Richard Miserendino ’07E was ordained as a deacon in the Catholic Church last October at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, where he’s studying. In June, he’ll be ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. . . . Deborah Richardson ’08S (MBA) (see ’74).

2008

Kurt Spielmann (see ’09).

2009

Jonathan Antista writes that he married Chad Bolt, a 2008 graduate of Millersville University, last September. Pictured in the back row, left to right, are Nathan Novosel ’12, Jonathan, Rob Pakan, and Brian Magee; and in the front row are Saher Lone (left) and Caroline Jacobs. . . . Andrew Flack married Amber Rinehard last October in Oneida, New York. Pictured from left to right are Claudio Dimarco, Adrian Flanders, Matt Spielmann, Alyssa Shoup ’10, ’11W (MS), Amber, Brendan O’Brien, Andrew, Benjamin Primack, Anne Eshenour Mack, Evan Bilheimer, Dawn Ryan, Eric Weissmann ’10, and Derek Pomento. . . . Ryan Goldberg has been named vice president of MC Lighting Solutions, a division of MC Sign Company. . . . Matt Spielmann sends a Spielmann family photo from Thanksgiving 2014. From left to right are Annamarie Spielmann ’12, Kurt J. Spielmann ’08, Kurt W. Spielmann ’76, Alyssa Shoup ’10, ’11W (MS), and Matt.

2010

Rebecca Domalski writes that she and Nicholas Farris were married last September at Letchworth State Park. . . . Alyssa Shoup ’11W (MS) (see ’09).

2011

Rachel Kludt writes: “Dan Ludwig ’12 (pitcher for the U of R baseball team) and I (defensive specialist for the U of R volleyball team) were married last July in Victor, New York. The wedding was a casual celebration in a rural barn setting, where we partied the night away with 20 other U of R alumni and students from the classes of 2011 to 2015. The wedding was a true U of R athletics reunion, with representatives from baseball, softball, volleyball, football, and both men’s and women’s basketball teams present! Dan and I live in Farmington, where he’s the director of operations at the Pinnacle Athletic Campus, opening this spring in Victor, and I’m a teaching assistant at the Norman Howard School while pursuing a master’s degree in special education at Nazareth College.”

2012

Zach Armstrong has been hired as client services coordinator at the Rochester financial services firm Sage Rutty. . . . Colin Desrosiers ’14S (MBA) has joined the Rochester investment firm Cobblestone Capital Advisors as a trader and research assistant. . . . Samantha Fabricant (see ’98). . . . Conor Flyn was part of a four-person team that won first place in the University at Buffalo’s Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition. The team, which won $25,000 in start-up funding, has invented a way to remove vibrations that interfere with high-precision devices. Conor is a law student at Buffalo. . . Dan Ludwig (see ’11). . . . Jesse Rakoske writes that he and Tiffany Chan were married in August 2012 and live in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Jesse is a doctoral student in history at Harvard and Tiffany is employed in Harvard’s math department. . . . Annamarie Spielmann (see ’09).