CMC Magazine Spring 2023

20

Expanding Student Opportunity

CMC encourages, supports, and empowers students with its strategic and intentional commitment to opportunity.

28 A Real Key Player

Whether on the field, on stage, or in the classroom, CMC senior Zach Fogel’s star shines bright.

30 The Rose Institute Turns 50

Conceived in the early 70s so students and faculty could collaborate on research, the Rose Institute has made its mark on CMC’s campus, the alumni it has launched, and on the state of California.

Cover image by Anibal Ortiz: Photo composite created by combining a campus image with New York Networking Trek shot and employing a light painting technique with the help of CMC students.

Expanding Student Opportunities

CMC fosters leaders who tackle the challenges of our complex world regardless of their financial background. Together, gifts from alumni, parents, and friends ensure that all students have access to the full CMC experience—both inside and outside of the classroom—for generations to come. In the final months of the Campaign for CMC: Responsible Leadership, join more than 11,000 other members of our community in this historic effort! Make your gift today!

Ways

from the president redefining, expanding opportunity

Opportunity: “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.”1

Is that it? A set of circumstances, completely outside our control?

Is that all? Circumstances only to make something possible?

From its modest beginnings, our College has urged students “to put aside [the] false distinctions between theory and practice”2 and between “dreamers and doers.”3 Our founders were not merely creating circumstances for students to integrate the practical and the theoretical. They sought to prepare this generation for their future world of affairs. By removing barriers, CMC has expanded what’s merely possible into proven outcomes.

Over the past 75+ years, CMC has put its original idea into practice by educating responsible leaders in business, government, and the professions. Our responsibility is to fuel their success; our privilege is to see them soar. With that support, our students create their own opportunities.

With pride, we watched student leaders aboard our awardwinning Rose Parade® float, Launching Responsible Leaders. We supported Bertha Tobias ’24 as she launched her own television series in her home country of Namibia, on a self-directed summer internship. We helped guide Michael Gadinis ’24 as he secured a prestigious inaugural Voyager Scholarship. We reinforced the confidence of Liam Brennan-Burke ’21, by funding an internship in Uganda that gave him the confidence to launch his career as CEO of an exciting new fintech venture, Syro, that speeds up business-to-business transactions. And we provided the field and microphone to scholar-leader-athlete and vocalist Zach Fogel ’23 to belt out the national anthem just before he hit the gridiron as a quarterback on our SCIAC co-champion football team this past fall.

You can see through these stories that opportunity, for us, for our students, is an active, creative process. The creation of new portals through which to pursue success. The removal of barriers that hold us back. The expansion of what’s merely possible into the proven outcomes through applied experience. The demonstration of success.

That’s what our opportunity strategy is about.

We prepare students for the complex world they will responsibly lead. Students deepen their learning capabilities through close relationships with top teacher-scholars, including those profiled here. Students conduct critically important research in our institutes, centers, and labs, including the Rose Institute as but one example. They probe Athenaeum speakers with challenging questions. All reinforced by our Open Academy, students learn to speak freely with respect, listen actively to a range of viewpoints, and engage in constructive dialogue.

We remove barriers—the financial and social impediments to their success. The Student Imperative for financial aid and scholarships. The Kravis Opportunity Fund to ensure that every student can take advantage of the full CMC experience. The CARE Center, the Presidential Initiative, our entire student life program to move our students to learn across difference and build social capital.

We expand what’s merely possible into proven outcomes. The Soll Center for Student Opportunity, to support our Scholar Communities, and provide over 500 Sponsored Internships & Experiences, networking treks, and career coaching. And our dedicated alumni, reaching back, coaching forward, always ready to lend a hand, open a door.

We demonstrate success, with the highest return on investment in the liberal arts. Forbes, the Department of Education’s College Scorecard, the Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce, among many others, provide evidence of CMC’s commitment to expanding opportunity and achieving success. That’s what opportunity means to us, here at CMC.

Very best,

1 Oxford English Dictionary. OED Online. Oxford University Press, March 2023.

2 Address of President George Benson published in Opening Convocation of Claremont College School for Men, 6 October 1946.

3 Kevin Starr, Commerce and Civilization Claremont McKenna College The First Fifty Years, 1946-1996 (1998) p.4.

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A Trophy-Winning Rose Parade® Journey

Just before CMC’s Rose Parade float glided more than five miles down Colorado Boulevard on Jan. 2, CMCers rejoiced in the news that the College’s 55-foot-long entry had won the Golden State Award for “Most Outstanding Depiction of Life in California.”

Celebrating the College’s recent diamond anniversary, the trophy-winning float showcased floral versions of CMC’s campus buildings and public art against the backdrop of a replica of snow-capped Mt. Baldy. The float—one of 24 honored by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses—was composed of 90,000 flowers, including gladiolas, kangaroo paw, succulents, and proteus.

The first-ever Rose Parade float from CMC or any of The Claremont Colleges was themed, “Launching Responsible Leaders,” representing the College’s mission to educate students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions.

Ten exemplary CMCers rode the float, showcasing how the College is creating student experiences to launch responsible leaders into the world. The float riders were selected for their commitment to recharging and reinvigorating the country, in line with the parade’s theme, “Turning the Corner.” These nine students and one recent alumna represented a Rhodes Scholar, studentathletes, SOURCE consultants, and a range of other CMC experiences.

The 25-foot-tall, 55-foot-long float was a massive undertaking for the more than one thousand CMCers who either volunteered to help decorate, or took part in a Rose Parade activity. In addition, hundreds of CMCers donated to the Adopt-a-Rose program, with 100% of donations supporting student scholarships. The float itself was fully donor-funded.

Labiba Hassan ’25 spent three days of her winter break decorating CMC’s Rose Parade float. Hassan, who’s from New York, is a PPE major with a data science sequence. She planned to attend the Rose Parade to cheer on her friend and fellow QuestBridge scholar, Stacey Leyva ’26, one of CMC’s float riders. “I’m so happy for her! It’s nice to see someone representing our community on the float,” Hassan said.

More than 700,000 spectators made their way to the parade route to watch inperson, including former CMC roommates John Poer ’58 P’90 and Robert McCrary ’58 P’92, who enjoyed meeting the student float riders. Both CMCers are former board presidents of the CMC Alumni Association. Then there were CMCers who tuned into the parade from across the country, including Charles Tilson ’72 who watched from Texas.

“I was intrigued when I discovered CMC would have a float in this year’s Rose Parade and looked up the appearance order for the floats so I could be sure to see it,” he said. “Color me impressed!! I thought it was a great representation of CMC and what it has to offer … Of course, I immediately shared my TV screenshot of the float with several friends.”

The CMC community celebrated this once-in-a-lifetime Rose Parade experience with activities including: a holiday reception at Tournament House®, a Family Fun Day at Fiesta Parade Floats, three days of float decorating, and a “Walk the Route” event the night before the parade.

Designed by Fiesta Parade Floats in Irwindale, Calif., CMC’s float was one of nearly 90 entries in the 2023 Rose Parade presented by Honda®.

See page 40 for photos of CMC alumni participating in events surrounding the Rose Parade.

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“Quoted” at the Athenaeum

Now back to a fully in-person schedule, fall programming at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum showcased a range of compelling and newsworthy guests. Speakers covered topics including politics, poetry, prose, the sports world, and world conflict, to name just a few. Fine food and round tables encouraged conversation. And as always, students probed deeply with questions, pushing speakers to explain and explore their ideas further.

“We’re not going to write stories to make you feel a certain way. The president of the United States should get critical coverage … it’s still our job to do it and it’ll always be our job no matter who the president is—no matter who is in power our job will always be to hold them accountable.”

– Sahil

Kapur

’09 Senior National Political Reporter, NBC News SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

“Even with all of this country’s flaws and failings, even with inflation and polarization and tribalization, anyone who is honest will admit there is no better place to build a good life. I think saying that right now sometimes feels radical because grievance and resentment define our current cultural moment. But I think those things are dead ends and I think we need to get back to gratitude.”

– Bari Weiss Opinion Writer and Editor OCTOBER 20, 2022

“Innovation and cruelty—that’s where the story begins … It’s a convenience that makes the South the repository of the nation’s sins without acknowledging how much of the nation’s prosperity has always depended on it. So, we think about the early industries … sugar, tobacco, rice, indigo—early-producing wealth for the nation … We think about how the United States becomes a global power—it’s ‘King Cotton’ [that’s] incredibly lucrative for the United States, for the early Republic, because there is this mass of unfree labor. So, it becomes virtually free to make this commodity that is desired the world over.”

– Imani Perry Princeton University Professor of African American Studies and Author of South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

“It’s identity politics that are partly rooted in social class, but it’s also about proving to others that you’re a truly committed conservative. Some of the new insurgents are comfortable members of the professional class. They come from money, and they simply style themselves as one of the people. But to their credit—and we have to give some credit here—the new identity politics in Wyoming have done something kind of amazing in this new Gilded Age of American politics, by elevating genuinely working-class folks into positions of power.”

– Jon Shields Chair of Government Department and co-author with Prof. Stephanie Muravchik of The Republican Civil War: What Liz Cheney’s Wyoming Tells us about the Past, Present, and Future of the American Right NOVEMBER 4, 2022

“For me poetry has always been a way to become utterly vulnerable to often the most difficult parts of being a human being ... poems include not only the darkness but also some bow towards radiance and beauty by their sound, by their grief—grieving for where there was once beauty, even if it isn’t here now; where there was once love, even if the person is now vanished. And so, I think poems always hold both sides of this complicated fabric of brilliance and abyss.”

– Jane Hirshfield Poet and author of nine poetry collections including The Beauty OCTOBER 11, 2022

Spring programming at the Athenaeum is already underway. “The Ath’s spring lineup reflects CMC’s commitment to educate responsible leaders on the pressing issues of our times,” said Director Priya Junnar. “Ath speakers will span topics ranging from the Constitution to the economy, from ancient Rome to modern Iran, from air quality to renewable energy, from Adam Smith’s invisible hand to the future of currency, from AI in finance, to AI in philosophy.”

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Since she was a child, Prof. Chiu-Yen Kao has always liked puzzles.

And, when she was installed as the Keck Foundation Professor of Applied Math and Computer Science on Nov. 10, 2022, the applied mathematician shared a maze for the audience to solve.

To the delight of her colleagues and students gathered at the Athenaeum, Kao—who specializes in shape optimization, image segmentation, and mathematical biology—punctuated her acceptance speech with engaging humor. To illustrate her research, she shared a recent experiment involving a Christmas ornament, and blew on a range of bottles to demonstrate how their different shapes generate a variety of pitches.

Kao grew up in Taipei above her family’s bakery, where she said she worked as a “human cash register” and was tasked with cracking “so many eggs” that now she’s unfazed by heavy and tedious calculations.

Kao, who chairs the Mathematical Sciences Department at CMC, arrived at the College in 2011. Over the years, she has

taught a variety of courses in applied mathematics, both at the undergraduate level and—through CGU—at the graduate level. Her research comprises more than 80 publications, and 160 seminar and conference presentations, and she’s been honored with an Alfred P. Sloan Research fellowship and the IEEE Signal Processing Society’s award for best paper.

Over the past 10 years, Kao has organized the Applied Mathematics seminar, a weekly series featuring speakers from around the world. In addition, she co-chaired the CCMS Mathematics Colloquium for a two-year term.

Kao’s academic journey began at National Taiwan University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in physics, and eventually, a master’s degree in applied mechanics. Kao earned her Ph.D. from UCLA in mathematics.

Overall, Kao shared, she views “our world through mathematics” and her hope was to encourage her audience to do the same.

Bertha Tobias ’24 adds “TV producer” to her CV

t was the spring of 2022 and Bertha Tobias ’24 felt frustrated. Despite her efforts to find an internship that combined her twin interests in television and entrepreneurship, she had no leads. A conversation with Prof. Michael Fortner helped change her thinking.To make sure there wouldn’t be any surprises, she had coffee individually with each of the entrepreneurs prior to the shooting day. “I wanted to make sure to establish some on-screen chemistry first,” she shared.

“He reminded me that CMC is about self-authorship,” she recounted, “and that if you want an opportunity that doesn’t exist, you will probably have to create it yourself.”

So, Tobias went to work, crafting a proposal for a pilot television series, called Spotlight, which would chronicle stories of young entrepreneurs in Namibia, her home country. She researched the most promising Namibian entrepreneurs and reached out to them to secure interviews. Once all 10 had accepted, she hit “send” on her application for funds from CMC’s expansive Sponsored Internships & Experiences (SIE) program.

To her delight, Tobias found a champion in Ursula Diamond, director of Student Opportunities at the Soll Center for Student Opportunity, which helps distribute the funds. “Ursula could see my commitment and excitement,” Tobias said. She was awarded $5,000 of funding from the Kravis Lab for Social Impact and an additional $2,000 from the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies. That Tobias had limited experience in journalism and none in television production was not a deterrent. Like an entrepreneur, she says, she felt emboldened.

Even so, the funds were just a good first step.

“It’s one thing to be starry-eyed and talking about ideas but it’s a completely different thing when the actual money is on the table,” she said. Tobias contacted numerous production companies until she had secured a studio that could handle her needs. She then planned a compressed and ambitious shooting schedule—all 10 interviews in one day. That was the only way she could cover the expense of the production, and there was no room for error.

Her interviewees, all under age 30, ranged from a cosmetics manufacturing scientist to an e-commerce entrepreneur (“essentially the Amazon of Namibia”) to a medical doctor who started a speakers’ bureau on the continent of Africa, and others in the fields of social enterprise, food, fashion, financial services, and more.

Good content needs an audience, and that was the next prong of Tobias’ challenge.

“I figured I could push myself maybe even a little more,” she said. So, she approached the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation and offered her content for free, if they agreed to air it. She shared that they were initially hesitant because she was “young and in school,” but that they finally agreed.

“I’m very passionate about it,” Tobias said. “That really comes through.”

With the first season completed and with a team she’s now assembled, Tobias is working on a second. And she’s raised her sights even higher, with ambitious goals for even better production values, more interviews, and an international audience beyond Namibia.

The CMC junior-turned television interviewer spoke about taking a page from many of the entrepreneurs who shared the highs and lows of their journeys onscreen, with persistence as a key element.

“The best thing I’ve learned from this experience is—if you want something, just ask. Don’t take it personally if someone says no. That just means it’s time to go on to the next person.”

Tobias interviews Tom Edison Shilongo of Launch Namibia for her television series.

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Dean Tamara Lawson ’92 Breaks Barriers

It was in an elementary school civics class that Tamara Lawson ’92 first latched on to the notion of becoming a lawyer. She remembers learning about the U.S. Congress and realizing that lawmakers were at the center of the action.

“My understanding was limited at the time,” she admits, “but it made an impression. I wanted to be a part of the people who were making an impact— hopefully a positive impact—on their communities.”

That same interest led her from her small Catholic high school in Las Vegas to CMC so she could study government. Lawson remembers her rigorous classes, learning to write, finding a home at the 5C Black Student Union, and importantly, developing an ability to listen to others.

“Being open to diverse viewpoints is a space I’m very comfortable in, and I see

that as part of my CMC training. Through professors, the Athenaeum, and other guest speakers coming to campus, I was exposed to many alternative views and provocative voices,” says Lawson. That included civil rights activist and leader Julian Bond, who inspired Lawson on her very first visit to the Ath in 1988. Her CMC training laid some excellent groundwork, she says, for a pathway that took her first to the University of San Francisco for her law degree, then to Georgetown for her Masters in Law— and then on to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas as a criminal prosecutor. During a six-year tenure there, she argued several cases before the Nevada Supreme Court.

Back in law school, however, Lawson had done some tutoring, which piqued an interest in student success. So, following

her years as a prosecutor, she launched a legal teaching career at St. Thomas University College of Law in Miami, becoming the first Black woman to be a tenured faculty member and eventually rising to become its dean.

Under her leadership, the institution experienced record enrollment growth, including the largest and strongest incoming class in the law school’s history. She was instrumental in the creation of the Benjamin L. Crump Center for Social Justice. Recognized twice as Professor of the Year, Lawson taught courses in criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence, in addition to a seminar on race and the law. But it was not always easy, shares Lawson. Highly underrepresented in the legal field, only five percent of attorneys are Black. She credits those who went before her, as well as those who mentored her.

“There were barriers along the way,” she recalls, “both real and invisible. Some people tell you that you shouldn’t even dream—but you have to—and break through those barriers and prepare for the next step.”

Lawson’s next step came last fall, when she was appointed to her second law school deanship, this time at the University of Washington (UW) Law School. UW Provost Mark Richards lauded her for her deep and rich experience in “enrollment and student success, financial management, fundraising, and diversity and inclusion in the field of law, as well as impressive scholarship in criminal law.”

Much of her scholarship has centered on some of that early identified urge to serve the community, particularly around racial issues. Her article, A Fresh Cut in an Old Wound—A Critical Analysis of the Trayvon Martin Killing: The Public Outcry, the Prosecutors’ Discretion, and The Stand Your Ground Law, not only led to media appearances as a legal expert, but also to her selection as the Reporter for the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Stand Your Ground Laws.

Lawson is encouraged by the American Bar Association’s recent passage of a new standard that requires law schools to provide its students education on bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism. “There’s at least some level of acceptance that to be a well-trained lawyer, you need some understanding of cultures,

communities, and issues that are different from your own. That’s a good development,” she says. Making weighty decisions and successfully running the business enterprise of a law school is a critical facet of her life as dean, but she stays grounded by interacting with students whenever she can.

“They are my inspiration and the reason I do this work. Even though I’m not in the classroom right now, I take every opportunity to connect with them.”

Lawson is also inspired by students at CMC. In January, she returned to campus to deliver the 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture at the Ath, also meeting with pre-law students and recording two podcasts. During her talk, she reminded the audience that “education shapes individuals,” as well as social movements.

She noted that King was not “hatched” as an activist dedicated to nonviolence, nor did he “magically become one of the world’s greatest leaders.” Instead, at Morehouse College, he was trained by “wise professors and intellectual leaders just like all of you.”

Urging students to take full advantage of all that she had experienced, Lawson shared:

“It was here at CMC that I learned to be a critical thinker, an independent thinker … it was here as a government major that my curiosity was sparked in laws, and rules, and the exercise of discretion. I still have the dog-eared pages of the Federalist Papers, and De Tocqueville’s Democracy in America in the dean’s suite in Seattle, and I refer to those texts more than you might think.”

“When I lived in Appleby Hall in the 80s,” she told the audience, “I never envisioned that I would be writing about racial bias in the criminal justice system, or launching a center for social justice, or training new lawyers at the top law school in the Pacific Northwest.”

“There were barriers along the way,” she recalls, “both real and invisible. Some people tell you that you shouldn’t even dream— but you have to—and break through those barriers and prepare for the next step.”

– Sarah Kidwell

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social talk

All year long, CMC’s social media platforms buzz with updates—photos, videos, and chatter—that tell the story of the College and its community. Here are some recent posts with the highest engagement online.

TOP COMMENTED POST OF 2022 ON LINKEDIN

Massoud Dedication Promotion

September 22, 2022

272 likes, 42 comments

TOP ENGAGED POST OF 2022 ON LINKEDIN

Massoud Dedication Highlights

October 28, 2022

276 likes, 10 comments

TOP ENGAGED POST OF 2022 ON FACEBOOK

Alumni Weekend 2022 Promotion

May 13, 2022

Mike Sutton ’76 makes 100 Greatest Coaches List January 6, 2022

459 likes, 86 comments

Amy Xue ’22 Painting August 31, 2022

600 likes, 12 comments

Sunset Photos

December 16, 2022

1,014 likes, 8 comments

TOP COMMENTED POST OF 2022 ON INSTAGRAM

President Hiram Chodosh’s Birthday

September 27, 2022

864 likes, 31 comments

Follow CMC on Instagram for more great campus photos!

TOP ENGAGED POST OF 2022 ON INSTAGRAM

Class of 2026 Move-in Day 1,139 likes, 28 comments

North/Mid-Quad Improvements

June 27, 2022

by Katie Huh ’26

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Junior wins prestigious Obama-sponsored scholarship

Michael Gadinis ’24 couldn’t believe he was actually speaking with former President Barack Obama. “Is this real?!” he wondered, while on the Zoom call.

It was most definitely real, as Obama and Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, personally congratulated the inaugural cohort of Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar recipients, which includes Gadinis.

Last spring, Chesky along with Barack and Michelle Obama established the Voyager scholarship program, which aims “to identify rising juniors in colleges across the country who are making a difference and plan to pursue careers in public service.”

A host of benefits comprise the newly launched scholarship, including financial aid, funding for a “summer voyage” before senior year, and travel credits for 10 years after graduation. Gadinis—a government major pursuing the gender and sexuality studies sequence—plans to head to a state that restricts reproductive rights, where he intends to support survivors of sexual violence.

The Voyager Scholarship is administered by the Obama Foundation, while Airbnb provides accommodations and other support to participants. The program is funded by a $100 million personal contribution from Chesky.

Gadinis discovered the scholarship thanks to CMC Prof. Diana Selig, who met Gadinis when he took her LGBTQ history class and through her work as the gender and sexuality studies

sequence faculty advisor. In addition, Selig was aware of Gadinis’ leadership responsibilities with CMC Advocates, the student organization that serves as a resource for sexual violence survivors. “When I saw the announcement of this new scholarship, I immediately thought of Michael because of his intellectual curiosity, empathetic approach, leadership on campus, and deep commitment to public service,” Selig said.

Gadinis reached out to Brian Davidson ’08, director of Fellowships Advising at CMC, who assisted Gadinis with his application. “Brian helped so much with that, just with being able to whittle down my answers and get to the core of what I was trying to express,” said Gadinis, who was working in Washington, D.C. as a summer intern with the Victory Institute as he was applying for the scholarship. “They asked where I see myself in five years, and then, where I see myself in 10 years,” said Gadinis, who is from New York. “Working on Capitol Hill made me realize that is somewhere I could see myself working, so that brought clarity to that answer.”

In November, Gadinis flew to New York to meet with the cohort of 100 scholars, which he called an “awesome” experience. He also had a “quick handshake” with Obama, and was able to sit in the front row, just feet away from the former president as he delivered a speech to the group.

“Being there finally made it all feel real,” said Gadinis.

Michael Gadinis ’24 (center) listens as a fellow Voyager Scholar engages with President Obama and other panelists at a November ’22 gathering.

The Obama Foundation

COURSE NAME:

Phil. 198

FACULTY MEMBER: Professor Gabbrielle Johnson

Philosophy Prof. Gabbrielle Johnson had hoped to teach an interdisciplinary course on the nature of bias when she first arrived at CMC in 2020, but the pandemic interrupted her plans. So, she modified her ambitions and taught the course online, and mostly from the philosophic angle.

This spring, she gets her wish with Phil. 198, an advanced seminar that meets Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Her goal is to explore bias by reading work from the three disciplines of philosophy, psychology, and machine learning, and uncover how bias operates. There was so much interest in the course that she got permission to accept a few students off the waiting list, with 21 students now enrolled.

Bias, Johnson explained, is ubiquitous. It exists in people, groups, organizations, news programs, and political parties. Technology, especially in the form of algorithms, is a more recent form. The course will explore what, if anything, all of these biases have in common and what more can be done to understand and mitigate bias.

Phil. 198 has an added dimension that especially excites her. Prof. Johnson will be hosting a conference on the nature of bias that is a continuation of the themes of the course in mid-April sponsored by the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies and featuring several of the scholars whose papers the students are reading in the course. They are expected to attend the conference in full. “It’s an opportunity for deeper learning and more extended conversations,” said Johnson.

“I do feel like the interdisciplinary approach and the bringing together of diverse perspectives is so important right now... because researchers in these areas basically have pre-supposed that there might not be a lot of conversation between them. A lot of the research has been siloed, without a lot of dialogue across them,” said Johnson.

Johnson pointed out that technological innovations are picking up and exacerbating human social bias, so there is an “imperative for some interdisciplinary understanding of the commonalities between the different types of bias.” The class and conference aim to examine how seemingly disparate cases of social bias can be unified in order to combat “pernicious societal trends.”

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

How do social stereotypes, biases, and prejudices affect our ability to objectively and ethically navigate our social environment? By reading contemporary works in philosophy, psychology, and computer science, students in this class will address the questions of what are social stereotypes, biases, and prejudices? (Phil. of Mind and Metaphysics); how do they affect good routes to truth and knowledge? (Epistemology); how do they affect our ability to engage ethically with one another? (Moral Philosophy); and how do they relate to larger contemporary issues in machine learning and social justice? (Applied Philosophy).

Johnson has a lot of faith in her students—this is after all an advanced seminar. She expects that they will be leaders in the class discussion, and that she will be a guide. “The onus is on them to become the pedagogs they want to see in the world,” she explained.

Moreover, Johnson has a guiding principle in her classes, something philosophers call the “principle of charity.” It calls on students to engage with one another in respectful ways and give one another the benefit of the doubt.

“I would love for them to remember all the readings on bias from this class after it ends, but some of it will fall away. That’s inevitable. But I think what will stick with them is some of these skills about how to engage with others.”

Weaving Free Speech into Campus Life

Throughout the fall semester, CMC students, faculty, and staff have enjoyed multiple opportunities to engage with The Open Academy and CMC’s core commitments of freedom of expression, viewpoint diversity, and constructive dialogue. The latest opportunity is a series of Saturday Salons.

These small gatherings of faculty and students encourage discussions on topics curated by CMC professors and research institutes and help achieve The Open Academy’s goal of overcoming what divides us in order to solve the world’s most challenging problems.

“The current vision of The Open Academy at CMC is to build trust and to forge new alliances with research institutes, affinity groups, students, and faculty so as to model dialogue rather than debate as a crucial skill for shaping our future histories together,” said Prof. Heather Ferguson, co-director of The Open Academy.

“While many colleges and universities have initiated programs to enhance dialogue in the midst of escalating national and global polarization, CMC’s dedication to the liberal arts and our small residential community offers something different—intimacy as the basis of trust and humility as the key to engage in difficult topics,” Ferguson added.

Last fall’s Saturday Salons included a discussion about whether the Democratic Party should reject neoliberalism, and featured CMC History Prof. Lily Geismer and political scientist Steve Teles of Johns Hopkins, and a program on the crisis in Ukraine with journalist Anna Romandash and Pomona Prof. Mietek Boduszynski. In February, journalist Christine Emba and Elizabeth Nolan Brown held a thoughtful session, posing the question: “Is Pornography a Problem?”

New Saturday Salons offer learning opportunities.

Photo by Laura Somoza Velez ‘24

Average class size

# of student clubs

CMC Leads in New Ranking of College Value

A recent ranking names CMC the top liberal arts college for return on investment, according to a Forbes report on cost and post-graduate earnings data.

The study found that, on average, CMC graduates are able to pay back their education in just 1.5 years. The ranking also factors “how much alumni earn compared to all alumni in the same state, 10 years after enrollment.” DegreeChoices, a resource for students researching prospective colleges, conducted the analysis. The study drew on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard as well as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to generate rankings on more than 2,000 undergraduate institutions. CMC earned the highest liberal arts college score based on these metrics.

CMC’s Soll Center for Student Opportunity offers individualized support and coaching for students as they conduct internship, fellowship, and job searches, playing an integral role in connecting them with well-paying and meaningful careers.

“It’s gratifying to be recognized for the value of the liberal arts education CMC offers and the opportunities our students have in their chosen fields,” said Director of Student Opportunities Ursula Diamond. “It’s a testament to the team at the Soll Center, our faculty, and the strength of the signature experiences that we offer.”

In addition, CMC’s parents and alumni are supportive of CMC students as they pursue careers. “They offer internships, identify employment opportunities, lead job shadow days, provide career and graduate school informational discussions, and conduct mock interviews,” said Allison Aldrich P’24, Ex Officio Trustee and president of the CMC Parent Network Board, which is dedicated to career development.

“These fantastic results affirm the strategy and direction that we as alumni are proud to support,” said Scott Torrey ’91 P’23 P’26, Ex Officio Trustee and CMC Alumni Association President.

18

50+

Percentage of students who receive financial aid

48%

# of Alums who donated to the 1946 Challenge in 1946 minutes

2,250

# of Athenaeum dinner programs in fall ’22

38

# of flowers on CMC’s Rose Parade float

90,000

# of meals served weekly in Collins

13,500

CMC students who cross-register for classes at another Claremont College

99% # of chocolate cookies Collins Dining Hall serves per week

7,000

Number of times an admission tour guide is wished “Happy Birthday!”

(when it isn’t) by classmates passing by incalculable

CMS Fall Sports 2022 Update

The fall sports season saw CMS football, women’s cross country, and volleyball win SCIAC championships, women’s cross country won a regional championship, CMS hosted the NCAA Division III Volleyball Regionals at Roberts Pavilion for the first time ever, an Athena volleyball player was named National Player of the Year, and so much more. Read the full fall recap.

Cross Country (Women)

For the 12th season in a row, the Athenas won the SCIAC championship. The Athenas then went on to win the NCAA Division III West Regionals and qualified for Nationals for the 14th-straight year, where they placed 10th. Natalie Bitetti ’24 captured All-America honors in addition to winning the regional and SCIAC championships.

Volleyball

For the fifth straight-season, the Athenas won the SCIAC championship and were ranked No. 1 in the country for much of the season. The Athenas finished with a 30-1 record and advanced to the Regional Championship match of the NCAA Division III Tournament in CMC’s Roberts Pavilion. Outside hitter Jenna Holmes ’24 earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III National Player of the Year Award in addition to being SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year and All-Region. Right-side hitter Brenna Bell ’25 and Holmes earned first-team All-America honors from the AVCA, and Georgia McGovern ’24 captured second-team AllAmerica accolades. In addition, middle hitter Audrey Sawyer ’25 and libero Dede Carranza ’25 were honorable-mention All-America selections.

Football

With its 42-0 win over Redlands, the Stags earned a share of the SCIAC title, marking the 6th conference championship in program history and second in the last four seasons. The Stags finished the season with a 7-2 record and 5-1 in SCIAC games. Cornerback Ben Cooney ’23 earned the SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year Award, first-year defensive end Michael Houk ’26 won the Newcomer of the Year honor, and Stiles Satterlee ’23 captured the John Zinda Character Award. Cooney also became the first CMS football player to earn first-team Division III All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association.

Cross Country (Men)

The Stags placed second at the SCIAC Championships, second at the West Regionals and 15th at Nationals. This marked the 14th year in a row that the Stags qualified for Nationals. Oliver Pick ’25 (HMC) placed fourth at SCIACs and Henry Pick ’23 (HMC) was second at Regionals to pace the Stags for All-SCIAC and All-Region accolades.

Soccer (Women)

The Athenas qualified for the SCIAC Tournament (top-4 teams) for the first time since 2016 and won their SCIAC semifinal match 2-1 over Cal Lutheran, before falling in the SCIAC championship match. Overall, the Athenas were 9-6-6 and 5-2-5 in SCIAC matches. Center back Emma Fogg ’25 (SC) earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches Division III All-Region second team, while midfielder Kaitlyn Helfrich ’25 was also All-Region. Both were also first team All-SCIAC while forward Cate Lewison ’26 (HMC) was SCIAC Newcomer of the Year.

Water Polo (Men)

The Stags were 12-15 this season and finished at 6-4 in SCIAC competition, which was fourth place in the regular season standings. Aidan Nettekoven ’24 (HMC) was named the SCIAC Men’s Water Polo Defensive Player of the Year, Luke (Bear) Weigle ’26 earned the Newcomer of the Year, and Ben Weldon ’23 captured the league’s Character Award.

Soccer (Men)

The Stags were 4-3-5 in its matches this fall, with SCIAC wins over La Verne, Chapman, Whittier, and Caltech. The team returns a strong core and looks forward to a conference championship run in 2023.

President Hiram E. Chodosh Named to DIII Presidents Council

CMC President Hiram E. Chodosh has been named to the NCAA Division III Presidents Council representing the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).

As a member of the chief governing committee for the Division, Chodosh is responsible for contributing to the overall management and direction of Division III athletics. The Presidents Council conducts general business and policy ranging from championship administration to budget allocations, in addition to establishing the Division’s strategic plan.

“I am especially honored to represent SCIAC on the Presidents Council,” said Chodosh. “At this moment of formidable challenge and opportunity, I look forward to contributing to the NCAA’s core mission to ensure that the ‘educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.’”

Chodosh brings a personal commitment to the power of studentathletics, vast leadership experience, and a strong reputation as an innovator across several domains, ranging from higher education to institutional justice reform.

At left:

Natalie Bitetti ’24

SCIAC Champion, All-American

Jenna Holmes ’24 National Player of the Year

Brenna Bell ’25

First-Team All-American, Second-Team Academic All-American

Ben Cooney ’23

SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-American

Above:

Kaitlyn Helfrich ’25

First-Team All-SCIAC, Third-Team All-Region

Luke Weigle ’26

SCIAC Newcomer of the Year, First-Team All-American

(Civility, Resources, opens Students of new and selfstrategies. Communities added

Soll Center for Student Opportunity

Expanding Student Opportunity

A 10-year build-out of CMC’s Opportunity Strategy is transforming students’ experiences on campus and beyond

By Thomas Rozwadowski

Liam Brennan-Burke ’21 likes to jump into the deep end.

As the CEO of Syro, an enterprise payments startup co-founded with Nicole Alonso ’23, the Rochester, N.Y. native has been busy speeding up business-to-business transfers, raising seed funding, hiring staff, and staying ahead of an ever-evolving financial technology curve of banking, invoicing, and cryptocurrencies.

It’s a lot to take on, but having his own company is exactly where Brennan-Burke pictured himself. Well, someday, he optimistically thought.

To have the confidence to run with a bold idea in New York City after graduating less than two years ago? That’s a testament to how CMC prepared him to embrace new opportunities and build his own leadership path.

Look no further than his first CMC internship during the summer before his sophomore year. After sending a cold email to SafeBoda, a rapidly growing motorcycle taxi app in Uganda, he convinced the company to give him a chance as an intern—something they had only previously done for MBA candidates from Harvard or The Wharton School. But Brennan-Burke had an ace up his sleeve: a generous allotment from the Kravis Opportunity Fund to support his summer experience for three months. It was the level of commitment SafeBoda needed.

By the end of the internship, Brennan-Burke had been put in so many positions to lead projects, create partnerships, and help the company grow its technology from 4,000 to 45,000 rides per day, he may as well have been a full-time employee.

“That first summer experience was the catalyst for how I would grow and explore in other internships and campus activities, how I would learn what was possible to do with financial technology,” says Brennan-Burke, who also had an incentive to travel as a Wagener Family Global Scholar. “But it all goes back to having those funds from CMC. I would not have been able to work in Uganda for the summer on my own.”

The building blocks continued though internships with ViaBill and BlackRock, the latter where BrennanBurke saw how complex business payments lacked efficiency and organization. “That’s really how Syro came about,” he says. “I knew I wanted to create solutions that could scale, to specialize in technology I could help build.” He further pushed himself at CMC by co-founding Graphite Group, a small business and startup consulting club, and landing a leadership role with the Student Investment Fund, where he first met Alonso. At the urging of Prof. Jennifer Taw, he also added international relations to his economics major, creating a ripple effect of opportunities that “showed me what I could do with my interests and influenced where I find myself now.”

“CMC truly encouraged me to feel empowered and realize that I could shape my experiences on and off campus. They gave me support. They gave me resources,” Brennan-Burke says. “Just by being a Wagener Family Global Scholar or having access to the

“CMC truly encouraged me to feel empowered and realize that I could shape my experiences on and off campus. They gave me support. They gave me resources.”

Liam Brennan-Burke ’21

Kravis Opportunity Fund, I felt comfortable sending a cold email to the CEO of a ride-hailing company in East Africa when I was 19. I knew I could take risks and make the CMC experience my own.”

Michelle Chamberlain calls it

the CMC promise. A commitment to every prospective student who will contribute to and benefit from the College’s responsible leadership mission.

One, students are going to be able to afford the cost of attendance and the additional financial burdens of enjoying the full learning experience.

Two, students are going to have a complete and comprehensive experience that challenges them personally and professionally to emerge in roles of responsible leadership.

Three, students will end up with an immediate outcome, a postgraduate opportunity that places them on a strong trajectory for the future and creates a powerful return on the collective investments of the student, the family, the College, and all who support it.

Beginning with President Hiram E. Chodosh’s 2014 introduction of The Student Imperative, a multi-faceted initiative aimed at addressing the problem of rising tuition costs in higher education, CMC has been guided by the expansion of opportunity as a powerful engine of social mobility.

A decade later, it’s a promise kept. A promise continuously refreshed to reach even greater heights. Notably, The Imperative raised more than $200 million for holistic student support and has since coalesced into the wide-ranging Opportunity Strategy—pairing significant resources with smart programming to achieve the deepest impact. Its touchpoints include The Open Academy; The Presidential Initiative on Anti-Racism and the Black Experience in America; a partnership with the nationally recognized American Talent Initiative; and most recently, academic innovation through the forthcoming Robert Day Sciences Center and Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences.

But it was the 2018 launch of the Kravis Opportunity Fund (KOF), a transformative $25 million gift for student support from Trustee Henry ’67 and MarieJosée Kravis, that changed how CMC could alleviate

financial barriers beyond the cost of attendance, says Chamberlain, vice president for advancement and student opportunities and dean of the Robert Day Scholars Program. Or as she succinctly put it, “We wanted to address all the ways to support students so they could focus on learning and their futures—and be their best selves.”

Supercharged by KOF, staff at all levels began the arduous process of digging into the details. For starters, by removing or even eliminating home equity from the financial aid calculation, more students would qualify for aid. Additionally, KOF is able to reinforce that larger group with specific first-year support, including kick-off grants for high-need students to purchase laptops, bedding, or dress clothes for the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum and job interviews; travel and emergency funding; and guaranteed first-year summer experience or internship funding for every student on financial aid.

As a result of its expansive reach, KOF has pulled every student in the same direction, influencing how opportunity and success can be supported through CMC’s three most well-traveled campus portals—Admission and Financial Aid, the Dean of Students office, and the Soll Center for Student Opportunity. The day-to-day work of just being there to advise, guide, and provide for students as individuals is the “heart of what CMC and the liberal arts does,” Chamberlain adds, a throughline to the College’s founding mission of developing young GIs as responsible leaders in business, government, and the professions.

By building on the core of CMC’s promise—a commitment to access and affordability, personal and professional experiences, and outstanding outcomes— the big picture impact is increasingly evident.

It’s in how the Admission office has doubled CMC’s first-generation numbers and Pell Grant recipients from 2014 to 2022—an achievement lauded by the American Talent Initiative, a collaboration of more than 130 public and private institutions that works to build academic success and opportunity among middle- and lower-income students.

Building CMC Student Opportunities

“Thanks to our generous CMC community and our current record-breaking Campaign, which ends this June 30, we have implemented our CMC Opportunity Strategy, to ensure that the transformative CMC experience is available to all. We prepare students with rigor, help them break through the many barriers to create their own success. The results? The highest return on investment in our selective peer group of colleges.”

— HIRAM E. CHODOSH, PRESIDENT

Milestones

Strategic and intentional, each of the successive programs introduced in the past decade support and build on one another.

“My time at CMC was blessed by so many special people who mentored, coached, and took care of me—often in informal ways. It led me to ask, ‘Well, how can I do this for others?’ CMC views opportunity creation as almost sacred work, and I wanted to be part of that multiplier.”

Fall 2014

FIRST-TIME STUDENTS Pell 10.4% First-Generation 8.6% Students of Color 34% Financial Aid Granted 42.2% Total Scholarships/Grants $21,985,976

2014

2016

The CARE Center opens (Civility, Access, Resources, Expression) Dean of Students initiates a series of new engagement and selfauthorship strategies Scholar Communities added CMC joins Coalition for College as founding member

– BRUCE SOLL ’79 P’12 P’15 P’17

The Student Imperative launches

FALL 2018

STUDENTS

17.8% Students of Color 37%

Aid Granted 48.1% Total Scholarships/Grants $27,170,317

The newly renovated Soll Center for Student Opportunity opens

CMC rejoins QuestBridge

CMC joins American Talent Initiative

Summer Research funding launched

2020

CMC Impact Program launched to help graduating seniors during the pandemic

2021

Outcomes

CMC students graduate with low debt and have high participation in lucrative and meaningful careers, and alumni are deeply committed to helping them achieve future success.

FALL 2022

FIRST-TIME STUDENTS

Pell 17.7%

First-Generation 16.8%

Students of Color 48 %

Financial Aid Granted 53.1% Total Scholarships/Grants $35,859,770

“Although as a first-generation student I came in with many concerns, my time here has been amazing. I’m so grateful for all the incredible opportunities and resources available at CMC and all the doors that are opening for me.”

– STEPHANIE ESPINOZA ’25

15% of first-years belong to a Scholar Community

92% Graduation Rate

$22k

62% of rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors participated in summer internships from 2020-22

84% career coached

Over the past four years, the career coaches have met individually with an increasingly larger proportion of students –from fewer than 70% during the 2018-19 academic year to 84% during 2021-22

TOP TEN

CMC’s Career Services is currently ranked in the top 10 of colleges by the Princeton Review, based on student ratings of our career and job placement services

Average Annual Cost For Students On Aid

The average annual net price that a student who receives federal financial aid pays to cover expenses (e.g., tuition, living expenses) to attend a school. Net price is the school's cost of attendance minus any grants and scholarships received

$87k

Median Earnings

The median annual earnings of individuals who received federal student aid and began college at CMC 10 years ago, regardless of their completion status

$15,000

Median Total Debt After Graduation

97% of CMC alumni have defined plans six months after graduation:

• 85% are employed full time or in a service or military program

• 12% are continuing their education

• 52% of alumni report post graduate degrees 10 years after CMC

• $87,000The median salary for 2022 graduates employed in the U.S. six months after graduation

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) data show that in 2021 Baccalaureate Arts and Sciences campuses reported having a median total of 3 full-time career coaches compared to 8 career coaches at CMC

70% of alumni are in executive or senior level positions within their companies, according to LinkedIn. Alumni are employed by impressive companies across the United States and the globe

#1

In 2022, data from DegreeChoices and published in a Forbes story ranked CMC #1 among liberal arts colleges based on a calculation that considers payback and earnings

Data from CMC’s Office of Institutional Research and the Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

It’s in the College’s recent national rankings: the No. 1 liberal arts school for return on investment, as noted by education research group Degree Choices, and the No. 1 school among its liberal arts peer group for highest median earnings for students on financial aid (and working 10 years after entry), according to an analysis by the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. And perhaps most important, it’s in the intentional synergies—the small details, conversations, and partnerships—that keep Admission, the Dean of Students office, and the Soll Center focused on the strongest transition to CMC “by looking at campus through the eyes of a student,” Chamberlain says.

BaoChau Le ’24

BaoChau Le ’24 is candid about how overwhelming the college admissions process was for her as a first-generation student.

“Every student gets a dorm room that is comfortable and allows them to create a new sense of community and home. Every student has access to health insurance that includes mental health coverage. Every student benefits from the opportunity to have all parents— regardless of their ability to pay for travel—come for CMC Family Weekend so they can share and support the full experience. Every student can use emergency funds for when things don’t go as planned,” she says.

“This is all part of the hands-on education that CMC is known for. This is what we deliver.”

A Houston native, her college research focused mostly on large state schools. Those were the known commodities, the nearby stalwarts that her family and friends already heard about and pictured her attending. When the University of Houston offered her an honors scholarship, it probably should have been the end of the conversation—a comfortable spot in her own backyard close to family, she admits.

Except the more she learned about CMC and the liberal arts, Le began to picture her leadership potential on campus and beyond.

She saw opportunities to be challenged and surprised. Opportunities to be independent and exploratory. Opportunities to be listened to and fully supported.

“I didn’t know what a school could offer until I got to know CMC. I thought the idea of ‘student opportunity’ was getting financial aid support, and then once you’re in, you’re tossed to the masses. That’s the end of it,” Le says.

“I’m continually in awe of what CMC does for its students, whether it’s the Soll Center reaching out about internships and support in our first year or the Dean of Students office allowing us to feel comfortable so we can grow and coach others as leaders.”

At CMC, Le has served as a research assistant with the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies, and been involved with CMC Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, and Asian Pacific American Mentors. A dual major in biology and government, she’s explored lab research, data analysis, and traveled overseas,

“I didn’t know what a school could offer until I got to know CMC. I thought the idea of ‘student opportunity’ was getting financial aid support, and once you’re in, you’re tossed to the masses ... I am continually in awe of what CMC does for its students.”

including a memorable 2022 summer internship— coincidentally, just like Brennan-Burke—in Uganda to work with Takako Mino ’11 to build out the country’s first liberal arts college.

The interdisciplinary experience to learn more about education and public health was “life changing.”

“Just thinking about it makes me happy,” Le says. “Everyone at CMC was so supportive when I brought up the idea. Usually, you’d expect a bunch of restrictions. But no, it was like, ‘You want to go to Uganda? Of course you should!’”

Likewise, fellow Houston native Antonio Melendez ’25 had big plans for how he wanted to stretch his capabilities in college. Having attended a small high school, Melendez valued the one-on-one relationships he built with faculty. It’s what drew him to consider CMC, the allure of pairing expertise in economics and finance with further development of his leadership skills.

The biggest hurdle? He was applying to colleges during the pandemic, which meant that his participation in CMC’s annual Preview Program—which typically flies students from underrepresented groups to campus to shadow classes and stay overnight with students—was conducted virtually. Without seeing Claremont for himself, Melendez had to rely on a “gut feeling.” And it came during an Admission session where he could ask CMC students his questions directly.

“There weren’t any staff on the call, just students. And I could hear the authenticity. I could tell that they felt supported,” Melendez says. “So many of them talked

openly about the different majors and leadership studies they were pursuing, the different ways they could obtain internships or approach alumni with questions. It was clear to me that this would be a place where I could grow academically, professionally, and individually.”

Melendez’s two campus jobs, as a manager at Roberts Pavilion (he ran cross country his first year) and as an Office of Admission tour guide, have been instrumental in helping him feel more connected to CMC. A Wagener Family Global Scholar, he intends to fulfill his goal of studying overseas in Spain this year. He also was thrilled to meet new contacts through a summer analyst internship at Deloitte under the guidance of Alex Varga ’11.

“It opened up even more possibilities,” says Melendez, who also was recently accepted as a Robert Day Scholar. “These aren’t just transactional relationships, either. I really feel like Alex and others I met through him are part of my network, part of my future now.”

Jennifer Sandoval-Dancs, associate vice president for Admission and Financial Aid, says CMC’s leadership mission provides the foundation for a four-year student journey that transforms abundant campus opportunity into real world purpose and intentionality. Whether the initial access point is CMC’s Scholar Communities, the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, or the College’s burgeoning Integrated Sciences curriculum, there is a “thoughtfulness to a CMC education that tells the same story of rigor, achievement, and personal investment.”

“It’s the quality of professors. It’s the financial aid support. It’s the internships and on-campus experiences,” she says. “Everything is designed to show students that, ‘yes, you have a stake in this.’ This will not be a passive experience.”

Building active, personal connections is also true of how Admission works with the Dean of Students office and Soll Center on financial aid guidance or family difficulties that may influence a student’s time on campus, particularly during the first year. When gaps arise, Sandoval-Dancs is especially appreciative of how CMC alumni and parents come together to create an additional support network that helps students meet and overcome their challenges.

“We have no problem telling students that CMC is going to be intense. But in the same breath, we also tell them that it’s OK to face that intensity—because you’re not on your own here,” Sandoval-Dancs says. “There are going to be resources. There are going to be people here whose job it is to help you work through adversity. And most of all, you’re not the only student who has been through this before.”

Antonio Melendez ’25, of Houston, came to CMC to pair economics and finance with leadership.

Photo by Sidney Smith IV ’25

Graves ’98.

A Hall of Fame multisport scholar-athlete during her time on campus, Graves has openly shared her unseen struggles as a first-generation student—from the guilt of being away from home responsibilities to the importance of having enough discretionary income to purchase a CMC sweatshirt of her own.

While she built incredible bonds at CMC, the College’s day-to-day support systems served a much different era of higher education, she says. Graves admits that having access to a Kravis Opportunity Fund would have made a “huge difference in my life.”

With those living and learning challenges in mind, both Graves and Sharon Basso, vice president for Student Affairs, have led a Dean of Students emphasis of the opportunity model that includes coaching tools and mental health support aimed at fostering selfauthorship, well-being, and belonging. The hightouch approach includes CMC signatures like Welcome Orientation Adventure (WOA) trips for first-years; dialogue and identity development at the CARE Center; and peer-to-peer relationship and habit building through the lived experiences of Romero Success Coaches.

“I think our students come in the door anticipating opportunities to develop as professionals and whole people. And much of that credit goes to Admission, because they get them ready for what it’s going to look like—and really, finding the students who love that about CMC,” says Graves, associate vice president and dean of students.

“But once they’re here, it’s on us to help them refine what is it that they’re trying to get out of this experience. And part of that transition—and what I think makes CMC different from other colleges—is that we want them to think about the purpose and meaning of their time here. They shouldn’t be chasing notches on a resume. We’re much more invested in asking, ‘What is it about these opportunities that will matter to you? And how does that translate into a stronger community and sense of belonging at CMC for every student?’ We want them to connect those dots.”

Just as the Office of Admission utilizes the full weight of the CMC network, Graves says the Dean of Students office has to rely on the entire campus to help it form a complete picture of student needs. At times, it’s so much of her CMC role, there’s even a lighthearted term for it—“invasive Deaning,” Graves jokes—texting, calling, and knocking on doors, all in an effort to build trust and relationships. That also means an extra emphasis on sharing observations and tracking concerns with corresponding offices like the Soll Center for Student Opportunity.

“CMC is a hard place to be anonymous,” Graves says, “because yes, we are super, super invested. But we’re not just banging on doors every time we need an answer. When we’re worried or can’t get a response from a student though, we will make the effort.

“The assumption here is that everybody showed up to be great. And if there’s something getting in the way of them being great, then we need to help them decipher what that is.”

Case in point: One of Le’s personal lows in her first year has since become an indelible learning moment at CMC. It’s how she met Graves, and it now influences how she serves as a leader to peers and younger students on campus.

“I was struggling and repressing my emotions, and DT just waited. Because she knew what was coming. She had seen it before,” Le says. “And she was there for me. Still is, just by checking in.

“I am beyond appreciative for that support.”

Few at CMC know that reality better than Dianna Turner “DT”

Amy Flanagan ’11 recently met with a Robert Day Scholar who came into the Soll Center for Student Opportunity with a specific issue that she couldn’t address. So, Flanagan pulled out her phone and texted the Dean of Students office.

“Their immediate response was, ‘we’re on it,’” says Flanagan, director of the Robert Day Scholars Program and Scholar Communities. “They started checking in with that student daily.”

It might be the most important job staff members like Flanagan and Ursula Diamond, director of student opportunities, have in the Soll Center. They describe themselves as “connectors,” and it’s how they see themselves as part of the campus safety net to make sure no one slips through the cracks.

“It’s not just about students getting the right internship. It’s about having the appropriate business attire or using the appropriate technology. It’s about us working with Financial Aid or the Dean of Students office so we’re addressing any extra assistance needed to level the playing field. Because it’s not just access to the opportunity itself; it’s about allowing students to perform in a way that makes them feel confident and prepared,” Flanagan says.

“We want students to think big,” Diamond adds. “But we also can’t assume that every student is going to come to us. In fact, there is always going to be some part of the student population that never comes through our doors.

“We need to be the ones connecting them to resources, and above all, letting them know that it’s OK to ask for help. Too often, you’ll see students come to CMC believing that, ‘Well, everyone else I know has it all figured out already, so I should, too.’”

Helping students battle through imposter syndrome and building CMC’s resource capacity has been Chamberlain’s charge for more than a decade. She may very well be the original CMC connector.

In one of her earliest roles directing the Robert Day Scholars Program, she started with what came natural to both her and the College’s mission: deep, personal investment in the lives and success of students. She recalls scribbling ideas on napkins with Bruce Soll ’79 P’12 P’15 P’17 in-between Board of Trustees meetings, setting the stage for the revamped Soll Center in 2016-17.

The ambitious build-out gave rise to the CMC Readiness Effect: a robust opportunity and support model that includes 10 Scholar Communities (inspired by the Robert Day Scholars); Sponsored Internships and Experiences; real world exploration and networking treks from New York City to Silicon Valley; individualized coaching and preparation; and dedicated first-year outreach—which last year, included contact with close to 90 percent of the incoming Class of 2025.

The deliberate, grinding success of the Soll Center gave The Student Imperative one of its earliest proof points. Extending those lofty goals to an Opportunity Strategy expansion “focused on the entire student” was a necessary and important step in recent years, Chamberlain says proudly. She points to foundational mentors and donors like Soll who make CMC’s work possible by giving back because—in his words— “others did it for me, and I believe opportunity creation is sacred work.”

It is sacred work that continues. Sacred work that needs to be continually supported.

“We always knew what was possible. You take CMC’s intellectual rigor and add personal insights with guidance and resources, the opportunities that students can discover are going to be limitless,” Chamberlain says. “But I think what we’re most proud of is that when you talk to our students, they understand what they can do with these resources. They know who we are, what CMC is about, and they’re fully equipped to become the future leaders they expect themselves to be.

“It’s why we need to keep building on this work and stay vigilant as an entire CMC community. We’re having the impact that we had hoped.”

“Because it’s not just access to the opportunity itself; it’s about allowing students to perform in a way that makes them feel confident and prepared.”

Amy Flanagan ’11 Director of Robert Day Scholars and Scholar Communities

A Real Key Player

BY ADAM ROSEN

Whether on the field, on stage, or in the classroom, CMC senior Zach Fogel’s star shines bright

When the Stags football team hosted the University of Redlands Bulldogs on November 6, Zach Fogel ’23 found himself pulling double duty. Not only was the senior quarterback set to take the field that afternoon, but he was also booked to sing the national anthem before kickoff.

His two-part performance, which saw the Stags shut out Redlands 42–0 in the secondto-last game of the 2022 season, was a fitting close to a one-of-a-kind college experience. Suffice it to say, not too many students have performed the national anthem and then, scarcely an hour later, gained 33 yards on a run play.

Fogel, who grew up in Fullerton with his single mom, Beth, began playing youth football at age five. His stage career also began early, when he started singing in the children’s choir at his synagogue. Next came plays in elementary school. While many of his classmates greeted these performances as simply something to get through, Fogel “really, really enjoyed” the experience. In fifth grade, after a successful audition, he joined the Fullerton Children’s Repertory Theater (FCRT), further solidifying his commitment to the performing arts.

Both interests loomed in the background when it came time to choose a high school. Fogel was zoned for Troy High School in Fullerton. But 30 minutes away, FCRT director Brian Johnson was leading the theater department at La Habra High School—which also boasted a highly respected football program that regularly sent players to topflight schools on scholarship. La Habra it was.

Fogel had a monster first year, earning freshman MVP honors in both football and baseball and batting over .600 as an outfielder. Despite his multisport success, though, he found himself at a crossroads. As much as he loved baseball, he felt that he was more likely to earn a college scholarship through football. So he left the baseball diamond for good, focusing on football year-round, while also continuing to act and sing.

The same practical cost-benefit analysis led him to Claremont McKenna. Just like four years earlier, during his senior year of high school he had to decide between multiple promising opportunities. One option was to audition for

Photo by Joyce Andersen

Double duty: Zach Fogel ’23 kicks off a game by performing the national anthem.

Opposite: Fogel solos during a performance with the a cappella group The After School Specials.

conservatories, which would mean going all-in on music for four years. Another was to head straight to New York City to pursue theater, a prospect that became even more appealing after he received an offer of representation from a major talent agency. Or he could play football at one of the larger colleges that had extended him an offer (though getting solid playing time would be more of a challenge).

He ultimately decided that Claremont McKenna, closer to home and offering significant financial assistance, would allow him to pursue all of his passions in full—all while receiving an elite liberal arts education.

And pursue them he has. Since the fall of 2018, when he first took the field, he’s played in every Stags game (the 2021 season was cancelled due to Covid, and Fogel took the year off, making 2022 his senior season). As a performer, he’s been in four professional theater productions outside of school—including a star turn as Billy Cane in Bright Star—and has been deeply involved with The After School Specials, the highly rated student a cappella group from The Claremont Colleges (in April of 2021, the group appeared on the hit NBC series, America’s Got Talent). Oh, and there’s his music side project, where he performs under the name Zach Hayden.

The balancing act hasn’t been easy. For the most part, the Philosophy and Public Affairs (PPA) major hasn’t had much time for the kind of casual hanging out that defines so many full-time students’ college experiences. Describing his thought process during a typical season, he puts it this way: “I always need to be at 100 percent

in both areas because a lot of people are counting on me.”

Despite his grueling schedule, Fogel says he’s never felt overwhelmed or unhappy: “I’m wildly in love with both disciplines. That’s how I am. I never felt burned out because I genuinely loved every single second of what I was doing.”

The support he’s gotten at Claremont McKenna has also helped smooth his way. “When I was doing theater, I was always able to work with [professors]. I could say, ‘Hey, I’m going to miss this class.’ They’ve always been helpful,” he says. “That’s the cool thing about being [at] a small school and having small classrooms and having personal relationships with the faculty and your professors.”

Additionally, since the spring of 2022 he’s been taking private voice lessons in musical theater with Michaela Kelly, a visiting lecturer of voice at Scripps College.

For her part, Kelly believes Fogel’s unique background has contributed to his poise as a performer. “I think that his leadership role on the football team really allows him the confidence for performing and vice versa,” she says. “The ability to get up in front of any group of people, whether it be a football team or standing in front of a group of strangers or your peers, takes a great deal of confidence and self-awareness that I think really inform each other.”

Stags football coach Kyle Sweeney echoes these sentiments, though from the opposite side: “I think as a football player

he’s at his best when he’s improvising. And when he’s doing things that sometimes are a little bit off script but just make sense and that he has a natural feel for. And I think a lot of that comes from his theater background and his acting background,” says Sweeney.

This past summer Fogel yet again found himself in decision-making mode. With the help of the Soll Center for Student Opportunity, he landed an internship with a consulting firm in New York City. In his free time, he navigated the city, meeting other actors and seeing performances, even landing a manager in the process.

The signs pointing him toward the stage ultimately felt too strong to ignore: “I realized while I was there it would be a shame, it would be a waste of potential, if I didn’t pursue what I’m actually passionate about. So I decided that I belonged out there, performing.” After his graduation this spring, he will head directly to New York City to pursue his Broadway dreams.

Wherever his passion takes him, Fogel says he feels more than equipped to navigate the inevitably chaotic post-college landscape. “We’ve talked a lot about my being a well-rounded individual when it comes to talents and extracurricular activities. CMC has helped foster this, but it has also turned me into a well-rounded individual academically, socially, and morally.”

The Rose Institute Turns 50

Conceived in the early 70s so students and faculty could collaborate on research, the Rose Institute has made its mark on CMC’s campus, the alumni it has launched, and on the state of California

The Rose Institute’s original home was Pitzer Hall North, later renamed Adams Hall.

A student works on then state-ofthe-art technology with IT advisor Bob Walters.

On a Friday afternoon last December, Prof. Ken Miller, director of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, sat in a conference room on the fourth floor of the glass-walled Kravis Center and listened, watched, and learned. Thirteen students, the Institute’s “new hires,” were presenting on public policy topics ranging from state water management systems, to one California county’s response to the opioid epidemic, to the proliferation of ghost guns, and how the ban on gas-powered vehicles might affect lowerincome Californians. Charts, graphs, and data supported their arguments and lively questioning followed each presentation.

“I felt proud,” says Miller, who took the helm at the Institute in 2021, its fourth director. “Each fall, we do an intensive ‘boot camp,’ on research methods, writing, quantitative skills, and presentation, and we teach the new hires to collaborate with student mentors and faculty. All of that was on display.”

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Miller is also proud that the Rose Institute has stayed true to the mission it established at its founding in 1973: to create an institute with a laser-like focus on state and local government with an emphasis on California.

Fifty years ago, the Institute’s founders concluded that other colleges and universities were favoring the study of what happens in Washington, D.C. over the state and local level, so there was an opportunity. Plus, Miller points out, “California is such a large and important state that creates policies that have ripple effects beyond its borders to the rest of the country. Studying California has broader implications.”

Also core to that mission, the pursuit of relevant, actionable research opportunities for faculty and students that promote public understanding of important policy issues among citizens, journalists, and policymakers. This past fall alone, Rose released multiple research papers, polls, and the ambitious “Video Voter Guide” to California’s ballot initiatives. Rose Institute faculty are well-regarded and consulted by California policymakers, both at the local level and in Sacramento. Faculty are also frequently and widely quoted in the press.

Founded in 1973 with support from businesswoman, lawyer, feminist, and activist Edessa Rose, the Rose Institute was CMC’s second research institute (The Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World is four years older) as the College’s early leadership

California businesswoman, lawyer, and feminist Edessa Rose provided support for the Institute that bears her name.

worked to create a structure for research at an undergraduate liberal arts college. There are now 11 institutes and centers at CMC.

Benefactor Marian Miner Cook added more financial support for Rose in later years, and the Institute has continued to thrive.

Both women would likely have been pleased by the enthusiasm of Jada Cook ’26, who came to CMC specifically so she could be a “Rosie,” as the Institute’s students are affectionately known.

The Porter Ranch, Calif. native wrote one of her CMC application essays on the Rose Institute because she was so excited about the prospect of doing mentored, public policy research as an undergraduate. A self-professed policy wonk and political junkie, she feels at home at Rose, and supported both by faculty and fellow students. For her new hire project, Cook delved into community-based vaccination outreach strategies in the Inland Empire. Grateful for the guidance she got from student mentors who helped her narrow and focus her topic, Cook was also encouraged by the response she got when presenting.

“The way questions were asked; you know that no one is trying to tear you down or make your project look weak. Instead, they’re curious, genuinely curious about your work,” Cook explains.

Getting accepted to the Rose Institute is competitive, and once in, it is a significant commitment. Students are paid, get no class credit for their work, and devote many hours each week to Rose duties. As they rise, some are named managers and given increasing responsibilities both in output and mentorship. Miller says the model is unique, and extremely valuable as students progress toward careers.

“It’s a rare opportunity for students to have an actual management position involved in

hiring, development, assignment onto teams, evaluation—all the things one might do in a nonprofit or a small business,” he offers.

Cameron Stevens ’23, a senior from Park City, Utah who is double majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and economics, and one of the student managers this year, concurs.

“It feels more like the real world here,” he observes. “You get a lot of professional experience and that’s been really valuable for me.”

As proud as Miller is of the students now roaming the halls and helping to run the

Jada Cook ’26

Cameron Stevens ’23

“California is such a large and important state that creates policies that have ripple effects beyond its borders to the rest of the country. Studying California has broader implications.”

– Ken Miller, director of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government

“Rosies” work on a redistricting project in the early 90s.

Institute, it’s the larger Rose community that’s an almost incalculable asset, he says. Four hundred Rose alumni are out in the world, many having built their careers in politics, public policy, or adjacent arenas. Rose’s board roster reads like a Who’s Who of California leadership, offering depth and practical experience to the academic experience.

Many Rose alumni are delighted to return and interact with students and faculty, whether through an Athenaeum talk, a presentation to Rose students, or as a consultant.

A recent example—Nicolas Heidorn ’06, with deep experience in California election administration, returned last fall to help students with the Video Voter Guide.

Many Rose alumni are expected to return for events celebrating the 50th anniversary, including at Alumni Weekend in June and an on-campus gala on October 27.

Jessica (O’Hare) Witt ’00, vice-chair of the Institute’s Board of Governors, says she’s witnessed firsthand how the Rose Institute has evolved under the leadership of successive directors and looks forward to the gathering. “The Rose Institute is truly a special place,” says Witt,

now the director of government and community relations for Orange County, “and I have always felt lucky to be a part of it.”

The anniversary will be an opportunity to reflect on the enormous transformation California has undergone in the last half century. Miller points out that in 1973 Ronald Reagan was governor of the state, Republicans and Democrats shared power equally, and California was not nearly as diverse as it is today. After 50 years of change—demographic, economic, social, cultural, and political—the work of the Rose Institute has adapted to the new realities of the state.

One thing that has not changed, says Miller, is a student-centric focus, with the Institute providing an academic and social kinship for its students.

“The number one thing that we do is student development,” says Miller. “Our primary product is not the databases we create, the reports we put out, or our polls. It’s the students who graduate from here and go on to very productive lives in public policy or policy-adjacent jobs where they benefit greatly from having done this very deep dive into policy research.” -

S arah K idwell

The Rose Institute’s “new hires” gather in fall ’22.

Prof. Ken Miller is the director of the Rose Institute.

Darryl Wold ’63, late Trustee Raymond Remy ’59 and former Rose Institute Director Prof. Andy Busch at a Rose Institute reception.

Now in its final stretch,

The Campaign for CMC: Responsible Leadership  is rooted in the legacy of our founding mission, yet looks ever forward. Through this historic campaign, CMC will continue to educate students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions, to meet the challenges of an evolving world.

Special thanks to our more than 11,000 donors. Time is running out to join them in this historic effort. Please join us by making your gift to CMC before June 30.

cmc.edu/campaign-for-responsible-leadership

CMCAA president’s message

Dear Alumni:

The year is off to a rosy start! With more than 1,100 community members participating in CMC’s first-ever Rose Parade® float and related activities, we built a float to be proud of and took home the Golden State Award for “Most Outstanding Depiction of Life in California.” It was fantastic to see so many alumni, parents, students, and friends of the College come together to build something special and share our story with the world.

As we look further into 2023 and begin setting goals for the year ahead, I would like all alumni to consider this the year of engagement. Your CMCAA Board of Directors is working hard to develop content that allows you to experience CMC on campus, through one of our local chapters, and virtually. These events are fantastic opportunities to connect, network, and stay current on what is happening at CMC and the world today. I would encourage each of you to set a goal for yourself to attend one event, network with a longtime friend, or participate in one of our many virtual programs to get “back in the classroom.” And, of course, to join us for Alumni Weekend 2023, June 1-4.

One of our goals as an Alumni Association is to ensure that all alumni have the access and information that they need to stay current with the happenings on campus as well as continuing their education on the world today. To make certain you do not miss a program, trip, reunion, or opportunity to connect with a student, please make sure you have registered and completed your profile on engage.cmc.edu. By completing your profile and linking your experience with LinkedIn, you will increase access to information about upcoming activities, networking opportunities, mentoring changes, and the latest on what’s happening in your networks. In addition, the Engage directory has search features you cannot find anywhere else. You can refine your results by class year, major, location, and even residence hall. Register today and do not miss another chance to connect with CMC, classmates, and current students.

With gratitude, crescit cum commercio civitas!

Scott Torrey ’91 P’23 P’26 President CMC Alumni Association

class notes

Pacesetters

’48 ’49 ’50

JIM STOESSEL ’50 jhstoessel@comcast.net

’51 POSITION OPEN alumni@cmc.edu

’52 POSITION OPEN alumni@cmc.edu

’53 POSITION OPEN alumni@cmc.edu

Capistrano. Homer has recuperated nicely from some serious medical problems.

TOM BERNSTEIN ’55 tlbernstein@earthlink.net

’56 CHUCK BATTERSON ’56 nereus2006@sbcglobal.net

’57 JOHN DEVEREUX reports, “Would you believe that PETER KEADY P’86 GP’21, a dual citizen of the United States of America and Ireland, and I are related via our Irish heritage? Our brotherly connection is Patrick Devereux from way back. To top it off, Peter had an open heart pig valve aorta implant years ago, and is doing very well. I just had the same procedure, but mine is known as the newer TAVR procedure, done via my groin, which is a much less painful procedure…and I’m also doing very well!”

GREG WRIGHT sends an update from Florida, “We are doing well here in Naples. Just passed our twelfth year after some thirty plus years up in Fairfax, Va. No more traveling all over the world. We always fondly remember our three years living in Munich, Germany. My twenty-four years in the Army was a very rewarding experience, as was my second career with the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Now, we are pretty much ’stay at home folk.’ We enjoy visits from our son, Jeff, who lives in Fairfax with his wife, Michelle, and our two young grandchildren, Andrew and Elizabeth, who are eight and ten years old. Andrew and Elizabeth are great kids, lots of fun, and love visiting their Nana and Pop Pop at the beach.

“Sending very best wishes to all, Greg and Carolyn Wright.”

AL SCHEID P’82 writes, “Having throat cancer is not fun, but it sure gets family attention. I am now fed via a tube that delivers nutrients directly into my stomach. My wonderful wife, Shirley, is mostly my ’feeder’ but my kids have taken turns. I told them it was about time after all the years I fed them.

’54 POSITION OPEN alumni@cmc.edu

“Life is not so bad. I can walk, dress fully, use my computer, be active in the stock market—just about everything I could do before the cancer arrived. Not being able to talk is a pain, as you might imagine. Talking has been my main activity for most of my life. “Nuff said. I hope you all are doing well and preparing for Christmas.”

’55

Unfortunately, the sources for the infamous “Cess Pool” columns have been unable to find them in in time for this edition of Class Notes. Hopefully they will surface for the next issue. In the meantime, TOM NATHAN, ex sports editor of the CMC Analyst and award-winning advertising creative director, remembers several episodes that never made it into the “Cess Pool,” such as an “All-Nighter Economics Field Trip” with BILL LEISHMAN, HUGH HALLENBERG, and CORDELL HICKS ’57 to Las Vegas, applying the “Law of Diminishing Slot Machine Returns” for Dr. Walter Smith and Orme Phelps. Then at the Santa Anita racetrack, disproving Dean Briggs’ theory that debits always equal credits, especially in a trifecta. And the time he, along with BERTRAND MOURON, DON DOTZAUER ’54, JIM PERRY ’56, CURGIE PRATT ’58, LAWTON “JAKE” BERCAW ’56, and MIKE MURRAY ’56, stole into the Palm Springs sports car racing track using CMC Analyst press passes. Nathan claims he also used said press pass in Europe to access entry at the famous LeMans and Nurburgring race tracks. He would like to forget the time he was in BERTRAND MOURAN’s racy, street legal, Cad-Allard when they were stopped by a state trooper in Santa Barbara for the car “looking as if it were exceeding the speed limit.”

From south Orange County, BOB HOWARD and HOMER WISHEK P’81 recently met for lunch in San Juan

SCOTT EVANS remembered TOM USSHER: “Dear Tom, dear long-time friend, dear forever friend: these past weeks, ever since August 8, 2022, I’ve remembered this and that about us and decided there are far too many fond memories to choose a few that come close to defining our friendship. So I’ll let it be that ours was a very deep friendship, and for a very long time. I’ve been friends with you longer than anyone outside my family. Over 70 years. We met at Webb, we roomed together at CMC, we were in each other’s weddings, we traveled together, we camped together, we loved beaches and jazz and our dogs, you visited us in Sonoma County and we went wine tasting, we visited you in Greenwood and we explored the woods. I’ll never forget the adventures we shared with each other, with our wonderful Judy and Sally, and with a bunch of guys who bonded in Wohlford Hall and became brothers for our lifetimes.

“What a marvelous ride it was! What a rare friendship! We really lucked out finding each other.”

PETER

WALT PARRY ’57 wnkparry@gmail.com

’

BOB BURTNESS reports that he continues “to take long distance swims (one and a half miles) nearly every day at one of our local Santa Barbara YMCAs and practices the trumpet (on an instrument used since the fifth grade) to help keep my lips in shape for the periodic requests to play ’Taps’ at veterans’ memorial services and on patriotic observance days.

“I belong to the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV), a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the American West. Along with other members of the local ECV

“Would you believe that Peter Keady P’86 GP’21, a dual citizen of the United States of America and Ireland, and I are related via our Irish heritage?

–JOHN DEVEREUX ’57

KEADY ’57 P’86 GP’21 boscar123@me.com

’58 BOB MCCRARY ’58 P’92 bigmacbob@aol.com

’59 BOB BEASLEY ’59 bobbeasley38@gmail.com

chapter, I’ve been helping to restore vintage horsedrawn carriages and wagons and contributing to various slideshow presentations. The current one, still undergoing revisions, is called ’The Fire Lookouts and Aircraft Warning Service Observation Posts of the Los Padres National Forest.’ The AWS sites were established during World War II to help detect the presence of invading enemy aircraft. One of these structures still exists in our forest, and I am conducting a campaign to help preserve it.

“My sweetheart, Nollie Lei Dawson, and I enjoyed a visit to Scotland in August 2022, and we have since taken shorter trips to Denver and Riverside. The latter location offered the opportunity to stay at (and explore) the national historic landmark Mission Inn for three days and visit the March Field Air Museum, the former March Air Force Base (now March Air Reserve Base).

“Such adventures also offer opportunities to view Mt. Baldy on the way from and back to Santa Barbara plus a stop in Claremont to visit with an old family friend who taught at Pomona College when I attended CMC. How many of you remember Walter’s in Claremont? Still great food there.

keeping areas on the westside of L.A. We are now down to two horses, a Hanoverian that I ride daily and a Haflinger that Happy loans to a local charity organization that offers equine therapy to disabled children. I’m secretary of the Los Angeles Equestrian Advisory Committee, which advises the Los Angeles City Council on matters related to horses and the equestrian community. I’m on the board of the Sullivan Canyon Preservation Association which owns the local riding facility, and a member and vice chairperson of the Brentwood Community Council. I appeal to my fellow classmates of 1960 to contact me at H312fmf@ icloud.com (don’t be confused by the ’Thomas Watts’ name, I will change that to Larry once I figure out how to do that) and let me know what you’ve been up to recently so it can be included in the next CMC Magazine.”

LARRY WATTS H312fmf@icloud.com

“I am still involved with scouting, which includes being on the summer camp staff at two locations. One of them is on Catalina Island where I got my first job after graduating from CMC. Current activities include leading nature hikes, bugling, and being a lifeguard in a kayak.

“In my spare time I tend to a restored 1957 T-Bird bought in Athens, Greece, sixty years ago when I was stationed there in the Air Force. I first saw one at CMC, but daddy would not buy one for me, so I waited five years in order to afford a used one as a new second lieutenant.

“At the class reunion at CMC last May 2022, I told President Hiram Chodosh I had promised my parents, who were footing the bills, to keep a detailed record of ALL expenses during my four years at CMC. He asked for a copy to place in the archives and later responded, ’Your detailed, comprehensive record of your complete four-year expenses are just phenomenal on so many levels.’ It is hard to believe that these expenses totaled about $8,600.”

LARRY WATTS writes, “Happy and I continue to live in the Sullivan Canyon neighborhood of Brentwood where we’ve lived since I graduated UCLA Law School in 1972. Sullivan Canyon is one of the few horse-

’62

’

61

Back in May, concurrent with the participation of some of our class members in the class reunion, JOHN FARANDA ’79 established a home page for our class on Facebook. Prior to the reunion, ANDY SARKONY and I put together an anthology of our class which included a history of what our classmates had done since our graduation as well as particulars concerning their families, hobbies, interests, etc. Both the anthology and website provide contact information on our living members and the Facebook page is intended to help us stay in touch and share stories. So far we have 10 members and are working to add more and to get our members to post their activities. Those who have joined are John Faranda, TOM THURESSON P’92 P’97 GP’24 GP’26, JOHN TONE, BANGGAS PANNGGABEAN, WILLIAM JETTER, DARYL BUTCHER, PETER ADAMS GP’21, JOHN STILES P’91, and BILL SLATER

In our last posting to the College, Andy Sarkany and I reported our impressions from the reunion. Just prior to that we reported the sad news of the passing of JOEL HOLLIDAY but are still awaiting a report about his life to add to our anthology. I am also sad to report the passing of DON DOTY, who many will remember as an ex marine who came to CMC after his service and was QB on the first Stag football team. From Don’s story, which he reported to me, I received the impression that Don had been in poor health for quite some time, and while in a retirement home in Oregon he had befriended a woman older than he and had become her caregiver. He moved with her to California to be close to her son, and when she died her son became Don’s caregiver.

Finally, I had a serious but fortunately brief health issue just before Thanksgiving. I had an aortic valve replacement done by a procedure known as TAVR. This was performed the day before Thanksgiving and I was home the next day. In total I went from being seriously ill to being cured in 30 days! My goal is to see the CMC Rose Parade float in person on January 2, 2023.

TOM THURESSON ’61 P’92 P’97 GP’24 GP’26 tabinc1@comcast.net

ANDY SARKANY ’61 irkafirka@aol.com

On Oct. 11, 2022, I had a wonderful lunch with BRENT HOWELL, BILL SYMINGTON, and BOB LOWE in west Los Angeles. It went too fast except for when they all were raving about the L.A. Dodgers—Bob had tickets for the next evening. We did compare notes on various medical issues and then on Bill’s large spec home going up in Santa Monica. It has become the poster child for delayed deliveries and price increases for materials. All three also attended our last class reunion, which I did want to attend but didn’t. We had brief comments on WES PARKER/Dodgers and CMC’s new large donations. I did go home and review some old files and found a written note: “I owe you $5.00,” signed by DONALD VEACH. Of course, I went to my class directory, which is also available to anyone in the class, and mailed the note to Don saying no interest is due … no reply yet. My files are still yielding facts that no one else cares about except one photo of BILL HOLLINGSWORTH’s red roadster in 1997; Bill lives on the North Shore of Long Island. He sent an update on the engine and info about other parts made in California; if you want to see the actual photo just email me. Keep sending in recommendations on books to read or reread.

MARSHALL SALE ’62

505-690-0299

m_sale@msn.com

’

63

LARRY FORD writes, “During my time at CMC, I got married, had my first child, was captain of the basketball team, worked evenings and weekends, and studied math, economics, and business in order to get a job and eventually find a career. CMC created a learning and social environment that allowed me to exceed my expectations. One of the timely events in my time at CMC was their decision to purchase a new IBM computer to be used by the students for class projects. During my senior year, I completed an operations research assignment that required me to learn how to program and operate the computer. This was my first encounter with a computer or anything more advanced than a calculator or slide rule. It turned out that the new IBM 1620 computer was a state-of-the-art design focused on solving complex scientific problems. By today’s standards it was very basic with only punched cards and paper tape as input/output options but it did calculations quite rapidly. I had to learn the programming language and develop a working program that could analyze options and produce results. I did not do anything very complex but did pass the course and gained a good understanding that computers were going to have a big impact on the future.

“Then, as I approached graduation and started interviewing for jobs, it became clear that my knowledge of computers would open doors I never expected. The aerospace companies were interesting but tended to need more scientific skills. The finance industry was interested but did not have much personal appeal. Then along came some technology companies and that became my goal. I was hired by IBM to be an account manager of some of their largest government and aerospace customers, which further

“I am still involved with scouting, which includes being on the summer camp staff at two locations. One of them is on Catalina Island where I got my first job after graduating from CMC.”

– BOB BURTNESS ’60

built my skills in multiple directions. Timing is often very important and joining IBM in 1963 was very good timing. Little did I know that I would spend thirty years at IBM and retire as CIO of the firm and a corporate vice president. My last ten years after IBM were spent as CEO of early-stage software businesses. My time at CMC made the difference.”

From KENNETH CHIATE, “Won’t bore everyone with my legal career—it can be found on the Quinn Emanuel website. I have too much to say here about gratitude for my life, both before and after CMC, so I will focus on the way CMC most impacted my life. Apart from making great friends at CMC, some I have enjoyed knowing for over sixty years, clearly it was the recommendation and faculty support that allowed me to be admitted and receive a scholarship to Columbia Law School when I graduated from CMC. While not always great fun living in New York—particularly having to serve as dorm assistant for undergrads my first year, and still borrow to subsist in New York for three years— it was the ticket to practicing law in L.A., and ultimately joining Quinn Emanuel and JOHN QUINN ’73, founder of the firm. Although not still practicing two thousand hours a year, I am still practicing with the firm and still enjoying the time doing it.”

From DICK MCKAY, “Much like another report I read, I got married, moved from the dorm to a brand new little rental home in Pomona, and worked at a gas station to make ends meet. Shortly after graduating, my first daughter was born. I took economic theory at CMC, and also joined the Army ROTC, because I figured I might well be drafted and I would rather be an officer and gentleman by act of Congress. That decision was to shape the rest of my life. I enjoyed the time and was taught so much of value at CMC, but it was ROTC that led me to my career. I graduated as a DMG—distinguished military graduate—and I would become regular Army, rather than Reserve. That came with the stipulation that I go to either Ranger or Airborne school, which I had no interest in, so I turned that down. As it turned out this was the second great decision I made. In the fall of graduation year, as a second lieutenant, I went to Ft. Belvoir in Virginia for engineer officer basic training. There, in addition to learning how to direct building bridges, I discovered that a second lieutenant is probably the worst job in the military —like being suddenly thrust in a middle management position at a corporation and you have no idea what the job is about, you are told what to do by the sergeants, and you are given all the crummy secondary assignments by those above you.

“About the time all of this was sinking in, our TAC officer at Ft. Belvoir, with friends at the Pentagon, said they needed helicopter pilots for Vietnam. I talked it over with my wife and we agreed that it would be better to be flying from a well-protected base than trying to build bridges in the mud. The second big decision.

“That decision led me to Vietnam as a combat helicopter pilot for the 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, First Cavalry Division at An Khê. After all that good fun, I came back to the U.S. and Ft. Hood in Texas, where I had a cushy year flying VIPs, instructing, and flying test missions for NASA, who were testing a paraglider-style landing for the Apollo capsule on land as opposed to the ocean. Towards the end of the year, as a captain, they wanted me to take over a new helicopter outfit headed to Vietnam. This is when my final decision was made career wise. I put in my

papers, and applied for airline jobs; I was offered jobs by Pan Am, United, and L.A. Airways (an L.A. passenger helicopter outfit). I chose United and retired at sixty after thirty-four years, last flying captain on the 747-400 to Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong, and Singapore. CMC made all of that happen.”

PHIL SHIRES writes, “My degree from CMC opened the door for me to work with corporations such as Beckman Instruments, Lear Siegler, ITT, Control Data, and then venture capitalists such as Renaissance Technologies, where, with considerable help from James Simons, I turned a heavy-duty computer printer company back to profitability, took it public, took it private, bought it myself, and eventually retired. In retirement, we have traveled extensively (though we can’t keep up with McKay), raced vintage cars such as my ’52 Allard J2X, Elva MK VI, and ALFA GTV, and ride a few thousand miles a year on my BMW R1200R. We spend some time each year at my wife’s place in Vail and we have just added a 30-foot Airstream travel trailer and a new pickup truck to the fleet. The fleet still consists of a dozen or so vintage sports cars, led by our ’57 300 SL and a ’57 AC Bristol that we use for vintage car tours such as the Colorado Grand—a nonprofit that has contributed over $8 million to Colorado charities

and where my two sons and I serve on the board of directors.

“Thank you CMC for the opportunities that unfolded.”

BARRY ZALMA writes, “I came to CMC mid-year because in those days California high schools graduated students in June and February. Therefore, I always took the second half of one year courses first and the first half the next semester. My class, in February of 1960, consisted of two students, one of whom left after freshman year. I accelerated my class work so I could graduate in September 1964 after a summer session. Two of us did that and I claimed to be first in my class and he claimed I was next to last. Both accurate. I was active in the theater and learned much from Jesse Swan, and I participated in the Shakespeare festivals as a light man and a rare, terrible, actor. My joy at CMC was the philosophy classes, including the fact that I could do a directed study class where I was the only student and class was arguing with the professor over coffee at the Hub.

“I avoided the draft by enlisting and learned that the U.S. Army made assignments in alphabetical order so that I became special agent in charge of the Peoria office of U.S. Army Intelligence, in charge of no one but

A Parade of Memories

CMC’s participation in the Rose Parade® led to many opportunities for alumni to gather, including hours of painstaking float decorating with everything from lentils, to tiny seeds, to exotic flowers. The work paid off:

CMC won the Golden State Award for “Most Outstanding Depiction of Life in California.” And many alumni were on hand for parade day.

1 Jessica (O’Hare) Witt ’00 with her children and the Royal Court at Family Fun Day.

2 Jake Mota ’00 helps decorate the float.

3 Tanya (Remer) Altmann ’94 and son Collen at Family Fun Day at Fiesta Parade Floats.

4 Joanna Chavez ’12 (right) brought a friend to help decorate the float.

5 Trustee Tina Daniels ’93 (right) with family members at the parade.

6 Trustee Sue Matteson King ’85 P’18 with her family on parade day.

7 Kevin Tan ’86 and family approve of CMC’s float.

8 Trustee Bob Nakasone ’69 P’98 (center) and Jill Weiner ’87 on parade day.

myself. I lived on very little money and the education I received at CMC made it possible to care for myself, live frugally on low pay, and court my eventual wife by mail and trips home twice a year. We’ve been married fiftyfive years and it seems to get better with time.

“I have retired from the practice of law but still work forty hours a week as an insurance consultant, expert witness, and author. I’m living the dream now that I am eighty years old.”

LARRY FORD ’63

lford77@me.com

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From LARRY BERGER, “Diana and I took two of our children and five grandchildren on a two-week cruise along the Norwegian coast this July 2022, from Kristiansand to the North Cape. Highlights included the ’polar plunge,’ a fresh crab luncheon on a remote island in the Barents Sea, and a day exploring the Nordfjord and the village of Loen. The trip also included a visit with the town burgermeister of Buckeburg, Schaumburg Lippe, Germany, the ancestral home of the Berger family. A great family experience.”

MARSHALL JARVIS P’08 shares, “This summer, Diana and LARRY BERGER joined Joan and me on an extensive archaeological exploration of ancient Greek sites (before and during the Age of Pericles). We started the trip in Thessaloniki visiting the untouched tomb of Philip II. He is remembered for conquering Greece and being the father of Alexander the Great. From there, we traveled to Mount Olympus. Our climbing effort was terminated when Zeus unleashed two lightning bolts informing us not to proceed. We were hoping to consult with the Oracle at Delphi but just a visit had to suffice. Christianity put them out of business. The numerous structures are magnificent. We visited Olympia, the site of the original Olympic Games. The democratic traditions of Greece were evident in the way these games were managed. We checked out the narrow mountain pass in Thermopylae where 300 Spartans, led by their king General Leonidas, held off 50,000 Persians under King Xerxes for several days. We also visited Athens, Corinth, Nafplio, Epidaurus, and Mycenae. The evidence of their achievements in architecture, sculpture, theater, etc. were not equaled until the Renaissance.”

STEVE MCCLINTOCK writes, “Living overseas for twentyseven years, we were fortunate to have made many trips. However, when I retired, we traveled more in the U.S. In particular, the best trip of all was a six-day rafting trip down the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. The trip was on large J-Rig rafts and was 187 miles long. April and May are the best times of year as the water is high. The operator was Western River Expeditions and the experience was like no other. We started at Lee’s Landing in Arizona and traveled down the River to Phantom Ranch. The incredible scenery through the Grand Canyon is enhanced by the thrill of more than sixty rapids. The Grand Canyon is ever changing; you pass through twenty-four separate ecosystems, and the geology goes back billions of years in certain places. The trip was so wonderful, we—various family members—did it in 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2022. The trips were truly spiritual and inspirational.”

BILL DAWSON writes, “My son Steven and I traveled in November 2022 to Antarctica on the Silversea ship

Silver Cloud, a trip inspired by the incredible exploits of the Polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. After a short stay in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, we rode roughening seas to South Georgia Island, a visually dramatic and isolated island where Shackleton began and ended his great adventure on the ship Endurance. We visited his grave, a modest memorial to his death at age 47, and then ventured across turbulent Drake Passage with 12- to 20-foot seas into the South Shetland Islands. There, thin, wind-swept gravel beaches are home to countless seals, penguins, and pelagic birds. Icebergs and ice sheets dominate the forbidding, spectacular landscapes of dark seas, frequent fogs, and occasional bursts of sunlight. After three weeks, we left with the sense of having visited a foreign world, seen by few, and accommodating only to the myriad animals that live there.”

LARRY BERGER ’64 laurencewberger@gmail.com

BILL DAWSON ’64 billdaws@comcast.net

STEVE HALLGRIMSON ’64 steven.hallgrimson@berliner.com

book, The Faces of Normandy, is coming out in March. Buy my other books on Amazon as great stocking stuffers!”

Addressing the question, “What opportunities did CMC provide you with that have made a significant impact on your life?” Keith responds that CMC provided him “an appreciation for contrasting viewpoints, intellectual curiosity, writing and analytical skills, as well as deep associations he never otherwise would have had.”

RICHARD LEWIS follows up with, “Had a great three days this summer with JIM PIGNATELLI, TONY CHILDS, KEITH NIGHTINGALE, LEE LIVINGSTON, and WALLY DIECKMANN in Park City, Utah. Enjoy sharing time in Laguna Beach, Beverly Hills, and Big Sky, Mont., at our three homes working part time in our family real estate development business. Do not enjoy getting old.”

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KEITH NIGHTINGALE enjoyed “a September 2022 rendezvous in Park City, Utah, which brought together six of CMC’s most illustrious grads of 1965: WALLY DIECKMANN, JIM PIGNATELLI, RICHARD LEWIS, LEE LIVINGSTON, TONY CHILDS P’02, and myself. Pig and Dyan hosted the affair at his Gold Palm-worthy Architectural Digest home overlooking a lot of stunning scenery. Yearbooks were brought out and significant time was spent dissecting absent fellow CMCers and toasting the greatness that resided within the group. Food, drink, and camaraderie were present in abundance. A lot of memories were rekindled from rapidly aging files and a promise to do this again soon before the collective shelf life expires.

Sadly, BOB SUMMERS reports the passing of his wife of nearly fifty-five years, Charlotte. “Her serious illness, which started in mid-March 2022, had her in the hospital about five weeks, half of which was in the ICU. We were blessed that she rallied and was able to be at home for three months before being readmitted to the hospital on Labor Day and passing peacefully with our daughters and me at her bedside two weeks later. The memorial service will be on what would have been our 55th anniversary, Dec. 28. Her obituary can be found at Obituary | Charlotte Banks Summers | Elliott Mortuary & Crematory.”

“I am gearing up for two major reunions next year: Fifty years ago the Rangers were formed, and forty years ago I was an assault force commander in Grenada.

“Alive and well on the ranch in Ojai, Calif. Raising limes and killing gophers. Looking forward to our next reunion as soon as Lewis gets his act together. Giving staff rides in Bastogne to the 101st Airborne Division senior leaders in December 2022 (dress warm). My

KURT RITTER responds to the prompt with the following: “CMC bestowed a great kindness upon me sixty years ago. I arrived on campus in September 1962 looking forward to going to college. All those plans seemed to be shattered when I reported to the bursar’s office a few days before classes started. There I learned that $900 of the scholarship I anticipated was no longer in my account.

“As a freshly-minted 18-year-old, I presented myself to CMC’s assistant dean for scholarships in Pitzer Hall. He explained that when I received a $900 scholarship from the state of California, CMC had reduced its scholarship to me by that amount.

“That was all news (very bad news) to me. When I had received that $900 scholarship I had written to CMC joyfully reporting that with the full scholarship program CMC provided combined with the state scholarship, I had sufficient funds to accept CMC’s offer of admission.

“The assistant dean retrieved that correspondence and discovered that due to a clerical error in his office, I had never been informed that CMC had reduced my scholarship by $900. But he noted that my father (a

Richard Lewis with Jim Pignatelli, Tony Childs, Keith Nightingale, Lee Livingston, and Wally Dieckmann in Park City, Utah.

“Yearbooks were brought out and significant time was spent dissecting absent fellow CMCers and toasting the greatness that resided within the group.”

– KEITH NIGHTINGALE ’65

proud but bankrupt engineer and a proud naturalized citizen of the U.S.) had notified CMC that he anticipated being able to contribute to my obligations.

“I began to explain to the dean that my father was a proud man who sincerely believed he could raise that money for me (his oldest surviving child) but in fact he had no way to do so. As I tried to explain this, I was mortified to discover that I was weeping in front of the dean. To make matters worse, I realized that my weeping made the dean quite uncomfortable.

“To my surprise, the dean told me my problem could be remedied. I would need to take a campus job as a dishwasher in the CMC cafeteria. As it happened, I was a recently minted dishwasher, having worked in that capacity during the night shift of my hometown’s 24hour diner.

“That job would not cover all of my financial obligations to CMC, but the dean explained that limited surplus scholarship funds were available for the 1962–1963 school year.

“The dean did not elaborate and I thought it best for me not to ask any questions. Later I heard through the dishwasher’s grapevine that one of our fellow CMC freshmen also had a scholarship, but after one week he had decided that CMC was not for him and had returned home to enroll in a local school. I have gone through life knowing that I owe him a debt of gratitude.

“But my deepest gratitude is to CMC. The way it addressed my problem as a new freshman positively affected the rest of my life—my college studies, my graduate studies, my four years as an Air Force officer (1967–1971), my forty years as a university professor and administrator, and my life as a husband, a father, and grandfather.

“Thank you, CMC.”

GARY TOOTHAKER writes, “I am happily retired in Seattle after a career as a superintendent of schools in Colorado, Ohio, Oklahoma, Montana, and Washington. Also served as a professor at the University of Colorado. My five children and eight grandchildren live across the country, a fact that gives me the opportunity to travel to several states to visit them.

“I have fond memories of CMC and the many friends I had there. Wish I could see them again.”

WALLY DIECKMANN submits, “I attended the Res Publica gathering the week before Thanksgiving at the California Club in Los Angeles where I visited with classmate DON JOHNSON P’16 and his wife, Elizabeth. I also enjoyed sharing a table with JACK STARK ’57 GP’11 and JIL STARK ’58 GP’11 but did not enjoy the four-hour drive from San Diego.”

GREG SMITH checks in with “Retired. Writing. Painting. Running a synagogue. Still happily married after 52 years.”

JOSEPH BRADLEY co-authored a book on the Technology Acceptance Model, (Duarte, P., Silva, S. & Bradley, J. 2022. Modelos de Avocao de Technologia: Estao os clientes e os colaboradores prontos para aderir as inovacoes? Editoria D’ Ideias). He and his wife, Marilyn, enjoyed a cruise to Iceland in August 2022 and spent a month in Telluride in September and October.

PERRY LERNER P’89 GP’19 GP’20 reports, “This year I spent Thanksgiving with my four children and twelve

grandchildren at my daughter MARCI LERNER MILLER ’89 P’19 P’20’s vacation home in Park City, Utah. Good chance to catch up with her sons LOGAN MILLER ’19 and HARRY MILLER ’20 as well as my ten other grandchildren. A great time for all. I became a California expatriate several years ago and now divide my time between Florida and Pennsylvania. So far so good.”

JOE BRADLEY ’65

jbradley2004@verizon.net

what we can do in the short term. The president, Sanjit Sethi, is a force of nature and has put together a good staff. Student numbers are up, and I am hoping that we can work our way through the next economic volatility with enough surplus to support our ambitions. As you may remember, I have been a trustee of MCAD for 35 years and that, plus my 25 years on the CMC Board, has given me a lot of perspective on the college environment. I am very much looking forward to the future of both colleges.”

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PETER ARMSTRONG HALL reports, “My son Felix, daughter Caroline, and I went to Georgia to visit our cousin, Jim Armstrong, and his lovely wife, Susan. It was a chance to revisit and rekindle old memories and to visit the battlegrounds and graveyard of our ancestors. We also caught up on Jim’s amazing life in the Army as a general in charge of our defense systems. Jim played excellent tennis at West Point and in the service thereafter and we were joined by his sister, Erica, both of whom we had not seen in years. Felix is now in Zimbabwe working on his master’s and studying water management and Caroline is in Munich employed as a legal affairs expert in the European Patent Office. My best wishes to all.”

TONY WAIN wrote to say that he and Lorraine “just returned from a great week in Bermuda celebrating our fiftieth anniversary with our two daughters and their significant others. When we returned to Newton, Mass., Barbara and ALAN SULLIVAN visited with us for two delightful and relaxing days. It was relaxing for all except for Lorraine who cooked two gourmet dinners—Caesar swordfish and lobster cannelloni. All are doing well.”

CHARLES BULLOCK commented that in May 2022 he and June completed a delayed rail and river cruise tour in Europe. “We had originally planned this trip for 2020 but delayed it for obvious reasons. We flew from Washington to London then took the Eurostar train from London to Paris, then a French TGV train from Paris to Strasbourg, France. From Strasbourg we took a number of regional trains through Switzerland with overnight stops in Chur and Zermatt, ultimately ending in Basel. From Basel we were on a riverboat cruising down the Rhine River to Amsterdam. We stopped along the way visiting a number of sites in Germany and staying on the river. We enjoyed a final day in Amsterdam before returning to London on another Eurostar train. This was a bucket list trip for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We were lucky to have had very good weather. Although we have been to Europe many times, this was the first trip we made into the interior of the continent. Our other trips have been to Scandinavia and a Mediterranean cruise.”

ROBIN BARTLETT ’67 rbbartlett01@gmail.com

Good news has been received from FRANK PETTERSON: “Greetings, gentlemen…once again. I continue to skirt death, although a bit slower. But if I have my hearing aids in, I usually still get the joke (from our generation anyway). For other generations, it’s a slightly different world, different techniques, and technologies. Fortunately, I have a subscription to The Economist to help me ’splain the day.’ On Thanksgiving, it was so nice to eat, drink, laugh, cry, and play with my threegeneration family. And I’m the old goat now, although my hair is just beginning to lighten up. Everybody continues to grow up in so many dimensions. For example, you should see my seventeen-month-old granddaughter explain how a horse whinnies. The year before, Thanksgiving was a no-show. My family was told quite abruptly that I had only a 10% chance of living, due to sepsis caused by a cancer cure side effect. I made it through that one. Early next year we plan to winter in Palm Springs. Perhaps we will cross paths with you and toss more ox. Later, please call me, 503-3415030, Frank.”

FRED MERKIN responded to CMC’s request to answer the question, “What opportunities did CMC provide that have made a significant impact on your life?” Fred reports, “At CMC I received a first-rate education in the liberal arts, which has had a profound impact on my life. CMC challenged us to acquire, through study and analysis, an understanding of the world as it is and as it could be. CMC professors were demanding and, in so doing, helped prepare us to compete once we entered the workplace. Reflecting upon my subsequent time in law school and my career as a practicing lawyer, I appreciate the foundation that was laid on the CMC campus.”

’67

Word from BRUCE BEAN has it that much of his time lately has been spent with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. “They have developed a very aggressive strategic plan that makes sense but needs a lot of capital support. Although the college has done a good job of dealing with COVID-19, there are substantial extra costs that go along with that, and that fact limits

DENNIS MANN’S response: “It’s the summer of 1969, and I am a first lieutenant (military intelligence) working for an artillery support command in Germany. I have lots of security clearances. I am contacted by the RAND Corporation from Santa Monica. I interviewed for the job in Germany, which involved doing research and writing reports on various military topics. This was an idea I liked, and they were happy that I have several different security clearances already in effect as it saves them from having to reimburse the government for the costs of investigations. I learn I can transition to their employ with the clearances following me. We agree on a starting salary and a window of time to relocate and start work back in California. Good news: I am going home; I’ve got a good job and I think all’s right in the world. Bad news: I interviewed with no other recruiters, bypassed every other job opportunity in Europe or the U.S., and didn’t realize that the ’Demon Murphy’s Law’ was going to make an appearance in my story.

“’Murphy’ debuts (fittingly enough) in the halls of RAND. I received a phone call in mid-October, announcing that the U.S. Air Force is cutting costs due to budget constraints. Since RAND at that time got 93% of their funding from the USAF, RAND now has

to cut costs—including new hires. Therefore, my job offer vanishes like snow in July. I promptly extended my end of active duty [remember DEROS?] from midNovember until mid-December in order to get one more paycheck. (First lieutenants over two years earned $440 per month.) I notified my parents that I’ll be home for Christmas.

“After Christmas, I start looking for work. I called the parents of a good Army friend who lives in Brentwood, just west of UCLA, to say that his son wishes them a Merry Christmas. To my surprise and his, it turns out his parents had flown to Germany to see him and surprise him for Christmas. They have now returned. I ask his dad what he does for a living; he informs me he has his own personnel firm! Can you guess my next question?

“He lines me up with a job interview with St. Paul Fire & Marine, an insurance company. It is soon evident that this is a perfunctory interview, going through the motions, and doing a favor for a friend. That is, until I’m asked where I went to college. CMC, I reply—and the change in the interviewer’s demeanor is instantly evident: ’Well, why don’t you come in here and meet our resident vice president of claims?’ I also meet every other officer of the company in the office. Suddenly, it’s: ’You’ll be a trainee (I knew NOTHING about insurance), now let’s discuss salary and when you can start.’

“I found out later that St. Paul wanted to hire CMC students, but they had no one working for St. Paul coming from CMC. The home office in Minnesota was desperate to hire somebody, anybody, so they could tell CMC, ’We have one of your graduates working for us.’ And that was now me. So, CMC got me my first job after active duty and that led to a 41-year career in handling insurance claims. Serendipity, anybody?”

STEVE RUDD also responded to the CMC-posed question. “The opportunities that CMC provided me were: 1. Lifelong interest in continuing education, primarily legal education while working, and social science education during retirement. Recent books I’ve read include: Homo Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind; Quiet: Scientific Contributions by Introverts and Popular Acclaim For Extroverts; and Neurotribes: History of Autism Treatment and Explanation of Autism Spectrum. 2. Lifelong interest in world affairs, primarily international travel excursions pre-pandemic, and online travel excursions during the pandemic. Recent online trips include an international tour of the Arctic islands and an icebreaker voyage to the North Pole; a land tour of Newfoundland and Labrador, including three World Heritage sites; and a five-day educational trip along the Dalmatian coast. 3. Lifelong interest in team sports and physical fitness, including coaching several girls basketball teams for my daughters, taking daughters’ teams to watch Stanford women’s basketball games, playing men’s singles recreational tennis as a young man, and currently playing men’s doubles recreational tennis.”

GUY BAKER commented that “I participated in a Jefferson Dinner (a la Billions). Interesting evening: gourmet dinner, private house, eight individuals— open discussion on whether or not your ability to express your opinions and ideas have been stifled in the new woke world. The consensus was that there is a fear and trepidation to be candid except with close friends. The common opinion was that no one had a desire to be ridiculed or badgered for thinking the unthinkable. I wonder how you all feel about this? Would you sponsor a dinner with open, honest

communication, kindness, and a willingness to listen and think? What perspectives from others do you find worth considering? Maybe the question should be: are there any topics that should not be discussed? And what has this done to freedom of speech?

“The Baker family is status quo—thank goodness. Recently partnered up with a young, dynamic, super smart advisor who is going to take over my business one day. When? I don’t have a timetable as I’m having too much fun. The RIA is growing like crazy. Tax consulting is in high demand, and we are getting a lot of referrals for more of the same. It’s fun times. I’m hoping all of you are doing well and you are living the dream.”

A short note was received from STEPHEN MARTIN: “I’m president of Villa Nova, which is a neighborhood association near Lake Chapala and Guadalajara (largest lake and second largest city in Mexico). Our permission to extract drinking water from our well had expired more than 10 years ago, but I was able to land a new concession good for the next 15 years.”

“My wife, Leslie, died in October 2022 after a long battle with severe COPD,” reports WILL THOMPSON. “She had home hospice care with 24/7 caregivers after being hospitalized in March. Leslie was a Pitzer student in 1965–1967. We met in Collins Hall. We were married in the summer of 1967 and relocated several times during my four years with the U.S. Coast Guard. She attended colleges in Virginia, Puerto Rico, and graduated from College of the Virgin Islands in 1970 and then taught in St. Thomas schools. She deserves all the credit for raising our daughter Elizabeth while I built our business. She was strong in her beliefs, generous with her time and talents. After 55 years of marriage, this is the end of an era.” (Editorial note: Will, we are so sorry to learn of your loss and all classmates send you their best wishes. If anyone needs Will’s contact information, please drop me a note.)

A number of classmates responded to our own class question posed by JOHN “BUNJAR” PETTIT P’91: Did you turn down one or more colleges or universities to go to CMC and, if so, why?

JIM CARSON responded: “I applied to CMC and UC Davis, my ’safe’ school. I had decent but not stellar grades in high school. My SATs were less than impressive. I think I got into CMC because the headmaster of my school knew George C.S. Benson. I was a terrible test taker and continued to be throughout my four years at CMC. Same for GREs. Only really excelled when I got to grad school and tests were few. And I only got into George Washington University’s graduate school because Dr. Benson wrote a personal letter to the university president and dean of the graduate school. And then I was on probation. I was almost kicked out because I got a C in a mandatory undergraduate level econ course. This was offset, fortunately, by three A’s in graduate courses. My satisfaction comes in helping one of my grandkids who is also a terrible test taker. I have subsequently discovered it is a form of learning disability.”

FRED MERKIN responded, “Reaching back six decades to recall that while in high school I obtained catalogs from more than 30 colleges and universities in my search for a suitable school. I applied to no more than two, perhaps three, colleges: CMC, UCLA, and perhaps San Diego State College. At that time and for almost a decade my family had lived only a couple blocks

from San Diego State College, and that school was my backup.

“Prefatorily, I should note that going into an interview with Dean ROBERT “BOB” ROGERS ’52, the associate admission director for both CMC and HMC, I intended to apply to HMC. In that interview I was informed about both schools and subsequently decided that CMC would be the college more suitable for me.

“I was accepted at both CMC and UCLA. I chose CMC over UCLA for two reasons. First, because my mother convinced me that an education at a small liberal arts college would be superior to that at a major university. And second, CMC offered a much better deal financially.

CMC offered a full scholarship or something close to it. UCLA offered only $500 as I recall. My family had limited means as I was the oldest of six children. Even with the scholarship attendance, UCLA would have cost considerably more than CMC and far more than my family could afford. Those reasons made my decision to attend CMC an easy one.”

DENNIS MANN responded: “I applied to UC Berkeley, Stanford, USC, and CMC. If I recall correctly, I got into all four. I may have applied to UCLA, but I don’t remember. I really wanted to go to Berkeley. I had attended three western regional high school Model UN conferences at Berkeley. We won two firsts and a second place among student delegations. I loved Sather Gate. You could walk off campus and into four different bookstores. This was heaven for me, especially since Salinas (pop: 55,000) had ZERO bookstores, but did have a wonderful public library that saved me from growing up in an intellectual desert. My high school (Salinas High) placed 19 students at Stanford in 1963 out of 420 seniors; fifteen attended, and it was the largest number of admittees from one high school for a long time.

“My psychology professor in high school was one of three Ph.D.s on the faculty. His son DAVID FORREST ’63 was valedictorian of CMC’s Class of 1963, so Dr. Forrest was familiar with the school. He ’gently’ arranged a meeting with Emery Walker and Dean Rogers for me when they visited Salinas High School. I found out much later that both of them expressed disbelief to Dr. Forrest when I told them I had read more than 500 books in three years of high school. He verified this from a visit to the library and seeing me parked in front of the ’new arrivals’ shelves every day after school.

“Then he got my parents involved, again, on the QT. They did NOT want me to go to Berkeley or Stanford: I was someone who could get lost on a big campus— in more ways than one. ’Otherworldly’ was a good description for me at the time. I was still only 17 when I started college, so they wanted me to go to a small school where In Loco Parentis was a reality.

“My parents took me to the USC campus. We’re on the 110 Freeway and couldn’t see the campus buildings from the road. The air was acrid, stung my eyes, and my parents weren’t doing much better at breathing or seeing in all the haze. So, we bagged USC and drove out to Claremont. It was less smoggy that afternoon, the school folks welcomed me, and we made the decision to accept their offer of admission. I have never regretted that decision. Not even once.”

BOB NOVELL P’94 responded: “My elementary school and Marshal Junior High in Pasadena were combined as were little league teams and other programs. When

I was in the 10th grade, my family moved to Upland, where my father was in the real estate business. I started as an outsider but slowly was accepted by my classmates.

“My parents had some rules for my applying to college. I could apply to only three colleges or universities. Stanford was a long shot. I kinda liked CMC. DAVID BURTON ’64 P’99, son of my father’s lawyer, was attending CMC when I applied, and he played several sports. And finally, I applied to Santa Clara, a school I could probably get into. CMC’s admission was a gift from heaven. I struggled in my courses during my freshman year, but slowly I was able to work things out.”

(Bob added: “What does Bunjar stand for anyway?”)

STEVE RUDD responded: “I was accepted at UCLA, USC, Oxy, and CMC. Arthur Ashe was playing varsity tennis at UCLA. Stan Smith, whose name endorsed my Wilson tennis racket as the no. 1 amateur in the USA, was playing varsity tennis for USC. The Oxy tennis courts consisted of 8-foot square gray cement slabs, with huge cracks between slabs, surrounded by a drab chain link fence, with no audience bleachers. Dickens would charitably describe them as ’bleak courts.’ So, CMC was my only real option. I was thrilled to attend and to play freshman tennis at no. 2 and varsity tennis at no. 6. I’m still playing my lifelong sport, namely men’s doubles tennis, at Saratoga Country Club every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

“P.S. My youngest daughter, Shannon, also chose her college based on its sports team credentials. She went to Bentley College in Waltham, Mass., to play Division III field hockey. Shannon later transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she was recruited to play lacrosse goalie. Cal Poly SLO had an excellent lacrosse team; it went to the national tournament in St. Louis, Mo., during Shannon’s senior year and they beat Penn, Michigan, and UCLA to capture the national title.”

VAN SMITH responded: “I applied to Stanford, strictly pro forma, but later put it together with the fact that my dad also got turned down there, creating a reverse legacy. (Maybe we’ll adopt a kid so we can keep it going.) Gerald Kieffer, Shattuck director of studies, recommended CMC over Babson, near Boston, where RALPH KIMBALL wound up teaching economics, and where the weather was a factor. Another question I wish to add: Did you ever get any points for attending CMC, the way people live for years on whichever school they attended? (The Rhodes being the ultimate example.)

“Practically every grading period my report card would include, ’If Van doesn’t get on the train he’ll not be attending the college of his choice.’ Ironically, I didn’t have one, and more ironically, I would max the ACC course and could go anywhere. This was a great question, Bunjie. No surprises in any of my answers. Good friend PAUL BAMFORD got into Dartmouth, and I seem to remember Maggs’ acceptance at dear old Harvard.

MARTIN KAPLAN responded: “I was interested in business. I was accepted at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Finance and CMC. When I visited the campus, coming from a moderate climate, Houston, I asked myself: where did I want to spend September to May each year? Philadelphia or Southern California? I do think PAUL SCRIPPS’ father gave him good advice: go to a school near where you plan to live. CMC Marty, YES, Sagehen Marty, NO.”

Robert Groos ’67

This past September 2022, Patty and I traveled to Zambia for a 12-day safari. We had gone to Botswana 30 years earlier, and the call of the African wild never let go of us. This Zambia excursion, an independently arranged (non-group) safari was a long-awaited response to that call. In researching Zambia national parks, I came across a travel article that said, ‘if you go to Zambia and don’t see leopards, you need to purchase new glasses.’ Leopards, yes, that’s what I wanted to see. I was hooked on going to Zambia.

Of course, leopards were not the only attraction. Lions, for sure, but also giraffes, hippos, elephants, zebras, all the usual suspects. Birds, too, especially the carmine bee-eaters that arrive in August to nest in the riverbanks. I’m a bird photographer, so bee-eaters and any other winged species would be a top attraction for me. And most important, being up close to them all.

Zambia is known for ‘walking safaris,’ an opportunity to experience and learn about the ecosystem on foot, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide and park ranger (with rifle). A morning walking safari is an option to choose in addition to the normal game drive in a jeep.

We stayed at two camps, each with comfortable accommodations: Flatdogs Camp, near the park entrance, and Lion Camp, three to four hours away in a remote part of the park. The guides at both camps had encyclopedic knowledge of the park’s animals, their haunts, and habits, and were outstanding in every regard.

What was the safari experience like? It far exceeded our expectations. We wanted an up-close experience with the wildlife, and that is what we got. Our guides parked near enough to predator kills that we could hear bones crunching; an adult lion even brushed up against our jeep as it walked by. Likewise, we witnessed a tug-ofwar over an antelope carcass between a leopard and hyena, about 25 feet away. And gorgeous birds—I identified 80 species, but there were more I didn’t have a chance to photograph. I’ve written three photo- and video-filled stories about this trip that I’d like to share with you: ‘God’s Creatures Great and Small;’ ‘Leopard Sightings;’ and ‘Big Cats.’

You can read about the safari experience on my website: www.robertgroosphotography.com. And if you think you might want to go to Zambia, or elsewhere in Africa, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Alumni Debate Electoral College at the Athenaeum

The odds appeared to be stacked against law professor Ilan Wurman ’09 from the start. In a poll taken just prior to the October 13 Athenaeum debate with attorney Aditya Pai ’13 on whether the Electoral College should be abolished, 67% of the audience indicated that it should. Co-sponsored by the Dreier Roundtable and the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, the evening promised a lively dialogue on how presidents are selected in the United States. And it delivered.

In her introduction, Athenaeum Fellow Rukmini Banerjee ’24 reviewed the origins of the Electoral College and outlined the debaters’ bona fides, both of whom were active at the Rose Institute during their time at CMC. Wurman, a Stanford Law School graduate, teaches administrative law and constitutional law at Arizona State University. He writes primarily on the Fourteenth Amendment, administrative law, separation of powers, and constitutionalism. Pai, a Harvard Law School graduate, was most recently a trial attorney at Rutan & Tucker, where he represented a range of clients as well as nonprofits.

Nohl Patterson ’22, also a Rose Institute alumnus, moderated the modified Oxford-style format and outlined the rules. He also pointed out that the contest could be billed as a “grudge match,” since the pair had debated on the same stage more than a decade earlier, albeit on a different subject.

Pai, a self-professed high-school debater, got in the slot first, arguing that the Electoral College should be abolished.

He started broadly, with a historic definition of the role of the presidency based on President Lyndon B. Johnson’s doctrine.

“What is the presidency for?” asked Johnson in 1963 when his advisors tried to dissuade him from taking a stand on civil rights, so as not to antagonize the Southern senators. The presidency is for the country, not for the states in Johnson’s view, and Pai’s line of reasoning echoed that notion.

“I’ve got three arguments,” he said, “and I’m going to press them again and again on Ilan, using them as both a shield and a sword.” All his arguments, he said, would support why he believes that it “makes very little sense to elect the president through a mediated process that goes through the states.”

First, said Pai, “we need one leader of one people,” which he suggested should be elected by those people. “ I would argue … that what this country needs—and wants, is a president to galvanize its mood and mindset … We don’t think as Californians … or Texans … or Pennsylvanians—we think and more importantly we feel, as Americans.”

Secondly, he argued that states already have sufficient representation at various levels of government.

“The following people—governors, senators, federal district judges, federal appellate judges, and United States attorneys already bring and reflect state values, state perspectives, and state interests in the federal government,” he argued.

Aditya Pai ’13, Nohl Patterson ’22, and Ilan Wurman ’09 on stage at the Athenaeum for a debate on October 22 about the Electoral College.

PHOTOS BY SIDNEY SMITH IV ’25

His third argument was that states already have an enormous role in the presidential selection process through the nominating process and state primaries.

Wurman took the podium next to defend the existing electoral system, joking that he had never been a high school debater, “or even a middle school or preschool debater” but that he had “truth on his side.” (Not to mention his experience teaching law.) And he seemed undeterred that most of the audience had already professed their disagreement with his point of view. He argued that the origins of the Electoral College were not undemocratic but “practical” given the electorate of the day. (Northern states were more populous, and southern delegates to the Constitutional Convention worried, with much of their population held as slaves, that they would be unevenly represented in a presidential election.)

“How do you have a national popular vote for president when the proportion of each states’ populations that’s eligible to vote varies from state to state? The Electoral College is the obvious solution,” Wurman said.

Wurman also challenged the notion that the founders’ adoption of a system that used independent electors to select the president was intended to be a “check on the will of the American people,” noting that the system has worked well over the centuries. “This so called ’faithless elector’ problem (when states’ electors vote differently from how they pledged to) has never been a problem—in all American history! From the beginning not once did presidential electors ever thwart the will of the people. So, if it was intended to be anti-democratic,” he offered, “it just hasn’t worked out that way.”

Wurman also pointed out the distributed system of the Electoral College is robust and reduces the potential for fraud.

“Now imagine a national popular vote … every single vote in every state and every county and every city and precinct now count for the total incidence of human error, every single act of fraud— and now has the potential to tip a national election—and a national recount? What a nightmare!”

“If you remember one thing,” Wurman charged the audience:

“it’s that the Electoral College simply means that the president is selected in a series of democratic contests in a series of states.”

Wurman said it pleased him that a president didn’t have to win millions of votes just in big cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, but instead was required to represent the entire nation by winning votes “in different regions of the country, with different cultures and different communities of interests.”

“That’s what federalism does—it protects and maximizes local preferences; it protects minorities that might otherwise be oppressed by faraway majorities and localism. Minority rights have always been an important feature of American democracy … for the sake of the common good of this country,” Wurman continued.

The two engaged and parried in a rebuttal stage, where Pai told the audience that with regard to the Electoral College the U.S. has “zero obligation, moral, legal, political, or constitutional” to follow the founders’ views … ”that’s why they left us an amendment process,” and Wurman allowed that the Electoral College system is “remarkably versatile.” He said he could imagine altering its current “winner takes all” feature, which he called “not baked in.”

Informed questions from several students evoked discussions about swing states, election security, and why presidential votes cast in small states like Wyoming should count more than those in California.

Pai got the chance for one more point.

“I would say [the Electoral College] is actually un-American … no matter how much money you have, how good-looking you are, how smart you are, who your daddy is—the idea of this country is that we are all political equals.”

A post-debate poll showed that almost no one had been swayed to change their minds. (However it’s also possible that an equal number of those polled switched positions.)

Though minds may not have been changed, a final poll showed that they may have been opened. 62% of audience members said they were more open to the opposing view than they had been prior to the debate.

Though Wurman was technically the loser, he was encouraged, and cheerful. “ Just remember,” he said, “All it takes is one good college class for you to change your mind.”

“How do you have a national popular vote for president when the proportion of each states’ populations that’s eligible to vote varies from state to state?

The Electoral College is the obvious solution…”

– ILAN WURMAN ’09

ROBIN BARTLETT responded: “I hated the rain in Seattle; it was my fourth high school and I wanted out of the state. Dean Rogers came to my high school, now a converted senior citizen home, and showed a 35mm slide program. HMC was out of the question, Pomona looked too old, so CMC was a possibility. Stanford was my first choice and I got on the waiting list, I got into Gonzaga and Lewis and Clark, and the University of Washington was my backup. Thought about Oberlin, but when the CMC catalog came along I opened it and saw the photo of Dr. C.L. Payne outside surrounded by kids wearing shorts, t-shirts, and sandals, and I knew exactly where I wanted to go. I arrived by train and bus, sight unseen and, like DENNIS MANN, loved it and never looked back.”

Finally, JOHN PETTIT reported: “Hej hej! JOE JOHNSON mentioned at the recent reunion that he had been accepted at Stanford, but chose CMC because he wanted to play college football and he knew he wouldn’t make Stanford’s team. PAUL SCRIPPS was accepted at Cornell but chose CMC because his father advised him to go to school in an area where he would like to live after graduation JOHN MAZZA turned down Princeton to come to CMC. I only applied to CMC. USC was not academically strong in those days, and I knew I could get in there any time I wanted to. I have been surprised by the number of people who turned down Stanford and other top schools to come to CMC. Add in the people who were in the management engineering program. I think VAN SMITH called it when he said we were a bunch of very intelligent rebels. This was basically Dr. George Benson’s deliberate vision: think for yourself, figure out your own values and be able to defend your thoughts. I wonder if other classes will pick up on this thread?”

Without knowing the backstory, JOHN MAZZA has offered a hint as to where “Bunjar” comes from. John said, “I always used to tell my parents that the Bunjar, BJ stood for Big John. They appeared to buy it, at least my mother did.”

JAY KNIGHT wrote in: “Not that much happening. Did walk around the arboretum with CMC staffer Bob Knuth. Bob wanted me to give money to the College, which seemed in character. He also invited me to the groundbreaking of the new Robert Day Integrated Sciences Center, but I had a conflict and could not attend. One of these days it would be nice to connect with GEORGE ROBERTS ’66 P’93. We had a class together and were at Hastings at the same time and shared a corporate pilot and something else which I have now forgotten.”

JOHN PYLES wrote to say “Hello Class of 1967! It has been a while since I have contributed to the Class Notes. Ann and I are doing well. Just before the pandemic hit, we bought an RV. We were on our maiden voyage when the governor shut down the state and closed the campgrounds where we had reservations. We used the RV quite a bit during the pandemic. The only close interaction we had with others was when we stopped to put fuel for the rig, and usually there was no one else around. Even in Oregon, where an attendant must pump your gas. We learned that this was not a requirement for pumping diesel, which our RV uses.

“We took a three-week trip to Morocco last spring—a must visit for travelers. Morocco is not all desert, just the southern half. The northern half is green with lots of agriculture including wineries and cork trees. Morocco

is also the largest exporter of cannabis in the world. We visited the sand dunes and discovered that there is water under them that allows some farming.

“We took a road trip down the eastern side of Washington, Oregon, and California along the bird migration route. All the park rangers along the way told us that we were in an eight-year drought, and that all the lakes shown on the maps weren’t in existence, and there weren’t many birds. We also visited British Columbia three times for various reasons. I caught COVID-19 twice seven weeks apart even though I was fully vaccinated. My symptoms both times were mild, but I was surprised that my immunity from the first bout didn’t last very long. I have since had the bivalent vaccine.

“I am still doing consulting work helping people make salt. The consulting jobs went to nil during the pandemic but are starting to come back. I love doing that kind of work. Next spring, we are going to Kenya as part of a Path from Poverty group. I have been to Africa many times from north to south and east to west. You always see women walking daily to get water—sometimes many miles each way. They tend to get attacked, raped, or killed at a significant rate. The project installs water tanks at houses to collect rainwater so that the women don’t have to walk daily. They can use that time to make money, thus improving their economic status. They can afford to send their children to school. After this project, we will move south to Tanzania and spend some time with a guide on the Serengeti communing with the animals.”

JIM CARSON reports that he and Margie have largely completed their transition into northern Virginia’s Ashby Ponds, an Erickson independent living/ continuing care community in Loudoun County outside Washington, D.C. They are now enjoying a “campus-like” environment with 17 low-rise residential buildings, three expansive club houses, seven restaurants, grills, and pubs, full-service fitness facilities, two pools, and even an indoor pickleball court and electronic “driving range.” Jim notes that the major difference between Ashby Ponds and the Claremont campuses is that all of the coeds are in their 70s, 80s, and 90s! The biggest challenge in making this move? Downsizing 42 years’ accumulation in a 3,800-squarefoot house to an 1,800-square-foot apartment. Stressful but do-able! Jim’s advice to those who haven’t yet made the move but may be contemplating it? It’s never too early!

“My new book, Vietnam Combat: Firefights and Writing History, will be published by Casemate Publishers in February,” reports ROBIN BARTLETT. “It’s been 10 long years in the writing and then two more to edit and rewrite. I went out to 27 advance reviewers hoping for a 50% return and wound up with 24 responses including ’blurbs’ from Ltc. JIM CARSON and Col. (Ret.) DICK BAUMER. I am gratified to have received a wonderful mix of endorsements from well-known military leaders, historians, nonprofits, journalists, and even two women. I am truly indebted to Daisy Lo Carpenter SCR ’67 for her incredible proofreading skills. She caught every misspelled word, every misplaced comma, and asked lots of questions to help me ’demilitarize’ and make my text more readable. I spent hours at Daisy and AL CARPENTER’s home reviewing each publisher’s proof, catching errors, and making corrections. Al, Daisy, and I have been friends since freshman year, and we live about 20 minutes from each

other in northern New Jersey. Al and Daisy have been married for 52 years and he reports he never would have passed senior thesis without Daisy’s writing and editing skills. My book would have been full of errors without her. To learn more about Vietnam Combat, you can visit my website at www.RobinBartlettAuthor. com and even order an autographed copy with free shipping and save 35% off the retail price. What a great deal!”

Please see the accompanying “must read” entry from Robert Groos about his Zambia travels. He encourages classmates to reach out with African travel questions.

ROBIN BARTLETT ’67 rbbartlett01@gmail.com

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68

JOHN POWER wrote to say that his Marine Corps service included duty as an infantry platoon commander in Vietnam. He said he was lucky to have survived his wounds and lucky even more to have married Pitzie Happy Verity, a union that has lasted 54 years! He is retired from corporate America, having worked for Armco/AK Steel including duty as GM at their Middletown, Ohio, works. This is now the largest flatrolled carbon steel producer in the U.S. After Armco, they moved to Colorado, where he served as manager for the city of Vail. After 50 years in the work world he is completely retired and spends his time leading guest tours skiing Vail Mountain.

JOHAN CARL reports that his most memorable and rewarding experience occurred during the summer of 2022. “I became the temporary parent for my two granddaughters, ages eleven and eight, for ten days while my daughter and son-in-law trekked the sacred valley and Machu Picchu in Peru. This became a 30-year flashback to when my daughters were of similar ages. I got to tease and baffle them as I had done with my own girls many years before and they challenged me with many wonderful riddles. For example, ’What do you call a sad strawberry?’ Answer: ’A blueberry.’ I got to be the soccer/volleyball grandpa, driving daily to practice games, including some interesting discussions with cell phones absent. We also worked on tennis skills and ate a lot of ice cream cones as a reward for effort and focus. The unique highlight for me, however, was teaching the eight year old how to mow the lawn using a push/power mower. After adjusting the control bar to where it wasn’t parallel with her ears/eyes she really got into it, quickly grasping the reality that lawn mowing is one of the few life experiences where one gets to immediately appreciate the fruits of one’s labors. She got so into lawn mowing that she could hardly wait for the next week to pass so she could do it again. I am certain that she is now the only sub-16year-old, regardless of gender, who knows how to mow a lawn in her neighborhood.” Johan concludes with, “La Vita e Bella.”

ROBIN BARTLETT ’67 rbbartlett01@gmail.com

’72 BOB BILLS ’72 rdbills@aol.com

Joseph Bradley ’65 Modelos de Avocao de Technologia (Models of Technology Adoption) Editoria

D’Ideias

’73

Our 50th class reunion is coming up soon: June 1–4, 2023. We look forward to catching up, with stories and updates that are best recounted in person instead of in print. Plus, you get a 50th reunion gold medallion for showing up! If you haven’t received a bunch of info about the reunion, please let me know. We want you there.

And amid it all, life still happens. So, here are this edition’s class updates.

Very good to hear from HARRY KAHN this time. “Louise and I are both well, retired, and live in Penfield, N.Y. I worked for forty years for myself in retail/wholesale. Both our daughters are married. One lives near us and has three boys. The other lives near Richmond, Va., and has two girls. Most of our vacations now revolve around going to Virginia to visit them—it’s approximately a ten-hour drive (with stops) to get there. So, we have five grandchildren, seven years old and under.”

REID DABNEY PM’12 made a career move this past summer. “I joined a New York investment bank (Oberon Securities) as a managing director—investment banking.” Congrats!

An update from PAUL BENINGER P’09: “I continue to be blessed by serendipity. The most recent opportunity fell into my lap this past summer when a co-editor-inchief position opened up at the Clinical Therapeutics medical journal. I had been a topics editor for CT since 2014, and the co-EIC position opened up in December 2021. I felt sure that someone else would apply for it, but when I asked about it in June 2022, no one had. So I applied, and, ultimately, they offered me the job! It’s really fun. I get to work on special projects and write editorials. My wife is calling this my job 3.0. You can visit www.clinicaltherapeutics.com for more information.” Well done.

And from STEVE MCGANN: In addition to his ongoing responsibilities as a CMC trustee, Steve continues to expand his activities. He was recently elected to the American Academy of Diplomacy. He also was nominated to the board of visitors of the Army War College, Carlisle, Pa., where he will help oversee curriculum and programs to prepare the military’s next generation of flag-ranked officers. “But it’s not all work. I had a great day this past fall at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart with other enthusiasts.” Congratulations!

Also checking in is KEITH STUMP: “Last December 2021, I drove from Hoodsport, Wash., to the Phoenix area with my year-old yellow Lab to spend the holidays with my sister, visiting friends along the way. On the way

“As firms increase their investments in new information technology, they may find employees are reluctant to accept and effectively use the new technologies. This book is a repository of basic models for understanding technology acceptance processes and other user acceptance theories.”

Keith Nightingale ’65 The Human Face of D-Day

“This unique approach to D-Day combines the author’s discussions with veteran and civilian participants in D-Day, his personal reflections on Operation Overlord, and the insights that occur—often at the very site of a battle. Interspersed with veterans’ remarks, Nightingale’s personal essays are inspired by specific discussions or multiple interviews.”

Robin Bartlett ’67 Vietnam Combat: Firefights and Writing History

Casemate Publishers

It “offers a ’boots on the ground’ perspective on the Vietnam War that will resonate with vets regardless of where they served or what role they played. General readers too will find the book entertaining and arresting—at times even humorous.”

Bruce McAllister ’69 Stealing God

Aeon Press Books

“In these 13 science fiction tales, McAllister invites you into a universe where nothing is more important than what it means to be human … even if the answer to that question may not be what you expect.”

Orlando (Dan) Davidson ’73

Baseline Road

Artemesia

“Southern California, May 1970, after Kent State. An economics professor is killed in a campus bombing. The FBI arrests a known radical and closes the case. The victim was collateral damage until detectives Jimmy Sommes and Carol Loomis investigate the closed case and discover a tangled web of secrets and deceit.”

Xander Marin-Stein ’07 (with Vanessa Marin) Sex Talks: Five Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life

Simon and Schuster

“There are plenty of books about sex—but this one is the only one that shows you how to talk to your partner about it.”

Have you published lately? Let us know by emailing alumni@cmc.edu.

John E. Allen ’73 Left Legacy of Support L

ike most CMC students, Houston native Gev C. Nweke ’25 is juggling academics along with a busy life on campus. He’s in the 3-2 program for mechanical engineering/economics, a member of the Black Student Association, and a QuestBridge scholar. As for hobbies, it is soccer, basketball, ping pong, or “any sport he can get his hands on.” Nweke is also a recipient of support from the John E. Allen ’73 Alumni Merit Award, which helps with some of his educational expenses, including technology and hardware needed for his major.

His classmate Julian D. Rivera-Williams ’25 is another recipient of four years of support from the John E. Allen Alumni Merit Award. RiveraWilliams hails from New York City and is majoring in economics. An athletic trainer and varsity sports photographer, he enjoys talks at the Athenaeum. Rivera-Williams said that without the generosity of the funding, “I never would have been able to afford CMC, nor would I have decided to make the trek all the way to California.”

Nweke and Rivera-Williams are just two of the 87 CMC students over the past 30 years who have benefitted from the generosity and commitment of John E. Allen ’73. Allen came to CMC in 1972 after attending junior college. During his two years on campus, he developed a deep love of and commitment to the College. One of 11 Black students to graduate from his class, Allen majored in political science and played football during his undergraduate years. He is

fondly remembered for his outgoing personality and his extraordinary commitment to the communities of which he was a member. Allen was the first Black president of the CMCAA Board of Directors, elected for the 1990-1991 term. In 1998, he received the Jack L. Stark ’57 GP’11 Distinguished Service Award for his commitment to the College, the Alumni Association, and the alumni of CMC.

“He was a very energetic man—very committed to CMC and very dynamic in that commitment,” said Trustee Rossi Russell ’71, who got to know Allen better after graduation than when they were on campus together in the 1970s.

Rossi recounted stories of Allen coming to campus to meet every new student, each year. In the days before Facebook, he would use the “Look Book” during the welcome event, which contained all the students’ names and pictures, and sought to have each student sign their image when he met them face-to-face.

Russell and Allen bonded over a common goal—to increase the diversity of the student body. In 1991, they set out to create a merit award that could help support students of color. Noting that CMC was losing a portion of accepted unrepresented students to other prestigious schools, Rossi committed his own funding and pulled in donors to create an endowed scholarship to increase “yield.” Allen, meanwhile, did the grassroots fundraising that enabled the fund to grow the sustaining roots it needed.

“He was the one who really got out there and rallied the troops, especially among the younger alums,” said Russell. “He just brought a ton of people in to support what we were doing.”

In 2001, the College renamed the fund after Allen, calling it the John E. Allen Merit Award, after Allen’s sudden death.

Associate Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid Jennifer Sandoval-Dancs said that having a financial tool like the John E. Allen funding can help attract underrepresented students.

“When they decide that Claremont McKenna is their top choice and it’s only affordability that’s keeping them away, this scholarship helps us to take that limitation away—and that is immensely powerful,” she offered.

And, Sandoval-Dancs said, it makes a lifelong impression on its recipients.

“I still run into alums who ask me whether this funding is still available to students because it was so important to them during their time at CMC,” she recounted.

Sevion DaCosta ’21 is one of those alumni. A four-year recipient of the fund, he found it a critical source of support for his CMC education,

John E. Allen ’73 was an enthusiastic supporter of the CMC experience.

Gev Nweke ’25 received support from the fund and used it for technology needs.

helping him to graduate with little to no debt. DaCosta recalls receiving the email from the Office of Admission with the news that he had received the scholarship. “I was elated! Receiving this award cemented that CMC would be the right place for me.”

DaCosta has since embarked on a career in finance working for BlackRock, which he says would not have been possible without the John E. Allen scholarship. “I fondly remember meeting with Mr. Rossi each year at the scholarship luncheon,” DaCosta recalled. The stories Mr. Rossi shared regarding the creation of the scholarship and impact it has had on the community made me feel even more proud of being a part of such a great community of Allen scholars.”

Rossi wants to keep Allen’s name alive and continue supporting students in his honor. He likes to think about how Allen would have responded to the continuation of his legacy as well as to the expressions of gratitude expressed by Nweke, RiveraWilliams, DaCosta, and all the other recipients over the years.

“He would have been thrilled,” Rossi enthused. “I mean, absolutely thrilled.”

Contribute in honor of John E. Allen or support any area that’s meaningful to you at www.cmc.edu/donate.

back, I stopped to ski at Alta and Jackson Hole. Before flying home to Ketchikan, Alaska, I spent a week at the Seattle Boat Show. I had left my sailboat ’on the hard’ to dry out before repairing and repainting it, but cold and wet weather delayed getting her back into the water until mid-May. Ketchikan enjoyed a beautiful summer. I, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy being tied to the dock for so much of it.

world research. This is truly one of the most unique opportunities available to CMC students, especially freshmen and sophomores. In terms of building a resume, this would be an eye-stopper heading!”

RILEY ATKINS and his wife, Marci, returned a few weeks ago from a return trip to Japan they “began in March 2020, cut short by the onset of the pandemic. It is a beautiful country with gracious people. I’m attaching a pic of my beloved ’74 class shirt. Does CMC provide these to newbies anymore?!”

“I consider myself ’semi-retired,’ practicing law from my ’home office’ (i.e., my sailboat). My life still remains adventurous, and I am looking forward to a lot of sailing throughout southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage next year. I always enjoy taking friends and classmates out with me. So, get in touch if you’re interested— welcome aboard. And see you at the reunion.”

Great that CHARLES MCNEILLY updates us on his current activities. “ I ran for mayor of Rockaway Beach, Ore., this past fall and won. I ran on a platform of transparency, enhanced channels of communication, and bringing the residents and merchants back into the governing process. I had a terrific campaign manager. We ran a campaign that combined door to door canvassing, yard signs, resident engagement, and social media. By the time you read this, I will have been sworn in and well into my new work.

“Rockaway Beach is in Tillamook County, is a popular tourist destination, and is best known for its beach. It’s approximately a 7-mile stretch of uninterrupted sand, and, like the entire Oregon coast, every inch open to the public. The city houses the Rockaway Beach Old Growth Cedar Preserve, 46-acres of wetlands that opened in 2019. Come visit.” Our congrats to Charles on his election victory and new job!

ORLANDO (DAN) DAVIDSON reports he now has a website for Baseline Road, his Claremont Collegesbased crime novel: www.orlandodavidsonauthor.com Worth checking out! “I’m planning to be in Claremont next June for the Big 50. See you there.” Yes, see you at our reunion in June.

KEN GILBERT ’73

214-641-8648

kpgilbert@sbcglobal.net

And this from STEVE NEWMARK in the desert Southwest, “While most of you have been or are being put out to pasture, I just got a new job as senior counsel at the national law firm of Clark Hill PLC. This is an exciting development and saves me from the abyss of eternal boredom. I am continuing to do what I have done for decades, Arizona state and local tax work and estate planning/probate.

“Personally, Jayne and I have been married 36 years. We have two boys, Kevin Robert (named after our dear, late friend KEVIN RILEY ’75 P’18 and GIB JOHNSON, aka ROBERT GIBSON JOHNSON, JR.) and Ben, who, shame on me, is not named after any CMCer. Kevin works on a farm, and Ben is an enlisted man in the United States Marine Corps. Jayne and I are very proud of them.

“I hope everyone has a great, healthy, and prosperous new year (even you, Gib).”

Save the date for our 50th reunion (darn!): May 29–June 2, 2024.

SKIP WEISS ’74 P’15 skipweiss@aol.com

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75

A little over 50 years ago, JAY SELMAN hailed me in the North Quad in September ’71 and said Dr. John Lilley at Scripps was looking for me. Dr. Lilley was head of the 4-College choir. So I went, auditioned, and was accepted into the group.

’74

MICHAEL GRABER reports, “Hope all’s well. I’ve been a member of a committee working hard to prepare the Roberts Environmental Center’s Research Station for the summer. The Center is offering internships for up to six students willing to commit one month on the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park doing real-

The Class of ’75 had a number of singers that joined the 4-College choir that freshman year: GEORGE RODRIGUEZ (RA ’74–’75), SCOTT (HOUGLAND) STONE, KENT SCROGGS, TOM GREENE, BRUCE MECKLING, VIK BATH, MARIO MAINERO P’10, DAVID ELDREDGE, JAY SELMAN, and a guy named Rob. There were students from Pitzer, Mudd, Scripps, and CMC, but very importantly, it was coed. As you may remember, for CMCers, that was a plus. And the music was grand. Jay Selman left and joined the Navy after his first semester. Bruce Meckling left after his first year, and went back to New York. Bruce played left wing on the soccer team and also played for the Pomona Rugby Club. Hated to see him go.

“I ran for mayor of Rockaway Beach, Ore.... By the time you read this, I will have been sworn in and well into my new work.”

– CHARLES MCNEILLY ’73

Class of 1974 t-shirt from Riley Atkins

Sevion DaCosta ’21 was a recipient of a John E. Allen ’73 award.

I recently spoke to Mario Mainero, our student body president ’74–’75, about the choir. Mario is currently an associate dean in the law department at Chapman University. He has attended several reunions that the choir has had, but, of course, the Class of ’75 attendees are dwindling. Mario is married with two children, a daughter and a son. He practiced law for many years and continues to participate in singing groups. He is a fine tenor.

BILL BLACK checked in. “So many folks I would like to catch up with and a few have come through Maine and visited over the years. We are in the most populous area of Maine (Portland), but it seems remote to most and there aren’t many flights to here.” He wanted to give a shout-out to KIM MEGONIGAL. Roommates stick together.

DAVID DOSS writes: “Vik Bath was in the New York area in June 2022 and he and his wife, Belinda, came by our house for coffee.

“Then, Vik and I reunited with BRYAN HUSSEY, who also lives in Connecticut, and ROBERTO ’TIVIO’ MUNOZ ’77, who came down from New Hampshire. We met for lunch near New Haven, Conn. and spent the afternoon remembering and exchanging news of teammates from the soccer team, talking politics, and catching up on our lives. Ed Campbell, HMC ’76, called in from Alaska and helped our memories. A great afternoon, with some great guys, reliving some great times. We all thank Coach Steve Davis for four years of excellent coaching, games, and lasting friendships.”

It was great to see Dave and meet his lovely wife, Christina. I had not seen Dave since ’76, and Bryan since graduation in ’75. We know that there will have to be a reprise of this get-together.

Drop me a line, give me a call, stay in touch the best you can.

VIK BATH ’75

832-493-2386 vikbath@yahoo.com

BILL ANDREWS ’75 billfandrews@gmail.com

’76 MARK LAURIA ’76 P’08 markwlauria@gmail.com

said, ’You might ask Prof. Bill Rood. He’s always popular but he might have space.’ Well, I did ask him, and Prof. Rood did say yes, and he was probably the most appropriate reader for that topic. Thank you, Ward. Although there was rarely much need to advise me, that day made a difference.

“And it went both ways. Alumni will remember his tradition of writing a classical Latin oration and coaching a student to deliver it at commencement. Let me tell you, it really wowed the parents. Shortly before our graduation, I was in Ward’s office, just chatting, and he asked if I wanted to see the speech. As president of the Forensic Society, I sure did, and I offered a couple of recommendations (a mention of coeducation, our class having the first women grads, and acknowledgement of the guest speaker), which he incorporated into the address (beautifully delivered by PETER STONE).

“The relationships between students and professors is a hallmark of the CMC experience. I was never one of Ward’s more significant students but I feel like our relationship, though fairly low level, was symbiotic, and full of respect and admiration in both directions. Ward was special and he made you feel special. He embraced the world and valued students who did the same. I have now transitioned into university teaching and my ambition is to become the Ward Elliott of the SDSU accounting program. I doubt I will ever measure up to him, but what a fine goal to pursue.”

FRANK CHMELIK ’78 P’18 fchmelik@chmelik.com

’79

Ever wonder what your classmates did on holiday breaks from school? I did, so I asked.

KEVIN GOODWIN P’16 wrote, “I was in Gordon Bjork’s macroeconomics class the fall semester of 1976. I had taken Econ 52 from him, and he was even better with the more detailed subject. Bjork always had an open door; if you didn’t understand something, you could always walk in and try to work it out. I had a question about something on Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. While helping me make clear something that had been obscure, he asked what I was doing over break. I told him that it was too far to drive back to Colorado, and I didn’t have enough money to do anything more local, so I was staying at CMC. He said, as only he can, ’No, Kevin, you will have Thanksgiving dinner at my house.’ He and Susan made room for me at their family table and forever I thank them for that.”

DAVID GOETSCH also was lucky. “Spring break was always Breckenridge, Colo., staying with classmates in one of their parents’ condos. Thanksgiving and Christmas were family oriented close by in Upland, Calif.”

BRUCE SOLL P’12 P’15 P’17 wrote about what he did more recently, “We were always in L.A. over Thanksgiving and the Hanukkah/Christmas holidays. This year we will be back in Park City for the winter … with a possible brief return to Pasadena for the Rose Parade to see the CMC float!”

Since my home was in faraway Kansas City, I was lucky enough to be invited freshman year (1975) to be the guest of ANDY ABRAHAM and his wonderful family in Scottsdale, Ariz. While there we went to an important Arizona vs. Arizona State football game. I also got to meet a family friend of the Abrahams’: Miss Frances— who was the host of the 1950s children’s TV program, The Ding Dong School. She was famous for ringing her hand-held school bell.

One other vacation memory: on a flight home to K.C. from the Ontario airport, I sat next to an off-duty flight attendant. Since I was going to drive back to CMC from K.C., she said to look her up when we drove through the Colorado ski town on the way. I picked up ANDREW DOWNS ’81 and we then looked for the flight attendant in her town. All I had was her first name, Roxy. We drove to the only gas station in the town, asked the attendant if he knew Roxy, and … of course he did, and he even had her phone number and address! Andy and I stayed with Roxy for a couple of days. Incredible.

News from our class is that JEFF DAAR was recently elected president of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission.

Lighthouse Public Affairs named MICHAEL GUNNING as chief strategy officer, a new position at the firm. Previously, Michael was senior vice president of legislative affairs for the California Building Industry Association.

’77 AL HARUTUNIAN III ’77

619-844-5960 al.harutunian@yahoo.com

’78

DAN GOLDZBAND remembers Professor Ward Elliott, “What can you say about those CMC professors whose outsized personalities exceeded even their intellectual gifts and capacity to inspire us as students? We had quite a few in our era, but Ward stood out, even among them. Others can describe his classroom antics, the singing parties, etc. To me, he was my advisor, and I had hoped he would read my thesis. When I asked, he replied he was already full up. My topic was the Concorde landing rights controversy, and after a moment’s thought he

DAVID GETTS’ news is truly electrifying: “After 16 years of working on the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project, my firm, SouthWestern Power Group, and my parent company, MMR Group, sold our first overhead electric transmission line project to our business partner (for the past six years), Pattern Energy. The transaction closed in the middle of July 2022. The SunZia Project comprises two, 550-mile lines (side by side) that run from the middle of New Mexico (near Corona) to the middle of Arizona (near Coolidge) and have a transmission capacity of 4,500 MWs. Line 1 is a 525kV direct current transmission facility that has a capacity to transfer 3,000 MWs. In partnership with my firm, Pattern Energy has been developing over 3,000 MWs of wind energy generation near the eastern end of SunZia since 2016, with the intent to use Line 1’s transmission capacity. The SunZia Line 1 transmission project, when combined with Pattern’s SunZia wind generation project will be the largest renewable energy project ever built in North America and will represent approx. $8 billion in capital expenditure. Pattern Energy expects that Line 1 will commence construction in the summer and will start operating at the end of 2025. They expect most of the wind energy will be delivered to customers in California. Pattern is now completing the financing and final construction arrangements for Line 1, with support from my development team at SouthWestern Power Group (SWPG) here in Phoenix

On Prof. Gordon Bjork’s Thanksgiving invitation in 1976: “He and Susan made room for me at their family table and forever I thank them for that.”

– KEVIN GOODWIN ’79 P’16

Harriet Nembhard ’91 to lead Harvey Mudd College

Harriet (Black) Nembhard ’91, has been named the sixth president of Harvey Mudd College (HMC), and begins her new role in July.

A nationally respected leader in the field of industrial and operations engineering, Nembhard is joining HMC from the University of Iowa where she is dean of the College of Engineering, managing a budget of $100 million and overseeing the academic programs, departments, and institutes that support more than 2,000 students. In this role, she leads initiatives in strategic planning and implementation, improving the college’s research profile and increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“I’m excited to bring my passion for STEM education to Harvey Mudd College, a leading higher-education institution in experimentation and innovation, especially in developing inclusive pedagogy, increasing diversity in STEM and incorporating interdisciplinary approaches,” said Nembhard. “I’m also excited to join a college that is so deeply dedicated to inspiring its students to have a positive impact on society.”

Nembhard began her college career at the age of 16 at CMC. She recognized her early interest in engineering management when she would accompany her father—who was a pilot—to airports, which sparked a curiosity in how their systems worked.

That interest in systems engineering led to a life of scholarship in applied statistics and operations research resulting in bachelor’s degrees in management-engineering from CMC and industrial

engineering from Arizona State University, as well as a Ph.D. in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan.

Her work has led to many advances including simulation tools for assessing emergency department patient flow, improved manufacturing processes for medical devices, and a sensorbased system to conduct early screening of Parkinson’s disease. These contributions helped improve quality of care for thousands of patients and framed a groundbreaking co-authored textbook, Healthcare Systems Engineering

Nembhard has held academic leadership positions at Oregon State University and The Pennsylvania State University, where she was the founding director of the Center for Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems, an interdisciplinary research institute that uses applied statistics and operations research to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare delivery to patients.

She has also led and participated in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at multiple institutions and professional societies including the National Science Foundation, National Academy of Engineering, and Society of Women Engineers.

A three-year alumna trustee, Nembhard also served on CMC’s inaugural Integrated Sciences Advisory Council.

“I love imagining what’s next, what’s better, what’s possible,” said Nembhard.

CMC Travel is Back!

Iconic Israel March 5–14, 2024

Join Gary Gilbert, CMC's associate professor of religious studies, on a long-awaited excursion through the Holy Land.

online.cmc.edu/CMCTravel

’80 PAUL NATHAN writes, “Thanks to WAYNE SLAVITT for all the years of service as I had asked him to take over from me. He did a wonderful job and we look forward to his role in our upcoming reunion.

“On a personal note, I just turned 65. Probably the oldest in our class; therefore, if anyone needs tips on how to submit for Medicare, just let me know. For all of you who were not born in the U.S., please note that you will need to go to a Social Security office to prove that you are a U.S. citizen; no one cares that you have paid taxes all these years!”

TORRIE (POLLACK) VAIL reports, “Sorry for the length but it has been nearly 40+ years! What did CMC provide that had a significant impact?

“1. Lifelong friends (and my first ex).

“2. Studying abroad exposed me to the learning opportunities found when living and traveling alone in foreign countries.

“Solo budget travel in Africa is very difficult and risky. After a few months, I hitched a ride in Victoria Falls with an overland crew heading for Harare. Many gin and tonics later, once they had established that I knew how to camp and get across borders, I was sent to Nairobi to work as a courier (tour guide) with a driver for a 12-passenger, 8-week, budget camping safari heading from Nairobi to Victoria Falls. I crammed like I was studying for a Rood final exam! Over the next few years, I led trips through 12 East and Equatorial African countries. Held at gunpoint in the DRC (always trouble in the Congo), ambushed in Tanzania, came down with malaria in Mombasa—best job I ever had. But, when a fax from home said my dad had terminal cancer, I quit. “Annenberg hired me back but it wasn’t the same, so I joined Caltech, eventually becoming alumni fund director. Such a fun environment for someone curious—worked with interesting alumni, razor-sharp department heads, and lunched with Nobel Prize winners.

“After my three kids were born, I switched to teaching college classes online for local colleges and universities.

“Single and retired now in rural Washington. When the world settles down, I hope to travel again (country count is 42; want 50+). Quarantined with my then19-year-old twins. We’re all still figuring out the new normal together.”

JOHN BOLMER writes, “I had a busy year of retirement. My wife and I checked in with BILL LEBLANC, ED WIDMANN ’62, THOMAS LYONS ’74 P’04, and ANDREW RINGEL ’91 a time or two. We also saw KATHY (EVANS) HURLEY P’07 and KELLY HURLEY ’79 P’07 at the Virginia wedding of KARL HEIM ’87’s son. We have our first grandbaby (six months old). Thank you, WAYNE SLAVITT, for your years of serving as liaison.”

and Albuquerque. Everyone at MMR Group and Pattern Energy is very pleased with this transaction. My firm received all its invested capital back as a result of the sale, and we have a significant payment expected next year that is tied to Line 1 achieving start of construction. My firm is retaining ownership of the second 500kV alternating current transmission line (now named El Rio Sol Transmission) which has a transfer capacity of 1,500 MWs and still needs a few more years of development work before it will be able to start construction. This is a landmark transaction in the electricity industry in the Western U.S. I, along with two of my colleagues, came up with the idea in 2006 and with the support of my parent entity, invested about $200 million in the project over the past 16 years. It has been a very long haul with lots of ups and downs along the way. It should be no surprise to anyone at CMC that it takes ages to get the environmental permits and rights of way needed to build a 550-mile electric transmission line in this country (or any other piece of linear infrastructure). It is very satisfying to be in the position where we expect this momentous, independent transmission project will get built soon.” My news is, my daughter, Augusta Greenbaum, is now an editor at The New York Times. Do you think that my writing for the CMC Magazine had an influence on her?

CLINT GREENBAUM ’79

cgreenbaum@aol.com

“3. Dr. Bill Rood’s classes and his map assignment taught me critical thinking, time management, and research skills.

“My career path has been based on curiosity. My first choice was working for a group that had a practical approach to environmental issues. The Nature Conservancy scientifically identifies threats to species and uses property rights to secure the preservation of the threatened species. Started as a clerk typist in the national office; within two years, I was running the Southern California Project Office.

“Art was next. I got a job at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu in their PR department. Amazing place to work, but after a few years, I was ready to move on.

“In L.A., the most interesting industry was entertainment/communications. I didn’t want to be IN the industry; I wanted to learn about it. A friend recommended me to the dean of the Annenberg School at USC. I got a job there (and my M.A.), ending up as director of career development (ironic, I know) for graduate and undergraduate students. Eventually, Korn/Ferry’s entertainment division recruited me and I finally had my first for-profit job.

“After turning 30, was hit with a series of ’Lemony Snicket’-worthy events. Once my divorce was final, and I was out from under the subpoena as a witness in my neighbor’s murder trial, and my doctor had cleared me medically from the car crash (there was much more), I sold everything I owned, and bought a round-theworld air ticket. I backpacked solo in East and South Asia, and ended up in Africa.

BENJAMIN WALDMAN writes, “There were so many opportunities CMC provided me that have significantly impacted my life that it’s hard to imagine my life without my time there.

“Let’s start with the obvious. Exposure to professors like Harold Rood, John Rutledge, Ron Teeples P’91, Craig Stubblebine, Alan Heslop, Fred Balitzer P’88 GP’21, Rick Quinones P’88, and Harry Jaffa helped me transition from a teenager who knew everything to an aspiring adult who realized he knew next to nothing. Langdon Elsbree’s literary coaching (along with a generous helping of Ds and Fs) took my writing from barely literate to almost passable.

“Working at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government provided me the opportunity to get involved in California political campaigns at the state and local levels and then on the Reagan/Bush campaign, which ultimately took me to Washington, D.C. and two stints at the White House. Former Congressman DAVID DREIER ’75 helped me when I ran for Congress in 1992 and 1994. Being part of the ’Claremont Mafia’ in Washington opened many doors to me that would surely have otherwise remained closed.

“Finally, I credit many of my fellow CMCers with helping to shape my worldview. So much learning at CMC was done by osmosis. The close contact with so many bright minds made those years very special.”

KEVIN SMITH writes, “Life changed significantly since my last update. Retired from civil service on Sept. 30, 2022, after numerous intelligence, targeting, strategy,

planning, and fires positions while appointed to the United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. Worked with, supported, and met many leaders and experts dedicated to the U.S. deterrence mission, many teammates I will miss, and with deep appreciation for CMC and Dr. Bill Rood for inspiring a lifelong passion. To celebrate I took my wife and four children to Paris, Amsterdam for a Rhine River cruise, then on to Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria. A blessing to share with my family in appreciation for the sacrifices they made.

“Additionally, Nebraska really is ’The Good Life,’ but a bit cold, so we purchased a home in Fleming Island, Fla., so I won’t need to be concerned with broken bones shoveling snow and ice. Now enjoying the warmth and sunshine as we begin our next chapter.”

ART DODD reports, “During freshman orientation and the meeting with your assigned advisor at Collins…

“I heard plenty of good advice from my various economics professors over my CMC years. Office hours were/are a true open door policy. The student does need to cross the threshold. Each professor knew that they would not be the one walking the walk, or enduring any consequences of their advice. Nonetheless, such offerings were both well intended and did have my interests at their center. I am sure I (chose) to ignore a lot of their offered wisdom.

“After lunch that meet-your-advisor day, I never again saw my assigned advisor, Professor Hoskins.”

From BROOKE TRAUT on the CMC opportunities question: CMC directly provided me with a career in software sales for Oracle, SAP, and other organizations; I was hired from a campus interview. I retired 35 years later.

“For an update: today, I’m in Ecuador visiting my son and family; spending a few months here preparing for mid-life change at nearly 70. I’d love to hear from any CMC folks in Ecuador or U.S. WhatsApp contact: Brooke Traut, 1-559-618-3241 | Email: traut.brooke@gmail.com.”

PAMELA POLZIN writes, “In April 2022 I retired after working as a pharmaceutical rep for thirty-one years at Pfizer. In 2016, my husband and I bought a villa on a river, in the vineyards of the South of France and we spent our summer vacations there. In May 2022 went on a photographic safari in South Africa. After we sell our last of eleven rental properties in Laguna Beach, we look forward to more freedom and travel and restoring our ’61 MBZ 190 SL.”

SCOTT COREY writes, “I have always thought CMC afforded me a fine education but, in a life of service, the things that have been most valuable to me were the moments of wisdom that came with the learning. Three, in particular, have stayed with me.

“Kevin Mulcahy taught that any single principle— considered in isolation, and taken to its logical extreme—becomes an absurdity. That has often reinforced my belief in moderation.

“Once, I told Prof. Harold Rood how profoundly we differed, but I apologized for the behavior of a friend I had brought to a meeting with him. He replied, ’You’re right. Just because, tomorrow, I might be on your firing squad, or you might be on mine, is no reason for us to be rude to one another today.’ It is possible to be civil, even across potentially mortal disagreement.

“The third bit of inspiration is a quote of James Blaisdell on the gate between CMC and Pomona. It reads, ’They only are loyal to this college who departing bear their added riches in trust for mankind.’ Decades after I first read that, I found myself physically blocking the most important founder of our human services agency (and his second in command) from berating one of our employees. After the confrontation, I found myself astonished that men with so much education, intelligence, and experience could be so crass. They knew she had recently been victim of bizarre domestic abuse, yet they contrived to bypass our boss, and corner her alone in her office.

“Then I remembered the Blaisdell quote, and it hit me with breathtaking clarity that these men were the opposite of that spirit. All their talents were bent to breaking her down. That insight armed us against their corrupt intentions and, with the help of law enforcement, we were able to defeat what turned out to be an attempt to turn our sober living houses into shelters for drug traffic.”

Robert Day Sciences Center

Naming Opportunities

At a current estimate of 135,000 square feet, the Center’s open and transparent design will house the innovative Kravis Department 0f Integrated Sciences.

For more information on ways you can be part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, contact:

Campaign@ClaremontMcKenna.edu

STEVE CASSELMAN P’07 writes, “There will be very few people in life that will have a significant influence on your core being. I have been lucky enough to have three such teachers/mentors; Professor Jerry Eyrich P’83 was one of those individuals. I thanked him personally, but to not publicly express my appreciation for his influence would be an injustice. Thank you. There was one other person I met at CMC that greatly influenced my life, STEVE NAYLOR, my junior year roommate. He, through extensive research, countless econometric models, spreadsheets, and months of exhaustive analysis, found the business opportunity that made my career. CMC was a good place to grow up for four years.”

From WAYNE SLAVITT, “CMC instilled confidence in me. As part of the world-class education I received at CMC, I learned a lot, both in my major (econ/accounting) and in other disciplines. What was I thinking about taking Prof. Lofgren’s constitutional law class in my freshman year or Jerry Eyrich’s econometric class? (Jerry chased me down one day in my junior year and said, ’Listen here Slavitt, I won’t let you graduate if you don’t take my class!’) Both classes kicked my behind, but also helped me realize that life isn’t easy and isn’t supposed to be. That takeaway enabled me to challenge myself in the various positions I have held over the years. I think about CMC a lot and am grateful for the many experiences and opportunities I have had because I went to CMC. For me, the CMC connection was no stronger than rooming with STEVE NAYLOR in my freshman year, which enabled me to meet Steve’s father, who helped launch my 40+ year career as an entrepreneur and business advisor. Thanks, Paul!”

From Class Liaison SCOTT TATE, “What opportunities

“Dr. Bill Rood’s classes and his map assignment taught me critical thinking, time management, and research skills.”

– TORRIE (POLLACK) VAIL ’80

did CMC provide you with that have made a significant impact on your life?”

Several but here are a couple. First, I worked a short period of time at the Rose Institute for State and Local Government, which was guiding Republican state legislature takeovers in the late ’70s. I parlayed that brief experience into a job working as the legislative aide for the Senate president pro tempore in the 1981 session and we successfully redistricted the state for total Democratic Party control.

Second, the classes I took, especially from Dr. Neal Brogden at Scripps (who also read my thesis) with an emphasis on writing papers to be delivered to the class to be savaged by the other students and also requiring each student to defend another’s paper was good advocacy training.

Class Note: After officiating in balmy California for 19 years, I refereed my first games in Idaho this year. One game was at a high school completely surrounded by cornfields. Final game at 29 degrees Fahrenheit with snow on the sidelines and slight flurry in the fourth quarter! Found out Idaho and Idaho football are a bit different than East Bay and California football.

SCOTT TATE ’80 tstate22@gmail.com

’81 KEN WECHSLER ’81 kenwechsler@gmail.com

group, and others who couldn’t make it, together again next year.

Glimmer of Hope Foundation, a local 501(c)3 that does health, education, housing, and micro finance projects in Ethiopia and Austin.

’82

JEFF POLLACK writes, “After 30 years in Marin County, MaryAnne and I sold our house and sadly said goodbye to the Bay Area. We now spend our time in Arizona on the golf course and exploring. KEN WECHSLER ’81 and I continue to remain in close contact and I get to share in his wonderful life with his wife, Olivia.

“Our boys are still in the Bay Area and our oldest, James, was just named to Forbes’ 30-under-30. Along with our other son, Mike, the two of them are riding the startup model and it is fun to watch their progress. I have resurrected my volunteer career in search and rescue and am now a helicopter rescue swimmer for the county search and rescue team—what a difference from mountain search and rescue. It seems like everything in the desert wants to get you. Would love to connect with classmates in Arizona.”

After a very nice reunion at CMC, KEN VALACH and CHRISTOPHER TOWNSEND treated a group of classmates to a terrific weekend in Las Vegas. “Rod and the Raiders Reunion Weekend” gathered Michele and CHRISTOPHER TOWNSEND, KEN VALACH, MEGGAN

KNOTT, DAN DEBEVEC, MIKE SEDER, JON STOTT, JOEL JONES, JERRY SCHWARTZ and KAREN JACOBSON ’83, FRANK FERGUSON P’17 and NOHEMI (GUTIERREZ) FERGUSON P’17, Cindy and KYLE RICHARDS ’80, CINDY (SCHWARTZ) GOLDBERG, and MICHELLE (DAVIS) STRATTON. The group had great fun getting reacquainted with one another. We had a wonderful private dinner at Caesar’s Palace, followed by an outstanding concert by 77-years-young Rod Stewart. The weekend concluded after attending the Raiders vs. Broncos game in a private suite at Allegiant Stadium. The generosity of Ken and Christopher was greatly appreciated by all! We’ll look forward to gathering the

NOHEMI

(GUTIERREZ) FERGUSON ’82 P’17 nohemi.ferguson@gphlawyers.com

’83

Reminder: our 40th reunion is just around the corner. June 1–4, 2023. Please come! As I said in my email to you all, you’ll never look younger than you do now, and we’re getting to the age where, if you wait, it might be too late. We’ll start dropping like flies in the next few decades (how’s that for a morbid invitation?). I also shared that I’m retiring at the end of July, and that the first order of business for my husband and me is a two-month boat trip on the eastside of Vancouver Island. After that, lots of skiing and boating, and we’ll see what else. Whether flakey or meaningful, it will be fun and flexible, after twenty five years locked into tight clinic schedules.

Ambassador LARRY “CHIP” ANDRÉ shares my timing: “After thirty-three years as an American diplomat, and thirty-six years with the USG (two years as a Peace Corps volunteer and eighteen months as Peace Corps staff), I am retiring in mid-2023. I will finish my time with the State Department by continuing to lead our great team here at the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia. We are making significant progress working with the Somali people and their government in both humanitarian response to the worst drought on record and dramatic advances achieved by Somali security forces against the local al Qaeda outfit, with assistance from international partners including five East Africa neighbors, the U.S., EU, U.K., UN, and Turkey. A recent twin bombing in Mogadishu by the terror network received worldwide coverage. The series of major defeats suffered by the terror group and liberation of dozens of communities over the last few months received almost no coverage at all. Sigh. I do not intend to retire retire. I am not yet past my ’sell by’ date, in my opinion. So, I am exploring other opportunities both here at home (we live in between Austin and San Antonio) and abroad. I wish you all health and happiness.”

LYNN SONES can’t retire yet: “Count me in for our reunion next June! PETER HUTT would shame me to no end if I didn’t attend. As for retirement, I made a commitment that I wouldn’t retire until my dog passes. No sense in retiring if you can’t travel on a whim, and my dog at age 15 (105 in dog years) is showing no signs of slowing down, so it’s nose to the grindstone at least for now. That said, my wife, Nancy POM ’82, and I are still able to catch a trip here and there. We recently traveled to Jordan and Israel and visited one of the seven wonders of the world: Petra. Hope all is well. See you in June!”

JACK NEWMAN is still going strong: “We just finished a year-long, $500,000 update of the Austin Tennis Academy physical plant. ATA College Prep, a fully accredited, private school continues to grow (40 students this year) and college placement continues to be outstanding. Our mission is to produce citizens of significance, not just accomplishment.

“We recently had more than fifteen alumni fly in from across the country to participate in a fun doubles team fundraiser for the Austin Athletic Scholarship Foundation. We also continue to be associated with

“I continue to coach full time as well as CEOing ATA. I’m traveling quite a bit this year with our best students to International Tennis Federation tournaments as well as U.S. Nationals and entry-level professional events. In answer to CMC’s question ’What opportunities did CMC provide you with that have made a significant impact on your life?’

“Reflecting on this prompt two things come to mind: 1. Being exposed to professors who pulled no punches was an excellent opportunity. Mary Berger, my freshman English professor, regularly returned papers with more red ink in corrections than my original black ink. Dr. Gerald Bradley not so gently guided me out of calculus into more humanities. Both helped me become who I am today. One helped me acquire skills that I use on a daily basis, the other helped me understand I was not meant for everything. Both were significant mentors. 2. The second thought that came to mind is the opportunity to develop life-long relationships. I return to campus regularly to support the tennis program and keep in regular and sporadic touch with my former teammates and classmates.”

ELAINE ROSSI reports: “STEVE DALZELL was just over for dinner (TK note: to Elaine’s house in Hawaii) on Saturday—we failed to take a photo. It was so nice to catch up—he was here once before for work a year ago or so. He says he might come for the reunion.” I (TK) think Elaine will also be there…I will be, of course.

SHELLEY BLANTON-STROUD says, “I believe ANDY STROUD and I will be there for the reunion.”

HENRY OLSEN, in reply to my morbid invitation to our 40th reunion, writes, “I’m not dead yet, although I did turn 61 this year. Kids are out of the house and attending college and I am taking advantage of that to travel! Trips to Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, and Australia highlighted the vacation year, as did visits with my dad in Northern California and some business travel in the continental U.S. I’ll be spending the winter (January–May) in sunny Arizona as I take a visiting scholar position at Arizona State University. Let me know if you’re in the Phoenix metro area—I’d love to catch up with you! And I am definitely attending the reunion this spring—hope to see some of you there!”

Please come to our 40th reunion. I’ve enjoyed all the reunions I’ve gone to: you might, too. At worst, you’ll grumble that it was a wasted weekend because you didn’t see the classmates you wanted to because they were bums and didn’t come. But at least you won’t regret missing the event, which you will never get a redo on. This should be a well-attended reunion: it’s a big milestone. Only the 50th will be bigger—if we all keep eating our Wheaties.

Your devoted class liaison, Tammie Calef Krisciunas

TAMMIE (CALEF) KRISCIUNAS ’83 tammiekrisciunas@mindspring.com

Jeannine and ROD STREEPER continue to enjoy the San Diego area, volunteering at Cabrillo National Monument in the tidepools as interpreters. Rod has taken up bicycling with a local club, and just opened a

warehouse for his two businesses. Jeannine continues to work at Grossmont College in the business department.

The most impactful event at CMC was the opportunity to study abroad. Rod spent a semester in Vienna, which not only generated a lifelong friendship with his roommate there, but was a stepping stone to working abroad in the Peace Corps. He met Jeannine during his four years in West Africa—and the rest is history.

MIKE BINGHAM updates, “All goes well here in Minnesota. We just celebrated Paige’s 60th birthday and our 35th wedding anniversary. PAIGE KEENE and I met in December of our senior year at CMC and had our first date at First Street, if anyone remembers that restaurant.”

JEROME HAIG ’84 P’22 jeromehaig@me.com

DEBORAH BONITO writes, “I can report that several of my CMC friendships remain near and dear, even though I missed this year’s annual gathering with KATHI CALOURI, ELIZABETH CASEY BURGESS P’20, DEBI (WILSON) MOORE, SHELLEY BLANTON-STROUD ’83, MAGGIE SYKES P’14, CAROLE BRIGHT-ALVAREZ, and (this year’s cameo) JEANETTE (MCMULLIN) JONES. We have had several restful and meaningful gatherings together. Love these women!

’84

“Last week, LISA HARRIS came to Anchorage to visit with me and her son Fletcher.

Fletcher has been up here working on the Mary Peltola for Congress campaign.

(Her special election victory was historic, as she is the first Alaska Native to represent our great state in the U.S. Congress!) Lisa and I drove the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet to take in a new Nordic spa at Alyeska Resort. Her blood still thin from L.A. living, Lisa gamely dipped from hot sauna to freezing cold pool in a lovely, wooded setting. We talked about family, business, and politics, had some great meals, and were thankful for the short break together. Sending fond well-wishes to the Class of ’85 and all those I encountered during my CMC days!”

PETER OTTE ’85 P’26 peter@popsb.com

’86 JEN TSANG ’86 jtsangk@gmail.com

CAROL (OLIVER) HARTMAN ’86 P’19 Cohartman1gmail.com

’87

FRED DELLOVADE ’87 fredd@hullanesthesia.com

Districts. I am also co-parenting an 11-year old boy, Tai, who skis a lot better than I do, but is still a little bit behind on the soccer pitch. I am volunteering to coach Tai through the American Youth Soccer Organization and we’re having a great time of it. Also enjoying the World Cup together. I am very excited that he’ll have it in the U.S. as a 15-year-old. I stay in touch with many of our CMC colleagues regularly: JOSH QUINONES, MATT KINNEY, STEVE BULLOCK P’24, MIKE KENNEDY, JOHN POULOS ’87, JOHN HUSSEY ’87, and NICK BAGATELOS ’86, to name a few. Huss-dawg and I watched Sacramento State play football with BRIAN BOONE ’86 a couple of weeks ago. All are doing well, as I am. I won a fight with cancer in 2021, and am now healthy and excited for what is to come in 2023. If any of you come through Davis let me know.

(including JACK STARK ’57 GP’11 and JIL STARK ’58 GP’11, who remain great friends!), and staying in touch with the College.”

KELLEY (FELDSOTT) REYNOLDS writes: “I’ve been feeling super connected to CMC lately, enjoying events like the virtual wine tastings and To Kill A Mockingbird at the Pantages Theatre. STEVE TORTI ’87 and I ran into BJORN MALMLUND P’19 and his wife Eleni Malmlund P’19 at the Lost 80’s concert at the Greek Theatre! Steve and Bjorn were roommates freshman year, and he was sitting behind us at the concert! Small world. I also had lunch with SCOTT PEARSON ’90 in Century City last month. It was fun to connect with him. Seemed like no time had passed since we were neighbors in Beckett.”

’88

From CAM TREDENNICK, “I am living in Davis, CA continuing my work in land and water conservation, law, and policy as the newly appointed executive director of the California Association of Resource Conservation

“In terms of opportunities, I would say many. The chance to be a part of the first years of PPE, and to develop the friendships I did come to mind. Also, learning how to think and write under some incredible educators was a tremendous benefit. Finally, I have been a part of the Roberts Environmental Center advisory board for a couple of decades. I have had great fun working with the students, educators, and other board members engaged with that program

JOHN TEEPLES writes: “I am retired from teaching high school and was recently accepted into the Los Angeles Zoo docent training program. I hope that spending 30 years in a high school science classroom is a good way to prepare for volunteering at the zoo. I can’t wait to see everyone at Alumni Weekend and maybe you’ll catch me by the tiger exhibit one day soon.”

MIKE SEKITS writes, “I have lived in Manhattan Beach for nearly 30 years. All three boys are now out of the house and either finished or nearly finished college.

Adopt-a-Rose Donors

Jason Brooks ’06 & Erin Brooks

Melissa Brown P’24 & Clifford Rhodes P’24 in honor of Lauren A. Rhodes ’24

Charles Bullock ’66 & Pamela Jewett-Bullock

Gemma Bulos

Julita Bulos

Fernando Bustamante P’25

Johanna Butler ’83 & Dawna Hubert in memory of Dennis Cabaret ’80

Jonathan Byers ’93 in honor of Patricia Byers P’93

Gabriela Campana P’26 in honor of Daniella Reyes ’26

Capital Group Companies

Robert Carlin ’69 & Masako Carlin

Devin Cavero ’18 in memory of Eric

Joanna Chavez ’12 & Nathan Chavez

Miao Chen P’24 & Ethan Hou P’24

Athena Chiera ’06

Brian Chmelik ’18

Angela Christensen P’22 & Andrew

Christensen P’22 in honor of Trevor Christensen ’22

Randy Churchill ’57 & Jennifer Churchill in honor of Brian Eric Churchill

Monica Emanuel ’08 & Cody Eager in honor of Ruth Emanuel P’08 and in memory of Lorie Sidy

Caroline Empey ’26

Tasha Ericksen ’90

In memory of Doug Ericksen

Eric Exner ’86 & Teri Exner in honor of Stephen Caleb Carfaro ’24 and Luke Carfaro ’26

John Faranda ’79 in honor of Evan Rutter ’06

Debra Farve P’08 & Reynaud Farve P’08

Katherine Femia ’06

Michael Fern ’01

Amalia Fernandez ’06

John Ferris III P’26 in honor of Luke Ferris ’26

Amy Flanagan ’11 & Beck Flanagan in honor of Poppy and Parker Newland

Kathy Flatley P’03

Roma Forest ’19 M’19 & Ethan Tom ’19

Katherine Forrest P’22

Eric Fujimoto ’93 P’24 & Loriann Fujimoto P’24 in honor of Dylen Fujimoto ’24

Alexander Houy ’19 in memory of George Gutnikov

Jack Huang ’19 in memory of Dolly

Professor Mark Huber in memory of Gladys Thies

Liz Huttner ’05 in honor of the Class of 2005

Lara Ingraham ’94

Amy Inouye P’26 & John Inouye P’26 in honor of Tom Inouye ’26

Brandon Isem Caceres ’25

Ryan Iwasaka ’94 & Una Chung-Iwasaka

Catherine Iwicki P’23 M’23 & Matthew Iwicki P’23 M’23, Ann Iwicki in honor of Lizzie Iwicki ’23

Dahlia Jabro P’26 & Mark Jabro P’26 in honor of Matthew Jabro ’26

James Jacobs in memory of Peter Maier ’49

Megan Jordan in memory of Hugh Jordan, MD

Lucie Kapner ’22 in honor of Steve Kapner P’22

Jacob Adolphe ’21

Ahdritz P’22 Family

Allison Aldrich P’24 & Steven Aldrich P’24

Bill Allin ’65 in memory of Lucille Allin

Tanya Altmann ’94 & Philip Altmann

Lynn Alvarez Doupsas ’94 & George Doupsas in memory of Captain Jack Goddard

Liza Ampudia P’26 & Jaime Ramirez P’26 in honor of Roman Ramirez ’26

Michael Asakawa ’99

Eric Aved ’91 P’26 & Erin Aved P’26

Linda Avila P’09 & Mario Avila P’09 in honor of Mario Avila ’09

Timothy Ayres ’80

Karine Babayan P’26 & Artavazd

Kardashyan P’26 in honor of Armine Kardashyan ’26

Lorraine Bains ’88 in honor of CMC’s 75th Anniversary

Robin Bartlett ’67 & Barbara Nissen-Bartlett in honor of Claremont Men’s College Class of 1967

Sharon Basso in memory of John Schiavone, Sr.

Carsten Baumann ’91 P’24 & Nancie Carollo P’24 in honor of Nathaneal Baumann ’24

Gary Birkenbeuel ’80 & Betsy Birkenbeuel

Chris Blackburn ’90

Kelly Blaes Kharbanda ’06 & Anand Kharbanda in honor of the Class of 2006

Janelle Blanco ’81 P’17 & George Blanco ’79 P’17

Natalya Bogopolskaya ’08

Pogos Boyadzhyan in memory of Takush Boyadzhyan

Mary Braet & Professor Paul Hurley in honor of Myrna Elliott, the Co-Host at Toad Hall in memory of Professor Ward Elliott in memory of Nadeem Farooqi ’15

Tracey Breazeale P’23 P’24 & Jeff Breazeale P’23 P’24 in honor of Anderson Breazeale ’24 and Thayer Breazeale ’23

Annett Brissett P’25 & Anthony Brissett P’25

Lori Brody P’21 in honor of Nathaniel Brody ’21

Cheryl Bronstein Kahn ’02 & Steve Kahn ’01 in honor of Christiana Dominguez ’01

Christine Ciriani ’95 & Marc Ciriani in honor of Professor Marc Massoud P’89

Ramona Colbert P’25 in honor of Briggitte Colbert

Kristin Collins ’00 in honor of Carmen Cano GP’00 on her 100th birthday

Karen Cornell ’84 P’21 & Curtice Cornell ’85 P’21

Hillary Cotton P’25 & Jason Cotton P’25

Melissa Crowley ’02

Leonore Cruz P’24 & Joseph Cruz P’24

Christian Curcio ’20 in honor of Claremont Women in Business

Jessica Dang ’13 in honor of the Class of 2013

Tina Daniels ’93 in honor of Bill Koury ’93

Cary Davidson ’75 & Andrew Ogilvie

Madeleine Davidson ’16

Megan Davidson

Joseph Deleon ’21

Katy Delgado P’22 & Mario Zamora P’22 in honor of Kim Zamora ’22

Alanna DeMuro ’20

Mariana Diaz P’05 in honor of Ronald R. Diaz ’05

Ronnie Diaz ’05 & Adrian Pinedo

Sarah Dick ’11

Reid Dickerson, Jr. ’18

John Dombrowski ’07

Christiana Dominguez ’01 & Robert Nicholson in honor of the Class of 2001

Patricia Dominguez-Bitetti P’24 & Mark Bitetti P’24 in honor of Natalie Bitetti ’24

Claudia Donald P’24 & Howard Rhett P’24 in honor of Jason Rhett ’24

Jim Donohue ’94 & Julie Donohue

Lori Dorn P’23 & Larry Thrall P’23 in honor of Louie B. Thrall ’23

Jazzmin Earl P’24 & Prentiss Earl III P’24 in honor of Payton M. Earl ’24

Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert & Gary Gilbert in honor of Adam Gilbert ’91 P’22

Lauren Eglin P’26 & Connor Eglin P’26 in honor of Davis Eglin ’26

ErisJames Elliott ’23

Joanne Elliott P’23 & Stephen Elliott P’23

Elizabeth Ellsworth P’24 & Scott Ellsworth P’24 in honor of Will Ellsworth ’24

Timothy Galbraith ’87 P’23 & Jill Slansky P’23 in honor of Evan Rutter ’06 in honor of DT Graves ’98, Sharon & the entire Dean of Students’ Office in honor of Jeannie Scalmanini in honor of the Class of 1987

Madeline Galbraith ’23 in honor of Natalie Phillips ’25 and Caroline Phillips ’22 in honor of the CMC Office of Admission Staff and fabulous Tour Guides

Anna Garcia & Robert Garcia

Cristian Garcia ’16

Norman Geurts ’96 & Kristine Geurts

Adam Goldston ’88 & Rita Goldston

Teresa Gonsalves ’90 & Mohamed Harchich

Pete Goodlatte ’70 in honor of Maria Goodlatte

Andrew Goodman ’13

Marsi Gorman P’24 & Sean Gorman P’24 in memory of Hazel Bucken

Suko Gotoh P’23 & William Adler P’23 in honor of Kimiko Adler ’23

DT Graves ’98 & Steven Graves in honor of Michael Haas ’79

Sue Greenberg ’81 & Joe LoGiudice

Kristin Gregory P’26 & Samuel Gregory P’26 in honor of Eva Gregory ’26

Laura Grisolano ’86 & David Hanselman

Michael Grouskay ’17

Kristi Gudoski Cook P’26 & Keyaan Cook P’26 in honor of Jada Cook ’26

Olga Guptill P’89

Gilbertas Gurupira P’25 & Duncan Kiara P’25 in honor of Ruva Kiara ’25 and in memory of Koko Kiara

Bryn Hamson P’21 & Ben Hamson P’21 in honor of Cam Hamson ’21

Latoya Harvey ’96

Krissy Haugen Soltman ’88 & Michael Soltman in honor of the Class of 1988

Nicole Heath P’22 & Lawrence Heath III P’22 in honor of Sydney Heath ’22

Mark Henson ’05

Glenn Hickerson ’59 & Cheryl Hickerson

Jennifer Hirsch

Javier Ho ’96 & Kim Lee

Andrew Holzer ’23 in honor of Paige Sorgen ’23 and in memory of Gibby Singerman

Lauri-Michelle Houk P’26 & Benjamin Houk P’26 in honor of Michael Houk ’26 and in memory of Michael Rohde

Virginia Kapner P’22 & Steven Kapner P’22

Scott Keep ’65 & Ann Cuningham

Robert Ketterer ’85

Amjad Khan ’01 & Saddia Khan

Arlene Kim P’23 in honor of Abigail Kim ’23

Abigail Klarin in honor of Caramel and Mama

Hannah Klarin in honor Grandma Martha

Tricia Knott ’84 & Richard Greta

Christopher Larson P’23 in memory of Dean Larson

David Leathers ’15 in memory of Nadeem Farooqi ’15

Mark Leavens ’83 & Kay Leavens

Cecilia Ledesma ’12

Min Hyung Lee ’21 in honor of Olivia Renfro ’23

Colleen Levine ’99 & Louis Levine ’99

Yu-Yu Lin ’10 in honor of the Class of 2010

Ricky Loan

Brian Long ’01 & Megan Martin

Jenny Lopez ’01

Ken Low ’71 & Mary Callahan Professor Wendy Lower in memory of Elsbeth Mauch

Laura Lulejian Klein ’92 & Andy Klein

Monica Lyons

H. Larry Maass ’65 P’90 & Susan Maass P’90

Elaine MacDonald P’91 P’91 P’94 GP’26 in honor of Ian Akers ’26

Michelle Madruga ’92 & Ray Madruga

Martin Mahoney ’80 & Susan Clarke-Mahoney In memory of Jeff Glass ’79

Mario Mainero ’75 P’10 & Denise Mainero P’10 in memory of Professor Ward Elliott

Echo Malinowski-Cunningham ’27

Charles Manger IV P’05 & Carol Manger P’05

Ivy Martin P’08

Susan Matteson King ’85 P’18 & David King P’18

Liz Matthias ’81 & Stephen Pickett in memory of Judson and Georgia Matthias P’81

John McDowell ’79

James McElwee ’74 P’12 & Suzanne McElwee P’12

Natalie McGill ’92 & Austin Forsyth ’92

Erin McGuire ’02 & Preston Farmer ’01

Stacey McIlroy ’90 P’26

With immense gratitude to all donors who adopted a rose by making a gift in support of student scholarships.

Hilary McKinnon P’17

in honor of Emily Grace McKinnon ’17

Barbara McLaughlin ’01 & David McLaughlin

in honor of Bri Baker ’01

Josh Meadows ’20

in honor of the Meadows Sajet Family

Gwen Mehra P’23 & Anil Mehra P’23

in honor of Tara N. Mehra ’23

Carlos Mendez ’20

in honor of the Mendez Family

Maria Mercado P’25 & Carlos Morales P’25

in memory of Olga Irizarry Mangual

David Meyer ’78

David Mgrublian ’82 P’11 & Margaret

Mgrublian P’11

Beth Milev ’05 & Vladimir Milev

in honor of Iva Milev and Vladi Milev

Akbar Mirza ’13

in memory of Ali Mirza ’15

Mustafa Mirza ’76 P’13 P’15 & Elizabeth

Mirza P’13 P’15

in memory of Ali Mirza ’15

Ilona Moizesch Brunner ’07 & Takaya

Brunner ’07

Veronica Montelongo P’23 & Juan

Montelongo P’23

in honor of Carlos D. Montelongo ’23

Lindsay Morales ’08 & Robert Morales ’07

Jay Morris ’23

Anne Morris P’23 & Robert Morris P’23

Elizabeth Moses

Ted Muegenburg ’61 & Dale Muegenburg

Lisa Mueller P’26 & Robert Mueller P’26

Kuheli Mukherjee P’26 & Uditt

Mukherjee P’26

in honor of Resh Mukherjee ’26

Matthew Myzak ’04

Dana Nagengast

Robert Nakasone ’69 P’98 & Lynn Nakasone P’98

Christopher Nawrocki ’25

in honor of Professor Robert Valenza

Kristina Nelson ’02 & Mark Nelson

Harriet Nembhard ’91 & David Nembhard

Chad Newbry ’14

in honor of Joe Newbry ’14

Fred Newman ’68 & Linda Newman in honor of Linda Newman

Kayla Nonn ’15 in honor of Hashim Jamil ’15

Jerilyn Olson ’05 & David Olson in honor of Jerilyn (Tetzlaff) Olson ’05

Kimberly Ordunio in honor of Henry & Anna Ordunio

Luke Ostrander ’21

Christina Paddock ’91

Azucena Paiz P’15

in memory of Nadeem Uddin Farooqi ’15

Valerie Parrish P’21 P’23 & Jeremiah Parrish P’21 P’23 in honor of Kate Parrish ’21 and Abby Parrish ’23

Michele Pashby ’19

Susanne Paulson ’88 & Cameron Paulson

Maryl Petreccia ’84

Abigail Petuchowski ’16

Tina Pham ’00 & Joel Kittle

in honor of the Class of 2000

Bill Podlich III ’66 GP’26 & Patricia Podlich GP’26

Tony Poer ’90 & Rachael Karp

in memory of Steve Fairchild ’90

Mary L. Pund P’26 & Rob Sapirstein P’26

in honor of Rachel Sapirstein ’26

Claudia Raigoza ’14

in memory of Bill Haines, Jr.

Vickie Ramos Harris

Dawson Reckers ’21

in honor of the Class of 2021

Ellen Rentz

in honor of Martin Ketels

Kelley Reynolds ’88

Kalpana Rhodes P’24 & James Rhodes III P’24

Ruby Rico

Ravin Rijhsinghani M’16

in honor of the Robert Day Class of 2016

Sheri Ripley & Steve Ripley

in memory of Michael L. Heflin, Jr.

Marc Risman ’75 & Erin Risman

Cristina Rivera ’03 & Jeffrey Rivera

Allison Robinson ’92 & Steve Robinson

Laura Romero ’90 & RJ Romero ’89

Jill Romo Wheeler ’87 & Tom Wheeler

Christina Rudolph P’26 in honor of Ally Rudolph ’26

Payson Ruhl ’19

Brittany Ruiz ’08 & James Simpson

Evan Rutter ’06 & Michelle Chamberlain

Brian Sakamoto ’96 & June Sakamoto

Ellen Saliba P’05 & Edward Saliba P’05 in honor of Joshua Keough ’04

Debra Samuels ’81 in honor of the Class of 2023

Alecia Sanchez ’00 & Ross Hammond

Angelica Sangsvang P’26 & Chumnan

Sangsvang P’26 in honor of Jim Sangsvang III ’26

Yesenia Santacruz ’01

Amalia Santiago P’26 & Ariel Santiago P’26 in honor of Ariel Santiago, Jr. ’26

Skip Sanzeri ’83 & Lori Sanzeri

Melinda Satterlee P’22 & Perry Satterlee P’22 in honor of Stiles Satterlee ’22 and in memory of Gail Harmon

Mark Schwartz ’78 & Lisa Schwartz

Mike Seder ’82 & Diana Seder

Viv Seyranian ’00 in memory of Katherine Gouvias ’99

Mark Shappee ’66 & Sue Shappee

Daniel Shi ’07 & Young Ha Shi

Riti Shimkhada ’99

Kimberly Shiring in memory of Maureen Petropoulos

John Shrewsberry ’87 P’24 & Ereca Miller P’24

Simrun Shroff ’24

Tamara Skinner ’17

Darshan Smaaladen P’26 & James Smaaladen P’26 in honor of Bryant Smaaladen ’26

Charisse Smith ’97 & John Smith in memory of Lonnie Lawrence P’97

Melissa Smith P’26 in honor of Tristen Tate ’26

Donald Sohn ’95

Cecilia Son P’25 & Phillip Son P’25 in honor of Justin Son ’25

Lea Sorgen P’23 & Phil Sorgen P’23 in honor of Paige Sorgen ’23

Paige Sorgen ’23

Jim Sotiros ’75

Dave Spare ’87

Ellen Spear P’22 & Rick Spear P’22 in honor of Hallie Spear ’22

Gail Spinelli P’26 in honor of Zoe Spinelli Schellenberg ’26

Kerry Brooke Steere

Kristi Steinberg ’87 & Richard Steinberg

Melissa Stone P’23 & Rob Stone P’23 in honor of Sabrina Stone ’23

Katie Stuart P’23 & Robert Stuart P’23 in honor of Hannah Stuart ’23

Mike Sutton ’76 & Mary Jean Neault in memory of Lillian W. Sutton P’76 and Jean A. Neault P’86, P’88, P’89

Janice Takei P’08 & Glenn Takei P’08 in honor of Marc K. Takei ’08

Kevin Tan ’86 P’25 & Sharon Tan P’25

Ramoona Teebay P’16 & Richard Teebay P’16 In honor of Catherine Teebay ’16

John Teeples ’88 & Nicolas Martinez

Leanna Tevis P’26 & Jason Tevis P’26

Alistair Thistlethwaite M’10 & Karen Ouyang

Dorlisa I. Tillman in honor of Faculty Support Services

Tracy Tolkien P’24 & Simon Tolkien P’24

Sandra Tom P’06 in honor of Matthew Oda ’06

Scott Torrey ’91 P’23 P’26 & Cara Torrey P’23 P’26

Nancy Treser-Osgood in honor of Michelle Chamberlain and Evan Rutter ’06

Sandy Tsao P’26 & Hsin Chung Yu P’26 in honor of Jaimie Yu ’26

Vivianne Tsao ’00

Colleen Tselentis ’91

Kathleen Tuominen-Lenney P’25 & Keith Tuominen P’25 in honor of Gail Lenney

Jen Üner ’86 & Kubilay Üner in memory of Richard L. Smith ’64 in memory of Tom Saltzman ’64 P’86

Payam Vadi M’16

Lindsay Vos ’99 & Eric Vos

Helena Wallin-Miller ’91 & Chris Miller in honor of John Faranda ’79

Sike Wang ’21

Bridgette Ware P’26 in honor of Tamoy Pitt ’26

Brian Watkins ’92

Judi Watts & Ray Watts in honor of Clare Watts

Jill Weiner ’87

Shari Weintraub ’84

Mark Weiss ’07 & Joanna Tsai in honor of Martha Weiss P’07

Donna Wengert Neff P’21 in memory of Tom Neff ’76 P’21

Janice Whitaker P’18 in honor of Wesley Whitaker ’18

Cameron Whiting ’15M’15

Jessica Witt ’00 & Kyle Witt in honor of the Berger Girls ’00

Jeremy Wolff ’13

Kaitlyn Woltz

Anne Wong ’92 & Chris Wong ’91 in memory of Maureen Brady Martinez ’91 and Andrew Schipper ’91

Yanira Wong ’95 & Ray Amanquah in memory of Judith Merkle Riley and Clark

Kuchema

Norah Wu

Linnea Xu ’12 & Haotian Xu

Jenny Yan P’25 & Jasper Jiang P’25

Carla Young ’86 & Byron Young in memory of Celic Cocio

Jin Zhao P’23 in honor of Ava Liao ’23 and in honor of Sarah Chen ’22

The Rose Parade® Float was entirely funded by generous benefactors. Thank you to the following donors:

Richard Chino ’90

Cary Davidson ’75 and Andrew Ogilvie

Robert Day ’65 P’12

John Faranda ’79

Mark and Paulette Geragos ’85

Tao Li ’02

Cheryl and Glenn Hickerson ’59

Sue Matteson King ’85 P’18

Jim McElwee ’74

Margaret P’11 and David G. Mgrublian ’82 P’11

Bob Nakasone ’69 P’98  Talmadge O’Neill ’90  Bill Podlich ’66 GP’26

Laura ’90 and RJ Romero ’89

Cara P’23 P’26 and Scott Torrey ’91 P’23 P’26

Joy P’12 P’15 P’17 and Bruce Soll ’79 P’12 P’15 P’17

Jane ’82 and Ken Valach ’82  Shaw Wagener ’81 and Deborah Heitz

JOHN ZAKOSKE writes: “I keep in touch with JOSH QUINONES and BOB ANGUS by texts re: soccer. Hoping for a U.S. win vs. Iran today in the World Cup tournament. Lucky enough to still be married to Moira Kelley POM ’88; to be at the same job for 25+ years where most of my coworkers are my friends; to have just celebrated the birth of grandchild number three; and to be starting a band for the first time since college.”

CAM TREDENNICK ’88 dcamtred@gmail.com

“In 2016, I started a fintech venture firm and have recently formed a consortium of mid-sized banks as investors. I have served on the Goodwill national and Goodwill Seattle boards for a total of seven years—it’s a fantastic organization that enhances lives through the power of work.

“I like to spend time boating and stay in shape doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I remodeled a second home on Bainbridge Island, Wash., during the pandemic and spend much of the summers in the Seattle area. Go Hawks! I stay in touch with JOHN WINKENWERDER, ROB KETTERER ’85, and TRISTAN BARRIENTOS through annual fishing trips to Mexico. Hoping that MARK TROUTMAN can join us one of these times.

“In terms of opportunities provided by CMC, an encouraging career development center guided me toward opportunities in investment banking/ finance and proactive teachers like Professor Marc Massoud P’89 provided crucial references to launch my career and ensured I was prepared to survive this

volatile industry. But the biggest impact is the lifelong friendships first developed at CMC. Great excuses to go fishing in Cabo!”

MATTHEW GLEASON reports that all is well in Tucson. His business is growing and so is the family, with his oldest boy recently getting married.

BRAD BODINE writes: “After THOMAS DEANE’s passing, I reconnected with JON GOLDSTEIN and a few others for a virtual remembrance. It was good to hear and see old friends. After more than 30 years on Wall Street, I am working on a project in the fintech space and am in discussions for our next phase of funding. Inga (wife of 33 years) and I recently sold our home in Scarsdale, N.Y., and our home in Park City, Utah, and are being helicopter grandparents to our first grandchild, a girl named Blaire. We have two children (Connor, 28, living in L.A. as a graphic designer, and Greta, 26, living in Columbus, Ohio, married to a soon-to-be-dentist, Jordan, and the mother of Blaire). Life is good. We are blessed. And, who knows where the road will take us…”

’89

The only update I initially received for this edition was from JEFF FORDEN regarding his most recent colonoscopy. I threatened my ’89 classmates that if I didn’t receive anything better I’d have to run with it … the updates came flooding in! Thanks everyone, and thanks for the motivation, Condorr!

From COLIN SCHMIDT: “I’m living in San Francisco and working for twenty-one years now as executive director of a nonprofit that provides free soccer and enrichment programs to thousands of children in low-income public schools. Two children, boy-girl twins, headed off to college this fall (Williams and the University of Wisconsin-Madison). My wife and I are adjusting to ’the after’ and enjoying time with our third child, now a sophomore in high school. I enjoy pick-up soccer, walking the dog, and an occasional fly-fishing outing. I remain grateful for the education and experiences that CMC offered. If you are in San Francisco, let’s grab coffee or a beer!”

From BRIAN MENARD: “A year after life as international school administrators brought us to Panamá in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdown; Audrey and I decided we had finished relocating and this wonderful tropical paradise would be our home base going forward. We found a ’right place, right time’ bargain (unlike in the U.S., some countries’ housing markets actually dropped during the Pandemic) on a spacious 45th-floor apartment overlooking the Bay of Panamá and ships lined up to go through the Canal in Panamá City’s ’Little Miami’ neighborhood of Costa del Este. As there is no escrow system here, it took ONLY six months to negotiate and close the purchase, with banks having a laundry list of ’one more thing, one more thing’ steps. But we were committed (largely because along the way we kept having to pay more and more

“I’ve been feeling super connected to CMC lately, enjoying events like the virtual wine tastings and To Kill a Mockingbird at the Pantages Theatre.”

– KELLEY (FELDSOTT) REYNOLDS ’88

of our purchase money while the closing kept moving further and further back on the calendar). In July 2022 we started a ’4- to 5-week’ renovation that is almost finished three months later, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with where we’ve decided to plant. Meanwhile, even amid the renovation, we’ve had a steady stream of visitors to enjoy flights of rum from across Latin America while sitting with us on our balcony to watch the sun set over the water and downtown PC. Best of all, our grandson and his parents in Morocco have twice joined us here for a combined total of nearly 12 weeks. He even celebrated his second birthday with us in Panamá. Our first CMC visitors will come in early January when NIC and KATHRYN (DRAKE) NELSON arrive for a week, but we hope many more will follow. Anyone up for a Class of 1989 reunion in Panamá in 2024?”

From DAVID BENEZRA: “It’s funny, but I suspect that all of the cool things I’ve been doing lately, things that I really, really enjoy, do not make for compelling reading by others. I’m still living in Seattle, thinking more and more about becoming snowbirds once our youngest twins graduate from high school. To this end, we picked up a place in Florida—but the Florida impact has been surprising. Near our Florida condo, there is this amazing group of older Pickleball players between 60 and 90 years old, they are incredibly energetic, and have rapidly become my retirement heroes. I want to be like them when I grow up. They dress up and get together for Halloween. They ignore their aches and pains. They’re badass in their own way. These musings aside, we’re not retiring yet—got one in college and two more ready to start. Siggy is a software development engineer at Amazon, and I still own my insurance agency and serve on community nonprofit boards. But thankfully, we can both work from anywhere, so it is fun to think about where to go, what to do, and with whom to enjoy the next few decades. And just like much of America of late, I guess that I too am sort of obsessed with playing Pickleball, and staying healthy into my 60s, 70s, and beyond.”

SHERI (WARD) MUNTEAN has retired from her CPA practice as managing partner in Anacortes, Wash., to spend more time with her husband, parents, six children, four grandchildren, sister, two nephews, and their children. She just returned from Alaska and has trips planned to Costa Rica, Kauai, and the Amazon in the next year.

From JOE MASSOUD: “Beth and I are three years into our empty nesting in Connecticut. Our eldest, Nicholas, is working in New York City; our middle one, Brendan, is working in Dallas; and our youngest guy, Alex, is a college junior. We are filling our time working, volunteering, traveling a bit, and trying to get better at the racquet sport trifecta—paddle, tennis, and pickle. We were on campus recently for an event honoring my dad, Professor Marc Massoud P’89, (who has been at CMC 42 years now!) and, yes, we saw JOHN FARANDA ’79—as well as a few other great names from our era—JACK STARK ’57 GP’11 and JIL STARK ’58 GP’11, Jim Taylor, and Jerry Eyrich P’83. All seem to be doing well. For anyone living or traveling through the New York or Boston area, would love to reconnect live—please drop me a line at ijmassoud@gmail.com.”

From ANDY PETERS: “Married for 25 years next April to Amy, who is running for city council in Newport Beach, Calif. Our oldest daughter, Kathryn, graduated from UChicago in 2021, and is now a second year at UVA

Law School. She spent this summer at Baker McKenzie in Washington, D.C., a tax group.

“Our younger daughter, Elizabeth, is a junior at Northeastern studying computer science and criminal justice and playing on the women’s club soccer team. Our son, Nathan, is a freshman at Carnegie Mellon studying information systems and playing football (offensive tackle) for the Tartans, currently ranked 18 in Division III football. As for me, I’m running an independent management consulting practice including dropping in as turnaround CEO, part-time COO, part-time CFO, strategic consulting, and M&A advisory for manufacturing, distribution, and B2B service companies. Our client M&A activity was over $300MM in 2022.”

From KATHRYN (DRAKE) NELSON: “Last year, Nic and I celebrated our 30th anniversary with a short campervan trip through southern Utah, visiting Arches National Park, Zion, and others. This year, we began a year-long sabbatical in September 2022. Nic is writing a science fiction novel while I work toward my master’s in global migration studies. We are currently in Cadiz, an ancient and lovely little city in Andalucia, Spain. We will also spend time in Pakistan, Antigua, Guatemala, and Pontevedra (in Galicia, Spain) during this sabbatical. Our kids are all adults now. Our oldest is studying Mandarin in Taiwan. Our daughter is raising our wonderful granddaughter, and our middle son is acting as our property manager for our home in the West Adams area of Los Angeles, managing the multinational household of tenants renting rooms from us (all USC graduate students and alumni).”

From LANCE WATKINS: “My son just started his freshman year at Thousand Oaks High School. Which is awesome for me because their mascot is a Lancer. Go Lancers! They even have a street called Lancer Way.”

From MATT KOOB: “I was in Fort Collins, Colo., with my son Matthew last weekend. He’s a sophomore at CSU studying business. Loves living in northern Colorado.”

From DAN O’KEEFE P’25: “My son LOGAN O’KEEFE ’25 is a sophomore at CMC living in Wohlford. He’s a— shocker—hammer thrower on the track team, too! Go Stags!”

From SCOTT SHORR: “JASON JAROSS, CHRIS WATSON, ROB HELLYER, GARRETT MARTIN, and I converged in Portland for a mini-reunion last month.”

From BRIAN LEEPER: “Just celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary with my wife, Tracy, here in Lake Oswego. Currently splitting my time between running my decor company Floral Services, losing golf balls, and drinking my way through the outstanding Oregon wine country. Our daughter, Chloe, is finishing her nursing degree at Seattle University and our son, Cole, is a sophomore in the business program at the University of Oregon. Drop me a ping if anyone is up in the Portland area!”

From LINDA (LUND) SCOTT: “I am still living in San Francisco, having moved here for my first job after graduating from CMC. After a long run in management consulting, first as a strategy consultant and project manager and then as an internal professional development manager, I switched industries five years ago and took a job in tech working as an e-learning instructional designer for Anaplan. On the family front, Leo and I have been married for 27 years. We have two daughters. Our youngest, Natasha, just started

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her freshman year at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Our older daughter Carolyn graduated from USC in 2021 and now teaches high school in East L.A. We have two Labrador retrievers at home that are keeping us from being true empty nesters! We saw NIC NELSON and KATHRYN (DRAKE) NELSON in L.A. when we stopped to visit Carolyn on our way home from dropping Natasha off in Phoenix. Carolyn actually lives in their house near USC (along with an assortment of other graduate students and young professionals), which has been a great connection for her and us. Nic

and Kathryn are now off on a year of travel—hopefully they will write in with an update of their own!”

and Mason are sophomores also at the University of Arizona, and Spencer is playing baseball at CSU San Bernardino.

From ANDY SAUTER: “Was so glad to attend the naming ceremony for Professor Marc ’Dad’ Massoud P’89 in October 2022. A tremendous recognition for all he has contributed to the school and his students for so many years! Thank you Professor! Let’s meet at The Massoud.”

From WENDY REED: “After 32 years of teaching in Upland, Calif., I blindly took a fifth grade position in Spokane, Wash. Jump of a lifetime and the first time I’ve ever experienced true seasons (raised in Hawaii)— driving in snow uphill was quite a challenge at first, and flying two large dogs in crates to get here (one was a poopy mess) has given me stories to tell for days. My daughter is a high school math teacher here (I barely survived one math class at CMC, so this must come from my husband) and my son is a crane operator out of Pasadena (again … this mystery math gene!) Got to have lunch with my former roommate, KRISTIN (RANDALL) ROGERS, and we laughed about all of our great memories of CMC.”

From DAVE STEFANIDES: “We are officially now emptynesters with daughters Dana and Kira in college, Santa Clara and Northeastern, leaving just our two replacement kids—the kind with fur and four legs. Barbara is still practicing pediatrics with Kaiser, and I’m at the local association of realtors where housing affordability is our top priority so kids don’t leave California for affordable markets elsewhere.”

From DEREK EMGE: “Not a colonoscopy but: After a very successful three decades as a consumer fraud class action litigator I have been able to step away from the practice and launch my photography business. I am working to fill conference rooms and residential walls with beautiful images. Discounts for all CMCers at www.DerekEmgePhotography.com.”

And from TODD THOMAS: I have connected with some more recent CMC alumni: MILES T. BIRD ’12, JOSH TATUM ’21, and JEFFERSON CHANG ’22. The Claremont Colleges have a thriving startup community. Check out www.storyhousevc.com to learn more about the half-a-trillion-dollar 5C startup community. I recently joined a new tech startup in the connected vehicle space, Aiden Auto Tech. Ping me if you like to talk Connected/AI/IoT. My wife and I just celebrated our 28th anniversary. LeAnne is a juggernaut in Scottsdale real estate.

Anyone looking for a second place in Arizona, she can hook you up. Our oldest, Willy, is a product marketing manager at Clickup in San Diego. Carson will graduate from the University of Arizona in December. Kalia

TODD

THOMAS ’89 toddthomasaz@yahoo.com

’90 FAYE KARNAVY SAHAI P’22, “Reflecting back on my time at CMC and to what I am doing now: it has been a winding career path in finance, healthcare, and insurtech that has led me to venture investing in digital wellness and mental health at Telosity Ventures. It is a great blend of my CMC major of econ and psychology that allows me to apply my past experiences, and learn about new companies and innovations every day. CMC also taught me about the value of community and life-long friendships that I cherish today.”

FREDERIC WINSSINGER P’19 P’22’s son, ANDREW WINSSINGER ’22 (second of three), graduated from CMC this past May 2022, following the footsteps of his sister three years before. “Not only have they given me plenty more great memories of CMC and enabled me to stay in touch with our school, but both are making good use of their education. JESSICA WINSSINGER ’19 works in software design and consulting at Palantir in New York and Andrew joined KPMG in their consulting/ audit practice in LA. Their sister, Annabelle, is applying to college this fall and will take a good look at CMC as well. For my part, my career never took me far from finance and investing until now. I have been managing a family office for more than a decade now but due to staff turnover in our real estate investment team, I must draw from my good old organization psychology class to take on staff restructuring, recruiting, and incentive structures. That sets up a new professional challenge. I am still playing golf, of course, but getting worse by the year while finding less frustration in the new pickleball rage. My wife, Jennifer, and I are still mainly in Arizona but have adopted Sun Valley, Idaho, as our second home.”

FAYE (KARNAVY) SAHAI ’90 P’22 fkarnavy@gmail.com

to attend the beach party, but was not able to make it—still, we spent time together when he recently visited Nashville several times, staying at our house. CMC has been good to me and it’s always great to catch up with my ’little brothers’ from the Class of 1994!”

King, and Tiffany (Nemer) Rosenfeld hiked the 40-mile Rogue River Trail in southern Oregon.

INGRID (MORRIS) ENSING reports, “In September 2022, a small group of old friends hiked the 40-mile Rogue River Trail in southern Oregon. We like to say we ’went Rogue!’ Our adventurous crew was ELLEN (DI GIACOMO) STEARNS, EMILY GROTH, JACKIE (CUMMINS) RADCLIFFE, SUSIE (YOON) KING, TIFFANY (NEMER) ROSENFELD, and myself. It was a great time rekindling friendships and taking on a new challenge. We hope to hit the trail again next year. Pictured here celebrating the end of our trek with guides and a couple new friends.”

INGRID (MORRIS) ENSING ’91 ingridensing@live.com

ERIC WISE ’91 ewise@gibsondunn.com

’92 POSITION OPEN alumni@cmc.edu

LATANYA (WRIGHT) CHANNEL writes, “I was honored last month when CMC featured my career in public service and I’m happy to report an update since then. As of October 1, 2022, the mayor appointed me the new economic development chief for Nashville, Tenn. (which is really the entire county since city government and county government merged here in 1964). My husband, Leon, and I moved to Nashville in 2014 from my hometown of Washington, D.C. But the most important thing is that in September 2022, I celebrated my 10-year wedding anniversary in Mexico—at the same beach location where HENRY TAYLOR ’94, stood in for my father (deceased) in ’giving me away’ 10 years before. Many know that I consider Henry a ’younger brother’ but have jokingly said that he thinks he is my father (by telling me what to do and how to vote), ever since we met in 1990 in front of Story House. Henry and his wife, Stephanie, attended the anniversary party in Mexico and are dear friends. Also at my wedding in 2012 was my dearest friend, TANYA (STUKES)

’

HENRIQUEZ ’90 CARL PATTEN ’94 (another ’younger brother’) joined a pre-celebration Zoom with full plans

’93 Congratulations to LISA (ORONA) NASHUA, who won her election as a Pomona Unified School District governing board trustee.

KATHLEEN HAMILTON ALLEN led a small group of volunteers in conducting and publishing the nation’s first survey of residents of extended stay motels (see here: https://bit.ly/2Xgthw3). She then lobbied her Norcross, Ga., city council to co-fund a Motel to Home program with United Way, run by volunteer case managers from St. Vincent de Paul, to move families from precarious to stable housing. Despite the added financial stresses of COVID-19, two dozen families have successfully completed the program so far, and remain stably housed. She now chairs the city’s economic development authority, working to bring more affordable housing to the community.

“My son Logan O’Keefe ’25 is a sophomore at CMC living in Wohlford. He’s a—shocker— hammer thrower on the track team, too! Go Stags!”

– DAN O’KEEFE ’89 P’25

Ingrid (Morris) Ensing, Ellen (Di Giacomo) Stearns, Emily Groth, Jackie (Cummins) Radcliffe, Susie (Yoon)

TODD SAX shares, “For the past 20+ years I’ve been working for the California Air Resources Board (CARB). CARB is the state agency in California that regulates air quality. We are a world leader in vehicle and engine emission standards and in climate policy. During my time at the agency, CARB grew in size and in responsibility, and over the course of my career I’ve had the privilege to play a part in this growth and transition, and to work with many really amazing people across several different parts of the organization. For the last seven years I worked as the chief of CARB’s enforcement division, where I oversaw more than 180 staff who enforced CARB regulations that focus on vehicles, fuels, and consumer products, and provided support and oversight to local air districts in California. On Oct. 28, 2022, I was appointed deputy director of site mitigation and restoration at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. This is a big switch for me as essentially I’ll be responsible for management of hazardous waste cleanup in California—at a new agency with new people. I’m really excited for the new role and hope to make a difference for California.”

KATHRYN PEARSON ’93 kpearson@umn.edu

’94 CHIP NIERLICH ’94 cnierlich@gmail.com

’98 KRISTAL DEKLEER ’98 kdekleer@yahoo.com

MIKE AVENT ’04 mike.avent@gmail.com

’95 JORI HAYNER ’95 cmcnotes@jorihayner.com

CHRIS GOOCH ’95 gooch_chris@yahoo.com

’99 CAMILLE GRIEP ’99 camillegriep@gmail.com

LOUIS LEVINE ’99 1999cmc@gmail.com

’00 STEVE GROVE ’00 sdgrove11@gmail.com

’96

CMC’s participation in the Rose Parade jogged ISABELLE BIBBLER PARKER’S memory about her own walk down Colorado Boulevard on a chilly New Year’s Day in 1996, as a senior. She led a team of youth vaulters and their horses, representing the competitive equestrian sport in which she competed from her childhood through her CMC years and beyond. Vaulting is still a big part of her life—one of her two daughters competes in the sport and the U.S. Equestrian Federation recently appointed her to a new role as Vaulting Director of Performance—but Parker’s career has been in education. After earning her graduate business degree from Northwestern’s Kellogg School, she co-founded and served as COO/CFO of the network of charter schools Summit Public Schools and now serves as the CFO of The Wildflower Foundation, which supports the adoption of Montessori programs.

Congratulations to JAKE ZIMMERMAN ’96 who was successfully reelected as assessor for St. Louis County.

JAKE ZIMMERMAN ’96 jake@jakezimmerman.org

’97 AIMEE (JONES) AVER ’97 aimeeclaire@me.com WILL BALLARD ’97 wballard@mailframe.net

’01 ARJUN MCAVOY ’01 arjun.mcavoy@gmail.com

’02 KAITLIN (GIBSON) WATERSON ’02 kaitlin.waterson@gmail.com

’03 BRIAN GREEN ’03 brian.green.dmd@gmail.com

MATT POLADIAN ’03 mattpoladian@gmail.com

’04

FILIPP GORELIK moved to the Twin Cities in August 2022 when his wife, Irina, found a teaching position at University of Minnesota. She teaches Russian and will also teach linguistics in the spring. Filipp left Ford after a decade there and is currently working as a marketing manager at Legrand AV, slinging professional-grade cameras and networking equipment.

From MIKE AVENT, “On Sept. 9, 2022, my wife, Sophia, gave birth to our third (and final) kid. Newly arrived Iris joins Louisa, 3, and Henry, 2. Yes, it’s a total circus at the Avent household. Send coffee.”

’05

DAN HERRING and his family have finally settled in as New Englanders after another move to New Hampshire in 2021. More difficult is his sons’ growing love of Boston sports teams. Recently he joined Thermo Fisher Scientific running their cell therapy contract manufacturing and development business and is looking forward to a winter full of snow and travel.

GRACE MICHEL and her husband, Kaison Tanabe, welcomed their son, Maika, to the world on Dec. 29, 2021. They can’t believe they are already about to celebrate his first birthday!

GWEN GORDON writes, “I incorporated my public relations consulting practice and have been enjoying working with biotech, tech, and nonprofit clients from my home office in San Diego. JOHN SPINOSA ’80 P’14 introduced me to one of my first clients and ZACH MYERS ’03 and I have reconnected after discovering we both work for some of the same companies. I’d love to work with more CMCers in the coming years!”

What a year 2022 has been for TANYA SOLUK! She writes, “Hello Class of 2005! I’m so disappointed that I missed our reunion and the chance to catch up with all of you in person. Please let me know if you are ever up in the Bay Area though, because in March 2022 I bought my first house and have a guest room waiting for you!

“There will be lots for us to catch up on over a nice cup of tea (and maybe some chocolate strawberries). In April 2022, just a month after buying the house, I got engaged at Lake Tahoe to my amazing fiancé. Jamie is an animator for the San Jose Sharks. We might be able to take you to a hockey game as well if you come visit.

“Late in May, COVID-19 finally caught me, and I was not able to attend our reunion. In October, Jamie and I exchanged vows and went from fiancés to husband and wife. We got married in a small, intimate ceremony at San Francisco City Hall and had a reception for local friends and co-workers a week later. We are currently

halfway through our four-city ’T & J Wedding Tour.’ It has been an absolute joy to travel around the country and see family, friends, and their children who have grown and changed so much during the pandemic.

MIKE “FISH” KARP and RAMON TORRES ’08 are in the middle of shooting their second feature film, a family dramedy yet to be named, which included a day of filming in Bauer Center on CMC’s campus—"special thanks to EVAN RUTTER for making that possible! And, thanks to all the CMCers who showed up for the alumni events around the festival premieres of Last Ferry, their first feature!"

CARL MARRONE “met up with KEVIN BLAIR and 14 other nerds in Las Vegas for a fantasy football auction. In accordance with annual tradition, Kevin’s team is choking when it matters the most, and, like the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he is still searching for his first championship.”

KEVIN BLAIR ’06 kevinmblair@gmail.com

“In November, we had a wedding reception in Boston that ELIZABETH HUTTNER attended. Big shout-out to Liz and the enduring strength of CMC friendships 15+ years on! From 3,000 miles away, Liz helped us finalize the venue, taste tested food from caterers, and pitched in with final details the night before.

“Please email me at s.a.tanya@gmail.com if you’re up in the Bay Area.”

This year Kaelin and PAUL IRELAND welcomed their ninth child, bringing their crew to six boys and three girls. Paul is thankful that CMC provided an opportunity to meet smart and talented people, many of whom he is still connected with. Paul currently works at FinDox, a fintech startup co-founded by his long-time friend Brian Bentow, HMC ’05. Paul and Brian met in Professor Gary Evans’ entrepreneurial class at Harvey Mudd.

SUSIE JENSEN shares, “After working as a public defender for close to twelve years, I was appointed by Idaho Governor Brad Little to the position of district judge in the First Judicial District. I took the bench February 1st and I’m pretty excited for this new adventure! Other than that big news, my husband and I are just enjoying the north Idaho life—skiing and trying not to freeze!”

TIFFANY WILLIAMS ’05 tiffany.williams@gmail.com

MITCH BROWNE ’05 mitchell.browne@gmail.com

and executive director of a new leadership institute at the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University. In this role, I am developing new cuttingedge curriculum, content, and research to train and empower leaders to create a more caring and compassionate world. I am so thankful to CMC, Prof. Ron Riggio P’10, and the Kravis Leadership Institute for helping inspire me and provide the resources and confidence to embark on this adventure!”

’

LAUREN MIKOV is continuing to put her literature degree to good use running her social media agency in Seattle. She and her husband welcomed two sons into their family in September 2019 and January 2022.

XANDER MARIN-STEIN says, “This year my wife, Vanessa, and I moved from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara to be closer to family. We’re currently in full-on book launch mode, with Simon & Schuster publishing the book we wrote together in February! (www.sextalksbook.com)”

As of the time of update solicitations, GREG GALLAGHER and his family were entering their seventh Alaskan winter. He says, “If you find yourself coming through Anchorage, my wife, Moira, and I, and our sons George and Eagan, will happily host you with some wild salmon or reindeer sausage. (Demurring vegetarians will still enjoy the rhubarb ice cream for dessert.)”

GLORIA (BRACY) GUTIERREZ wrote in: “The summer business consulting internship that CMC made possible gave my resume just what was needed to land my first salaried position after graduating. As for other updates, California school counselors have seen a better investment in public education, and for two years I’ve been full time at one elementary school instead of splitting my time between 1+ schools. This fall, I presented for the first time at a professional conference, on the topic of service learning as a behavioral intervention. This summer I was elected president of the local League of Women Voters. Most exciting of all, though, is that my husband and son plan on welcoming a baby girl come May.”

MICHAEL PEEL and CASSANDRA CONA PEEL ’08 welcomed their first child, Emma Francesca Peel, on Aug. 13, 2022 in Tucson, Ariz. Michael is a fulltime doctoral student at Arizona State University. His research is focused on increasing equity and engagement as it relates to climate action and climate justice. Cassandra received her Ph.D. in 2019 from the University of Arizona and is a professor of social work at Pacific Oaks College. Her research is focused on the intersections of disability, chronic illness, grief, aging, and end-of-life issues. Michael and Cassandra have lived in Arizona for nearly a decade and in 2020 launched an online radio station, Rarity Rock Radio.

TAUSEEF RAHMAN and his wife, Evan, welcomed their first child, Ahmena Irene Rahman, on June 1, 2022 . He appreciates the parenting support he’s been getting from this CMC community of moms, dads, uncles, and aunts. In his spare time, he’s playing as many video games and building as much Lego as he can, and believe it or not, he’s still at Mercer, leading its people consulting business for Northern California. Please reach out to him if you’re ever visiting San Francisco!

EMILY FERRELL still lives in Seattle with her labradoodle Leo. She loves her job as a pediatrician and is excited to hear about all of the Class of ’07 babies! She is lucky to see ERIN BAUER and TALIA KAHN on a regular basis, and had a great time reuniting with ALICE CHANG, JAMIE DILLON, and Talia Kahn in Chicago to celebrate 100 days of Alice’s baby, Ada. The most recent CMC alumni event in Seattle had three Class of ’07 representatives (Emily, ASHLEY FRIZZELL, and MATT HALL), and she hopes to see anyone in the Seattle area at future events!

EMILY FERRELL ’07 emilygferrell@gmail.com

TAUSEEF RAHMAN ’07 tauseefrahman@gmail.com

’08

AUSTIN HENKEL wrote in to share this update: During a weekend of pickleball, tennis, wiffleball, and frisbee in Orange County, he hung out with CHATOM ARKIN and his lovely family (kids and wife, Emily Arkin POM ’06), TEDFORD PICHA, DYLAN SHERIDAN, BRIAN WEEKS, COLIN READ (MVP of the weekend), WESTY ROSE, AARON GONZALES ’07, CHRIS DAVIS ’07, and SEAN ABU WILSON ’07. Catching up with the crew was a swell time, and in the Bay Area, on a more day-to-day basis, he shoots a bow-and-arrow with CHRIS KELLY and frisbee-golfs with BEN CHAMBERS. Ben reports that Austin is getting quite good at putting, and Austin reports that Ben’s ability to drive the disc is superlative.

’

KACI FARRELL and TYLER WHITE are now the proud parents of two boys. Leland joined their family and older brother Gus in August 2022. Fellow CMCers JON STRAHL, COURTNEY DERN ’10, and STEVEN WILLINGER ’08 helped introduce Leland to the Cascades this fall.

KATHAYOON KHALIL got married to Ben Hager (now Ben Khalil) in a beautiful ceremony in West Linn, Ore. She also accepted a job as the associate vice president of conservation learning at the New England Aquarium—she’ll remain primarily located in Portland, but will be traveling to Boston often to lead this new department.

CHRIS REINA says, “CMC helped me grow and find my passion for leadership through my involvement with the Kravis Leadership Institute. I am now the founder

MICHAEL PEEL ’07 and CASSANDRA (CONA) PEEL welcomed their first child, Emma Francesca Peel, on Aug. 13, 2022 in Tucson, Ariz. Michael is a full-time doctoral student at Arizona State University. His research is focused on increasing equity and engagement as it relates to climate action and climate justice. Cassandra received her Ph.D. in 2019 from the University of Arizona and is a professor of social work at Pacific Oaks College. Her research is focused on the intersections of disability, chronic illness, grief, aging, and end-of-life issues. Michael and Cassandra have lived in Arizona for nearly a decade and in 2020 launched an online radio station, Rarity Rock Radio.

KIRTHI NARASIMHAN ’08 kirthi.narasimhan@gmail.com

“After working as a public defender for close to 12 years, I was appointed by Idaho Governor Brad Little to the position of district judge in the First Judicial District.”

– SUSIE JENSEN ’05

2022 CMS Hall of Fame Inductees

(CMC ’97 – Water Polo), Darcy Burton Harlan (CMC ’99 – Water Polo, Basketball) Jonathan Byers (CMC ’93 – Soccer), Raymond “Bim” Jollymour, posthumously, (Stags Golf Coach), Tain Lee (CMC ’12 – Golf), Jeff Manassero (CMC’06/HMC ’07 – Football), Suzy Nicoletti (CMC ’02 – Swimming), Annie Richardson Wright (CMC ’06 – Water Polo), Evelyn Ross-Shapiro (SC ’09 – Cross Country and Track & Field), Pam Tanase (CMC ’88 – Athenas Swimming & Diving/Water Polo Coach), Larry Wang (CMC ’09 – Tennis) and Kevin Zitar (CMC '96 – Basketball).

’09

YOHEI NAKAJIMA: “Managed to start a venture capital fund, Untapped Capital, while being a dad of three (five, three, and seven months).” It’s been really fun bumping into and working with Claremont friends in the startup community, which is happening lots these days!”

MAX DAVISON: “Still crying tears of profound joy after seeing Top Gun: Maverick in theaters.”

ALEXANDER PRICE: “CMC always allowed me to follow my passions and interests, emphasizing growth as a student and person.” The last three years have resulted in some of the most growth as Alexander married in 2019, moved to southwest Colorado, hunkered down in the mountains during COVID-19, had two beautiful baby girls, and became the CEO of Citizens State Bank, a local community bank near Telluride.

SCOTT TRIMBLE: “After a whirlwind 10+ years that

included teaching in four countries, joining a Motivation in Education research group at UT Austin, working from a converted camper van for a 7-month stretch while touring New Zealand, and helping run a private Christian school and an expat bar at the same time in a small city in southern Thailand, it feels like about time to make my way back towards North America. Excited to catch up about all sorts of things … did Hillary pull off the win?”

TEJAS GALA M’13: “Life is good for me and DIVYA VISHWANATH ’11! Roh, our son, is almost 18 months old now and walking around! We spend time with BRIAN KRIVOY and his family among tons of other CMCers. We went down for the Stags alumni basketball game and saw a bunch of legends including AUSTIN SOLDNER, PAT LACEY ’11, BEAU HEIDRICH ’13”.

“Apple Finance and CMC continue to be a match made in heaven. We now have 19 people working full time in Apple Finance from CMC and another few that will be coming back full time after this summer and hopefully a robust pipeline!”

“It’s been really fun bumping into and working with Claremont friends in the startup community, which is happening lots these days!”

– YOHEI NAKAJIMA ’09

Thirteen Athenas and Stags were inducted into the Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame on Jan. 22 at Roberts Pavilion in a celebration of CMS Athletics that saw over 250 guests attend. The 13 inductees were David Austen (CMC ’73 – Football), Tim Behrens

Alumni On Campus

WESTON MILLER married a high school math teacher named Bri!

LAUREN OHATA-CHANG, married Joel Chang in October 2022 (introduced to Joel by MEGAN MURAMATSU), and resides in Long Beach, Calif. She is a principal consultant at Health Management Associates, working to improve publicly-funded healthcare.

CAMILO CUELLAR ’09 camilo.a.cuellar@gmail.com

’10 POSITION OPEN alumni@cmc.edu

RDS

’10

’11

ALEX SHAKIBNIA M’10 alex.shakibnia@gmail.com

EDDIE CONRAD M’10 edwardtconrad@gmail.com

BRIAN WINTER: “Bummed I missed the reunion, but I swear I had a good excuse! Had a baby girl (Soraya!), bought a house in Connecticut, and after nearly seven years at Stripe, I joined LinkedIn!”

JOSEPH FAREWELL: “Hi all! Joey Farewell here. Got two half-British sons, a full-British wifey, a side gig doing environmental restoration, and a main gig writing folks’ trusts and wills with my small law firm Farewell & Farewell (which, like, weird last name for estate planning right? oh well). Hope y’all are doing great!”

SHANE DAVIS: “Started working as a sports medicine physician at Tufts University.”

CHRISTOPHE BINDERT: “I’ve been living in Lisbon, Portugal, for almost three years now and loving it. Had the pleasure of getting visits from lots of CMCers including CARLTON RUEB, ERIC ZACHARIAS, and ZAIN JAMAL ’10. I work as a product manager at Mastercard, and am expecting a baby with my girlfriend in January—exciting times. Say hi if you’re ever in this part of the world!”

HENRY LYFORD: “Henry Lyford and MARSHALL FISHER (former SCIAC player of the week) met up to play a round of golf and hob-nob with the Bay Area’s social elite at [location redacted at request of Fisher’s attorney].

“JAKE BAUCH, CARL PEASLEE, HENRY LYFORD, and EMILY MEINHARDT ’10, along with the yet-to-be-born Arthur Peaslee ’45, met up for a ’Dumpsgiving’ dumpling crawl in San Francisco’s Sunset neighborhood.”

MICHAEL ZAYTSEV: “In early 2022, I took on the role of academic director at LIM College, where I launched some of the world’s first bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in the business of cannabis.

“When I wasn’t busy putting the high in higher ed, I was blessed enough to spend some time with CMC ’11 legends like ALEXANDER GRABOVSKIY, JEFF ASTOR, JEFFREY PARK, TAMMY PHAN, JAKE WYRICK, MARSHALL FISHER, NIKKI HOLZBERG, ERIC ZACHARIAS, GRIGORIY GORSHTEYN, and even the ever elusive ERIC SCOTT Honorable mention to PATRICK EAGEN-VAN METER

“Reading is essential. It's not a question of what you're reading, it's a question of whether you're reading. If not for the stuff I’ve read I wouldn’t be a writer," author Jack Houghteling ’14 (center) told students at a fall reading of his new novel at the Gould Center.

Lisa Bosley ’00 (center) meets with students interested in learning about careers in asset management.

JONATHAN KE ’25

for bringing a bunch of CMCers together for zoom shenanigans. When’s the next one? C’mon, Pat!

“I hope to have more adventures with CMCers in 2023.”

GIZELLE PERA FARENBAUGH: “STEVE FARENBAUGH ’08 and I had a baby! Finley is a smiley 8-month-old who loves to go on hikes and try new foods, just like his parents. My softball teammates, godmother KATERINA YALE and aunt MICHELLE HARVEY MARTIN come see him often—we just went to Top Golf in Ontario. Let me tell you—softball swings do NOT translate to golf ones.”

ASHLEY SCOTT: “NIRANT GUPTA got engaged to Emilie Fischer SCR’16, in August 2022!”

AVIANA (GRACIAL) D’SOUZA: “John and I welcomed our baby boy in August 2022. Alastair St. John Gracial D’Souza is thriving at home after a whirlwind entrance three months early. We are loving life in San Francisco and have reconnected with friends from our class.”

DIVYA VISHWANATH ’11 dvishwanath@gmail.com

KATHRYN (MGRUBLIAN) APOSHIAN ’11 kmgrublian@gmail.com

RDS ’11

This year we’ve heard from some that are rarely able to, so here’s to that. The group seems to be settling and prospering in their careers.

Starting with our international friends, ABHISHEK GOEL has a 3-year-old son and is working in the tobacco industry in New Delhi, India. He welcomes all to visit. REENEE GARCIA is now working at Astellas, a pharmaceutical company in Singapore. FELIX MENG happily lives with his wife and daughter, Zoey, while running his own RMB fund at Credit Suisse in Shanghai. TRAVIS HULL ’10 operates a team automating finance and accounting across Amgen ex-U.S. in the Netherlands. He also became the interim CFO for Amgen Bulgaria.

On the East Coast, NATHANIEL KIECHEL has officially become a corporate lawyer at Fried Frank—he specializes in leveraged buyouts and fund financings. He also was the only one to respond that lives on the East Coast (I am not sure about HOLLY POOLE, CHRISTOPHER MURRAY ’10, JAKE MARWIL, and VYKUNTH ASHOK).

Moving to the Bay Area, we’ve got SRI HARSHA TATA, who is a recent transplant with his wife and newborn son. He’s working on product strategy at Google and having a lot of fun not sleeping as much (newborn, mostly). LAURA JILETA is at PayPal running the Crypto FPA group (she’s probably been busy). Alex, 3, and Ellie, 7 months, keep her busy but she’d love to see others if they’re in south bay. CHRISTOPHER STRIETER concurs with the general sentiment for a reunion. He’s expanded his wine label, Senses, internationally and while traveling throughout the U.S. (for now, international soon) he’s been happy to call Sonoma County and San Francisco home.

Down to Los Angeles, ARA DEMIRJIAN continues at FTI Consulting and is actively raising his 4-year-old maltipoo with his wife. He joined the RDS board of associates with MAX VAUGHAN. Max is crushing it at TELEO Capital and raising his two young boys. He still squeezes in some surf and Dodger games (as he

should!). MICHAEL LEVITIN finished the CFA program and is happily working with the Venture Capital group (CPG)—his newest client is a fast growing jewelry company.

CHRISTOPHER LLOYD STRIETER M’11 cstrieter@gmail.com

’12 APRIL WEATHERS ’12 aprilfweathers@gmail.com

RDS ’12

CRAIG DABNEY M’12 cjddabney@gmail.com

’13

ELLIE BECKETT ’13 ebecket13@cmc.edu

CLARE RIVA ’13 clare.riva@gmail.com

RDS

’13

’14

ARIA KRUMWIEDE ’12M’13 Akrumwiede12@cmc.edu

KATHERINE (RODRIGUEZ) ORBACH and Garret Orbach welcomed Olivia Rose Orbach on Sept. 1, 2022. She was born at 11:55 p.m. and was 6 pounds 11 ounces.

SHAUNY ULLMAN married DAVID TAYLOR ’13 on July 9, 2022.

MELANIE BELLO recently moved to Boston.

JOSHUA THOMASSON married Caroline Davis SCR ’15.

NEEL KOTRAPPA married Nikita Gettu SCR ’14, in La Jolla, Calif. They have moved to Hermosa Beach, Calif., and Neel started working as a sports medicine fellow at Harbor-UCLA.

ALEXANDRA (COOKE) MANDELL ’14 acmandell713@gmail.com

’15 ABBY MICHAELSEN ’15 abbymichaelsen@gmail.com

See You in Reykjavík, Iceland for CMC’s 2nd Annual Worldmeet

June 9-12, 2023

◆ Experience Iceland’s innovative approach to sustainability and climate change

◆ Learn from CMC’s Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences Chair Ran LibeskindHadas

◆ Enjoy Iceland’s rich culture, history, and breathtaking scenery

’16 ANNA BRITO ’16 annacbrito12@gmail.com

MADISON GEBHARD ’16 madison.gebhard@gmail.com

EVAN MOLINEUX ’16 evanjmolineux@gmail.com

KELSEY GOHN ’16 keseygohn@gmail.com

’17 OLIVER MAUSNER writes: “In the middle of my first music tour across the U.S.! Have played in San Francisco, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and have Houston and Vegas up

◆ Gather with CMC alumni from around the world More

next! Still doing music full time along with playing poker professionally. Gearing up for my first festival circuit next year!”

Remember PARKER MALLCHOK’s last update? Where she was living an “adorable” life? It’s since been swept up in a tornado of change. But CMC prepared her to think quickly and creatively and face all challenges with a sunny attitude. Her lifelong friends from CMC have been a fountain of support, humor, and love. Shout-out to the Shaggy Rug Crew, especially. Though unsettled in any one city at the moment, perhaps by the time of this publication she will have stayed in the same place for more than two weeks. Keeping in the spirit of the CMC mascot, Athena, Parker remains a goddess of war and wisdom, so she will undoubtedly emerge from this turbulent time of life with strength and grace.

CAROLINE WILLIAN moved to San Francisco and has been hopping around the co-op scene. She loves living with lots of friends! She is working as an elementary school teacher, and has diversified her outdoors interests to include biking and climbing as well as running. She is loving life!

ANOUSH BAGHDASSARIAN writes: “I am currently serving as a visiting professional at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. I also am so grateful to have been continually in contact with CMC students from the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights who have served as wonderful and bright interns for my NGO, Rerooted, which I formed with a Pomona student while at CMC! CMC has provided opportunities for me in countless ways both as a student and today and I am eternally grateful for the passionate, entrepreneurial, and supportive community that shaped me during my four years at CMC. I constantly compare the environments in which I find myself to the CMC environment as a model for how to replicate the motivating and constantly ’do-ing,’ building, and creating energy that wonderfully permeated every corner at CMC.”

MICKY FERGUSON ’17 mickynferguson@gmail.com

COLE MORA ’17 cole.mora17@gmail.com

’18 POSITION OPEN alumni@cmc.edu

educational policies that advance equity and racial justice in California.”

KIMMY TUTTLE writes, “During my time at CMC, I participated in sponsored internship programs that gave me the opportunity to work in a variety of industries that I would have otherwise been unable to afford doing.

“I did pro bono legal work in L.A., business development work at a startup in Dublin, and volunteered at a California Congressional office. These experiences have shaped my early career and ultimately given me the foundation to grow in any environment. Thank you, CMC!”

ADELE ENGLISH ’19

aenglish19@students.claremontmckenna.edu

’20

LALEH AHMAD: “My time as a history major gave me incredibly valuable skills for my current role as an investigative researcher focused on financial crimes.”

GHA YOUNG LEE: “Just moved to New York for a new role after two years in Hong Kong and Seoul!”

VICKY FLORES: “Participating in the Silicon Valley Program during my time at CMC was a unique experience that definitely made a significant impact in my life. Being a full-time intern and student during a semester allowed me to bring my coursework into my work experience and my job learnings back to the classroom. Living and studying together with other student-interns also was an amazing experience that allowed me to make lifelong friends that I am so grateful to have in my life today!”

working with and learning from the brilliant producers, post-production sound mixers, and cinematographers at NFL Films! I recently got to attend my first in-person NFL game assisting a cameraman on the field— definitely in my top-five most favorite experiences of all time. Outside of work, I’ve been appreciating long walks, admiring the neighborhood trees, and exploring bits of Philly and NYC on the weekends! Hope you’re all doing well and have a wonderful holiday season!”

ANNALEE SOOHOO married Samuel Bishop at the Provo City Center Temple in Provo, Utah. Annalee is a product manager and Sam is a software engineer. MELANIE WILLIAMS was a bridesmaid and MARCO HUI and SAMRATH MACHRA were bridesmen.

CATHERINE KIANI reports, “In my first month working at the White House, I’ve coincidentally run into one graduate and one current CMC student, both also assisting the administration. Last night, I welcomed HENRY KRAVIS ’67 to our France State dinner! CMC really is everywhere and being amongst fellow alumni can make any foreign place feel like home.”

TRINITY GABATO writes, “Just finished my first quarter of graduate school at UCLA. One quarter down and five more to go until I finish my M.A. in Asian American Studies. I am looking forward to continuing the work of ethnic studies and I hope to teach after my degree finishes! Hope you all are able to give back to your local communities!”

SARAH CHEN is studying an MSc at Oxford in social science of the Internet and exploring Europe for the first time over her breaks! She was honored to ride on the CMC float in the Rose Parade in Pasadena.

SOBECHUKWU UWAJEH ’22 suwajeh22@cmc.edu

FRANKIE RAYIS: “Started a job in my dream industry that all started with an alumni conversation.”

’19

ADELE ENGLISH reports, “Thankful for the CMC community and new friendships with alumni from class years that didn’t overlap with my own. Glad to have reconnected with some old CMC ’19 friends this year. Looking forward to my four year CMC roommate, KIMMY TUTTLE, coming back to L.A. for 2023!”

JAY CHUNG writes, “Moved to Vancouver. Hit me up if anyone’s in town!”

NOLAN RAJAKUMAR writes, “Survived my second mass corporate layoff in a year, y’all can refer to me as cockroach now.”

From VANESSA ROMO, “I moved back to Los Angeles after graduating with my master’s in education policy from Harvard. Now I’m working for a statewide educational equity organization, advocating for

KATIE CALLACI: “I am in my second year of my Ph.D. program and still feel very prepared from my time at CMC.”

NICK PIBL: “I’m engaged to my FYGlet and that’s okay!”

LALEH AHMAD ’20 lahmad@cmc.edu

’21 VERA KRATZ ’21 verakratzofficial@gmail.com

’22

JOCELYN SONG writes, “Currently serving sports doc realness in South Jersey,

“My time as a history major gave me incredibly valuable skills for my current role as an investigative researcher focused on financial crimes.”

– LALEH AHMAD ’20

Mt. Baldy offered some photo-op worthy moments after abundant late winter snow blanketed the San Gabriel Mountains.

Professor Ward Elliott, a true renaissance man

Ward Elliott, a beloved Claremont McKenna College professor who inspired the minds and spirits of generations of students through his teaching, mentorship, and sing-along parties at his home, died on December 6, 2022, at age 85.

A renowned scholar of American government, constitutional law, the Supreme Court, and the economy, Elliott joined CMC in 1968 after earning three degrees, including his Ph.D. from Harvard University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. He was just 30 years old when he was recruited to CMC by founding President George C . S. Benson to join the faculty and serve as the founding director of the Henry Salvatori Center for the Study of Individual Freedom in the Modern World. Elliott held the rare distinction of serving under all five CMC presidents.

“Ward Elliott was a giant, the CMC exemplar. Every student, a young leader to mentor. Each Socratic class, no question too provocative to pose. No pressing problem outside the reach of his erudition and commitment to solve,” said CMC President Hiram E. Chodosh. “He embodied CMC with an enthusiasm and dynamism, beyond measure.”

Elliott was an inaugural professor in the College’s highly selective Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) program, which he co-founded in 1985 with John Roth, Edward J. Sexton Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, and Gordon Bjork, Professor Emeritus who was the inaugural Jonathan B. Lovelace Professor of Economics. Elliott often commented that he loved teaching in the program because it created a “very tight-knit community.” His colleagues felt the same way about him.

“Ward was the linchpin of CMC’s PPE program,” said Roth. “He made it the tight-knit community it has always been. His care for the CMC students he taught is legendary. His impact on them—and on his PPE teaching colleagues—is everlasting.”

PPE co-founder Bjork recalled that the three leaders had “distinctive approaches with Ward being a Socratic teacher, making him perfect for PPE. He made students think for themselves; he didn’t give them the answers.” Their friendship extended outside of the classroom as well for nearly 50 years.

As the Burnet C. Wohlford Professor Emeritus of American Political Institutions, Elliott maintained a special relationship with Wohlford Hall alumni from the early 70s which he actively maintained, hosting a gathering with this group at “Toad Hall,” his College Avenue home, during Alumni Weekend this past May. He was named an Honorary Member of the CMC Class of 1974.

Deeply respected by his fellow faculty members, Elliott served as a mentor to many. “To me, Elliott brings to mind the virtues of the small liberal arts college and had wide-ranging interests that ran far beyond politics,” said Prof. George Thomas, when he followed Elliott as the Burnet C. Wohlford Professor of American Political Institutions.

“Ward was the embodiment of a Claremont McKenna College faculty member. He was not only a world-class scholar, but maintained positive relationships with countless students over his time at CMC,” said CMC Trustee James McElwee ’74 P’12. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to express our deep sense of loss on the passing of Prof. Elliott.”

For more than half a century—70% of the College’s existence—Elliott immersed himself in intellectual and cultural life on campus, becoming an integral part of the College’s fabric, along with his wife of 53 years, Myrna Elliott.

Jil Stark ’58 GP’11 “takes supreme pleasure” in having introduced Myrna and Ward in the 60s, saying, “Ward and Myrna were completely suited to one another; they were completely in tune, and very much in love. She made Ward so happy. Want to know why I know? Every year on their wedding anniversary, even if they were in Borneo, Ward would call me and thank me for introducing him to ’that wonderful Myrna, the love of my life.’”

When he first arrived at the College, which was then Claremont Men’s College, he quickly forged friendships with faculty members, staff, and students that lasted well after he attained emeritus status upon his retirement. Always interested in expanding friendships, he also frequently wandered around the other Claremont campuses making collegial connections.

For decades, Elliott spent countless hours advising students on their theses, writing impactful and consequential letters for recommendations, and prepping Truman Scholar candidates, which resulted in several CMC students earning the prestigious scholarship or being named as finalists. He also provided the intellectual component at many Claremont Men’s Rugby events, including international tours.

His 1975 work on political representation, The Rise of Guardian Democracy: The Supreme Court’s Role in Voting Rights Disputes 1875-1969 (Harvard University Press and its nomination for the Pulitzer Prize), earned praise and distinction from several highly respected scholars, including Gilbert Cuthbertson, longtime Rice University political science professor, who called it, “Brilliant, devastating, one of the most significant contributions to legal theory and constitutional history in 20th-century scholarship.”

Elliott earned several accolades over the years, including the prestigious Roy C. Crocker Prize for Merit in 1984 and CMC’s Presidential Award for Merit in 1999.

He was known for his engaging sense of humor, compiling his witticisms in Elliott’s Laws, which includes such quips as, “You are only middle-aged once,” and “Life is like Latin. If it were easy, the teacher never would have assigned it.”

Elliott had a lifelong love of Shakespeare—he often spoke excitedly about the 16th-century English playwright with students and community members. He worked with students to launch CMC’s Shakespeare Clinic, where student-led teams focused on authenticating works attributed to the playwright. He also promoted the Claremont Shakespeare Clinic, spending decades investigating the authorship of plays and poems associated with Shakespeare and publishing prodigiously in the field.

Elliott was also a voracious music lover. He played the guitar with students on campus during lunch and hosted regular singing parties at his home— something that Paul Novak ’86 deeply appreciated as a student. “Prof. Ward Elliott was one of my favorite professors, but he taught me even more outside of the classroom,” Novak said. “He taught me and others a lot about how to enjoy life, whether it was reading a book or strumming a guitar.”

Elliott first arrived at CMC in 1968 after earning multiple degrees following his military service, which included Officer in Charge, Eighth U.S. Army Order of Battle War Room, Korea from 1960-61, which led him to become a lifelong supporter of CMC’s Army ROTC unit. In appreciation, the Army awarded him the outstanding Civilian Service Medal for developing the ROTC Academic Enrichment Program.

Even after retirement, Elliott remained active at CMC, regularly participating in Athenaeum events, alumni dinners, reunions, and faculty installations, and hosting singing parties for alumni during Alumni Weekend. He most recently attended an Athenaeum dinner with the Dreier Roundtable, catching up with former students CMC Trustee Steve Bullock ’88 P’24 and CMC Trustee David Dreier ’75, as well as faculty, friends, and alumni.

Remembering Ward

“It didn’t feel like the start to the academic year until Ward had led the entire community in singing the alma mater at Convocation. He was instrumental in building the PPE program, beloved by generations of students.”

—Heather Antecol Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Boswell Professor of Economics

“Ward was the linchpin of CMC’s PPE program. He made it the tight-knit community it has always been. He did that, not only through stellar teaching characterized by wry, probing humor and penetrating insight, but also by hiking Mt. Baldy with his students, making music with them at his famous ’singing parties,’ providing—with Myrna’s steadfast support—warm hospitality at ’Toad Hall,’ his College Avenue home, and keeping in contact with every PPE alum through his prodigious email correspondence. His care for the CMC students he taught is legendary. His impact on them—and on his PPE teaching colleagues—is everlasting.”

—John Roth Edward J. Sexton Professor Emeritus of Philosophy

“Ward engaged students in analyzing problems rather than lecturing about what the problems were. He made students think for themselves; he didn’t give them the answers. Ward was such a broad-ranging man, and he and Myrna were very generous people. We all had a great time together over the years.”

—Gordon Bjork Jonathan B. Lovelace Professor Emeritus of Economics

“Prof. Elliott mixed academic dedication with the pursuit of fun unlike anyone else at CMC,” said Bullock, Montana State Governor, 2013-2021. “His irrepressible mirth made him a favorite Ath dining companion, hike leader, and host of dinners and singing parties. From the opening PS 20 class to our PPE seminars, extending to notes of encouragement decades after graduation, he had a continuing influence on my life. Prof. Elliott will be missed by generations of CMC students, and we students hold Myrna and his family in our hearts.”

Elliott is survived by his beloved wife Myrna Elliott; his son, William, and daughter-in-law, Elodia Villaseñor, and William’s children, Wes Elliott and Andrew Elliott; his son, Christopher; his brother, David Elliott, an emeriti political science professor from Pomona College, and sister-in-law, Mai Elliott.

To make a gift in honor of Ward, his family asks that all donations be directed to the College’s PPE program through the CMC Giving page. Please contact Bob Knuth at bob.knuth@cmc.edu with any questions.

“Ward was not just a great CMC-loving professor. He was also more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Over the decades, he provided encouragement and advice as I pursued public service. I miss him. He truly was one of a kind.”

—Hon. David Dreier ’75 CMC Trustee

“Prof. Ward Elliott was one of my favorite professors, but he taught me even more outside of the classroom. When I was a stress case over my thesis, he would crack a joke to put me at ease. When I wanted to be a dork and study on a weekend, he’d rope me in to a sing-along at his house. He was a serious intellectual, yet one who never took things too seriously. He taught me and others a lot about how to enjoy life, whether it was reading a book or strumming a guitar.”

—Paul Novak ’86

“Elliott was the impresario behind the Latin Oration, which was a colorful fixture at CMC’s Commencement exercises for five decades. He would help select the seniors who were to give the oration and help them write it and memorize it. It was a big deal for students.”

—John Faranda ’79 CMC’s Ambassador-at-Large

“He cultivated a sense of camaraderie and belonging among his students, and he had wide-ranging interests that ran far beyond politics.”

—George Thomas

Burnet C. Wohlford Professor of American Political Institutions Director, Salvatori Center

In Memoriam

Coach Raymond “Bim”

Jollymour remembered for his leadership

Former longtime CMS men’s golf Coach Raymond “Bim” Jollymour, who in 2016 led the Stags to their first NCAA Division III national championship in program history, died on September 23. He was 85. A beloved member of the CMS athletic department, and fixture of the CMC campus community, Jollymour served as the Stags head coach for 19 seasons, from 2002 to 2020.

Jollymour was a widely respected leader, who earned the Dave Williams Award as the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year in 2016. Twice, he coached individuals to national championships, with Tain Lee ’12 winning the title in 2010 and Brad Shigezawa ’14 in 2013. Throughout his illustrious career, he coached seven All-Americans, 29 All-American Scholars, and six individual SCIAC Champions.

In his final season before retiring in 2020, Jollymour was again named one of the five finalists for the Dave Williams Award, after leading the Stags to three wins in four events before the suspension of spring sports due to the COVID pandemic. Even after retiring, he remained close to both CMS golf programs, serving as an assistant coach for the Athenas—helping them earn a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2021. He also remained a close advisor to Stags head coach Mitchell Fedorka.

Jollymour is survived by his wife, Marj, both ardent fans of all of the Stag and Athena teams and ever-present at CMS Athletics events. He was revered by the alumni who played for him, as well as those who got to know him around campus.

“Bim had a profound impact on his players and on all of us who knew him,” said CMC President Hiram E. Chodosh. “I will miss him; we all will. He will continue to inspire us in how he led both his team and his life. Beyond the championships, titles, and awards, he leaves a legacy of commitment to perseverance and excellence.”

Stephen “Steve” Naftilan

Kenneth S. Pitzer Chair of Physics Emeritus

Prof. Stephen (Steve) Naftilan, the Kenneth S. Pitzer Chair of Physics Emeritus, died on July 28 of a heart attack while riding his bicycle with friends north of Azusa.

In 1979, Naftilan joined the Joint Science Department, later renamed the Keck Science Department. He taught physics, astronomy, and the humanities for nearly 40 years. While he taught nearly every single physics course Keck Science offers, he was best known for Astro 66L, which he taught for several decades. Given his vast knowledge and comprehension of astrophysics, his humor, and well-crafted stories, Naftilan’s introductory astronomy course for nonscience majors was wildly popular. One semester, nearly 250 students enrolled. Be it a class period or an informal lunch, he could comfortably discuss the history of and recent research on a wide variety of topics. Examples included black holes, plate tectonics, time travel, the early universe, and extraterrestrials, a topic that was the basis for one of his courses. In addition to teaching in the sciences, Naftilan occasionally taught the Freshman Humanities Seminar course at CMC.

An undergraduate at Chicago University and a graduate of Case Western Reserve University, Naftilan was a well-published scholar. He conducted research at the Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Calgary, UCLA, and others. His primary academic interest was in the field of “cool stars,” which are stars that emit much of their energy in the infrared spectrum. While at Keck, he oversaw numerous research projects with students, many during the summer. These projects combined modeling and computational analysis with observational astronomy. Much of the data was collected at the 40-inch telescope on Table Mountain, an hour north of Claremont, which allowed students to experience working with research-quality instrumentation.

Administratively, Naftilan served the colleges in many capacities. He was asked to serve, and did serve, as the chair of so many committees that he lost count. When someone needed to step up and help, Naftilan rarely said no. Finally, because of his strong commitment to the Jewish faith, he worked tirelessly to support Hillel and the Chaplains of The Claremont Colleges.

Memorial Gifts

CMC invites you to celebrate the life of a classmate or CMCer and support your alma mater by making a memorial gift.

To honor a CMCer, visit www.cmc.edu/donate select your gift designation, and use the comments box to tell us in whose memory you are donating. If they have a family member on record with CMC, we will inform them of your donation (you may also opt to donate anonymously).

Many friends, colleagues, and students knew Naftilan was a bicycling fanatic. He was on his bicycle four to six days per week. In the early 1990s, he frequently finished double-century bicycle races (200 miles) in California within the top five fastest times. While he was extremely modest about his bicycling ability, he did say one of his most memorable rides was one from Death Valley to Whitney Portal, which is approximately 100 miles and more than 13,000 feet of climbing. Naftilan bicycled in nearly every state in the U.S. And he traveled and bicycled throughout the world, including Portugal, Sardinia, and through the palace grounds of Bhutan (at the invitation of the King).

With the passing of Naftilan, The Claremont Colleges, especially his colleagues and the students in the Keck Science Department, lost a wonderful teacher, scholar, and mentor.

Fitness innovator and ALS hero Augie Nieto ’80 P’08

Augustine “Augie” Nieto ’80 P’08, the inspiring fitness industry pioneer who captured the national spotlight when he transformed his ALS diagnosis into a crusade for a cure, died on Feb. 22, 2023, at age 65.

A self-described “idea man,” 19-year-old Nieto developed a concept from his Claremont McKenna College senior thesis into LifeCycle, which later became Life Fitness, the world’s largest commercial fitness equipment manufacturer.

When the entrepreneur was diagnosed in 2005 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease, he immediately established the nonprofit “Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS,” with his wife Lynne. To date, the charity has raised more than $200 million for research into the disease. In addition, he became chairman of the board at the ALS Therapy Development Institute, pushing for research to better understand the mechanisms of how ALS affects the body, using the knowledge to develop new, more effective treatments for the disease.

“Augie was directly responsible for countless advancements and changing the landscape of this horrific disease,” the Augie’s Quest team said in a statement. Among the nonprofit’s achievements, Augie’s Quest funding has led to the development of Tegoprubart (formerly AT-1501), a promising ALS treatment.

Nieto outlived the five-year life expectancy that comes with the ALS diagnosis, choosing to survive. He became the face of ALS, writing two books (the last one typing with his toes), and motivating generations with his entrepreneurial spirit as he battled ALS for two decades. He raised awareness of ALS by appearing in his customized wheelchair on national media, including the Today Show.

“Fierce scholar-athlete, big-idea entrepreneur, huge heart, resilience beyond measure, magical author, inimitable leadership,” observed CMC President Hiram E. Chodosh. “Augie had it all and used every fiber of his being to inspire us all to serve others.”

Nieto, who played center for the Stag football team and is enshrined in the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics Hall of Fame, is remembered by his CMC teammates as a fierce competitor.

“Augie was the most tenacious player during our era,” said Bob Farra ‘80, who played quarterback with him. “He was arguably undersized for a center, but he made up for that with incredible strength because he worked out like a madman. But it was the stuff off the field that made the difference.”

He was named CMS Rookie of the Year, awarded SCIAC honorable mention, and NAIA District 3 honorable mention in 1976. He also received the second-team All-SCIAC and Player of the Week in 1977, firstteam All-SCIAC in 1978 and 1979, and was the Coaches’ Award recipient.

Off the gridiron, Nieto was a creative entrepreneur, constantly thinking of new business models and ventures. Anticipating America’s cardio fitness craze in the late 1970s, he opened a gym in Claremont with fellow CMCers. His senior thesis laid out a business plan that he used to further develop the business.

“While we were seniors, the beginnings of LifeCycle formed,” said David Flatten ’80, his close friend and Stag teammate. “He would come into the locker room with his suit and tie on after a day of knocking on doors. Sometimes he would change back into that only suit and tie he owned after football practice and dash back out of the locker room to chase his dreams.”

However, Nieto did face challenges—LifeCycle nearly went bankrupt after Nieto sold just nine bikes in the first year, Flatten recalled. When Nieto cleverly decided to give away bikes to fitness centers, his business took off. The company boasted $500,000 in sales when Nieto graduated from CMC in 1980.

“That was Augie, always finding a way to move that bigger and bigger obstacle, finding any way to succeed at each new challenge, constantly pursuing his next big deal,” Flatten added. “I see him now leading the way, looking back with a helping hand and that special smile of his again … He’s truly our Hero!”

After his diagnosis, one of his best friends, Scott McFarlane ‘79, said Nieto found a new purpose in life, one based on connecting and helping others.

“Augie lived his life with a sparkle in his eye that was infectious to us all.  The way he has grown in his life and achieved such great accomplishments is an inspiration. It’s a blessing to have known him for over 45 years; I am proud to call him one of my best friends,” McFarlane said.

With the assistance of cutting-edge technology (including infrared control), Nieto was able to speak, send e-mail, change the channel on the television, surf the web, and read books.

“Augie’s story was always impressive, having been a successful and visionary entrepreneur helping shape an entire industry,” said Pamela Gann, CMC President Emerita. “When he was unexpectedly faced with such a devastating diagnosis, at such a young age, Augie called on his innate resilience and leadership skills to dedicate his entire life to the important fight against ALS. His humor, grace, and courage helped countless others and served as a role model to so many. Augie, Lynne, and their family have made such a difference, and his legacy will continue.”

Nieto served as a national vice president of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and he and his wife, Lynne, were co-chairs of the ALS Division.  The late Jerry Lewis said of Nieto in 2008, “Augie is as dedicated a person as you’ll ever find. He has made the decision and the commitment to turn his illness into an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.”

In his final message, Nieto wrote on his website, “Please keep me in your hearts…please help continue the progress of Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS. Please help Lynne to carry on the mission—the second finest achievement of my life. Because I will be in your heart, I will get to experience the joy when we discover a cure.”

Augie Nieto ’80 P’08 (kneeling, right)

In Memoriam

1950s

Louis (Lou) H. Blatterman ’51 of Santa Clarita, Calif., died April 11, 2019.

William (Bill) B. Weston, Jr. ’51 of Soquel, Calif., died October 4, 2022. Weston farmed pears at the nearly 300-acre Peraleda Ranch near Santa Clara, where his family maintained multiple orchards. In 1973, he helped his wife start the Old Orchard School, a private K-8 campus in Campbell, Calif. Weston was a business administration major at CMC where, after he was stood up by a blind date for a campus dance, he met his future spouse, Jessica “Dannie” Idanthea Beyette, a student at Scripps College. The pair married shortly after graduation, spending 63 years together, until Dannie’s death in 2013. Weston served four years in the Army, earning the rank of first lieutenant. Over the years, he served on multiple associations representing fruit growers. He also served on the Santa Clara County grand jury, and he was a Boy Scout troop leader and an unofficial camping trip leader for his daughters’ Girl Scout troop. Weston is survived by his children, William B. Weston III, Perrin Weston Coman, and Bonnie Weston; granddaughters Emerson K. Coman and Elizabeth Beyette Weston; and a sister.

Joe S. Alba ’54 of Jurupa Valley, Calif., died March 3, 2021. Survivors include his wife, Isabel; five children and their spouses, Belinda and Bob Mapstead, Joey and Kim Alba, Cynthia and Jess Aguilera, Mark and Cathy Alba, Annamarie and Nick Stanisci; and 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

E. Vincent Rossi ’55 of Claremont, Calif., died December 18, 2021.

Howard R. Scriven, Jr. ’56 of La Verne, Calif., died February 4, 2021. Political science major.

Prof. Daniel (Burt) B. Corson III ’57 of Whidbey Island, Wash., died August 20, 2022. He was a business administration major.

N. Thompson (Tom) Ussher ’57 of Cool, Calif., died August 8, 2022. He was a business administration major.

1960s

Earl B. Epstein ’60 of Denver, Colo., died March 7, 2021. He was a business administration major at CMC. Epstein is survived by three children and seven grandchildren.

Richard P. Crippen ’61 of Minneapolis, Minn., died September 19, 2022. He was a managementengineering major at CMC when he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and enlist in the Navy. Crippen flew the A-1 Skyraider until 1968, when he began his flying career for Northwest Airlines. He was appointed captain in 1985. Before retiring, Crippen was a flight instructor for the Northwest Airlines Training Corp. He enjoyed spending time with friends and family, traveling, hunting, and fishing. Survivors include sons Curt and Rick; sister Mary Marshall; and grandchildren Daniel, Emma, Audrey, and Olivia.

Donald (Don) H. Doty ’61 of Fall River Mills, Calif., died September 26, 2022. Business Administration major. [See the remembrance under Class of ’61.]

Joel O. Holliday ’61 of Del Mar, Calif., died June 28, 2022. Holliday played an integral role in establishing the Del Mar Foundation, a community endowment that provides long-term funding for community needs. During Holliday’s tenure, the foundation sponsored summer twilight concerts, an art in public places event, junior lifeguards, and it provided seed money for the creation of the Del Mar Historical Society. Holliday, a history major at CMC, managed a $500,000 endowment fund for the maintenance and restoration of the San Dieguito Lagoon. He was committed to preserving open spaces. Over 40 years, he was president, long-term planning chair, founding member of the investment committee, and vice-president of the founding board of directors. He is remembered for his nonprofit leadership, fundraising prowess, and philanthropy on behalf of organizations such as La Jolla Playhouse and Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Northwest.

John D. Stiles, Jr. ’61 P’91 of Palm Springs, Calif., died September 19, 2022. He was a business administration major at CMC. Stiles served in the Army before enrolling at the College. He was a commercial broker and well-known civic leader in Palm Springs, where he was president of the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and Desert Round Table. Stiles also was on the board of directors of the College of the Desert, and he served on the local airport commission. He is survived by three children; son Michael Stiles ’91; three grandchildren; and two siblings, including Robert Stiles ’73.

Thomas (Tom) E. Saltzman ’64 P’86 of Rocklin, Calif., died August 27, 2022. After majoring in accounting and economics at CMC, Saltzman was an Army military police officer at the Presidio in San Francisco. He then deployed to Vietnam. Upon his return, Saltzman joined the accounting firm Ernst & Whinney (later Ernst & Young), working at offices in Sacramento and Honolulu. Saltzman turned to self-employment in 1990, pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors in hospitality, oil leasing, and tax consulting. He enjoyed World War II history, fishing, boating, attending opera, and hosting barbecues. Survivors include daughters Stephanie (Saltzman) Lindsay and Jennifer (Saltzman) Uner ’86; siblings Katherine Saltzman and William Saltzman; grandson Patrick Ordonez; and many nieces and nephews.

William (Bill) M. Sparrow ’64 of Santa Barbara, Calif., died June 16, 2022. He was a business administration and economics major at CMC.

James (Jim) T. Morgan ’65 of Newport Beach, Calif., died April 15, 2021. He was a mathematics major at CMC. Morgan operated McCoy’s Feed & Fuel in Pomona for many decades.

1970s

Jeffrey (Jeff) J. Gabriel ’72 of Edmonds, Wash., died May 2, 2021. He was a psychology and economics major at CMC.

Craig Ducey ’73 of Dewey, Ariz., died July 25, 2022. He was an economics major at CMC.

Sebastian K. Graber ’74, a lawyer who won a 1983 Supreme Court free speech case on behalf of his wife, died August 4, 2022, in Durham, N.C. In United States v. Grace, Graber in 1983 argued that the First Amendment

protects protests on sidewalks outside the Supreme Court. The High Court ruled 9-0 that blocking Graber’s wife—the activist Mary T. Grace—from carrying a fourfoot sign bearing text of the First Amendment, was a violation of the amendment’s free speech protections. A political science and history major at CMC, Graber went on to earn his law degree at George Washington University. In a 50-year legal career, highlights included defending cleric and antiwar activist Daniel Berrigan and Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst whose leak of the Pentagon Papers demonstrated that President Johnson lied about the Vietnam War. Besides his wife, Graber is survived by children Nicholas Isaac Graber-Grace and Jenneca Rose Graber-Grace.

Reynolds (Renny) W. Berger ’76 died December 3, 2022, in Sterling, Va. Berger was born in Los Angeles and was a biology major at CMC. He spent 37 years working with various aerospace companies. Berger enjoyed scuba diving, sharing stories with friends and strangers, and gardening. He was a music enthusiast, taking part in various church choirs, listening to classical music, and occasionally playing his trumpet. Berger was an avid USC football fan. Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Breen; children Kathleen, Charles, Elisabeth, and John; and three granddaughters.

Richard (Dick) A. Alston ’77 of Los Angeles, Calif., died December 13, 2022. An economics major at CMC, Alston embarked upon a banking career with Continental Illinois National Bank in Chicago and Los Angeles after graduation. Over the course of his career, he held senior financial positions at Allen & Co., Sealy Corp., and WebMD, among other companies. He lived for several years in London, where he launched and expanded a cosmetic company for The Wormser Group. Alston enjoyed travel, cooking, and his time on the golf course with lifelong friends from high school, college, and business. Survivors include former wife Katherine Clancy; children Charles Alston, William Alston, and Katherine Alston; partner Ellen Rosenbery; and former wife Jo Ann Alston.

1980s

Stephen (Steve) L. Moyer ’81 of Alameda, Calif., died August 29, 2022. Moyer transferred to the University of Pacific to be with his high school sweetheart, foregoing dreams of becoming a stuntman to raise his newborn son. Moyer instead joined the family real estate business. The position served him well; Moyer was highly sociable and persuasive, once convincing a kidnapper who was holding him at gunpoint to let him go. An avid NFL fan, Moyer started the first known “dynasty fantasy football league” in 1988, before fantasy football became widely known. The league continues to this day. Besides football, Moyer enjoyed standup comedy, roller coasters, infomercial products, jazz, and books. Survivors include sons Kempton, Jarrett, Ramsey, and Weston; five grandchildren; mother Barbara; and siblings David, John, and Kassie.

Dr. Robert (Bob) V. McKeen ’82 of Point Richmond, Calif., died July 30, 2022. A biology major at CMC, McKeen attended medical school at Georgetown University. After serving his residency in Maryland, McKeen continued his career as a general surgeon in Utah for 10 years. He returned to the Bay Area in 2003, when he started a bariatrics practice in San Jose. Survivors include wife Susan McKeen; children Connor and Brynne; and several nieces and nephews.

CMC Board of Trustees

David G. Mgrublian ’82 P’11

Chair of the Corporation and Board of Trustees

CEO, IDS Real Estate Group

Hiram E. Chodosh

President of the College

Regular Trustees

Peter K. Barker ’70 P’01

Retired Chairman of California JPMorgan Chase & Co.,

Retired Partner, Goldman Sachs, Vice Chair of the Board and Board Chair Emeritus, Claremont McKenna College

Todd Barker ’01

Managing Partner, Freestone Grove Partners

James B. Bemowski ’76 P’07 P’09 M’10

Retired, Vice Chairman of the Doosan Group and CEO of Doosan Corporation Business Operations

Stephen C. Bullock ’88 P’24

Governor of Montana (2013–2021)

A. Steven Crown ’74

General Partner and Co-President

Henry Crown & Company

Tina Daniels ’93

Managing Director, Agency & Brand Measurement

Analytics Solutions, Google

Cary Davidson ’75

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Reed & Davidson, LLP

Robert A. Day ’65 P’12

Board Chair Emeritus, Claremont McKenna College

Chairman, The W.M. Keck Foundation

Chairman, Oakmont Corporation

Hon. David Dreier ’75

Founder and Chairman

Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation

Former Chairman of Tribune Publishing Company

Member of Congress (1981-2013)

Steven L. Eggert ’82 P’15

Founder, Anton DevCo, LLC

Elyssa M. Elbaz ’94

Manager, Elbaz Family Foundation

Laura M. Grisolano ’86

President and CEO

Bridge Mediation & Leadership Solutions LLC

E. David Hetz ’80 P’10

Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees

Claremont McKenna College

Susan Matteson King ’85 P’18

Board Director, Private Investor, and Senior Executive

Jeffrey S. Klein ’75 P’08 P’11 P’14

Retired Executive Chairman

1105 Media, Inc.

CMC

Henry R. Kravis ’67

Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Duane Kurisu P’08

Chairman and CEO, aio

Michael Larson ’80

Chief Investment Officer, Cascade

Tao Li ’02

Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Teng Yue Partners

James B. McElwee ’74 P’12

Private Investor

AMB C. Steven McGann ’73

Founder, The Stevenson Group

Harry T. McMahon ’75 P’08 P’09

Senior Advisor, G100 Companies

Vice Chair of the Board and Board Chair Emeritus

Claremont McKenna College

Marci Lerner Miller ’89 P’19 P’20

Partner, Potomac Law Group, PLLC

Akshata N. Murty ’02

Director, Catamaran Ventures UK

Robert C. Nakasone ’69 P’98

Retired CEO, Toys “R” Us, Inc.

Paul Nathan ’80

Founder, Ledex Consulting Corporation

Donna Wengert Neff P’21

Private Investor

Douglas L. Peterson ’80 P’14 P’15

President and CEO, S&P Global

Rey Ramsey

Managing Partner, Centri Capital

G. Jeffrey Records, Jr. ’81

Chairman and CEO, MidFirst Bank

George R. Roberts ’66 P’93

Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Richard J. Romero ’89

President & CEO

Oremor Management and Investment Co.

Rossi A. Russell ’71

Attorney at Law

John Shrewsberry ’87 P’24

Private Investor

Retired CFO, Wells Fargo & Company

Bruce A. Soll ’79 P’12 P’15 P’17

Counselor, Soll Advisors

Kenneth J. Valach ’82

CEO, Trammell Crow Residential

Shaw B. Wagener ’81

Chairman

Capital Group Private Markets

Alumni Trustees

Tanya Remer Altmann ’94

Founder & Pediatrician, Calabasas Pediatric Wellness Center

Eric Fujimoto ’93 P’24

Founder, Ho‘ea – Wealth Advisory Group

Tendo Nagenda ’97

Ex Officio Trustees

Allison Aldrich P’24

President, CMC Parent Network

Scott Torrey ’91 P’23 P’26

President, CMC Alumni Association

Life Trustees

Gary E. Biszantz ’56 P’08

Former Chairman, Cobra Golf, Inc.

Barbara W. Boswell

Educator and Vice President, Boswell Family Foundation

Abbott L. Brown P’00

Chairman and CEO, Ridgestone Corporation

Richard E. Butler

Retired President, Kilkenny Consulting Corp.

Joseph T. Casey P’81 P’85 P’88 P’95 GP’20

Retired Executive Vice President and Director

Litton Industries, Inc.

Marvin W. Drew ’51 P’75 GP’05

Private Investor

Thomas C. Leppert ’77

Former CEO of the Turner Corp, Kaplan, Inc. and Castle & Cooke Properties

Former Dallas Mayor

Perry A. Lerner ’65 P’89 GP’19 GP’20

Chairman & CEO, Crown Global Insurance Group

Robert J. Lowe ’62

Founder and Chairman, Lowe Enterprises, Inc., and Board Chair Emeritus, Claremont McKenna College

Thomas M. Mitchell ’66

Retired Chairman and CEO, Provident Investment Counsel

Kenneth M. Novack ’67

Founding Partner, Schnitzer West

William Podlich ’66 GP’26

Retired CEO, Pacific Investment Management Co.

Jack L. Stark ’57 GP’11

President Emeritus, Claremont McKenna College

Buzz Woolley ’59 P’90 P’92

Chairman of the Board, Girard Capital, Inc.

Honorary Trustees

John V. Croul ’49

Retired, Co-Chairman, Behr Process Corporation

Glenn L. Hickerson ’59

President, Hickerson Associates

Editorial

Anne Bergman

Sarah Kidwell

Valerie Ramos

Gilien Silsby

Chris Watts

Malia Whitenack

Visual

Anibal Ortiz

Design

Jay Toffoli

Contributors

Andrew Faught

Jeremy Kniffin

Johnny Milano

Watchara Phomicinda

Adam Rosen

Thomas Rozwadowski

Colleen Wynn

Class Notes

John Faranda ’79

Rebecca Pelén

Evan Rutter ’06

Vice President for Advancement

Michelle Chamberlain

Chief Strategic Communications Officer

Megan Jordan P’27

Spring 2023

CMC Volume 45, Number 1

Published by Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA 91711-6400

Claremont McKenna College, and CMC, are registered trademarks of Claremont McKenna College, and all applicable rights to use of the trademarks are reserved. Claremont McKenna College does not discriminate on any illegal basis in the administration of its admission, educational, or employment policies and practices. Claremont McKenna College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. To read online, go to www.issuu.com/ claremontmckennacollege.

Copyright © 2023, Claremont McKenna College

parting shot

Cayman Chen ’25 counters ”fast fashion“ with her slow, handmade pieces. She traveled to Singapore and Japan on an Appel Fellowship to learn about creating ethical clothing and showed her collection ”Roots: Laying Bare the Fashion Industry“ at HMC’s Sprague Gallery in December 2022.

CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE 500 EAST NINTH STREET

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Jill Kraus P’11 and son Ben ’11 (left) take part in the “wishful balloon” demonstration led by artist Jeppe Hein at the Athenaeum. It followed the dedication of his “Modified Social Benches Claremont” sculpture.