Emory Magazine - Winter 2023

Curing the 'Uncurable'

MAGAZINE

EMBRACING THE HUMANITIES WHY EMORY IS DOUBLING DOWN ON THE STUDY OF WHAT MAKES

C OV E R I LLU S TR ATI ON N A M E I N S I DE TOC N A M E

LIFE WORTH LIVING

A Love Letter to Black Families

Alumni 40 Under 40

WINTER 2023

The Emory community is driven byTa distinct oneself for the greater good.

H E purpose: P O D to C think A Sbeyond T Grab a front row seat to a movement to transform the future. These talks, podcast episodes, and master classes will challenge thinking S E your A S O N 2 about issues that matter.

WATC H NOW >

Recorded in front of a live audience in cities across the country, 2O36: The Podium’s TED-style talks feature Emory experts as they encourage viewers to think beyond their current experience and explore how we can shape a brighter world.

2036.emory.edu/the-podium

LIST E N N OW >

Discover the secret to resiliency, how to create space for connection, the future of data and privacy, and so much more in the second season of 2O36: The Podcast. Listen to intimate conversations with Emory’s foremost authorities for fresh perspectives.

2036.emory.edu/the-podcast

WATC H NOW >

In these monthly master classes, Emory experts take on fear, belonging, the future of the Supreme Court, and more.

2O36: The Platform’s informal, intimate videos will give you a glimpse inside the Emory experience. Recapture the feeling of college learning without the exams.

2036.emory.edu/the-platform

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EMORY MAGAZINE WINTER 2023 | VOL. 99

NO.2

FEATURES

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CURING THE ‘UNCURABLE’ Find out how researcher Phil Santangelo

and his team are employing cutting-edge

C OV E R K AY H I N T O N , T O C S A R A H WO O D S , C H A R L I E L AY T O N , JAC K K E A R S E , B O O K C OV E R C O U R T E SY O F K A R I DA B R OW N

mRNA technology to beat cancer.

32 SEEING DOUBLE Five exceptional Emory students share why

pursuing dual majors has helped them thrive as

scholars and as people.

20

EMBRACING OUR HUMANITIES At a critical juncture of rapid

change, Emory is reinvesting in the liberal arts and expanding humanistic inquiry.

14 ‘A LOVE LETTER TO BLACK FAMILIES’ Emory professor Karida Brown and her

husband, Charly Palmer, assembled "The New Brownies Book" as a compendium of Black creativity and achievement.

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POINTS OF INTEREST 3 6

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP

FREER NAMED DEAN OF EMORY SCHOOL OF LAW 8

STUDENT FLOURISHING

PLACES OF POSITIVITY 12 18

HIDDEN EMORY

INSIDE THE PLANETARIUM

Editor-in-Chief Roger Slavens

Art Director Elizabeth Hautau Karp

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

Assistant Vice President, Content and Brand Story Laura Douglas-Brown 95C 95G

Creative Director, Publications Peta Westmaas

MACHINE LEARNING MEETS MEDICINE 19

18

SHORT LIST

EMORY EVERYWHERE 43

40 UNDER FORTY

CELEBRATING THE 2023 CLASS OF YOUNG ALUMNI 53

CLASS NOTES

55

ALUMNI INK

Contributors Shannan Adams 24Ox 26C, Susan M. Carini 04G, Anna Chapman, Sarah Higinbotham, April Hunt, Tony Rehagen, Benjamin Reiss, Tony Van Witsen

Photography Kay Hinton, Jack Kearse, Alex Minovici, Sarah Woods Vice President, Communications and Marketing Luke Anderson University President Gregory L. Fenves

Copy Editor Susan M. Carini 04G Advertising Manager Jarrett Epps

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IN MEMORIAM

60

CODA

BIG THANKS FROM STUDENTS

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MORE ONLINE AT EMORY.EDU/MAGAZINE HIDDEN EMORY DISCOVER ADDITIONAL STORIES

about the university's overlooked spaces, forgotten places and obscure artifacts.

ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS LEARN MORE ABOUT THE

2023 40 Under Forty class, as well as winners of the Emory Medal and other awards.

EMORY MAGAZINE (ISSN 00136727) is published by Emory’s Division of Communications and Marketing.

Nonprofit postage paid at 3900 Crown Rd. SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30304; and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Advancement and Alumni Engagement Office of Data Management, 1762 Clifton Road, Suite 1400, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.

Emory Magazine is distributed free to alumni and friends of the university. Address changes may be emailed to eurec@emory.edu or sent to the Advancement and Alumni Engagement Office of Data Management, 1762 Clifton Road, Suite 1400, Atlanta, Georgia 30322. If you are an individual with a disability and wish to acquire this publication in an alternative format, please contact Roger Slavens (address above).

No. 24-EU-EMAG-0064 ©2023, a publication of the Division of Communications and Marketing.

Emory University is an equal opportunity/equal access/ affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all applicable federal and Georgia state laws, regulations and executive orders regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action in its programs and activities. Emory University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, genetic information, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and veteran's status. Inquiries should be directed to the Department of Equity and Inclusion, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30322. Telephone: 404-727-9867 (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD).

The comments and opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of Emory University or the staff of Emory Magazine.

PH O T O G R A PH Y K AY H I N TO N , G E T T Y I M AG E S , C O U R T E SY O F E M O RY A LU M N I

NEW BOOKS BY EMORY GRADS

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

under Provost Ravi Bellamkonda’s leadership, we started the Initiative for Arts and Humanistic Inquiry, which will bolster the humanities and arts by recruiting up to 30 faculty across Emory College of Arts & Sciences, Oxford College, Candler School of Theology, Goizueta Business School and Emory School of Law. These scholars will bring essential perspectives to Emory and apply their expertise to take on a range of ambitious challenges and opportunities.

The world is changing rapidly, and the work of humanistic scholars and artists will help us understand who we are and where we are headed. They will also enable us to continue elevating the education we offer our students, providing a well-rounded experience with substance and depth that will serve students throughout their lives.

PROUD OF OUR HUMANITIES President Gregory L. Fenves

Dear Emory alumni and friends of the university, This issue of Emory Magazine hits especially close to home for me. Throughout my years spent at universities, I’ve enjoyed many strong connections with faculty in the humanities — including my brother and sister-in-law, who are professors of literature and English at Northwestern University. But it’s my wife, Carmel Martinez Fenves, who has opened my eyes to the transformative power of art and creative expression through her textile works and her search for inspiration during our four decades together.

In my time as a university president, I have relied most heavily on knowledge tied to the humanities rather than the engineering training I focused on as a student and professor. I have seen, over and again, how the humanities and sciences are complementary.

A major reason why I joined Emory in 2020 is because PH O T O G R A PH Y K AY H I N TO N

the university is an extraordinary liberal arts college and research powerhouse all in one. Emory is uniquely positioned to undertake scholarship, groundbreaking research, artistic expression and teaching that explores the human condition like few other universities. And a commitment to the humanities is at the center of an Emory education.

Across our nation in recent years, there has been a disturbing trend of universities pulling back on the humanities. At Emory, we are doing the opposite. This year,

In October, I saw the lifelong impact of an Emory education on full display during our annual homecoming festivities in Atlanta. It was phenomenal. It seemed like every square foot of the campus was electric, filled with thousands of enthusiastic Emory alums, students, parents, families, faculty and staff. As is often the case, parents asked me about the Emory experience and how we are preparing their students for the future, namely, the kinds of jobs they could get with an Emory degree! I explained that an Emory education is meant to be timeless and, yes, their students will be well prepared for their first jobs, but even more important, they will also have strong fundamentals in learning, critical thinking and communicating, which will prepare them for future jobs that haven’t even been invented yet.

Career paths change. Yet the ability to make sense of the world through history, languages, the arts, philosophy and so much more will be valuable forever. At Emory, we are preparing future leaders who know how to harness cutting-edge technology, but also have the analytical skills and creativity to make contributions regardless of the trends of a given moment.

As you’ll see in this issue, they can only do that with knowledge and inspiration from the humanities. That’s a specialty here at Emory and one we’re very proud of.

Gregory L. Fenves President Emory University WINTER 2023

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> > CA M P U S E VENT S

A Heartfelt T Homecoming

PHOTOGRAPHY K ST A EYP H H IENNT N OO NW , S LA AN RD AH WOODS

EMORY ALUMNI ENJOYED REUNITING WITH OLD FRIENDS AND MAKING NEW MEMORIES AT THE 2023 HOMECOMING AND FAMILY WEEKEND.

he Emory community could not have asked for better weather for our 2023 “Emory Heart + Atlanta Soul” Homecoming and Family Weekend. A mild breeze stirred the rust-colored leaves and plenty of golden autumn sunshine laid the scene for a perfect fall weekend in which alumni, parents and students gathered to greet old friends and make new ones on both the Atlanta and Oxford campuses.

Events revved up as the week progressed.

There were film screenings on McDonough Field, numerous alumni gatherings, studentorganized concerts, the Kickoff Party on the Quad on Friday evening and a Family Town Hall with President Gregory L. Fenves on Saturday.

Attendees were spoiled for choice as nearly every Emory school and unit showed their spirit in their own unique way, offering myriad events for participants to explore. Highlights included the grand opening of both the Emory Interfaith Center and the Belonging and Community Justice Identity Spaces, special exhibitions and tours at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, the annual Homecoming parade and numerous sporting events. Food trucks, eclectic music performances, and crafts and activities for kids at the annual Food and Music Festival offered something for all ages and interests. The Oxford campus, not to be outdone, also hosted a wide range of fun events, culminating in the annual Student Showcase.

In total, more than 9,000 alumni, family members and friends visited Emory’s campuses for the festivities. Make sure you’re among that lucky number by saving the date for next year’s Homecoming and Family Weekend scheduled for Oct. 25-27, 2024.

READ MORE ABOUT HOMECOMING ALUMNI EVENTS AND PROGRAMS AT MAGAZINE.EMORY.EDU,

INCLUDING 2O36 THE PODCAST, THE PODIUM AND THE PLATFORM. WINTER 2023

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POINTS OF INTEREST

> > ACA D E M I C L E A D E RSHI P

EMORY’S OWN RICHARD D. FREER, A RENOWNED EXPERT ON CIVIL PROCEDURE AND AN AWARDWINNING TEACHER and experienced leader, has been appointed as the next dean of Emory University School of Law. Freer has been a member of the faculty at Emory for more than 40 years, currently serving as Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law. He will step into the new role on July 1, 2024, at the conclusion of current Dean Mary Anne Bobinski’s five-year term.

“Richard Freer has a storied history at Emory, inspiring generations of law students through his teaching, mentorship and scholarship,” says President Gregory L. Fenves. “He has a deep understanding of the opportunities at Emory Law, and as dean, will provide the focused, thoughtful leadership needed to elevate the school in the years ahead.”

As dean, Freer will focus on supporting student flourishing across academic, professional and personal dimensions; cultivating and enhancing 6

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the academic eminence of a faculty widely recognized as among the nation’s finest community of legal scholars; and strengthening the bonds within Emory Law and with alumni, the bench, bar, business and philanthropic communities.

Freer’s priorities flow from the school’s core mission: to educate sophisticated, principled lawyers who can flourish in the practice of law anywhere.

“Our alumni are equipped with the education and skill and have the character to serve clients in any milieu, and to lead their legal and broader communities,” Freer says. “The practice of law is a noble calling; our students will join our alumni in serving it with excellence and distinction.”

During Freer’s long tenure at Emory Law, he has been relentlessly future-facing, making considerable contributions that have prepared him well to lead the school.

A prolific scholar, he has authored or co-authored 17 books and more than 40 articles and essays in law journals.

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SUPPORTING He is a life member EMORY'S CORE of the American Law MISSION New Institute and serves School of Law as an academic fellow Dean Richard D. Freer will priorof the Pound Institute itize educating for Justice. principled lawyers who can flourish Freer has held anywhere. numerous leadership roles at Emory, including the university associate vice president for academic affairs (vice provost), Emory Law associate dean of faculty, chair of the university’s Tenure and Promotion Advisory Committee and chair of more than a dozen law school committees.

He is also a beloved teacher who has continually worked to build and establish best practices of legal education.

Recognized as Outstanding Professor of Emory Law 10 times and five times as Professor of the Year by Emory’s Black Law Students Association, Freer is also a recipient of Emory University’s Scholar/ Teacher Award and Emory Williams University Teaching Award.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EMORY SCHOOL OF LAW

Freer Named Next Dean of School of Law

> > FAC U LT Y E M I N E NC E

Found in Translation PROFESSOR LISA DILLMAN SELECTED AS NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST FOR TRANSLATED NOVEL. A professor of practice in Emory

College’s Department of Spanish and

Portuguese, Lisa Dillman has again been named a National Book Award finalist for her literary translation of a novel by Co-

lombian author Pilar Quintana. This year,

Dillman and Quintana are being honored P H O T O G R A P H Y A D D I S O N H I L L , C O U R T E SY O F PAT H WAYS C E N T E R

for “Abyss,” an unsettling look at a family

in Cali, Colombia, told from the perspective of an eight-year-old girl. “I feel so

honored to be among the finalists this

year, and I am particularly thrilled to be

nominated for translating a Colombian woman writer I adore,” Dillman says.

The honor is the latest recognition

for Dillman’s skillful literary translation from Spanish to English. She won the

international Oxford-Weidenfield Prize in 2018 for her translation of Andrés Barba’s “Such Small Hands.”

Dillman regularly teaches undergrad-

uate courses in translation studies in addition to Spanish-language classes. This spring, she is teaching both an introductory and advanced translation class.

> > ST UDENT F LO UR ISH ING

FORGING NEW CAREER PATHS FUNDING FROM EMORY’S PATHWAYS CENTER, PROVIDED BY DONORS, OPENS DOORS FOR UNIQUE STUDENT EXPERIENCES.

tively through the Pathways Fund or through individual funds established by donors themselves.

The grants are part of the center’s major inaugural initiatives helping undergraduates realize how to apply their liberal arts education to potential professions.

A new fund fueled by donors to The internship grants complement Emory’s Pathways Center helped Career Treks, which bring students 274 students say “yes!” to summer to major-city workplaces internships on six continents.

INTENSIVE of Emory alumni, and the The cohort represented 47 INTERNSHIPS Pathway Scholars cohort, different majors across the Emory students university’s four undergradwere able to study which focuses on the enterenvironmental tainment industry. uate colleges, and each tourism in Nepal, “We are committed to student returned to campus work in legal aid helping Emory students with eye-opening experiences in Calfornia and much more thanks reach their full potential by to share. to $850,000 making sure they are able to By providing a one-time in funds from donors. say yes to the opportunities stipend to offset the expenses that their education and hard of everything from studying work open for them,” says Ed Goode, environmental tourism in Nepal to the center’s director of experiential working in legal aid in California, the learning. internship program lifted barriers “Ensuring equal access is an to the skill-building and networking important way to prepare students for that come with practical experience. global competitiveness,” he says.

Nearly all of the $850,000 in funds was ­—April Hunt and Susan M. Carini 04G provided by donors, either collecWINTER 2023

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POINTS OF INTEREST

> > ST U D E N T F LO U R ISHI NG

POSITIVE PLACES EMORY’S NEWLY UNVEILED

IDENTITY SPACES ENHANCE STUDENTS’ SENSE OF

COMMUNITY AND BELONGING. WHEN DAVID KULP 20C GOT A SPONTANEOUS invitation to visit the new Belonging and Community Justice Identity Spaces on the third floor of Cox Hall from Enku Gelaye, senior vice president and dean of Campus Life, he couldn’t refuse.

Though he currently studies in the Emory School of Medicine, Kulp first came to the university as an Emory College undergraduate in 2016. During those years, he was very involved in campus life, serving on a student advisory board. That’s how he met Gelaye, and they catch up over lunch often these days.

Walking through the new spaces, he couldn’t hide his excitement over the natural light pouring in through the windows, or the intentional layout of the area.

“I was very impressed by it,” says Kulp. “It’s nice to see the expansion of offerings for student spaces on campus come to fruition.”

Emory’s new Belonging and Community Justice Identity Spaces have been hosting students and putting on programming since 8

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September, though the official grand opening was held this October during Homecoming and Family Weekend.

The new spaces enhance the sense of community for Emory students across disciplines, identities and experiences, immersing them in affirming spaces while also encouraging exploration of intersectional identities.

New spaces for the Asian Student Center, Center for Women, Centro Latinx, Emory Black Student Union, the Office of LGBT Life and Emory First, a space for first-generation college students and students from lowand limited-income backgrounds, can now all be found on the third floor of Cox Hall.

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These spaces were born out of a long history. Though many of the organizations already existed on campus long before the physical areas, the idea to renovate them into something more robust and visible began in 2019 and was prioritized by President Gregory L. Fenves when he toured campus in summer 2020.

C O M M U N I T I E S C OA L E S C E

In the identity spaces, Yvonna Smothers, a third-year student studying human health and economics, says she feels at home with members of her community — even though she is more than 700 miles away from her hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

PHOTOGRAPHY ALEX MINOVICI AND WHITING TURNER

PROVIDING A SAFE SENSE OF HOME The newly

opened Identity Spaces give students a safe place to gather and interact with members of their communities.

Smothers works as a student programming assistant in the Center for Women but spends plenty of time in the Emory Black Student Union (EBSU) and first-generation student spaces, too.

Creating community is a top priority for Smothers. She says these new spaces are already creating more opportunities to plug into communities than previous iterations of the identity spaces in other buildings or rooms. Recently, the Center for Women and EBSU hosted a line dancing event, inviting people to join in the festivities in the EBSU’s new space by playing music and instructing the steps for popular line dances like the Wobble or the Tamia.

“Line dancing made me feel like I was back at home, because Chicago is a very big place for stepping and line dancing,” says Smothers. “Being able to go into these spaces really reminds me of the people that I’m representing back home.”

Smothers says that entering these new spaces surround-

ed by people with familiar experiences keeps her grounded and plugged into her communities.

“I think it’s important for me to be able to go throughout these spaces and see people that have the same experience as me,” says Smothers. “I don’t feel as isolated as I would in other places even though I’m so far away from home.”

Thanks to their new location, some students are learning about the identity spaces for the first time. Jennifer Soto, a second-year pre-nursing major from Los Angeles, has been involved with the Asian Student Center (ASC) since her first year on campus. She noted how that elevated visibility has helped the ASC connect with community members.

“Not a lot of people knew about the space back then where it was located, so we didn’t really have large turnouts for our events,” says Soto.

“Ever since stepping into the new floor at Cox Hall, we have been getting a lot of engagement from the community compared to before. We definitely feel like a lot of our needs that weren’t completely met in the AMUC are met at Cox Hall.”

Soto noted how she found sanctuary within the walls of the ASC. “The first word that usually comes to mind when I think about the new spaces is ‘safety,’” says Soto. “It’s just a nice place to wind down after a long day, just finding a space that’s really meant for yourself.”

For Chanel Craft Tanner, director of Emory’s Center for Women, there’s a clear difference in the attitudes of students in the new spaces. She describes a new excitement she’s observed in the students.

“They’re just like kids in a candy store right now,” says Tanner.

“The energy is just amazing, and it hasn’t stopped.”

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A S T U D E N T- C E N T R I C D E S I G N

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INFLUENTIAL DESIGN Each of the Identity Spaces boasts unique features and qualities that were advocated for by Emory students.

“It helps me feel connected with the community and keeps us grounded in the value of our time and the value of having those connections.”

– Taylor Colorado Merino

front of the Belonging and Community Justice space has already become a comfortable space for students to gather and create community.

“Food is so central to our culture and being able to share that is so important,” says Alarcon.

Taylor Colorado Merino, a second-year sociology student from Los Angeles, spends a lot of his time in Centro Latinx. Merino noted that, in

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addition to the comforting nature of Centro Latinx, it’s important to him that Emory created a space for certain communities on campus to increase their prominence.

“I think it’s very special, the visibility that comes with creating spaces like this,” says Merino. “It helps me feel connected with the community and keeps us grounded in the value of our time and the value of having those connections.”

Across the hall, in the Office of LGBT Life, there were a few additional design priorities to support students. Danielle Bruce-Steele, director of the Office of LGBT Life, says she wanted a secondary entrance and exit for people who may not be comfortable being seen entering the space.

The expansion of each identity space not only means more visibility for marginalized communities across campus, but it also quite literally means an expansion of the physical space that they can occupy. This means more programming opportunities and more chances for all student populations to feel welcome. — Anna Chapman

PHOTOGRAPHY ALEX MINOVICI

Entering the third floor of Cox Hall, it is quickly evident that each detail was designed with a priority on creating community and belonging — a feeling that was achieved by none other than Emory students. The identity space design was influenced by input from more than 40 feedback sessions throughout the planning process. Each space has unique features and qualities advocated for by Emory students.

Yemko Pryor, a fifth-year PhD student in genetics and graduate program assistant in the Office of LGBT Life, was one of the students who volunteered to help design the spaces. Pryor, through many sessions, gave feedback on color palettes, voiced their opinion on furniture and helped imagine an overall vibe for the spaces — with the ultimate goal of creating a home base on campus.

“We really wanted to have a living room sort of vibe,” says Pryor. “And that’s exactly what it feels like. It’s quite easy to bounce from, ‘I’m zeroed in focusing on work, so I’m going to the quiet meeting room,’ to saying, ‘I’m done with work, and I just want to chat,’ and moving to the giant couch to play Mario Kart.”

The alumni perspective was supported through the lens of staff members of identity spaces, many of whom are alumni themselves. They worked to carry on the legacy of their time as Emory students and advocated for features they would've enjoyed.

Victoria Alarcon graduated from Emory in 2019 and now works as a program coordinator in Centro Latinx.

Alarcon says that they would’ve loved to have a kitchen as a student to gather with friends and family over food.

The new Centro Latinx space features a kitchenette with appliances, plates and flatware. The larger kitchen at the

> > R ES E A RC H E XC E L L ENC E

Emory Creates $100,000 Max Cooper Prize in Immunology

O

ver the course of the last half century, Emory researchers have made vital discoveries

in the field of adaptive immunity that

paved the way for current immunology

research and clinical advancements. In an effort to honor one of those re-

searchers and reward others in the field who are contributing to the advance-

ment of immunology, Emory’s Woodruff

Health Sciences Center has created the

Emory Max Cooper Prize in Immunology, a $100,000 annual award honoring the scientist whose historic discoveries

today would not be possible without his

joined Emory in 2008.

ing of the adaptive immune system.

his name adorn this award.”

will spur innovation and

have forever changed our understandCooper is a Georgia Research Alli-

As a young physician-scientist in the

ance Eminent Scholar and professor in

1960s, Cooper and fellow researcher

oratory Medicine at Emory University

that there are two distinct cell lineages in

the Department of Pathology and Lab-

School of Medicine. He’s also a member PHOTOGRAPHY JACK KEARSE

foundational work so it’s only fitting that

of the Emory Vaccine Center, Winship

Cancer Institute and the Center for AIDS Research.

“Dr. Cooper’s seminal discoveries

and contributions to the field of immu-

nology have saved countless lives,” says

Jacques Miller discovered in chickens

the adaptive immune system, now known as T cells and B cells. This monumental achievement uncovered the organizing

principle of the adaptive immune system

continued investment

in the field of immunology to the benefit of

patients with immune

IMMUNE SYSTEM IMPACT Max

Cooper helped discover T cells and B cells, which launched the course of modern immunology.

deficiencies, auto-im-

mune diseases, leukemias, lymphomas and multiple myeloma.”

Available to national and international

and launched the course of modern

candidates across the spectrum of im-

“I’m extremely grateful for the es-

per Prize in Immunology will be awarded

immunology.

munology, the inaugural Emory Max Coo-

Ravi Thadhani, executive vice president

tablishment of this prize using my name

“Many of the advancements in the field

field of immunology,” says Cooper, who

for health affairs at Emory University.

“Hopefully this award

to honor important contributions to the

in the fall of 2024. Nominations will be

open between Nov. 1 and April 1 with the prize being presented in September.

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PA RT F I V E I N A S E R I E S

HIDDEN E M O RY

OVERLOOKED SPACES. FORGOTTEN PLACES. LITTLE-KNOWN OBJECTS AND OBSCURE ARTIFACTS.

P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y K AY H I N TO N T E X T B Y R O G E R S L AV E N S

he Emory Planetarium, nestled within the Mathematics and Science Center on the Atlanta campus, serves as a celestial sanctuary like no other. This 56-seat classroom differs from your typical learning space — it's both a cosmic theater designed for teaching undergraduate astronomy and a unique campus gathering space. As the house lights dim, the planetarium transports you to a realm of wonderment where you can lose yourself in the stars displayed overhead.

The heart of this heavenly spectacle is the Zeiss Skymaster ZKP 3, a meticulously crafted German-made star projector. Installed at Emory in 2002, the projector uses 39 different lenses to beam thousands of light points onto the planetarium’s curved ceiling screen. A member of the physics department — usually planetarium director Erin Wells Bonning or assistant teaching professor Alissa Sue Bans — orchestrates the show.

T

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W S UI N MTMEERR22002233

The Skymaster simulates everything you could see with the naked eye on a clear night under perfect viewing conditions.

It projects thousands of individual stars plus star clusters, galaxies, the Milky Way, constellations, the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, as well as the Earth’s sun and moon.

Typically programmed to simulate the sky over Atlanta, it can easily replicate the heavens above any place in the Northern or Southern hemispheres. Moreover, it can double as a time machine of sorts, unveiling the night sky as it appeared at any moment in the past or how it will unfold in the future.

Of the more than 500 Zeiss-equipped planetariums worldwide, Emory’s Skymaster is the only one built on its own rising platform. When not in use, it descends below floor level to hide out of sight, leaving behind a setting perfect for classroom lectures or special campus events.

Emory Planetarium

To see additional images of the planeterium and to discover more Hidden Emory spaces, places and objects, visit magazine.emory.edu.

TER 2023 SW U IMNM

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> > FACU LT Y E M I N E N C E

‘A LOVE LETTER TO BLACK FAMILIES’ More than one hundred years in the making, a new book stewarded by Emory professor Karida Brown and artist Charly Palmer celebrates Black creativity and furthers the legacy of W.E.B. DuBois.

“SOMEBODY SHOULD DO THIS BOOK.” That’s Karida Brown in 2017

CURATORS-IN-CHIEF Karida Brown, Emory professor of sociology, and her husband, artist Charly Palmer, published "The New Brownies Book: A Love Letter to Black Families" to critical acclaim this October.

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describing to her then-boyfriend, artist Charly Palmer, a children’s book she had in mind.

A W.E.B. Du Bois scholar and professor of sociology at Emory, Brown envisioned a book that would salute and update “The Brownies’ Book: A Monthly Magazine for Children of the Sun,” the first periodical for Black children, which Du Bois debuted in 1920.

Though produced for only a year and a half, its effect was profound.

Nothing remotely similar would appear until Ebony Jr. in 1973.

The magazine’s pages, according to the New York Times, were filled with “a panoply of Black figures staking a claim in the history of a country that would rather not acknowledge them.”

For the first time, young readers could embrace Black role models and have an outlet for self-expression.

They needed little encouragement to send in drawings and high school graduation photos, and they asked questions. In the first issue, Franklin Lewis wonders why a white boy told him he couldn’t be an architect. Politely WINTER 2023

but insistently, he closes his letter: “My mother says you will explain all this to me … and will tell me where to learn how to draw a house, for that is what I certainly mean to do.”

In 2020, during the claustrophobia of the pandemic and the racial reckoning that summer, Brown and Palmer finally knew they were ready to act on her idea. “We decided we were the ‘someones’ to do the Brownies’ Book,” says Palmer.

Like its predecessor, “The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families” is a compendium of Black achievement and creativity as well as a springboard for addressing issues germane to Black children. To do so, it reprises timeless material from the original as well as introducing far-ranging new content. Palmer and Brown describe it as “a living, breathing mosaic of dreams, aspirations and boundless potential.”

Brown points to the work of fellow sociologist Patricia Hill Collins, who has written about the destructive influence of “controlling images,” as another impetus. “Black women as welfare queens. Black boys as predators. These

P H O T O G R A P H Y A N D A R T C O U R T E S Y O F K A R I DA B R O W N A N D C H A R LY PA L M E R

BY SUSAN M. CARINI 04G

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A PROJECT WELL WORTH THE WAIT It‘s a big deal to have the New York Times write about your book the day before it is published and to be among Amazon’s picks for best history book.

Those plaudits are just a taste of the appreciation already expressed for “The New Brownies’ Book.” Brown eagerly reads reviews — Palmer happily doesn’t — and she cites a NetGalley critique saying what the couple views as the ultimate compliment: “This is the kind of book that I will pass down to my children and my children’s children.”

Fifty contributors fill 10 chapters organized around topics such as “Family Ties,” “She’roes” and “Living and Dying.”

These creative forces include playwright and poet Ntozake Shange, writer and editor Damon Young, Def Poetry Jam co-creator and painter Danny Simmons, sociologist and educator Bertice Berry, and children’s book illustrator James E. Ransome.

“We selected people who were masters of their craft or coming into their own and unapologetically Black,” Brown says. “We felt comfortable letting them decide what was in their heart to produce.”

Fisk University is where Du Bois earned his undergraduate degree in 1888. And it is where Brown put out a call for interns of any major who wanted to assist with the book. Five students 16

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joined for a year, eventually contributing their own pieces. “We spent a lot of quiet time reading together. They helped determine how the chapters started to take shape,” says Brown.

Langston Hughes has a chapter in the hope that his example invites budding Black artists to take the plunge.

Hughes was published in the original periodical after having the courage to submit his poems, while he was still in high school, to Du Bois. “Everyone starts somewhere. We all have a sliver of genius in us,” says Brown.

Alyasah Ali Sewell is associate professor of sociology at Emory and a member of an Afro-Caribbean family that observes a bereavement tradition called “Nine Nights,” during which they grieve together before releasing a loved one to their ancestors. Their story in the book describes that practice and how COVID interfered.

“My nephew was the first person for whom I did not observe the custom,” says Sewell. “I have grieved every day since. I believe my story represents that ninth night. I hope that all children who read it find their own way to close their grieving loop much sooner than I did mine. I am honored that my ancestral customs will live on through the legacy of ‘The New Brownies’ Book.’ ”

BROWN AND PALMER FIND THEIR WAY UP Brown describes herself and Palmer not as coauthors but as “stewards of this book.” She says: “It isn’t ours. We are just doing what Du Bois told us to do in our dreams. This is a project with deep historical ties and roots, an American treasure that belongs to everyone.”

It’s a natural question: what did these two people, intent on creating an affirming book for Black children, experience when they were young?

Brown’s parents were products of the Great Migration who moved from

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a coal-mining town in Kentucky to Uniondale, New York. That community, largely Black and Brown, was a refuge from the “unvarnished racial violence they experienced,” Brown says. She adds: “I grew up protected and very affirmed, racially and culturally.”

Bubbles burst, though, which is why Brown wasn’t prepared as an undergraduate at Temple University.

“I was confused by racism. It is why, when I chose to pursue a PhD, I studied race and racism. When racial violence occurs now, I still am shaken to my core with the confusion of a child. I don’t handle it well. Not that anyone should. I study racism as an object, but I experience it as a human,” she notes.

Palmer was born in Fayette, Alabama, in 1960, amid the specter of Jim Crow laws. His family moved to Milwaukee but came back every summer. “These laws were very confusing for a young man coming from the North. Entering a movie theater and being told I had to go to the balcony.

Judging by the caution my parents showed, I was under the impression that Emmett Till had just been murdered, only to find out that was 10 years earlier,” Palmer says.

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT EACH OTHER — AND THE BOOK The couple met in Atlanta at a “rent party.” The term arose when Black tenants in Harlem in the 1920s and 1930s, facing discriminatory rental rates, helped one another by gathering artists together and passing the hat.

Palmer hosted the event at his studio, to which Brown came reluctantly at the behest of a friend.

Once there, she was mesmerized by what she saw on the walls — namely, Palmer’s work. Not yet having met him, she observed about one painting as he stood beside her: “The artist captured in one painting what I have been

P H O T O G R A P H Y A N D A R T C O U R T E S Y O F K A R I DA B R O W N A N D C H A R LY PA L M E R

negative examples get in the marrow of our kids’ bones,” says Brown. “Du Bois knew, just like we know, how much representation matters. We are not meant to be in a box. We can be anything and everything.”

When she was a child, Brown recalls, “I didn’t know what was good or special about me. As a 1980s baby, Whitney Houston made me feel as if one day I could be special too. I needed her example then and I need examples now.”

K I S S I N G M A K E S T H I N GS B E T T E R (BUT SOMETIMES THEY DON’ T) B y Zo e J o n e s , A g e 5

Kisses make bad dreams better, but they don’t make hard things feel soft They make ouchies feel better, but kisses don’t make cuts stop hurting They don’t make water safer, but they do make swimming fun Kisses make things better that are sad, but not everything that is bad Because sometimes kisses make things better but sometimes they don’t.

PRECOCIOUS POET Just five years old, Zoe Jones penned the poem “Kisses Make Things Better (But Sometimes They Don't).” In the book, it's accompanied by artwork titled “Her World” created by Charly Palmer.

writing about for the past 10 years.”

Several years on from there, they married. “Our relationship has been one long conversation about art, literature and culture, specifically Black art and culture,” Brown says.

She centers her work on ontologies of race, racialization and racism and has two well-respected books to her credit: “Gone Home: Race and Roots Through Appalachia” (2018) and “The Sociology of W.E.B. Du Bois: Racialized Modernity and the Global Color Line” (2020), co-authored with José Itzigsohn.

Brown first encountered Du Bois when, as a self-described interloper, she took a course in Africana studies at Brown University, where she did her graduate work. Though she was a sociology student and Du Bois had been an influential sociologist, no professor had ever assigned his work, until she jumped departments and read “The Souls of Black Folk.”

Says Brown: “I could not put that book down. He wrote this to me. I committed then in my work to making people feel the way this made me feel.

He cared about the beauty of what the word can do.”

Palmer, for his part, collaborated with John Legend to design the cover for “Bigger Love,” which won a Grammy for Best R&B Album in 2021. A week later, fame again came knocking when Time Magazine commissioned him to create the cover for its July 6, 2020, double issue on the theme “America Must Change.”

Even though “The New Brownies’ Book” was still a twinkle in the couple’s eyes, Palmer went on record about the project, saying: “Our desire is to produce a creative treasure for all Black families so they may know how much they are truly loved.”

LITTLE CELEBRITIES PLUS MORE TO COME When not responding to press calls, Palmer and Brown want to locate members of the Du Bois family and provide them copies.

Of the many show-stealers in the book, Zoe Jones might be the ultimate. Five years old, she wrote the

poem “Kisses Make Things Better (But Sometimes They Don’t).”

When she saw her name in the book, she exclaimed to her mother: “That girl has my name!” Once she settled into her celebrity and starting signing books at the launch party, she paused at one point and said: “My hand hurts.”

Palmer has set heady ambitions for the book: that it make the New York Times Best Seller List and be on the coffee table of Black families around the world.

With so much positive response and so much rich content that Palmer and Brown held back, there already is talk of a second book. But for now, Brown and Palmer are satisfied knowing that one essential goal was realized.

“Every page is an expression of love,” Palmer says.

SEE MORE ARTWORK FROM THE BOOK AT MAGAZINE.EMORY.EDU

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> > R ES E A RC H E XC E LL ENC E

Machine Learning Meets Medicine N E W E M O RY I N S T I T U T E H A R N E S S E S T H E POW E R O F A I TO I M P R OV E H E A LT H E Q U I T Y A N D PAT I E N T O U TC O M E S .

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mory is embarking on a new initiative that will unite the power of machine learning and big data to transform the ways in which health care systems prevent, diagnose, treat and cure diseases on a global scale.

Launched in November under the umbrella of Emory’s AI.Humanity initiative, the Emory Empathetic AI for Health Institute will utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and computing power to discern patterns in vast amounts of data and make predictions that improve patient health outcomes in diseases such as lung, prostate and breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes and more.

While AI is already being deployed to improve diagnoses and treatment for numerous health conditions, the resounding impact AI can have on health care is just beginning.

As Georgia’s first institute of its kind, Emory AI.Health will foster the development of accessible,

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cost-effective and equitable AI tools by developing an ecosystem of multidisciplinary experts from Emory, the Atlanta VA Medical Center, the Georgia Institute of Technology and others, as well as seeking public-private partnerships to propel new research forward. It will then serve as an engine to deploy those tools to the patient’s bedside, initially within Emory Healthcare and ultimately across the globe.

“AI will transform society and at Emory, we want to use these powerful technologies to save and improve lives,” says Emory President Gregory L. Fenves. “We see the power AI has to facilitate healing while improving equitable access to health care. Dr. Madabhushi is a trailblazer in health-focused AI and the ideal person to lead the Empathetic AI for Health Institute.”

Emory AI.Health will be led by Anant Madabhushi, a Robert W. Woodruff professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory and Georgia Tech, a member of the Cancer Immunology research program at Winship Cancer Institute and a research career scientist with the Atlanta VA Medical Center.

“It’s an honor and a thrill to be leading the Emory Empathetic AI for Health Institute,” says Madabhushi, who joined Emory in 2022 as one of the first faculty members recruited through the AI.Humanity initiative.

“With the power of AI and precision medicine, we’re stepping into a future where health care is not just reactive, but proactive for everyone, irrespective of their background, to ensure everyone gets the best chance at a healthy life.”

Emory AI.Health will also draw on the expertise of Emory researchers such as Gari Clifford and Judy Gichoya who are advancing AI across diverse patient groups. In addition, the institute will benefit from a major university-wide hiring effort through AI.Humanity, which is recruiting up to 60 new faculty who focus on AI in disciplines including health, law, business, ethics and other fields.

“Emory AI.Health brings together a dream team of researchers and clinicians who are deploying AI innovations to improve care not only for individuals, but entire populations,” says Ravi V. Bellamkonda, Emory University’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “By combining state-of-the-art approaches to precisely treat each person’s unique disease with a broad focus on enhanced efficacy, affordability and access, AI.Health will advance Emory’s mission of

PHOTOGRAPHY JACK KEARSE

POINTS OF INTEREST

PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH WOODS, GETTY IMAGES

SHORT LIST

serving humanity both in Georgia and worldwide. This institute embodies our commitment to providing high-quality health care, conducting research that finds new cures, and being at the leading edge of deploying powerful tools like artificial intelligence in the service of that mission.”

Emory AI.Health’s mission is to innovate, deploy and scale AI technologies for impacting patient health and wellness. A core pillar of the institute is promoting health equity by reducing the cost of care and increasing both the quality of and access to care for all populations, with an initial focus on the Atlanta region’s underserved population.

Recent studies show that personalized, precision medicine is superior to the conventional one-size-fits-all approach to health care. Given precision medicine’s ability to personally tailor diagnoses and treatments, it would seem that the discipline would inherently promote health equity; but a lack of diversity in clinical trials can exacerbate existing health disparities by creating an algorithmic bias toward majority populations. Thus, improving health equity will be at the forefront of Emory AI.Health.

“There is a critical need to develop dedicated AI-based risk-prediction models for minority patients,” says Madabhushi. “The reduction in cost resulting from AI-informed precision medicine, as well as the elimination of the need for invasive biopsies, are even greater boons to underserved and under-resourced populations locally in Atlanta, nationally and globally.”

SHAHIDI INSPIRES STUDENTS AT CARTER TOWN HALL

LOOKING ALZHEIMER’S IN THE MOUTH The School of Nursing has received a $3.9 million grant to study how the oral microbiome might affect the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

While the disease affects millions, the cause is not fully understood. “There is a growing interest in the connection between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease,” says Yang, who is leading the research and hopes to broaden the number of organisms studied.

BRIGHT FUTURES FOR MBA GRADS Graduates of Goizueta Business School’s Full-time MBA program continue to garner top offers with some of the field’s most desirable employers, according to Goizueta’s 2023 Full-time MBA Employment Report.

This year’s statistics demonstrate that Goizueta ranks consistently among the top-five MBA programs for employment outcomes. Within three months of graduation, 96% of 2023 graduates received and accepted job offers. The median salary rose slightly to $163,000, with signing bonuses raising that number to $193,000. And when it comes to industry sectors, consulting continues to lead the charge, attracting 54% of Goizueta’s Full-time MBA graduates.

At Emory University’s 42nd-annual Carter Town Hall, actor and producer Yara Shahidi kept it real with students, from advancing voting rights to harnessing self-compassion during college. “Life really informed my academia, and I don’t think I would have been as good of a scholar, as good of a community member, had I not made space for the things that brought me joy, made space for the concerts and the community moments,” she said. The Carter Town Hall has sought to inspire students since it started in 1982, when former U.S. President Jimmy Carter became an Emory University Distinguished Professor. At this year’s event, the 23-year-old Shahidi encouraged students to open their worldview, give themselves grace and — crucially — dig into community. Best known for her work on “Black-ish” and “Grown-ish,” Shahidi discussed student flourishing — and how it’s different from just existing. “I think people use the term ‘thrive’ versus ‘survive’ and it really is so relevant,” Shahidi said. “Everyone had to work so hard to be in these establishments of higher education, and oftentimes, that came at the expense of putting aside the other things that we needed to pour into ourselves. So it’s beautiful to be in a space in which you all are prioritizing the fact that we’re full humans.”

THEOLOGY FOR EVERYONE, ANYWHERE Candler School of Theology aims to take theological education beyond its walls and beyond degree-seekers with community courses offered through The Candler Foundry, open to everyone from believers, to seekers, to those just curious about faith. Members of the public can take master’s level courses with leading experts on a wide variety of topics in scripture, theology, ethics and church leadership. Courses are offered online and in person at a variety of locations. For class schedules and more information, visit candlerfoundry.emory.edu.

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I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y C H A R L I E L AY T O N

u

Why Emory is doubling down on the study of what makes life worth living

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AT A TIME OF RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL, SOCIETAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, SCHOLARS AND ARTISTS WHO CAN SHINE A LIGHT ON THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE WILL HELP US FACE CHALLENGES AND FIND NEW WAYS TO GROW AND FLOURISH.

W

hen she enrolled at Emory as an undergrad in the fall of 2021, Nadia Elhadi felt like she was at a crossroads.

In high school, Elhadi gravitated toward biology, specifically medicine. She envisioned a career as a physician, maybe even a surgeon. But she also harbored a longstanding passion for art. Some of her earliest memories were of walking through art museums, examining the paintings and sculptures, and even sitting in front of her own easel in art classes, learning to mimic her heroes and express her own vision.

So now, standing at the precipice of her professional life, Elhadi seemingly had a choice to make.

Conventional wisdom would point her toward the security and stability of the science-based medical field; after all, pundits have been heralding the demise of the humanities — art, music, history, literature, philosophy and more — as viable fields of study for more than half a century. But Elhadi felt there had to be some value in knowing more than just how

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FINDING THE ART AND HUMANITY IN SCIENCE

By Ravi V. Bellamkonda

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mortality, the preciousness of

%

time, of the present. And I ask

myself: How am I spending my

most precious resource, my time on this wonderful Earth? What

causes, what people, what plac-

es are in my life, and how can I be a good steward of the incredible opportunity to be alive?

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, THE HUMANITIES AND THE ARTS ALL EXPRESS THE SAME

I truly believe that science,

YEARNING WE HUMANS

es, the humanities and the arts

TO UNDERSTAND,

engineering, the social scienc-

HAVE TO EXPLORE,

all express the same yearning

TO EXAMINE CAREFULLY AND

we humans have to explore, to understand, to examine

carefully and critically, to test,

CRITICALLY, TO TEST, BREAK APART AND

break apart and build again. We

BUILD AGAIN.

are creative, and in this process we grow as individuals and as

a society. Perhaps no one in history better embodies this connection between art and science than

Leonardo da Vinci. His inventions, his paintings, his

wonderful and detailed sketches of human anatomy — they are at once perfect expressions of artistry, critical thinking and sound scientific theory.

As an immigrant I’ve wondered, if I had grown

up in the U.S., would I still have studied engineering?

There’s no way to know, but I am sure a liberal arts education would have played a larger role in my

PH O T O G R A PH Y K AY H I N TO N

I WAS ALWAYS A READER, ONE OF THOSE INSATIABLE ONES — I READ EVERYTHING. I practically grew up at my local library, devouring books of all types, fiction and nonfiction, to feed my innate curiosity about the wider world. I remember I was in the sixth grade when the librarian actually told me, “Ravi, this author you are reading is dead — she doesn’t have any more books. It’s time for you to move on to the next genre.”

As varied as my interests were, I grew up in a middle-class Indian home at a time where I understood clearly that there were only three viable career paths if one didn’t have great family wealth: I could be a doctor, an accountant or an engineer. I was reasonably talented in math, so I chose engineering.

But all through college, I couldn’t ignore the influence of humanistic studies. I was drawn to stories and books where the protagonist explored meaning, purpose and complexity, and wondered about what it meant to be human.

This wonder was magnified when I discovered biomedical science. If entropy was such a powerful force, how does one explain life — a living cell or an animal — at least temporarily pausing the drive to disorder? Science was my way of being curious. Its methods organized my thoughts, gave me structure and logic to probe the hard questions. My own research group studies brain cancer in adults and children, which has only heightened my awareness of

{ embra c ing our humanitie s }

college life. As an engineer, I’ve seen the miracles

science and technology enable, but I’ve come to believe that the deepest, most meaningful questions arise from our innate humanity.

Why are we here? Are we alone in this universe?

Those precious moments of true joy — what are their

ingredients and how can we gather more of such moments intentionally? How can we organize ourselves so art and music and the meaningful activities that

“speak” to us become a bigger part of our lives? How can we become better stewards of our time on Earth

and leave this planet in a better place for our children

and grandchildren? More practically, can we cure can-

cer and other diseases? Can we create value and start new companies that power our economy equitably?

Can we end wars and forge peace?

These are just some of the issues I hope Emory

continues to take on with vigor and urgency. This is PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN NOWLAND

the motivation for us to invest in Arts and Humanistic Inquiry. And through this work, I hope Emory will help point the way toward answers to life’s biggest

questions. It is important work and I believe all of us will be better off for it.

RAVI V. BELLAMKONDA is provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Emory University.

to diagnose and treat disease. Shouldn’t a doctor also understand her patients’ behavior, how they perceive the world and how that perception shapes the way they think, act and communicate?

Fortunately for Elhadi and students like her, Emory didn’t ask her to choose one path. Instead, the school encouraged her to take both. She is now majoring in pre-med neuroscience and behavioral biology with a minor in art history. “Essentially, it’s a way for me to formally learn about my two schools of interest,” Elhadi says. “I think having an overlap between my two fields helps with exercising different ways of thinking and learning.”

This sort of interdisciplinary thinking is at the heart of Emory’s new Initiative for Arts and Humanistic Inquiry, a major investment in faculty and creative programming geared to bolster the university’s considerable expertise in the humanities.

Over the next three to four years, Emory will invest in hiring up to 30 new faculty members across five participating schools — Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, Candler School of Theology, Emory School of Law and Goizueta Business School — to join the leading liberal arts teachers, scholars and creators already on its campuses.

In addition, the university is underwriting expanded creative programming, both in and outside the classroom. Any full-time faculty members with innovative ideas can request funding to enhance scholarship and community building in the arts and humanities, including special workshops, expert panels, guest speakers, performances and more.

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. . . AN EDUCATION IN THE HUMANITIES TEACHES OUR STUDENTS HOW TO LISTEN DEEPLY, READ CRITICALLY AND CAREFULLY, AND ANALYZE INFORMATION AND STORYTELLING.

e

LIBERAL ARTS LEADER Carla

Freeman heads up Emory's Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry.

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Both efforts will work in concert with expanded programming from the Bill and Carol Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry to boost scholarship of the human experience, foster collaboration and integrate holistic liberal arts education throughout the university.

“In an era when some are divesting in the humanities, Emory has decided to double down,” says Ravi V. Bellamkonda, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “We think humanistic inquiry is particularly essential at this critical juncture in our shared history. At a time of rapid technological, societal and environmental change, scholars and artists who can shine a light on the human experience will help us face challenges and find new ways to grow and flourish.”

In other words, Bellamkonda and Emory are betting that the influence of an education steeped in the humanities and arts can produce more than just well-rounded students. They believe that the skills and perspectives will be crucial in preserving our democracy and saving our planet.

Further, they believe that a better appreciation of art, beauty, language, philosophy — the very things that make us human — will engender a world worth saving.

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For decades, it seems, some educational and civic leaders have been doing more than just overlooking the humanities — they’ve been actively trying to eliminate them.

Federal, state and local governments have slashed funding for the arts and humanities, forcing universities to shutter programs from art history to gender studies to German. K-12 schools have silenced band and choir and dropped the curtain on drama programs. Censors and parent organizations have banned books, films and artworks from school libraries and classrooms. In an increasingly polarized climate, the application of history and philosophy to issues like social justice and human rights has become a political act.

Perhaps worse, other critics have painted the humanities as worthless — literally. A major in drama or literature or French has become a punchline for someone who’ll never find a job, much less build a career — something only a practical study of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) can provide.

Emory leaders disagree — and they’re not alone. A recent study from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that unemployment rates for humanities majors (3.6% for history, 3.7% for fine arts, comparative language and literature) are nearly identical to those of physical sciences majors (3.4%) and business majors (3.7%).

PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH WOODS

BUCKING TRENDS, DEBUNKING MYTHS

{ embra c ing our humanitie s }

HUMANIST OR SCIENTIST: ONE CAN’T EXIST WITHOUT THE OTHER

PHOTOGRAPHY ALEX MINOVICI

By Benjamin Reiss

I NEVER LEARNED AS MUCH ABOUT THE HUMANITIES as when I stepped outside of them.

About 15 years ago, I was incubating a research project on the cultural history of sleep. My somewhat cheeky starting point was the idea that history has a bias for people who are awake, leaving roughly one-third of human experience out of the record.

This was puzzling, because our society seemed obsessed with sleep – with countless articles, books and podcasts telling us how to fix broken sleep, how to train children to sleep correctly and bemoaning a culture-wide sleep deprivation. Surely the trouble didn’t start yesterday.

As I began to poke around in the literary and historical record for clues to where the trouble began, I leaped at an opportunity to team-teach a course with a brilliant Emory neurologist who specializes in sleep disorders, David Rye. The course we cooked up, “Sleep in Science and Culture,” paired scientific studies of sleep-related phenomena (parasomnias, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, the different sleep phases, dreaming) with texts drawn from literature, history, philosophy and cultural anthropology.

Once, during a discussion of a poem drawing on hypnagogic images formed at the onset of sleep, Rye jumped up to the blackboard and drew a picture of the brain’s activity represented by the poet’s words. On another occasion, our class visited Emory’s sleep clinic late at night, as patients were settling in. Munching on pizza, we gave a great cheer when the first patient’s EEG readout indicated sleep

onset, and another one when she entered REM state.

Through course planning and classroom

dialogue, I learned a great deal about the science

of sleep, but also about my own assumptions and

methods as a humanist. For instance, where scientists usually try to isolate observable phenomena

from changing conditions, variables of context and

subjectivity are what it’s all about for humanists. Relatedly, humanists tend to focus on the singularity of a text or a historical event — the unique factors that make it distinctive — whereas scientists generally want to understand underlying laws.

This experience, and my conversations and

collaborations with health researchers over the

following years, deepens my sense that the humanities should have a seat at any table where issues important to society are discussed.

What scientific, social, technological, political

or economic problem does not have a history? Or does not involve the careful interpretation of texts

and contexts? Or is not shaped by cultural systems of belief, or conflicts between different cultures?

Similarly, no humanistic topic is without a scien-

tific dimension. What happens to our brains when we picture a character in a novel? Or what is the

best chemical composition of paint to conserve an important artwork? I may have come to that understanding through a study of sleep, but I’m hoping that Emory’s humanities initiative will mean that experiences like mine are not a fleeting dream.

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BENJAMIN REISS is Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of English at Emory College. He is both a teacher and writer, specializing in American cultural history, with a focus on issues of health, race and disability. In his work, he tries to capture experiences that have been pushed to the margins of history: sleep, madness, freakishness.

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TAKING THE LONG VIEW Wesley

Longhofer, associate professor of organization and management at Emory's Goizueta Business School, believes the humanities allow us to think more critically about the past and potential futures.

In addition, the median annual salary for an English major is $53,000 compared to $56,000 for someone who majored in biology.

Furthermore, a survey conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities of 501 business executives and 500 hiring managers found that, regardless of the job, employers valued critical and analytical skills, oral and written communication, ethical judgment, the ability to work effectively in teams and real-world application of knowledge — all of which spring from a background in the humanities.

This sort of intellectual versatility and educational breadth is even more vital in a time when the average person changes jobs 12 times in their lifetime, and nearly 30% switch fields entirely. Even someone who stays in the same sector will typically have to adapt to rapid changes in technology and how they perform their jobs.

As Carla Freeman, director of Emory’s Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry, puts it: The humanities impart more than a set of specific skills, they teach us how to think and learn. ““First and foremost, an education in the humanities teaches our students how to listen deeply, read carefully and critically, analyze information and relate our own experiences and historical moment to others across the world,” says Freeman, who is also Goodrich C. White Professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. “Our students are anx-

‘‘

ious about their own professional futures and they are anxious about the future of the planet for all of humanity. Nothing prepares them better to change the world and forge meaningful relationships and flourish in life than a liberal arts education in which the humanities play a critical part.”

For example, take business, a field that seems to touch almost every profession in some aspect, especially in this increasingly gig-based economy, where entrepreneurship flourishes.

No matter what kind of business you’re trying to run — either your own or as an officer, manager or employee of a larger corporation — you must account for more than just debits, credits, costs and profit margins.

“Humanities teach us to stretch the time horizon; to learn from the past and look critically and analytically to the future,” says Wesley Longhofer, associate professor of organization and management at Emory’s Goizueta Business School and a member of the Arts and Humanistic Inquiry initiative’s faculty advisory committee. “Business is usually concerned with the short term, but a thoughtful, more humanistic look at the long term can provide greater value for stakeholders.”

For example, Longhofer suggests, a businessperson who has a keen knowledge of history might spot a trend they think their company should avoid. Their study of philosophy might give them special insights on consumer behavior.

HUMANITIES TEACH US TO TO LEARN FROM THE PAST AND LOOK CRITICALLY AND ANALYTICALLY TO THE FUTURE.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GBS

STRETCH THE TIME HORIZON;

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A broader education might give them the foresight to turn a critical eye to competing narratives and conclude that outside forces, such as a climate event or political shift, might impact the supply chain. Furthermore, those who have built solid communication skills might be able to best convey all this knowledge to their business leaders to save their company and shareholders a lot of time, money and trouble. (And if you’re a global organization, it never hurts to have studied a foreign language, either.)

“For my students, it’s about communicating complex ideas and understanding moral and ethical challenges,” says Longhofer. “If you want to make a case to your boss about setting climate goals, you need more than just a business case.

You also need to build support and a coalition. A lot of these skills are honed in the humanities.”

This isn’t just true in business. Bellamkonda is an engineer by trade, and he says there are myriad ways in which the humanities influence the design of everything from highway overpasses to smart phones. He uses a computer as a perfect example: At the base there is the machinery that does the calculation. But on top of that are layers of design, from the display to the font of the OS to the layout and feel of the keyboard.

“A good engineer is not just doing math problems in the abstract,” says Bellamkonda. “They are also considering how what they are designing will interact with the human being. Great design is capturing the right and left brain working together. There is a human part to everything that makes it meaningful. Therein lies the magic.”

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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH HUMANITIES Emory’s Initiative for Arts and Humanistic Inquiry is about more than just creating well-rounded students, workers and leaders. It’s also about making more engaged and better-informed citizens.

The issues mentioned above — climate change, social justice, human rights, equality and political polarization — don’t just impact our jobs. They continually shape and color everything around

EMORY’S OFFICE OF THE PROVOST ALLOCATED $1.4 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING TO PROJECTS FOCUSED ON THE SOCIALLY ENGAGED ARTS.

us. An investment in a deeper understanding of humanity is a bet on making a richer world — and possibly saving it altogether.

“When we’re bombarded by multiple sources, some better than others, presenting the state of the world in a variety of ways, we need to discern what is a legitimate source and how to make sense of competing narratives,” says Freeman. “Through the humanities, students are taught to gather information, narratives and stories, and to read ‘against the grain.’ They are taught to be able to attribute points of view to different speakers, gather information and arrive at a coherent argument, and communicate it in an accessible and clear way, whether that’s in person, on the page or through electronic media, no matter what their major is.”

Perhaps no issue is in more immediate need of humanistic consideration than the emerging technology of artificial intelligence (AI). The almighty algorithm has invaded nearly every facet of our daily lives and is evolving so quickly, we’ve had scant time as a society to consider the ethical implications and creative liberties at stake.

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ENRICHING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Kevin Karnes, associate dean for the arts and a professor of music, is excited about Emory's investment in arts programming and how it will inspire students.

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However, Emory is further ahead of the curve than most in taking a humanistic approach to the design and use of these cutting-edge technologies. Through its AI.Humanity initiative, a major effort launched in 2021, Emory faculty, staff and students across every academic area are collaboratively exploring not only how AI can be implemented, but also how it should — and shouldn’t — be used.

In many cases, the humanities provide the language to debate these matters in a productive way.

For example, since so much of machine learning incorporates the creative output of artists — from music to literature and even to paintings — it’s worth considering the perspectives of those artists themselves.

“Quotation in music has been around forever,” says Kevin Karnes, associate dean for the arts at Emory and a professor of music. “Even looking to the 1980s and 1990s and the sampling technology used then, you see that, to some extent we’ve been here before. And when we’re creating with modern tools that anyone can access, we may not even know where the content comes from. It raises profound questions of what is an artistic work and who owns it?”

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The fine arts themselves should not be overlooked when discussing social justice, human rights and other political hot topics. So often songs, documentaries, films, novels and paintings are voices of the voiceless, powerful ways of drawing public attention and empathy toward societal wrongs.

That’s why last year, Emory’s Office of the Provost allocated $1.4 million in grant funding to projects focused on the socially engaged arts, which included a feature film about a daughter whose mother was incarcerated and digital marketing tools for Central American coffee farmers telling their stories.

Karnes says that was the first step in a continuing push to bring programming to campus that will do much more than entertain students. “I hope it will enable us to bring in fantastic visual artists and musicians who are wrestling with these questions of the day,” he says. “This isn’t just hiring a pianist to play — it’s collectively enriching the campus as a whole.”

Alumnus and Emory arts pioneer Carlton Mackey 05T agrees. “I believe that art is a powerful force for change and a conduit for transformation,” says Mackey, former director of the Emory Ethics and the Arts program and co-founder of the Arts & Social Justice Fellows program.

He sees Emory’s redoubled focus on humanities and the arts coming at a truly poignant time.

“Our world has drastically changed in the past few years with the pandemic, the racial reckoning, the polarizing nature of politics, the climate change, the wars,” he says. “Rooting the investment in the arts and arts programming is more critical than ever. Every tool that we can employ to heal these fractures will help create better understanding and bring people together.”

He’s witnessed it firsthand in classes co-taught

by Emory’s Arts & Social Justice Fellows: “Art helps to concretize what students are learning,” says Mackey, who is now assistant director of community dialogue and engagement at the High Museum of Art. “Not only does it give them a different entry point and help them better understand their lessons, but also it often makes them more interested and passionate about their studies and gives them a new language to explain what they’ve learned.”

PHOTOGRAPHY STEPHEN NOWLAND

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‘BEOWULF’ BY BONFIRE: The Power of Poetry

By Sarah Higinbotham

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SARAH HIGINBOTHAM

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And yet, based on the THIS FALL, STUDENTS events’ popularity and the AND FACULTY AT students’ responses, reading OXFORD COLLEGE STUDENTS SAY THEY LOVE together contributes to our gathered to read Seamus THE DEEP LISTENING, THE human flourishing. Students Heaney’s translation of TRANSHISTORICAL say they love the deep “Beowulf” for the second CONNECTION TO OTHER listening, the transhistorical time in three years. In the CULTURES, THE SENSE THAT connection to other cultures, past five years, we have the sense that we are conalso twice read all of John WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO tributing to something vaster Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” as SOMETHING VASTER THAN than ourselves and the shared well as Homer’s complete OURSELVES AND encounter with art. We laugh “Odyssey.”

THE SHARED ENCOUNTER together at Odysseus’s outCollectively reading an WITH ART. rageous lies. We grieve at Eve epic poem out loud is neiand Adam’s exile. We revel in ther a course requirement the sound of the language. We nor academically incentivfeel awe. And within Emory’s ized. And yet, this year, we system of high achievement had 42 students huddle expectations, perhaps we together for hours, each are anchoring the ideals that taking turns to read every undergird that system. word of an epic poem, all in After all, I want the atone sitting. torneys who enact justice to As someone who have wrestled with the morally teaches and writes about complex ideas that Milton literature, I wonder what we explores in “Paradise Lost.” gain by reading together evI want physicians to have ery year. Statistically, most pondered Odysseus’s long Oxford students are majorjourney of suffering. I want the people who found ing in pre-law, pre-med and business administration. and lead corporations to understand not only the Students know that “Beowulf” will not be on the bar technical commerce of buying and selling prodexam. Homer’s “Odyssey” will neither be covered ucts, but also the emotional lives of the people who on the MCAT nor the medical boards. Spending 13 invent, build, purchase and sell those products. hours reading “Paradise Lost” with students will not Poetry does that. materially advance my case for tenure or promotion.

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SARAH HIGINBOTHAM is an assistant professor of English at Oxford College. She studies and teaches Shakespeare and early modern literature, focusing on the intersections of literature and law. She writes about the violence of the law in early modern England, critical prison theory and human rights in literature.

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EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED

By Shannan Adams 24Ox 26C

I ATTENDED MY FIRST SPOKEN WORD POETRY EVENT in the I HAVE WITNESSED 10th grade. I have always considFIRSTHAND HOW ered poetry beautiful, but seeing it STUDYING THE performed aloud transformed the art entirely for me. The rhythm of HUMANITIES the words, the spotlight illuminating — SPECIFICALLY the poet and the appreciative snaps POETRY, LITERATURE of the audience each time there AND ART — CAN WORK was a particularly impactful line, all IN TANDEM WITH combined to create a magical enviSCIENCE IN ronment where the power of words connected us all.

UNEXPECTED WAYS. Growing up in Florida, a state where the liberal arts are often undervalued and underfunded, I turned to spoken word poetry as an outlet to express my creativity and humanity. Now, as a sophSHANNAN ADAMS is a sophomore omore pursuing a dual major in English and creative at Oxford College writing and ancient Mediterranean studies at Oxford pursuing a double College, I have witnessed firsthand how studying the major in English humanities — specifically poetry, literature and art — and creative writcan work in tandem with science in unexpected ways. ing and ancient For example, in my Roman history class last seMediterranean studies. In her mester, we analyzed Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid” spare time, she about the foundation of ancient Rome through the enjoys reading, lens of medical and combat trauma. At the end of writing, knitting the semester, we had the privilege of visiting a meand walking in dieval hospital in Siena, Italy. The former entryway to thunderstorms. the building was decorated with frescoes depicting the medical care the hospital promised its patrons.

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built may not have had the ability to read or write.

Portraying medical practice through the common language of art strategically informed patients of

what care to expect from the hospital and reassured patients that they would be helped.

In this simple yet beautiful way, using art as a

form of communication helped make medical treat-

ment accessible to all in Siena, and ultimately saved lives. I began to see real-life examples of how the

arts, humanities and sciences can work together to benefit society.

The interconnected nature of STEM and the hu-

manities continues to show up throughout my stud-

ies. One of the most thought-provoking discussions

I’ve had this semester happened while my classmates and I examined Shakespeare’s play “King Lear.” We

looked at this classic work in uncommon ways, specifically the terms of what constitutes a medical dis-

ability accommodation in the 8th century compared to our 21st-century world. Analyzing “King Lear” in

this way allowed us to gain a greater understanding of value systems and public policy across history. It also inspired new ways of thinking among my classmates, most of whom were not English majors.

I think critics of the arts and humanities have lost

sight of the infinite interconnections they have with science. They are complementary in nature — and

always have been. Together, they inspire discovery and heighten meaning. And places like Oxford and

Emory that nurture an interdisciplinary approach to

studying these fields provide students like me with a more holistic view and curiosity about the world.

PHOTOGRAPHY SAM BESLEY

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. . . [ART] OFTEN MAKES THEM MORE INTERESTED AND PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR STUDIES AND GIVES THEM A NEW LANGUAGE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THEY’VE LEARNED.

Mackey believes that the university’s ability to combine the arts and humanities with other areas of study has given students a broader lens on the world. “It gives them dynamic experiences and stronger connections as human beings, transforming them into people who will go out and change the world for the better,” he says.

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P H O T O G R A P H Y K AY H I N TO N

FINDING PURPOSE IN WORK AND LIFE Obviously, Emory’s redoubled commitment to the humanities could have far-reaching implications, impacting the future of the world and its workforce. But maybe the most important thing that an increased emphasis in art, literature, history and philosophy can accomplish is more individualized and personal. After all, these are the things that shape the way we see our lives — and ourselves.

For instance, Goizueta Business School’s Longhofer says that studies show more and more people are looking for purpose in their work. They don’t feel seen or heard — how could they when they are treated like another data point?

Longhofer suggests that, in addition to giving

people the tools to communicate their wants and frustrations in their jobs, the humanities also provide a lens through which we might take a different look at our professions and find just the kind of meaning we’ve been looking for, or find another job that is more fulfilling.

Outside of the workplace, in a world filled with stress and uncertainty, the arts and humanities are the very things that provide our lives with meaning.

A good book, a catchy song, a previously unwritten history, a unique approach to philosophy are much more than escapes from reality — they’re new ways to approach it and experience it. In short, they are some of the things that make life worth living.

“It’s the pleasure of walking through an art gallery and just enjoying a perplexing image,” says Freeman. “It’s the beauty of a chamber concert, allowing emotions to unfold and respond to a sensory experience. It’s the novel’s capacity to immerse us in a character’s mind, in another time and place. It’s the fabric of a rich human life. As we highlight the important practical capacities and knowledge fostered by humanistic inquiry, let’s not forget that, in addition to good communication and analytical skills, what we get from the humanities is joy.”

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ARTS ADVOCATE

Alumnus Carlton Mackey co-founded the Arts & Social Justice Fellows program at Emory.

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See ing Dou ble

RENOWNED FOR THEIR LOVE OF EXPLORATION, EMORY STUDENTS OFTEN DIVE INTO A DIVERSE AND DIVERGENT RANGE OF SUBJECTS — a spirit ardently supported by the university. It’s not uncommon for them to embrace dual majors that might seem worlds apart. Think biology matched with art history and business partnered with dance. Such combinations often go far beyond conventional intersections and career paths, reflecting journeys driven by passion, purpose and personal growth. In the pages to follow, meet five extraordinary Emory students who each balance a unique blend of interests that have ignited their academic pursuits in unexpected ways.

PROFILES BY ROGER SLAVENS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAY HINTON AND SARAH WOODS

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DOUBLE MAJOR

CAROL XU MUSIC PERFORMANCE & ECONOMICS AND HUMAN HEALTH

best decisions I’ve ever made. Even though it’s kept me busy, there is no better feeling in the world than playing on stage with nearly 100 other musicians.”

She thrived in the collaborative and supportive community and now she’s the concertmaster — the principal first violinist — for the Emory University Symphony Orchestra. “At Emory, music has been arol Xu started at Emory thinking she the one place where I have always been able to find would become a physician. But she soon my own voice,” Xu says. “It’s the space where I feel realized that studying biology on a prethe safest to be myself.” Being able to indulge in med track was not the best fit for her. Xu instead artistic pursuits has also made learning infinitely turned to economics and human health — an easier for her. “When you’re not intimidatanalytical intersection of study she ed by your peers and the opportunities hoped she could one day leverage around you, not only are things more fun, to drive positive change in public PURSUING A but also you just feel comfortable and in health policies and systems. harmony with the world,” she says. “That’s DOUBLE MAJOR At the same time, however, she how I’ve been able to get out of my shell had another passion and talent HAS BEEN ONE and become a leader.” tugging at her heart. She had been OF THE BEST When Xu graduates this spring, she still playing violin nearly all her life and DECISIONS I’VE plans on a career as a health consultant or didn’t want to give up that creative EVER MADE. analyst. However, she wants music to reoutlet. Paul Bhasin, Emory’s director main an important part of her life moving of orchestral studies, recognized her forward. “I will definitely continue teachskill and encouraged her to add a ing music to kids, and hopefully find a community second major in music performance. “One of the orchestra to play in,” Xu says. “Ideally, I will wind up things I’m most grateful about my time at Emory in a big city where the arts are a huge emphasis, like has been the freedom to explore,” says Xu, now a seBoston, Chicago or New York. That’s my dream.” nior. “Pursuing a double major has been one of the

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DOUBLE MAJOR

BIBBY AGBABIAKA DANCE & BUSINESS

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ibby Agbabiaka well knows that dance often isn’t considered as practical a pursuit as, say, business. However, it’s a passion that he cannot deny. “While it’s true that it’s hard to make a stable living in dance, it is not impossible,” Agbabiaka says. He’s been involved in the performing arts, mainly as a theater kid and actor, since he was a child growing up in Nigeria.

“I really thought I was going to major in theater at Emory,” he says. “After all, I had only been dancing for a few years before I came here.”

But because the arts at Emory are so interconnected, he wound up taking a few dance classes and immediately knew this is what he wanted to study instead. “The dance program I STARTED TO is so amazing and the faculty UNDERSTAND have been so supportive,” Agbabiaka says. In addition to HOW THE SKILLS I his classes, he joined the TNT WAS LEARNING IN (TrickaNomeTry) hip-hop dance BOTH MY DANCE crew where his talents soared — AND BUSINESS as did his leadership skills.

Yet in the back of his mind, CLASSES he felt like he needed someWEREN'T AS FAR thing else to solidify his career APART. BOTH path. He declared a double REQUIRE GREAT major in business, with a focus COMMUNICATION on marketing, so that he could augment his appeal to dance AND TEAMWORK companies and arts organizaSKILLS. tions. After he started adding business classes, Agbabiaka felt at first like his mind was being torn in two different directions. “But the more classes I took, I started to understand how the skills I was learning in both my dance and businesses classes weren’t

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as far apart as I initially believed,” he says. “Both require great communication and teamwork skills. I learned not only how to let my voice be heard, but also to hear other people’s voices.”

Now a senior, he feels like the two areas of study have come together in exciting ways. “I have a better sense of my own identity and I’m not being torn apart anymore — I feel like my whole self,” Agbabiaka says. “The dance courses at Emory have helped me to fully explore and surpass the furthest bounds of my creativity, encouraging me to create and innovate. My business courses, on the other hand, have taught me how to apply structure and planning in my everyday life, as well as helping me to better collaborate with others on big or small projects.” Agbabiaka hopes to find an internship this academic year, and when he graduates this spring, he will follow his dream to become a professional dancer.

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DOUBLE MAJOR

SPENCER FRIEDLAND FILM & PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS AND LAW

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or Spencer Friedland, pursuing a double major allows him to indulge in his love for movies while leading him toward a specialized path in law. “My goal has long been to become a lawyer,” says Friedland, who excelled in debate and history in high school.

“But I’m also crazy about film. So why me, showing me a side of the film not combine both? It took me a while industry I hadn’t really considered.” to see there was a way to do it.”

A pivotal moment, he recalls, was I REALIZED THIS For a long time, Friedland didn’t when a producer talked to the class WAS THE WAY I consider film an economically about the business of film and someCOULD COMBINE viable academic or career pursuit. It thing inside him clicked. “I realized MY INTEREST IN was simply a fun hobby. He and his this was the way I could combine my friends resurrected his school’s film interest in law and film,” Friedland LAW AND FILM. club after they returned to in-person says. “The business side of the industry classes following the worst of the would let me have my cake and eat it, pandemic, allowing them to watch too, so to speak, affording me a way to movies together and discuss their favorites. not become another starving artist.” Now he sees a However, his school didn’t have the resources to future as an entertainment lawyer, perhaps workoffer any coursework or programming. Part of ing on intellectual property rights and contracts. the reason he came to Emory, Friedland says, was Or maybe as an agent or producer. because he knew the university had a great film “There’s still a lot I have to learn and figure department and was located in one of the U.S.’s out, but time is on my side,” Friedland says. moviemaking epicenters.

“Emory was always one of my top choices of uni“I thought taking classes in film at Emory versities and I’m so glad to have come here. I don’t would be fun way to fill my elective slots, and know where else I would have had the opportunimaybe lead to a minor or something,” he says. ty to pursue multiple interests at once — not only “But then I enrolled in Matthew Bernstein’s film film and law, but also politics and philosophy — history course and it was really eye-opening to and find an unexpected direction for my life.”

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DOUBLE MAJOR

NYAH BRUCE CREATIVE WRITING & BUSINESS

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yah Bruce had her mind set on studying business at Emory. But soon after coming to the university, she saw many of her classmates working on double majors. Bruce had a little flexibility in her schedule, so she decided to explore her options and get as much out of her academic experience as possible. She tried Spanish. management, too, but they are very different, Then sociology. And then the third time was the very analytical,” she says. Bruce is finding out that charm as she took an introductory her double majors complement each fiction writing class from visiting other very well. “My business knowledge creative writing fellow Cassie helps me add structure to my writing, MY BUSINESS Gonzales. and my improving writing skills help “I had written a little in high me become a better business commuKNOWLEDGE school, so I expected to enjoy the nicator,” she says. “Also, the students in HELPS ME ADD class,” Bruce says. “But I loved it so both fields of study offer very different STRUCTURE TO MY much, I found myself rushing to perspectives and I’ve grown from being WRITING, AND MY complete the assignments outside around such a diverse group of people. of class.” She declared her double IMPROVING WRITIn the writing world, in particular, I’ve major in creative writing that learned a lot about empathy and its ING SKILLS HELP semester. Since then has taken importance in storytelling. Conversely, ME BECOME A two writing classes from professor in business, the analytical skills I’ve BETTER BUSINESS and author Tiphanie Yanique. developed help me be a better creative COMMUNICATOR. “Anything she teaches, I wanted to problem solver.” take it,” Bruce says. She’s also had Both majors will suit her well as she classes with author Tayari Jones plans to graduate next spring and head and poet Nick Sturm, two addito New York City, where she’s already tional members of Emory’s renowned creative landed a consulting job with McKinsey. “Longwriting faculty. term, I see my career being focused in marketing, Simultaneously, Bruce has been indulging where I can really pull from both my creative a completely different side of her brain and writing and business background,” Bruce says. personality at Goizueta Business School. “I love my “And maybe someday I’ll write that novel or book business classes in marketing and organizational of short stories.”

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DOUBLE MAJOR

ELLA CASTELLANO ART HISTORY & BIOLOGY

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hen Ella Castellano tells people what she’s studying at Emory, they usually react with shock and surprise. But the two seemingly disparate fields of art history and biology fit together almost perfectly for her. “The two aren’t as opposed as people might think,” says Castellano, a junior. “The skills I use in both are surprisingly similar, particularly in observation and inference. Both require you to look closely at the really small details to gain a greater understanding.”

Art and art history are some of Castellano’s earliest loves in her life. “My parents took me to museums a lot and I would just get lost for hours studying the paintings and sculptures,” she says. “And when I got to high school, THE SKILLS I USE my AP European History IN BOTH ARE class showed me how all this artwork reflected and SURPRISINGLY influenced the world. I SIMILAR, went to art history camp at PARTICULARLY Sotheby’s in New York City IN OBSERVATION and forever knew this would be a part of my life, one way AND INFERENCE. or another.”

However, she’s always also been interested in medicine and the opportunity to help people as a healer. She’s pre-med at Emory, and chose an undergraduate major in biology as her first step in a path toward a career as a surgeon. This past summer, Castellano worked in

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a clinic as a volunteer medical assistant. “It really solidified my belief that the observational, detail-focused skills I’ve developed studying both art history and biology work in tandem and give me an advantage,” she says. The same is true for her work as an Intro to Biology teaching assistant, a role that she’s held two years in a row in addition to her studies.

While her career ultimately lies in medicine, Castellano’s immediate life after college will indulge her love of art history as she plans to take a gap year traveling abroad and visit as many museums as possible. She also says she will always be an artist, no matter what she does professionally. “Art is grounding for me — it heals me on a bad day, it gives me balance,” she says. “And we all need something like that in our lives as human beings.”

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CURING THE UNCURABLE LAB LEADER

Emory professor Philip Santangelo (right) is leading the way on mRNA technologies for fighting cancer.

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P HI LI P SA N TAN G ELO is a risk-taker whose

E M ORY’S PHI LI P SA NTANGELO IS L E ADI NG GROU NDBREAKI NG M RNA RES EARCH TO TRAI N THE IM M U NE SYSTEM TO F L IP THE SWI TC H ON G ENES TO FI G HT CA N CER AND OT H ER DI S EAS ES.

PHOTOGRAPHY JACK KEARSE

BY TO NY VA N W I T SE N

bold scientific ventures often surprise colleagues in his field. But when it comes to the formidable challenge of eradicating cancer and other diseases, boldness is exactly what is needed.

Santangelo, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory and Georgia Tech and a researcher at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, is taking one of the biggest leaps in current scientific research and doing it with the full support of the federal government.

He’s entrusted with $24.8 million in funding over three years from the brand-new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to push an existing research tool — messenger RNA (mRNA) — in new directions that might lead to treatments for not just a single disease but a whole range of them.

This past August, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that ARPA-H had selected Emory as the first recipient of its funding to support transformative biomedical and health breakthroughs, including the Biden Cancer Moonshot. “Over the past few years, COVID-19 vaccines developed using mRNA technology have saved millions of lives around the world,” Biden said in the announcement. “Now, a skilled team at Emory University in Atlanta will work to adapt these technologies to turn more cancers into curable diseases. This is a bold endeavor that has the potential to transform the fight against cancer and other difficult diagnoses.”

After receiving this landmark funding and support from the White House, Santangelo and his team will focus on using mRNA to develop breakthrough treatments and drugs. “Getting those into clinical trials, really being able to get that out to people, is something that is extremely challenging,” Santangelo says. “Having partners in government, in industry and across the landscape is going to be incredibly important. We can’t do this alone, and that’s

why the Cancer Moonshot and the support from the administration is huge — because it’s the only way to fuel this kind of work.”

UNDERSTANDING MRNA’S PROMISE TO BET T ER UNDERSTAND the work of

Santangelo and his lab, it is necessary to take a journey back in time. Messenger RNA has always existed, but wasn’t discovered until the 1960s. In fact, mRNA exists in every living cell on earth. It refers to a single strand of the double-helix molecule deoxyribonucleic acid — more popularly known as DNA — that holds the genetic blueprint to determine every characteristic of every organism.

Meanwhile, mRNA — the RNA short for ribonucleic acid — contains all the genetic information in its parent DNA molecule, but does the work of instructing cellular machinery called ribosomes to assemble the building blocks of new proteins. This is why it’s called a messenger.

The scientific breakthroughs from mRNA began in the 1980s, when multiple research teams learned how to engineer specific strands of mRNA in the lab to create individually tailored proteins that stimulated the formation of disease-blocking antibodies. The technology’s big moment came in 2020, when pharmaceutical firm Moderna and the Pfizer/ BioNTech partnership used mRNA to create two of the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines at record speed.

Santangelo believes the same precision approach can be used to create new tools that could be used to attack many other afflictions — including a multitude of cancers and autoimmune diseases — that result when the immune system is suppressed or dysregulated.

“When I looked at a lot of different diseases that afflict large numbers of people,” Santangelo says, “one theme that became pretty obvious was that the immune system was not quite doing what we wanted it to do or not doing it as well as we’d like. We wanted to build a molecular toolbox for new drugs WINTER 2023

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9 WAYS MRNA R ES E AR CH CAN HELP FIG H T D IS E AS ES In the span of three decades, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) has moved from a promising series of experiments to a breakthrough technology being used in hundreds of labs around the world. Molecules of mRNA can be engineered in labs — like Emory’s Philip Santangelo’s — then introduced into living cells, where they can switch on immune responses needed to attack a particular disease, from COVID-19 to cancer.

Here are nine examples of how researchers are using mRNA to combat diseases: COV I D -19 VACC I N ES

RARE G EN ETI C DI SORDERS

Perhaps the most widely known application of mRNA technology, these vaccines provide instructions to the immune system to produce a viral spike protein, triggering an immune response without causing the disease itself.

Messenger RNA technology can potentially be used to correct or compensate for genetic mutations that cause conditions such as cystic fibrosis or certain types of muscular dystrophy.

AUTO I MMUN E DI SEASES CA N C E R I M M U N OT HERAPY

Messenger RNA-based cancer treatments are being researched to instruct the immune system to target specific cancer cells. These treatments can then turn on or turn off genes as needed, potentially enhancing the body's ability to fight different types of the Big C.

INF ECT I O U S D I S E ASES

Messenger RNA vaccines could be used to fight other infectious diseases, ranging from influenza to Zika to rabies. The versatility of the mRNA platform allows for rapid vaccine development and adaptation to new variants.

Ongoing research to develop mRNA-based therapies for autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, aims to modulate the immune response and reduce inflammation.

I N HALED MRN A M EDIC INES

These could reshape treatment of chronic respiratory diseases by delivering therapeutic molecules directly to the lungs, minimizing side effects.

P ERSO N ALI ZED MEDIC INE

Messenger RNA research has the potential to tailor treatments to an individual’s unique genetic makeup, especially valuable in cancer therapy and rare genetic disorders.

INTE R F E R E N C E R N A

Known as post-transcriptional gene silencing, this process has emerged as a disease-fighting tool that can stop faulty protein production in cancer cells or attack malfunctioning genes in a range of health conditions.

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REG EN ERATI V E MEDIC INE

Researchers are exploring the use of mRNA to promote tissue regeneration and repair in conditions such as heart disease, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.

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that would then allow us to manipulate the immune system in a way that it hadn’t been done before and unlock new treatments to cure these diseases.”

That would be an unusually ambitious project for most scientists, who frequently complain that grant-making agencies are only interested in funding research with small, safe, incremental goals. However, ARPA-H, an arm of the National Institutes of Health, was created in 2022 to disrupt that pattern and push the envelope by funding potentially groundbreaking research by scientists such as Santangelo. ARPA-H fully recognizes that the risks are high, but so are the potential rewards.

Santangelo and his team pursue ideas he says others might describe somewhere between “complex” and “crazy.” However, when he applied to ARPA-H for funding, he was confident he had enough preliminary data to back up his gamble. His job is now to prove to ARPA-H and his colleagues that he can do what he said he can do.

He’s already in the spotlight: Shortly after the agency picked Santangelo as its first recipient, his research drew first lady Jill Biden to Emory in September to tour his lab and learn about his work.

“As a mom who watched my son die of cancer, the one thing I never gave up on was hope. As a mother, you can’t,” she said after the tour. “This work gives families the power to hold on to that hope just a little bit longer. Because this work could change lives.”

THE QUEST TO CURE CANCER AND OTHER DISEASES ARPA- H IS FUNDING Santangelo’s research through

an initiative dubbed the cancer moonshot. His project is named CUREIT — short for Curing the Uncurable via RNA-Encoded Immunogene Tuning. CUREIT aims to develop a suite of mRNA tools that can be used to train the immune system to fight disease.

Santangelo will pursue these goals in collaboration with other researchers from Emory, including immunologists, physicians and students, as well as scientists from Yale University, the University of Georgia and the German biotech firm Transimmune. Santangelo’s lab will supply the custom-designed mRNA and formulations.

“We have to screen through literally thousands of different RNAs to see which ones get the response we want,” says immunologist José Assumpção, a postdoctoral researcher and key member of

PHOTOGRAPHY JACK KEARSE

MOONSHOT MOMENTUM First lady Jill Biden visited Emory on Sept. 15 to learn about Philip Santangelo’s groundbreaking research aiming to tune the immune system to fight cancer and other diseases.

Santangelo’s team. “We can try different combinations. For certain types of cancer, we need a certain type of response. For other types, we need different responses.”

The same variability and specificity is needed when targeting autoimmune and infectious diseases. “I can also modulate these,” Assumpção says.

The project is based on the insight that not just cancer, but many other debilitating ailments as well, have a failure of the immune system at their core. “In the case of cancer and chronic infections,” Santangelo says, “the immune system is essentially suppressed by the disease. We need to be able to reawaken it.”

Because existing approaches to regulating the immune system — via vaccines, antibodies and cell-based therapies — all have problems with cost or effectiveness, it’s necessary to change the immune-regulating model with a completely new system. That’s where Santangelo’s research comes in, aiming to develop a new class of mRNA-driven drugs that can regulate genes in the body’s immune cells — switching them on or off to get the desired response. This approach is independent of disease type and can potentially be used to treat a wide swath of afflictions.

A DEEPER LOOK AT HOW MRNA WORKS M ES S E N G E R R N A VACCI N ES are created by

engineering molecules of mRNA in the lab that contain genetic instructions to make a

piece of the disease-causing virus. When this is administered into the body, it triggers the production of an immune response. Scientists began experimenting with this approach several decades ago, excited by the possibility of being able to custom-design a molecule that could enter a person’s cells and get them to produce exactly the right antigens — the suite of organic molecules immune systems can recognize — that would lead the immune cells to respond and fight a particular disease.

It took years of struggle, false starts, dead ends and slow progress to develop that promise into an effective therapeutic tool.

Researchers first had to learn to manufacture specific kinds of mRNA molecules in the lab, control the natural instability that led them to frequently degrade into other molecules and find a way to encase them in tiny fat droplets known as lipid nanoparticles in order to deliver them to the cell’s interior.

Some of the early research, including Santangelo’s, was backed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon’s own high-risk, high-reward program that served as an inspiration for ARPA-H. Rather than being a specifically targeted medicine, mRNA is a platform — a speedy, plug-and-play approach that could be used to attack other diseases the same way.

Not surprisingly, both established pharmaceutical firms and biotech startups are now seeking to harness mRNA to find WINTER 2023

“

AS A MOM W H O WATCHED M Y S O N D IE O F CA N C E R, TH E O N E TH I N G I N EVER GAVE U P O N WAS H O PE. TH I S WO RK CO U L D C HA N G E L I VES .”

FIRS T LA DY J I L L B ID EN

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W E K N E W TH E B U I L D I N G B LO C K S W E R E TH E R E . T HEY H E L P E D F U E L THE P R E L I M I N A RY WO RK TH AT WAS N E EDED I N O R D E R FO R U S TO TA K E TH I S NEXT B O L D STE P.” PHILIP SA NTA NGELO

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK Santangelo's research team includes PhD students, postdoc-

toral fellows and lab staff members.

ways to teach cells in the body to make their own medicines for both cancer and particularly stubborn infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Merck and Moderna, for example, recently began randomized trials of a tunable mRNA drug for melanoma that can be precisely matched to the unique characteristics of tumors affecting individual patients.

Santangelo’s lab has been conducting its own related mRNA research for some time. “We knew the building blocks were there,” he says.

“They helped fuel the preliminary work that was needed in order for us to take this next bold step.”

TURNING IMMUNE CELLS INTO SUPERHEROES “ALL OF OUR DRUGS are similar to the

vaccines but not the same in that we use mRNA differently,” Santangelo says. “We use it to express particular molecules that allow us to target specific genes and turn those genes on and off. We’re going to be using this technology to essentially alter the way immune cells function but without changing your DNA. We're targeting multiple cell types of different parts of the immune system and manipulating how those 42

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individual cells function. We can change that function by manipulating multiple genes within those cells. It's really a layered approach.”

If his research is successful, Santangelo believes it will radically enhance immune response, leading to a technology that can be adapted to multiple diseases — a multipronged approach he thinks will be more productive in the long run. It's like putting a cape and a Superman insignia on the body’s own cells, he says.

“That's partly why we can attack different problems,” he adds. “Many of these cell types contribute to different diseases and even help cure them but we haven't had a good way to manipulate this entire system. We are trying to develop a system approach that allows us to manipulate multiple cell types and multiple genes to get the outcomes that we want.”

Santangelo hopes to be able to develop a platform that’s flexible, effective and safe enough to prove itself in actual drug development and clinical testing. He doesn’t expect to produce drugs in the short run. Instead, he's picked his first disease targets in collaboration with the Winship Cancer Institute, based on the fact they have

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reasonable preclinical models that could be built upon. “My goal,” he says, “is that once we demonstrate the platform with preclinical models, we can then apply them to some of the more difficult tumors that are very hard to treat.”

Santangelo says the large grant will let him search for discoveries on a scale that’s not possible in conventionally funded research. He’ll also be able to try approaches that aren’t part of the existing scientific repertoire and have a higher chance of not paying off — but also might result in breakthroughs if they do. “A lot of things we’re going to do aren’t going to work,” he says. “But at the same time, the things that do, we really feel like are going to push the field forward.”

Some might call that risky.

Santangelo sees it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make big progress that couldn’t be made otherwise in the ongoing fight against cancer.

Or as Emory President Gregory L. Fenves explained after touring Santangelo’s lab with the first lady: “At Emory, it isn’t enough to simply accomplish something great, to reach a goal or earn recognition. We measure our success through lives changed and lives saved.”

E M O RY E V E RY W H E R E

emory 's

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PHOTOG R APH Y S U BAN DE Y, POR TR AIT S C OU R TE SY OF E MORY ALU M N I

Emory graduates are architects of change, spanning nearly every industry and making their marks around the world. From health care and tech to commerce and government, our alumni seek meaning and purpose in the work they choose.

The Emory Alumni Association’s 40 Under Forty program every year shines a light on a select number of young and notable alumni who are becoming pioneers in their fields. This year, you’ll meet lawyers solving complex problems, entrepreneurs whose start-ups are game changers, teachers and scholars shaping young minds, doctors and health care professionals saving lives, inventors and investors, plus many more.

Chosen from hundreds of applications, these outstanding alumni represent the very best in achievement and service. Read on to learn more about this year’s award winners and their inspiring stories.

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CHIDIOGO ANYIGBO 10C 15M 15PH Chidiogo Anyigbo is a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she completed her residency. She’s the creator of a pediatric obesity-intervention program and an expert in social determinants of health, community engagement and building partnerships with parents. The Academic Pediatric Association bestowed its Young Investigator Award to Anyigbo for her achivements. She is actively involved in both local and national leadership positions within the American Academy of Pediatrics, and has chaired the Advocacy Committee for the District of Columbia.

LOLA BANJO 11B

NIA BODRICK 07PH

Growing up with entrepreneurial parents, Lola Banjo felt she was destined to start her own business. As the founder, creative director and now the full-time CEO of Silver & Riley, a luxury brand specializing in travel and fashion accessories, she seamlessly combines her business expertise with her passion for creativity, fashion and design. She was previously a vice president of go-to-market strategy for merger and acquisition products at Salesforce and a strategy consulting executive at both Deloitte and Accenture.

Nia Bodrick is dedicated to achieving fair and just outcomes for children and their families, especially those in historically marginalized communities.

She refined her skills as a public health educator and researcher at Rollins School of Public Health. Today, Bodrick serves as a pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. She’s also the medical director for pediatric innovations at the Early Childhood Innovation Network and president of the D.C. chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

DANI CHARLES 09C Dani Charles is a serial entrepreneur, technologist and experienced executive focused on data, clean technology and international trade. Currently, Charles is vice president of strategy at St. Paul Commodities in Denver, Colorado, where he manages corporate strategy,

JOSH COMBS 15L Josh Combs is an energy attorney based in the Atlanta office of Troutman Pepper, a nationally recognized law firm. Within Troutman’s energy practice group, he provides expert advice to the public on intricate matters at every stage of the regulatory and 44

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external partnerships, international business and technology development, and sustainability initiatives. Charles is also the co-founder of Veriflux, a platform for renewable feedstock traceability supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He works closely with government agencies and his expertise makes him an in-demand speaker.

administrative utilities litigation process.

Combs is an expert on rate litigation, grid investment plans and strategies for cost recovery of strategic energy investments — from battery energy storage and solar power to legacy transmission and distribution projects.

PATRICK DARCEY 18L Patrick Darcey is a federal prosecutor, currently serving with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. He also dedicates his time as a judge advocate in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Prior to attending Emory Law, Darcey served more than seven years as a U.S. Marine Corps officer.

He deployed twice overseas, including a tour in Afghanistan. Darcey serves on the board of directors for Hearts & Homes for Veterans, a nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness.

KOFI D. ESSEL 05C

DOUG DEMURO 10C Doug DeMuro’s passion for automobiles has been a lifelong pursuit. After working at Porsche Cars North America in Atlanta, he ventured into the world of car videos. In just a few years, he built the largest American car-review channel on YouTube, boasting nearly five million subscribers and two billion lifetime views. In 2020, DeMuro founded online carauction business Cars & Bids, that today has 45 employees and auctions 150 enthusiast cars a week.

Kofi D. Essel serves as the inaugural food as medicine director at Elevance Health, formerly known as Anthem. In his role, Essel leads efforts to design new approaches for tackling diet-related chronic diseases and addressing health-related social needs through food interventions. He is a community pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and serves as a clinical associate professor of pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine.

MARCELLA DUCCA 05C 08L As co-chair of the Atlanta Products Liability Litigation Group, Marcella Ducca defends companies against personal injury lawsuits, handling cases in both state and federal courts.

Her expertise extends to the defense of hospitals, physicians and health care providers in medical malpractice cases. Ducca also is a senior leader within Atlanta-based Greenberg Traurig’s products liability and mass tort litigation teams, handling cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths.

PRIYA GARG 08C After earning a degree in international studies at Emory, Priya Garg started her career path at the Nanubhai Education Foundation, where she had the opportunity to live and work in a rural village in Gujarat, India. Upon returning to the U.S. in 2011, Garg joined the American Osteopathic Association, which she now serves as chief engagement and diversity officer. In this role, she has been instrumental in developing programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization and its leadership.

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MELISSA GOLDBERG MINTZ 11C Being a research assistant in Emory’s Personality and Psychopathology Lab ignited Melissa Goldberg Mintz’s passion for writing and her deep commitment to the study of trauma. The author of the award-winning book “Has Your Child Been Traumatized? How to

Know and What to Do to Promote Healing and Recovery,” Mintz currently serves as clinical faculty at Baylor College of Medicine. She treats patients in her private practice and extends her expertise globally, traveling to train other psychologists about trauma.

MAGGIE GATTI-MAYS 07PH Maggie Gatti-Mays is an associate professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University and a highly regarded pioneer of innovative immunotherapy methods for fighting breast cancer. After her time at Emory, she was an assistant research physician in the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at the National Cancer Institute, where she began her journey to becoming a translational breast immune-oncologist, dedicated to bridging the gap between research and medical practice.

SALLY HAMACHER 07C Sally Hamacher is the chief financial officer for Amazon’s retail businesses in the U.K. and Turkey. During her un-

JAKE JOHNSON 18C Jake Johnson was reading the Emory Wheel one day as an undergrad when he saw an article about Emory completing a full-scale emergency management exercise. Intrigued, he sought internships with Emory’s Office of Critical Event Preparedness and 46

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dergrad years at Emory, she studied mathematics and economics, and turned an internship with the Atlanta Silverbacks Football Club into her first full-time job as the organization’s controller.

Beyond her professional life, Hamacher is a passionate marathoner and triathlete, and has channeled her love for running to support charitable causes, raising more than $15,000 for U.S. and U.K. organizations.

Response (CEPAR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since then, he’s earned a paramedic license and a master’s in emergency management, and helped guide hospitals through COVID-19. Today he is a consultant with Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the nation’s largest hospital systems.

ROSIE HUNTER 05C Rosie Hunter began her career path as a White House intern and later served as an active-duty Army psychologist. She then became a business psychology consultant and also a therapist in private practice. Currently, Hunter leads Test Wolf, an education technology startup she founded. Test Wolf offers on-demand, evidence-based strategies to reduce test anxiety, continuing her lifelong commitment to helping people build a more confident and courageous mindset.

SIDRA KHALID 18G Sidra Khalid resides in her native Pakistan, where she works as a researcher in gender and social inclusion for the International Water Management Institute.

Her career path has been diverse, with experiences spanning multiple countries, including China, Ghana, Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal. Her work focuses on critical areas such as water, sanitation, hygiene, climate change, disaster reduction, economic empowerment and reproductive health.

ZOEY KERNODLE 14T Zoey Kernodle is the inaugural director of the University of North Carolina Center for the Business of Health, an academic research and programmatic institution created to benefit students, faculty, alumni and local and national communities.

Kernodle is also currently pursuing a doctor of public health degree. She enjoys fostering collaborations across different disciplines, an approach that is heavily influenced by the perspectives she gained during her time at Emory’s Candler School of Theology.

BRIAN LE 14PH Brian Khang Le is a program manager in the Department of Medicine at UCLA Health. He previously served as Georgia’s State Opioid Response senior program

manager, developing prevention programs, media campaigns and distributing naloxone to first responders to save lives. He has also been involved in funding and creating an Emmy Award-winning health documentary focused on the opioid epidemic. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized virtual wellness events promoted by celebrities.

NICOLE LIGON 13C Nicole Ligon is assistant professor of law at Campbell University, where she teaches professional responsibility, media law and trial advocacy. Her love of research comes from her time at Emory, where in her first year she worked with professor of dance Sally Radell to study the impact of classroom mirrors on ballet dancers’ body image. Today, her research focuses on First Amendment policies and she frequently contributes expert analysis and commentary. And she loves teaching aspiring lawyers to spark change in their communities.

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JAIMIE LEE 04C Jaimie Lee’s childhood dream was to explore the world. At Emory, she earned the Mellon Minority Fellowship and graduated cum laude with a major in French studies and a minor in music. After a journey of global exploration, which included a stint teaching English in France, she returned home, counseled student-athletes at the University of North Carolina and became a certified Krav Maga instructor. Today, she owns and operates her own martial arts school called The Coalition NC. EMORY MAGAZINE

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STEVE LUGERNER 06C 14L

CARLYN MADDEN 06C

Steve Lugerner is senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Tao Group Hospitality, which operates more than 80 branded entertainment and dining locations in more than 20 markets worldwide. Since joining Tao, Lugerner has been actively involved in shaping the company’s business development strategy. He also serves as a director of the Tao Cares Relief Fund, which provided $1.75 million in financial relief to employees who faced hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carlyn Madden is the founder and CEO of Good Insight, a Washington, D.C.-based executive search firm that specializes in placing senior executives at mission-driven organizations. She graduated from Emory with a degree in art history, but her internship at The Carter Center prompted her to follow a life of service to humanity. She took her first job at the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and today serves on the board of Leadership Greater Washington and the Washington Area Community Investment Fund.

NATALIE METZGER 07C Natalie Metzger is vice president of production and development at Vanishing Angle and a Spirit Award-nominated producer who has produced 15 feature films and 25 shorts. Her standout work includes the critically acclaimed “Thunder Road,” which

PAMELA ASEKENYE MALLINGA 06C Pamela Asekenye Mallinga is a health researcher and independent consultant striving to create better health outcomes across Africa. Her expertise — particularly in the ethical use of digital platforms to influence health-related behaviors — became crucial in regions where internet connectivity was emerging. During the past decade, Mallinga has lived and worked in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya, leading programs spanning nine countries and across three continents.

earned a Grand Jury Award at South

by Southwest. Metzger is also an award-winning director, her credits including “Alone in the Game,” “Sleep Study, “Immortal,” “Special Blood” and “Topless Women Talk NFL,” a public service announcement addressing the league’s issues dealing with domestic violence.

LAUREN MURPHY 15G 18G Lauren Murphy’s career is marked by her deep knowledge of the evolutionary, psychological and brain-based foundations of human behavior and her passion for unraveling intriguing and complex behavioral puzzles. In her current role as an associate 48

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vice president at Material, Murphy leads research and development efforts to gain deep insights into the minds and behaviors of consumers. She guides top brands in making decisions that respect the psychological factors influencing consumer perceptions and decision making.

MARY ALEXANDER MYERS 09C Mary Alexander Myers is a partner at Atlanta-based law firm Jones Day, where she offers strategic guidance on matters related to technology, privacy and cybersecurity. She specializes in transactions driven by data or technology, often involving new legal and commercial complexities. Myers also dedicates her time and expertise to the Atlanta community, providing pro bono legal work and serving on the board of the Truancy Intervention Project, which provides legal services to children in public schools.

BRIAN NILES 05OX 07B

JOHN ROSE 18L

With more than 15 years of experience spanning a range of industries, Brian Niles is driven by a deep passion for guiding organizations on their journey to growth and achievement. Along the way, he’s helped start multiple companies, including a consumer products firm that grew from $15 million in revenues to more than $120 million in less than three years. Currently, Niles leads Bridgestone’s retail innovation hub that looks to shape the future of the automotive aftermarket service industry.

John Rose serves as an associate attorney in the entertainment and sports law department at Fox Rothschild in Atlanta. He supports music artists worldwide, including award-winning entertainers, producers, songwriters and major corporations. Recently, Rose helped lead a series of deals that generated millions of dollars for the firm’s clients. He credits Emory Law and internships for the Atlanta Hawks, Fox Television and Interscope Records in helping him chart his path.

JACKI ROSENZWEIG 12C

CODI NORRED 17T Codi Norred has dedicated more than a decade to championing environmental justice, tackling

climate change and promoting sustainability. Drawn to Candler School of Theology master’s in divinity program, Norred focused on justice, peacebuilding, conflict transformation and human rights. Norred now serves as executive dirctor of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, an organization collaborating with faith communities across the state on climate change and environmental justice initiatives.

Jacki Rosenzweig is an assistant professor of pediatrics specializing in hematology/oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Her primary focus is treating children with leukemia and other blood cancers, supporting them during the most challenging times of their lives and striving to offer alternatives when standard treatments prove ineffective. The American Society of Clinical Oncology honored Rosenzweig with a 2022 Young Investigator Award for her contributions and dedication.

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MARCUS A. SANDIFER 15L 17L

MATT SLOANE 04C

Marcus A. Sandifer is senior vice president of business and legal affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary at Celsius. His career took off with Gatorade, where he served as a senior human resources manager and a leader in the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion division. With substantial experience in branding, marketing and sales, Sandifer also worked working on Nestle’s premium imported water brands such as Perrier, Acqua Panna and San Pellegrino.

Matt Sloane began his career at CNN Medical News alongside Emory’s own Sanjay Gupta, reporting on a wide range of health top-

ics and breaking news and earning three Daytime Emmy award nominations. In 2014, Sloane founded Skyfire, a company that provides expertise on drone technology to public safety agencies. Notably, Sloane serves on the National Fire Protection Association’s committee on drones and is a well-known drone-industry advocate.

RYLEE SOMMERS-FLANAGAN 11C While an Emory undergrad, Rylee SommersFlanagan developed a profound sense of intellectual curiosity and a strong commitment to service. In 2021, she founded Upper Seven Law, a nonprofit law firm based in Montana with a dedicated mission to hold the powerful accountable. The firm’s primary focus involves suing the state of Montana for violating the Montana Constitution. It also made headlines this spring by taking legal action against Fox News for defaming individuals.

NIYETI SHAH 15C Niyeti Shah is a dedicated food-policy advocate and a food-systems professional. In the past year, she took the lead in orchestrating a coalition comprising more than 60,000 individuals and 70 organizations, rallying for the introduction, advocacy and successful passage of legislation aimed at addressing food waste and food insecurity in the U.S. In 2023, Shah founded Food Systems Collaborative Consulting, a company dedicated to assisting organizations seeking to engage with food policy.

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GARRETT SOUTH 17PH Garrett South is a rising leader in the field of health care, driven by his deep commitment to human

empathy. His professional journey started at Emory, where he honed his skills and passion for public health. Fueled by a need to help underserved urban communities, he’s lived and worked in Seattle, New York City and now Los Angeles. Today, South is director of patient experience at CommonSpirit Health’s California Hospital Medical Center and serves on the Downtown LA Neighborhood Council.

JENNIFER SPICER 12M 12PH 15MR 19FM Jennifer Spicer is an assistant professor and clinical educator at Emory School of Medicine. After earning multiple degrees at Emory, she joined the faculty because of the university’s pioneering work in the field of emerging infectious diseases. Spicer’s clinical practice is based at Grady Memorial Hospital. She’s also the associate program director for the internal medicine residency program, where she does her most satisfying work — helping to educate future health care professionals.

LEUWAM TESFAI 03OX 06C

RICHARD WERBE 16C

Leuwam Tesfai is deputy executive director for energy and climate policy at the California Public Utilities Commission.

She oversees a team of more than 200 analysts and engineers and manages a wide range of initiatives related to energy, utilities and strategies for combating climate change. For her leadership and contributions to the development of clean energy, Tesfai was honored with the U.S. Department of Energy’s C3E Women in Clean Energy Government Award in 2023.

Richard Werbe is the co-founder and CEO of Studypool, an online tutoring platform. Studypool has gained recognition as one of the largest platforms of its kind, serving more than five million students and generating annual revenues in the tens of millions.

Werbe conceptualized the idea for Studypool while at Emory, launching the platform in his dorm room. His entrepreneurial endeavors have earned him prestigious honors, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list at the age of 24.

KEONG MIN YOON 16L

TORREY K. YOUNG 07C

Keong Min Yoon serves as a legal counsel at the World Bank and is an internationally renowned expert in cybersecurity, data infrastructure and the digital economy. His role at the World Bank goes far beyond traditional legal counsel. Yoon plays a vital role in helping developing countries leverage technology for economic growth and social well-being, as well as providing essential legal and policy frameworks to establish a secure and equitable digital environment.

Torrey K. Young is a partner at New York City-based law firm Mukasey Frenchman. Though she studied neuroscience and behavioral biology with a minor in religion at Emory, she believes her scientific background has been instrumental in developing her ability to navigate across disciplines and handle complex technical readings. She’s an expert in defending health care and life science cases but has also adapted to work on high-profile financial and public corruption cases.

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E M O RY E V E RY W H E R E > > C L AS S NOT ES

class notes 60s Victoria A. Harden 66C 83G had a lecture series named after her by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Victoria A. Harden Lecture in NIH History will be given annually to anchor the "History and Context" seminar series of the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum. Harden founded the office in 1986 and served as its director for 20 years. On May 4, 2023, she presented the inaugural lecture in the series, “Telling NIH History, Story by Story.”

70s William C. Caruso 70C authored and published the book “Out Franklin Road: The Oak Hill Home of Nashville's First Presbyterian Church” in 2023.

80s Lisa Cooper 84C, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and Urban Health Institute, received two prestigious awards, the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration and the 2023 John M. Eisenberg Award for Career Achievement in Research from the Society of General Internal Medicine.

Stephanie Harris 86Ox 88C, vice president of global strategic insights at Visa, was named to the 2023 Insight250 Legends list.

Awardees are insight-industry experts who have made a longstanding, indelible impact on the industry and

beyond through innovation, Psychologists Influenced at the Congressional Black leadership, commitment and Their Work."

Caucus, the United Nations, other contributions. and aired throughout April Donna Joyce White 94C 2023 (National Minority Ken Carter 87Ox 89C, was named president of Health Month) on PBS staCharles Howard Candler the AnBryce Foundation on tions across the country. Her Hayley Antonian 00C, Professor of Psychology July 10, 2023. White has commitment to raising awarefounder and president of at Emory, was featured in more than two decades of ness to protect Black mothers U.S.-based PR and marthe May 10, 2023, episode experience leading initiatives has also been highlighted keting agency Scenario of “Your Fantastic Mind,” that focus on young people, on the PBS series “Brief, But Communications, had her an Emmy Award-winning with a particular emphasis Spectacular” during Black firm recognized by Inc. magtelevision series partneron introducing tech tools in History and Women’s History azine for being one of the ship between Emory Brain classrooms to create a more Month. She continues to #Inc5000 fastest-growing Health and Georgia Public engaging, inclusive and serve as a recognized and reprivate companies in the Broadcasting. The news mag- individualized learning expespected subject matter expert country. With team members azine-style show highlights rience. Most recently, White on this critical issue with rein Los Angeles, New York, patient stories and reports on was the inaugural director cent features in the New York Nashville and San Diego, the pioneering science and cliniof Break Through Tech DC, company serves a wide range Times and The Grio. cal advances in brain health. an organization working at of clients in entertainment, The episode featured Carter’s the intersection of academia Jin Ho Hur 05T was orT H I S PAG E I N T E N T I O N A L LY L E F T B L A N K . fashion, hospitality, wellness, dained as an elder of the research on thrill-seeking and industry to propel more beauty and tech. and risk-taking, and how the underrepresented women in United Methodist Church answers to why we engage in higher education and careers Donna Adams-Pickett 01M, at the Minnesota Annual such behaviors can be found in tech.

Conference on May 31, 2023, an Augusta, Ga.-based ob/ in the brain. and is currently serving at the gyn physician and advocate Tom Chaffin 95C was named for Black maternal health, was United Methodist Church of Kris Ann Hoellen 89C, 2023 Georgia Author of the Peace in Richfield, Minn. recently featured in the docexecutive director of the Year by the Georgia Writers B&O Railroad Museum in Association in the memoir/bi- umentary “Birthing Justice.”

Baltimore, Md., was recogography category for his book The film has been screened nized as one of the Top 50 “Odyssey: Young Charles Women Leaders of Maryland Darwin, The Beagle, and the for 2023 by Women We Voyage That Changed the Admire. The list honors World.”

YOUR KEY TO CLASS NOTES female entrepreneurs, execJonathan E. Lass 95C, a AH: Allied Health utives and policymakers who law partner with Jackson BBA: Goizueta Business School (undergraduate) are breaking barriers and Walker, was named the C: Emory College of Arts and Sciences shattering glass ceilings in 2022-23 Adjunct Professor the state.

D: School of Dentistry of the Year by the Student Bar DNP: Doctor of Nursing Practice Association of the University of Texas School of Law. This FM: Fellowship in Medicine award, which recognizes G: James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies extraordinary commitment H: Honorary degree to excellence in teaching and JM: Juris Master service, was presented at the Tony DelCampo 89Ox 91C, L: School of Law partner at DelCampo Grayson Celebration of Service on M: School of Medicine April 18, 2023.

Lopez LLC, was installed MBA: Goizueta Business School (graduate) as the 61st president of Adrienne Coleman 96Ox MSN: School of Nursing (graduate) the 54,000-member State 98C married Alston Strange MR: Medical resident Bar of Georgia in June. on July 13, 2023, in N: Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing DelCampo was also inducted Kennesaw, Ga. into the Hall of Fame for OX: Oxford College Jason Lichstein 99L was Georgia’s Hispanic Chamber named to lead the Atlanta ofMPH: Rollins School of Public Health (graduate) of Commerce and was also fice of law firm Akerman LLP, PhD: All doctor of philosophy degrees named one of its 50 Most which has grown from three T: Candler School of Theology Influential Latinos in Georgia. attorneys in 2018 to more Stephen E. Parker 92G than 24 lawyers today. has authored a new book published by Lexington SUBMIT CLASS NOTES TO: Press, "God and Psychology: eurec@emory.edu How the Early Religious Development of Famous

00s

90s

WINTER 2023

EMORY MAGAZINE

53

E M O RY E V E RY W H E R E > > C L AS S NOT ES

Garrett Ryan Dallas 06B and wife Emily Dallas welcomed new daughter Magnolia James Dallas on May 15, 2023.

Leuwam Tesfai 05C was one of 11 women honored by the U.S. Department of Energy for outstanding leadership and accomplishments in clean energy. The 2023 awards were given by the Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Initiative, which aims to close the gender gap and increase the participation, leadership and success of women in clean-energy fields. Tesfai, who serves as the deputy executive director for energy and climate policy at the California Public Utilities Commission, won in the government category.

Benjamin Jaffe 06B has joined law firm Pryor Cashman as a partner in the Media + Entertainment Group and co-chair of its Digital Media Practice. Previously, Jaffe was a partner and head of the Digital Media + Technology group at Cowan

DeBaets in New York. member at the nonprofit innovative programming International Mountain and has supported nearly Shawntel Hebert Clark Bicycling Association.

200 single-parent families 07L, managing attorney becoming first-time homeemployment at Vanderlande owners nationwide. He is Industries, was named the also an advocate for mental Rising Star honoree for the health. In 2020, he launched Atlanta Business Chronicle’s his second nonprofit, WD 2023 Corporate Counsel Communities, which supports Awards. She joined the Tony Stewart 12L, chief families from the beginning company, which makes intelegal and privacy officer to end of purchasing affordgrated systems, software and for ParkMobile, was named able or transitional housing services for logistics process the winner of the General and provides support serautomation, in 2021 after a vices, including financial career at Taylor English Duma Counsel - Small Legal Department award in Atlanta literacy, health and wellness, LLP. Business Chronicle’s 2023 educational attainment, and Jessica Klodnicki 07B has Corporate Counsel Awards. entrepreneurship and workbeen named as the CEO of Warrick Dunn 13B, philanforce development.

KT Tape, a leader in sports thropist and former NFL Riakeem Kelley 11Ox 13C medicine and recovery running back, was inducted and wife Grace Cummings products. She also serves into the Atlanta Business Kelley welcomed new daughon several for-profit and Leagues Hall of Fame in ter Penny Ann Kelley on Sept. nonprofit boards. Klodnicki 2023. This honor goes to 15, 2023. is an operating partner at Black men who are pioneers Centre Partners Private LaVonne Akinwumiju in their professions and have Equity and board member Oyekanmi 11Ox 13B and T H I S PAG Epaved I N T Ethe N Tway ION L LY LtoE F T B L A N K . forAothers for their portfolio company, husband Amos Oyekanmi follow.

When he played for Gathr Outdoors, a platform welcomed new son Lael the Atlanta Falcons in 2002, of camping and outdoor Akinwumiju Oyekanmi on he founded the Warrick products. She also serves as April 30, 2023.

Dunn Charities, inspired by a board member at The Pro’s Benjamin Lefkove 15MR his mother’s dream of being Closet, the world’s largest was named to the “40 Under a homeowner.

The charity online cycling re-commerce 40” list of the Atlanta Jewish improves lives through retailer. And she is a board Times in December 2022.

10s

Step into the Studio Grab a virtual seat for a monthly, 15-minute master class by Emory thought leaders. Hear from a nurse who’s helping farmworkers battle heat.

Unlock the psychology of fear. Get the secret to avoiding holiday burnout.

It’s all happening on 2036.emory.edu/the-platform 2036.emory.edu/the-podcast

54

EMORY MAGAZINE

WINTER 2023

Marlee Teplitzky 15B married Alex Seminara on May 20, 2023.

Ruth Geiger Tucker 11Ox 13C 15PH and husband Corbet Tucker welcomed new son Hugh Charles Tucker on June 14, 2023.

Helen Frances Baker 16G 17G 17N and husband Alex Scollon welcomed new daughter Imogen Scollon in July 2023.

Naina Fahima Hussain 15Ox 17C married Zaraif Ayaat Hossain 13Ox 16C on July 14, 2023.

Mindi Leit Weinapple 17C married Justin Weinapple on Feb. 23, 2023.

20s Marione Tamase Newsam 14Ox 20C and husband Austin Newsam welcomed new son Augustine Gilmore Newsam on May 1, 2023.

E M O RY E V E RY W H E R E > > ALUMNI I NK

RECENT BOOKS

by Emory Alumni

BURNING OUT ON THE COVID FRONT LINES: A DOCTOR’S MEMOIR OF FATHERHOOD, RACE AND PERSEVERANCE IN THE PANDEMIC

By Dhaval R. Desai 03C

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF

FROM SILO TO SPOON: LOCAL AND GLOBAL FOOD ETHICS

By Paul B. Thompson 75C For the past several decades, philosophers and policymakers have debated the moral implications of our food and how we produce it. In “From Silo to Spoon,” author and Emory alumnus Paul B. Thompson provides a deep analysis of key ethical issues connected with food. Through a series of essays, he reexamines famine relief in light of the history of funding development assistance through food aid, defends locavore diets against philosophical critics, analyzes the ethics of food labelling and also delves into other topics such as advertising, agricultural pollutants, sustainability and much more. These topics provide an entry point for a novel approach in practical ethics that blends pragmatist philosophy of language, historical interpretation of agrarian thought and recent philosophical writings on race and structural racism.

THE HIDDEN ROOTS OF WHITE SUPREMACY AND THE PATH TO A SHARED AMERICAN FUTURE

By Robert P. Jones 02T

After the joyous birth of his son, Dhaval Desai returned to his job at Emory University Hospital in March 2020 only to face nearly three years of unprecedented chaos. As a physician and health care leader — as well as a member of an ethnic minority in the South — Desai decided to share his unique perspectives and experiences in this new memoir. The stories start by detailing his excitement about his role in a global pandemic, thriving on the adrenaline fueled by crisis and being hailed by society as a health care hero. However, his enthusiasm quickly waned. As cases ballooned and the pandemic persisted for months, he found it completely exhausting and he, like so many other health care workers, became burned out. Desai imparts all that he’s learned from the experience: the importance of refuting misinformation, reinforcing compassion for all patients, prioritizing self-care for health care providers, overcoming stigmas related to race, gender and mental health, and restoring the public’s trust in the medical community.

Taking the story of white supremacy in America back to 1493, and examining contemporary communities in Mississippi, Minnesota and Oklahoma for models of racial repair, the New York Times’ bestselling book “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy” helps chart a new course toward a genuinely pluralistic democracy. Author Robert P. Jones returns to the fateful year when the Christian “Doctrine of Discovery” — the idea that God designated America as a new promised land — shaped how five centuries of Europeans would understand the “new” world and the people who populated it. And he reminds us that the enslavement of Africans was not America’s original sin but rather the continuation of a pattern of genocide and dispossession that began with the first European contact with Native Americans. This reframing of American origins explains how the architects of the United States could build a democratic society on a foundation of mass racial violence — and why this paradox survives today in the form of white Christian nationalism.

WINTER 2023

EMORY MAGAZINE

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E M O RY E V E RY W H E R E > > C L AS S NOT ES

IN MEMORIAM

40s Robert Lee Smith 43D, of Whiteville, N.C., on July 13, 2018.

Margaret S. Carruth 44G, of Dublin, Ga., on March 7, 2023.

Howard Roberts Lamar 45C, of Orange, Conn., on Feb. 22, 2023.

Jean Stillwell Reed 45Ox, of Marietta, Ga., on July 20, 2023.

Sarah Lenoir Hilten 46G, of Walland, Tenn., on Nov. 12, 2010.

Hazel Davis Megahee 46N, of Gainesville, Ga., on May 4, 2023.

Joyce Hardzog 47N, of Flower Mound, Texas, on May 7, 2023.

Robert L. Hilten 47T, of Alcoa, Tenn., on Jan. 6, 2012.

Marie P. Newsom 47N, of Columbus, Ga., on May 8, 2023.

Bruce T. Hurley 47C, of Centerport, N.Y., on March 20, 2017.

John G. Bolton 48Ox, of Roswell, Ga., on March 7, 2023.

Braxton Olie Godwin 48D, of Ormond Beach, Fla., on March 13, 2023.

Alford D. Hammond 48C, of Danville, Ky., on Aug. 3, 2014.

Rose Ann B. Wilson 48N, of Raymond, Miss., on Jan. 14, 2021.

Walter Houghton Bishop 49C 56G, of Atlanta, on March 3, 2023.

Allene Allgood Denton 49D, of Douglasville, Ga., on Feb. 9, 2022.

Crist P. Francisco 49C, of Orlando, Fla., on May 28, 2023.

Miriam Jean McNey 49G, of Suches, Ga., on May 24, 2023.

Charles M. Moore 49Ox, of Griffin, Ga., on May 31, 2023.

John Lee Morris 49C, of Charlotte, N.C., on May 16, 2023.

56

W. Alton Parris 49T, of Tuscumbia, Ala., on Aug. 3, 2021.

Joseph Don Proctor 49Ox 54T, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on April 12, 2023.

Donald Reisman 49C, of Atlanta, on May 31, 2023.

William A. Smith 49C 53M, of Austell, Ga., on July 15, 2023.

Richard Craig Thornton Andrew Loy Lilley 55T, of 52C, of Canton, Ga., on April Lake Junaluska, N.C., on 13, 2023.

March 23, 2023.

William Nisbet Toole 52C T. Penn McWhorter 53Ox 56M, of Atlanta, on March 55C, of Winder, Ga., on Nov. 17, 2023.

13, 2022.

Everette R. Watts 52T, of William R. Shipp 55C, of Brandon, Miss., on Jan. 4, Atlanta, on July 8, 2023.

2018.

Alfred Marvin Zimmerman Howard Paul Castor 53T, of 55C 63MR, of Sandy Springs, Des Moines, Wash., on Nov. Ga., on April 13, 2023.

17, 2013.

William L. Brackman 56T, William Russell Edwards Jr. of Lakeland, Fla., on Feb. 20, 53T, of Athens, Ga., on June 2017.

9, 2023.

J. Harley Cecil 56T, of Wake Virginia W. Rose 53G, of Forest, N.C., on Dec. 9, 2015.

Fred E. Bartlett 50C 56L, of Columbia, S.C., on July 25, Franklin R. Croker 56C, of Lakemont, Ga., on April 15, 2023.

Marietta, Ga., on March 17, 2023.

Donald G. Rosenberg 53C 2023.

Susan Lott Clark 50G, of 56M 59 FM, of Coral Springs, Robert Lee Donald Jr. 56D, Waycross, Ga., on May 10, Fla., on March 6, 2023. of Laurel, Miss., on April 3, 2023.

Theodore J. Weeden 53C 2023.

Carolyn Ezell Foster 50G, 56T, of Rochester, N.Y., on Carol Lee Hattler 56N, of of Clemson, S.C., on April 15, April 2, 2023.

Gainesville, Va., on May 4, 2023.

Lawson K. Broadrick 54D, of 2023.

Hugh G. RobinsonT50C, H I SofPAG E I N T E N T I O N A L LY L E F T B L A N K .

Atlanta, on Aug. 29, 2023.

Joseph Lefkoff 56C 60L, of Durham, N.C., on July 22, Richard R. Burnette 54T, of Boulder, Colo., on Aug. 13, 2023.

Lakeland, Fla., on April 18, 2023.

Irving S. Rosing 50C, of 2023.

Luther L. McGahee 56C, of Atlanta, on Dec. 5, 2018.

George Revis Butler 54C Fayetteville, Ga., on Feb. 23, Albert Fendig Shelander 57D 63D, of Gainesville, Ga., 2023.

50B, of Brunswick, Ga., on on Aug. 1, 2023.

Henry Alfred Wilkinson May 13, 2023.

Paul D. Lowder 54T, of 54Ox 56C 61MR, of Chapel Martha A. Boone 51N, of Greensboro, N.C., on March Hill, N.C., on June 28, 2023.

Fairfax, Va., on April 23, 8, 2023.

David S. Bothwell 57C, of 2023.

Douglas Gene McCree 54C Atlanta, on July 2, 2023.

Kenneth P. Carlson 51C 57M, of Naples, Fla., on July Albert E. Clarke 55Ox 57C 55M, of Winston-Salem, N.C., 9, 2023.

60T, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on June 7, 2023.

Damon B. Mitchell 54T 89G, on July 28, 2023.

Richard A. Feldman 51B of Sevierville, Tenn., on Oct. James P. Dannelly 57T, 53L, of Roswell, Ga., on 9, 2017. of Grady, Ala., on June 29, March 20, 2023.

Hugh E. Nichols 54T, of 2022.

Jacquelyn Moody Lindberg Daleville, Va., on Aug. 18, 2023. Howard Golden 57C, of 51N, of Minneapolis, Minn., Nesbit B. Shearouse 52Ox Miami, Fla., on March 6, on Jan. 23, 2023.

54C, of Atlanta, on May 23, 2023.

S. Harry Russell 51T of 2023.

Joseph C. Gould 57G, of Lakeland, Fla., on Dec. 6, Edith Young West 54N, of Palm Harbor, Fla., on March 2021.

Mount Pleasant, S.C., on July 17, 2023.

Fred H. Springer 51C 54G, 28, 2023.

James L. Hall 57T, of of Atlanta, on Aug. 8, 2023.

James Harold Young 54G, of Lexington, S.C., on May 24, Charles B. Webster 51C 53T, Conneaut Lake, Pa., on May 2023. of Savannah, Ga., on Nov. 28, 12, 2023.

Edward Fulton Menhinick 2012.

Charles J. Younger 54D, 57C, of Charlotte, N.C., on Charles E. Wilson 51C 54T, of Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 25, April 19, 2023. of Sautee Nacoochee, Ga., on 2018.

Robert W. Miles 57Ox June 2, 2021.

W. Edwin Curtis 55T, of 68MR, of Tallahassee, Fla., on Willene Jones Grant 52N, Starkville, Miss., on Feb. 18, Feb. 18, 2023. of Elberton, Ga., on Oct. 1, 2017.

Everett Tracy Moulton 55Ox 2021.

James L. Farrow 55T, of 57C, of Blakely, Ga. on May Jane D. Mooney 52G, of Columbia, Tenn., on March 16, 2023.

Tallahassee, Fla., on May 31, 28, 2020.

Elbert William Schmitt 2023.

JoBeth RItchie Griffin 55C, Jr. 57C 62M 63MR, of James E. Richardson 52C of Eatonton, Ga., on March Suwannee, Ga., on March 22, 55D, of Fairburn, Ga., on April 8, 2023.

2023.

15, 2023.

EMORY MAGAZINE

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WINTER 2023

Joseph C. Spoto 57D, of St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 11, 2023.

Joy Youmans Barrineau 58C, of Pensacola, Fla., on April 12, 2023.

Nancy Bradfield 58C, of Atlanta, on July 10, 2023.

Gordon C. Crowell 58MR, of Lincolnton, N.C., on July 7, 2022.

H. Doyle King 58C, of Greenville, S.C., on May 5, 2023.

Robert B. McCue 58C, of Lilburn, Ga., on Aug. 19, 2023.

L. Leslie Nabors 58T, of New Albany, Miss., on Dec. 30, 2014.

M.L. Meadors 58T, of Anderson, S.C., on May 25, 2023.

W. Lanier Pearce 58C 62M 68FM, of Jacksonville, Fla., on April 8, 2023.

William Clifford Roberts 58M, of Dallas, Texas, on June 15, 2023.

Lewis M. Smith 58C, of Wimberley, Texas, on Nov. 22, 2020.

Elaine Thurston 58C, of Atlanta, on May 30, 2023.

J. Harold Tucker 58T, of Lyons, Ga., on Aug. 30, 2018.

Jerry E. Turner 58C, of Americus, Ga., on Feb. 28, 2023.

Robert Floyd Allison 59C, of Atlanta, on May 9, 2023.

George F. Bourn 59T, of Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 24, 2017.

Max B. Daughtry 59D, of Hartwell, Ga., on June 9, 2023.

Donald C. Evans 59C 62M, of Cartersville, Ga., on July 26, 2023.

J. Paul Ferguson 59C 63M, of Rome, Ga., on May 9, 2023.

W. Rex Hawkins 59M 60MR, of Houston, Texas, on March 8, 2023.

Anne Frazier Jones 59N, of Woodstock, Ga., on Feb. 24, 2023.

David Byron Moser 59C, of Cleveland, Ga., on June 21, 2023.

Barbara Nolting Starr 59C 60G, of Jonesboro, Ark., on June 6, 2023.

E M O RY E V E RY W H E R E > > C L AS S NOT ES

Frank J. Terry 59T, of Macon, Ga., on March 28, 2018.

Robert H. Waddle 59Ox, of Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 22, 2022.

60s William T. Beggs 56Ox 60B, of Tallahassee, Fla., on May 11, 2023.

Robert M. Brittain 60T, of Largo, Fla., on May 30, 2021.

Kenneth B. Followill 60L, of Columbus, Ga., on May 14, 2023.

Tyler W. Gray 60B, of Shillington, Pa., on Aug. 4, 2023.

Will A. Hale 60B 61B, of Las Vegas, Nev., on March 28, 2023.

John S. Rogers 60C 63M, of Buena Vista, Ga., on July 30, 2023.

Judith Harrold Schneider 60G, of Athens, Ga., on Jan. 11, 2023.

J. Allen Smith 60M 64MR, of Lexington, S.C., on Sept.

13, 2021.

William A. Smith 60T, of Macon, Ga., on Oct. 12, 2022.

Glenn A. Tatum 60D, of Andrew, N.C., on Feb. 25, 2023.

John P. Thomas 60T, of Dothan, Ala., on Aug. 16, 2023.

H. Wendell Brittain 61T, of Weaverville, N.C., on Nov. 16, 2018.

Milton A. Carlton 61C 63L, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on March 9, 2023.

Benjamin M. Carmichael 61C 65M, of Hattiesburg, Miss., on April 15, 2023.

Paul C. Carroll 61T, of Monroe, La., on Jan. 22, 2018.

James Vernon Fairley Sr. 61T, of Morgan City, La., on April 26, 2023.

J. Edward Hall 61C 64L, of Milledgeville, Ga., on April 10, 2023.

E. Dale Hendren 61B, of Virginia Beach, Va., on Feb. 23, 2023.

John L. Johnson 61D, of George M. Domansky 63D, Frank D. Seibert 64T, of Abilene, Texas, on Aug. 4, of Stone Mountain, Ga., on Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 1, 2023.

June 12, 2023.

2017.

Kathryn J. Jones 61C, of Charles P. Martyn Jr. 63C, Ellen Ann Thompson 64C, Macon, Ga., on Aug. 6, 2023. of Steamboat Springs, Colo., of Glen Mills, Pa., on April 26, on June 25, 2023.

2023.

Robert J. Millikan 61B, of Atlanta, on Aug. 1, 2023.

Thomas A. Pickron 63D, of Earl I. Anzai 65C, of Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 23, Joe M. Patterson 61D 72DR, Marietta, Ga., on June 15, 2023.

2023. of Atlanta, on July 13, 2023.

Edgar R. Bowers 65C 66L, LeClare Cowart Turner 61C, William Bennett Slaughter 63C, of Ellijay, Ga., on May of Harriman, Tenn., on March of Winston-Salem, N.C., on 27, 2023.

17, 2023.

May 2, 2023.

Robert Austin Stebbins Carolyn Joiner Childers Charles Browning Turpin 63L, of Eustis, Fla., on May 63Ox 65C, of Monroe, Ga., on 61T, of Knoxville, Tenn., on 18, 2023.

April 9, 2023.

March 22, 2023.

Jerold Wesley Vogt 63T, of Margaret L. Dent 65G, of Richard H. Werner 61B, of Hesston, Kan., on May 19, 2023. Fredonia, Calif., on March Atlanta, on Aug. 3, 2023.

17, 2023.

Barrett W. Whittemore Mary Strozier Arnold 62C, 60Ox 63B, of Dalton, Ga., on J. Ronald Hammond 65T, of of Katy, Texas, on Feb. 23, Sept. 14, 2020.

Maryville, Ga., on April 19, 2023.

2020.

Jose L. Balbona 64MR, of Harvey L. Belson 62B, of Dublin, Ga., on July 22, 2023. Victor M. Hicks 65C, of Columbia, S.C., on Aug. 15, Houston, Texas, on Aug. 7, 2023.

Joan Damon Bryce 64C, of 2023.

Florence, S.C., on March 8, Judith L. Burge 62C, of 2023.

Barry N. Hyman 65MR Atlanta, on June 18, 2023.

T H I S PAG E I N T E N T I O N A L LY L E F T B L A N K .

70MR, of Atlanta, on April Herbert M. Chisenhall 64T, James F. Callaham 62L, of 27, 2023. of Cornelia, Ga., on May 15, Atlanta, on April 18, 2023.

2023.

William B. King 65D, of Charlene Holloway Comer Bradenton, Fla., on April 9, Rawser Paul Crank Jr. 62C, of Charleston, S.C., on 2023.

64FM, of Cumming, Ga., on June 14, 2023.

May 27, 2023.

Warren Jones 65T, of Rome, T. Dennis Connally 62B, of Ga., on May 7, 2021.

Lillie Chambers Ellington Douglasville, Ga., on March 64G, of Dublin, Ga., on Feb. Gerald L. Puckett 65T, of 24, 2023.

17, 2023.

Palm City, Fla., on June 5, Mohan B. Gadre 62G, of 2023.

Marilyn R. Harris 64G, of Silver Spring, Md., on Feb. Atlanta, on July 29, 2023.

John B. Sheppard 65G, of 27, 2023.

Folly Beach, S.C., on April 25, Herbert C. Hendricks 64T, Thomas J. Gasque 62G, of 2023. of Cullman, Ala., on June 16, Columbia, S.C., on July 12, 2023.

John Pierce Tucker Jr. 65C, 2023. of Gillsville, Ga., on May 23, Ronald I. Kirschbaum 64C, R. Olin Herndon 62T, of 2023. of Raleigh, N.C., on May 22, Charlottesville, Va., on July 2023.

Edward Moore Cotton 66T, 18, 2023. of Pace, Fla., on Feb. 6, 2019.

Phillip Mitchell Landrum Harold C. Holland 62T, of 64L, of Jasper, Ga., on Feb. W. Luther Gooch 66T, of Richmond, Kan., on March 15, 2023.

Valdosta, Ga., on Nov. 25, 29, 2023.

2014.

Donald J. Levis 64G, of A.L. Mullins Jr. 62C 65L, of Binghamton, N.Y., on July 2, Frank Juhasz 66C, of Atlanta, on June 9, 2023.

2023.

Newfoundland, N.J., on April Nathanial L. Stribling 55Ox 4, 2021.

Frances Jones Lewis 64C, 62B, of Pell City, Ala., on Feb. of Dalton, Ga., on March 1, Suanne W. Kiss 66C, of 28, 2022.

2023.

Huntsville, Ala., on April 22, Harry R. Stullenbarger 62T, 2023.

Earle T. Mauldin 64B, of of Pawleys Island, S.C., on Atlanta, on June 11, 2023.

Edward D. Lee 66T, of June 24, 2023.

Shelby, N.C., on Aug. 7, 2023.

Henry Grady McClendon Fred Anderson Ware 62B, 64C, of Sanford, Fla., on June Gail H. Miller 65Ox 66C, of of Valdosta, Ga., on April 15, 12, 2023.

Macon, Ga., on March 26, 2023.

2023.

James Roy Mitchell 64T, of Phillip E. Aldridge 63L, of Smyrna, Ga., on May 2, 2023. O.T. Nichols 66L, of Jesup, Grovetown, Ga., on April 30, Ga., on Aug. 1, 2023.

2023.

Bartow D. Parkerson 64D, of Athens, Ga., on Aug. 12, Charles M. Rankin 66G, of Leon James Bain Jr. 63D, 2023.

Jacksonville, Fla., on March of Shreveport, La., on Feb. 3, 2023.

21, 2023.

Newton H. Purvis 64L, of Douglas, Ga., on Oct. 27, Paul Scoville 66L, of Atlanta, Linda Buckalew 63C, of on May 1, 2023.

Shelby, N.C., on May 15, 2023 2016.

WINTER 2023

Robert H. Sturm 66B, of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., on Jan. 6, 2023.

John L. Williams 66B, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on Aug. 8, 2023.

Andrew Wu 66G, of Cherry Hill, N.J., on June 26, 2023.

Charles Oliver Barker 67C 71M, of Austin, Texas, on June 8, 2023.

Marvin S. Arrington 67L, of Atlanta, on July 5, 2023.

Gary B. Byrd 67T, of Peachtree Corners, Ga., on April 27, 2023.

Martha A. Coleman 67N, of Statesboro, Ga., on March 1, 2023.

Julie Compton 67G, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on May 14, 2023.

Richard Jacob Gardner 67Ox, of Tallahassee, Fla., on March 28, 2023.

Robin S. Graham 67G, of Topeka, Kan., on May 13, 2023.

G. Donald Johnson 67C, of Mableton, Ga., on July 4, 2023.

Linda R. Kellogg 67C, of Marietta, Ga., on July 27, 2017.

Albert Clay Kelly 67T, of Brewton, Ala., on March 26, 2023.

Sang Sup Lee 67G, of Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 29, 2022.

Victor H. Nassar 67MR, of Atlanta, on April 15, 2023.

Huber R. Parsons Jr. 67C, of Coral Gables, Fla., on May 12, 2023.

Patricia M. Reed 67B, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Sept.

20, 2021.

Robert Rex Smith 67L, of Atlanta, on March 1, 2023.

Lawrence M. Streetman 67Ox, of Watkinsville, Ga., on May 20, 2022.

Anna P. Cleaveland 66Ox 68C, of LaGrange, Ga., on Nov. 21, 2022.

James D. Hyder 68T, of Augusta, Ga., on April 20, 2023.

Judith H. Lightsey 68C 72G, of Decatur, Ga., on March 19, 2023.

Mary Mac Mosley 68G, of Rome, Ga., on Aug. 6, 2023.

Lynda Evans Moore 68C, of Spartanburg, S.C., on Aug. 18, 2023.

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E M O RY E V E RY W H E R E > > C L AS S NOT ES

John Raymond Nash Jr. 68B, of Edisto Island, S.C., on March 26, 2023.

James H. Spruill 68MR, of Wilmington, N.C., on March 12, 2023.

Herman L. Bradshaw 69G, of Silver Creek, Ga., on March 8, 2023.

William Z. Cannon 69C, of Spartanburg, S.C., on April 19, 2023.

V. Darnell Chance 69T, of Maryville, Tenn., on Feb. 15, 2022.

Phyllis Ann Combs 69N, of Lexington, Ky., on April 6, 2023.

David U. Crosby 69L, of Atlanta, on Aug. 7, 2023.

Martha Silverstein Eames 69C 73M, of Augusta, Ga., on April 7, 2023.

Lanis A. Forney 69C, of Douglasville, Ga., on July 7, 2023.

Premalata Koirala 69G, of Lancaster, Pa., on July 26, 2023.

Paulette S. Reeves 67Ox 69C, of Macon, Ga., on Feb. 18, 2023.

Emily Walker 69B, of Memphis, Tenn., on July 25, 2023.

W. Ogle Wattenbarger 69T, of Athens, Tenn., on June 20, 2021.

Douglas S. Wood 69L, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Nov. 28, 2005.

70s Paul F. Andrus 70T 73T, of Penney Farms, Fla., on Aug. 10, 2019.

Philip Alexander Geddes 70L, of Decatur, Ala., on March 5, 2023.

Barbara R. Goldberg 70G, of Santa Fe, N.M., on March 6, 2023.

William Bowie Martin 70MR 71FM, of Lawrenceville, Ga., on Aug. 12, 2023.

James D. Moman 70T, of Indianapolis, Ind., on April 22, 2023.

Joe Smith Moses Jr. 68Ox 70C 75D, of Cumming, Ga., on June 8, 2023.

58

Mary Ellen Pendergrast Richard K. Young 72C, of Peggy E. Rozelle 76N, of 70N, of Atlanta, on June 13, Savannah, Ga., on Feb. 9, Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 26, 2023.

2023.

2023.

Ellis L. Rouse 70T, of Joseph P. Barreca 73MR, Scott M. Smith 76Ox, of Kernersville, N.C., on April of Portsmouth, Va., on April Jacksonville, Fla., on March 25, 2023.

16, 2023.

10, 2023.

Teresa Scott Soufas 70C, Walter Avery Dodd 73T, of Jack E. Allen 77MR, of of Metairie, La., on July 31, Atlanta, on June 6, 2023.

Louisville, Ky., on April 3, 2023.

2023.

Hazel Berman Karp 73G Charles A. Cooper 71DR, 80G, of Atlanta, on Aug. 1, George Clifford Cauble III of Anniston, Ala., on Aug. 1, 2023.

74Ox 77B, of Gray, Ga., on 2023.

William F. Schroeder 73D, of Feb. 28, 2023.

Carl Scarborough Atlanta, on Oct. 9, 2021.

Mary Jane French 77G, of Crutchfield 71L, of Buford, Wytheville, Va., on Jan. 22, Joel E. Cohen 74C 79MR, Ga., on May 30, 2023.

2022. of West Palm Beach, Fla., on Bryan Jeffreys Dempster Aug. 12, 2023.

Jerry Binger Hatcher 77L, 71Ox, of Milledgeville, Ga., of Sandy Springs, Ga., on May Valerie F. Dowell 74G, of on May 3, 2023.

14, 2023.

Irving, Texas, on June 13, Mell C. Jackson 71C 75M, 2023.

William Michael Huling 77T, of Comfort, Texas, on June of Claxton, Ga., on April 20, Lillian A. Grenvicz 74G, of 5, 2023.

2023.

Statham, Ga., on Feb. 24, Kenneth L. Jennings 71T, 2023.

David L. McCollum 77C, of Lakeland, Fla., on July 16, of Lilburn, Ga., on April 23, Robert F. Griffin 74M, of 2023.

2023.

Little Rock, Ark., on March Richard W. Neal 71T 77T, of 12, 2023.

Daniel W. Metzler 77G 87G, H I S PAG E I N T E N T I O N A L LY L E F T B L A N K .

St. Petersburg, Fla.,Ton Aug. of Mount Crawford, Va., on James R. Hamilton 74T, of 24, 2021.

Lake Junaluska, N.C., on Nov. Feb. 20, 2023.

David Dent Norbury 71T, 6, 2014.

R. Bruce Prince 77MR, of of Blackwater, Mo., on June Atlanta, on March 23, 2023.

William K. Holcomb 74T, of 10, 2023.

Fayetteville, N.C., on Sept.

Betsy Laura Razza 77G, of William H. Owen 71B, of 29, 2022.

Atlanta, on March 19, 2023.

Canton, Ga., on Aug. 11, 2023. Stephen S. Ruggles 74A, of M. Susan Ashworth 78T, of Howard J. Stiller 69Ox 71C, Camden, Del., on April 13, Charlotte, N.C., on April 7, of Albany, Ga., on April 17, 2023.

2023.

2023.

Cherie M. Schofield 74G, George W. Boles 78T, of Joan Luce Bodden 72N, of of Jefferson, Ga., on Oct. 22, Knoxville, Tenn., on Aug. 18, Charlotte, N.C., on May 22, 2018.

2020.

2023.

J. William Veatch 74L, of David Cadenhead 78Ox, of William F. Bloom 72MR, of Atlanta, on May 15, 2023.

Austell, Ga., on May 20, 2023 Lake Toxaway, N.C., on March Edward O. Weinrich 74T, of John Willis Cochran 78T, 29, 2023.

Bradenton, Fla., on May 26, of Blairsville, Ga., on March Jules S. Dupont 72C, of 2016.

9, 2023.

Houma, La., on Aug. 12, Blair C. Browand 75DR, of Katherine H. Deaton 78A 2023.

Las Vegas, Nev., on May 3, 85MR, of Sumter, S.C., on Rosa Louise Floyd 72N 2023.

March 25, 2023.

07PH, of Augusta, Ga., on Carolyn W. Horrell 75G, Deanne Lambert Ellison Aug. 11, 2023. of Johnson City, Tenn., on 78C, of Atlanta, on April 18, Walter James Gordon Sr. March 22, 2023.

2023.

72C, of Hartwell, Ga., on July Emmitt Howard Shealy 75G Patrick John Flautt 78C, 27, 2023.

77G, of Atlanta, on Aug. 4, of Sachsen bei Ansbach, David Barrow Jenks 72G, 2023.

Germany, on Dec. 28, 2022. of Winchester, Ky., on March Sanford N. Willard 75T, of Elizabeth R. Forster 78C 22, 2023.

Atlanta, on April 9, 2020.

87G, of Cumming, Ga., on Peter B. Millichap 72B, of George Edward Carvell 76A, Aug. 2, 2023.

Atlanta, on June 21, 2023. of Pittsburg, Penn., on March John W. Hallman 78T, of Thomas Edwin Moak 72C 5, 2023.

Pine Mountain, Ala., on March 76M 79MR, of Atlanta, on 1, 2016.

Allan Barry Goldman 76PH, March 17, 2023. of Atlanta, on June 26, 2023.

Thomas Wayne Jackson Charles A. Paulus 72T, of 78C, of Augusta, Ga., on Stephen P. Jackson 76D, of Crystal, Minn., on July 2, 2023. Englewood, Colo., on June March 20, 2023.

Michael B. Perry 72L, of 26, 2023.

Melville William Kinney St. Marys, Ga., on March 8, 78C, of Powder Springs, Ga., Daniel R. Manrique 76D, of 2023.

Tampa, Fla., on May 14, 2023. on June 8, 2023.

EMORY MAGAZINE

WINTER 2023

Ralph William Marol Jr. 78B, of Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 5, 2022.

Elizabeth Collins Belden 79L, of Peachtree Corners, Ga., on June 23, 2023.

Trudy A. Kretchman 79C, of Atlanta, on May 10, 2023.

Edsel F. Matthews 79L, of Pensacola, Fla., on April 14, 2023.

Scott W. Norquist 79M 80M, of Seattle, Wash., on April 27, 2023.

Henry Rice Scobee III 79Ox, of Lake Charles, La., on April 16, 2023.

80s Peter J. Carrillo 80FM, of Amelia Island, Fla., on June 21, 2023.

Bradford Lee Kizzort 80C 80G, of Viera, Fla., on May 27, 2023.

Eugene M. Schaufler 80MR 83FM, of LaGrange, Ga., on Aug. 3, 2023.

John Thomas Tucker 80T, of Brandon, Miss., on May 28, 2023.

James Maxwell Vincent 80M, of Seattle, Wash., on March 29, 2023.

Brooks Shannon Baker 81C, of Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, on May 22, 2023.

Michael Eugene Glenn 81C 84T 91G, of Palestine, Texas, on May 11, 2023.

Elizabeth B. Hudson 81L, of Blacksburg, Va., on April 23, 2023.

Larry Fleming Pullum 81T, of Rehobeth, Ala., on Sept.

7, 2005.

Lynn Henry Vande Brake 81G, of Berrien Springs, Mich., on June 28, 2023.

K. Neal Culberson 82T, of Decatur, Ala., on Sept. 27, 2022.

Allen Herdnell Giddens 82D, of Cumming, Ga., on April 28, 2023.

Ralph Edwin Groover 82G, of Alpharetta, Ga., on July 3, 2023.

Ruben Igielko-Herrlich 83B, of Culver City, Calif., on March 7, 2023.

E M O RY E V E RY W H E R E > > C L AS S NOT ES

Susan Ellen McCart 80Ox 83C, of Jackson, Ga., on Jan. 4, 2023.

Marie Celeste Miller 83G, of Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 25, 2023.

Philip Dennis Needham 82T, of Atlanta, on Aug. 15, 2023.

David Aaron Schulman 83L, of Atlanta, on Oct. 28, 2022.

Mary Alice Avram 84T, of St. Simons Island, Ga., on Feb. 9, 2023.

Robert A. Bly 84Ox, of Decatur, Ga., on March 21, 2023.

Timothy L. Farmer 84M 87MR, of Rome, Ga., on April 3, 2023.

Sybil A. Hill 84M 87MR, of Williamston, S.C., on March 22, 2023.

Matthew T. McKenna 84M, of Sandy Springs, Ga., on March 31, 2023.

Brinton P. Minshall 84T, of Joppa, Md., on Jan. 31, 2023.

Gregg R. Root 84A, of Abilene, Kan., on June 4, 2023.

Stephanie Cecile Davis 85L, of Atlanta, on June 29, 2023.

Daniel J. Kleinman 85MR, of Marietta, Ga., on March 30, 2023.

Michelle M. Francis 86C, of Atlanta, on March 20, 2023.

Michael F. Golden 86B, of Charleston, S.C., on June 4, 2023.

Brenda L. Greene 86A, of Atlanta, on June 27, 2023.

Glenn Dale Troutman 86T, of Yadkinville, N.C., on Sept.

25, 2022.

Homer Lee Walker 86L, of Atlanta, on March 17, 2023.

Whitney P. Carlisle 87A 88A, of Austell, Ga., on May 17, 2023.

John H. Reeves 87T, of Salisbury, N.C., on May 4, 2023.

John R. Skates Jr. 87L, of Canton, Ga., on July 24, 2023.

Christopher E. Clare 88MR 92MR, of Atlanta, on July 17, 2023.

Allen E. Lawless 88T, of Gulf Shores, Ala., on Nov. 6, 2014.

Paul Kindred Morgan 88C, of Atlanta, on July 3, 2023.

Erin Julia Fraser 89Ox, of Savannah, Ga., on March 3, 2023.

Stephen W. Hipp 87Ox 89C, of Dallas, Texas, on June 22, 2023.

Terri Herman Sandblom 89C, of Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 4, 2023.

Christine D. Pohl 93G, of Nishat Fatima Khan 04Ox Wilmore, Ky., on June 5, 07C, of Lilburn, Ga., on April 2023.

11, 2023.

Gregory John DeNinno 95B, Richard Josiah Tillery 09L, of Washington, D.C., on July of Atlanta, on March 21, 8, 2023.

2023.

Lowell Ernest Schuetze 95T, of Alexandria, Va., on July 12, 2023.

Lauren Emery McCants 92Ox 96C, of Little Rock, Ark., on Aug. 12, 2023.

Karam Singh Makhni 12MR, Thomas Jackson Bratton of Scottsdale, Ariz., on July 97T, of Asheville, N.C., on 19, 2023.

July 15, 2023.

Kenneth Erin Danley 90T, Benjamin Drew DeVine 16G, Patricia Gail Waggener 97N, of Dallas, Texas, on March of Hoover, Ala., on May 31, of Gainesville, Ga., on July 28, 2023.

2023.

30, 2023.

Dolores Miles Daly 90C, of Reta Marie Bates 98T, of Atlanta, on Aug. 9, 2023.

Livermore, Kent., on Jan. 26, Catherine B. McGraw 90C, 2017. of Amherst, Mass., on March David Howard Greenwald 2, 2023.

98MR 98PH, of Marietta, Ga., Lionel Dain Meadows 90C, on May 2, 2023.

Kristen Reed Carr 20PH, of Clarkesville, Ga., on May of Lenexa, Kan., on June 21, Roy William Jefferson 8, 2023.

T H I S PAG E I N T E N T I O N A L LY L E F T 2023.

BLANK. 98MR, of Newnan, Ga., on Randall P. Rigsby 90DR, of Feb. 25, 2023.

Priyamvada Chaudhary Pensacola, Fla., on June 5, 20FM, of Johnson City, Tenn., Robert Brian Yost 98MR, 2023. on Aug. 7, 2023. of Dillsburg, Pa., on June 3, James Donald Stillerman 2023.

Sophia Taylor Herschman 90MR, of Covington, Ga., on 21C, of Cleveland Heights, Abraham L. Philip 99MR, of Feb. 25, 2023.

Ohio, on May 6, 2023.

Beverly, Mass., on Jan. 30, Kathryn Lambert Brooks 2023.

91N, of Atlanta, on Feb. 24, Kelly Stroud Jr. 99B, of 2023.

Peachtree City, Ga., on May Marhorie G. Frazier 91N, 30, 2023.

Lindale, Ga., on March 19, 2023.

Michael Lawrence Freeman 91C, of Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 28, 2023.

Allan Thompson Bennett Patricia Reisinger Hale 01MR, of Bluffton, S.C., on 91PH, of Dayton, Ohio, on April 11, 2023.

May 29, 2023.

Judith C. Willingham-Smith Mathilda Sue Merker 03T, of Catonsville, Md., on March 91A, of Barnesville, Ga., on 9, 2019.

Feb. 27, 2023.

Thomas D. Stegman 03G, Vara Gail DeLoney 92N of Brighton, Mass., on April 00PH, of Altamonte Springs, 8, 2023.

Fla., on July 1, 2023.

Lori Marie Dowd 06N, of Marjorie Fox Fortman 92G, of Woodinville, Wash., on May Peachtree Corners, Ga., on April 17, 2023.

10, 2023.

Lauren Beth Kelly 06C, of Travis Holder-Cummings 92T, of Waynesboro, Miss., on Buffalo Grove, Ill., on March 20, 2022.

April 7, 2022.

Travis Brad Kidner 06MR, John Allen Lewis 92B, of of Los Angeles, Calif., on July Suwanee, Ga., on July 20, 21, 2023.

2023.

Patrice Adrienne Wilson Cheryl Noll Maxfield 92T, 06N, of Alpharetta, Ga., on of Cumming, Ga., on Jan. 22, March 19, 2023.

2022.

David Paul Buchholz 07T, of Shannon L. Bennett 93C, Boaz, Ala., on July 11, 2022. of Houston, Texas, on June 4, 2023.

10s

90s

20s

00s

WINTER 2023

EMORY MAGAZINE

59

C O DA > > E M O RY T H A N KS

E

ach year, thousands of donors give millions of dollars to Emory, often through smaller annual gifts of $25, $50 or $100. These generous alumni and friends of Emory also provide books for the libraries, fund public lectures around campus, donate works of art and provide financial aid for students.

But Emory students rarely have the chance to thank donors directly for paying it forward and improving their lives.

EmoryThanks week is an annual effort — eight years and counting — to make sure donors know firsthand the impact their gifts have made.

This year’s effort, held the first week of October, proved to be a huge success. In-person events took place across Emory’s Atlanta and Oxford campuses, with more than 1,300 handwritten postcards sent to donors. EmoryThanks continued throughout the month as students called alumni to show them their gratitude for the ongoing support.

Consider this one more thank-you from students and the Emory community for your generous gifts!

60

EMORY MAGAZINE

WINTER 2023

P H O T O G R A P H Y C O U R T E SY O F E M O RY A LU M N I A S S O C I AT I O N

Students Send Deep Gratitude

AD Space

A real estate gift can create surprising opportunities. Trulock Dickson 72Ox 74C is a great example. He bought a house and 11 acres of land near Oxford College from beloved Oxford icons Marshall and Fran Elizer. Motivated by a generous spirit and a fondness for Oxford, Dickson gave them to the college. And Oxford turned the land into a working, educational farm.

C OV E R I LLU S TR ATI ON N A M E I N S I DE TOC N A M E

Today the Oxford Organic Farm provides produce for Emory’s dining halls and farmer’s markets and unique learning opportunities for students.

LEARN THE BENEFITS OF REAL ESTATE GIFTS giftplanning.emory.edu/real-estate 404.727.8875

Scan the QR code or visit bit.ly/GrowEmory23 to see the Oxford Organic Farm.

FA L L 2 019

EMORY MAGAZINE

3

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