Moses Brown fall / winter 2018-19
cupola
fall
/
winter 2018-19
transcending limits
Scott Novich ’03 Can You Hear Me Now?
Livia Santiago-Rosado ’90 Susan Hahn ’86 ...and more!
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Moses Brown School Board of Trustees Gabe Amo ’05 Issmat Atteereh P ’13 ’18 John T. Barrett, Jr. ’63 P ’01 Maitrayee Bhattacharyya P ’20 Neil Beranbaum ’86 P ’22 ’26 ’28 Clerk, Alumni Association Carl Bogus ’66 GP ’30 Elaine Dickson P ’18 ’22 Clerk, Enrollment & Marketing Committee Jane Dietze P ’20 ’23 Recording Clerk of the Board Thomas J. (T.J.) Fullam P ’14 ’17 Clerk, Trustees Committee Gary I. Goldberg ’87 P ’17 ’19 ’20 Clerk, Campaign Steering Committee Austin Jaspers ’11 William (Tad) Jose ’78 Shaun Levesque P ’12 ’14 ’17 Treasurer & Clerk, Budget & Finance Cmte. Dele Mabray P ’17 ’20 Mike McGuigan Friends Coordinator Kara Milner P ’19 ’21 ’27 Kaplan Mobray ’90 Mary Lee Morrison Alisha Pina ’96 Vincent Porcaro, Sr. ’83 P ’11 ’24 Stephanie Ogidan Preston ’97 P ’22 Jim Procaccianti ’76 P ’19 ’23 Peter Ramsden ’82 P ’16 ’19 Clerk, Buildings & Grounds Cmte. Jane Ritson-Parsons P ’17 ’21
Moses Brown, a Friends school, exists to inspire the inner promise of each student and instill the utmost care for learning, people, and place. —Moses Brown School mission statement
Paul Salem P ’19 ’19 ’22 Clerk of the Board Liesa Stamm Ziad ‘Alex’ Tadmoury P ’19 ’22 Reza Taleghani ’90 P ’21 Stephen Thomas P ’27 ’30 Dawn Tripp P ’19 ’24 Clerk, Nominating Committee
Stay Social, Stay In Touch
Carlton Tucker P ’18
Check out the new MB Alumni social network pages!
Marguerite Tunnicliffe P ’21
Did you know that “Moses Brown Alumni” now has its own
Clerk, Parents’ Association Cecily Kerr Ziegler P ’22 ’24 Assistant Clerk of the Board Elizabeth R.B. Zimmerman P ’94 Clerk, Nurturing Friends Education Committee Matt Glendinning Head of School Frederick Weiss Clerk of NEYM
Facebook page? (www.facebook.com/MosesBrownAlumni) Or that Moses Brown School’s Instagram account has more than 1,200 posts and 1,400 followers? Please visit the alumni corner of MB on Facebook or Instagram or follow along at Instagram.com/mosesbrownschool to stay up-to-date with school news and happenings. Connect with other alumni and be the first to know about upcoming events.
Cupola Fall/Winter 2018-19 Thanks to Guest Editor Virginia Hinrichsen ’92, p. 20.
Letter from Matt Glendinning ..................................... 2 News from Moses Brown Today .................................. 3 Community Perspectives: Karim Sow ................................................................. 13 Meredith Langmuir ’19 ........................................... 14 Bonnie Epstein Silverman P ’21 ............................. 15 Gifts in Action .............................................................. 16 Alumni Profiles:
Cover and above photo by Brian Goldman.
Scott Novich ’03 ...................................................... 22 Livia Santiago-Rosado ’90 ..................................... 26 Matthew Osofisan ’06 ............................................ 28 Erik Duhaime ’06 .................................................... 29 Susan Hahn ’86 ....................................................... 30 MB Alumni Events and News .....................................34 MBAA Award Recipients & Stewardship .................. 38
About Our Cover As a Ph.D. student, Scott Novich ’03 helped create a general sensory substitution device: the VEST (Versatile Extra-Sensory Transducer). See page 26 for more.
Cupola — A semi-annual magazine for Moses Brown School alumni Editor: Adam Olenn ’91 P ’25 ’27 ’30 Director of Alumni Relations:
Class Notes .................................................................. 40
Karin Morse ’79
In Memoriam .............................................................. 50
Assistant Head of School for Institutional Affairs:
Reflection: Dave Nogradi ’01 .................................... 52
The next issue of Cupola will focus on... S t eward s h ip
Managing Editor: Kristen A. Curry Class Notes: Kate Tompkins P’28 Sam Cosenza (designer)
Ronald Dalgliesh P ’21
Contributors:
Photography:
Emily Atkinson
David O’Connor, MB Communications
Kristen A. Curry
Designers: Jason Arias, Sam Cosenza Printer: Signature Printing, East Providence, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council
Adam Olenn ’91
FSC Placeholder
Cupola is produced by the offices of Communications & Community Engagement and Alumni Relations for alumni and friends of Moses Brown. Your feedback is welcomed. Please send comments to: Cupola, Moses Brown School, 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence, RI 02906. Send suggestions, class notes, and address updates to MB Alumni Relations via mosesbrown.org or alumni@mosesbrown.org; 401-831-7350 x114. Moses Brown School is a nonprofit institution. mosesbrown.org
...and the different ways our community comes together, and how people in our school work for the greater good at and outside of MB. Can you recommend an MB person with a community role worth talking about? Do you volunteer or work in the community in some way? The spring issue of Cupola wants to talk about connections and contributions, both professional and personal. If you know of an alumnus doing something helpful, let us know! Suggestions, photos, notes welcomed.
Stay in touch! Send thoughts on this issue or suggestions for our next edition to kcurry@mosesbrown.org. Please be sure we have your best email and mailing addresses for MB news and event invitations. Direct address changes, news, or photos to alumni@mosesbrown.org. Follow: mosesbrown.org | Facebook.com/MosesBrownSchool Youtube.com/MosesBrownSchoolNews | twitter.com/MosesBrown Instagram.com/mosesbrownschool | MB Connects app
a letter from matt glendinning , head of school
Surpassing the Limit My sisters are brilliant.
Twins, they excelled in just about everything growing up and went on to professional careers as engineers. As their younger brother, early on I discovered a ready path to success: just look at what Deb and Jeffy are doing and copy it. That formula worked well for a long time, leading me to top marks in high school and a declared Engineering major at Dartmouth. But something went wrong. In Multivariable Calculus, I simply could not get Fourier transformations. I squeaked by with what might have been a D in the class. I’ll never know, because I chickened out and took it pass/fail. For a student accustomed to doing well in school, this was humbling. My confidence shaken, I spent a lot of time wondering, ‘What happened?’ Eventually, I realized that the root of the problem was that I simply didn’t care enough about Fourier transformations. Or Calculus. Or Engineering. Fortunately, at the same time I discovered Classical Archaeology. This rigorous field — encompassing languages, history, science, and literature — captured my imagination and inspired my full dedication. I went on to graduate near the top of my class, certainly a better result than what awaited me had I continued on my sisters’ path. It sounds simple in retrospect, but at the time this was a significant challenge. I had constructed one sense of myself using someone else’s pattern, and it was difficult to transcend that limitation and discover my authentic self. That discovery led me to fascinating adventures
around the world and a career in education that excites me to this day. In this issue of Cupola, you’ll find stories of alumni and MB community members who have overcome obstacles or transcended limits big and small. One invented a revolutionary sensory device; another escaped from a communist dictatorship; still another is harnessing the power of human and artificial intelligence. Great education is about self-discovery, and these stories are grounded by what I see in classrooms every day at Moses Brown — students encountering obstacles, considering alternatives, and finding a way to the other side. In friendship,
news from moses brown today
Hope & Lloyd
Middle school history teacher Jon Gold recently contributed to efforts to get a media literacy standard added to state curriculum requirements.
Looking Forward Yangchen “YC” Lama ’94 will be the 2019 Commencement speaker on June 13. When Yangchen was 14, she came to the U.S. from Nepal, by herself, to attend Moses Brown. “It was a positive experience coming to Moses Brown,” she recalls. “MB’s Quaker philosophy and values made a
After a little time off to tend to his health,
welcoming experience for me.” Yangchen cur-
King Odell (MB’s longest-serving faculty
rently works for one of the top investment firms
member, now Archivist), is back on
in the country and serves on the board of Hands
campus this winter and we are all glad to
in Outreach, the organization which provided her
see him here at MB. The Doctor is in on
first access to education; Moses Brown has part-
Wednesdays. Do you have any questions
nered with HIO for its TRIPs program in Nepal.
for Doc and the Archives?
This summer, Moses Brown welcomed the new leader of MB’s lower school: Osvaldo José (OJ) Martí. OJ joined our community in July and even shadowed fourth grade student Abby McAuliffe this fall to get a feel for the lower school experience firsthand. “Education is deeply personal for me,” says OJ, who moved to Pawtucket from the Dominican New trustees spent the day on campus in September. Joining the
Republic at 5. From an early age, his parents and teachers
MB board of trustees this year are (l-r): Tad Jose ’78, Shaun Levesque
instilled in him the importance of a great education. “I was
P’12’14’17, Neil Beranbaum ’86 P’22’24’28, Maitrayee Bhattacharyya
privileged enough to attend schools that afforded me the op-
P’20, Paul Salem P’19’19’22, Carl Bogus ’66, Carlton Tucker P’18, and
portunity to realize my full potential, and reaffirmed to me the
Peter Ramsden ’82 P’16’19. (Stephanie Ogidan Preston ’97 P’22, Ziad
powerful impact that schools, teachers, and communities can
‘Alex’ Tadmoury P’19’22, and Reza Taleghani ’90 also joined.)
have on students,” he says.
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Photo: Milly Tulk-Hart
Student speakers shared sound advice at Convocation 2018, along with Head of School Matt Glendinning and new board clerk Paul Salem P ‘19 ‘19 ‘22. Congratulations to senior Maddy Kerr, celebrated at the Refugee Dream Center’s Gala event this past fall with a number of other deserving award recipients. Maddy received the Exemplary Youth Service Award for creating a lasting partnership between MB and the Refugee Dream Center’s Youth Mentorship Program. She’s shown with
Thinking about postMB? Need some advice for life after Moses Brown? Visit gopeer.org. GoPeer was launched by Ethan Binder ’15 to connect K-12 students with local college-age tutors. Ethan also visited MB last spring to work with students in MB’s “Economics of Social Innovation” class.
RDC executive director and MB parent Omar Bah.
In November, fifth grader Zoe Bates appeared on The Rhode Show, sharing a recipe from The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen! Zoe is one of several MB students who were ATK recipe testers.
Moses Brown
Middle school faculty mem-
was excited to
ber Karim Sow has joined
recognize parent
Elizabeth Grumbach and Erik
volunteers Meg
Wilker as Tri-Clerk of MB’s
Clurman and
All-School Diversity Commit-
Gardner Lane as
tee. Karim’s depth of experi-
our “Partners in
ence in diversity, equity, and
Philanthropy
justice issues and his collegial
2018” at a Nation-
talents make him an ideal fit
al Philanthropy event hosted by the Asso-
for this leadership role. See
ciation for Fundraising Professionals.
page 13 for more on Karim.
MB got some needed assistance from campus helpers this fall. Lower school students have used their community time this year to Congratulations to MB senior Alexandra Lee, named a National Merit Finalist. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, including the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
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lend a hand around campus. The effort was coordinated by the LS Quaker Life Committee. Students did a number of helpful mini-work projects, eagerly stewarding MB’s physical space, including giving Elmer a bath.
cupola
news from moses brown
Academic Highlights 12 seniors, including Kari Buonanno, were inducted into MB’s Cum Laude Chapter this year, representing the top 10% of their class in the fall.
Middle school students had the chance to hear and ask questions of Ellie Terry, the author of their summer reading book Forget Me Not. Ellie’s The senior English elective course Literature of War spent the fall semester reading works of literature that demonstrate the lasting impact war has had on our country’s soldiers and
presentation explored ways to value differences in yourself and others.
citizens and working with Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, a nonprofit organization that assists homeless and at-risk veterans in our state. In November, students brought Thanksgiving foods to OSDRI to support veterans. Students raised a total of $1,005, plus $350 in Stop & Shop gift cards, and met with Tony DeQuattro, who started Operation Stand Down RI in 1993. Seventh graders asked great questions of Marni Zelnick, writer and director of Druid Peak, a 2014 film about a boy who finds his home in the world while tracking wolves in Wyoming. Students watch and discuss the film as part of the middle school’s Yellowstone Wolf project. Students also traveled to Wolf Hollow, a wolf sanctuary and educational foundation in Ipswich, Mass., to meet wolves and learn from a resident wolf expert.
MB recently welcomed authors Cecilia Galante, an Oprah Pick author; Susan Goodman, recipient of the 2017 Massachusetts State Book Award; and Leslea
This fall, MB welcomed Rhode Island Children’s Book Award nominees Matthew Swanson
Newman, who has been recognized by
and Robbi Behr, authors of The Real McCoys, as well as Kazu Kibuishi, author of the renowned
the National Endowment for the Arts
graphic novel series, Amulet.
and the American Library Association.
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The Class of 1948 Award for Independent Study & Inquiry Congratulation to the recipients of the Class of ’48 Award, an inde-
choir, working with the Center for Peacebuilding, and working on an
pendent study and inquiry opportunity. Seniors Caroline Castellone
organic farm. Kaiden attended the ACLU Summer Advocacy Institute
(Owen Award recipient, see page 10), Emeline Ahn, Tamar Wolfson,
in Washington D.C., became a fellow for the Freedom for All Massa-
Kaiden Anderson, and Jillian Lombardi are shown with visitors from
chusetts transgender-equality coalition, and worked on Alexandra
the Class of ’48 during a recent assembly.
Chandler’s congressional campaign. Jillian pursued her interests in
Emmeline was curious about the lack of non-European music in her music education and wanted to connect to her roots; she learned how to play a traditional Korean instrument and gave several concerts. Tamar spent a month in Bosnia traveling with an international
medicine and public health, shadowing women doctors at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and conducting research at Brown on CPR. Thank you to Fran Sargent ’48 P ’73 and Mary and Ray ’48 Mountain for attending this year’s presentation.
This fall, ninth graders spread across the state to do service work with community partners such as Amos House, Plan International USA, the R.I. Food Bank, Clothes to Kids R.I., the Refugee Dream Center, City Year at Pleasant View Elementary, and SquashBusters at Del Sesto Middle School. The freshmen will continue to foster deep relationships with these organizations through social innovation, design thinking, and engaged scholarship during 9th Grade Immersion this February. The goal is for students to connect personally to the Quaker principles of service learning and social justice and to make a direct positive impact on our local community. MB Immersion is also piloting a new program at the same time in February: 10th-12th Grade Immersion. This week-long experiential learning program of Immersives seeks to stretch students through a wide range of offerings. These hands-on courses represent an opportunity for students to grow through deep inquiry, collaborative problem solving, trial and error experimentation, personal discovery, and reflection. Students have the chance to take courses with titles such as The Science of Cooking; Exploring Numbers Through
load that Podcast; Filmmaking Immersion; The Art and Science of
Coding; Making Clothes for Kids in Areas of Devastation; Down-
Making Music; and more.
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cupola
The Y-Lab celebrated its one-year anniversary in September Year one, by the numbers: • Over 25% of faculty brought their students into the Y-Lab. • Over 750+ classes, presentations, and academic activities were held in the Y-Lab. CorelDraw is professional-level vector graphics software that is used in the Y-Lab as an editing program for the laser cutter. In November, the third grade science class worked with CorelDraw to design plaques offering advice for ways to conserve water in day-to-day life.
• The Y-Lab was used for five weeks this summer by week-long camps including: Junior Engineers, Digital Fabrication & Design, and Down City Design.
This was the first time students in the lower school have used CorelDraw! The kindergarten science classes visited the Y-Lab earlier this year to explore Rigamajig and answer this challenge: design something that can lift a box and then move it across the room.
This fall in LS STEM Pre-primary and kindergarten students learned about linear measurement this fall by working with length challenge cards. Students practiced measuring and comparing length using various amounts of coins, dice, paper clips, and more. They measured and recorded 15 different groups of objects.
Sixth graders worked with researchers from Brown on an on-campus archaeological dig this fall.
Students in upper school Organic Chemistry enjoyed a field trip to Brown’s Chemistry De-
This year the seventh grade learned about gerrymandering with John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island and a current MB parent.
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partment, exploring their organic chemistry lab. Moses Brown chemists learned how reactions are run and samples purified, and tested samples using instrumentation techniques.
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Middle school students begin the year with four-day-long team trips with teachers and classmates, building and strengthening relationships, which serves as a source of support throughout the year.
In November, MB hosted educators for the Third Annual Early Childhood Conference. Kudos to founder and faculty organizer Allie Spurling ’96, pre-primary teacher.
The Owen International Service-Learning & Travel Fund In 2010, Rob Owen ’71 created the Owen International Service-Learning & Travel Tom Andrew will be the recipient of the
Fund because of his belief in the power of experiential learning, love of travel, and the
Upper school math teachers Brendan
2019 Joseph Olney Sabbatical. Tom will
importance of giving back through service.
Kinnell and Abbie Isom use stan-
use his sabbatical this fall to study and
These awards specifically support student
dards-based grading to transcend the lim-
practice sustainable forestry on his prop-
learning for a project, course of study, or pro-
itations of traditional grading. Other Mo-
erty in the Berkshires, guided by the Mas-
gram that demonstrates individual initiative
ses Brown teachers, such as Dan Ohl and
sachusetts Forest Stewardship Program’s
and creativity. The 2019 recipient, Caroline
Matt Herreid in middle school, are using
Working Forest Initiative. He also plans
Castellone (pictured on page 8), traveled to
flipped classes to transcend limits on class
to journal, read, work on his Immersion
her birth country of Vietnam and worked in
time; using Google Classroom to transcend
course on Establishing an Arboretum at
orphanages with children with special needs
the limits of paper; and creating different
MB, and walk the 134-mile-long John Muir
and victims of Agent Orange, a dioxide
opportunities for engaged problem-solving
Way across Scotland and the Vermont
chemical used during the Vietnam War.
and discussion in the classroom.
section of the Appalachian Trail.
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cupola
news from moses brown
Arts at MB
MBinRep staged the Rhode Island premiere of The Wolves in November, MB’s first all-female play. This year, upper school drama is exploring youth, love, and loss, with Romeo & Juliet (November) and Rent (May). Congratulations to senior Zena Tadmoury. Her photograph, “Perfect Figure,” was accepted into the 2018 Drexel University High School Student Photography Exhibition.
Vibha Kamath ’21 Thanks to all who attended this year’s show in celebration of MB’s K-12 Art Maker Culture! Lower school music teacher Chad Putka participated in a border-crossing education and
Designers from the upper school Textiles
performance tour in Mexico
class put their work on the runway in MB’s
with Voices 21C, a Boston-based
second annual Fashion Show this Janu-
chorus, working with adult and
ary. Students designed and constructed
children’s choirs while there,
stunning outfits, with community mem-
teaching singing, movement,
bers serving as clients and models. Kudos
songwriting, and improvisation.
to our student designers.
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MB students participated in the first Wayland Square Holiday Stroll, exhibiting art everywhere from Dorothy Williams to West Elm.
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Kudos • Twelve MB upper school students were accepted to the 2018 All New England Band Festival this November in New Hampshire. More than 300 students from throughout New England were nominated by band directors for a seat at this year’s festival. • Nationally-known fused glass artist Alice Gebhart visited MB in January to demonstrate warm-glass techniques to upper school Ceramics students.
Lights, camera, MB: in October, two productions filmed on campus. Netflix filmed an episode of Abstract, and AMC filmed an episode of a to-be-released television show, NOS4A2. Kudos to Elizabeth Grumbach and David Husted for bringing Netflix to campus and working with them (and first graders) to create a stunningly beautiful showpiece for our Y-Lab. AMC’s visit provided high-level learning opportunities for students. Theatre students got to see how movies are made, as did several students interested in filmmaking.
• The Varsity Art Club plans art projects for sale and donation; funds raised will go toward a trip to New York to visit museums and galleries. • Senior Emeline Ahn recently presented a gayageum (traditional Korean instrument) recital as part of an independent study. • The International Day of Peace took place in September. Students in lower school joined students around the world in taking action to help make peace possible for the #PeaceDayChallenge.
Former faculty member Betsy Zimmerman demonstrated linoleum block printing in upper school Studio Art, bringing with her woodcut prints by Eliza Gardiner ’1892, a well-known student and teacher at RISD in the early 1900s. Eliza was one of the first students to use Studio of the Three Oaks when it was built in 1892. This way to River City! Kudos to lower school students for staging an incredible production of Music Man KIDS this January in the Woodman Center. Audiences were treated to two versions with two separate casts.
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cupola
sports news from moses brown
Go Quakers!
All of MB’s fall teams qualified for playoffs this year and the Field Hockey team advanced to the state championship.
Photography by Evan Daniels ’19
School of the Year
Moses Brown has been nominated by another R.I. Interscholastic League member school as the league’s School of the Year. Rhode Island athletic administrators will vote on the nominees in February, based on championships, divisional
Pride of Rhode Island — and MB! — Kari Buonanno ‘19 was one of 36 lax players named to the U.S. under-19 training team, and the only one from the state of Rhode Island. Kari and the U.S. U19 women’s national team competed in the Team USA Fall Classic at U.S. Lacrosse Headquarters in Maryland.
titles, sportsmanship, community service, professional development, and other awards for the 2018 seasons. According to Athletic Director Jeff Maidment, “It’s great to have been recognized by our peer schools.” In October, Moses Brown co-hosted Dr. Amy Saltzman, a nationally recognized expert in mindfulness and athletics and the author of A Still Quiet Place for Athletes. Dr. Saltzman has worked with high-level athletes including Stanford University athletes, NCAA MVP’s, and national champions.
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MB’s cross-country teams enjoyed strong performances from top returning runners, in particular junior Ben Buroker. Ben’s time at the Ocean State Invitational was the best ever recorded by an MB boy at this event and the best time by an MB boy on any 5k course in at least ten years.
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Kudos • After a successful fall season, the middle school field hockey team was named co-champs of the Cindy Bickford Invitational Tournament at Lincoln School. • The Girls’ A soccer celebrated an undefeated season. • The Boys’ A soccer team completed a perfect 8-0 season.
Congratulations to 8th
MB and Beat the Streets
grader Sophia Gorriaran,
are excited to partner to-
who set a new record for
gether to provide youth in
the girls’ mile at MB
the Providence area with
this fall. Her time of 5:25
a “home” where they can
beat the previous record
participate in wrestling
— held by Jenna Poggi
and be mentored by top-quality coaches. In
’09 — by 17 seconds.
addition to providing the lower school MB Fit in the winter and spring seasons, they are
Laurie Center was
working together to reintroduce the sport of
recognized as the
wrestling to students throughout Providence.
NFHS Coaches Asso-
http://www.beatthestreetsprovidence.org
ciation 2017-18 State Coach of the Year in Rhode Island for Girls Basketball. Congratulations to Laurie on this well-deserved recognition by the National Federation of State High School Associations, recognizing all of her work with student-athletes over the years. Laurie has coached at MB since 1983 and recently retired from coaching, ending on a high note after MB’s girls’ basketball team won their first state championship in
In November, Project GOAL celebrated 15 years of 100% free programming, over 1,300 kids served, and some 70 students on scholarship to area independent schools, including MB.
March. Thank you, Laurie, for all your work in
Congratulations to sophomore Candice
your 30+ years of coaching. Please join us in cel-
Ballarin who won the Rhode Island State
ebrating this remarkable coach and role model.
Singles Tennis Championship this fall.
FALL SPORTS FINAL RESULTS Girls’ Soccer .......................................... 6-9-2
Boys’ Soccer ......................................... 8-2-5
Cross Country — Girls’........................... 0-10-1 Field Hockey ............................................ 15-2
Cross Country — Boys’ .............................. 4-6 Football .................................................. 6-4
Division II Semifinalist
Division I State Runners Up
Division II Semifinalist
Girls’ Tennis ............................................ 10-3 Division I State Runners Up
MB
2018 MB Athletic Highlights Girls’ Basketball State Open Champions
Girls’ Soccer Division II Semifinalist
83% athletic participation rate
Girls’ Lacrosse Division I State & Division Champions
Football Division I playoffs
42 three-season athletes
Cross-Country: Two members qualified for New England Championships
18 Student-Athletes recruited to collegiate athletics (7 Division I)
Sportsmanship Award in Swimming and Boys’ Basketball
Captain leadership training through the Positive Coaching Alliance
Boys’ Lacrosse Division I State Runners-Up
Gatorade Player of the Year: Oluchi Ezemma, Girls’ Basketball (two-time recipient)
Field Hockey Division I Champions and State Runners-Up
Gatorade Player of the Year: Ali Blanchard, Softball
Sponsored Open Forum for discussion on sport specialization and the harmful effects on student-athletes
Girls’ Tennis Division I Runners-Up
Laurie Center named USA Today R.I. Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year
Softball Division I State and Division Champions Golf State and Division Champions Boys’ Ice Hockey Division I Semifinalist
Girls’ Tennis Singles Champion: Candice Ballarin Boys’ Soccer Division I Semifinalist 12
Leslie Caito-Jones named R.I. Field Hockey Coach of the Year
Boys’ lacrosse raised money for the Providence After-School Alliance through a fundraiser matched by the Belichick Foundation (second year)
cupola
community perspectives
turning with soldiers to arrest them. They fled on foot. Karim’s friend tired first, and begged Karim to go on. Karim refused, and they slept in a field, unsure of what dawn would bring — arrest or freedom? They were awoken by a farmer who helped them aboard a truck, and drove through the night to the river, where they crossed — wary of hippos and crocodiles — under cover of darkness. They made it to Mali and hailed a ride. Their driver happened to know Karim’s extended family in Mali and took the pair there at once. Because Guinea was a French colony at the time, Karim was able to use his French citizenship to apply to university. He was accepted and began the college career of which he had long dreamed. But those dreams were interrupted by the French requirement (since dropped) that everyone complete mandatory military service. Soon Karim found himself part of a secret force designed to infiltrate and overthrow the Communist regime back in Guinea. But their work was discovered, and the members of the group were scattered throughout Africa under deep cover. Karim was sent to Niger, where he finally completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Niamey. Afterwards, he accepted a teaching position in the Ivory Coast. However, he hadn’t lost his taste for political activism, and wrote a series of anonymous essays critical of the Ivorian government. Again, a paid informant revealed his secret, putting him in danger. This time, Karim was helped by a friend at the U.S. consulate, who knew of a program for political asylum seekers at the University of Rhode Island. He helped Karim apply, and soon Karim found himself in the Ocean State, with an asylum application personally approved by Senator Jack Reed. One day, Karim gave a friend a ride to a job interview at Moses Brown. Former Head of Middle School Jim English happened by and struck up a conversation. He noticed Karim’s accent, and they switched into French. He quickly recruited Karim as a substitute teacher, then as a full employee. Karim, from the nomadic Fulani tribe, has been here 25 years. He says, “They say that if you belong to one place, you are losing your Fulani-ness. But here, I don’t stay in one place. The students are always changing, so the place is always moving. That is how I keep moving in one place. To sever ties with routine is an overwhelming task, but the price of being a good school is constant change and adaptation. We are not in the business of easy work.”
Making Connections: Going Beyond Karim Sow
Middle School French & Spanish “The hardest part is leaving what you are used to,” says middle school world languages teacher Karim Sow. That feeling was particularly strong for Karim in his late teens, as he lay between crates in the back of a truck headed for the river that separates Guinea from Mali. Karim had grown up with a keen interest in anything happening far away, and an inner resistance to the communist dictatorship that tightly controlled speech, movement, and thought in the West African nation of Guinea. Eventually, he decided that even though the price of failure was imprisonment or death, he had to act. After saying goodbye to his mother on a cool, foggy morning, he and a friend made their way into the mountains, then a city. Someone was supposed to help them get to the border, but a woman informed them that their helper was betraying them and was, at that very moment, re-
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Meredith Langmuir ’19 Student
For an accomplished student like Meredith Langmuir, the parameter given for her final project in sophomore Modern World History was unnervingly broad: connect past to present. “The freedom was foreign and, honestly, daunting,” she recalls. After some discussion, she and three classmates decided to explore the current refugee crisis by connecting the experiences of recent refugees to those who survived similar situations in the past. Serendipitously, Meredith had just met her great uncle-in-law, Ernest, an 86-yearold Holocaust survivor now living in Thailand after a successful business career in London.
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She reached out to gauge whether he might be interested in sharing more. To her delight, they began an email correspondence regarding his childhood experience. She learned the largely untold story of how Ernest was rescued from “the lost train transport” en route from Bergen-Belsen in 1945 at 12 years old. The transport had been abandoned by the Nazi guards and later liberated by Russian Army soldiers who saved more than 1,000 prisoners, half of whom died from typhoid or the effects of starvation soon after. He described the difficulties he experienced as a refugee and offered opinions on the modern refugee debates today.
Meredith and Ernest became pen-pals. She earned the privilege of calling him Ernie — a nickname only his closest friends use — and they continue to discuss topics ranging from exotic foods and travel destinations to political debates and news. “He has exposed me to historic events and allowed me to reflect on my own life, aspirations, and opinions,” Meredith says. “He is truly an exceptional role model. I learned how important it is to embrace the resources in your life outside of school and get to know people you normally wouldn’t. My perspective changed.” Meredith came to Moses Brown from Gordon, drawn to MB’s academic and athletic programs, as well as Quaker values of integrity and peace. She joined the Letting Our Lives Speak club and attended the Quaker Youth Leadership Conference in 2016. Meredith is a three-sport varsity athlete at MB (field hockey, squash, lacrosse) and has been recruited to play Division I lacrosse at Harvard next year. In addition to Modern World History, Meredith’s elective choices have allowed her to explore new interests and subjects, leading her through perplexing and difficult subjects. Theories of Personalities and Contemporary Ethics let her explore the function of the human conscience, subconscious decision-making processes, and issues of racial profiling, death row, and child labor. This fall, she took Civics in Action, expanding her knowledge of government, and calls it an incredible outlet to discuss current issues. Modern World History stands out as the MB class that most changed her outlook, as a student and a person, and which gave her a personal relationship she’ll take beyond MB. “Through my relationship with my Uncle Ernest,” says Meredith, “I have harnessed the curiosity which I think a lot of high schoolers, including myself, forfeit as pressures and expectations arise. I learned that curiosity is the driving factor for exploration and research. It’s the most powerful tool we have, but we usually only embrace it in our favorite subjects. I learned how important it is to step back at times and simply appreciate the material.” She adds, “When I leave MB, I hope I can channel the intent of my History project: to follow my curiosity and explore something that truly interests me, to refrain from merely understanding the periphery of a subject and instead to dive into its experiences, emotions, and significance.”
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Bonnie Epstein Silverman P’21 Parent
An experimenter by inclination and a scientist by training, Bonnie Epstein’s educational journey has taken her all over the map, from San Francisco to Brown to the New England Aquarium. Her guiding ethos to “observe, explore, create” led Bonnie to study everything from rock cycles and evolution to jellyfish as climate change markers in Narragansett Bay. Not only does she study evolution, she has evolved as well. “I wasn’t the most brilliant Ph.D.,” Bonnie says wryly. “I was interested in everything, impatient, distracted. I wouldn’t have been a successful scientist, but I found a way to transcend my limited aptitude for research and ultimately turn my liability (my interest in everything) into my success.” Today Bonnie teaches how a wide variety of things are connected and gets to learn and connect disparate topics, like art and science, as a faculty member at Rhode Island School of Design and as the founder and executive director of Rhode Island’s Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA), located on the West Side of Providence. Two years ago, Bonnie’s curious nature led her to visit MB as a prospective parent, considering school options for her son. “Although I knew about MB’s academic reputation, I was impressed when I visited,” she notes, recalling Matt Glendenning’s words to prospective parents: ‘If you are looking to send your child to a particular college, you have come to the wrong place.’ “It was refreshing and echoed my thoughts,” she says. Bonnie wanted a high school that would challenge her son, help him to grow and figure out how he fit into the world. She didn’t necessarily want to see the high school years treated simply as a neat stepping-stone to college. Her interest in MB increased as she heard more about the school’s Quaker philosophy, focus on social justice, and guiding tenets of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. She also relished the concept of Meeting — or as she excitedly describes it to friends — a curricular mandate for her son to sit quietly without technology for 40 minutes each week, requiring him to think, daydream, be bored. “Meeting was a huge selling point!” Bonnie laughs. “I would have sent him just for that.” The other 2,070+ minutes of each week have been good, too. “Noah loves MB,” she comments, “every part of it, from the sports to the classes to the clubs. His joy in his school and the community has been wonderful.” Bonnie founded RIMOSA in 2010, inspired by the San Francisco Exploratorium and a wish to bring something similar to the East coast. With a Ph.D. in geological oceanography and experience as the principal investigator for the New England Aquarium, she had the necessary chops to create it herself. The experience has been wonderful and demanding in equal measure, with all of the challenges of
launching and operating a small, unique nonprofit. “Just when I want to give up, I see people light up when they interact with our exhibits, or tell us how inspired they were by our programs, and it inspires me to keep moving. It helps that I was trained as a geologist, because things don’t happen quickly, and it’s necessary to be patient.” Bonnie also teaches creative problem-solving to RISD environmental science students. One of the biggest problems faced in environmental issues is that the challenges are still somewhat abstract; steps must be made to stop tragedy before it happens. People have a hard time feeling emotionally invested in something they cannot see; artists, however — so skilled at making the invisible visible — can use art to create visceral reactions. “Artists can transcend the limits of the public’s imagination,” she says. “I always wanted to make the world a better place,” Bonnie says, and it seems she’s found a way to do that. “I can take what excites me and excite others with it, too!”
Upper school parent Bonnie Epstein Silverman is founder and executive director of Rhode Island’s Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA) and teaches environmental design at RISD.
“I want people to remember how it feels to notice something, the thrill of discovery and the confidence that they are capable people.”
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gifts in action Growing up in Colombia, my father told me, ‘Money comes and goes — it can be lost or stolen. Knowledge is yours to keep — no one can take your education away.’” Melissa believes financial aid shaped her vision of MB, and her role here: “I always wanted to make the most of my experience, to branch out and form connections. This influenced my decision to become a peer leader: I felt it was my duty to reassure younger students that they’re part of the greater community and have a voice in it, despite those small differences that may seem big.” Erika soon joined her sister at MB. Fredy
Melissa Arias ’18 with her parents on Senior Day.
and Sara checked in regularly with Hugh. “The
Lost ... and Found
school worked with us and reevaluated our award if something unexpected happened,” Fredy says. Hugh agrees: “Our process is per-
Fredy and Sara Arias P ’18 ’19
rector of Admissions and Financial Aid. Hugh
sonal, ongoing, and responsive. It isn’t just
left Colombia and Peru, respectively, at age 18,
recalls, “I was a little nervous, but Fredy made
about enrolling students; it’s also about keeping
determined to build a better life in the United
everyone comfortable. We talked about his girls,
students whose circumstances have changed.”
States. Their path led them to Rhode Island,
and he told me about growing up in Colombia.”
For Hugh, the family remains front-of-
where with hard work, determination, and the
Fredy was keenly aware that his daughters’ op-
mind. Fredy is a consistent volunteer at open
partnership of Moses Brown, their daughters
portunities would improve through education,
houses and class days. Hugh says, “Ambassa-
are taking advantage of the opportunities here,
and he began to see that MB could change the
dor families like the Ariases provide the social
and pursuing a college education. Melissa ’18
trajectory of his family’s future. Hugh remem-
proof for others to see their future here.” Fredy
is a first-year student at Holy Cross, and Erika
bers that Fredy didn’t seem optimistic about
agrees: “No matter how much time I spend vol-
’19 is planning to begin college in September.
admission or financial aid at first: “Perhaps it
unteering, it never comes close to repaying the
Matching them with the resources to thrive, MB
seemed like an insurmountable task, or such a
school for all it’s done for us.”
built a lasting relationship with the Ariases that
long shot, or that these opportunities weren’t
“Since 2008, our budget has nearly dou-
has bettered our community.
for a family like his. I worked as hard as I could
bled, and we’re awarding aid to twice as many
to dispel that impression.”
students,” Hugh says. “Still, it’s heartbreaking
When Melissa and Erika were toddlers, Fredy discovered Moses Brown while running
Fredy recalls, “Our kids work hard aca-
that we can’t fund every highly qualified student.
a campus drive for Rhode Island Blood Center.
demically, and we wanted a school that would
We’re so glad that alumni and families are mak-
He took a donation from Hugh Madden ’84, Di-
help them do something good with their lives.
ing financial aid a strong priority in their giving.”
Scholarships are Personal...For All of Us Most often, schools talk about scholarships in terms of the lifechanging impact on the recipients. Certainly, there are no shortage of scholarship students — including yours truly — who speak with great emotion about the ways an educational scholarship altered the trajectory of their life. Equally as powerful, but far less prominent in the conversation, are the ways scholarships affect those who aren’t the direct beneficiaries. Who was your best friend at MB? Who pushed you to be better in the classroom, on the field or the stage? Who stood up for you during a difficult moment? Who could always make you laugh? Can you see their faces? Do you remember their names? I bet the students who came to mind defined much of your MB experience.
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Have you ever considered what MB would have been like without those students? What if their families could not afford to be at MB? It’s this simple notion that makes scholarships so personal and important for all of us. Today, nearly 30% of MB students are on scholarship, a purposeful and dramatic increase over the last decade. These students impact so many. They bring incredible talents — intellectual, artistic, and athletic — and elevate expectations. They bring a commitment to our school’s values, and a range of perspectives that add richness to classroom discussions and interpersonal relationships. It’s hard to imagine MB without them, and with your help we never will! —Ron Dalgliesh P’21, Asst. Head of School, Institutional Affairs
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$3.5 Million Scholarship Challenge Your Gift to Scholarship Will be Doubled • As part of an historic $5 million gift, an anonymous donor has made the largest scholarship pledge in school history — $3.5 million. • This commitment was made as a dollar-for-dollar matching challenge to the MB community. • Every dollar given to scholarship has double the impact. • We must raise $3.5 million to “earn” the $3.5 million in matching challenge funds. • That’s a potential $7 million in new scholarship funds for MB! • The annual income from that level of endowment would allow 15 new students to attend MB each year (at the current average scholarship of $20,315). • All new gifts, multi-year pledges, and documented planned gifts (bequests, charitable annuities and remainder trusts, etc.) made after Nov. 19, 2018 earn matching scholarship funds for MB.
Here’s How You Can Help Scholarship Challenge Giving Opportunities* Endowment gifts and pledges of all sizes are welcome and encouraged: • Every gift is doubled via challenge funds (up to $3.5M) • Contributions are added to MB’s endowed scholarship fund $25,000+ Minimum level for a named endowed scholarship (honor your family or someone important to your MB experience in perpetuity) $500,000 Endows the average scholarship award ($20,315) in perpetuity $900,000 Endows a full tuition scholarship in perpetuity * MB welcomes 3-5 year pledges and documented planned gifts (bequests, charitable annuities and remainder trusts, etc.), which count toward meeting the challenge.
MB Believes Endowed Scholarship Goal The Matching Challenge Impact Campaign Scholarship Endowment Goal:
$15 million
Scholarship endowment gifts (as of 11/18/18)
$6.183 million
Matching challenge commitment (announced 11/19/18):
$3.517 million
New gifts needed to fully earn the challenge
$3.517 milllion
TOTAL Scholarship endowment gifts… …when we meet the challenge
$13.217 million
Coming together to meet the challenge puts MB within striking distance of its historic $15 million scholarship endowment goal!
To learn more or to explore specific giving opportunities, please contact Asst. Head of School Ron Dalgliesh P’21 at (401) 831-7350 x111 or rdalgliesh@mosesbrown.org
Scholarship @ MB: Last 10 Years Scholarship @ MB: Last 10 Years Dramatic Progress, Growing Demand Dramatic Growing Demand 2008-09Progress, vs 2018-19 2008-09 vs 2018-19 Average Award Average $15,975Award
$15,975 $20,315 $20,315
Percent of applicants requesting applicants Percent of scholarship requesting scholarship
54% 70% 2018-19 54% 70%
Annual Scholarship Budget Budget Annual m $1.89Scholarship
$1.89 m $4.36 m $4.36 m
130% increase! 130% increase!
15% 29% 2018-19 15% 29%
2008-09
2008-09 2008-09
Percent of students on scholarship of students Percent on scholarship
2018-19
2008-09
2018-19
Students Receiving Scholarship Receiving Scholarship Students 118
118 215 215
82% increase! 82% increase!
WITH 70%+ OF NEW APPLICANT FAMILIES REQUESTING SCHOLARSHIP, INCREASED FUNDING IS ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAINING THE SIZE AND QUALITY OF THE STUDENT BODY. fall
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gifts in action
Nurturing Friends Neal Pandozzi ’91
has been the best-dressed man on campus
since day one. “My mom didn’t really know what to put me in,” he says, “so I showed up for the first day of nursery in a three-piece suit and a tie. Luckily, Mrs. Santopietro helped me take off the jacket, tie, and vest, and rolled up my sleeves into some semblance of play clothes.” Neal is still known as a sharp dresser, but that’s not the only thing that has stayed with him since his early days at Moses Brown.
a student,” he adds. “But I think the lower school is doing a good job of helping younger students apply these skills with a global perspective.” Neal believes that the renovation of lower school is a critical part of Moses Brown’s growth in the 21st century. “We need to show the school community that we take elementary education seriously. The academic program is second to none, but it needs to be supported with state-of-the-art infrastructure. Educating students in nursery through fifth grade is every bit as important as educating sixth through twelfth graders, and
“I met Amy (Johnson) in nursery and Cliff (Nul-
the facility should reflect that commitment. The lower
man) in kindergarten,” says Neal. “We’ve been
school culture may be creative, nurturing, and fun,
friends ever since — we were in touch just last
but it’s all in service to a serious curriculum. After
week. Not a lot of people our age can say they
all, the lower school is providing students with
have 40-year-old friendships.” Neal credits
the necessary building blocks to succeed not
MB, and the culture of lower school in par-
only in school but also in life.”
ticular, with helping him develop the re-
Looking back, Neal recalls times when
lationships that have weathered decades.
lower school felt very special — annual hol-
“It’s because MB’s lower school is about
iday concerts, sledding in the Pit, all-school
so much more than learning your letters
choosing in Shared Space, the Thanksgiving
or times tables — it’s about learning to be a
celebration where the entire lower school gath-
good friend. It’s a place where, from a young
ered together for a special snack, the Halloween
age, you are taught to respect and celebrate each
parade of costumes winding through middle and
other’s creativity and individuality.”
upper schools, the bright green papier mâché Friendly
Since graduating in 1991, Neal has remained
Dragon that greeted students each day as it flew suspended
connected to Moses Brown, having served as a member of the Board of Trustees and several committees. As a board member, he was a strong advocate for making the lower school project a priority in MB Believes. As he has gone on to a successful legal career, Neal notices something special about alumni of Moses Brown’s lower school. “People who went through that experience have an extra measure of empathy,” he says. “I’m not a Quaker, but I think anyone who goes to a Quaker school has
over Shared Space. “It was full of good feelings,” he says, “but it was so much more than that. Lower school wasn’t just a place where you learned your lessons. It also nurtured relationships, built character, and fostered a real sense of community. Tracing his friendships that go back to his toddler days, he says, “it all comes back to Amy and Cliff, and it all has to do with Moses Brown.”
something that sticks with them, an ability to be quiet, to listen.” “Although I don’t have children of my own, I’ve been fortunate to relive the lower school experience through the children of my friends. I see them learning some of the same skills and values that I was taught as a lower
What are your memories of lower school? Send them to Director of Alumni Relations Karin Morse ’79 at kmorse@mosesbrown.org!
school student — the ability to articulate a position and back it up, and to listen to other viewpoints. Lower school instills in its students a sense of confidence in their abilities, but also a level of comfort in raising a hand when they need help. We live in a far more connected world now than when I was
Pictured: Neal’s (second from left) close friendship with Cliff Nulman ’91 (left) and Amy Johnson ’91 (third from left) was evident even 40+ years ago; their lifelong friendship started in Moses Brown’s lower school.
Lower School ‘On the Move’ In July, 1974, the faculty houses then occupied by Bill Mullin, Wayne Curtis, Randy Pyle, Renny Stackpole and their families were moved to Hope Street to make way for construction of a new lower school building that still serves MB’s youngest students today. Forty-five years later, we don’t need to move any homes to ‘build’ the future of elementary education at MB. But with a major renovation and expansion project on the horizon, the lower school is most certainly ‘on the move.’
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$3 Million Lead Gift Ensures Lower School Project Will Move Forward $2.6 Million Remains to Fully Fund Project Lower School Project: Lead Gift and Fundraising Goal • As part of an historic $3.9 million commitment, an anonymous donor recently made the largest contribution to elementary education in MB history — the $3 million lead gift to the lower school project. • An extensive renovation and expansion of the lower school is a core priority of MB Believes: A Campaign for Learning, People, and Place. • With the lead gift now in place, the architectural design process will accelerate through the winter and spring of 2019. • The lower school project campaign fundraising goal is $5.6 million. • $2.59 million in new gifts and pledges are needed to complete fundraising and initiate construction.
Here’s How You Can Help Giving Opportunities Consider a 3-5 year pledge to help reach our $5.6 million goal and get the project underway. Gifts of all sizes are welcome and encouraged. A variety of attractive naming opportunities will be available, ranging from $25,000 to $1 million. • Honor or remember your family, a beloved family member, or treasured friend. • Honor or remember one of MB’s iconic elementary educators, such as former Head of Lower School and faculty member Connie Raymond, who was at MB from 1974-2011.
To learn more or to explore specific naming opportunities, please contact Asst. Head of School Ron Dalgliesh P’21 at (401) 831-7350 x111 or rdalgliesh@mosesbrown.org
An Emerging Vision for Physical Change in the Lower School “The lower school program has grown dramatically in the past few years,” says Head of Lower School OJ Martí, “but our facility isn’t up to the level of our program.” Recently, an anonymous donor offered the school a lead gift of $3 million for the lower school renovation. This gift ensures the final facility project envisioned as part of MB Believes will move forward, and a vision is emerging for the ideal 21st-century elementary education environment. “We want to preserve what’s great about the lower school,” says OJ, “like the indoor sandbox and play areas that foster closeness and community. But there are also exciting ways that new spaces can create dynamic learning opportunities.” He seeks to increase interdisciplinary, multi-modal learning by bringing library, art, and science back into the lower school building. Creating distinct, dynamic, and flexible early childhood education spaces for MB’s youngest learners is also a key project goal. In addition to upgrading important infrastructure and learning spaces, the community areas are an important part of what makes the lower school experience special at MB. “Having a community space lets children practice communicating what they know,” says OJ, “and develop confidence as public speakers and clarity as presenters. These are critically important life skills for the 21st century.” The design process will accelerate through the winter and spring, to translate this early visioning and dreaming into detailed architectural plans.
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In his first year as head of the lower school, OJ Martí brings a wealth of educational leadership experience to MB. After earning his master’s in education at the University of Pennsylvania, he joined the leadership team at Teach for America where he focused much of his work on teacher development. Most recently, he was the founding Head of Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy middle school in Central Falls, R.I.
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editor ’ s letter
Walk Your Path
This issue of Cupola features personal stories about
really good at, rather than the career trajectory I was
transcending limits, whether pursuing childhood dreams,
sticking to. As doors opened, I felt free to walk through
leaving behind family to pursue freedom in a democracy,
them even though it was not the traditional path that my
or developing innovative products to improve the lives of
family, colleagues, and friends expected me to follow.
others. Through their MB experiences as students, par-
And after walking through those doors, more continued
ents, or teachers, all featured here had a solid foundation
to open. The best advice I can give is to take the time to
in critical thinking and community service that encour-
reflect on your strengths as you hone them, and don’t be
aged them to challenge norms.
afraid to venture off to pursue opportunities that maxi-
Early in my career, a company CEO gave every em-
mize your talents.
ployee a book about identifying and focusing on your
Today I work in an environment where clinicians and
strengths. At the time I enjoyed the exercise and found it
researchers transcend limits to bring their discoveries
interesting, but reflecting now I realize how putting that
to the bedside of their patients. Because their innova-
book in my hands opened my eyes to exploring what I was
tive thinking is nurtured and supported, medical break-
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Mt. Chocorua, Middle School Team Trips, fall 2018
throughs happen all the time. Examples include the
Virginia Hinrichsen ’92 says MB
first successful fetal correction of hypoplastic left heart
encouraged students to find what
syndrome; a life-saving shuntless procedure to treat hy-
they liked and recalls Dr. Heav-
drocephalus both in rural Africa and in Boston; and a
ers and Mrs. Breindel as influential
state-of-the-art simulator program where our emergency
teachers. After getting a Latin/Biology
department physicians simulate pediatric resuscitations
degree at Boston University, she went on to
and critical care procedures to optimize safety and out-
study veterinary science at the University of Rhode Island, before deciding
comes for children in need of emergency care.
to switch paths to public health. After getting her MPH in Epidemiology at
I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on how
Yale and an internship at the CDC, she studied infectious diseases in Atlan-
you are transcending limits, regardless of where you are
ta. While doing research, Virginia discovered she was good at organization
in your journey. Be bold, reflect on your strengths and
systems and management and began to explore a path working alongside
what motivates and excites you, and walk through doors
science and started moving up in scientific administration. Today, Virginia
that open along the way.
is Division Director of Emergency Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.
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scott novich ’03
Can You Hear Me Now?
Scott Novich ’03 (right) helped create the VEST (Versatile Extra-Sensory Transducer) with Guggenheim Fellow and brain expert Dr. David Eagleman. The VEST takes in real-time streams of information and maps them to unique patterns of vibrations on the body that wearers can recognize subconsciously.
Scott Novich had reached the end of the line. After enrolling in Rice University’s electrical engineering program, he’d collected a bachelor’s degree, a master’s, and was in the early phase of starting a Ph.D. studying wireless communications technology. There was just one problem — he wasn’t interested in wireless communications technology anymore. His advisor had just left for a job in Singapore, and Scott didn’t want to follow. He began to think the next step was simply to drop out. But then one of his colleagues mentioned a professor across the street at Baylor College of Medicine. He was conducting fascinating research into the limits — and extensibility — of human perception, and needed someone to build electronic ‘contraptions’ for his experiments. Intrigued, Scott reached out. His intrigue was rewarded. Dr. David Eagleman was interested in the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt, especially the ways it could substitute one sense for another. Could humans use devices to expand their senses? To develop entirely new perceptive abilities? Or combine senses in new ways? Sound is an oscillation of pressure waves, and while we sometimes can feel intense or low-frequency sounds, the sensory receptors in skin are not usually fast enough to convey all of the information available. It’s actually the hair cell receptors in the cochlea (inner ear) that are faster at responding, converting mechanical information to electrochemical. Scott and David wondered — what if sound was turned into haptic, tactile energy? Could the brain make any sense
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Scott Novich ’03, Ph.D., used a fascination with sound dating from his Moses Brown days to engineer his current career path.
of it? So they experimented with turning sound into touch by converting audio signals into combinations of small vibratory buzzes. I cruise down the hallway of Middle House; my footsteps buzz rhythmically against the low-level chaos of classroom conversations. Even with all this going on, as I pass the front desk my head whips around at an intense, regular staccato. The receptionist reaches for the phone. Somehow I knew that’s what I’d see. It worked. Sounds became perceivable. They partnered with members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities in Houston to test the principle with people who had partial and full hearing loss. It still worked. Then they made another remarkable discovery, uncovering how to mathematically model speech and determine the number of motors needed for people to understand speech sounds through touch. This discovery led to an even bigger question — could this approach be designed into a wearable device? And if so, what level of perceptive boost could it give people? They designed, tested, and revised their plans until they had a vest studded with actuators. Working with members of the deaf community, they tweaked the technology and training protocol, and quickly surpassed their initial expectations. With practice, wearers of the VEST could understand speech. In a remarkable demonstration, Scott faces a man wearing the device. A list of words is written on a whiteboard behind them. Scott reads the list slowly, pointing to each word as he does so. The man asks him to repeat a couple words for clarification. Then Scott speaks the words
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Photograph by Brian Goldman
Rock and roll blares through my headphones, blotting out all other sounds as I walk through the empty expanse of the Sinclair Room. After the door closes, I pause, attending my senses. My wrist buzzes emphatically. It doesn’t make sense, and I turn to peer through the small window that looks out on Sinclair — sure enough, two girls are walking through, laughing.
in random order and the wearer, concentrating, correctly identifies every single one. Dr. Eagleman showcased their work at a TED Talk, and they were quickly approached by venture capitalists interested in their product. In those conversations, Scott and David cautioned that the VEST takes time and training to use well, and the form factor is still that of a research prototype, rather than a commercial product. Discussing the form factor, they hit upon the idea of a smaller version that would be easier to wear and use. Thus, the Buzz. This small device looks like a fitness tracker, but converts sound energy into a system of vibrations on the wearer’s wrist. Within a few minutes of putting it on, with no training whatsoever, it’s easy to understand what many of the signals mean. A door closing feels different than someone walking, laughter is clearly different from conversation, and a ringing phone has a pattern all its own (though custom ringtones may be a different matter). A commercial version of the Buzz is in beta testing as of press time, and Scott and his team are developing a range of colors to suit customers’ tastes. Scott, who frequently wears the device, says that part of his inspiration to pursue this line of research came from curiosity about his own potential hearing loss. “I loved the freedom at Moses Brown. They let me take advanced math a year early and explore my passion for Electronic Dance Music. I’ve listened to a lot of loud music over the years.” While Scott is excited about the potential uses of the device for transforming sound into tactile information, he and
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The Buzz allows wearers to listen with their skin. The wristband detects the surrounding world and translates its sounds into rich patterns of vibrations. Dr. Eagleman are both excited about how these kinds of devices can extend human capabilities in transformative ways. “You can feed any kind of data into these devices,” he says. “Aircraft produce all kinds of data every second. Imagine if a pilot could monitor those data streams with their body and feel how the aircraft is doing?” The possibilities are truly endless. Scott and David are continuing their research even as they work to get their fledgling company NeoSensory off the ground. Based in Palo Alto, they are working with a team of 15 employees (and counting) to launch a line of wearable sound-to-skin products that will enhance and amplify people’s ability to be immersed in the world of sound. Knowing Scott, that’s just the beginning, and we’ll all be hearing more from him soon. Standing in the Class of 2014 Café in the Woodman Center, my wrist is aflame with the chatter of several simultaneous conversations. I watch a quartet of upper schoolers work through an assignment. Then a burst and, looking over, I see two boys laughing heartily. While my ears are still overwhelmed by music, it felt like I’d heard them. In just ten minutes of wearing the NeoSensory Buzz, my brain has adapted to it quickly enough that it understands these buzzing sensations give me the same environmental cues I’ve come to expect from my ears.
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livia santiago-rosado ’90
Fresh out of medical school at Columbia, emergency room intern Livia Santiago-Rosado had but a few short minutes to assess a new patient’s condition as a new emergency medicine resident at Mount Sinai and Elmhurst Hospitals in New York City. At each site, hundreds of patients stream through the doors during each 12-hour shift. The ability to quickly size up a situation, a passion for excellence, and a willingness to push through — attributes Livia’s had since MB — were essential as a new ER doctor at one of the busiest hospitals in the country. “We have regulators, administrators, other specialties breathing down our necks,” Livia says of the ER. “Emergency physicians are frequently in the middle. The quality managers want sepsis to be addressed aggressively, the cardiologists may want us to prioritize chest pain patients, infection control sends spies to make sure we wash our hands before going into a room to even speak to a patient, some administrators are calling down wondering why the wait to see a doctor is over 30 minutes, yet
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others tracking patient satisfaction want us to spend more time explaining things to patients. In addition, our specialty is most prone to Monday-morning quarterbacking since we are the first to touch the patient while their illness is not yet investigated.” Despite the challenges, Livia thrives in high-pressure situations where there is little time to perform and produce: after all, that’s what she did at MB. Livia was a late arrival to the Class of 1990, arriving at Moses Brown in her junior year. She spent her first two years of high school at Hope High, enrolled in Hope’s Essential High School, a school-within-a-school experiment run by Brown University’s Department of Education. She was starting to think about the best way to pursue a path to medical school when she hit a significant obstacle: the classes needed to get there were not available. Knowing she’d need calculus, Livia was dismayed to learn that no one at Hope was available to teach it, or even Algebra 2. She quickly mailed
applications off to a few prep schools, crossing her fingers for a good financial aid package, as her mother was on a grad-student budget at the time, studying Hispanic Studies and Literature at Brown. “My favorite by far was MB. I was thrilled to be accepted and given an excellent aid package that allowed me to attend,” Livia remembers. She started that fall, excited, if a bit intimidated. Within a few weeks of her arrival, either brave or brazen, she ran for class representative, campaigning on the slogan “Vote for the Entire Puerto Rican Population at Moses Brown School.” ¡Funcionó! (It worked!) Livia was thrilled that her new peers were willing to vote for the “newbie,” welcoming her into the fold. The MB musical that year was West Side Story so the one Puerto Rican girl — a soprano with a decent voice — was then cast as Maria by Barry Marshall. Livia found ready friends among the Alumni Hall theater crowd, joined chorus (and was selected to all-state chorus), Drama Club, Omnia, Minority Student Union, Philosophy Club, and the Mosaic. She
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Photograph by TheaDesign
Finding Her Rhythm
“Language barriers are a huge impediment to delivering effective and efficient care, so when I am able to eliminate or limit these barriers, it’s very gratifying.” and classmate Jennifer Breen also founded the Roses in the Snow winter semiformal and Livia was a co-founder of an all-girls a cappella group, The Muses (echoes of “Moses”). “My MB experience was brief, but salient,” she comments. “I loved the extracurriculars at Moses Brown, though I got the most out of the teachers.” She retains vivid memories of Jamie German discussing cosmology in Seminar, and Ransom Griffin reading poetry in his attic classroom. “The teachers really focused on learning how to think, how to interpret data and formulate our own opinions. MB encouraged and fostered independent thought.” In need of community service hours, she also signed up to volunteer at Miriam Hospital. She was initially a candy striper, but once they learned she spoke Spanish, they made her an interpreter and gave her a pager (a huge deal in the late Eighties!) so they could find her. Because Livia was called to respond all over the hospital, she was exposed to emergency medicine early and thought, “I could do that, and I would be nic-
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er than these doctors are to the patients.” Livia wanted to work with the Spanish-speaking patients as it was obvious that poor communication prior to her being brought in often resulted in the wrong test being ordered or care being delayed. It’s little surprise that she’s become a leader in emergency medicine. “My colleagues today find it hard to believe that I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I was 16, but it’s the truth,” she says. Running for MB class rep was the first time Livia had been in a ‘leadership’ position, and she enjoyed being the bridge between her peers and the faculty/administration. “There’s also the fact that I’ve been the kind of person to bristle against people telling me what to do, so I might as well be the one in charge instead.” Ever since, Livia has pursued leadership roles, helping run her House Committee at Harvard, serving as president of her class all four years of med school at Columbia. She became associate director of her emergency department two years out of residency, has held multiple leadership administrative roles in emergency medicine, and teaches on the faculty
at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Livia currently serves as Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at Nassau University Medical Center, where she continues to develop a focus on the social determinants of health and their impact on illness and injury and health outcomes. Livia’s niche has become those tricky transitions of care, where things can be lost in translation. The most satisfying part of Livia’s workday is still treating Spanish-speaking patients, since part of what drove her to emergency medicine was that idea of interacting with vulnerable individuals at a critical time and giving them the advantage of having care delivered in their primary language. “I never fear speaking truth to power when patient care is on the line,” she declares. “Language barriers are a huge impediment to delivering effective and efficient care, so when I am able to eliminate or limit these barriers, it’s very gratifying. The pinnacle of satisfaction comes when one of those patients asks me if I have my own practice. That always makes me smile and is the biggest reward.”
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matthew osofisan ’06
Mindspace
artists such as Big K.R.I.T, Ab-soul, Kendrick Lamar, and many others. “I became more organized and grew up,” recalls Matthew. “When my friends went out, I would do inventory, pack orders, network, or go over our finances.” Matthew says taking economics at MB helped him to discover his passion for business: “Without the knowledge and tutoring I received there, I could not be where I am.” He spent a decade living and working in Boston, creating and growing digital businesses and building expertise in marketing and digital customer acquisition. In 2015 Matthew’s dream of working overseas was realized when he was accepted into the inaugural class of MIT Sloan’s newest international program, the Asia School of Business in Malaysia, the perfect opportunity to explore living and working abroad. His two-year Emerging Global Markets program took place in Boston and Kuala Lumpur. Only 47 people from around the world were accepted to the competitive program; Matthew was one of only eight Americans admitted. His classmates hailed from six continents and 17 countries, providing for a truly global MBA experience. Today, Matthew lives and works in Singapore as the Director of Product Marketing for a cryptocurrency exchange, Alluma, focused on increasing adoption of blockchain technology across Asia. He’s spent the last year building out a team in Delhi, India to execute the launch of the company’s platform, and traveling across Southeast Asia educating newcomers and promoting the use of cryptocurrencies. Matthew has also become a practitioner of meditation and says ‘transcending limits’ with his mind has helped him in the competitive digital landscape. “For many years I neglected my mental health because it’s easy to dismiss and tough to address,” he says. “As I matured, I realized the power of inward reflection and mindfulness as a means to manage my emotions and behaviors.” Matt’s drive and work ethic continue to pay dividends, though now he’s no longer packing clothing orders in his dorm, but packaging more complex and theoretical deals in the digital currency realm. Travel and seeing the world opened his eyes beyond New England. “After MB my mind was fully focused on business and my career as an entrepreneur. I wanted to travel but thought I didn’t have time, I thought that the opportunity cost was too high. I was wrong. It was the other way around. I realize now that seeing the world is the only real way you know where you fit in it.”
Matthew Osofisan’s interest in global experiences started with a trip to visit his father in Lagos, Nigeria in 2014, exploring his heritage. “As soon as I stepped off the plane, I felt my perspective change, my whole world became bigger,” he recalls. Matthew also realized that the problems facing those in the least developed countries were much larger than those faced in the U.S. Suddenly, the work he was doing in Boston didn’t seem as important. Matthew started to shift focus toward working in the developing world, where he hopes to make a greater impact on people’s lives. Matthew has always thrived on connection and creative drive. As an MB student, he was involved in everything. One of the best athletes in his class, Matthew was a top receiver for the football team and made a touchdown catch from quarterback DB Haseotes that is still talked about on campus today. After graduation, he launched a lifestyle clothing line while still in college. A dual entrepreneurship and marketing major at Northeastern, Matthew co-founded Annie Mulz, a clothing line worn by
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erik duhaime ’06
Putting our Heads Together What’s the best way to diagnose skin cancer? It seems like the answer would be obvious: ask a dermatologist. But in a series of experiments, researcher Erik Duhaime discovered some surprising things. First, as individuals, trained physicians perform best — no surprise there. However, sometimes AI algorithms do even better. And groups of medical students or even lay people — not medical professionals — can be incredibly effective in the right environment. To show this, Erik made a game in which players compete to correctly identify which lesions are dangerous and which are benign. “If you make it a game, people can evaluate a huge number of images. Even a professional dermatologist does not look at thousands of images in a day.” Then he analyzed the performance of each individual player and explored different ways of combining their opinions. While professional dermatologists are better at the individual level, the “wisdom of the crowd” was better — even if the crowd was made up of non-experts — and combining both crowd wisdom and AI was most accurate of all. “In many ways, it all started with my eighthgrade independent study project at MB,” says Erik. “I studied evolution — which I’d never heard of before, by the way — and the thought occurred to me, ‘if we evolved to have two legs and opposable thumbs because of evolution, then everything else about us must have evolved too:
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music, friendship, the fact that we love.’” That insight led him to an interest in evolutionary biology, and a degree in economics and biology at Brown University. “If you look at microeconomic decision-making and evolutionary strategy, it’s all the same math,” he says. In particular, Erik grew interested in better understanding the evolution of cooperation, and in answering the question of when and why a group is stronger than the sum of its parts. “What’s really fascinating,” says Erik, “is that from an individual decision-making standpoint, cooperation often seems not to be in the best self-interest of an organism, but it’s a great strategy for the group. And because cooperative norms can be self-sustaining, we can see how this leads to institutions like religion, ethics, and the rule of law.” After Brown, Erik earned a master’s in Philosophy in Human Evolution at Cambridge University, and he is now finishing his Ph.D. in Management at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. He was intent on pursuing a career in academia — and may yet follow that path — but is currently working on a company, Centaur Labs, to leverage the collective power of human and artificial intelligence for improving medical decision making. To do so, his company has created an app called DiagnosUs. The app rewards players for correct diagnoses, and makes a pro-social game of serious work. “Willem van Lancker ’06, Tom Sherman ’06, and Ben Anderson ’07 have all given
helpful advice, since they all have experience with entrepreneurship,” he says, with additional helpful advice from physicians Matt Akelman and Michael Mariorenzi. The approach is partly informed by other sites that have created economic incentives around group decision-making. “I’m fascinated by political prediction markets, in which people bet on various outcomes,” he says, adding, “There are all kinds of reasons why people won’t tell you what the really believe in polls, but when they have to put money down, they’re much more truthful about what they think will actually happen.” Erik feels fortunate that at Moses Brown and beyond, he’s had opportunities to come up with his own ideas and make them happen. “What really interests me is when groups are greater than the sum of their parts,” he says. “And collective intelligence is like assembling a good trivia team: you need someone who knows pop culture, someone who knows sports, someone who knows movies — the group needs to be diverse. And just like how different people are good at different things, people and computers tend to have different strengths, too, which is why human-computer groups can be so effective. What I find most interesting is when a group is greater than the sum of its parts.” With an innovative app, coverage on NPR and in Reuters, Erik has assembled a team at Centaur Labs that certainly appears greater than the sum of its parts and that, if successful, may revolutionize the way diagnoses are made.
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susan hahn ’86
Catch Her If You Can Susan didn’t speak much English when she arrived at Moses Brown as a junior. At 16, Sue had immigrated to Providence from South Korea, arriving with her mother and brother — and little else. With little money, Sue watched as her family experienced firsthand the common plight of immigrants with limited resources, language skills, and education, navigating life in a new city and culture, hesitant to ask for help from public agencies, navigating language and cultural barriers, their health at risk, their lives sometimes in danger. Watching her family navigate medical issues, the seeds of Sue’s interest in a career in medicine were planted. In spite of her challenges at home, Sue worked diligently to graduate from MB. The 1986 Mosaic depicts a serious-looking young woman focused on her studies. “I feel very lucky to have received a Moses Brown education,” Sue says. “Moses Brown was a place where every student is considered equally deserving of love and respect. My Moses Brown education helped me build lasting confidence.” Sue was a quiet student at MB — except when it was time for the upper school math club competition. (“We went out to beat Wheeler, and we did.”) As the eldest child in a Korean family, Sue’s first duty was to her family, including working after graduation to support her mother and younger brother. And work she did — in a sweatshop, packing shrimp in a seafood factory, as an office clerk, as a flight attendant. Sue’s earnings paid her family’s living expenses, even supporting her brother through his undergraduate degree and medical school. After college, Sue hoped to fulfill her own long-held dream of going to medical school. This plan was interrupted, however, when her family called upon her again, now to support her brother in completing his eight years of surgery residency. At 26, it was finally Sue’s turn to go to college. She headed to Wellesley, appreciative of the chance to finally pursue her own higher education. With a degree in mathematics in hand, Sue again switched tracks, putting her marketable skills to use as best she could. Hoping to lever-
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age her skills in the most lucrative way possible, Sue studied for the CPA exam, passed, got her license and was hired to work at a Big Five accounting firm in Washington, D.C. She enjoyed the paycheck and employment in a stable field, but the lure of medical school still called her. Despite a lucrative income and secure future at KPMG, Sue felt no passion or fulfillment in working purely for economic reasons; she wanted to help others. When her brother finished his training, Sue was finally able to start her medical training at George Washington University at age 38. Sue obtained her MD from GWU, then became an Army Officer in the Medical Service Corps and served in the U.S. Army for six years in Hawaii. Along the way, she also received her master’s in patent law from the University of Minnesota Law School. Now she’s attending Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy on the GI Bill, due to graduate in 2022. She hopes to operate a specialty pharmacy distribution company, using the income to support children’s education. (That’s where the patent law degree comes in.) Not only that, she’s returned to her first academic love, math education, pursuing a Ph.D. in that field, as well. Sue hopes her story helps current students open their eyes to new horizons and realize that they can pursue multiple paths, too. “As long as you are on the path to finding something that you are going to love, having more than one career will empower you,” she says. “Being able to become an integral part of the lives of immigrant children, having the ability to make a difference in their educational success and psychological well-being, is my goal. Mathematics education can empower them with tools that will free them from a cycle of poverty and depression. Since coming to America, if there is one thing I have learned, it is to be persistent and to never give up. Despite setbacks and delays, I never abandoned my desire to help fellow immigrant youth achieve educational success in America. It’s my responsibility, my passion and life’s goal.”
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MOSES BROWN THEATRE SEASON 2018-2019: YOUTH. LOVE. LOSS.
ROMEO & JULIET
THE WOLVES
NOV 15-17
NOV 15-17
THE MUSIC MAN KIDS
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, JR.
JAN 18
FEB 28
AN INSPECTOR CALLS
RENT
FEB 22-23
MAY 16-18
BY W I L L I A M S H A K E S P E A R E
MBinREP
BY M E R E D I T H W I L L S O N A N D F R A N K L I N L AC E Y
Lower School Musical
BY J . B . P R I E S T L E Y
S t u d e n t D i r e c t e d P l ay B r e n d a W. ’19 a n d Tr e y S . ’ 2 0
BY S A R A H D E L A P P E
MBinREP
BY D AV I D S I M PAT I C O
Middle School Musical
BY J O N AT H A N L A R S O N
Upper School Musical
THE SEAGULL BY A N TO N C H E K H OV
FEB 23-24
S t u d e n t D i r e c t e d P l ay J a c k s o n M . ’19
Tyehimba Jess 7 PM, Friday, April 26 Woodman Center Moses Brown welcomes Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tyehimba Jess! Celebrate Ransom Griffin’s retirement at his signature event — the annual poetry reading!
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Become a part of MB history! Name a seat in the Woodman Center Fewer than 200 seats remain!
For more information, please visit mosesbrown.org/woodmanseat fall
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Alumni Events
moses brown alumni association
Newport Polo
A great array of MB alumni gathered at the MBAA tent for hors’ d’oeuvres and beverages, many sporting great celebratory hats for the occasion. Half-time brought everyone onto the field for the traditional “divot stomping.”
Maija Hallsmith ’11 & Dominique Avila ’11
The MB football community had a great turnout for the annual 7v7 game with lots of stars returning to Campanella Field.
7v7 Football Game
Young Alumni Social at Flatbread
From left, Peter McKendall ’16, Peter Staples ’16, Emma Myers ’16, Ismael Ramirez ’16, Alex Farley ’16, Reed Fulton ’03, Peter Zubiago ’18.
This was a great occasion for young alumni to share advice with members of the Class of 2018 as many prepared to head off to or back to college. This was also the perfect time to thank our incredible MBAA Summer Intern Peter Zubiago ’18.
MBAA Homecoming Reception at Knead Doughnuts
New MBAA Clerk Neil Beranbaum ’86, Jean Pennacchio, upper school registrar, and Angelyn Scala, former assistant to the head of upper school, enjoyed reminiscing and comparing past and present MB stories. John Baldwin ’94, MBAA Assistant Clerk, caught up with his former soccer coach and English teacher Tom Andrew. The Moses Brown Alumni Association and Moses Brown School partner to provide opportunities for alumni to engage with each other and MB, near and far. If you would like to host an event or volunteer for the MBAA, please contact Karin Morse ’79 at kmorse@ mosesbrown.org or 401-831-7350 x191.
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MB Connects with Steve Kidd & Jack Tripp ’19 Alumni and friends came to the Walter Jones Library prior to the performance of Romeo & Juliet for a reception with Steve Kidd, theatre arts teacher. Steve, along with Jack Tripp ’19, spoke about this year’s themes of youth, love, and loss.
Alumni Hockey Game This year’s Alumni Hockey game drew players from 1997 through 2018. 36
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moses brown alumni association
Alumni Soccer It was a chilly 11 degrees Fahrenheit and this resolute group came out for a great evenly-matched game.
Spree Bowl This post-Thanksgiving tradition is a wonderful way for friends and family to celebrate the lasting influences of Evan Spirito ’06 and Zech Chafee ’07. fall
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congratulations !
MBAA Award Recipients Moses Brown Alumni Association Recognizes 2018 Award Winners
Samuel Mencoff ’74
service to alma mater award Sam Mencoff is the founder and co-CEO of
his service on the board to involvement in com-
Madison Dearborn Partners in Chicago and has
mittees and attendance at class reunions and
more than 32 years of experience in private eq-
campus events, from hosting MB functions over
uity investing.
the years, Sam has clearly served MB with dis-
Sam is a graduate of Brown University and
tinction since graduation. Over the years, Sam
Harvard Business School and currently serves
also devoted himself to his other alma mater,
on the board of directors of Packaging Corpo-
Brown University, and in 2016, was named the
ration of America and World Business Chica-
university’s 21st Chancellor.
go. Sam is also a director of the Art Institute
Sam sees Moses Brown values playing a
of Chicago, which features one of the largest
central role in 21st-century education. “Build-
permanent collections in the U.S., and North-
ing community is one of my three main goals for
Shore University HealthSystem, which provides
Brown,” he says. “We live in a polarized coun-
health care at four Chicago hospitals, employ-
try and Brown brings together people who excel
ing 10,000.
at the highest levels from every possible back-
After MB, Sam attended Brown University,
ground. More than ever, universities need to be
earning a B.A. in Anthropology before pursuing
places where we can have the difficult discus-
his career in finance. Sam never let distance
sions, where we can truly listen to and express
stand in the way of his connection to MB. From
different points of view.”
Carlos Andrés Gómez ’00 outstanding young alumnus award Carlos Andrés Gómez never appeared on stage
with John Legend for Senior Orientation, a
in his time as a student at Moses Brown, but
program to counteract bullying and champi-
has made his career on one. Carlos is a Co-
on inclusive masculinity among high school
lombian-American poet and the author of the
students. He is a graduate of the University of
memoir Man Up: Reimagining Modern Man-
Pennsylvania and the MFA Program for Writers
hood, released by Penguin Random House.
at Warren Wilson College.
Winner of the Atlanta Review International
Following his graduation from Penn, Carlos
Poetry Prize, Lucille Clifton Poetry Prize, and a
worked as a social worker and school teacher in
two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, his work has
New York and Philadelphia. These experiences
appeared in the North American Review, Beloit
shaped Carlos’ writing, allowing him to give
Poetry Journal, The Yale Review, CHORUS: A Lit-
voice to the struggles of youth today.
erary Mixtape, and elsewhere. A star of HBO’s
As an MB student, Carlos was vice president
Def Poetry Jam, TV One’s Verses and Flow, and
of the Student Senate and a recipient of the Fac-
Spike Lee’s #1 box office movie Inside Man with
ulty Award. He also delivered a memorable TED
Denzel Washington, Carlos recently partnered
Talk at MB in 2012. See more at CarlosLive.com.
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stewardship at mb
MB Connects There are unlimited ways to give back, whether you volunteer in a classroom, mentor a student, advise a senior project, talk to a class or student group, or just stop by for story time. Contact Karin Morse — kmorse@mosesbrown.org / 401-831-7350 x191 or Kate Tompkins — ktompkins@mosesbrown.org / 401-831-7350 x258 to learn how you can contribute to MB’s learning community.
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MB Immersion Week, February 2019
39
Class Notes keeping in touch
Moses Brown’s Front Gate and Front Circle in winter, 1956.
1930 School View
Moses Brown was pleased to hear from the great-great-great niece of Catherine Breed (18121827), an early alumna of Moses Brown, who shared Catherine’s lesson book with us as well as a sketch Catherine drew of what was then known as the Friends School (pictured above). Catherine would have been seven when the current campus opened and could conceivably have been in the first class of students. Catherine’s family lived in Massachusetts but had Quaker connections to Providence so her parents sent their young daughter to MB to be educated. Through the years, the family retained Catherine’s composition book and this sketch, created while she attended, about as close to a contemporary rendering of the school’s original building as we may get. 40
One of the inventors of the helicopter, William Hunt, was English and American, the son of an engineer in the British Army and a mother from Providence. He was born in Buenos Aires and grew up speaking English and Spanish. William came to MB as a small boy because his father was stuck on this side of the Atlantic when WW1 began; he boarded in Belmont (now home to the upper school English Department). After the war, the Hunt family returned to England but William returned to study at MB at age 14. Even in his later years, after having designed early helicopters, Bill retained a footstool dated 1919 which he made as a youngster at MB. Most of his collection is now in the Air Museum at Bradley Field in Connecticut or the Smithsonian. In later years, former Head of School Dave Burnham met him in Florida where they reminisced about Moses Brown.
1949
William Greenough III will be retiring from full-time clinical work at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in April. Buck will be joining the newly formed “Emeritus” College at Johns Hopkins University, conducting research into cholera, oral rehydration therapy, and how the cholera vaccine was created.
1954
Ralph Mills was one of seven named Volunteer of the Year by his senior center in Mashpee, Massachusetts. Each month at the Cape Cod food distribution center Ralph packs bags filled with canned good and meat, which are then distributed to 25 families in need.
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1957
William Butler let us know he is still “alive and kicking” and can’t believe that over 60 years have gone by since he graduated from Moses Brown. Bill has been taking a number of trips, most recently to New Zealand.
1964
For 40 years Richard Hiscock has advocated for improved fishing and marine safety. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Coast Guard rescue swimmer program, one of the toughest military training courses in the country, and was fortunate to work for the House Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Subcommittee as senior professional staff. In this role, Richard had the opportunity to prepare legislation that will make commercial fishing safer through the establishment of workforce policies and procedures.
Memories on the Water
1968
In August Ken Anderson ’64 and Steven Hanley ’63 reunited at the newly rebuilt Edgewood Yacht Club (designed by Donald Richardson ’66) for an afternoon of sailboat racing in ESC’s Rhodes ’19s. The day was sunny and warm with a fair breeze. In all, four boats participated in the event. Steve and Ken shared skipper duties and at the end of the day, won all four races that afternoon. This was a milestone event for both. It was 60 years ago that these intrepid sailors last raced on the waters in front of EYC. In fact, they almost blew the lead in the last race as they reminisced about those bygone days when both went to school “in the shadow of the elms.”
1970
MB Alumni races are open to anyone who knows the difference between a rudder and a spinnaker. Ken and Steve welcome challenges if anyone wants to race next season. Be prepared to bring your A game!
1966
Six alumni joined the MB board this fall (left to right): Peter Ramsden ’82, Neil Beranbaum ’86, Carl Bogus ’66, Tad Jose ’78 (also: Stephanie Ogidan Preston ’97 and Reza Taleghani ’90). Thanks to all for their service on behalf of the school.
Carl Bogus joined the Moses Brown board this year. He’s also an MB grandparent and a member of Providence Monthly Meeting. Carl is a member of the law faculty at Roger Williams University and has been recognized for his public service work by Common Cause of Rhode Island. Carl is a longtime member of the national advisory panel for the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C.; see more at carltbogus.com.
Congratulations to painter Dave Hall on the publication of Moving Water: An Artist’s Reflections on Fly Fishing, Friendship and Family. Dave’s paintings are inspired by the Greater Yellowstone country; he lives in Salt Lake City and Last Chance, Idaho.
In July, Paul Sorrentino retired after 27 years at Amherst College where he served as Director of Religious & Spiritual Life, Protestant Advisor, Multifaith Council Advisor, and Christian Fellowship (InterVarsity) Advisor. Paul says he and his wife, Karen, are finding lots to occupy their time. Paul lives in South Deerfield, Massachusetts and can be reached at pvsorrentino@gmail.com.
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1978
1979
Say hello to the MB Alumni Relations team! Karin Morse ’79 and Kate Tompkins were happy to greet alumni and provide hot chocolate at Homecoming in October. Kate is MB’s new Assistant Director of Alumni Relations. Kate has 18 years of practice in higher education and also worked in advancement at the University of Rochester, where she received her Ed.D. She is also the mother of Jake, an MB student, and is passionate about Moses Brown, its mission, and the wonderful effect it can have on the lives of students. Alumni: send Kate a class note for the next Cupola! (alumni@mosesbrown.org)
Tad Jose, a familiar face at MBAA events in Washington, D.C., joined the Moses Brown board this year. Tad lives and works in Virginia.
1982
Thanks to Tom Frater (pictured with his wife Daniela and twins Stephan and Andrew) for stopping by MB this summer! Peter Ramsden recently joined the MB board of trustees. His daughter Liza is a senior at MB; her sister Haley graduated in 2016 and is now a junior at Dartmouth. Brother Charlie attended Portsmouth Abbey and is now on the faculty at the Kiski School in Pennsylvania.
1983
Vin Porcaro (a.k.a. “Beef”), Vin Giordano, and Chip Baldwin reunited during Homecoming weekend to share memories of their time on the football field and at MB. Top, left to right: Baldwin, Giordano, Porcaro. Bottom, left to right: Porcaro, Giordano, Baldwin
Career in Flight: Robert Ridgely ’64 Thanks to DeWolf Fulton ’64 for sharing how he recently reconnected with classmate Robert Ridgely, author of The Birds of Ecuador. Bob and Fulton were classmates at MB from pre-primary through sixth grade where both took an early interest in birds: “I recall visiting their East Side home to share our birding interest with his father Beverly, a Brown French professor and prolific stamp collector. His bird stamp collection is considered by some to be the best in the world. “Bob’s family left Providence, we lost touch, but I read over the years how 42
he went on to become a bird expert at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, then publishing The Birds of Panama before shifting his interest to Ecuador. Today he focuses attention on bird conservation with his Fundacion Jocotoco in Ecuador. He is also president of the Rainforest Trust, a massive venture which purchases and protects the most threatened tropical forests and habitats, saving endangered wildlife worldwide. “When I read last November in the Providence Journal that Beverly Ridgely had died at age 96, and that his service was to be held at Swan Point with a reception at
Laurelmead, I was eager to pay my respects and renew my old friendship with Bob, who I learned was living in New Hampshire. The MB Alumni Office helped get word out to other nearby classmates from the sixth grade, and after a very moving memorial service, classmate Warren Hill and I surprised Bob by reintroducing ourselves as former MB classmates, out of touch for 60 years. It was a beautiful moment. “Bob seized upon the nostalgia, inviting me to attend a Rainforest Trust fundraiser in Boston where he spoke eloquently advocating wildlife conservation
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1985
Faculty member Samantha Bradshaw is in a new role this year as MB’s new Director of Literacy, coming to this new position after co-teaching in MB’s first grade for four years. “I am eager to help our students as they grow as learners and develop the language and literacy skills that are foundational to their academic success,” Sam says, “and to help craft a framework of targeted literacy services that will build on Karen van Tienhoven’s strong language arts support program.” Jamie Worrell has been named to the 2018 edition of the Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisors. This list recognizes the top financial advisors who specialize in retirement plans across the United States. This is Jamie’s third time being named to the list.
1986
Sue Hahn says MB’s math curriculum provided her with a solid foundation with which to become a successful math major. “I knew when I was getting a good grade in Mr. Shaw’s famously challenging college-level math classes, it meant that I could be a math major in college,” she says. See page 30 for more on Sue’s post-MB path which has also included serving as a military officer and as a risk manager with Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii. Josh Vogel, right, visited campus from North Carolina and was supremely impressed with the Y-Lab, named after Thomas Young, an early Quaker scientist. He is pictured here with David Husted, the director of the Y-Lab.
1989
In November, renowned Chef Cruz Goler shared his art with NYC alumni. After the first course, he spoke about his career, his MB experience, and what led him to pursue culinary arts. Twenty- two alumni, Matt Glendinning, Ron Dalgliesh, and Karin Morse ’79 truly appreciated his recollection of Rhode Island influences and enjoyed the fine food.
on a global scale. He also announced the naming of a recently found Peruvian ant bird in honor of renowned biologist and Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson, another champion of saving the planet. It was an honor to witness Bob make the presentation. “I thank Moses Brown for helping forge this friendship, lost in the sixth grade and recently renewed. I plan to stay in touch with Bob and visit him for a birding walk next fall at his home in New Hampshire. He has promised to return the visit in Rhode Island, where we will seek out harlequin ducks off the coast at Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown.”
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Neil Beranbaum ’86 is the new clerk of the Moses Brown Alumni Association. Neil and Randi-Beth have three daughters at MB.
Robert Ridgely (right) is a recognized conservationist, author, ornithologist, and discovered a bird that is named after him. Robert is a leading expert on the birds of South and Central America and a proponent of private reserve systems as a conservation strategy for endangered species. He previously served as Director of International Conservation at the National Audubon Society and the Center for Neotropical Ornithology at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Bob is the author of seven books on neotropical birds, including Birds of South America, Birds of Ecuador, Birds of Panama, and Hummingbirds of Ecuador.
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1990 NYC emergency care physician Livia SantiagoRosado, featured on page 26, credits Barry Marshall, Ransom Griffin, and Anne Landis as influential teachers and says MB taught her how to synthesize information and analyze it systematically.
Congrats to Uday Kumar. His company iRhythm was recently featured in Fast Company magazine as an example of a successful digital health startup. Reza Taleghani recently rejoined the Moses Brown board of trustees and was appointed CFO of Samsonite International, the largest luggage maker in the world. Reza clerks the school’s investment committee and has served on boards for Make-a-Wish and the Mass Mentoring Partnership. His daughter Nicoletta ’21 also recently joined MB.
Lauren Barry Disarno ’90 made a visit to campus on a quiet Saturday over the summer with her daughters and husband James, having travelled from their home in New Jersey.
1991
Blood & Plunder, a feature-length screenplay by Adam Olenn, recently won first prize in the Rhode Island International Film Festival’s ‘Spotlight on New England’ category.
1992 1994
Heather Tow-Yick and husband George welcomed a son, George, in November. The family recently relocated to Seattle.
Thank you to Virginia Hinrichsen for guest editing this issue of Cupola! See page 20. Virginia lives in Newtonville, Mass. and is administrative director for the Division of Emergency Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Yangchen Lama (left) will be the 2019 Commencement Speaker, see page 3. She had her five-year-old snap a pic for us!
1996
The Park School in Brookline welcomed Scott Young as its 14th Head of School this past July. Scott came to Park from Marin Academy in California and brings two decades of achievement to Park as a strategic, compassionate, and effective leader at three nationally recognized independent schools. 44
What one lesson would you share with your childhood self? MB was pleased to host a special event this fall, the brainchild of award-winning writer Alisha Pina ’96, who presented at the Woodman Center with six other Rhode Island women, sharing their stories in an inspiring evening. Alisha was joined by Sierra Barter, CEO of the Lady Project; Gabriela Domenzain, national voice for immigration policies and the Latino community of Rhode Island; Eileen Hayes, President of Amos House; Pilar Mccloud, CEO of A Sweet Creation youth organization; Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson, U.S. Circuit Judge; Rose Weaver, actress, singer, and playwright; and Chanda Womack, founding Executive Director of Alliance of R.I. Southeast Asians for Education.
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1997
2001
Stephanie Ogidan Preston, VP at Citizens Bank in Providence, recently joined MB’s board of trustees. She also serves on boards for Teach for America, the Montessori Community School of Rhode Island, and the Governor’s Workforce Board. Her daughter Aliyah is a freshman at MB.
1999
The Alumni Office was pleased to hear recently from Jeremy Harkey, now in Denver, who says his life and career path have been inspired by his time at MB. He spent a decade working with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies and has started a business investing in private sector companies whose business models address key social and environmental problems (aka “impact investing”). Thanks for getting in touch, Jeremy!
2001
Congratulations to Ashley Earle Weiderman; Ashley welcomed her third child — Emily Helena — in September. The Weidermans live in North Carolina.
Congratulations to Katie Reaves (left), who was elected partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen Hamilton, LLP in New York City, where she has worked since 2010. Katie’s practice focuses on debt financing transactions, particularly acquisition financings for corporate and private equity clients. Katie lives in Brooklyn with her husband Neal, 2-year-old daughter Audrey, and their beloved chocolate Labrador Retriever, Kaya.
Ari Heckman was featured in the summer issue of Architectural Digest for his company ASH NYC’s work in the revitalization of hotels, including Providence’s Dean Hotel. His most recent projects include hotels in New Orleans and downtown Detroit. Aliza and Dave Nogradi (middle) recently returned from a trip around the world (see page 52). “We were wondering if we would run into anyone we knew during our travels, and of all people to randomly run into, it just so happened that we ran into Jason Pappas!” he writes. “We were in the Acropolis Museum in Athens and Jason spotted us — we went through a combination of shock, confusion, amazement, and joy! To be fair, Jason’s family is Greek so it’s ever so slightly more likely, but still what were the chances?”
We’ve had requests for more news from post-2000 classes. Can you share more? THE MOSES BROWN FUND SUPPORTS 40% Teaching & Academics 20% Scholarships 20% Athletics, the Arts, & Friends Education
20% our historic campus MB is an urban oasis. It is a place to learn in our ever-evolving classroom buildings; a place to reflect, whether during Meeting for Worship in Woodman or journaling in the Grove; and a place to play, whether in its varied performance spaces or on the many fields that ring the campus. –Tom Andrew, upper school English
Give today and invest in the inner promise of every student. Use the envelope enclosed in this issue or visit: mosesbrown.org/giving A priority of
Your gift ensures that our distinctive 33-acre campus, a unique blend of history and innovation, continues to provide the best possible educational setting.
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2003
Who is our Jeopardy winner? Congratulations to Alexandra Wax Henkoff who now lives with her family in Houston and recently won on Jeopardy! Alex works as a tutor and college admissions counselor and put that command of knowledge to good use when she appeared on the show in April. A regular participant in trivia nights, Alex was encouraged by friends to take the online test that attracts thousands of participants and eventually made it through to the auditions phase and the final show. Congratulations, Alex!
Congratulations to Nick Craig ’02 and Alicia St. Jean ’03 for tying the knot this August! Pictured: Michele St. Jean P ’99 ’03 (mother of bride), Sandy Dallman P ’98 ’02, Karin Morse ’79 and Larry Tremblay, Betsy Cummings P ’02 P ’03 (mother of Nick and Adam Craig), Corina St. Jean Durney ’01, Adam Craig ’03, Katie Canha ’03, Richard Fitton ’47, Alicia St. Jean Craig, Nick Craig, Susan Fitton Roth ’81, Scott McKenrick ’02, Joanna Novelli ’02, Nick St. Jean ’99, Brad Coleman ’71 , Mike Dallman ’98 , and Lindsay Dallman ’02.
2004
Abby Rampone with Dexter Rampone, Kelly Salmons, Kyle Anderson, Peter Salmons, Melissa Anderson with Owen Anderson, Andy Jenkins with Aaron Jenkins, Ashley Jenkins, Daniel Rampone, Rob Treut with Ned Egan, Stephanie Titus, Eric Egan, Sara Miga, Sarah Wu, Tim Savage, Bruce Bickford, Meredith Torr, Karin Morse ’79. Not Pictured: Jake Salmons (napping). Dogs left to right: Casey Salmons, Moose Savage, Lucy Salmons. Members of the class of 2004 kept up their tradition of getting together over Thanksgiving weekend and this year began planning for their 15th Reunion — May 11! Thanks to Kelly and Peter Salmons for hosting everyone.
2005
Emily Salander married Felipe Pantin Macia this past July at the Rhode Island Country Club.
Dylan BlockHarley ’05 (left) is working as a farmer/ sales director for Walrus and Carpenter Oysters in Ninigret and recently celebrated the release of a new CD of folk music with his brother Noah ’02. They perform throughout Rhode Island as the Horse-Eyed Men.
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2006 Kara Elliot-Ortega, Boston’s Chief of Arts and Culture, shown with Mayor Walsh, has the honor of celebrating arts in Beantown, from art show winners to Joan Baez.
Matthew Osofisan recently earned his MBA from MIT and can now be found living and working in Asia. See more on Matt and Erik Duhaime on pages 28-29. cupola
Julia Strickler recently started as a new substitute in MB’s lower school. During her senior year at MB, Julia earned her yoga teacher certification and has continued on. After studying physiology at the University of Miami, she is now pursuing her master’s in kinesiology at URI. She hopes to eventually teach exercise physiology to middle and high school students, blending in yoga and selfawareness. You can also find Julia teaching yoga at All That Matters and personal training for Healthtrax.
2014
Have you hit Thayer Street for lunch recently? Did you know that MB grad Jamie Marshall co-founded the Snackpass food app you see advertised there? The food pickup app recently expanded to Providence and helps Thayer Street restaurants reach students, while permitting users to share gifts. Jamie, a neuroscience major at Yale, led their plans to expand to Brown.
YOU CAN’T
2015
ALWAYS MAKE IT BACK TO CAMPUS Download the MB Connects app today!
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Daniel Ajootian, MB’s first Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia, is now living on the Lawn in his last year.
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Connor Pirruccello-McClellan has returned to MB as director of Extended Day and assistant science teacher in the lower school. He also is the assistant director of Lower RISE Camp. A metal sculptor, he made the basket now found in the Peace Garden.
A lu
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2018-2019 MB Alumni Association Board
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The mission of the Moses Brown Alumni Association is to foster lifelong relationships with the school and fellow alumni.
Neil Beranbaum ’86, Clerk John Baldwin ’94, Assistant Clerk Brian Panoff ’94, Treasurer Jane Knowles ’81, Recording Clerk George Panichas ’83, Stewardship Clerk Jason Engle ’98, Local Committee Clerk Ahvi Spindell ’72, National Committee Clerk Gabe Amo ’05 Taylor Anderson ’02 Cheryl Schadone Cohen ’81 Joanne Debrah ’97 Alex Egan ’03 Tom Frater ’82 Kate Gorgi ’08 Austin Jaspers ’11 Todd Machtley ’00 Vin Marcello ’60 Maggie Moran ’08 David Murdock ’93 David Murphy ’91 Nicole Navega ’89 John Pariseault ’97 Vin Porcaro ’83 Mia Rotondi Puddington ’09 Matt Romano ’14 Matt Runci ’64 Miles Rutter ’04 Conal Smith ’06 Glenn Sparr ’85
A beautiful video advertising the MBApp was created by Bruce Bendheim, Howard Yang, and Mark Bucknam. They’ve started a production company together and have even started working with a local ad agency. It’s quite impressive — especially given that they’re still in college. They will all be graduated and running the business full-time starting in January of 2020. Look them up! bybpictures.com
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ia
2017
Grace Fay spent the summer working as a congressional intern for Representative Joseph Kennedy, III [MA-4], her home district’s representative. It was an exciting time to be on the Hill answering phone calls, writing constituent letters, and attending congressional committee hearings.
2018
Recent graduate Janel Gamache had just started at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington when the campus and city were hit hard by Hurricane Florence. Before going back to school, she collected items for residents of Wilmington impacted by Florence and brought a number of items donated by MB community members.
The Romano family gathered to celebrate the graduation of Jacob ’18, the last of five brothers to attend MB.
Former Faculty & Staff Kathy MacLeod retired in June after 11 happy years as an admission officer and lacrosse coach at Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts. She received Fay’s annual Distinguished Service Award at the 2017 Commencement. Gram and Pop MacLeod look forward to traveling, spending more time with family and friends, and to savoring the nature and peace at their farmhouse in the Adirondacks.
Frank Sterrett, faculty member 1971- 2004, has been living in Southern California (Palm Desert) for five years now. Frank spends his time outdoors as much as possible: birding, leading bird walks, and volunteering at local preserves/ refuges. “Life is good with many memories of friends — students and colleagues, even parents — in the shadows of the elms,” he writes.
Doug MacLeod retired in June after four years at the Apple Store in Marlborough, Massachusetts where he was a top sales and tech specialist. He previously taught history at Fay School and coached wrestling at St. Mark’s School. Doug still does karate and is pursuing his fifth-degree black belt. Doug is a Lexington Minuteman and every year participates in battle reenactments in several different states.
GIVE THE GIFT OF AN MB EDUCATION Apply Today!
mosesbrown.org/admission
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cupola
Longtime lower school faculty member Adele Espo sent a nice note to Head of School Matt Glendinning in September: “I just finished reading the Spring/Summer Cupola. It is wonderful. I am so happy to read about former students and faculty and new students and faculty who are doing such grand things. I do enjoy reading each Cupola. Perhaps I can get back to Rhode Island this summer so that I can visit and see the many changes I hear about. After my 36 years at MB, I still have a soft spot when I hear or read its news.”
George Sipp, who taught at MB from 1960-70, reports that he had his 91st birthday recently and is “still chugging along.”
Dalton Winslow enjoyed reading about Farhad Zaltash in the last issue of Cupola and remembering his MB days. Dalton is now on the faculty at Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire where he directs the Jazz and Classical Ensembles and Singers’ Night, an annual event that raises $3,000+ for various good causes. After MB, he also taught at Deerfield and Cushing academies and completed his MM and PhD in composition. An avid cyclist, Dalton is the assistant coach for the KUA road cycling team and has logged over 25,000 miles biking across Montana, Newfoundland, Denmark, Greece, France, and Germany.
Calling All Classes: MB Connects — Stewardship at MB
Interested in reconnecting with MB, Allison Krause ’02 reached out — and is now co-coaching the Mock Trial team.
An MB “lifer,” attorney Allison Krause ’02 was looking for a way to give back to her alma mater and called at the start of the school year to inquire about volunteering in the upper school. Allison attended MB for 15 years, as did her father, Robert Krause ’63, and her grandfather served on the MB board. However, it took Allison a few years away from Moses Brown to fully realize the impact of her MB experience. “Looking back, I did not realize how good I had it as a student there!” Allison says, noting that students at the school today have even more opportunities. “MB has given me so many opportunities,” she says. “I wanted to find a way to give back to Moses Brown.” Allison started the season with the team, stepping up to coach with new faculty member Joshua Cabrera. Josh brings the student experience, Allison the legal expertise. They were thrilled to see the team win their first trial over LaSalle.
She enthuses, “This experience has been so gratifying. The kids are the high point.” Despite the time to get the students ready for trial, Allison is glad she made the decision to call MB that fall day. It’s not only been good for the team, but for Allison as well. “The gratification I’ve gotten surpasses anything I put into it,” she says. “Kids who go to Moses Brown are pretty special, that’s clear. The kids are so enthusiastic; they really listen. It’s just a breath of fresh air to be around these kids who really want to learn.” “Volunteering is about wanting to make a difference. That might sound corny but it’s true. It’s working with people — whether in the classroom or the courtroom, affecting people in a positive way.” “To anyone else who’s thinking about helping or volunteering at MB in any way, I’d say why not? Moses Brown is unlike anyplace else or any other school. It really is a community.”
Help steward Moses Brown: To join Allison in volunteering at MB, coaching, mentoring or advising a senior project, or sharing expertise on even a one-time basis, in person or via skype, contact Karin Morse at kmorse@mosesbrown.org. fall
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condolences
In Memoriam Wendell Phillips, Class of 1945, received a B.S. in en-
Henry Arnold, Class of 1946, received the Headmas-
gineering from Brown University and a master’s in architecture
ter’s Cup at Moses Brown and was inducted into the MB Hall of
from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He had a
Fame in 2003 for his athletic achievements, including winning
long career in architecture before starting his own business, R.
State, New England, and National awards in track. After graduat-
Wendell Phillips & Associates. Wen was a veteran of the U.S. Air
ing from Brown, Henry served as an officer in the Navy, mainly on
Force and participant in the Boy Scouts of America for over 65
icebreakers on Arctic duty. He next joined New Jersey Bell, now
years. He and his wife Elizabeth, who were married in 1955, es-
Verizon, and worked as a telecommunications executive for 36
tablished Caring Animal Partners and he served as treasurer for
years. Active in community affairs, Henry was honored with the
many years. He was an active member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal
Episcopal Diocese Lifetime Achievement Award for service and
Church and a dedicated volunteer with the New London Histor-
was an active volunteer with the Cub Scouts, Mobile Meals, Amer-
ical Society. (6/25/18)
ican Red Cross, and library organizations. He loved sailing, reading, and spending time with his family. (8/28/18)
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John Waterman, Class of 1946, re-
Joshua Gold, Class of 1989, was a grad-
ceived a bachelor’s degree in political science
uate of McGill University and New York Law
from Amherst College prior to joining the Navy
School. He was General Counsel and In-House
during the Korean Conflict and serving on the
Counsel for How to Manage a Small Law Office
aircraft carrier USS Boxer. John loved garden-
as well as a real estate lawyer for real estate devel-
ing on ten acres of land at his house in Reho-
oper Marty Taplin. Joshua was a beloved husband
both. He was an active member of St. Martin’s
of Alessandra, father to Kevin and Angelina, son
Episcopal Church in Providence, a long-time
to David and Marcia, brother to Daniel ’91, and
member of the Rehoboth Lion’s Club, and a vol-
uncle to Amelia. Friends and family came from
unteer with the Samaritans suicide prevention
around the country to honor Joshua. (7/3/18)
hotline. (5/12/18)
David Lownes, Class of 1949, was a graduate of Brown University. He was an avid
Everett Leonard taught at MB for 16 years in
golfer and enjoyed summers in Narragansett.
his 40-year teaching career. He received his master’s
He had a passion for antiques and was a member
from Harvard and was a published author, passion-
of the board of trustees for the Peabody Essex
ate about caring for the land and restoring the home
Museum, the Forbes House Museum, and Gore
he shared with his wife Shirley. He will be remem-
Place. David was the husband of Rosamond and
bered for his love of people, books, sailing, the ocean,
the father of Grace and Charles. (5/18/18)
hockey, and his incredible stories about living on the
Robert Ellis Smith, Class of 1958, graduated from Harvard University and went on
in social justice and hope for the future. (11/27/18)
Barbara Robinson worked in food service
Robert was a journalist and an author, primarily
at both Moses Brown and Hamilton House for
focusing on civil rights issues. He worked for the
many years. She was the wife of Derek Robinson,
Office for Civil Rights and served on the District
who was a master carpenter and director of opera-
of Columbia Human Rights Commission. Robert
tions at Moses Brown. (9/3/18)
land, and Roger Williams University Law School.
Mary Simonds taught fifth grade in the lower
He was the brother of Ronald Smith ’57 and the
school for a number of years. She was an avid golf-
father of Marc Smith ’85. (7/25/18)
er, gardener, teacher, and preservationist and over-
Robert Marshall, Class of 1960, was
are based on published obitu-
water in Hingham. Everett held an unshakable belief
to earn his law degree at Georgetown University.
taught at Harvard, Brown, University of Mary-
Moses Brown’s memorial notes
former faculty / staff
saw the restoration of an 18th-century house in Providence. She will be remembered by her family
the president/CEO of Marshall Consultants,
and friends for her wonderful sense of humor and
Inc., a national business development firm spe-
her kindness to others. (9/6/18)
cializing in the construction industry. At MB, he was a member of the wrestling, football, and
Manuel Teixeira worked for 30 years at MB,
cross-country teams and regularly reconnected
working the last many years caring for our upper
with his classmates during Reunion. He was the
school spaces; his son Joe continues as a part of the
beloved husband of Galina, father of Robert, Mi-
Moses Brown employee community. Manny came
fax (401) 455-0084; email
chael, Peter, and Stephen, and grandfather to 16
to Rhode Island from the Azores and is remem-
alumni@mosesbrown.org.
grandchildren. (10/7/18)
bered for his devotion to family. (9/7/18)
aries. Please forward to Office of Alumni Relations, Moses Brown School, 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence, RI 02906;
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reflection : dave nogradi ’01
Enlarging Community, Finding Simplicity Dave ’01 and Aliza Nogradi did something many only dream of, visiting 31 countries in a year’s time, including Kenya.
Waking up before 6 a.m. in Vietnam last February,
my wife Aliza and I walked in the dark, past old ladies selling fruit and people doing tai chi, to watch the Patriots play the Eagles in Super Bowl 2018. We watched the game at Hanoi’s American Club, which was open-air and quite cold. The result wasn’t what we hoped for, but it was certainly a memorable experience! We’ve hiked Madagascar’s Masoala Rainforest at night, observing net-throwing spiders in action. These spiders hold a small net which they throw around unsuspecting prey. It’s cool and freaky at the same time, leaving you thankful not to be an insect! We went shoe-free for a week on a tropical island in Cambodia, where we swam with bioluminescent plankton, and drank fresh-pressed sugar cane juice on Zanzibar, which tastes as good as it sounds. This wasn’t a wild honeymoon or reality show but a carefully planned adventure a decade in the making. I had always dreamed of traveling the world and when I met Aliza, I made sure to (repeatedly!) share with her that I really wanted to travel before starting a family. Thankfully, she was on board, and we planned and saved for the better part of a decade. Personal finance is something I’m passionate about. It wasn’t so much what we had to give up, but rather how disciplined we needed to be. I think the best way to save for anything is to automate it and set up monthly transfers into a savings/investing account, “paying yourself.” Collecting airline miles and credit card points also enabled us to build up enough points to fund the vast majority of our flights during our trip, a key component in our plan. Finally, we set a date, probably the most important step we took in deciding to take a year off to travel. It was daunting to set a date in stone but doing so provided us with clarity once we knew we were leaving. Aliza and I set out on the adventure of our lives on July 10, 2017. We had no idea what lay ahead when we boarded our first flight to Tokyo. This past May, we boarded our 53rd and final flight back to San Francisco, departing from our last stop in Columbia, having seen, experienced, and learned more than we could have ever imagined. The most surprising part of our experience was how much we came to appreciate simply having time. Coming from fast-paced lives in San Francisco, we enjoyed slowing down. The opportunity to reflect on our prior-
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ities is something that we appreciated daily. Without having taken this world-trip plunge, we wouldn’t have made time for these conversations. Our trip highlights were all about being in the moment: enjoying a home-cooked Tuscan meal with five generations of the same family, or visiting the tropical Japanese island of Yakushima with its incredible fresh fruit, huge Cryptomeria trees (some thousands of years old), and natural onsens (hot springs) by the ocean. Some moments pushed us physically, like hiking the Inca Trail and trekking through the hot and humid jungle in Borneo (with tons of leeches!). One experience straight out of the National Geographic channel was witnessing a pride of lions take down a buffalo in Kenya and watching them consume him over the course of a few hours. It was gruesome and hard to watch, but after all, there are more buffalo than lions. Our most awe-inspiring moment came on a gorilla trek in Rwanda, being 20 feet away from an enormous silverback mountain gorilla. These gorillas were originally studied and monitored by Dian Fossey, and seeing them was a lifelong dream. We learned to live with a lot less stuff (a single backpack for each of us!), a powerful lesson on existing with less. Once back, we finalized plans to move from San Francisco to North Carolina and have significantly decreased the amount of time we use technology — from iPhones to TV; we now go completely technology-free one day a week. What we saw on our adventure made us realize that we live in the land of plenty — food, clean water, resources, and more. And while we don’t think our country is perfect, neither of us has ever felt more proud and fortunate to be American (though being Tuscan or Cretan would also be pretty good). I hope we inspire others to see more of the world. If you’re looking for any travel advice, please get in touch! The Nogradis’ trip spanned 312 days, 6 continents, and 53 flights, with transportation via car, train, ferry, ATV, tuk-tuk, and horse-drawn car riage. Dave’s aptitude for financial planning started young; he received the Math Award at MB and played basketball and tennis. Dave’s wanderlust started soon after graduation when he headed to Washington University in St. Louis to study anthropology, followed by a stint teaching English in Switzerland. With a master’s in counseling from the University of San Francisco, Dave has worked in human resources and organizational effectiveness. He now works at a startup in Durham, N.C.
cupola
Un regalo sin fin A faculty member from 1974 to 1994, John Juhasz shared his exuberance for languages by teaching Spanish, Latin, and Greek and traveling with students and colleagues. He had a passion for learning that led him to collect over 10,000 books and to read over a dozen languages. MB’s Joseph Lake Endowed Scholarship Fund supports scholarships for economically disadvantaged students and is awarded each year in the name of John Juhasz’s uncle, Joseph Lake, who was responsible for John’s love of books and dedication to education. The Lake Fund was established in 2006 with bequests from the estates of John and his wife Susan. A dozen years later, the Fund has grown significantly and now annually supports the education of two current MB students. To support scholarship with a bequest or planned gift, contact Perry Buroker at 401-831-7350 ext. 289 or pburoker@mosesbrown.org
Moses Brown School 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 www.mosesbrown.org 401-831-7350
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Providence, RI Permit No. 3264
For the Honor of Truth
MB REUNION 2019: MAY 11TH
STEP UP!
NOT A REUNION YEAR? Alumni and parents of alumni are invited to stop by campus to see the new spaces on campus. Contact alumni@mosesbrown.org or call 401-831-7350.
To register, check attendance, or get the latest updates, visit mosesbrown.org/reunion
’49 ’54 ’59 ’64 ’69 ’74 ’79 ’84 ’89 ’94 ’99 ’04 ’09 ’14
Book yourself for MB Reunion this spring
Alumni parents: If this Cupola is addressed to a graduate no longer residing at your home, please contact alumni@mosesbrown.org or call x114 to update his or her address.