MB Cupola: People (Fall 2016) by Moses Brown School

Fall/Winter 2016-17

Moses Brown Cupola

People Ian Gilby ’92 People & Other Primates Michael Fargnoli ’92 Nancy Han ’88

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

Moses Brown School Board of Trustees 2016-2017 Paul Adler P ’14 ’16 Issmat Atteereh P ’13 ’18 Greg Baldwin ’87 Neil S. Beranbaum ’86 P ’22 ’24 Clerk, Enrollment & Marketing Committee Russell Carpenter ’59

People

Charlene Cassese P ’16 ’18 Clerk, Parents’ Association Peter Crysdale Elaine Dickson P ’18 ’22 Jane Dietze P ’20 ’23 Ted Fischer ’83 P ’12 ’14 ’17 Habib Y. Gorgi ’74 P ’08 ’10 ’12 ’17 Clerk of the Board Clerk, Executive Committee Karen Hammond P ’10 ’14 ’14 Michael Hirtle Lee Jaspers P ’11 ’14 Recording Clerk of the Board Gardner Lane P ’27 ’28 Kathleen Levesque P ’12 ’14 ’17 Assistant Clerk of the Board Rachel Littman ’87 P ’20 ’22 Clerk, Trustees Committee Frederick Martin Mike McGuigan Donald McNemar Friends Coordinator Kara Milner P ’19 ’21 ’27 Kaplan Mobray ’90 Mary Lee Morrison George Panichas ’83 P ’15 ’18 Clerk, MB Alumni Association Alisha Pina ’96 Jim Procaccianti ’76 P ’19 ’23 Lisa Rocchio ’85 P ’14 ’15 ’21 Clerk, Nominating Committee Brad Shipp ’83 Clerk, Buildings & Grounds Committee Liesa Stamm Stephen Thomas P ’27 ’30 Heather Tow-Yick ’94 Dawn Tripp P ’19 ’24

About Our Cover

Clerk, Nurturing Friends Education Committee

Cover and photo at left: Deus Mjungu

Carl Weinberg P ’90 ’94 ’16 ’24 Treasurer of the Board Clerk, Budget & Finance Committee Cecily Kerr Ziegler P ’22 ’24 Elizabeth R.B. Zimmerman P ’94 Matt Glendinning Head of School Frederick Weiss Clerk of NEYM

The next issue of Cupola will focus on Place. Suggestions welcome!

Ian Gilby ’92 is shown in Tanzania, where he studies wild chimpanzees in Gombe National Park. See page 16 for more on Ian.

Cupola Fall/Winter 2016-17 Letter from Matt Glendinning

News from Moses Brown Today

Talking about People

Opening of the Woodman Family Community & Performance Center Gifts in Action

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Alumni Profiles:

Ian Gilby ’92

Michael Fargnoli ’92

Nancy Han ’88

Alexander Egan ’03

Gail Samdperil ’81

Eliza Draper Gardiner ’1892

Yangchen Lama ’94

MB Alumni Association Events & News

MBAA Award Recipients

Class Notes

Feedback

In Memoriam

Essay: Gabe Amo ’05

Thanks to Guest Editor Holly Coxe Brittingham ’89, p. 15.

Cupola A bi-annual magazine for Moses Brown School alumni Editor: Adam Olenn ’91 P ’25 ’27 ’30 Managing Editor: Kristen A. Curry Class Notes Editor: Susan Cordina P ’16 Director of Alumni Relations: Karin Morse ’79 Assistant Head of School for Institutional Affairs: Ronald Dalgliesh P ’21 Contributors: Emily Atkinson P ’14 ’18, Kristen A. Curry, Sam Mandeville, Adam Olenn ’91 P ’25 ’27 ’30 Photography: Peter Goldberg, David O’Connor, Adam Olenn ’91 P ’25 ’27 ’30 Designer: Bridget Snow Design

Stay in touch!

Be sure we have your best email and mailing addresses for MB news and event invitations. Send address changes, comments, news, photos, or suggestions to alumni@ mosesbrown.org. Follow: www.mosesbrown.org | Facebook.com/MosesBrownSchool | Youtube.com/MosesBrownSchoolNews | mosesbrownblog.wordpress.com | twitter. com/MosesBrown | Instagram.com/mosesbrownschool | MB Connects app

Printer: Colonial Printing, Warwick, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council Cupola is produced by the offices of Communications & Community Engagement and Alumni Relations for alumni and friends of Moses Brown. Your feedback is welcome. 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. www. mosesbrown.org

FPO

Dialogue and the sharing of diverse perspectives are key ingredients of a vibrant and sustainable learning community.

Lesson Building A letter from Matt Glendinning, Head of School Plant Manager Kevin Perry (right) talks with Matt in MB’s new heating plant underneath the Woodman Center. Kevin will celebrate 20 years at Moses Brown this spring. Just about everyone who ever attended school has a memory of a particularly influential teacher. One of mine was my third grade teacher, Ms. Wixon, who put me and a few friends in charge of the class newspaper drive. Another was Mr. Chavonelle, from 11th grade English, who asked if I’d be willing to help a classmate with his writing. Although I didn’t recognize it at the time, those overtures — seemingly so casual — had a profound impact on me, as I eventually began to see myself as a scholar, a teacher, and a potential leader. The annals of Moses Brown history are full of such stories. In response to my outreach to alumni at the start of my tenure in 2009, Geoff Nelson ’01 shared this memory with me: “ The best thing I can say about Moses Brown is that my education and experience there inspired me to teach. Sandy Richter, Lenke Wood, and Ransom Griffin were huge influences and inspirations during my high school years. In my current classroom, I use exercises and pedagogy patterned after my favorite high school teachers, such was my belief in the power of their personalities and tools.” One thing I’ve discovered about Moses Brown is that such moments of transformation aren’t just relics of the past, nor are they the product of classroom experience alone. Instead, profound conversation and learning are happening everywhere at MB and many great teachers are walking our halls undetected. Take Kevin Perry, our plant manager, for example. In my first summer on the job, I asked Kevin to show me around MB’s historic, 33-acre campus. Eight mornings later I “graduated” 4

from an exhaustive, well-planned series of two-hour tours, each including detailed information about MB’s legendary tunnels, our heating plant, even his love of jogging. Kevin’s deep knowledge and infectious enthusiasm were gifts that helped me forge an understanding of MB’s infrastructure and the confidence to steward it into the future. In my time at MB I’ve also been taught by many MB students and parents. Some of my fondest experiences come from watching students serve as teachers, e.g., during the fourth grade immigration fair, the eighth grade Rube Goldberg machine demos, or senior project presentations. And I can’t help but think that the success and momentum of MB Believes: A Campaign for Learning, People, and Place stems from the community-wide exploration that informed our strategic planning process. Dialogue and the sharing of diverse perspectives are key ingredients of a vibrant and sustainable learning community. This issue of Cupola is devoted to people, and in it you’ll meet folks like Denise Monk who has been a part of MB’s dining program for 35 years, and Ian Gilby ’92, a professor at Arizona State University who studies the evolutionary origins of human cooperation. Both teachers and learners alike, they all exemplify and embody curiosity, care for others, and a commitment to excellence — the very conditions that have been transforming young minds at Moses Brown for 233 years.

MB announces new director of global education

News from Moses Brown Today

Moses Brown welcomes Dr. Gara Field (center) as Director of Global Education. An acclaimed and innovative educator with deep experience working with children and faculty at all levels, Gara will oversee MB’s applied learning, travel, and service learning programs. Gara was previously principal at Providence’s Pleasant View Elementary School, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Georgia, a teacher and administrator at New Hampton School and Pace Academy, and an instructor for Outward Bound. Named the Providence Elementary Principal of the Year in 2013, Gara is a published and nationally-recognized scholar who was featured on PBS’s News Hour, and in 2014 she was invited to the White House to discuss her work.

Welcome, new board members MB welcomes four new members to the Board of Trustees this year (left to right): Stephen Thomas P’27 ’30, Jane Dietze P’20 ’23, and Kaplan Mobray ’90. Jim Procaccianti ’76 P’19 ’23 also joined the board.

Kudos to new upper school history teacher Kelena Reid, chosen to co-present at NAIS’ People of Color Conference. Kelena presented on “counterstories” — expressions of experience beyond the dominant narrative — which can empower students, reposition teachers, and help guide institutional change. She joined MB’s humanities department this fall.

MB is currently engaged in a partnership to support girls’ education in Nepal. A contingent of Nepali teachers from Hands in Outreach recently visited MB to shadow teachers here. This visit is part of an effort to improve education in Nepal by providing training and resources for teachers there. MB hopes to send faculty to Nepal this summer; they’ll share their expertise with teachers, while exploring the potential of a possible student service trip in the future. See page 21 for an update on Yangchen Lama ’94, a graduate of the HIO program and MB.

Kudos >M iddle school teacher Graham Holland’s article “Talking about Presidential Elections in a Divided Age” made the front cover of the fall edition of Chronicles of Quaker Education. > After a competitive process, Rachel Moulton, head of the upper school, was selected to spend two weeks writing at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown last summer. She also was accepted to a novel writing workshop in Lake Tahoe, California this spring, sponsored by Writing by Writers. We’re looking forward to reading the results! 5

Senior Tianlan Jiang Recognized as a Top R.I. Scholastic Artist

Moses Brown was pleased to welcome Matt Southworth to campus in November to speak to upper school students. A member of New England Yearly Meeting and an Iraq War veteran, Matt served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence analyst. He now works for Wilmington College after holding positions at the American Red Cross, Friends Committee on National Legislation in D.C., and serving on the board of directors of Veterans for Peace.

Congrats to senior Tina Jiang, who won a Gold Medal in Digital Art in last year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She was recognized in a ceremony at Carnegie Hall, and her work was displayed in Washington, D.C. Receiving a National Medal places Jiang within the top 1% of all submissions. She was one of only two students recognized from Rhode Island.

Leslie Caito-Jones has joined the athletic department as program coordinator. Leslie is known to many at MB for her service over 17 years as head field hockey coach. She has led teams to six state championships and countless division championships during her tenure.

Congratulations to this year’s Class of ’48 Award recipients: seniors Ghazi Ghumann, Sydney Jenkins, Brigid Kennedy, James Lombardi, Jared Schott, and Abigail Siegel, joined by Lucy and Gene Tortolani ’48, Fran Sargent ’48, and Jane Marsello, wife of the late Bob Marsello ’48.

Community service day Upper school started the school year with its annual Community Service Day in September. Students helped at Amos House, Coggeshall Farm Museum, Wanskuck Library, Peace and Plenty Park, Crossroads Women’s Shelter, Reading Owls International, Waterman Dog Park, Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, and Conimicut Point Park with Save the Bay. Civics students conducted a voter drive, and teams of citizen-scientists launched an exciting pilot program with the Providence Parks Department to identify and map invasive plant species at Neutaconkanut Hill and Blackstone Park. 6

In December, MB hosted an Early Childhood Educators Conference for local teachers. “I felt there was a need for a conference focused on early childhood education, specifically for teachers at independent schools,” says preprimary’s Allie Weitberg Spurling ’96 (right). With 30 participants attending from ten schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, it was an exciting and engaging day of listening, sharing, and collaborating.

This past fall, Sarah Kay from Project Voice shared her poetry and conducted workshops with middle school students.

Top right: Robotics and engineering offerings continue to expand in the lower school. All grades now have a new engineering unit in science. Lower school also piloted an 11-week engineering course for third through fifth grades using curriculum from the Boston Museum of Science.

MB Senior Named All-American for Soccer Poom Mera ’17 (above left) was one of three Rhode Island students named an NSCAA All-New England selection, and the only Rhode Island school soccer player named an NSCAA All-American. This is the first time in MB history an MB student has been named an NSCAA All-American for soccer. In addition, Coach Eric Aaronian (at right) was again recognized as R.I. Private School Coach of the Year and the boys’ soccer team won the Division II Sportsmanship Award for its seventh year in a row. Additionally, the team completed an undefeated season (17-0-2) and won the DII State Championship, their first state title since winning the DIII Championship in 2007.

In October, MB hosted a team of educators from Friends schools as part of our membership renewal process for the Friends Council on Education. The visiting team will offer helpful feedback as MB strengthens its mission as a Friends school.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza hosted officials from China at MB this fall to learn about education in the U.S. Sinjon Goldberg ’17 welcomed the visitors in Mandarin.

Talking about People Current community members on what one person can do.

Navyn Salem P ’19 ’19

Jon Gold

Parent

Middle School History

“I thought, ‘Do I have time for this? No. Can I afford not to? No.’”

“Middle schoolers are far more capable than anyone realizes, even themselves!”

The foil pouches are white, smaller than a pocket notepad. Inside is a sweet, squeezable mixture of peanuts, powdered milk, vegetable oils, sweet whey, sugar, vitamins, and minerals. Three packets a day, seven days a week, for seven weeks. That’s the formula that brings a toddler on the brink of starvation back to roly-poly health. If anything qualifies as a miracle, surely this must. The product is Plumpy’Nut, developed in France and now additionally produced by Edesia, a social enterprise founded by MB parent Navyn Salem. Raised in Connecticut, the daughter of a Tanzanian father who came to the USA thanks to a USAID scholarship, Salem was aware of social justice issues from a young age. “My Quaker mom used to make us paint protest signs and march in the street with her,” she says, “and she said that if you see injustice, you must act.” Navyn began her career as an account coordinator at Monster.com and rose through the ranks, becoming a director of operations and vice president — all before age 26. After marrying her husband Paul, she invested her time, energy, and intellect into raising four daughters. When her youngest were toddlers, Navyn decided to rejoin the workforce. “I needed a better reason to go back to work than advertising,” she says. “I had seen firsthand many of the issues confronting people in poverty in Africa, so I asked myself, ‘What’s not 8

being talked about?” The answer was simple, obvious, and overlooked. “Malnutrition was killing about five million children a year worldwide,” she says. As she pondered the issue and whether to tackle it, a curious moral algebra came into play. “I thought, ‘Do I have time for this? No. Can I afford not to? No.’” And so two negatives multiplied into a powerful positive. Navyn learned about Plumpy’Nut through 60 Minutes. Her phone calls to Nutriset went unreturned, so — refusing to take non for an answer — the Salems boarded a plane to Paris ostensibly for their anniversary, but really to make an introduction in person. Non became oui. From Navyn’s home office, Edesia emerged. Now, over four million malnourished children in 48 countries have been reached by UNICEF, the World Food Programme, USAID and USDA, using Plumpy’Nut and a full range of ready-to-use foods that Edesia makes right here in Rhode Island. With a new state-of-the-art factory in Quonset, and a dedicated workforce of 70 — including refugees from many of the countries they serve — Navyn’s nonprofit has become a force in reducing the world’s alarming rates of malnutrition. The impact of this work is evident in giant photos of children that adorn the factory, but even more palpable in the warehouse. There, white boxes are stacked 60 feet high — every $50 box a child’s life. As you walk down the rows, you can touch them, miracle after miracle after miracle. For more information or to donate, visit www.edesianutrition.org.

Jon Gold enjoys a bit of YouTube celebrity thanks to his Hamilton performance with Graham Holland that rocked June’s middle school talent show, but students know him best as a passionate scholar of history. “History is a composite of stories — some true, some not, some unheard, promulgated or silenced by those in power — that require rigorous interrogation in the classroom,” Jon wrote in Teaching Tolerance, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s magazine. “We learn which questions to ask and how to answer them through research and investigative inquiry.” There’s a distinctive energy in Jon’s classroom. “Middle schoolers are far more capable than anyone realizes, even themselves!” he says. “I challenge them to rise above their sense of their limitations, while embracing their youth and uncertainty. They enjoy the fact that we’re doing real work and I’m taking their ideas seriously, but we also have fun while we learn.” Jon constantly reassesses the curriculum. “History is always changing as new information and new ideas emerge,” he says. “We wouldn’t be honoring our discipline if we stuck with the same stuff every year.” Jon writes for Teaching Tolerance’s blog on such topics as critical literacy, teaching amidst political polarization, and the unsung heroes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. There’s a benefit to students: “When I insist that students tweak a paragraph or rewrite a whole section of an essay, I can draw upon my own professional experience to help them understand the value of a robust process. As I tell my students, working with them on their writing is the best part of the job — I’m secretly an English teacher who just happens to teach history.”

Denise Monk Food Services “I heard from a young lady just the other day. She thanked me for giving her lunch when she didn’t have enough money. I couldn’t let her go hungry. She remembers, and so do I.”

In October, Denise Monk was having an awful day, with three big spills during the lunch rush. “Then I was told there was a package waiting for me out on the front steps.” But instead of a package, she found Head of School Matt Glendinning and hundreds of students and colleagues on the Front Circle — just for her. They burst into song, with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” that honored both her 60th birthday and 35 years of service. Head cashier in the cafeteria for more than 25 years, Denise joined MB’s staff in 1981. “For the boarders, I was receptionist,” she recalls. “I cooked their dinners and did housekeeping.” Now she starts

her day at 6:30 a.m., making the coffee, starting up the rotating toaster, setting out the breakfast pastry. A steady stream of students, faculty, and staff diners keeps her busy till 3:00 p.m. She keeps an eye on what the kids are eating: “I’ll say, ‘Where’s your protein? If you don’t eat right, you won’t be any good in school.’” After the cafeteria closes, she supervises students in the Woodman Café until 6:00 p.m. In her years of service, Denise has amassed a wealth of stories. “Years ago, I saved the school from burning down.” she says, “There was a fire in the kitchen. The cook ran out as fast as he could, but

I grabbed the fire extinguisher.” When one of the grounds crew got his hand caught in a snowblower, Denise jumped in: “I put on a tourniquet. Then I called 911.” Times may change, but the best part of Denise’s job stays constant. “I love the kids,” she says. “They’ve been my life.” Alumni make a point of visiting Denise when they come back. “A lot of ‘kids’ keep in touch with me on Facebook,” she says. “I heard from a young lady just the other day. She thanked me for giving her lunch when she didn’t have enough money. I couldn’t let her go hungry. She remembers, and so do I.”

Mason Wiesner ’24 Student Chat with fifth grader Mason Wiesner and you’ll get the true “lower school confidential,” and that’s before he even dons his trademark fedora. With a full year behind him, he’s new enough to appreciate MB’s differences and candid enough to tell you exactly what he thinks. “MB is sophisticated, thorough, and fun,” Mason says. “You get to do a lot here — art, music, and PE, in addition to basic subjects. And you have two recesses! I love it. Moses Brown will probably be the best school I go to!” If you’re wondering what the Class of 2024 is like, Mason observes the school motto. “Sometimes we can be a little bad!” he confides. “But we’re still very good. I hope people know that we are listening, even when it seems we are just talking with our friends — we’re talking about what we’re learning.” A Quaker and member of Providence Meeting, Mason hopes to repay what the Meeting has done for him: “I’m at MB because of scholarships and the Meeting’s generosity,” he says. “That’s what helped me to be here. I want to give back however I can.” He appreciated the chance to serve as an ambassador at fall Open House. “I would tell people outside of MB that Moses Brown is a very good school,” he says, “and they should go to it. If you do go, expect a lot. That’s what I did, I expected a lot and I got that.”

“I’m at MB because of scholarships and the Meeting’s generosity,” he says. “That’s what helped me to be here. I want to give back however I can.”

It’s Here!

“We see this as part of our role in Providence, to promote the intellectual, artistic, and civic vitality that has always been a strength here.”

MB Celebrates Opening of Woodman Family Community & Performance Center Despite chilly weather, hearts were warm in December as Moses Brown hosted hundreds at the new Woodman Family Community & Performance Center. A brief ribbon-cutting took place after school, followed by a “housewarming” during which guests explored MB’s newest building. At times, if felt like more of a “houseswarming” — with so many interesting rooms, nooks, crannies, and features to discover. Students excitedly claimed the space and darted about to explore every inch, the youngest walking hand in hand with parents, and upper schoolers posing for pictures with Moses Brown himself. It began to feel like a true school space right away, with backpacks piled near the door. Students have been eagerly making their way “to Woodman” ever since. Situated at the center of the MB campus, the Woodman Center replaces Alumni Hall as MB’s primary performance venue and community gathering space. Built in 1867 when the student body was 225, Alumni Hall will transform into the Y-Lab, an engineering and design/maker space, coming this fall.

Woodman Debut The Goldner Stage (the main theater space in the Woodman Center) demonstrated its versatility at the housewarming, with thespians and musicians, roving pirates, middle school dancers, Romeo and Juliet, and a robot cameo. Since its debut, Woodman has hosted music concerts, a gospel performance, meeting for worship, and rehearsals for middle school’s staging of The Lion King, which goes up in February. The new building features professional sound and lighting and overhead catwalks, and 10

the flexible staging lets students perform in proscenium, thrust, or in-the-round. Visitors and students are enjoying use of the Mackenzie Lobby and Ellwood Music and Theater Studio and the Class of 2014 Café has been a popular destination for students, families, faculty, and staff. Student art on display in the new Silver-Haspel Family and Knibb Family Galleries adds to the clear sense that the Woodman Center is the new center of artistic life at MB.

Giving Back The building is named for the family of Dean Woodman ’46 (the fourth of five generations to attend Moses Brown), the great-grandson of former headmaster Augustine Jones (Class of 1854). Dean (second from right) attributes his love of learning to his time at Moses Brown. “MB instilled in me a commitment to the pursuit of excellence,” he says. He earned a degree from Amherst, served in the Naval Air Corps, and enjoyed a distinguished career as an investment banker, though perhaps his most meaningful investment was in his son Nick’s fledgling startup — GoPro. In 2013, the Woodmans made the largest gift in school history to create the new community and performance center. Family members from around the country, including Curtis Woodman ‘78, a professional jazz pianist, joined in the celebration.

Unique Design At 36,000 square feet, the Woodman Center is one of the largest projects in MB’s 233-year history. The building features flexible architecture unlike anything found in the Northeast. Based on an original concept by Chicagobased architect Trung Le, designed by Providence-based Durkee, Brown, Viveiros & Werenfels Architects, and built by Providence-based Shawmut Construction, with DEC Consulting as the school’s project manager, the Woodman Center features telescoping seating and hydraulic flooring that enables a quick transition between a 475-seat raked theater and a flat-floored black box or exhibition hall. “The challenge with many school theaters,” says Head of School Matt Glendinning, “is that they sit empty about half the time due to the fixed seating.” The new building is flexible enough to accommodate all the ways MB gathers as a community — for theater, music, art and cultural exhibitions, social functions, and meeting for worship.

After the opening, the Woodman Center welcomed its first community group: the Prism of Praise gospel choir, for its 25th anniversary concert. “It is our hope that the Woodman Center will be utilized by a variety of community organizations once it opens,” says Matt Glendinning. “We see this as part of our role in Providence, to promote the intellectual, artistic, and civic vitality that has always been a strength here.” In the year ahead, the Woodman Center will host lower school sings, middle and upper school plays and concerts, poet Yusef Komunyakaa, a screening of Landfill Harmonic, and more. The housewarming marked a significant milestone in MB Believes: A Campaign for Learning, People, and Place, the largest fundraising effort in school history (www. mbbelieves.org). To date, the campaign has generated more than $36 million in contributions from 2,791 people, toward an overall objective of $56.5 million, a record goal for independent schools in the Providence area. 11

Gifts in Action

From a Kitchen Table in Taunton to the 50th Reunion Peter Lacaillade ’67 “pays it forward” with $1 million scholarship gift A winter day in 1965, in Taunton, Massachusetts: a teenage boy opened the door for the man from Moses Brown. At a track meet, Peter Lacaillade had so impressed Coach Doc Odell that he asked to meet the boy’s parents. They sat down together at the kitchen table. As Peter tells it, “I went to Coyle High School in Taunton, and Doc asked if I’d ever thought about Moses Brown.” From that moment on, Peter gave it a lot of thought; he applied and earned a scholarship. “Peter was gung-ho, right off the bat,” Doc recalls. “He wanted to be a boarding student, to leave Taunton.” Mark Estes, a classmate, friend, and former MB Board Clerk, recalls, “Peter was a gifted athlete and record-setting track star. As a transfer student, he worked hard and got up to speed academically remarkably quickly. He was equally quick at earning the respect of students, coaches, and faculty.” Moses Brown was the right environment for Peter to develop his gift for leadership, Doc believes: “He was an organizer, and he wasn’t afraid to speak 12

his mind.” As a scholarship boy, Peter worked at the front desk and in the dining hall, and Mark recalls that Peter had to pass up the popular senior trip to Bermuda. “Peter was sincere, humorous, mature, thoughtful, inclusive, and always at the center of the social scene — including getting a premier band for our senior prom,” Mark says. Three months before graduation, Peter found himself back at the kitchen table in Taunton. His father died suddenly. “I hadn’t known he was so sick,” Peter says. Doc recalls Peter’s father as a modest gentleman who came to track meets when he could. “I was as shocked as Peter was, when he died,” Doc says. “After the funeral, he didn’t stay home for long. He wanted to be here.” The community rallied around Peter. “Those were tough days,” he says, “but you get through it.” Mark recalls, “Doc was Peter’s biggest supporter and champion, establishing a relationship of mutual admiration and affection that has guided both for over half a century.”

After college, Peter built a career in finance in New York, selling institutional fixed income bonds. For the past 18 years, he has run Certified Oil, a multimillion-dollar company with 650 employees. “It’s not surprising that Peter has found such personal and professional success,” Mark observes. “He clearly understands how pivotal his MB experience was to his confidence, personal happiness, and professional success.” As he looks forward to his 50th class reunion, Peter and his wife Connie want to leave something permanent for future generations. As others reached out to help him a half-century ago, Peter is paying it forward, with a $1 million gift to create an endowed scholarship. “If you can help people change their lives, you should do it!” he says. “Peter came up the hard way, like a Horatio Alger story,” Doc reflects. “Luck was with him, but he made his own luck, too. He came a long way from Taunton.”

Now the Hard Work Begins There has been much to celebrate at MB — the Woodman Center is open, we’ve made investments in exciting new educational programs, and we’re awarding record levels of scholarship support to 25% of MB students. All of this, thanks to almost 2,800 donors who contributed an unprecedented $36.4 million to the MB Believes campaign in the past 3 ½ years. So with all this success, why does the hard work begin now? Over the course of a five-year campaign it’s easy to get complacent. Many campaigns slow (or even stall) after a wave of early success. And, our goals are historically ambitious, with over $20 million still to raise by June 2018 to reach our $56.5 million objective. That’s $1 million a month for the next 18 months!

Strong Foundation Adrian Hendricks, Class of ’58, shares why he’s given to MB for 30+ years More than six decades ago, Adrian Hendricks ’58 and Moses Brown School took a critical step together. “Since that fateful day when I became one of the school’s first African-American students, Moses Brown has been a part of me,” he explains. A native of Rutherford, New Jersey, he was selected as part of a program to integrate private schools in the Northeast. “The warm welcome I received and the excellent educational experience and opportunity to grow as a young man has sustained my loyalty to Moses Brown,” he says. “I benefited from friendships with other boarders and day students whose backgrounds were quite different than mine.” Like many alumni, Adrian credits the faculty for his strong foundation. “I became a more focused student under the Masters’ stern but helpful guidance,” he says. “The rigorous education I received at MB eased the transition to Penn as an undergraduate and later to grad school at Temple.” Adrian has contributed to the Moses Brown Fund consistently for more than 30 years. “Moses Brown gave me so much that it has been only natural for me to maintain my allegiance and support as a loyal donor.”

So how do we recommit ourselves to these bold and transformative plans? My answer is to stay focused on the children. $20 million is not just a number, it’s a new young engineer who discovers her talent in our Y-lab. It’s 30–50 high-achieving students who attend MB thanks to scholarships and create a more vibrant and challenging learning community. It’s a child who discovers how to learn — and that he loves it — at an early age in our expanded and enhanced lower school. So, yes, the hardest work lies ahead, but nothing truly meaningful is ever easy. When we think of what this means for MB children, the question isn’t ‘how can we do this,’ but rather ‘how could we not?’

Ron Dalgliesh, Assistant Head of School for Institutional Affairs 13

Facilitating Good

People

Unlike our usual weekly meetings in Alumni Hall, the last Quaker meeting of my senior year at MB was in the Meeting House off Olney Street, and it was packed with the graduating class of 1989 and our families and friends. I noticed a woman wearing a polka-dotted dress a few rows from where I sat. I hadn’t uttered a word in Quaker meeting for four years, but that day I stood and spoke about how each of us were like individual polka dots, about to scatter into the world, and about the yet-to-be-seen amazing things we would all do. My fascination with human behavior and our collective potential led me to a career in Organization Development (OD) where I work to create positive change in business settings through an understanding of individual and group psychology. While I had no idea this field existed when I was in high school, my MB experience encouraged my curiosity and equipped me with valuable tools. Whether it was studying Shakespeare and poetry with Ransom Griffin or understanding sound waves with a giant slinky in Tom Gagnon’s physics class, MB teachers and coaches knew how to cultivate an environment of learning. This skill is something I now help corporate leaders to uncover in themselves so that they can unleash the creativity and ability of their employees. The theme for this Cupola is People. The remarkable people within this issue’s pages come from richly varied backgrounds and are each making a unique and lasting impact on the world around them. Aside from — and I’m certain in part because of — Moses Brown, what ties all of these people together is a desire to make a meaningful difference in our interconnected world. While at Moses Brown, Holly Coxe Brittingham ’89 was a vital member of MB’s Residential Community. Holly came from Maine to board at MB. Currently at FCB, Holly is the agency’s SVP for Global Talent & Organization Development and has spearheaded a reinvention of its diversity and inclusion programs, leveraging neuroscience research to illustrate the impact of implicit bias in business decisions. She has led OD efforts at EMC and Fidelity Investments, supporting leaders in large-scale transformation efforts. She’s even consulted with the Miami Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium to improve the guest experience in advance of Super Bowl XLI. Holly has a BA from Colby College, a MSOD from American University, and a coaching certificate from Fielding Graduate University. 15

Ian Gilby ‘92 People & Other Primates Photo: Kara Walker

No creature on earth cooperates quite like Homo sapiens. Lions and wolves hunt in packs, but people will even team up with total strangers. How and when did this develop? To better understand human collective action, we can learn from our primate cousins. Ian Gilby ’92 has been studying chimpanzees in the wild for nearly 20 years. He is assistant professor at Arizona State University’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change and the co-director of the Jane Goodall Institute database, which contains over 50 years of data collected at Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Ian’s research explores the evolution of human cooperation through the lens of behavioral ecology. With long-term data and field observations of wild chimpanzees, he investigates cooperative hunting, territory defense, food sharing, coalitionary aggression, and social bonds. “Some animals may work together, but their motivation is unclear,” he explains. “It’s an evolutionary puzzle: why help someone else, especially if it is costly to you? For example, chimps hunt small prey, usually monkeys, and then share the meat with each other. Meat is rare and nutritionally valuable; evolutionarily speaking, they should keep it for themselves. Humans have social reasons for sharing: friendship or family, bargaining for the future. Are these uniquely human tendencies? Since humans and chimps share an ancestor, studying chimps helps us piece together our evolutionary history.” At Carleton College in Minnesota, Ian majored in biology. “I thought I wanted to be a vet, but I didn’t really know what my options were,” he recalls. He lived in the wild for a summer in North Carolina, 16

putting radio collars on black bears and tracking them, then studied wolves, bears, bobcats, and foxes at the Wildlife Science Center in Minnesota, and assisted the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group at the Minnesota Zoo. “More than medicine, I realized I was drawn to animal behavior and how it is shaped by ecology and evolution,” he explains. “I became particularly interested in social behavior; what are the costs and benefits of group living?” Ian pursued a Ph.D. in the University of Minnesota’s department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior. Anne Pusey, his advisor, had been one of Jane Goodall’s first students at Gombe in the 1970s. “Jane had shifted her focus to conservation, and Anne was beginning to organize and digitize the chimpanzee data,” he says. Ian and Anne worked well together, and Ian recognized the potential of chimps for his own research. After postdocs at Harvard and Duke, Ian joined the faculty at Arizona State University three years ago. “I’m incredibly lucky to be here,” he says. “For anthropology, there’s no place like this in the world: a huge faculty with a common interest in humanity, studying human origins, behavior, genetics, archeology, etc.” Ian’s position is in the interdisciplinary School of Human Evolution and Social Change, which marshals the power of anthropology, global health, and environmental social science to tackle such challenges as disease, conflict, and declining resources. Dividing his time between teaching and his Gombe work, Ian laughs, “Each is a full-time job!” He and Anne Pusey are co-directors of the Gombe database, which contains decades of data on the daily lives of hundreds of chimpanzees living in Gombe National Park. The database’s behavioral, genetic, spatial, and hormonal information is an unparalleled resource for understanding the behavior and evolution of one of humanity’s closest relatives. “While I was doing my dissertation, I spent three months each year in the field in Tanzania, for four years,” he says. “Now I only go for a few weeks to check in with the staff. It’s less often than I’d like, but enough to remind me why I do it.” Chimps are inherently challenging to study. “They have what we call a fission-fusion social system: unlike many

social animals, a group of chimps is almost never all together. Instead, they’ll be scattered throughout their range in small subgroups; we may not see some animals for months,” Ian explains. “They live for 50 or 60 years, so it can take years to understand, through differential reproductive success, which behaviors are favored by natural selection.” The sheer size of the Gombe database presents challenges, too. “It’s a treasure, but it can feel daunting to be sitting on over 50 years of data. It’s an awful lot of work to mine it for answers, and it can be tricky to raise grant money for analysis.” “On the other hand, I’m lucky to

study a charismatic creature that the public loves,” Ian says, “and to have the financial support of the Jane Goodall Institute, which funds much of the data collection. Jane herself is an incredible colleague, an inspiration.” In addition, teaching brings its own rewards. “Any teacher loves seeing a student light up with understanding, inspired to learn something new or realizing what they want to pursue,” Ian says. “I know those epiphanies well.” With the benefit of hindsight, Ian believes his path began at Moses Brown, feeding his interests in science, writing, and the outdoors. “Tom Andrew taught me to communicate well in writing,

how to structure papers. Jamie German introduced me to the scientific method, though I was a terrible chemistry student,” he laughs. As captain of the cross-country team, he logged many miles and hours on the trail, and has fond memories of Doc Odell screaming “Gilby! Get Moving!” from his gold VW Beetle. And while cooperation is a trait shared by chimps and humans, Ian draws a distinction between that and the kind of community found at MB. “Chimps form strong bonds, but for the most part, their cooperation is driven by immediately selfish motives,” he says. “The kind of community that Quakers represent is uniquely human.” All chimp photos copyright Ian Gilby

“Chimps form strong bonds, but for the most part, their cooperation is driven by immediately selfish motives,” he says. “The kind of community that Quakers represent is uniquely human.”

“Anything is possible if you believe in yourself. Believing in yourself also means believing in others.”

Michael Fargnoli ’92: A Great Ride From Moses Brown to Disney World to Hadley’s Hope, Michael Fargnoli has spent his life crafting experiences people will remember. As a child, Michael was enamored with the fantasy world that Walt Disney World presented. How did everything come together to work seamlessly to create the park’s magic? With a dream of working at the park to see that magic from the inside, Michael packed his bags and headed south to Saint Leo University to study music and psychology. Recruiters for the Disney College Program came to campus that year, and hired Michael as a summer Cast Member in the Liberty Inn (part of EPCOT’s American Adventure) for the summer of ’93. The following summer he sailed as a seasonal Cast Member on the Jungle Cruise, and in 1995 he transferred to Disney-MGM Studios and The Great Movie Ride. Bringing people on a journey from classic movies of the 1930’s to modern day films, Michael has worked that attraction for the last 17 years, and says the ride changed his life. Michael likens the experience to being a part of a long-running Broadway show: Cast may come and go, but the vibe stays the same. “I feel like I grew up at the Great Movie Ride,” he says, sharing that 18

he went from being the shy kid who talked to no one to someone who organized social events and recognition programs. “It’s become a huge part of my life. Over the past 17 years I’ve done everything: played parts, operated the ride, trained all the roles, doing show observation, and Cast recognition.” In addition to these responsibilities, Michael is the coordinator of training for the Toy Story Mania attraction and the Muppet*Vision 3D show, teaching others to create seamless magic for visitors. Moses Brown provided Michael with the building blocks of creativity to be himself, and he gives a lot of credit to Judith Lewis, former librarian and his advisor. “She was instrumental in my growth as a student and as a young man. Being a teenager is not an easy thing, and her bright, smiling face and always-positive attitude helped me keep my chin up in those difficult times all teenagers face.” Michael still keeps in touch with her via Facebook. “That is the part of MB I cherished the most, the care that each teacher and staff member gave to the students. These are the people and memories that have lasted a lifetime for me.” He uses that care he received at MB to guide him in his training at Disney. “Anything is possible if you believe in yourself. Believing in yourself also means believing in others. I believed in people along the way and formed partnerships that have lasted many years built on creativity and music — this is how dreams come true.” Michael dreamed of finding the magic behind Disney. The confidence in himself he gained once there led him to finally getting over his nerves and starting his own band. “When you find something that you love to do — no matter how scary it is at first, go for it and never stop going for it.”

Nancy Han ’88: People Business “I knew that the images and stories on TV shaped our perceptions of other people and the world and I wanted to have a voice in that process.”

From Seoul, South Korea to Cranston to West 57th Street in New York, Nancy Han has always had a mental map for where she wanted to go. This kind of focus helped her land a journalism job in the news capital of the world — and a workday that has started as early as 3 a.m. By her junior year at MB, Nancy knew she wanted to pursue journalism as a career — broadcast journalism to be specific. “My family watched the news religiously,” she says. “Every morning, The Today Show was on, and in the evening, NBC Nightly News. Seeing stories on the news and the way people were portrayed stirred something in me. I knew that the images and stories on TV shaped our perceptions of other people and the world and I wanted to have a voice in that process.” Today she’s doing just that. As recently-appointed senior producer for CBS This Morning, Nancy finds the stories that lead the sunrise shows every day. In the morning, every story is a people story. Nancy works closely with Charlie Rose, Gayle King, and Norah O’Donnell to keep CBS competitive in the ratings, providing a lively format while retaining an important focus on solid news. She relishes the high-stakes environment of the newsroom. Nancy has been the executive producer of major live event coverage, from breaking news to royal weddings, state funerals, and national elections. On September 11, she was working as a producer at WNBC-TV in New York City and took the station to air for 15 hours of continuous live coverage.

Nancy began her broadcast career not far from Moses Brown, at WLNE on Orms Street, where she was hired as an associate producer with a freshly-minted NYU journalism degree in hand. She went on to win numerous awards for her work, including an Emmy and a New York Press Club Award. Today she is also an adjunct professor at her alma mater, teaching the same class that she took as an undergraduate. Nancy joined MB in the ninth grade and is grateful for the education she received here. She says the writing skills she learned at MB have helped her succeed in the competitive world of news. “I consider myself fortunate to have gone to Moses Brown,” she says. “You take it for granted as a kid. But you really begin to appreciate it as you get older, starting in college, then as you start to work; it really hits you when you have children of your own and education becomes a priority again. I will always remember the closeness of the community there, the weekly meetings, talented teachers, small classrooms, and the openness of the culture.” As a student, Nancy also loved the threesports requirement, perhaps a preview of her need for action. MB is where Nancy learned how much she enjoyed factual writing. Creative writing, not so much. “That class was one of the toughest things I had to do!” she recalls. History class felt more comfortable to her; she thrived when asked to describe actual events. Now she writes about history in the making and loves her chosen line of work. Nancy embraces the challenges of the changing media landscape and how, despite changing formats, it’s still the place for people and their stories. So much has changed in the last decade in news consumption, with the arrival of online channels like Twitter, Buzzfeed, and YouTube. “The explosion of online news, video sites, and social media platforms has completely altered the way stories are reported and shared. It’s created new ways for people to connect and interact,” Nancy says. “It’s made the world feel smaller, and I think that’s a good thing.” 19

Alexander Egan ’03 A walk in the park

Alexander Egan’s day starts early as he awakes to run in Central Park prior to arriving at work before dawn. He is not only enjoying the dirt paths, trees, and scenes, but also inspecting the Park before it fills with thousands of visitors. Alex is associate VP for Operations Management at the Central Park Conservancy, a New York nonprofit which aims to restore, manage, and enhance Central Park. Alex is a key agent in overseeing the park’s 843 acres and helping to provide a positive experience for 42 million annual visitors. The Conservancy is responsible for all maintenance, capital improvements, and restoration, and provides 75% of Central Park’s $67 million annual operating budget. Although he’s worked hard to get there, it’s not a surprising job for a young man who loved the country and came to school in the city. Having grown up in the rural town of Foster, a burg well-known for its forests and snowfall, Alex developed an affinity for nature and land preservation. At MB he was an involved student, known for his integrity, leadership, and optimism. He served on the Discipline Committee and worked on The Quaker. Alex also learned to appreciate the value of public service, assisting with Hope High School’s summer program

and as a member of Foster’s Volunteer Ambulance corps. Playing soccer, hockey, golf, track, and tennis taught him about teamwork and leadership and instilled an interest in fitness which continues today; his favorite day of the year is running the NYC Marathon and seeing 50,000 fellow runners finish in Central Park. Alex went on to earn a BA from Skidmore College, an MA in political science from URI, a MA in public administration from Columbia University, and attended the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School. These degrees prepared him for a role in which he enjoys and supports one of the world’s most iconic — and utilized — urban parks. Alex sees a connection between the missions of Central Park Conservancy and Moses Brown. “Both landmark institutions exist because of private donations; both are committed to sustaining and providing a legacy for future generations,” he says. One of the most frequent questions Alex gets is, “Do you have an office in the Park?” He does and encourages any alumni to reach out for a tour if they live in or are visiting NYC — the morning run is optional.

“Teachers created a learning environment which allowed me to grow in my own style.” Gail Samdperil ’81 Training up Gail Samdperil tells her college students, “Whatever you do in life, do it with passion.” Gail’s passion is teaching. “That started at Moses Brown,” she says. “I’m where I am today because of MB.” When Gail enrolled at MB in tenth grade, the school had only recently opened its doors to girls. “Dave Burnham, new as headmaster, created a culture from the top down and the bottom up. We all felt part of it,” she recalls. “Teachers created a learning environment which allowed me to grow in my own style. Mr. Snedecor in math, Mr. Leonard in English, Mr. Scofield in ceramics — their teaching was studentcentered, even 30 years ago. They were so 20

engaging and passionate, they shaped me to be the educator I am. I try to create a similar classroom environment.” Coaches were role models, too. “In basketball, I spent most of my time on the sidelines,” she laughs, “but I learned so much, talking with our coach Kathy MacLeod: there’s a wonderful picture of us in the yearbook, watching a game.” As an athlete, Gail was fascinated by the human body and how it moves. At Boston University, an anatomy class inspired her to pursue athletic training as a career. She added a master’s degree at UNC, and came back to Boston to work at Northeastern and BU as the trainer for

basketball, soccer, and field hockey teams before shifting to a faculty role. Sacred Heart University recruited her to launch their undergraduate programs in athletic training and exercise science. She’s now Sacred Heart’s clinical associate professor of athletic training and associate dean in SHU’s College of Health Professions. Gail no longer sees patients as a clinician, but visits the training room every week with her student trainers. “I’m genuinely proud to be an alumna of Moses Brown,” Gail says. “I’ve never been the smartest person in the room,” she laughs, “but I’m smart enough to learn from those around me. MB taught me that.”

Yangchen “YC” Lama ’94 Looking forward

Eliza Draper Gardiner ’1892 Artful alumna leaves her mark

Renowned for her color woodblock prints of children, Eliza Draper Gardiner, Class of 1892, spent her life watching people. While at MB, Eliza studied under faculty member Sophia Pitman. (MB was originally co-ed, but admitted only boys from 1926 – 1976.) She followed up her arts study at the Rhode Island School of Design followed by a Grand Tour of Europe — an extensive visit around Europe that was popular with young men and women as part of continued education. She later returned to study woodblock printing with Charles H. Woodbury from Boston, and was a beloved faculty member at RISD for 31 years. Considered a pioneer in block printing, she was one of the first American artists to achieve national recognition for color printing. She combined her art with Japanese techniques — she made ink with rice paste and watercolor, working them further with crayon or pastel. Her work was shown widely, from Los Angeles to Detroit to New York. One of her last prints was a study of the Buddha statue that RISD acquired in 1936. This print was included in Society’s “Best Fifty Prints of the Year.” Through Eliza’s collection of work, you can see her care for people, depicting mostly children at play or people on holiday. “I had never realized how much the feeling of childhood, tenderness, contentment, or sadness could be revealed in flat spaces of color, until I saw Eliza Gardiner’s wood-block prints,” said one reviewer in The Providence Journal. Eliza was also loved by her students at RISD. A former colleague stated, “She was loved by all and had a far-reaching influence on so many students. Her personal interest lasted far beyond the school years, and when students returned to visit, it was Miss Gardiner whom they especially wanted to see.” To see Eliza’s work on campus, be sure to stop by Erik Wilker’s office.

Making her way from Nepal to Rhode Island, Yangchen Lama is clearly comfortable with highs, lows, sharp dips, and sudden drops — handy in her work as a financial advisor today, navigating the stock market on behalf of her clients. When Yangchen was 14, she came to the U.S. all by herself. “It was a positive experience coming to Moses Brown,” she recalls. “MB was wonderful. Its Quaker philosophy and values made a welcoming experience for me. Being different there was more than OK — it was valued.” She appreciated opportunities that were unavailable to girls in the the Himalayas, like sports. Where she grew up, there was no school, running water, or electricity — extracurriculars were unheard-of luxuries. “I wanted to try everything!” she recalls. She ran track, played lacrosse and basketball. YC even credits her MB sports experience with her ultimate career path, saying, “Playing lacrosse at MB led me to where I am today.” After graduation, YC attended Cornell, planning to go premed and return to Nepal. Then she made the lacrosse team and unfortunately, practice time conflicted with her labs. When it was time for Organic Chemistry, she realized science and medicine were not really what she wanted to do. She decided to head in a different direction, changing her major to international relations / economics. Despite changing course midway through college, the humanities felt right to her. Growing up under a monarchy, democracy excited her. She was fascinated with money as a cultural / sociological phenomenon, since she had not even seen it in her early years. People in rural Nepal bartered or cared for one another. With a different view of money, she found free-market capitalism intriguing. Today, YC works for one of the top wealth-management firms in the world. She knows firsthand how money can create a positive impact — she gained her first access to education in Nepal via Hands in Outreach. She currently serves on their board as well as on the council of Equality California. She passionately believes in advocating and raising funds for these nonprofits; the first helps children and marginalized communities, providing access to education for poor girls in Nepal; the latter fights for LGBT civil rights here in the U.S. “Do you want to work for money?” Yangchen asks. “Or do you want money to work for you? What do you want that money to do for your family, your society, the world? Money is a means to an end … align it with your goals and you can leave a legacy.” 21

Events The MB community was excited to get into the Woodman Center in December. See page 10 for what they found. 22

Moses Brown Alumni Association

Alumni Connections Coast to Coast The Alumni Association and Moses Brown School have partnered to provide many opportunities for alumni to engage with each other and the school, locally and from coast to coast. If you would like to host an event or serve on the Alumni Association Board, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Karin Morse ’79 at kmorse@mosesbrown.org or (401) 831-7350 x191.

Georgia MB hosted a great dinner in Atlanta this fall. Atlanta-area alumni John Roberts ’75, Alexis Demetrakas Buchholz ’83, Kristin Santopietro Pugliese ’91, and Brian Harris ’93 came to the reception with Rhode Islanders Neal Steingold ’78, his son Ben Steingold ’16, a freshman at Emory, and his wife Linda Kaplan, director of leadership giving, who hosted the event on behalf of Moses Brown.

MB Reception in Connecticut Priscilla Johnson Wong ’83 and Jim Wong kindly hosted an event at their home in Darien, Connecticut in November. Longtime faculty member & basketball coach Laurie Center gave the guests a quick overview of the STEM curriculum being used in each of MB’s divisions. Left to right: Ron Dalgliesh P’21, Priscilla Wong, Skyler Fernandes ’04, Laurie Center, Bob Jenks ’65, and Christine Murphy Costello ’93.

Upcoming Events 2017 February 4 February 14 February 16 February 28 March 1

Sugarbush après-ski Reception Los Angeles, California San Francisco, California at Foreign Cinema Baltimore, Maryland Dinner D.C. Reception 23

Alumni Connections Coast to Coast B

Alumni Football 22 alumni joined present players to create a squad of 50 for the alumni 7v7 game in August.

Young Alumni Event This has become a wonderful August tradition. 2016 graduates Lucy Carlisle, Haley Ramsden, Belle Channell, Isa Hage, Rosemary McMahon, Sofia Dwares, Divya Roberts-Gaddipati, and Molly Hamblett enjoyed the night.

Dinner with Doc Adored by generations! Pictured with Doc Odell (second row) Vin Marcello ’60, Ahvi Spindell ’72, Jim Myers ’79, Ed Nickerson ’72, Stefano Dukcevich ’89, Davide Dukcevich ’92, Bill Roland ’68, Barry Fain ’60, Norman Baker ’56, Philip Howell ’78, and (first row) Karin Morse ’79, John Blacher ’72, Doc Odell, and John Barrett ’63.

Moses Brown Alumni Association

Newport International Polo The First Annual MB Newport International Polo Event was held in July with 25 alumni and one loyal mascot (Dave Keyser ’89) posing among 71 guests.

A Kendra Forsythe ’05, Moses, Phil Gregory ’05, Tori Sadler ’05.

B Back row (left to right): Eric Dahlberg ’18, Hilary Fagan, Matt Brown ’87, Elizabeth Dahlberg, Albie Dahlberg ’87, Nick Gleason ’86. Front: Alexis (Tinky) Dahlberg, Sam and Will Gleason.

Alumni Hockey Game — December 21, 2016 Three lines of alumni ranging from the classes of 1978-2016 took to the ice for a competitive winter solstice game. Pictured are (front row): Jamie Southard ’99, Brayden Puddington ’99, Evan Jacques ’12, Cole Morrissette ’12, Nate Farrington ’13, Colby Farnham ’15, Justin McNamara ’07, and Rob Lombardi ’17 (referee). Back Row: Tim Hurley ’99, Aaron Simon ’92, Chuck DeBlois ’78, Sam Greenfield ’14, Colton King ’15, Dan Harrington ’14, Paul Luba ’12, Connor Breen ’16, Gabe Long ’04, Mike McNally ’12, Sean McGuirk ’05, Greg Paolino (Coach), Ryan Mulhearn ’16, Adam Towey ’18 (referee), Alex Towey ’15, Dave Antonelli (Coach), Steve King (Coach), Tyler Poland ’15, Larry Tremblay (Coach). Not shown, Conor Friend ’14, Nick Cioffi ’14, Ari Rotondi ’04, Mia Rotondi ’09, Max Martineau ’12, Alex Patrick ’14, Skyler Patrick ’12, Will Allcock ’14, Gillian Lang ’05, and Hannah Zuckerman McGuirk ’05 also attended the game and reception. 25

Alumni Connections Coast to Coast MB in Denver Did you know there are about 55 alumni who live in Colorado? The reception held in Denver last October was attended by six alumni. Wondering if classmates live nearby? Download the MB Connects App and see if an alumnus/a is near you and be sure to keep us updated with your current address so you don’t miss an event in your area. Back row: Hank Rosenthal ’70, Karen Dayton Young ’92, Lisa Michael ’85, Natalie Triedman ’08, Abigail Getman Harkey ’96, Steve Vasquez ’07. First row Dorothy Rosenthal, Director of Leadership Giving Perry Buroker, Chelsey Anderson.

Woodman Center Housewarming & Dedication on December 9, 2016 See page 10 for more on this exciting event!

NYC MB Connects Alex Egan ’03, who is assoc. VP of operations management for the Central Park Conservancy, spoke to 28 guests in November about the history of Central Park before dinner in Columbus Circle.

Moses Brown Alumni Association

Alumni Hall Theater Event on November 20 Ahvi Spindell ’72 welcomed the final audience in Alumni Hall, paying a special tribute to former drama faculty legend Phyllis Gunion.

Turkey Tailgate Vic Porcaro ’83 and Dave Keyser ’89 cooked up a storm for alumni, players, and their families at McCoy Stadium in November.

Spree Bowl The annual Spree Bowl honored Evan Spirito ’06 on November 25. 27

Alumni Connections Coast to Coast

Alumni Soccer Game Many of the usual star soccer players joined coaches Andrew and Aaronian at the corner of Hope & Lloyd for this spirited annual tradition. Join us next October!

Homecoming A Homecoming Reception honoring Bernie Buonanno ’55 (above) and Willem Van Lancker ’06 took place in October.

Moses Brown Alumni Association Recognizes Inductees at Homecoming: Congratulations!

Head of School Matt Glendinning and MBAA Clerk George Panichas ’83 with this year’s Service to Alma Mater Award recipient Bernie Buonanno ’55. In 1983, Bernie handed his diploma to George at his MB graduation.

Bernard V. Buonanno ’55 P’84 ’87 ’92

Willem Van Lancker ’06

Alumnus Service to Alma Mater Award Bernard Buonanno is a longstanding volunteer leader at Moses Brown. A former MB Board Chair, parent and now grandparent, he served on the MB Board from 1978-1987 and was chair of the Board from 1982-1987. Bernie has been a member of his class reunion committees for decades, has served on the Nominating Committee, and the Campaign for Moses Brown School Steering and Executive Committees. He also chaired the 1994 Head of School search committee. A stand-out basketball player at MB, Bernie also is a member of our Athletic Hall of Fame. Three of his five children are MB graduates and another daughter teaches in the middle school.

Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Willem Van Lancker is an entrepreneur and product designer best known for being the co-founder and chief product officer of Oyster, an ebook subscription service acquired by Google last fall. Willem is an angel investor in creatively-led startups and an advisor to Designer Fund. Previously, he was a lead designer on Google Maps and a designer at Apple, IDEO, and adidas. His work has been featured and recognized by the Museum of Modern Art, the New Yorker, New York Times, Fast Company, and Wall Street Journal. Willem has been named to Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 list and even designed the current logo on the bottles for Rhode Island’s Yacht Club Soda.

The Woodman Center welcomed its first community group in December: the Prism of Praise gospel choir. Their 25th anniversary concert drew a full house.

1937

Around the Oval: Don Blount ’37 Ex-Quaker star established R.I. long jump record in 1936

Class Notes

2016-17 Alumni Association Board The mission of the Moses Brown Alumni Association is to foster lifelong relationships with the school and fellow alumni.

George Panichas ’83, Clerk

Jane Knowles ’81

Albie Dahlberg ’87, Assistant Clerk

Todd Machtley ’00

Brian Panoff ’94, Treasurer

Vin Marcello ’60

John Baldwin ’94, Recording Clerk

Maggie Moran ’08

Gabriel Amo ’05

David Murdock ’93

Taylor Rotondi Anderson ’02

David Murphy ’91

Cheryl Schadone Cohen ’81

Nicole Navega ’89

Joanne Debrah ’97

Neath Pal ’81

Jason Engle ’98

John Pariseault ’97

Thomas Frater ’82

Vincent Porcaro ’83

Adrian Hendricks ’58

Matthew Runci ’64

Austin Jaspers ’11

Miles Rutter ’04

Ngina Johnson ’94

Conal Smith ’06

David Keyser ’89

Ahvi Spindell ’72

Last year, MB was pleased to see recognition of one of its storied former athletes, Donald Blount (1919-2005), Class of 1937, by the Rhode Island Track & Field Foundation. Donald’s track record has stood for 81 years, making it the oldest high school record in Rhode Island and certainly the longest we know of at MB. Donald set his record on May 30, 1936 at the Brown Interscholastic Track & Field Championship. He competed in a meet at the Brown Stadium, timed by hand-wound, sweep-dial stopwatches. Then a junior, Don entered in the long jump (known then as the “broad jump’’). On one of his attempts, he sprinted down the cindered runway, hit the toe board, and landed at a distance of 24 feet, ½-inch (7.32 meters). For the young track star, that accomplishment must have been exhilarating. Yet neither he nor anyone else there that day probably dreamed that the mark would prove to be a groundbreaking leap lasting eight decades. Last year, the Rhode Island Track & Field Association noted the 80th anniversary of Donald’s feat at Brown. That his jump has survived as a standard for so long is astonishing in Rhode Island’s high school track league, which has seen its share of Olympians and national champions. In a telephone interview with The Providence Journal in the 1990s, Don, a Barrington resident, recalled his performance at the Brown meet. He was as surprised as anyone after making his 24-foot jump and appreciative of his mother who had purchased new athletic shoes for him to wear that day. At MB, Donald also excelled at football, served as class secretary, and worked on The Delphian. Don continued to compete at Dartmouth College, where his best distance was 24-7 (7.49), fourth on the school’s all-time list. After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Air Corps, serving as a flight instructor on bases in Norfolk, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. He retired with the rank of Lt. Commander. After his service, Donald worked as a production manager at the former Wamscutt Mills, and later entered stock brokerage. Don and his wife of 63 years, Jean, had four children, seven grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren. For all that, Donald Blount’s name is still synonymous with Rhode Island high school track, via a 1936 performance that stands to this day. Thanks to author Bob Leddy (correspondent — R.I. Track & Field Foundation) for sharing this story.

Class Notes

1946

Our apologies to Joel Altman ‘56 (left) and Chuck Staples ’47, incorrectly identified in the last issue of Cupola. Perhaps we need our eyes examined? (Joel’s specialty.) After six decades of connection to MB as loyal and connected alumni, we certainly know Joel and Chuck here! We regret misidentifying them in our captions as Chuck Stuart ’56 and Joel Davidsen ’59. Apologies to all.

1955

Head of School Matt Glendinning and Dean Woodman ’46 enjoy a moment together at the opening of the Woodman Family Community & Performance Center. See page 10 for more.

1947 Charles “Alex” Robinson turned 87 in August. “I’m in fantastic physical condition and run every day,” he says. “The doctor projects my life expectancy to be 96. Knock on wood! My legs are like iron!” Alex attributes his good health to playing football, basketball, and professional baseball throughout high school and college (at Brown University) and officiating over 8,000 games — many of them as a referee for the NBA. Alex and his wife Patricia live in Freeport, Maine.

In October, the MB Alumni Association hosted its Homecoming Reception, celebrating award recipient Bernard Buonanno for his service to Moses Brown.

1958

1967

Thanks to Adrian Hendricks and Peter Lacaillade for their loyal support of MB over the years! See page 12 for more.

1954 Dick Burton recalls the faculty who made a mark on him in his time at MB. See our inside back cover for more.

1967 Philip Webb shared a wonderful message on MB’s Facebook page in August: “Graduated 1967. After 49 years, my wife and I finally made it to France and Italy. Thanks to distinguished teachers Mr. Fuller (Latin I and II) and Monsieur Theodore Whitford, all my French is coming back and I’m getting around nicely in Nice and perfectly in Paris. Merci, Moses Brown!”

1966 Bill Wheeler, Mike Sweetser, Al Hunt, and Don Richardson got together for some croquet last summer. After their 50th Reunion, Bill offered a challenge to classmates to support the Moses Brown Fund. The challenge was met, the class raised $5,000, and Bill matched that. Thank you! 31

1971

Save the date! The Quaker Classic Golf Tournament will take place on Thursday, September 28.

The Class of 1971 had its first annual golf outing in October at Agawam Hunt. Jeff Brier writes, “We are looking forward to getting together on an annual basis and doubling our numbers next year!” Present were (l-r) Jeff Brier, Jody Karas, Steve Bienenfeld, and Peter Gross.

1976

1979

1971 Moses Brown would like to thank and acknowledge Robin and Jim Engle’s loyalty and generosity to Moses Brown and longstanding, 30+ years of contributing to The Moses Brown Fund in addition to other projects they have supported.

1977 Bob Samors has ended his Rome-Geneva commute; he and his wife now live solely in Rome where she works. He previously worked for an international environmental group in Geneva. “I am still helping out on a couple of projects from my old job,” he says, “but will take advantage of a brief opportunity to take the summer off.” Bob and Ann spent time at their home in D.C. last August. He can be reached at rjsamors@gmail.com.

1978 Randy Shaw has a new job at the Cheverus School in Portland, Maine as vice president for institutional advancement. Kimberly Canning enjoyed seeing the great vintage photo from Beth Taylor’s English class in the last issue of Cupola. “There’s a story with that photo!” she comments. Kim lives in Middletown and was glad to reconnect with MB.

1981 Gail Samdperil describes her post-MB path on page 20. 32

Jim Procaccianti ‘76 P’19 ‘23 has joined MB’s board of trustees. Jim is president and CEO of Procaccianti Companies, one of the nation’s leading privately-owned real estate investment and management companies. He began working at his family’s real estate company while a student at MB.

Photographer David DeMelim (second from right), shown at the Bay of Pigs, spent two weeks exploring Cuba with fellow photographers in 2014. In the fall his work was showcased at the BankRI Turks Head Gallery in Providence. See more at daviddemelim.com.

Current parent John Donahue (second from left) saw comedian Tom Cotter ’82 live at MB in May, so when his organization needed an entertainer for their conference in Washington, D.C., they hired Tom. After the performance, they met up with Michael Geffroy ’84 and Marc Geffroy ’79.

1978

Curtis Woodman ’78, with Moses and Karin Morse ’79, returned to MB for the Woodman Center’s opening weekend (page 10). He is the great-grandson of former MB Headmaster Augustine Jones who first introduced music to MB in 1881. Curtis attended Berklee College of Music and is a professional pianist.

Class Notes

1982 Congratulations to Allison Kaplan Sommer. Last year, she received the B’nai B’rith World Center Award for Journalism, recognizing her work reporting on the Jewish Diaspora and Israel-Diaspora relations. Allison lives in Haaretz, Israel.

1983

Spectators at Newport Polo are invited to participate in the fun at half-time, so Sue and Vin Porcaro helped replace the divots on the Newport Polo field last August at the MB Alumni Association tailgating event.

1987 Robert Donahue and his wife Amy live in Southampton, Massachusetts with their 10-year-old daughter Claire. Robert worked for Technomad Manufacturing for two decades, but left in 2015 to found his own company, Outdoor Sound Solutions, LLC.

1988

Sam Baker ’85 and his brother Bill Baker ’82 played in Gulph Mills Golf Club’s A.J. Drexel Paul Cup in September; they placed second in a field of 64 teams. This 100-year-old club is located in the Quaker State (Pennsylvania) where Sam and his family live; Bill and his family live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1982

In August, Angela Perry stopped by to show her daughters, Jenna and Jillian, her old stomping grounds before they headed off to Cape Cod for their vacation. Angela is enjoying her new job as director of marketing at Mestek. They live in Ware, Massachusetts.

Peter Morse, Ashley Haffenreffer Wagstaff, Tom Frater, Jane Knowles ’81, Tom Cotter, and Bill Baker reunited in Little Compton last summer. Jane is holding Tom’s recently published book Bad Dad: A Guide to Pitiful Parenting. They had a great reunion, but what were the kids up to?

1987 1988

Nancy Han, left, at her last Reunion with Mark Lasser and Jessica Lee, describes her new role at CBS on page 19.

Ted Moran married Drew Osler in August at their home in Little Compton. Ted and Drew are the happy parents of Racy Moran ’17, Jack Moran ’19, Sloane Wightman, Chase Wightman ’24, and Grover Moran ’24. Their wedding was attended by Terry Moran ’76, Jim Brown ’76, Katy O’Donnell McNamara, Rob Breslin ’86, Pete Sylvester ’86, Gary Goldberg, Meg Oliver ’90, and Michael Moran ’03.

1992

1989

Kevin O’Connor is serving in Kabul while his family is living in Brasilia, his last assignment. Kevin gave the graduation ceremony address for the Afghan forces that he helped train as part of the State Department’s Antiterrorism Assistance Program in Afghanistan (above).

In August the Wigrens visited the Kings in Seattle. Pictured left to right are Andy Wigren, Kelley Ciampi Wigren, Eric King, and Caroline King. In the front row are their children Ella Wigren, Owen Wigren, Charlie King, and Russell King.

1990 Photo © Ian Gilby

1992 Two ’92 alumni are featured in this issue of Cupola. Ian Gilby shares on page 16 and Michael Fargnoli on page 18.

Speaker and author Kaplan Mobray joined MB’s board of trustees this fall.

1996

1989 Holly Coxe Brittingham was guest editor for this edition of Cupola. See page 15 for more. She is married to Joshua Brittingham, an artist and blues singer, and is a proud parent to two fabulous “kids” in their early 20s. Holly and Joshua live in Somers, New York.

Hannah Weiss Muller is an assistant professor in the history department at Brandeis University. She and Marcus Muller have two children, Amara, 6, and Kieran, 4. Hannah says, “I’m thrilled to be back in New England.”

1994 Congratulations to Heather Tow-Yick, who recently started a new job with Providence Public Schools as chief transformation officer. Yangchen Lama lives in L.A. and is pleased to see MB’s planned efforts in her home country of Nepal. Yangchen still considers Betsy Zimmerman a second mother and also recalls the kindness of other MB students and families, including Anna Porter and her mom, Zach Florin, Sarah (continued next page) 34

Current parents enjoyed the annual Ladies’ Night Out event, held in September in the newly renovated Walter Jones Library: (l-r), Lauren Miller, wife of Ross Mattis ’95; Caylen Sepe; Jennifer Olenn, wife of Adam Olenn ’91; and Jessica Howland d’Entremont ’93.

Class Notes Jhung, and Nina Paynter ’93. All helped make her MB experience a positive one. Now, she feels it’s her duty to give back. When Yangchen heard about MB’s plans to help youth in Nepal, she stepped up to facilitate the connection. “This is a great opportunity for both parties,” she says. “Hands in Outreach would educate every girl if they could.” See pages 5 and 21 for more.

1998

Dave Whittingham married Margi Scholtes in 2014. This June, they welcomed their first child, Victoria. They live in Hong Kong.

1998 Rob Finn writes, “Funny story — I ran into John Walsh ’96 at the Princeton reunion last spring. I’m just standing there peoplewatching and see this guy in his late 30s laughing and smiling like he was a college kid — who is this guy having so much fun!? I have bad eyes, have not seen the guy in 20 years, and was 30 feet away and behind him, but I immediately thought: John Walsh.” Catherine White Ford is married to new MB faculty member Brett Ford (upper school mathematics). They welcomed a baby this past year.

Dave Whittingham writes, “Reorient, the investment bank where I was working, was sold to Jack Ma of Alibaba last year. This year I began working at the aviation and logistics firm Frontier Services Group. Work now takes me across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. After 18 years of studying, living, and working in China, it is exciting to be involved in the next stage of China’s development and to work in frontier markets around the world.” Dave can be reached at dwhittingham@gmail.com.

Natasha Ramirez has returned to MB. Her son, Ismael ’16, graduated from MB last year and is currently a student at URI. Natasha joined MB’s admissions team this fall and brings a wealth of experience to MB’s enrollment efforts, including 12 years at Blackstone Academy Charter School and recent work for Epic Decade. Natasha says her love of the school environment caused her to return to the “school business.”

“LEARNING IS CENTRAL TO OUR LIFE. MOSES BROWN IS FOCUSED ON TEACHING KIDS HOW TO THINK, AND WE WANTED ELI TO BE PART OF THAT.” THAT.” – Elizabeth Newton ’91

Left to right: Seth Goldenberg, Eli Goldenberg ’29, and Elizabeth Newton ’91

For information about Admission, please contact Director of Admission & Financial Aid Hugh Madden ’84 at hmadden@mosesbrown.org 35

1999 Hakeem Oluwaseum Adeniyi practices medicine at an urban clinic serving patients in need in California. At press time, he was leaving his position at La Clinica to become the chief medical officer at Peach Tree Health, in Marysville, and doing clinical work in North Sacramento.

2000

Congratulations to past parent J. Michael Kosterlitz P’93 ’99. The Brown University scientist was among three awarded the Nobel Prize in physics this past fall. Michael is father of Jon ’93 and Liz ’99.

Lisa and Todd Machtley ’00 and their baby girl Emma attended the Newport International Polo event along with our school mascot Moses Brown!

Last July, Maddie Means Gray (left) and her husband Evan welcomed their daughter August to the world. Good friend Sara Farley Hart (right) and her husband Will also welcomed baby Ruby in June.

2003

2002

2003

Thanks to Alex Egan for sharing with other alumni this past November. Alex presented at the NYC MB Connects, offering “An Insider’s View of Central Park.” See page 20 for more. In August, Mina Sekioka, a participant in Moses Brown’s Toyo-MB Exchange, returned to Rhode Island with her mother to visit her host family. They spent time with Betsey and Hollie Quigley, and enjoyed seeing the Toyo mural and all the changes on campus. 36

Class Notes

2004

2004 Have you seen the yeti? John Campopiano is the man behind the Boston Yeti, seen in Beantown over the last couple of winters. He says it’s had a profound impact on his life doing charity events and local business photo shoots (http://tinyurl.com/htucujz). John has a master’s degree from Simmons College and now works as digital records manager for the investigative documentary series, Frontline. John says, “It’s been incredibly rewarding.” He has received a grant from New England Archivists to study artists using archival materials in new and transformative ways and released his first full-length documentary, Unearthed & Untold (facebook. com/UnearthedandUntold), a documentary about Stephen King’s horror film Pet Sematary. (MB friends may recall John as a lifelong fan of horror films.) An MB lifer, John declares, “None of this would be possible if not for MB!” Newlywed Mike Blackman is director of residence life at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and began working on his Ph.D. this past fall.

Last June, Michael Blackman married Kathleen Hart in New York, witnessed by family and friends: first row (l to r) Dan Cristofaro-Gardiner ’03, Hayley and Willis Monroe, Michael Blackman, and (kneeling) Peter Rock; back Spencer Novich ’06, Billy Domineau ’07, Dania and Jon Smalletz, Lanny Fox ’05, Emily Allegrotti, and Zac Brenner.

2004

Jenna and Skyler Fernandes welcomed baby Mason Summit Xavier Fernandes. Skyler writes, “His name means ‘builder on the highest point of a new house’. We will call him Summit.” They live in Norwalk, Connecticut.

2004 John Campopiano married Steph Pixley in October with Ted Parker and Pam Priestley Giles in attendance.

2004 2004 Ted Parker and his wife Heather welcomed Taylor and James (Jamie) in June. They live in Norwalk, Connecticut. Ted is the upper school academic dean and director of digital literacy and innovation at the King School in Stamford. Gabe Long — starting MB hockey goalie turned filmmaker — debuted his film The Passing Season last August at the Rhode Island Film Festival. Many of the on-ice scenes also feature members of the 2014-2015 MB state championship ice hockey team. 37

2005 Fashion Forward Evan Wallick and Brad Wasserman have come a long way since their younger days! They’re now business partners, and were recently visited by Gabe Amo at their booth at Providence Flea. Evan and Brad have started a small clothing and jewelry company called The Hope Tank. The idea came when Evan lived in California and was missing his home state. He decided to screenprint the Rhode Island flag on a tank top; once he started wearing it he was overwhelmed with compliments from non-Rhode Islanders. Brad says, “When he moved back to Rhode Island, he told me about his idea. Now the business has grown to include sweatshirts, anchor bracelets, and necklaces.” See www. instagram.com/thehopetank.

Congratulations to Justin Savage ’05 and Toby Shepherd ’03. They were recognized by Providence Business News this past summer — named among this year’s 40 Under 40 Winners. Justin is CEO of EveryBill. Toby is executive director at Nowell Leadership Academy.

2005 Jessica Gazin wrote, “At the end of last year, my boyfriend and I adopted a cat named Iggy (a great brother to our chocolate lab Hank) and bought a condo near Keystone, Colorado. I was recently accepted to grad school at the University of Northern Colorado for my master’s in early childhood special education. We’re enjoying the over 300 days of sunshine in the Rockies!”

2005

Lanny Fox is living in Washington, D.C. and working as a data scientist for Elder Research, Inc. — he builds models looking for fraud in the Department of Labor’s worker’s compensation program. Thanks to Gabe Amo for sharing his thoughts on people for this issue of Cupola (see page 46). Gabe works as the director of public engagement for Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo. 38

While still in his residency, Andrew Matson finds time to be the quarterback for the Duke Orthopaedics Flag Football team. They went undefeated this season and qualified for the Southeastern Regional Flag Football Championship.

The Slepkows — Matt ’88 and his son Cal ’15 — played in the Alumni Soccer Game at Homecoming this past fall.

Class Notes

2006

In October, the MB Alumni Association honored Willem Van Lancker with the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

2007 Ryan Messier married Lauren Benjamin of Norton, Massachusetts this past fall on Easton’s Beach in Newport. Ryan and his wife met as high school sophomores in 2005 and went to Marquette University together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lauren is a physician’s assistant in Milwaukee and Ryan works as an asset manager and photographer at Harley-Davidson Motor Company. They had a large MB contingent at their wedding. Also in attendance were faculty members Kristin and Randy Street and Nikhil Sen who was a member of the wedding party.

Meredith Achey married Laudon Schuett last May in North Easton, Massachusetts. Several MB alumni and faculty were in attendance, including Meredith’s siblings Rebecca ’07, Lauren ’10, and Taz ’14, alumni Tegan Mortimer, Anne Goldberg, and Monica Carvalho, and retired faculty Elaine Alexander and Barry Marshall. The couple met at the Eastman School of Music and currently lives in Durham, North Carolina, where Laudon works as a musician and teacher and Meredith is a medical student at Duke (profiled Cupola spring 2016).

2006

Katie Evans Goldman writes, “Sam, Hattie (2 ½), and I welcomed Daisy in April. I’m starting my sixth year at MB and Sam is in his fourth year of medical school at UMass-Worcester.”

Thanks to Tegan Mortimer (left) for subbing at MB this year. She even went on a middle school team trip! (Shown with Hilary Major, Jean Pennachio, and Hilary’s husband Eric Schultz ’78.)

2007 Ryan Messier married Lauren Benjamin in September, celebrating with (l-r) Joe Salemi, Abhi Ananta, Nick Fede, Jordan Crystal ’09, Emily Abbood, Ryan, Seth Martineau ’06, Lauren, Julia Aparicio ’08, Boris Babic, Rachael Richardson ’08, DB Haseotes, and DB’s sisters Ali, Brie, and Ana.

2009 After a few years living and working in Denver, Liam Miner decided to relocate “across the pond” to Amsterdam. “I am very much enjoying this city and the European lifestyle in general,” he writes. Liam is working as a senior consultant/engagement manager for a software company specializing in customer experience analytics. “We are a medium-sized company, but our team in Europe functions a bit like a start-up, which keeps things interesting. In my free time, I’m enjoying travel, live music, and taking advantage of all that Amsterdam has to offer.”

2010 Zoë Haffner, pictured with students, is working as an English teacher in Colombia. In August, she wrote, “I have only been here for a little more than a month but it has been a very rewarding experience for me.”

Dominique Avila (far left) joins colleagues and some former teachers for middle school team trips this past fall. MB was pleased to welcome Dominique back to teach middle and upper school art at MB. After earning her B.F.A. from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and her M.A.T. from Tufts University, Dominique taught at Boston Teachers Union School in Jamaica Plain. As an MB “lifer,” Dominique’s teaching philosophy is deeply rooted in Moses Brown’s Friends’ values. Welcome back, Dominique!

2011

40% teaching and academics

20% athletics, the arts, friends education

20% scholarship

20% our historic campus

LOOK WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER. www.mosesbrown.org/onlinegiving

A priority of

MB Believes A CAMPAIGN FOR LEARNING, PEOPLE, AND PLACE

Class Notes Luke Nelson stopped by MB during a 12-day break from the U.S. Naval Academy. An accomplished swimmer, he had just participated in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska in June. Luke, a midshipman, was deployed on the U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Mason which sailed to Salalah, Oman in July. He is pictured on a Navy yard patrol boat in New York City harbor during Fleet Week in May. Luke and several other midshipmen were chosen to represent the Naval Academy. Fleet Week New York, now in its 28th year, is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services. It is an opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen, and witness the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services.

2015

2014 Jack Stallman interned at NASA’s Ames Research Center this past summer. Jack is a junior at Trinity College.

2014 Julia Zubiago is a junior at Tufts, majoring in psychology. She is a coordinator with the Peer Health Exchange, training college students to provide mental health education for freshmen in underprivileged schools in Boston. She also plays ultimate Frisbee on the winning Tufts women’s team and ran two marathons, Boston and Philly, in 2015.

New alumni Nalin Richardson, Ben Steingold, and Luis Hernandez attended their first Moses Brown Alumni Association event in August. Nearly 30 alumni turned out for pizza at Flatbread.

Former Faculty

2016

Feedback

Photo: David Silverman

Barry Marshall and Elaine Alexander attended Meredith Achey ’06’s wedding last May.

Congratulations to former lacrosse coach and teacher Dennis Dobbyn (in white), elected to the Rhode Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame in August.

“I’d like to see a discussion of differing concepts of success in the MB magazine. So much of what I see depicted as success here (and pretty much everywhere in mass media) is such a narrow view of what it means to me to be a successful human being. I’d be happy to contribute.” — Michel Marcellot ’75 “I received my Cupola and what a great job you’ve done with all the articles! Although I didn’t have the profiled people as students, it was fascinating to read about their life journeys! And seeing Daril Geisser, full page, was wonderful! He still looks like the kid I knew, same smile and charisma!! So, well done! I’ll keep my issue in my MB memorabilia box. Thanks for including me at the end of my full-time teaching career at MB.” — Carol Entin, who retired from full-time teaching at MB last June (happily, Carol is continuing to teach in our lower school MB After 3 program) 41

In Memoriam

John Evans, Class of 1936, received a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University before receiving a Master of Divinity at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. He was ordained to the diaconate at the Cathedral of St. John in Providence in 1943, and then to the priesthood in 1944 at St. Stephen’s Church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. For many years he ministered to seamen from ports all over the world on the waterfront at Ellis Island. John combined his ministry with a lifelong love of writing verse and song lyrics, musical performance, and humor. A lover of country music, he was known as the “Singing Preacher.” John was a self-taught musician on many instruments, and was especially known for his musicianship on the harp. (5/31/16)

Louis De Angelis, Sr., Class of 1941, had a passion for baseball that started with afternoon and weekend play at Davis Park in Providence. He was awarded the baseball MVP trophy at MB and went on to play at Brown University until the United States entered World War II. He was offered a contract to play for the Red Sox, but, being an adamant Yankees fan, declined. Lou entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, during which he became a captain and won a Presidential Citation for his service in the South Pacific Theater. Lou spent 40 years working as public relations director for Narragansett Electric Company. He was married to his wife Jean for over 63 years. (9/26/16)

Allan Eastman, Class of 1938, graduated from Harvard University in 1942. During World War II he built ships at the Bath Iron Works in Maine. After the war, he returned to Boston and ran Eastman Funeral Service in Brookline. After his family sold the funeral home, Larry started a career in real estate sales and property management, eventually establishing Eastman Realty Management. Larry was a lovable, kind, patient, and supportive son, husband, father, and friend. He was married to his wife Joan for 55 years. (7/9/16)

John Nowell, Class of 1942, was a Staff Sergeant for the United States Army during WWII, and was awarded the Brown Star with Oak Leaf Cluster for his service in the Pacific Theater. After the war, he received his bachelor’s in engineering at Brown University. He was a licensed professional engineer, and worked for Citizens Union Bank, now BayCoast Bank, as a corporator, then a trustee, and finally served on the advisory board. An avid hiker, he was a trail guide for the Appalachian Mountain Club and climbed the four peaks of the Presidential Range with his wife Sheila (Skip) to whom he was married for 70 years. John was an ordained Universal Life Church Minister. (11/7/16)

Edward Davis, Class of 1941, enrolled at Brown University upon graduating from MB only to withdraw for military service in December 1942. He joined the United States Naval Reserve and received training at the State University of New York Maritime College and was later commissioned Ensign USNR. After leaving military service, Ed was employed with the Gulf Oil Corporation as a regional agent in northeastern Connecticut, then with the George C. Moore Company in Westerly. Ed’s love for sailing and ships began during his teenage years when he crewed on a Watch Hill 15 named Pixie. He also enjoyed skiing, swimming, running, and riding motorcycles. Ed was married to his wife Dorothy for 63 years. (8/4/16)

Nathan Fales, Class of 1945, entered the United States Navy at Norfolk Naval Air Station and was scheduled for flight school before being discharged at the end of World War II. In 1950 he received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at MIT. He worked for Babcock & Wilcox, amongst other companies, before forming N. M. Fales, Inc., a distributor and manufacturer’s representative for pump and control systems. Nate felt a deep connection to the sea and enjoyed sailing, big band music, playing the clarinet, and tennis. He most enjoyed his time on the Cape in the family home he built in 1964. He was married to his wife Carol for 64 years. (6/19/16)

Parker Monroe, Class of 1946, graduated from Amherst College before entering Harvard Law School. Rather than enter law, he decided to enlist in the United States Army. He was employed by First Boston Corporation for 30 years and retired as managing director. He held numerous trusteeships, including for the Old South Meeting House in Boston, and was an accomplished woodworker, singer, painter, and pumpkin-carver. As he wrote in a previous edition of Cupola, in 1953 he “made one of the few truly enlightened moves of [his] lifetime…. [he] married Dorothy Diane Conrad.” Parker and Dorothy were married for 63 years. (6/24/16) Robert Smart, Class of 1948, served in the United States Navy in World War II before graduating from Brown University. Robert became a civil engineer, and his career in the oil and gas industry spanned six decades. He was an avid fan and supporter of the Brown University men’s wrestling team and was the recipient of the inaugural Friends of Brown Wrestling Award. He volunteered for Boy Scouts of America Troop #1, and was a member of Post #14 American Legion Cumberland, VFW Post #1271 Central Falls, St. John’s Masonic Lodge #1 Providence, and an emeritus member of the Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Robert and his wife Jean were married for 58 years. (10/17/16) Nathan “Barrie” Shore, Class of 1949, earned a Bachelor of Science from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business in 1953, after which he served in the United States Army. He followed his family’s tradition of entrepreneurship and owned and operated White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts for over 40 years. Barrie was financially involved with many other successful real estate investments, and was a member of Temple Beth El and the Aurora Civic Association in Providence. Barrie was married to his wife Rula for 29 years. His cousin Harold Shore was MB Class of 1946. (6/28/16)

Moses Brown publishes memorial notes based on published obituaries. Please forward to Office of Alumni Relations, Moses Brown School, 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence, RI 02906; fax (401) 455-0084; email alumni@mosesbrown.org. 43

Robert Conrad, Class of 1950, attended Brown University before graduating from Boston University School of Medicine in 1960. He was a general surgeon and the chief of emergency services at South County Hospital where he was a great innovator and educator. He founded the first emergency medical services training for rescue and fire personnel and the first hospitalbased radio system to communicate with rescue squads and physicians. South County Hospital honored him with the President’s Award in 1980 and the Trustees Award twice. Throughout his life, Dr. Bob strived to give the best care to his patients, frequently making house calls with his children in tow and oftentimes trading medical services for produce, seafood, or construction work. Bob lived with his wife Martha in Narragansett. (9/11/16) Allan “Buzz” Halladay, Class of 1951, attended Brown University and graduated from the University of Denver with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Buzz was the owner of Halladay, Inc. Advertising and Printing in East Providence for 50 years before retiring. He was a gifted photographer, often showing his work during the Halladay Art Exhibitions held at the Providence Art Club. He was a lifelong member and past President of the Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, and was active in many community organizations such as Toastmasters, the Rhode Island Commodores, and the Elks. While at MB, Buzz was a talented athlete and was named the New England Prep School Wrestling Champion. Buzz and his wife Roseann were married for 26 years. He is the father of Jeffrey Halladay ’78. (11/8/16) Fred Goodrich, Class of 1951, graduated from the University of Rhode Island and later received a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. After World War II he served in the United States Army in Germany, and was an integral member of the team that designed and installed the radar systems on the USS Enterprise. Fred worked for Hughes aircraft, RCA, MITRE Corp., and later co-founded Cellular Specialties, Inc., a leader in the design and implementation of in-building wireless products and solutions. Fred was an active outdoorsman and loved to alpine ski, golf, and sail. He was a member of the British Car Club and enjoyed restoring cars (especially his MGs), woodworking, and tinkering. He lived with his wife Sylvia in Alton Bay, New Hampshire. (6/13/16)

Thomas Rockel, Class of 1953, graduated from Harvard before earning a Doctor of Medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine in 1961. He then trained as a pediatrician and served two years in the United States Army, where he was stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Thomas was assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine and served as Commander USNR and Head of Neurology, Naval Regional Medical Center in Oakland, California. He entered private practice in adult and child neurology in 1979 and retired in 2000. Thomas lived with his wife of 58 years, Norma, in Texas. (8/19/16) Ronald Goldberg, Class of 1956, attended the University of Pennsylvania before graduating from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. A watch expert and aficionado, he owned and operated Marshall’s Jewelers in Bellingham, Massachusetts for 45 years. He was a 50-year member of the Perfection Lodge of Masons in Framingham, Beth Shalom Synagogue of Milford, and the Rotary Club of Milford. Ron was married to his wife Rita for 55 years. (9/18/16) William Murdock, Class of 1960, attended the University of Rhode Island and New England College, and served in the U.S. Navy. Bill and his father co-founded Jamestown Distributors, a marine hardware company on Narragansett Avenue. He later relocated to South Carolina, where he continued to work with Jamestown Distributors until he sold the business. Bill was most passionate about fishing, and spent countless hours on the waters of the Narragansett Bay and in the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. Bill is the son of Richard Murdock ’33 and the father of David Murdock ’93. He lived in Jamestown and North Charleston with his wife, Annette. (12/28/16) Alfred Bunnett, Class of 1964, graduated from Carleton College where he majored in government. He entered graduate school at the University of Illinois to pursue a Ph.D. in history but left due to the poor academic job market at the time. Al worked in human resources for the State of Minnesota, and had a long career as a compensation consultant. He was a handyman who enjoyed cooking and history, and was an enthusiastic father. He could speak about a vast array of topics, drawing on obscure facts and anecdotes, and had an innate sense of curiosity and interest in people. Al lived in Minneapolis with Nancy, his wife of 46 years. (7/23/16)

Dean Kemph, Class of 1973, was an energetic and passionate community leader. He was a member of the Hoboken Waterfront Commission and council-campaign teams, a writer of memorable politically-charged letters to the editor for his local newspaper, and coached many womens’ and girls’ softball teams. He was a strong supporter of and booster for the arts, and was a frequent emcee and auctioneer for various fundraisers at Hoboken Charter School and the Hudson School. Dean was an avid fan of Boston sports teams and The Grateful Dead. Dean lived with his wife Annie in Hoboken, New Jersey and later Weehawken, N.J. (11/16/16) Douglas Richardson, Jr., Class of 1973, graduated from the University of Rhode Island before receiving his Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University in Boston. Doug had a lifelong career in the grocery and food distribution industry and was a founder and president of the Food Distribution Research Society. He also owned a supermarket in Billerica, Massachusetts. Doug was an avid golfer, boater, and swimmer, and was a deacon at Maye River Baptist Church in Bluffton, South Carolina, of which he was a chairman for two terms. Doug was married twice, to his first wife Myrna, and again to Ann Marie. (11/26/16) Christopher Berking, Class of 1979, received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1983. Chris enjoyed a successful career as a branch manager and later a merchandise analyst for Finlay Fine Jewelry, Inc., a buyer for PetEdge, and a sales agent for Aflac Insurance. An avid sports fan and athlete, Chris played for the Providence Rugby Club, grew up sailing on the Narragansett Bay, hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and also enjoyed skiing and hockey. He never missed one of his girls’ soccer games, concerts, or assemblies, and always reveled in his daughters’ accomplishments in their sports, high marks, or honors. Chris married his soulmate, Sheryl, in 1988. (6/3/16) Stephen Mogilnicki, Class of 1979, received a Bachelor of Arts from UMass-Amherst before earning a master’s degree from Bridgewater State University. After graduating from college, Stephen taught at Friends Academy in North Dartmouth (where he was a student before attending MB), and was an exceptional and much-loved teacher in its Lower School for 32 years. His warmth, sense of humor, and kindness touched and changed the lives of countless students, faculty members, and parents, and “Mr. M” was famous for going the extra mile to connect with all those who passed through his classroom. Stephen was also a certified scuba instructor, and shared his love of the sea by offering classes and private instruction. Friends Academy wrote, in a special appreciation in this year’s yearbook, Stephen “is loved by all for his friendly heart.” (6/15/16)

Former Faculty/Staff Paul Brunnell was former head of the MB middle school, director of RISE Camp, and a math teacher in the middle school. After MB, he taught and led at the Rocky Hill School in East Greenwich. He received his undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College and a master’s from Fairfield University. Throughout his career he played and refereed for the Rhode Island Lacrosse Association. Paul’s wife Sandy, whom he met at MB, was a receptionist in middle house and the middle school. Paul was a dedicated teacher and advisor, superb storyteller, and founder of RISE Camp’s legendary Frisbee Golf course. (1/2/17) 45

All the Difference By Gabe Amo ’05

“I’ve learned that standing up and articulating what you believe in requires — and is impossible without — an understanding of others and the impact of your actions on their lives.” As people across the U.S. reflect on what feels like a divided and conflicted period in our shared history, I cannot help but remember Moses Brown School’s role during another defining experience for the United States and me personally: the morning of September 11, 2001. Sitting in Lenke Wood’s ninth grade English class, learning the literary devices of deus ex machina and in medias res from Homer’s The Odyssey, Dean of Students Karin Morse entered and shared the early news. The surreal visuals of the scenes from TV screens in the old Alumni Hall felt like a surreal epic tale themselves. But it was no fiction. The community I had just joined was dealing with the nation’s traumatic experience of unprecedented evil. Sitting in Meeting for Worship for the second time in my first week, I was amazed by the poignant reflections of my new upper school classmates being compelled by the Inner Light to share their thoughtful, compassionate, 46

and personal reflections on the day’s events. That morning, I learned what community truly is — and that was the foundation of the most lasting part of my MB education: its people. Throughout my time on campus, the arc of my education had bent towards enhancing my understanding of others. It had wide range — from negotiating the balance of sharing insights and hearing one’s own voice in classroom discussion to participating in the deliberative processes of event planning and student advocacy as treasurer and president of the Student Senate. The opportunity to be of service alongside upperclassmen and peers I looked up to like Adam Freedman, Greg Katzen, Bay Hudner, and Ben Freedman taught me about surrounding myself with people who make helping others enjoy themselves a key part of their identity. And of course, I’m greatly appreciative of faculty like Ransom Griffin and others who allowed me to

explore my identity as a person of color and in challenging conversations about diversity, while always respecting contrasting opinions. On the playing fields, while I wasn’t destined for the starting lineup on the Super Bowl-winning Quakers football team led by Nick Artenstein, Kyle Cassamas, Andrew Matson, and Ash Wall, I learned that one of the most valuable roles was that of utility player, lifting up spirits on the sidelines. And though it may not have been reflected in this cornerback’s tackling stats or one of Doc Odell’s track sprinter’s times, the coaches and teammates I had have shaped every team I have since led professionally. In fact, it was on the field that I learned a lesson I humorously whisper to myself before important meetings at the White House or the Rhode Island State House: “if you (your uniform) doesn’t look good, you won’t play good!” Now, I am able to apply what MB taught me along my career in politics and government — the ultimate people business. My passion for history and politics cultivated by teachers like Doug MacLeod and Tim Bickford, today I convert debate into action, or sometimes purposeful inaction. Whether in D.C. as a White House staff member for President Barack Obama or in Providence for Governor Gina Raimondo, I’ve learned that standing up and articulating what you believe in requires — and is impossible without — an understanding of others and the impact of your actions on their lives. For those of us who have been lucky to be part of the MB community, this is an important time in our world to utilize the special lessons that reflect what Maya Angelou once said so eloquently, “that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” In my case, I know that the feeling that MB people left me has made all the difference. I hope we each have the willingness to reflect the Light we all possess. Gabe Amo is Director of Public Engagement for Governor Gina Raimondo and before that, worked in the White House. He served as Student Senate president in his senior year at MB, and also student government president at Wheaton College, where he was named a Truman Scholar. Gabe also studied at the University of Oxford (England) on a Marshall Scholarship.

Supporting World-Class Teaching MB middle school teachers dream about receiving a Burton Fund for Faculty Enrichment Award. Since 1989, Burton Award winners have received significant funding to support professional development. Now, Peggy and Dick Burton ’54, the son of Kenneth and Edith Burton whose bequest established the initial Burton Award, have announced plans to create a similar fund for upper school science faculty. Dick fondly remembers learning from teachers like Charles Hutton and Army Armstrong. Dick went on to a career as a renowned orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Rochester. Peggy is a longtime volunteer in Rochester schools. They know what a difference professional development makes and are excited to provide new resources for worldclass teaching at MB.

Charles Hutton (above) and Edmund Armstrong ’38 (right) had a profound impact on hundreds of MB students. Mr. Hutton challenged students to achieve their potential. Army Armstrong made science fun. Dick says, “Army had an infectious ability to ignite that special something in the inner core of students, be it in the classroom or on the athletic field.”

Peggy and Richard Burton ’54 visited MB to discuss today’s science program with Dr. Laurie Center, director of STEM education.

If you would like to learn more about supporting world-class teaching with a bequest or planned gift, visit www.mosesbrown.giftplans.org or contact Perry Buroker at 831-7350 x289 or pburoker@mosesbrown.org. 47

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Moses Brown School 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 www.mosesbrown.org 401-831-7350

For the Honor of Truth

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.

Come for fun!

Reunion this spring.

Pack your party hat and head to Providence for MB Reunion 2017: May 20th ’47 ’52 ’57 ’62 ’67 ’72 ’77 ’82 ’87 ’92 ’97 ’02 ’07 ’12

To register, see who is coming, or get the latest updates, visit mosesbrown.org/reunion

Not a Reunion year? Alumni and parents of alumni are invited to stop by for a coffee in the Class of ’14 Café in MB’s new Woodman Center. Contact alumni@mosesbrown.org or call 401-831-7350.