Class Notes

CLASS NOTES

1950s

NANCY YOUNG ’56 wrote the book “Unlock Your Child’s Learning Potential. The Key to Reinforcing Classroom Lessons with Imaginative and Stimulating Activities K-6,” published by Green Dragon Publishing.

1960s

JUDITH LESE ’69, M.ED. ’74 has retired after 53 years of teaching. She was a classroom teacher for five different elementary schools in Montgomery County Public Schools.

DENNIS D. URBAN ’69 wrote the book “The Making of a Civilian Soldier in the Civil War: the First Diary of Private William J. McLean Along the C&O Canal and the Affair at Edwards Ferry,” published by New Academia Publishing.

WILLIAM D. WARGO ED.D. ’68

served as a professor of industrial education for 35 years before retiring. He then earned a Marine Sea Turtle permit from the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission, serving as the director of the Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol from 2004 to 2021.

1970s

MERRY HENRY SPENCE WHITE ’71,

ED.D. ’96 celebrated her 75th birthday and her 51st wedding anniversary to her husband Frederick. After a long career in education, teaching music to PK-12 students, and serving as a principal and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, she now serves as a choir director at Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church.

FRANK LYMAN PH.D. ’78 wrote the book “100 Teaching Ideas that Transfer and Transform Learning: Expanding Your Repertoire,” published by Routledge Press, which is a compendium of insights gained through 36 years in teaching, much of the experience was at UMD.

MARY O’LEARY WILEY M.A. ’79,

PH.D. ’82 completed her term as president of the Society of Counseling Psychology, Division 17 of the American Psychological Association. She previously served as president of the American Board of Counseling Psychology.

TOM POTEET ’70 has retired after working 50 years in both the private and public sectors. Since 2012, he has self-published a dozen books on Amazon. His last two books are a bonded set titled “Mornings with Father” and “Evening with Father.”

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RALPH SODANO ’73 has retired after 41 years of teaching. The last 30 years were spent serving as the Steele Planetarium instructor for Denver Public Schools.

JEAN SAPP TAYLOR M.ED. ’76,

PH.D. ’80 of Chicago, Illinois, died on Dec. 24, 2021, at age 95. Born Sept. 14, 1926 in Fordsville, Kentucky, Taylor was a long time educator. She was the co-director at the Outdoor Nursery School in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and an assistant professor of education and director of the Onica Prall Child Development Laboratory at Hood College.

1990s

CHERYL DYSON M.ED. ’99 was named superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools. She previously served as an area associate superintendent in Montgomery County Public Schools. In her 23-year career as an educator, she’s also served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal intern, principal, director of family and community engagement, and director of school support and improvement of elementary schools.

DAWN LISTER M.ED. ’98 earned her doctorate degree from Liberty University.

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ PH.D. ’98, a professor of public health at LaSalle University, has published two textbooks: “Research Methods” and “Core Statistics: Practical Knowledge for the Health Sciences.”

DEBBIE ROVIN MURPHY ’91

a teacher for 28 years, wrote the children’s book “Jackie and the Mona Lisa,” which was published in March 2022.

CLEMMIE SOLOMON PH.D. ’96

is the recipient of the 2022 American Counseling Association Presidential Citation.

SUSAN STUDDS PH.D.’90 died on July 10, 2022 in Louisville, KY. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on Jan. 30, 1954, Studds received a bachelor’s degree from Hanover College, a master’s degree from Miami University, and a doctorate degree from UMD. She spent years teaching domestic and international students, representing the country at NATO conferences, consulting with military and civilian leaders in eastern Europe, and being the education heart of military higher education, before retiring in Madison, WI. In May 2022, she was named provost emerita during the National Intelligence University graduation ceremony.

2000s

PAIGE HABER-CURRAN M.A. ’06

was promoted to professor at Texas State University.

ROBERT KELLY PH.D. ’05 was named president of University of Portland, becoming the first person of color to lead the institution. Previously, he served as vice president and special assistant to the president, and clinical professor at Loyola University Maryland. He has also held senior administrative and teaching positions at Loyola University Chicago, Seattle University, and Union College, among other institutions.

LARRY NELSON PH.D.’00 is serving as the past-president of the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood, an international organization with a focus on theory and research related to emerging adulthood. He has also co-edited two books: “Flourishing in Emerging Adulthood” and “The Handbook of Solitude.”

FRANNY WOOLER ’01, M.ED. ’11

was appointed assistant principal of Stonegate Elementary School in Montgomery County, Maryland.

2010s

CARLOS BEATO ED.D. ’19 joined the Next Generation Learning Challenges as its co-director. He previously spent seven years as the founding principal at the International High School at Langley Park. He also co-authored a paper titled “Unearthing Hidden Gems in an American Public High School: A Three-Pronged Approach to Meeting the Needs of Diverse Students Through an Equity Lens.”

RODERICK CAREY PH.D. ’15 was named one of the nation’s top 15 emerging scholars under the age of 40 by “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.” He is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Delaware.

MONIFA MCKNIGHT ED.D. ’14 was named superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools. Since 2001, she has served in the school district as a teacher, principal, and district administrator.

KC MCNALLY ’13 is celebrating her 10th year of teaching high school English at Westfield High School in New Jersey. She and her Terp husband, Luke, also celebrated their daughter Eleanor’s first birthday.

ALEX MILETICH M.ED. ’19, a teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, received the Leader in Civic Engagement Award from Prince George’s County Public Schools.

STEVE MOBLEY PH.D. ’15 was named one of the nation’s top 15 emerging scholars under the age of 40 by “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.” He is an assistant professor of higher education at the University of Alabama.

FARHAANA NYAMEKYE PH.D. ’10

joined UMD College of Education as a secondary mathematics professional development school coordinator in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership. PEGGY PUGH PH.D. ’14 was appointed chief academic officer for Montgomery County Public Schools. Previously, she was the associate superintendent for administration and leadership for Washington County Public Schools.

HELEN SCHURKE FRASIER PH.D. ’13

joined the University of California, Davis as an assistant dean for Student Success Initiatives.

SARAH SIRGO PH.D. ’14 was named chief of staff in the Office of the Superintendent for Frederick County Public Schools. She previously served as the director of learning, achievement and administration for Montgomery County Public Schools.

2020s

BELOVED KANU M.ED. ’22, a teacher at Samuel Ogle Middle School, received the Rookie of the Year Award from Prince George’s County Public Schools.

FRANK ROJAS ’21 joined NORC at the University of Chicago as a statistician.

SELVON WALDRON M.A. ’20

attended the 29th Annual International Conference on Learning in Valencia, Spain, where he presented his research paper “Pathways to Profession: On Economic and Racial Equity in Career Advancement.”