UMW Magazine, Spring/Summer 2017 by University of Mary Washington

University of

Magazine

Spring/Summer 2017 VOL. 41 • NO. 1

TREE CAMPUS

Our Roots • Our Story page 12

Check Out The New Guy! | page 3 Crislip Works for Housing Equality | page 20 See Monroe’s Inaugural Bicentennial | page 24

Contents Features

Departments

12 Tree Campus University’s most permanent living residents connect the present to the past

2 On Campus 11 Get the Picture 28 Book Report 30 Notable and Quotable 33 Alumni Seen 35 Class Notes 56 Closing Column

20 Home Equity Heather Mullins Crislip ’95 advocates for equal access to housing 24 1817 Style James Monroe Museum re-creates the fifth president’s inauguration

ON THE COVER: The Arbor Day Foundation recognizes the University of Mary Washington as a Tree Campus based on UMWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in practicing and promoting conservation. Stewardship of campus history and beauty shows in the trees, including this Kwanzan cherry beside George Washington Hall. Read more on page 12.

THIS SPREAD: UMW basketball fans work it on game night! In February, senior Cody Reynolds, center, leads the charge as the Eagles face Christopher Newport University. He is flanked by junior Kevin Jones, left, and senior Chris Sandoval. Photo by Norm Shafer

Photo by Doug Buerlein

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ON CAMPUS

UMW Feels the Giving Day Love

Karen Pearlman Photography

he University of Mary Washington held its single largest day of fundraising ever on March 14, Mary Wash Giving Day. The event raised $217,255 in gifts and gift commitments from 1,090 donors. The total included $80,655 to the Fund for Mary Washington, to be used for such purposes as programs and events, unexpected student needs, career services, faculty programs, university publications, and areas of greatest need. Other donation categories were arts and culture, UMW athletics, col-

Daniel Kauffman ’10, Erin Burke Kauffman ’11, and Neil Burke ’13 get in the picture for Giving Day.

leges and libraries, the Amphitheatre Challenge, scholarships, the President’s Impact Fund, and the senior class gift. “The Mary Washington community near and far came together to give back in a big way,” President Troy D. Paino said in a video appreciation to donors. “Thanks to your generosity, we’ll be able to strengthen our tradition of excellence and meet students’ needs.” A ceremonial Founders Day bell-ringing went as planned despite winter weather that forced cancellation of classes. The Carmen Culpeper Chappell Centennial Campanile bell pealed 109 times – once for every year since UMW’s founding.

Fulbrights Abound

he University of Mary Washington is again one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright students, as announced recently in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Four UMW alumnae are currently traveling, teaching, and researching abroad thanks to the prestigious, competitive grants. Anna Boland ’16 teaches in

Niedersachsen, Germany; Lauren Bortfeld ’15 teaches in Argentina; Lisa Johnson ’15 teaches in La Rioja, Spain; and Luci Coleman ’16 conducts research in Cape Town, South Africa. A fifth alumna, Cara Wimberley ’15, had been awarded a Fulbright to teach in Turkey, but Fulbright canceled that program after

a coup attempt in that country last summer. Associate Professor of History Nabil Al-Tikriti and Associate Professor of Biology Dianne Baker are co-advisers for UMW’s Fulbright program. Since 2006, UMW has had 17 Fulbright students.

SPRING/SUMMER 2017 • VOLUME 41 • NO. 1 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Neva S. Trenis ’00 |

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Laura Moyer |

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

Anna B. Billingsley

ART DIRECTOR Lynne Smyers, Smyers Design | GRAPHIC DESIGNERS AJ Newell, Maria Schultz M.Ed. ’11 | PHOTOGRAPHER Norm Shafer CONTRIBUTORS Amy Beaulieu, Lisa Chinn Marvashti ’92, Hilary Kanter, Cynthia L. Snyder ’75, and Alex Spence ’17

University of Mary Washington Magazine is published by the Office of University Relations for the alumni, friends, faculty, and staff of the University of Mary Washington. The magazine staff welcomes your comments. Email the editor at magazine@umw.edu; send letters to UMW Magazine, 1301 College Ave., Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5300; or call 540/654-1055. Please help us find you: Email address changes to alumni@umw.edu; mail changes to University of Mary Washington Office of Alumni Relations, 1119 Hanover St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5412; call with changes to 540/654-1011. University of Mary Washington Magazine is printed with nonstate funds and is made possible through private support. Read and comment on University of Mary Washington Magazine online at magazine.umw.edu.

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ON CAMPUS

Check Out the New Guy!

ess than a year into his tenure, Troy Paino knows what it’s like to be the new guy at Mary Washington. Now the 10th president is sharing his discoveries to help incoming students get to know what to expect of UMW life. The New Guy video series follows Paino as he explores campus and historic Fredericksburg, travels on Amtrak with an alumna, and visits Washington, D.C. The president joined Grace May ’16 on the train to D.C., where she was an intern at the Library of Congress. While in the nation’s capital, the New Guy visited the happening H Street corridor, where Erik Bruner-Yang ’07 welcomed him to Maketto Cambodianstyle marketplace and restaurant. Bruner-Yang took Paino into the kitchen to toss a wok full of noodles, then served them up to fellow alumni Marion Blakey ’70 and Dan Steen ’84, who remembered what it was like to be newcomers at Mary Washington

President Paino and Nikki Ferrell stop by Carl’s in the video series The New Guy, available on YouTube.

back in the day. Another video finds the president in Fredericksburg with student Nikki Ferrell ’18, captain of the UMW

It’s Official! The New Guy was inaugurated April 21, just as this edition of UMW Magazine went to press. Troy D. Paino was installed as the 10th president of University of Mary Washington in a formal ceremony held in Dodd Auditorium, followed by a celebration in the University Center. Find out more about the inauguration at www.umw. edu/inauguration. Or follow #CelebrateUMW on social media.

Equestrian Team. The two ride Prissy and Wilbur from campus through downtown to the Rappahannock River, then make a swing by Carl’s for shakes and cones. The New Guy gets an exclusive tour of Fredericksburg’s Mary Washington House, the home George Washington bought for his mother, UMW’s namesake. In the usually offlimits basement, the 10th president ducks under floor joists and avoids cobwebs with a class of historic preservation students. Professor Michael Spencer ’03 shows them the original foundation of the house where the nation’s first president stopped in to get his mother’s blessing on the way to his inauguration. The New Guy series was produced by the UMW Office of University Relations and Enterprise Screen Video Communications. Find episodes on the UMW YouTube channel by searching “UMW The New Guy.”

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ON CAMPUS

Bennett, Chenoweth Play Sold-Out Dodd

egendary singer Tony Bennett thrilled the audience in sold-out Dodd Auditorium in a Dec. 9, 2016, concert that stretched to four encores. In March, singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth also sang with the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra to an adoring, standing-room-only crowd. Singing with both the full orchestra and a select quintet, Bennett offered many familiar favorites, including I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Rags to Riches, and The Way You Look Tonight. The audience couldn’t get enough of the high-energy performance by the 90-year-old musical powerhouse, and Bennett returned to the stage for encore after encore, performing almost 20 minutes longer than expected. Bennett’s production manager, Tom Young, told Philharmonic Conductor Kevin Bartram afterward: “We have done a lot of colleges over the years, but never with the college orchestra. You have a great combination of community members and students. It really works.” Bennett appeared as part of the Philharmonic’s Celebrity Series, which also featured a March 18 performance 4

“We have done a lot of colleges over the years, but never with the college orchestra. You have a great combination of community members and students. It really works.” — Bennett’s production manager by Chenoweth, a Tony and Emmy award-winning artist. She charmed the audience with jokes and backstories about her hit songs, and she wowed them with her vocal prowess on such numbers as Popular from the smash Broadway hit Wicked and I Could Have Danced all Night from her latest album, The Art of Elegance. Chenoweth invited several Fredericksburg-area high school students to the stage to share some gospel numbers. The next day the star’s personal manager, Eddie Micone, told Bartram, “Kristin is still talking about the show. We would like to come back … and do a double engagement – two shows.” Chenoweth closed her evening on the UMW stage with a moving performance of Smile, a song made popular by Bennett, Chenoweth’s predecessor in years, singing career, and with the UMW Philharmonic Celebrity Series.

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UMW Philharmonic guest stars included Tony Bennett, above, and Kristin Chenoweth.

ON CAMPUS

Grace Anne Braxton, who works as a dining room attendant at Qdoba in the University Center, won the regional Customer Experience Award from Sodexo in February. Braxton, a longtime Campus Dining employee, earned the recognition for being a kind, thoughtful, and hard-working employee who has formed supportive bonds with students, said Rose Benedict, UMW Dining’s marketing director. Braxton previously won local and district awards for her Sodexo work. In addition, she is an accomplished Special Olympics athlete, having won gold medals in swimming and golf in three World Summer Games. She also has competed in track and field, basketball, field hockey, skiing, and ice skating. An avid basketball fan, Braxton is a season ticketholder for UMW Basketball and shouts encouragement from the stands.

Alexander Sakes ’18

Qdoba’s Braxton Wins Service Award

Eagles fan Grace Braxton poses between UMW basketball players Eric Shaw ’18, left, and Brent Mahoney ’17.

Hidden Figures Is UMW’s Next Common Read

ncoming first-year students will learn in-depth about the crucial role a team of female African-American mathematicians played in the early days of America’s space program. The university has selected Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race as the common read for 2017-18. Students receive the book at orientation in June and join the campus community in a discussion of the book in August. Throughout the year, university events feature themes from the reading. The program includes a lecture and campus visit by the author. In March 2017, the Fredericksburg area’s Central Rappahannock Regional Library held a lecture and book-signing by Shetterly at Dodd Auditorium in UMW’s George Washington Hall. Every seat was taken, many attendees stood at the sides of the auditorium, and an overflow crowd watched the talk on a screen in the lobby. Shetterly signed

books for two hours afterward. Hidden Figures explores the intersection of the civil rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the movement for gender equality. A movie based on the book has been a box-office hit and was nominated for three Academy Awards. A journalist and researcher, Shetterly grew up in Hampton, Virginia, where her father was a NASA research scientist. She knew many of the women she would later write about in Hidden Figures, though she didn’t fully recognize the significance of their work until she was an adult visiting her parents. Only then did she realize that these

ordinary women – whom she’d known from church, the community, and her parents’ career circles – were also extraordinary in their mathematical and scientific achievements.

In March, Margot Lee Shetterly visited campus and signed copies of her book Hidden Figures, which will be the UMW fall 2017 common read.

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ON CAMPUS

Farnsworth Among Best Profs in Va. Stephen Farnsworth chats with a student during class.

tephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs, is the University of Mary Washington’s latest winner of a statewide award for outstanding higher education faculty. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) selected Farnsworth as one of 12 award recipients from a field of 97 nominees for 2017. The award recognizes faculty who demonstrate the highest level of scholarship, teaching, mentoring, public service, and research. Farnsworth has taught at UMW for 16 years and directs the Center for Leadership and Media Studies. He is the author or co-author of five books and dozens of articles and book chapters on mass media, the presidency, and state and national politics. He is a frequent media commentator on political topics. He was a Canada-U.S. Fulbright Research Scholar at McGill University and is former president of the Political Communication Section

of the American Political Science Association and of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. Farnsworth holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in government from Georgetown University, a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College. Before beginning his academic career, Farnsworth was a daily newspaper journalist for 10 years. “Stephen Farnsworth demonstrates excellence in everything he does – here at UMW, throughout Virginia and the U.S., and in his significant global outreach efforts,” said UMW President Troy Paino. Farnsworth is UMW’s sixth SCHEV honoree since the award began in 1987. Recent winners include Professor of Psychology Miriam Liss for 2015 and Professor of History and American Studies Jeffrey McClurken ’94 for 2014.

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Bring Old Photos to Digitize at Reunion Do you have a box of college memorabilia stashed away somewhere? We hope you’ll bring it to reunion to share with fellow alumni and preserve for the future. During Reunion Weekend, UMW digital archivists will set up a scanning station at the University Center to preserve your college photos and papers as part of Mary Washington history. You can keep your originals or donate them to the University Archives, but either way you’ll contribute to the lasting record of a time and place that meant so much to you. The History Harvest table will also feature an exhibit of artifacts from the archives. The table will be open the afternoon of Friday, June 2, and the morning of Saturday, June 3. Reunion Weekend ends Sunday, June 4. Learn more online at www. alumni.umw.edu/reunionweekend.

You could have photos like this one from wartime Mary Washington, 1942, hidden in your attic.

ON CAMPUS

Margaret Sutton, Life and Art Ridderhof Martin Gallery Through June 29

n 1993, Mary Washington received an extraordinary gift from an extraordinary benefactor, the New York painter Alfred Levitt. It included more than 3,000 works of art from his personal collection. These included works not only by Levitt, but also by his dear friend Margaret Sutton ’26. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Mary Washington, Sutton moved to New York City where she met Levitt and his wife, Gertrude, a lawyer. The three lived together in a Greenwich Village apartment from 1939 until Gertrude Levitt died in 1983. Alfred Levitt and Sutton remained together there until Sutton’s death in 1990. The exhibit Margaret Sutton, Life and Art examines a rich moment in American art through Sutton’s work and long career. Most importantly, the exhibit represents what is best in the UMW Department of Art and Art History – students learning, creating, and contributing.

Margaret Sutton’s Untitled (stage with eye, fish), watercolor on paper, c. 1940, 30 x 48 inches, is part of the student-curated exhibition. Students in Professor of Art History Marjorie Och’s Laboratory in Museum Studies class are curating the exhibition in collaboration with UMW Galleries. As they do so,

they are not only learning about 20th-century American art and Margaret Sutton, but also are preparing for their futures as museum professionals.

Meadows Honored for 3D Printing in Schools

he Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition has selected Makerspaces in Schools, developed by Professor of Education George Meadows, as one of its 2017 Programs That Work. The nonprofit education coalition honored Meadows at a Feb. 15 reception at the Library of Virginia in Richmond. With initial funding from a Shirley Van Epps Waple ’52 professional development fellowship in 2013, Meadows introduced the innovative 3D printing program in area elementary and middle school classrooms. The program has helped schools in Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Prince William counties to develop makerspaces, and it has led to similar efforts in the city of Richmond and the Northern Neck. Meadows, who has taught at UMW for the past two decades, has been at the forefront of teaching students about science and technology in creative ways. With colleagues from the university’s Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies and the Simpson Library, he was among the first to introduce 3D printing technology into UMW classes instructing future teachers.

George Meadows shares 3D printing technology with public school teachers and students.

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ON CAMPUS

UMW: Peace Corps Prep School

new agreement with the Peace Corps will give UMW students an edge in the competitive volunteer initiative. Beginning fall 2017, Mary Washington will offer the Peace Corps Prep certificate program. The four-year initiative helps students develop skills critical to the success of Peace Corps volunteers. Completing the program won’t guarantee acceptance to the corps, but it will give Mary Washington students a boost. The prep program enhances UMW’s already strong Peace Corps ties. For the 13th year, the Peace Corps has ranked the University of Mary Washington among the nation’s top-producing colleges for alumni serving as volunteers. The rankings are based on the size of each school’s student body. UMW ranks No. 2 among small schools or institutions, with

13 alumni currently volunteering worldwide. Volunteer Sarah Schrock ’15, who is teaching English and environmental education in Paraguay, points out that Peace Corps participants gain as much from the experience as they give. She’s learning the indigenous language, absorbing the culture of the community, and challenging herself. Maura Slocum ’16, an agroforestry volunteer in Senegal, said Mary Washington’s reputation for producing Peace Corps volunteers was part of what drew her to campus in the first place. “The University of Mary Washington was fundamental in my journey to the Peace Corps,” Slocum said. “I actually chose UMW over James Madison University because I read that UMW had such a high number who go on to serve.”

Maura Slocum is an agroforestry volunteer for the Peace Corps in Senegal. She’s shown here with her host family.

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Noted Historian, Navy Leader to Address Graduates

former president of the University of Richmond and a civilian leader for the Department of the Navy are the guest speakers at the University of Mary Washington’s 2017 commencement ceremonies. Edward Ayers, president emeritus of the University of Richmond, will speak at the undergraduate ceremony Saturday, May 13, on Ball Circle. Ayers, UR’s president from 2007 to 2015, is a historian of the American South and the Ayers author of several books. His The Promise of the New South: Life After Reconstruction was a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. He was Burrow awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2013. A pioneer in digital history, Ayers is co-editor of the Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States at the University of Richmond’s digital scholarship lab and is a co-host of BackStory With the American History Guys, a nationally syndicated radio show and podcast. John D. Burrow, a deputy assistant secretary of the Navy, will give the graduate address Friday evening, May 12, in Dodd Auditorium. Burrow oversees science, technology, and prototyping efforts of more than 25,000 scientists and engineers. He is the principal architect of initiatives to accelerate fielding of advanced technologies and war-fighting capabilities. He has taught at UMW, the MIT Naval Postgraduate School, and the University of Mississippi.

SPORTS

Amanda Gambale

Women’s Basketball Caps Season With Solid Tournament Showing

A proposal for monitoring blue crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay region earned UMW’s Amanda Gambale ’19 a $1,500 innovation award from environmental consulting firm Marstel-Day. Gambale received the Innovation in Environmental Stewardship award at the firm’s annual Green Gala in December 2016. The award aims to encourage development of unique solutions to seemingly intractable environmental problems. Gambale, who studies biology, will work on her project with guidance from a Marstel-Day adviser and will present her findings at the project’s conclusion. She will test her hypothesis that invasive catfish are a cause of declining blue crab populations, and that removing the non-native fish will aid in the blue crab’s recovery. “Receiving this award really meant the world to me, because it gives me the opportunity to show everyone how passionate I am not only about my career field, but about these creatures as well,” Gambale said. “We’re looking forward to seeing where this research takes her,” said Marstel-Day research analyst Ann Kuo.

College. UMW’s nine-point defeat, 60-51, was just Amherst’s fourth win of less than 10 points all season.

Susan Spencer

Bio Student Earns Environment Grant

he University of Mary Washington women’s basketball team made it to the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament, ending the year with a 24-5 overall record. In the first round, UMW scored an exciting 62-57 win over Sage Colleges, led by 24 points from AllAmerican Brianne Comden ’17. The Eagles had a 10-point lead at halftime, but Sage came back to lead by a point in the fourth quarter. Then Comden found Jordan Pamlanye ’19 for the go-ahead basket, and Megan Green ’17 sank three free throws to seal the win. It was the Eagle women’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2012, when they advanced to the regional finals. In the second round, the Eagles fell to No. 1 ranked, undefeated Amherst

Senior Brianne Comden leads the UMW Eagles to a victory over Sage Colleges in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament in March.

Athletics Gala in May UMW President Troy D. Paino will be the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Athletics Gala, to be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, in the Chandler Ballroom of the University Center. Billed as an “elegant evening for a meaningful mission,” the gala raises funds to support UMW’s student athletes. Besides Paino’s address, the program includes student athlete testimonials, silent and live auctions, wine and spirits raffles, dinner, and an open bar. Tickets are $130 each or $1,000 for a table of 10, a portion of which is tax-deductible. For tickets or more information, call 540/654-1143, email ppierce@umw.edu, or visit the athletics website at umw.eagles.com.

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SPORTS

Riding Program to Stay at Hazelwild

Karen Pearlman Photography

Hazelwild Farm will continue to be home base for the UMW varsity equestrian program.

he UMW varsity equestrian program will stay at Hazelwild Farm after all. Hazelwild, the riding program’s longtime home in Spotsylvania County, had earlier told UMW it could not accommodate the program after the spring 2017 semester. But that situation changed, to the delight of team members and UMW’s Director of Athletics Ken Tyler. “We appreciate our longstanding partnership with Hazelwild, as well as their cooperation in working together with us for a viable solution,” Tyler said. “We’re really happy for our student-athletes.” UMW is the only public institution in the commonwealth that offers riding at the varsity level, according to Tyler. The 25-member team participates in eight shows each year, in addition to regional, zone, and national competitions. In 14 of the past 17 years, UMW has sent at least one rider to the national championships.

Swimmers Corley, Tarkenton Go All-American

Photos by Susan Spencer

stellar season for men’s and women’s swimming culminated in March with All-American honors for seniors Anna Corley and Dallas Tarkenton at the NCAA Division III Swimming Championships in Shenandoah, Texas. Tarkenton turned in two All-American performances with a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly and a ninth-place result in the 200-yard fly. He also competed in the 200-yard individual medley. Tarkenton earned AllAmerican honors at last year’s NCAAs as well. In the 200-yard individual medley, Corley finished

in 13th place, earning All-American honors. She also competed in the 400-yard individual medley and the 100yard freestyle. Earlier, both the men’s and women’s swim teams captured 2017 Capital Athletic Conference Championship titles. It was the 27th straight title for Mary Washington women and the 17th consecutive title, 23rd overall, for the men. Freshmen Julia Geskey and Austin Farrar were named CAC Rookies of the Year. Head Coach Abby Brethauer and assistants Dalton Herendeen and Drew Priede lead UMW swimming.

Dallas Tarkenton earned All-American status in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events.

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Anna Corley earned All-American honors with a 13th-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley at the NCAA Championships.

GET THE PICTURE?

Give It Your Best Shot Who knew packing for travel could be so much fun? Or are these students unpacking souvenirs from a springbreak getaway? The photo is undated and the subjects’ names are unknown, but they look very happy with the contents of the suitcase. If you can help us identify these three travelers, we’d love to hear from you. Go online to magazine.umw.edu and click on “Get the Picture” to leave a comment. Or send an email with “Get the Picture” in the subject line to magazine@umw.edu. You may also write to: UMW Magazine – Get the Picture 1301 College Ave. Fredericksburg, Va. 22401-5300.

You Got It! The creative members of the Class of ’94 who dressed up as Interstate 95 for Halloween were, left to right, Megan Carter Shepherd, Heidi Heise Pardue, and Patricia “Tricia” Cleary Lenney.

Wes Cantrall ’93 was the first to identify the three. He shared the sad news that Tricia Cleary Lenney passed away in 2013. Others who helped with identifications are Tisha Custis Henderson ’93, Sarah Lange ’94, Stacy Tench ’94, Jeff Kramer ’96, and Andy Whitman ’97. Though he graduated with the Class of ’97, Andy started at Mary Washington with the Class of ’94 and remembers being in biology lab with Heidi Heise Pardue. Thanks to all! We use this column to supplement photo information for UMW’s digital collections. To see more images, go to archive.umw.edu and choose the Centennial Image Collection.

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Illustrations by Margaret Kimbal 12

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he story of trees on the University of Mary Washington campus starts with the Brompton Oak – the Civil War “witness tree” famously photographed in 1864 as Union soldiers recovered beneath its branches. The venerable white oak has been thoroughly fussed over. It’s protected from lightning, its limbs are cabled for stability, and the lawn above its roots is roped off during public events. Decades ago, some well-intentioned souls even filled its hollow spaces with concrete. Every Mary Washington president who’s lived at Brompton, from Morgan Combs to Troy Paino, has gazed on the tree with admiration and maybe a bit of anxiety. For the past 30 years, Director of Landscape and Grounds Joni Wilson ’00 has shared those feelings as the person chiefly responsible for the Brompton Oak. She’s joking – or maybe not – when she says that if the oak died “I’d be gluing leaves onto it.” (Read more about the Brompton Oak on page 19.) But she’s been equally protective of other Mary Washington trees, from the magnificent willow oak on Ball Circle to the gnarly old mulberry near Randolph and Mason halls to the workaday red maples that dot the Fredericksburg campus. As Wilson nears retirement at the end of this academic year, she’s making peace with the idea that she’ll no longer be the chief guardian of the university’s most permanent living residents. “It’ll be fine,” Wilson said, as if to convince herself. “It may be different, but it’ll be fine.” Wilson leaves a legacy of advocacy for campus trees during a major period of renovations and new construction. With each project, Wilson has insisted that architects and contractors consider the impact on trees. She’s pointed out that the trees standing in a building’s new footprint aren’t the only ones affected; nearby trees are also susceptible to root trauma and inadvertent wounds from heavy equipment. One notable example of Wilson’s successful advocacy is that there are still two original silver linden trees on the Ball Circle side of the University Center, which opened in 2015 on the site of the former Chandler Hall.

Photos by Norm Shafer

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Those lindens are an important connection between the present and the past, said Michael Spencer ’03, an assistant professor in the Department of Historic Preservation and author of a campus preservation plan detailing the university’s buildings and landscape. The surviving lindens are the oldest intentional plantings on campus, Spencer said, dating to the institution’s 1908 beginning as the Fredericksburg State Normal and Industrial School for Women. They were planted to line the original entrance to campus, and they greeted generations of students, professors, staff, and visitors. Spencer noted two other campus species with exceptional historic significance: The rows of Eastern red cedars that probably are vestiges of old fence lines predating the campus, and the pecans planted near faculty residences in the early years. When alumni remember that they love how the campus felt, Spencer pointed out, they don’t just mean the buildings. “The trees, like the buildings, make up this cultural landscape.” On a recent stroll along Campus Walk, from Double Drive to the Simpson Library and back, Wilson pointed out tree after beloved tree. She started with the massive willow oak near the entrance to George Washington Hall. “I love it because of all its warty weirdness,” she said. “Those mulberries … the big river birch over there … I love the pecans … those two big pin oaks in front of Westmoreland Hall … the loblolly pines … the Atlas cedar …”

At right, Director of Landscape and Grounds Joni Wilson gestures amid the roots of a willow oak on Ball Circle. At top, a student takes advantage of two perfectly placed trees to relax in a hammock – a favorite campus pastime. Above, the gnarly trunks of a mulberry frame Campus Walk. 14

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Two silver lindens near the University Center cast long shadows, literally and figuratively. The trees date to 1908, when Mary Washington was founded.

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Elizabeth Piña ’18 uses a specialized tape measure to determine the diameter of the Brompton Oak. Professor of Biology Alan Griffith, at left and in inset, below, helps measure as Joni Wilson looks on.

In February 2017, Associate Professor of Biology Alan Griffith and biology major Elizabeth Piña ’18 measured the Brompton Oak, a Quercus alba or white oak. Here’s what they found: HEIGHT

57 feet

(17.48 meters) NORTH-SOUTH CANOPY

90 feet

(27.3 meters) EAST-WEST CANOPY

70 feet

(21.2 meters) DBH (diameter at breast height)

5.5 feet (1.7 meters)

Mapping Heritage Trees: Urban Ecology

On a cold winter morning, biology major Elizabeth Piña ’18 and Associate Professor of Biology Alan Griffith met on the lawn at Brompton to determine just how big the Brompton Oak really is. As teams of students have done for hundreds of other campus trees, they used specialized tools to determine the massive oak’s height; crown spread; and DBH, or diameter at breast height. Eventually, that data will be correlated to one red square among hundreds on an image map of the Fredericksburg campus, including Brompton and the athletic fields. Each square represents a single tree; viewers will click on it to see data that has been meticulously gathered and catalogued. Griffith conceived the mapping project two years ago in collaboration with Director of Landscape and Grounds Joni Wilson ’00, who didn’t have the budget or staff to gather the necessary data. Griffith realized he could not only help Wilson and UMW, he could also use the project to engage students in service learning. Working in teams, student technicians apply accepted techniques of measuring a tree. Over four semesters, 14 students have worked on the project either as volunteers or for research credit, Griffith said. They’ve collected data about many of the “heritage trees” on campus –

those significant because of t heir histor y, t heir cont ribut ion to pla nt diversity, or their location in the landscape. G r i ffi t h ’s p r o j e c t and a related effort by F r e d e r i c k s b u r g Tr e e Stewards and Centra l Rappahannock Master Naturalists have yielded information that may guide decisions about which species of new or replacement trees should be planted on campus. The data may eventually be used to estimate how much rainwater UMW’s trees absorb and how much carbon dioxide they convert. It’s also helpful to know what species of animals or other plant life the campus trees support. From an economic point of view, the information provides a record of each tree and a way to measure a tree’s worth besides merely calculating the board-foot value of its wood. It’s also been valuable for the students involved, Griffith said, helping to introduce them to the growing field of urban ecology. They’ve had the experience of contributing to their community, and they’ve gotten to know their campus better. Piña, the biology major who helped Griffith measure the Brompton Oak, said she’d mainly been interested in wildlife biology before her semester working on the tree project. “But this has helped widen my viewpoint.”

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Photos by Lynda Richardson ’81

At Virginia Hall, she pointed to a sourwood, a native tree with white panicles in spring and beautiful color in fall. “It’s just a great tree,” she said. Nearby are two yellowwoods, which sometimes bloom in time for commencement. Though they’re the same species, they don’t look exactly alike – one shows off a zebra-striped bark that’s especially dramatic when the leaves are gone in winter. “I love this magnolia, too,” Wilson said, admiring the larger of the trees that stand sentry at Monroe Hall. Some members of Wilson’s crew sigh over the Southern magnolias because they’re so messy, shedding glossy leaves year-round and dropping seed-filled fruit that has to be raked up. But the fuzzy buds in spring and fragrant white flowers in summer make up for it. Besides many delightful native dogwoods that dot campus, Wilson noted a few remaining Kousa dogwoods – trees she gave up planting after she decided they were mistakes. “They’re beautiful, but they bloom late, and they’re non-native,” she said. “They make a big, fat fruit that ripens and the birds can’t eat it.” There have been other frustrations. Some landscape trees just didn’t thrive where they were planted. Others were chosen for a particular spot because of a predicted height or color that failed to materialize. Long ago, a well-meaning person “That’s horticulture,” Wilson said with a shrug. “The trees never read filled the Brompton Oak’s hollow the books.” places with concrete. Wilson herself has read plenty, and she readily calls to mind Latin names and information about the roots, bark, foliage, and seeds of dozens of tree species. While working full time on campus, she earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree from Mary Washington, graduating in 2000. She’s learned even more over the years from observation, experience, and her own self-directed study. Of course Wilson’s job covers more than trees. She’s in charge of UMW’s sustainability efforts, and she supervises a staff of 20 people responsible for the landscape and grounds at Brompton, the Fredericksburg campus and athletic fields, the Stafford campus, the Dahlgren campus, and other college-owned properties. She has great respect for the crews who do the hands-on work and put in long

UMW’s trees are never lovelier than in fall. Left, a ginkgo spins gold near Monroe Hall; here, a maple lays a carpet beside Ball Hall. U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A R Y WA S H I N G T O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 7

hours during storms or in preparation for major events such as commencement. “They know their stuff,” she said. “They really get that we’re a major part of supporting the mission of this university.” Many of them have come to share Wilson’s passion for the trees, bushes, and plantings that lend color and harmony to the campus. They’ve internalized the belief that “the landscape has a really significant impact on the people who live and work here,” she said. Besides setting an example of advocacy for faculty, staff, and her own employees, Wilson has partnered with students and community members interested in the natural resources of campus. Groups such as Tree Fredericksburg, the Fredericksburg Tree Stewards, the Central Rappahannock Master Naturalists, professional tree services, and the city of Fredericksburg have contributed. Recently, the Tree Stewards – extension-service trained community volunteers led by Kevin Bartram, director of the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra – numbered and documented 535 trees in 52 zones of campus, filling spreadsheets with data on individual specimens. And over the past two years Wilson has collaborated with Professor of Biology Alan Griffith on an experiential learning project that uses geographic information service mapping tools and software to create an online map of the campus’s “heritage trees.” (Read more about heritage trees on page 16.) Under Wilson’s leadership, UMW has twice been officially designated a Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation, an honor recognizing exemplary tree management, student engagement, and service learning. UMW is one of only four Virginia college campuses to receive the designation. All these things give Wilson some comfort as she contemplates the future – her own, and that of UMW’s remarkable tree campus. “I love this place, but you know, there are ideas other than mine,” she said. “Change is good.” Cherry blossoms and spring midterms hit campus about the same time, giving students something peaceful to look at between study sessions at the Hurley Convergence Center.

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The Brompton Oak

Wounded soldiers convalesce under shelter of the Brompton Oak in May 1864. This famous photo is in the collection of the Library of Congress.

What do we mean when we call the Brompton Oak a “witness tree”? Though nobody knows the tree’s exact age, it was already mature by the time of the Civil War. Brompton was under Confederate control during the bloody fighting in Fredericksburg in December 1862 and May 1863. Though bullets riddled the brick home, the tree remained relatively unscathed through those battles. It stood as a witness over a stretch of ground where thousands of soldiers fought, suffered, and died. Under Union control after the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness, Brompton became a hospital. Northern doctor William Howell Reed described it as hellish: fetid, swarming with vermin, and crammed with men in the agonies of death.

But for some of the wounded, the oak’s broad branches provided a respite. “Monday, the 23d of May, 1864, was a most lovely day,” Reed wrote in his 1866 book Hospital Life in the Army of the Potomac. “The breeze came fresh and cool from the north; the air was pure and clear; the sky perfectly cloudless. … It was a day for the convalescents, and it seemed as if those who were near to death must be revived by the delicious softness of the bracing air. We moved them out of the stifling rooms to the lawn … a grand old oak … gave shelter to nearly fifty men.” Today, the Brompton Oak witnesses more peaceful scenes, shading the home of the University of Mary Washington president.

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HOME Equity Advocate Toils for Equal Access to Housing

Heather Mullins Crislip ’95 spoke for different kinds of people when she was a student government leader at the University of Mary Washington. Her service as president and vice president of the Student Association deepened her commitment to advocate for fairness and access. It also set her on her life path. Today, she’s president and CEO of HOME, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia Inc. The Richmond-based nonprofit promotes equal access to housing through fair housing enforcement, research, advocacy, and statewide policy. Crislip already had a passion for justice when she arrived on campus. But, she said, “My interest in civil rights and issues of systemic poverty definitely blossomed and became more defined at UMW.” Under Crislip’s leadership since 2012, HOME has focused on fair housing as a civil rights mission. “Litigation is just one of the tools we use when we need to,” she said. In January, HOME settled a discrimination case with a Richmond developer, architect, and construction company involving a 129-unit apartment building in Shockoe Bottom. The lawsuit claimed the property failed to meet the handicap accessibility requirements for new construction under the Fair Housing Act. Because of HOME’s involvement, the property will be retrofitted for accessibility, and the nonprofit will be compensated $50,000 for damages. “Our purpose is to create equal and fair housing markets,” Crislip said. Besides her work with HOME, Crislip serves on the board of directors for Housing Virginia, a public-private partnership committed to affordable housing. Crislip majored in economics and political science at Mary Washington, and she learned about the housing issues that would shape her future: Housing patterns underlie education systems, crime activity, and opportunities for success. “I came to understand homeownership, access to credit, and the ways we build wealth develop two different housing systems. It 20

has created most of the wealth inequity we see in America. Where you live makes all of the difference,” she said. “One housing system is built on private ownership and subsidized mortgages and the opportunity to create private wealth, and one is built on public housing and subsidized with a very different outcome in terms of wealth.” Crislip earned a law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law, attending classes at night while directing the welfare-to-work center for the New Haven, Connecticut, region. She also served as assistant to the mayor for policy analysis and applied her talents to workforce development and homeownership issues. After law school, she became chief of staff to a Hawaii state senator and executive assistant to the chancellor of the University of Hawaii. She returned to Virginia in 2008 and accepted a position at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, where she oversaw bipartisan policy projects for former Gov. Gerald Baliles. She also served as the staff director of the Goode National Transportation Policy Project, which was honored by President Obama in 2010. Besides shaping her professional interests, Mary Washington played an important role in Crislip’s personal life. She met Andrew Crislip ’95 during the first week of freshman year. They lived in Bushnell Hall, dated all four years, and married a year after graduation. They are the parents of daughters Grace, 11, and Renna, 7. Andrew Crislip is a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. UMW’s highly regarded debate team and liberal arts emphasis were what first attracted Crislip to the college. Her debate experience gave her a head start in learning how to be a successful member of student government, said John Morello, UMW associate provost for academic affairs. He was the director of the debate team when Crislip joined. Debating is a thought- and labor-intensive activity, Morello said. It requires students “to have a fair degree of initiative and

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Story by Robin Farmer

Photos by Clement Britt

Heather Mullins Crislip is president and CEO of HOME – Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia Inc. – one of the oldest and largest private organizations of its kind in the nation. The people she met and the passions she gained at Mary Washington led her to work for civil rights and equal access.

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Right: Crislip, center, collaborates with HOME colleagues, from left, Brianna Pitchford, Mike Burnette, Brenda Hicks, and Bethany Evans. Below: The Blacksburg native helps her daughters care for the family’s backyard chickens.

“She really wants the world to be the sort of place where everyone has an opportunity and everyone can use the platform from which they come to excel based on their strengths and their interests.” — Cedric Rucker

mental toughness and smarts in order to be successful, and she was very successful.” As a sophomore, Crislip was half of the first UMW team to win three tournaments in a year. Meeting Cedric Rucker ’81, now UMW associate vice president for student affairs and dean of student life, helped change her focus from debate to student government. As a teacher and as an administrator, Rucker encouraged students to include different worldviews and think beyond themselves to recognize others’ struggles. Rucker challenged Crislip to be selfless and to use her voice in student government to make sure that everyone had a representative at the table. She has continued to challenge organizations and systems that exclude certain groups. Rucker “was one of the biggest influences on my life and the reason I work in civil rights today,” Crislip said. The two are still friends, and she continues to consider him a mentor. Rucker recalled Crislip’s early days of student leadership. “It was great working with her, and I think I drove her nuts,” he said with a robust chuckle. “She really wants the world to be the sort of place where everyone has an opportunity and everyone can use the platform

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Heather and Andrew Crislip met at Mary Washington the first week of their freshman year, 1991. They live in Richmond with daughter Grace, pictured holding backyard chicken Barley, daughter Renna, and their dog, Zeus.

from which they come to excel based on their strengths and their interests,” Rucker said. “I am in awe of her and all of the things she continues to do, especially in my hometown of Richmond.” Crislip moved to the state capital for its location between her family in her hometown of Blacksburg, Virginia, and her husband’s family in Fairfax County. It’s a good fit. “Richmond is an easy place to live. There’s so much to do, it’s beautiful, it’s quirky, and it’s at turns both deeply reverent and completely irreverent,” Crislip said. “But the spirit of Richmond today, of authentically exploring and figuring out what and who we are and what we value, is the thing I love the most.” The community loves her back. This spring, Richmond YWCA honored Crislip with one of its eight Outstanding Women Awards, given to women who make important contributions to the region. She was recognized for her commitment to ending systemic discrimination and segregation statewide through fair housing enforcement, education, and advocacy. She was selected for the Service Leader of the Year Award by her peers in the Leadership Metro Richmond class in 2012. In 2015, the governor of Virginia appointed Crislip to the UMW Board of Visitors, which felt like an award, she said. “It was one of the highlights of my career.” Her contributions to the Richmond community involve more than housing, said her friend and neighbor Kristen Green ’95, a journalist and author of Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County: A Family, A Virginia Town, A Civil Rights Battle. Green and Crislip met freshman year. They lived across the hall from each other when Crislip served in student government and Green was an editor for the school newspaper, then called The Bullet. “She’s always been incredibly ambitious and driven and achieved amazing things,” Green said. “She is a super energetic person who just throws herself into her many passions.” When she is not working and volunteering, Crislip enjoys her family, raising chickens in her backyard, and renovating her old Richmond home – from building a spacious deck to retiling bathrooms. “We’re always working on something,” she said. “I tend to start a project, we get in over our heads and then figure it out. Crislip lives by something Teddy Roosevelt once said: Do what you can, with what you have, from where you are. “It inspires me to get going and also be OK when there are constraints that I can’t control,” she said. “Or when I’m wishing I could do more.” U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A R Y WA S H I N G T O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 7

1817 Style

Celebrating President Monroe’s Inaugural Bicentennial ✯✯✯✯✯

Ramsey Belyamani, age 6, and his parents enjoyed the pageantry of the tribute to James Monroe’s presidential inauguration.

crowd gathered near UMW’s Monroe Hall in early March to celebrate the statesman the building is named for. James Monroe, fifth president of the United States, was inaugurated March 4, 1817, in Washington, D.C. Two hundred years later to the day, the James Monroe Museum invited the community to witness the pageantry of a re-enactment of the inauguration on the steps of Mary Washington’s oldest building. Soldiers in plumed caps and coarsely stitched breeches held muskets and bayonets. Ladies in colorful hats and dresses – hands in muffs and shawls pulled tight against the early March cold – waited with a crowd of modern guests. Jaunty music rang out from the trumpets of the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. Soldiers from the Society of the War of 1812 in Virginia presented the color guard, and a smart, white carriage delivered the dignitaries of an earlier era: outgoing President James Madison, first lady Dolley Madison, and John Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme Court. The crowd cheered as the president-elect and his wife – James and Elizabeth Monroe – stepped down from the horse-drawn rig. James Monroe Museum Director Scott H. Harris ’83 welcomed the crowd as did Fredericksburg’s mayor, Mary Katherine Greenlaw ’61. UMW President Troy D. Paino said the university is proud of its association with the museum, which it administers, and with James Monroe. The modern speakers left the dais to a tableau lifted from the 1800s: James Monroe delivered an excerpt from his first inaugural address, and Chief Justice Marshall administered the oath of office. After a military salute, the trumpets and fifes struck up a brisk rendition of Yankee Doodle. Harris led the crowd in cheers of “hip, hip, huzzah!” before a reception where guests got to meet the interpreters and learn more about their costumes and the people they portrayed.

✯ Photos by Norm Shafer ✯ 24

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Left: Costumed interpreters gather on the steps of UMWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Monroe Hall to commemorate the inauguration of fifth U.S. President James Monroe, held March 4, 1817. Below: Fourth President James Madison (Charles Wissinger) and wife Dolley (Katherine Spivey) arrive by coach.

James Monroe (James G. Harrison III) gets help with his very 21st-century microphone before the ceremony.

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Left: Period dress helps make the day, including the ladies’ hats, crafted by Rebecca Burnham, right. Here the milliner adjusts Megan Flanagan’s “Athena,” which she fashioned after the Greek goddess’s helmet.

Above: President Monroe delivers his inaugural address. Right: The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps opens the ceremony with music from the early 1800s.

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Left: UMW President Troy D. Paino consults the program as he and Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw, in red, prepare to address the crowd before the swearing in.

Above: The presidential party, from left: Chief Justice John Marshall (Jarod Kearney, curator, James Monroe Museum); first lady Elizabeth Monroe (Heidi C. Stello, editorial assistant, The Monroe Papers); President James Monroe; outgoing first lady Dolley Madison; and outgoing President James Madison.

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BOOK REPORT

Books by UMW alumni Determined to Stand and Fight: The Battle of Monocacy, July 9, 1864 By Ryan Quint ’15 In July 1864, outnumbered Union soldiers prepared for a defense of Maryland’s Monocacy River, a last-ditch effort to protect the United States capital from surging Confederate forces. Quint’s book, part of the publisher’s Emerging Civil War series, tells the story of what became known as the “battle that saved Washington.” – Savas Beatie, March 2017

Human Trafficking: Emerging Legal Issues and Applications Attorneys and others fighting human trafficking will find practical, tested, and cutting-edge approaches for investigating trafficking crimes and representing victims. Written for those working in the courts and on the ground, the book is an essential tool for righting the wrongs of human trafficking. – Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company Inc., January 2017

Love, H: The Letters of Helene Dorn and Hettie Jones By Hettie Cohen Jones ’55 From their first meeting in 1960, writer Hettie Jones and artist Helene Dorn were each other’s confidant, emotional support, and unflagging partner as they survived divorce from famous men, raised children as single mothers, and found artistic success in their own right. The letters tell two stories from the shared point of view of women who refused to go along with society’s expectations. – Duke University Press, September 2016

Mr. Ken Fulk’s Magical World By Ken Fulk ’87 Featuring more than 200 color photos with accompanying narrative, Mr. Ken Fulk’s Magical World showcases the renowned designer’s works of the past decade: gorgeous dwellings he has designed for notable clientele; his own three homes; and stunning examples of his party and event designs. – Harry N. Abrams, October 2016

Passing On By Nancy Porter Atakan ’68 This monograph by American-Turkish artist Nancy Atakan accompanied her solo exhibition at London’s Pi Artworks gallery last year. The show investigated a series of professional women who were born in the Ottoman period, who matured and worked in the Republic, and who should be remembered, Atakan said. The book includes 23 drawings and a neither fictional nor factual story about one woman. – Kehrer Verlag, February 2016

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Edited by Nora Cronin ’03 and Kimberly A. Ellis

A Life Everlasting: The Extraordinary Story of One Boy’s Gift to Medical Science By Sarah Walpole Gray ’95 When Gray received the devastating news that her unborn son Thomas had a terminal condition, she arranged to donate his organs for research. Her grief and intellectual curiosity led her to delve into the world of medical research and the valiant scientists on the horizon of discovery. – HarperCollins, September 2016

Quartet for J. Robert Oppenheimer By Kelly Cherry ’61 Cherry records in poetry the life and times of one of America’s best-known scientists, the father of the atomic bomb who later lobbied for containment of nuclear weaponry. In brief, elegant stanzas, she examines Oppenheimer’s dreams and values, visiting the events, places, and people that inspired him or led him to despair. – LSU Press, February 2017

Books by UMW faculty Remembering the Lotus-Born: Padmasambhava in the History of Tibet’s Golden Age By Daniel Hirshberg, assistant professor of religion Hirshberg sheds light on the work of Nyangrel Nyima Öser (1124–92), whose pivotal work, the Copper Island, is the story of how the Indian tantric master Padmasambhava brought Buddhism to Tibet. This is its most popular narrative. The author argues that rather than being Nyangrel’s invention, the Copper Island was a product of the Tibetan assimilation and innovation of core Indian Buddhist philosophies and literary traditions that forged a distinctly Tibetan Buddhism. – Wisdom Publications, October 2016

Doctrine and Race: African American Evangelicals and Fundamentalism Between the Wars By Mary Beth Swetnam Mathews, associate professor of religion By presenting African-American evangelicals as observers and critics of white Protestant fundamentalism, Mathews demonstrates that African-American Protestants were acutely aware of the manner in which white Christians could marginalize African-Americans and how black evangelicals could use that knowledge to justify social change. Mathews examines how African-Americans constructed a definition of Christianity that had, at its core, an intrinsic belief in racial equality. – University of Alabama Press, January 2017

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NOTABLE & QUOTABLE

Engineer a Rising Star Federal Computer Week (FCW) magazine named Emily Antos ’11 a 2016 “Rising Star.” The award honors exceptional federal IT workers early in their careers who are seen by peers and supervisors as talented, rising leaders. After graduating in math, Antos joined the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Dahlgren Division, where she did classified engineering work. Motivated by her desire to do more design, the Massachusetts native earned a master of systems engineering degree from Old Dominion University. That led her to Washington, D.C., and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, where she is lead engineer of the Sea Warrior Mobility Program. Her team focuses on designing mobile apps that deliver mandatory training and career management to sailors. In an interview about the award, Antos told FCW that the Navy needs to get informa-

tion to sailors quickly and in a way that’s easy to access. To do that, her team used what all sailors already had in their pockets – smartphones. So far, Antos and her team have developed 13 smartphone apps. It was not only Antos’ talent, but also her speed and organization that earned the admiration of colleagues, FCW reported. She’s created efficiencies, refined procedures, and moved projects from idea to delivery in weeks and months instead of years. That probably won’t surprise Antos’ UMW classmates or former professors. Antos was often the recipient of scholarships and awards during her time at Mary Washington. She was given the 2011 Clara Boyd Wheeler Award at commencement for exemplifying grace, a spirit of service, and the ability to change lives. Antos also is an ultramarathoner.

Teacher and artist Ginna Cullen, center, has been called a quiet warrior for art education.

The Virginia Art Education Association named Mary “Ginna” Burks Cullen ’67 art educator of the year for 2016. Cullen is an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and is a retired art teacher from Louisa County public schools. VAEA President Linda Conti called Cullen “a quiet warrior for art education, working constantly in the trenches on her own work, guiding others, and setting a gold standard for how to teach art and art education to teachers, who then pass this knowledge on to their students.” Cullen majored in studio art at Mary Washington, then earned a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. At VCU, she works with the Office of Continuing and Professional Education, supervises student teachers, and teaches a professional development class in book arts for K-12 teachers.

UNCG Celebrates Poet’s Lifetime of Work Kelly Cherry ’61 received the 2016 lifetime achievement award from the alumni association of the University of North Carolina–Greensboro, where she earned a master of fine arts degree in 1967. Cherry, a former poet laureate for Virginia, is the author of 27 works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Her work has been published in more than 200 anthologies, and she has written more than 100 reviews for such publications as The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the London Independent. She was a professor at the University of Wisconsin for more than 20 years before retiring in 1999. UNC–Greensboro’s lifetime achievement award recognizes the recipient’s life of service, continuous personal growth, and a willingness to embrace the changing world. The award also recognizes outstanding achievement and service to one’s profession, community, and university. 30

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VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education

Artist Honored for Teaching

NOTABLE & QUOTABLE

Act II: Environmental Advocate

Design Juggernaut Ken Fulk ’87 has yet another honor to his name. The San Francisco Chronicle named him one of its top Bay Area stylemakers for 2016, calling Fulk “the in-demand designer.” Known for his big-idea events and dramatic interior designs, Fulk created Leo’s Oyster Bar in San Francisco’s financial district, earning the 2016 Best Designed Restaurant designation from Bon Appétit magazine. He’s worked on several major high-rise residences. And he recently released the coffee-table book Mr. Ken Fulk’s Magical World, featuring his work for big-name clients worldwide. Read more about the book on page 28.

Library of Virginia Extols Journalist’s Literary Nonfiction Journalist Kristen Green ’95 won the Library of Virginia’s 2016 Literary Award for Nonfiction for her book Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County, which deals with segregation-related school closures and their legacy in her home county. A press release announcing the award said the judges felt that the book “demonstrates the truth of William Faulkner’s adage that the past isn’t even past – as the perceptions of scarcity, competition, and fear that were employed to justify segregation appear in today’s headlines about schools, resources, and fair treatment.” Green grew up in Prince Edward County, which closed its schools for five years rather than desegregate. At Mary Washington, she majored in American studies and was an editor on the student newspaper. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Green’s book was UMW’s first-year common read in fall 2016. It has been on The New York Times’ education and civil rights best-seller lists and named a New York Times Book Review editors’ choice. It was a Washington Post notable nonfiction selection for 2015 and received several other accolades.

John W. McCarthy III ’84 has joined the staff of the Piedmont Environmental Council in Warrenton, Virginia. As senior adviser and director of strategic partnerships, he works with state and local governments on environmental issues including water, transportation, zoning and land use, and conservation. The environmental council is a community-based environmental group that helps nine counties in Virginia’s Piedmont area to conserve land, strengthen communities and rural economies, celebrate historic resources, protect air and water, promote sustainable energy, improve people’s access to nature, and more. Before joining the environmental council, McCarthy was county administrator for Rappahannock County for 28 years, retiring in June 2016. He has chaired nonprofit groups including the Fauquier Hospital Board, a community health group known as the PATH Foundation, and the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation. In January, the Virginia General Assembly honored him with a resolution commending his accomplishments as county administrator and noting his “wry sense of humor and his love of the Chicago Cubs.” McCarthy majored in geography at Mary Washington and earned a master’s degree in planning from the University of Virginia in 1986. He was an adjunct instructor in the UMW Department of Geography from 1988 to 2014.

Kristen Green grew up in Prince Edward County and wrote an award-winning book about school segregation there.

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NOTABLE & QUOTABLE

Photojournalist an Environmental Journalism Fellow Photojournalist Joanna B. Pinneo ’76 will research and report on the effects of household air pollution and the implementation of clean cookstoves as a recipient of this year’s Ted Scripps Fellowship for Environmental Journalism. As a Scripps Fellow, Pinneo is spending nine months at the University of ColoradoBoulder auditing classes and working on her in-depth journalistic project. Pinneo has traveled to 66 countries as a freelance photographer, sharing her work in National Geographic, The New York Times, Smithsonian, Time, St. Petersburg Times, Geo, and other publications. Her award-winning work has appeared in book collections and is included in National Geographic’s 50 Greatest Photographs. She is a member of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of photographers who document the lives of women in developing countries, especially as they combat the impact of climate change.

Dallas Attorney Named Minority Business Leader Dallas attorney Henry Talavera ’86 is among 25 recipients of the Dallas Business Journal’s 2017 Minority Business Leaders Award, recognizing professional accomplishments and contributions to the community. He practices with the Polsinelli law firm, focusing on employee compensation and executive benefits. He’s represented clients before the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor. Within the law firm, he has developed diversity programs, mentored young professionals, and championed work-life balance initiatives. He’s also supported diversity beyond office walls, serving on the board of directors of the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation. Talavera has been the Hispanic National Bar Association’s liaison to the American Bar Association. He also provides pro bono services to Communities in Schools, a program in which attorneys mentor underprivileged students. “Henry is a tremendous asset to the firm, the community, and the legal industry as a whole,” said Jon Henderson, Polsinelli’s Dallas office managing partner. At Mary Washington, Talavera majored in international relations. He earned a law degree from the University of Maryland.

Digital Whiz Grace May ’16 spent last summer as a junior fellow at the Library of Congress – one of 38 selected from 800 applicants. She was chosen in part because of hands-on experience she gained working with UMW’s Digital Archiving Lab. May spent 10 weeks working on digital projects to make library materials more accessible to users online, including a display in the U.S. Presidential Inaugurations Collection. As part of her work, the history major got to see artifacts including President Lincoln’s inaugural Bible. She also worked on the website for the library’s main reading room. Grace May, left, prepares to scan a book in the UMW Digital Archiving Lab.

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ALUMNI SEEN

Alums meet up under the tent for a refreshing beverage during UMW Homecoming last fall.

From left, Amy Weiss, Shaun Sargent ’03, Sarah Eckman ’07, Rob Brown ’03, Matt Murphy ’03, and Becky Foster Murphy ’03 gather to “eat, drink, and be Mary Wash” at the second annual Eagle Crawl in March.

Members of the UMW Baltimore Network visit Boordy Winery in Maryland on a warm February day.

From left, Tracy Belski, Hannah Belski ’18, Helen Tracy Totura ’43, and Susan Johnson are pictured at the legacy breakfast during Family Weekend.

Andrew Sical ’16, center, celebrates with his family at the December graduate reception hosted by the Alumni Association. U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A R Y WA S H I N G T O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 7

ALUMNI SEEN

The Colorado Alumni Network kicks off with a February social in Denver.

Chrissy Boyer DeMarr ’12 and Matthew DeMarr ’10 have fun at homecoming with children Mary Anna and Thomas. 34

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If you prefer to submit Class Notes by mail, send to: UMW Magazine – Class Notes 1301 College Ave., Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Read It

ONLINE

1940 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

1941 Dorothy Shaw dorothyshaw1919@gmail.com

1942 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

1943 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

1944 Phyllis Quimby Anderson pqhndson@comcast.net I, Phyllis Quimby Anderson, am still getting around, but a bit slower. My girls planned a great family reunion, which coincided with my 93rd birthday in May. The whole family came, even from Germany and California. There were about 45 of us in all, with seven great-grandchildren, the oldest being 5, and another on the way. Great fun! My two sons and I went to the USS New York reunion in September, which was held in Virginia. I play bridge regularly.

1949

Find the original, unedited text of Class Notes online at magazine.umw.edu.

June Davis McCormick jaymccee@yahoo.com

The last I heard, Isabel Hildrup Klein was living with her daughter in North Carolina.

1945 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

1946 Patricia Mathewson Spring classnotes@umw.edu

1947 Betty Moore Drewry Bamman classnotes@umw.edu

1948 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu Charlotte Dean Smith Hill wrote that when saw the photo of Charlotte Smith Needham ’47 in the fall edition of UMW Magazine, she had great fun remembering the year they both lived in Betty Lewis. As Charlotte Hill was often the one to answer the dorm phone, she wrote, “I became very aware of how many more boyfriends Charlotte Smith ’47 had than I.” The two Charlottes also were in a biology class together and there was some confusion until the professor became familiar with their middle names.

Forty-five relatives – including seven great-grandchildren – from as far away as Germany and California celebrated the 93rd birthday of Phyllis Quimby Anderson ’44. Elizabeth Cumby Murray of Nantucket is doing well after a hospital stay. She still plays a lot of bridge. We’re sorry to report that Mary Ellen Gardiner Starkey passed away March 21, 2017. She had taught in Charles County, Maryland, for 32 years.

She stays in touch with MWC roommates Sylvia Sheaks Moore and Marie Adams Griffith. We’re sad to report the death of Margaret Ruth Harrell Youngblood in October 2016.

Charlotte Hill takes classes through Osher Lifelong Learning, which is sponsored by the University of Southern Mississippi in her hometown of Hattiesburg. She was learning mahjong and was about to leave on a cruise to the Western Caribbean and the Panama Canal.

I begin with sad news that Janet Carter Hudgins passed away in November. Janet attended MWC as a freshman then returned home to Leesburg, Virginia. There she met Maj. Ira Hudgins, who had just returned from Japan and had become minister at Leesburg Baptist Church. They married and eventually found their way to Franklin, Virginia, where they raised four sons. Janet worked for the city social services division, was active at Franklin Baptist Church, and was her husband’s indispensable partner during his 35-year ministry there. He preceded her in death. The Hudgins’ oldest son, Carter Lee Hudgins, was a beloved history professor at Mary Washington and was instrumental in the Department of Historic Preservation. He is program director of the Master of Science in Historic Preservation program in Charleston, South Carolina, which is shared by Clemson University and the College of Charleston. Kathryn “K.D.” Wright Drake and her husband are well. They live in the Holiday Independent Retirement Facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they have a great activity director and a five-star chef. They are able to trade housing with other retirement facilities when they travel, and they used that perk to visit a relative in Auburn, Alabama. Joyce Hamilton Eisler signed up for the UMW 1908 Letters Program, which connects members of the 1908 Society with current students, and they write to one another. Joyce, who studied commerce, has been corresponding with a senior business administration and accounting major, who writes about her love for UMW and her boyfriend there. All three of Joyce and Joe’s children and several grandchildren gathered at their home in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, to celebrate Joyce and Joe’s 63rd anniversary and Joyce’s 89th birthday. They are blessed with good health,

a wonderful family, and many special friends. Harriet “Scotty” Scott Brockenbrough had a sad report of her five high school BFFs: The one she considered the strongest died in spring 2016. Scotty drove from Mechanicsville across the river to Chesterfield nursing home each of the eight weeks her friend was there. Another of the group moved to a nursing home. Scotty traveled in July to see son Scott and his wife in Kirkland, Washington. She was still feeling the effects of a serious infection that left her hospitalized in May, so she and Scott took daily walks along the river to increase her endurance. The highlight of Scotty’s year was Garden Week in Virginia, when she was invited back to Onancock on the Eastern Shore to be a hostess at Chatham, the family home where she was reared. The 1818 home and grounds have been restored as a vineyard and winery. Scotty’s grandmother was newly widowed with 11 children when she moved there in 1905. Scotty was given her choice of rooms, choosing “the boys’ room,” which her father had shared with four brothers. Scotty had a ball as docent for the tours, and her talks were well received. At the owners’ request, she wrote down what she had shared with visitors. After writing about growing up at Chatham and other information, she ended up with 19 pages and pictures dating back to the early 1900s! She returned to Onancock to spend Thanksgiving with her youngest son, Tom. Katherine “Kate” Mayo Schmidt of Palestine, Texas, hosted son Bill Jr., his wife, a friend, and Kate’s niece for a lovely Thanksgiving; they stayed at Kate’s nearby farm. Most of the cooking was done “by everybody else,” Kate said, and her daughter-in-law made great chess pies. Kate expected a quiet Christmas with friends and hoped for a peaceful winter and lovely spring.

Let us hear from you! Deadlines for submissions to class agents: • For fall 2017 issue: June 15, 2017 • For spring 2018 issue: Dec. 1, 2017

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CLASS NOTES Joyce Hamilton Eisler ’49 enjoys corresponding with a student through the UMW 1908 Letters Program. Betty Bond Heller Nichols of Lexington, Virginia, still plays piano weekly for the group that gets together at the retirement home to sing old, familiar songs. Her big news is that she gave up her piano bar appearances. Last summer, B.B.’s dialysis center arranged for her to have treatments at another center, so she was able to go the beach for the usual family outing with the kids. Afterward, she returned to Bedford for an anniversary show, and was happy to be back with the theater group she worked with for years. Betty Bond sent news of her three BFFs: Charlotte “Chot” Baylis Rexon and Fred of Haddonfield, New Jersey, now have a live-in for needed help. (“No news!” Chot wrote at Christmas. “We’re OK, just getting older!”) Dorothy “Dotty” Booker Pinkham and Dave are in a retirement facility in Montpelier, Vermont, where Dave has health needs and Jane is blessed to have her dear daughter, a nurse, living with her for companionship and care. Jane Yeatman Spangler lives in Concord, North Carolina. In December, B.B.’s daughter, Anne, and her husband were having dinner at a Lexington restaurant and talking to another couple. It was VMI’s ring ceremony night, and the couple’s son was getting his ring. It turned out that B.B.’s husband and Esther Reece McVeigh’s husband had been “brother rats,” and the wife of the couple was Esther’s daughter. She called Esther from the restaurant to report the coincidence, and B.B talked with Esther, who lives at Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg. The daughters have promised to get B.B. and Esther together. Barbara Trimm Wright was delighted to learn that she can read the complete, unedited Class Notes online. She fondly recalled that senior year, she and Ann Patty McClintock lived across the hall from B.B., Chot, Dotty, and Jane. They saw a lot of one another and enjoyed B.B.’s generous piano sessions. Barbara and two church friends celebrated Thanksgiving with her nephew and his wife. Their sole request was that Barbara make 36

her corn pudding, which she had not made in years. She said she was willing to see if she’d lost her knack! Elva Tate Hasher of Mechanicsville, Virginia, is one of several among us who have or will reach nonagenarian status this year. “Old age is not any fun!” she said. Elva’s daughter, Anne, has retired from 40 years of service with the Commonwealth of Virginia. Margaret “Peggy” Walton Mason of Bethesda, Maryland, sent a Christmas picture of her “little elves,” her three great-grandchildren posing in bright red elf attire. Frances “Frannie” Houston Layton planned to leave Lewisburg, West Virginia, to spend the holidays in Kentucky with her son, daughter, a granddaughter, and three beautiful great-granddaughters.

Eve afternoon for a leisurely lunch at Neiman Marcus, her favorite spot here. She stays in touch with former roommate Norah Pitts Byrnes and suitemate Betsy Thorne Bultman ’50, who try to see each other frequently. Ours was a brief and happy reunion before she had to return to Toronto. We hope to meet again “don’t know where, don’t know when, but we know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”

Christmastime provided BFFs Corinne “Conni” Conley Stuart and me, June Davis McCormick, a chance to see one another. Conni traveled to the St. Louis area to spend the holidays with son Curtis and his family. Curtis, a longtime teacher, wife Heidi, son Fran, and Conni enjoyed the lakefront Innsbrook resort, taking long hikes there. The family also saw Conni’s granddaughter, Elsa, who had recently completed veterinarian studies. Conni and I met on New Year’s

1951 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

As ever, love to each of you.

Cynthia Medley edits the newsletter for her retirement community and wrote, “At 87, I’m in fairly good condition. I sound like a used car, don’t I?”

1950

1952

Marcy Weatherly Morris classnotes@umw.edu Margaret Bryan Morgan moved to the WindsorMeade retirement community in Williamsburg after her husband of 66 wonderful years, Ed, died last summer. Their four children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren live in Alaska, Washington state, North Carolina, and Williamsburg.

Ann Strickler Doumas ’55 followed the settlements of the Vikings on a cruise from Bergen, Norway, to Montreal, Canada. Elizabeth “Betty” Fischer Gore lives in The Woodlands Retirement Community in Fairfax, Virginia, and she planned to spend Christmas with her children and grandchildren who live nearby. In mid-December she, two daughters, and one granddaughter planned to see The Nutcracker together in Richmond. She was looking forward to a cookie exchange with her sister’s family at the Woodlands. Betty has had the same student scholarship recipient for two years, and she hoped to see her again at the UMW Scholarship Donors Luncheon in April.

are both experiencing serious health problems. Our prayers are with them!

Miriam “Mim” Sollows Weiland and husband Earl have moved into their wonderful apartment after waiting 2½ years for it to be completed. Mim made a “wonder woman” recovery from left hip surgery last July and planned right hip surgery in 2017. Carol Bailey Miller has been historian for the Virginia Horse Show Association for more than five years, worked on the association’s championship show in November 2016, and attended the organization’s annual meeting in December at the Homestead. Mim and Carol have received much joy from participating in the 1908 Society Letters program, sending monthly handwritten letters to current students about what Mary Washington was like in the 1946-1950 era and receiving letters in return. Billie Mitchell Hanes sends sad news that husband Dick passed away in November. They would have celebrated 67 years of marriage on Dec. 17. Helen Hopkins Timberlake has endured health concerns but still weeds her garden and visits family in Georgia. Anne Osborn Cox and husband Frank

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Corley Gibson Friesen corleyfriesen@comcast.net

1953 Betsy Dickinson Surles surles@infionline.net

1954 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu Mary Chilton Newell moved with husband Bill to Brandon Oaks retirement community in Roanoke.

1955 Christine Harper Hovis chrishovis@aol.com Dottie Booth Sanders talks daily with sister Boofie and visited with her in Nashville. Dottie’s husband, Dewey, did five more marathons and was up to 82 total. Dottie and Dewey traveled to Florida, Michigan, Tennessee, and Illinois and enjoyed a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean with 16 family members. Sally Hanger Moravitz and Fran took a cruise last February to go snorkeling but the weather was so rough the water tours were canceled. They planned to go to Myrtle Beach this spring. Joan Darden continues to play duplicate bridge, competitive pool, and competitive golf. She doesn’t win as much as she once did, but she makes more friends now than when she won more.

Find the original, unedited Class Notes online at magazine.umw.edu.

Scientist Travels Globe to Track Climate Change

ancy Maynard’s career path has taken her from the tropical ecosystem of Everglades National Park to the snowy reindeer migration pastures of Norway’s tundra, all in an effort to study the impact of development and climate change on the world around us. But her scientific journey around the globe started at Mary Washington, where the Maine native studied biology and chemistry before graduating in 1963. “For a New England Yankee, it was a Southern experience,” she recalled of her time in Fredericksburg. “It was a wonderful environment: fantastic teachers, and the students were really well-rounded and interested in what they were studying.” Maynard ’63 continued her studies at the University of Miami, earning a master’s degree in zoology and later, a doctorate in marine biology. Maynard and her roommate at UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) were among the first women to go to sea on research missions on the institute’s oceanographic research vessels. “I thought that was a great adventure,” said Maynard, who has always loved the outdoors. “In the process, I found my career in environmental research.” Maynard’s experience has been vast and varied. She’s studied everything from microscopic algae to the impact of global climate change on public health. In 2012, after more than 20 years at NASA – where she remains a scientist emerita – Maynard returned to the University of Miami as a visiting scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, a research institute at RSMAS. Early in her career, Maynard traveled to Bermuda and Alaska to study the impact of oil spills and residual tar on coastal environments. She took a midcareer fellowship at the White House Office of Science and Technical Policy during the Reagan

administration, returning six years later to work on Earth sciences and climate change for President George H.W. Bush’s science adviser. Before and after her final White House post, Maynard worked at NASA, using information gleaned from satellite imagery to measure the impact of climate change on the global environment – and upon the humans and animals that depend on those environments. There, Maynard mentored students from tribal colleges and universities, creating internships on reservations that brought NASA instruction to Native Americans in their own communities. For that, she

received the 2008 Robert H. Goddard Award for Exceptional Achievement in Mentoring. She also enlisted the help of reindeer herders from the U.S., Norway, and Russia to help evaluate climate change in Arctic regions. “Indigenous people who are reindeer herders have been managing – under the most harsh conditions on the planet – large herds of reindeer for generations. They live and die by whether or not they get it right. . . . Their decisions are critical to the health of the herds, and they have invaluable

traditional knowledge about weather, temperatures, and types of snow,” said Maynard, who accompanied Norwegian Sami herders on part of their spring migration in April 2011. Most recently, she has been studying the impact of global warming on the world’s polar regions, as a lead author on a chapter on the topic for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2014 report. Simultaneously, she worked as a lead author for a chapter on the impact of climate change on Native American populations for the 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment. Polar regions are the geographical canaries in the coal mine – they

Nancy Maynard, right, on Norway’s tundra with colleague Inger Marie Gaup Eira, who manages her family’s reindeer herds and is vice rector and associate professor at Sami University College.

experience the impacts of climate change faster, providing a signal of what’s coming for the rest of the planet, Maynard said. Earth’s health needs to be a priority for all, and not just for scientists, she said. “It’s the planet we live on!” she added.

– Edie Gross

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CLASS NOTES Mary-Louise “Red” Rosanelli Metzger ’56 traveled to Paris, Rome, and New York with her son, Father Joe Metzger. Ann Strickler Doumas and Bill cruised from Bergen, Norway, to Montreal, Canada, following the settlements of the Vikings. She wore her MWC alumni shirt one day and Valerie Deakin Gibbons ’58 came over to chat. Others on the cruise had Mary Washington connections as well. Ann Lou Rohrbach Culwell went to her 65th high school reunion and a mini reunion with her remaining cousins. She went to Branson, Missouri, and saw five great shows. She writes that her family has four new babies. Several of you including Joan Kleinknecht have sent notes, prayers, and gentle advice since I, Christine Harper Hovis, had a stroke and was in the hospital for several weeks. I had trouble remembering the stroke and some other things, but I kept my sense of humor.

1956 Ann Chilton Power anncpower1@gmail.com In December 2016 I visited several classmates at Richmond’s Westminster Canterbury retirement community. Turner Christian Richardson moved to W.C. in May. She has a daughter in Georgia, a son in Virginia Beach, and a son in Tampa. She has nine grandchildren, including 18-year-old triplets, and one great-grandchild. Connie Hook Felvey has her Kilmarnock home and an apartment at W.C. Her daughter and twin grandsons live in Charlottesville. Angela Walton Barksdale planned to move to W.C. in February 2017. She has sons in Richmond and New York and daughters in Richmond and Staunton. I also visited with Gene Pugh Chilton ’53 and her husband, my cousin Charles. Barbara Strangmann Hiscock moved to a retirement community in Cockeysville, Maryland, in 2015. Mary-Louise “Red” Rosanelli Metzger continues to split her time between New Hampshire and Richmond, and she’s traveled to Paris, Rome, and New York with 38

her son, Father Joe Metzger of Norfolk. Hermie Gross Fox enjoyed her 80th birthday in Hawaii. She took her daughter and family to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. She and sister Peg cruised in the fall from Montreal to Quebec, Nova Scotia, Boston, and New York. Christmas plans were with her son’s family in Irvine, California.

1957 Joyce Bristow Wrestler joycewrestler@gmail.com Bruce Ritchie Spain and others hope for a large attendance from

Framar Girls. She said Alice Cox has been married for 60 years to the blind date she had arranged. Betty Beckham Gentry married a Marine from an arranged blind date. Sweet Jean Miller Whitfield died in 2008. Sally Boyce Sullivan and husband Travis moved to a retirement center in Dallas. Their two children and two grandchildren are nearby. They travel to Palm Springs often and cruise to Alaska. Julia Harris Porter has been involved in her church for over 30 years as a chair or co-chair of a council. Fay Purcell Parke Cantrell and family cruised to the Caribbean last May. In June, she and Alex went to Barcelona and Lisbon. Fay is a retired high school counselor and continues to assist with the school scholarship program. Joyce Butler Allen and daughter Susan traveled to London and Paris last summer for three weeks. Joyce has communicated with Alice Janklow Drucker on Facebook.

Joyce Bristow Wrestler ’57 floated 20 miles on a river raft to Talkeetna, Alaska, of Northern Exposure fame. the Class of ’57 at our upcoming reunion. My husband and I, Joyce Bristow Wrestler, took a trip to Alaska, floated 20 miles downriver on a raft to Talkeetna (of Northern Exposure fame), and saw many bald eagles. I really admire the courageous ones who are moving to smaller quarters. Ellen Hertz Hewitt was packing for such a move but planned to stay in the Richmond area, where she’s active in church and busy visiting the sick and playing bridge. It was good hearing from Joan Callahan Frankhauser, Jean Durham Busboso, and Barbara Craft Grantz, who also gave news of sister-in-law Helen Grantz Fortner. All claimed to have no exciting news, but there was talk of travel, a few personal ills, computer hacking, and other 21st-century challenges.

1958 Susannah Godlove sgodlove5465@gmail.com Mary Ruthie Ridge Griggs attended the 50th reunion of the

Peggy Kelley Reinburg is an organ recitalist, private instructor, musicologist, and pipe organ design consultant. Her most recent project was for St. Benedict Catholic Church in Chesapeake, Virginia, where she is scheduled to perform May 21. Peggy’s son, Alexander, is an architectural historian. Mary “Kay” Martin Britto has recently taken classes and attended lectures through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She volunteers as a standardized patient for nursing students. She follows a scenario and the students examine and interview her. Dorothy “Dot” Dalton Crossan and Mike love living in Virginia at Smith Mountain Lake. Their cairn terrier, Riley, is a qualified therapy dog, and they visit elementary schools to read with students. She is a tai chi instructor and loves taking classes. They have three children and six grandchildren.

Suzanne “Sue” Doran Houser and her husband have lived in Atlanta since 1982. They travel often and visit their daughter and four grandchildren. Sue has taught piano lessons in her home for 55 years and still enjoys her students. She keeps in touch with roommate Pat Lawder Rusk in St. Simons and Jean Phipard Rutherford in Norfolk. Nancy Lunsford Singer Spero and her husband of six years, Steve Spero, live in Florida, where she enjoys art lessons, pottery, gardening, cooking, and having time to read. Mary Townsend Bates traveled to Frankfort, Kentucky, for a family reunion. It included a service in a church her forefathers built. Their family history goes back to the Revolutionary War. David B. Young, husband of Joanne Bortz Young, let me know Joanne passed away on April 8, 2016. Carole Page Thomas ’67, sister of Gwendolyn Page Langwell, shared that Gwendolyn passed away in March 2016. I know we are all sorry for the loss of two classmates. I, Susannah Godlove, am still unpacking from my June 2016 move from Fort Loudoun apartments, where I had lived since 1986. I did not know how much I stored. Now is the time to go through everything and let it go.

1959 Edna Gooch Trudeau ednanewkent@verizon.net Lois “Gay” Gaylord Allen’s two granddaughters are expecting, a boy for one, and a girl for the other. Gay has volunteered with the local animal shelter for more than 10 years and has eight animals at home. Jane Tucker Broadbooks and John are glad they moved to Chatham, Illinois, to be near Jon Karl and family. Their rural setting includes villages, farms, prairie vistas, historic sites, and the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Jon Karl and Cathy are parents of Tucker, a freshman at Truman State University; Anna, a high school sophomore; and Virginia, an eighth-grader. Jane

Peggy Kelley Reinburg ’58 is an organ recitalist, musicologist, and pipe organ design consultant.

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is a member of the local post polio support group. Ann Brooks Coutsoubinas has been traveling to Fredericksburg since her dad’s death in March, helping her brothers and sisters clean out 50 years’ worth of possessions. She is finally completely retired – no more subbing. Barbara White Ellis lost her husband, Allen, in February 2016. She was thinking of selling their farm, though she will miss her boarders – the horses are like family. Marcia Phipps Ireland and Gary have moved to a new house in Pennington, New Jersey. Celeste “Pug” Shipman Kaufman

Naturalist Society. Barbara Barndt Miller’s daughter, Ann Marie, arrived for her annual visit in March. Wayne and Barbara raised several foxhounds last year; they had an outstanding season. Mid-September found them in Ocean City, Maryland, where they watched an airshow from the boardwalk, played golf, and ate at the Tuckahoe Inn. Their main project this year was breaking their 2-year-old pony, Sweetie. Irene Piscopo Rodgers was on the road most of 2016. In January she was in Argentina for a winery tour. During Easter she was in Malta visiting family. From there she joined a planned trip for Rick and

Lois “Gay” Gaylord Allen ’59 has eight pets and has volunteered with the local animal shelter for more than a decade. was undergoing more chemo treatments and looked forward to being in remission again. Pug and Alan were to become great-grandparents in May when Francie, Julia’s daughter, was due to have a son. Julia Coates Littlefield and Mo volunteer with their church. Julia, a choir member, plans a trip in July to the United Kingdom to the Wells Cathedral. Daughter Bess lives in Richmond with husband Mark; their son Jack Henry is a 2015 University of Virginia graduate and works in Charlottesville. Julia and Mo’s son, Scott, lives in Augusta, Georgia, with wife Susan and their children, Chris, 15, and Mary Graham, 8. Joan “Joni” Whittemore Loock and Jim went on a charter cruise to the British Virgin Islands in February and went on a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest in July. In the fall, they traveled to Wisconsin to visit family and friends. Jim still works at the pro shop at their golf course, and Joni volunteers in the emergency room at the local hospital. Mary Massey is doing well since the loss of Jack, who passed away in April 2016. She mentioned a hospice-sponsored grief support group and AARP-sponsored widowed persons services as being helpful. Mary takes exercise classes, walks her little dog, Gigi, hikes with Wanderbirds (her 48th year), and volunteers at the Audubon

Rose Hurley to France and Monaco, where she was invited to a science lab where a UMW graduate was working! Other trips included New York, Kansas, and Kentucky. Over Thanksgiving, she flew to Bordeaux for a river cruise. She made several trips to UMW looking at student research, and she taught at Hunter this summer. Irene sent news of Kay Rowe Hayes and her ongoing involvement with Republican politics. Kay went to Myrtle Beach with her family for the Christmas holidays. Irene also sent news of Nancy Brewer McCarthy. She slid down the stairs in her house in April and was in rehab until July. Her husband, Bunky, has been super during this ordeal. He had a chairlift put in and updated the master bath for her with a walk-in shower. Ann Watkins Steves and Bob moved into an independent living apartment in a retirement community in Dallas after 48 years in their home. Bob still works, and they attend the same church. Their oldest son, Bruce, and wife Janet moved into a new house in Nokomis, Florida. Son David and wife Sheila moved from Rhode Island to Austin, Texas. Daughter Linda and husband Mark are still in

Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 spent the Easter 2016 holiday in Malta visiting family. Rhode Island. And son William and wife Julie and daughter still reside in Vermont. Lucas is 7 and doing very well in school. He loves to read and learn, which makes grandma very happy.

1960 Karen Larsen Nelson karenlarsennelson60@gmail.com Jody Campbell Close jclose2@cfl.rr.com Gaye Roberts Olsen, who was hospitalized in May with blood clots in her lungs, reported that as of October, her lungs were clear and she was off the meds. Gray Schaefer Dodson’s artwork was featured in an autumn exhibit at Sweet Briar College. Liz Hill Heaney has completely healed after a summer bout with shingles. She continued her water aerobics and activities throughout! Sue Smith Goodrick sold her house in Wilmington, North Carolina, and settled into a home in Naperville, Illinois, to live nearer her son. From Karen Larsen Nelson: Darrell’s and my great-grandchild number eight arrived in September, while we were on an RV trip through Wyoming and Colorado. We planned a visit to Las Vegas in December to meet her and to visit family. In Mesa, we do church activities, take round dance workshops, and enjoy short RV camping trips. From Jody Campbell Close: I’m near finishing the first section of my family history, which introduces the earliest immigrants in 12 families, traces them over 400 years across 11 states, and sets the stage for presenting each family line. I am president of the local genealogical society.

1961 Connie Booth Logothetis (A – G) connielogothetis@gmail.com Renee Levinson Laurents (H – Q) arjle@aol.com

Sweet Briar College featured artwork by Gray Schaefer Dodson ’60 in an autumn exhibit.

Lynne Williams Neave (R – Z) lyneave@aol.com Please send news to the designated class agent according to the first letter of your maiden name. From Connie Booth Logothetis: First, a correction from the fall UMW Magazine: Pepper Jacobs Germer and Hank live in Arkansas, not Arizona! Sadly, we lost two classmates in 2016: Marian DeMaio Danco in January and Elizabeth B. Prince in August. We send our deepest sympathy to their families. The University of North CarolinaGreensboro honored Kelly Cherry with its Lifetime Achievement Award. She and Burke spent a week in New York City, where she had to use a travel wheelchair, though she still walks a bit. Her new book of poems, published by LSU Press, should be out by the time you read this. Athanasia “Georgie” Georgeau Rahnias’ husband of 53 years, George, passed away last year. [He and my husband, Andy, were high school classmates in Greece. – Connie] Georgie moved to Gainesville, Virginia, near her youngest daughter and family, who live in Reston. She said it’s a great place to be, and she has lots of support. She was at UMW in May 2016 to see her granddaughter graduate, and found it emotional to be back. Carolyn Crum Pannu visited California wine country with her daughter Kara. She planned to spend Christmas with son Raj and family. She enjoys Raj’s son, Alex, 12, who plays soccer and baseball. Jerri Barden Perkins volunteers at a free clinic on Hilton Head Island, a model for other such clinics in the U.S. She had the honor of being presented to Pope Francis this year. Patty Cairns Hourin and Jim live in Diamondhead, Mississippi, near son Bill, a Delta pilot. Bill has daughters ages 19 and 23. He married last summer, and the new couple was expecting Patty and Jim’s seventh grandchild, a girl, this spring. The Hourins’ son Michael, who flies for FedEx, and Katrina will be in Hong Kong for two years. Grandson Jim is working in Saigon,

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CLASS NOTES Vietnam; granddaughter Caroline works in music in Nashville. Son Scott and family enjoy life in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Clara Sue Durden Ashley and Clarence attended his nephew’s wedding in Charleston, South Carolina, and then they drove to St. Augustine, Florida, to visit son Dennis and family. Another trip took them to Beaver Creek, Ohio,

From Renee Levinson Laurents: Sandy Phillips Conklyn and Dan met their month-old twin grandsons in San Francisco last fall. River and Kai are Sandy’s son’s second set of twins! The older twins are Ellyse and Ryan, 17, from a first marriage. Sandy’s oldest grandchild, Bridget, is in law school at University of Oregon. Sadly, Sandy and Dan’s beloved Tibetan mastiff, Ketu, died at almost age 10.

Connie Booth Logothetis ’61 celebrated the fourth anniversary of her lung transplant in December. to visit son Park, his wife, and their seven children. The oldest Ashley grandchild, Christopher, got married. Clara still repairs quilts at The Quilt Shop of McLean and wrote, “The dog chews can be particularly challenging.” Joan Gibson Lippold and Jim enjoy family, friends, traveling, and their house overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. They have cruised all the rivers of Europe, plus rivers in Russia and China. They toured England, Wales, and Scotland last summer, and spent a week in Texas with their daughter and family to celebrate their granddaughter’s 17th birthday. They planned to spend the week before Christmas at Disney World with their children and grandchildren. Bev Carlson Shea and Jim, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, enjoy getting together with son Dan and his family – including children Katherine and Jack – who live in northern New Jersey. The family enjoyed a Christmas dinner at the New York City Harvard Club. For me, Connie, my health is holding up and I celebrated the fourth anniversary of my lung transplant in December! Last year included a week in Yorktown, Virginia, with my sister Linkey Booth Green ’63 and hubby David; my August birthday lunch with Mary Hatcher; and a quick weekend in Delaware, where Andy and I had dinner with Barbie Upson Welch and Charlie. High water canceled our October paddlewheel riverboat cruise from St. Louis to Red Wing, Minnesota, but we changed to a road trip, stopping at the places the boat would have stopped. We planned a cruise to Cuba in February.

Mary Hatcher and Bill traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, and to Williamsburg, Virginia, after Christmas. October’s Hurricane Matthew did little damage to their home in Wilmington, Delaware, and they even kept power. Sylvia McJilton Woodcock and Stuart had a wonderful trip to France in October. Highlights included a B&B just minutes from Notre Dame and a week in the Burgundy region on a barge that took them through canals and the most beautiful scenery. They were

From Lynne Williams Neave: In October, Sandy and I boarded the Seabourn Quest in Montreal and cruised through Canada, visiting marvelous places including Quebec City, Prince Edward Island, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. We visited Art and Lloyd Tilton Backstrom in November before going to Fredericksburg for the UMW Foundation meeting. Lloyd and Art spent Thanksgiving at Kiawah, later skied in Vail, and planned to go to Sun Valley in January. Sue Wilson Sproul and Dave have just completed a year in Tucson, Arizona, and love all of the music, art, and dining venues the town offers. Their big event in 2016 was a trip to France, inspired by Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. They visited Avignon, Arles, Camargue National Park, Aigues-Mortes, Narbonne, and Toulouse, before spending a week in Paris. Jim and Janie Riles took a cruise around Scandinavia and the Baltic region in June 2016. They shuttle back and forth between Fort Lauderdale and San Diego. In San Diego, Janie teaches watercolor classes, and in Fort Lauderdale, she paints with some great snowbird artists.

Sandy Phillips Conklyn ’61 has two sets of twin grandchildren. The first were born 17 years ago and the second last fall. served three full meals a day with regional red and white wines and cheeses! Twenty family members gathered at their daughter’s home for Thanksgiving, where they got to hold their then 3-month-old grandson.

Graham Walker Burns wrote with the sad news that Sarah Leigh Kinberg’s husband, Tom, died recently. He became ill in May, thus preventing him from attending our reunion.

After traveling to western Georgia for five days, Marcia Minton Keech and Bill returned to Savannah after Hurricane Matthew to a big cleanup job. Jerri Barden Perkins on Hilton Head was hit harder, so during cleanup, she went on a wonderful trip to Italy.

1962

After my fabulous trip to Australia and New Zealand, I, Renee, taught a class on the Constitution at UCLA Extension. I attend classes there, too, and love them: astronomy and cosmology, current events, and Shakespeare!

Joan Akers Rothgeb erothgeb@earthlink.net Kathleen Sprenkle Lisagor klisagor@yahoo.com Jane Walshe McCracken janemcc@cox.net From Kathleen Sprenkle Lisagor: Many thanks to those who sent news, as our 55th reunion, June 2-4, 2017, is just around the corner. I am still in Fredericksburg, where I moved to be near my oldest daughter after Barry died. Emily Lewis reported on the success

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of our Class of ’62 scholarship projects, which continue to have a powerful impact on special UMW students. Diana Copple Smith rarely gets to Richmond since her father’s passing at age 100. She is investigating numerous retirement communities along the I-40 corridor near Greensboro, North Carolina, yet near her daughter in Wilmington. Louise Couch Girvin and husband John ventured from Kentucky to Wilmington, Delaware, to visit Peggy Downs Gerber and husband John. The Gerbers are celebrating the birth of son Pete’s first child, a son. We extend our deep sympathy to our dear Joan Akers Rothgeb, whose husband, Eddie Rothgeb, passed away in October. At his Nelson County, Virginia, services, people remembered Eddie’s special contributions as an educator, patriot, loving husband, father, and grandpop. Among those in attendance were Gale Taylor Drew and husband Lewis and Bettie Stewart Kienast. I, Kathleen, plan to celebrate three of my eight grandchildren’s college graduations in May 2017. Kelly, my oldest, is teaching in Manassas and pursuing a master’s degree at George Mason University. I still teach piano and play at church with my daughter, Amy. My family enjoys making music and jamming at family gatherings. I tell my children that college at “MWC” made my dearest and most faithful friends. Hopefully we can meet again for our 55th and continue to make special memories!

1963 Linkey Booth Green linkeyg@embarqmail.com Betsy Lydle Smith betsy@virtuestraining.com From Linkey Booth Green: On a beautiful spring day in March 2016, I took my granddaughter to

Let us hear from you! Deadlines for submissions to class agents: • For fall 2017 issue: June 15, 2017 • For spring 2018 issue: Dec. 1, 2017

River cruise, and a car trip through Transylvania. They also traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to see Kathryn’s roommate Irene Fulcher Bouroudjian and husband Nishan.

Linda Gulnac Steelman ’63 is a historical interpreter at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Mary Washington. While she took a tour, I sat on the patio of Ann Carter Lee Hall and considered the four wonderful years I spent on that campus and how it shaped my life. I was fascinated by the changes over 53 years in student population, dress codes, facilities, etc., yet the place still has the honor system, the beautiful colonial-style buildings, and a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.

to Noel Sipple and Carol Shiflet Hansen ’62, who also sent words to That’s the Way the Wind Blows. You can read them online in the unedited Class Notes. We hope you remember the tune and are singing along with fond memories of your time at MWC! Please write, call, or email your news to Betsy and me.

Linda Gulnac Steelman is a historical interpreter at the Nantucket Whaling Museum and also sings in her church and community choirs. Husband Bill is an assistant minister of the First Congregational Church. Despite some ups and downs with his health, they are able to travel periodically.

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

My freshman roomie, Mary A. Settle Johnson, enjoys family and church activities, including visits to veterans, in Panama City, Florida. Janice Coleman is eager to get out information about the Coleman Family Farm Scholarship she established at Mary Washington. If anyone would like to contact her about this, let me know. We send our deepest sympathy to Barbara Moore Wheeler, whose husband of 54 years, Jim Wheeler, passed away in April 2016 following a long illness. Nancy Maynard lives in Florida. She is a visiting scientist at her other alma mater, University of Miami, where she does research on climate change. She works with indigenous Norwegian researchers and reindeer herders at Sami University College and the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry researching reindeer husbandry in the face of the Arctic’s rapid climate change. She is on the National Research Council Polar Research Board and is on the advisory board for the Florida International University School of Environment, Arts, and Society. Nancy is especially pleased to be grandma to a wonderful nearly 3-year-old grandson. Don’t miss the profile of Nancy on page 37. In last edition’s Class Notes, Betsy Lydle Smith asked for the words to Standing in the Doorway. Thank you

Susan Ford Irons and husband Jim enjoy retirement in Yorba Linda, California. Their son and his wife gave them their first grandchild in September 2016. The young family lives in Southern California, so Susan and Jim see their granddaughter often. Jim golfs and Susan substitute teaches at her former

in her hometown of Kilmarnock, Virginia, where she serves on the town council and is vice mayor. She lives near Lynn Bard Jones and Kacky Hudson Fox. Becky was named Ms. Virginia Senior America in 2016 and competed in the Ms. Senior America Pageant. As she travels around the state, she said it’s an honor to speak for senior citizens and remind people that age is just a number.

Carolyn Eldred ’66 donated a gilt-covered heirloom mirror depicting the wedding of John Rolfe and Pocahontas for display at UMW’s Brompton.

1964 In September, Elizabeth “Betty” Jennings Peterson and daughter Kerstin traveled to Denmark and Sweden. After Kerstin completed work in Copenhagen, they visited Swedish cousins of Betty’s late husband, Mel, in Stockholm and southern Sweden.

high school. They enjoy traveling, most recently to Alaska.

1965 Phyllis Cavedo Weisser pcweisser@yahoo.com If you are not getting periodic emails from me, Phyllis Cavedo Weisser, please send your email address and your news. It seems the older we get, the more we want

Suzanne Mason Haff lives in Orange County, North Carolina, which won the AARP national award for being an age-friendly community. She has helped with the effort to make it an easy, pleasant home for all ages. Her daughter and husband are biologists at Australian National University in Canberra, where she visited in March 2016. It was her joy to host their daughter and two grandchildren, then ages 4 years and 6 months, last summer.

Suzanne Mason Haff ’65 works to make her community a good home for all ages – it won an AARP national award for being an age-friendly community. to check in on those who had such an impact on our lives. I am living in a wonderful, small community in Atlanta where we get together weekly for wine, snacks, and conversation. We often over-indulge, but there’s no driving, so we’re extra happy. I love having my daughter and family nearby so that I can see her adorable boys, ages 6 and 4. My son and his family are in Pensacola for the next year, and it’s so much easier to see them there than when they were in Europe. Kathryn Burruss Stapleton and Dan live in a log house on Bull Run Mountain, near Manassas, Virginia. They celebrated 53 years of marriage by traveling to Turkey and Greece, followed by a Danube

The Haffs’ son and his girlfriend of 13 years moved from Los Angeles to New York City. Suzanne saw Mary New Gill Berryman, Cheryle Comstock Martin, Rochelle Leifer Brunner, Judy Hawley Whitestone, and other MWC classmates at their Newport News 55th high school reunion last fall. Agnes “Missy” Bush Shives of Salisbury, North Carolina, and sister Hannah Bush ’68 of Staunton, Virginia, found the weather perfect for hiking during their seven-day Road Scholar trip to Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Grand Canyon national parks last fall. Rebecca “Becky” Tebbs Nunn and her husband of 52 years, Spike, live

1966

Katharine Rogers Lavery hlavery1@cox.net Sad news from Charnell Williams Blair, whose husband of 50 years, George, passed away in December. Charnell and George lived in Suffolk, Virginia, and had known each other since eighth grade. We send condolences, Charnell. Barbara “Bobbi” Bishop Mann and Robert traveled to Nashville last July for the DKG Society International Convention, then to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where Bobbi did genealogical research on her great-grandmother. They stopped in Greensboro, North Carolina, to visit Bobbi’s brother. The Bishop clan gathered in Boone, North Carolina, for Thanksgiving, and the Mann family spent Christmas together in Huntsville, Alabama. Bobbi said Ambler Carter sold her home of many years and moved to Philadelphia last December to be near daughter Margaret and her husband. Jana Privette Usry enjoyed meeting UMW President Troy Paino and wife Kelly at a reception in Richmond, and vouches for their charm and authenticity. After a successful knee replacement, she continues to sing with One Voice Chorus and especially enjoys holiday performances at Westminster Canterbury Retirement Community and of The Messiah with the Petersburg Symphony. She has cut back her work as a court mediator, recently resigned as chair of the U.Va. Richmond Club, and

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CLASS NOTES

Leading for the Long Haul

n mid-December, surrounded by friends, colleagues, and former students, Sandra Powell Mitchell ’76 could feel the tears welling. It isn’t every day that a teacher’s retirement reception features profound speeches from decades of students, some of whom never even sat in her classroom. Then again, not every teacher is Sandra Powell Mitchell. “I sat there, determined I wasn’t going to cry, but their comments did get me,” Mitchell said of the speakers recalling her 40 years with Fauquier County Public Schools. “I was mesmerized by what they remembered.” Mitchell’s career began her senior year at Mary Washington College. The literature major did student teaching at Fredericksburg’s James Monroe High School toward her teacher certification. Interviews at an on-campus job fair yielded multiple offers, but she accepted a position teaching English at Cedar Lee Junior High School in Fauquier County. Once in the classroom, Mitchell excelled. She was named regional English teacher of the year in 1992. She supervised the county English program for 13 years, and she was county director of instruction for two years before becoming associate superintendent of schools in 2001. In early 2013, when her boss retired, Mitchell served as the school division’s interim superintendent until a new superintendent was named. While Mitchell, a self-proclaimed “education geek,” fell in love with English literature early in life, she fell for the study of it at Mary Washington. Though she cites her mother, a college professor who

Retired after 40 years with Fauquier County Public Schools, Sandra Powell Mitchell is teaching at U.Va., where she earned a doctorate.

“I believe that [teaching] is the most important and the most rewarding profession that any human being can go into, any human being that has a heart and a head.” – Sandra Powell Mitchell worked with the Virginia Writing Project, as her first writing instructor, journalism classes helped hone her skills, and American and English literature courses enthralled her. Mitchell’s first teaching job at Cedar Lee lasted only two years, but her students felt such affinity that many kept in touch long after. That’s been a theme throughout her four decades in education: She’s served as a mentor, adviser, and friend. She touched the lives of thousands of children, whether they were eager kindergartners or juniors and seniors coming into their own. For Mitchell, the conversations and bonds she formed with students were just as important as the literature she taught them or the paths she created as a curriculum

specialist, superintendent, and administrator. “I believe that anyone who chooses this profession needs to know that they have to work hard, and all the things that people tell you are true: The pay is not going to be commensurate with what you could make if you were a lawyer,” said the Petersburg, Virginia, native. “But I believe that it is the most important and the most rewarding profession that any human being can go into, any human being that has a heart and a head.” Mitchell is bringing her warmth and ability to connect with students and colleagues to her new, part-time role as the head of an education leadership program at the University of Virginia, where she earned a doctorate in educational leadership in 2011. She is on the U.Va. Falls Church campus teaching and certifying education leaders who wish to become school principals and supervisors. She plans to end her career where she’s always wanted to: back in the classroom.

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— Stephanie Breijo ’09

enjoys watching U.Va. football and basketball. She spent Thanksgiving in Richmond with cousins and Christmas with her sister in Pennsylvania. When Carolyn Eldred moved to Fredericksburg, she donated a family heirloom to display at Brompton. The gilt-covered cast-lead mirror depicts the wedding of John Rolfe and Pocahontas. After it was properly conserved and displayed in the president’s home, Kelly Paino welcomed Carolyn and others to see the mirror in its new location. Carolyn enjoys Mary Washington ElderStudy at the Stafford campus. In June 2016, Nancy Shackelford Jones and husband Jeff traveled to New Haven, Connecticut, for his 50th Yale class reunion, and they were in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to see daughter Ali Jones Thorpe graduate from Harvard Business School. Nancy and Ali flew to Cuba, and they also sailed the North Channel, Lake Huron, with friends and a New York Yacht Club fleet. Katie Green visited her son and family, including a baby granddaughter, in Cardiff, Wales, in November, and she cooked them a traditional Southern Thanksgiving dinner. Favorite day trips included

squiring foreign tourists around famous sites. She helps senior citizens, and she planned to begin spending time with Holocaust survivors to help alleviate their loneliness and painful memories. Susan acts as a liaison between schools and the Metropolitan Opera, sitting with classes of students who are invited to watch final rehearsals. After our reunion, Joan Cuccias Patton traveled from Virginia to Newport Beach, California, for her annual family reunion. In December, she visited New York, went to the 9/11 museum, saw Fiddler on the Roof and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and toured the botanical gardens. Emily Cosby Dieter enjoys her five grandchildren – two in high school, three in middle school – and their activities. She volunteers in the middle school and her daughter’s primary center. She hosted her brother and friends in November for the Notre Dame-Virginia Tech football game. Her geneaological “winter hibernation work” this year is tracing the history and family of husband Tom’s mother, who was a young orphan in New York City. Marty Spigel Sedoff and husband Bob enjoyed having their sons, Jim

Katie Green ’66 prepared a traditionial Southern Thanksgiving feast for her son and family in Cardiff, Wales. seeing St. David’s Cathedral, Pembrokeshire (first built in 1181), Caerphilly Castle, and the impressive Tintern Abbey. Ann Kales Lindblom, husband Steve, and pup Dewar drove 6,500 miles from Virginia to California and back in November. Three weeks of fall scenery, cool temperatures, low-volume traffic, and visits with family and friends made the trip especially appealing. They saw their Marine Corps son and his wife in Arizona. They toured the Harry S. Truman and the George W. Bush libraries and museums, visited ancient American Indian ruins in New Mexico, and were moved by the sites of the early civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, before returning home to Alexandria. Susan Roth Nurin is a multilingual tour guide in midtown Manhattan,

and John, home for the holidays. Marty spent months recovering after foot surgery in September. She raved about Hamilton, which she saw in New York City. During her convalescence she planned the spring break trip to New York for local high school theater students, which included four Broadway shows. In October, Marty chaired the AAUW “Humor Focus Day.” Pam Kearney Patrick exhibits her award-winning watercolor miniatures in places such as Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland. Her summer plans include the beach. Husband TaB teaches financial literacy in middle and secondary schools in Fairfax County, Virginia. In November, Carol Wiley Bingley stopped at Pam’s Virginia home en route to seeing Pam Hughes Ward’s family. Katharine Rogers Lavery and

Jana Privette Usry ’66 sings with One Voice Chorus and especially enjoyed performances of The Messiah with the Petersburg Symphony. husband Hank welcomed their first great-grandchild in September and three grand-nieces before Thanksgiving. Now that most of the grandkids are in their 20s, they seem to come in pairs, swelling the number at their family-only Thanksgiving gathering to 35! The Laverys made their first trip to Cancun, Mexico, for a grandson’s destination wedding in November. Winter brought activities with family, work, church, bowling, and more. Sandra Hutchison Schanné and Richard enjoyed a stay-at-home Christmas: Daughter Amy traveled from Denver; son Brandon came from Texas; and son Ricky came from the next county. All brought spouses, and together nine grandchildren. Fears that the cousins would be absorbed in electronic devices proved to be unfounded! Added joy came when their other grandfather, aunts, and uncles came to visit, carrying on a family tradition of all gathering together. Lois Rucker Scott’s younger daughter, Holly, is engaged and has moved from California back to Virginia. With the whole Scott family close by and Lois and Sam retired, they enjoy their daughters, the three grandchildren, and the kids’ sports events. In June they all attended Lois’ family reunion in southern Virginia. Terry Caruthers created a clever page of “memory ornaments” for her holiday letter, complete with a picture ornament for each grandchild, noting a memorable event. She attended our 50th reunion and displayed her fabulous collection of slides of all our classmates. Husband Don traveled to China while Terry nursed her ailing-heart health. She is involved with the Golden Girls Club; Don enjoys his boat, meditation, and playing in the community band. Anne Powell Young and Betty Birckhead Vickers drove together from Tennessee to our reunion and cemented a close friendship. Anne said reunion was a high point in her year. She said Betty’s family survived the Gatlinburg wildfires without any lasting damage. Betty is active with the Rotary Club and her

seven grandchildren. Anne helped with a huge holiday party for disabled children; their Christmas pageant focused on “kneeling Santa.” Though Anne’s husband is often in Mexico for work, he was able to join her for a Virginia holiday visit with their grandchildren. Cathe Cantwell Luria and Eric sold their Pacific Northwest home and relocated in Ajijic, Mexico, about a 45-minute-drive from Guadalajara. There are direct flights to Portland, Oregon, where their daughter and grandchildren live. Cathe, a nurse practitioner, started a local chapter of Days for Girls, which is active in more than 80 countries. Her group sews reusable, washable feminine hygiene products for middle and high schoolers, targeting girls who are not attending school. Cathe’s group issued more than 700 kits locally this year. She is also a pioneer in a group trying to start a hospice. Cathe and Eric sing in a traveling choral group and a community chorus. They teach English country dancing and take voice and Spanish lessons. Eileen Goddard Albrigo welcomed their 13th grandchild in November, the seventh child of son Todd and wife Carrie. In September, Eileen enjoyed their beach home in Hilton Head, South Carolina, before Hurricane Matthew hit. She returned in December to assess the damage and select new flooring. Eileen rushed back to Virginia to see sister Kathleen “Kathy” Goddard Moss and husband Tom depart for Florida, a leg of their journey west. Kathy and Tom sold their house in May and spent two months in Spain with daughter Ellen and family, including several days at the beach in Galicia. Then they started a three-month tour of the United States before landing in a retirement

Find the original, unedited Class Notes online at magazine.umw.edu.

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CLASS NOTES community in Oakland, California, near their son and his family. They drove through New England, Canada, and the upper Midwest, sightseeing and visiting son David in Cleveland and daughter Cheryl and grandson Quentin in Dayton, Ohio. They stopped in southern Texas to visit a 97-year-old uncle, and somewhere on the trip celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!

1967 Nancy McDonald Legat dlegat1@sc.rr.com Christine Brooks wrote that she enjoys classes, especially literature, at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Her favorite reading was War and Peace with a small group who also loved every word. She volunteers at her church’s second-hand shop, takes exercise classes, and enjoys time in the sunroom with her cat, reading the paper and watching birds at the feeder. Elizabeth “Beth” Moses Mathes wrote a heartfelt tribute to the late Professor of English Nancy Mitchell, who taught Beth freshman year. It ended, “I will always remember Dr. Mitchell for her intelligence, her quiet kindness and her scholarliness. I think that, when we are young, we usually don’t understand what a profound impact our teachers will have on us. I do now. Thank you, Dr. Mitchell.” You can read Beth’s complete tribute online in the unedited Class Notes. For me, Nancy McDonald Legat, my husband and I continue to enjoy our family, our time together in Lexington, South Carolina, and travels to the beach. We have three daughters and sons-in-laws, seven grandchildren, one grandson-inlaw, and three great-grandchildren, all of whom live nearby.

1968 Meg Livingston Asensio meglala@aol.com Happy spring, classmates! It’s hard to believe that in just one year, we

Susan Hensley ’68 became an international fashion designer for VIDA online sales platform. will be dusting off our tiaras for our 50th reunion. Susan Hensley has been an artist in Blacksburg, Virginia, for about 10 years. Last year VIDA, an online sales platform devoted to bridging the gap among designers, artists, producers, and consumers, invited her to become one of its international fashion designers. VIDA supports Literacy for Life and helps women in developing countries start and own businesses. Susan Wight Blosser and husband Richard left Virginia in mid-December for a three-month drive across the country. Plans included spending the holidays with old friends in California, golf in Pebble Beach and Oceanside, and a month of skiing in Park City, Utah. Charlotte Shelton and her family have a successful orchard, Vintage Virginia Apples, and cidery, Albemarle Ciderworks. Charlotte is still a vice president in the investment branch of Wells Fargo. Working two demanding jobs keeps her on the run. Charlotte remains close friends with her roommate of four years, Mary James Wright. Mary and husband Sims also live in the Charlottesville area and helped at Charlotte’s annual apple harvest festival in November. Mary is retired from Time-Life Education and Children’s Publishing, and Sims is retired from the Department of the Navy. They volunteer for church missions, disaster relief and Red Cross, and community causes. They have two grown sons, including Christopher Wright ’93, and three granddaughters. Bobbi Jarrett Gehr and husband David sold their Leesburg house and downsized to a retirement community in Williamsburg, Virginia. They love it and find lots to do, including taking classes through the Christopher Wren society. Their children and grandchildren are in Idaho and Oregon.

As a member of the Alaska Governor’s Council for Disabilities, education professor Jill Robinson Burkert ’68 is involved in statewide policymaking and education advocacy. 44

Carol Simmons van der Kieft lives near Wilmington, North Carolina; Sheila Spivey Hume moved there last fall and was able to spend Thanksgiving with them. Since her last happy update, Carol’s family has been devastated by the loss of their son, Mike Jr., who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in January 2016 due to a faulty furnace repair. Their family had just had a wonderful Christmas with him and their other son, Todd, who lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two children. Carol wrote, “He was a good man; he lived a good life, and he was well loved. Not all parents are so fortunate.” It is hard to report such sad news – please keep Carol and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

away in 2005, and in 2013 she married John Thomas, a widower whose wife had been in Leneice’s book club, and whose two boys were on youth sports teams with her children. John’s older son lives in the area with his wife and their daughters, ages 5 and 2. Leneice’s son, Paul, lives in Vermont and had his first child in March 2016. Her daughter, Emily, works as a stage manager for live theater in Silicon Valley. Leneice enjoys visiting family, volunteering for Lab rescue, skiing, and more. Leia “Pat” Francisco is a certified coach specializing in life and work transitions, author of Writing Through Transitions, and founder of The Center for Transition Coaching and Writing. After many rewarding years of working and living in the Washington, D.C., area, she and her husband moved to the Texas Hill Country in 2004. Their son lives in

Nancy Porter Atakan ’68 had a solo exhibition of her work in February 2016 at Pi Artworks Gallery in London. Nancy Porter Atakan returned from an amazing trip to the Antarctic in December. She lives in Istanbul with her husband, two sons, two daughters-in-law, and two granddaughters, but comes to the United States every six months. She runs the Istanbul art space 5533, which she co-founded 10 years ago. 2016 was an exciting year, as she had a solo exhibition of her work in February at Pi Artworks Gallery in London. It was accompanied by her English-language monograph, Passing On, published by Kehrer Verlag of Hamburg, Germany. She expects to have an exhibition in Stockholm this year. Pam Tompkins Huggins and Jim, who is retired, continue to volunteer in the community. The California-based kids spent a lot of time in Staunton last summer, and youngest daughter Jamie and her family have moved back there. Their oldest granddaughter is in college. Pam and Jim planned a May trip to Normandy, including a river cruise. Leneice Wu retired in 2002 from the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, and has stayed in the D.C. area. Her first husband, Royce Wolf, passed

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the Denver area, where he works in intelligence. Jill Robinson Burkert still flies to remote native villages in Alaska to help new special education teachers learn to work with children with disabilities. She was appointed to the Governor’s Council for Disabilities, and is involved in statewide policymaking and advocacy initiatives. Grandson Casey is attending the University of Alaska Southeast, where Jill teaches, and is in the outdoor studies and environmental science program. Jill said everyone in her family is well. Georgia Carroll Sherlock’s husband of 40 years died early in 2009. In July 2013, she married James Sherlock, who went to U.Va. with her late husband, John Dinsmore, and was widowed about the same time Georgia was. She and Jim had

Let us hear from you! Deadlines for submissions to class agents: • For fall 2017 issue: June 15, 2017 • For spring 2018 issue: Dec. 1, 2017

argued about politics for years, she said, but it has been a joyful second act. She is already tiara shopping and looking forward to our 50th reunion, although she remains confused about the identity of the ranking May Queen! The third floor Madison suitemates – Fran Rodgers Bryant, Mary Ellen Ashelford, and Linda Hall Palmer – continue to laugh and occasionally have drinks together. Georgia also sees Barbara Moore McKinnon, who attended MWC from 1964-66.

Susan Wagner Buelow moved to Rhode Island in 2012 to be closer to two of her three daughters and five of her nine grandchildren. She is renovating an older home there. Her youngest daughter lives in Iowa. Susan teaches at a community college and volunteers in a hospital emergency room. She enjoyed a recent trip to Tuscany. Exa Mote Grubb, Susan’s MWC roommate, lives in Marietta, Georgia, and is a retired minister.

Jean Polk Hanky ’69 is proud of her grandson for winning an Olympic gold medal for the 800-meter freestyle swim relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics! After looking at friends’ grandbaby pictures for 20-plus years, Jean Eley Thompson said it is finally her turn to drive friends crazy with cute photos. Her first grandchild, Bennett Bradley Thompson, was born last July, and she’s lucky that he and his parents live only 28 miles away. I, Meg Livingston Asensio, went on cruise in Tahiti with my three sisters last fall. We were born five years apart, so we all celebrated BIG birthdays. Our son Todd, wife Rebecca, and children Maya, 9, and Flynn, 6, visited in September from Melbourne, Australia, where Todd is an assistant principal. Daughter Anne has returned to school and will become a nurse in June 2017. She lives in Denver with husband Jason and son Spencer, 16. Their daughter, Madison, 18, spent her first college semester last fall at the American University in Paris and is now at the University of Denver. Ash and I are looking forward to lots of trips in our Airstream in 2017, including seeing the Northwest this summer. Donna Sheehan Gladis reported the following news: Judy Henley Beck is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, which was diagnosed last fall, and is very hopeful about her progress. She and her husband traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to visit Donna Harrison Lile in her new home. Barbara Price Wallach, a professor at Missouri, visited Richmond and got together with Judy Jackson Jones of Richmond and Judy Beck, who also was visiting. Judy Jones enjoys traveling with her husband.

1969 Iris Harrell irish@harrell-remodeling.com Ann Ruff Smith and Tom traveled to Maine and planned to visit two of her roommates on the way: Stephanie Boone in New Hampshire and Nancy Andrews and husband Jay in Vermont. The Smiths are planning a land and sea cruise in 2017 with Cathy Ann Hughes, Nancy Gleason, and their husbands. Barbara Marks Poppleton and her husband moved to a smaller home in the World Golf Village in Florida, and bought a home on the Jersey Shore. Barbara was in Pasadena, California, for Thanksgiving, visiting her younger son, his wife, and two girls. They joined the elder son’s family in Cancun for New Year’s and traveled to St. Augustine in January to be with their daughter’s family. Jean Polk Hanky is proud of her grandson for winning an Olympic gold medal as a member of Team USA’s 800-meter freestyle relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics! Townley Haas, age 19 and a sophomore at the University of Texas, was the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic swim team, which included Michael Phelps. In other news, the Hankys are downsizing and selling their home in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Betsy Crewes Neilson’s only child, Anne, gave birth to Betsy’s first grandchild, a girl. Betsy lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and sees

Barbara Black ’69 met celebrity Sharon Gless from TV’s Cagney & Lacey at a Queer as Folk convention in Toronto. her daughter and baby, who live in Charlottesville, once a month. Betsy sings in her church choir and plays bridge. Anne Witham Kilpatrick and roomies Jeanine Zavrel Fearns, Suzi Bender Winterble, and Toni Turner Bruseth spent their annual week together at Jeanine’s son’s cabin in West Virginia. Jeanine’s daughter provided the food. Barbara Black attended two Queer as Folk conventions, one in Toronto where she met celebrity Sharon Gless from TV’s Cagney & Lacey, and one in Spain. She flew to San Francisco to see a friend play the emcee in Cabaret. After a brief rest at home in Luray, Virginia, she went to Maryland for a Sparta Con III event, dedicated to the series about Spartacus and with lots of movie star sightings. Carole Findlay Phipps of Los Gatos, California, traveled to China in March 2016 and planned to take a riverboat cruise from Switzerland to Amsterdam this spring. She also planned to gather in Colorado in May with seven Mary Washington friends, most of whom she’s not seen for 50 years. They were freshmen in 1967 when she was a junior counselor in Virginia Hall. Jane Jackson Woerner is grateful for the education and opportunities her Mary Washington degree has afforded her. She plans to make a donation to our UMW Class of ’69 scholarship. Jane and her husband have moved from Florida to Urbanna, Virginia, to downsize and to be closer to family. Before her mother died in 2014, Jane saw how hard it was to care for her mother in Virginia from far away. It was difficult to leave her friends and Florida home of 37 years, but she loves her new location and attended the Urbanna Oyster Festival, visited Jean Polk Hanky, and often visits roomie Connie Hinson in Heathsville, Virginia. She hopes she and her husband may purchase a trawler and find a winter landing

spot on the coast of Florida. My roomies, suitemates, and I, Iris Harrell, are really spread out: Carol Hewitt Guida lives in Australia, Lyn Gray Howell lives in Africa, Bev Holt lives in Cary, North Carolina, and I live in Santa Rosa, California. I hope we will be together again at the 50th reunion. Linda Eadie Hood flew from Vancouver to New Zealand right after the major earthquake that happened there in Christ Church. She didn’t go to the epicenter, so she didn’t see much damage. They enjoyed beautiful mountain roads on the South Island and have considered moving there. Suzanne McCarthy Van Ness, Phyllis Newby Thompson, and I lived within 5 miles of each other until I moved two hours north to Santa Rosa, but we managed to get together for Phyllis’ December birthday. Suzanne’s two daughters and their families live only 20 minutes away from Suzanne’s home in Atherton, California. She visits son Jeff and his family near D.C. Suzanne is active in the garden guild, in local UMW alumni events, and as a volunteer in the San Francisco Marines’ Memorial Club. When Sue Farnham Piatt ’68 came from Cleveland, Ohio, to California to see her son, Barbara Macon Sacha flew in from Winter Park, Florida, and Suzanne met up with them for a wine country weekend. Suzanne gets the award for keeping in touch! Read more about it online in the unedited Class Notes, but here is a synopsis from her travels: Patricia Baresford Williamson and her husband, of Glenside, Pennsylvania, are involved in Philadelphia veterans associations and enjoy being with the grandchildren at the Jersey Shore. Diane Pugh Gay and husband Bill retired to Bethany Beach, Delaware, where he works tirelessly for the Wounded Warrior program. Murry Holland Franklin ’68 and her husband live in Centreville, Virginia.

Betty Wade Miles Perry ’69 fell in love with Chicago and said it tops New York in her book!

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CLASS NOTES Donna Sheehan Gladis ’68 does a lot of UMW alumni work. Mary Margaret Marston Monroe and husband Richard live in Blacksburg, Virginia. Judy Jackson Jones ’68 and her husband, Kip, a psychiatrist, live in Richmond. Suzanne also saw Georgia Wahl ’68, Sandra Wolfe Rapuzzi ’68, Peggy Lou Murphy Paradise ’70, and Maureen Murphy McCart ’68.

Teresa O’Neil Sanders is involved with volunteer work and fundraising for her church and community. Husband Don turned 70 in the fall. They went to Africa last spring with a tour that focused on farming. She and Don have grandchildren ages 8, 6, and 1. Don is still working full time but has decided to downsize his farming operation, which might give them more time to travel.

Betty Wade Miles Perry enjoyed an October trip to Chicago with daughter Suzanne Perry Wallis ’03 for a wedding. She fell in love with the city and said it tops New York in her book!

Last February I, Anne Summervold LeDoux, went to Costa Rica with some girlfriends, and I ziplined and whitewater rafted for the first and hopefully not last time! In March my husband and I took a river cruise from Amsterdam to Vienna. I stay busy with our four grandchildren. In November I had a serious surgery in Phoenix but recovered in record time, and I am back at the gym and ready to travel again.

My update is that Ann and I should have moved into our remodeled home in Santa Rosa by the time this news is published. While it’s a two story on a hillside, it will be fully accessible and can accommodate caretakers as we age. We played in a local Bob Dylan tribute concert; the songwriter definitely deserved the Nobel Prize for literature. If you look at his lyrics from 50 years ago, you might think he just wrote them.

1970 Anne Summervold LeDoux ledouxanne@yahoo.com Kathi O’Neill sent information regarding the endowment for UMW’s Talley Center for our 50th reunion in 2020. The Talley Center offers students crisis intervention, consultation, community referrals, training, and educational outreach. We hope you will make a pledge and ensure a lasting contribution from our class. Look for an email with details for contributing.

1971 Karen Laino Giannuzzi KapitankL11@yahoo.com

1972 Sherry Rutherford Myers dllmyers@netzero.com Gale Mattox is a Woodrow Wilson International Center Scholar for a sabbatical year from the U.S. Naval Academy, where she teaches. She co-authored Coalition Challenges in Afghanistan: the Politics of Alliance, Stanford University Press, 2015.

1973 Joyce Hines Molina Joyce.molina@verizon.net

Ann C. Salter ’73 moved to the shore of Lake Ontario in western New York to be closer to the 1822 Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, which she is helping to restore. Sandy Sayre has retired from teaching for the third and last time, she thinks! She is raising her three grandchildren, ages 14, 16, and 18, since her daughter passed away in 2013. She gardens, helps her husband with his business, and works with a volunteer group to help the homeless find housing and employment. For her church, she coordinates the landscaping and is involved in the food bank. 46

In September I, Joyce Hines Molina, had the honor to play for the funeral of Caroline Melissa Mason Hoffman ’76. I didn’t know her, but I wish I had. She died suddenly Aug. 31, leaving a husband, children, and grandchildren. Her degrees from MWC and W&M were in art history and museum education. Her careers included art, writing, design, and real estate. She helped to found and

operate programs for the homeless and underprivileged children in the Newport News, Virginia, area. Her final program implemented was ShoeLady.org, a Newport News-based charitable organization dedicated to providing shoes to schoolchildren in need.

married in early October, and he and his wife were buying a house in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Ann C. Salter, a history major, helped raise $300,000 for the restoration of the 1822

Alison Cross Denler of Colorado was sorry to miss our 40th reunion

1976 Madelin Jones Barratt madbarratt@aol.com

The New York state chapter of the American Institute of Architects made Cynthia Howk ’73 an honorary member for her preservation and architecture work. Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse on Lake Ontario in western New York. The project includes a historic reproduction of a Fresnel lens that has once again made this lighthouse an official navigation light on U.S. Coast Guard charts. Ann moved to a condominium on the lakeshore to be closer to the lighthouse and her work there. Cynthia Howk observed her 40th anniversary on staff at the Landmark Society of Western New York. She was elected an honorary member of the New York state chapter of the American Institute of Architects for her preservation and architecture work. She plays violin in a community orchestra and string quartet. To read a newsy letter from Cynthia, see the online, unedited class notes.

1974 Sid Baker Etherington sidleexx@yahoo.com Suzy Passarello Quenzer sq3878@att.com

1975 Armecia Spivey Medlock vagirl805@msn.com Margaret Murphey Camp, April Tooke Langevin, Jackie Sobinski, Agnes Rollins ’77, and Debbi Sudduth spent a long weekend last summer at Pat Powers Gaske’s river house in Tappahannock, Virginia. Pat met up with Jackie and her husband, Leo Henderson, for ice cream at Carl’s in early November as they passed through Fredericksburg on their way home to Cartersville. Pat’s oldest son, Michael, got

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but hopes to make the next one. Her older daughter and son-in-law welcomed Emmalin Louise Royce in October 2015. They were stationed in South Korea at the time, and Alison flew over to spend two months helping out. Her younger daughter got married in Denver in October 2016. Dave Kitterman is consolidating and downsizing. Smart man to stay ahead of the retirement curve! Carolyn Roberts and Lucy Dee Kinsey participated in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Washington, D.C., in October since both lost their mothers to the disease. Lucy’s younger daughter, Monica, married Daniel Thomas in Richmond in September. Sue Sendlein Luscomb and Rich are still in Germantown, Tennessee. Daughter Alicia joined her dad’s clinical psychology practice and is married to Dustin, a captain with Delta Airlines. Daughter Ashton and husband Zach were planning a move to London this year for his job as a financial analyst. Sue is involved in community Bible study and the PEO Sisterhood. She volunteers at an inner-city school and works part time in a fabric store. Sharon Reel Fuhrmeister’s second grandchild, Coral Ann Mueller, was born in September 2016. Sharon

Let us hear from you! Deadlines for submissions to class agents: • For fall 2017 issue: June 15, 2017 • For spring 2018 issue: Dec. 1, 2017

Martha Harville performed as part of a choral group at the holiday concert of the 2nd Marine Division Band, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Joyce Hines Molina ’73 had the honor to play for the funeral of Caroline Melissa Mason Hoffman ’76. visited Mark and Mary Carroll Myers in St. Petersburg, Florida, in April 2016. She planned a trip to Israel and New Zealand this year. Ann Chryssikos McBroom’s grandson, Henry Oliver McBroom, was born in September 2016. Barbara Baylis Hinton of Fairfax staffs the front desk of an elementary school. She and her husband host a student from Lithuania, a 6-foot 8-inch basketball player. Daughter Laura is a captain in the Army and recently returned from a year in South Korea. Daughter Jackie is a cardiovascular perfusionist in Atlanta. Hannah Patterson Crew sent word that younger daughter Emily planned to get married in May. Barbara Bryant Zingg and Rob, her husband of 41 years, live in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Barbara teaches high school math and completed a second master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Rob teaches special education and planned to retire after this school year. Elder son Jason lives nearby with his wife, and son Josh lives with his wife in Ohio. Carrie Bell Jacobus loves teaching

teaching and 11 years as a speech and language pathologist assistant. Son Nick is an assistant attorney general for Arizona, and he and wife Allie are expecting their second child. Daughter Emily received her master’s degree in psychology and works for Arizona Adult Mental Health. Two summers ago Kathleen and husband Michael visited former roommate Nancy Sparks Cresswell and her husband in Oregon. Nancy transferred from Mary Washington to the University of Oregon, where she graduated. Joanna Pinneo received a Ted Scripps Fellowship in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her project is reporting on indoor air pollution in the developing world. She is part of Ripple Effect Images, a team of photojournalists who document the plight of poor women and girls and support programs to empower them. Yolande A. Long’s son Andrew Fallen married Allison Russell in August. The groom’s brother, Ross, was best man, and bridesmaids included Clare Stechschulte ’14. Melissa Baisch Face ’78, the

Janet McConnell Philips ’77 retired after 28 years as the White House photo archivist. chemistry and has won multiple teaching awards. She is a fiber artist and was writing a series of science books for young children. She was awaiting the birth of her third grandchild. Lundy Baker Updike, husband Jim, and youngest son Tom Updike ’17 traveled to Dubai for Thanksgiving to visit eldest son Sam, who was programming lighting systems for an amusement park. They swam in the Arabian Gulf and visited the tallest building and biggest mall in the world. Middle son Jim Updike ’13 bought a condo in Sterling, Virginia. Lundy and Jim planned a trip to Ireland with the UMW rugby team in March, and Jim planned to retire this year. Kathleen Chapman lives in Tempe, Arizona, and plans to retire at the end of this year after 10 years of

groom’s godmother, attended. Henry and Madelin Jones Barratt’s son, William, and daughter-in-law Susanna had a daughter, Constance, in July 2016.

1977 Anne Robinson Hallerman arhmwc77@yahoo.com Janet McConnell Philips retired after 28 years as the White House photo archivist. She planned to split her time between the Washington, D.C., area and Essex, Connecticut. Kathy Haffey Bova saw Grace Matheny Lalonde in November at a dance studio in Poolesville, Maryland, where they took a LaBlast class led by one of the dance pros from Dancing With the Stars.

Vicki Sprague Ravenel got together with Craig “Skippy” Strickland Robinson, Pam Roberts Albrecht, Terrie Martin Dort, and Jo McTague Atkinson in Naples, Florida, in May for their annual “goddess” reunion. Vicki encourages classmates to attend our 40th reunion in June. I, Anne Robinson Hallerman, never include my own news when I compile Class Notes, so here is an update. In December 2015, my

of Annapolis. They adjourned to MJ’s house for a crab quiche dinner and sleepover.

1979 Barbara Goliash Emerson emers3@msn.com Luisa Freeman has worked for utilities and government agencies around the world, from Thailand to Dubai to Barbados. She, husband Joe Preston, and son Sam Freeman Farvardin, were relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, after 25 years in the Washington, D.C., area. Luisa was to support a project for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Margaret Kay Watson Stone ’79 coordinates outreach activities for the Auburn University Museum of Natural History. daughter, Mary, married Nicole Weir in Reykjavik, Iceland. In June, Mary and Nicole welcomed baby Nora, who has introduced me to the joys of grandmotherhood! Sadly, I lost my mother at the end of October. She had suffered with Alzheimer’s for about six years.

1978 Janet Place Fuller janetpfuller@aol.com Pamela Brown cruised last May to Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Malta, Italy, France, and Spain. The trip ended in Barcelona in time to join the street celebration of team Barca winning an all-Spain championship. She took a long weekend to attend the opening of Ortanique restaurant at the Cliff Hotel in Negril, Jamaica, and she traveled to Key West, Florida, for Fantasy Fest, which she called Halloween for adults. She was there on Black Friday, when the town exploded with news that Fidel Castro was dead. Read more about her adventures in unedited Class Notes online. Allen Nichols Scott, Robin Darrhea Pierce Donlavage, Mary Jane “MJ” Ford Johnston, and I, Janet Fuller, gathered Nov. 5 in Annapolis for lunch and conversation. While I attended a Capitals game that night, MJ gave Allen and Darrhea a tour of the Eastport area

Sam, 20, is a talented glass blower and is working toward a degree in scientific glass. Parker Curlee and wife Lisa live in Richmond and have a daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, who was to graduate from Longwood University this spring. Parker is president of Guarantee Insurance Services. He’s kept up with Ron Bennet, who he says is “living his dream retirement in central Florida.” Margaret Kay Watson Stone lives in Auburn, Alabama, with husband Tim, a Navy retiree. Margaret worked for the city’s planning department for 10 years and now coordinates outreach activities for the Auburn University Museum of Natural History. She writes, “I share my office with a small zoo of mostly reptiles and often foster animals that college students obtain and then lose interest in.” Linda Reynolds Thornton, UMW associate director of business systems analysis, shared some sad news from Anne Meaney Leckie ’78. Anne said that Elizabeth “Liz”

Find the original, unedited Class Notes online at magazine.umw.edu.

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CLASS NOTES Greathouse passed away Feb. 22, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Victoria Valz Humphreys hired an associate in her family law practice and is slowing down with an eye toward retirement. Husband Frank retired after 33 years at UPS and is managing an outdoor furniture business in Moyock, North Carolina. Their daughter, Meredith, teaches special education in Campbell County, Virginia. Victoria has been in touch with Sally Harrison Higgins ’77 in the last few years and says she is busy with her own company, Higgins Resources.

Springs teaches elementary school Spanish. Husband Mike, a U.S. Air Force retiree, is a software engineer for Boeing. Daughter Lauren is a high school freshman, and daughter Kaylee is a senior. They both enjoy marching band, and this year they made first place at the Colorado Marching Band Competition! Kaylee is looking forward to pre-med studies at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Laura still keeps in touch with roommates Karen Mason and Ginger Deane.

1984

1980

Auby J. Curtis DrAubyJ@gmail.com

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

1985

Sharon Cooper lives in Winchester Virginia. Son James Cooper moved to Emporia, Virginia, to teach first grade in Greensville County. He taught first grade in Winchester last year. Sharon’s grandfather, Maxwell McCormick, died in August at age 93.

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

1981 Lori Foster Turley lorifturley@gmail.com

1982 Tara Corrigall corrigallt@gmail.com

Lisa Bentley Brouelette’s son, Adam, and his wife welcomed baby son Rory last August. In November, Lisa was promoted to lieutenant in the Kirkland (Washington) Police Department, where she is in charge of professional standards. Monique Gormont Mobley and Scott moved last year to Annapolis, Maryland, near parents and siblings, but apart from their children: Lauren is a third-year teacher in the Madison, Wisconsin, area, and Sean works at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Scott received a post-doctoral fellowship to teach history at

Amanda Ormond ’83 celebrated 15 years as a clean energy policy consultant by traveling to the Grand Canyon, Durango, and Cape Cod.

1983 Marcia Guida James marcia.g.james@gmail.com Amanda Ormond celebrated her 15 years as a self-employed consultant in clean energy policy and advocacy by traveling to the Grand Canyon, Durango, and Cape Cod. She and her husband moved from Tempe, Arizona, to Flagstaff in 2015 when their younger daughter graduated from high school. After working in Colombia since 2015, their older daughter will return to live in the States this year. Laura Wong Dolloff of Colorado 48

the U.S. Naval Academy. Monique teaches English to speakers of other languages in three local middle schools. Monique and Scott enjoy tailgating at the Navy football games since the stadium is within walking distance of their home. They took a family trip to Seattle last summer.

1986 Lisa A. Harvey lisharvey@msn.com Best Lawyers, a peer-review publication, recognized Russell S. Sayre as a 2017 Lawyer of the Year. Russell is

chair of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister’s litigation department and a partner in Taft’s Cincinnati, Ohio, office. His practice includes litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution.

The Class of 1988 mourns the loss of classmate Ellen Henderson Briggs, who passed away on November 13, 2016, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Tracy Boughan Seitz ’89, principal at St. Clare Walker Middle School, earned a doctorate in educational leadership from VCU.

1987

1989

Kim Jones Isaac mwc87@infinityok.com

Leah Wilson Munnis leah.munnis@verizon.net

Rene Thomas-Rizzo Rene.Thomas-Rizzo@navy.mil

Tracy Boughan Seitz is principal at St. Clare Walker Middle School in Middlesex County. She earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also has a master’s degree in special education from Old Dominion University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from William & Mary. She and husband Paul just celebrated their 27th anniversary. They have a son, Jacob, and a daughter, Shelby, who lives with her husband in Honolulu.

I, Kim Jones Isaac, was home last summer for UMW reunion weekend and had a blast staying with Bev Newman ’88. We made a trip to Sammy T’s and also cruised around Richmond. We visited Cooper’s Hawk Winery one day, another day did a beer tasting, caught an amazing exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and ate some great food. Julie Magness left Greenbelt Aquatic & Fitness Center last summer for a job as human resources specialist for the City of Greenbelt, Maryland. Julie and her wife have tickets to see Hamilton in New York City. She is pleased that her cousin, Quinton Veach, will be attending UMW. Congratulations, Quinton! Kelly Flynn Hanson is a pricing analyst for Leidos and telecommutes from her home in the Louisville, Kentucky, area, where the family enjoys a peaceful life on their acreage. Son Ben is a high school junior, and daughter Ally is a freshman. Husband Tim is a helicopter pilot for Air Evac Lifeteam. Kelly has two Akitas and works with Akita rescue groups across the U.S. She also has a mutt, a horse, and several barn cats. She plans to catch up with classmates at our 30th reunion in June.

1988 Nee-Cee “Ringo” Baker rstarr66@msn.com Beverly J. Newman bevnewmn@yahoo.com Jay Bradshaw jaybradshaw747@aol.com

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1990 Susan Crytzer Marchant march66358@verizon.net Joan Bullock Renner said it was great to be back on our beautiful campus when she and her son visited for UMW Fall Open House. The day made her think back to all the wonderful people she met at MWC. I, Susan Crytzer Marchant, had a fun day on campus with my family for the spring 2016 women’s soccer alumni game. My boys got to see me play on the field for a change! I had hoped to see friends, but I ended up being the only “senior” alum at the game – by more than 20 years!

Let us hear from you! Deadlines for submissions to class agents: • For fall 2017 issue: June 15, 2017 • For spring 2018 issue: Dec. 1, 2017

Research Changes Historic Record

avid Preston ’94 leafed through folios at the UK National Archives in London and came across something startling. There, apparently overlooked by generations of scholars, was an account by an Iroquois warrior who had traveled with George Washington as hostilities brewed between the British and French empires in America. The unnamed Iroquois described the Jumonville Affair, a 1754 skirmish in the Pennsylvania woods considered to be the start of the French and Indian War. The warrior’s account revealed a surprising new detail: Washington, then a 22-year-old lieutenant colonel in the Virginia regiment, personally fired the war’s first shot. That account and other newly discovered historic documents are central to Preston’s 2015 book Braddock’s Defeat: The Battle of the Monongahela and the Road to Revolution. Published by Oxford University Press, Braddock’s Defeat has won several awards including the $50,000 Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military History. It also succeeds as a good read, appealing as much to a popular audience as an academic one. The book was a 10-year project for Preston, who majored in history at Mary Washington and is now the Westvaco Professor of National Security Studies at The Citadel in Charleston. At first he planned a different book, using the Battle of the Monongahela as a starting point for character studies of Washington and other veterans of that battle who went on to win the Revolutionary War. But Preston came to see the battle in a new light, one at odds with accepted history. British Gen. Edward Braddock, who died of his wounds after the battle, had been portrayed as arrogant and ill-prepared. But Preston saw Braddock as a solid leader beset by obstacles: an understaffed fighting force more practiced at drill than combat; political squabbles within the Colonies; a hellish route to battle; and some spectacularly bad luck. Preston decided to retell the Battle of the Monongahela objectively and

completely. He mined unpublished sources, drawing out for the first time the French and Indian sides of the story. David Preston canoes on the He used modern knowlAllegheny River edge of combat physiolwhile researching his ogy and psychology to award-winning book. explain British soldiers’ breakdown of discipline during the terrifying battle. He canoed the rivers and creeks that brought the French to the Ohio Valley. And he walked much of Braddock’s Road from Winchester, Virginia, to the site of the battle near Pittsburgh. “It was really an epiphany,” Preston said. He realized that despite Braddock’s disastrous defeat, his well-engineered military road across the Appalachians was a victory that opened the western frontier to British expansion after the war. The Pittsburgh area is home for Preston, who grew up immersed in local stories of George Washington, the French Nathanael, and Alistair. and Indian War, and the American The success of Braddock’s Defeat Revolution. brought speaking engagements across At Mary Washington, profesthe country, which The Citadel and sors Bruce O’Brien, Roger Bourdon, his family have handled with good Claudine Ferrell, and the late Richard grace, Preston said. Now, though, he’s Warner challenged and encouraged turning his attention back to research him. Exceptional classmates motivated and writing – a sequel to Braddock’s him, too, including Jeff McClurken ’94, Defeat is in the works. now a UMW professor of history and American studies. – Laura Moyer For his senior thesis, Preston dug through British archives on a student trip O’Brien led to London. The experience solidified Preston’s love of research and foreshadowed his exciting Washington discovery two decades later. Preston earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the College of William and Mary before beginning his teaching career at The Citadel. He and wife English are parents of Vivian, U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A R Y WA S H I N G T O N M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 1 7

CLASS NOTES

1991 Shannon Eadie Niemeyer sfniemeyer@comcast.net

1992 Courtney Hall Harjung charjung@hotmail.com In July, Tom and I, Courtney Hall Harjung, drove to St. Simons Island, Georgia, and especially enjoyed Jekyll Island’s Driftwood Beach. We had a car accident in October, and are OK after chiropractic care and physical therapy. Our car was totaled. We enjoy Mobile, Alabama, with its Southern hospitality, fresh seafood, and proximity to Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores. Mardi Gras originated here, and the festivities last for a month.

pursuing a Geographic Information Systems certificate. She is doing an independent study to produce maps for a book, and she plans an internship this summer.

1993 Cheryl L. Roberts Heuser chatatcha@yahoo.com Rob Whitt, wife Dodie Denison Whitt ’95, and their family live in the West End of Richmond. Rob is the corporate controller of Markel Corporation, and he mentors UMW business students and serves on the UMW College of Business advisory board. After almost 20 years of full-time teaching in Henrico County Public Schools, Dodie is a part-time math interventionist. Older daughter

Susan Crytzer Marchant ’92’s boys got to see their mom on the field for a change when she played in the spring 2016 women’s soccer alumni game. Chena Stoner Anderson and husband Steven are raising their 10 children, ranging from ages 3 to 22, on a small farmstead in Ruckersville, Virginia. In 1996, Chena completed a doctorate in naturopathy and practices as a naturopath and a brain integration therapist. In 2012, she published Authentic Health, The Unauthorized Guide to Family Wellness. Tevin Chaney of McLean, Virginia, is a data scientist for the federal government. He has met up with many MWC friends lately when Steve Wohleking’s band, Mandatory Recess, plays in Ashburn. The finale of each gig is Steve’s double back tuck from the stage! Anne Thompson Mendez, Barb Elwell Carmichael, Andy Dunlop, Rene Rios, Dave Sanders, Megan Donnelly, Deb Petruska Street, Billy Germelman, spouses, and significant others have showed up. Tevin saw MWC roommate Steve Lee, who is married to Lindsay Mast. The older of their children is a freshman in engineering at Virginia Tech. Randy Dail and Debbie Krauth Dail of Virginia Beach celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary. Daughter Sarah ’19 is a UMW sophomore studying geography and 50

Abigail is a high school senior and plans to study elementary education at Longwood University. Younger daughter Emily is a sophomore and hopes to study business at UMW on her road to law school. Tari Stage-Harvey and her family are doing great in Juneau, Alaska. Whitney Hall joined the StageHarvey family on a service trip to Whitehorse, the capital of northwest Canada’s Yukon territory, and is going to Germany with them this summer.

1995 Jane Archer jane@janearcherillustration.com I, Jane Archer, have been teaching design and illustration at Pratt Institute while continuing my design and illustration business – 10 years strong last fall. One project close to my heart was to design the cover for my dear friend Kristen Green’s New York Times best-selling book Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County. UMW adopted it as the common read for incoming freshmen in fall 2016, and it won two awards from the Library of Virginia – the People’s Choice Award for Nonfiction and the Literary Award for Nonfiction. In October, Kristen and I returned to Mary Washington to speak to a group of UMW design and journalism students about our roles in the cover design process; we also reminisced about our early days working alongside each other in The Bullet office! Another ’95 alum published by Harper is Sarah Walpole Gray. Her A Life Everlasting: The Extraordinary Story of One Boy’s Gift to Medical Science came out in fall 2016. Donald Rowe, another busy author, published his third novel, Kashan Kashmeeri – the final novel of his Tessera Trilogy, set in Arabia. He is working on a sequel to the trilogy, The Next One, featuring offspring of major characters in the trilogy. Mike Charnoff and Katie Valentine ’04 married in May 2016. The wedding party included an all-

Jane Archer ’95 teaches design and illustration at Pratt Institute and designed the cover for Kristen Green ’95’s Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County. Cheryl Roberts Heuser and her husband in Florida enjoyed a visit from Lela “Lejai” Baldwin. They visited Weeki Wachee Springs State Park to see the mermaids and had a great time hanging out.

1994 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

star UMW alumni lineup. Bridesmaids included Bevin Reinen and Katie Fry Charnoff ’00. Groomsmen included best man Steve Charnoff ’99, Jason Chipman, Jim Murray, and Tim Landis ’93. Alumni guests included Donna Sheehan Gladis ’68, Patti Boise Kemp ’69, Gayle Weinberger Petro ’79, Jenifer Blair ’82, Dan Hudson ’82, Colette Crabill Chipman ’94, Mark McClure ’96, Travis Russell ’96, Lee Ann

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Reaser ’98, Mark Thaden ’02, and Jay Sinha ’07. Mike and Katie live in Arlington, Virginia, where Katie teaches fourth grade and Mike practices civil litigation with Perry Charnoff PLLC. Mike served as president of the UMW Alumni Association until July 2016. Brendan Kelly and his wife, Corrie Henson Kelly ’96, are excited that their daughter, Elizabeth “Beth” Kelly, has been accepted early decision to UMW and is thrilled to be part of the class of 2021! Beth was the first in her class to commit to the UMW swim team. Son Jack is a high school freshman and an avid golf and baseball athlete. Brendan enjoys his job as an analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

1996 Jennifer Rudalf Gates jeni17@me.com Jill McDaniel jillmcdaniel215@gmail.com Corrie Henson Kelly is in her second year as an assistant professor of education at Longwood University. Read her family’s news in the last paragraph of the 1995 Class Notes, her husband’s class. Fairfax County Public Schools recognized Jill McDaniel in June 2016 for two decades of service. After working to make a career transition, in November Geoffrey Hart started a new position as a civilian IT specialist with the Defense Information Systems Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland. Derek Bottcher and wife Alice welcomed twins Summer Joan and Benjamin Galileo last fall, and they were born on Derek’s birthday! Jen Rudalf Gates is in talent development for global wealth and investment management with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Her son, Connor, is in his fourth year of travel soccer for Yorktown FC, and Jen volunteers as team manager. She also cheered on UMW’s Men’s Soccer team a couple of times during the fall 2016 season. She recently enjoyed catching up with Lee Ann Reaser ’98 and son Peyton, who was all cuddles, snuggles, and smiles. Michelle Trombetta ’97 sent news that John Glymph has been teaching for 15 years, the last seven teaching U.S. history at Washington High School in Charles Town, West

Virginia. He completed a master’s degree in special education at Fairmont State University and was elected to the board of directors for the Jefferson County Historical Society. He has two stepchildren, Zoe and Caleb, with his wife of five years, Jennifer.

Myronee Ardean Simpson is co-director of college guidance at Ranney School in New Jersey. She took a group of her students to visit UMW in February 2016, and admissions counselor Shelley Hillberry ’11 met with them. Myronee is president of the New Jersey Association for

Derek Bottcher ’96 and wife Alice welcomed twins last fall on Derek’s birthday. It is with great sadness that we share news of the untimely passing of Keith Conley on Oct. 30, 2016. Many of you will remember Keith for his bright smile, big heart, and gentle spirit, a committed humanitarian who cared deeply for others and the plight of refugees. Our sincerest condolences go out to Keith’s family – especially his wife, two children, and a grandson – and his many friends.

1997 Michelle Trombetta michelletrombetta@gmail.com Congratulations to Bob Shelton, wife Jennifer Dunn Shelton, and big sisters Alexa, Marley, Brooklyn, and Skylar, who welcomed their first boy, Maverick Mantle, in June 2015. Julie Newell Leslie and Nathan Leslie ’94 celebrated their 20th “dateiversary” with a long weekend in Fredericksburg, where they visited their old campus haunts and had one last meal at Sammy T’s before it closed in October. They celebrated Nathan’s birthday with a trip to Tulum, Mexico, where they helped rescue newly hatched sea turtles. Julie traveled to Colombia and Costa Rica. Amy Szczepanski Evanego of State College, Pennsylvania, works at Grace Lutheran Preschool. Husband Craig is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Sons Ryan, 10, and Zachary, 7, love baseball, soccer, and basketball. Jason Terril spent his 40th year traveling, visiting his seventh continent, Antarctica, and his 50th state, Louisiana. Kathleen Gillikin MacCubbin visited a friend near Naples, Italy, in September. She toured the National Archaeological Museum in the center of Naples and saw the ruins at Cuma, Pozzuoli, and Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

College Admission Counseling, is on the National Association for College Admission Counseling Affiliate Presidents Council, and is a member of the leadership for the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools. Katherine “Kate” Lulfs Ehrle is running the sales group at a consulting firm, and started classes toward an MBA at the Wharton School last summer. Her husband, Richard Ehrle ’85, is still with the Navy. They are busy with the kids; one is a teenager. Kate traveled to Orlando, San Diego, Maine, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and New York City to see Hamilton. Patrick Lohmeyer and Suzette McLoone Lohmeyer of Arlington, Virginia, have been stateside for two years with their children, ages 9 and 11, and three dogs. Patrick is in international development at Chemonics International, and Suzette teaches English and film studies at Marymount University. They did a lot of hiking and

including the Foreign Agricultural Service. I, Michelle Trombetta, received a promotion to director of product management at Code42. My husband, Wade Van House, and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in Vegas, where I spent a 14-hour-day working. To make up for a less-than-ideal day, we left Las Vegas and hiked Utah’s Bryce Canyon. A month later we celebrated at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival and the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. I look forward to seeing everyone in Fredericksburg in June for our 20th reunion!

1998 Erika Giaimo Chapin erikagchapin@gmail.com Wes van den Heuvel and wife Lauren were happy to welcome

Jennifer Wilson Watson is the FBI National Academy Associates member services manager at the FBI Academy in Quantico. She finished her third season playing roller derby on a nationally ranked team and can’t believe she’s playing a competitive sport at 40-plus! Jonathan Cordone was wrapping up his duties in the Obama administration as the deputy undersecretary of agriculture. He led all of the USDA’s international relations,

Anne recently opened her shop, Blondies Bagels. Mandy is a military spouse and recently welcomed her husband home from Korea. Maureen is a librarian. And Christie is a financial manager for a marketing firm in the city. Charley Scott graduated from Columbia University Medical School in 2015, followed by a year of internal medicine at Mount Sinai. He is practicing physical medicine and rehabilitation at Columbia and Cornell.

Jennifer Reyes ’99 has a private practice and is an instructor in clinical dental medicine at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. their first child, Ryker Stark van den Heuvel, in July. Both Wes and Lauren work for Novo Nordisk in Princeton, New Jersey, and Wes is starting a marketing consulting agency to help small businesses. They have two rescue dogs, Riley and Luci. Adrien Snedeker Dickerson’s

As deputy undersecretary of farm and foreign agricultural services in the Obama administration, Jonathan Cordone ’97 led all of the USDA’s international relations. fishing when they visited friends in Denmark and Norway.

northeast weekend getaway. Anne Wenthe Turner of Daniels Island, South Carolina; Maureen Southard Townsend of Manassas, Virginia; Christie Cavolo Orndorff of New York City; and Mandy Grandle Freds of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, met for a long weekend of lobster rolls, wine, Portland dining, beachcombing, and small village exploring!

son, Simon, turned 6 in January, right after we wrapped up the year of many of our 40th birthdays. Caitlin Jenkins Losh loved celebrating that milestone with fellow newly-turned-40-year-olds Betsy Maldonado Sauer, Meg Ellis Storey, Sarah Geiger Luisi, and Alyson Andrews Ramsay in Chicago, the most exciting midway meeting point for the bi-coastal group. In late September, the “Hanover Mansion” housemates got together in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, for a girls

Deacon Chapin and I, Erika Giaimo Chapin, happily participated last summer in our fifth-orso annual meatfest with Darien Berkowitz Jacobson and husband Andy, Dabney Boye Keith, Katie Shea Britton, Adrien Snedeker Dickerson, Todd Hamlin, and Lauren Dwyer Lowther, who made the drive up from Florida with her two boys. We had a great time celebrating with all our families.

1999 Amanda Goebel Thomas goebel_amanda@hotmail.com My husband, our son, John, and I, Amanda Goebel Thomas, welcomed baby Benjamin in May 2016. I teach fifth grade in Atlanta and enjoy lots of professional development opportunities, especially teaching peers and presenting at conferences. Denee Lonce Tuck and husband Stephen welcomed baby Sarah Ann in February 2016. She joined her big brother Thomas, then 6. Jennifer Reyes lives in New York City, where she opened a dental practice. She serves part time as an instructor in clinical dental medicine at Columbia University College

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CLASS NOTES Kirsten St. Clair Oliphant ’00 was named one of the top 25 Social Media Power Influencers in Houston, Texas, for her Create If Writing podcast. of Dental Medicine and works with their Community Oral Health Department. Joy Conoscenti Spencer and husband Todd live in Newport News, Virginia, with their children, Chase, 11, and Summer, 8. After nearly six years with Moms in Motion, where Joy helps people with disabilities connect with services through Medicaid, she was promoted to chief executive officer. Todd is a golf course assistant superintendent for the city of Portsmouth.

2000 Jennifer Burger Thomas jenntec14@gmail.com Kirsten St. Clair Oliphant had her fifth baby and is living in Houston with her husband, Rob. She launched the Create If Writing podcast in 2015, and was named one of the top 25 Social Media Power Influencers in Houston in 2016. Kirsten has spoken at such events as Houston Social Media Day and BlogHer Food.

audit manager with KPMG. Chris practices law and serves on the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors. I, Annie Johnston, do commercial real estate occupancy planning for Jones Lang LaSalle. I plan to travel to Glacier National Park in June with Jennifer Amore and Madelyn Marino. Madelyn, a vice president of human resources with American Express, is on a quest to run a half marathon in every state. In March she traveled to Dubai to meet up with Jason Lane ’03.

2002 Travis Jones tljones8@gmail.com Carolyn Murray Spencer turtlecjm@yahoo.com

2001

Karen Orwoll Goins and family moved from Virginia to Athens, Georgia, to pursue full-time ministry with international evangelist Rick Bonfim. They are adjusting to rural life and enjoying the beautiful scenery that is Northern Georgia. They look forward to travel with the ministry.

Annie Johnston anniebatesjohnston@gmail.com

Andrew Mertz and his wife expected their first child to arrive in

Corie Tarbet and Jordy Keith traveled to Rome last summer; they hiked Mount Vesuvius, visited Pompeii, and enjoyed a ton of pasta, pizza, and wine. Corie lives in Athens, Georgia, and is a teacher. Jordy lives in Austin, Texas, where she works in communication for the Texas National Guard. Sarah Osborn-Barwick and husband Jason welcomed a son, Wyatt William, little brother to Lilyanne Elizabeth, in September 2016. Angela Mills began her two-year term as president of the UMW Alumni Association Board in July. She encourages you to stay connected, get involved through alumni activities and networks, and actively promote your Mary Washington experience. Kim Kelley Winslow and Chris Winslow enjoy being parents to 4-year-old Kate. Kim is a senior 52

board certification and is on staff at Clearlake Regional Medical Center. Wife Tashia is a dental hygienist. They do dachshund rescue and have placed seven dogs in new homes over the last year. Andy Wright and his wife, Maria Yount Wright, planned to welcome their first child, a son, in February 2017. They purchased a home in Bon Air, Virginia, and Andy started working in policy and legislative affairs for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation last August. Maria is an elementary school librarian for the Richmond City Schools. Mary Schmotzer works in healthcare marketing with Snow Companies. She and her boyfriend purchased a house in Williamsburg, Virginia, where they live with their three cats and three dogs. In January 2017, Jennifer Worcester Moore became executive director of the Mosby Heritage Area Association, a nonprofit historical association in Middleburg, Virginia. Laura Williams created the nonprofit Environmental Stewards Consulting Inc. this year. It specializes in educating and assisting communities around the country to fight for better cleanup of hazardous and contaminated sites. Amber Crafton started Et Al. Editing, a freelance editing business, in February 2016. She celebrated 10 years with Alternative Missions as the short-term missions coordinator for its ministry in Cofradía,

Jennifer Worcester Moore ’03 is executive director of the Mosby Heritage Area Association in the Northern Piedmont of Virginia. February 2017. Christina Meluzio started her own private practice, Meluzio Psychological Services, in Stafford County, Virginia, and is the program director for her Silver Linings social/coping skills groups for ages 4 to 19.

2003 Jessica Brandes jessbrandes@yahoo.com Garett Seeba practices oral and maxillofacial surgery in Webster, Texas, at Oral Surgery Associates. A medical doctor, he is pursuing

Mexico. Amber lives in the St. Louis area and works as a nanny.

2004 Sameer Vaswani sameervaswani@msn.com Matt and Tricia Piccinino Kapuscinski and big sister Olivia welcomed Reese Lynn in July. Matt is an associate at the law firm of Odin, Feldman & Pittleman in Reston, Virginia, and Tricia is in her 10th year teaching ESOL at Annandale High School.

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Michael Hagan is pursuing a doctorate in law through the evening program at the University of Baltimore and hopes to finish in 2020. Sameer Vaswani traveled to Spain with Rob Bowen ’05 last fall, visiting Barcelona, Malaga, Seville, Granada, and the Canary islands. LoriAnn Maresca Solano and husband Brendan welcomed their second child, Brayden, in October. LoriAnn is a licensed behavior analyst and fitness coach. Last year, Carly Woods left her faculty position at the University of Nebraska and accepted a position as assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland, College Park. She lives in Maryland with her spouse and child. Alena Callaghan and husband Jim Davis live in Arlington, Virginia, with two very overweight cats. Melissa Glennie Holt and Janet Moriarity Cartwright-Smith were bridesmaids at Alena and Jim’s October 2016 wedding. Kristen “Kiki” Skove King and her husband celebrated their 12th anniversary last fall and their twins’ 5th birthday in December. Kiki is pursuing an MBA online from the UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management. Her family plans to move from Florida to Colorado in June. Katie Valentine and Mike Charnoff ’95 married in May 2016. The wedding party included an all-star UMW alumni lineup. Read the details in the 1995 Class Notes on page 50.

2005 Allyson “Ally” V. Lee allyvlee@gmail.com

2006 Shana A. Muhammad email.shana@gmail.com Carl Frank Puleo cfpuleo@gmail.com

Let us hear from you! Deadlines for submissions to class agents: • For fall 2017 issue: June 15, 2017 • For spring 2018 issue: Dec. 1, 2017

Alumna Is Archivist to the Stars historic preservation and American studies. As a member of the Historic Preservation Club, she participated in the annual Ghost Walk, playing the role of a drunken cook responsible for accidentally burning down half of Fredericksburg in the 1800s. She interned at the Library of Congress’ Prints & Photographs Division for two summers while in college, and after graduation, worked for a year at the American Folklife Center, cataloging manuscripts, photos, and oral histories for the Veterans History Project. A film buff, she was accepted into graduate school at UCLA, where in 2006 she earned a master’s degree in moving image archive studies, an interdisciplinary program between the film and library schools. She worked for several years at the Getty Research Institute, registering incoming rare books, lithographs, drawings, and photos for its special collections department. Her dream, however, was to work for the Academy’s library, which she toured during grad school. Then she saw an opening for a cataloguer in the library’s special collections department. “I wrote the most passionate cover letter I could think of and reworked it and reworked it. I never wanted a job so badly in my life,” said Denk, who has been there ever since. Most of the collections she archives arrive in about 25 boxes. It took nearly 100 boxes, however, to hold the papers of Gregory Peck, perhaps best known for his Academy

Award-winning role as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. Denk acknowledges that you’ve got to be invested in film history to properly inventory a collection that large. What does she do after spending just shy of two years cataloging one man’s ephemera? “I take a deep breath, and I get really excited about starting on someone completely new.” – Edie Gross

Marisa Duron

turdy cardboard boxes arrive on Clare Denk’s desk bearing jumbles of dog-eared manuscripts, publicity photographs and candid snapshots, hand-written fan letters and personal correspondence. Denk ’03, an archivist at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, meticulously sorts and catalogs collections of personal effects for the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills, where students, scholars, and historians from around the world can access them. “It never really gets boring because you move from one person’s life to another,” said Denk, who has worked at the Academy for seven years. “It never becomes repetitive.” While combing through the donated keepsakes of Hollywood icons and behind-the-scenes crew members, Denk keeps an eye out for the unexpected. For instance, actress Bette Davis had a reputation for being no-nonsense, but she also drew smiley faces in her letters to Now, Voyager co-star Paul Henreid. And long before Linwood Dunn was a special effects pioneer, with films like 1933’s King Kong and 1941’s Citizen Kane under his belt, he was a 14-yearold movie buff who created a handwritten spreadsheet listing each theater he’d gone to, the date, what film was playing, and whether it deserved a grade of poor, fair, good, or great. “It was so endearing to see his burgeoning interest,” said Denk, who found the list among Dunn’s papers. “I love the personal discoveries.” Not surprisingly, it was the historic preservation program that attracted Denk, who grew up in Northern Virginia, to Mary Washington. “I was such a nerd, too. I always wanted to live in the oldest dorms because they were the most historic,” said Denk, who lived in Virginia and Ball halls while earning degrees in

Archivist Clare Denk at her desk at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

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CLASS NOTES Leigh Dorris Woods and husband Seth purchased their first home in 2016, celebrated their oneyear wedding anniversary, and welcomed their first child, Charlie. Caitie Eck and husband Erik continue to build their small empire in Fort Myers, Florida, where they purchased another house and plan to welcome a baby this year. Clint Woods and Amy Arlinghaus married in Lexington, Kentucky, in November. The wedding party included Clint’s sister Carly Woods ’04, Nick Franciose, and Shana Muhammad. Kirk Roberts and wife Lauren welcomed baby Ellis on Valentine’s Day 2016. Ellis is starting to toddle around the house, and Lauren is ready for another baby. Rebecca Christ Alwine and husband Steven live on Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and welcomed their third child, Gregory Tallmadge Alwine, in May 2016. They’ll celebrate their 10th anniversary this year and plan to move to Fort Gordon this summer. Mark Safferstone, MBA ’06, retired as executive director of UMW campuses at Stafford and Dahlgren in June 2016 after 19 years at Mary Washington. He and wife Sharon celebrated their 30th anniversary in November and moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in December.

2007 Jay Sinha Daniel Clendenin Daniel.clendenin@gmail.com Sarah Eckman sarahje@gmail.com After graduating, Dustin McDonald played American football professionally in Europe, explored 26 countries in Europe and Southeast Asia, and earned an MBA from the University of Florida. More recently, he married Stephanie Byrne in Marseille, France, and they honeymooned in Corsica. Maureen Murphy married Leonard Kieffer of Buffalo, New York, in Riviera Maya, Mexico, last August. Friends, family, and Mary Washington classmates Suzanne Davey and Sarah Murphy attended. Maureen and Leonard purchased a house and live in Manassas, Virginia. Jennifer Parsick and longtime partner John Hill became engaged in 54

Madeline LeCuyer ’11 is working as a hairdresser on the Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. October and plan a cruise wedding next year. Geraldine Zilleruelo is pursuing an MBA at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and plans to graduate in 2019.

2008 Trish Lauck trish.lauck@gmail.com Alyssa Lee alyssa.linda.lee@gmail.com

2009 Elizabeth Jennings elizabethsjennings@gmail.com Alexandra Meier alexandra.m.meier@gmail.com Tom Roberts and wife Elizabeth Emmel Roberts ’11 live in Buena Vista, Virginia, where he is having a blast as city planner. They expected their second child this spring.

2010 Kelly Caldwell kellyecaldwell@gmail.com Caitlin Donnelly married Landon Mock last September at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Washington, D.C, followed by a waterfront reception on the Potomac. In attendance were maid of honor Kathryn Saunders, Cassandra Ratti, David Pierandri, Courtney Woodburn, Scott Hoffman, and Andrea Briceno. The couple lives in D.C., where Caitlin is a proposal writer for MorphoTrust USA, LLC, an identity solutions firm. Landon, a 2007 University of Colorado grad, is a personnel research psychologist at the U.S. Department of the Interior. In August, Laura Pilati became volunteer and special events manager at St. Andrew’s School in Richmond. Samantha Bradshaw Nochitta married Hernan Nochitta in October 2015, and became stepmother to 12-year-old twins, Fabrizio and Guillermina. The family, who live in Bluffton, South Carolina, welcomed Alba Maria Beatriz Nochitta in October

2016 – in the middle of Hurricane Matthew!

2011 Hannah Hopkins hannahhopkins89@gmail.com Kira Lanewala klanewala@gmail.com Madeline LeCuyer was inducted into IASTE Local 798, the Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Union. She is working as a hairdresser on the Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, which opened in November. In September, Federal Computer Week Magazine named Emily Antos a “Rising Star.” The UMW math graduate is an assistant program manager at the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic. Emily and her team in the Navy’s Warrior Mobility Project develop personnel, training, and education apps for sailors. Emily gets to see sailors use the products, she said, and finds it satisfying that she can see that her work is having a direct impact. Emily first worked at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. In 2014, she earned a master’s degree in engineering science from Old Dominion University before taking the job at SSC Atlantic. Mary Katherine Napier and Brendan Bailey, who met in Mason Hall freshman year, were married in Durham, North Carolina, in July 2016. They were surrounded by Mary Washington grads including the maid of honor, all of the groomsmen, and MK’s parents and older brother. Meredith McLeod and Catzby James are in their second year of teaching English at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia, and are likely to remain for a third year. Michele Alexander is pursuing a master’s degree in strategic communication at American University. She is engaged to Matthew Magruder ’10. Kira Lanewala is pursuing a master’s degree from the George Washington University Milken

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Institute School of Public Health. She is doing her research practicum on abortion support at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. She plans to graduate this spring and remain in central Florida. Samantha Luffy is a research division program analyst in the Office of HIV/AIDS, which is under the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Global Health. From her Washington, D.C., office, she manages HIV vaccine and microbicides awards through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Edward “Dirk” Lynch is an environmental scientist at MSA, P.C., in the Virginia Beach area. He recently obtained the Virginia Department of Health’s Class 4 Drinking Water License, which along with his Class 4 Wastewater Operator License allows him to service water systems from the water source through wastewater treatment and disposal. Dirk studied environmental sciences with an emphasis in chemistry as related to groundwater and environmental health at UMW.

2012 Mandi Solomon msolomon211@gmail.com Kristin Leber Frank and Charles Edward Frank had a beach wedding in Nags Head, North Carolina, in October. Sofia Ahmad joined Advanced Ophthalmology Inc., a private practice in Woodbridge, Virginia, her hometown. She received a doctor of optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.

2013 Amanda Buckner McVicker amandabuckner1@gmail.com Andrew Hogan andrew.hogan819@gmail.com Daniel McGuire was a digital operations manager before leaving to teach English in Thailand. Elizabeth Brennan works for an accrediting agency and has spent the last 2.5 years traveling to post-secondary institutions throughout the U.S. Ryan Vaughn continues his work on a Ph.D. in mathematics from George Mason University. Ryan hopes to enact positive change in

small public liberal arts universities across the country after graduation. I, Andrew Hogan, am working on a performance art installation targeted toward up-and-coming urban neighborhoods.

2014 Stephanie Preston sepreston91@gmail.com Elizabeth Storey estorey@mail.usf.edu Kelly Bassford provides program support for the UMW Office of Student Activities and Engagement and is administrative assistant to the Assistant Dean of Student Involvement. She was an education support specialist in the Virginia Community College System. Kelly is continuing her education in both higher education and event management.

2015 Evan Smallwood esmallwood15@gmail.com Moira McAvoy moira.jo.mcavoy@gmail.com Eric Phung is in software development. He has been developing an app for school systems. After earning his degree, Max Reinhardt entered the senior housing industry.

2016 No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

IN MEMORIAM Mary Gresham Cadow ’34 Marie Krafft Kelleher ’35 Lucile Holloway Booker ’37 Elizabeth Kalnen ’37 Zella Cornwell Tiller ’37 R. Bowman Whetzel ’38 Marion S. Olson ’39 Eleanor Eversole Cox ’40 Virginia Wright Miller ’40 Jean Beckers ’41 Margaret Jones ’41 Sylvia Chellgren Clark ’42 Cena Loback Carswell ’44 Jane Stickell Cochran ’44 Ethel Broun Powell ’44 Elisabeth Davis Ransom ’44

Mary Ellen Gardiner Starkey ’44 Dorothy Bonewell Coleman ’45 Ora Elena Bonham ’46 Mary Chapman Butts ’46 Mildred Lamberth Chamberlain ’46 Elizabeth Sullivan Vaughan ’46 Nancy Pates Atkins ’47 Anne Barbour Carvil ’47 Joan Mugler Conlin ’47 Jean Knott House ’47 Barbara Good Lampe ’47 Marion G. Spear ’47 June Ashton Steppe ’47 Christine MacDonald Trevvett ’47 Elizabeth A. Withrow ’47 Rebecca Grigg Chaney ’48 Margaret Harrell Youngblood ’48 Janet Carter Hudgins ’49 Gladys Riddle Whitesides ’49 Elizabeth M. Zipf ’50 Nancy Stacey Altman ’51 Jane Adams Currier ’51 Sarah Herring Estes ’51 Glorianna Howell Gibbon ’51 Ruth Stess Katzen ’51 Sara Cross ’52 Judith A. Curtin ’52 Dorothy Hickson Dunn ’52 Anne Blake Helmick ’52 Nancy Cooper Honeywell ’52 Betty Belew Walters ’52 Peggy Flippo Cocke ’53 Ruby Bates Dickerson ’53 Helen Coddington Stanley ’53 Marilyn Weaver McGlathery ’54 Jo Anne Herr ’55 Jeanne Thomas Lucas ’55 Cindy Thomas Bossard ’56 Barbara Curtis Taft ’56 Jane Adams Currier ’57 Gwendolyn Page Langwell ’58 Joyce Anne Pugh McCoy ’58 Joanne Bortz Young ’58 Jane Nessenthaler Mann ’59 Linda Howard Mattingly ’59 Elizabeth Snead Dorset ’60 Anne Ott Scott ’60 Marian DeMaio Danco ’61 Nancy Emmalyn Hamlin ’61 Elizabeth Bryant Prince ’61 Joy Mills Crowly ’62 Martha Young Roberts ’62 Karen Scruggs Vaughn ’62 Jan Garrett Moorman ’63 Scotia Attaway Synan ’64 Carol Boyer Gilmore ’65

Georgette E. Grill ’66 Cynthia A. Burnham ’68 Janice Holmes Davis ’70 Conde Palmore Hopkins ’70 Betty Noel Steenbergen ’70 Holly Miller-Sullivan ’71 Martha Wachsmuth Fidler ’72 Caroline Melissa Mason Hoffman ’76 Seth P. Brown ’78 Elizabeth Greathouse ’79 Deborah Clevenger Merritt ’81 Nora Collins Mason ’86 Ellen Henderson Briggs ’88 Linda Scott Kezer ’92 Keith Conley ’96 Richard A. Boylston ’97 Nancy Beaulieu Brown ’97 David L. Zedonek ’04 Bradford J. Frost ’05

CONDOLENCES Billie Mitchell Hanes ’50, who lost her husband Margaret Bryan Morgan ’50, who lost her husband Nancy Ward Whitmore ’57, who lost her husband Ann Brooks Coutsoubinas ’59, who lost her father Barbara White Ellis ’59, who lost her husband

Mary Massey ’59, who lost her husband Edith Weber Staib ’59, who lost her husband Sarah Leigh Kinberg ’61, who lost her husband Athanasia “Georgie” Georgeau Rahnias ’61, who lost her husband Joan Akers Rothgeb ’62, who lost her husband Barbara Moore Wheeler ’63, who lost her husband Charnell Williams Blair ’66, who lost her husband Carole Page Thomas ’67, who lost her sister Carol Simmons van der Kieft ’68, who lost her son Patricia Boise Kemp ’69, who lost her son Jane Jackson Woerner ’69, who lost her mother Edwin Brown III ’77, who lost his brother Anne Robinson Hallerman ’77, who lost her mother Beatrice von Guggenberg Kerr ’90, who lost her father Lisa Chinn Marvashti ’92, who lost her father Shannon Rothgeb Powell ’92, who lost her father Dana Angell Puga ’02, who lost her father

OBITUARIES Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Herbert Lee Cover II, 94, died at his Fredericksburg home on Dec. 5, Herbert Lee Cover II 2016. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth W. Cover. He is survived by his son, Herbert Lee Cover III, and his wife; two grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. A native of Elkton, Virginia, Dr. Cover earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in chemistry at the University of Virginia. He moved to Fredericksburg in 1949 and taught at what was Mary Washington College for 35 years. An avid fan of Big Band music, he played drums in his own band at U.Va. and played in Fredericksburg and on the Mary Washington campus. Besides teaching, he was known for fixing televisions – and most anything that was broken – and playing pocket billiards. He was a member of the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church. Many of his former students remember Dr. Cover for his kindness, sense of humor, and appreciation of life’s simplicities.

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CLOSING COLUMN

ssistant Professor Jon Pineda is the author of the poetry collections Little Anodynes, winner of the 2016 Library of Virginia Literary Award for Poetry; The Translator’s Diary, winner of the 2007 Green Rose Prize for Poetry; and Birthmark, winner of the 2003 Crab Orchard Award Series in Poetry Open Competition. His novel Apology won the 2013 Milkweed National Fiction Prize, and his memoir Sleep in Me was a 2010 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection. Pineda joined the University of Mary Washington in fall 2013. His second novel will be published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in March 2018. The pages printed below are from Pineda’s collection Little Anodynes.

Ceiling & Ground Our docent of limestone a local boy hums nudges the air where a glazed column has grown together there stalactites verge on stalagmites emerged from a pool of milky blue water Amy whispers to me “It’s easier if you just remember c is for ceiling & g is for ground” I push the stroller she holds Luke’s hand within our group of land dwellers we descend farther into the main chamber it is a slow spiral downward all must negotiate the slick decline at one point our young guide’s voice breaks as he beckons beyond the guard railing says “Over there’s Pluto’s Chasm” & goes on to explain how it doesn’t end

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or at least from what we can tell it sinks through itself in a moment of collective awe for the god of the underworld it is then our daughter removes the paciﬁer from her mouth & hurls this most prized possession into the precious abyss I wish I could say it didn’t happen shocked the group then continues on & we parents of an irreverent soul follow bowing our heads though embarrassed I’m secretly pleased I know Amy is as well since she asks the guide if they ever have to clean out these caverns the boy pauses looking for the right words I don’t envy him nor the one he explains must be lowered with ropes & harness searching the dark for those unfortunate signs of life

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PAID

Glimpsing the Future UMW Associate Professor of Biology Deb O’Dell invited elementary students to an anatomy lab at the Jepson Science Center in December. With the help of three student aides from O’Dell’s comparative anatomy class, second- and third-grade accelerated learners from The Merit School of Stafford dissected dogfish sharks to explore the animals’ skeletal structures, nervous systems, and more. Elementary students, from left, Kimberley Hardin, Sajeela Ahmad, and Dakota Lawson consult with UMW student aide Amie Canter ’18, far left, and O’Dell.

Reza Marvashti

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