48 minute read
The Classes & Profiles
CLASS U NOTES
Garnet Guard
Alumni who have celebrated their 50th ReUnion.
GARNET GUARD CLASS CORRESPONDENT
John Honey ’61 121 Waterside Dr., Box 1175 North Falmouth, Mass. 02556 jahoney@msn.com
John Honey ’61 writes, “The Garnet Guard and Ramée Circle held a joint luncheon during the virtual ReUnion on May 13. The program honored Bob Howe ’58 who was chair of both organizations for many years. Tributes were delivered by David Horton ’58, a classmate and good friend, Bob’s wife Sondra, and his grandson Alex Wildhagen Regan ’16. This was followed by a discussion of the activities of the Minerva Fellowship, which provides entrepreneurial opportunities in foreign countries to recent graduates. We marveled at some of the experiences that were described by participants. The program ended with the singing of the alma mater by the Eliphalets. We look forward to being able to hold the Garnet Guard Luncheon in person on campus next year.”
1951
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
James Taub 711 S. Market Street Johnstown, N.Y. 12095 (518) 762-1172 shrevie711@hotmail.com
1953
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Hubert Plummer 21 Temple Road Setauket, N.Y. 11733 (631) 941-4076 whp@plummerlaw.com
1954
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Avrom J. Gold 33 Madison Lane Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926 (908) 581-1455 avromgold@gmail.com
1955
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Ken Haefner 1346 Waverly Pl. Schenectady, N.Y. 12308 kbhaefner@gmail.com
1956
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
William Deuell 2666 Steeple Run Lane Manteca, Calif. 95336 whd2923@gmail.com
William Deuell writes, “On May 14, 2021, our class held the first virtual Zoom class ReUnion, which everyone agreed was very successful. Our meeting was attended by 13 classmates, which was good considering not everyone was familiar with Zoom. We expect our next meeting will be attended by an overwhelming number of classmates. Subjects covered were: 1) An update by Rob Parker, VP for College Relations. There will be additional virtual events later this year. Keep informed by reading all your Union correspondence. 2) A musical interlude by Paige Kent, Class of 2023, singing ‘Wouldn't It Be Loverly’ from My Fair Lady. She delivered a wonderful performance. 3) A report by Byng Huntington, class president, on class business, election of officers, and details of our class scholarship. The election of officers included a new position of class registrar. The class registrar will be responsible for developing and maintaining an up-to-date list of living classmates, deceased classmates and classmate widows, if possible. Norm Bartner has volunteered to accept this position and we all look forward to his excellent work. Please send questions to any class officer. They all are good at email.”
1957
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Paul Mohr 140 E Duce of Clubs Ste A Show Low, Ariz. 85901 dadtired@frontiernet.net
Bob Yunick writes, “I am pleased to announce that the June 2021 issue of Adirondack Life magazine carries an article of mine about my hummingbird banding in the Adirondacks at my Jenny Lake camp near Corinth as well as at other places. I keep active with my banding with so far nearly 220,000 birds, over 6,000 of them hummers, since 1962. One of my Jenny Lake Ruby-throats years ago tied the then-North American age record of nine years. I caught her for eight consecutive years a total of 25 times. That age record has since been exceeded by an additional two months. My other major hummer banding location has been in the deep North Woods of Maine along the shores of Mooselookmeguntic Lake near the Canadian border where I have banded a little over 2,200 Ruby-throats in the past 18 years. My oldest bird there is 8 years, 2 months. I continue publishing papers on my banding results with raptors and songbirds. There's always more to learn. One recent paper dealt with a 47-year study at my Jenny Lake camp linking decline in the local breeding Purple Finch population with climate warming. It's real.” Bob, a retired organic chemist from Schenectady, is licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to band birds.
1958
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
David C. Horton 68 Paul Revere Road Lexington, Mass. 02421 paulrevereroad@aol.com
David Horton writes, “It was wonderful to hear from John Richards, artist, musician, writer, movie buff, and humorist! Since leaving a teaching position in 1963, ‘his last honest job,’ as John writes, during which time he was making and peddling his art on the side, he then took some actual design courses at Pratt Institute, after which he began giving full attention to his artistic bent and talent that emerged even in his childhood. Eventually, in 1978, he opened Yummy Mud Puddle in Provincetown, Mass., that featured his art work and, later, another Puddle in Nyack, N.Y. Moving to Saint Augustine, Fla., in 1988, he soon met and married potter Claudia Dunaway and together they started ‘the infamous Temple of Great Art No Spitting to show their artistic output in clay, glass, wire, paper, pewter, steel, plaster, and trash.’ In 2003, they moved to Burnsville, N.C., on 10 acres of wild woods overlooking the Black Mountains. The new Yummy Mud Puddle includes two studios, a chalet-style house, a small gallery, a large guest house (vacation rental!), and a pond with fish! Go to John’s web site, www.yummymudpuddle.com, to get in touch with him, and to learn more about the art work featured in the store, the vacation rental,
John Richards ’58 with one of his artistic creations. In May, William (Dal) Trader ’59 (center in a grey vest) enjoyed a USS Compton (DD-705) reunion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with some of his shipmates. The group also visited the USS Slater (DE-766) at Albany Dock on the Hudson River and the Old No Name bar (now Tin and Lint) in Saratoga.
John ’61 and Betsy Honey join Bill Reaman ’61 every Friday afternoon on Bill’s deck for cocktails and to discuss our time at Union, naval service and life on Cape Cod. Ron Singer ’62 sits on a well in Weld, Maine. (Photo by Elizabeth Yamin, August 2020)
and, yes, the band Hot Duck Soup, in which he plays the banjo. I recommend it!”
John Glass writes, “After graduation, I attended MIT’s Sloan School of Management. As result of a class there, I became an MIT Fellow in Africa and spent two years in the Ministry of Economic Development of Northern Nigeria. On return, I worked for Polaroid in engineering and research management jobs. Afterwards, I joined a small company called Millipore where I became marketing manager; later, director of investor relations and managed an in-house venture capital arm. With its seed capital, I co-founded BioMarin Pharmaceuticals and left Millipore to become a biotech consultant. BioMarin has become a successful public company with sales of two billion dollars. My consulting business involved helping venture capital firms to repair their struggling investments. I now live in a small town, Boxford, Mass. My wife and I have travelled a great deal on small cruise ships. My favorite trip was to French Polynesia in the South Pacific. We have a summer home on Lake George and we spend as much time there as we can. With my first wife, I have two children who have given me life’s greatest gift of three grandchildren. Now it’s time for a nap!”
1959
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
William “Dal” Trader 5361 Santa Catalina Avenue Garden Grove, Calif. 92845 daltrader@earthlink.net (310) 629-8971
1960
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Charles E. Roden kiw702@aol.com
1961
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
John Honey jahoney@msn.com
1962
Ron Singer recently released his 15th book, a political novel titled The Real Presence. Ron received a B.A. (English) from Union College in 1962. In 1958-59, he was co-winner of the Van Order Prize in Creative Writing. After his Peace Corps service, He did graduate work at the University of Chicago, where he received an M.A. (1968) and Ph.D. (1976), both in English. His doctoral studies focused on Renaissance drama and social history. To learn more about his latest book, see p. 32.
1963
Edward J. Snyder recalled his freshman year roommate, Gary Warren Conrad, a biological
researcher and professor at Kansas State University, who passed away last year. “There were many opportunities for fun and frolic in the first year,” Snyder wrote. “All during this time, Gary worked hard and studied and, obviously, accomplished a lot and was an excellent roommate.” Snyder, an attorney in West Seneca, N.Y. began post-Union life as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. He then joined CARE International, serving in Tehran, Iran, and later Medellin, Colombia. He earned an MBA and law degree from the University of Buffalo. Formerly a member of the school board and town attorney, he is the town prosecutor in East Aurora, N.Y. He keeps in touch with Tom Ackerman and other alumni in the Buffalo area.
Dr. James Strosberg and his brother, Martin Strosberg '68, recently published a new book. Schenectady’s Battle Against Contagious Disease: From Smallpox to COVID-19 was the subject of a recent article in the The Daily Gazette. For more on their book, see p. 33.
Jim Gross writes, “My granddaughter, Leila Rose, starred at 9-and-one-half-years old as young Anna on Broadway in Disney’s classic show FROZEN. She also sang the Star Spangled Banner at Madison Square Garden before 19,000 fans before a Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls basketball game. To all our Union hockey fans, Leila will be singing the anthem on January 29 before the Union-RPI Mayors Trophy game at the Times Union Center in Albany. Leila is the daughter of my son, Peter Gross ’05.” Memorial Fund, Reconstruct Together and Ngoma) and teaching medical students at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland. His busy retired life became a second career, one he found immensely satisfying. True to his engineering roots, Charlie was constantly thinking about possibilities. He loved empowering individuals of all ages and organizations to reach their goals, always encouraging them to try something new. A special love was helping others launch their own overseas adventures. He was the ‘go-to’ man for problem solving and inventive enterprises, large and small, including a ‘no-pull’ leash for his daughter’s exuberant lab-mix. Charlie was a dog lover whose every pocket was filled with dog treats for any and all he might meet. Father, husband, brother, grandfather, cousin, uncle, mentor and friend to all he met, Charlie’s larger-than-life presence lives on in those whose lives he touched.” Charlie is further remembered on p. 63.
1964
The Cronheim family writes, “Our father, Charlie ‘Buck’ Cronheim, passed away Jan. 10, 2021. He was known throughout his life as a positive thinker who absorbed and spread knowledge—he believed in possibilities. At Union, he studied electrical engineering and economics, enjoyed fraternity life (Sigma Chi), and played lacrosse. Tireless and energetic, he completed his MBA while working at Eastman Kodak Company and enjoying a new marriage with two kids in tow. Later, he embarked on a 30-year career overseas with the Mobil Oil Corporation. Charlie’s country and cultural assimilation prowess remains legendary. He formed deep friendships with peoples of host and other countries. His easy language agility and proficiency in Italian, Japanese, Swahili and Dutch were some of the tools he used for earning trust and confidence in his business and recreation endeavors. He shared his lifelong love for sailing in races and passagemaking around the world. He was a known racer in England, where his adventures included the famously dangerous Fastnet. Charlie loved food, never turning down a new or novel meal, and was also an excellent cook, ‘Charlie pasta,’ being a family favorite. He habitually read and could absorb several books at once. Retirement gave Charlie and his beloved and brave wife the opportunity to live aboard his second ketch Malaika II and travel to ports in Europe and the Middle East. After seven years of sailing, he landed in Baltimore, Maryland, where he turned his talents toward non-profits (Gutierrez
Charles “Buck” Cronheim ’64 Jan. 10, 2021
1966
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Antonio F. Vianna 7152 Tanager Drive Carlsbad, Calif. 92011 simpatico1@juno.com Henry Cassell Ruschmeyer’s new book, The English Way of Life: A Critique, was recently featured on CanadianInsider. com. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, the book is a modern anthropological observation of life in English society. The author draws from the seven years spent living, working and preaching in London. He holds degrees from Bank Street of Education, General Theological Seminary and New York University. He is an ordained Episcopal priest.
1967
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Joseph Smaldino 6310 Lantern Ridge Lane Knoxville, Tenn. 37921 smaldinoj@comcast.net (815) 762-5984
1968
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
John Dresser Etna, N.H. jdressernh@gmail.com
1969
CLASS CORRESPONDENTS
George Cushing Delanson, N.Y. pinyachta@gmail.com
Ray Pike Salisbury, Mass. rnwpike@comcast.net
Toby Overdorf ’91 opened a new campaign office in Stuart, Florida, along with David Pittinos. Toby is a member of the Florida House of Representatives, to which he was first elected in 2018. Toby founded Crossroads Environmental Consultants in 2002 and turned it into a nationally recognized company. He is also the environmental division president of EDC. David is retired from the investment business and has been working on fundraising
A fraught, but formative education
The time he spent at Union was formative for Ranya Alexander ’64, but not in the way most people today think of college being formative.
In September 1960, “Union was an all-male, nearly all-white ‘little ivy league’ juggernaut in engineering and medical school preparation,” Alexander recalled.
The College’s prowess for training future doctors was good for the pre-med major—a prominent physician and biotech pioneer focused on finding a cure for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's—but its demographics presented some difficult challenges.
“Before school started, my roommate, who happened to be Jewish, informed me that he was asked by an administrator if he ‘minded rooming with a Negro,’” Alexander said. “I was the only resident Black freshman in West College in 1960. I had only one fistfight and lost the run for class president by 8 votes.”
Despite a narrow election loss among his peers, some faculty were less supportive.
“My distinguished biology professor, complete with an Oxford/Cambridge accent, included in his lecture the ‘fact’ that Negroes have a much higher pain tolerance threshold and can hence take more discomfort,” Alexander said. “He ventured no opinion on emotional pain.”
“In addition,” Alexander added, “my mother’s Parents Weekend visit to campus was followed by more than one professor commenting to me on ‘how well she spoke English.’”
It didn’t end there. Early in his first year, another faculty member recited lyrics from a 1920’s song during chemistry class.
DR. RANYA ALEXANDER '64
“My chemistry professor elaborated on silicon by animating and describing this element, as ‘you know, what the darkies beat their feet on… Mississippi mud,’” Alexander remembered. “All eyes turned my way. I gathered my books and silently left the classroom.”
“I did not return to that class and as there was no incomplete or withdrawal allowed, I received an F,” he added. “That F, plus, I am sure, the Premed Committee’s infamous senior year endorsement letters, kept me out of medical school for years.”
For six years, to be precise—even though the National Medical Fellowship
organization had awarded him a full scholarship to any medical school to which he gained admission.
“With my applications, I included the NMF letter and an explanation of my first-year chemistry grade, but to no avail,” Alexander said. “Over two dozen medical schools rejected me. Howard and Meharry, the only predominately Black U.S. medical schools at the time, were excluded from being acceptable by the NMF.”
While hard to bear, these experiences shaped him.
“My English professor had given me a C on an autobiographical essay, calling it ‘too fanciful to believe’ since it included accounts of dancing onstage with Josephine Baker, Paul Robson rehearsals at our apartment and knowing Malcolm X,” Alexander recalled. (His mother, Marilyn, a community organizer and supporter of the arts in Harlem, the Mecca of Black culture, also worked many years at NBC. As such, she knew many prominent figures of the day.)
“I left school, but my father ordered me back on the train, reminding me I had earned a full scholarship—pending grades— and that ‘an education is not promised or given, it is taken!’” Alexander continued. “At Union, I learned to work very hard. I was ultimately proud of my diligence.”
He graduated in the middle of his class and went on to earn an M.D. and Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis. He also completed residencies at Yale University (pediatrics) and UCLA (emergency medicine), as well as neuroendocrinology fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco.
A former assistant professor of pediatrics at UCLA and Charles Drew Post Graduate Medical School, Alexander served as the San Diego medical director of Schaefer Ambulance Company, an associate director of Sharp Rees-Steely Medical Group, and San Diego regional director of Partners Urgent Care. He is a co-founder of the website Wellness.com.
And now, he is the founding chief operating officer of a small minority-owned biotech company in San Diego. Innovative California Biosciences International (ICBII) is dedicated to developing technologies that can cross the blood-brain barrier to potentially treat neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
“The blood-brain barrier is a physical barrier of cells lining blood vessels in the brains of all mammals,” Alexander explained. “It protects the brain from chemicals, toxins, bacteria and viruses. Unfortunately, it also keeps out 98 percent of conventional drugs and virtually all antibodies.”
“We believe neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancer have not been cured largely because no current drugs can get through the blood-brain barrier in effective enough quantities,” he added. “But our SMART Molecule technology can get through.”
SMART Molecules begin as small antibodies (1/10 the size of regular mammalian antibodies). They are modified chemically to attach to receptors on the blood-brain barrier, enabling transport directly from the blood to the brain.
ICBII just finished preclinical animal studies using mice carrying genes programmed to produce human disease. These animals may have Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease-associated plaque in their brains.
“With SMART Molecules, we can reduce the mouse brain’s sticky plaque by 66 percent with 12 weekly injections,” Alexander said. “We are now searching for funds to begin clinical trials to prove that our pending drugs cause no harm to humans.”
Looking back on his journey from Union to where he is today, Alexander offers these thoughts.
“I sincerely hope my brief time at Union College led to greater tolerance, enlightenment, understanding and wisdom on the part of my professors, as it surely has for me,” he said. “All Union students have the ability to succeed; they should be nourished and cultivated, not discouraged and discounted.”
“And students should see that generational difference often leads to misunderstanding and cultural awkwardness, but this is usually not intentional malevolence. However, as my dad said, ‘an education is not promised or given, it is taken.’”
Which is why Alexander counsels “hard work.”
“Union only admits students who can graduate. You do have the intellectual capacity, but you must exercise the will and then persist,” he said. “By now, Union offers professional guidance and cultural sensitivity. Use them.”
for Big Brothers Big Sisters as well as starting a campaign for Police Lives Matter.
Toby Overdorf ’91 and David Pittinos ’69
In 2008, Thomas Flynn’s book Bikeman: An Epic Poem was published. The recollection of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 is now being released in a commemorative edition, featuring a forward by Dan Rather and a new note from Thomas. This book aims to commemorate those tragic events and to honor the extraordinary heroes of 9/11. Thomas is an award-winning television producer and writer.
A commemorative edition of Bikeman: An Epic Poem by Thomas Flynn ’69 was recently published.
1970
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Frank P. Donnini Newport News, Va. fpdonnini@aol.com
Raymond R. Oneglia writes, “Celebrated 51 years with family construction firm, O&G Industries in Connecticut. Still getting up at 4:30 a.m. and working full time.”
Carl Thum writes, “Lisa and I recently retired from Dartmouth College after 35 years of employment at the college. The last two remote terms served as kind of pre-retirement. Spending more time now on family, friends, local travel, exercise, cooking, reading and gardening. In mid-July, I spent a week fly fishing in Montana.”
JC Woodward writes, “Busily retired on a 170-acre homestead with my wife and sister in New Hampshire. When I’m not pushing dirt around with my big farm tractor, I’m working part-time as a Keene State College research associate, writing software and doing data analysis for various academic projects.”
Sandy Williamson writes, “We’re in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northwest Georgia, about an hour from Chattanooga, Tenn., an hour and a half from Atlanta. Good mountain golf courses, wineries and craft beer breweries for entertainment.”
1971
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Henry Fein, M.D. Rockville, Md. hgfein@aol.com
Hal Tugal writes, “We did our Danube River cruise in September. We stopped off in Vienna, Austria, and visited the pension where I stayed along with my classmates as students participating in the spring semester in Vienna (Fruhling in Wien) in 1970, after 51 years! The surrounding area had changed but the pension was still there. Very good experience. All my three roommates participated in the semester abroad programs. I hope all students get an opportunity to participate in the semester abroad program at Union.”
In September, Hal Tugal ’71 visited the place where he stayed as a student during a term abroad in Vienna in 1970.
1972
Louis Furmanski writes, “I just retired after 40 years in higher education, having taught international relations/law and American foreign policy, as well as serving as a department chair and dean. Most recently I spent time in Hawaii and China as an associate with the East-West Center, developing programs in China studies. My thanks to Profs. Gati, Sharlet and Berk for their guidance, and for my BA in comparative Communism—still a guaranteed conversation starter! Pat, my wife of 44 years, and I look forward to COVID-postponed European and Pacific travels. All the best to my classmates!”
1973
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Larry Swartz Niskayuna, N.Y. larry.swartz@agriculture.ny.gov
Sam Brody writes, “My Union College experience is a jewel I carry with me every day. I was pre-med but one of my first courses at Union was then called Comprehensive Education or Comp-Ed. It was taught by Prof. Donald Thurston. I became a better writer as a result of Dr. Thurston’s critiques of the pieces we wrote every week. Don Thurston also played a role in establishing a romance. He assigned Zen And The Art Of Archery. A senior noticed me reading it. We got to talking and he gave me the name of a Skidmore (then all women.) student. We’ve been married for 49 years. The Modern American Novel course my senior year was inspiring. At my Vanderbilt
Several members of the Class of 1972 assembled in Rhinebeck for a mini-reunion recently. They are Lee Zehngebot, Harris Ginsberg, Bob Michaelson, Bill Silver, Gary Starr and Bob Kurtter.
interview for medical school, the physician and I talked about that course. The best part of my pre-med courses were the professors. Biology professor Dr. Twitty Styles was important to me. Organic chemistry professor, Dr. Alan Maycock, came to our wedding. I loved my years as a physician. I kept reading and writing. Lately I’m reading and writing poetry, playing Mozart and Gershwin on my clarinet and keeping fit. It is a joy that all began at Union. To current students I would say, wherever you think you may be going after Union, take advantage of the vast diversity offered in a small-school setting.”
Sam Brody ’73
1974
CLASS CORREPSONDENT
Cathy Stuckey Johnson San Mateo, Calif. caj1080@hotmail.com
1975
Fred Weil writes, “A group of folks made a three-day bicycle ride from NYC’s Central Park to Union to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation to support research on Parkinson’s disease. In the picture are Thomas Siragusa ’84, Adam Schwartz ’96, Dave Gordon ’76, Phil Mueller ’75, myself and Richard Moses ’76, to whom the ride was dedicated to this year. We left NYC on Friday, Sept. 3, and arrived at Union on the 5th, after 200 miles of great biking through the Hudson Valley. This was our sixth year, and we intend to come back next year. More info on the ride is available at https://fundraise. michaeljfox.org/tf-2021/ fredweil. There is a link to a tribute page, which has the story of my dad, for whom I created the ride.”
A hearty crew gathered at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York, August 16-20. Sporting a homemade Union banner, the attendees are Full Moon’s owner, Michael Densmore ’75, Lisa KastonBehrendt ’75, Stewart Abramson ’75 and Vicki Herzl Watkins ’76 (back row). Front row, left to right, are Stephen Beck ’75, Tom Behrendt ’75, Mark Maurer ’75, Bob Shugoll ’75 and Gray Watkins ’73. Spouses Gail Maurer, Wendy Beck and Kathy Abramson with daughter, Wendy, are also pictured.
1976
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Jill Schneier Wegenstein Carmel Valley, Calif. jwegenstein@gmail.com
Arthur Miller ’76 writes, “45 years to the day that I graduated in ’76, I watched my son, Matthew (a biomed engineering major), graduate in June 2021. To add to the goosebumps, the recessional song was ‘Corner of the Sky’ from Pippin. I quoted that in my yearbook. Go figure! Matthew’s first ReUnion was 2001, when he met the Dutchman, and in later years he carried the class banner. Now we get to share ReUnions! Oh, and the T-shirt I’m wearing is from one of our ReUnions—‘The Way We Were’ was filmed during the fall term of my freshman year.”
A group including Thomas Siragusa ’84, Adam Schwartz ’96, Dave Gordon ’76, Phil Mueller ’75, Fred Weil ’75 and Richard Moses ’76, celebrate the sixth annual Park to Nott Ride to fight Parkinson’s disease.
In July, alumni enjoyed a gathering in Woodstock, N.Y. In attendance were Fred Weil ’75, Aggie Weil, Dave Gordon ’76, Robert Johnson ’76, Andy Pearce ’76, Beth Pearce, Garrett Andrews ’78, Mary Tavino, Pete Tavino ’74, Arthur Miller ’76 and Ethan Pearce ’15.
1977
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Leila Shames Maude LeeShamesMaude@alumni. union.edu
John J. Eklund has been named to Ohio’s Eleventh District Court of Appeals by Gov. Mike DeWine. John was featured in the Daily Legal News in July at dlnnews.com/ editorial/30642
Albany Medical College Dean Dr. Vincent Verdile will retire in December, after which time he will be dean emeritus. Vincent began his career at Albany Medical Center in 1993 as vice chair of the department of emergency medicine and became the 17th dean of the college in 2001. At that time, there were fewer than 6,100 student applications. In 2020, there were nearly 14,000 applicants for 145 seats. In 2016, he was also named the senior executive vice president for system care delivery. Accomplishments during his career include a complete overhaul of medical school pandemic. I would love to hear from anyone from Union who admits to knowing me. Please drop me an email: edmalloy@ucsc.edu”
curriculum; establishment of the Patient Safety and Clinical Competency Center; revitalization of the Alden March Bioethics Institute; and construction of a research building with a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. During his tenure, the college endowment has grown from $43.5 million in 2001 to nearly $125 million last year. And scholarship funding has grown from $1 million to more than $33 million.
1978
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Jeff Laniewski, Florence, Ariz. jlaniewski4@gmail.com
1979
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Kurt Hamblet San Luis Obispo, Calif. kurthamblet@gmail.com
Keith Edwards has been appointed chief executive officer of N2 Biomedical, a leading provider of coating and surface treatment solutions to the medical device industry. He assumes leadership of all aspects of the organization and will oversee the implementation of N2’s growth strategy.
1980
Jim Loree, Stanley Black & Decker CEO, offered thoughts on balancing long-term sustainability with the shortterm bottom line in a recent “Moral Money” broadcast with the Financial Times. He also discussed measures that allowed Stanley Black & Decker to navigate the global pandemic.
1981
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Sue Barnhart Ferris sferris59@gmail.com
Lawrence Thal writes, “After a long and rewarding career spanning 38 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of N.Y., I have officially retired effective May 1, 2019. A year later, I moved out of N.J. and relocated to Boynton Beach, Fla. on June 1, 2020.”
1982
After briefly working at Microsoft, Richard “Rick” Zucker moved on to Google two years ago. After also working at Intel previously, he is trying to complete a tech company bingo. He just needs to work at two of Apple, Facebook (walking distance from his home), and Amazon (across the street from his office).
Drew Malloy lives in Santa Cruz, California, working at the student health center on the UCSC campus. Drew writes, “I hope the Union community and alumni all survived the
1983
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Cory Lewkowicz Needham, Mass. corylewkowicz@gmail.com
1984
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Linda Gutin Cary, N.C. lindagutin@hotmail.com
Ted Borer writes, “I’m savoring the pleasure of seeing campus life through my son Noah’s eyes. He’ll be a senior studying computer science next year. He joined Kappa Alpha and has given me another excuse to visit Davidson and bond with my old friends from Union. We are father and son, but under the laws of Minerva we have also become brothers. Still working, cycling, gardening, and enjoying married life. Looking forward to travel as empty-nesters.”
Carolyn Dulchinos writes, “I still live in Boulder and I’m still working full-time as an organizer with Netroots Nation, the largest annual convention for progressive activists in the country. My two kids are grown and on their own, so I’m stepping up my animal welfare volunteering in my spare time. I’ve gone on several trips to the Four Corners area to help with high volume pop-up spay and neuter projects with a Colorado-based rescue called Soul Dog. I’m fostering kittens and dogs for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and also assisting weekly in the HSBV clinic with animals recovering from surgeries.”
Alissa (Calabria) Quinn writes, “This is my 34th year in the financial services industry, leading The Quinn Wealth Management Group at UBS Financial Services in Albany, N.Y., helping clients pursue their life passions and dreams. I was recently named to the Forbes Top 1000 Women Wealth Advisors in the U.S. and Barron’s Top Women Advisors in the U.S. I continue my own passion of ballroom dance, a legacy started by my parents, Frank and Angela Calabria. My father was a professor of psychology at Union, so I applied early decision back then. One of my best Union memories was my term abroad in Seville, Spain, sparking a love of European travel. Our two young adult children are living in Boston and our two mini long-haired dachshunds keep us laughing!” Alissa was recently named to the Albany Business Review’s Women Who Mean Business Class of 2021.
Donna Upson Correia writes, “After visiting my 27-year-old daughter, Sarabeth, several times in Helena, Montana, my husband David Correia and I decided to move out to Missoula, Mont. Moving in early 2020, we have thoroughly enjoyed living in this beautiful part of the country (having lived our entire lives in the Boston area). After working for
Alissa (Calabria) Quinn ’84 the past year at First Security Bank overseeing the PPP loan/ forgiveness program, I have accepted a position at Capital Matrix, a Certified Development Company, based out of Boise, Idaho. I will be responsible for growing their presence in Montana, working with bankers and small business owners, and facilitating their purchase of owner-occupied buildings utilizing the SBA 504 program. I am very excited about this new opportunity and getting to know Montana even better!”
Robert Dawsey writes, “Currently living in Florida with my wife Theresa, after retiring from General Motors. I worked for GM for 34 years in Southern California, and I am now vice president of engineering for Flex Power Control, Inc. Our only daughter, Lauren, was married earlier this year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.”
Linda Merry Gutin writes, “Since Union, I’ve gotten an MA in organizational psychology, done a little standup (very little), and climbed Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Vesuvius. (It’s illegal to climb Mount Rushmore, otherwise...) I really did waste a few precious hours walking uphill in SAND to see an empty-but-for-sand volcano. In fact, the most memorable part of the uphill battle was the looks of pity on the faces of the people coming back down. In 2008, I moved to RaleighDurham, North Carolina, where I’ve been ‘bringing the cha-ching’ under my ROI Résumés banner. I've even had the honor of helping some terrific Union friends and their kids. For a good laugh, call!”
Laura Modlin writes, “Earlier this year, I launched The Rescued Earth (therescuedearth.com), my new business. With it, I bring together my work as a journalist, photographer and environmentalist.”
Pamela Marcus writes, “During COVID, I retired from my radiology practice. It is strange but nice to not be working after so many years. I spend time in my garden, reading, walking my dogs and working on my family tree! My husband, Jeff Erskine ’82, has been working remotely from home in his real estate business. We recently celebrated Adam Stein’s ’83 60th birthday, where we saw his wife Fran Wallach ’83, Rita and Larry Lieberman ’83.”
Renee Haber writes, “I celebrated 30 years at Laughlin Constable this August! I’m definitely an anomaly in the ad biz as I have worked for the same company since moving to Chicago in 1991. Still loving it and learning new things all the time. Also celebrated my 30-year wedding anniversary in September of 2019. Survived the pandemic so far and happy to be vaccinated and getting back out to see people!”
In January of 2020, Bonnie Rosenberg Rayman was appointed the chief community officer at the Posnack JCC in Davie, FL. She oversees all of the camp, early childhood, children, family, special needs and community outreach programming at this $10 million JCC. Her husband Evan has been working for Chewy.com for almost four years and loves how everyone who has a dog wants to be friends with him. Their son Josh graduated American Heritage High School in May of 2020 and goes to Florida State University. He did his freshman year remotely from home. He is majoring in sports management and law. Their daughter Carly just graduated American Heritage High School this past May of 2021. She is attending Shenandoah University Conservatory in the musical theatre program. In late August, Bonnie and Evan dropped both Josh and Carly off at college for the first time and instantly became emptynesters. They are looking for the silver lining and hope to find it!
1985
Steven E. Cole, managing partner of Adams Leclair LLP, has been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year 2022” by the Best Lawyers in America. He has practiced commercial law in upstate New York for more than 25 years and is a founding partner of Adams Leclair LLP. He regularly represents companies and individuals in business-related disputes involving trade secrets, shareholder rights, restrictive covenants and intellectual property. He also
Steven E. Cole ’85
has extensive experience representing clients in the financial services industry, including investor disputes, regulatory inquiries and disputes involving corporate raiding.
1988
Chi Psi had a ReUnion in Newport, Rhode Island, recently. Among those in attendance were Mike Forhan ’88, Bob Koch ’88 and Charlie Slotnik ’88.
The call came in March. Who wants to hike Northville-Placid Trail? The instigator of the call, Bob Steindl, promised clean mountain air, sunny skies and starlit nights on a 140-mile jaunt through the foothills of the Adirondacks. Five friends from the Class of ’88 (John Balzano, Catherine (Tremante) Canavan, Mark Shanahan, Steve Szydlik, Lou Tremante) eventually signed on with Bob for various segments of the adventure, joining forces with unsuspecting spouses and friends to form the 13-person “Seward’s Follies” team. Bob served as spiritual leader of the intrepid band, using his 20 years in the U.S. Air Force to plan the trip with military precision. Over the next four months, terms like “bear cans,” “drift box,” and “picaridin” became familiar lexicon as the smarter members of the crew tested gear and trained their
Resuscitating a local newspaper
Janice Thompson ’86 was never a journalist, editor or publisher. She’d never worked at a newspaper in any capacity. But that didn’t stop her from saving one.
When her local paper printed its last issue in October 2020, she realized something.
“A lot of people depended on the monthly Anchor for their news,” said Thompson, who has spent her career as a fundraising executive at places like MIT, Harvard, Boston Athenaeum and Meadowbrook School of Weston. “Harpswell has the oldest median age in the state of Maine—whose median age is the oldest in the country—so many of our residents don’t access online news resources like younger folks do.”
She knew she couldn’t let the loss stand.
“This is a crazy time. We find ourselves debating what “facts” are; “fake news” is accused from both sides of the political isle; anyone can espouse a theory (no matter how true) and find millions of followers online. Local papers are folding all over the country,” Thompson said. “And that’s why it’s even more important to keep local reporting alive.”
In January 2021, Thompson and a group of friends and neighbors started pooling their financial resources so they could purchase the intellectual property and brand of the Anchor. They also wanted to mail a survey to the 4,700 residents of Harpswell, to find out what they needed in their hometown paper.
“We signed the purchase deal with the last editor just four weeks before the inaugural issue was due to the printer—big crunch time!” Thompson said. “The first paper was edited by a volunteer who was a Boston Globe editor for many years. Our first issue hit the mail the Friday before Memorial Day.”
Getting that first paper out the door was tremendously challenging, but also extraordinary.
“I don’t remember working so hard on anything before, even during my 80-hour weeks as a director of development. Everything we’ve done has had to be learned from scratch—we didn’t get any training from the past editor,” Thompson said. “But the process has also been the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. I feel like finally I’m making a difference in my community.”
The newspaper’s team includes a fulltime editor and half-time administrative assistant. Thompson herself is at 80 percent time as director of development and operations. Prior to this, she was director of development at the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust.
The Anchor still publishes once a month. It doesn’t cover national or even state news, unless such news directly affects Harpswell.
“The old paper covered mostly features and steered clear of controversy or news,” said Thompson, who holds an MBA from Boston University and a MEd from UMass Boston. “We are expanding the features to include news, especially from town. Our subjects focus a lot on our being a coastal community—the working waterfront, fishing, aquaculture. We also have letters to the editor and a calendar section.”
“Harpswell has a weird geography,” she added. “We are located on two peninsulas connected by a bridge across water, so we have no town center where people meet regularly. One survey respondent called the Anchor the ‘virtual meeting place for Harpswell’ and we like that a lot.”
’86 Check out the Harpswell Anchor at harpswellanchor.com
JANICE THOMPSON '86
Operationally, the Anchor is a nonprofit.
“The model of small, local print papers is dying because it’s almost impossible to run a paper on advertising revenue alone,” Thompson said. “The last editor of the Anchor wasn’t drawing a salary and we knew we wanted a professional staff. A nonprofit paper is sustained financially through business sponsorships (like ads), but also tax-deductible gifts from individuals and grants from foundations. It takes the onus off struggling local businesses.”
Another benefit of being a nonprofit is the standard to which the Anchor must hold itself.
“As a nonprofit, we are not allowed to be partisan nor can we take a stand on any issue, so that keeps us honest and balanced, which is sadly too rare these days,” Thompson said.
Reviving this newspaper has brought Thompson full-circle from her days as a Union student.
“I’ve been thinking about my dearly departed great-uncle Harold Blodgett a lot lately. He was head of the English Department at Union for many decades and had long retired when I was thinking about studying journalism at Syracuse or English at Union,” Thompson said. “Harold wrote me a letter I’ll never forget, because it made up my mind to attend Union.”
“He said it was much more important to learn the basics of critical thinking, writing well, researching a subject and speaking in public at a place like Union,” she continued. “You can always learn the journalism trade on the job, he said. So I think it’s ironic that after 35 years of not doing journalism, I’m finally getting to it!”
aching, over-50 bodies. On July 31, the team converged at a trailhead just outside Northville and the adventure began. Four days later, a ragged bunch emerged from the woods on Route 28 in Piseco at the end of Segment 1, dirty and sore. In between was 40+ miles of hills and mud, myriad freeze-dried meals and one extremely harrowing crossing of West Stony Creek, where four of the ten in attendance ended up taking unplanned swims. This was a brook that really bounded! However, there was also plenty of time along the trail to swap stories and bad jokes and to renew old friendships. During one memorable Adirondack thunderstorm on Day 2, several enthusiastic but vocally challenged members of the team raised the spirits of the others by serenading them with *all* the verses of “American Pie.” Ultimately, blisters, a couple of twisted knees, and lots of wet feet were the only major casualties of the hike, and a night of recovery in Piseco restored the energy of everyone. Lou, Steve, John and Catherine did 40 miles. Bob and Mark did the entire trail to Lake Placid, reaching their goal on August 12. The rest of the team returned to their normal lives and comfortable mattresses, content with having completed the shorter hike. Regardless of the distance covered, all the hikers delighted in the trail and Bob’s “call of the wild,” though several have now blocked his cell number.
1990
Beth (Stanger) Barach writes, “It was great to be back on campus in September after many years and show my
Class of 1988 hikers Bob Steindl, Lou Tremante, Catherine (Tremante) Canavan, John Balzano, Mark Shanahan and Steve Szydlik at the trailhead in Northville, N.Y.
family around Union. However, what made it even more special was knowing that my son Jacob, Class of 2025, is now starting his own adventure at Union. I look forward to visiting again soon.”
David Wachtel ’90 proudly wears his Nott Today COVID shirt. Stacie Jordan Brenkovich writes, “We recently stopped to visit Union on our way home from Lake George! It was great to see how the campus has expanded without losing its character. My husband, John, and kids, Matthew (11) and Avery (8), really enjoyed seeing where mom went to college!”
1992
Lance Harry was recently featured in Energy Tech Review, discussing “Stat-X fire suppression: environmentally friendly fire suppression unit” and “Stat-X fire suppression: saving lives with efficient fire suppression systems.” He is president and CEO of Fireaway Inc.
1993
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Jill D. Bernstein New York, N.Y. jilldbernstein@yahoo.com
Jason “Jay” Buchwald writes, “While I am still working as a hospitalist in Scottsdale/Arizona, I also sometimes do hospitalist work out of state, including N.Y. I am simultaneously building my own practice, going to nursing homes and acute rehab centers, with the plan to be eventually fully self-employed! So far so good, but it does take time. I also am still very involved with music. I have my own recording studio, The Operating Room, and I am writing/composing/ recording for both myself and other artists. This includes being the keyboard player for the Matt Facciolla Band (https://www.matthewjohnsband.com)—a longtime friend, former and when asked, current band mate who has opened for Joan Jett, The J. Geils Band, Foghat, One Republic, and even ending up in the recording studio with the Goo Goo Dolls. Played a show for 20,000 people a few days after that on the waterfront in Buffalo. It was a blast! Some highlights are at www. BuckyTunes.com. My wife, Chiqui, and I are in NYC often, and hopefully we will be able to visit Union soon. Anyone in the Arizona or NYC areas please let us know. It would be great to catch up!”
1994
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Randall Beach Schenectady, N.Y. rsbeach72@gmail.com
1996
Clarkson University Assistant Professor of Education Karen Gregory recently received the Outstanding New Teacher Award for 2021.
1997
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Sara Amann Garrand Ballston Lake, N.Y. sgarrand1@nycap.rr.com
A large-scale figurative sculpture by Jack HowardPotter, titled “Torso II, Swinging II, Messenger of the Gods,” was on-site at Court Square Park in Long Island City, Queens, through Sept. 12. It
Check out the TERRACE COUNCIL
The Terrace Council is Union’s society for leadership-level donors who make the College a priority in their annual philanthropy. Collectively, Terrace Council members contribute over 80 percent of all monies raised by the College. Please consider becoming a Terrace Council member and joining the 310 new Terrace Council members who signed up in force last year.
Our Terrace Council co-chairs offer this message of thanks.
– Andy Albert ’89 “We are especially thankful to belong to a community that is committed to sustaining Union’s future. We are reminded of our time on campus, the lessons learned, the friendships formed and the experiences that enable us to understand the importance of giving back, especially at times like these. The leadership and support of Terrace Council members have made an extraordinary impact on growing The Union Fund throughout the years.”
–Kenya LeNoir Messer ’90
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TERRACE COUNCIL, VISIT ualumni.union.edu/terracecouncil
was part of a group of public installations throughout New York City designed to brighten the landscape with thoughtprovoking art.
1998
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Ryan T. Smith Jupiter, Fla. ryan.smith@thebenjamin school.org
Joanna Rudolph has written a piece for agnesfilms.com called “How to market a 10-year-old short film.” In it, she talks about her experience releasing and marketing “Summer with Mrs. Von Mausch,” a short film she produced.
1999
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Kellie Forrestall BeeBee Lowell, Mass. forrestkj@hotmail.com
Newest Lunch, owned by George Plakas, recently celebrated a century in business. The popular eatery is located in Schenectady.
2001
Victoria (Dreier) Smith writes, “After nearly ten years at Sea Education Association (SEA), I accepted a position as the assistant director of Annual Giving and Prospect Research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, MA.”
2002
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Elise DiBenedetto elise.dibenedetto@gmail.com
Ricja Rice was recently sworn in as Albany, N.Y.'s newest city court judge to fill a vacancy created by a retirement. She is first vice president of the Black and Hispanic Bar Association and past president and current board member of the Women’s Bar Association. Rice is running for a full 10-year term in November.
2003
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Katrina Tentor Lallier Shrewsbury, Mass. katrinalallier@gmail.com
2005
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Annette C. Stock annettecstock@gmail.com
2006
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Sarah T. Heitner New York, N.Y. sarah.t.heitner@gmail.com
2007
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Jackie Siedlecki Murphy Delmar, N.Y. jaclynrenemurphy@gmail.com
Caroline (Nelson) Blackburn writes, “I was appointed Dutchess County Attorney in November 2020 by Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro. I am the first woman to hold the position in Dutchess County history. On a personal note, my husband, Dan, and I welcomed a daughter, Natalie Margaret, in July 2019. She turned two this year. Her little brother, Samuel Joseph, was born in June 2021. We are hoping to visit campus sometime this year.”
2008
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Dana Cohen Bernstein New York, N.Y. dana.lynn.bernstein@gmail.com
Carla Reeves was named an “Employment Law Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal for her visionary work helping companies across the country improve their corporate cultures and eliminate barriers to inclusion in the workplace. Carla serves on Goulston & Storrs’ Inclusion Advisory Committee and Hiring Committee. She is co-chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Section; co-chair of the Women of Color Committee of the Women’s Bar Association; and a member of the Programs and Professional Development Committee of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. She is also a 2020 Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and serves on the Board of Directors of the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association.
Barclay Damon attorney Jamie Dughi Hogenkamp was recently named to the 2021 Upstate New York Rising Stars list. She works in the firm’s Albany office and specializes in health care.
Carla Reeves ’08
2009
CLASS CORRESPONDENTS
Gabe Kramer Los Angeles, Calif. kramerg3@gmail.com
Carl S. Winkler New York, N.Y. carl.s.winkler@gmail.com Marisa Kaufman is assistant commissioner of communications in the division of external affairs at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services. Marisa joined ACS in April 2018 as communications director. Prior to ACS, Marisa worked in the office of U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer. There, she served in multiple capacities, including deputy NYC Communications director. Marisa holds a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College and has extensive experience in communications strategy and planning.
2010
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Deanna Cox deannac88@gmail.com
From left: Brendan Truscott ’10, Tucker Wold (15 months), Joe Wold ’10, Joe’s dog Bruin, and Sunny Looi. With Brendan’s help, Joe recently started a business called LifeHandle.
Joe Wold recently started LifeHandle, leveraging Union’s network to involve other alums, including his college roommate, Brendan Truscott. Joe writes, “LifeHandle manufactures assistive carrying devices and accessories designed to help people lift, hold and carry your kids and gear, and also walk your
Parents Circle
Thank you to the Parents Circle families and loyal alumni who hosted Summer Welcome Receptions for the Class of 2025. The Union passion, spirit and enthusiasm shared during these programs are inspiring!
Robert and Susan Appleby P’21 Thomas Caulfield and Sandra Eng-Caulfield P’19 Barry and Nancy Cohen P’23 Patrick ’88 and Jennifer DiCerbo ’91, P’24 Francis and Patricia D'Iorio P’21 Susan Farley ’81 and Gilbert Harper P’24 Merle Hochman P’89 Peter ’82 and Daphne Hoffman P’21 Stephen and Jill Karp P’97, P’99 Jaap and Regina Ketting P’21 Jeffrey Kip P’24 Henry and Nancy Klingeman P’21 David and Ann Kurtz P’22 Jon Lennon ’92 and Carolyn Dunn ‘90, P’23 Stephen ’87 and Karyn Lipsky P’22 John Masini P’13 Sean and Susan McCance P’24 Henry and Amy Merlo P’23 Eric ’91 and Susan Miller P’22 Michael and Anne Moran P’10, P’13 Thomas and Liz Niedermeyer P’10 Mark and Nedra Oren P’88, P’90 Jim and Jean Prusko P’25 Nathaniel Roberts and Laura Zung P’24 Michael and Janet Rogers P’11 Alan ’80 and Maura Rutkin P’12, P’21 David and Karen Sherwood P’23 Eric and Risa Siegel P’21 Angelo and Connie Silveri GP’21 Laurie Stone P’14 Keith Sultan ’90 and Iuliana Shapira P’23 David and Michele Tarica P’10 Jon and Betsy Tilkemeier P’21 Peter and Judi Wasserman P’95, P’00 Mark ’88 and Emily Webster P’23 Robert Wilson P’09 Anne Wilson P’09 Guilan Yu GP’22
Union’s Parents Circle is a parent philanthropy group, whose members become College insiders and investors in its success, ultimately developing stronger ties to their student’s Union experience.
We appreciate everything that Parents Circle families shared with Union in 2020 – 2021. Your support and philanthropy has an incredible impact.
We are thrilled to welcome Class of 2025 families to the Union community, and we invite you to join us in supporting the educational programs and activities that will make your child’s Union experience extraordinary.
To learn more about the Parents Circle, please contact:
Noelle Beach Marchaj '05
Director of Parent and Family Philanthropy Cell: 860-655-2875 marchajn@union.edu union.edu/parents-families
dog hands-free! The first two products, the Hands-Free Comfort Leash and the All-Purpose Handle, work with the LifeHandle Sling to make adventures easier and more fun. The Hands-Free Comfort Leash is designed to distribute your dog’s pull force across your core while keeping both hands free when you need them. The All-Purpose Handle allows you to easily hold kids, groceries or sporting gear with one arm. After a successful launch on Kickstarter at the end of 2020, LifeHandle has been making the lives of parents and dog owners more enjoyable. Learn more at www.mylifehandle.com and let us help you handle life with LifeHandle.”
2012
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Anna Meiring Boston, Mass. annameiring@gmail.com
Rachel Baker was promoted to assistant secretary for health by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo . She previously served as an Excelsior Service Fellow.
Sam Fein is a two-term legislator representing constituent in the Albany County (N.Y.) Legislature. In July, he announced his bid for the New York State Assembly. Learn more at feinforassembly.com
Chris Paine and his band, The Midnight Callers, were signed to a three-album deal with Marty Scott’s JEM Records. Their debut album on JEM, “Red Letter Glow,” is out now. They were voted in the top three in the 2020 Little Steven’s Underground Garage/Sirius XM listeners poll. They are currently preparing to record their second album for JEM Records. In other news, The Midnight Callers, based out of New York City, helped to raise thousands of dollars for the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital. They played a concert, along with four other bands, at The Rock and Rhodes Music Festival. The event was held on Sunday, Oct. 3, at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, Rhode Island.
Chris Paine ’12 (second from left) and his band, The Midnight Callers, recently signed an album deal with JEM Records.
Cushman & Wakefield has welcomed a team to its office at 1290 Avenue of the Americas that includes Matthew Livingston. Previously at JLL, he has seven years of experience and joins the firm as a director. The team will focus on tenant representation in New York City.
2013
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Cristina Vazzana Boston, Mass. vazzanaca@gmail.com
2014
Colleen Kilbourne writes, “In June 2021, I graduated from University of Rochester’s Family Medicine Residency program and will begin my career as a rural family medicine physician at Tri-County Family Medicine in the Finger Lakes region of N.Y. My husband Matthew and I welcomed our first child,
Yancy Zhang ’16, a software engineer with Wharton Research Data Services, recently spoke to students and faculty at Union’s Center for Data Analytics.
Owen Matthew Tracy, in April of 2021, and look forward to bringing him to campus for a visit soon!”
Jasmine Roth has been accepted to the John Wells Directing Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. The fellowship is a three-year MFA program that accepts only two students per year.
2015
Maura Driscoll is digital director in Gov. Charlie Baker’s (Mass.) communications office. Before joining the governor’s team, she worked as chief of staff to Ipswich Republican Rep. Brad Hill.
Teddy Benfield was recently featured the Abigail Ogilvy Gallery’s artist spotlight. In the Q&A, he talked about his artwork and inspiration. Read more at www.abigailogilvy. com/blog
2016
CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Lauren Woods Watervliet, N.Y. 2016@alumni.union.edu At its first in-person event since March 2020, Union’s Center for Data Analytics welcomed Yancy Zhang. Yancy is a software engineer with Wharton Research Data Services, a leading data and analytics provider for business research. He spoke about his work on computational finance, financial filing and regulations, and information retrieval. Yancy highlighted the potential of natural language processing in understanding financial markets. His described his work of extracting information from large amounts of text contained in publicly available filings.
2017
Shayne Gostisbehere, an NHL defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers since 2014, was traded in July 2021 to the Arizona Coyotes.
2018
Sharifa Sahai was recently featured in the MITxHarvard Women in Artificial Intelligence Young Scientists Interview Series.
