Vermont Quarterly Fall 2016 by University of Vermont

Vermont UNIVERSITY OF

Q U A R T E R LY

A Native Son’s Gift

Dr. Robert Larner’s landmark $66 million bequest will transform medical education at his alma mater

FA L L 2 0 1 6

Vermont Quarterly DEPARTMENTS

2 President’s Perspective 4 The Green 20 Catamount Sports 22 New Knowledge 24 Alumni Voice 44 Class Notes 64 Extra Credit FEATURES

Farm Family

UVM PEOPLE: Rob Rosen ’90

Disrupting the MBA

At Zeno Mountain Farm in Lincoln, Vermont, alumni brothers Will and Pete Halby have built a creative community that erases boundaries between the “abled” and “disabled.” | BY THOMAS WEAVER

From the White House to the Gates Foundation, alumnus Rob Rosen has followed a career path focused on finding an active role in meaningful work. | BY JAY TAYLOR ’10

Decidedly not business as usual, UVM’s Sustainable Entrepreneurship Master’s of Business Administration degree balances bottom line and greater good. | BY JON REIDEL G’06

Welcome Home

It was a special Alumni Weekend 2016 as the UVM community threw a housewarming party for the historic/new Alumni House. | PHOTOS BY SALLY MCCAY

COVER PHOTO BY MARIO MORGADO

FA L L 2 0 1 6 “We think everything we do is enhanced because of the range of abilities and needs that exist in the groups we create. Sometimes society is like, ‘Oh, you’re helping those people; it’s going to be a less-than product.’ Actually, I think our art, our sports, our music, our theater, is enhanced. It flips it up.” Pete Halby ’99 on Zeno Mountain Farm | PHOTOGRAPH BY IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09

| PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Assessing UVM’s Major Impact on Vermont’s Economy

There is a certain, generative

symbiosis between a flagship research university and the community in which the university lives and functions. At its most robust, this interdependency of academy and community begets resources that energize, grow, and sustain both the university and the region. Both founded in 1791, for 225 years now the University of Vermont has been developing alongside of and helping to build a strong economic foundation for the state of Vermont. To make sure that the University continues to be a significant driver for economic vitality in our state, we recently commissioned the Pennsylvania-based firm TrippUmbach to assess the University’s overall economic and social impacts, as well as the innovative research benefits, to Vermont. The report offers compelling evidence for the 2014 fiscal year, the most recent year for which a full body of assessable data is available. The analysis shows a total of $1.33 billion added to Vermont’s economy in 2014: $562 million in direct spending within the state on goods and services, and in addition, nearly $771 million put back into the state’s economy. State and local tax revenue for the same year topped $78 million. Community volunteer work and dollars donated to nonprofits by UVM faculty, staff, and students was $15 million.

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

Although these numbers tell a general story of the very real contribution of the University to the economic foundation of our state, in focusing the lens solely on research activities at UVM in FY14, we see significant fiscal benefits to the state and recognize the important hub that the University is for generating innovative businesses and opportunities for growing Vermont’s future economy. In FY14, UVM received $128 million in research and educational grants and contracts; the overall economic benefit was nearly $158 million, a total that underscores the significance of University research activities to the state. But this total only measures up to the point at which the research generates a new finding or discovery. UVM then invests in protecting the intellectual property. When that intellectual property is licensed to a startup or established entity, the economic impact of those research activities flow directly into the community—they are no longer measureable within the University, but they are indeed growing the state’s economy by providing jobs, selling products that generate state and local tax revenues, and spurring all of the attendant services that support the company and its employees in creating a home in Vermont. Every year several of the innovations and intellectual property generated by

research activities at UVM have led to the creation of Vermont-based companies across a variety of industries—health care, agriculture, education, energy, and many more. Since 2000, 27 companies have been started as a direct result of University-based research. The positive impact on the Vermont economy of these businesses that had their start at UVM is a story of economic generation several times the magnitude of that measured as flowing directly from the University in this new analysis. Research is key to the growth of a vibrant economy in Vermont. Through the commercialization of innovative ideas, we craft a future of business activity that benefits the triple bottom line of people, place, and profits. The academy/community partnership that generates innovations on the one hand and provides support for business startup and appropriate scaling on the other hand will develop a vibrant and symbiotic ecosystem of entrepreneurship and opportunity that sustains our state deep into the future. The tremendous value added to Vermont’s economy and society by UVM’s presence and accomplishments clearly demonstrates the University’s essential role in fortifying the current and future success of the state, giving us all good reason for optimism. —Tom Sullivan

SALLY MCCAY

| LETTERS

re: Drink Responsibly EDITOR’S NOTE: Our photo of a vintage CUPPS cup in the summer issue drew emails from several readers, some questioning whether that was a true first edition cup or, perhaps, a second edition pictured. We particularly enjoyed Dominique Belanger’s note about and photo of her well-travelled cup collection. I love receiving the Vermont Quarterly! And I definitely laughed and nodded knowingly when I read the “Drink Responsibly” article. As a ’96 grad of UVM, I remember the CUPPS cups and the carabiner all too well. The carabiner (from EMS) stayed on my backpack, usually with a Cupps Cup attached, through grad school. That same carabiner secures the strap on my briefcase these days. The article reminded me that I still had a box full of CUPPS cups…somewhere. Much to my husband’s dismay, these mugs (if not all, then at least one) have been to Switzerland and back (for a year, after college), moved to California (to several different houses), then to Ohio (a couple of houses) and finally to Tennessee, where I found them, accidentally, (and unpacked!) in the butler’s pantry this morning, seemingly waiting to be used. One of the things I loved about UVM was the school’s devotion to the environment. I had grown up in Switzerland where we, elementary students in the community, did monthly newspaper/recycling collections. It was the older ones who did the hands-on stuff (fifth and sixth graders), but the littler ones knew how important it was, and diligently collected and stowed the recycling until collection day. When we moved to the

United States, the learning curve (on everything!) was immense. Being at UVM was like putting on an old pair of slippers, concerning the recycling. But when I moved to California, it was like a different planet. I assumed that I missed the plastic bottle frenzy because I lived in Switzerland for a year after college (before I moved to California for grad school). But looking back, I think it was UVM’s focus on reuse, recycle, restore that kept all the plastic bottles out of sight (at least while I was there). It took me years (no joke!) to convince my husband to use reusable bottles or cups. Now, we recycle as much as we can, not because we’re obsessed— but because our community supports recycling, and it’s become part of our family “MO.” Take care! Dominique Belanger ’96

EDITOR Thomas Weaver ART DIRECTOR Elise Whittemore CLASS NOTES EDITOR Kathleen Laramee ’00 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joshua Brown, Pat Butler ’79, Sarah Tuff Dunn, Jay Goyette, Kathleen Laramee ’00, Lauren Milideo, Mark Ray, Jon Reidel G’06, Carolyn Shapiro, Jay Taylor ’10, Amanda Waite’02 G’04, Jeff Wakefield, Basil Waugh PHOTOGRAPHY Joshua Brown, Bobby Bruderle ’11, Andy Duback, Ian Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist ’09, Will Kirk, Brian Jenkins, John Lok, Sally McCay, Mario Morgado, Arthur Pollock, Cody Silfies, Thomas Weaver ADVERTISING SALES Vermont Quarterly 86 South Williams Street Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 656-7996, tweaver@uvm.edu CORRESPONDENCE Editor, Vermont Quarterly 86 South Williams Street Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 656-2005, tweaver@uvm.edu ADDRESS CHANGES UVM Foundation 411 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 656-9662, alumni@uvm.edu CLASS NOTES classnote@uvm.edu VERMONT QUARTERLY publishes March 1, July 1, November 1. Produced by UVM Creative Communications Services, Amanda Waite’02 G’04, Director. PRINTED IN VERMONT Issue No. 76, November 2016 VERMONT QUARTERLY ONLINE uvm.edu/vq instagram.com/universityofvermont twitter.com/uvmvermont facebook.com/universityofvermont youtube.com/universityofvermont

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

YOU SHOULD KNOW

“

I love how Vermont has grown its food industry, and I want to bring that back to Puerto Rico. Every time I come here, not just hearing speakers but other people’s experiences, that helps me.” Stephanie Monserrate, a small farmer from Puerto Rico, attending this summer’s UVM Food Systems Summit.

699

beds will be added to on-campus housing when the underconstruction central campus residential complex opens next August. Also included, a dining hall, fitness center, and enclosed bridge to adjacent Bailey/Howe Library.

SMALL GREENSCALE TECHNOLOGIES, BIG a research and development company with ties to UVM, was recently honored by the National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer as one of the top thirty-six university-spawned startup companies. Selected for its miniaturized

NC NO

A record thirty-nine Green and Gold Scholars are among UVM’s Class of 2020. The full-tuition scholarships are offered to the top student in each of Vermont’s high schools.

PRODUCT HONOR

propulsion system for small satellites, the technology was created by Greenscale’s co-founder Ryan McDevitt, Ph.D’14 in mechanical engineering, in partnership with his former doctoral advisor, Darren Hitt, professor in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.

The Catamount women’s basketball team canceled a game at the University of North Carolina due to concerns about the state’s controversial HB2 law.

“We strive very hard to create an inclusive climate for our students and staff in which they all can feel safe, respected, and valued. It would be hard to fulfill these obligations while competing in a state with this law, which is contrary to our values as an athletic department and university.” —Athletic Director Jeff Schulman ’89 G’02

NEW CAT ON CAMPUS A granite Catamount, sculpted by Chris Miller, greets visitors to UVM’s new Alumni House. See page 39 for more.

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

BRAVO! The Department

of Theatre was named a top ten undergrad program in the country by “OnStage.” go.uvm.edu/bird for a behind-the-scenes slideshow of a recent production.

LEFT: THOMAS WEAVER, RIGHT: IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09

THE GREEN News & Views

REST ON THE ROCKS UVM’s TREK program has thrived for decades, taking incoming students into the wilds for a week of hiking, paddling, biking—journeys that bond the small groups and help them ready for the college adventure ahead. TREK has diversified over the years to include community service and leadership activities. This year, building on efforts to get more African-, Latino-, Asian-, and Native-American students involved with outdoor programs, ALANA TREK joined the mix. That’s Issac Lee front and center, Jenna Torres and Nicole Burnett behind him, and Foram Patel ’18, a TREK group leader, lower right. The climbers are at Prospect Rock near Johnson, Vermont.

FA L L

2 0 1 6

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| THE GREEN

A Native Son’s Gift Dean Rick Morin, M.D., gives third-year medical student Soraiya Thura the first Larner College of Medicine white coat.

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

PHILANTHROPY | Grateful for the education he received from the UVM College of Medicine some seventy-five years ago, Dr. Robert Larner ’39 MD’42, together with his wife, Helen, have pledged an estate gift that promises to transform the educational experience for generations of UVM med students to come. It keeps the university at the forefront of developing an active, experiential learning-centered educational approach in medicine. The Larners’ most recent gift to the UVM College of Medicine—a record $66 million—was announced on September 23 to a large gathering of the university community, more than 150 medical students in their white coats standing behind the speakers at the podium.

“Today, we stand at a defining moment in the history of this great university as we celebrate the goal we’ve shared with Dr. Larner for years—to be recognized as second to none in medical education,” said President Tom Sullivan. “We remain in awe of how he embraces philanthropy. His love for humanity, and his desire to provide long-term endowment funding, will greatly enhance medical education at UVM—and by extension will elevate medical care for patients in Vermont and worldwide who are treated by those trained here—for many generations to come.” The medical school will now be known as The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont, David Daigle ’89, chair of the UVM TOP AND FAR RIGHT: IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09

Helen and Dr. Robert Larner ’39 MD ’42. President Tom Sullivan unveils the new name in front of 150 medical students and a large crowd on September 23. Board of Trustees announced, following President Sullivan at the podium. Daigle noted the board’s unanimous vote for the renaming in Larner’s honor. This marks the first time a U.S. medical school has been named to honor an alumnus physician and donor. Another landmark, the Larners’ is the largest gift ever to a public university in New England. Robert Larner’s nearly eighty-year relationship with the University of Vermont began during his childhood in Burlington’s Old North End. He was one of seven children supported by the hard-won earnings of their father, a Russian immigrant, who worked as a roofer for decades, including through the lean years of the Great Depression. The only one of his siblings to go to college, Robert Larner attended UVM in part thanks to a scholarship he received when he won the state debate championship. After graduating from the UVM College of Medicine, he served in World War II, settled in the Los Angeles area to build a successful medical practice, and invested in the burgeoning Southern California commercial real estate market. In the 1980s, Dr. Larner began to reflect on the path of his life and consider his legacy. “I’d been very fortunate to come from nothing, just a small-town kid, and it was time to start thinking about giving back,”

Larner recalled in an interview published in Vermont Medicine in 2014. “I wanted to do the greatest good, and I wanted it to be lasting and permanent and grow indefinitely. I thought to myself: but for the College of Medicine I wouldn’t be in this position, so I decided to concentrate my efforts where I could make a dent. I wanted to help other medical students have the kind of stimulating, gratifying practice of medicine that I’d had.” That first gift to the university would be $50,000 in support of a loan fund for medical students. Subsequent gifts would always be dedicated to easing students’ financial burden and elevating the quality of the medical education they receive at UVM. The Larners’ support of UVM reached record levels just last spring, when they pledged another $19.7 million in support, making them the most generous donors in UVM history at that point. The Larners’ financial support has been critical to facilitating innovation in medical education emerging at UVM. The approach builds on studies that show engaging students in active learning is superior to providing passive lectures for teaching science, especially so for women and minorities. That means moving away from lecture-based courses and toward team-based learning, simulation, flipped

JOIN THE EFFORT | MOVEMOUNTAINS.UVM.EDU

classrooms, and other engaged learning activities. Recent initiatives include digitizing the entire curriculum, creating new innovative classrooms that facilitate active learning, building an enhanced simulation center to help students learn clinical skills, and recruiting an endowed professor of medical education. News of UVM’s pioneering approach to medical education, in conjunction with the gift announcement, received wide coverage in national media. An Associated Press story appeared in more than 150 outlets, including major city newpapers from the San Francisco Chronicle to the Chicago Tribune to the New York Times. The Larners were not on hand for the gift and college naming announcement in Burlington, but watched via livestream with their family in California. In comments prior to the big day, Dr. Larner said, “I give to the University of Vermont College of Medicine because the education I received here made everything great that followed in my life possible. I’m humbled that the University of Vermont has decided to name the medical college in my honor, but I’m equally grateful for the opportunity to impact the future of medical education and to inspire others to contribute to this exceptional institution which is truly second to none.” FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

ACADEMIC ROCK STAR Ask Benjamin Kagan ’18 about his research work and be ready to pay very close attention. It’s—wait for it—“organometallic synthesis with a specific focus on the synthesis of hafnium metal complexes.” Yes, new frontiers in chemistry can be tough to fathom for the uninitiated. But Kagan graciously offers up the layman’s version: “Well, I’m trying to make new metal-containing molecules in a more efficient manner,” he says in a chemistry lab at UVM’s Cook Physical Science Building. “It speeds up the reaction, so you’re able to make more product with less waste, so it’s very applicable to industry.” Kagan is on the right path: proof is in the Goldwater Scholarship he earned for his research. The prestigious award recognizes some of the top scientific minds in the country, and while Kagan is “an academic rock star,” according to professor of chemistry and department chair Chris Landry, he’s not alone. UVM’s undergrad focus on interactive, small-capacity science classes has created a chemical reaction that has produced multiple national fellowships and a promising future. “It’s a nice confirmation of what we’ve been trying to do to drive the quality of the program, in modeling our own curiosity and enthusiasm for science in those environments,” says Landry. “Ben has an effortless, intuitive chemical ability; he’s well trained.”

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09

Debate Lesson STUDENT FOCUS |

NATIONAL CHAMPS

DEBATE | As you read this, most likely we have elected our fortyfifth President of the United States. But back on September 26, which surely feels like a very long time ago now, UVM students were gathering in Lafayette 207 for what promised to be a very big evening. CNN was calling it the greatest political show on Earth. The New York Times was calling it among the most highly anticipated presidential debates in American history. And The Wall Street Journal was calling it one of the most-watched political events in American history, with viewership expected to reach 80 million. But the thirty-some UVM students gathering in Lafayette 207 at 9 p.m.? They were calling it a party. “This is the most social event I’ve been to!” said Miranda Zigler. It was also a learning opportunity, of course. Instead of basking in the glow of a black light and disco ball, members of the 117-yearold Lawrence Debate Union were basking in the glow of their laptops and, of course, the red and blue glow from the screen projector as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off for the first time. Host of the festivities was new debate coach Helen Morgan Parmett ’00. A veteran of UVM debate herself, she succeeds her mentor, the venerable Professor Tuna Snider, who passed away last spring. “These debaters are learning the art and science of making arguments, but one of the most crucial pieces in being able to make successful arguments is tailoring them to your audience—bound up with a longstanding debate over rhetoric that goes back to Plato and Aristotle,” she said, welcoming the newcomers. “But overall, my aim for the team is to enjoy being together while engaging in a thoughtful activity of analysis and critique.” Instead of Plato, there were paper plates to hold the evening’s sustenance, which flew as fast as the words. Justin Morgan Parmett ’99, the assistant debate coach (and Helen’s spouse), monitored boxes of Junior’s pizza as team members tiptoed down the stairs for another slice, in-between carefully monitoring the candidates’ maneuvers and offering their own hoots of admiration or derision. Sophie Scharlin-Pettee kept a keen eye on Clinton’s calm. “I hope I can emulate that gracious style in my own debating,” she said, adding that she joined the debate team because she wanted to challenge her own opinions but stayed because of the community dynamic. “It’s one of the most engaged, inquisitive groups on campus, and I love being surrounded by people who constantly encourage me to be a better thinker.” Afterward, the group discussed audiences, and which candidates’ responses played to which audiences. “If there’s anything I hope the debaters took home, it’s that we need to do better in both educating people on how to engage in and use debate as a key component of deliberative democracy,” Helen Morgan Parmett said, “as well as identifying, understanding, and addressing the more effective, emotional and deeply-seeded beliefs that drive decision-making in the present.”

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| THE GREEN BLACK LIVES BANNER UVM’s Student Government Association sponsored a Black Lives Matter flag that flew in front of the Davis Center over a September weekend. A student-led campus gathering, attended by hundreds, also expressed solidarity. Media coverage of the BLM flag at UVM elicited pride from many, but also anger expressed via social media. The flag initially flown was stolen one night, but replaced the next day by Pat Brown, director of student life. In a message to the campus community, Annie Stevens, vice provost for student affairs, shared that the university has an approval process, followed by the SGA, for using the Davis Center flagpole. Social justice and community building have been consistent themes with a Rainbow flag to celebrate marriage equality, the national flag of China to welcome UVM’s first Chinese students, the national flag of Haiti following the country’s tragic natural disaster, and others. After the first BLM flag was stolen, SGA President Jason Maulucci shared a statement on behalf of his fellow student government leaders: “This action underscores the necessity in this country to engage in a frank and open discussion about the injustices that so many Americans face simply because of the color of their skin. We as a nation will not be able to address these challenges unless we fully acknowledge that there is a problem.”

10 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

Entrepreneurs in action ALUMNI | The electricity in the air is no surprise to alumnus Scott Bailey ’09, managing director of the MassChallenge business accelerator at the tender age of twenty-nine. “These are the top people in their industries,” he says. “They decided to leave their jobs and start their own companies because they’re not only passionate, they believe there’s a huge opportunity.” In MassChallenge—a supernova in the world of business accelerators, with locations in five countries and on a rapid growth curve—they’ve found the perfect environment in which to make that opportunity real. Since its founding in 2009, the wealth of resources the accelerator has made available to its 835 alumni start-ups have helped them raise $1.4 billion in funding, generate $575 million in sales, and create more than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs. MassChallenge occupies a full floor in an immense renovated manufacturing building in the city’s Innovation District on the South Boston waterfront. Walking through the space, Bailey explains, “MassChallenge puts the entrepreneur first,” operating as a nonprofit that takes no equity in its member start-ups. Its independent status “makes it much easier for us to attract resources,” like angel investors, universities, government, corporations, and venture capitalists and match the right support to each entrepreneur. Bailey caught the entrepreneurial bug himself during his undergrad years at UVM, working with a start-up that made an app that tracked the location of the cam-

pus shuttle bus, and almost singlehandedly creating the Entrepreneurship Club. Rocki-Lee Dewitt, a professor at the Grossman School of Business who was then dean of the school, remembers him as one of the most talented students she encountered in a thirty-year career. “He is the guy you want on your team,” she says. As a student, Bailey also began interning at the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, a UVM-affiliated tech incubator with an on-campus location, where he aced project after project. VCET director David Bradbury ’88 says he had no choice but to hire him. It wasn’t long until Bailey saw another intriguing possibility that was tough to pass up. John Hathorne and Akhil Nigam of Bain Consulting were in the earliest stages of establishing MassChallenge. Bailey packed his bags for Boston, soon landed an internship with the venture, and earned a job offer with his skills and a fifteen-houra-day work ethic. He eventually found a home in fundraising and partnershipbuilding and rose to associate, then director of partnerships, then senior director, and finally managing director. These days Bailey is the human face of the Boston accelerator, providing mentoring and encouragement to the entrepreneurs as he walks the floor by day and building relationships in the community by night. He was recently put in charge of exploring MassChallenge’s U.S. expansion and overseeing hiring in the new locations. “We’re just getting started,” Bailey says with a smile. LEFT: CODY SILFIES, TOP: ARTHUR POLLOCK

Green Mountain Saffron AGRICULTURE | Vermont is famous worldwide for its maple syrup, cheese and craft beer. Soon, the state could add saffron to that list. Saffron? In Vermont? University of Vermont scientists think so. Margaret Skinner, research professor of plant and soil science, and Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahani, a visiting doctoral candidate from Iran, started an experiment in summer 2015 growing almost 24,000 of the crocus plants that produce saffron, the world’s highest-valued spice, known for its unique flavor and fiery-red hue. Housed in a St. Albans high tunnel—a greenhouse-like domed structure that typically uses no heat or electricity—the plants thrived, even through the Vermont winter. In the fall, they delivered almost four times as much saffron per square meter as the average yield in Iran, the largest saffron-producing country, and more than twice that of the next-largest producer, Spain, according to Ghalehgolabbehbahani. “We did it,” Skinner says. “We got higher yields than are reported in saffron-growing areas. So we’ve proven that, yes, it can be done.” Based on the current retail price of about $19 per gram, the researchers estimate that SALLY MCCAY

saffron could generate revenue of about $100,000 per acre—which would make it Vermont’s most lucrative greenhousegrown crop, she says. Saffron is the fragile dried threads— the stigma, or female part—from inside the flower of the crocus sativus plant. High demand for the product is driven both by its value as a spice—prized by cooks for its honey-like flavor—and also its medicinal properties. Studies have shown saffron is an effective treatment for some eye diseases, depression, and possibly cancer. Skinner, an entomologist, helps run the UVM Entomology Research Laboratory and specializes in integrated pest management and biological control to replace environmentally damaging treatments. So, why would a bug expert dabble in cultivating an exotic herb? As Skinner explains it, her work focuses on ways to improve the livelihoods of farmers. “Our mission is to conduct research to answer practical problems that growers face, whether it’s in Vermont, whether it’s in the region, whether it’s nationally or internationally.” A primary problem for farmers, particularly in Vermont, is the short grow-

Based on the current retail price of about $19 per gram, the researchers estimate that saffron could generate revenue of about $100,000 per acre—which would make it Vermont’s most lucrative greenhouse-grown crop.

ing season. Many rely on greenhouses to get a jump start on certain crops. “From a revenue standpoint we all know that growers make the most money on crops when they’re growing them outside of the regular growing season,” Skinner says. Saffron would add another option as small farmers look to stretch the growing season and diversify their operations to boost income. The UVM project started when Ghalehgolabbehbahani came to visit his wife, a doctoral student at the entomology lab, around Thanksgiving 2014. At home in Iran, which produces more than 90 percent of the world’s saffron, he had focused his doctoral thesis on crop species diversity and the relationships of plants to their environment. His simple question to Skinner—“Why don’t you grow saffron in Vermont?”—would launch a research partnership and an exploration that shows promise to bring a new crop to the Vermont agricultural landscape. FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| THE GREEN

ALUMNI EYES ON ART “Sargent to Basquiat,” the title of the Fleming Museum’s central exhibit for the fall semester, captures the wide span of time and diverse styles encompassed in this show of art on loan from alumni collections. Variety is also the hallmark of the collectors, a few with careers in the art world, most not, but all united by a passion for art and the particular artists they have focused their collecting upon. Janie Cohen, Fleming Museum director, notes that when she first joined the Fleming staff in 1991 an exhibit of work from alumni collections hung on the museum’s walls for the university’s bicentennial celebration. As UVM marks 225 years in 2016, it seemed an apt time to revisit the concept. “As we began to explore this, I was delighted by the quality of the alumni collections,” Cohen says. “These are smart collections—really interesting works by important artists, very well-selected work. In some cases, they are signature works by the artists and in other cases they are surprising works.” By nature, such an exhibit is going to be eclectic, Cohen says. But taken in full, “Sargent to Basquiat,” on view through December 16, provides a window on the visual arts’ journey across the twentieth century as major movements rise and fall. “It is just a phenomenal two galleries of art work,” Cohen says. “Really, really incredible.” Flemingmuseum.org

12 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

Global Networking CAREERS | New York City, Boston, Chicago, Denver. They are among the cities where you would expect to find UVM alumni career events helping new grads get a leg up in the working world. Beijing and Shanghai? Maybe not so much, but of growing importance as the university builds its international student populaABOVE, LEFT: JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, UNTITLED (HEAD), CA. 1982. COLLECTION OF JON KILIK ’78

C O N V O C AT I O N |

GREEN LIGHTS The Class of 2020 launches their college years with the twilight induction ceremony

tion, roughly half of them from China. The university’s recent efforts developing new events in China are a key step toward better helping international grads make career connections in their native countries. Kim Ead, international counselor in UVM’s Career Center, spearheaded the initiative with support from the university’s Global Gateway Program. Working with the Alumni Relations office, she used LinkedIn to track down all eighty-six UVM alumni living in China, then developed a job shadow and alumni events program in the country that rolled out over the summer. An alumni affinity group already established in Shanghai helped set the foundation, and fourteen alums in China signed on to help. At a gathering in Beijing, held at Bloomberg, which has a large office in TOP: SALLY MCCAY

that city, UVM alumnus Justin Oakes ’08 served as the host. In addition to the UVM alumni on hand, Oakes invited twentyfive Bloomberg employees, all Chinese nationals, to mix and mingle with the five UVM students who attended. It was a rich experience, according to one of the students, junior Chen Yang, a business administration major with a concentration in finance. Talking with an HR person at the company was especially helpful, she says, including learning practical tips such as allowing people you know in China, like Oakes, to email companies on your behalf when you’re looking for an internship. While the summer program was essentially a pilot, it set the stage for future efforts. Ead expects the number of students and alumni participating in alumni programs abroad to grow dramatically.

on the green. For the second year in a row, UVM welcomes an incoming class with recordbreaking academic credentials, as measured by average GPA and SAT scores. Additionally, a record thirty-nine Vermont students who earned Green & Gold Scholarships, offered to the academically strongest rising senior at sixty-eight state high schools, have chosen UVM.

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| THE GREEN

Clear Water Economics

14 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

ECOLOGY | Recent UVM and Lake Champlain Basin Program research puts a hefty price tag on Lake Champlain’s natural beauty. According to the study, Vermont lakeside communities would lose $16.8 million in economic activity and two hundred full-time jobs—in July and August alone—for every one-meter decrease in water clarity. The study is the first to investigate the relationship between home prices, tourism, and Lake Champlain’s visual appearance, which is regularly impacted by algae blooms, nutrient runoff, sewage and other pollutants. Crunching five years of data, the scientists found that lake-related tourism—including restaurants, hotels and recreation services—faces a $12.6 million drop in direct summer expenditures for every meter decline in water clarity. The team also estimated how lake amenities impact home prices in lakeside counties. Using Vermont tax data, they found a one-meter drop in water clarity yielded a 37 percent depreciation for seasonal homes, and a three percent loss for year-round single family homes. Brian Voigt, lead researcher from UVM’s Gund Institute and Rubenstein School, says that quantifying Lake Champlain’s water woes gives state and federal leaders economic data to justify investments in solutions. Study co-authors included UVM economist Jon Erickson and College of Arts and Sciences student Julia Lees, supported by the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.

SALLY MCCAY

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| THE GREEN

Sea Star Mystery

“Sea stars in the intertidal zone really help make it a species-rich complex community, so without sea stars then you just get a huge mussel bed and you don’t have chitin or limpets or barnacles or all these other amazing things,” says Professor Melissa Pespeni.

16 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

BIOLOGY | Scattered in tide pools, sea stars draw us out to the coastline to glimpse the life thriving just along the edge of our terrestrial world—their distinctive profiles, iconic symbols of the ocean beyond. But on the North American west coast, they don’t offer such a pretty picture. Many of these familiar creatures have gotten so sick that they will “turn to goo and die.” That blunt prognosis is in the words of Melissa Pespeni, UVM assistant professor of biology. In her lab in the Marsh Life Sciences Building, Pespeni, postdoc Melanie Lloyd ’08, and a team of undergraduate students are studying the effects of the sea star wasting disease, which has devastated regional sea star populations. Their work is funded by a National Science Foundation RAPID grant. This threat is remarkably widespread, notes Pespeni. “There have been outbreaks of this disease in the past, but never as extreme and as geographically extensive and as lethal as the outbreak that started back in 2013, going all the way from Alaska down to Baja California, Mexico, and affecting so many species.” Though it is thought that the likely culprit is a virus, there is still much to learn about this disease—including why some individuals get sick

from the pathogen and others do not. “That virus is also found in museum specimens that are seventy to one hundred years old,” notes Pespeni. “So it’s been around, and it can be found in most individuals and even in individuals that aren’t necessarily sick or showing major symptoms.” So, says Pespeni, “the big unanswered question is, why now?” Increasing environmental stressors, including pollutants and extreme temperatures, may affect the sea stars’ susceptibility, as well as their microbiomes. To begin answering this question, the Pespeni lab is performing experiments to see what role the sea stars’ genes and microbiomes—the community of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that live in and on the sea stars—might play in determining which individuals get sick. As life goes in an ecological web, the work could be about a lot more than one species. “Sea stars in the intertidal zone really help make it a species-rich complex community, so without sea stars then you just get a huge mussel bed and you don’t have chitin or limpets or barnacles or all these other amazing things,” says Pespeni. And she adds that disease outbreaks such as the sea star maladay are part of a larger picture of a changing environment: “How are species and populations going to be able to survive in these future environmental conditions?” JOSHUA BROWN

Scott Thomas joined the UVM community as dean of the College of Education and Social Services in July, after serving as dean of the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University. A highly accomplished scholar, the editor-in-chief of the prestigious Journal of Higher Education brings with him a passion for research and the ways it can impact schools and communities. It’s one the main reasons he took the new job. We caught up with Thomas in his office in Waterman to hear about his path to the deanship, his first three months on the job, and where he hopes to take CESS.

Dean Scott Thomas

college of education and social services What was it about the College of Education and Social Services that made you want to serve as its dean? THOMAS: There are so many smart people in this college, so the caliber of the faculty is really first-rate and it’s uniformly high. There’s a lot of capacity academically with a strong service orientation, which is important. I’m a sociologist by training, and I’ve always struggled with the idea that we can fix education problems through education alone. The quality of educational opportunity will only be as great as the strength of the communities which it serves. Period. You will hear me repeat that over and over, but it’s the whole package. And there are very few colleges that contain education and social work and social services together—you just don’t find many of them. The potential here is tremendous. I thought: a college of education and social services that works together? Sign me up.

SALLY MCCAY

Q U E S T I O N S

Tell us a little about yourself and how your experiences have shaped the way you think about education and social services. THOMAS: I had kind of a non-traditional college path. As a teenager I was far more interested in surfing and flying (his grandfather was a pilot) than I was in my academics. Frankly, I wasn’t a very inspired student. I had great mentors though, and in high school I encountered that teacher who enabled a pivotal moment for me. In my senior year, Mr. Satava encouraged me to enroll in math and computer science courses at the community college. That experience gave me the self-confidence I needed at that point in my life and catalyzed a lifelong love of learning. I took time after high school to continue surfing and was fortunate enough to travel with that. That period opened my eyes to how advantage and disadvantage plays out in different cultures and subcultures and, unbeknownst to me at the time, spurred an interest in sociology. Later, at UC-Santa Barbara, I developed a real love for mathematical sociology and social networks. I was very interested in understanding how people come together to form groups and influence one another. Looking back on it, these interests revolved around community, leadership, and mentoring. I see the clear fingerprints of these experiences on my systems view of communities and education. I didn’t plan on being a dean, but you find yourself there and realize that having the ability to shape environments to help enable the scholarship and impact of twenty, fifty, a hundred people who are bright and energetic and expert in a wide range of areas provides a scale that doesn’t exist in many other roles in the university. There’s a deep responsibility to being in such a position, one that I find energizing. Now that you’ve been here a few months do you want to share any plans you have for the College of Education and Social Services? FALLS: I think we have a pretty clear sense of where we want to go as a college and we’re on the front end of a strategic planning process that will reveal our priorities for the next three to five years. The question will be how do we organize ourselves to get there. A key element of our direction in the years ahead goes back to my statement about the quality of educational opportunity only being as great as the strength of the communities which it serves. It’s an organizing principal that’s resonating with everyone from teachers and principals, to the secretary of education to the faculty, to the CESS board of advisers. People get that. It will be a theme that we bring to life here in ways we haven’t been able to in the past.

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| THE GREEN

FULL SOCIAL CALENDAR If you follow UVM on social media, thanks. If you don’t, you’ve been missing a lot lately. The social media feeds reflect the rhythm and variety of college life—from the enlightening to the challenging to stuff that is just fun. A short video celebrating UVM rankings in the Princeton Review drew more than 2,000 likes and 1,000 shares on Facebook. (Yes, as a matter of fact, you do have to check it out. Posted on September 1.) A treat for Hamilton fans this summer, we looked back at when “America’s favorite fightin’ Frenchman” visited campus. More: Jon Kabat-Zinn’s visit to talk with students in the Wellness Environment residential learning program; an event that coupled poetry with butterfly specimens from the Zadock Thompson Zoological Collection; and student Ashley McNeish’s hedgehog, Quillbert, quickly becoming the most popular creature on campus. Tip of the iceberg. Please follow us and join the conversation. Twitter.com/universityofvermont Instagram.com/universityofvermont Facebook.com/universityofvermont

18 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

In the moment MUSIC | While teaching a fundamental lesson of jazz, trumpet player and senior lecturer in music Ray Vega will say, “Let’s have a conversation.” Then, the instant his student talks, Vega interrupts, jabbering incoherently. Looking confused, maybe insulted, the student asks the professor what he’s doing. “I’m not listening,” Vega replies. “And that’s exactly what is happening as we’re playing right now. You gotta be in there and you’ve got to be in... the … moment.” Vega hammers that truth as he discusses the art of musical improvisation. “You have to be ready to respond to changes at any given moment. The whole thing with jazz is that it is an interactive, completely democratic art form. Everybody’s gotta negotiate and everybody’s gotta be having that conversation and listening.” A native of the Bronx and longtime New Yorker, Vega speaks with the rapid-fire inflections of his city. He shares a memory from his teens, Fourth of July, 1977, a house party/jam session at a friend’s apartment in Brooklyn, windows wide open. “I knew stuff about tunes and I had good ears, but I just remember sitting there and playing with all of these older, black musicians. All old enough to be my father. Working things out, checking out what they were doing. It was amazing. It was an epiphany.”

Today, when Vega takes a solo, the insights of that afternoon are still in his mind. Likewise, his lessons as a young journeyman horn player with the humility to learn from elders who built their own chops playing with greats such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, or Stan Kenton. “Breaking rules, audacity is an amazing thing because all of the great innovators were audacious,” Vega says. “But all of the great innovators were well schooled about what they were being audacious about, what they were stepping away from.” That sort of schooling is going to keep a musician safe from the temptation to merely “get house,” applause and shouts from the audience for the cheap thrill of a piercing high note or a showy run. Vega warns his students about the siren song of getting house. But if not house, then what? Something deeper. Vega makes a game attempt to explain the perhaps unexplainable—the intellectual and emotional forces that drive a solo. “It all depends on what is happening at that moment in my life. If there is melancholy going on, those things may come out. If there are joyful moments, that will come out,” he says. “You cannot depend on what worked yesterday. You cannot depend on what worked five minutes ago.” SALLY MCCAY

M E D I A

So, you want to publish a children’s book?

BRIEFS |

Amanda Broder ’06 shares the story of Ripple Grove Press

“Let the wild rumpus start!” Those five words, written by Maurice Sendak in 1963 and immortalized by Max in Where the Wild Things Are, have impacted millions of kids and adults alike with the power of storytelling. Who hasn’t imagined writing a best-selling children’s book, filled with mischievous characters and majestic creatures? For Amanda Broder ’06, the wild rumpus rippled into reality, however, when she founded Ripple Grove Press in 2013 with her husband, Rob, after reading picture books to their toddler daughter, Eleanor. “It’s just about imagination, and telling a really fun story,” she says. “We felt like there are so many great stories out there to be told.” So many, in fact, that the Portland, Oregon-based Ripple Grove Press has already received more than 3,000 story submissions—which they whittle down to just three selections for each year. “We really have to feel it,” says Broder of their criteria. “It has to keep the child’s and the adult’s attention over and over again, and you have to be able to read it aloud.” The first wave on Ripple Grove Press really happened at Lake Champlain Chocolates, where Broder met Rob, who was soon promoted to sell the sweet stuff in Massachusetts before the pair decided to relocate to the West Coast. Their first book, The Gentleman Bat, written by Abraham Schroeder and illustrated by Piotr Parda, flew onto the shelf in 2014 and has since been followed by such titles as Too Many Tables, The Peddler’s Bed, and Lizbeth Lou Got a Rock in Her Shoe. “Each book is like a kid—they all have their challenges, but we love absolutely

every one of them,” says Broder, who majored in art history and minored in Asian studies while at UVM and is now undergoing an intensive yoga teacher training course in addition to her parttime work (about twenty-five hours per week) at Ripple Grove Press. Rob continues to sell Lake Champlain Chocolates as a freelancer from Portland, which has been especially receptive to the brand-new publishers. The hit show “Portlandia,” in fact, featured Carrie Brownstein reading Mae and the Moon in one sketch and also shows The Gentleman Bat on a nightstand. The most vital validation for Ripple Grove Press, though, comes from Eleanor, who is now five years old. “She sees the process from start to finish,” says Broder. “We’ll receive a manuscript, try it out and read it to her to see how she interacts with it; she sees the layout and design, and then she’ll be busy stickering catalogs; it really has become a family business.” On September 27, 2016, Ripple Grove Press released Monday Is Wash Day, written by MaryAnn Sundby and illustrated by Tessa Blackham. It’s a story, on the surface, about doing laundry in the 1940s. But Ripple Grove Press books are always about something deeper than those ripples on the surface, of course, and in this case, it’s about family values and working together—sort of like the company that Amanda Broder and her husband began three years ago. “Very few people actually make a living writing a children’s book,” says Broder matter-of-factly. “You do it not to become famous or make a career out of it, but because you love it.”

Zoe Francois ’90 teams with Dr. Jeff Hertzberg on their recently released book, The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The St. Martin’s Press publication is a revised update of their original from 2007. That volume was followed by their bestselling Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, published in 2009. Francois is a pastry chef who studied at the Culinary Institute of America. She teaches classes nationally and shares her expertise at zoebakes.com. Annie Proulx ’69 released her latest novel, Barkskins (Scribners), this summer. It is classic Proulx with a broad sweep, deep historical grounding, dark humor, and deft evocation of both human nature and the natural world. The New York Times calls the novel “a tale of long-term, shortsighted greed whose subject could not be more important: the destruction of the world’s forests.” Danielle Shapiro ’91 is the author of John Vassos: Industrial Design for Modern Life (University of Minnesota Press). The book is the first biography of Vassos, a renowned industrial designer and illustrator who shaped the look of modern technology through the rise of radio and television and into the computer era. Marylen Grigas G’86 recently published Shift, a collection of her poetry, with Nature’s Face Publications. A longtime English teacher at Rock Point School in Burlington, Grigas is also a poet whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and journals such as Alaska Quarterly Review. UVM Professor Emeritus David Huddle calls the collection “a gift from a poet of uncommon skill, knowledge, intelligence, wisdom, wit, spiritual courage, humility, and generosity.”

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| C ATA M O U N T S P O R T S

The Life Aquatic Swimming can be a decidedly

BY | THOMAS WEAVER PHOTOGRAPH BY | BRIAN JENKINS

20 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

individual, even isolated, sport—fitness built lap upon lap chasing down the black stripe at the bottom of the pool. Given that reality, it’s not hard to understand why an accomplished swimmer like Catamount senior Sarah Mantz finds her greatest joy in the sport through the camaraderie of the relays. She says they are her favorite events, and the collective energy often drives her to personal records. And of all the relays that freestyle sprinter Mantz has raced at UVM, she’s

quick to single out the highlight. At last season’s America East Championship meet, UVM went head to head with perennial sprint rival University of New Hampshire in the 200 freestyle relay. In addition to having a first-ever conference championship in that particular event on the line, the Cats were hoping for an appropriate send-off for senior standout Christa Weaver ’16. “It is such an honor and I’m so proud to be on those teams,” Mantz says. “You’re up on the block and you’re pumping each other

UVM.ATHLETICS.COM | THE LATEST NEWS

HALL OF FAMERS ’16 up and you’re jumping around and screaming. There is something special about it.” The UVM foursome (Courtney Gray, Kira Hancock, Weaver, and Mantz) knew they were strong contenders going into the race, and they delivered in a big way. “Each of us was just banging out awesome times,” Mantz recalls, smacking her fist into her palm. “Every single person was going off. We were getting more and more excited as each leg went past. When we touched the wall and we won, it was just the greatest feeling.” Though swimming starts most of her

Reflecting on her development as a UVM swimmer, Mantz believes that her greatest improvements have come in her mental approach to competition. Arriving at UVM, she was frank with coach Gerry Cournoyer that she felt she “had to get over her own head.” In other words, find the confidence to deliver the performance on race day that her training had prepared her for. “No one can really force you to believe in yourself,” Mantz says, but Cournoyer, assistant coach Jennifer Fenton-Cournoyer, and teammates were a continual source of

“You’re up on the block and you’re pumping each other up and you’re jumping around and screaming. There is something special about it.”

days (up at 5:30 a.m. for 6 o’clock workouts in the pool or weight room) and is a key focus of her time and energy, the opportunity to compete on a Division I varsity team isn’t the only thing that brought Mantz to UVM. She’s a top student in the Grossman School of Business with a concentration in marketing, also juggling an internship with the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce. She has earned multiple appearances on the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll by notching a GPA above 3.5. “When I started the process of looking for colleges, academics was first, but I also knew that I wanted to swim. My goal was to find a place that I loved being, where I would find a team that I loved and would be able to contribute,” Mantz, a native of West Hartford, Connecticut, says. She also remembers being smitten with Burlington on her visit, driving home with her dad and feeling like they had found that place. “I looked at maybe fifteen schools, but UVM turned out to be the only school where I applied. I have never looked back, and I have never been happier in my life.”

reassurance. Cournoyer remembers being impressed by Mantz when she attended a summer swim camp at UVM as a high school student. “It’s been great to watch her mature into a strong woman, empowered in the pool. Her work ethic resonates and elevates people all around her,” the coach says. Mantz also hands a bit of credit for her success to a less likely source—rapper Dawin, whose song “Dessert” was her psych-up song of choice. To stay loose, she moves. “I go out on the pool deck with my headphones on and just dance my butt off. That helped me have the best season of my life last year. It might freak the competition out a little,” she laughs. “But that’s not really my intent.” With one season to go in her UVM career, Mantz is a bit wistful as she talks about confronting a year of “lasts”—last first day of practice, last class of new teammates to welcome, and, finally, that last meet. Though she’ll put her college career behind her, Mantz says getting in the pool will always be a part of her life: “I’ll be that ninety-yearold woman swimming laps.” VQ

The UVM Athletic Hall of Fame welcomed six new members at the forty-eighth annual induction dinner on September 10: Dawn Cressman ’03, a two-time team captain, played an integral role on two America East Regular Season Championship teams during her career as a member of the Vermont women’s basketball team. George Deane ’01 G’03, an America East All-Conference performer in both cross country and track, was one of the top runners in New England during his career and is considered one of the best middle distance runners in UVM’s track and field history. Michael Gabel ’05 was one of the top goalkeepers to play in the Vermont men’s lacrosse program, ranking in the top-three in every career statistical category. An America East All-Conference First Team selection in 2003, he was a two-time team defensive MVP during his career. Jamie Kingsbury ’06, a two-time NCAA Champion and seven-time All-American, is considered one of the most dominating alpine skiers in UVM skiing’s rich history. Kingsbury won the giant slalom at the NCAA Championships as a freshman in 2003 and again as a junior in 2005. Michele Palmer ’04, one of the top cross country runners in the region over her career, was a nine-time America East Academic Honor Roll selection, a two-time NCAA qualifier in cross country, and a two-time conference champion in track and field. Jaime Sifers ’06 captained the Catamount hockey team for three years. Honors included being a finalist for the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award, given annually to college hockey’s finest citizen who gave back to his community. He was also a finalist for the Walter Brown Award, given to the best American-born player in New England. FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| NEW KNOWLEDGE

In the Details

The art of discovering an artwork’s origins

An art historian brings multiple

BY | THOMAS WEAVER ART | COURTESY OF JAGDISH AND KAMLA MITTAL MUSEUM OF INDIAN ART

22 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

skills to the study of a painting created nearly five hundred years in the past and half-a-world away. The not-so-simple ability to see extremely well stands squarely at the core of these skills. Accordingly, John Seyller, UVM professor of art history and one of the world’s foremost experts of Indian painting, always travels with a 10x magnifying glass tucked into his bag. While the vibrant color, swirling forms, and historic/religious stories depicted in paintings of this era in Indian history are what immediately draw the eye, Seyller’s pioneering scholarly work in Mughal painting has often involved looking beyond such things to tiny inscriptions scrawled in Persian along the margins, on the backs of pieces, or even under layers of paint. The UVM professor’s discovery, interpretation, and analysis of these largely overlooked notes in the 1990s have significantly altered

previous notions and understanding of Mughal Indian painting. The inscriptions were instructions to the artists, in essence, Seyller says, unlocking the circumstances surrounding the creations of the paintings. “They are work orders in many ways,” he says. “They tell you when it should be made, how many days you should spend on it, with whom you should collaborate. So it broke down the sense of the patron more or less telling the artist what to do, and replaced it with an understanding of a very large workshop operation that had its own mechanisms for the production of these paintings.” A prolific author, Seyller curated the exhibit and wrote the in-depth catalog for The Adventures of Hamza: Painting and Storytelling in Mughal India, which opened at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in 2002. In recent years Seyller has annually produced a book in collaboration with distinguished Hyderabadbased artist and collector Jagdish Mittal. Together they have already published five volumes; a sixth is in production; and a seventh is in its initial stage. “John has been intensely productive as a

“Krishna Quells Kalia to the Acclaim of the Gods” is among the paintings that professor and leading Indian art historian John Seyller analyzes in Deccani Paintings, Drawings and Manuscripts in the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, one of multiple volumes he has written about the collection.

scholar, and there is no indication that this will ever willingly cease. His publications are eagerly awaited by those interested in the arts of India and the Islamic world,” says Milo Beach, Indian art historian and former director of the Sackler Gallery. “The impact of his work has transformed the field and no scholar or student of Indian painting, whether in the States, Europe, or Asia, can proceed seriously without his publications at hand.”

GIVING A CULTURE ITS DUE

““I think I was born to be an art historian in so many ways,” Seyller says, sitting in his fifth-floor Williams Hall office. The north wall’s shelves are packed with books on Asian art; the west windows look out across Burlington to Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks beyond. Reflecting on his childhood in suburban Chicago, Seyller says he was drawn to the study of the past from an early age—“sports and military history initially, then just everything. I couldn’t get enough.” Frequent trips to the Art Institute of Chicago helped kindle his interest in art. Seyller headed west for college to the University of California, Berkeley, but almost immediately felt the urge to travel abroad. He dropped out, traveled around Europe—“because that’s what you did back then.” Hitching across Europe and the Middle East for six months clarified Seyller’s academic path. Determined to study art and architectural history, he returned to Berkeley. There he completed his bachelor’s and master’s before going on to earn his doctorate at Harvard. Initially, Seyller’s focus was on Western

modern art, in particular, the early 20th-century expressionist movement of Fauvism. A combination of mentoring professors and his own inclination turned his view to the East. “Fauvist art has very bold colors, strong things, and is kind of primal in a way. Indian art has a lot of those qualities as well. It was a natural direction for me.” This attraction to something far outside his own experience was characteristic of Seyller, as well. “I’m by nature that way,” he says. “I don’t know why, but I always was—from the ground up. I like working in foreign things. I enjoy the discovery of it.” He finds that the students who enroll in his classes in Asian art are similarly inclined. Dusting off a pop-culture reference from his youth, Seyller calls them “’Uncola types.’ They aren’t straight down the middle.” Teaching in an age when cross-cultural understanding and respect are sorely tested and often lacking, Seyller’s classes in Islamic art, in particular, are an opportunity to shed light on foreign cultures. Most of his students come into the course with no knowledge of Islam. “I teach it straight up,” he says. “I don’t excuse it. I don’t prosecute it. I just give each culture its due. All I can say is that these civilizations across the whole world have been doing fabulous, serious things for many years, many centuries longer than we have. So this kind of myopia we have where it begins and ends with New York or Berlin, it’s certainly not true and they get that.” Far beyond simply getting it, some of Seyller’s top students have found their calling in the professor’s classes. Bronwen Gulkis ’11, nearing completion of her Ph.D. in art history at Harvard, traces her interest in the field to a sophomore-year course with Seyller. “He pushed me to expand my sense of who I was as a person and what I could accomplish,” she says. “At the time I began working with Professor Seyller, I didn’t think I would ever get a chance to travel in Asia, learn a non-European language, or find a career I truly identified with. He not only introduced me to South Asian art as a field, but has served as a role model of a successful scholar.”

VERMONT TO INDIA

Every professor’s teaching calendar is bound to the rhythm of semesters. John Seyller’s scholarly calendar is another matter, writing intensely throughout the year and resetting at the beginning of each August, when he travels to Hyderabad, India, for three weeks of twelve-hour-a-day immersion in the rich collection of the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art. Seyller has both a close colleague and friend in the museum’s founder, Jagdish Mittal. At age ninety, the Indian artist/ historian/collector brings the tremendous knowledge of all of his professional pursuits, as well as the cultural wisdom of an endlessly inquisitive mind to their collaborative work, Seyller says. With that 10x magnifying glass in hand, Seyller scrutinizes hundreds of paintings in Hyderabad and delves ever more deeply into them through his conversations with Mittal. “I have learnt from John the importance of working long hours so that there is consistency and depth in one’s writing,” Mittal writes via email. “While researching and actual writing, we both have very cordial give and take attitude, instead of confrontation. John supports his arguments with comparative images from his data base. When our ideas differed we came to conclusion after patiently discussing the matter.” The work begun during those weeks in India continues throughout the year back in Vermont, where Seyller pores over images on his computer and writes with a discipline that draws him to his desk 365 days a year. In his office, Seyller scrolls through images of some of the highly abstracted flora depicted in paintings he is currently studying. He identifies the plants one by one, comparing them to photographs of actual Indian trees and flowers. He pauses for a moment to marvel at the creative powers of Indian artists who transformed images rooted in the natural world into such visionary, evocative images. Then it is back to work. Staring intently at the screen, he says with a half-smile, “I’m nothing, if VQ not dogged.” FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| ALUMNI VOICE

Bringing the Bands Elvis Costello. Bruce Springsteen.

BY | PAT BUTLER ’79

24 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

The Grateful Dead. For many students of my generation, these musicians were core to the soundtrack of our college lives. But for the circle of students on the UVM Concert Bureau during that era in the late ’70s they were something more than the tracks we spun endlessly on the turntables in our dorm rooms—they were a significant supplement to our education. Marketing, contracts, collaborative work, seemingly endless logistics, I couldn’t have found a better (or more fun) way to immediately apply the lessons of my business courses. Last January, I had the opportunity to return to UVM to help judge the “Family Business Case Competition” organized by the Grossman School of Business. Somehow during that return to Burlington I got to talking with a fellow judge about the Concert Bureau days, and the memories began to flood back. When I returned home to Maine, I dug into old files that haven’t been viewed in over thirty-seven years. These files were filled with paperwork, photos, signed contracts, Western Union offers, posters, backstage passes from the shows we brought to Burlington back in the day, along with original tickets with prices so reasonable, they just made me laugh. I didn’t start my college experience looking for a schooling in the music business. Like many, I was drawn to UVM by Vermont’s beauty coupled with the academics of a strong biology program. And, like many, my college years would take some turns as I found my way to new interests. Biology gave way to business, which was better in keeping with my future plans

of running our multi-generational family business here in Lewiston, Maine. I was fortunate to have a suitemate at the Living Learning Center be on the Concert Bureau which led me to get involved. I became treasurer my sophomore year and Chairman my junior and senior years. There was a “perfect storm” of great bands touring during the mid- to late-seventies. Record Companies strongly encouraged bands to tour in order to boost record sales, and our UVM Concert Bureau took advantage of this ripe environment by bringing top musicians and bands to campus. My predecessors, such as Staige Davis ’76 and Steve Lane ’78, had built a strong reputation for putting on solid, well-executed shows and handling big-time acts, such as Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review Tour and Jefferson Starship. Then director of student activities Dave Nestor and dean of students Keith Miser, along with our Student Government Association, put tremendous faith in us to manage the large budgets and potentially daunting responsibilities of these big shows. Additionally, we had Burlington, a well-placed stop on Interstate 89, between Boston and Montreal for a band looking to add a date and link up a tour. Relatively humble Patrick Gymnasium, with its 3,5004,200 seats, was the best venue in the region. And so it was that we were able to bring The Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen on his “Darkness on the Edge of Town” tour, and Elvis Costello on his first American tour when many were trying to figure out who this “new Elvis” might be when we’d just lost the “old Elvis.” The names kept going—Little Feat, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Daniels Band with Pure Prairie League, George Benson, Pousette-Dart Band with David Bromberg. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes for a concert-dance in Patrick Gym—for a mere $3.50 admission. Then there was an obscure band called Sea Level. Who remembers them? I’m not sure I

can recall any of their songs, but that small concert at Ira Allen became most memorable, because it was the night we almost burnt down the chapel. Our UVM electrician, John Lincoln, saw smoke coming from the antiquated and severely under-powered electrical service at the chapel. We had to have the band perform the show without most of their special stage lighting in order to prevent a disaster. As I leafed through my file of yellowed paperwork, more memories returned. There was the original signed contract for the Grateful Dead show on May 6, 1978, perilously close to finals week for those of us who were balancing the role of parttime concert promoters with full-time students. Phil Lesh’s signature sealed the deal on the document: “One show, beginning at 8:00 p.m. and ending at 12:00 midnight, including intermission. Wage agreed upon: $25,000 plus $5,000 for sound and lights.” Most tickets for the Dead show were reserved for students, and we held just five hundred tickets for the general public. I fielded a call from a lawyer in California, desperate for a ticket, claiming he’d never missed a live Dead performance. In our pre-concert building sweep we swept dedicated Deadheads out of a number of places, including Patrick Gym’s ventilation ducts, a full 24 hours before the show. Our great student security team received many offers of, shall we say, “unique and personal” goods and services, if only they would look the other way and let a ticketless fan through the turnstile. When the show was over, the contract required us to transport the Dead to their next show, which was at Syracuse University, via limousine. Back in those days, there were no limousines to be found in Burlington, so a pair of Lincoln Town Cars was the best we could muster. A

couple of my L/L suitemates had the honor of chauffeuring the Grateful Dead through the night to their next show. What an experience they had! The fervor for the Springsteen show the next fall would rival the Dead performance. Initially, we weighed a very tempting offer—the chance to host the opening show of the Darkness on the Edge of Town tour. But the date would have fallen in summer with most of our students gone and our Concert Bureau scattered. Dave Nestor asked us to weigh the possibility, but we decided that we had to decline and he respected our judgment. Ultimately, we landed Springsteen in Burlington that November for a sold-out show. With my mom and dad on campus for a parent’s weekend, I was proud to give them a glimpse backstage before the show. They wondered what “all the fuss” was over this guy they amused themselves by referring to as “Bruce Stringbean.” The morning after the concert, I had the rare chance to meet Springsteen over breakfast at his hotel downtown. He was gracious, down to earth, a true showman and every bit the “regular guy” he has always seemed to be. For all the great shows our Concert Bureau was able to share with the UVM community, I seldom saw an encore or even the second half of a concert. We’d be in a side room or backstage figuring the house, preparing to settle the contract, taking care of business. Not complaining, I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. I’d have many other chances later in life to see Bruce and the band tear through “Rosalita,” but on that night thirty-seven years ago the most important thing was making sure The Boss got paid, and the UVM Concert Bureau produced another VQ “great show” at the Patrick Gym. FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

Farm Alumni brothers create innovative, inclusive community on a Vermont mountainside

Zeno Mountain Farm has a show

Family

By Thomas Weaver Photographs by Ian Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist ’09

26 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

to put on. Show time weeks away, the camp’s free-wheeling, collaborative style is on full display one July morning. Will Halby paces the front of the stage in the farm’s rustic performance space/barn, laptop balanced on his forearm as he writes a script on the fly. There is no shortage of help from the cast, with shouts of “What if you did this? How about we try it like this?” and so on. As the actors—some with disabilities, some not, all working as a unified cast—begin to rehearse their lines, they are rewritten and refined. There’s rampant joking and teasing, the sort reserved for family or old friends. When it comes time to run through a musical number set to AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” Pete Halby, Will’s younger brother, plugs in his electric guitar and cranks out the power chords. The first run through is a bit stiff. Will hops up on the stage to show Jeremy Vest, a star of many Zeno shows, how he needs to heat up his dancing with some R-rated hip thrust. Paul Remy and Brian Novasad, two older men in wheelchairs, are also central to the scene. Will implores them to rock out, too. He gets in their faces: “This is your AC/DC moment! Don’t f*#k it up!” Everyone laughs hard. When the show comes together in performance it will be classic Zeno. Live drama, films, athletic events, or the rolling pageants they annually create as part of Bristol, Vermont’s Fourth of July parade, the Zeno Mountain productions are funny, raggedly beautiful, moving for their spontaneity and joy in humanity. “We think everything we do is enhanced because of the range of abilities and needs that

Finnian Brokaw, Diana Rich, and Giulia Alexander. Brokaw, a 2016 grad of Mt. Abraham Union High School, has been accepted to UVM but delayed her enrollment for a gap year working with Zeno Mountain.

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

Below, top to bottom: Emily Sundstrom, Josh Lilley, and Brian Novasad in his AC/DC moment. Opposite page, top: Sean Barton and Jess Munyons. Bottom: Lara Kamen, A.J. Murray, Thomas Moyers, Louis Atlan, Hannah Funk, Grace Kirpan, and Hannah Galivan.

28 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

exist in the groups we create,” Pete Halby says. “Sometimes society is like, ‘Oh, you’re helping those people; it’s going to be a lessthan product.’ Actually, I think our art, our sports, our music, our theater, is enhanced. It flips it up.” So, what exactly is Zeno Mountain Farm? Geographically, it’s three-hundred wooded acres in one of the most beautiful settings you’ll find in New England, halfway up the west side of the Appalachian Gap road with sweeping views of the Green Mountains and Champlain Valley. Programatically, it’s a series of arts- and sports-based camps, on the Zeno Mountain property and beyond, that bring together people with disabilities and those without in a seamless mix. There are not “counselors” and “clients.” No one pays to attend and no one is paid. Once a member of the Zeno family, always a member—participants are welcome to return every year. Conceptually, it’s about breaking down barriers between the disabled and abled while frankly acknowledging and celebrating differences and the opportunities to grow through mutual responsibility and support. Zeno Mountain’s masterminds are UVM alumni brothers Will and Pete Halby and their wives, Vanessa and Ila. Will is a ’94 UVM alumnus with his degree in elementary and special education; Pete is Class of 1999, a sociology major. The brothers laugh that Pete inherited many of Will’s college friends who stuck around Burlington after graduation. Both have the easy, affable manner of your coolest summer camp counselor—the guy who could play “Stairway” on guitar, kindle a fire in a downpour, identify every wildflower, and make you feel better about missing home. Tall and athletic, board shorts and threadbare t-shirts are their summer work uniforms. Pete is stubbled, favors a pair of Blundstone boots with no socks. Will is bearded, wears flip-flops and a trucker hat, has multiple tattoos, including a tiny smiley face on the stump of a toe he lost to a lawnmower in high school. The brothers have worked together on Zeno Mountain since they purchased the property in 2008 and like-minded ventures that preceded it for years prior. Family and work are a tight knit. Pete, Ila, and their two children live at Zeno Mountain; Will, Vanessa, and their four children are at home just down the road in Bristol. Running Zeno

Mountain and raising the kids is a juggling act shared by all. Asked about the challenges of such a close work/family connection, Will is quick to answer. “I’d say ninety-nine percent of the time we get along. I don’t know who else I would rather do this with. We complement each other. Where Pete is really levelheaded, I have my head in the stars a lot. I think I push him, and he grounds me. Do you think that’s fair?” Pete smiles and nods: “That’s about right.” The Zeno Mountain concept is rooted in the brothers’ mutual experience working, since their teens, in camps and other programs for children and adults with disabilities. They long envisioned something different, an approach that would challenge the standard camper-counselor, client-staff hierarchy. “That wasn’t our experience in our personal relationships with the people we were meeting,” Pete says. “They were our friends.” Acknowledging the need to be pragmatic, to address real needs, safety, and health concerns, he adds, “but that doesn’t have to take away from someone’s autonomy in a community.” Katie Shepherd, UVM Green and Gold Professor of Education, is a neighbor and friend of the Halbys. She is also a Zeno Mountain volunteer, focused on horseback-riding programs, and has brought the brothers to campus to talk with special education classes. “I think what is really amazing about their approach—and I think they pull it off better than almost anyone I know—is that they are really invested in finding a space that is about community and friendship and not about ability or disability,” she says. “They really have a beautiful way of knowing what everyone’s strengths are, then they just go from there. There are so many opportunities at camp for people to be their very best selves. It sounds simple, but it is not simple. I think it really shifts how people see people with disabilities.” Talk to one person at Zeno about his or her experience and others will line up to talk next. Invariably the message is about family, being around people they have grown to love. Bill James of Marina del Rey, California, has been involved with Zeno for a dozen years. As he talks on the back patio behind

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

Gone Across the continent and culturally worlds away from Vermont, Southern California is another foothold for Zeno Mountain. Will Halby lived in Venice Beach for years and built many friendships and connections in the entertainment business, which led to camps working with industry professionals in L.A. on annual short film projects. In 2013, as Zeno Mountain created and filmed a western titled Bulletproof, filmmaker Michael Barnett documented the process for his own film, Becoming Bulletproof. The documentary piled up prizes on the film festival circuit, drew applause from audiences, and earned praise from critics and others in the movie business. Zeno Mountain actor Jeremy Vest is pictured above in a scene from the film. “I will drag everyone I know to experience this film. Because I know they need to see this film and they will thank me for it afterwards,” actor Ted Danson says in a promo quote. Morgan Spurlock’s Virgil Films production company got involved with Zeno Mountain through the distribution of Becoming Bulletproof, which is currently available on Showtime. The next Zeno film will begin shooting in spring 2017.

Hollywood 30 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

the main house at the mountain, he stands next to the guy he calls “my good buddy Pete Halby,” their arms draped across one another’s shoulders. “I love to act. It makes me feel real good inside,” James says. Later at lunch, James takes a turn at the sharing time—a sort of open mic—to sing “Love Me Tender” to fellow longtime Zeno friend and Southern Californian Hillary Baum. There’s wild applause and hooting after James sings the last note. Will Halby steps up and says, “Fellas, that’s how it’s done.” Joy Elaine, an artist from Portland, Oregon, is a newcomer in summer 2016. She found her way to Zeno via the film documentary about the camp, Becoming Bulletproof. “I fell in love with the inclusiveness. The value in every human being,” she says. “We all have something to bring and something to learn from one another.” Days into the camp, she says that, experiencing it in person, she is moved by both the vulnerability and the spirit of mutual care in this community. Bobby Stoddard ’92 has been a constant at Zeno Mountain since the Halbys moved to Vermont. He’s our “Bob the Builder,” the brothers say. Working with treehouse guru B’fer Burton, Stoddard crafted the wheelchair accessible treehouses, which bunk many at the farm. He led the crew rebuilding the 1850s barn that was salvaged from Waterbury and moved to Zeno, reincarnated as performance/ community space. Like the Halbys, Stoddard’s work at Zeno blends with family. His nine-year-old daughter, Hazel, helps lead a yoga class on a summer morning, upping the fun factor by introducing a game where one tries to shake others out of their tree poses—winner is the last person standing. Dad-pride in his eyes, Stoddard says, “Hazel totally gets it. She gets what you do here. You just help. You just do stuff.” For Will and Pete Halby themselves, this “just doing stuff” as it demands to be done is central to their enjoyment of the Zeno Mountain enterprise. It’s the balance of physical, hands-on work and mental, people work— days that might include four hours of cutting trees, building cabins, or fixing toilets with an afternoon of fundraising, grant writing, and blending the roster of campers for the next gathering. “It’s that mix that makes it the dream for us,” Pete says. This decidedly democratic approach infuses the day-to-day of Zeno Mountain, essential to

the formula that makes the whole endeavor work for all concerned. As Will Halby puts it, “If you elevate everybody’s expectations, people rise up and help each other in the simple ways that people need help. A big message we’ve been championing, particularly because of the movie, is the knowledge that we matter to each other is a basic human right. So often the disability community is sort of ‘taken care of.’ And the opportunity to be an important piece of a community, to be accounted for, and to know that people are depending on you is so often ignored.” Will cites the experience of A.J. Murray, one of the stars of Becoming Bulletproof whose dreams of being an actor originally brought him to Zeno. “At the end of the film, A.J. says that the big takeaway from his experience is that he feels dignity, significance, and purpose. That is what his cells are craving—to matter.” VQ

Rustic treehouses are wheelchairaccessible, accommodating many at Zeno Mountain. Along with a small cottage/sauna by the swimming pond and a restored barn, the structures at Zeno are the work of many, including treehouse guru B’fer Burton, Bobby Stoddard ’92, and the Halby brothers, Will and Pete, pictured above.

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

32 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

UVM PEOPLE Rob Rosen ’90 By Jay Taylor ’10 Photograph by John Lok

SHARING THE WEALTH

On the staff of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for nearly a decade, Rob Rosen is the Seattle-based organization’s director of philanthropic partnerships. That means connecting closely with the foundation’s major giving programs and managing the team that works with the individual and family donors who have signed the Giving Pledge. An initiative of Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffet, the Giving Pledge is a commitment by some of the world’s wealthiest individuals and their families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. “It’s incredibly gratifying and focusing to work on a series of issues that you’re passionate about,” Rosen says. “Having a mission and a sense of purpose is very clarifying, but the issues we’re addressing are a bit of a marathon.” Noting that Bill Gates considers himself an “impatient optimist,” Rosen counts himself fortunate to work for an organization with “the will, the resources, and the focus” to take on challenges, such as eradicating polio, that require a global team effort.

POLITICAL ROOTS

Prior to his work with the Gates Foundation, Rosen built his career in the political world. He first talked his way into a job with Bob Kerrey’s presidential campaign office in New Hampshire during the Nebraska senator’s 1992 run. After Kerrey dropped out of the race, Rosen was recruited to join Bill Clinton’s campaign, where he would remain until Clinton’s election and then serve on the inauguration committee. “We lived and breathed work nonstop, a group of dynamic and talented people who worked hard and had a great sense of community. It was my first experience of really understanding the commitment that people can make when they’re part of a cause,” Rosen says. Law school at Cornell and work as a lawyer would follow, but Rosen returned to politics when one of his former Clinton campaign bosses called to offer him a job in the White House. A personal aide to President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton, Rosen lived firsthand the complexity of the office of the President of the United States. He describes his first days in the White House as “humbling,” noting that “there’s an incredible sense of urgency to achieve what you set out to do. The clock is always ticking.”

UVM DAYS

Rosen served as president of the Student Government Association during his senior year. That experience gave him an early taste of leadership through a seat at the table with faculty and university officials at the height of their careers. “It was a tremendous opportunity to stand up as a strong representative for the voice of the students,” he recalls. Rosen notes that he quickly learned stakeholder dynamics, as well as when and how to represent his constituents in the appropriate way, skills that he drew upon in the White House and still draws upon today. Looking back, Rosen says the politics of the times and his experience at UVM led to graduating college with a plan to find “an active role in something meaningful,” if not a particular roadmap for how he would get there. More than twenty-five years down the road as he works toward goals that are no less than “revolutionizing how philanthropy can have an impact in the twentyfirst century,” it’s safe to say he has found what he was after. VQ

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

DISRUPTING THE

34 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES

MBA Better world meets better bottom line

| BY JON REIDEL Gâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;08

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

When Sanjay Sharma began his new job as dean of

“If you open up a saddlebag, it might have some cool stuff inside, but if you take the saddlebag off the horse, you still have the same horse. You haven’t fundamentally altered the animal. We’re trying to alter the animal.” Professor Stuart Hart, Steven Grossman Endowed Chair in Sustainable Business, Co-Director SEMBA Program

36 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

UVM’s School of Business Administration in 2011, he knew his first order of business would likely define his deanship. He needed to scrap a traditional thirty-eight-year-old MBA program and replace it with an entirely new model that addressed twenty-first century business challenges. The school’s previous MBA program had been designed in the early 1970s for mid-level managers at area companies such as IBM, General Dynamics, and GE Healthcare—but by 2011, those participants were a dying breed. IBM had gone from a peak of 8,500 employees in 2001 to about 4,000; GE Healthcare purged 10 percent of its workforce in 2012. With such a limited pool of potential students, says Sharma, “it was not financially viable to run a fortyfive-credit program.” The school initially concentrated on improving the old program, which was marketed to local residents and UVM employees who wanted to earn their MBAs in the evenings. But without the additional students from major local companies, the program couldn’t attract significant numbers. “The future looked bleak,” says Sharma. To determine how to revamp the MBA, Sharma convened an ad hoc committee that analyzed other programs, conducted an internal review, and interviewed business leaders to discover what they wanted from graduates. Eventually Sharma and his team decided that they should develop a specialized program focused on the world’s greatest sustainability challenges, as well as related issues such as the environment, ethics, poverty, and inequality. Sharma had a deep interest in the topic. His scholarship explores environmental strategy and corporate sustainability, and he authored the book Competing for a Sustainable World. But he knew it was risky to launch a program with such a defined specialty. “As a faculty member, I loved the idea of focusing on sustainability, but as a dean I was wondering if we would attract enough students,” says Sharma. “Philosophically, I believed in it, but I just didn’t know if it would work.” Taking the leap to establish the innovative program, recently named the fourth best green MBA nationwide by the Princeton Review, is among many advances in the trajectory of the Grossman School of Business across the past several years. Sharma’s first step with SEMBA was to recruit Stuart Hart, a

WALKING THE WALK WORLDWIDE

One SEMBA practicum leading authority on the ways poverty and the environment affect business strategy. team spent three Hart’s 1995 article “A Natural Resource-Based weeks in India this View of the Firm” is the most highly-cited summer conducting academic work in the field of sustainable field research for enterprise, while “Beyond Greening: StrateFacebook in support gies for a Sustainable World” won the McKof its Connectivity insey Award for Best Article in the Harvard Lab initiative to Business Review in 1997. “He’s the equivalent of Michael Jordan create universal in basketball,” says Sharma. “He’s a superinternet access. star in his field and puts us at the forefront Student team of business sustainability.” Sharma reasoned member Jess Manago that Hart’s presence would give the program is pictured, above left. instant credibility and attract other topflight candidates. Hart also had extensive experience in starting similar programs: At the University of Michigan, he developed the Corporate Environmental Management Program, a joint effort between the Ross School of Business and the School of Natural Resources; at the University of North Carolina, he created the Center for Sustainable Enterprise; and at Cornell University, he developed the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise. For UVM, Hart had something different in mind from those previous initiatives, which he refers to as “saddlebag” programs. “If you open up a saddlebag, it might have some cool stuff inside, but if you take the saddlebag off the horse, you still have the same horse,” he explains. “You haven’t fundamentally altered the animal. We’re trying to alter the animal.” To strengthen the program even further, Sharma recruited additional top faculty members, funding some of their appointments through a large donation from alumnus Steven Grossman ’61. Grossman’s gift covered the creation of three endowed chairs: one in sustainable business, which went to Hart; one in finance, which went to Charles Schnitzlein; and one in entrepreneurship, which was filled by Erik Monsen. Sharma also was able to pull in existing faculty. While some felt they didn’t have relevant expertise and chose to stick with teaching in the undergraduate program, close to half came on board for SEMBA. Associate professor David Jones, whose scholarship

The first nine months of UVM’s Sustainable Entrepreneurship MBA (SEMBA) program teaches students how to address the world’s most serious sustainability challenges. The final three provides an opportunity to prove their skills in the field to leaders of some of America’s top companies. The final SEMBA practicum, a full-time capstone experiential project, takes students around the world to address issues related to the environment, poverty, water access, ethics and inequality. This year’s cohort partnered with the likes of Facebook, Ben & Jerry’s, Seventh Generation, Lancer, Diva, Cemex, and Native Energy. Practicums focused on a wide range of issues including how to make the internet affordable to underserved areas of India; helping people living in poverty in Mexico create sustainable housing by equipping them with technical, educational and financial skills; addressing the household cleaning needs of low-income communities in an affordable and environmentally-safe way; and drafting a business plan for what a “farm of the future” would need to be sustainable. The practicum team of Jennifer Kalanges, Lydia Carroon and Jess Monago spent nearly three weeks in India conducting field research for Facebook in support of its Connectivity Lab initiative, which seeks to connect the 4.2 billion people who are without access to the internet or have poor connectivity. Using new technologies developed by its Connectivity Lab, Facebook seeks to leapfrog existing methods and offer ultra-high-speed and low-cost connectivity for the “last mile” in dense, urban slum environments and remote rural areas in the developing world. The UVM students in India this summer focused on one of those projects known as Terragraph, exploring the best means to bring connectivity to the nation’s urban slums. “This project puts SEMBA students at the forefront of one of the most important frontiers of both business and sustainable development: how to enable internet access for everyone,” says UVM professor and SEMBA co-director Stuart Hart. “The work they did will figure prominently in developing the strategy used by Facebook to make universal internet access a reality.” FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

THE LONG VIEW In his new book on the history of UVM business education, Malcolm Severance ’49 begins his story with alumnus John H. Converse’s $50,000 gift in 1899 and concludes with alumnus Steven Grossman’s $20 million gift a year ago. The former enabled UVM’s establishment of just the fourth university business program leading to a bachelor’s degree in the country; the latter is helping vault UVM business education nationally. It would be difficult to name someone more qualified to write A Pursuit of Excellence: A History of the University of Vermont School of Business Administration than Severance, who has been a student, faculty member, administrator, department chair, and member of the UVM Board of Trustees. He even lived in Converse Hall as a young professor with his wife, Gladys Clark Severance ’49, who had two of their three children at the hospital next door while serving as “house parents” at the all-girls dorm. “Is this book the history? No, it’s a history— Malcolm’s history,” says Severance, going strong at age ninety-one. “I wanted to tell a compelling story, not give an official history of the program. I spent five years researching it and tried to put things into context in relation to what was happening in Burlington, the state, and other institutions.” Severance considered wrapping up the project a few years ago, but waited until 2016 to include two final chapters: one on current Dean Sanjay Sharma and another on Grossman and his transformative $20 million gift. Since then, the Grossman School has been named one of the “Best 295 Business Schools” in the United States and the fourth “Best Green MBA” program in the country by the Princeton Review. uvmbusinessschoolbook.com

focuses on how workers respond to an organization’s socially and environmentally responsible business practices, was named codirector of the program along with Hart. Longtime faculty member William Cats-Baril, an associate professor for information and decision sciences, became the inaugural SEMBA director. Other professors joined SEMBA from the university’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, and Vermont Law School. The multidisciplinary nature of SEMBA’s faculty enriched the program, says Sharma, and helped it gain acceptance across campus. A hallmark of the program is its three-month practicum, in which students go around the world to work with companies like Keurig Green Mountain (formerly Green Mountain Roasters), Burton, Novelis, PepsiCo, Ben & Jerry’s, Facebook, Casella Waste Systems, CEMEX, Native Energy, and Seventh Generation. During the practicum, two- and three-person teams develop business and action plans for new sustainable business initiatives, or work within a corporation that’s aiming to embed sustainability as part of its core strategy. (See sidebar on page 37.) With real-world experience and deep knowledge of sustainability issues, SEMBA graduates are poised to fill a niche, says Hart. “Companies increasingly need people who can develop and launch new businesses in domains that address sustainability issues such as clean energy, clean water, climate change, education, and healthcare,” he says. In fact, Hart notes that, while a few SEMBA graduates will aim to start their own companies upon completion of the program, about half will end up in the companies where they’ve completed practicums—with the remainder taking advantage of the growing network of companies and ventures associated with the program’s advisory board and growing Change Maker Network. What he doesn’t expect to see is UVM’s students taking traditional jobs in marketing, investment banking, or corporate finance. Instead, they’ll be entrepreneurs and change makers. “They’ll launch or help finance new business initiatives and ventures that are inherently clean or that are serving the poor, or they’ll work at corporations or consultancies that are undergoing transformation,” he says. “Those are our sweet spots.” Sharma and his colleagues reflect on the fact that they’re attempting to create the very thing they’re teaching their students how to build. “If you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t know if your enterprise is going to work, but that’s the nature of entrepreneurship,” says Hart. “You project yourself into the unknown, but that’s the only way that anything new and innovative ever happens. It’s far easier to do an incremental tweak of something that’s already there. It takes guts to start from scratch and go all in, and we’re all in.” As with any startup, the first few years will be critical as the program learns what’s successful, refines its product, and builds its reputation. But Sharma is convinced that SEMBA is the right program for a business school to be offering in the twenty-first century. Businesses will be dealing with sustainability challenges, he says— “and they want graduates who know how to solve them.” VQ Excerpted from an article that originally appeared in BizEd Magazine.

38 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

A LU M N I W E E K E N D |

Welcome Home

PHOTOGRAPHY | SALLY MCCAY

A CROWD OF MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED assembled on the fresh sod in front of 61 Summit Street, eagerly awaiting a peek inside UVM Alumni House. The facility, first conceived of more than a decade ago, opened its doors at a special dedication ceremony on September 22, 2016 to reveal a painstakingly restored interior and the brand new, state-of-the-art Jack and Shirley Silver Pavilion. The craftsmanship of the skilled workers who have spent the last fourteen months restoring the property was evident around every corner in the original banisters, decorative paneling, custom light fixtures, 1926 Mason Hamlin piano, and multiple tiled fireplaces. New features include a welcome desk, staffed by members of the Student Alumni Association, as well as a custom marble bar and flat screen television, perfect for watching some Catamount highlights before heading out to a big game. FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| REUNION 2016

In all, more than 1,100 donors supported the project, securing $7.4M in private funding for the renovations. Many are recognized throughout the facility with more than thirty named spaces and a central donor recognition wall celebrating leadership donors of $5,000 or more. Representing the four decades of Alumni Association leadership in the crowd, current President Penrose Jackson ’77 remarked, “What we have here today is not just an exquisitely-renovated historical dwelling and meeting pavilion, it is the symbolic home of 110,000 UVM alumni.” As the night wore on, alumni gathered on the second-floor terrace to enjoy sunset views over Lake Champlain as evening light filtered in through the stained glass windows. From now on, for alumni and friends on campus, there is no place like home.

Shirley and Jack Silver ’64

40 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

BIG EVENT IN YOUR FUTURE? THINK ALUMNI HOUSE UVM Alumni House is currently accepting reservations for special events of all sizes. The original house offers individual rooms ideal for meetings, retreats, receptions, and intimate dinners. For larger gatherings, the Vermont-inspired Silver Pavilion can accommodate two hundred guests in 5,000 square feet of flexible space that boasts a vaulted ceiling with wooden beams, plenty of natural light, state-of-the-art technology, and an LED wall. While members of the alumni community are eligible for preferred pricing and advance booking privileges, the space is open to the Burlington community and general public for reservations. Visit uvmalumnihouse.com or contact Andrea Van Hoven at Andrea.VanHoven@uvm.edu, 802-656-6658, for more information.

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| REUNION 2016

FACES OF REUNION More than 3,000 participants gathered on campus for this year’s Alumni and Parent and Family Weekends, September 23-25. For the first time, the new UVM Alumni House served as the hub for the alumni offerings, including the Celebrating Excellence Awards program, a 50th Reunion Class dinner, and a re-dedication of the Delta Psi Brothers’ room. Parent and student activities like UVM Fest and the Catamount Family Brunch took place around campus. And there was plenty of opportunity for alumni, parents, and students alike to connect and enjoy good times at perennial favorites such as the UVM a capella concert and Soul Food Social. Still more events unfolded in and around downtown, including Oktoberfest at the Burlington Waterfront and numerous class gatherings at favorite Church Street haunts. Crisp temperatures and sunny skies were the perfect complement to another celebration to remember.

42 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

SALLY MCCAY AND IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09

RESIDENTIAL REVOLUTION A CIRCLE OF PIONEERS of UVM residential learning, alumni of the late sixties/early seventies Experimental Program, got the band back together on Alumni Weekend 2016. Bold, radical, quirky, visionary, all of the above—the Experimental Program was the immediate precursor to Living/Learning and the continued growth and diversification of residential learning at UVM for decades to follow. Paula Cope ’75 G’83 is among the program alumni who helped lead the EP reunion effort. Cope, founder and head of Cope & Associates organizational consulting firm, recalls the societal landscape in which the Experimental Program took shape. “The environment overall was very positive during very negative times. The program started right after men landed on the moon. We were there during the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon, the draft, the energy crisis, Kent State, Nixon’s resignation, and the Beatles’ break up,” she says. Created in 1968 as the brainchild of the late Professor Bill Daniels, the program was very much a product of the era. The venerable Richard Sugarman, professor of religion, first came to campus as a part-time teacher in the Experimental Program. “People would always ask us, ‘Well, what’s the nature of the experiment?’” Sugarman recalls. “I would say, ‘Every day.’” Relatively free-form in terms of curriculum and grades, the Experimental Program seemingly ran with that freedom and a group of highly motivated, liberal-minded students who were more than happy to take the path wherever higher education done differently might lead. One example: The Dawn Seminar. As Sugarman describes it, we envision a land long ago and far away, a place where the students in Coolidge Hall awoke at dawn to the cry of a rooster named Kelvin; then, bleary-eyed, assembled for a lecture. “Six o’clock in the morning, we would have a presenter come in and speak about a subject,

which would be discussed for the next several days in all classes, at all times, carrying over into the dining halls,” Sugarman says. “I think it was incredibly effective.” Gary Cowan G’73 was a master’s student in history when Professor Daniels recruited him to live in residence in the Experimental Program and teach a seminar. He would eventually become administrative assistant, under Professor Jon Fackler, Daniels’s successor as EP director. “I can say it was, for me personally, an unbelievably challenging and once-in-a-lifetime experience that has stayed with me through all these years,” says Cowan, who built a long, successful career first with E.J. Gallo and then more broadly in the wine industry. “Though I’m no longer in the academic world, the values, ideas, and cultural experiences gained in the Experimental Program have enhanced my life in the world of wine immeasurably.” As Paula Cope reflects on her undergraduate years, she says, “The Experimental Program was an act of courage for UVM. It was a demonstration of the university’s willingness to try something different when different might not have been the easiest path or the most well-respected.” FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

CLASS NOTES Life beyond graduation

“

It’s been a long road since UVM. Quit school in 1967 and entered the Army. Rose through the ranks to become an officer. Decorated for valor in Vietnam. Returned to UVM in 1970 and graduated in 1972. Went to law school and started my own law firm which ran for 34 years and am now retired. Just finished up my first novel, To Mock a Coloring Book, this August. Back in Burlington this fall to see my grandson and pander my book.” —Howard Hibbard, Class of '72

The Soul Food Social is a perennial highlight of Alumni Weekend for current students and grads returning to campus. The line forms on the steps of the historic Billings Library.

33-64

Green & Gold Reunion October 6-8, 2017

If you are interested in planning your upcoming reunion, email alumni@uvm.edu. Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09

Fortunately, I heard from Daan Zwick this week, which helped me to remember it was time for another column. Daan was choosing the courses he will be taking this fall at the Osher Life-long Learning Institute. He reports that he continues to write and to volunteer. He tries to walk each day as well. He sadly communicates that he lost his wife to cancer earlier this year. We offer him the heartfelt condolences of his classmates. His three children are a great source of pleasure. He mentioned that his daughter, Melanie, is celebrating her 66th birthday with a climb of the Grand Teton in Wyoming. I would definitely conclude that she is a “chip off the old block.” Patty Pike Halleck is now at the Meadows in Rutland recuperating from a knee replacement. I had lunch recently with Patty and Mary Beth Davis Bloomer at The Gables where Mary Beth resides. What fun for us to be together. I also saw Lucy Pike Anderson who lives there as well. She is as pretty as ever. I also heard from Kathy Walker ’66, the daughter of Kay Benson and Reggie White, both of whom are deceased. Kathy has an affinity for our class since she recognizes more names in my column than in that of her own class. I forwarded her letter to Daan who remembers Kathy’s parents well. He recalled her mother as a tall, beautiful girl whom he escorted to a dance his freshman year. Daan characterized her dad, Reggie, as a real Vermonter, an agricultural student at UVM who was a member, along with Daan, of the cross country team coached by Archie Post ’27. Daan and Kathy enjoyed communicating with one another. Arnold Becker writes, “Ruth Spiwak ’42 and I met at UVM 78 years ago. We married 73 years ago and now enjoy four children, ten granddaughters, five grandsons and nearly six great-grandchildren.” I hope to hear from some more of our classmates in the coming weeks...or their children. Send your news to— June Hoffman Dorion Maples, Apt.114, 3 General Wing Road Rutland, VT 05701 junedorion@gmail.com

Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

Send your news to— Mrs. Harriet Bristol Saville 468 Church Road, #118 Colchester, VT 05446 hattiesaville@comcast.net

Send your news to— Louise Jordan Harper 15 Ward Avenue

South Deerfield, MA 01373 louisejordanharper@gmail.com

48 49

UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes Malcolm Severance has completed his book, A Pursuit of Excellence, A History of the University of Vermont School of Business Administration. It is available online at www.UVMBusinessSchoolBook.com. Martha Wood Sullivan, who lives in Jamesport, New York, stopped to visit Jane Atwood Barlow at Kendall in Hanover, New Hampshire, on her way to visit Gladys Clark Severance in Colchester, Vermont. The three women shared UVM Class of 1949 summers as counselors at YWCA Camp Hochelaga in South Hero, Vermont, and graduate school at Cornell University in the Student Dean program. Send your news to— Gladys Clark Severance 2179 Roosevelt Highway Colchester, VT 05446 severance@bsad.uvm.edu

Our class reunion in October 2015 was shared with that of several other early classes of students who graduated in a year ending in five or zero. The few of us from our class who attended sat at a table together, chatted about what we were doing now and reminisced. Thinking that 1950 was a very long time ago, I was awed to meet and chat with several still very involved and active women who were in the class of 1940. Even though they were attending the gathering in wheelchairs, they told me about their volunteer work in their respective communities. What an inspiration! Doris Fafunwa writes, “Hello everyone! I am so glad to come from Lagos, Nigeria (where I have been privileged to live for the last 60 years) to visit family and friends here in U.S. In July I attended my 70th North Bennington high school reunion. Ours was a small class and there were just four of us who made it but it was fun also meeting up with others in the high school as well. Although I am sad that UVM Reunion is no longer held in the summer while I am here, I send warm greetings to any who may remember me and would delight to hear from you. My email is dfafunwa@yahoo.com. My son, Tunde, visits Lagos occasionally and brings mail from 2709 Stemwell Boulevard, North Chesterfield, VA 22323.” Mary Del Bianco shared the sad news that her husband, Henry Del Bianco, passed away on February 18, 2016. A Rutland native, Henry attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy before attending UVM on an ROTC scholarship. He served in the Army Corps of Engineers for three years after graduation and was discharged in 1954. He spent his career in engineering with Page Engineering. He married his wife, Nancy, in 1955 and had five children. A variety of family and work commitments led to Henry living and working in 26 countries located on every continent of the planet, including Antarctica! After

UVM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

GREEN

GOLD

Connecting alumni ages 60+ alumni.uvm.edu/ getinvolved/affinity

his retirement in 1989, Henry and Nancy returned to Rutland where he spent the next 26 years, skiing, golfing, and traveling. Send your news to— Hedi Stoehr Ballantyne 20 Kent Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 hedi.ballantyne@gmail.com

Send your news to— Valerie Meyer Chamberlain 52 Crabapple Drive Shelburne, VT 05482 valchamber@aol.com

Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

Lynn A. Davis writes, “It is with much sadness that I report the passing of a good friend, brother Sigma Nu, and roommate Dr. Mark Margiotta. He passed away on April 17, 2016. Mark was a 1953 undergraduate and graduated from the UVM School of Medicine in 1957. He will forever be in the hearts of his loving and devoted wife, Pam, children and grandchildren.” Robert “Bob” Woodworth writes, “My wife, Marilyn Pratt ’52 passed away October 17, 2015 from ALS. This summer I have been paddling with Dragon Heart Vermont with great benefit to my general health.” Send your news to— Nancy Hoyt Burnett 729 Stendhal Lane, Cupertino, CA 95014

Matthew Baigell’s The Implacable Urge to Defame: Cartoon Jews in the American Press, 1877-1935 (Syracuse University Press) will be published in 2017. Chuck Perkins writes, “Hi Class of 1954! Wow, that is a long time ago! Most of us are in our eighties now, and that is scary. I check the obits every day to make sure I am still alive. Jann and I just returned from a 17-day cruise from Santiago, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, around Cape Horn. We have been to Antarctica twice, and it is a fun and intriguFA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| CLASS NOTES ing part of the world. We also just spent a little time in Naples, Florida, and on Marco Island, where we own several condos. Southwest Florida is our favorite part of Florida. However, we still ski, so this past winter we spent some quality ski days in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. We opened the Alpine Shop in South Burlington in 1963, and we ran it for 30 years until our children took it over. The Alpine Shop is now in its 53rd year, and it is still in its original location. It is one of the oldest ski shops in the United States. We have two children and four grandchildren, and they are all doing well. Our oldest grandson, Max, is heading to Greece in the fall as part of his studies at Northeastern University. We took our two oldest grandchildren on a Mediterranean cruise last year, and Max fell in love with Greece. The big news in our lives is that Jann and I just celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary. We had a big party with over 150 guests at our Stowe house. We rode in on our Harley Davidson motorcycle to the applause of our guests. We also jumped into the swimming pool with our clothes on to the delight of everyone. It was a fun time. No more kids, no divorce, no new job, just enjoying life and taking care of our 40-plus properties. That is job enough. Jann and I just returned from a 12-day Baltic Sea cruise with two of our oldest grandchildren. Max, (18) and Bella (15). We also have Micah, (13), and Mira (11). They have all been on cruises with Gram and Gramps. Our next adventure will be to visit our son in Alaska who is a bush pilot working out of Ketchikan. We lived in Fairbanks, Alaska, at one time, and we visit Alaska every year. I hope everyone is doing well and they will keep in touch. Life is fun. I wish it could go on forever.” Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

Robert Astone ’49, MD’55 passed away on March 13, 2016. At UVM, Robert was a pre-med student, a member of SAE, the varsity tennis team and manager of the ski team. He was accepted at UVM Medical School, class of 1955, where his father also graduated. During medical school, Robert married his first wife, Judith Henderson ’55. Their son, Michael Robert, was born in 1954. After both Robert and Judith graduated in 1955, they moved to California where Bob had an internship and residency at Harbor General Hospital/UCLA, in Torrance. Their daughter, Antonia, was born in 1956 and Jennifer Marie was born in 1962. During his residency, Robert was drafted into the United States Army and spent two years as a captain in the medical corps at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The family returned to California where Bob completed his residency, followed by a fellowship in cardiology under Dr. C.K. Liu. After the fellowship, Bob set up a solo practice in internal medicine and cardiology and was an active member at The Little Company of Mary Hospital and other South Bay hospitals. Robert Astone and C.K.Liu were instrumental in setting up the first cardiac catherization units

46 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

at Little Company of Mary. In the '70s, Robert and Judith divorced. He married Barbara Kennedy, a native of Chicago, Illinois in August 1996, and later retired from cardiology. They moved to La Quinta, where they enjoyed tennis, golf, bridge, friends and family. Dr. Sig Weissbein MD’55, a best friend from UVM medical school, was a desert neighbor, golfing, and card-playing buddy. Helene Widder Chusid shares, “Marilyn Stern Dukoff, Helene Widder Chusid, and Eleanor Robinson Hozid ‘56, enjoyed their annual summer reunion at Marilyn’s home in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. We are looking forward to next summer’s get-together and would love to have other classmates in the Great Barrington area join with us.” Send your news to— Jane Morrison Battles Apt. 125A, 500 East Lancaster Avenue Wayne, PA 19087 janebattles@yahoo.com Hal Lee Greenfader Apt. 1 805 South Le Doux Road Los Angeles, CA 90035 halisco@att.net

Send your news to— Jane K. Stickney 32 Hickory Hill Road Williston, VT 05495 stickneyjanek@gmail.com

G.W. Stevenson writes “Still alive! Still kicking! Still supporting Hillary! Saddened by Obama; Disappointed by Obama.” Len Kreisler writes, “I wrote a book sold on Amazon.com, called In Bed Alone: A Caregiver’s Odyssey. It is estimated that well over one third of the nation (over 100 million and growing) are either directly or indirectly affected by caregiving and advocacy. In Bed Alone makes for a better understanding of psychiatric emotions and behaviors such as anxieties, depression and irrational exuberant manifestations of bipolar disease. Additionally, it covers neurologic diseases affecting movement, cognition and vital senses such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. I welcome comments, discussions and questions and where possible will be happy to appear as a speaker: doctorlenk@gmail.com. Together we can make things better for all of us. Also looking for sponsors of the book and/or partnering.” Mel Dunphy’s books, Young Life Remembered (Help To Memorialize Your Child) and Two Flesh, One Spirit, 10 Kids, 50 Roses (A True Love Story) are available by mail order 4339 Royal Oak Lane, New Port Richey, FL 34653 for $14.94 each and a shipping cost of $3.99 each. Nancy Boden writes, “Herb Boden ’54 and I, along with our daughter, Kim; son-in-law, Franck; grandchildren Alex (16) and Brianna (13) traveled to Southern France, visiting with friends and family of Franck who was born in Paris. Great food, wonderful wines and beautiful scenery. Third time in the last 10 years.” Herb Brown was inducted into the Stony Brook University Athletic Hall of Fame on October 14, 2016.

Brown, a former UVM basketball letterman was the first varsity basketball and baseball coach at Stony Brook. Martin Danoff writes, “I celebrated my 81st birthday and am still practicing law on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. I won the Senior Golf Championship at Fresh Meadow Country Club with a net score of 64. I speak and have dinner with Mark Bernstein, Bob Corshen, and Billy Damsey. My wife Susan is a judge in the Family Court of the State of New York and presides over adoptions, abuse and permanency hearings for teens in foster care. I wish all my classmates good health and peace.” William F. Keeshan, Jr. died peacefully on July 15, 2016 at his home in New London, New Hampshire, surrounded by his loving family. He grew up in Stamford, Connecticut and graduated from the King School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. Following graduation, he was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, serving two years active duty and six years in the active reserves. Over the years, William was active in UVM alumni affairs having served on the executive committee of the Alumni Association and as chairman of the Green & Gold Committee. William spent over thirty years in his business career working in advertising agency account management positions with New York City based firms. After retiring from senior vice president in 1993 with DFM, he joined Becks North America, a long standing client company, as assistant to the president. He retired in 1998. An avid skier and lifelong sailor, he was a 50-year member of the Noroton Yacht Club in Darien, Connecticut and a seven-year member of the Lake Sunapee Yacht Club in Sunapee, New Hampshire. He cherished being out on the water sailing, volunteering on race committee, and skiing at Mt. Sunapee with his family and friends. William used his love of landscaping as an active volunteer of the Fells Historic Estate & Gardens in Newbury, New Hampshire. Before moving to New London, New Hampshire in 2004 to enjoy their retirement in the northeast, he and his wife, Jacqueline Cremen Keeshan, known as “Bunny,” lived in Darien, Connecticut for 45 years where they raised their three daughters. He is remembered for being a man of great faith, a loving and devoted husband, father, and granddad who always put family first. His grandchildren were very fortunate to have enjoyed his love of skiing together over the years as recently as 2015. Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

Carol Frei posted a photo on the Alumni Association website Flickr photo gallery of her and Rudy Frei at an event at John Knox Village in Pompano Beach, Florida, where they live. They have become very involved in promoting continuing care facilities such as the one where they have lived these past four years!” Black Horse Farms, Coxsackie, New York, has been chosen to be a New York State Certified Produce Farm. Lloyd Zimmermann has been

farming there since he graduated from the university. He and his wife, Mary Lou Reedy ’62, are still working. Mary Lou runs the office and Lloyd supervises 800 acres of produce. They have traveled extensively the last 30 years. They spend two months in Puerto Rico each winter and enjoy the beach life. Stephen Rozen writes, “We still summer in Connecticut. Our oldest grandson is entering the University of Alabama; sad to say he turned down UVM. I have to my amazement fully retired and find there is not enough time to do everything. I find that I can also do nothing well. Fifty-sixth year of marriage to the same woman and happy. Still swimming, volunteering and fishing.” Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

I am sorry to announce that our good and loyal friend Durwood “Woody” Montgomery died May 7, 2016, after a long illness. Woody, who grew up in Richford, Vermont, was a Delta Psi and an active member of his class. Graduating with an ROTC commission, he served two years as an Army Lieutenant at Fort Hood, Texas. Married 56 years to his wife, Sandy, Woody worked until his retirement in 1990 for Bell of Pennsylvania, later Bell Atlantic (now Verizon). Twelve years thereafter he served his community at Mount Holly. An avid golfer and skier, Woody was the complete gentleman for four years at UVM, during military service, in the world of busi-

ness, and as an active member of his community. Brian Scales writes, “I am writing to inform UVM of the passing of Sally Buxton Scales of Spring Hill (Silverthorne), on Thursday, August 25, 2016, at Bayonet Point Hospital. Sally earned a BA in Education-Single Subjects at UVM. She then worked for a short time in New York and New Haven before marrying former high school boyfriend, Ronald Scales, on September 10, 1960. At this point she became the prototypical Army Officer Wife as they fulfilled 20 years of military service in Germany, Alaska, the United States, and through his tours in Vietnam. Sally became a mother in 1961 when Brian was born and again in 1963 with the birth of Karen. After retirement from the military life she worked 21 years for Civil Service in Base Contracting Offices at both Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and Camp Butler in Okinawa, Japan. Sally and her late husband, Ron, retired to Spring Hill from Jacksonville, North Carolina, in 1998. Send your news to— Henry Shaw, Jr. 112 Pebble Creek Road, Columbia, SC 29223 hshaw@sc.rr.com

After over 50 years, three former UVM fraternity roommates: Robert Meshel, Ira Efron and Jimmy Baum had an impromptu reunion in New York City. It was a wonderful meeting and like no time had ever passed. Hazel Keimowitz writes, “My husband Robert I. Keimowitz, a graduate of both the undergraduate and medical schools, passed

away on March 25, 2016.” Dr. Keimowitz was born in Middletown, New York, and went to the Washington, D.C. area in 1967. He was a kidney specialist at the National Institutes of Health and a surgeon with the United States Public Health Service before joining George Washington University’s medical school faculty in 1970. He directed the admissions office and was associate dean for student affairs before becoming dean of the medical school. As dean, he led efforts to revamp the admissions process and curriculum. He became an emeritus professor in 2003. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Keimowitz maintained a clinical practice at the university, focused on internal medicine and geriatric medicine. He lived in the District for many years before moving to Chevy Chase, Maryland. He leaves behind his wife, Hazel and their two daughters, Jessica Keimowitz and Alison Spodek. Harold Reed wrote to tell us about the passing of his father, Frank W. Reed, Jr. Frank was born on March 8, 1933 in White River Junction, Vermont. After graduating from Hartford High School, Frank enlisted in the Marine Corps where he severed as a radar technician during the Korean War. Frank married Marilyn Sleeper, the love of his life and high school sweetheart, while in the Marine Corps. Frank returned to Vermont following his military service where he attended UVM and received a degree in electrical engineering. He joined Sanders Associates where he worked on top secret projects for NASA and the United States military. He received two patents for those efforts. In 1965 Frank joined IBM in Essex Junction, Vermont,

Creative Community

Imagine dining each night with your neighbors who are writers, musicians, professors, activists, and artists. These are just some of the people who live at Wake Robin. Be part of a community that dances, debates, paints, writes and publishes, works with computers, practices carpentry and makes music. Live the life you choose—in a vibrant lifecare community. We’re happy to tell you more. Visit our website or give us a call. Ask us about The Maple Project -- our exciting expansion plan -- or schedule a visit. 802.264.5100 / wakerobin.com

2 0 0 WA K E R O B I N D R I V E , S H E L B U R N E , V E R M O N T

| CLASS NOTES

| CLASS NOTES where he was involved in the design and testing of computer memory components for 27 years. He retired in 1992 and spent the next 24 years playing duplicate bridge, gardening, traveling, and spending time with his family. After the passing of his wife, he was fortunate to find love again in his companion of the last 11 years, Alberta Clokey. Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

61 Emeriti Couple Urge Scholarship Support

t needs doing, and it has such incredible impact for a relatively small investment,” says James G. Welch, emphatically, of the scholarship his friends and former students established to honor his distinguished thirty-year teaching and research career at the University of Vermont. What needs doing, according to Welch, is for others to contribute to scholarships at UVM and support the university’s Move Mountains campaign priority of making a UVM education accessible and affordable for students. James G. and Lorraine M. Welch are both emeriti faculty members at UVM, Lorraine having devoted thirty-one years to teaching in the university’s nursing programs after practicing as a registered nurse for many years. She completed her doctorate in education at UVM in 1994. Both of the Welches now have endowed scholarships established in their names, an honor Lorraine describes, with obvious emotion, as “overwhelming.” The couple hope that alumni and friends will contribute to either the James G. Welch Scholarship Fund to support Vermont students in the College of

Agriculture and Life Sciences, or to the Lorraine M. Welch Scholarship Fund to support Vermont students in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Or, establish a named fund of your own, they urge. The James G. Welch Scholarship in CALS has grown steadily over the years. Twenty-three students have been awarded this scholarship, going back to the 1999-2000 academic year. A total of $82,125 has been awarded from the fund, with another $12,000 to be awarded in 2016-2017. The first awards from Lorraine’s scholarship will be made this year. Both of the Welches are enthusiastic about the UVM Foundation and its stewardship of the funds. “The principal keeps growing, and the payout continues. It’s just marvelous,” James says. The Welches clearly relish the opportunity to meet with the students receiving scholarship support and have warm stories to share about each of them. “It’s hard to believe that just the little bit the scholarship gives people makes any difference, but clearly it does,” James says.

For information on including the University of Vermont in your estate plan, contact Donna Burke, Office of Gift Planning The University of Vermont Foundation 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401-3411 PHONE: 802-656-3402 FAX: 802-656-8678 E-MAIL: donna.burke@uvm.edu

48 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

AuthorHouse published Joseph Buley’s second book Genealogy for Joseph R. and Geraldine A. (Greenwood) Buley on July 31. It is the story of his FrenchIrish ancestors and why they emigrated to Vermont. It correlates his ancestors’ time periods to the social, economic, and political conditions in which they lived. Of particular interest is his greatgrandfather John’s service in the Civil War, Company G, Vermont 2nd Infantry Regiment. Google “Joseph R. Buley, books” to read a free sample. Louise Weiner, our class president reports: “Thanks to everyone who attended our 55th reunion on the weekend of September 23rd! The campus was really humming with reunions, Parents Weekend and lots of green and gold. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with classmates and friends, see all the changes on campus, especially the beautifully restored historic Alumni House. We now look forward to our 60th... can you believe it?” Nancy Miller Kimball is entering her 15th year of caring for orphaned and injured wildlife and is a founding member of North Country Wild Care, a network of home-based rehabilitators. During this time, she has taken in chipmunks, squirrels, opossums, woodchucks, porcupines, foxes, songbirds and raptors. Her non-releasable owls, hawk, and kestrel accompany her to community education programs. Nancy’s recently published book Possums to Porcupines: The Wild Life of an Adirondack Rehabilitator tells of the satisfaction, perils, and comedy of caring for these creatures at home. For additional information regarding her book, contact Nancy by email (nmkimball@live.com) or go to her website: www.possumstoporcupines.com. Carole Demas reports, “Not sure how this happened, but I am in full gear, working more and more. I sang last night in “Broadway Originals” a show at 54 Below, a major venue in New York City. I will always be grateful for the opportunity arranged for me at our 50th reunion. Most likely, I would not otherwise have returned to UVM. It was a joy to see people, to sing for you, and to learn about so many changes that had happened at UVM over the many decades since I was last there. It was simply amazing!” Martin Sonkin writes, “Still enjoying independent living at Moorings Park continual care retirement community in beautiful Naples, Florida. Come visit y’all. sonmar2011@aol.com.” Tom Hackett shares, “Finally retired last August. My back limits my golf so I have begun woodcarving. We still travel, but are now limited to the United States and Canada. Still enjoying our mountain home in Show Low, Arizona, at 5,600 feet. Life is good!!” Caroline Braun

ANDY DUBACK

Leone says, “Only news is nothing is happening which is good; no one has hit the emergency room; children and grandchildren are healthy; since we can’t travel, family is coming to visit us; gardens are blooming and producing; life is good.” Kay-Frances Mingolla Wardrope responded, “Still going back and forth to San Francisco to be with my son and his family. Was thrilled to cruise the Greek Islands last fall. Always looking for a travel partner, still have Africa and the South Seas on my bucket list.” Fran Berlin Grossman writes, “I’m living at the beach in Corolla, North Carolina, and continue to be active in retirement. I am currently president of Friends of the Corolla Library. In addition, I write the newsletter for the Jewish Community of the Outer Banks, and sit on the board of the Home Owners Association. I am chairperson for my 60th high school reunion.” Joseph Furgal reported that he spent over 36 years with the Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America where he headed the Field Training and Special Events Department. Since retirement in 2002, he has provided consulting, meeting and training services, seminars and workshops for a variety of clients nationwide. He is also a part-time workshop/course facilitator/instructor at Berkshire Community College and is a practicing realtor. He served on the Board of Directors of the Country Club of Pittsfield (president for three years), and on the Porchlight Visiting Nurse Association’s Board (vice chair). He enjoys golf, model railroading, gardening, the outdoors, and reading in his leisure time. He lives in Lee, Massachusetts, and has a married daughter, Tobey Ann, and four granddaughters. At press time in August, Roger Zimmerman was planning to go to our reunion by bicycle from his home in Maine. His news, “Lynne and I are guiding a trip to Glacier National Park this August. It’s her sixth year leading the trip — she lets me come along to carry heavy loads and regale our clients with tall stories. I’m still working, but have cut way back as I’ve gotten more involved with ski guiding. I will also be working with local Democrats to try and make certain the guy with the hair and the big mouth doesn’t get elected.” Paul Murphy shared a picture on the Alumni Association website of a sign in Jackman, Maine, showing Lou Hronek ’60 who lives in Florida, but came to Maine last fall to hunt, when he bagged a 220-lb. buck. Paul says, “I’m pleased to remain in contact with Lou Hronek ’60, Al Peterson ’60, and particularly Bill Mooza ’60 and Pete Weiss ’63 who summers in Kennebunkport.” Connie Paulding emailed: “My husband and I are in Salt Lake City, Utah, for five months with the family. Good fun for us for sure. I am trying to create a garden, but the soil here is a far cry from New England. It is clay and really tough to add good soil. We sold our sailboat eight years ago after 25 years of adventure sailing her. We loved the sailing and were sad to sell it. We’ll be back to Florida as snowbirds for the winter.” And from your class scribe, Louise and I also enjoyed the Reunion. We were recently back from a 10-day hike in Austria and Switzerland and are now looking ahead to the winter snows for some skiing in Stowe. Our next big venture is a ski trip to Lech, Austria and Davos, Switzerland planned for February.

Send your news to— Steve Berry 8 Oakmount Circle, Lexington, MA 02420 steveberrydhs@gmail.com

Retired and living in Arizona, Jay Kendall has published his second novel, Flypaper Dreams. Like his first book, The Secret Keepers, this story is set in a fictitious version of his home town in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Marge Coleman Berg loves travelling, has been fortunate to have been to all seven continents, and has already looked into the 2017, 55th reunion, so as not to book a conflicting trip with our travel agent, Elaine Orol Pesky, who still works in an excellent agency, Pro Travel, in New York City. I have made a promise to myself to attend each forthcoming reunion,” writes Marge. “The 50th was wonderful and hope many fellow classmates will attend. Attended the UVM Christmas party this past year with Elaine Orol Pesky, Sandy Schindlinger Haftel, and Marion Gang Banks, and also in touch with Roanne Bocker Katcher. I am retired and spend time being a grandmother, seeing friends and helping out in several charities, in addition to taking advantage of the many theater, ballet, philharmonic, lecture programs, etc. in New York City.” Send your news to— Patricia Hoskiewicz Allen 14 Stony Brook Drive, Rexford, NY 12148 traileka@aol.com

Dear classmates, fifty-seven years ago, we most likely packed up all that we thought was important to us, stuffed it in our parents’ auto and left home for our first year of college at the University of Vermont. Since then, we began and ended careers, maybe marriages too, had children and now probably have more than one grandchild, who is thinking about college and looking at our university. Along the way, we celebrated our 50th reunion and mourned classmates who were our friends and who impacted our lives during and after our four years at UVM. These are my thoughts as the warm August days begin to look and feel like autumn, a time for glorious colors, crisp air, and possibilities. Although I tell myself, “live every minute in the moment,” I find I need to remind myself of that more often. Unfortunately, those are the times when I learn of the illnesses or loss of someone I know. For example, I received news from Luther Conant, ’67, Sigma Nu, that his brother, our classmate, James B. Conant, Sigma Nu, passed away from liver failure with his three children, sister and Luther at his side. James resided in Jupiter, Florida. I also learned that a family member of my deceased husband, Robert Walsh ’63, is looking for photos or memories of his brother, Jack Walsh and Jack’s wife, Johanna. All three lived together in Burlington in 1959. If you have any information, please contact Darcy Swenson, Youngstown, NY, 716-628-9478; daswesnon64@ gmail.com. I continue to work on the international Latin ballroom techniques required for a competitive ballroom dancer! That is, when I’m not playing golf or going to the beach; or hiking, biking and ski-

ing in Colorado with family and friends! Hope to hear from you! George Fortier writes, “Retired 12 years and now living in Idaho with my wife of 49 years, Helena. We wanted to be near our daughter and family. Have joined The Ski Club — Spend Kids’ Inheritance.” Frank Pagliaro writes, “I continue to practice law in California and New York and enjoy part-time public service such as having served as mayor of the city that I live in, which is about 20 minutes south of San Francisco. My wife and I greatly enjoy traveling and this year we went to Cuba and next January we are headed for Cambodia and Vietnam. We are blessed with four grandchildren and my wife, a retired kindergarten teacher, spends a considerable amount of time with the two girls and two boys. We try to visit Vermont once a year since our good friend Ged Deming ’64 has a vacation home in Stowe and a brother-in-law just purchased a home in Dorset.” Send your news to— Toni Citarella Mullins 210 Conover Lane, Red Bank, NJ 07701 tonicmullins@verizon.net

Another summer on Lake Champlain is coming to an end. I hope all your summers went as well as ours did. Doug Barrett and Sally Dewey Barrett ’65 had another wonderful winter in Jupiter, Florida. They enjoyed biking, walking, the beach, golf, and good times with friends, Jack Nugent and Trish Nugent, who visited for a long weekend. There was

Working Together for a Better Community The University of Vermont and the Residence at Shelburne Bay are successfully collaborating to bring unique benefits to the University, our residents, their families, and the community at large.

Independent & Assisted Living and Reflections Memory Care

185 Pine Haven Shores Road Shelburne, VT 05482 802-923-2513 residenceshelburnebay.com

| CLASS NOTES lots of laughing, and sharing of memories of their days at UVM. Doug celebrated his 75th birthday in April with friends and more laughter. The Barretts have a grandson, Drew Simeon ’19, who finished his first year at UVM. He had a great year on the lacrosse team as a defenseman and did very well. Drew’s younger sister is starting at UVM now in the School of Nursing. Doug has returned to UVM on three occasions this past year and had a great time. He looks forward to more visits. The Barretts’ eleven grandchildren are growing fast. Three are in their twenties, seven are teenagers, one is ten. Five are in college. I had a wonderful visit with Susan Weatherby Engbrecht and her husband, Ron, last May at their home in Italy near Aviano Air Force Base. We also have seen Bob Pasco and Norman Bohn here at our camp. Sadly, we have lost more classmates this past year as you have read in the In Memoriam. Susan Nygard writes, “UVM lost a great alum and teacher in July. Marion Brown Thorpe —”Miss B.” to those of us in Home Economics Education. I spent some time at our 50th reunion. We remained friends from the time of graduation until her death. A lesson plan from a great educator: live life to the fullest. She did. Thank you ‘Miss B.’!” Jane Butler shares, “I work and love my job at the Pentagon as the nurse case manager and HEDIS representative. My husband retired last year but volunteers as an internist at my clinic a few days a month.” Diane Germain writes, “Sometime after the last Class of 1964 Reunion, I got a letter from a freshman-year friend, Dick Kohn. We exchanged several letters with vivid memories of our serious classes and of the fun times at Phi Sigma Delta on Fern Hill. His roommates were Barry Freeman and Larry Koff, both of whom I remember from the group of friends we socialized with. Dick Kohn and his wife, Brenda French Kohn are enjoying travel and riding horses after years of political and legal work for the betterment of many. I recounted my adventures as a volunteer archivist with several archives in San Diego and Los Angeles including also, the Winooski Historical Society, which collects stories of the famous New England Woolen Mills on the mighty Winooski River and the people of the area. He was happy to hear that I donated a hardwood fraternity paddle from those days to the UVM Special Collections after protecting it for about 52 years. There are no friends like old college friends.” Please take time to drop a note about special events in your lives. Susan Griesenbeck Barber 1 Oak Hill Road, P.O. Box 63 Harvard, MA 01451 suebarber@verizon.net

Ken Sausville passed away in March, 2016. He was a member of the original UVM varsity hockey team of ‘63’64. Ken received 29 CLEO awards for excellence during his many years in advertising, and was an avid antiques collector. Denise Plunkett Weiss shared that Ralph P. D’Altilia died June 24, 2015. He lived in Coral Springs, Florida. He was class vice president, an outstanding Basketball Hall of Famer while at UVM, and more. Janet Rector Chioffi and

50 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

David F. Chioffi of Weston, Vermont, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June. Attending the surprise anniversary dinner were bridesmaids and classmates Patricia Russell and Barbara Ernst. Frank Foerster visited Larry Schonbrun ’66 in Berkeley. Former dorm mates, they enjoyed a fine Italian meal and attended a more enjoyable Warriors basketball game. Howard Lapidow, is retired from Veterans Administration Dental Service and lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife of 47 years, Donna Drabkin Lapidow. Sam “Skip” Laufer writes, “Best wishes to my classmates. I’m still working full time as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. All four kids are grown up and out of the house. Only one grandkid, but hoping for more. My wife, Barbara, and I enjoy being grandparents and enjoy living at the Jersey Shore.” Ellen Wachtel writes, “My husband and I are still very engaged in our careers and so far, neither of us have any wish to retire. I have another book for therapists coming out this fall, The Heart of Couple Therapy: Knowing What to Do and How to Do It.” Albert Pristaw has been a practicing optometrist in the Northeast for 46 years. Currently he is partially retired, enjoying fly fishing and canoeing in small ponds. He is blessed by two children, Joshua (40) and Dara (38). He has four delightful grandchildren, Charlie (5), Oscar (3), Finley (4) and Wheeler (10 months). Albie regards his years at UVM as a high point in life and keeps in touch with his friends from those years. I, recently published a book, While I Remember To Tell You, This Is Who I Am, which explores the ways seniors can age with control and dignity even as they may become less independent. The book provides an opportunity for all to express their preferences and to explain who they really are. Send your news to— Colleen Denny Hertel 14 Graystone Circle, Winchester, MA 01890 colleenhertel@hotmail.com

Richard C. Dailey writes, “Still practicing law, enjoying golf with my twin sons and teaching my three grandsons (fourth grandson on the way).” Stephan Schulte posted a photo on the Alumni Association website, Flickr photo gallery from his trip to Paris in 2007 with Daniel Goldberg ’67, Howard Goldberg, and Roy Zuckerman ’67. Sandra Elstein Feuerstein writes, “Since 1987, four of our class, who, as freshmen met at Patterson Hall, have been caring and sharing friends. We have rejoiced and mourned, sympathized and empathized with each other through marriages, careers, births, divorce and funerals. Each year we take a ‘break’ and travel together to a (usually) relaxing venue. It has been a source of renewal of our spirits and our friendship. Although we cannot make the Reunion due to prior commitments, Sara Wilk Mercer, Marcy Dober Gollinger and Helen Chafetz Frank and I would love to hear from classmates who may remember us and want to get in touch.” Marge Coleman Berg ’62 writes, “I was fortunate to attend the graduation weekend, in May 2015, where UVM did an amazing job hosting us since my brother, Dr. Norm Coleman, received an

Honorary Doctor of Science degree. Norm received this well-deserved honor for his incredible achievements in radiation therapy and oncology. We are so proud of this honor and his many other accomplishments and awards in his field, in addition to being a terrific athlete who has participated in a number of Ironman competitions. He has, for the past number of years, been working on establishing the International Cancer Expert Corps, along with Larry Roth ‘67 and many others. The mission of this not-for profit, non-government organization is to fill in the shortfalls in cancer care in the lower-middle income countries and also in geographically underserved regions in upper income countries such as indigenous populations.” Peter Mulford shares, “Finally retired! Third time’s a charm. We’ll see. Come visit Betty and me in eastern West Virginia, along I-81, if you travel this way. Check out ‘Friendship Force International’ for a club near you. A great way to travel and stay with new friends around the world! We’re just back from our longest time away in Belgium, Germany, and Russia. Always good to be home!” Send your news to— Kathleen Nunan McGuckin 416 San Nicolas Way, St Augustine, FL 32080 kkmcguckin@prodigy.net

50th Reunion October 6-8, 2017

Richard Langs writes, “Getting ready to publish a new book about one of the East Bay Regional Park District’s first properties called Tilden Regional Park – Queen of the Regional Parks. Family, history, golf and travel—life is good!” Send your news to— Jane Kleinberg Carroll 44 Halsey Street, Apt. 3, Providence, RI 02906 jane.carroll@cox.net

Send your news to— Diane Duley Glew 23 Franklin Street 2 Wheeler Farm, Westerly, RI 02891 ddglew@gmail.com

Rick Farnham shares that Paul Simpson and his wife, Michelle, joined Rick Farnham and his wife, Diane Manteufel Farnham ‘73, as they took in the early practice rounds at this year’s Masters at Augusta National in Georgia. Rick and Diane made a stop on the way in Williamsburg, Virginia, and played some golf at the King’s Mill Resort. He writes, “Great weather then we returned to Vermont and 30 degrees! Retirement life is great!” Send your news to— Mary Moninger-Elia 1 Templeton Street, West Haven, CT 06516 Melia1112@comcast.net

Hi, Classmates. I’m starting off with a bittersweet update from my old friend Dick “Mule” Mullany who contacted me to say he and wife Nancy Bathgate

Mullany ’69, G’00, another UVM classmate, have moved to the Sedona/Flagstaff area of Arizona. Nancy, unfortunately, is in the final stages of the dreaded Alzheimers disease and has close-by family in Arizona. Dick mentioned that he knows no one out there—so anyone in that area, please contact Mule at riverrunmykiss@gmail.com. Gratefully, he and Nancy have been visited by close friends and classmates Bart Frisbie and Paulette Kandra Frisbie ’71 and Neil MacKey and his wife, Kathy Pratt MacKey. What a fabulous group of friends for all these years. I love them all and hope and pray for the very best for Nancy. Nat Bacon shares, “Still alive and well, living on Molokai and building homes in this rural paradise. Still swim a lot and often wonder whatever became of the other swim team members... anyone out there?” Maxine Shaw Cohen co-authored Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction, 6th edition. This textbook is used in many college courses in human-computer interaction, nationally as well as internationally. March was a busy time here in Naples. Had visits from lots of UVMers including Jeff Kuhman ’68 and Joanne Kuhman ’68, Ron Tice ’69 and wife Mary. Tad Ebling and his wife, Gail, and also Sandy Luckenbill and his wife, Julie. My old roommate from Denver, Walt Kelly, stopped by on his way to Boca Grande. We had a great day of golf with Walt, George Kreiner and me. Of course, Kelly, who claims to never play, cleaned out our wallets. Walt, a fabulous athlete and great guy, still looks fit and conditioned. While he and George exchanged fitness and training tips, I mentioned the best place in Naples for milkshakes. Later in the season, Lynne Kreiner stayed with us for some R&R and escape from the Buffalo winter. On a personal note, I don’t remember if I discussed this before (love getting old!), I started an airport shuttle business down here and we transport people from Naples, Marco Island, Fort Myers areas to any airport/seaport in Florida. So far it has been a lot of fun and keeps me busy. However, I do find time to play golf 2-3 times a week, which is plenty for me, and to also get out on the water by boat occasionally. Barbara and I are pretty active and her golf game is coming back. Haven’t heard from the rest of you folks in a while—contact me with any news that is fit for VQ. Send your news to— Douglas Arnold 11608 Quail Village Way, Naples, FL 34119 darnold@arnold-co.com

Debby Ryan Keefe writes, “I retired from my career as a clinical nurse specialist in mental health nursing in 2013. Since then my husband and I have been traveling to Alaska and last summer to Europe. We have two sons and two grandsons. Would love to hear from old classmates at debkeefejr@aol.com.” Carl Korman writes, “Just visited UVM and can’t get over the wonderful diversity and expansion that has taken place. It makes one feel proud to see that your alma mater has grown in such a positive way. However, an area of great disappointment was to see the Old Mill cornerstone, placed in

1825 by General Lafayette, with his name and date inscribed on it, eroding away. Nothing has been done to protect this historic moment of the school, which will soon be weathered beyond recognition. Perhaps the university has been so focused on its new growth, it has overlooked a most significant monument to its past.” David K. Pierce writes, “I am starting my 43rd year as a physics teacher at Tabor Academy in Marion Massachusetts. I have just been given the David K. Pierce Endowed Chair of Mathematics and Science. I send my fellow 1971 classmates best wishes.” Send your news to— Sarah Wilbur Sprayregen 145 Cliff Street, Burlington, VT 05401 sarah.sprayregen@uvm.edu

now retired. Just finished up my first novel, To Mock a Coloring Book, this August. Back in Burlington this fall to see my grandson and pander my book.” Arn Rubinoff, Atlanta attorney and adjunct professor in the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech, was the recipient of the 2015-2016 Dean George C. Griffin Georgia Tech Faculty of the Year Award. This award is selected from the faculty of all six of the colleges at Georgia Tech. Arn Rubinoff has in previous years been awarded Professor of the Year and Lecturer of the Year in the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. Rubinoff teaches undergraduate and MBA level courses on technology transfer, international business, law for entrepreneurs, business law, and business ethics. Ken Potter and Claudette Potter have retired and now live in the downtown area of San Diego. Their retirement jobs: ushers for the San Diego Padres. Jack Arute was inducted to the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame this fall. Arute, of New Britain, Connecticut, went from the family-owned Stafford Motor Speedway to a position as one of America’s premier broadcast journalists. He spent nine years with the Motor Racing Network and over 20 years as part of the Indianapolis 500 broadcast team. The University of Vermont graduate won acclaim for a “pull no punches” style of reporting throughout his career. Steven “Hemi” Himelfarb writes, “Contact me on Facebook 1971/72. We’re not getting any younger!” Send your news to— Debbie Koslow Stern 198 Bluebird Drive, Colchester, VT 05446 debra.stern@uvm.edu

Dave Clark writes, “Sold the Glidden Tavern in New Hampshire and my wife and I retired to Cape Cod where we met in 1972. I’m now president of the New Horizons Band of Cape Cod. Playing euphonium with them and with the Harwich Town Band. In my spare time I am racing my catboat on Pleasant Bay, playing some golf, kayaking, and volunteering with the Dennis Historical Society and the Commercial Recreational Association for Better Shell fishing. Who said retirement is boring?” Howard Hibbard shares, “It’s been a long road since UVM. Quit school in 1967 and entered the Army. Rose through the ranks to become an officer. Decorated for valor in Vietnam. Returned to UVM in 1970 and graduated in 1972. Went to law school and started my own law firmPillsbury_SouthOpenHouse_Sept_4.5x4.45.pdf which ran for 34 years and am

9/22/15

3:33 PM

Independence with the Support You Need in a Warm Residential Setting

Offering a High Level of Assisted Care Services that include: Offering a High Level of Assisted Care Services that include: · Integrated Early-Stage Dementia Supports · Respite Stays · Integrated Early-Stage Dementia Supports · Hospice · Respite Stays · Diabetic Care Program for · Hospice Insulin-Dependent Diabetics ·· Diabetic CareCare Program for 24/7 Nursing Insulin-Dependent Diabetics · Three Home-Cooked Meals Daily · 24/7 Nursing Care · Exercise Classes, Outings, Social Events, · Three Home-Cooked Meals Daily and More! · Exercise Classes, Outings, Social Events, and More!

CMY

Call to schedule a personal visit:

802-861-3750

Visit our web site: pillsburyseniorcommunities.com Visit our Independent Living at Allenwood and Harborview! 20 Harborview Road, South Burlington

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| CLASS NOTES

Andrew Miller writes, “I was elected into AOA the National Medical Honor Society. Still doing full time primary care in Douglas, Massachusetts, and teaching at UMass Medical School as a clinical associate professor of medicine. It was great to attend the Experimental Program Reunion in September.” Patricia Sauer Kules from Stowe, Vermont, represents Vermont as a director of the National Society of Professional Surveyors. She is also an active masters swimmer and ski instructor at Stowe Mountain Resort. Pam Gillman McDermott, UVM trustee emertitus and a board member of the UVM Foundation, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her firm, McDermott Ventures, a Boston-based company specializing in marketing communications and public affairs. Her firm has been both a full-time and summer intern spot for many UVM alumni; Lindsay Cronin ‘99 managed clients at the firm for four and a half years, Molly McDermott ’12, her daughter, and Bridgette McShea ‘18 summered there as interns, and Maggie Dow ‘13 started her career there right after graduation, and today manages all press relations and social media for clients at the firm. Go Cats Go! Paul Gordon writes, “My son, Levi, will graduate Cornell Veterinary School in May 2017, my daughter Kiowa is working in the country of Colombia teaching English, my wife Jeanne is retired, I am still working as a psychopharmacologist.” Donald Lefebvre proudly writes that his granddaughter is a member of the class of 2020.

LUB

THE

Christopher Corbett was just published in the international Palgrave Handbook of Volunteering, Civic Participation and Nonprofit Associations (Basingstroke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan). He worked with researchers from Uganda, Lebanon and the United States. They jointly authored a chapter entitled: “Self-Regulation in Associations” (Corbett, C.J., Vienne, D., Abou-Assi, K., Namisi, H. and Smith, D. H.). The chapter is designed to prevent nonprofit scandals by empowering nonprofits and NGOs to improve their governance by intervening at the board level of intervention. More information is available at palgrave.com. Myron Sopher writes, “This year my firm Intrack Investment Management of South Burlington merged with Peltzer Capital Management, Norwich, Vermont. My daughter, Lauren, is currently in the field naturalist master’s program at UVM.” Send your news to— Emily Schnaper Manders 104 Walnut Street, Framingham, MA 01702 esmanders@gmail.com

Heather Logan writes, “I have a new position as county speech language pathologist for Garfield County Utah. I got tired of urban sprawl and moved to the frontier (yes, it is a legally designated frontier) to work, fish, hunt, and hike. Summers are still spent in Maine and Vermont.” Glory Douglass Reinstein and her husband, Rick, have relocated to San Diego, California, from Burlington, Vermont. Glory retired from a long career in music education in Vermont, and is now running Song and Film, a company that licenses the songs of independent artists for television, film, and advertising. She is hoping to connect with UVM alumni in the San Diego area. Robin Barrette and Lucille Maille Barrette ’76, retired on September 15, 2015 and moved back to Vermont. Robin worked in various management positions on the East Coast and Midwest for 12 years with Eveready Batteries and the last 27 years with Xerox Corp. in Webster, New York. Lucille worked at various locations on the East Coast as a radiation therapist for 39 years, with the last being as chief therapist at Highland Hospital, part of the University of Rochester. They have built a new home in Westford, Vermont, and life is good. They have two sons, Sean (34) and Kevin (32). Sean got his degree from Binghamton University (SUNY) and met his wife Emily in Chicago while getting his master’s at the University of Chicago. Sean is a partner in a Private Equity Firm in Newport Beach, California. Kevin got his degree from the University at Buffalo (SUNY) and met his wife Kerry in Tucson,

Send your news to— Deborah Layne Mesce 2227 Observatory Place N.W. Washington, DC 20007 dmesce@prb.org

30 W. 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

The Penn Club of New York, located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, is an exclusive private club for alumni, students, parents, family members and business associates of the University of Pennsylvania and our select affiliate schools and organizations. The clubhouse offers members a wide range of facilities and services to enhance their visits to New York City. The Penn Club is a true “home away from home” for all of our members.

THE PENN CLUB

YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME IN NEW YORK CITY MEMBERSHIP IS RICH WITH BENEFITS, SOME OF WHICH INCLUDE: • Two complimentary all-you-can-eat and drink parties each year! • Socialize & network at our monthly programs and events • 39 well-appointed guest rooms at discounted rates for members

“As an alumnus, I think it’s great to have a UVM home in New York City. The Penn Club is centrally located, has a great team working there and lots of good food for you and your guests to enjoy. I highly recommend anyone to join the Penn Club of New York.” – Giacomo Landi ’93 Member, UVM Alumni Association’s New York Regional Board

• Business Center with complimentary wi-fi • 150+ reciprocal clubs in the United States and around the world

For more information contact the Membership Department at membership@pennclubny.org or 212.403.6627

Arizona, when he became a border patrol agent. He recently transferred to ICE. Kevin and Kerry have a boy, Hunter (3) and a girl, Ivy (1), and “we love them more than words can say,” writes Robin. “If there are any ATO’s in the area or are here visiting, give us a shout. We would love to see you. We can be reached at Robin.Barrette@gmail.com.” Also, Chico Lager and I went “Over the Edge” for the Flynn theater in September, rappelling nine stories off of the Courtyard Marriott in Burlington. We had a UVM banner proudly displayed! Send your news to— Dina Dwyer Child 102 North Jefferson Road South Burlington, VT 05403 dinachild@aol.com

Norm Barbera writes, “Once an engineer, always an engineer—for 40 to 45 yrs. I was lucky enough to be involved with alternate energy research for a short time. I’ve since traveled all over the world on short trips working more conventional projects with large companies and ultimately with my own small company. Live in Virginia, ride my motorcycle as much as I can. Married and fortunate to have a daughter. Very psyched about our 40-year reunion since I couldn’t even imagine what happened to my Afro from college and I wondered if any of us would remember the rest of us. I think back to walking across campus between a friend from Virginia dressed as a polar explorer and one from New York dressed in shirt sleeves remembering how different we all were even then. Borrowing a car from someone, my veterinarian studying friend who became a doctor. Riding the Winooski on a raft in pink jock straps or in the mountains on my motorcycle with my best friend. Glad to see many of you there.” Frosting the career cake and combining nearly forty years in sales, customer service, and leadership positions, Ruth Ann Emmons Abrahamson has added licensed realtor to her professional portfolio and is loving this new facet of life! She and her husband, Bruce, have resided in Rexford, New York, for the past 23 years, yet loving the beach, salt air and sand, they enjoy time in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Any classmates in the area, feel free to contact her! And, she welcomes inquiries about her published series of children’s Christian chapter books featuring the adventures of “Magic Cookie Bean” too! Dana L. Pumphrey Gourley is an owner of an offshore race boat that started with Miss Geico last July. The team won its class at the Sarasota Grand Prix with approximately 70,000 racing fans watching from Lido Beach. Ed Tracy debuted a new live interview program ConversationswithEdTracy.com earlier this spring at the Skokie Theatre featuring authors and leaders in the arts, entertainment, and business. On October 20, the program hosts the national book launch of Building Chicago: The Architectural Masterworks by John Zukowsky at the Chicago History Museum. Milton Allen Northrup was elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and Royal Society of Chemistry. Jacqueline Dowling and John Dowling ’75 have

officially retired with plans to do some traveling, sightseeing, and catching up with friends and family. When not on the road, they are gardening (Jackie), lawn mowing (John), caring for their pets, and attending college football and hockey games. Jennifer Frey writes, “After working as a journalist for many years, I am now doing communications and media outreach for the American Technion Society (ATS). The ATS is the United States-based fundraising arm of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. Heather Leigh Douglas has three beautiful daughters and welcomed her first grandson this past June. She continues to pursue her art career from days at UVM as a studio art major. She also runs a family location business for film and television shooting in New York, where she lives with her husband, Noel Smith. A selection of her encaustics and oil paintings can be seen at heatherdouglas.com. Laura Schreisheim has been lucky to have seen Heather Douglas, Susan Spaulding and Jeb Spaulding ’75 this year in Maine and in New York and Allyne Zorn and Bob Zorn (alias BZ) in New York. Two years ago, Allyne and Laura got together with Jackie Levine and Pat K. in Sarasota. Laura lives in Winnetka, Illinois, with her husband, Bob. Laura is a clinical social worker in private practice and at a clinic and has two adult children. Susan Morse Spaulding and her husband Jeb Spaulding ’75 live in Montpelier, VT where they raised their two daughters. Susan has been involved with medical regulation through licensure, continuing medical education and assessment. She was Governor Shumlin’s director of appointments to boards and commissions for five years and is a Photoshop maven! Send your news to— Pete Beekman 2 Elm Street, Canton, NY 13617 pbeekman19@gmail.com

40th Reunion October 6-8, 2017

Jerry Bisson was promoted to the rank of minister counselor in the Senior Foreign Service (equivalent to a two-star general in the military service). Jerry recently completed a third tour in Afghanistan where he served as the deputy mission director for the United States Agency for International Development, the largest mission in the history of the Agency. He managed portfolios in agriculture, energy, economic growth and infrastructure. He also designed a regional program to improve the nutrition of children under two years of age (Afghanistan suffers from the highest stunting rate in the world). Jerry presently works in Washington, D.C. overseeing the delivery of technical services to support USAID programs in 30 countries, from Central Asia to the Pacific Islands. His office provides expertise in environment (climate change mitigation and adaptation, forestry and biodiversity conservation), clean energy, economic growth, health, education, and governance. Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund writes, “I currently serve as the director of development and project manager for the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society and

How did UVM inspire you? Andrea Martone ’76, author of VQ's summer issue Alumni Voice essay exploring the allure of college reunions, asked some of her 1976 classmates for their own reflections on how UVM inspired them. “I cherish all of my experiences from UVM. All of us probably remember vividly that Day one moment freshman year when we were dropped off at the Shoeboxes but we also remember how those and other dorms incubated lifelong friendships and valuable life lessons. Whenever I am lucky enough to reunite with classmates, it's refreshing to see how they are still the same great people and friends regardless of their life experiences and successes since graduation. Balancing academics, sports, and the great UVM social life sure was tough but prepared us well for the real world! Best compliment that I can give UVM—I would choose to go there again in a heartbeat!” —Jerry Daly '76

“My decision to attend UVM in 1972 after graduating high school was by far the best one I ever made in my life, and the experience had a profound impact on me. I had to work my way through UVM and support my education through student loans. It wasn't easy, but it was an invaluable life lesson that reaped many rewards, including my valuable teaching years, and especially the bond that was made with a group of 30+ men and women who shared my years at UVM. Every five-year reunion since our graduation we have all committed to returning to our alma mater as a celebration of “us” and of the friendships that we began more than 40 years ago that have endured, rekindled, and that will remain cherished memories." —Andrea Mastrocinque '76

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| CLASS NOTES am involved in elephant conservation work in Sri Lanka. I telecommute from my home in Newfane, Vermont, and travel to Sri Lanka. My latest project is the creation of New Life Elephant Sanctuary. New Life Elephant Sanctuary is a groundbreaking elephant welfare initiative that will provide high quality veterinary care and offer sanctuary to Sri Lanka’s working elephants (young and old) that had spent their entire lives shackled in chains, exploited, neglected and abused for commercial profit, religious ceremonies and personal prestige. More information at: slwcs.org. William Brewster writes, “It has been many, many years since we graduated, but as a result of a role change at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care I have been lucky enough to visit Vermont. Seeing the buildings both old and many new, brings back great memories of the time spent studying and not studying—both an integral part of who I am today. My first year of medical school at George Washington University made me appreciate the quality of the education I received as I was able to breeze through many of my science courses. Since then I have practiced in Northern Vermont and then moved back to my home state of New Hampshire where I practiced in internal medicine and occupational medicine until taking a position four years ago as medical director at a nonprofit health insurer, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. This spring I was promoted to vice president of operations for the New Hampshire market. I recently took an Executive Leadership Course with Americas Health Insurance Plans

and was chosen by my classmates to receive the Perkins Leadership award. Probably one of the nicest awards I have ever received, given the fact it came from my colleagues. I have been married to my wife, Jo-Ann, for 34 years next week and have two great kids, Zachary, who is attending UNH in pre-med and Jessica who is a radiology tech and office manager for a local hospital. I am hoping to be a grandfather in the near future but no grandchildren to spoil yet. I would love to hear from and see some of the MAT dorm mates and class friends like Harry Byrd, Greg Zoll, Charlie Trapani, Greg Gerety (roommate and library goer extraordinaire) and others (you know who you are) if you are ever in New Hampshire. Thanks, UVM for the memories and the education, both academic and otherwise.” Thomas Peltz writes, “I continue to clinically work in the co-occurring field north of Boston, specializing in adult care with addiction, mental health and spiritual issues. Won Massachusetts State Counselor of the Year in ‘10, and National Lora Roe Alcoholism and Drug Counselor of the Year in ‘11. Thank you UVM graduate school Counseling Department 1981!” David Ainsworth shares, “I had a successful kidney transplant this winter and was back farming this summer. My wife, Peggy, was the donor and she is also doing well. Stepped down this past Town Meeting after spending 25 years as Royalton moderator—figured it had been long enough.” Andrea Bonnar and Peter Bonnar ’76 submitted a photo on the Alumni Association photo gallery of themselves sailing on Buzzard’s Bay on Cal 25

“Charms Me.” Wendy Nelson writes, “Still living the life in sunny Colorado! Nearly 30 years in the photography business, son Patrick made me a Mimi (Grandma) last year, traveling more and trying to work less—Boomer-style retirement!” Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

Malcolm Crittenden writes,“Howdy, I am hosting my first Neon Blacklite Art Exhibit at the Johnstown Gallery in the Community Arts Center Cambria County in February 2017, so I am busy painting night landscapes based on Psalm 19:1. I will try to keep you posted if you email me.” Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

Gregory Walker writes, "I have retired from the Department of Defense after almost 35 years. After getting my master’s in ocean engineering from the University of Rhode Island in 1981, I went to work in California with the Department of the Navy. Moved to northern Virginia in 1985. Left the Department of the Navy in 1999 and went to work for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Now I have moved to Boothbay, Maine where my

Passage through the Panama Canal and Costa Rica

Exclusively Chartered Five-Star All-Suite Small Ship M.V. Star Pride January 27–February 4, 2017 From $4795 plus air a spectacular nine-day journey from the Costa rican rainforest through the panama Canal aboard the exclusively chartered, Five-star, all-suite m.V. star pride. Daylight passage through the canal, remote island paradises, Costa rica’s terrestrial wonders, and panama City.

alumni association

UVM Discovery Travel River Life® along the Dutch Waterways

Exclusively Chartered Deluxe Small River Ship M.S. Amadeus Silver IIII april 26–may 4, 2017 From $2995 plus air Cruise for seven nights in Flanders aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe, small river ship m.s. amadeus silver ii when Holland’s breathtaking tulip fields are in bloom. meet local residents, tour the Kröller-müeller museum and visit amsterdam, bruges, Hoorn, maastricht, and antwerp.

For more information, please call Gohagan & Company at (800) 922-3088.

wife and I will live year round. I expect to write and consult.” Vermont General Assembly’s Representative Barbara S. Murphy writes, “My first biennium draws to a close with lots of change in the political leadership landscape. Campaigning begins anew in May, and I am seeking reelection. It has been my privilege to serve Fairfax and I look forward to continuing to represent my community as our legislator.” Richard “Rick” Poecker writes, “My wife, Liz Poecker, and I travelled to Utah, Colorado and New Mexico recently. Had fun exploring Arches, Canyonlands and Mesa Verde National Parks—lots of hiking and photography. Retired now at the beach in southern Oregon.” John Puma writes, “Hi, everyone! Well, after graduating from UVM in ‘79 with a bachelor’s in business, I went into the high-tech industry where I spent 30+ years. My last position was as vice president of product management at a spinoff of Motorola called Infinite Convergence Solutions. After four years there, I relocated to the greater Denver area, settling in Golden, Colorado. In May, I decided to switch careers and become a real-estate broker and now work with Sotheby’s International Realty in Evergreen, Colorado! So, if you are ever looking to come to Colorado please do look me up. Along the way, I had two kids who are now on their way and on their own. One’s working for KPMG and the other is a weatherman on KTEN TV in a small town called Dennison, Texas. Both are loving life. I still have family in Vermont, one brother, Allen, who is established as an optometrist and has a shop in Burlington, and another brother in the Rutland area. If any of you are out here in Colorado, please give me a shout. It would be great to connect with some UVM alumni.” Bebe Belaski Zabilansky ’79 was recognized as the 2016 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni and Friends Dinner at the UVM Davis Center on May 14, 2016. Bebe was honored for achieving excellence in her academic career, exhibiting significant leadership and contributing to the land-grant ethic to benefit her community, college and nation. Send your news to— Beth Gamache 58 Grey Meadow Drive, Burlington, VT 05401 bethgamache@burlingtontelecom.net

Marie L. Race writes, “Alison Spelke Glerum, Jennifer Culhane Moynihan, Jody Saulter McKenna, Kathleen McKenna Fisher, Loyce O’Malley Lawlor, Marie Race, Mary Cotrupi Commander, and Susan Donnelly Murphy had a mini-reunion April 1-3, 2016 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. At approximately midnight, it was also decided to make a phone call to John Marsh. Much good food, drink, and music was enjoyed as well as a rugby game played by Jody’s son David McKenna Jr.’s team, which went on to win the USA Rugby Club National Championship a month later! We like to think that we women of the Class of 1980 provided the inspiration! The only dampener on our weekend was that Sarah Havens was unable, at the last moment, to join us.” Jeff Bacon writes, “If accounting can be fun, I’m still having fun as an

entertainment business manager in Los Angeles. But I’m having even more fun on the Little League field. I just finished my 14th season as a father and coach, where the 11-year-old All-Star team I manage won the Little League Southern California state championship. Dreams of Williamsport next year and proof that I am a much better coach than I ever was a player for Jack Leggett!” Rich Beck recently retired from PepsiCo where he led Operations and traveled the world. He and Allison are enjoying their free time visiting friends and family all over the States while keeping busy with charity events and a little consulting. Susan Caissy Caruso and her husband, Jim, relocated from Boston to Santa Monica this summer. It had been in the air for the last few years and after their younger boys graduated from college and high school in Boston they decided it was time. Susan has her own event planning business and will be back and forth to the East Coast to finish up projects with some long time clients. She loves the SoCal weather and being able to walk and bike to the beach. She writes, “It’s truly paradise and we are so grateful to be here working and enjoying life!” Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association Alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

Grace Christie Devine writes, “We had a wonderful mini reunion in honor of the 35th anniversary of our graduation. The former Summit Street housemates met in Newport, Rhode Island. Alice Barry Carberry, Lisa Cleverdon Clark, Linda Johnson Norris, and Grace Christie Devine had a great time catching up and reminiscing.” Karen H. Kaplan writes, “I’m an editor at the UK-based science journal Nature, where the section I head up covers the international scientific workforce in and beyond the lab in academia, government, nonprofit and business. We have offices around the world, and I work in our Washington, D.C., office, about two blocks from the White House in Penn Quarter. At least once a year I travel to our London headquarters, where I continue to unravel the mystery of when to use ‘organise’ vs. ‘organize’.” Kimberly S. Couch was recognized in August from the Portland, Maine Law Firm of Verrill Dana Attorneys at Law as being a best lawyer for her firm in the area of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association alumni@uvm.edu/classnotes

Sarah “Sally” Hunt Hobart writes, “I’m excited to hit my thirty-year milestone working in the UVM Admissions Office. UVM is an incredibly wonderful and caring community; I am so grateful be part of the UVM staff. And, it will continue as I’m looking forward to my new role as senior associate director of admission and coordinator of Vermont admission.” Send your news to— John Peter Scambos pteron@verizon.net

UVM INSPIRES “Attending UVM was one of the best decisions of my life, great education, wonderful people and I met the love of my life in the Living Learning Center. Diane '75 was a neighbor and I remember like yesterday the first time I saw her. She popped her head in our unit and asked if anyone knew how to set up a stereo system. I had no idea but immediately volunteered. She remembers it took me a very long time to get the system working. Also, it took me a year of hanging out in her unit and skiing with her at Smugglers and Stowe before I could convince her to date me! Now, 36 happy years later we have three grown daughters and are still hiking and kicking butt skiing!” —Dave Landry '76 “To comment about my UVM experience in a few words or sentences is near impossible, as the experience was life changing on so very many levels. Relationships begun in Burlington endure to this day, many as strong as they’ve ever been and nourished by countless ski, sail and kayak trips through the years. My entire career, which has shaped so many life choices… including my wife…traces back to that single day Junior Year when I walked in to the Cynic office. And my passion and appreciation for the outdoors is forever grateful to that amazing place called Vermont. The water, the mountains, and the adventures are as vivid in my mind today as they were 40 years ago. Completely life changing and forever grateful.” —Paul Zuckerman '76 “I am very grateful for the experiences and support the University of Vermont has given to me both during and post college years. The CESS provided a solid foundation for the field of teaching and the Career Planning and Placement office served as a great resource during transition and job change. Most important were the wonderful friendships that were made at UVM. Our class of '76 has remained one of the larger groups who return to reunion. I believe this is due to the great memories we all continue to share and as we prepare for our 40th, I look forward once again to a great weekend with old friends. “ —Linda Boardman ’76

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| CLASS NOTES

C ATAMOUNT NATION

Steve Boutcher '82 WORK: National lead on wilderness and wild and scenic river information management

for the U.S. Forest Service. HOME: Burlington, Vermont. UVM DAYS: Boutcher devoted his summers to gaining experience with various aspects of the forestry profession. He worked with a paper company in Maine, at Shelburne Farms, and several stints fighting fires with the U.S. Forest Service in Nevada. IN HIS WORDS: Remembering an unusual letter of recommendation that helped him first land seasonal work with the Forest Service, Boutcher says, “It was this weird letter that totally changed my life, put me on that path. All because that professor put his energy into getting us summer employment.” Read more: go.uvm.edu/boutcher

Mark Wetzel has indeed had a career change—knitting and Pilates and has two new daughters! While, Lisa Greenwood Crozier has now given up her family, knitting and Pilates to take over Mark’s place as President of Fiduciary Investment Advisors, LLC. They don’t remember each other from our college years, but decided to swap lives and try something new! However, while Mark enjoyed teaching knitting and Pilates and now misses the experience, he and Lisa decided to go back to their respective careers! In truth, none of that has happened, but apparently the placement of the sentences and names in the last update made for quite a bit of confusion! Mark and I have had a good laugh about it, Lisa reports! (The Alumni Association apologizes for the miscommunication in the last Vermont Quarterly but is glad to provide a chuckle.) Karen Stetson Newman, MS, RD, V’83 shared a personal, moving story of family, faith, success in her career and as an elite triathlete, and her battle with cancer. Unfortunately, we don't have space to share Karen's story in print. You can find her post in Class Notes online at uvm.edu/vq. Christopher Shyer writes, “This year my firm, Zyloware Eyewear,

56 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

on the new purchase. Many small frogs have now made the new pond home and I suspect they came from that egg mass I initially saved from my shovel! Mosquitoes are not really a nuisance and I trust it is because of the frogs, dragonflies, and bats present. Our slice of life here is vibrant. Much food grows on our land! I am the same size and weight as on the last day of high school. Go figure! I formed a new band ‘Professor Fairbanks & the Staff’. I composed all the material. I finished paying off the house! I put the lady Annie on the deed! We entertained friends. We celebrated our 25th. My Dad passed on at 84. He had a great life!” Nancy Wong Barrett writes, “I am living south of Boston in Duxbury, Massachusetts, with my husband, Tim, daughter, Kate, and two Jack Russell Terriers, Henry and Lincoln. I spent the majority of my career in pharmaceutical sales with Glaxo Smith Kline and then with Procter & Gamble. I now teach yoga and barre after a tough bout with Lyme Disease. My daughter, Kate, was a high school senior last year and just graduated from Dublin School in New Hampshire. I was excited when she wanted to check out UVM as a possible college choice. She loved it and loved Burlington. It seemed surreal showing my daughter my favorite places to go, where I lived on and off campus and my sorority. I enjoyed seeing the campus through 17-year-old eyes again. Although UVM was a strong candidate we moved her into Barnard College in New York City this fall. I miss the simple days of being in college and would love to hear from classmates!” Send your news to— Abby Goldberg Kelley kelleyabbyvt@gmail.com Kelly McDonald jasna-vt@hotmail.com

designed and launched Shaquille O’Neal Eyewear. I also recently joined the board of Trustees of Pratt Institute, one of the world’s most highly-rated schools of art and design. I encourage any UVM classmates with children enrolled at Pratt to get in touch.” Ned Rimer writes, “I am leading health care and life sciences programs at Boston University Questrom School of Business. If you are in Boston area and working in the health sector, would love to hear from you, nedrimer@bu.edu.” Send your news to— Lisa Greenwood Crozier lcrozier@triad.rr.com

Ellen Rosenkrantz-Price shares, “So great to keep up the tradition of our annual summer dinner with Sarah Fay and Joann Forgit-Talano—this year in Brookline, Massachusetts. It never gets old! Peter Miller writes, “This year 2016! I dug a small pond by hand (shovel) on a three-acre forest/meadow I purchased, with my lady of 25 years, adjacent to our home in Cambridge, Vermont. Tadpoles emerged this spring and I suspended my slow motion but dramatic change to what was a vernal wet spot

Shelley Carpenter Spillane scspillane@aol.com

Serene Dillman writes, “I directed a documentary film entitled Getting To The Nutcracker. The film won “best documentary” and “outstanding direction” at several festivals in 2013 and premiered theatrically in New York City and Los Angeles over the 2014 holiday season. The doc is a behind-the-curtain look at what it takes to produce the classic Nutcracker Ballet each year from auditions to final performance. For more information and to watch the film go to Gettingtothenutcracker.com, Itunes, Amazon or Hulu. A one-hour version of the film will be airing nationally this holiday season on most PBS stations.” Craig Mabie of Cle Elum, Washington, traveled to visit Ross Nayduch in Chico, California, and pick up a mountain bike, promoting Washington-to-California mountain bike recreation! Craig and Amy Sieger Daniels completed their annual backpacking trip. Destination this year: Spectacle Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of Washington State. Ray Gosselin was appointed to vice president of supply chain at Welch’s where he served in supply chain and IT leadership roles for 15 years before a brief stint at Beech-Nut brought him back to Welch’s.

Send your news to— Barbara Roth roth_barb@yahoo.com

Suzanne Melia Bohmer writes, “I had a wonderful time at Victoria Berke’s ‘85 bachelorette party in New York City with Brenda Sauer and Susan Gilbert Jalbert ‘85. Ted Laskaris writes, “Starting my fifth year at Champlain College as chief information officer. Love this place! And love being so close to UVM too! My wife, Susan Bourne ’80 is teaching at the Waitsfield Elementary School. Our three children are off to college and beyond. We feel lucky to be here in Vermont.” Send your news to— Lawrence Gorkun vtlfg@msn.com

Tracy A Fitzgerald shares, “As a follow up to the "60 Minutes" story done back in 2014, entitled ‘Memory Wizards’ I will be doing an interview with the BBC next month, here in the Boston area. The BBC is doing a six-part series on strange medical conditions. The interview is focused on “HSAM” or highly superior autobiographical memory. I have been a test subject with UC Irvine for six years. Looking forward to the opportunity for fun with the BBC!” Celeste Leon’s novel, Luck is Just the Beginning, was released by Floricanto Press in November 2015 and earned a Mariposa Award for Best First Book in the 2016 International Latino Book Awards and Finalist in Multicultural Fiction in the 2016 International Book Awards. The novel was also selected as Book of The Month in August 2016 for the Las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club. The MidWest Book Review states, “Based on a true story, Leon’s beautifully written debut novel is the story of a young man in 1940s Puerto Rico who wins the lottery, only to realize that, as the title states, luck is just the beginning. The novel is rich with Puerto Rican flavor and historical details, and Leon writes with simplicity yet profound perception about the human nature. Ramon is an endearing, utterly likable character—an honest, good-hearted man who makes mistakes yet rises above them.” For more information, visit celesteleon.com. Celeste would love to hear from her fellow alums! Send your news to— Sarah Reynolds Sarahreynolds10708@gmail.com

Barbara Buchtel Tacy G’88, a clinical psychologist who worked with hundreds of people over a nearly 40-year career in Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut, has died. For much of her early career she practiced with United Counseling Service in Bennington, Vermont. Dr. Tacy worked with children as well as adults, and research she conducted on dieting behavior and stress in teenage girls appeared in professional journals. An avid climber, skier, touring cyclist, sailor and gardener, she was also active in local service. In 1960, she married Peter Tacy. The couple were resident administrators/faculty mem-

bers at Buxton School, in Williamstown, and Marvelwood School, in Cornwall, Connecticut. In 1990, they moved to Mystic, Connecticut, where Dr. Tacy continued in private practice for more than 25 years. Over that time, she helped develop the ‘special masters’ intervention program available in Connecticut divorce cases, and was honored by the New London Bar Association for that work. Daryl Campbell is now president and chief executive officer of Seattle Goodwill Industries, a position he has held since August 2014. He currently lives with his wife, Janel, and stepson, Hugo, in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Wendy Farrell writes, “On July 16, 2016 we marked the passing of my father, Fred C. Webster ’48, UVM professor emeritus and UVM graduate. The funeral was held on Braintree Hill, Vermont. My siblings David Webster ‘66, Ron Webster ‘69, Carol Webster Blair ‘72, Alice Webster Wakefield ‘73, and Sandi Webster Niquette were all in attendance. UVM was well represented by Kate Finley Woodruff, and Dean Robert Sinclair ’44, as well as at least one of dad’s former students. In lieu of flowers, donations are being collected for a UVM scholarship in his name.” Cathy Levison and Jon Levison MD ’88 had a great time visiting Candice Spiegel Frankel ’89, her husband, Michael, and daughter, Leigh, in Santa Monica, California. Elizabeth Katz represented President Tom Sullivan and UVM at the inauguration of President Kim Schatzel at Towson University Send your news to— Cathy Selinka Levison crlevison@comcast.net

Christine Sibona writes, “After 20 plus years in Colorado, my husband, Chris, and I moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. so that he could join the faculty at University of North Carolina, Wilmington. We’ve hung up our snowboards in favor of longboards and are excited to explore the region and culture. I work as a speech language pathologist with New Hanover County Schools. In recent trips to Vermont during school breaks I’ve been lucky to connect with Molly Noelk Bucci, Mary McQuillen, Christine Garrity Gebski, Tracy Barnouw Schneider as well as Becky Kinkead ’90.” Emily Foster-Verbeck writes “Snowboard, keyboard and drums were all packed in the minivan as we headed up to Burlington to drop my son at UVM. Class of 2020!” Amy Macaluso writes, “We had a great girls’ reunion over the weekend of October 15 in Burlington with Coolidge Hall friends: Amy Raab Macaluso, Sarah Cioffi, Ellen Stecklow Marcus, Lori Fisher Byrnes, Courtney Smith Griesser, Corinn M. Thompson, Wendy Donovan Fritz and Wendy Cohen.” Send your news to— Maureen Kelly Gonsalves moe.dave@verizon.net

Meg Horrocks writes, “Impromptu visit with Sherri Simmons Ziomek on the Cape was great fun, following a reunion with Janet Keefe ‘89 and friends. Excited to be working on 2016 Audi FIS Ski World Cup

UVM INSPIRES Forty-four years ago I was planning to attend Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Then a visit to UVM changed that decision and my life trajectory. I informed the dean I interviewed with that "I just HAVE to come to UVM." After the first semester I knew I should probably transfer to Cornell for my career, but I couldn't leave UVM. I was in love. With everything Vermont. The University, my diverse groups of friends on Redstone and the Shoeboxes, the mountains both Green and Adirondacks, sunsets over Lake Champlain, moonrise over Mansfield, Burlington (a big city to me), concerts, Smuggler's, boys, and more. No, I couldn't leave. On some level the Universe must’ve known I still had three years ahead of me at UVM to create "the best years of my life" which did in fact prepare me for great careers in design and hospitality, more love, roommates and friends that I think of soooo often even though I'm not in touch. No regrets here. I'm still in love with you, and always look forward to returning for big warm hugs... at least every five years. —Annalee “Onie” Ash '76 “When I decided to matriculate at UVM it was for the beautiful scenery, the spectacular Mt Mansfield to the east and Lake Champlain to the west and tucked inbetween was the University of Vermont and the city of Burlington. I stayed for the great education and the fantastic friendships that were developed. To this day, I stay in touch with many of my roommates and countless friends. It was a decision that I would happily make again!” —Tripp Blair '76 “I feel so fortunate to be a ’76 UVM grad! Now, more than ever, as we approach our 40th Reunion, I also feel very proud to be a UVM alum. The University was great back then, but oh so much greater today. The Grossman School of Business, The Rubenstein School of Natural Sciences, The school of Engineering and Math, the Med school and other disciplines at UVM are hitting all their high notes. The UVM grads we see today are simply terrific. They faithfully carry forward the torch of well-rounded, well-grounded, ready-forlife college graduates. Go Cats Go!” —Skip Beitzel '76 Read more responses online: uvm.edu/VQ

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

C ATAMOUNT NATION Karen Heller Lightman khlightman@gmail.com

25th Reunion October 6-8, 2017

Craig Isvak writes, “Just moved my CPA firm, Associates in Accounting, PLC, to a new building we purchased in August at 1035 Hinesburg Road, South Burlington, Vermont (from its prior location in Essex Jct. for the past 10 years). Jon Vogel writes, “Lisa Lopardo Welch and I ran the Boston Marathon on April 18, 2016 as part of the same charity team to benefit the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Lisa ran in honor of her sister, Krista, who beat breast cancer in 2014. Jon ran in memory of his mother, Rita, who ran the Boston Marathon 20 years earlier in 1996.” Send your news to— Lisa Kanter jslbk@mac.com

Theodore Cacioppi '91 WORK: Senior team leader with FBI New York’s Underwater Search Evidence Response

Team. Previously in his career, Cacioppi’s work as an FBI agent focused on white-collar crime, duties that included making the arrest and obtaining the initial confession of the infamous Bernie Madoff. HOME: Central New Jersey. UVM DAYS: He credits a sociology class taught by the late Professor Laura Fishman with sparking his interest in the criminal justice system and inequities in treatment of impoverished socioeconomic groups. That insight would guide his decision to later earn his law degree and eventually go to work with the FBI. IN HIS WORDS: “We took Madoff in, my partner booked him, and then we walked him across the street to the courthouse in handcuffs. No one even noticed. It was surreal.” Read more: go.uvm.edu/cacioppi

coming to Killington, Vermont, over Thanksgiving weekend, and hoping to see a lot of alpine ski racing fans at the races. It took me some time to get onto Facebook, but I have made some great UVM connections once there!” Deborah Brown Sylvester writes, “I had a great time with fellow UVMers at the Jimmy Buffett show in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Wonderful to reminisce and make new memories with Kristin Swartz Loftus ’91, Bob Bennett G’98, Tara Feeney Bennett, Paige Erikson Kaleita, Jess Levine Zych, Wendy Pouliot, Neila Jacobson Buday ’91, and Emily Hamel ’17.” Send your news to— Tessa Donohoe Fontaine tfontaine@brandywine.org

Amy Cohen Hulse writes, “Since so few of us write in, I thought I would submit something. I live in Saratoga Springs, New York, with my husband, Tred, and two daughters, Alexa (14) and Carys (12). We have lived here for almost 15 years. I currently work for Saratoga Hospital as the charge nurse of two outpatient oncology units. We headed to Burlington for Reunion weekend.” Kara Cohen continues to

58 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

serve as Community Outreach Director since 2003 at AARP Massachusetts and now serves on her local Wakefield Main Streets and Wakefield Human Rights Commission. Her time at UVM was special for many reasons, including learning the value of community involvement and giving back. Matthew Conway recently moved with his wife and two daughters to serve as UNICEF’s head of communications in Madagascar, where his French major at UVM has proven particularly useful! He has been working in the humanitarian field for over 20 years and attributes his engagement in global issues in large part to his time at UVM. Geoff Schuppert is happily married and living in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He can be seen this fall in AMC’s "Halt and Catch Fire," NBC’s "Shades of Blue" and next year will be acting on the big screen alongside Robert DeNiro in The Comedian. For the fourth year in a row, Dan Fraser participated in ‘The 19 Days of Norwich, 1% for the Haven’ a grass roots fundraiser that has exploded in The Upper Valley Region of Vermont/New Hampshire, raising over half a million dollars to support our local homeless shelter – The Haven.” Send news to—

Jeremy Kruger just accepted a position with the Bureau of Land Management in Washington, D.C. as the national program manager for the Soil, Water, and Air Resources Program. Jeremy and his wife, Eliza, will be transitioning to life back east after more than 20 years in New Mexico. Send your news to— Gretchen Haffermehl Brainard gretchenbrainard@gmail.com

94 95

Send your news to— Cynthia Bohlin Abbott cyndiabbott@hotmail.com

Jennifer Bombard writes, “I have accepted a chemistry teaching position at the International School of Curitiba in Brazil. The big move will happen in July.” Mike Larkin and Jim Larkin ’91 are owners of the award winning MurLarkey Distilled Spirits located in Bristow, Virginia. The Larkin brothers founded MurLarkey with their cousin, Tom Murray, in 2014. Their Divine Clarity Vodka won the bronze medal in the San Diego International Spirits competition in July while their Justice White Whiskey won the silver medal. Their website is murlarkey. com. Wade Johnson writes, “In September 2015, I taught a course designed for Police K9 Handlers at the Annual Conference of the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors and Armorers Association in Harvard, Massachusetts." In April 2016, Tim Abrahamsen and his wife, Iggy, welcomed their daughter Arda. Also in April 2016, Joe Nastro and his wife, Hillary, welcomed their new daughter, Anna. Send your news to— Valeri Susan Pappas vpappas@davisandceriani.com

Heather Waslin ’97 writes, “Jennifer Pinkus, lost her battle to lymphoma in March of this year. Jen lived BOBBY BRUDERLE '11

in Vail since graduating and her adventurous spirit took her around the world. She once called from Morocco to ask permission to go to Morocco. She came home with beautiful photographs of her trip. She is missed by her Vail and UVM friends.” Lauren Chambers Fredette shares, “On July 1, 2016 I took office as the director of development for King School in Stamford, Connecticut. The position was filled as the result of a national search using the esteemed recruiting firm, Deerfield Associates in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Douglas Cooney, president of Deerfield Associates was the lead for the search, and is also a proud UVM current parent of Chris Cooney ’18. The UVM connection makes a difference!” Send your news to— Jill Cohen Gent jcgent@roadrunner.com Michelle Richards Peters mpeters@eagleeyes.biz

Brian Corey writes, “Going into my ninth full year teaching at Newark High School as an assistant athletic director, special education teacher, and marketing/ development director. Just completed my sixth year as varsity softball coach where my team received the inaugural Delaware Sportsmanship Award after the spring 2016 season and was honored at the 2016 State All Star Game in June. Also working my fifth year for ESPN as a researcher and talent spotter for college football games in the fall and winter. Working alongside my brother in the broadcast booth and seeing the country has been a wonderful experience.” Rob Balchunas writes, “Ryan Carroll and his wife, Ashley, recently welcomed their first daughter, Amelia to the future Catamounts Club (or is it Jayhawk?). They live in Marin County near Rob Balchunas, who has two daughters Lola (2) and Margo (1). Ryan’s family and Rob’s family recently dined on tacos together with Scott Faraci (Honorary), Mark Robertson ‘91 was not invited to participate. Rob and Ryan are looking forward to attending the wedding of Andrew Cho to his fiancée, Justine, at the end of August up in Mendocino County. Mark Robertson could not find a direct flight but will be there in spirit.” Eben Thurston has proudly solved the economic challenges that the country currently faces over some craft beers with his brother-in-law who is a “finance guy”. The final calculations are still working through the model but the proposal is incredibly promising for alumni that are 45 years old and above (sorry again millennials). Everyone is looking forward to the 20th Reunion next year to catch up with old friends and to see what kind of car Brendan Burke will be driving. Expectations are for something full-sized and expensive, but you never know until you see it. Ryen Russillo ‘02 continues to delight listeners with his sports knowledge on the ESPN show Russillo & Kannell. He is also the only UVM alum that has stuffed the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, in a celebrity basketball game. He might be the world’s second fastest man as a result. Ben Fisher recently welcomed his third child and first son, Cameron. Ben lives in the suburbs of Chicago

with his wife and Cameron’s future best friend, Ferris, lives down the street. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences awarded Terence “Terry” Bradshaw ’97, G’11, PhD’15 with its 2016 New Achiever Alumni Award on May 14, at UVM’s Davis Center. Terry was recently promoted to research assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Science and also holds the position of director for the UVM Horticulture Research and Educational Center. Send your news to— Elizabeth Carstensen Genung leegenung@me.com

98 99 00

Send news to— Ben Stockman bestockman@gmail.com Send news to— Sarah Pitlak Tiber spitlak@hotmail.com

Alyssa Auriemma writes, “After graduating from UVM, I went on to receive my master’s in business administration from Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. I currently spend my days writing away as the digital copywriter for footwear brand Cole Haan, and still keep in touch with fellow classmates Rayna Freedman, Julie Mooza, Sarah Godwin, and Susie Kwon. Last October, we traveled up to Burlington together for our 15-year reunion, and spent the weekend reconnecting with old friends, shopping on Church Street, and indulging in Red Onion sandwiches!” Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association alumni@uvm.edu/classnotes

Meg Little Reilly has just published her novel, We Are Unprepared, and it was recently reviewed on public radio. Meg was a former treasury spokesperson under President Obama, deputy communications director for the White House Office of Management and Budget, communicator for the Environmental Defense Fund EDF and producer for Vermont Public

Radio. A native of Vermont, she is a UVM graduate with deep ties around the state. She currently lives in Boston with her husband and two daughters. Send your news to— Erin Wilson ewilson41@gmail.com

Kate Sylvester Manciocchi is excited to accept and take on the role of co-chair for UVM’s San Francisco Regional Alumni Board with fellow Catamount, Keith Upton ’05. Send your news to— Jennifer Khouri Godin jenniferkhouri@yahoo.com

Brian Helmes writes, “Trying to stay young while managing wealth and asset management advisory projects for Ernst & Young and planning my next vacation with Sara Carhart.” Rob Aiken writes, “My wife and I welcomed into the world a baby boy, Emerson Green Aiken, on June 22, 2016. Emerson is grandson to James Aiken G’70 and Sue (Smith) Aiken ‘66. He is great-grandson to Robert Aiken ‘31, MD’36 and Gwynneth (Jones) Aiken ‘37; and great-great grandson to professor of English literature Wellington E. Aiken, Class of 1901”. George Hoden and his wife, Louisa, welcomed a son in May 2016. They also have a 2-year-old daughter and are enjoying life in Palmer, Alaska. Send your news to— Korinne Moore Berenson korinne.d.moore@gmail.com

Hello friends! I hope everyone is having a wonderful fall! Now let’s read about what our classmates have been up to. VHB is pleased to announce that Rachel Marvin will join its South Burlington, Vermont, office as a project engineer. Rachel joins the Vermont office’s burgeoning Land Development group, where she will focus on civil/site, stormwater, utility, and construction inspection and oversight projects. Cassie Martin Graham co-founded a start-up online publishing company with her sister, pub-

SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF MOUNT MANSFIELD Private country living on 8 acres of wooded and open land. House and carriage house with apartment. 20 minutes to closest ski area. Hike, snowshoe, or mountain bike out your backyard. $545,000. Underhill Center, VT. MLS#4513756. Contact Pam at IrishSettlement230@aol.com

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| CLASS NOTES lishing books and short stories by hit TV-show creators, acclaimed authors, and newcomers alike. Ten percent of all sales go to a charity of the writer’s choice. Check out writeoutpublishing.com to read their published short stories or order their first full-length book. Congratulations to Cailin Rarey Judge and Matthew Judge who welcomed their son, Henry Kane Judge, into the world on June 17, 2016. Everyone is doing well and Henry cannot wait for his first visit to UVM! Send your news to— Kelly Kisiday kellykisiday@hotmail.com

05 06

Send your news to— Kristin Dobbs kristin.dobbs@gmail.com

Jenn Volz shares, “UVMers showed up in full force for the wedding of Peter Freeman and Helen Dembinski in Charlotte, Vermont.” Amanda Friedman completed a master’s in painting from the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College this August. She is an artist living in Brooklyn, New York. Mike Jemison writes, “My wife, Christina, and I welcomed our first child, Scarlett Evelyn Jemison, on July 11, 2016. She weighed in at 6lbs. 8oz. and is doing great. Congratulations to Timothy Plante MD’11 and his wife, Emily Coderre, who welcomed their daughter, Blake Caroline Plante, into the world on July 22, 2016. Everyone is healthy and happy! Em and Tim are wrapping up their postdocs at Johns Hopkins this academic year and looking for the next step—maybe back to UVM! Zoe Anderson writes, “Hey Everyone! This is my first class update ever, so here goes. After many years in Vail, Colorado, being a snowboarding bum, I finally joined the world of adults, went to law school and am now in-house counsel for a company based in San Diego that makes motorcycle eyewear and facemasks for skiing/snowboarding. Life is good here! I live a few blocks to Windansea beach and surf weekly, ride my motorcycle to work and still find time to go shred as often as possible. If anyone makes it to San Diego, I’d love to see you!” Send your news to— Katherine Murphy kateandbri@gmail.com

10th Reunion October 6-8, 2017

Mollie R. Barg married Seth C. Drury on July 30, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts, in the presence of their family and friends. Mollie and Seth met in 2011 and have been having wonderful adventures together in the city of Boston, and beyond, ever since. Amidst the crowd were several UVM alumni, including Sarah Kelley, Maria (De La Santa) Rostler, Heather (Fjeld) and Ethan Nelson, Tori Jones, Maggie Yellen, and Gus Shepard. A fantastic time was had by all! Hollan Oliver, a 2010 Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate, has started her own physical therapy software company called Healigo. With Healigo’s technol-

60 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

ogy, patients are empowered as partners in their physical therapy experience. Jen Filiault writes, “Congratulations to Sarah Gambee Mounsey and Chris Mounsey ‘05 on the birth of their first daughter and future Catamount, Emma Gambee Mounsey!” Jesse Kooperman and Kate Powers (Cornell ‘08) were married at the John Joseph Inn in Ithaca, New York, on July 30, 2016. Patrick Brown ‘06, Seth Peichert ‘06, Sara Schultz ‘06, Louis Moran ‘06, Ben Alexander ‘06, Ben Wildstein ‘06, Kevin Bell ‘06, Mark Bitter ‘06, Ryan Milliken ‘06, Jess Chan ‘05, Brendan Porter ‘06, Christina Porter ‘06, Chris Sloane ‘06, Nick Kohart ‘05, Shara Kohart, Stove Murphy ‘05, and Adam Nichols ‘05 were all in attendance. Jesse and Kate currently reside on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. Elizabeth Fallon and Brandon Morrocco ‘06 were married on July 16, 2016 at the Parker House Hotel in Boston. Catamounts in attendance were: Matthew Cole, MaryAnn DiGangi Fallon, Rebecca Morrocco Weiss ‘99, Robert Melasky ‘06, Kelly Goodell Melasky ‘03, Naasia Abid Moore, Brian Moore, Rachel MacDougall ‘09, Trista Wehner Phaneuf, Leah Porter Macaulay, Kenny Macaulay, Kellie Woods Melander, Michael Melander ‘06, Erin Poole Nickerson ‘08, Ryan Nickerson ‘07, Catherine Van Auken, Amanda Brown Badgley, and Jenna Bushey ‘09. After the wedding, the couple spent two weeks in Italy before returning to their home in West Roxbury. Ellie is an attorney working in telecommunications and Brandon is a recruiter for The May Institute. Send your news to— Elizabeth Bitterman ekolodner@gmail.com

Jeanelle Demers writes, “I recently completed a large-scale portrait project where I painted 200 portraits to help pay off my student loans 200faces. com. I just began a new project where I am painting a portrait of one woman from each country in the world (257 total). The subject from each country will be a woman who has done something to make the world a better place. I am grateful for the support I received for my first project and want to use my skills and time to give back. In my corner of the world, people are increasingly absorbed in social media, it is easy to feel isolated and disconnected from others, even with the ease of virtual connection. I want to create meaningful connections. I want to set out on a course with this project that will hopefully change lives and create a positive ripple effect.” Send your news to— Elizabeth Bearese ebearese@gmail.com Emma Grady gradyemma@gmail.com

Lizzie Kardon writes, “After graduating with a degree in mathematics, I moved to New York City and started working in marketing. Since then, I’ve started my

own marketing firm lizziemarkets.com and have worked with clients in New York City, San Francisco, and all over Europe. One of my most impressive accomplishments was generating over $250,000 in pure profit for a client in less than seven days.” James Mathews received his doctorate degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia where he was elected into the Phi Zeta Veterinary Honor Society. He is currently in a one-year rotating small animal internship at the Indianapolis Veterinary Emergency Hospital. Wiliam Ridolfo is currently employed as a data analyst and reporting specialist with the Syria Recovery Trust Fund, based in Gaziantep, Turkey. Stevie Simoneau Larrere, her husband, Jason, and big sister, Quinn, welcomed a second daughter, Penny, in March of this year. Lauren Foley and Travis Robillard '07 were married on June 18, 2016 at Saint Francis Xavier in Winooski, with lots of UVMers in attendance! Travis and Lauren first met the fall of 2005 in French class on Redstone Campus. Following graduation, Travis attended Albany Medical College in Albany, New York, where he earned his Master's in Physician's Assistance Studies. He is currently a PA at Colchester Family Practice through the University of Vermont Medical Center. Lauren worked for several years in the editorial, printing, and publishing fields before joining the client services team at Dealer.com in 2013. The couple bought a home in Colchester in 2012 where they live with their two cats, Louis and Hodor. Send your news to— David Volain david.volain@gmail.com

Joshua S. Waranch completed his master’s from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business this fall. He continues his work in the mobile technology sector. Send your news to– Daron Raleigh raleighdaron@gmail.com

Daniel T. Riley and Karia YoungEagle are engaged! Send your news to— Troy McNamara Troy.mcnamara4@gmail.com

5th Reunion October 6-8, 2017

Elizabeth Fortier writes, “After graduating from UVM, I went on to get my master’s in information and knowledge management at the University of Technology in Sydney. I’d be happy to connect with other students thinking of going on to my post grad university or my field of study.” Leo Evancie writes, “Upon graduating in 2012 with a bachelor’s in psychology, I served for two years as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Orlando. I now work for City Year full-time as regional admissions director for City Year’s South Region, where I help oversee the hiring of new City Year members for six Southern cities. City Year is a fantastic organization

C ATAMOUNT NATION Caryn Devins '10 WORK: Began as a U.S. Supreme

Court Fellow in August, following a clerkship with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. HOME: Washington, D.C. UVM DAYS: Earned her bachelor’s in political science, where her advisor Professor Caroline Beer and Professor Alec Ewald encouraged her to pursue law school. Devins graduated from Duke Law in 2013 IN HER WORDS: “It’s been a dream of mine to work for the government as a public defender or at a law firm that focuses on criminal defense or civil liberties, because I think we need as many competent lawyers as possible fighting for our rights.” Read more: go.uvm.edu/devins

WILL KIRK

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| CLASS NOTES and I’m privileged to continue to be part of it!" Send your news to— Patrick Dowd patrickdowd2012@gmail.com

Rebeka Foley writes, “After completing a master’s in post-Soviet studies in St. Petersburg, Russia, I am working as a researcher on geopolitics and corruption for the think tank, Freedom House, in New York.” Congratulations to Bridget Gosselin who has been nominated for Forbes’ 30 under 30 list of leaders in Social Entrepreneurship for her work with Parental Leave Project Inc. Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association alumni@uvm.edu/classnotes

Kelly Lynch writes, “I am living in Philadelphia, pursuing my master’s degree in occupational therapy at the University of the Sciences.” Send your news to— Grace Buckles glbuckles@gmail.com

Hannah Frering shares, “After working as a clinical research coordinator in the Department of Child Psychiatry at UVM Medical Center, I have been accepted to pursue a master’s in public health. Excited to continue my education at the university! Eleni Griffith writes, “I got married to the most amazing man!”

Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association alumni@uvm.edu/classnotes

M. Lauren Donnelly received the 2016 Lawrence K. Forcier Outstanding Senior Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on May 14 at UVM’s Davis Center. With family, friends, graduating seniors and her professors present, Lauren was recognized for her many accomplishments, her character, exhibiting the highest standards and for distinguished service to the College, UVM and the community at large. Congratulations, Lauren! Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association alumni@uvm.edu/classnotes

| IN MEMORIAM Laura Towne Stanley '33, of Essex Junction, Vermont, May 16, 2016 Mary V. Cunningham '35, of South Burlington, Vermont, May 3, 2016 Avis Pike Harper '38, of Barton, Vermont, July 5, 2016 Marion Brown Thorpe '38, of Shelburne, Vermont, June 4, 2016 Martha Shakespeare Round '40, of Rutland, Vermont, April 25, 2016 Oletha Thompson Bickford '41, of Middlebury, Vermont, May 14, 2016 Roswell Farnham, Jr. '41, of Topsfield, Massachussetts, March 1, 2016 Doris Jareckie Honig '42, of Fairlee, Vermont, April 22, 2016 Jay Goldman '43, MD'50, of Coral Springs, Florida, April 21, 2016 Patricia Fellows Hayden '43, of Springfield, Vermont, April 17, 2016 Hazel Butterfield Dombrowski '44, of Syracuse, New York, April 18, 2016 Robert L. Shapiro '44, of Whitefish, Montana, March 29, 2016 Jacquelin Swasey Smith '46, of Parsonsfield, Maine, March 21, 2016 Fred Clarence Webster '48, G'53, of South Burlington, Vermont, July 16, 2016 Roger T. Jette '49, of Dayton, Ohio, May 18, 2016 Duncan M. McLaren '49, of Essex Junction, Vermont, February 13, 2016 Priscilla Johnson Oakland '49, of Barnard, Vermont, April 11, 2016 James W. Parker '49, of Morrisville, Vermont, May 18, 2016 Flora Miller Riddell '49, of Williamstown, Vermont, February 8, 2016 Milton Bayer '50, of West Hartford, Connecticut, February 18, 2016 John P. Bellows '50, of Seattle, Washington, May 13, 2016 Leslie S. White '50, of Williston, Vermont, July 10, 2016

62 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

Henry P. Del Bianco '51, of Rutland, Vermont, February 18, 2016 Alvin William Edson '51, of Punta Gorda, Florida, June 5, 2016 Emma Chatfield Fleck '51, of Quaker Street, New York, May 22, 2016 Carolyn Cross Grenell '51, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, May 15, 2016 Howard G. Haddigan '51, of Starksville, Missouri, June 9, 2016 George B. Hall '51, of Geneva, New York, June 19, 2016 Peter M. Haslam, Sr. '51, of Stowe, Vermont, April 24, 2016 Paul Vincent Kelly '51, of Mooresville, North Carolina, May 29, 2016 Russell Knab '51, of St. Petersburg, Florida, June 24, 2016 Alvah Hobart Low '51, of East Poultney, Vermont, May 2, 2016 Robert Warren Moore '51, of South Burlington, Vermont, February 15, 2016 Valery Worth Yandow '51, MD'56, of Brattleboro, Vermont, April 15, 2016 Shirley Hakewessell Fallon '52, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, July 6, 2016 Martha McNamara Mahoney '52, of Cheshire, Connecticut, April 25, 2016 Loren Rosenberg '52, MD'56, of Livingston, New Jersey, April 16, 2016 Theodore Lewis Wegerdt, Jr. '52, of Hermon, Maine, April 7, 2016 Virginia Ryter Wennik '52, of Southington, Connecticut, June 2, 2016 Kimball Westney Howes '53, of Erving, Massachussetts, June 27, 2016 Mark Margiotta '53, MD'57, of The Villages, Florida, April 17, 2016 Eugene Schaffer '53, of Freeport, New York, April 18, 2016 John W. Seddon ’53, June 7, 2016 Velma Urban Smith '53, of Cabot, Vermont, April 12, 2016

Roger Ogden Topliffe '53, of Punta Gorda, Florida, June 7, 2016 Hollis Truax '53, MD'57, of Weston, Connecticut, June 1, 2016 Wayne Abdalla '54, MD'58, of Fullerton, California, May 8, 2016 Richard Loren Alpert '54, of Burlington, Vermont, May 26, 2016 Peter J. Bartelloni '54, MD'58, of Easton, Connecticut, May 5, 2016 Robert C. Guiduli '54, MD'61, of South Burlington, Vermont, July 11, 2016 Mortimer M. Kaufman '54, of Wayland, Massachussetts, August 11, 2016 Jane Tandy Lindquist '54, of Green Valley, Arizona, May 26, 2016 Alan S. Whiting '54, of Henrico, Virginia, April 11, 2016 Helen Anderson Bissell '55, of Newport, Maine, May 28, 2016 John W. Hawkinson '56, of Gabriels, New York, July 15, 2016 Kenneth Albert Kurjiaka '56, of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, March 29, 2016 Harold Roche Moore, Jr. '56, of Chelsea, Mississippi, June 3, 2016 John Tucker Sumner '56, of Newport, Vermont, May 6, 2016 Katharine Fernald Beebe '57, of Bozeman, Montana, January 25, 2016 William H. Doolittle '57, MD'60, of Fairbanks, Alaska, April 25, 2016 William Francis Keeshan, Jr. '57, of New London, New Hamshire, July 15, 2016 Richard A. Lafreniere '57, G'66, of Seminole, Florida, June 26, 2016 Serena Sexauer MacKenzie '57, of Andover, Massachussetts, June 12, 2016 Basil R. Percy '57, of Sun City Center, Florida, July 12, 2016 Jean Norton Reynolds '57, of Brandon, Vermont, January 29, 2016

Bill A. Solemene '57, of Dallas, Texas, June 10, 2016 Durwood R. Montgomery '59, of Belmont, Vermont, May 7, 2016 Sally Buxton Scales '59, of Spring Hill, Florida, August 25, 2016 William Charles Trentini '59, of New Brunswick, Canada, March 30, 2016 Lawrence G. Corey '60, of East Hampton, Connecticut, May 30, 2016 Jack F. Healey '60, of Woodstock, Virginia, June 16, 2016 Ralph T. Heath '60, of Stowe, Vermont, March 14, 2016 Jacob Solomon Landesman '60, of Lakewood, New Jersey, June 27, 2016 Frank W. Reed, Jr. '60, of Jeffersonville, Vermont, April 16, 2016 Harry Oldham Brooks '61, G'67, '73, of Amherst, Massachussetts, May 07, 2016 Ploof Conway '61, of South Burlington, Vermont, May 10, 2016 Frederick A. Smith '61, of Amherst, Massachussetts, July 14, 2016 Edward Waltz MD'61, of North Conway, New Hamshire, May 19, 2016 Gilbert R. Audette '62, of Port Charlotte, Florida, April 08, 2016 Ronald J. Fine '62, of Beverly, Massachussetts, June 29, 2016 Scott Sheldon Hallock '62, of Jericho, Vermont, June 1, 2016 Anne Boyce Henry '62, of Williston, Vermont, April 22, 2016 Anne Hoffman Kupferman '62, of Reading, Massachussetts, April 28, 2016 David A. Selib '62, of Stamford, Connecticut, May 5, 2016 Alan Irving Levenson ’63, July 6, 2016 Rowe A. Balmer, Jr. '64, of Port Huron, Michigan, April 28, 2016 Armand P. Brisson '64, of Milton, Vermont, April 14, 2016 Mary Bashew Goudey '64, of Laramie, Wyoming, June 21, 2016 Donna Pistolese Barney '65, of North Attleboro, Massachussetts, July 19, 2016 Sally Smith Munnett '65, of Gibsonville, North Carolina, July 08, 2016 Kenneth A. Sausville '65, of New York, New York, March 22, 2016 Katherine Sinos Anagnos '66, of Rutland, Vermont, April 29, 2016 William A. Meezan '67, of New York, New York, May 30, 2016 Sandra Griffin Holbrook '68, of Londonderry, New Hamshire, February 4, 2016 Chapman Bush '70, of Groton, Connecticut, May 18, 2016 Peter Michael Fichte G'70, of Lake City, South Carolina, February 24, 2016 Arthur C. Burt '71, of Dover, New Hamshire, June 24, 2016 Garth Lyle Chesley '71, of Sheffield, Vermont, May 29, 2016

Susan E. Stewart '72, G'82, of South Burlington, Vermont, January 24, 2016 Gregory Peck Eurich '73, G'84, of Waitsfield, Vermont, April 20, 2016 Lawrence E. Fredette '73, of Hillsdale, New Jersey, June 5, 2016 Helene Miller Alexander '74, of Vancouver, Washington, April 17, 2016 Bernard J. Bingel '74, of Endicott, New York, July 10, 2016 Judy-Lynn Goldenberg '75, of Baltimore, Maryland, June 20, 2016 Colleen Leach Harman '75, of Charlottesville, Virginia, April 28, 2016 Shirley Lyons Meier '75, G'76, of Colchester, Vermont, July 12, 2016 Dale C. Sanderson '75, of Milton, Vermont, June 9, 2016 J. Robert Senning '75, G'79, of Waterbury, Vermont, July 4, 2016 Brian A. Simpson '75, of Lawndale, North Carolina, June 13, 2016 William D. St. Amour '75, of Gainesville, Florida, April 3, 2016 Stephen Lee Brown '76, of Jamestown, Rhode Island, April 25, 2016 James Sanford Dickey '76, of Bear, Delaware, June 4, 2016 Steven C. Jones '76, of Manchester, New Hamshire, February 6, 2016 Elizabeth A. Leopold '76, of Greensboro, Vermont, April 19, 2016 Eugene A. Carruth, Sr. '77, of Utica, New York, April 26, 2016

Rachel D. Desrochers '77, of Granby, Connecticut, April 28, 2016 William Hugh Parsons G'78, of Belle Mead, New Jersey, June 11, 2016 Kathleen Wolcott Bashor '79, of Decatur, Georgia, April 8, 2016 E. Cristy Brass Rocks '81, ’86, of McLean, Virginia, May 12, 2016 Elizabeth Reed Terwilliger '83, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, July 6, 2016 Beth Morse Drummey '87, of Montpelier, Vermont, February 5, 2016 Barbara Buchtel Tacy 'G'88, of Mystic, Connecticut, April 22, 2016 David Stephen Warner '88, of Boulder, Colorado, February 11, 2016 Matthew Mercer Danziger '92, of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, June 17, 2016 Scott David Morgan '92, of Canton, Massachussetts, June 9, 2016 Rachel Anne Streit '92, of South Portland, Maine, March 31, 2016 David Ireland Granger, Jr. '95, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, June 8, 2016 James D. Moyer '00, of San Diego, California, August 3, 2016 Eric David Griffiths '01, of Bellows Falls, Vermont, May 28, 2016 Amanda Jane Pais '02, of Emeryville, California, February 3, 2016 Molly Evelyn Jarvis G'03, of Burlington, Vermont, June 27, 2016 Mary Elizabeth Wilk '16, of Cheshire, Massachussetts, July 30, 2016

| UVM COMMUNITY Marion Brown Thorpe ’38 of

South Burlington died peacefully on June 4, 2016 at the Vermont Respite House at the age of 100. Professor Thorpe taught at Northfield High School before becoming teacher educator in Family and Consumer Sciences (formerly Home Economics) at UVM from 1942 to 1974, retiring as professor emerita. After retirement, she became an active volunteer in Retired Senior Volunteer Program and the Girl Scouts. And she remained a cherished friend and mentor to generations of UVM alumni who had the good fortune to work with her during their studies.

Professor Fred C. Webster ’42

died peacefully after two weeks in hospice care, July 16, 2016. Born in Randolph to a

family with deep roots in Vermont, he was the first in his family to leave and attend college. At UVM, he met Anna Capen ’46. Married in 1943, they were together for sixty-seven years until Anna’s death in 2010. Professor Webster spent most of his career teaching at his alma mater in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Expertise gained from his farming background and field work with UVM Extension made him well known within the dairy industry and he was also renowned for his expertise in sustainable farming in Vermont. A scholarship fund in Professor Webster’s memory supports Vermont students pursuing agriculture at UVM. Fred C. Webster Scholarship Fund, c/o The UVM Foundation, 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401.

FA L L 2 0 1 6 |

| EXTRA CREDIT

Setting the stage Senior Jesse Cannon undertook the entire set design of this fall’s production of Stupid F*#king Bird as her thesis project, a capstone on three years of experience in set work at UVM. A double major in theater and engineering, Cannon is drawn to hands-on work. She is pictured painting the set's kitchen counters to look like butcher block, carrying out the final details of a vision that began in the spring. She's seen the set through concept to execution, all while working collaboratively with others and within a budget. Comparing this project to a traditional thesis, she says, "I love the fact that it is so public so I can get more feedback than just a professor or board; there's an entire audience of people." Watch a behind-the-scenes slideshow inside the UVM production of the irreverent update of Chekhov’s classic The Seagull: go.uvm.edu/bird

64 |

V E R M O N T Q U A R T E R LY

IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY

UVM Foundation & UVM Alumni Association Awards CONGRATULATIONS 2016 AWARD WINNERS OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD Matthew Mues ’08

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD David Blittersdorf ’81

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Edward E. Madden, Jr. ’92

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Samuel E. Bain, Jr. ’68

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN PHILANTHROPY Deborah L. and Richard E. Tarrant

Nominate today for the 2017 Awards With more than 110,000 UVM alumni worldwide, we’re relying on you, our constituents, to help us identify the outstanding members among us. Help us shine the spotlight in 2017 by nominating a deserving alum or faculty member today. Nominate by the end of 2016, for all 2017 award winners. Visit alumni.uvm. edu/awards for more information on nominating a fellow Catamount!

NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID BURLINGTON VT 05401 PERMIT NO. 143

VERMONT QUARTERLY

86 South Williams Street Burlington VT 05401

UPWARD

Business education at UVM took a game-changing leap last fall with alumnus Steven Grossman’s landmark $20 million gift. Now, the Grossman School of Business is poised to ascend even higher. The Grossman Challenge seeks to secure $10 million in gifts from other donors. When achieved, Steven Grossman ’61 will donate an additional $5 million. With a June 30, 2017, deadline, the time is now to maximize your investment in business education at UVM.

SUPPORT THE GROSSMAN CHALLENGE uvm.edu / business /give

moveMountains