Vermont Quarterly, Summer 2019

Vermont THE UNIVERSITY OF

Q UA RT E R LY

MOVE MOUNTAINS

Successful campaign opens a new era for UVM

S U M M E R 2019

Vermont Quarterly DEPARTMENTS

2 President’s Perspective 4 The Green 18 Catamount Sports 46 Back on Campus 47 Class Notes 64 Extra Credit FEATURES

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UVM PEOPLE: Alhassan Susso ’11

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MOVE MOUNTAINS

Inspiration and innovation in his Bronx high school classroom earned this alumnus the admiration of his immigrant students and New York State’s top teaching honor. | BY THOMAS WEAVER Celebrating the close of a campaign that far surpassed the goal of raising $500 million in funds critical to the university’s future.

24 ADVANCING DISCOVERY

Sixty-seven new endowed faculty positions, funded by $65 million in gifts, have been created during the campaign.

Here’s a look at the work of six leading scholars and scientists holding endowed professorships. | BY JOSHUA BROWN, KAITIE CATANIA, ERIN POST

32 BEYOND THE BRICKS

New construction and renovation, funded with the help of $99 million in private support raised during Move Mountains, is not about the buildings, it’s about the work they enable. | BY JOSHUA BROWN, KAITIE CATANIA, THOMAS WEAVER

39 BY THE NUMBERS

Doing the math on a landmark fundraising effort.

40 EDUCATION & ASPIRATION

With $83 million raised for student scholarships, we share the stories of six members of the Class of 2019 supported by some of that critical financial aid. | BY THOMAS WEAVER

SUMMER 2019

Cover photo by UVM Spatial Analysis Lab, Kelly Schulze.

Contents: Votey Hall’s new student design studio gives seniors the space, tools, and collaborative environment they need to excel on capstone projects. Photo by Joshua Brown.

Reflections on a Presidency The seven years of Tom Sullivan’s UVM presidency have seen the completion of a successful $500 million comprehensive campaign, a span of the lowest tuition increases in forty years, and transformation of the central campus through new construction and renovations, among other initiatives. In April, President Sullivan sat down with VQ editor Thomas Weaver to share thoughts on his years as UVM’s twenty-sixth president and the next chapter in his life as a UVM professor.

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If you think back to your initial impressions of UVM, what has held steady?

During my first semester, I spent a lot of time with all of the respective groups— Board of Trustees, all the shared governance groups, alumni, deans, and vice presidents, and I asked them how they would characterize UVM students. In every case, it came down to exactly the same description: bright, curious, independent-minded, civically engaged, passionate about the outdoors, and environmentally sensitive. That hasn’t changed. Each year, in fact, I’ve seen the truth of that more and more.

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What were the most challenging issues or moments of your presidency?

The University of Vermont, much like most colleges and universities today, has financial constraints. If you look at the history of the University of Vermont, going back through our early origins right up through the affiliation with the state in 1955 to the present, we have had significant financial constraints. Historically, it has been a real challenge year after year, with so little of our operating budget (approximately 6 percent) coming from the State of Vermont. But it’s not unique to UVM or public

schools. We can point to schools all around us, including Dartmouth and Middlebury, who are having financial challenges.

Hence, the importance of successful campaigns, creating a culture of philanthropy. Because we can’t increase, nor should we, our tuition substantially more; that’s been a core, fundamental first principle of our strategic action plan and of our campaign. We’ve raised more than $83 million dollars for scholarships to ensure affordability and students’ financial access to success. This is something you have to pay attention to all of the time. How can you bring in more revenue to support all of the great programs and the imagination of the faculty and, at the same time, moderate that growth so it is affordable for students and their families? It is a real tension point.

Some of our conversations around diversity and inclusion and race on campus have been challenging. As I look across higher education, there isn’t a day that goes by that there isn’t some university implodSALLY MCCAY

ing over social or political issue of the day. I think we’ve been very fortunate here. So much of our social engagement in the country today is very coarse and sometimes without the norms of civility. But I think we’ve maintained, by and large, a very respectful, civil discourse around some difficult issues. We have a way to go, but I think we made progress because we communicated respectfully and stayed at it. It’s not perfect, but it’s better.

leadership role is the fundamental importance of relationships. We’re just coming through a highly successful comprehensive campaign, well beyond our expectations. As I reflect back, it was all built on relationships, cultivating and building warm, close, personal relationships with people.

You can’t accomplish much, particularly long-term objectives, without building a constituency for the ideas and expectations that will drive the university forward.

As you step down from the presidency, are there changes or initiatives you’ve had a hand in that might be lower profile, but that you feel are impactful?

We’ve planted more than five hundred new trees and added more than ten new pieces of public art to campus. I think that over time, particularly as the landscape matures, it’s going to add a real richness to the campus. I think first impressions—of people or places or spaces—are very important. When we’re recruiting students, or staff, or faculty, this is incredibly important. As a residential Public Ivy university, we ought to look fresh and clean and traditional in the sense of the architecture.

And I’m very fond of contemporary art adjacent to the more traditional buildings, the juxtaposition of the history and the design. I think they fit very nicely together. Leslie and I walked campus many evenings, and I always had an eye out for where we needed trees or where a piece of art would fit into the landscape.

What’s next for you and Leslie in the year ahead and beyond?

We have a wonderful opportunity to go off through a research sabbatical to Cambridge University in England, where I’ve been asked to be a visiting faculty member. I’m going to finish a book on First Amendment speech, which ties into some of my comments earlier about speech and expression on campus.

I’m going to be stepping out this June from thirty years of higher education administration. And I look forward to getting back to my real academic and professional passion which is teaching students, writing, and scholarly activities. I have three areas of specialty: anti-trust law and competition, complex litigation issues, and constitutional law. My sense is that I’ll be teaching almost exclusively in the constitutional law area in political science courses and the UVM Honors College.

Especially during these times, I’m looking forward to helping undergraduates better understand our rich constitutional history. I feel that our country has lost so much of our civic education—our understanding of the founding of the country, its evolution, both the positive aspects and the negative aspects that we must grapple with more fully.

Traditionally, the President of the United States leaves a note of encouragement and advice for their successor. If we had this tradition among UVM presidents, what would your note to Suresh Garimella say?

I try not to give gratuitous advice, but one of the most important things I would share with anybody in a

ALUMNA’S RETURN Spring 2011, Leslie and Tom Sullivan’s nephew Ben Barash was graduating from the University of Vermont. Given that UVM was Leslie’s alma mater, Tom got behind the idea of a trip out east from their home in Minneapolis, a chance for him to see his wife’s university for the first time while attending commencement. The weekend would leave him impressed with Burlington and the university on the hill, rich in history and natural beauty.

A year later, as the University of Vermont searched for its twenty-sixth president, the then-provost of the University of Minnesota was intrigued. Months later, the Sullivans were moving into Englesby House.

Reflecting on what it’s been like returning to her alma mater as spouse of the president, Leslie Sullivan ’77 says, “It’s been a little magical.” She notes that Burlington felt instantly familiar, and even better than during her college days: “It felt freshened, more vibrant.” She vividly recalls taking the ferry from Port Kent to Burlington on a summer day, as they completed the drive from Minnesota to Vermont to begin this new chapter in their lives. Driving up College past a bustling Church Street, the Sullivans figured there must be a special event. Nope, just Burlington in summer.

Leslie Sullivan looks forward to a bit of a slower pace after June 30. But, valuing all of the relationships built across the past seven years, she’s sure the transition will be bittersweet.

“It’s been an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling seven years,” she says. “There have been myriad opportunities to do things that are really meaningful to me. I’ll miss that almost daily sense of connection with fellow alumni, spending time with people who care deeply about the university, people who are smart and interested and interesting. It’s been a gift.”

SUMMER 2019 |

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YOU SHOULD KNOW is amazed by how blood vessels deliver what the “ He brain needs for a lifetime. One discovery after another, this excitement never fades away, it increases.”

—Osama Harraz, post-doctoral associate in pharmacology, on Professor Mark Nelson, who was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in April. Read more on page 7.

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For the fifth consecutive year, the incoming class boasts the highest average SAT score in UVM history.

The next stop for six graduates of the Class of 2019 will be international research and teaching English as recipients of Fulbright grants. Their pursuits include cancer research, English as a second language, and social work. Read more: go.uvm.edu/fulbrights

MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER UNDERWAY

With a ceremony on May 18, longawaited new construction and renovation of varsity athletics and student fitness facilities broke ground. A key feature of the project, Tarrant Center, will be home to Vermont basketball and a special events venue. Read more on page 19.

BEST IN BUSINESS

ROTC EXCELS

The Sustainable Innovation MBA team from UVM won the top honor at the Total Impact Portfolio Challenge, held in Philadelphia in May. The graduate students from UVM’s Grossman School of Business beat out teams from Wharton, Columbia, and Yale in the impact investing competition. Read more: go.uvm.edu/invest

The MacArthur Awards celebrate the nation’s top Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units.

In February, UVM ROTC was one of eight schools honored among 275 programs nationwide. The award is based on the achievement of the school’s commissioning mission, cadets’ performance and standing on the command’s National Order of Merit List, and cadet retention rate.

When Julia Coleman walked with the Class of 2019 this May, she represented the seventh generation in a family tradition of UVM graduates, dating back to Roswell Farnham, Class of 1849 and the 38th governor of Vermont.

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SALLY MCCAY (2)

THE GREEN News & Views

The Class of 2019 made it official on the morning of May 19. The graduates total an estimated 3,275, including 2,580 bachelor’s, 452 master’s, 138 doctoral, and 105 medical degree recipients. The grads hail from fortythree states and thirty-six countries.

Read more: go.uvm.edu/classof2019

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| THE GREEN

Butterflyfish: ‘Canaries of the Reef’ ENVIRONMENT | UVM scientist Nate Sanders was part of an international research team that found that when water temperatures heat up for corals, fish “tempers” cool down. The study provides the first clear evidence of coral bleaching serving as a trigger for rapid change in the behavior of reef fish.

Publishing in Nature Climate Change, the researchers show how the iconic butterflyfish, considered to be sensitive indicators of reef health, can offer an early warning sign that reef fish populations are in trouble.

The team of scientists spent more than 600 hours underwater observing butterflyfish over a two-year period encompassing the unprecedented mass coral bleaching event of 2016. Led by marine ecologist Sally Keith of Lancaster University, the team examined seventeen reefs across the central Indo-Pacific in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

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During the initial data collection, the researchers were unaware that the catastrophic bleaching event was on the horizon. Once underway, they realized that this serendipitous “natural experiment” placed them in a unique position to see how fish changed their behavior in response to large-scale bleaching disturbance.

The team sprang into action to repeat their field observations, collecting a total of 5,259 encounters between individuals of thirty-eight different butterflyfish species.

Within a year after the bleaching event, it was clear that, although the same number of butterflyfish continued to reside on the reefs, they were behaving very differently.

“We observed that aggressive behavior had decreased in butterflyfish by an average of two thirds, with the biggest drops observed on reefs where bleaching had killed off the most coral,” says Keith. “We think this is because the most nutritious coral was also the most susceptible to bleaching, so the fish moved from a well-

rounded diet to the equivalent of eating only lettuce leaves—it was only enough to survive rather than to thrive.”

“This matters because butterflyfishes are often seen as the ‘canaries of the reef,’” says Nate Sanders, director of UVM’s Environmental Program and professor in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. “Due to their strong reliance on coral, they are often the first to suffer after a disturbance event.”

Such changes in behavior may well be the driver behind more obvious changes such as declining numbers of fish individuals and species.

“It’s not just that we’ve documented a climate change effect on these reefs,” adds Sanders, a fellow in UVM’s Gund Institute for Environment. “It’s important that we’re beginning to understand why these changes happen and are building the knowledge to try to predict when, and where, these kinds of changes may happen in other ecosystems in the future.”

SALLY KEITH

Pharmacology Prof Elected to National Academy of Sciences MEDICINE | On a lunchtime run, colleagues and researchers Mark Nelson and David Warshaw head down Spear Street. It’s a ritual the pair has kept nearly every work day since 1995. It’s more than just a daily workout. It’s a grant-writing workshop, staffing discussion, and science seminar. And as anyone who has run in Burlington knows, it’s a whole lot of hills.

But no hill compares to the one Nelson just climbed. On April 30, Mark Nelson, chair of Pharmacology and a University Distinguished Professor, was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the greatest honors a scientist can achieve.

It’s the latest in a string of honors he’s received over his career—from the National Institutes of Health, the American Society for Pharmacology, and the American Physiological Society, among others. He’s internationally recognized for his contributions to our understanding of the control of blood flow within the brain.

How do blood vessels ensure the brain’s ANDY DUBACK

hard-working neurons get the nutrients they need? One area of Nelson’s focus is the role calcium plays in the complex communication happening among neurons, smooth muscle cells, and other cells.

The “information currency,” Nelson says, of these cells is calcium. “If we can understand what it’s doing, we’ll be able to come up with some new ideas for treatments” of vascular diseases like strokes and dementia.

Throughout his career, he’s mentored dozens of scholars and researchers. Among them are Osama Harraz, who has worked as a postdoctoral associate in Nelson’s lab for four years and counts himself among Nelson’s grateful trainees, noting Nelson’s continued passion for the work and the “unparalleled scientific environment” in his lab. “He is amazed by how blood vessels deliver what the brain needs for a lifetime,” Harraz says. “One discovery after another, this excitement never fades away, it increases.”

Mark Nelson, right, celebrates with friend and colleague David Warshaw, who advocated for Nelson’s recent election to the National Academy of Sciences.

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| THE GREEN

Silicon Valley Semester COMPUTER SCIENCE | When recent UVM

Computer science majors Sam Frederick, Gordon MacMaster, and Luke Potasiewicz spent six months working for Tesla through a competitive co-op program.

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grad Alex Poniz ’15 heard there were five internship openings on the Digital Products team at Tesla, the Silicon Valley electric car maker where he works, he knew just what to do: contact his alma mater and get as many Catamounts in the running as possible.

Poniz, a quality assurance engineer, is a serious fan of his home team, but even he was surprised that three of the five openings went to UVM computer science majors. The UVM alumnus—who had no role in the hiring decisions—notes that his manager said a number of factors made the Vermont applicants rise to the top.

Those included a rock-solid base of computer science skills, the languages, tools, and technologies to hit the ground running at Tesla. Prior internships and innovative personal projects (one of the students, Luke Potasiewicz, built his own electric bicycle) were also attractive.

Importantly, the UVM applicants also had a world view that meshed with the culture of Tesla, which manufactures and sells solar panels, as well as electric cars. “UVM does a great job of attracting students who are environmentally conscious, like to be part of something greater than themselves, and want to make a difference in the world,” Poniz says. “That’s fundamentally what Tesla is about.”

In addition to Potasiewicz, students Gordon

MacMaster and Sam Frederick have also been at work at Tesla HQ in Palo Alto, California, this semester. Their positions are co-ops, six-month work experiences that happen during the school year and pay comparably to an entry-level position. The growing co-op program in UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, which Tesla is part of, complements the many internships UVM also offers, which are shorter and typically occur over the summer.

“I’ve definitely picked up some skills here that I’m excited to bring back to UVM, because they’re actual software development skills that are used in the workforce,” junior Sam Frederick says. That will be a boon for the team projects that are a big part of the senior-year curriculum in the college, he says.

As a resume-builder, the Tesla experience is hard to beat, says Potasiewicz. “It’s a real foot in the door. And there’s the possibility of a job offer at the end, which is always a goal.”

Students in co-ops more often than not are offered jobs at the end of the experience, says Lauren Petrie, coordinator of the Career Readiness Program in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, one reason the school is expanding its commitment to co-ops. Within five years, she expects UVM to have co-op relationships like the one with Tesla with twenty to thirty employers.

JIM GENSHEIMER

LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS After six years as UVM provost, David Rosowsky announced his decision this spring to step down from the post to facilitate changes in leadership as incoming president Suresh Garimella puts his team into place. As second-in-command during most of Tom Sullivan’s years as president, Rosowsky played key roles in advancing the Move Mountains Campaign and reinvigorating the university’s STEM facilities, among many other initiatives.

A professor of civil engineering, Rosowsky joins the faculty in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.

Patty Prelock, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences for the past ten years and a longtime professor of communication sciences and disorders, was appointed interim provost in April. “Both President-Designate Garimella and I believe Dean Prelock brings skills, experience, and knowledge that will enable her as provost to support and strengthen our colleges and academic programs, and continue to elevate the university as a whole,” President Sullivan wrote, announcing Prelock’s appointment to the campus community.

Scott Thomas, dean of the College of Education and Social Services, will also lead Nursing and Health Sciences as dean during this interim period.

Suresh Garimella begins his appointment as UVM’s twentyseventh president on July 1.

Look for a profile of President Garimella in our next issue.

GLYNNIS FAWKES

Lessons from Odysseus to Today’s Veterans CLASSICS | One of literature’s oldest war heroes is making twenty-firstcentury connections with UVM’s student veterans through a collaboration between the Classics Department and Veterans Services. “Home from War,” a pilot one-credit veterans-only class, studies Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem “The Odyssey” and its main character Odysseus, while providing support to a community of veterans on campus.

Though the story of Odysseus is nearly 3,000 years old, the lessons and insights about returning home from war are still relevant today, says John Franklin, chair of the Classics Department and co-facilitator of the class. “The Odyssey” details King Odysseus’s journey home after fighting in the ten-year Trojan War. Cursed by Poseidon to wander the sea for an additional ten years, Odysseus encounters numerous obstacles along his trek home, while his family and subjects in Ithaca assume he is dead. In the end, Odysseus is reunited with his wife and son and takes revenge on those who tried to usurp his throne while he was gone for two decades.

“There’s a lot of material in the poem that relates to the veteran homecoming experience: Maybe how your family started to unravel while you were gone, how you’re estranged from your partner or your children,” Franklin says.

Together with David Carlson ’11, the coordinator of Veterans Services, Franklin guides the student veterans in discussion about Homer’s work and provides historical context as needed. Students in the class come from all disciplines across the university and various branches of service. “They contributed more to the learning than I did because they were able to draw connections that I wouldn’t necessarily have seen,” Franklin says.

“When you read ‘The Odyssey,’ you’re not just enjoying a beautiful work of epic poetry, but you’re remembering the hard-learned, ancient lessons of our people about coming home from war,” says Carlson, who is also a veteran.

Their inspiration for “Home from War” came from a growing movement started by Dartmouth College professor Roberta Stewart, who facilitates reading groups to introduce or re-introduce veterans to Homer’s “The Odyssey” and “The Iliad.” Speaking at a UVM event in February, Stewart reminded the audience that, when it comes to war, there are only two outcomes for service members: death or a homecoming, and that “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” reflect each of those outcomes, respectively. The reading groups Stewart organizes and “Home from War” offer veterans a chance to work through the struggles and celebrations of their homecoming together.

“We really connected in that course and I was inspired not just to be a better student, but to know how I was going to apply it.

That’s important,” said Michelle Caver ’19, who took the course and spoke at the event.

“I was lost. It doesn’t matter if you make the grade—are you thriving? Are you connecting with the world you’re in? I didn’t feel like I was able to. ‘The Odyssey’ in the company of friends, who understood me like no other community understood me on campus, made the difference.”

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| THE GREEN

Graduating to the Statehouse “There was a culture of fear of failure at Harvard— but at UVM there was a lot more freedom to be creative,” Rogers says.

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VERMONT | Many seniors in college wonder what they’ll do after they graduate. When Lucy Rogers ’18 was a senior at UVM, she decided to try to become a freshman again—by running for a seat in the Vermont state legislature.

In the spring semester of 2018, Rogers was completing a major in biology (with a double minor in Chinese and mathematics)—and writing an honors thesis (on bear conservation) in the Geography Department. She’d given a cello recital. She was training to run the Vermont City Marathon. So when Rogers told her advisor and friend, geography professor Cheryl Morse, that, “in her free time,” she was preparing a campaign to run for public office, representing her home district of Cambridge and Waterville in the Vermont State House, “I just started to laugh,” Morse recalls.

But Morse was not skeptical, she was amazed.

“I didn’t laugh because it was a bad idea,” Morse says. “I laughed because it was a perfect fit for Lucy.”

In high school, Rogers got up every morning at 4 a.m. to hand-milk her cow, Zalia, and graduated at the top of her class from Lamoille Union High School. Then she went out west to help with two conservation projects, trapping and radio-collaring grizzly bears in Canada. Next, she

worked on a beef cattle ranch and made birch syrup in Alaska. She came back east to enroll at Harvard, but after one year there she transferred to UVM. “There was a culture of fear of failure at Harvard—but at UVM there was a lot more freedom to be creative,” Rogers says.

“Lucy works very hard—but mostly she just leads with her earnestness,” Cheryl Morse says.

“There’s no guile in anything that Lucy does.

She’s genuine. And I think people sense that.”

Which helps explain what happened on October 10, 2018, at the public library in Jeffersonville, Vermont. There, Rogers, twenty-three, and Zac Mayo, twenty-nine, the two candidates for the Lamoille-3 house seat in the state legislature, were holding a debate. Standard fare for election season. But after the talking was over, they did something unexpected and perhaps unprecedented: they pushed the tables apart, and Rogers got out her cello, while Mayo picked up his guitar.

“Then we played a duet,” Rogers says—of Jerry Hannan’s tune “Society.” It was an expression of both candidates’ desire to uphold the unfashionable value of civility in politics. Rogers went on to win, securing 1,273 votes over Mayo’s 882. But not before the camera trucks from CBS Evening News arrived to cover the story.

Rogers was a bit nervous about being interviewed for national television—largely because she worried about what romanticized tale might be told about her rural community. Rogers chafes at the way rural life “gets flattened,” whether in the narratives of the urban evening news or in the way state legislation can “undervalue local control.”

“Life here is good, but not ideal,” Rogers says.

She rejects the binary myth that “either you go to the rural places to be spiritually healed and then you return to your real problems in New York City or the anti-ideal, which is the ax murderer in the horror film.” Instead, Lucy Rogers wants to be sure the real-world complexity and gifts of her rural community—the people and land of Waterville and Cambridge—are taken seriously and represented accurately.

“What did I most want to do after I graduated from UVM?” she says. “I wanted to go back to work in my hometown.”

JOSHUA BROWN

Border View Volunteer work connects with professor’s teaching, research HISTORY | As an assistant professor of history, Sarah Osten focuses upon modern Latin America and has taught courses exploring issues of drug trafficking and gang violence that plague some Central American countries. As a volunteer, she spent a week last October gaining a firsthand look at the realities of lives in these troubled regions through work helping immigrant families.

Working with the Dilley Pro Bono Project, an offshoot of the Immigration Justice Campaign, Osten assisted families seeking U.S. asylum at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. Fluent in Spanish, she spent twelve-hour days interpreting detainee stories for volunteer attorneys versed in immigration law. Then she dispensed legal advice back to the detainees, most of them from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

The stories that women told Osten detailed the underlying reasons for their flight—rape, extortion, or threats of violence. Osten says she gained a deeper understanding of the pervasive influence and brutality of the gangs and was struck by how much violence in Central America is a women’s issue. Almost every woman she interviewed at Dilley was sexually assaulted or raped. Human traffickers offer an avenue for escape, but at a steep price—demanding $10,000 to $15,000 to escort a person to the U.S. border.

Women with relations in the United States or elsewhere may be able to scrape together the cash, but PATRICK LANGLOIS ’19

often still face heartbreaking choices over taking children with them or leaving them in the care of relatives.

The last resort for women who can’t afford transport are migrant caravans, offering protection in numbers.

Osten’s volunteer work in the field dovetailed with a “History of Drugs in Latin America” course she taught during the fall semester. While she was away, her students focused on independent research projects on drugs and gangs in Central America, timing that coincided with a migrant caravan dominating the news. “I got home to forty fired-up students, really passionate about this subject and really well informed,” she says.

Osten’s perspective from the time in Texas helped drive the discussion during the remainder of the semester as a number of students wrote final papers on the history of gangs, drugs, and migration out of Central America. Their work will help inform a website providing background for attorneys representing asylum seekers. Assisted by student David Smith, Osten was developing the site during the spring semester. A senior in history, Smith says, “This site gives me the opportunity to put together a wholistic project that incorporates the research I’ve done in undergrad years.

I also like the idea that I’m creating something of real lasting value that other students can build on.”

“As a historian working with this volunteer team in Texas, I had many people asking questions like: ‘What is the origin of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)?,’ and ‘Why are there so many gangs in El Salvador?’” Osten says. “I think making this resource available will help provide attorneys with important context for their work.”

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| THE GREEN

THE WALL IN FOCUS For many, spring break in Mexico typically revolves around beachside resorts, rest, and relaxation. But for Patrick Langlois, an environmental studies and studio art senior, his recent spring break in Mexico was spent bustling around behind a camera lens and capturing striking images for a photo essay about heightened security on the United States-Mexico border. The twin cities of Nogales—one located north of the border in Arizona, the other south of the border in Sonora—are just three miles apart, but between them stands a twenty-foot wall and more than one hundred years of border history.

“Recently all we hear about are the specific reasons why our current administration is interested in increasing border security, but border towns are left out of the conversation. I just wanted to tell that story and I think photography was the best way to do that,” Langlois says. His work was on display in Williams Hall this spring.

See more of Patrick Langlois’s border series: go.uvm.edu/langlois

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person whose behavior is being predicted is on or off that network. The key idea is that if, say, a social media platform provider can capture a large portion of a social network, even the parts of the society that are not using the platform are probably one step away from people who are. And we show that the information from your friends on a network provides as much predictive data on you as if they had your own data. You know the saying: a rising tide lifts all boats? Well, a rising social network violates all privacy.

Individual choice has long been considered the bedrock of online privacy.

If you don’t want to be on Facebook, you can leave or not sign up in the first place. Then your behavior will be your own private business, right?

A new study by mathematician Jim Bagrow presents powerful evidence that the answer to that question is no. Studying millions of public posts on Twitter, he and colleagues show that online privacy is more like secondhand smoke. It’s controlled by the people around you. VQ spoke with Bagrow, an associate professor in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, about his research.

Jim Bagrow

college of engineering & mathematical sciences Your study in Nature Human Behavior raises profound questions about privacy. What did you discover?

BAGROW: Basically, when you sign up for Facebook or Twitter, you may think you’re giving up your information in return for the service, but you’re giving up your friends’ information, too! We looked at more than thirty million tweets from about fourteen thousand people. With this data, we were able to show that information within the messages from just eight or nine of a person’s contacts make it possible to predict that person’s later tweets as accurately as if we were able to look directly at that person’s own Twitter feed. To do this research, we’ve taken some seminal work in information theory and extended on it. Our real contribution is understanding the social flow or the localization of information in a network. We show that there is a mathematical upper limit on how much predictive information a social network can hold—but that it makes little difference if the

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Most mathematics and science studies have a dismally small number of readers. But this research got wide public attention, and you were interviewed by Marketplace Tech, the BBC, Science, Reuters, and dozens of other international media. What does this mean to you?

BAGROW: This research tells a story that fits with today’s concerns about social media. Many people wonder: are companies like Google and Facebook constructing Big Brother tools that we should be worried about? So it’s good to be studying things that are important. A lot of my work is fun, like playing games. Can we figure this kind of calculation out? It’s not connected to anything obviously practical—it’s just deeply satisfying to say: here’s the solution and look how beautiful it is. But it is also very rewarding to be contributing in some way to society. I’m especially interested in how other scientists will react to our work and to see if others will adopt our approach.

What are the ethical implications of this research? What should we do?

BAGROW: That’s a really good question, that I’m reluctant to answer! I went to an engineering school and studied physics. I’m not an ethicist, but I do try to think about consequences of data collection and privacy. I use Gmail. Google is scanning all my emails. Everybody should know that, but I think many people underestimate the impact that their choices have on their friends.

Your online behavior—it’s essentially not an individual choice. It’s a kind of collective choice. We understand that if somebody breaks into our house, and steals something, that object is no longer there. But our private information, it’s very immaterial. And so its value may be hard to see or feel. And yet these big companies make a ton of money off of that information. So there must be value there—what’s it worth?

JOSHUA BROWN

Joining Team Shiffrin PHYSICAL THERAPY | Across six months and three continents, the FIS World Cup ski circuit is a challenging journey. Under the rigors of training and racing, it literally takes a team to keep an elite athlete like Mikaela Shiffrin finely tuned.

During the 2018–19 season, during which Shiffrin notched her third-straight World Cup overall championship, alumna Regan Dewhirst ’13 G’15 was a critical part of that team, serving as personal physical therapist and athletic trainer to the three-time Olympic medalist.

“As the ‘physio,’ I get to do a little bit of everything. I am constantly problem-solving and modifying the ‘off-hill’ plan so that she will be prepared for the next discipline and able to work towards her goals in all events,” says Dewhirst, who earned her UVM bachelor’s in exercise science and a doctorate in physical therapy. She also played varsity soccer for the Catamounts and squeezed in part-time assistant coaching at Green Mountain Valley Ski School.

Dewhirst, Shiffrin, and their families go back. Regan and Mikaela played tennis and went sledding together in New Hampshire when they were in elementary school. The girls raced for the same club in Lebanon, New Hampshire, before Shiffrin moved to Burke Mountain Academy in northeastern Vermont.

JOHANN STROBL

When Team Shiffrin contacted her shortly after the 2018 Olympics, Dewhirst admits to initially feeling nervous about taking on the new adventure. But she felt her experience and education at UVM had prepared her well.

Books and notes from classes in neuroscience, human performance, and ergogenic aids were helpful. She also relied heavily on knowledge gained in a sports psychology course she took with Professor Jeremy Sibold, now the associate dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“On race days, I use more sports psychology than any other skills. I look back on those notes often,” Dewhirst says. “I have to determine how to get Mikaela in the right mindset.”

With the ski season behind her, Dewhirst returned to her work at VASTA Physical Therapy and Sports Performance in South Burlington. Looking back over the ski season, she says, “I’ve met physical therapists from all over the world. It’s fun to see how physios from different countries prescribe exercise and see how it relates to my own patient management. The biggest dream come true is getting to work with an athlete who is so focused and motivated, but also kind, funny, and super fun to be around. It’s been a wild ride and an amazing experience.”

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THE GREEN

Field Trip to Hollywood FILM/TELEVISION STUDIES | When a dozen UVM students traveled to Los Angeles during the winter break as a capstone experience for a course on the movie industry, film and television studies professor Sarah Nilsen was the chief instructor. But she had at least a dozen unofficial “adjuncts” in LA, all UVM alumni who work in a variety of roles in the film business.

Nilsen’s course examines the Hollywood studio system which has dominated the global film market since the 1920s, and the social and cultural impacts of film on American society.

The students included Chloe Chaobal ’20, an anthropology major who spent last summer working as an intern for celebrated author and UVM alumna Gail Sheehy ’58. After the four-day visit to Los Angeles, Chaobal said she was especially impressed by a meeting with Katie Elmore Mota ’04, founder and executive producer of Wise Entertainment (pictured above, right).

“I loved how she was creating her own niche, doing work that’s really cuttingedge and socially relevant,” Chaobal said.

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Mota and her husband, Mauricio, produced East Los High, a drama series that debuted on Hulu in 2013. The series has earned five Emmy nominations for its portrayal of inner-city Latino high school students—it was the first English-language television show with all-Latino cast members, creators, and writers.

Jay Roth ’68, who recently retired as national executive director of the Directors Guild of America, gave the class a tour of guild headquarters on Sunset Boulevard.

After a career in labor law, Roth was hired for the top DGA job in 1995 and has led the guild’s collective bargaining agreements ever since. Daily Vanity called Roth the “showbiz point person on making a deal to ensure Hollywood’s labor peace.”

Students also met several alumni on the creative end of the business, including actor Tim Griffin. He played Ronny O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy and his lengthy list of film credits include roles in The Bourne Supremacy, Leatherheads, and American Sniper. Griffin’s friend and UVM alumnus Josh Stroberg, a director and writer, dropped by for what turned into a two-and-a-half hour discussion and dinner.

Another highlight was meeting with Patrick Starr ’98, senior vice president of creative advertising at Universal Pictures. Starr, who studied English at UVM, included several of his Universal colleagues in the gathering with UVM students. One of them was Sean Zabik ’16, a creative coordinator for promotional content.

The LA insights of the younger alumni just beginning to make their way—Where are the affordable neighborhoods? Do you need a car? How do you move across the country?—paired well with the views from film industry veterans.

With a significant career outreach component to the course, Nilsen advised the students to thoroughly research the people they would be visiting and the companies they represented. She encouraged them to create a LinkedIn profile, if they hadn’t already done so, and connect with their hosts online.

“Our students can begin to imagine themselves in these positions, doing these jobs,” Nilsen says. “It makes me proud to think our school here on the other side of the country has produced all these successful people in the industry.”

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M E D I A BRIEFS |

With Nature’s Machinery As a child in the 1940s and ’50s, John Todd watched beautiful marshes, where he would look for birds, get drained for parking lots. He saw streams buried in rubble to make way for golf courses. He worried and lost hope. But he also began to feel himself developing into a “companion to the landscape,” he says.

Now, as an old man, professor emeritus at UVM—and one of the world’s leading inventors of ecological technologies—he is filled with hope. Not naïve, anodyne hope—he’s read the new UN study on the one million species sliding toward extinction. He knows humanity is in a neck-and-neck race between innovation and climate wipeout. He’s spent his adult life seeking out polluted rivers, Appalachian mountaintops blown to smithereens for coal, the “world’s toxic hell holes.”

No, his is a gritty, profound—and practical—hope, born of years spent closely studying how this planet doesn’t just hold life, but brings life back to places that seem dead. Which is why he has written a new book, Healing Earth: An Ecologist’s Journey of Innovation and Environmental Stewardship.

“It’s part memoir, part manual, and a call for a renewed dedication to living on behalf of the Earth,” he says.

“For me natural history is not an oldfashioned form of knowing,” he writes.

“It is the narratives of living entities that provide the alphabet of the design vocabulary.” With that alphabet—starting with bacteria and fungi and building up through food webs of plants, insects, snails, fish, and other creatures—Todd has invented a kaleidoscopic array of new technologies that follow nature’s lead.

Beginning in the 1980s, on a pond on Cape Cod nearly dead with toxic metals, agricultural fertilizers, and human waste, he built one of his early floating restorers: a raft of nine chambers that drew in thousands of gallons of water each day. The polluted water would pass through “ecological fluidized beds, a technology I had patented,” Todd says, and then downstream through other tanks filled with marsh-loving plants, shrubs, and

Photojournalist Robert Nickelsberg ’72 published Afghanistan’s Heritage: Restoring Spirit and Stone, his second book on the country. Produced in collaboration with the Office of Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State, the book includes images of cultural heritage sites taken in 2016.

Long a leading international news photographer, Nickelsberg’s first trip to Afghanistan was in 1988 for Time magazine.

trees that grew on the raft, their huge root mass hanging down into the water. Solar panels provided power. Windmills stirred up oxygen-starved water from the bottom of the pond. It worked. Six years later, “Flax Pond was open to fishing,” Todd writes.

Dozens of other living technologies and healing inventions followed: Eco-Machines that are “mechanically simple, but biologically complex,” Todd says, to treat human waste where leach fields can’t (you can see one inside the rest area on Interstate 89 in Sharon, Vermont); barges that use fungi, plants, and other life-forms to clean oil spills; floating gardens to restore sewagefilled canals in China; advanced solar and wind-powered workboats—made from sustainable woods—to provide interisland cargo delivery in the Caribbean.

Todd’s new book was shaped by UVM students. “In a sense, they are among the heroes in the story,” he says. As professor of ecological design from 1997 until 2013, he treasured his time collaborating with hundreds of students on new ideas and improved generations of Eco-Machines.

“They knew all about pesticides, pollution, and climate change. They had been welleducated in the ills of the Earth,” he recalls.

“But peeling back the veneer, these young humans, about to launch themselves on the world—many of them were discouraged.” Working in greenhouses on Spear Street and classrooms on campus, Todd helped students direct their knowledge toward hope-filled designs informed by the recognition that, as their professor told them over and over—and as his new book demonstrates—“you can do good things in the worst places.”

Claudia Reuter ’97 has launched a podcast, The 43 Percent, which shares stories of successful women balancing family and career. The podcast was featured on Apple’s New & Noteworthy list and is available on all platforms at fanlink.to/43percent.

Greg Bottoms, professor of English, published Lowest White Boy (West Virginia University Press). In this hybrid work of literary nonfiction, the author writes about growing up white and working class in Tidewater, Virginia, in the 1970s. “It is difficult to think of a timelier, nervier, more discomfiting, more pulse-quickening book than Greg Bottoms’s impressive exploration of an extremely difficult subject,” writes David Shields.

Josh Appelbaum ’09 recently published his first book, The Everything Guide to Sports Betting (Simon & Schuster). He is a journalist for The Action Network, the leading sports betting media/analytics website in the country.

Jennifer Degenhardt ’90 taught high school Spanish for many years and now teaches at UCONN-Stamford. Also an author of books for young adults, her titles include María, María, about a Puerto Rican girl dealing with the posthurricane devastation. Degenhardt is donating half of the proceeds from her book, which is available in English, Spanish, and French, to relief organization Techos Pa’ Mi Gente.

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

Team First Women’s lacrosse builds winning culture

BY | ANDREA ESTEY PHOTOGRAPH BY | IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09

Former offensive coordinator at Notre Dame, UVM women’s lacrosse head coach Sarah Dalton has her Catamounts on the ascent.

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On the sidelines of a matchup with rival Dartmouth,

women’s lacrosse coach Sarah Dalton is watching with quiet intensity.

She’s standing stoically, except when you look down: her toes are tapping nervously in white-and-green Adidas. “I’m passionate,” says Dalton, “in terms of caring about the team, the program, the game. But I’m not someone who is ra-ra, jumping around.”

Loud is not the Vermont native’s coaching style, which leaves plenty of room for the players at her back to cheer for every teammate, throughout all sixty minutes. That collective mindset, says Dalton, has been one of her biggest goals in her three years at the helm. “Team first, that’s our culture. What you’re doing, the work you’re putting in? It’s all toward the team.”

And the program is making strides. The team kicked the 2019 season off with a 7–1 run, their best eight-game start since 2014, before falling to a series of America East opponents. Last year, Dalton led the team to achieve the third-best win improvement rate in Division I; the year before, the Class of 2017 left with thirty career victories, tied for fourth-most by a graduating class. “We know we need to keep pushing our program forward,” says Dalton, “and I tell our girls that every year, it’s going to get harder.”

UVMATHLETICS.COM | THE LATEST NEWS

MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER BREAKS GROUND Among the standouts this season: low defender and captain Micaela O’Mara ’19, “incredibly determined for the team to do well,” says coach Dalton; the “backbone of who we are,” goalkeeper Maddy Kuras ’19; “one of the most competitive people we have on our team,” Grace Giancola ’21; and offensive transfer Elise Koehl ’19.

Plus, “the freshmen as a whole are just outstanding. Their dynamic is what you want in a class, they raise our level in the weight room, and they’re great lacrosse players,” says Dalton.

Growing up in Cornwall near Middlebury College, Dalton “got to see the best of the best at a young age, seeing teams playing at high levels, winning championships.” Sports were a big part of life—basketball, ice hockey, soccer, and, of course, lacrosse. Eventually, she went all-in on lacrosse, and ended up with an offer to play at Boston University.

“I can’t speak enough to my time at BU, and what that program gave me in terms of friendships and life skills,” says Dalton. Playing at that level, and the commitment it took, was eye-opening.

“It was the first time I was finding other females who were as driven as I was.”

That’s something Dalton brings to her players today. “We talk a lot about how it’s OK to work hard.”

Her college coaches left a lasting impression, including Liza Kelly (now head coach at University of Denver) and Liz Robertshaw. “Liz was the first person that really talked about the full student athlete package. It wasn’t just you as a lacrosse player, she cared so much about you as a student in the classroom, how you interacted with other people in the department.” She heard echoes of that philosophy when she met athletic director Jeff Schulman ’89 G’03. “He wants the student athletes to have the best experience,” says Dalton. “It’s not just on the field, it’s in the community, in the classroom, and in the culture.”

In 2009, Dalton graduated from BU with a degree in psychology, and finished

her career as the most accomplished offensive player in school history. Postgraduation, she became an assistant coach with William & Mary, and then she took a year off to work with her father at College for Every Student, a nonprofit focused on helping underserved students prepare for, gain access to, and succeed in college. “It was one of the hardest years of my life, but probably the best thing I ever did,” says Dalton. While there, she managed a partnership that paired college student athletes with students from low-income area schools; today, she still forges those types of bridges between Catamounts and aspiring players by hosting camps and clinics. “I loved it, but I realized how competitive I was, and that I loved coaching. In life you don’t get many mulligans,” laughs Dalton, “and I got one to go back to Notre Dame.”

In each of her four years as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator with the Fighting Irish, the team earned a top twenty national ranking and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. But, says Dalton, “I knew if I could, I would want to return to Vermont.” It was all about getting back to the Green Mountains, not chasing a title. “With other places I lived, I realized how special and unique Vermont is.”

Back on Virtue Field, head coach Dalton brings the team in for a huddle.

They’ve lost to Dartmouth, but that’s not the point of this post-game regroup. “Rest up. Recover. The focus is on the next game,” Dalton tells her players.

How does the young coach deal with a tough loss? “I’m probably the hardest critic on myself. If we lose, I look at myself. I know there are outside doubters, but whatever someone else is expecting of me, I can tell you I expect ten times more.”

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It’s on. Construction on the long-awaited Multi-Purpose Center project began this spring.

The project will bring transformative changes to the Patrick-Forbush-Gutterson Athletic Complex. Highlights include construction of the new Tarrant Center, which will be home to Catamount men’s and women’s basketball, as well as the locale for a variety of academic, social, cultural, and entertainment programming. A keystone gift of $15 million from Vermont philanthropists Rich and Deb Tarrant, announced in December, supports this aspect of the project. UVM’s historic Gutterson Fieldhouse will also undergo a transformative renovation that will provide dramatic enhancements for students, fans, and the men’s and women’s hockey teams.

Beyond the improvements for varsity athletes, teams, and fans, the Multi-Purpose Center will become the hub for recreation, wellness, and fitness for the entire UVM community thanks to dramatic upgrades and a five-fold increase in the space dedicated for health, wellness, and recreational use.

A $4 million gift from Chuck Davis ’72 and his wife, Marna, allowed the UVM Foundation to exceed the initial fundraising goals stipulated by the UVM Board of Trustees. In recognition of their generosity, the Multi-Purpose Center’s Recreation and Wellness Center will be named in honor of Chuck’s mother, Phyllis “Phiddy” Davis ’45. In addition, the Victory Club room will be named the Davis Family Victory Club.

The Multi-Purpose Center project is being funded through a combination of private philanthropic gifts and other institutional sources. To date, the UVM Foundation and Department of Athletics have raised over $32 million in commitments—more than has been raised for any capital project in UVM’s history. To learn more about how you can support the Multi-Purpose Center project— including about opportunities to name spaces within the Center—visit go.uvm.edu/itstime or contact Director of Major Gifts for Athletics Chris Bernier at Chris.Bernier@uvm.edu or (802) 656-3910.

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UVM PEOPLE ALHASSAN SUSSO ’11

by Thomas Weaver Photograph by Becky Miller

A TEACHER’S HISTORY In Alhassan Susso, the new American students at International Community High School in the South Bronx have an empathetic and inspiring role model, a history teacher with a personal history that mirrors their own.

Susso’s journey to his selection as New York State Teacher of the Year for 2019 began in his native Gambia, where he grew up in poverty and coped with a rare degenerative eye disease that would blind him in one eye. His roots as a history teacher, he says, rest in his family’s heritage across generations as “griots,” oral historians in West African culture.

At age sixteen, he emigrated to the United States to join an older brother in Poughkeepsie.

Today, Susso commutes two hours by train from Poughkeepsie to his NYC high school, which serves a diverse population of recently arrived immigrants. His presence alone conveys the message that circumstances do not necessarily define destiny.

“Inspiring Teens,” a program that Susso founded and leads, is a key reason for his NY Teacher of the Year honor.

The voluntary extra hour before school focuses on skills such as leadership, financial management, and communication, seeking to develop well-rounded individuals prepared for higher education or a solid job after high school.

The program has resulted in a boost to standardized exam results from 29 percent to 69 percent in one year with a pass rate of over 90 percent. All of the students who took the program for credit went on to attend college.

NOT SO EASY Alhassan Susso is not a natural-born teacher; by his own account, his rookie year of teaching was “tumultuous.” A turning point, he says, came during summer school of that first year when most students dropped his class. The lone two remaining told him that they stayed only because they needed the credits to graduate; the others, they said, fled when they heard he was the teacher.

“When you hit rock-bottom is usually when you wake up,” Susso says. Distraught and looking for distraction on the Metro-North ride home that day, he happened upon a

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video of Oprah Winfrey’s 2013 Harvard commencement speech in which she described a low point in her own life and the soul-searching and life reset it motivated.

Reflecting on his failed teaching, Susso came to feel that he fell short because he lacked the ability to forge a personal connection with his students. “While I was very passionate about making a difference in the lives of my students, the skill I was lacking was the skill to cultivate and nurture relationships,” he says. “In order for you to be able to influence somebody you first have to reach them on a personal level.”

It would be a busy summer as Susso and his wife cared for their new baby daughter, he soldiered on with teaching summer school, and immersed himself in books and videos about building relationships, the foundational step to making himself into the teacher he wanted to be.

LAW TO EDUCATION Student to teacher, Susso had no problem connecting at UVM, where political science faculty remember him with fondness and reverence. (He enrolled at the university when he and his wife moved to the area for her job with IBM.) During his first year of college, Susso’s parents struggled to get his sister to the United States for better treatment of Hepatitis B. Unable to obtain a visa, she passed away in Gambia. The experience made Susso begin to consider immigration law as a career path. But after a conversation with Professor Lisa Holmes, his advisor in political science, he took to heart her suggestion that teaching might allow him to help more people at a pivotal point in their lives.

As that advice has found form with “Inspiring Teens” and been celebrated with the NY Teacher of the Year award, Susso now has a megaphone to share his ideas about motivating young people and increasing opportunities for new Americans to succeed in college. Reflecting back on Professor Holmes’s advice and the path it set him upon, he shares a quote of Nelson Mandela’s that is a personal guidepost: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

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MOVE T H E C A M PA I G N F O R

THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT

MOUNTAINS

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In October 2015, President Tom Sullivan formally announced the ambitious $500 million goal of Move Mountains: The Campaign for the University of Vermont. As this issue goes to press, two weeks away from the June 30 close of the campaign, Move Mountains totals stand at $573 million and counting. The generosity of the donors who have made the campaign a resounding success will shape the University of Vermont and our partner UVM Medical Center for years to come. In this issue, we celebrate the Move Mountains campaign with a window on some of the ways these gifts are already elevating the endeavors of faculty and students and enriching the life of our campus.

SALLY MCCAY

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M O V E M O U N TA I N S ADVANCING DISCOVERY

Endowed professorships and chairs not only help the university attract leading scholars, scientists, and artists, but also create resources to further their success on the UVM faculty. The Move Mountain campaign has created sixty-seven new endowed faculty positions, funded by over $65 million in gifts.

DAMAGE CONTROL

S

ometimes, after an earthquake, a building can become like a zombie. “It’s still standing,” says structural engineer Eric Hernandez, “but you don’t even want to get near it.” He pulls up an image of a devastated streetscape in Turkey after a 7.6 magnitude quake. One building is still standing, but a much weaker aftershock, “just 5.9,” says Hernandez, “brought it down.”

Sometimes these living-dead structures—like earthquake-damaged buildings or worn-out bridges —are obvious. They lean, their beams are cracked, their struts buckle, and their concrete turns to powder. But not always. During the 1994 Northridge earthquake in California, there were “some steel buildings that looked as good as new, but they were severely damaged—the connection between the beams and columns was destroyed—and you just couldn’t see it,” says Hernandez.

“So, how do you know how bad it was hit?” he asks. The traditional approach is to send a team of skilled inspectors in to look, cutting into walls, digging under floors. But that can be very expensive and time-consuming. “How long can you wait to reopen a hospital or data center?” Hernandez says. Sometimes, every second counts, which is why he and his students have spent decades developing a different approach: using sensors that measure acceleration, they can remotely calculate the amount of acute damage to a building after an earthquake or detect the hidden wear on a highway bridge from years of truck traffic.

There will always be a place for visual inspec-

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BY JOSHUA BROWN

tion and human experts, Hernandez says. But his approach—embedding sensors in buildings as they are being constructed or attaching them to structures in later years—can save huge amounts of time and money, while increasing safety. “These are complementary efforts,” says Hernandez, the inaugural Gregory N. Sweeny ’70 Green and Gold Professor in Civil Engineering.

“We want to know: what is the minimum number of instruments that you could have on a building that would allow you to make an inference that the building is okay?” he asks. The correct answer to that question holds potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in avoided costs.

The genius of Hernandez’s approach is not in the sensors themselves. “We didn’t invent any new technology,” he says; the devices he uses are commercially available. Nor is it just expertise in signal processing or structural engineering. It’s the whole package. “We are combining our capability to make really good models with our capability to process the sensor data intelligently,” he explains. By bringing together several disciplines, he’s been able to make—if you’ll excuse the metaphor—ground-breaking advances in how to monitor complex structures and reduce the risk of catastrophic collapse.

“We’re good at what’s called model-data fusion,” says Hernandez, who grew up in the Dominican Republic and developed his skill as an engineer there before joining the UVM faculty in 2011. And he marries advanced systems thinking with practical-mindedness. “It’s engineering, right?” he says.

“Engineering sometimes is doing with one dollar what anybody can do with two.”

JOSHUA BROWN

ERIC HERNANDEZ G R E G O R Y N . S W E E N Y ’ 70 G R E E N A N D G O L D PROFESSOR IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

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E M I LY B E R N A R D J U L I A N L I N D S AY G R E E N A N D G O L D P R O F E S S O R O F E N G L I S H

YOUR STORY IS HERE, TOO

BY KAITIE CATANIA

W

ith the exception of being a writer, Emily Bernard could not be more different from Charles Dickens. “Charles Dickens wasn’t writing for me, but he speaks to me. I am David Copperfield, or at least I was growing up,” Bernard says.

She makes this connection to demonstrate the value of persistence and strong critical reading in the face of challenging prose. For students in her African American literature courses—most of whom are white—these skills can open new doors to understanding. “Dickens didn’t sit me down and say, ‘Here’s the way you could see yourself in this book.’ You have to work to find that. This is literature—American literature—and your story is here, too,” she says.

A professor of critical race and ethnic studies and the inaugural Julian Lindsay Green and Gold Professor of English—an endowed professorship

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established by Robert Fenix ’45 G’47, to foster research, teaching, and contributions to the study of American literature—Bernard confronts difficult topics like race, identity, family, and history in both her classroom and writing. She’s written books about Carl Van Vechten, a white man who played a role in the Harlem Renaissance; former first lady Michelle Obama; successful and meaningful interracial friendships; and most recently about her own experience with race and growing up Black in America.

“A lot of my students have told me I was the first Black teacher they’d ever had,” she confesses. After seventeen years at the University of Vermont, Bernard is adept at facilitating honest conversations like this in her classroom. She strives to illuminate the paradoxical and murky ways in which Americans navigate race through the text she selects for her syllabi each semester.

“These writers are in conversation, whether they knew each other or not, and they’re telling stories about living in the world from a certain vantage point. They are telling stories that contradict each other and that build on each other.

They’re shouting at each other and they’re agreeing with each other, and they’re crying and laughing with each other.”

Bernard’s own stories contribute to that complicated exchange, as well. Her latest book, Black Is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine, offers readers deeply personal anecdotes from her life, dotted with moments of humor and pride to disappointment and tension.

In one of the book’s essays, “Teaching the N-Word,” she describes her experience being the only Black person in her classroom and directly addressing her students’ discomfort around “the N-word.”

She goes on to describe a lecture she begins each African American studies course with: “I tell them, in essence, not to confuse my body with the body of the text,” she writes in the essay, noting that appreciating the course material has more to do with intellect and hard work than with race.

“It’s a pleasure teaching African American literature to students who maybe haven’t read it before and having them see a story that develops and themes recurring. From the slave narrative to Toni Morrison, they all are telling a grand story about freedom, identity, belonging, and American-ness,” she says.

ANDY DUBACK (2)

ENTERING AN ECOSYSTEM OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

BY KAITIE CATANIA

O

n a shelf in Erik Monsen’s office sits what he calls “a mini-museum” of a few consumer products developed by Grossman School of Business students in recent years. Among them: a sparkling beverage made from tree sap, an all-natural fire starter kit, and a hand lotion for fishers that eliminates fish odor.

“Students are coming here with business ideas and businesses already underway, so they’re not ERIK MONSEN only looking for a great academic S T E V E N G R O S S M A N ’6 1 E N D O W E D C H A I R I N E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P experience, but for a businessbuilding experience as well,” he says. As the inaugural Steven Grossman ’61 Endowed Chair in Entrepreneur- he’s accomplished much more: he’s collaborated ship, Monsen notes that a sea change in entrepre- on establishing Hills 20, a physical community neurship is at hand. For five years, he’s been work- and coworking space for entrepreneurially minded ing to meet the needs of young business leaders students to create and prototype designs; develand expand the university’s entrepreneurial reach oped clubs, funding opportunities, and promoted across campus and into the wider Burlington and professional competitions that allow students to New England region. engage with business early and regularly in their But long before he envisioned himself at UVM or academic careers; improved commercialization of even in Vermont, Monsen pictured himself in outer faculty research across the university and helped space. A former aspiring astronaut, he pursued aero- bring their innovations to market; and expanded nautical engineering prior to discovering his pas- the entrepreneurial footprint of UVM through relasion for the management side of the industry. Today, tionships with alumni and businesses. his approach to launching business initiatives is While he has big plans to foster entrepreneurgrounded in an appreciation for technology and ship at the Grossman School of Business and innovation, accomplished research, imagination, UVM—including formal partnerships with local and relationship building. He also holds a secondary businesses and a full center for entrepreneurship, appointment as an associate professor of mechani- complete with a makerspace—his larger vision is cal engineering. to establish a pipeline of businesses and social and “We have a lot of separate islands of entrepre- environmental innovators at the university that neurship already in place here at UVM, now we’re feed into the vibrant Burlington ecosystem of entreseeing how we can put those together,” he says, preneurship and sustainability. exemplifying the interdisciplinary nature of entre“The more technologies and cool experiences we preneurship today. can give our students, the more students we’ll gradDuring his time as Grossman chair, Monsen uate into happy alumni with local jobs and perhaps teases that he’s become a full-time coffee date in their own startups, and the more interesting faculty his effort to map out these islands of entrepreneur- we’ll attract to this small corner of the world, which ship and connect people to resources. In reality, is a really cool place,” he says.

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BEYOND THE DISEASE

BY ERIN POST

A

s a clinician, Dr. Cheung Wong specializes in treating patients with malignant conditions like uterine, ovarian, and cervical cancer. As an awardwinning educator, he specializes in fostering and encouraging compassion. He urges medical students and residents he teaches on clinical rotations to be present, to listen, to seek to understand, no matter the demands on their time or attention.

“Make sure you treat every patient like family,” says Wong, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive DR. CHEUNG WONG sciences. “Go beyond the disease.

B E R TA P I - S U N Y E R W I L L I A M S ’5 8 Develop a relationship with them ENDOWED PROFESSOR and build trust.”

In June of 2018, UVM celebrated Wong’s many contributions to the institution through his investiture as the inaugural Berta Pi-Sunyer Williams had but one dream: to become a doctor one day, to ’58 Endowed Professor. Pi-Sunyer Williams, a 1958 make a difference in people’s lives.” graduate of UVM and a nurse at what was then MediThe recipient of sixteen teaching awards since cal Center Hospital of Vermont, escaped civil war in 2000, Wong also served for eight years as the assoSpain with her family as a child in the 1930s, even- ciate dean for continuing medical and interprofestually coming to the United States to start a new sional education. In that time, he built a program life. Heralded for her dedication to patients and her that garnered a highly regarded joint accreditation quietly confident can-do attitude, her family sought that only a handful of other medical schools have to honor her, after her death in 1992, through an achieved. Now associate vice president of clinical endowed professorship that aligns with the sense of affairs for the UVM Health Network Medical Group, compassion and service she demonstrated through- he’s working with colleagues from across Vermont out her life. and northern New York State to develop strategies Wong’s family shares in Pi-Sunyer Williams’s for value-based care and population health. immigrant history. His parents came to the United His collaborative approach extends to his research States from China more than fifty years ago, spend- career. For more than fifteen years, Wong has parting their lives working in the sweatshop factories of nered with UVM Professor of Pharmacology Karen New York City. At his investiture ceremony, Wong Lounsbury to identify new therapies for ovarian cancited his mother’s tenacious spirit as a key force driv- cer and other gynecologic malignancies. Their work ing him forward. with a national nonprofit research organization has “My mother, who had only an eighth-grade edu- allowed patients seeking treatment through UVM to cation from China, had but one dream, and it was enroll in leading-edge clinical trials. that I would never follow in their footsteps and work With compassionate patient care at the core of in the factories of New York City,” he said. “Seeing his work, Wong is helping to shape the future of what my family and my community experienced, I medicine through his teaching and research.

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ANDY DUBACK (2)

A GUIDE TO SPECIAL EDUCATION

BY KAITIE CATANIA

P

rofessor Katharine Shepherd G’85 EdD’97 jokes that she’s been at UVM long enough to see her various research and scholarship interests evolve over time. In truth, her thirty-three years at the College of Education and Social Services make her an expert in the special education realm and a fixture at CESS. As an alumna, faculty member, and associate dean, Shepherd says she is “deeply committed” to CESS and is honored to have been invested as the college’s first endowed professor through the Levitt Family Green and Gold Professorship in 2017.

“I’m very passionate about the ways in which we support families and students, and help them to grow and make sense of this very complicated system that we call special education,” she says.

As a former special education teacher herself, she admits that the various support systems required to effectively serve students and families with unique needs can seem like its own universe at times. “In the work I’ve done with families who have kids with disabilities, I’ve learned that families see the school as just one planet among many other planets. Families have doctors, they have physical therapists, they have recreational pursuits, and they have other children. The school is not their sun.”

At her core, Shepherd wants to ensure that these students have a high-quality pre-K–12 education and successfully transition into meaningful adult lives, reflective of their hopes and dreams. To that end, she strives to bridge the gap between the academy and policy. “I’m really interested in how policy at the state and federal levels plays out in relation to the lives of students with disabilities and their families. Our field is increasingly focused on conducting research and then disseminating our findings in ways that are meaningful and digestible to policymakers, so that we’re not just educating ourselves,” she explains.

At present, Shepherd is concluding a five-year grant funded by U.S. Department of Education to address the challenges posed by a shortage of high quality special education teachers. The project funds future special education administrators and faculty members who will support the next generation of family-focused special educators. “My personal view is that all teachers and leaders should care deeply about families, however it’s not always emphasized

K AT H A R I N E S H E P H E R D L E V I T T FA M I LY G R E E N A N D G O L D P R O F E S S O R

equally across all preparation programs,” she says.

Shepherd has used the grant to fully support seven students through UVM’s doctoral program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Her ever-growing roster of research and initiatives also includes editing textbooks and journals about families and special education leadership, conducting research to help refugee families and their children with disabilities navigate the complex special education sphere, and collaborating with organizations and attending conferences that focus on improving teacher training and inclusive education policies, to name a few.

Her Green and Gold professorship provides Shepherd the financial resources and flexibility to pursue her policy-relevant work and continue adding new areas of interest to her research. “The Move Mountains campaign recognized that these various faculty endowments are really critical to the well-being of the institution, and they have a positive cumulative effect,” she says. “They bring to life good work that’s being done, they celebrate work that others may not know about, and they attract some of the nation’s best teacher-scholars to UVM.” SUMMER 2019 |

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M O V E M O U N TA I N S

NEW VIEW

Cook? Angell? Beloved Chittenden-Buckham-Wills?! Farewell to all.

Central campus has changed dramatically in the past several years with enhanced facilities for STEM research and education, student housing, the Grossman School of Business, and the UVM Medical Center, all boosted by private funding from the Move Mountains campaign. With Innovation Hall construction and landscaping wrapping up this summer, the projects are nearly complete.

ROBERT E. AND HOLLY D. MILLER BUILDING This new inpatient building at the UVM Medical Center is designed to enhance quality of care and healing for patients. The 180,000-square-foot facility allows the medical center to expand its single-occupancy room rate from approximately 30 percent to 90 percent, improving privacy and allowing more space for families.

ROBERT E. AND HOLLY D. MILLER BUILDING

CENTRAL CAMPUS RESIDENCE HALL The new six-story, 700-bed hall houses first-year students in the Wellness Environment, the university’s pioneering residential learning program grounded in neuroscience and mindfulness. Building features include a fitness center, a multi-option dining hall, and an enclosed walkway connecting to Howe Library.

(Read more on page 36.)

INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY HALLS These two connected buildings, which also connect to the renovated Votey Hall via an enclosed walkway, are headquarters for pursuits in the STEM disciplines. They feature cutting-edge research and teaching space, supporting breakthroughs in nanotechnology, materials science, and bioengineering, to name a few. (Read more on pages 36 and 38.)

IFSHIN HALL Remember the Kalkin Hall courtyard? That space is now Ifshin Hall, essentially a new wing to Kalkin, joined by a handsome atrium. Ifshin features classrooms and dedicated areas for collaborative student work, space for hosting case competitions, guest speakers and other events, plus a coffee shop. (Read more on page 34.)

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INNOVATION HALL DISCOVERY HALL CENTRAL CAMPUS RESIDENCE HALL

IFSHIN HALL

FLEMING MUSEUM

UVM SPATIAL ANALYSIS LAB, KELLY SCHULZE

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M O V E M O U N TA I N S BEYOND THE BRICKS Laboratories to dining halls, art studios to athletic fields, a college campus is a diverse village for learning. The Move Mountains campaign raised $99 million in support of facilities, twenty-one projects in all. But new construction and renovation is not about the buildings themselves, but the work they enable.

STATE OF THE ARTS

O

n the corner of Pearl and South Williams streets, a stately elementary school that closed nearly forty years ago is once again teeming with creative young minds. The new Michele and Martin Cohen Hall for the Integrative Creative Arts not only reimagines the old Elihu B. Taft School, in which it is housed, but the study and practice of visual and performing arts at UVM, as well.

The building’s original details like hardwood doors, marble wainscoting, and tile work remain, but UVM’s vision for the arts breathes new, twenty-first-century life into the former Taft School. What once was a gymnasium has made way for a sprung floor for dance students. Original chalkboards juxtapose against a green screen for film students.

With new spaces for studio art, drawing, dance, audio engineering, film and production, galleries, classrooms, and more under one roof, Cohen Hall embodies the state of creative arts today: interdisciplinary. “The capacity for experimentation is kind of through the roof at this point, because we have full-access media facilities right next to where all the teaching is taking place,” says assistant professor of time-based media Madsen Minax, who holds joint appointments in the Art Department and Film and Television Studies Department.

Minax’s own interdisciplinary work is a bit tricky to describe. He integrates film,

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BY KAITIE CATANIA

music, sound, performance, and installation to tackle issues of cosmic phenomena, kinship, identity, and justice communities. Blurring genres of documentary and narrative, the work is experimental at its core—imagine it as the nexus of film, soundscapes, and explosions in outer space.

This fusion of media is precisely what alumna Michele Resnick Cohen ’72 and her husband, Martin Cohen, had in mind when they gifted a total of $7 million to establish the state-of-the-art center. “I hope that this new facility will help students experience the joy and the freedom of art, and all the things that one can express through any medium, regardless of their course of study,” says Michele Cohen.

Minax’s students now have shared access to top-of-the-line equipment—including an audio recording studio that he describes as “bananas. It’s amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it”—and greater access to each other’s skills and knowledge. Collaboration abounds in Cohen Hall and reflects the realworld environment in which students will work.

“In video, very few people make their film projects in an insular vacuum in their studios, by themselves,” Minax says. “Quite often, you need to have someone who’s operating sound for you and someone who’s helping to manage your script or actors or performers. Even if you’re doing superexperimental, weird stuff, you usually need help.”

SALLY MCCAY, TOP, BOTTOM, RIGHT; JOSHUA BROWN, MIDDLE

| M I C H E L E A N D M A R T I N CO H E N H A L L F O R T H E I N T E G R AT I V E C R E AT I V E A R T S

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fter a two-year hiatus, the Grossman School of Business’s premier student-run event, the

BY KAITIE CATANIA Family Enterprise Case Competition, returned to the global stage last January in a new and improved home. A transformed Grossman hosted students, coaches, and judges from nearly thirty different countries as they competed in FECC 2019.

In its sixth edition, this year’s competition was long awaited after construction of Ifshin Hall and renovation of Kalkin Hall postponed last year’s competition. With twenty-five undergraduate and graduate teams, fifty-two judges, and forty-nine Grossman students participating, FECC 2019 was Grossman’s largest yet.

“The new facilities absolutely, completely changed the competition in the best way. It was something that, honestly, was more monumental than we even expected,” says Abby Collins ’19, a senior lead coordinator of FECC 2019, who organized the competition over the span of two years.

Renowned for being the only case competition in the world that focuses on issues important to family businesses, FECC challenges teams to analyze realworld problems involving family business and present recommendations to panels of judges. Teams are evaluated on their analysis of the case, feasibility in their recommendation, creativity, time management, and more.

The 25,000-square-foot addition of Ifshin Hall, including a new café, provided ample space to welcome more teams, while state-of-the-art breakout spaces, study rooms, and lecture halls offered world-class competitors an equally impressive space to prepare and present. Throughout the competition, international teams ebbed and flowed through Grossman’s modern and open atrium, hunkered down in glass-walled work spaces, and celebrated their wins and networked in Grossman’s main event space, the multipurpose Keller Room. Ifshin Hall was generously funded by private donations, many from Grossman’s advisory board, and is named for the late Stephen Ifshin ’58.

“With our old Kalkin Hall, although it was a great facility, we just didn’t have space to create that collaboration within the school itself,” says Collins.

In years prior, FECC organizers utilized faculty offices and classrooms to get by on the global event. “Now we have this space that matches the intensity,” she says.

For coaches, alumni, and judges familiar with FECC that return year after year, 2019 was a homecoming of sorts. Grossman alumna and former FECC senior lead coordinator Emily Bates ’15 revisited campus from Sunnyvale, California—where she is now a project manager at Google—to judge the competition. Upon entering Grossman, Bates immediately marveled at the renovation. “I’m so excited to be in Ifshin Hall, this is my first time here. I love the new coffee shop and all the new brick work. It’s so pretty,” she said.

Collins and co-FECC senior lead coordinator Doug Hirschhorn ’19 are grateful for the opportunity to bring the world’s top schools in family business together under one expanded roof to explore the nuances of how family businesses operate across the globe. “Family businesses are a very large part of the global economy,” explains Hirschhorn. “This competition and this event really facilitate a unique understanding of how different cultures view different scenarios in family business and it brings a truly global community together.”

BACK TO BUSINESS

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TURNING A PAGE

BY THOMAS WEAVER

A

mong all of the new construction and renovation projects boosted by the Move Mountains campaign, none are as rooted in UVM history as the return of Billings Library to its original function. When Frederick Billings, Class of 1844, pledged $75,000 toward construction of a new library, he and President Matthew Buckham envisioned a cathedral for books.

They hired just the man for the job, Henry Hobson Richardson, one of nineteenth-century America’s leading architects, to design a library in his grand Richardsonian Romanesque style.

As fall semester 2018 opened, Billings was a library once again, home to the Jack and Shirley Silver Special Collections Library, following several decades as the university’s student center. The top floor of the 1980s addition to Billings (what some alumni will remember as Cook Commons) now houses rare books, manuscripts, and document collections with the security and climate control such valuable materials demand. Richardson’s original structure is now devoted to study, classroom, and event space overseen

by Special Collections.

More broadly, Billings is now a central headquarters for the humanities at UVM, with space for the Carolyn and Leonard Miller Center for Holocaust Studies, the Humanities Center, and the Center for

I F S H I N H A L L , FA M I LY E N T E R P R I S E C A S E CO M P E T I T I O N 2019

Research on Vermont. More than two hundred donors contributed $8.5 million toward reinvigorating this UVM landmark at the core of the university’s academic mission.

As Jeffrey Marshall ’78 G’82, director of the Silver Special Collections Library, named for the lead donors to the Billings renovation, spoke at the rededication ceremony last October, he observed that when it comes to rare books and historic documents, nothing can match “that inscrutable sensation of handling the original.”

Though Library Special Collections have long been a critical resource for faculty research and a teaching tool for courses from studio art to plant biology, the ability to more seamlessly work with the diverse collection has been enhanced by the Billings renovation. The Marsh Room is now a state-ofthe-art teaching space where faculty can bring their classes in for lectures focused on materials in Special Collections.

One-of-a-kind artist’s books, an illuminated manuscript from sixteenth-century France, a Civil War soldier’s letters home to Vermont, a first edition of Look Homeward Angel inscribed by author Thomas Wolfe to his sister are just a few of the items that suggest the depth and diversity of the treasures in Special Collections. If the task of such a library is the collection and preservation of rare materials, the genius rests in the sharing of them—that “inscrutable sensation of handling the original”—how it sparks the imagination of a student or scholar, and where that thought leads.

SALLY MCCAY, TOP LEFT, BOTTOM RIGHT; IAN THOMAS JANSEN-LONNQUIST ’09, TOP

J A C K A N D S H I R L E Y S I LV E R S P E C I A L CO L L E C T I O N S L I B R A R Y

SUMMER 2019 |

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WITH THESE HANDS

FOOD WITH THOUGHT

BY JOSHUA BROWN

BY KAITIE CATANIA

L

ast September, a team of four UVM engineering students received a challenge from Nick Dechev, the executive director of the Victoria Hand Project: build two better hands—one for riding a bike and another for holding cutlery. The project works with amputees in seven developing countries, from Haiti to Cambodia, using 3D printers to produce custom-fitted prosthetics—that local people can afford and local medical professionals can manufacture and service.

Challenge accepted, students would spend the months ahead brainstorming ideas and developing prototypes in Votey Hall’s new design studio for senior student projects. And in March, mechanical engineering major Katie Stokes says, “We’re almost done.” She holds up a red-and-purple plastic device with two finger-like extensions holding a fork firmly in their grip.

“The current models they produce are aesthetically pleasing, and are able to assist users with a broad range of tasks,” explains mechanical engineering major Alex Troche. The Victoria devices are also body-powered and able to be manufactured for about $80 worth of materials, key advantages in poorer parts of the world.

“But people have been asking for models that can do a better job of holding silverware and riding and braking on a bike,” says team member Josh Goodrich ’19. He loosens a large purple plastic screw on one of the team’s prototypes and the fork slides out. “For this one, we went with a simple design. It’s pretty much just a clamp and it works very well.”

A few minutes later, Katie Stokes hops on a mountain bike in the design studio. She moves the muscles in her shoulder and back and a series of cables connected to a hand-like hook, attached to her arm, pulls on the brake lever. “We’re fine-tuning this biking one,” she explains. “We can get it to stop the bike wheel, but, when we’re actually riding, we’re still figuring out the best way to make it work.”

The four UVM undergrads took on the work for Victoria as their Senior Experience in Engineering Design project, a capstone that is the culmination of their education within the school’s curriculum.

The Votey Design Studio—with easy access to space, tools, and a spirit of innovation and collaboration— has been critical to their success, the students say.

“Only seniors can work in here,” says Josh Goodrich.

“It’s been nice to know it’s not going to be overrun and to have a decent amount of space to make our project, like, real.”

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“

W

e didn’t have anything like this when I was in college.”

Chef Sarah Langan says she hears this regularly from parents and families when they arrive at Central Campus Dining Hall during their tour of UVM. As the executive chef of culinary education, Langan is part of a team that’s reimagining the university’s commitment to sustainability, nutrition, and wellness around food.

As the name suggests, the dining hall is located in the center of campus, connected to a first-year residence hall that houses the Wellness Environment. It serves up nearly 20,000 meals each week that meet the national Real Food Challenge of being comprised, 20 percent, of ingredients that are local, organic, ecologically sound, and fairly traded. Currently, 26 percent of the university’s foods are considered Real Foods that sustain producers, the environment, and communities.

With an open kitchen concept, students see their food—ranging from classic mac and cheese and French fry bar, to vegan and allergen-free—being sliced, diced, and prepared in front of them. The food stations also display facts about the farm, farmers, and location the food has come from and processes used to prepare the food.

“I think part of the ethos of coming up with this particular dining hall was really a farm to table theme and making sure students, through the sustainability emphasis, really understand where their food comes from,” says Melissa Zelazny, director of dining and resident district manager for UVM’s food services company Sodexo, which provided a corporate gift in support of the new Central Campus Residence Hall.

What makes parents’ and families’ jaws drop, however, is how the dining hall incorporates those values into hands-on culinary experiences for students. Exploration Station enables students to cook and customize their own meals—from stir fries to pastas—while Discovery Kitchen, another area in the dining hall, is a unique learning laboratory, turned educational kitchen.

Langan leads cooking lessons, twice weekly in Discovery Kitchen, featuring easy-to-replicate dishes that are seasonal, locally sourced, and nutritious.

“Vermont highlights one crop per month based on the harvest calendar, then we highlight it in our dining hall, and I’ll do a class around it. We did a squash class in the winter and an apple class during the fall,” Langan says.

“Last week I did a tapas class just because I have a passion for that food, and we made all these small plates of tapas and sat around and shared those.

They were phenomenal. I think it was my best class yet,” she adds, with a smile.

Langan and Discovery Kitchen don’t just walk budding chefs step-by-step through a recipe, a la meal delivery services like Blue Apron and Sun Basket.

The facility is a place where true education happens. Langan has teamed up with academic classes, like the nutrition and food sciences course “Bite Me: Food Facts and Fallacies,” to help students learn about whole grains, healthy fats, and proper portions. She’s even hosted a creative writing class in Discovery Kitchen to cook apple galettes.

At the heart of this hands-on approach to food, UVM’s dining team wants to empower students to become self-sufficient and successful, both in their own kitchens when they leave campus and when it comes to their health and nutrition. “I always say they can’t live on ramen and frozen pizza,” Langan jokes.

| V OT E Y D E S I G N S T U D I O

D I S CO V E R Y K I TC H E N CENTRAL CAMPUS RESIDENCE HALL

JOSHUA BROWN, TOP; SALLY MCCAY, BOTTOM

SUMMER 2019 |

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WHERE CLEAN MATTERS MOST

BY JOSHUA BROWN

B

etter science is in the air of Discovery Hall.

“Literally, in the air,” says Chris Landry, chair of the Chemistry Department. When he asked graduate students how the new STEM facility had improved their experience over their days in the dark and dank Cook Building, “the uniformly most important thing was—air conditioning,” he says. Sure, it’s nice to no longer have to endure labs that shot up to ninety-five degrees, Landry says, but the new building’s state-of-the-art air handling system means more than comfort. “It’s safer,” he says. Not only can students and professors wear their lab coats and goggles without sweltering, but the air system and new fume hoods keep the air clean. “Cook always smelled,” Landry says, “and a chemistry building should not smell.” Plus, the air handling recaptures heat in the winter and cool air in the summer, saving money and “being green,” Landry says. The building also uses piping for an integrated set of “house gases”—nitrogen, compressed air, and other specialty gases—for scientists throughout the building, stored in a secure

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bunker outside, instead of dozens of space-wasting tanks chained to the wall in many separate labs.

The air is clean in Discovery Hall—and in one large, white room in the basement, it’s crazy clean.

This advanced laboratory—the only open-research clean room in Vermont—is essential to physics professor Matt White. “We make high-performance solar panels and LEDs,” he says. To create these, he and his students drip polymers onto spin coaters turning at 5000 rpms. “They can leave behind a very uniform film—ten nanometers thick,” he says. “But if there’s one speck of dust, that causes what’s called a comet defect. It looks like Halley’s Comet behind the dust”—and the experiment is ruined. “In Cook, you’d be making twenty-four solar cells and maybe three of them would work,” White says. “Now, in the clean room, one hundred percent of them work, because there’s no dust,” he says—accelerating his research.

Better science is in the air of Discovery Hall, “in a more intangible sense too,” says Landry. Its tall windows and glass walls fill fourteen new teaching labs and twenty-two faculty research labs with light. With, for example, some 1,200 undergraduates taking introductory chemistry each year, the new spaces have allowed faculty to, “totally revamp how we teach courses, closely linking lectures and lab time. It’s the building,” Landry says—part of the university’s $104 million investment in new science and technology facilities, the largest-ever capital project at UVM—“that’s driving all sorts of curricular change.”

JOSHUA BROWN

M O V E M O U N TA I N S C O M P R E H E N S I V E C A M PA I G N

BY THE NUMBERS

milestones CAMPAIGN TOTAL

OCTOBER 2, 2015

$573,227,436

The public launch of the Move Mountains campaign is preceded by a two-day crescendo of major gift announcements, including a $20 million naming gift from the Grossman Family Foundation (Steven Grossman ’61) to the School of Business.

15%

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP & FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT

CAMPAIGN GOAL

$500M

11%

CHAIRS & PROFESSORSHIPS

At a groundbreaking ceremony for the new inpatient building of the UVM Medical Center, CEO Dr. John Brumsted announces that the facility will be named in honor of Bob and Holly Miller, local philanthropists, whose donation of $13 million in support of the project is the largest single gift in Medical Center history. The Millers go on to endow four faculty positions at UVM: two in medicine and two in nursing.

17%

FACILITIES SUPPORT

REPEAT DONORS

57%

(GAVE IN 5 OR MORE YEARS OF CAMPAIGN)

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

A gift of $66 million to the College of Medicine from Robert Larner ’39 MD ’42 and his wife, Helen, is announced. It marks the first time a U.S. medical school has been named to honor an alumnus physician and donor. It is the largest gift ever to a public university in New England.

PROGRAM SUPPORT

12,596 first-time DONORS

38,772 young alum donors (UNDER 10 YEARS OUT)

6,388 parent, grandparent donors

19,751 class with most gifts

1976 class with highest gift total

1939 (THANKS, DR. LARNER)

(ALL TOTALS ARE AS OF MAY 24, 2019)

$65M CHAIRS & PROFESSORSHIPS

JUNE 16, 2016

$83M STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP & FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT

$99M FACILITIES SUPPORT

$325M PROGRAM SUPPORT

program support Broadly defined, program support flows in multiple directions to help fund everything from faculty research to student clubs to museums and concerts. Areas enhanced include: STUDENT EXPERIENCE. More than 80 percent of UVM students are involved in at least one club or organization on campus, key opportunities to learn and grow outside the classroom.

SERVING VERMONT. Proctor Maple Research, Morgan Horse Farm, Lane Series, Fleming Museum are among the programs that enhance UVM as a comprehensive university and enrich the lives of citizens in our home town and home state.

ATHLETICS. Support of all of our teams is crucial to maintaining and growing the University of Vermont’s reputation as a place where the true spirit of the “student-athlete” flourishes.

UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT. Essential for any university to fund the core educational mission and experience—this is the truest sense of our donors believing in the work of UVM.

APRIL 11, 2017

On the strength of a new $6 million gift from the Gund family, UVM establishes the university-wide, interdisciplinary Gund Institute for Environment, which expands the scope and charge of the former Gund Institute for Ecological Economics.

APRIL 27, 2017

Michele Resnick Cohen ’72, and her husband, Martin Cohen, donate $5 million to renovate and transform the Elihu B. Taft School to become UVM’s first integrated center for the creative arts. When the building is dedicated in October 2018, the Cohens announce a further $2 million gift to the project.

DECEMBER 18, 2018

Just before a double-overtime victory for Catamount men’s basketball, the crowd in Patrick Gym gets warmed up with news from center court that Rich and Deb Tarrant have made a $15 million gift. Support from the longtime Vermont philanthropists will help fund the Tarrant Center, the new home for basketball and special events that is a key component of the Multi-Purpose Center project for varsity athletics and student fitness/wellness.

SUMMER 2019 |

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M O V E M O U N TA I N S EDUCATION & ASPIRATION Making a UVM education more affordable was a top priority of the Move Mountains campaign, with more than $80 million donated and 272 scholarships added. We profile six promising graduates of the Class of 2019, all boosted by the support of donor-funded scholarships.

A B BY CO L L I N S S U P P O R T E D B Y T H E O Z Z I E N YQ U I S T S C H O L A R S H I P

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SALLY MCCAY

BY THOMAS WEAVER

W

hen Abby Collins turns back the clock and considers why UVM prevailed as her college choice, she gives a nod to parent intuition. She recalls the drive home to Nashua, New Hampshire, after a tour of campus. “I really liked the energy, and I remember both my mom and dad, with that parental eye, saying, ‘This is where you’re supposed to be, this is your place, these are your people,’” Collins says.

Her studies in the Grossman School of Business have focused on analytics as a major, bolstered by a minor in pure mathematics. Coursework meshes with the considerable responsibilities Collins took on as a student leader of the Family Enterprise Case Competition. Working with fellow students and mentors such as Professor Dita Sharma to arrange an event that drew twenty-six teams from seventeen countries was a test that prepared Collins well for the world after graduation. (She landed a job with PayPal this spring.) “To say it’s been a foundational, pivotal point of my college career is honestly an understatement,” Collins says. “It is something that has defined my time here.”

Also key to her UVM years, she says, is the broader experience of the university beyond the walls of Kalkin and Ifshin halls. Collins has appreciated having roommates who are linguistics majors or art history majors, friends who think differently than she does, and she values the environmental ethos at the university’s core. Reflecting back again on that college choice, she says, “I knew that the person who UVM would shape me to be was definitely the person who I wanted to be.”

D

J AY H AY D E N (standing) S U P P O R T E D B Y T H E D R . J A N E T B O S S A N G E E D. D. ’ 97 M E M O R I A L F U N D

DOK WRIGHT

uring his final semester of college, secondary education major Jay Hayden runs on an alternate schedule to his fellow seniors.

While his friends are on their last spring break, he is thick in the rite of passage known as student teaching. Hayden prepares to lead four English classes at Burlington High School, world lit and an honors section for sophomores, where units on Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha and Shakespeare’s Macbeth are among the lesson plans.

As Hayden talks about stepping in front of a classroom, he draws on his stage experience as an actor—know your script, read your audience, harness your energy. He was involved with drama during high school and is president of the University Players student group. Hayden delivered an electric performance as Moritz Stiefel in the 2017 Royall Tyler production of Spring Awakening. Theatre Professor Gregory Ramos directed the show, and Hayden counts him as a key influence.

Addressing the young actor’s tendency to tighten up during emotionally intense scenes, Ramos continually urged Hayden to relax—“let it happen and it will.”

“That’s really impacted how I look at the world,” Hayden says.

“What’s going to happen in your life is what’s going to happen; what’s going to happen on stage is what’s going to happen. Let it happen and it will.”

Hayden envisions a career that combines theater and teaching, with a long-term goal of founding his own theater company. “I want to impact people with the art form that I love so much, and I think the best way to impact a community is through impacting the youth who are part of it,” he says.

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owmanydaysofwaterdoescapetownhaveleft.co.za—the website’s url cuts to the chase with the dire situation in South Africa’s second-largest city, a grim countdown that predicts the Cape’s dam levels will reach 10 percent in November 2019. Those numbers are revisited early and often in water quality engineering courses taught by Raju Badireddy, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. They’re a direct lesson on the truth that the fate of the Earth—not to mention the species reading this magazine—depends, to great degree, on the fate of our water.

“Professor Badireddy is always talking about how we can change the world with water engineering. It’s an issue that’s only going to grow in the coming decades,” says Christian Boisvert, senior in environmental engineering. Enrolled in a 3+2 program with St. Michael’s College and UVM, Boisvert received bachelor’s degrees from both schools in May. He built his science foundation with chemistry courses at St. Mike’s and has focused on his interest in water engineering at UVM. A senior capstone project has taken Boisvert and several fellow students up to Derby, Vermont, where they’ve analyzed the current state of the water treatment plant. This spring, they’ve developed a report with recommendations for possible upgrades, a service learning project that begins to give Boisvert a sense of his professional future, putting engineering to work to protect the world’s water.

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pring semester, as the national debate over immigration, crime, and border security raged at fever pitch, Hayley Barriere quietly drilled down on the work of her senior honor’s thesis. Examining perceptions of immigrants as criminals in the United States, the focus of her writing and research could scarcely have been more timely. Analyzing both mainstream media coverage and White House executive summaries around the issue, the global studies major has been focused on the topic since taking a sociology course last year on gender, race, and crime in the United States with Professor Eleanor Miller.

Barriere’s interest in global studies is rooted, in part, in high school service trips to Somotillo, Nicaragua, sister city of Bennington, Vermont, her hometown. She says the multi-disciplinary nature of global studies and the community of the Honors College have created a rich academic experience during her years at UVM. And she’s broadened that by working as a coordinator with the local Big Buddies program, studying abroad in The Netherlands, and working in UVM’s Office of International Education.

An internship with the Refugee Resettlement agency in Chittenden County was another important part of her experience, shaping her thoughts on directions her career might take after graduation. “I had the chance to meet people from all over the world and see what it is like for people to actually go through the whole immigration application process,” Barriere says. “The number of people who apply to come to the United States versus the number who are actually able to resettle here is astonishing.”

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CHRISTIAN BOISVERT SUPPORTED BY T H E R I C H A R D A . S W E N S O N ’5 0 S C H O L A R S H I P

SALLY MCCAY (2)

H AY L E Y B A R R I E R E S U P P O R T E D B Y T H E H E L Z B E R G FA M I LY E N D O W E D S C H O L A R S H I P

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K WA S I E FA H S U P P O R T E D B Y T H E N E A L M A R G U L I S ’ 86 S C H O L A R S H I P

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SALLY MCCAY (2)

I

t’s been a long journey to Kwasi Efah’s senior year at the University of Vermont. After spending most of his childhood in Marlboro, New Jersey, he moved to Ghana at age eleven with his father. Efah completed his junior year studying electrical engineering in Ghana when he decided he wanted to broaden his studies by expanding his focus to computer science, a decision that would bring him to UVM in 2017.

Efah is grateful to the student services staff who have helped him navigate the complex process of an international transfer deep into his college experience. While he expected the challenging academic juggle of a computer sciences major and electrical engineering minor, Efah says he’s discovered a good deal he didn’t expect at UVM. Thinking Vermont was all forest and farm, he’s found Burlington to be a diverse and lively small city. On campus, he’s found fun and his social circle dancing with the Salsa Team. And, of course, he’s learned to ski.

Efah sees a master’s in computer science or a related field in his future. But first, he’s eager to put his bachelor’s degree to practice with work in software development or computer programming.

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S H A R O N PA L M E R S U P P O R T E D B Y T H E J A M E S G . W E LC H S C H O L A R S H I P

haron Palmer knows well the challenges that today’s Vermont dairy farmers face. Her parents farmed on their own for years, and her father is now head herdsman for Monument Farms Dairy in Weybridge. Growing up, Palmer herself raised and showed heifers in 4-H; she’s grateful that the offspring of those same cows are now integrated into the Monument Farms herd.

“Dairy isn’t just a business; it really is a way of life. For so many people who I know, it is what they love to do. As hard as that is, it is the only thing they can see themselves doing,” she says.

Her experience with and passion for the dairy industry and, more broadly, agriculture motivated Palmer to study food systems at UVM, coupled with a dairy focus in animal science. A semester at the Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, New York, was an immersive dive into best practices in dairy management.

As a recent graduate, Palmer envisions a career that will help preserve and promote systems in which people know where their food comes from and the people who produce it.

“I think that is one of the things that Vermont is doing pretty well. Especially with our dairies, you know the farmers, you see the farms,” she says. “I hope we can see that continue into the next generation in Vermont, because it is such an iconic part of this state.”

VQ

SUMMER 2019 |

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| BACK ON CAMPUS

KHALIL MUNIR '74

Khalil Munir speaks at the 2018 dedication of the Andrew Harris Commons, commemorating UVM's first AfricanAmerican graduate.

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In his long career as senior staffer for six different members of Congress and other public service roles in the nation’s capital, Khalil Munir ’74 has had ample opportunity to see the skills that new college graduates bring (or sometimes don’t bring) to a job interview. As a UVM alumnus, he’s leading an effort to help today’s Vermont graduates enter the “real world” well prepared to step into a career.

In particular, Munir, a member of the Alumni Association Board Executive Committee, is helping draw together affinity groups of students and alumni of color, LGBTQ individuals, non-traditional students, and military veterans, among others. A Mosaic Center Community Celebration on campus in March was one part of the effort, creating opportunities for career networking and honing job interview skills. “Those four years of college aren’t a picnic,” Munir says, sounding like both the seasoned professional and father of two that he is. “Students really should be priming themselves for the four years after, developing a vision for what it is they want to do, and creating a plan for how they’re going to get there.”

At his own UVM graduation, forty-five years ago, Khalil Munir would not have envisioned himself as an alumnus deeply involved with his alma mater. (Fellow alumni may remember him as Tyrone Miner; Munir legally changed his birthname in 1978.) He reflects that when he began college at UVM on an athletic scholar-

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ship, he was driven by a “basketball-centric” mindset. Vermont was then a member of the Yankee Conference along with UMass, where NBA legend Julius Erving played his college ball in the early seventies. “I had visions of becoming the second Dr. J,” Munir says. He played very well his freshman year, but his sophomore season was derailed by a serious knee injury. A new coach would cut Munir from the squad the next fall, saying he lacked mobility. Munir believes the move had more to do with being a strong, rebellious voice on the team; he had initiated a petition that resulted in the previous coach losing his job.

Looking back, Munir says, “My greatest regret in life is that I started that wrong-headed petition.

Probably twelve of the fourteen guys on the team signed on to it, but I didn’t have an appreciation of ruining the career and the livelihood of someone who loved the game and had been responsible for giving me a shot to play at UVM. I could have and should have done better.”

But the circumstance, “shattered” by losing his identity as a varsity athlete, pushed Munir to redefine himself and reset his course. He doubled down on his studies in economics, committed to prove to his fellow students and professors that he was more than a basketball player. His career in Washington, D.C., would begin in 1978 when he was selected for the inaugural class of the Presidential Management Fellows Program.

A turning point in Munir’s relationship with his alma mater came five years ago, when he was invited to campus to introduce President Tom Sullivan at an event. As he became reacquainted with UVM, Munir saw a much more diverse university than the place where he felt cultural isolation as one of very few minority students in the early seventies. But he also saw opportunity to build connection within and among under-represented populations. “That was the awakening for me,” he says.

“Because it forced me to reconcile what I had garnered from being at UVM, what I contributed, and, most importantly, what I can give back.”

Reflecting on his own time at UVM and what he hopes to share with today’s students, Munir says, “Attending a racial majority university prepared me to comfortably and effectively navigate social, professional, and educational situations as a distinct minority—i.e. tall and African American. It’s essential for Mosaic community members to develop positive self-esteem, intellectual competency, job readiness skills, and the confidence to take on the challenges presented to them professionally, culturally, and socially.”

SALLY MCCAY

CLASS NOTES Life beyond graduation

NEW AND IMPROVED!

CLASS NOTES The UVM Alumni Association just rolled out a new site for online classnotes. You’ll find personal and professional news and photos from your fellow alumni, all presented in a user-friendly format, searchable by class year, school or college, and type of note. Of course, you can easily share your own updates, as well. And for you class notes fanatics who find it difficult to wait between print issues of Vermont Quarterly, the online version will refresh as new notes are posted.

alumni.uvm.edu/notes

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Arnold Becker ’41 MD’43 met Ruth Spiwak Becker ’42 at UVM eighty years ago. He shares, “We’re lucky, and we do miss Burlington.”

Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 61 Summit Street, Burlington, VT 05401 alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

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It was a wonderful day for June Dorion when she received a surprise call from her old roomie, Mary Butler Bliss, who still can make her laugh. Mary sang When Irish Eyes are Smiling, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and June joined in. Mary is ninety-seven, alive and well, and living with her son and family in Taunton, Massachusetts. She enjoys her children, grandchildren, and all who come to call. She makes life more pleasant for all around her after a great career as a Latin teacher.

Send your news to— June Hoffman Dorion 16 Elmwood Drive, Rutland, VT 05701 junedorion@gmail.com

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Green & Gold Reunion October 4-6, 2019

Rose Eisman Boyarsky is sorry to share news of the passing of Saul Boyarsky ’44 MD’46 in January 2019 at age ninety-five.

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

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Send your news to— Mrs. Harriet Bristol Saville Apt. 11, 1510 Williston Road South Burlington, VT 05403 hattiesaville@comcast.net

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Send your news to— Louise Jordan Harper 573 Northampton Street, Holyoke, MA 01040 louisejordanharper@gmail.com

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Wendy Lucia shares that her mother, Grace Fox Jordan, passed away in October 2017. Grace received her bachelor’s in nursing education and stayed on at the university as an instructor in the field from 1949-1953. She then married and raised her family.

Grace had many lifelong friends from her years at UVM and was thrilled to hear from a former student when she was over ninety.

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

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Green & Gold Reunion October 4-6, 2019

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

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Walter Meyer, head of the Mary Meyer Toy Manufacturing Company of Townshend, Vermont, passed

away this spring after a period of declining health.

Phyllis Needleman shares that her husband Jerry Needleman passed away in January 2019. Over the years, the couple had lived in Newport, Vermont, Lynbrook, New York, Lake Worth, Florida and Gilbert, Arizona. Nancy Burnett writes that she loved watching UVM’s basketball team claim the America East title and she signs off as longtime class secretary with this issue. “Over the years it has been a pleasure to read incoming notes from ’53 grads. However, now I must say farewell!” she writes. (Editor’s Note: Thank you, Nancy, for all of your work helping keep classmates connected to one another and UVM.) Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 61 Summit Street, Burlington, VT 05401 alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

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Green & Gold Reunion October 4-6, 2019

Carol Sutherland enjoys living in Denver, Colorado, where she shares a condo with Cami, her thirteen-year old multicolor cat. She is an active member of Denver First Universalist Church, which she joined in 1970.

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

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Walt Beck lives in Livingston, New Jersey, where he continues to work as an actuary. Walt and Ben Aibel often meet in Manhattan at Ben’s favorite pub. Ben is enjoying his retirement from the brokerage world.

He and Nancy live in Manhattan. Carol ’56 and Lew SUMMER 2019 |

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| CLASS NOTES GIVING BACK

V O I C E S O F M O V E M O U N TA I N S S U P P O R T E R S

“I give to UVM because of great memories of wonderful friends, outstanding professors who changed the way I look at life, and a beautiful campus I can never forget.”

—Jean Linderman ’59

Dan ’55 MD’59 maintain their residences, Miami with summers in the Catskills, and report that “they are doing great. Hope to get more news from you, wherever you may be.” Your class secretary, Jane, had a great ski trip in Deer Valley, Utah, in March with several younger UVMers. Skiing there is a piece of cake compared to Vermont!

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

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Audrey Stein shares that although her last significant adventure travel was in 2013 to the Kingdom of Mustang in Nepal, she continues to travel to less remote places, take photographs, screen documentary films at UCLA, and lead an active, fulfilling life. See her amazing photos at passionate-traveler.com.

Barbara Berke Ansel was saddened to read of Dolores (Lorrie) Buehler Farwell’s passing. She sends condolences to all. Carol Parker Day and her husband have watched two daughters and four grandsons graduate from UVM. On top of this, three granddaughters-in-law! Carol writes, “Waiting for a building to be built in my name!”

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

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Robert Corshen is busy and getting great satisfaction out of working as a re-entry counselor at San Quentin prison. He currently has twelve clients, men that will be getting out within the year, and shares “some have fascinating stories.” When he tells his co-workers what nice guys they are, they have to remind him that “they’re felons.” Bob Dempsey and Julie moved to a different location in The Pinehills, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They now reside at 50 Pinehills, Apt 216.

Send your news to— UVM Alumni Association 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401

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alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes

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Stu Zeiter works as the private driver and personal assistant for a prominent business executive. Ronald Downer and wife Barbara celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in March. Ronald gives a public thank you to classmate and best man, Mike Zacchilli, and their great ushers, Gus Noponen ’59 and Robert Duryea ’61. He sends thanks to friends for their continued support all these years! Barb and Ronald still live in Alexandria, Virginia and, enjoy time with eight grandkids and a great-grandson. Stephen Rozen spent a wonderful afternoon with friend and fraternity brother Charlie Pitman ’58 MD ’61. Stephen shares, “It is great to reconnect with old friends.” Stephen is still half-time in paradise—Naples, Florida. He continues to volunteer and teach oral surgery. Stephen is still with the love of his life of fifty-eight years and remains, thankfully, healthy.

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

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Green & Gold Reunion October 4-6, 2019

Caryanne Ericson moved into senior living. She has a dog-friendly cottage at Masonicare in Wallingford, Connecticut. Diane (Deedee) Weiss Mufson, a retired psychologist, writes weekly op-ed columns for the Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch.

She and husband, Maury, plan to attend her 60th reunion in October and hope to see many classmates. James S. Meyer received a master’s degree from Central Connecticut State University in 1969.

He is a retired biology teacher, professional level wildlife art carver, and national carving competition judge. James carves every day. His wife, Lynne Cotter Meyer ’60, received a master’s degree from Central Connecticut State University in 1970. She is a former middle school math and science teacher with a thirty-year career as a senior technical writer of jet engine manuals for Pratt & Whitney. In retirement, Lynne enjoys photography, writing books, genealogical research, and collecting antiques.

Her latest book, Exploring the Lower Connecticut River and the Beauty of Its Shoreline was published in 2018. Their daughter, Liz Meyer Piacentini

’85, recently retired from the hospitality management industry and is busy promoting the Canadian Horse, a vanishing breed that is ridden by the the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She also gives seminars to improve horsemanship by understanding the behavioral psychology between horse and rider. James shares, “Ever since she was young, she was a horse whisperer.”

Send your news to— Henry Shaw, Jr. 112 Pebble Creek Rd, Columbia, SC 29223 hshaw@sc.rr.com

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Joan Dickson was in Venice, Florida where she caught up with Joanie Lord Birmingham, Anne Gulick Heck, and Joan Billington Dickson. She writes, “Unfortunately, Jeannie Young Weaver was unable to attend.” Helen Riegels Mackey passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family in December 2018, after a short illness.

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

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Sally Nadon Pedley passed away suddenly in March after a very brief struggle with lung cancer. Carol Overton Blanchard moved from Palm City, Florida to an independent/assisted living facility, Sonata of Vero Beach. She has many new friends but misses her old buddies very much. Nancy Miller Kimball went on a birding trip organized by Road Scholar in southeast Arizona. Each day she went to a different location and her group collectively saw more than one hundred species of birds. At the end of the trip, she spent three days in Tucson visiting the Sonoran Desert Museum where she had a guided tour of the Tucson Wildlife Center by a fellow wildlife rehabilitator. Nancy shares that this was “Truly an outstanding vacation!” Truman Grandey moved to Redmond in central Oregon. He shares, “Right now, we’re experiencing a snow two-feet deep, and I’m practicing driving skills learned in Vermont.” Jamie Jacobs ’61 MD ’65 and Jean Pillsbury ’62 spent a couple of weeks in Argentina in January primarily fishing, and another couple of weeks in February in Costa Rica sightseeing and fishing. The trips provide relief from a cold, wet, and sometimes snowy Kentucky winter. This spring, they’re off to Israel for

a week. Then, Jamie will spend a week playing golf with his Owl fraternity brothers in Ocean City, Maryland, their fourteenth annual get-together. Jamie writes, “Hope all my classmates are well and enjoying their favorite pursuits.” Jim McCarthy has lived in Durango, Colorado, with his wife, Paula, and their fifteen-year-old son, Ian, since 2003. He is president of their homeowner’s association and recently dealt with wildfire 416 and the flooding from the burn scar. He is currently responding to the melt from the best snowfall in a decade. The snow made for great ski trips to Copper Mountain, Telluride, and their local resort, Purgatory. The family spent a year in Costa Rica in 2014-2015, where they enjoyed the beautiful country and side trips to Peru, Panama, and Nicaragua. Paul Loseby lives in Cleveland, Tennessee, and enjoys life. He stays active and just celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary. Paul shares, “As an eighty-year-old, I am playing trumpet in a local band called The Cleveland Pops and having fun. I enjoy receiving news from UVM and Vermont.”

In March, your class secretary, Steve Berry, and Bill Adams dined with spouses in Stowe. We had fun swapping stories about growing up in Montpelier and times at UVM. The following day we had a few runs down the ski slopes and regretted there weren’t more UVM friends still skiing in Stowe.

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

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Jules Older, who learned to ski with the UVM Outing Club, writes about skiing and friendship in Your Life Is A Trip, see: yourlifeisatrip.com. James Hansen ’81 shares that Bennett Daniel Black passed away on March 9, 2019. Bennett was born in Amsterdam, New York, served in the US Navy during the Korean Conflict, attended Boston University and in 1962 graduated from UVM, where he was a member of Sigma Phi. In 1963, he married Mary Anne Vandeventer Black. During their fifty-five-year marriage, they enjoyed living throughout the United States, including in New Jersey, California, Alaska, Connecticut, Virginia and, finally, in Texas.

Send your news to— Patricia Hoskiewicz Allen 14 Stony Brook Drive, Rexford, NY 12148 traileka@aol.com

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Betty Bergman Levin of Newton, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully in December 2018, after a battle with Alzheimer’s. She is survived by her beloved husband of forty-nine years, Amos Levin, their son, Ron Levin, and his wife Toma Halkina. Betty graduated from UVM with a degree in elementary education and spent her career in television production and public relations. She authored or co-authored four books, including The Apple Orchard Cookbook and Victorian Secrets. She is remembered by her loved ones for her keen sense of family and community and her devotion to those around her.

Randi Rosenstein will return to Lake Willoughby, Vermont, after wintering in North Carolina near her

CONTINUING A LEGACY OF SHARING

“I am forever grateful.”

“As a lad from Rutland, Vermont, I was very fortunate to receive financial assistance from the Wilbur Fund to attend the University of Vermont.

It was here that I met the love of my life, Roberta (“Bobbie”) ’57, married in 1958, and embarked on my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor.

“If it weren’t for the Wilbur Fund helping me through eight years of college and medical school, I would not be the physician I am today. I owe my career as an orthopedic surgeon to the financial assistance I received. I am forever grateful.

“Bobbie and I have included two bequests to UVM in our estate plans. The first will establish the John W. Stetson, MD and Roberta Baker Stetson Scholarship for the College of Arts and Sciences to benefit needy students from Vermont. Our second bequest will add to the John W. Stetson ’56, MD’60 & Roberta Baker Stetson ’57 Technological Advances in Medicine Lectureship, established in 2016 to support an annual lecture at the Larner College of Medicine on innovations in medicine.

“I will always feel privileged to support the University of Vermont and return in some way the opportunities that were afforded to me.”

—Dr. John W. Stetson ’56, MD ’60

CONSIDER A BEQUEST TO UVM USING YOUR IRA • It’s an easy and tax-savvy way to make a gift • Simply update your beneficiary designation form online or with your IRA plan administrator • As a charity, UVM is tax-exempt and will receive 100 percent of the value of your intended bequest THE UVM FOUNDATION OFFICE OF GIFT PLANNING Amy Palmer-Ellis, JD Assistant Vice President for Development & Gift Planning Donna Burke Assistant Director of Gift Planning Phone: 802.656.9536 Toll Free: 888.458.8691 giftplanning@uvm.edu go.uvm.edu/ira

SUMMER 2019 |

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NEW AND IMPROVED!

| CLASS NOTES daughters. She hopes to get together with Carol Oxley Reed ’64 and Lorrie Colburn ’64 and any other UVMers close by. After UVM, Neal Monroe Adams earned a master’s at Wake Forest then went on to do doctoral work at Duke. He married, raised three children, and made a career in education. He retired after fifty years as a high school teacher (AP US History, Russian Studies) and a high school principal at Wooster School. His new career—piano teacher to forty students—keeps him busy and fulfilled. Neal will consider real retirement when he reaches eighty. Charlie Bentley and his wife, Sherry, finally had their honeymoon trip. This had been cancelled when they were married because of Charlie’s military commitments. In February, they cruised the Hawaiian Islands. Then to celebrate their fifty-third, they traveled to Alaska in May to see the Grizzly bears come out of hibernation in Denali.

Send your news to— Toni Citarella Mullins 210 Conover Lane, Red Bank, NJ 07701 tonicmullins@verizon.net

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Green & Gold Reunion October 4-6, 2019

In May 2008, Harold (Hal) M. Frost retired from the University of California. Hal remains active as a professional physicist. In 2017, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) elevated his membership to Life Senior status to recognize his achievements which included a new physics model to explain overlooked bioeffects of ultrasound used for medical diagnosis and therapy. This model arises from his doctoral work in physics at UVM, completed in 1974. The IEEE published his first-hand account as a research physicist in its History Center’s Engineering History and Technology Wiki. Hal’s wife, Beverly Roy Frost ’66 was honored early in 2019 by the town of Sheffield, Vermont, in its 2018 Town Report with a dedication to her long community service. Hal and Beverly first met in 1963 at the old UVM Newman Center on Main Street in Burlington.

Hal wishes all well at the 55th class reunion coming up this October at UVM; he is not well enough to take part. Arthur Bliss and his wife, Marion, sold their home in Arizona after seventeen enjoyable winters there. They spent summer 2018 in northern Vermont awaiting the completion of their new apartment in Wake Robin, a wonderful continuing care retirement community in Shelburne, Vermont. Last summer, they took a Hurtigruten cruise up the coast of Norway and visited family in England. George Deming is chairman of investments at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is also chairman of the Medical Division of Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia. He has a second home in Stowe, Vermont. Marilyn Rivero had a great time traveling with her three daughters to Paris, London, and Edinburgh last fall. She works per diem at the University of Vermont Medical Center as a vascular access R.N. This keeps her busy and upto-date in the medical field. Marilyn has ten granddaughters with four graduations and one Air Force commissioning in May 2019. She travels around the country visiting her three daughters and two sons

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CLASS NOTES in Omaha, Colorado Springs, Tampa, and Boston.

Marilyn is looking forward to the 55th reunion in the fall. Darrell Simino completed his tenth year volunteering with the AARP Tax-Aide program preparing tax returns for low-income and senior individuals. This year he and his staff of six completed nearly five hundred returns. The service provides real savings for clients, and he is glad to give back to this population. Darrell shares that he and his wife, Betty, “continue to be in good health and try to stay active, including taking in the activities of our grandchildren—basketball, baseball, and music concerts.” Jeffrey Graham had a good get-together last fall with fraternity brother Chris Collins ’63.

Alan Brown retired from his career as a special agent at the FBI, and as a flight safety international flight instructor and chief pilot for Thomas Malone, P.C. He flies a Beech King Air occasionally/part-time for Evans General Contractors in Atlanta, Georgia.

Your class secretary Sue and husband Duane Barber ’63 watched the basketball team play against Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Though they lost, the team held their own right up to the end. Go Cats!

Send your news to— Susan Barber 1 Oak Hill Road, P.O. Box 63, Harvard, MA 01451 suebarbersue@gmail.com

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After forty-nine years as a practicing optometrist, Albie Pristaw enjoys the slower pace of retirement. He looks forward to fly-fishing season and doing Meals on Wheels in his community. Albie is in touch with lifelong UVM friends Joe Pogar, Bob Russo, and Lynne Thorner. He enjoys his wonderful grandchildren, Charlie and Oscar Pristaw, and Finley and Wheeler Sweatt. Miles Wortman published Leaves: Tales of Development. His book details a half-century of work throughout the world in international assistance. He is also the author of works on Latin American history and philanthropy. Miles lives in New York City. Susan Wesoly Pitman Lowenthal ’65 MD ’69, MPH is managing director of AnGes USA, the Bethesda Maryland-based US affiliate of AnGes, a Japanese biotech company. She retired as vice president at Pfizer Oncology in 2014 after a fifteen-year career focused on the development and regulatory approval of several targeted oncology drug treatments. She is married to a fellow oncologist, Dr. Ivan Lowenthal and is a mother to three children and four grandchildren, who live nearby in Cambridge, and Somerville, Massachusetts. While on the faculty at Yale College of Medicine in 1981, she co-founded and was an incorporator of the Phyllis Bodel Infant Child Care Center at the Yale School of Medicine which continues to provide onsite daycare for children of Yale medical students, residents, graduate students, and faculty. She is the author of more than forty peer-reviewed scientific publications. Susan looks forward to the upcoming 50th College of Medicine (class of ‘69) reunion Oct 4-6 and hopes all classmates will carve out this weekend on their calendars! Barbara Hoffman Mow is enjoying friends and family as her husband Van retires and turns eighty—lots of celebrations.

A new online user-friendly format— searchable by class year, school or college, and type of note—that will be kept updated.

alumni.uvm.edu/notes

She’s still playing tennis, but her knees are not letting her ski. Barbara visited with her friend Margo Taylor ’65 in Miami and shares, “Margo looks terrific.” Barbara invites UVM friends to drop by. After living in Mexico for the last twelve years, Stephen Weisberg and his wife, Lynn, have moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina. They would love to hear from old classmates, especially those who might be living nearby.

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

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Daniel Behrend’s daughter, Sophie Behrend ’19, graduated from UVM in May. She was vice president of the Student Alumni Association and a member of Tri Delta sorority. For the twentieth year, Hayes and Bonnie Herschede Sogoloff, and Myron and Phyllis Lowen Fox spent a week of winter on a Caribbean island. In early October, Bonnie and Hayes hosted a mini Pi Phi reunion at their beautiful Morgan horse farm, Cedar Spring Farm, in Shelburne, Vermont. Coming from far and wide were, Caralee Cheney, Marilu Youngerman Mazzatta, Mardi Kjartansson, Janet Miller Hamilton as well as locals, Susan Hauke Mason and Stephanie Spaulding. Although fifty years had passed, there was no shortage of conversation or stories. They sadly recognized the passing of their classmate, friend, and sister in Pi Phi, Karen Preis.

Plans are underway for a follow-up reunion sooner rather than later. Beverly Roy Frost was honored by the town of Sheffield, Vermont in its 2018 Town Report for her community and dedicated service.

The dedication reads: “When she is not caring for her family and beloved pets, or tirelessly advocating for mental health initiatives in Vermont, Beverly Frost serves as an integral behind-the-scenes leader in our Sheffield Community. From her historic home, Beverly helps with numerous town functions, including the Food Shelf, Historical Society and many Town Hall events. Her warm spirit is on display each Field Day and every other day as she runs errands or lends a helping hand to anyone in need. Beverly Frost is one of the special individuals that make Sheffield the town we like to call home.” Lanny Aldrich and his wife, Kenna, are moving to Searcy, Arkansas, where Kenna grew up and has lots of family. Lanny retired from the dairy industry in 1997 and spent twenty-two years in a second career with the Hendrick Automotive Group. Suzanne Seeley Beyer always wanted to pay her respects on the beaches of Normandy, France and say thank you to our brave WW II warriors. Suzanne and her husband, Don, took the opportunity last summer, staying in Bayeux, France. The stories from a WW II-educated histo-

rian overwhelmed her; especially the story of two teenaged American medics who parachuted into the nearby tiny town of Angoville-au-Plain, treating all injured soldiers, including Germans. Since the trip, and to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing, Suzanne interviewed a WW II seaman who was at Omaha Beach that fateful day, and a WW II army private who fought in the Battle of the Bulge under Patton. Both features will appear in Seattle’s Northwest Prime Time magazine.

Tom Donohue and his wife Adrienne visited Kathleen and Ken McGuckin in March. Ken and Kathleen had a great time showing them around St. Augustine. The guys did lots of reminiscing about the “old days” as roommates at Sigma Phi Epsilon.

David and Betsy Neumeister ’67 live in Sarasota, Florida. They still bike and travel. The couple spend falls in Nebraska where David is teaching communication skills for dentists at the Dental College.

They also attend sporting events in Lincoln. Bonnie Murray Riddle and husband Jack were among the co-founders of Opera Maine, based in Portland, this year celebrating its twenty-fifth season.

Send your news to— Kathleen Nunan McGuckin 416 San Nicolas Way, St Augustine, FL 32080 kkmcguckin@comcast.net

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Arcadia History Press published Richard Lang’s new book Tilden Regional Park—A History. The book tells the story of the founding of the largest regional park district in the country, and explores the develop-

ment of Tilden Park, a beloved recreational center in the Berkeley Hills above the University of California. Retired from a thirty-year career providing financial expertise to the transportation industry, Richard finds solace volunteering at the Tilden Park Golf Course and the Park District’s archives. His new book is available at arcadiapublishing.com. Howard Solomon ’67, MD ’71 and Bill Belville ’67, MD ’71 demonstrated their angling skills, honed on Lake Champlain, on the Rio Juruena, Brazil, in March. Tim Hayes is well known as a “horse whisperer” based on his teaching method of equine training known as natural horsemanship. Four years ago, Tim published Riding Home: The Power of Horses to Heal, see ridinghome.com. The book is a worldwide bestseller and has changed his life. Tim teaches equine therapy at UVM and Northern Vermont University. He shares that when he graduated from UVM, he had no aspirations to work with horses or interest in education. Now, fifty years later, he is joyful and humbled to combine both. Tim would love to hear from you. His website is www.hayesisforhorses.com.

Send your news to— Jane Kleinberg Carroll 44 Halsey Street, Apt. 3, Providence, RI 02906 jane.carroll@cox.net

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Arthur Abelson and his wife Lynne live in Kennebunk, Maine. Their daughter, Samantha, is finishing up her sophomore year at the University of Miami.

In two years, Arthur may finally be able to retire.

Arthur writes, “Say hello if in Maine this summer

or fall.” Jack Rosenberg’s photography has again received several awards and honors. His submission was selected from 375 entries to the Winter Member Show at the Circle Gallery in Annapolis, Maryland.

Juror Melanee Harvey selected his photo as one of sixty-one out of 443 submissions to be displayed in the Maryland Federation of Art Street Scenes Exhibition, Curve Gallery, in February. Jack’s work was also selected to appear in the 2019 Juried Invitational Show at Penn Place Gallery in Garrett Park, Maryland, during March and April. See his gorgeous photography at my-2nd-life.com. Herman Hoops is winding down on his fantastic career as an environmentalist. In October, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the River Management Society of North and South America for river protection, documenting river history, and mentoring others. In September, he was inducted into the River Runners Hall of Fame at the John Wesley Powell Museum in Green River, Utah. Herm starred in a film directed by Jamie Tackel, exploring Herm’s river career, unique personality, and focused on his yearning for and protection of Desolation Canyon. In The History of Inflatable Boats and How They Saved Rivers, he documents the manufacturing history of rafts. He has written for historical journals, river conservation magazines and outfitter trade group publications. On a recent visit to the UVM campus, Richard Houle went to the library and asked for directions to the all-night study room. He was told we don’t have one by the student behind the counter. Richard shares, “Really?

I spent a good part of my student life there and felt it was a great asset to students who wanted to put

Green Living

At Wake Robin, residents have designed and built over four miles of walking trails. Each Spring, they make maple syrup in the community sugar house, and each Fall they harvest honey from our beehives. Residents compost, plant gardens, use locally grown foods, and work with staff to follow earthfriendly practices.

We would love to share with you all the new and exciting changes that are happening throughout the community!

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| CLASS NOTES GIVING BACK

V O I C E S O F M O V E M O U N TA I N S S U P P O R T E R S

“Back in the sixties, it was a struggle for me to figure out my major, which I changed twice before landing on the right one. UVM made it relatively easy for me to work through this and gave me great support in getting on the correct path. In ’68, with half my junior year done, I got married, went into the Peace Corps, then had a full-time job in Burlington. When getting back to UVM to finish my bachelor’s, there was nothing but support from deans and professors. UVM is an A-list university academically. But the clincher for my success was the wise and caring support from every staff person who dealt with me. And that’s why I choose to support UVM.”

extra study time in. Can it be that the Pit is gone?”

Bill Schubart is living in Hinesburg with his wife, Kate. Active in civic affairs, he chairs the Vermont College of Fine Arts. His eighth work of fiction was just published. The Priest follows a working-class altar boy’s decision to become a priest, exploring the struggle many boys have becoming men, especially around sexuality. Brenda Roy shares that she and husband Lee thoroughly enjoyed last fall’s fiftieth reunion celebration. She sends thanks to Jeff and Joanne Kuhman for the lovely barbecue picnic they hosted at Mt. Philo, and shares that the dinner dance at the Alumni House was delicious and fun! Brenda writes, “Some of us danced up a storm!

What a magnificent job they did on the restoration and addition to that facility. It is truly a gift to us all.” Brenda and Lee still live in Colchester for the warmest six months it has to offer, and then move to New Smyrna Beach, Florida, for the remainder of the year. She sends her best to all. Robert (Bob) Foster, president of both Foster Farms and its composting business, says both innovation and diversification are key to building a profitable, sustainable business in today’s globally competitive business environment. Foster Brothers Farms has a long and storied history of innovation, diversification, and sustainability on the nearly 2,000 acres it operates near Middlebury, Vermont. Innovative leadership has led to Foster Farms being named the 2019 Innovative Dairy Farmers of the Year, sponsored by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and Dairy Herd Management magazine. Heather Foster-Provencher ’92, serves as chief financial officer for both the farm and VNAP. Send your news to— Diane Duley Glew 23 Franklin Street, Unit #2 Westerly, RI 02891 ddglew@gmail.com

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50th Reunion October 4-6, 2019

After living in East Brunswick, New Jersey, for the last thirty-five years, Helen Drayer and husband Wayne moved to Sherman Oaks, California. They live near their daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons in the LA area. Wayne and Helen are retired and have time to explore everything California has to offer. Stephen Kunken hopes everyone is looking forward to and planning to attend the 50th Reunion on campus October 4-6, 2019.

Stephen writes, “We have had a great response for our past reunions, and this is a great opportunity to connect with classmates. The school has posted information on available hotels and events for the weekend. Feel free to contact me at skunk271@ aol.com with any questions or comments. See you soon!” Joan Mickelson loves living in the Pacific Northwest. She shares, “It’s like New England without all the snow!” Joan is busy singing in two choruses and working with CASA. Her second grandbaby is due this June. She’d love to hear from friends and classmates and wants folks to let her know if they are in the area. Rosemary Payne continues to work as a pediatric high tech nurse for ACHH+H in Addison County. She hopes to retire soon and to see classmates at reunion in October.

Class agent Jim Betts ’69 MD’73 looks forward to his 50th COM Reunion in 2023, and to celebrating his UVM 50th undergrad reunion this October. He shares, “The changes on campus, both our COM and the university, are extraordinary. The Miller Wing at the medical center, a new dean, eclipsing the goal for the Move Mountains campaign, portend a continued exponential rise in the quality of the COM we attended decades ago.” Jim along with Phil C. and Susy P. hope for great attendance in 2023, and will soon begin recruiting classmates. He writes, “If you

—Joanne Seymour ’69

have not made it back to where we all were initiated into the mission of medicine, please consider doing so. Wishing everyone well.”

Send your news to— Mary Moninger-Elia 1 Templeton Street, West Haven, CT 06516 maryeliawh@gmail.com

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Bob Williams secured the prestigious Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Marquis Who’s Who for his leadership in education and museum services.

Bob is a published author and poet. Bruce Levine PhD, continues his psychology work in Hanover, New Hampshire, and sees his former Phi Sigma roommates Jonathan Sheetman and Ralph Gibson who live nearby. Sadly, Bruce’s former wife Ellen Freese ’68 passed away recently. They had remained close over the years and Bruce served as her executor. Michael Brisbin moved to Naples with his wife, Nancy. They spend summers on Lake Champlain. Michael is a friend and former roommate of Tad Ebling. Martha Johnson Gavin and Karen Kiernan Mechem traveled to Paris, Lyon, and Arles in June 2018. Your class secretry, Douglas Arnold, saw a lot of UVM visitors in southwest Florida this winter. We had a local Sigma Nu lunch in Naples where I was joined by brothers Jeff Kuhman ’68, Peter Doremus ’68, Argie Economou ’67, Peter Ambrose ’67, and Dean Maglaris ’67. I continue to play golf in Florida with George Kreiner, Peter Doremus ’67, Tad Ebling, and Sandy Luckenbill. Classmates who visit southwest Florida, I encourage you to check in with me. Finally, there is some growing discussion on the 50th Reunion.

Anyone interested in being involved, please contact the UVM Alumni Association or me at the email below. We want to have a great 50th and look forward to some creative ideas and broader participa-

NEW AND IMPROVED!

CLASS NOTES tion. Please think about helping out.

Send your news to— Douglas Arnold 11608 Quail Village Way, Naples, FL 34119 darnold@arnold-co.com

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Elise Guyette is happily retired and spending her time playing pickleball, skiing, biking, and practicing Tai Chi. She writes history books, recently branching out to South Carolina during Reconstruction. She also started a small business with her friend Gail Rosenberg, Burlington Edible History Tours. The tour explores the many migrant groups who built Burlington, with a focus on their food traditions and food businesses. Tour-goers eat five times on the excursion. Elise would love to see fellow UVMers on her tours! Ann Hussey Hogaboom of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, retired from Hallmark Cards after eighteen years as territory manager in the Boston metro area. She looks forward to more time with family, stays at the family cottage in Boothbay, Maine, traveling, and gardening. Phi Sigma Delta brothers held an informal reunion at the home of Roy (Snail) Greenman ’70 and Sheri Greenman in West Orange, New Jersey. The group included Richard Segal ’69 of Dallas and David (Nussy) Nussbaum ’71 and Laurie Nussbaum visiting from the Jersey Shore. It was the first reconnection of all three former Fern Hill fraters in forty-nine years. Tim Scott is enjoying life in Jacksonville, Florida. He sent in a copy of the Burlington Free Press article from May 10, 1971 about our commencement. Annie Viets returned to live in Burlington after almost seven years teaching business at a Saudi university.

She didn’t come home alone, however. In what she calls her “Puppy Op,” she rescued eight desert dogs from dire circumstances and brought them to the United States along with four rescue cats. The story was picked up by local paper, Seven Days, in August 2018. “Not exactly the fame I pictured crowning my academic career,” Annie says, “but I’ll take it!”

She kept the cats and one puppy. Owen Jenkins recently finished his forty-two-year legal career with a favorable verdict following a nine-day jury trial. His legal assistant and second chair, Wendy Reilly Jenkins ’73, provided invaluable insight that she gained in her thirty-eight-year teaching career. The couple is in the process of selling their beloved Essex Junction home and moving to their cottage in South Hero, joining many other UVMers, including, David Carter ’72, Don Maddocks ’70, Perky Spaulding Maddocks ’70, Bob Krebs ’70 and Sally Krebs ’70. The Jenkins spend time during the winter months on Longboat Key in Sarasota, enjoying the arts scene, many recreational activities, and spring training baseball games. They have met many UVM’ers there. Wendy is not ready to give up Vermont winters and plans on flying back from time to time to get her skiing and snowshoeing fix.

Owen may return as well, to take in some hockey and basketball games. They look forward to the much-needed renovation of Gutterson Field House and the new Tarrant Center. Your class secretary, Sarah Sprayregen, ran into Liz Mead Foster ’71 before she and hubby headed south; they always

A new online user-friendly format— searchable by class year, school or college, and type of note—that will be kept updated.

alumni.uvm.edu/notes

need to catch up and have a couple of laughs.

Send your news to— Sarah Wilbur Sprayregen 145 Cliff Street, Burlington, VT 05401 sarah.sprayregen@uvm.edu

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In September, Robert Nickelsberg published his second book on Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s Heritage: Restoring Spirit and Stone. The book includes pictures of cultural heritage sites taken in 2016 and produced in collaboration with the Office of Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State. Robert’s first trip to Afghanistan was in 1988 for Time magazine.

Robert writes, “It was never a simple journey. With increased political uncertainty, it is now more of a challenge than ever.” Dr. Ronda Moore was named to the 2019 “Intellectual Property Trailblazers” list by The National Law Journal. Dr. Moore was recognized for two groundbreaking careers across two different professions. After twenty years as a practicing veterinary pathologist, she harnessed her life sciences expertise to become a high-powered patent attorney with an innovative niche in medical diagnostics, interventional medical devices, and therapeutics. She received her JD, magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School in 1998; her DVM from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1976: and her bachelor’s, magna cum laude, from UVM in 1972. Jeffrey Lewis roomed with Charlie Page sophomore year in Buckham Hall. The next year they shared an apartment at 272 Pearl Street.

Jeffrey writes, “One of the enduring legacies of my UVM experience is my continuing friendship with Charlie.” Kristine Bull Larson retired in 2015 after forty-two years in the South Burlington School District. She was in the same grade school building for her entire career, South Burlington Central School now called Rick Marcotte Central. Kristine lives in Charlotte with her husband, Tom. They enjoy camping in their twenty-foot RV and traveling through the United States and Canada by train. When not busy traveling, Kristine sews, quilts, handcrafts, and gardens. She shares, “Snowy winter mornings are spent by the woodstove, a nice change from the whiteknuckle drive to get to work!”

Send your news to— Debbie Koslow Stern 198 Bluebird Drive, Colchester, VT 05446 debbie2907@gmail.com

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After a career in public and private accounting, Sally Britton is mostly retired. On a recent bike trip to Tucson she met fellow bikers and alums Pat Smerczynski ’14 and Liz Wolfe ’11. See her photo at go.uvm. edu/alumpics. Judy Strong Peterson recently moved to Colchester, Vermont. For the past seven years, she has served as CEO of the VNA, now the

UVM Health Network Home Health and Hospice.

She continues to immensely enjoy her work and “loves” living in Chittenden County. Janet and her husband, Jim Pietrovito G’ 73, ’81 are still skiing together. See a photo of the couple at the summit of Mt. Bachelor, Oregon, at go.uvm.edu/almpics.

Dr. Deena Louise Wener ’73, G’75 stepped down as chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Florida Atlantic University in December 2018. Dr. Wener received recognition for her seventeen years of service as department chair.

After a study year, she plans to return to teaching full-time in January 2020.

Send your news to— Deborah Layne Mesce 2227 Observatory Place NW Washington, DC 20007 dmesce@icloud.com

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Paul Kenny’s Engel & Volkers Luxury Real Estate Brokerage in Sun Valley sold Bruce Willis’s estate and night club and is now listing rocker Steve Miller’s estate north of town for $14 million. They also listed the estate of the Wynn Resort Las Vegas’ co-owner for $19 million. Terrence Petty’s bachelor’s in history from UVM provided a springboard for a rewarding career in journalism. He retired this year after fortyone years in journalism, the last thirty-five years at the Associated Press, ten as a foreign correspondent. He worked in Albany and New York City for the AP before being sent to Germany in 1987. Based in Bonn for the next decade, Terrence covered revolutions that toppled communist dictators in East Germany and elsewhere in the Soviet bloc, Germany’s reunification, East-West disarmament on the continent and NATO’s peace-enforcing mission in Bosnia. He was a news editor for the AP based in Portland, Oregon for the past eighteen years, where he, his wife, Christina, and son Tristan live. Terrence is currently writing a book about German journalism in the years leading up to Hitler’s rise to power.

Terrence and Christina are Vermont natives, born and raised in Rutland County. They make it a point to visit the UVM campus on trips home to see relatives. Nancy Talkington Whitesell left UVM in 1973, her junior year, to attend Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. Nancy received a DVM in 1977 and was a practicing veterinarian for forty years in New York and Indiana. In 2018, she wrote and published a book, Fuzzy Brown Dog, on Amazon. It’s a novel about a modern day young veterinarian in her first year of practice, part mystery, part romance, part coming of age story. Nancy says, “I’ve been delighted at book signings to be able to list both UVM and Purdue in my bio!!” Keith Rice is a math tutor for an elementary school and tutors migrant students in the summer through Henderson County Public Schools. He enjoys his life in the mountains of western North Carolina and would like to shout out to the many friends he made at UVM. Your class secretary, Emily Manders, did some traveling to visit UVM friends. I visited Margo David DiIeso in Jupiter, Florida, and Diane Batt Smith in Sarasota, Florida in December. And in March, caught up with Irene Kwasnik Kowaski ’73 SUMMER 2019 |

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| CLASS NOTES

GIVING BACK

V O I C E S O F M O V E M O U N TA I N S S U P P O R T E R S

“I want UVM to be the best it can be. I had such a great experience, as did my daughter and now my son. It’s like family to me.”

—Lelia Harrington ’84

and Robin Bossi Moore ’73 in Connecticut.

Send your news to— Emily Schnaper Manders 104 Walnut Street, Framingham, MA 01702 esmanders@gmail.com

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Tom Harrington is still working in Tidewater, Virginia. This year he welcomed his first two grandsons, two weeks apart. One is in Richmond, Virginia, the other in Cape Town, South Africa.

Send your news to— Dina Dwyer Child 102 North Jefferson Rd. South Burlington, VT 05403 dinachild@aol.com

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Michael Donahue passed away in October 2018. His final resting place is the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery in Boscowen. Annalee Ash is now living with her sister Lydia Ash ’85 in the river town and first colonial capital of North Carolina, New Bern. She commutes to Washington, DC, and just celebrated sixteen years with the Ritz-Carlton.

Annalee is following her passion for assisting others as a GALLUP Certified Strengths Coach. This May, she’s studying watercolors, pastels, and oils with a favorite artist in Pennsylvania. Betsy Flood Fay lives in Myrtle Beach with her husband Norm.

Both are retired but busy with volunteer work.

Daughter Katie was married in 2017 and had their first grandchildren, Evelyn and Eleanor, in 2018.

Their son Ben is engaged and planning to marry in April of 2020. Andrea Casey lives in Bend, Oregon, where she teaches skiing, hikes, and enjoys the beauty of the Cascades. After a great career in retail/merchandising, Betsy Jondro retired to Waitsfield, Vermont, in 2006. From there, she enjoys traveling, skiing at Mad River Glen, and all that Vermont has to offer. Her two children are living on opposite coasts but come back to Vermont often. Betsy would love to connect with other classmates in the area. Andrea Mastrocinque shares that while most of her former classmates are retiring, she is launching a new business called InsightfulPR. Andrea shares, “Thanks to the many communication skills I learned at UVM, I’m applying them nationally.” Paul Prior officially retired last year. He’s now free to travel the country and

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follow the legendary band Little Feat. Shelley Richardson is a grandmother of two. Reese Jackson, born in March is the highlight of her 2019 and makes travels to the Boston area doubly joyful.

At age two Calvin is bringing smiles and awe as he grows into a great big brother. Shelley shares, “Retirement continues to be wonderful, visiting more National Parks, this spring it was Big Bend and the Missions in Texas. Learning bridge, along with the ever-challenging golf. Vermont winters seem longer, but it’s still a great place to live.”

Send your news to— Pete Beekman 2 Elm Street, Canton, NY 13617 pbeekman19@gmail.com

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Pat Boera enjoys working on the Career Collaborative Team at Champlain College, volunteering as promotions chair for Lyric Theatre Company’s fall 2019 production of “The Addams Family,” and coordinating logistics for the award-winning Middlebury Summer Festival on the Green. Andrea Bonnar is looking forward to her husband, Peter Bonnar ’76, retiring in summer 2019. Former roommates Doug Shealy, Kevin Martin, and Bruce Usher ’76 got together at UVM last fall and visited a farmhouse they used to rent. The current owners graciously invited them to tour the house, which was vastly improved since 1977, but brought back many fine memories of their time there!

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

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John Grapek enjoys life on a sailboat in Cape Coral, Florida. He’s semiretired, working as a yacht broker.

Please give him a call (239-898-4564) if you’re visiting the area. He would love to get together with fellow alumni. Susan Montague Horwath is still a pediatric physical therapist. After twenty years owning a private practice for Peds PT, OT, ST she is working in a hospital outpatient unit. Susan is contemplating retirement but has not decided as she really likes what she does. She has been married for thirty-nine years to Bill Horwath. They have three children and six grandchildren. Sue lives in Flagler Beach, Florida and loves it. Helen Lons retired

to a Vermont homestead after an exciting career in Environmental Planning and Compliance; including twenty-four years in Alaska with state agencies and the National Park Service. Her husband Daryle Lons (deceased in 2018), served the US Fish and Wildlife Service for thirty-five years as a wildlife refuge manager, and ten years with the 4.8 million-acre Alaska Peninsula & Becharof National Wildlife Refuges. Helen is a volunteer for UVM Extension Master Gardener projects and is always seeking birding and hiking adventures in Vermont. Since returning to Burlington, Debra Welsh is reconnecting with classmates and friends including Janet Lee McCarthy, Marian Moore (for hockey and basketball including the Catamounts’ America East Championship game!), Bonnie Weber-Post, and Laurie Caswell. Debra shares, “Hoping to reconnect with more from Class of ’76 and ’78 as the snowbirds return from the South!”

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

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40th Reunion October 4-6, 2019

After a career in the US Air Force and then with Jet Blue Airways, Craig Roebuck retired to Maine in July 2018. Craig flew reconnaissance planes worldwide, flew scientists around Antarctica, and flew many students and alumni in and out of Burlington. He looks forward to traveling on his schedule, hiking, paddling, and Nordic skiing. Peter Buckley MD ’84 is looking forward to the 40th Reunion and hopes to reconnect with classmates. And your class secretary seconds that, come back to Burlington and celebrate our 40th this October!

Send your news to— Beth Gamache 58 Grey Meadow Drive, Burlington, VT 05401 bethgamache@burlingtontelecom.net

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Heidi Winslow hopes that everyone from the class of ’80 is making the most of life. She is grateful for her time at UVM that provided a great education, lifelong friends, four years of lacrosse and ice hockey and so much more. Heidi lives in the northeast and has two amazing daughters who inspire her every day!

She is the founder/owner of Core Fit & Well, corefitandwell.com, “a business that stimulates me to keep learning and is incredibly rewarding on many levels.”

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

81

Karen Kaplan is a senior editor of the careers section of the science journal Nature. She commissions, edits and produces stories about the global scientific workforce from her office in Washington, DC. An ardent blues-lover, she travels around metro DC and southern New England to catch shows by regional and national blues bands. Karen’s planning a trip to Ireland in 2019 following her annual work-based trip to London, the site of Nature’s headquarters.

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

82

Some of the Air Bears—Stu Close, Bob Neeld ’83, Chris (Mern) Moran ’85, and John Lane—hit the slopes together in Fernie, British Columbia, this spring. The quest for powder never ends. Brad Vietje served as town meeting moderator in Newbury, Vermont. He’s a solar advisor at GoSolar New England, and president of the Northeast Kingdom Astronomy Foundation, with a teaching observatory in Peacham, Vermont. Joe Delaney joined Stoel Rives Seattle,

Washington office, in the real estate and land use practice group. Joe has more than thirty years’ experience as an attorney focused on commercial real estate sales, leasing, and financing transactions of commercial office, residential, and mixed-use projects. He has represented buyers and sellers in $4.5 billion worth of commercial real estate transactions since 2012.

Send your news to— John Peter Scambos pteron@verizon.net

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James Young finished his novel: No Vacancy in this Glade. Skip Gilbert joined the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency as their managing director—operations, marketing, and development. Skip and his wife, Jennifer, will relocate from Westport, Connecticut, to Colorado Springs after their youngest graduates from high school. James Godes was thrilled to have a daughter graduating from UVM in 2019 and another scheduled for 2020. He shares, “Brings back so many memories.” James enjoys his grown-up life as president of Daintree Advisors, a financial planning and wealth management firm in Boston. Steven Weissman, Elaine Poole McKechnie ’86 and David McKechnie were honored to attend the wedding of David Blitzer ’11 Esq. and Sherrill Lathrop ’12 last October in Worton, Maryland. The groom is the son of Seth Blitzer and Letitia Biddle. Rob Werner shares that his work on climate change action as the

Announcing: 2020 Adventures South Africa | New Zealand | Poland | Iceland | Oberammergau | Great Lakes

For more information visit: alumni.uvm.edu/travel

New Hampshire director of the League of Conservation Voters is satisfying as they are making progress on critical clean energy initiatives in the state legislature. Rob also serves on the Concord City Council and chairs the Energy and Environment Committee.

The council adopted a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, and projects are in development to meet this ambitious goal. Robin Edelstein sends warm wishes to classmates Jan (Duncan) Hale and Dr. Marc DeNuccio. Their friendship has meant the world to her and continues to be so special and important. They’re looking for David Fletcher Oakes, if he sees this, please get in touch at 919-891-4593.

Send your news to— Lisa Greenwood Crozier lcrozier@triad.rr.com

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Ron Abbott was named sustainability technology manager for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. He works on a global initiative to eliminate plastic waste in the environment. Laura Williamson lives in San Diego and works as a special education coordinator and English as a second language teacher for San Diego Unified School District, Thrive, and King-Chavez Charter Schools. Lisa Abbott Hango and her husband, John Hango ’83, are following new career paths. In 2019, John accepted a position with a small, global cancer research company based in New Jersey, and Lisa headed to Montpelier to become Ver-

| CLASS NOTES GIVING BACK

V O I C E S O F M O V E M O U N TA I N S S U P P O R T E R S

“I give back to UVM because I think it is a very special place. My daughter is a freshman this year, and she has also discovered how amazing UVM and Burlington are. We hope that our contribution will help to provide assistance to other students, so they can have the opportunity to experience everything UVM has to offer.”

—Jamie Fenster ’85

mont’s newest legislator, appointed in February

by Gov. Phil Scott ’80 to fill a vacant House seat in the Franklin-5 District. They have the best of both worlds, returning to Berkshire on weekends to ski and snowshoe and catch up with family. The family celebrated two Vermont weddings in 2018—Alex’s in July at Okemo Mountain and Erika’s in October at Grand Isle Lake House. Lisa shares, “For those of you who are unsure of what life after retirement will look like, our advice is to have an open mind and don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith!” Andrea Van Liew is a Life Cycle Celebrant certified in Weddings and Ceremonies in Vermont and New England. She values honesty, transparency, authenticity, and whole-heartedness and is eager to work with you to create the perfect ceremony to mark your life milestone. As a member of the LGBTQ community and an adoptive parent, Andrea is particularly interested in working with queer and adoptive couples and parents. Andrea is also an independent consultant with Sugar Moon LLC, who specializes in training/meeting design and facilitation, and strategic planning for small mission-driven organizations. John Stamatov is operations manager at R.H. White. He is a construction and energy industry veteran, with more than thirty years of capital project planning and management, strategic leadership, engineering, and consulting experience. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, John holds a master’s in business administration from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s in civil engineering from UVM. Send your news to— Abby Goldberg Kelley kelleyabbyvt@gmail.com Kelly McDonald jasna-vt@hotmail.com Shelley Carpenter Spillane scspillane@aol.com

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Charlie Greeff and his wife, Eva, live in West Linn, Oregon. Their daughter Bethany attends American University in Washington, DC. Charlie’s law practice focuses on landlord-tenant matters. He continues to be an avid

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runner and outdoor enthusiast. Deirdre O’Connor is enjoying her first suburban adventure living in Newton, Massachusetts, with her husband, Jacob, and two daughters. She’s a realtor at Unlimited Sotheby’s International Realty in Newton Centre, helping sell and buy the beautiful homes in towns west of Boston. One of her best friends, Linda Tuttle, lives close by and they enjoy Boston events together. Her fabulous new manager, Sarah Godfrey ’95, is also a UVM alum. Deirdre writes, “Happy spring to everyone and if you’re in the area, give me a call!” Susann St. Miklossy Thoens volunteers on a special project dedicated to paying it forward in business and in life with the next generation. She’s on a global search for young aspiring entrepreneurs who are seeking an extraordinary life of impact and freedom for themselves and others. See tbizteam.com for more information. Peter Plumeau was appointed the president and CEO of EDR Group, the North American unit of EBP, based in Zurich, Switzerland. Based in Boston, EDR Group is a professional services consulting firm that focuses on infrastructure economics and decision support for public, private, and non-governmental organizations. Tom Cronin and Lisa Fiano are engaged and planning on a spring wedding!

They met the first day of freshman year in Buckham Hall and have been close friends since. It is an unconventional marriage as Tom is a gay man, but their love and mutual respect for one another has always been strong. They share the same passions of gardening and dogs, but most importantly, they make each other laugh. Lisa lives in Connecticut, and Tom in New Hampshire, so they are still working out the details. Margo Tank is a partner in the Washington, DC-based intellectual property and technology practice at DLA Piper, a global law firm. She has received Band 2 rankings in the Legal: Data Protection & Cyber Security category by Chambers Fin Tech.

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

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William Jacoby is proud of son Patrick Jacoby ’19 who graduated from UVM in May. They plan on returning to Burlington again and again even though he has

completed his degree. Erick Ragni lives in a liberal quadrant of Houston, Texas. He attended graduate school in Los Angeles and worked for Frank Gehry among others. He was a professor at Rice University and the University of Houston. He’s now an architect with a small ten-year-old firm with fifteen awesome designers, see marsculture.com. He’s happily married for twenty years—wife Emily is also an architect, and they have two children, William and Kathryn. They recently built a small vacation home in Sonoma County, California. Erick writes, “I know some of you are saying, ‘Why Houston?” My answer is come visit. Adios!”

Send your news to— Lawrence Gorkun vtlfg@msn.com

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Anne Johnson Konstantino started her new business, Body Ease Physical Therapy + Yoga, in Essex, Connecticut. She and her husband, Peter, have four children, Katarina, Johanna ’21, Kai, and Christian. In March of this year, Patrick Standen delivered the keynote address at the Vermont Statehouse in honor of the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In January, he gave a talk on the history of adaptive skiing at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe.

Send your news to— Cathy Selinka Levison crlevison@comcast.net

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Since earning her bachelor’s in fine art, Jennifer Hayes has been working as a graphic designer. She designs for the screen print industry. Jennifer is married with one son in college and one son about to graduate high school. Todd Sean Tyrrell, his wife Kim Hargraves Tyrrell, and son Ethan Edward live and work in Denver, Colorado. Todd is business director for Metro Studies and travels to Utah and Nevada to look at home developments. He coaches basketball and plays three times a week. Nathalie Hallé Mason, Laura Platt O’Brien, Lisa Crosta, Lisa Paulsen Jensen, and Julie Kaplan get together annually. Nathalie Mason and husband Chris live

in Sudbury, Massachusetts. She works as a social worker at a community hospital and has a geriatric care management company. Her son Oliver Mason ’19 followed in her footsteps and graduated from the Grossman Business School in May. Daughter Marielle is a sophomore at the College of Wooster in Ohio. Laura O’Brien is a principal at a Boston public accounting firm. She and husband Bill O’Brien live in Brookline and spend many hours at hockey rinks with their four sons: Liam, college junior; Henry, high school senior; Seamus, high school sophomore; and Jason, eighth grader. Lisa Crosta is a vice president of financial planning in New

Dirgins. James Kobal asks classmates to please pass the word to Atlanta alums that he is trying to coordinate an Atlanta alumni event. James loves working at Berkshire Hathaway in Midtown Atlanta and living in a Buckhead suburb. Abraham Madkour of Charlotte, North Carolina, has been named publisher of Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily. For Robert Przygrodzki, 2019 marks one year as faculty at Western Governors University in general education/history. He has lived in Chicago since earning his doctorate in Russian history at Northern Illinois University in 2007. Jane Racoosin is excited to announce that her non-profit, Teaching

GIVING BACK

pose, a new network of friends across the US, a role model for my kids, and FUN! Who knew that switching to safer and cleaner would have so many positive benefits. Curious? Contact me!” Joe and Margaret Hayden Graf are excited to welcome their daughter Katia Graf ’22 to the UVM family! Jennifer Poulin and husband Chris reside in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where they have an outpatient physical therapy and sports performance practice. They are opening a second practice in Greenville, South Carolina. Daughter Madison Poulin ’22 is at UVM! #2022! Jennifer “is loving being back in Vermont and getting back to skiing and enjoying

V O I C E S O F M O V E M O U N TA I N S S U P P O R T E R S

“The university was a part of our lives for the fifty-two years we lived in Vermont. My husband was a faculty member of the College of Medicine and dean of the college for twenty-one years. I graduated from the university as did one grandson, and we have a grandson who graduated from the medical college and another who will graduate next year. UVM is a great university and deserves support.”

—Viola Luginbuhl ’88

Jersey. She is enjoying a few more years of chaos with her two high school sons, Brady and Carson (finally on the same teams), and her college-aged daughter, Alexandra. Lisa Paulsen Jensen and her husband, Stewart (Stew) Jensen ’90 live in Shelburne, Vermont, with their two sons, Lars and Erik.

Lisa is the Working Bridges Initiative Director at the United Way of Northwest Vermont. Julie Kaplan is the manager for Quality & Compliance for the Community Health Centers of Burlington. Julie moved to Charlotte, Vermont in 2008, where she lives with her husband Uwe, son Luka ninth grader) and daughter Shana (sixth grader). After visiting Newport RI on their last annual get together this past November, they are planning a trip to Nashville this coming fall.

Send your news to— Maureen Kelly Gonsalves moe.dave@verizon.net

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Margaret (Peggy) Doherty DeLong is thrilled to announce that her book, I Can See Clearly Now: A Memoir about Love, Grief, and Gratitude, has been published by Peacock Proud Press. Her memoir, a “journey of love and gratitude,” shares lessons she learned through her own grieving process when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. The book is available in paperback or e-book from Amazon. She is “having a blast” on her book tour, stopping in bookstores in towns of UVM friends, including Madeline Park

Beyond the Square, will be putting a transformed snowmobile trailer on the road next fall as a Materials Trailer. After a successful fundraiser with actress and artist Lucy Liu, the trailer will carry found and recycled materials to children and teachers in public and independent schools in the Tri-State area.

The materials will be used for curriculum-based projects to transform learning and promote openended play and creativity. Learn more at teachingbeyondthesquare.org. Paul Weiss and his wife, Nell, are raising sons Clay and Ian in Washington, DC. Clay is a junior at Gonzaga College High School and Ian is a freshman at Lab School of Washington. Jordan Greenberg was promoted to EVP and chief commercial officer of B & G Foods, a $1.8 billion dollar CPG company that owns brands including Ortega, Cream of a Wheat, and Maple Grove Farms of Vermont. Jordan led a successful relaunch and turnaround of the iconic Green Giant brand. Jordan and his wife Trudy Larson ’89 live in Tewksbury, New Jersey. Their son Jake graduated from Penn State in May. See a photo of their French bulldog Chops, and my horse Tito at go.uvm.edu/alumpics.

Send your news to— Tessa Donohoe Fontaine tessafontaine@gmail.com

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Suzanne Cabot shares,“leaning in and advocating for clean and safe skin care with Beautycounter has added so much more to my life—a sense of pur-

being a part of the TriDelta Sorority!” Their daughter Devon is just starting her college search. Jennifer writes, “Who knows, could we have another little legacy!” Anya Koutras continue to practice and teach Family Medicine at UVM College of Medicine and Colchester Family Medicine. Last January she was at the Engeye Clinic in Ddegaya, Uganda. She taught midwives and health officers, and did clinical work. Anya brought her sixteen-year-old daughter Grace this year and last year brought her daughter Lydia Koutras ’22. Jim Berish and Tiffany Berish ’90 (Kitty Catamount) celebrated their twentyfifth wedding anniversary by renewing their vows at the UVM Hillel House over Thanksgiving weekend.

They were joined at the service by son Jacob, daughter Abigail Berish ’21 (UVM cheerleader), brother Peter Corradino ’94, sister Tara Gibbs ’94, brotherin-law Brian Gibbs ’94, and their children. Tiffany also celebrated four generations of UVM students and graduates in her family.

Send news to— Karen Heller Lightman khlightman@gmail.com

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Jay Czelusniak watched the UVM Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament game in Hartford with Brandt Rider, Nate Beck ’99, and Jeremy Solomon. Annette Hines’s first book, Butterflies and Second Chances, was published by Lioncrest Publishers in April 2019.

Jonathan Vogel launched Vogel Law Firm PLLC, an SUMMER 2019 |

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| CLASS NOTES education law firm focused on issues in K-12, higher education, and student loans. Previously, Jonathan served as deputy general counsel at the US Department of Education and as a prosecutor and civil rights attorney at the US Department of Justice. In January 2019, Judy Camuso was appointed the commissioner of Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. She is the first female elected to this role in the state of Maine. Judy received bipartisan support, unanimous endorsements from the legislature, and high praise from all Mainers.

Judy makes it a priority to engage with and listen to all constituents. She aims to unite hunters, naturalists, and recreationists under the common goal of protecting Maine’s landscape, the wildlife that inhabits it, and the people who enjoy it.

Send your news to— Lisa Kanter jslbk@mac.com

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Julie Cohn Greene and Kim Mahoney Brown spent their 25th Reunion weekend in Amsterdam,

ect Pearl which has received numerous awards and recognition. She enjoys working in animal welfare, specifically with local shelters helping medical cases that require surgery and treatment. After seventeen years in North Carolina, her family is moving back to the Burlington area in June. She looks forward to living near family, especially her dad, Howard Ball, former dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. Tennyson Cox’s husband’s chili competition hobby has turned into something more! They opened Rowdy Redbone Chili, LLC, a chili-seasoning company in 2018. Their Rowdy Redbone Chili Signature Seasoning Mix is now available in local markets in Connecticut and online! If you are a chili lover, this is a must try! See, rowdyredbonechili.com. Rose Marie Renaud shares, “Wow! Our 25th Reunion?!? I’m heading back to campus from Salt Lake to see my roommates and buddies—Melanie, Denise, Alicia, Keri, Cheryl, hopefully, Maria, Karen, Artie, Rich, and so many more! I hope a lot of you are planning on coming back this fall for our reunion! I’d love to catch up!” See a photo of Rose and Melanie Deveikas ’95 at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park at go.uvm.edu/alumpics. Sonya Stern ’94 G’97

GIVING BACK

ning her first two events. Erica and her husband recently opened a new business, Stratton Escape Room, at the base of the Stratton access road.

Send your news to— Valeri Susan Pappas vpappas@davisandceriani.com

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Reed Gillmor Liriano and her husband, José, moved from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Singapore, where José works at the US Embassy. They look forward to exploring Southeast Asia and connecting with other alumni in the region. Nicholas Roussos passed away in December 2018 in Concord, New Hampshire. Nick remembered his UVM years and friends with great fondness and spoke of them often.

Send your news to— Jill Cohen Gent jcgent@roadrunner.com Michelle Richards Peters mpeters@eagleeyes.biz

V O I C E S O F M O V E M O U N TA I N S S U P P O R T E R S

“I give back to UVM because UVM is a reflection of me. I want to uphold its reputation, support its growth, and benefit those who follow in my footsteps.”

—Jeffrey McNulty ’94

where Julie was traveling for work. Kim who lives and teaches in Vilnius, Lithuania, took a “puddlejumper” flight to join Julie for the weekend. They both miss Vermont and their UVM family of friends!

Brian Knight published a book, Snowboarding in Southern Vermont: From Burton to the US Open (History Press). The book details the birth, growth, and development of a new worldwide sport from humble beginnings in southern Vermont. Kay Weiss Anthony, who earned her UVM master’s degree in school counseling, retired in 2016 after thirty-nine years in education. Keri M. Cunningham O’Shea launched a men’s swim line that is “comfortable, sexy and simple.” Blú suits have an extra liner of protection so men can comfortably exercise on the beach. Keri’s swim line includes cheeks by blú for the “wee lads.” Check them out at blu.global.

Send your news to— Gretchen Haffermehl Brainard gretchenbrainard@gmail.com

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25th Reunion October 4-6, 2019

In 2011, Melissa Ball founded the non-profit Proj-

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looks forward to working on her third UVM degree.

She was accepted into the Doctorate of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program for fall ’19.

For the past three years, she has been working at UVM as director of Sponsored Project Administration, supporting UVM researchers who utilize federal grants and other external funding.

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

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Bruce Adam’s career in public service continues. In January, he was honored to be appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services by Governor Ned Lamont. Richard (Rick) J. Gatteau, PhD, has been appointed vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Stony Brook University. Rick earned his master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs at UVM. Erica Ludlow Bowman is working hard spreading the flowers. She is a garden designer and landscape architect in Vermont, throughout the United States, and even beyond its borders. Her daughter Juniper is an up-and-coming freestyle ski champion, win-

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Mark Hand is thrilled to announce that he joined Compass and created a new team, Landmark Property Group. Mark shares, “Compass is a forward-thinking company, embracing new technology while fully supporting agents and teams. I couldn’t be more excited about the future, and I am extremely thankful for friends and clients like you, who have supported me along the way.” Claudia Reuter launched a podcast, The 43 Percent. The podcasts share stories of successful women balancing family and career, and moves past the lean-in or lean-out debate. The 43 Percent was featured on Apple’s New & Noteworthy list and is available on all platforms at fanlink.to/43percent.

Send your news to— Elizabeth Carstensen Genung leegenung@me.com

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Class of 1998 friends Meredith Benvenuto, Lauren Morris, Laury Balatsos, Allison Sharlow, Maggie Waterhouse, and Michele Barnattan got together for a mini-reunion in Connecticut. Jennifer Frankel and husband Brad Walker ’97 celebrate their twenti-

NEW AND IMPROVED!

CLASS NOTES eth wedding anniversary this summer. They live in Newton, Massachusetts, with their three children and rescue-mutt Stella. Jennifer recently trained as a birth doula and from there completed an accelerated BSN program at Regis College. In December, she was inducted into the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. The family enjoys getting together with local Catamounts and kids, some in the neighborhood, to raise a glass of beer, ride bikes, or go skiing.

Send news to— Ben Stockman bestockman@gmail.com

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Brad Rosenheim returned in January from an exciting, successful six-week scientific expedition to Antarctica.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Brad was part of a team of researchers drilling through 4,000 feet of ice into a lake that was twice the size of Manhattan and forty-five-feet deep. The team took sediment samples, water samples, and even found some interesting skeletons that you may have read about in the news.

Send news to— Sarah Pitlak Tiber spitlak@hotmail.com

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John Helzer, his wife, Tina, and their three daughters moved back to Vermont three years ago. They opened a bar/restaurant in Shelburne called Peg & Ter’s on Shelburne Road, in the building where Café Shelburne used to be. Eric Smith lives in Norwalk, Connecticut. He enjoyed watching the Catamounts qualify for the March Madness tournament with his dear friend Jeff Agne at his beautiful home in Fairfield, New Jersey. Brendan Hall was invited but couldn’t make it. Many graduates from 2001 are enjoying fortieth birthdays. There will be an awesome group celebration in Nashville, Tennesee, that Matt Branon ’02, Jay Hayden, Noel Barnett ’03, Alex Thibadeau ’01, Micah Jacobs ’02, Kip Edwards ’03, and Ben Susman plan to attend .

Send your news to— Erin Wilson ewilson41@gmail.com

02

Carey Duques will run in the 2019 NYC Marathon as part of the Foundation for Prader-Willi Syndrome Research Team. She’s excited to raise money for this wonderful foundation, which has helped Samantha Chipetz’s and Dan Chorney’s son Brandon. Visit act.fpwr.org/goto/brandon to donate.

She appreciates any amount you can contribute.

Anthony Egizi and his wife, Jessica, welcomed the birth of their second child, Benjamin, in June 2018.

Benjamin joins big sister Emilia.

Send your news to— Jennifer Khouri Godin jenniferkhouri@yahoo.com

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When the market went south in 2008, Michael Carpanzano started his own business, Sherman Design

Build, a full-service design build company based in Sherman, Connecticut. His company is now a local market leader, see shermanbuildingdesign.com.

Michael has also invented a nifty product that most people could use, the NuPlug Extension Clamp, a power station that clamps onto your desk, available on Amazon. Michael’s business plan for this won state and national business competitions. Erin Socha Leonard ran her fourteenth half-marathon (NYC) and third full marathon (Boston) as a member of Team MR8, supporting the Martin Richard Foundation. Erin lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with her two children and works at Dell Technologies.

Send your news to— Korinne Moore Berenson korinne.d.moore@gmail.com

04

Andrea Charest and husband Steve are proud to be named Vermont Sports 2019 Outdoor Persons of the Year! They own Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School in Burlington, serve on the board of local climbing non-profit CRAG-VT, and are trained guides with the American Mountain Guides Association. The couple are currently underway with a 13,450-square-foot expansion of Petra Cliffs.

The facility is expected to be open by early 2020 with up to 51’ tall climbing walls, bouldering, cardio and fitness, yoga studio, roof deck, and conference space. The Charests, along with their two-year-old daughter McKinley, look forward to continued work and more possibilities with the greater Burlington schools, colleges, adaptive community, businesses, and all ages and abilities! Herschel Collins retired from nursing in 2013. He is busy visiting friends and family, enjoying the outdoors, hiking, swimming, boating, and skiing. He’s been traveling throughout the United States and Canada and shares, “I love to explore new areas and meet new people. Happy Trails!” Jonathan Roth married Katharina Mustad on October 27, 2018. The black tie celebration was held in Oslo, Norway, where Jon and Katharina live.

Fellow UVM alumni in attendance were Augusta MacPherson ’03, Claudia Coconubo ’04, and Michael D’Alessandro ’03. Nancy Sunderland is the office manager at Riverside Natural Health Center in Middlebury, Vermont. She will dance as a corps member of “The Farm to Ballet Project” of Ballet Vermont this summer. This includes five fulllength ballets at farms across Vermont. Nancy lives in Bridport with husband Bob and five children.

Greg Martin and wife Stephanie welcomed their second child, Callum Tyler Martin, in February. In the winter of 2019, after fifteen years in the industry, Jessica Later started a boutique real estate and property management business, JL+CoRE, in downtown Boston. Thanks to her marketing professor back in 2004, Jessica found her first hire, Kyle Strubel ’18, a Grossman School of Business graduate. Her second hire, Casey Apps ’18, also a UVM graduate, recently joined the team. They are proud to have deep UVM roots within JL+CoRE crew!

Send your news to— Kelly Kisiday kelly.kisiday@gmail.com

A new online user-friendly format— searchable by class year, school or college, and type of note—that will be kept updated.

alumni.uvm.edu/notes

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Chelsea Ransom married David Hawkins in a lovely barn wedding in Michigan in July. She started a new job as a wastewater engineer focused on sustainability and biosolids at Carollo Engineers in Walnut Creek, California. Melissa Donovan Gilbert welcomed twin future Catamounts Mae and Peter in April 2018. They join big brother Jack, who is learning to skate and working toward a UVM hockey scholarship! Lauren Masseria and Greg Switz were married on January 26, 2019. Ten years post -graduation, both are living and working in Vermont. The Bor County Hospital in Akol Aguek’s home town in South Sudan serves roughly 200,000 people, has 400-plus beds, but lacks the most basic supplies. Akol committed to doing something about that. He connected with Elizabeth McLellan, founder, and president of Partners for World Health (PWH), a non-profit that recycles medical supplies from healthcare facilities in the United States and ships them to countries in need. She promised Akol a shipping container full of medical supplies—worth more than $200,000 if he could raise the $30,000 to cover shipping, customs/tariffs, and the container. Aguek, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, worked to fundraise and the funds were secured.

On February 21, 2019 the shipping container worth $261,000 was shipped to South Sudan.

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

06

Miriam Markowitz will marry Benjamin Chelser in August 2019 at Camp Caribou in Winslow, Maine. UVM alumni attending include Bradley Allen, Keith Upton ’05, Bridget Sparagna, Jenn Vanderminden, and Alex McGuinness. In January 2019, Emily Matthews was promoted to partner at Boston CPA firm, Edelstein & Company LLP. Send your news to— Katherine Murphy kateandbri@gmail.com

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Laura C. Ames joined the Boston law firm Casner & Edwards as an associate in the firm’s Trusts & Estates Group. Laura concentrates her practice on developing comprehensive estate plans for families and individuals. Andrew Boyd married Laura Holmes in Utica, New York, in October 2018. UVM alumni present included Will Applegate ’08, Merritt Scott Vaughan ’78, Sam Dingley, Eric Fries ’06, Heather Babcock ’06, Nick Williams, Anjie Giuffrida ’08, and Eric Phillips ’10. After serving as campaign manager for Democratic nominee for governor Christine Hallquist, Cameron Russell is excited to share news of the formation of his own business, Small World Solutions, LLC—a local politiSUMMER 2019 |

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| CLASS NOTES cal and strategic development consulting firm. More information can be found at: smallworldvt.com.

Send your news to— Elizabeth Bitterman bittermane@jgua.com

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Beatrice Galassi DeGrand was married last September in Shelburne, overlooking Lake Champlain on a perfect Vermont day. Lindsey Adams and Nicole Menezes ’10 were bridesmaids and many fellow Catamounts were in attendance. Beatrice and husband Steve recently relocated from San Diego to Fairfield, Connecticut, to be near family. Beatrice has a new job in philanthropy and enjoys being back in New England.

Send your news to— Elizabeth Bearese ebearese@gmail.com Emma Grady gradyemma@gmail.com

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10th Reunion October 4-6, 2019

Nydia Guity co-authored her first book: Black Therapist Rock: A Glimpse Through the Eyes of Experts. In her chapter, “Don’t Get It Twisted,” she shares a time in her natural hair journey where she relearned to be mindful of stress/stressors that were affecting her holistic wellbeing. Visit MsGuity.com for more information. Emily Rodney Tufaro recently celebrated two years at Thrillist Media Group (part of Group Nine Media) as their line producer. She and husband Paul welcomed a son, Chase, in December of 2017.

They live in Brooklyn. Erica Bruno was promoted to enterprise account director at automotiveMastermind. She is responsible for overseeing the top automotive dealership groups in the nation using automotiveMastermind’s class-leading software technology. At UVM, Josh Appelbaum wrote for the Vermont Cynic, covering the UVM men’s hockey team. He’s now a journalist for The Action Network, the leading sports betting media/analytics website in the country. Josh just published his first book, The Everything Guide to Sports Betting.

Send your news to— David Volain david.volain@gmail.com

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Moni Gerbini is vice president of ticket sales with the Miami Dolphins.

In her sixth season with the Dolphins organization, Moni oversees business and membership development as well as group sales. Hannah Shihdanian and husband Aidan Nevin ’11 have lived in College Station, Texas, since July 2018. Aidan works for a start-up company, Nift, which is what brought them on their current adventure! Hannah found an awesome adult-only drop-in dance studio and is teaching Broadway dance, hip hop, and dance fitness. She also is still performing in theatre and working as a choreographer with two kids in tow (Bella, almost three, and Jaime, nearly one). Hannah shares that she and Aidan “miss Vermont every day,

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and hope to live there later in life!” Jeremy Baras recently joined MassChallenge. He works with Scott Bailey ’09 supporting the growth of the global startup ecosystem. Jeremy looks forward to working with startups to solve the business challenges of large corporations, and to assisting entrepreneurs in winning! Casey Cullen-Woods joined Thornton Tomasetti in their NYC office in August 2018. She is the project director of their sustainability practice.

Send your news to— Daron Raleigh raleighdaron@gmail.com

11

Jennifer Sokolowski passed the Certified Financial Planner™ exam in November 2018. She is working for WestView Investment Advisors in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, helping young professionals achieve their financial goals. Maria Donaldson married Jake Collier ’10 on August 18, 2018, in Webster, New Hampshire. They celebrated with their favorite UVM alumni! Maria is currently pursuing her doctorate in molecular biology at the Swiss Institute of Experimental Cancer Research in Lausanne, Switzerland. Jake is the Scandinavian market manager for Lagunitas Brewing Company. Molly Checksfield started a new position in April as program officer with the National Academy of Sciences. Molly leads a program that helps the National Institutes of Health determine how to allocate Alzheimer’s research funding. Dr. Shannon Kostin completed her medical doctorate and starts her pediatrics residency at Maimonides Children’s Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, in July. Justine Pentifallo and Greg Ferraro were married in December 2018 in Justine’s hometown of River Edge, New Jersey. Fellow Catamounts Claire Packet, Kirstin Tiffany ’10, Zach Realberg and Donovan Drummey ’14 were in attendance. The couple resides in Manhattan. Meredith Sooy ’11, MD ’17 married Josh Mossey in Charlotte, Vermont, surrounded by many fellow Catamounts. They live in North Carolina where Meredith is completing her pediatrics residency. The couple can’t wait to get back to Vermont. See their wedding photo at: go.uvm.edu/alumpics. Nicholas Alviani met McKenna Kruse in 2007 when they started at UVM. They bonded over their love for the outdoors, helping others, and their New Jersey roots. Nicholas was recently contacted by McKenna, whose job as a traveling nurse was bringing her to Eugene, Oregon. Nicholas writes, “I was thrilled to hear this and to reconnect with a terrific friend from UVM. I appreciate my time at UVM for many things but most importantly, the lasting friendships.”

Send your news to— Troy McNamara Troy.mcnamara4@gmail.com

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In January, Harrison Goldberg ’11 proposed to Ashleigh Allaire at the top of Bolton Valley Ski Area. The couple will wed in Vermont during the spring of 2020.

Elyssa Brock is the Illinois director of business development for Game On! Sports 4 Girls. The company received the US Olympic Committee’s 2018 Rings of Gold program award. The award recognizes Game

On! for its dedication to “helping children develop their Olympic or Paralympic dreams and reach their highest athletic and personal potential.” Samantha (Sammy) Ethridge graduated from California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco in May 2019 with a master’s in clinical counseling focused on somatic psychotherapy. She is working towards MFT licensure post-graduation with adults, children, and eating disorder clients. Her non-profit, No Mirror Movement, (founded in 2016) has blossomed and will premiere its first-ever full-length production, titled Kinesthesis. For more information, visit nomirrormovement.org. Sammy is relocating to beautiful Fairfax in the North Bay, a town that reminds her of Burlington. She shares, “Cheers to endings and beginnings!” Robert Sokolowski passed the Certified Financial Planner™ exam in November 2018. He is currently working for WestView Investment Advisors in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, helping young professionals achieve their financial goals.

Send your news to— Patrick Dowd patrickdowd2012@gmail.com

13

Sarah Abramovitz received her master’s degree in sport management from the University of San Francisco.

After pursuing a master’s in energy politics in Russia and working at a think tank in New York, Rebeka Foley moved to Paris, where she works in a consulting firm as an oil analyst for the former Soviet Union.

Rebecca Moore moved to Amsterdam in 2017 and married Carlos Ortiz Lahera later that year in San Sebastián, Spain. Several fellow UVM alums crossed the pond to celebrate, including Kellie Brockel, Victor Hartman, Annie Bazluke, Anna Bassford, Ryan Dulude, and Cassie Caruso. Rebecca enjoys the bike-centric life in Amsterdam and loves her job in eCommerce Marketing with Brooks Running. She is happy to connect with other UVM alumni in The Netherlands and across Europe. In May, Karole-Ann Bayer graduated with a master’s of education in literacy, K-12. In August, she begins her new journey in education as she pursues her doctorate at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She writes, “The professors at UVM during my undergraduate studies inspired me to follow in their footsteps! I am forever grateful to have earned my degree from the College of Education in Vermont!” Will Greenwood and Lisa Rogers moved to the Bay Area in fall 2018.

There, Will is a professor of civil engineering at San Jose State University, and Lisa has a career in higher education at Northeastern University, San Francisco Bay Area. They are excited to announce they will be married in Maine in August 2019. Rubenstein School alums Jon Cusick ’12 and Carolyn Herkenham are engaged and plan to marry in the Berkshires next year. Jon is a data scientist in an agricultural start-up and Carolyn is a senior scientist in her field of industrial hygiene. Laura Wilson married John Donegan on November 10, 2018 in Warwick, Rhode Island. In attendance were her close group of friends, all class of 2013: Liana Schneidman, Samantha Hughes, Leanna Cornelius, Zach Martin ’12, Eden Karnes, Tess Lippincott, Tamara Beier, Helen Cobb, Jesse Weiner, Hailey Stern, and Kristen McColgan.

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

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5th Reunion October 4-6, 2019

Tyler van Bodengraven ’13 and Kimberly Voellmann were married on June 1 in Shelburne, Vermont.

Send your news to— Grace Buckles Eaton glbuckles@gmail.com

Our House is a very, very, very fine house.

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Katie Barton graduated with a dual master’s of science in acupuncture and oriental medicine from the Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She is excited to begin practicing this wonderful medicine in the fall. Nicholas Chappel’s first job out of UVM was a small travel software startup, FareHarbor, that sent him to Denver, Hawaii, and Sydney, Australia. FareHarbor became the leading reservation software in the tourism/travel industry and was acquired by Booking.com in 2018. This has brought him back to Boston where he’s excited to see what’s next.

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

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The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at the Harvard Kennedy School has named Emy Takinami a 2019 Rappaport Public Policy Fellow. The fellowship program is a key component of The Rappaport Institute, which aims to improve the governance of Greater Boston by promoting emerging leaders, stimulating informed discussions, and producing new ideas. Emy is currently pursuing a dual degree at the Boston University School of Social Work and the BU School of Education. Jeff E. Renaud graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law in May 2019. Jeff works at Updike Kelly & Spellacy Law Firm in Hartford, Connecticut, where he specializes in commercial litigation. Alex Gambero accepted a position that begins this summer at the UVM Medical Center as a respiratory therapist. Cassidy Lang moved to Denver, Colorado, with fellow UVM alum Delaney Smith. Cassidy works with the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program and loves being back in the mountains. Grant Troester is a ski instructor in Vail, Colorado. Emily Vayda and Nikolas Moring ’15 received a 2019 Excellence in Public Health Award from the US Public Health Service for their work to recognize suicidality in Vermont teens. This work was part of the public health projects completed by medical students at the Larner College of Medicine. Austin Brown served for three years as the associate director of research and programming at the Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery at Kennesaw State University. He completed twenty peer-reviewed coauthorships involving the study of recovery from substance use disorders. Austin begins his doctoral studies in social science in the fall of 2019 at

A PUBLIC EVENT SPACE FOR Retreats | Special Dinners | Trainings Private Parties | Weddings

UVM ALUMNI HOUSE 61 Summit Street | Burlington, Vermont

For more information contact Jessica Dudley (802) 656-0802

SUMMER 2019 |

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NEW AND IMPROVED!

| CLASS NOTES the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Jamie Eastman is deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. He is an enroute critical care nurse on an Army medevac helicopter.

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

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Michael Simoneau is a real estate agent at Geri Reilly Real Estate in South Burlington, Vermont. He is a buyer’s agent, helping homebuyers in the area.

Michael shares, “If any alumni are interested in moving back to Burlington or in and around Chittenden County, don’t hesitate to reach out!”

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

CLASS NOTES A new online user-friendly format— searchable by class year, school or college, and type of note—that will be kept updated.

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Faculty member Paula Cope ’75 G’83, met up with Grossman Business School alumni Julia Campanella and JD Kelly in New York City. Victoria Primavera is excited to be working under contract for the DHS at Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Cameron Segal was named to the Board of Directors at HANDS (Helping And Nurturing Diverse Seniors), a Burlington non-profit organization whose mission is to provide food to the elderly in Chittenden County. Cameron is a member of Burlington’s Senior Center Study committee and was elected to the Board of Directors at Living Well Group last fall.

Felix Torres is finding a home in new cities, presently in San Diego. Alice Urbiel moved to Moab, Utah, to work as a programs instructor with the Youth Garden Project, a non-profit that focuses on connecting people to food from seed to table.

Alexander Benoit is pursuing a master’s in Eng-

alumni.uvm.edu/notes

lish and Irish literature at Boston College. In January 2019, Melissa Carrubba started a master’s program in clinical nutrition and dietetics. She is pursuing a career in nutrition-based research and exploring the Irish coasts. Andrew McCall was at Apple for one year as a GIS Technician. He is moving to the Washington, DC area this summer for a full-time geospatial analyst position at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

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

| IN MEMORIAM 1938 1941 1944

1947

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Alice Pratt Myers MG Francis W. Nye Saul Boyarsky MD’46 Barbara Hall Howe Rita McGarry McNeil Eleanor Allen Miles Ida Towne Anderson Grace Fox Jordan Winnifred F. Cobb-Harrington David Sumner Harlow Beverly Beach Bretthauer Arline Brush Hunt Ruth Behrens Piche Louise Kiely Wallace Mary Bertucio Arnold MD’50 Andrew R. Buchanan Alfred Adolfo Calcagni William A. Dingerson Anna Beaulac Eaton Ursula Jordan Plummer Charles A. Proctor Patricia Miller Coburn Richard C. Colella Edith Schaffer Lederberg Leo R. Parnes MD’55 John Winston Churchill Leland H. MacDonald G’54 Edgar McWilliam Jay S. Rosenberg Merton W. Stancliff Harry Ross Varney Esther Bentley Castagne Kathryn Green Coyle John R. Curtis Edward Albert Holda John D. Long

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

1954

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

Walter Frederick Meyer Jerry Needleman Robert J. Scribner Charles P. Spalding G’67 Anthony James Calciano Robert T. Fitzgerald Bettie Farrar Gray Dianne Brune Pierce James H. Tyer George Th. Diamandopoulos MD’55 Gertrude Hawks Lackey Dale Hulburd Leblanc Sally Ploof Mather Janet Stewart Nickels Robert K. Brown MD’60 Robert W. Chapman Frances Pedusey Johansen Charles C. Maxson Ronald G. Coltran Sandra Harrop Klaren Gary Parker Richardson Karen McKenzie Anderson Neil G. Diorio MD’58 Robert G. Dolan MD’58 Ilmari Alexander Enola G’58 Richard A. Herskowitz John Philip Levesque David G. Piscopo John L. Russ Grace Wright Stetson MD’58 Paul C. Dunham G’63 Alberta Kauzmann Edwards Richard G. Sharkey Eleanor L. Thomas Robert Harvey Barnes Marilyn Parrott Fisher

1961

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1964 1966 1968 1969 1970 1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

Helen Riegels Mackey Douglas Leroy Mulac Lillian Kalinen Saari Kathleen Canney Smyrski Donald M. Wallace Walter Atchison Westhelle William Leighton Wheeler Stanley Stewart Ather John C. Kawaky Sally Nadon Pedley G’81 Bennett D. Black Levi H. Brown Eugene Philibert Galfetti Bruce C. Hodgman Anita Williams Peck Ronald W. Pero Judith Porter Sargent Richard Bruce Harris Betty Bergman Levin Nancy Judd McGinley Arnulf Julius Maeland G’66 Sherry Byron Calkins William J. Driscoll MD’69 John Frederick Moore MD’74 Anne Jocelyn Ganson-Blanchard Margaret Milne Richey G’71 John Owen Perry G’72, ‘86 Paul J. Romanelli MD’72 Jeffrey Lawrence Cohn Louise Lyon Mann G’73 Brian Kermit Martin Thomas Michael Armstrong G’74 Kedra Mabel Greaves Beverly J. Hilliard Thomas E. Barnard Judith Jewell Kelly G’75

1976

1977

1979

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1981 1982

1983 1985 1986

Kevin Edward Grady Stephen J. Thorpe Paul Arthur Foisy G’77 Joan Thompson Owen Ian Willem deGroot Mark Taft Kinne Martha Regan Powers David Beitzel Joseph M. Curtin G’80 Helen Mae Donahue G’80 Thomas H. Lewis MD’81 Joseph John Klara Winslow H. Ladue G’82 Joseph E. Scandore Holly Spear-Nichols Marguerite Bilodeau Goodrow Margaret Garb Elaine Betty Morton

1987 1988 1989

1990 1991

1992 1994

1996 1997

1998 2000 2004 2006

Jean Ann Williamson G’87 Jennifer Huntley Gardner Janet M. Franz G’89 Mary O’Brien Heins G’89 Scott Fern Blair Rebecca Dixon Kerry Allen Keenan G’91 Enid Wonnacott G’92 Karl Gregory Aeder Bradley Patrick Goforth Nicholas Matthew Roussos Jay Seideman Robert Peter Young G’97 Xan Kaitlin Desch Frederick Orville Smith II G’00 Vera Petrova Dickinson G’04, ‘07 Katherine V. Donahue G’94

| UVM COMMUNITY ROBERT ARNS, professor emeritus of physics and a longtime academic administrative leader at the university, passed away on April 6, 2019. He began his UVM tenure in 1977 as senior vice president for academic affairs, serving in that role for eight years. In addition to many years as a professor of physics, Arns led the College of Engineering and Mathematics as dean for three years. A painter throughout his adult life, Professor Arns was often inspired by the NASA images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

ALAN CASSELL, professor emeritus of civil engineering and natural resources, passed away on March 21, 2019. After beginning his academic career at Clarkson University, Professor Cassell joined the UVM faculty in 1974. In addition to his teaching and research duties, he served as director of the Water Resources Research Center. The focus of his scientific research was aimed at the conservation of natural resources and watershed management. A gifted and dedicated teacher, many of the students he mentored stayed in contact long beyond Cassell’s UVM retirement in 2001.

IAN DEGROOT ’79, former vice president for Development and Alumni Relations, passed away on February 27, 2019, after a heroic year-long battle with a second round of cancer. As a UVM student, deGroot earned his bachelor’s degree in education and competed for the Catamounts in both tennis and lacrosse. His twenty-three years of service to his alma mater included leading Development and Alumni Relations during a $250 million comprehensive campaign, successfully completed in 2007.

DARREN HITT, professor of mechanical engineering, passed away on May 9, 2019. A member of the UVM faculty since 1998, he was an accomplished scientist and teacher, focusing on fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and aerospace engineering. Since 2013, Professor Hitt also served as director of the Vermont Space Grant Consortium, facilitating research initiatives contributing to scientific and technological advancements in many areas critical to NASA’s mission.

JILL MATTUCK TARULE, dean and professor emerita in the College of Education and Social Services, died February 3, 2019. A native of Vermont, Tarule returned to the state with her family in 1992, serving as dean for thirteen years and associate provost for four years. After returning to the CESS faculty as a professor in Leadership and Development, she retired in 2013.

Dean Tarule’s publications include co-authoring Women’s Ways of Knowing: The Development of Self, Voice and Mind, a pivotal work in developmental psychology.

VQ

EDITOR Thomas Weaver ART DIRECTOR Elise Whittemore CLASS NOTES EDITOR Kathy Erickson ’84 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joshua Brown, Kaitie Catania, Kevin Coburn ’81, Andrea Estey, Janet Franz, Jennifer Nachbur, Erin Post, Jeffrey Wakefield, Benjamin Yousey-Hindes PHOTOGRAPHY Joshua Brown, Andy Duback, Jim Gensheimer, Ian Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist ’09, Brian Jenkins, Sally Keith, Patrick Langlois ’19, Sally McCay, Becky Miller, Kelly Schulze, Johann Strobl, Dok Wright ILLUSTRATION Glynnis Fawkes 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 alumni.uvm.edu/classnotes VERMONT QUARTERLY Produced by UVM Creative Communications Services Amanda Waite’02 G’04, Director Publishes March 1, July 1, November 1 PRINTED IN VERMONT Issue No. 84, July 2019 VERMONT QUARTERLY ONLINE uvm.edu/vq

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| EXTRA CREDIT

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

Return home for your Reunion this fall.

OCT 4-6

2019

We’ll turn on the colors for you.

Special celebrations planned for Green & Gold classes, the classes of 1969, 1979, 1994, 2009, 2014, and 2019, and the 20th anniversary celebration of the Prism Center, formerly the LGBTQA Center.

alumni.uvm.edu/alumniweekend

S P E C I A L T H A N K S TO O U R P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R

NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID BURLINGTON VT 05401

VERMONT QUARTERLY

PERMIT NO. 143

86 South Williams Street Burlington VT 05401

Thank you to the more than 75,000 UVM alumni, students, parents, and friends whose generosity pushed the Move Mountains campaign far beyond $500 million.