CLASS OF 1960 | 2021–2022 | WINTER ISSUE

Mark Lischner has completed 50 years of medical practice in pulmonary medicine. In addition, the group that he founded, Pulmonary Medicine Associates, has expanded to include critical care, infectious disease, palliative care, and wound care. It currently has 50 physicians and 12 nurse practitioners. Mark appreciates the mental stimulation provided by his medical practice, which was especially important during the pandemic when many activities were prohibited. He reported that he has a low-grade lymphoma that is responding to chemotherapy.

     Dave Major and co-author Sirkku Juhola have published a new book, Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal Cities: A Guidebook for Citizens, Public Officials, and Planners. Dave says that he and Professor Juhola are foregoing royalties from Helsinki Press so that the book is available for free download worldwide under a Creative Commons license.

Congratulations to Bill Murphy who was honored for his 60 years of teaching at Hanover High School. Bill credits his late wife, Kay, for everything he has been able to do. A current student commended him for leading by example and encouraging critical thinking. An article about this event appeared in the Valley News.

An interview of Dan Nebert entitledRole of Environmental Genetics in Preventive Medicine” was published in Yale University Journal of Biology and Medicine. He has made significant contributions to clinical pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics.

     Ira Sharkansky wrote: “We’ve moved to a retirement village, after 46 years in Jerusalem. The city has changed. Much more ultra-Orthodox than in the past, and lots of building near where we lived. Now we’re getting used to neighbors even older and weaker than us. Still blogging about Israeli politics.” You can read more about his thoughts at www.jpost.com/blogger/ira-sharkansky.

Congratulations to Paul Tractenberg on winning his first poker tournament. He entered the competition as a way of supporting the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. You can read more about this event in the New Jersey Jewish News.

     Bill Walker wrote an op-ed article entitled “The Coming Demand Surge Brings Back Memories of 1970s Inflation” that appeared in the Wall Street Journal in March 2021.

One of my favorite places to visit is Mount Rainier National Park. An interview done by the philanthropic Washington National Parks Fund describes a few of my family trips to the park and my involvement with hiking in Washington State. I have had occurrences of an abnormal heartbeat called supraventricular tachycardia since 2009. During the pandemic, the frequency and duration of these episodes increased, so on May 4 I had successful catheter ablation to destroy the heart cells that were causing the abnormal electrical signal. I am thankful to be living at a time when medical technology can provide a way of eliminating this disorder.