Tag: 1981

Greetings from the great Midwest! I have much news to report in these early months of 2018. Jeremy Kenner writes from down under: “No guns? No Trump? Sound good? Come to Australia!” Jeremy is currently living in Melbourne, has been in Australia for 17 years—and has no regrets. He still works for the government as an adviser in the field of health and research ethics. On a more personal note, he adds, he has reentered the world of childrearing and has five sons ages 31, 29, 27, 10 (step), and a 5-year old “as beautiful as they come!” Jeremy also invites anyone who is ever in the neighborhood to look him up.

Congrats to Gail Marowitz, who was nominated this year for her fourth Grammy (she actually won back in 2006)! This year it was for Best Recording Package for her art direction for Jonathan Coulter’s vinyl LP Solid State. Check out thevisualstrategist.com for more insights. Gail splits her time between a studio in the West Village and a 130-year old church along the river in the Hudson Valley.

Robin Frank enjoyed a fun evening catching up with Katy Ward Koch and Amy Curtis in the D.C. area. Robin is married to Geoff Megargee, a historian at the Holocaust Museum; they have a guitar-playing, skateboarding 15-year-old son named Ruslan. Robin writes, “I recently left a 30-plus year career in the federal service to became the associate general counsel for International Law at NASA, where some days, I do get to dance with the stars!”—not something that too many of us can say! Congrats, Robin!

Barbara Johnston wrote in from Rochester, N.Y., where she works as a city planner with an architectural and engineering firm. Her nights and weekends, however, are kept busy with her passion: percussion. “My main musical outlet is Brazilian Batucada, and the occasional Bossa Nova jazz or square dance gig.” Last November, Barbara attended the International Folk Music Film Festival in Kathmandu where, she writes, “I screened a short film in which I played drums. Hanging out with ethnomusicologists and listening to traditional music from around the world brought me back to Wesleyan roots!”

From the Bay Area, Ariel Rubissow Okomoto, a Wes Science-in-Society grad, writes of her family, “We are still helplessly West Coast, as my husband, Paul, and I continue to try and save the planet. Our daughters have picked up the vibe: Tira (24) is working on the San Francisco Pre-Disaster Challenge of Resilient Design and Mikki (20) is studying architecture with a focus on public urban projects.”

Brenda Zlamany, a painter who lives and works in Brooklyn, had an exhibition called Brenda Zlamany: 100/100, on view at the Derfner Judaica Museum from September to January. The exhibition featured 100 watercolor portraits of residents of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale.

Congratulations go out to David Lynch, who joined the Washington Post as their national and global economics correspondent, after a storied career at The Financial Times, Bloomberg, and USA Today. Dave, who has three sons, lives in northern Virginia with his wife, Kathleen. He is also author of the book, When the Luck of the Irish Ran Out: The World’s Most Resilient Country and Its Struggle to Rise Again.

Paul DiSanto wrote in with lots of news: Dan Haar has left his long-time job at the Hartford Courant to take on new challenges with the Connecticut Hearst Newspapers. In Denver, Paul caught up with Lisa Greim, Julie Richman, and Michele Vion who are all doing well. From KC, Lou Scimecca and Tony DiFolco send greetings, though the absence of our dear classmate Brad Toomey leaves a hole in the hearts of the KC crowd. Paul reports that several of our classmates left long-term careers for other pursuits, time with family, and retirement (!): Jim Baker retired from Unilever; Jon Duane, from McKinsey; Rick Ciullo, from Chubb. Tim O’Brien retired from Blue Cross of Massachusetts. Many Wes alumni attended an informal party for him in Narragansett, R.I., including classmates Bill Stack and Pete Pezzelli. On campus, Paul often runs into Sandy Herzlich and Barb Martin, Ellen Jewett, Ed Suslovic, Delcy Ziac Fox, Mark Molina, Nancy Parker Wilson, Diane Goldstein, and David Resnick.

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

NEWSMAKERS | 1980s NEWSMAKER ANTONIE KLINE ’81 Antonie Kline ’81, MD, is the recipient of Global Gene’s RARE Champion of Hope award, which recognizes individuals and organizations for their notable efforts in rare disease advocacy, science, collaborative sciences, and medical care and treatment. Kline has been the medical director of the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation since 2001, and has worked with families with this condition since 1993. Kline is the director of pediatric genetics at the Harvey Institute for Human Genetics at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. At Wesleyan University she majored in math, and earned her Doctor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College.

Greetings from Brooklyn! My daughter, Emma, had her bat mitzvah on September 9. She made it relevant and profound, and her parents are very proud! Now, your news…

Mid-September, Alvin Peters wrote that he is “dodging hurricanes in Florida’s panhandle. Water and gas sold out. Climate change deniers wandering around like zombies.”

Lisa Jo Rudy is living on Cape Cod with her husband and two children, where she freelances while writing and directing plays in Falmouth and Woods Hole. She discovered her inner iPhone photographer, and became a juried artist at the Cape Cod Art Association. She was thrilled to connect with Cori Adler ’82, whose daughter Mitzi ’21 is a freshman.

Judith Newman is having fun with her new book “about raising an ‘average’ kid on the spectrum—To Siri With Love. The New York Times called it ‘uncommonly riotous and moving’ and the Washington Post compared me to Nora Ephron so you gotta love that, right? It’s on a few best-seller lists, though the way they construct these lists—well, they have many categories, and for all I know there are a total of three books in the categories I’m number one in. But, let’s just go with ‘best-seller’ shall we?”

Greg Murphy is now a private banker with U.S. Trust. Son James will graduate from Annapolis in 2018, and daughter Kathleen will likely enter the U.S. Naval Academy in June. Daughter Bridget is a varsity rower at UConn.

Stephen P. White was in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1981-1987, and then the Army Reserve from 1992-2011, with deployment to Korea, Bosnia, two years in Iraq and Afghanistan, and three years at the Pentagon. Retired now from both the military and Verizon, Stephen is working with his wife, Gayle, in real estate investments. He volunteers in the Holyoke, Mass., Veterans Treatment Court, mentoring veterans involved in the legal system. He returns to campus with Pete Congleton and Andy Parsons ’84 to Homecoming/Parents Weekends.

Miriam Stern Sturgis and Gary Sturgis ’77 announce with great joy the nuptials of daughter Ari to Dan Paulsen in July on the grounds of their beautiful 10-acre home in Essex Junction, Vt. In attendance were their newest grandchild Aiden (son of daughter Talia), and Dan Vogt and Delcy Ziac Fox. Gary Shapiro is now a calculus teacher at the Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences.

Charlie Spiegel received an award in April from ourfamily.org, recognizing his work cofounding that organization for LGBT parents in the Bay Area over 15 years. “I’m still active supporting the organization, and that community, acting as a consensual dispute resolution attorney and mediator for gay and straight relationships from start to finish: prenuptial planning, adoption and surrogacy, and mediated divorce.  I imagine, in common with many classmates, this phase of my professional endeavors has involved moving my working space to the bedroom in my house that my daughter used before college (seeing clients elsewhere). And since others announce their relationships, I’ve been dating a wonderful new man since summer 2016, and we celebrate monthly anniversaries because otherwise we’ll never get to the number of annual anniversaries others celebrate!”

Brenda Zlamany had an art exhibit at the Derfner Judaica Museum, which featured 100 watercolor portraits of the residents of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, as part of her Itinerant Portraitist project. Previous efforts include 888: Creating a Portrait of Taiwanese Aboriginals, which was funded by a Fulbright Grant. “In each project, I choose a specific demographic and discover something new. With the Tibetan nomads and monks, I was interested in the interior gaze. With 100/100, I am interested in aging: What is important at the end of life? In the face of loss: loss of loved ones, mobility, senses, taste, hearing, sight….  Is there still the possibility of joy? The role of memory. What experiences from the past fuel happiness?”

Paul Harris worked with The Carbon Underground, “a nonprofit focused on reversing climate change through regenerative agriculture. I’m learning about soil carbon sequestration, cover crops and holistic grazing; what it will take to certify food and fiber as regenerative; and what kinds of help farmers will need to transition from conventional to regenerative.  After decades of working on industrial energy plants I’m now visiting grass-fed dairies. My wife and I live in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., and our daughters are well launched, one in San Francisco, finishing med school, the other in Tanzania, working on preventing violent extremism.”

Mark Saba had two books published this summer: Calling the Names (poetry, David Robert Books) and Ghost Tracks: Stories of Pittsburgh Past (short stories, Big Table Publishing). Both available on Amazon.

Peter Gryska reports from Houston: “Flooded as a result of Hurricane Harvey with 14 inches in the house. We will tear down and build a new house five feet higher. The interesting part was finding boxes full of 35-year-old notes from Andy Szegedy-Maszak’s Greek history lectures.”

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

Greetings, classmates! It’s Joanne, writing to you from the comfortable confines of a German high-speed train, sipping wine, and admiring the scenery, efficiency of travel, and simple good sense of a country, that has spent decades investing in public transportation as a means of improving the public good and imagining how wonderful this would be if I could travel in a similar manner in my own country…

But I digress! I often wax nostalgic every time I return to Europe, where I was fortunate enough to live for so many years. Not to say that I don’t appreciate my home country; it’s just that in this time of political unease and unrest, it is nevertheless hard to not look away and see how things “could” be if only we’d open our eyes as to how others live, work and establish their societies.

That is my hope for my middle son, James, who just graduated from Indiana University with a degree in computer science. His last class before he actually gets his diploma in hand takes place in Tanzania, where he is studying the geology, archaeology, and anthropology as well as the flora, fauna, and history of the Olduvai Gorge area and the Serengeti plains. My eldest son, Alex (a computer science engineer), is in the Seattle area and works as a consultant to some of the “biggies” like SpaceX and Microsoft. My youngest, Christopher, just finished his first year at Indiana University, where he plans a double major in math and (surprise!) computer science. This summer, he is continuing as an AI in computer science—and to think I barely made it through all those punch cards for my senior project (and that was WITH help!).

Judith Newman wrote with some exciting news. Some of you may have read her wonderfully insightful 2014; New York Times’ article describing her autistic son’s relationship with Apple’s Siri, and how beneficial it has been for her son’s emotional and social growth. This research led to the book, To Siri With Love, with a publication date from Harper Collins of late August, early September. Learn more at judithnewman.com or tosiriwithlove.com. [See page 80.]

Mark Saba shared that he, too, has two books coming out. David Roberts Books published a volume of Mark’s poetry, Calling the Names, moving and compassionate poems which Vivian Shipley describes as “creat(ing) the bridge between life and death we all will cross.” The second book, Ghost Tracks: Stories of Pittsburgh Past, is due out in late summer with Big Table Publishing. Mark has been writing since he left Wesleyan, publishing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction (see marksabawriter.com). Mark is a painter as well! “I started working at Yale in 1990 as a medical illustrator in the medical school,” he shared. Mark has been at Yale for 29 years. He adds, “I am now still illustrating, but also doing graphic design, websites, and media walls for the whole university.”

To carry on with our literary trend, Kaylie Jones writes that when she is not spending time with her wonderful daughter, Eyrna, she continues to teach, lecture, travel, and publish. Her imprint, Kaylie Jones Books with Akashic Books, has added several new volumes from some very talented writers, including The Year of Needy Girls by Patty Smith ’82.

Diane Goldstein Stein writes that son Matthew ’16 graduated from Wesleyan last year and daughter Lisa ’21 will begin her freshman year at Wes this fall. Matthew is a software engineer in Mountain View, Calif., and plays with the Google orchestra. Matthew is a violinist, violist, and composer, and Lisa is a cellist and vocalist.

I had the pleasure of catching up with my dear friend and former housemate, Deb Chapin, on a trip to Boston. We had a lovely brunch downtown and reminisced about old times, past adventures, and the joys (and tribulations!) of raising teenagers. Plans are in the works for a get-together with the former Sunday night co-op group that also includes Kathy Prager Conrad and Livia Wong McCarthy.

According to Facebook, Wesleyan graduation saw many classmates in attendance. Katy Ward Koch celebrated the graduation of her niece, Hyunji Choi Ward ’17, along with her dad, Alan Ward ‘52, who enjoyed his class Reunion. Katy looks forward to another visit in a few years when her nephew, Hyunwoo Ward ’20, graduates. Chris Graves was also there to watch proudly as his daughter,  Julia Graves ’17 received her diploma. There he met up with Jim Friedlich ’79 and Melissa Stern ’80, whose son, Max ’17, graduated. Chris left a few days later for Belaggio, Italy, where he was back at the Rockefeller Center for a small U.N. summit on climate change. Ed Suslovic was also in attendance, and posted proud pics of himself with his daughter, Kate Suslovic ’17, resplendent in her cardinal-red robes. I know there are more classmates who had children graduating, but alas these are the only ones I happened to see.

Keep the news coming. David will be writing the next set of notes.

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

David I. Block writes: “I have a running joke with a friend of mine. Everything she says or does reminds me of Wesleyan. Our families vacationed together in Florida. In the airport bookstore, staring at us, were rows and racks of Grunt, by Mary Roach, now in paperback. “Oh! She was in my class. We took a writing course together our freshman year.” My friend glared at me. “FIVE MINUTES!” My wife laughed. “It just took five minutes!”

David Miller had a wonderful time at the centennial celebration for Van Vleck Observatory. “It was a great complement to our class Reunion a month earlier. The VVO Reunion had great seminars, friends, and colleagues of all ages. While I stay in touch with Bill Herbst over the years, it was great to have a chance to say ‘hi’ to other faculty of our era (Art Upgren and Ed Weiss) and to hang out with a bunch of alumni that I knew “back in the day” (e.g., Bruce Phelps ’82, Taft Armandroff ’82, and Ron Klasky ’83) whom I do not get to see at our class reunions.”

[Ed. note: We regret to report that Arthur Upgren, Wesleyan’s John Monroe Van Vleck Professor of Astronomy, Emeritus, passed away January 21, 2017. Please see the obituary section for further information.]

Leslie (Sundt) Stratton had a memorable 2016. “I took a year-long academic research leave. Spent fall 2015 back in New England—renting a condo at the base of Killington in Vermont. Got a lot of work done and a lot of hiking. The hiking was in prep for a three-week vacation tramping around the parks in New Zealand in January. That marked the beginning of a spring term in Australia, much of which stay was spent at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, but we also managed side trips to Uluru, Cairns, and, courtesy of a conference I attended, Perth and western Australia. A great experience!”

Miriam and Gary Sturgis ’77 announce the births of their grandtwins, Meyer Aaron and Gabrielle Hadar Wexler in August to their daughter, Rebecca, and her husband, Bryan Wexler. More good news from the Sturgis family is the upcoming marriage of their daughter, Ariela, to Dan Paulsen this July.

Gary Shapiro graduated with a master’s in education from Pace University and is teaching AP Calculus and Algebra II/Trigonometry at Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences. He loves his new career.  

In addition to working as director of marketing and communications at Albany Valve & Fitting Co., Inc., Delcy Ziac Fox is working as the publicist for the New York Folklore Society, where Ellen McHale is executive director and Greg Shatan serves on the board of directors. “It’s great to be working with Ellen and Greg in support of the arts!” Delcy said.

Jon Sperry writes in about his work as actor and dialect coach, the latter of which really took off. “As a dialect coach I taught and worked with actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Russell Crowe, Sophia Loren, and Arnold Schwarzenegger! (Yes, really, he works with a dialect coach!) I enjoyed a long collaboration with Harvey Keitel, until I moved to Paris in ’96 to live and produce with my new wife who Harvey had introduced me to, Ivana Massetti. Ivana recently created the amazing gender equality movement Women Occupy Hollywood (check it out on Twitter @WomenOccupyHwd) and just became the Los Angeles representative of the organization ERA Action! I have had the joy of coaching such illustrious actors as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Debbie Reynolds!”

Neil Foote’s biggest news “is that my daughter, Alexandra, graduated from the London School of Economics with an MSc. in environment and development. She’s ready to take on the world, pursuing her interests in sustainability, climate change, and environmental economics. As a principal lecturer at the University of North Texas Mayborn School of Journalism, I’ve been super lucky to get Wesleyan alumni David Brancaccio ’82 and Jon Morgan ’94 to speak to my classes, and would love to invite other Wesleyan media professionals as well. I’m also co-director of the 13-year-old Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, one of the nation’s leading events for aspiring and established narrative nonfiction writers from all walks of life. This summer, we’ll have Sebastian Junger ’84 as one of our keynote speakers. Last October, the National Black Public Relations Society, of which I’m president, held its national conference in Chicago, and through my work with NBPRS, I participated in a discussion on diversity in the PR industry hosted by Chris Graves, chairman of Oglivy Public Relations.”

On a sad note, Mark Anderson passed away Dec. 19, after having had a heart attack about a week prior. Greg D’Auria writes, “My understanding is that he was not in any discomfort and that the boys were there for the last week.” Our condolences to his family.

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

Joanne writes for this issue. Greetings from the heartland! Summer’s heat has dissipated, mercifully leaving behind cool air, clear skies and sun-dappled trees whose leaves are just barely brushed with a hint of the fall splendor to come. By the time you read this, however, winter will be settled upon us—perhaps under a blanket of snow, depending on your location.

As David Block wrote in the last set of notes, our 35th Reunion was not only a success but, quite simply, a blast! Reunion provided a wonderful opportunity to meet up with old friends, reconnect with acquaintances, and actually meet classmates that we hadn’t perhaps ever met! Hearing so many people’s stories just brings to mind what an astoundingly amazing and talented group our class is! Class of ’81 set the record for attendance with 94 attendees.

Committee Co-Chair Delcy Ziac Fox reported that 229 gifts raised $382,345 and she thanks everyone “for being so generous with your time, talent, and treasure.” On a more personal note, she shared three milestones in the Ziac-Fox family: “Our son graduated from Boston University; our daughter is beginning her college career at the University of Vermont; and my husband and I celebrated our silver wedding anniversary! For our triple celebration, the family traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii, partaking in the release of turtles into the wild, hiking in Volcanoes National Park, and bodysurfing at Green Sands Beach…both exhilarating and relaxing!”

Joan Boughton wrote to say that she enjoyed Reunion with her husband, Henry, and also commemorated the graduation of daughter Andie Kleeman ’16. “The whole family (including our newly-engaged older daughter, Natalie, her fiancé, and my wonderful mother-in-law) was able to attend the celebration. In addition, I caught up with Tonie Kline, my best friend from Wes who also had a daughter, Julia Clemens ’16, graduating. Wesleyan remains a big, lovely part of our lives!”

My freshman-year roommate, Martha Arntzen Bockian, fell ill at the last minute and could not make Reunion. She did write, however, to let me know that in addition to her ongoing work in clinical psychology, she started a school. “It’s a Jewish school using a democratic model, and to my knowledge, is the only democratic school that has gone religious. I also spent eight weeks in Israel over the summer attending a seminar on how to turn a nonprofit into a sustainable business.” The best part, however, was “getting to spend time with my daughter Chaya, who emigrated to Israel last year and is doing National Service.”

Steve Misarski, who has been pastor of the English Congregation of the Chinese Gospel Church of Massachusetts for four years, is also still active in the military (24-plus years) as a lieutenant colonel, serving as the wing chaplain of the Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Mass. In addition, he has been working on his doctorate (“I’m a late bloomer!” he quips) which he hopes to have finished by spring of 2017. “My wife, Jan, and I celebrated 33 years of marriage. Together, we conduct marriage conferences for military personnel and New England churches. We have sent our third child off to college this fall, and we have one left at home. God has been good to us!”

Sofia Marchant, an editor and content consultant, wrote in from San Francisco. “My daughter, Isabella Banks ’15, was awarded a Watson Fellowship to study restorative justice practices. This required a year abroad, and she visited 10 countries. What an amazing experience for her, even though we missed her.”

Keeping her company at home is son Ezra, an eighth grader, and her husband, Joseph Banks, who recently edited a documentary film called It Ain’t Pretty, which opened the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival.

Congratulations to Laurie Jacobs, who is “very excited” to be starting as chairman of medicine at Hackensack-Meridian Health and the new medical school at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

Chris Graves, chairman of Oglivy Public Relations, added yet another accolade to his already impressive résumé: recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation’s prestigious Bellagio Residency. The residency on Italy’s Lake Como permitted Chris to continue his work to turn findings from cognitive neuroscience and behavioral economics into practical applications in the communications field. In addition, Chris worked collectively with other award-winners to explore how a better understanding of human behavior can enhance resilience-building efforts and create more inclusive economies that work for everyone, particularly the poor and vulnerable.

John Ravenal is now fully ensconced as director of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in the Boston area. He was involved in an exciting curatorial project that “brings together the work of Jasper Johns and Edvard Munch.” The exhibit opened in Oslo in June, then traveled to Richmond, Va., in November. (The catalog is available from Yale University Press.)

Andra Rose, a climate activist, is deeply involved with a group called Mothers Out Front (not just for mothers). Although coming off a divorce after 29 years of marriage, Andra is very happy and excited about the successful culmination of a 22-year long challenging project: raising children! Daughter Ruth (known as “Fred”) just began her first year at the University of Chicago. Son Solomon Goldstein-Rose, who graduated from Brown University in May 2016, was elected State Representative from Andra’s home district in Amherst, Mass., where he intends to solve the climate crisis.

In conclusion, it is with great sadness that I announce the death of our classmate Paula Blank, a longtime professor of English at the College of William and Mary, who died unexpectedly at her home in Williamsburg, Va., this past August. Paula was a world-renowned scholar of Early Modern English, recipient of several highly selective fellowships, and also the recipient of her university’s Award for Faculty Excellence for her exemplary achievements in teaching, research and service. We extend our deepest sympathy to Paula’s family and friends.

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

Joanne writes this time: Greetings from the heartland! Although my eyes gaze upon an idyllic Indiana landscape where a pair of fawns cavort in the snow, my thoughts have skipped ahead to the possibilities of spring, and with that, our forthcoming (gulp!) 35th Reunion. We hope that many of you have reserved the week-end of May 20–22, for a return visit to our alma mater for what is sure to be a wonderful weekend filled with rekindled friendships, warm memories, and much catching-up! The Reunion Committee has done a phenomenal job and has come up with a great slate of events which can be accessed online at wesconnect.wesleyan.edu/class-1981. If you have not yet reserved, it’s not too late! Just follow the links at the website above—registration is fast and easy. And definitely check out our Wesleyan Class of ’81 Reunion webpage on Facebook for some interactive fun. We need your input and comments there for a real trip down “Memory Lane.” The members of the committee have collectively donated countless hours of time, energy and creativity to the planning process. On behalf of the entire class, I would like to thank my co-chairs, Delcy Ziac Fox and Nancy Parker Wilson, as well as Kofi Appenteng, Bart Brebner, Rick Ciullo, Kathy Prager Conrad, Paul DiSanto, Sharon Fierstein, John Giammatteo, Lisa Greim, Keith Krakaur, Elisha Lawrence, Beck Lee, Liza Page Nelson, Livia Wong McCarthy, Matt McCreight, Dave Miller, Dave Resnick, Bradley Whitford and last but not least, our fearless liaison at Wesleyan, Kate Quigley Lynch ’82. Come early enough to join us for a cocktail party on Friday night. Our class dinner on Saturday evening will feature a few exciting guests: a current professor, Courtney Weiss Smith, as well as all-time favorites Rich Adelstein and Andy Szegedy-Maszak. The time in between will offer Wes seminars, impromptu get-togethers, and other forms of fun and frolic. As events get finalized, the Reunion Page will be updated—so make sure you check it frequently, particularly as May approaches. Looking forward to seeing you in Middletown on May 20th!

Keith Krakaur writes from across the Big Pond, where he and his wife, Nancy, recently relocated. Keith is a partner at Skadden Arps, where he has worked for the past 21 years, and will continue his white-collar criminal defense practice out of their London offices. He acts as the head of the firm’s enforcement and investigations practice in Europe; Nancy will be moving her photography career over with his. As for the kids? “Well, our three sons, Matthew ’14 (23), Daniel (21), and Jonathan (18) will have to suffer the hardship of visiting us abroad as they pursue their television writing, music, and who-knows-what careers in the U.S.,” says Keith. “On days when I think how lucky I am to have an interesting job that has allowed me to see and meet people in most corners of the world over the years, my family is happy to remind me that at least I tried to be as creative as they are when I was in college!” Certainly, that is one of the benefits of our Wesleyan education: the opportunity to explore unchartered territory, try new things, and yes—even “be creative” when we never really thought we were! Thanks for the reminder, Keith.

Delcy Ziac Fox notified us that she left the world of higher education for a foray into the private sector. She is now director of marketing and communications at Albany Valve & Fitting Co., Inc., in Schenectady, which is a newly created position. Albany Valve is a distributor of Swagelok fluid flow components. “Working with industrial customers is a 180-degree turn from my 16 years in higher ed,” explains Delcy, “but the marketing principles remain the same. One of the best things about the new job,” she notes, “is that the distributorship has an office in Essex Junction, Vt., the home of Gary ’77 and Miriam Stern Sturgis ’81. Delcy, Gary, and Miriam enjoyed reminiscing over dinner recently when Delcy and her daughter visited UVM. We may move here and there and around the world, but old Wesleyan friendships never die!

Dave Robertson wrote in from his office at the Wharton School, where he is a professor of practice, to let us know about a new radio show he hosts. He can be found on Sirius XM’s Channel 111. The show, Innovation Navigation, is recorded live every Tuesday between 8 and 10 am. It is also available as a podcast on iTunes. Dave’s guest on May 19th was old friend and classmate Matt McCreight. Matt does innovation consulting for Schaffer Consulting. “We had a wonderful conversation about the meaning of ‘innovation’ and how companies can become more innovative,” recalls Dave. To hear Dave and Matt, you can download this particular podcast at bit.ly/innonavipod. For more on the show, see the website: innonavi.com.

Kathy Prager Conrad, her husband, Jamie, and daughters Liza ’11 and Caroline ’14 recently returned from a magnificent journey to Antarctica. “It was extra special to be able to be all together for such a fabulous trip,” says Kathy. Despite almost being thwarted by a major blizzard in the D.C. area, they were able to make it to Buenos Aires in time. After a few days of enjoying the local sites, they embarked on their cruise. Looking at Kathy’s pictures on Facebook had me both in awe of the beauty of the place and its wildlife—and shivering! “Yes, I really did the polar plunge,” recounts Kathy, commenting on a photo of her entering the water in a blue swimsuit, feet-first. “Water temperature was an invigorating 30 degrees F (it doesn’t freeze because of salinity)!” She adds, “The shot of vodka and hot chocolate warmed us right up when we scrambled back aboard!”

That concludes our news for this trimester. I will look forward to catching up with you at Reunion May 20th to the 22nd.

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

Save the date: 35th Reunion, May 20th–22nd, 2016. We will have been out for almost twice as long as we were around before we went in!

Paul W. Godfrey, of Farmers Insurance, St. Paul, has been elected secretary of the Minnesota State Bar Association. The office, which he assumed July 1, puts Godfrey on track to become the MSBA president during the 2018–19 bar year.

Barry “Pono” Fried’s business, Open Eye Tours and Photos, received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award for their private tours of Maui. Congrats!

Jim Baker and his wife, Diane, are living in Ridgefield, Conn. Jim retired from Unilever after 32 years (directly from Wesleyan to Unilever) and is now working for a small medical supply company in Guilford, Conn. Jim’s oldest daughter, Carolyn, just got married and his youngest daughter, Kristina, lives in NYC and works for a startup called Class Pass. Jim and Diane spend a lot of time on Fishers Island, N.Y., in the summer.

Pete Congleton recently joined the development office at Vassar College as the director of leadership gifts and gift planning. This is a new, hybrid position that involves leading a team of leadership gift officers in concert with Vassar’s Gift Planning team. Pete is “glad to be back in the Northeast, closer to family and friends, and looking forward to putting his fundraising experience to good use at a prestigious college that often compares itself to Wesleyan.”

After 17 years in Richmond, Va., John Ravenal moved with his wife, Ginny Pye ’82, to the Boston area. He’s now the executive director of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln. “I managed to arrive just days before the epic winter began, but I’ve had a summer to thaw out, get my director-legs under me, and settle into a new home in Cambridge with Ginny. Our daughter, Eva ’15, moved to New York to pursue an acting career after graduating last spring from Wesleyan. Our son is remaining in Richmond now that he’s finished high school, supporting himself and skateboarding with a team.”

Alison Williams has started a new position as the associate provost for diversity and intercultural education at Denison University (as of July 16). She lives in Granville, Ohio, in a five-bedroom farmhouse (“long story”) 20 miles east of Columbus. “I have lots of room for visitors, as long as you don’t mind woodchucks and deer in the yard! I’m looking for anyone from Wesleyan to help introduce me to the Columbus area. I’m also looking for opportunities to play my oboe. I’ve enjoyed hearing from Wesleyan East College classmates who have children touring the great liberal arts colleges of Ohio (Eric Pallant, Jon Mink) or delivering offspring to grad school (Sara Margolis). I also hear from Michelle Coleman, Pam Delerme, and Cathy Clarke regularly.”

Ellen McHale is pleased to report that her son, Ben McKeeby, is a graduate student at Wesleyan, studying planetary sciences. She is looking forward to spending more time on campus over the next few years! “I also have a book (my first), which is due to be released by the University of Mississippi Press on Oct. 1, 2015. Stable Views: Stories and Voices from the Thoroughbred Racetrack is the culmination of 14 years (and many hours) of ethnographic interviews in the stable areas of the thoroughbred racetracks of the eastern United States.”

Leslie Sundt Stratton and her husband are still happily living in Richmond, Va. Their eldest just graduated from James Madison University and their youngest is now halfway through William & Mary. “I am still an economics professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and looking forward to a research leave for the upcoming year–time split between Vermont and Australia. I am looking at how economic conditions (like the unemployment rate and housing prices) affect progress towards a college degree in the U.S. and Denmark. I will be looking at how couples divide housework time in Australia. I am hoping to see Diane Stein and her family this summer and very much enjoyed a trip to Boston to visit classmates Karen Zallen and Heidi Falk Logan—both married with children (Heidi’s husband is Chris Logan ’80).”

Steve Blum is still teaching at Wharton, and still running a small “wealth management” business and an even smaller law firm. His book Negotiating Your Investments recently cracked the “one millionth” level on Amazon. “Not a million sales,” he adds, “but, rather, there are 999,999 books selling more copies.”

Jeremy Kenner writes from Australia, where the seasons are upside down: “While continuing to make a living as an employee of the Commonwealth (in the agency equivalent to the NIH as an adviser in ethics), I watch my older children (oldest at 29) negotiate adulthood and my youngest (just turned 3) begin the journey toward personhood. Five boys/two generations: it is an unusual path, but one well worth treading. The only other interesting thing I’ve done down here in the Antipodes is build a cabin in northeastern Tasmania at a place called the Bay of Fires. Have a look on GoogleEarth sometime and consider visiting one of the more remote, if very civilised, corners of the planet.”

Neil Foote is starting his eighth year teaching at the University of North Texas’ Mayborn School of Journalism in Denton, Texas. He’s also become co-director of the school’s Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, entering its 12th year, which features keynotes and seminars from the nation’s top journalists, authors and storytellers. “I continue to do consulting with a variety of clients around the country, including the Tom Joyner Foundation, founded by the nationally syndicated radio personality with the same name. In family news, my wife, Jane, and I headed up to Cambridge to celebrate daughter Alexandra’s graduation cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in East Asian Studies. She’s currently pursuing her MSc in environment and development from the London School of Economics.”

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

Greetings from Atlanta airport, as I (Joanne) finish this one last “to-do” item before heading out on a family vacation to Germany and France with my husband and two of my three sons. My youngest son, Christopher, is a rising high school senior who keeps busy playing tennis, ultimate Frisbee and jazz sax and piano. My middle son, James, just finished his sophomore year at Indiana University, where he is majoring in Informatics with a cognate in music and has been interning this summer at the University of Augsburg, Germany—and doing some traveling on the budget airlines. My oldest son, Alex, is a computer science engineer. After an 18-month stint at Microsoft, he is now back in Indiana and happily working for a company that specializes in software for the travel industry. They do grow up and spread their wings!

I have many interesting tidbits to share—our classmates continue to achieve, accomplish, and give back. I am running out of adjectives to describe all this success!

Exciting news in from Dave Coombs, who was presented his 10th (yes, you read that correctly!) annual award for excellence from The New York State Broadcasters Association. Fans who have missed Dave’s humor might want to check out his blog. In addition, Dave also has a podcast, CoupleTake, which he and his wife, Beth, launched; it is available on iTunes here: http://apple.co/1GGQl9H. Enjoy—and congratulations!

Peter Gryska wrote to let me know that he is living in Houston, still actively working in the food service distribution chain, and mercifully high and dry (at the time of this writing) from the flooding that occurred in June. He enjoys the frequent Wesleyan gatherings in Houston when professors and administration come to town, and he keeps an ongoing exchange going with both Laurey Richter and Sean Moran. Peter says, “Both daughters have graduated from law school and college and are off the payroll.” He adds, “We are increasingly spending time in West Texas at our 110-year-old family ranch, building a ranch house, running cattle, and expanding the farming operations.” (Sounds like a great place for a Wes alumni gathering.)

More congratulations are in order, this time going out to Chris Graves. The biggest news, Chris modestly writes, is that his daughter, Julia Graves ’17, is at Wesleyan.

rofessionally, it appears that Chris is at the top of his game. Recent achievements include: a promotion to global chairman (from Global CEO) of Ogilvy Public Relations as well as elected chair of the industry association, the PR Council; being elected as a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations, where he co-leads the behavioral and neuroscience communications initiative; being published as a contributing author in three books edited by McKinsey, the latest a business bestseller called Reimagining India. Chris has also been named as a United Nations adviser to a group called the Private Sector Leadership Advisory Council to UN Women, in which capacity he has addressed the UN on communications and behavior change related to enlisting men into the cause for gender equality for women and girls—a most worthy cause! If all that hasn’t been enough, Chris adds, “I have been writing for Harvard Business Review occasionally such as this story on why communications around the ‘vaccination wars’ in America have been so ineffective (https://hbr.org/2015/02/why-debunking-myths-about-vaccines-hasnt-convinced-dubious-parents).” I’m out of breath just writing this! It’s been quite a year for Chris Graves.

My dear friend Kaylie Jones has several items of import to report, the most exciting being that her daughter, Eyrna, will be attending the University of Texas, Honors College, at Austin as a Jefferson Scholar. Equally noteworthy is the publication of Kaylie’s newest book (available on Amazon.com) entitled The Anger Meridian. At a book reading in June at the Huntington, Long Island, library, Kaylie was surprised by the librarian organizing the event. After Kaylie texted me a pic of the handsome librarian, I immediately recognized our classmate Tom Cohn. We had a very quick chat with no time for catching up, as Kaylie was getting ready to give her talk, so I hope Tom will be in touch soon. In addition to writing, Kaylie is also very much involved in the publishing side of her imprint, Akashic Books. One of her newest laudable acquisitions is a forthcoming novel by Patty Smith ’82, to be published in the fall of 2015 with the tentative title, The Year of Needy Girls. Both Patty and Kaylie expressed great excitement at being involved in this endeavor together. Hats off to the two of them on the publication of their new novels!

On June 18th, Rick Rome was recognized by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. In accepting the award, Rick (a non-lawyer) noted that he will continue to work hard to support the efforts of this organization. “This is the time for all of us to focus on civil rights, ending discrimination and drastically reducing poverty.” Rick became interested in civil rights issues as a young boy. He writes, “My dad, Lew Rome, led the drive to desegregate the public schools as Mayor of Bloomfield, Conn. The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs has been fighting discrimination, civil rights violations and poverty for years. In recent years I have been building corporate support for the Committee, saying that not all civil rights activists became lawyers and we who care deeply about the issues should support the lawyers who take on cases for those in need and for the community at large. I received an award as a non-lawyer for contributing to the efforts of the organization. My goal is to significantly increase the percentage of contributions from non-lawyers.” Rick also expressed his great appreciation to Professor Emeritus John Grumm, and his creative and caring fellow students. “Unfortunately, civil rights is once again front and center as a critical issue we must all pay attention to. We came along after the heroic freedom riders and the marchers in Selma.” Congratulations, Rick, on this well-deserved honor! Rick lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife Joanne and their three talented sons: Jack, a rap artist; Sam, a singer songwriter; and Max, an actor.

Dave Robertson, a professor of practice at the Wharton School in Philadelphia, wrote in to tell me that he now has a radio show on SiriusXM (channel 111) called Innovation Navigation that is recorded live every Tuesday between 8 and 10 a.m. It is also a podcast on iTunes. How cool is that? One of Dave’s recent guests (on May 19th) was “old friend and fellow alum Matthew McCreight, who does innovation consulting for Schaffer Consulting. We had a wonderful conversation about the meaning of ‘innovation’ and how companies can become more innovative.” You can download the podcast here: bit.ly/innonavipod. For more on the show, see the website: www.innonavi.com.” In addition to his radio work, Dave is also the author of the book Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry.

Richard M. Locke, a professor of political science and international affairs and the Howard R. Swearer Director of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University, has been named Brown’s 13th provost. He began his duties July 1, 2015. As provost, Rick will serve as the University’s chief academic officer, second in rank to the president, and the senior officer in charge when the president is away from campus. Many of the University’s senior positions report directly to him. Brown University President Christina Paxson said in her official announcement, “Rick Locke is a highly respected scholar, has positioned Watson as a prominent center for international and public affairs, and emerged as the leading choice among outstanding candidates to lead the University’s academic programs. Rick’s appointment will sustain the momentum we have built as we advance the goals outlined in the Building on Distinction strategic plan.” Warmest congratulations to Rick as he embarks on this new and exciting journey.

My freshman year roommate, Martha Arntzen Bockian, dropped me a line from Chicago. She has been very busy doing neuropsychological testing and brain maps on former NFL players, as well as consulting at a residential treatment facility for young adults with mental health problems, doing brain maps and neurofeedback. Her husband, Neil Bockian ’83, continues to teach and write, in addition to seeing patients part-time in his private practice. The most exciting news though, writes Martha, is that the family went to Israel in July for daughter Chaya’s high school graduation, followed by a celebratory trip to Barcelona. Martha also writes that son Yaakov is really enjoying school and has been working closely with his math teacher to use mathematical principles to further his interest in the world of fashion design.

For the past year, Chrissi Winkelbauer Kelly, who lives in England, has been working with “Fifth Sense,” a charity for people with taste and smell disorders. She lost her own sense of smell completely after contracting a virus in 2012 and is now experiencing some recovery. Chrissi writes, “The highlight thus far has been speaking at the UK Semiochemistry Network Conference at the University of Cambridge last year. It is estimated that five percent of the populations suffers from some sort of smell loss… Smell training promises to be a useful tool for those who are fortunate enough to get even a small amount of recovery from anosmia.” Chrissi encourages us all to take a deep breath on that next walk in the woods or when sitting down to your next meal, and most importantly, to appreciate your sense of smell, the least understood of the senses. Thank you for sharing your story, Chrissi—and we hope you continue healing.

In conclusion, it is with a heavy heart that I report the death of our classmate Paul Lenkeit, Babson Capital Management’s head of derivatives and insurance investments, whose more than two-decade career in markets began as a self-taught day trader in his spare time. He died unexpectedly on March 25 at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, during a vacation, said his wife, Lori Lenkeit. “Paul took great pride in his work and enjoyed a successful career,” his family wrote in an online obituary. “Paul was a kind, caring, devoted and selfless husband, father and brother.” Paul, an economics and math major, also had a passion for jazz. He regularly attended music festivals in Hartford and Newport, Rhode Island, near a summer home. In addition to his wife, survivors include their three children, Paul, Michael and Christine. He will be sorely missed by those who loved him and the many whose lives he touched. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family in South Windsor, Conn.