Class Notes

Those with class notes, please contact classnotes@wesleyan.edu.

Please send news and updates to your class secretary.

Different types of good news to share this round. On the wedding front, Katherine Mullins let us know that she is marrying Omar Hunter Craighill ’09 in September 2022 in Brooklyn, New York, and looks forward to celebrating with many friends from Wesleyan at the wedding.

New babies have arrived too! Luke Erickson and Hannah Berkman welcomed their first child, Oscar “Ozzy” Lawrence Erickson, in Washington, D.C., in February. Everyone is doing well, and Ozzy is lucky to count several Wes babies among his friends. Also, Matt Hurwit and Angela Allan ’11 had a baby this last May in Berkeley, California. Her name is Margot Allan and she’s just started sleeping through the night (thank goodness!).

In the realm of books and education, Dr. Alex Ketchum (FGSS) published Engage in Public Scholarship!: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication with Concordia University Press this June! Her second book, Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses, will be coming out later this fall, also from Concordia. She started her research on this subject when she was a student at Wesleyan University as part of her senior thesis. Both books are available for order in paperback and will be made available in open access later this year. Kamar Thomas wrote in to say he is a “professor of art at Centennial College in Toronto, Canada.Tula Telfair taught me. I will have a book coming out next January tentatively titled The Artists’ Creative Vision.” And AhDream Smith reported that on May 8, 2022, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a master’s in fine arts for acting and completed a three-year acting residency with PlayMakers Repertory Company. Upon graduation, she attained an agent and management and is excited to be relocating back to New York City this fall.

Others wrote in to share about life in general. Sandy Leung said, “In 2020, I was preparing to take the GRE to apply for business school when an opportunity came to make a career shift into investment management, but then the pandemic hit a month after. Two years and two layoffs later, I’ve finally landed at a growing private equity firm where I hope I’ll be able to grow for a few years, and hopefully find the time to take the GRE and apply to business schools to attend part time. In the meantime, I’ve been hanging out with my cat Koji, a gray-and-white rescue that I adopted last year and eating my way through some of NYC’s best local food.” Sandy also said, “Wes alum sightings this year include catching up with David Barach and Will Miller over dinner and visiting Daisy Chen and Neil Ni’s (’14) store, Yoseka Stationery, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for delightful goods and refills.”

And Abaye Steinmetz-Silber is living in Park Slope, Brooklyn. “I work at a nonprofit called Fifth Avenue Committee, building new affordable housing in NYC, and play music on the side. Was great to see so many people at our 10-year reunion in May!”

Hi Class of 2011,

Hope this finds you all having a wonderful and healthy fall. See exciting updates from our class!

Moon Herrick contributes a group note, “I’m living in Brooklyn, just a few blocks away from Elspeth Kelly, her husband Bruce Pettig ’12, and their dog Roo. Elspeth is a practicing clinical psychologist and extremely active member of Muddy Paws Rescue. Reach out to her if you’re looking for a foster or new furry member of your fam!

“Samantha Pearlman and Ross Shenker are a single subway ride away on the UWS. Sammy is killing it as singer/songwriter, and as a member of the singing group America’s Sweethearts. She continues to act and teach singing lessons in between, and is engaged to be married.

“I commute to D.C. for my new job at the Department of State, where I specialize in forest and climate policy issues. I stay with Liza Conrad, who is working tirelessly for Stacey Abrams, and has recently adopted an adorable dog named Otis. Graham Richman is technically based in D.C., but he’s usually on tour with Bartees Strange, being a literal rock star.” Thanks, Moon!

Further west, Jordana Hoyt and David Markowitz are thriving together in Seattle with their wise and ageless dog Willy. Elise Rosenthal is a practicing ob-gyn based in Dallas, Texas, and, incidentally, is engaged to be married. Lauren Goldstein is in St. Louis with her husband and her adorable son, Herbie—the clan’s beloved first born.

Gus Spelman writes, “After ignoring each other at Wesleyan for three years, flirting in Chicago for three more, and then dating for seven after that, Gus Spelman and Charlotte Cottier ’12 were married this June.” Congrats Gus and Charlotte!

Allegra Heath-Stout ’12 and Laura Heath-Stout “Welcomed our child, River, to the world in November 2021. Their current favorite hobbies include scooting around on their belly, splashing in water, eating watermelon, being bounced up and down, riding in a carrier while a mom hikes, and chomping on various objects with their new teeth.”

Becky Eidelman and Todd Rosenthal ’10 welcome their new baby boy, Felix Rosenthal, on March 25, 2022. Congrats!

As always, thanks for the updates!

Greetings Wesleyan community! I hope you enjoy the following updates from the Class of 2010:

Jeremy Berkowitz reports that he has accepted the position of assistant professor of political science at Prairie View A&M University, a public, Historically Black University located just outside of the Houston metropolitan area. He will be starting his position in the fall 2022 semester. His research is focused on the study of terrorism, intrastate conflict, and political violence. His academic and popular work has recently been published in the Journal of Conflict Resolution and the San Antonio Express-News.

After almost nine years at the Tiffany and Co.’s NYC flagship store on 57th Street, Kathy Leung has found a new home just a few blocks away at David Webb on Madison Avenue. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Kathy for your jewelry needs!

Mary Lauran Hall “recently changed her last name to Hendrix and exacerbated the ‘great Class of 2010 reply-all email snafu of summer 2022.’” She also “recently moved to Somerville, Massachusetts, with her partner and baby and invites fellow alumni in the Boston area to get in touch!”

Jeff Katzin is pleased to announce: “This spring I completed my PhD in art history from the University of Pennsylvania, with a dissertation titled ‘Light and Black Magic: Alvin Langdon Coburn and the Potential of Abstract Photography.’ Over the last few years of my doctoral studies, I also began working at the Akron Art Museum in Ohio—I started as curatorial fellow, and I’ve now worked my way up to associate curator.”

Adina Teibloom and Amit Bob are delighted to welcome their first child, Lior Bob-Teibloom, born March 31, 2022, in Jerusalem. Lior is thrilled to have fellow Wes alum Anna Swartz ’13 as an aunt. “We can’t wait to drop Lior off at Freshman Orientation 2040!”

Thanks as always to those who contributed and, as always, feel free to pass along notes anytime at DavidALayne@gmail.com or dlayne@wesleyan.edu.

Hi everyone! This is Asia Neupane and Ally (Heaney) Lamson—we’re really glad to be your class secretaries! Please send any news and updates (or any other ideas) to us anytime this year so that we can include it in the upcoming newsletters. Asia is based in New Haven and Ally is in Philadelphia. Please definitely let us know if you are in these areas too!

Congratulations to Michael Green for developing Lynit, an outlining tool to assist writers in structuring and developing their novels. Michael also finished writing his first book, The End of Nobility, which he has been working on since the age of 15. The book will be released in early 2023.

Paul J. Edwards writes, “Happy to report that I will be starting as an assistant professor of English and dramatic literature at New York University after two years as an assistant professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. As well as my engagement to Rebecca Kastleman, assistant professor of English at Columbia University.”

Eugene Wong was named CFO of Boston-based start-up Hometap.

Michelle Katz writes, “Last fall, my partner Robert DeSimone and I finally tied the knot at the Bronx Zoo. Rachel Berkowitz, Nina Cohodes, and Joseph Melendez ’07 were all in the wedding party, and many Wes alumni, ranging from the classes of ’92 to ’10 (with heavy ’09 representation, of course) were in attendance. And, after more than a decade in Brooklyn, we’ve moved to Philadelphia, as I am starting rabbinical school this fall. Would love to grab coffee with any other Wes Philly folks!”

One of those Philly folks is Ally (Heaney) Lamson who is working as an insurance broker for Gallagher, raising three Spanish-speaking daughters, and occasionally playing beach volleyball.

Oriana Korol has been “working as a nature-based therapist for over a year in Canby, Oregon, at the Center at Heron Hill” and was expecting her first child in August!

On August 21, 2021, Ryan Walsh married his wife Kristen at Valley View Farm in Haydenville, Massachusetts. Several Wesleyan hockey alums were there to celebrate, including: J. J. Evans, Bryan Wieland, Scott Burns, John Wierzba, Mike Dorsey ’08, and Michael Ruderman ’11.

After becoming an author in 2019, Kat Cho hit The New York Times bestsellers list this summer with her third published young adult book, Once Upon a K-Prom (Disney Books).

Lynn Favin is back in NYC after starring in an Equity show with CVRep in Palm Springs, California (January–February 2022). Her performance in Life x 3 was hailed by critics: “Lynn Favin’s ‘Sonia’ is a tigress—a no-nonsense mother, polished professional and a flirt, she is no one to mess with”; and landed her full representation with Buchwald, Eris Talent, and Entertainment Lab. She recorded her 17th character on the Emmy Award–winning animated show Robot Chicken this year and received top billing along with Seth Green and Bob Bergen in Season 11, episode 4. She looks forward to more bookings around the country and creative collaborations with fellow Wes alums.  For more news, visit www.lynnfavin.com.

Greetings classmates! Megan here. Victoria and I have a few updates to share. First, we’d like to give our thanks to the class of 2007’s reunion committee. We really appreciate the time and effort they put into our 15th Reunion! Thank you to: Eric Altneu, Liam McAlpine, Estrella Lopez, Tory Masterson, Nishita Roy, Eugene Dayanghirang, Melissa Miller, and Samantha Kantor.

On the career front, we have quite a few exciting updates. Jessica Necheles says, “I moved to Guam last year and it would be fun to know if there are other alumni out in this part of the world. I’m working as an RN at a hospital here, and scuba diving and hiking in my free time.” If you’re in or around Guam, give Jessica a shout!

Jesse Nasta reports that he is starting his sixth year of teaching in Wesleyan’s African American Studies Department. He also became executive director of the Middlesex County Historical Society in Middletown in 2020, hired via Zoom during the pandemic. Jesse says, “I am always happy to hear from classmates who are visiting campus!”

Matt Donne has been moving and shaking as well. He says, “I’m psyched about a new role I just took. I recently joined a new clinical trial start-up called Vial as a senior business development director.”

Jessica Mack has also accepted a new position. She reports, “Starting this fall I’ll be an assistant professor of history at Rowan University!” She continues, “I’ll be teaching digital history and Latin American history and launching a new center for digital humanities at Rowan. Happy to be staying in the Philadelphia area.”

And finally, Cynthia Santiago recently announced her 10-year lawyer/law firm anniversary! She says, “I’ve been assisting people in immigration cases nationwide through our legal pop-ups, hosting a national TV show, and direct representation. By my side is my husband and three beautiful kids Nico (8), Galilee (4), and Bethany (2).”

As always, we’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to! Please send any professional or personal updates to megan.kretz@gmail.com or victoriapinsky@gmail.com.

Those with class notes, please contact: 

Class Notes Editor

classnotes@wesleyan.edu

Rahwa Yebio has published two books of poetry under her pen name, Amaya Sunn, and has recently completed her first young adult novel. She is also a digital content creator specifically producing visual poetry pieces. Over the period of a decade, Rahwa has created arts programming and spearheaded enrichment curriculums for youth in New York City. She is also the mother of a brilliant and beautiful 11-year-old boy!

Misa Dayson gave birth to her and her husband’s, Jules Hollander, son, Isaiah, in July 2020. He is the cutest baby-toddler in the world, and at least once every day she feels like she experiences a bit of magic being in his presence. At the same time, becoming a mother for the first time in the middle of a global pandemic was challenging, and she decided to document the experience with her friend, Veena Hampapur, through their podcast, Memos from Motherhood (Or, I Gave Birth During a Pandemic?!). Memos unpacks the personal and political nuances of navigating the early years of parenting amidst both a global pandemic, and seismic political, cultural, and environmental change. Trained as anthropologists, Misa and Veena process pandemic parenthood holistically and intersectionality through intimate conversations and voice memos. Misa has really enjoyed hearing about how her and Veena’s shared stories are resonating with a range of people, both parents and child-free alike! When not producing the podcast, she continues her work in film producing and screenwriting. She lives in Harlem, and this past summer enjoyed traveling internationally for the first time in three years visiting family in France. She would appreciate any tips people have to offer on how to make future vacations run smoother with a toddler in tow!

Xiomara Lorenzo and Cara Herbitter ’03, despite nearly convincing themselves in 2013 that they would return to New York City once Cara completed their clinical PhD program in 2020, have truly made a home in Boston; so much so that they are closing on a house this fall! This year they celebrated 17 years together and 10 years married. Xiomara co-leads digital product management at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, while Cara completes their postdoctoral fellowship at the Boston VA.

Ada Pinkston is an artist and lecturer who currently works at Towson University and Maryland Institute College of Art. Her work was recently acquired by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). You can view an iteration of this augmented-reality monument on LACMA’s Snapchat profile.

Maya Lake is a stylist and designer in Los Angeles. You can find her on a film or television set where she is celebrating the wrapping of a show. You can also find her on a volleyball court.

Andrea Cortes-Juarbe is based in San Francisco where she offers workshops to young people in nature and practices somatic healing sessions at various locations throughout the Bay Area.

Liz Andrews is an artist, curator, and scholar. She recently co-curated The Obama Portraits Tour and Black American Portraits at LACMA. Last fall, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to become executive director of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, the only museum in the nation dedicated to art by and about women of the African diaspora. In May 2022, she got engaged to artist Brian J. Brown.

Natalia Ortiz is a term assistant professor in the Education Department at Barnard College in her hometown of New York City. Every now and then she also does some independent racial-equity consulting. When she is not meeting with students, curriculum planning, teaching, or facilitating, she is keeping busy as a soccer mom to her two children, Amaya Lolita (10) and Maceo Felix (7). As of this year, Natalia became a titi to niece Naia Rae Ortiz Rothwell, the daughter of Nicholas Ortiz. We are thrilled to welcome a new baby to the family.

Justin F. Kennedy is still a Berlin-based community dance artist, teacher, and DJ. Justin’s work has evolved since Wes, from a durational dance and singing practice, and further translates into workshops, science fiction operas, installations, happenings, and films. Notable works of late include: Cannibalizing the Conductor, an experimental dance film and A(un) Necessary World, a sci-fi opera in parts, at the Hammer Museum in LA. His recent work, performing and body doubling in Ligia Lewis’s A Plot/A Scandal, has been fruitful. Justin plans to teach at the School for New Dance Development in Amsterdam in winter ’22 and is trying his hand at the technical side of music production and hopes to attend a sound engineering course in Lagos in 2023.

Sam Leitner and his partner bid farewell to D.C. friends and moved to Boulder, Colorado. He’s loving easy access to outdoor climbing and will continue his work as a (remote) data scientist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where he leads a program that evaluates credit models for discrimination.

Katie Walsh lives in Highland Park, Los Angeles, and works as a film critic for the Tribune News Service, The Los Angeles Times, and The Wrap. She’s also a frequent contributor of film reviews to KCRW’s Press Play with Madeleine Brand. She often meets neighbor Che Landon for afternoon swims in the pool in their complex.

After many years in many cities, Hallie Dalsimer has been making home in the Sierra Foothills of California since 2015. They love living in a place where people are greatly outnumbered by trees. In 2021, Hallie launched Humaning: in Conversation, a podcast exploring what it means to human well—in our bodies, in relationship, in present time, on planet Earth—with three friends who share an orientation toward embodied practice, social justice, and an animist worldview.

After nearly a decade with NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey and following a four-year stint as an at-home parent, Janice Eisenberg is heading back to graduate school (second time is the charm?) to pursue her MSW at the University of Maryland. She still lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her husband and three kids.