CLASS OF 1979 | 2025 | FALL ISSUE
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Hi all. Here is the news that our classmates have shared this time.
Denise Giacomozzi checked in with this submission: “Like many across our nation, I have been part of peaceful protests: Tesla Takedowns and Indivisible Hands Off and No Kings. I continue to volunteer for my church, including as stewardship elder, and enjoy hanging out as often as possible with our toddler granddaughter and her parents (Kristen May ’10 and her husband, Andrew Whittle). Quoth three-and-a-half-year-old Willow when my husband and I watched her so her parents could celebrate their ninth anniversary: ‘I’m sorry you’re exhausted, grandma.’ Kudos to Michael Roth ’78 for his principled leadership and standing up for democracy. He and Wesleyan deserve the support of all of us.”
Caroline Norden wrote a nice note on her continuing work with land protection and climate action and her busy life. “I retired from managing land conservation projects but am still actively involved in land protection work as a board member of a land trust and as a member of our town’s climate action committee. My daughter, Sarah Norden ’21, is working as a circus artist in Montreal. My son, Felix, is a rising college sophomore, studying forensics at a university in Ontario. I travel often to Canada to see them both. I am in touch regularly with a few Wesleyan friends, including Tom Paradis ’80 who lives nearby in Portland.”
Lehigh University has announced the following news about our own George DuPaul: “Lehigh University announced the establishment of a new university research center, the Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies. . . . The Center (CDAT) aims to transform the lives of people with physical, cognitive, behavioral/emotional, sensory, and developmental disabilities through interdisciplinary research and cutting-edge emerging and existing assistive technologies. . . . The interdisciplinary research conducted at CDAT will develop new and innovative approaches to empowering people with disabilities and expand opportunities in education, employment, and health by developing impactful solutions tailored to real-world needs. . . . Partnering with an array of stakeholders, the center aspires to be a national leader in advancing independence, accessibility, and quality of life for people with disabilities. CDAT will be led by Vinod Namboodiri, Forlenza Endowed Chair in Health Innovation and Technology and professor of computer science and engineering, and George DuPaul, professor of school psychology. . . . DuPaul says the challenges faced by individuals living with disabilities affect their educational attainment, social relationships, employment, physical and mental health, and independent living. The mission of CDAT is to conduct research in partnership with community stakeholders, including people with disabilities and their families, that will design, evaluate, and disseminate novel assistive technologies to improve independent living and quality of life for people with disabilities from early childhood through all stages of adulthood.”
Tremendous news, George. Your being tapped to co-lead the center is a recognition that is laudable, and the work you will be doing is so consequential. Truly an amazing accomplishment and a wonderfully impactful capstone to your tremendous career thus far at Lehigh!
Julie Hacker sent this update: “I am still working as a partner of Cohen & Hacker Architects LLC. Our new book First Editions: Strategies for Adding On is now available on Amazon. Our work is also now part of the Art institute of Chicago’s collection: Model for the Grund House, Glencoe, Illinois | The Art Institute of Chicago and https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/finding-aids/chicago-commercial-residential-and-landscape-architecture-post-wwii.
“My son Gabriel Cohen, a sculptor in Los Angeles, will be attending Oxford University’s MFA program in the fall; his work can be found at gabrielscohen.com/c-v. His work has been exhibited in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, and he has had three solo shows.”
Thanks, Julie. Great accomplishments on all fronts. Congrats!
Michelle Morancie wrote a nice note on her work to help the people of Fulton County, Georgia.
“Something exciting that I want to share is that I will be running for re-election to the Fulton County School Board in Sandy Springs, Georgia, in 2026. During my first term, I have worked on expanding mental health and student support services, fought for equitable schools, and advocated for our most vulnerable students. But there’s much more that I want to accomplish. Moving forward, I will continue work on updating the district’s school closure and redistricting policy to make it more inclusive of community input. In addition, I will work on developing a policy that will introduce students to the board policymaking process and encourage civic and community service. I plan to officially kickoff my campaign in late September. I’m excited about it and hope for a positive outcome. There are many days when I can’t believe that I was such a shy girl when I entered Wesleyan. That was where I began to develop confidence that I could do something important to help children.” You are making a difference in those students’ lives, and it is very inspiring, Michelle! Thanks for sharing with us and for making such a meaningful contribution.
Chris Austill writes: “I recently celebrated 21 years as a grant writer at the YMCA of Greater Boston. The work is tremendously rewarding, but recent government funding cuts have made the lives of the people the YMCA supports much more harrowing and have raised the level of stress in my work dramatically. I wish I had more time for friends and family. My daughter, Amalia, continues to fight the climate crisis, having worked for five years with the Sunrise Movement and now moving on to organize ‘noncooperation’ activities around the United States.” You and your daughter are doing such meaningful work. Congrats on your efforts and your commitment!
Steve Lewin-Berlin sent this note on his busy life in retirement: “Happily retired for six years now. Still living in Cohousing in Acton, Massachusetts, and I’m a proud grandpa of a two-year-old toddler. Really enjoyed the 50th anniversary of the Wes ultimate Frisbee team [earlier this year]. Keeping busy with dance (West Coast Swing) and drumming (West African Malian rhythms) and poker (PLO) and more. But my current focus is fighting for the constitutional rights of immigrants. It got my blood boiling when I personally witnessed armed, masked ICE agents refusing to identify themselves as they detained immigrants in my small town. In response, I’ve become active with LUCE, an immigrant-led Massachusetts organization that documents ICE activity and supports the impacted families.”
Willie Jones shared some updates on his retirement: “June 30, 2025, marks one year of retirement for me, and it’s been great. I’ve been traveling quite a bit to catch up with old friends and spend some time with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids in Fairfax, Virginia. The relocation bug has bitten, so I’m prepping my Charlotte home for November sale and will be moving later this year to a newly purchased home in South Carolina. I stay in touch regularly with Willie Sessions ’81. Lauren Steiner and I get together from time to time. I still regret having missed our 2024 reunion and look forward to the next one. Be safe and be well.”
And last but certainly not least, Barbara Woike submitted a terrific story about a photo. She writes, “This June a photo I shot 46 years earlier for my senior thesis exhibition brought me back to Middletown to honor its subject—local transgender pioneer, Katherine “Sissy” Wells, who would be 108 years old this summer. My visit included an evening of recollections and reflections and the permanent installation of Wells’s portrait at the Buttonwood Tree Arts Center on the north end of Main Street, in the same building where Wells lived when it was a residential hotel. The next day I had a blast marching in Middletown’s Pride parade with 20-plus people carrying large signs featuring my 1979 photos of the fabulous Ms. Wells.
“With her towering beehive hairdo, stylish dress, and regal bearing, Wells was unforgettable to anyone who encountered her walking, always in high heels, on Main Street. She was a high-visibility presence for decades, but what became of her in the ’90s was a mystery, and to this day she remains something of an enigma.
“My inquiries about her on a Middletown Facebook page, where I posted her picture, prompted a flood of fond memories, stories of her dignified struggle to be true to herself, some unkind comments, but no answers. With a small team of dedicated researchers, we eventually discovered she died destitute in 1999 and was buried in an unmarked grave several towns away. She made the front page of The Middletown Press that weekend and fundraising for a headstone has begun. A proper graveside farewell is planned for August 29, 2025, followed by a 108th birthday celebration in Middletown of Wells. And a playwright in Brooklyn has jumped on her story now too.
“And the catalyst for all of this was one photo taken when I was a photo major at Wesleyan.
“Three other Wes grads have been involved in rekindling the story of Katherine Wells:
Jesse Nasta ’07, assistant professor of African American studies who, a few years earlier, as director of the Middlesex County Historical Society, had already begun trying to find out more about the enigmatic Ms. Wells. And Brianna Skowera ’99, Middletown Pride commissioner spoke about her own trans journey in Middletown as she followed in Wells’s footsteps. (Both of them spoke at The Buttonwood.) And old friend Beck Lee ’81, who I only discovered recently also knew Wells, shared his memories in a lovely Facebook tribute to her.”
Thanks, Barbara. Terrific story! Much appreciated.
That’s it for this issue. Thanks for the submissions. Hope to hear from as many of you as possible for the next issue. It is so nice to stay connected.
DIANE M. LAPOINTE | dmlapointe28@gmail.com