CLASS OF 1987 | 2024 | FALL ISSUE
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Hello, Class of ’87!
I got a significant wave of responses without much nudging. Must be that relaxed feeling that the end of August brings. Of course, you are reading this now in the throes of a different season. I hope all is going well.
Wesleyan has introduced a new and easier way for me to get in touch with you, but it is not without its glitches. Gabrielle Sellei sent in a “no news to report” note, but said she was happily living the life of a “relatively stable, long-married, middle-aged, empty nester.” When I wrote back, I mistakenly copied the whole class, which created a blip of hilarity for about a day. Many of you wrote back empathetically to me:
“Same here—middle-aged and living a fairly normal existence!”
“Hey, that’s an accomplishment in itself!”
So, if you haven’t sent in any news, but you’re doing okay, give yourself credit!
Now on to the news that was meant to be shared!
Tricia Dorsey reports on her annual get-together in Maine with Holly (Campbell) Ambler this July. Their kids joined them for the first time in many years as did Doug Koplow and his wife, Michele. These are special memories for all. Tricia also reports that her husband, John Dorsey, is on sabbatical from teaching and will spend much of the coming year doing art residencies. His first was a group ceramics workshop on Nantucket in July. The next will be independent time at a studio facility in Barcelona in September and October. Some guest studio assistant gigs and guest teaching gigs will round out 2024 while he waits to hear about applications for winter and spring 2025. In May, Tricia and John celebrated the graduation of their second child to attend Hamilton. No more tuition! So much for middle age, right?
Daniel Rauch writes in with news of his son Brian’s wedding in July. The celebration turned into a mini Wesfest. Traveling to Turkey for the wedding were classmates David Glotzer, Eric Leifer,and Eileen Deignan along with her sons, Andrew ’27 and Evan ’24. Dan’s daughter, Haley Rauch ’15, and her classmate, Hanako Rodriguez ’15, were there, too,plus Brian’s friend Zach Berkowitz ’18. Daniel is now vice chair of pediatrics at Hackensack (New Jersey) Meridian Children’s Health, and he sees a lot of Wes faces at the hospital. He sees Steve Pereira, a surgeon, and Taya Glotzer, ’83, a cardiologist, in the halls at Hackensack. One of the new pediatric interns there is Anastasios Karras ’18. And as part of his work with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Daniel sees Joe Wright ’79 and Cheryl De Pinto ’83, both vice presidents at the AAP. Dan’s family has been in the Hoboken, New Jersey, area for about year. His daughter is a math teacher at Scarsdale High School, and his son lives in Brooklyn. Check out Brian’s band, Late Night Thoughts (lntmusic.com). They just signed with a label to produce an EP.
Beth Barnett Pathak wrote in to catch us up. She says, “It’s hard to believe we left Florida nine years ago already—time seems to fly ever more swiftly these days. My two younger kids (twins Aidan and Arya) are starting eighth grade, and my two older ‘kids’ (Kiran and Nina) are millennials navigating their late 20s and all that pesky adulting. Almost two years ago, I started a new position as a program director at NIH, which I am still enjoying enormously, and through which I’ve gotten to know Carlie Williams ’86. I stay in touch regularly with Sarah Projansky and Ellie Margolis but would love to hear news from other Foss 5/5.5 friends and my fellow river rats.
John Phillips and Kate returned to New York several years ago to raise three children, two of whom have had their own children, and he says they are lucky enough to have them all live nearby.
Gennifer Weisenfeld recently published The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930,a book which provides analysis, context, and background about this critical design publication of 20th-century Japan.
Rich Gibbons, president of SpeakInc, recently caught up with Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky ’05, when Rich booked Smiley to keynote the Greater Public’s Public Media Development and Marketing Conference in San Diego. Rich has been a speaking agent for over three decades and is the past president of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB). Adam is the author of Friendship in the Age of Loneliness and a top keynote speaker on workplace culture, belonging, and the future of work. Despite graduating from Wesleyan just a few years apart, Rich and Smiley loved chatting about all things public speaking, NPR, and Foss Hill.
John Penney lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. After many years in media technology, John did an MBA at Berkeley, and he is currently a growth advisor to cleantech companies in SoCal. John offers this memory of President Colin G. Campbell who died earlier this summer. “Looking back, when I arrived at Wes in 1983, I had a bit of a shock. The then-president of the University, Colin Campbell, had been assigned as my advisor, and I had no idea how it would play out. Despite my initial apprehension, President Campbell was very supportive of his advisees and did a lot to make us feel welcome and integrated into Wesleyan’s academic life. Just another reason why Wesleyan left such an indelible impression on me over all these years.”
That’s an amazing memory. It reminds me that my faculty advisor was Greg Pyke who was an admissions counselor. Wesleyan definitely had ways to build community at the school!
As for me, I’ll go anywhere to see the Mets play, and I was lucky to travel in June for the London Series, a big deal for Major League Baseball. You may recall that Liz Rabineau had initially told me she wanted “no part of those shenanigans,” but it turned out she joined me at the game. I think she secretly liked it! Beyond taking in America’s pastime in London, Liz also opened her home and neighborhood to my husband and me, and we took in several museums as well.
By the way, a ballpark is a great place to run into old friends. Steve Shackman and I often meet at CitiField.
Until next time . . .
REBECCA ZIMBLER GRAZIANO | rebecca.graziano@hotmail.com