Loads of news this edition and most said they would be at the Reunion Memorial Day Weekend!

Liza Carter published a well-reviewed book, Moving with the Seasons: Portrait of a Mongolian Family. Check it out: MovingwiththeSeasons.com.

Jim Flynn writes in from New England: “Claudia Mosher ’78 and I are living in St. Johnsbury, Vt. I am raising money for our community hospital, which is doing some interesting work in primary care and management of patients with chronic disease. Claudia is working in admissions at nearby Lyndon State College. Our daughter, Kate, is living in San Francisco and our son, Zach, is a senior at UVM.”

Katherine L. McKenna lives an interesting life in Woodstock, N.Y., as an artist. Her daughter is in high school. Her husband Mark is busy with his company Markertek, which caters to the broadcast industry. She is exhibiting 12 new paintings at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, Corning, N.Y., in an exhibition called Painted Journeys: In the Spirit of the American West, which runs Jan. 29th through May 14, 2014. Her next exhibition is in Wickenburg, Ariz., at the Desert Caballeros Museum, Cowgirl Up!, March 21–May 14, 2014.

Shari Runner had the distinct pleasure of accompanying 23 teens to China this summer. She commented: “We visited Bejing and Shanghai, as guests of the Chinese government. For 13 weeks our students studied Chinese language, society, and culture in preparation for the two-week trip. These kids came from various levels of exposure; some had never left Chicago, been on a plane, or left the country. Having traveled the world early in my career as a foreign exchange trader, I can easily say this was the most important trip I have ever taken. The people we met, food we tasted, the art, artifacts, and monuments we saw, and the knowledge we gained was beyond our wildest expectations. Standing in Tiananmen Square, climbing the Great Wall, exploring Las Vegas-like big cities, and walking an old river town was humbling. I have a newly expanded family of incredible youth who are now global citizens, new Chinese friends, and memories of an ancient culture facing the 21st century. Never did I think my work at the Chicago Urban League would take me in this direction. I could never have imagined spending all of my life in Hyde Park, in Chicago, or the U.S. I grew, like our class anthem, singing ‘ain’t no stoppin’ us now’—now these kids know that, too!”

Robin Locke Nagele writes: “I am a healthcare attorney and principal in the law firm of Post & Schell in Philadelphia. My clients are largely hospitals and health systems. Yesterday, my son Chris turned 20, causing me to think back nostalgically on a wild ride up the N.J. Garden State Parkway at 4:00 a.m. two decades ago, when, stopped for speeding, my husband was able to say, quite truthfully, “Officer, my wife is having a baby!” Chris is now a sophomore at Haverford College, studying astrophysics. My daughter, Rosie, is a senior in high school, knee deep in college applications—and, yes, Wesleyan is on the list. My husband Drew, a neuropsychologist is now executive director of Beechwood Neuro Rehab. On Labor Day, we spent an enjoyable afternoon with KJ Browner-Elhanon and her husband, Gai, chatting and watching the rain fall at Arthur Ashe stadium, where the US Open tennis we had come to see was not happening. And last year at this time, I had fun seeing Julie Doern ’80, Laura Tully, and other alums with their kids at Wesleyan’s Alumni Sons & Daughters college program.

Matt Okun says he may not be the first in our class to be a grandparent, but he is probably the happiest. He writes: “My daughter, Nina, who was married about two years ago, is just about to turn 30! She is pregnant and due in February. My youngest, Lia, is hard at work on her PhD in psychology at the New School. My wife, Annie, and I just celebrated our third anniversary. I am still teaching for Seattle Public Schools and diligently hunting for a faculty job in teacher education in a ‘blue’ state on either coast.”

This past August, Julie Hacker was a speaker with her partner, Stuart Cohen, at the CRAN (Custom Residential Architect’s Network-AIA) symposium on On Adding On: Incremental Architecture. “I also sat next to architect alumni Joan Craig at a ‘Luxe Home’ event in September and caught up with her and her practice. As a fellow of the AIA, I have been mentoring young architects, helping them navigate this crazy profession in these crazy times. My son, Gabriel, started his first undergraduate year at RISD.”

Ann Kaplan: “Since our 30th Reunion, a lot has happened. The organization I work for vastly expanded and moved to a larger space. My own project, focused on measuring education fundraising outcomes, is also thriving. My daughter, Ariel, works as an elite personal trainer at Crunch Fitness. She also models and studies pole dancing. She can deadlift 200 pounds! My passion has been traveling and scuba diving. Since we last saw each other on campus, my scuba travel has taken me to Saba, Belize, Grand Turk, Little Cayman, Bali, Komodo, Alors, and Sipidan. On the way to Sipidan, I took a breathtaking side trip to the primary rain forest in Borneo. This month marks a year since Sandy hit the city. I lived in a hotel for most of a week, though I hardly suffered compared to true victims of the storm. I’m looking forward to my “F*ck You, Sandy” memorial bar crawl, when some friends and I will revisit the establishments that were open and became refugee club houses during that crazy week. I’ll be wearing my 12/12/12 concert T-shirt and a big smile! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Middletown in May. Different T-shirt. Same smile.”

Marcie Greenfield-Simons reports in with the sad news of the death of Fran Smith and offers the following tribute:

Fran Smith became my friend in August, 1975, on our first day at Wesleyan, where we both lived in Foss Hill Five.  She became my hero in October, 2002, the day of her son’s bar mitzvah — one day after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer.  What ensued for the next eleven years was inspirational.

I have great memories of Fran in college – she was generous: always sharing her mother’s care packages of home-made cookies, or offering help with some tough assignment; she was fun: struggling through the step-shuffle-shuffle-ball-change as we auditioned for a 92nd St. Theater performance; and she was passionate about lab research: setting her alarm for 5:15 AM to be there for the hatching of the damn fruit flies.  Fran was brilliant and humble, silly and wise.  She flew from New York to Boston to surprise me for my 18th birthday. I was so happy and stunned to see her that I fell down the stairs, which dislodged a kidney stone and landed me in the hospital a few days later.  We laughed about that for years.  Fran was there for me when my father died unexpectedly at age 44 during my sophomore year.  

Fran received her PhD in Biology from Johns Hopkins University, did post-doctoral work at University of North Carolina, and subsequently served on the faculty at UNC, UMass Medical Center and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  Fran married David Echelman whom she met while at Johns Hopkins.  Fran and David’s honeymoon was planned so that partway through, they could my wedding to Richard Simons. Over the next fifteen years, Fran and David had three wonderful boys, Daniel, Matthew and Adam.  

When her boys were very young, Fran found her true calling.  She wanted to bring her love of science into their preschool, so began volunteering weekly and became known as “Fran, the Science Lady.”  As her boys grew, Fran became involved in elementary school science, and eventually joined the faculty of Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts where she taught for ten years. Twice the student body dedicated their yearbook to “Doc Smith,” and she was the only teacher ever to be voted twice as “Teacher of the Year.”

Fran had an illustrious career while been published many times and receiving numerous awards and accolades –but you can read that elsewhere.  What distinguished Fran as a truly extraordinary human being was her ability to change people’s lives – literally.  A good number of today’s young scientists were inspired by Fran, their chemistry teacher.  So many adolescents, who were in pain due to personal issues and family hardships found solace because of the support, guidance and love provided by Fran.

Back to 2002.  Fran and David decided to approach the cancer treatment aggressively.  Five weeksafter the diagnosis, on the day before Thanksgiving, David was killed in an automobile accident.  He was exactly the age my father had been at his death, and now, at age 44, Fran was a widow, the mother of three boys, ages 7-13, and one who had to get up from her mourning to return to chemotherapy.

I have never known anyone stronger. Fran followed through with the plan she and David had made which included chemotherapy, radiation and a double mastectomy. She was resolute that she would get well.  And she did.  She returned to teaching, was an ever-present mom who allowed her boys to grow with independence, and, never having been a distance bike rider, trained to ride in the Pan Mass Challenge, the largest bike-a-thon fundraiser in the country, with all proceeds going to Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  

In 2005, Fran became the faculty advisor of Worcester Academy’s “Walk and Rock,” a combination walk-a-thon and music festival also dedicated to raising funds for Dana Farber. This event proved to be empowering and nourishing for many of Fran’s students who had experienced their own losses.  

Outside of school, Fran lived vibrantly.  There was great joy in Fran’s home, and she and the boys laughed a lot.  They hiked, kayaked, traveled, went to theater and the movies and spent time with friends.  Fran and I cherished our annual family get-togethers, dinner and game-night in the Berkshires.  Our children became like family.  Fran was the personal tutor for each of our daughters as they navigated the pleasures of AP chemistry!

About three years ago, when Fran and the boys were visiting our home, she complained that she’d been suffering pain in her arm.  We tried to hide our alarm and worry – and were devastated but not too surprised to learn a few weeks later that the cancer had returned.  And metastasized.  

After signing on for a clinical trial at Dana Farber, the next big decision Fran made was to travel with Daniel, Matthew and Adam.  She had never visited Israel, and wanted to go there as a family while she was able.  The trip meant suspending the treatment for a few weeks, and it meant travelling with three strapping, athletic sons — the ultimate physical challenge.  The “Brothers”, as Daniel, Matthew and Adam refer to themselves, did test Fran every day, and she passed with flying colors.  It was a vacation of a lifetime.

Fran always went for aggressive treatment because she was adamant about living for as long as possible — wanting to see her boys graduate, first from high school, then college.  She shared with me her hopes to see them married, and maybe even become a grandmother. She knew that participating in clinical trials was risky, but she trusted her Dana Farber medical team and was willing to try anything – even when she had to travel multiple times a week through Boston rush-hour traffic, and spend 12 or 14 hours a day at the hospital.  I can’t count how many times she said, “I’ll do whatever I have to do – anything, to be here for my boys.”  Fran was blessed with the most spectacular friends and neighbors who helped her every step of the way.  Of course, to have good friends, you must be a good friend.

Back in the late ‘70s, Fran, our roommate Cathy Chin and I had gone to a James Taylor concert. In 2012 Fran told me that she really wanted to see him again, and knew he performed every summer at Tanglewood, near my home.  We made a date.  By July 4th, Fran was already pretty tired. We were able to squeeze a nap in between Pittsfield’s Hometown Parade and the concert. It was a glorious day from start to finish – the kind of day you remember for years to come.

Worcester Academy invited Fran to be the graduation speaker this past May.  Her youngest son, Adam, a member of the graduating class, was a student speaker, making the day even more special. With all her wisdom and life experience, Fran’s remarks hit it out of the park; she shared important life lessons about resilience, support, perspective, friends and happiness.  Everyone in the auditorium that day knew Fran’s story.  Her presentation was tremendous – she made everyone cry, but she made us all laugh, too.

At the beginning of August, Fran wasn’t feeling well.  The doctors found brain lesions.  Even then, Fran said she was still in fighting mode and there was reason to be hopeful.  She agreed to start full brain radiation and then take whatever next steps were recommended.  At the same time, she made plans to take Adam to his first day of college.  Two weeks later, she did just that, and made his bed just as she had done for Daniel and Matthew on their first day of college.

In early September, about five days before she passed away, Fran shared with us that she was ready to go.  She knew she had fought a good fight, and didn’t want any more pain and suffering.  Even in that decision, Fran showed tremendous courage.  We took Fran to sit outside one last time. She smiled serenely and commented how beautiful everything looked, including the garden she and the boys had planted in David’s memory.

I miss Fran very much, but when I feel sad and teary, I remind myself that I can honor Fran best by emulating her, by being resilient, brave, hopeful and, above all, by finding joy in life every day.  And when I talk or visit with Daniel, Matthew and Adam, three truly remarkable young men, I know Fran, my friend and my hero, is still here on earth.

Gary Breitbord and Ann Biester Deane

gbreitbo@aol.com
Abdeane@gmail.com

The call for class notes echoed with these victories and personal homecomings.

I learned that Marty Saggese was nominated for Top Association CEO for his leadership of the Society for Neuroscience since 2002. Under his direction, the group’s annual meeting is now one of the largest scientific gatherings in the U.S. He increased the profitability of the group’s flagship scholarly journal, and last year the group launched BrainFacts.org, an informational website that has already started winning awards. This is what the nominators had to say about him: “Saggese effuses that rare combination of charisma, innovation, rigor and attention to detail…Few associations in the USA today can boast of such a leader.”

Julia “Tag” Wu Trethaway writes: “In early July I was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and the doctors told me I was at Stage 4, as the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes. At first I was shocked, but I was lucky enough to have an ‘in’ at Sloan Kettering and three days after I was diagnosed I was seen by the top esophageal oncologist in the entire world, so that was my first blessing. I also feel incredibly lucky because I have terrific health care through the Hotchkiss School and they gave me a paid medical leave for the first semester. I started chemotherapy right away in July, but the cancer kept growing until I couldn’t swallow or eat and had to use a feeding tube for two weeks while being hospitalized. Then at the end of July, after two chemo treatments, the drugs kicked in and the tumor started shrinking and I gained back all my weight (at 100 lbs. normally, I was down to 89). Yay! I stopped using the feeding tube at the end of August and last week at the end of October they yanked the tube out (literally)! I continue to feel blessed on this journey that we call life through all the twists and turns we all face daily, monthly, yearly. I have learned not to judge others: everyone has a story. I feel blessed with a devoted husband (Tom Trethaway) of almost 30 years (this June 2014) and two grown children who are both employed in New York City (one at Sotheby’s and one at Davis Polk) and both are economically independent, whew. I have no idea what the future will bring. I know I am a BAMF and will beat this eventually, but for now I am soaking in every minute of every day knowing that I am blessed with a loving and supportive family, mounds of friends like some of you who remember me from the late ’70s, and first-rate health care at MSKCC. How lucky that I didn’t get hit by a bus or get maimed in a car bomb! Blessings to all of you out there. (P.S. I’d love to hear your ‘story’; feel free to e-mail me at jtrethaw@hotchkiss.org.).”

David Hafter writes: “With James Marcus ’81, Kathy Bergeron, Vic Tredwell,and I had a band back at Wesleyan named Wealth of Nations. I had some of my best college times playing with these people. Over the (gulp) decades, I have performed alone and infrequently, playing fundraisers here and there. All the while, however, I had myself in ‘training’ for the day when I might be able to get back in a band. When my son, Noah, moved out for school and beyond (he’s now almost 21 and also a singer/songwriter), I started playing in public more often in Davis and Sacramento, Calif. I met up with other local musicians and, long story short, resurrected the Wealth of Nations name with new bandmates. We play my originals, Beatles, the Band, Grateful Dead and more. I’m having a great time with guys my age who, like me, never stopped playing.”

Mark Zitter writes: “I spent a few weeks of vacation this past summer with my family in Europe. We had a great time in London, where I had dinner with our classmate Scott Phillips. He’s been living in London for about 15 years, and at this point his English is excellent. Scott has a bunch of kids—I lost track of how many, maybe four?—but they’ve basically survived his parenting and left the nest. Now his wife, Crystal, has to put up with him without any distractions. Not sure how that’s going but she was out of the country when I visited.”

David Gould writes: “Very nice to read your look-back at what sounds like a fine year. My story is similar. After graduation my whole tilt was toward New York and away from native Boston (Needham). Lived in Manhattan, lived in SW Connecticut, raised a son and daughter, worked in magazines, media (travel, golf), editing, consulting all that good stuff. Was married all that time to a Wes ’80; our marriage ended in fall of 2009, I moved back to Mass. (Falmouth, then Needham), went to LOTS of Red Sox games, usually last-minute on impulse… knew all along that I missed the Boston/eastern New England cultural whatever-it-is but had no idea how much.”

Suzi Shedd writes: “I’m happy to say that Bob Purvis ’72 and I moved into our new home—with a big view of the Worcester Range (a sub-range of the Green Mountains) at the end of August. We are located between one of my brothers and my parents, so neighborhood association meetings on our dirt road are known as ‘family dinner.’”

Susan Kravit-Smith writes: “My victory this year was one I shared with the State of Washington, where I have lived since 1981: I married my partner of 18 years. We legally wed as soon after the marriage equality vote as we could (12/12/12) and then had a marriage celebration in July 2013. We had an outdoor ceremony in my gardens with 200 people, live music throughout the ceremony, and a 12–piece funk band afterwards, with dancing under the stars! It was a magical time, wonderful to celebrate with old and new, straight and gay, 3- to 85-year-old friends and relatives. Everyone was so happy to share this new freedom with us. My 13-year-old daughter put it well when she quoted John Lennon at the ceremony: ‘It matters not who you love, but that you love.’”

Alan Jacobs writes: “I’m ‘living the dream’ in Hollywood, running an entertainment company that produces films and manages talent. There is a large, well-documented but unexplainable Wesleyan Mafia out here in Hollywood (see the Film Center walls for details). We’ve had some wonderful summer interns/future Mafia members from Wesleyan over the years, especially this last summer (Jenna Robbins ’13 and Zoe Broad ’14). Biggest Wesleyan trip: Learning that my son Ron ’16 is friends with Matan Koplin-Green ’16, son of my buddy Jeff Green. None of the creative writing classes I took at Wesleyan or… prepared me to imagine that!”

KIMBERLY OFRIA SELBY
kim_selby@yahoo.com

David writes: Greetings from Brooklyn. Thanks for your contributions this month:

Tom Furrer is in his 27th year of ordained ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut and the 10th year of cooperative medical clinic ministry with the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna, Nigeria. In July 2013, he was installed as the Archdeacon of Kaduna Diocese—the first non-Nigerian to receive this honor. Over the past 10 years, this cooperative work has provided medical care to 100,000 people. A second clinic will open in 2014 that will double the capacity of the medical ministry.

Dave Robertson writes: “Mary Roach and I have at least four things in common: We’re both Wesleyan class of 1981. We both published books in 2013 (me: Brick by Brick; Mary: Gulp). Both of us have focused on topics that are of interest primarily to 7-year-old boys (in my case, LEGO; in Mary’s, eating and pooping). We shared a mailbox freshman year. Remember how they used to group us by last name? Robertson and Roach shared a box.”

Brian Tarbox is proud to announce, “I had a patent granted for caching of media in video streaming, and gave a sermon at our local UU Church on the meaning of spirituality in a heterogenous liberal faith. I’ve trained our congregation to replace ‘amen’ with Battlestar Galactica’s ‘So say we all’ at my services.”

Judith Mogul, with her husband, Dan Kramer ’80, tells us, “We had a Wesleyan wedding this summer, with our daughter, Ilona Kramer ’08 marrying Daniel Meyer ’08 at our home in Cold Spring, N.Y. Daniel’s mother, Anne Meyer ’71, is also a Wesleyan grad, so his father Rob was the only non-Wesleyan among the four parents.”

Jeremy Kenner still lives in Melbourne, Australia, “a wonderful city,” and works for the government in the health advice and research field. “I am the expert adviser for ethics to the National Health & Medical Research Council (our NIH, but much smaller scale). More important, after raising three sons to adulthood, I am starting over as the stepfather of a 6-year-old and father of a 15-month-old named Akiva Benjamin, with whom I am completely smitten. With their mother, a Russian emigré, I live a peaceful life by the bay just south of the city. I am also developing a piece of land in northeast Tasmania as a getaway for me and my five sons. Life couldn’t be better.”

During a US trip last summer, Jeremy saw Bob Stern ’80, Suzanne Papert Hinman, Bob and Fran Pepperman Taylor ’80, Peter Frumkin ’80 and Anji Fink Citron and Todd Herron Citron ’82. “All are well, as are all their 14 children.”

He adds, “Australia is all the good things people say it is. Come and see!”

Neil Foote got promoted to principal lecturer at the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas, where he teaches introductory and advanced classes, including digital and social media for journalists. “I also am still running my communications consulting firm, where I do everything from traditional public relations, media strategy, content management and brand positioning for such clients as nationally syndicated radio personality and entrepreneur Tom Joyner. My wife, Jane, and I have enjoyed visiting our daughter, Alex, who is in her junior year at Harvard where she is in East Asian Studies. I’m a lifetime trustee at The Lamplighter School, an early childhood school, which my daughter attended and where fellow alumnus Jonathan Morgan ’94 serves on the board. I’m also president of the board for the National Kidney Foundation, where we’re raising money to increase awareness about preventing kidney disease.”

Chris Heye was fortunate last fall to see many old Wes friends. “I spent time before and after Game 6 of the World Series wandering the streets of Boston with Dan Lynch ’80 and Steve Mooney ’80. I also saw Dan Haar and Joel Kreisberg at the Head of the Charles regatta in October. Finally, I visited Dave Bartholomew in his new digs in St. Louis. Fortunately this was before the World Series. I hope he will still have me back.”

Chris Graves has more news than can fit here! “The big news is that my daughter, Julia Graves ’17, started this year at Wesleyan, alongside many alumni friends’ sons and daughters, as well (Matt King, Melissa Stern ’80 and Jim Friedlich ’79). Julia also ran into several friends from Hong Kong, now also at Wes. How amazing to be young and at Wesleyan. Not so bad to be old and visit either.” At Homecoming, Chris witnessed our first Little 3 title in 43 years. “Who knew it had been that long?”

Chris continues to serve as global CEO of Ogilvy Public Relations, whose group, Ogilvy and Mather, was named for the second year running, number 1 at the annual Cannes Festival. He was also a contributing author of the third book in a series, called Reimagining India, which includes fellow contributors Bill Gates and Eric Schmidt (Google chairman). In October, he chaired an event in NYC he named “Content Frenzy!” leading a no-holds barred debate among media leaders from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Business Review and digital “natives” from BuzzFeed and others.

Finally, here’s a plug for a worthy not-for-profit, run by Gabrielle Fondiller ’07, who also happens to be my cousin. She spent a semester abroad in Kenya while at Wes. After graduation, she started and now runs an organization called Hatua Likoni (hatualikoni.org) helping young Kenyans to be able to afford high school, which is not mandatory, so they can get the education they need to succeed. Please help if you can. Thanks.

David I. Block and Joanne Godin Audretsch 

dAVID.I.block@GMAIL.com
Berlinjo@aol.com

Thanks to all of you who sent updates—they’re always eagerly anticipated and appreciated!

First things first: Somewhere in the cutting and pasting of e-mails, I managed to bungle Susan Budlong Cole’s name in my last class notes. (So sorry, Susan!) Susan is on her second retirement, having ended a 25-year career providing treatment for those with drug and alcohol addictions back in 2004, and now has wrapped up a seven-year career in financial planning and research. “I continue with my volunteer teaching at York Correctional Institution with Wally Lamb and the Inmate Writers’ Group.”

Anne Heller Anderson has settled in northern California. “I have not been back to Wesleyan since 1980, when I transferred to UC, Berkeley. But I am excited to say I will be back on campus again… with my daughter, Brooke, for the Sons and Daughters Program for high school juniors,” she writes. “I can’t wait to see the Usdan Campus Center, the organic farm, and Foss 6, my freshman dorm. Hope to see some of our 1982 classmates and their sons or daughters at the program!”

Lots of exciting career moves to report: Kweku Forstall in January becomes the Atlanta civic site director for the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Steven Maizes writes: “I am helping to open the new Los Angeles office for Guaranteed Rate mortgage, one of the largest mortgage bankers in the country. I have helped a lot of Wesleyan alumni get loans over the years in California, and we can now do loans in all 50 states.”

Joseph Dow is the senior compliance manager for the Boston Public Schools’ Office of English Language Learners. He has two sons, Aaron and Noah, ages 10 and 13. Joseph says that since leaving Wesleyan, he keeps in touch with his “classmate/former roommate and best friend, Douglas Borton, now the internationally famous writer, Michael Prescott.”

Carson Milgroom has been leading an “ordinary life on the plateau, happy and healthy, blessed” in Newton, Mass. He’s married and has two sons, 11 and 14, who are home-schooled. “I’m still playing hardcore amateur baseball around Boston,” he writes, “Just spent a week down in Fort Myers in a tournament my team won. Got to play at JetBlue Stadium/Fenway South.” Carson adds that he’s best reached at milgroom@gmail.com, and promises to send “another update in 20 years.”

Carl Schwaber writes that since 2009, he’s been living in Los Angeles and working as an actor. “Most recently, I booked and shot a co-star role on the TV series, Criminal Minds. I play a pimp who poses as a butcher in the episode that aired on Nov. 27, 2013, on CBS. More at carlschwaber.com

Congratulations to Jeff Phelon, who writes that he recently married JoAnn Sidor in Manchester, Conn.
“My brother, Pete Phelon ’85, was the best man. Paul and Fran Carroll Strumph from the Class of 1982 were also there to celebrate!” he says.

Wesleyan continues to beckon successive generations of Cardinals whose parents are alums.

“We (Robert Smythe and Susan Dinsmore Smythe) had a great time visiting campus with son Harry (hopes to be Wes ’18),” Susan writes, “Got to wander all around memory lane, including into the ’92 Theater, where I was happy to see posters on display of shows we were involved in along with Brian Snedeker. We were lucky enough to stay with Di Longley and Chris Diamond ’85, and also got to catch up with John Giammatteo ’81 and his lovely wife, daughter, and baby son! ”

Susan adds: “Robert continues teaching at Temple University and acting in Philadelphia and beyond. I continue to work as a project manager in facilities at Swarthmore College, and am finishing up eight years in local government.”

Alex Thomson says he, Kevin Foley, and John McIntyre ’86, “all enjoyed rowing together at The Head of the Charles this year in the Senior Masters Eights category.”

Julie Kraushaar Zurcher writes that she and her family now live in California, after returning from six years in Basel, Switzerland. “Am enjoying the convenience and customer-oriented aspects of life in America, and have re-connected with Michael Ostacher, who does return my e-mail but is busily living the Silicon Valley life, so I haven’t seen him recently. (But I still love ya, Mike!)” She is also good friends with Heyward Robinson ’80, who would have graduated with the Wes class of 1980 had he not decamped to Duke after two years.

Empty nester Dave Hessekiel makes a standing offer: “Classmates: Consider this an invitation to come on by for a visit to Rye!” Dave and wife Andi “miss our girls (Kira graduated from Tufts in May and is teaching English in France; Sophie is a sophomore at Vassar)” but they’re also enjoying their newfound freedom. Dave was on tour in Beijing, Seoul, and Ljubljana, Slovenia, for the book Good Works! which he co-authored last year.

Naomi Fuchs says she is enjoying life in Sebastopol, Calif., with her husband of 30 years, David Willson. “We have three grown children and two grandchildren with another on the way. I found my dream job as the CEO of Santa Rosa Community Health Centers, a community clinic providing primary care, mental health, and obstetrics to 40,000 low-income, underserved people in the greater Santa Rosa area.”

Peter Brooks is living in West Windsor, N.J., with his wife, two poodles, and the youngest of his four children. He has been CEO of a technology services company owned by Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania for the last 10 years, after stints at two engineering software firms and three years running his own software company in Cambridge, Mass. His two middle children are in college, and the oldest graduated and is living and working in Brooklyn. He writes that he “still loves music and plays the cello often.”

Greg Ward is a board certified physician specializing in rehabilitation and pain management, and is founder of the Louisiana Institute of Physical Medicine in Baton Rouge. He forwarded a bio stating that he is the proud father of two daughters and is an avid fisherman.

Bill Anschell, who lives in Seattle, recently served on a National Endowment for the Arts music panel. In 2013, he released his first CD of original electronica. He says that over the years, he’s had many of his compositions placed in TV and film by LoveCat Music, which is owned by Randy Frisch ’84.

Anne Hietbrink writes: “I’ve been out of touch with most of my Wesleyan connections for a while. I am living part-time on Lopez Island in Washington State and part-time near Monterey in California with my long-time partner and now spouse (yay!), Beth Shirk, and our two dogs. I am drawing, writing, and exploring pottery after a career working with outliers of various descriptions. I am an enthusiastic cyclist, fascinated by the physics and the fun of those wheels going round. I am curious about my beloveds from the Wesleyan years.”

Stephanie Griffith
stephaniedgriffith@gmail.com

I write this sitting at my kitchen table on the first cold night in mid-November. The house is suddenly very quiet ever since my trio started college in the fall. Realizing my kids would soon leave the nest, I threw my hat in the ring last spring and offered to be class secretary; I figured I would have some free time. I must admit, being an empty nester is quite nice. Yes, I miss the kids and the hustle-bustle, but it is rather nice going to the supermarket every two weeks and having a clean house. Besides, only 16 more days until Thanksgiving…but I’m not counting! Professionally, I’ve returned to my Wes roots for a PhD in sociology, have been working at Rutgers University, the School of Public Affairs and Administration, conducting research on urban education and school reform, and am writing a dissertation. What was I saying about free time? Here now, the news:

George Russell writes: “I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with my partner, Dave, and my dog, Buck. I do bodywork, movement analysis, teaching and chiropractic in the Flatiron district of Manhattan. In July 2013, I directed a dance/theater version of a play by Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin called Savage/Love. It was produced by a performance space called HERE in Soho, and performed by De Facto Dance, which included Meg Fry ’91 and Kelly Donovan ’93.” George adds he recently saw Heather Masri, who works at NYU and is writing a book on science fiction writers; Carol Einhorn ’84 and her son, Griffin, age 5; and Melissa Wood, who teaches art at the Kent Place School in Summit, N. J.

Lee Hass reports she moved to Tasmania in 1993 and runs a nonprofit, Future Tasmanai, which works to help transition Tasmania towards a sustainable future, economically, environmentally, and socially. Kirsten Wasson has been transplanted, too. Kirsten has run away from upstate New York to the City of Angels and has landed in Beverly Hills. She works at a juice bar, seeking fame and misadventure. Kirsten’s son is also in Southern California and both are available for life-crisis consultation. Former class secretary, Cheri Litton Weiss, is also on the West Coast. Cheri recently enrolled in a graduate program in cantorial studies at the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles and continues to be the broker/owner of a real estate firm, Top Coast Properties.

Back to the East Coast: Jonathan Chatinover is the swim coach for the Martha’s Vineyard High School co-ed swim team and Craig Edwards, married to Mary K. Bercaw, lives in Mystic, Conn. Craig continues to perform, tour, and teach music (private fiddle lessons at Wes) when he is not developing exhibits and soundscapes for the Ellis Island, Lyman Allyn, and Mystic Seaport museums. David Frankfurter and Anath Golomb live in Durham, N.H., with their dog, Sadie. David is chair of the Boston University’s Religion department and Anath maintains her private psychotherapy practice in Portsmouth. Their daughter, Sariel, is in her second year at Columbia and their son, Raphael, graduated from Princeton last year and is the executive director of Wellbody Alliance, an NGO based in Sierra Leone.

Pam Dolin Mitamura shares that her oldest daughter is a PhD student at the University of Wisconsin, the middle one is a sophomore at Vassar, and the youngest daughter is a senior, applying to college. On behalf of the class of ’83, I want to express our condolences to Pam on the passing of her mother last year.

Also, our condolences to Kate Rabinowitz and Rameshwar Das ’69 on the tragic death of their 14-year-old daughter, Anna Mirabai Lytton. The full obituary can be found here. May their memories forever be a blessing in your lives. Kate wrote: “This year is beginning a new life, after the death of our 14-year-old daughter this summer from a tragic bicycle accident. Rameshwar Das ’69 and I have two children, James, 16, and Anna, 14. It is the greatest loss, as she was the greatest girl. She was the joy of all of us, smart and funny and independent and creative, beautiful and ‘better’ than her parents…she got the best of us, and took it much further. In her brief life, she lived in a beautiful oceanside retreat near New York City, traveled to India, Italy, England, Scotland, Canada, and all over the US. She experienced city life and the wilderness through the farm and wilderness camps in Vermont, camping with her family, and adventuring all over the West. What a gift that she had so much experience and joy to live and share. It is not for any of us to know how long we are to live.

We miss our dear Anna more than words can say.

A foundation has been established in her name that promotes arts and wellness programs for underserved populations in schools and community centers. Contributions can be made to Anna Mirabai Lytton Foundation, PO Box 625, Amagansett, N.Y. 11930.”

Thank you to everyone who sent me information for these Class Notes and/or a private e-mail to catch up. I’ve enjoyed checking e-mails these last few weeks and reconnecting with Wes folk. Until the next installment…stay in touch.

LAURIE COHEN
lauriec@rci.rutgers.edu

Happy winter, fellow classmates. Roger Pincus and I (Michael Steven Schultz) are your new class secretaries, and this is our first set of notes. I won the coin toss and will be your host this month, and Roger will take over next time. Thanks to all who took the time to send us a little news.

Chuck Schneider mentions in passing that he is a practicing medical oncologist at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute in Newark, Del. But he’d really rather talk about his fiction. A Portrait in Time, a thriller set in the contemporary Paris art world (and in 19th-century Paris, as well), is available in an Amazon Kindle edition (and soon in print). (charlesjschneider.com)

Paul Baker checks in from San Francisco to let us know about his November art show, featuring some new works. He and Scott Schryver call themselves “Art Men” (artmenart.com). The opening featured a signature whiskey-based cocktail called the “Jackson Pollock” (In past years, Paul was an exhibit designer at the Cleveland Museum of Art).

Don Rea left Bucknell University after 16 years and is now the technical manager of Arts People in Portland, Ore., (providing online ticketing and donation services to nonprofit theater and art organizations).

Mike Heydenburg checks in to say that he can’t really talk about much of what he’s doing, but he did get his second master’s of science from the National Intelligence University.

Lawrence Wiedeman also is unable to discuss too many details of his work, but does take time to mention a cardboard paddlewheel boat, a cow chip hurling soda bottle rocket, and 1930s golf clubs, among his non-work distractions.

Rick Davidman continues to work as an art dealer in NYC. He owns DFN Gallery (dfngallery.com), which is no longer a physical space but creates art exhibitions in several venues. Rick also acts as financial adviser to many artists, dealers, architects, and other members of the art/design world.

Hsiao-chiung (Helene) Li went to Hong Kong in 1993 after law school and still hasn’t left. She is no longer practicing law, but is married and is raising a family there, and often acts as a Hong Kong interviewer for Wesleyan.

Ellen Prager is back from the Galapagos Islands. As science adviser to Celebrity’s small cruise ship, Xpedition, she is able to make the trip several times a year. Like many of our classmates, she is also an author—her children’s illustrated book, Sea Slime: It’s Eeuwy, Gooey and Under the Sea, comes out in February, and she is starting a middle-grade fiction series with the book, The Shark Whisperer (available in February).

Michael Lewyn lives in Midtown and teaches property and environmental law at Touro Law Center on Long Island). He publishes articles on municipal planning and related issues, most recently in the Real Estate Law Journal. His writings appear regularly on two urban-planning blogs, the Planetizen (planetizen.com) and the Congress for New Urbanism (cnu.org/cnu-salons).

Joel Fein is part of Osler Circle, an almost-all-doctor Beatles cover band from CHOP (Childrens’ Hospital of Philadelphia), and played a gig at World Café Live in November (oslercircle.org).

Sally Bromage Suhr is celebrating 25 years of marriage and an empty nest (in Marietta, Ga.). She has left her second-grade teaching job after 11 years. Her daughter, Abby, graduated from UGA in May and is a kindergarten teacher at a charter school in Brooklyn; Dylan is a junior at Georgia College; and Anna is a freshman at Savannah College of Art and Design. She wants to know if Cathy, Melissa, Liz, Tammy and Jon are coming to Reunion.

Speaking of Reunion, Gail Jenkins Farris is already planning the 30th Reunion and is looking for submissions for a slide show (send to gailfarris@aol.com). Her daughter, Kim ’14, is graduating this year, and daughter Jen ’16 is also at Wesleyan (currently a sophomore).

See everyone in May?

Michael Steven Schultz and Roger Pincus
mschultz84@wesleyan.edu
Rpincus84@wesleyan.edu

Mary Beth writes: The flurry of 50th birthday celebrations has been lots of fun. I remember being a student at Wesleyan and thinking turning 30 would feel strange! This past fall I had brunch with Desirée Alvarez, Amy Seplin and Liz Maher Muoio, whose daughter, Molly ’17, is a frosh. Joe Muoio ’13 attended Homecoming 2013 weekend last fall with Molly and members of his former Wesleyan football team, including Head Coach and Wesleyan Athletic Director Mike Whalen ’83. Wes enjoyed victories over Amherst and Williams this year, winning our first Little Three Crown since 1970. Desiree, Amy and I had to feign interest in football while Liz explained how remarkable this achievement is. But, really: WOW. Congratulations and thank you, Mike! Amy Seplin has been a film editor since graduating from Columbia Film School, working in NYC on documentaries, and has now returned to Columbia to become a nurse practitioner. By the time you read this, we will have surprised her with a birthday toast at Bemelmen’s Bar. Desirée Alvarez is an artist and poet living in Soho. She exhibits widely and her fabric art can be seen at Central Booking Gallery on the Lower East Side. She designed sets for Gayathri Khemadasa and Jeff Hush ‘84’s Phoolan Devi Opera, which was performed at South Church in Middletown last spring. She also teaches at New York City College of Technology, CUNY. You can see more work and get more details at her website. Last April Desirée had an exhibit at Piermont Straus Gallery, owned by Laura Straus ’88, where Patty Fabricant has also exhibited. Patty has been hard at work designing many beautiful books over the years, and drawing and painting seriously in more recent years. She has now amassed an impressive and varied portfolio of work, and she is exhibiting more widely; details and images are available on her website. Patty and I had dinner last fall with Ellen MacLeod Korbonski, who has two young daughters and is also creating artwork in varied media, including some mesmerizing embroidery.

I attended the Second Annual Guitar Mash in New York, an interactive play-and-sing-along fundraising event, co-produced by Brooklynite Maureen McSherry ’87, who has become an all-around theatrical and event producer. She is a producer of Matilda, The Musical, and a producer of The Williamsburg Independent Film Festival. She also produced a beautiful, talented daughter who is trying to launch an acting career.

Michael Stephen Schultz ’84 and I also attended Dana Lesley Goldstein’s play, Daughters of the Sexual Revolution, at Workshop Theatre in New York this past fall, and was happy to learn that Dana was getting inquiries from additional producers as a result of this production. The play is about a family with a daughter who attends a liberal arts college in New England, which felt familiar.

I am hearing good things from friends who have attended the Wesleyan Sons and Daughters weekend, which I attended last year with my son. It’s a smart way to start the college application process, helped us tremendously, and I recommend it to everyone with children in high school. Keep the notes coming, and happy birthday to the last few of you who have yet to cross over. Feels fine on this side.

CAROLINE WILKINS and MARY BETH KILKELLY
mbkeds@Yahoo.com
cwilkins85@yahoo.com

We are nearing (or at) 50 years old, and there are lots of changes in our lives. For me, a new career path means I spend weekends in Maine with my family and weeknights in Boston with my 80-year-old mother. I now do corporate relations in the College of Engineering at Northeastern University, and in the evening I work on a doctoral degree in organizational leadership. The goal is to complete my degree in 2016, the same year my twins get their high-school degree.

Here are similar stories from classmates:
Sarah Bosch Holbrooke: “After living in NYC since graduation, I moved with my family to Telluride in August. My husband, David, runs Mountainfilm.org, and we thought it would be nice for our three kids (Bebe, 18, Kitty, 13, and Wiley, 11) to experience four seasons of outdoor fun. I’m continuing to work in television production, freelancing for the Katie Couric daytime talk show. I think the biggest changes are that I’m making dinner rather than reservations, bears run outside our back door, and it’s mid-October and we’ve already had several serious snow storms. It’s all good, but a real adjustment from Brooklyn.”

Charlie Berthoud: “After 10 years near Pittsburgh, we moved to Madison, Wis. and love it here. I am serving as the pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church—a wonderful progressive congregation. My wife is looking for lawyer-related work after 12 years at home with our two boys. Emma Caspar ’85 is here too, and we enjoyed catching up at Nepalese restaurant. Life is good.”

Julia Lee Barclay-Morton: “I fell in love and got married at 50 for starters(!) to my beloved Canadian, John Barclay-Morton. I have found true love and am astonished by the grace of this. Having never experienced it, I didn’t know what I was missing until I found it. I was recently hired to edit a book by the widow of a well-known theater theorist (Stefan Brecht) of his writing on a favorite director/writer (Richard Foreman). This happened in part because of Wesleyan connections and work begun at Wes as a student. I also teach writing at Fordham, which is something new that I have discovered I love. Just two years ago, I moved back to NYC from the UK (where I had lived for eight years), with a PhD in hand (received at 46), a marriage ended, a theatre company disbanded, my father having died and finding out that my last name was a fiction because of WWII (and in the process discovering a new family). There were other losses as well, including a miscarriage, infertility, my stepfather’s death, friends dying, my cat of 20 years dying—in other words life in and around 50. Throughout all of this, I maintained my sobriety and celebrated 26 years clean and sober last year—a reminder throughout all of the good, the bad, and the ugly, that I am lucky to be alive. I feel truly blessed now, renewed after a time of grieving, and now able to participate once again fully in the world.”

Ellen Santistevan: “Going into the field of bodywork has been an absolutely amazing and life-changing journey. Everything about my life is healthier: most especially self awareness and relationships. It has been a true gift. Coincident (or nearly so) with opening myself up in this way has been a flowering of my artwork. Never before have I been so able and so needing to devote myself to writing and painting. There is a feedback loop between the creative personal work (internal) and the bodywork career (external), each of which enhances the other. I don’t suppose that I could have come to this point in my life without all the other experiences I have gone through. Just as I was unable to do a handstand as a child, and now am unbelievably surprised to be able to do so, even as I am approaching 50—age does have its perks.”

Elaine Taylor-Klaus: “In a nutshell, as a socio-preneur I am working to change the way that parents live with and manage children with chronic illness and special needs. Two years ago I launched ImpactADHD, a global resource for parents that is the first of a network of coaching/training resource sites and programs. With an emphasis on the importance of the role of the parent, we will expand the wellness model to teach parents to teach their children to live with and thrive with disease, rather than be defined and exclusively limited by it. We are setting up strong systems to meet the needs of families, introducing a new way to manage old problems. Research is proving that parent training improves efficacy of other treatment methodologies, and health care is moving in the direction of a wellness approach to medical care. These factors combined make the ‘coach-approach’ to parenting an ideal solution for families.”

Ethan Knowlden: “This summer, I had a job change: Senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Complete Genomics, Inc., in Mountain View, Calif. We have about 200 employees, and my department is two. We have a very cool technology that allows us to provide the most accurate whole human genome sequencing available today. In March we were acquired by BGI, the world’s largest sequencing company, headquartered in Shenzhen. Complete’s mission is to improve human health by providing genomic information to understand, prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and conditions. That is something I’m excited to be part of.”

A P.S. from Eric: Many thanks to you for your generosity: 243 classmates made a contribution to Wesleyan last year. As I am turning 50 this year, I am giving contributions of $50 (or multiples of 50) to a bunch of organizations. Some gifts, such as the one to Wes, are in memory of friends who have died and never made it to 50. If you are looking for a reason to give to Wes, check out thisiswhy.wesleyan.edu.

Eric Howard
EricInMaine@gmail.com

Muzzy Rosenblatt may even be more ubiquitous in NYC than he was at Wesleyan. In the span of a couple of weeks this past fall, I ran into him at a fundraising breakfast for our favorite US Senator (Michael Bennet), I saw him moderate a fascinating panel of some of Wesleyan’s most illustrious New York public policy minds (John Rhea, Shola Olatoye ’96, Sharon Greenberger ’88, John Alschuler ’70) at a “Future of the City” discussion regarding the challenges our new mayor will face, and then I opened up my New Yorker magazine on Nov. 11 to find a letter Muzzy wrote on the work he’s done with the BRC! And he did it all wearing his big red cardinal costume!

In addition to Muzzy, I was lucky enough to lay eyes on a number of classmates recently. I saw Rob Campbell give an amazing performance at Playwrights Horizons last November. I ran into Michael Pruzan at a book party for his sister-in-law Tracey Winn Pruzan ’85, and I got to have a long overdue lunch with my old roomie Lisa Abroms Herz. I also saw Molly Renfroe and her husband, Dan Katz ’85, at a party this fall.

Mark Pinto wrote in: “Little change here. Still living in Tacoma, Wash., with my partner, Jeff Williams, and working as a residential real estate broker. Just got back from a great trip to Barcelona. Looking forward to seeing classmates Jennifer Bush and Grier Mendel in Seattle in a few weeks.”

Imagine my delight to receive this e-mail from Joss Whedon: “For reasons too complex even for me to understand, I have not been killed. I have however had my consciousness transferred into the body of a very old (and rather bald) man, and I’m planning a strongly worded letter on the subject. I am splitting my time between LA (which is a desert) and England (which is like Eden except you can eat an apple and nobody gets huffy about it), where I’m working on a startlingly original idea I call a ‘superhero franchise.’ My progeny, in fifth and third grades respectively, are thoughtful, funny, and considerate, so I am demanding a paternity test. In my spare time I enjoy not having any spare time. I keep in touch with almost no one from our days of salad except Thomas Plotkin ’86, whom I seldom actually see but who lives forever in my heart and should really get a place of his own.”

Also in West Coast news, Richter Hartig was promoted by Starz to senior vice president for original programming production finance.

Joshua Bellin writes “The big news in my life is that my debut novel, a young adult science fiction novel titled Survival Colony Nine, has been accepted for publication (it’s due out next year).”

Stephen Porter reports that he is “happily living the midwestern whitebread life in St. Paul, Minn. I work as a research scientist at the local VA hospital studying antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Melissa and I have now been married for 21 years. Our son, Daniel ’16, is a sophomore at Wes. This was entirely his idea. He is living in WesCo, is in CSS, and claims to be working really hard. Wesleyan has truly proven to be a great fit for him. There is nothing like watching your child thrive at your alma mater to prove what a great school Wesleyan truly is!”

“Thanks to the support of many Wes alums and other good people,” writes Tim Sheridan, “we hit our Kickstarter goal in July. The book, Thunder & Lightning: a Story for a Stormy Night, is now available at thunderlightning.bigcartel.com.

Leslie Cannold wrote, “I do have news! My third book, The Book of Rachael, which went into a second printing here in Australia is being published in the US this December! It will be the feature title for my publisher, and continue to be prominent in their advertising through January as it is seen as a great holiday gift for anyone (Christian, Jew, Atheist, Feminist, etc.) who likes a ripping historical yarn with great sex. You can find out more about the book here: cannold.com/articles/article/the-book-of-rachael.”

Nancy Dobrow Bean “lives in the Pioneer Valley, Western Mass., with my husband, Mike, and our three daughters, Grace (9), Julia (15) and Maddi (18). Maddi just started her freshman year at Emory in Atlanta this September. Big change in the household! The girls are all singing and dancing, playing soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, skiing, hiking… we don’t sit around much! Mike sells organic coffee and our house generally smells like roasted coffee and wine. We are surrounded by farms, the Mt. Tom and Skinner Mountain Range, Mt. Holyoke Mountains, and the Connecticut River. We are also adjacent to our rivals at Amherst College! My event marketing and production company, Wise Up Events, is based in Boston. We just wrapped up production for the Taste of WGBH Food & Wine Festival in September, and the James Beard Foundation Taste America Tour in October. Now we gear up for full pre-production for the Nantucket Wine Festival. I am co-owner and director of the NWF. It takes about 11 months to produce, includes 50 different events over five days, and takes place every May. This May will be our 18th annual festival. I stay in touch regularly with my BFF Sibyll Carnochan Catalan, and would love to connect with other Wes alums! Best to reach me at: nancy@wiseupevents.com or cell: 617/755-5523.”

Joe Crivelli wrote in to tell me he regularly posts information on WesConnect, but that it feels like his own personal blog since he can never find other classmates posting. Feel free to join Joe and post your news on WesConnect, too—maybe it will catch on.

Have a happy and healthy 2014!

Amanda Jacobs Wolf
wolfabj@gmail.com

Peter writes for this issue.

Kelli Craig-Henderson reports: “I am just packing up for a move to Japan to head the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Tokyo Office. I’d enjoy hearing from any classmates who happen to be in my new neighborhood.”

After some 25 years of working for print newspapers, Jenifer McKim is moving into the exciting new nonprofit world of investigative journalism. “I left the Boston Globe, where I’ve worked for the last five years, and joined the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, a small newsroom based out of Boston University and WGBH radio/TV. I’m writing, editing, teaching, and helping build this new initiative, which can be found at www.necir.org.”

Bobbito Garcia advises: “On the career side, the doc I co-directed Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC, which peaked at #2 on iTunes Top Sports Movies and #4 on their Top Docs list. Broadcast premiere on PBS will be in early 2014. Also, the 10th anniversary edition of my book Where’d You Get Those? New York City’s Sneaker Culture: 1960–1987 (Testify Publishing) hits shops December 2nd.”

Hannah Doress shares that “I’m glad to be working on meaningful projects—I spearheaded a collaborative bilingual organizing project on Sea Level Rise called Shore Up Marin which received funding from San Francisco Foundation. I will produce my fourth Earth Day Marin Festival and Day of Action on April 6th. I recently co-launched Gluten Free Traditions, an affordable online cookbook series authored by my wife, Emily Bender. I had a major Wesleyan flashback when I visited Poland with my mother, who was speaking at the U Lodz Gender Studies Conference. It was just like Wes but international! My 10-year-old son, Abraham, is learning holistic horsemanship from Alane Freund ’87. We see Ilana Trumbull-Stearns ’90 for acupuncture. We had a recent mini-reunion with Ilana, Sara Elsa-Beech (now an architect), Jen Balfour ’90 (practicing acupuncture), and Stephanie Haffner ’91 (a public interest lawyer). Last Wes reunion before that was in SF with Ilana, Stephanie, Amy Randall ’89, Judith Sansone ’89, Seth Cousins ’91, and Jason Dewees. I saw Michael Frank ’86 at a fundraiser with his cute husband—Michael is city manager of Novato. We love visitors so let us know if you’ll be in the area.”

Chris Pearson is living out in Santa Cruz, Calif. “Susan and I just celebrated our 19th anniversary. We have 16- and 11-year-old daughters, and are starting to look at colleges for the oldest. I’m still working at West Marine, where I’m the marketing director for the B2B division.”

Mark Niles left his position at the Seattle University School of Law, returning to Washington, D.C., in order to work at American University. He is “looking forward to seeing many of my Wes alumni friends in the D.C. area, including Dana Martin ’86 and David Hill ’86 among others. Recently went on a college trip with my 17-year-old daughter that included Wesleyan. She really liked it, but her mom went to Williams, so we will see…”

Daniel Rosenberg advises, “It’s been a busy year. We spent the summer in Berlin at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and are now on sabbatical at the Stanford Humanities Center, which is terrific.”

PETER v.s. BOND and Hillary Ross
007@pvsb.org; hrossdance@yahoo.com