1991 – Page 4 – Wesleyan Magazine Classnotes

Class Notes | 1990s2014/07/032014/12/03

CLASS OF 1991 | 2014 | ISSUE 2

Happy spring? I wonder as I compile the notes. I do hope it’s here to stay once this column hits your mailbox. There are far more interesting things to read than the weather, so here we go:

Carol Sherwin writes, “I just finished a two-year stint in the retail sector; working in a department store environment has been the toughest career to date, and for anyone keeping score I now count at least five, including: “mad scientist” at Consumer Reports Magazine, clinical professor at NYU, business strategy consultant and HR director. Not sure of my next step, I headed back to where it all started and attended Connect@Wes, a two-day seminar. I hadn’t been back to campus in more than 10 years, and it is as beautiful as ever. I ran into Cecilia Pohorille McCall, who is doing very interesting work that draws on her legal training.

“While on campus, I participated in the “speed interviewing program organized by the Career Center and got to check in with our class’ dean, Meg Zocco, who now works in University Relations. So many surprises on campus: a moment of silence for Mocon; a moment of amazement at the coffee bar/sandwich shop in the Science Center lobby. And everyone has a laptop….”

Carol adds that she still lives in Westchester, N.Y., with her husband of 17 years and while she figures out her next career step, she’ll continue her volunteer work for Wesleyan, conducting alumni interviews for prospective students, “I joined WAAV six months after we graduated and have never failed to learn something from interviewing a student!”

Kristin Sandvik Lush was in Tokyo in autumn 2013, and when she posted on Facebook “I’m in Tokyo,” Sarah Sutter responded “OK! Where can we meet up?” Kristin and Sarah connected in person over the course of the time Kristin was in Japan. The impromptu visit concluded with a gathering at an izakaya in Kanda later in the week. “It was great to see her—it had been 20+ years!”

Kristin adds, “Upon my arrival, my former student asked, “What do you want to do in Tokyo?” I hadn’t done any pre-tour homework, until I met up with Sarah, and she wrote out a Cool-Things-to-See-and-Do list, with a key train stations map on the back! Who needs Lonely Planet when you’ve got a frosh year WestColleague with local knowledge?! I’m looking forward to her spending a holiday with us in New Zealand!”

Sarah continues to teach at the American School in Japan. Some of her photos were published in The Sky Unchanged, a collection of photographs, interviews and tanka poems from survivors of the 3/11 triple disasters. The poems are printed in Japanese and English, but the interviews are only in Japanese. You can view Sarah’s photos in the book here: bookclub.kodansha.co.jp/books/topics/kawaranaisora/.

Michelle Lockhart has been busy in Texas launching Charlotte Max Designs, named for her grandmother. Michelle took her love of 1950s vintage Lucite handbags and accessories and updated them with bright colors and contemporary lines. Look for them in museum stores and at charlottemax.com. “We are proud that all of our products are handmade in the US and cruelty-free.”

Alexander Levi a hybrid 1990–91 grad, shares “recent highlights of a very Wesleyan-rooted adventure in creative, innovative, professional success: after practicing 10 years in Spain and five years in NYC, my studio, SLO Architecture, is winning awards: Harvest Dome 2.0 won the 2013 Dwell Vision Award and the 2014 AIANY Design Award; Bronx River Right-of-Way won an unprecedented second Blinder Award from the James Marston Fitch Foundation; and SLO is almost done with the construction of an integrated art installation for an elevated NYC Subway stop in the Bronx, the Cross-Bronx Waterway.”

More awards for classmates: Andrew Junke won this year’s Marvin B. Sussman Best Dissertation Award from Yale University’s sociology department. He will give a lecture at Yale in conjunction with the award. Brian Howell has been promoted to full professor at Wheaton College in Illinois.

Dan Prieto, Jerome Copulsky and Jeff Hayes spent a “what happens in…” style weekend in New Orleans in March. Not long after that, Jerome and Dan hosted Jeremy Sacks in DC, when he was in town from Portland, Oregon. Of note, they were sitting across the bar from Sting, who was in town for a concert.

Stuart Rockoff is now executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. He and wife Susan live in Jackson with their two daughters. A few hours away, Laurie Woods lives in Oxford, Miss., with her Mississippi-native husband. She teaches a very small class (three boys) of elementary students at a Montessori school and will soon begin a master of education in literacy with the goal of becoming a literacy specialist.

Jennifer Fletcher completed a Master of Teaching degree at the University of Sydney in 2013 and teaches high school English. She recently took her family to their first baseball game in Australia! Jennifer excitedly reports, “We (Team Australia–notice my shifted allegiance) thrashed the Diamondbacks.”

After 10 years raising children, Debby Popkin is practicing midwifery again and finally fulfilling her dream of attending home births, along with Lillian Siegel, ’08, CNM. You can find them in the Southington, Conn. area.

I close this issue with sad news. Brain Lenhard died suddenly on March 13, 2014. Brian lived in Wilmington, Del., and his loss is mourned by his wife, Melissa Dodds Lenhard, and children Nicholas and Caroline. If you’d like to share a story about Brian, I would be happy to publish it in the next issue of class notes.

Renée K. Carl | rcarl@wesleyan.edu

Obituaries | 1990-19992013/10/25

KIM-MARIE MARSH WALKER ’91

KIM-MARIE MARSH WALKER was born on October 7, 1969 at Misericordia Hospital, Bronx, New York to Darlene P. Huger Marsh and Arthur Marsh, Jr. The eldest of three siblings, Kim seemed to be one of those rare individuals born with incredible gifts of creativity, intelligence and leadership.

Kim attended P.S. 85 in the NYC public school system. Accepted to the Prep for Prep Program, Kim entered the Birch Wathen Private School for grades 7-12, graduating and making her mark as Class Valedictorian. As a student at Wesleyan University, Kim-Marie often demonstrated a very special ability to give of herself to others. She participated in the Big Sister/Little Sister program. Pursuing her aspiration to become lawyer, Kim-Marie received her law degree form Northeastern Law School. During her time there she also rose to the position of President of Northeastern chapter of BLSA (Black Law Student Association) and Regional Director of the National Black Law Students Association.

Kim-Marie was admitted to the Bar in the states of Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, the District of Columbia, and the Supreme Court. She was a member of the American Bar, DC and Maryland Bar Associations. Practicing her profession, Kim-Marie worked for the Legal Aid Society in NY, advocating for the rights of juveniles, served as Law Clerk for Judge Mott, Washington D.C., was an attorney in the Office of Corporation Counsel and, at the time of her passing, was an Associate at the Law Firm of Anthony Davenport, ESQ, P.C., Washington, DC.

While Law was a major part of her life, family was the joy of her life. The joy erupted even more when she met and then married her all too brief life partner, Ray Walker, on December 18, 1999. What a delight it was for her to send greetings to others under the signature, “The Walkers” Ray, Kim-Marie, Sapphyra and Ena.

Kim-Marie had long ago received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Her willingness to openly share her faith caused many around her to more personally embrace that faith as well. She had an almost uncanny ability to touch others in meaningful ways. She also possessed an acerbic wit that sometimes stung but always loved.

Even in the midst of illness and pain, Kim-Marie cheered others along. She has fought a good fight and kept the faith. On Sunday, January 16, 2005, just as the light of the new day dawned, with her God-mother’s arms wrapped around her, Kim-Marie smiled one last earth-bound smile as her spirit rose up to go into the arms of her Lord. She entered into her rest with such a glory and peace on her countenance that could only have come from God.

The list of individuals and people groups who will cherish the memory of Kim-Marie Walker is far too numerous to record. But highlighted among them are most certainly her beloved husband, Ray, the children she so adored and loved with all her heart, 9 year old Sapphyra Imani and 2 year old Ena Patrice; her mother Darlene Huger Marsh, father, Arthur Marsh, Jr, mother-in law and father-in-law, Ena and Ralph Walker; her brother, Cairo K. Marsh and sister, Dara K. Marsh; Grandmother, Rev. Odessa L. Huger, Uncle, Raymond Huger; Aunts, Rev. Dr. Brenda Huger Hazel, Josephine Claybon, Karen Huger and Hilda Brown, Great Aunt Dorothy Stewart and cousins who were more like another brother and sisters, George Hazel, Tracey Fuller and Renee Huger; her brother in law, Ralph (Jr.) Walker, other loving relatives and a true host of friends.

We celebrate your life, Kim-Marie!

Obituaries | 1990-19992013/10/25

SHARON L. CAMPBELL-EVANS ’91

Sharon L. Campbell-Evans, a class dean in the undergraduate divisions at Columbia University, died Feb 10, 2008, after a two-year battle with breast cancer. She was 38. Elected Secretary of the Class of 1991, she was an English major and earned her master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia University. Subsequently, she joined the Office of Residential and Campus Life at Colgate University. She is survived by her husband, Clayton B. Evans, their son, and her mother.

Class Notes | 1990s2013/10/242014/08/18

Class of 1991 | 2014 | Issue 1

We’ll start off Notes with not one, but two reports from campus:

Tibby Erda Mahler went to Homecoming 2013 and watched Wesleyan beat Williams and win the Little Three outright. A former student of hers plays on the team and Tibby’s son is a quarterback, so she has a whole new appreciation for football. “Campus looked awesome. We ventured down to the ‘new’ fieldhouse and watched volleyball, as my 12-year-old is a player and wanted to see a college game. Felt great to be back on campus. Hard to believe either of my kids could be there in five or six years. I’d be honored, as would my husband and my dad.”

Meanwhile, our very own Trustee, Dan Prieto, has been up to campus twice for board meetings. He’s been impressed by campus and the students. Dan serves on the University Relations Committee, focused on improving career resources for students and improving connectivity between students and alumni in their fields of interest. Dan asks, “If any folks from our class are willing to engage students to get them interested in particular career fields, let me know. We’re starting career-centered Facebook groups to bring alumni and students together. First one out of the gate is WesCareers Finance.”

Moving into the world of art and entertainment, Evie Manieri reports that the mass market paperback of her debut novel, Blood’s Pride, comes out from Tor Books in late January 2014.

Suki Stetson Hawley has been making films with her husband, Michael Galinsky, and partner David Beilinson, for 15 years under the company name Rumur. Together, they’ve made five documentary features and lots of shorts. Three recent efforts include: Battle for Brooklyn, shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2012. It’s the story of reluctant activist Daniel Goldstein as he struggles to save his home and community from being demolished to make way for a basketball arena and the densest real estate development in U.S. history. Along the way, he falls in love, gets married and starts a family while living in a vacated building in the heart of Brooklyn. Who Took Johnny premiers at Slamdance in January 2014, and examines the infamous case of Johnny Gosch, the first missing child to appear on a milk carton. Finally, they are launching a kickstarter campaign for Story of Pain, delving into the state of mind-body medicine in our culture and healthcare system.

Eva Pendleton has a new position as Manager of Integrative Health at NYU Clinical Cancer Center, responsible for developing and overseeing programs to help support patients during and after their cancer journey, including massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga and meditation.

Alisa Rosen is celebrating the first birthday of her daughter, Sophie Anna, in February.

Deborah Sue Mayer is concluding a nine-month deployment as a commander in the U.S. Navy assigned as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for Joint Task Force Guantanamo. By the time of publication, she will be back to her job as the director of investigations for the Committee on Ethics, U.S. House of Representatives, and her new house in Alexandria, Va.

Lindsey Cowell Parsons is now the program coordinator at the Center for Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Studies at Georgetown University. Speaking of New Zealand, Kristin Elisabeth Sandvik Lush announces an open invitation to couch surf in Aotearoa.

Finally, a bit of news about me: After years in policy and politics, I needed a change. I took some time off and worked on a long-standing project, trying to figure out where in “Russia” my family originated. It became an obsessive, fascinating project ranging across multiple countries in Eastern Europe. Friends asked me to help them, then friends started paying me to help them, and easterneuropeanmutt.com was born. Never in a million years would I have predicted I would become a genealogist! I absolutely love learning the history of family migration, and finding the little stories that make each experience unique.

All the best to everyone—don’t forget to write!

Renée K. Carl
rcarl@wesleyan.edu

Obituaries | 1990-19991991/10/192013/10/29

MARK SMUCKLER ’91

Mark Smuckler, a PhD student in organic chemistry at UCLA, died April 30, 2008. He was 38. A chemistry major at Wesleyan, he worked for DuPont in Boston before returning to his studies in 1994. He lived in Los Angeles for 12 years, where he was able to indulge his passions for music and film. Survivors include his parents and sister, Abby Smuckler ’89.