Class Notes - Kenyon Alumni Bulletin

1950s

1954

Michael E. Hayden, Stamford, Connecticut, a retired commercial airline pilot and captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, flew off six aircraft carriers and has been an ocean racing navigator. He has flown in eight Bermuda races and northeast to the Caribbean.

1958

Martin A. Berg, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is in his fifth year as assistant football coach at John Jay High School in Cleveland. Alongside head coach Rodney C. Decipeda ’96, Marty is “preparing young men to be responsible and caring adults,” he writes. The team has won the Cleveland city championship for the last three years.

A Life in Many Acts

Stephen Wachtel ’59 P’87 has worn many hats — scientist, painter and jazz musician among them.

1960s

1960

Samuel J. Hough, Cranston, Rhode Island, spent much of last year in hospitals or recovering, but he continues writing and researching.

1960

Brent E. Scudder, New London, New Hampshire, was on campus in May and gives a thumbs down to the interim buildings next to Ransom Hall that currently house library services in preparation for the new facility. “The Kenyon campus was voted among the five most beautiful in the country,” he notes, warning, “Don’t go the way of Dartmouth, the campus of which has gone from beautiful to mundane!”

1962

Byron S. Dunham and partner Dick Hanna drove the 1,400-mile round trip from their winter place in Skidaway Island, Georgia, to New Orleans “to commemorate our very astute but accidental meeting-up there at that exact time (2:35 p.m.) fifty years ago,” he writes. “The old dive bar on Bourbon where it happened — Lafitte’s in Exile, still there — presented us with a decent bottle of champagne to go. Lots of alums are lucky enough to enjoy all kinds of fiftieth anniversaries, and I’m glad to add mine to the pot!”

1966

Frank “Burt” Dibble, Rye, New Hampshire, reports that his two kids and four grandchildren are prospering. Burt serves on the New Hampshire Board of Registration in Medicine and has been active with local efforts to save their historic town hall from developers. He enjoys working in medication-assisted therapy clinics with the opioid-dependent, “a fascinating and deserving group of folks,” he writes. Travel to Texas, Colorado, Toronto and Italy are on his schedule.

1966

Robert P. Moyer, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, published 51 of his haiku in both electronic and print journals and judged the 2017 British Haiku Society Contest. “I am currently working with former Kenyon prof Terry Schupbach Gordon on a handmade book filled with haiku by 50 seventh-graders,” Bob writes. In April he conducted a workshop called Haiku on the Hoosatonic with John O. Case '66 for the Hoosic River Watershed in Williamstown, Massachusetts. “Oh, and I get to put up with ALO fraternity brother Tom Baley ’70 once a month as a member of the Triangle Pen Lovers Club in Chapel Hill.”

1967

Richard G. Freeman practices law in Philadelphia—“a vibrant jurisdiction (beats New York; more civil),” he writes. Rick enjoys playing with his granddaughter and videoconferencing with son Joseph H. Freeman ’05, who is in Bangkok. Noting that he recently finished reading Shakespeare’s sonnets with the aid of a 1914 commentary, he reports that a neighbor once asked his wife what she was reading and added, “I won’t ask Rick; I want to know what normal people are reading.” His retort: “What’s wrong with Montaigne and Plutarch, I ask?”

1969

Peter D. Lawrason, a full-time practicing OB/GYN, lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, with his wife, Tracy. High school daughter Addie was one of three freshmen from the interior to qualify for the state track meet. One son began college at Central Michigan, another daughter graduated from college, another is an osteopath in Oregon, and two other sons and two grandsons live on the East Coast.

1969

William M. Lokey, Tacoma, Washington, just “had a grand adventure” with Kevin A. Conry ’71 while attempting to climb Mount Rainier. Bill reports: “Bad storm, two days in the tent; got smart and headed to the Pacific Coast and Mount St. Helens. Also visited John H. Greller ’68 at his home in Newburg, Oregon.”

1970s

1970

David P. Adams, Emeryville, California, hosted Eric P. Allemano '70 this year, and they hoped to visit Bertram B. Parker '70 together but were halted by a hurricane. “I was unable to get any news of Bert for several days,” David writes, “but was glad to learn that he and his 19th-century house had come through pretty well.” David takes lifelong learning classes in Berkeley and recently enjoyed a Lincoln biography that included citations from works by Daniel M. Epstein '70.

1970

The Rev. Scott O. Fisher, Fairbanks, Alaska, retired from active ministry in 2015. Residing in the interior of Alaska, Scott is “enjoying birch trees, grandchildren and the company of squirrels,” he shares.

1970

E. Robert Plunkett, Andover, Massachusetts, updates: “Paul G. Keiner '70 writes only that I reside at Marland Place. He neglected to mention that I still rise at six a.m., run five miles, do 100 sit-ups and lead a prayer group, just as I did at Kenyon. Hello to all my old (and getting older) friends.” Bob adds that he “still avoids any legal or criminal intoxicants.”

1970

David Taylor became chief medical officer at Vaxart, a San Francisco-area clinical-stage biotech company developing recombinant vaccines taken orally rather than by injection. Formerly a research professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, an epidemic scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and medical director for several other biotech companies, David served 22 years in research institutes within the U.S. Army. In a press release, Vaxart CEO Wouter Latour described David as “a drug discovery and development veteran with deep industry knowledge developing vaccines, with expertise in the design, execution and analysis of norovirus and influenza vaccine trials.”

1972

Alan S. Bamberger, San Francisco, has run the website artbusiness.com since 1998. “In addition to appraising art and writing about the art business,” he explains, “I consult and advise artists, buyers, sellers, collectors and anyone else needing assistance on art-related matters.” Little, Brown recently published an enlarged, updated British edition of his book “The Art of Buying Art.”

1972

David M. Jaffe, Jackson Heights, New York, is still acting, directing and partnering on short videos under the moniker of the Alligator People. (Look up David Murray Jaffe on YouTube for a sample.) He hopes to produce a play — “if we can raise the dough,” he adds.

1973

James H. Hodge informs that he and Carole R. “Robi” Artman-Hodge '73 divide their time between Travelers Rest, South Carolina, and Stowe, Vermont. “We have both retired from the corporate world,” he writes. Jim continues to teach graduate economics at NYU.

1973

“We have one of our three children nearby (but none of our grandchildren). I am a priest and chaplain. Golf is affordable in the Northwest. Welcome.”

— Jim Wright, Hillsboro, Oregon

1974

Peter Smagorinsky, Athens, Georgia, was one of two recipients of the inaugural International Federation for the Teaching of English Award for making internationally distinguished contributions to scholarship in the field of English in education. Heinemann is now publishing the second edition of his “Teaching English by Design,” first released in 2008.

1975

Mary Kay Karzas retired from educational fundraising in 2011 and has since “jumped to the volunteer side of the desk, serving on a variety of board and committees,” she writes. She and Warren live in downtown Chicago but travel when they can, occasionally to Gambier. “We have actually come to like cruises,” she notes, “especially not having to pack and unpack daily. Have met interesting people along the way.” They had a fun visit this year with Raye M. Koch '75 and Susan Schrier Davis '75. “If you are passing through Chicago, please let me know.”

1975

Jo Anne Mittelman, Pleasanton, California, still enjoys the Bay Area while working in HR for Carl Zeiss Meditec. “Still in the ribbons showing our Cavalier King Charles spaniels!” she adds.

1978

Robert K. Lundin, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, recently traveled to Princeton to sit on a panel with other literary magazine editors at a conference organized by The Nassau Literary Review to talk about “The Mind on the Page.” Bob founded and is the editor of The Awakenings Review, a “literary magazine entirely committed to advancing and nurturing the work of writers and poets with mental illness,” he writes. “The annual journal has attracted submissions from all corners of the U.S. and many foreign countries.”

1980s

1980

Erica Lindberg Gourd, Stonington, Connecticut, reminisces that as a “failed pre-med major who became a history major,” what she loved best of all was time in the art studio. Today she helps people create and visualize art, products and new businesses, offering workshops at lindbergdesigns.com. “Continuing to love and appreciate the Kenyon liberal arts education as I ‘bob and weave’ to adapt my skills to adjust to working in each new decade,” she writes. “Wishing all of the class the very, very best.”

1980

Quentin R. Hardy, Berkeley, California, marked a year at Google this February. “Very interesting to change industries at 60,” he explains, and “to think through the ramifications of fundamentally changing human civilization. P.S.: The free food doesn’t get old.”

1982

Stephen F. Hale is the founding brewer at Schlafly Beer in St. Louis. “Come by for a beer!” he says.

1982

Frances H. “Corky” Hebert, Lutherville, Maryland, has had her own Baltimore-area flower-arranging business called Petal Pushers for four years now.

1983

Giuseppe C. Basili, Weston, Connecticut, was promoted to executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, a scholarship organization. Seppy’s commentary and perspectives on college access and admission have been featured in the New York Times and on NPR and the Today show, among other venues. Since 2000 the foundation has awarded over $175 million in scholarships to high-achieving students with financial needs.

1984

Donata A. Rechnitzer practices medicine in Columbus, Ohio, as the director of ExpressMed, with three locations offering urgent- and primary-care services. “I envy my classmates who are contemplating retirement!” she adds.

1985

William J. Stavole, Rocky River, Ohio, became a partner in the business litigation group of Tucker Ellis. He has broad experience in creditors’ rights, distressed real estate, bankruptcy and commercial law. In a press release, managing partner Joe Morford called him a “friend and talented colleague.”

1986

In January, Brother Christopher Derby, S.J., was named executive director of the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth, a spirituality center in southeastern Pennsylvania, after serving the previous year as interim director.

1987

Jessica Greenstein reports: "Still enjoying life in New Paltz, New York, where we take great pleasure in the natural beauty of the Shawangunk Mountain ridge. We spend a lot of time enjoying traditional music and dance activities. My husband (outside of his day job) is a square and contra dance caller. Yes, for real! The guy who tells you to do-si-do and allemande right. It’s not the kind of cowboy and petticoat kind of thing you might imagine: We’re part of a great community of people who enjoy smiling and dancing to traditional fiddle tunes performed by talented local musicians.” When not on the dance floor, Jessica and her husband volunteer and “run after the kids, who are very active in the usual school and after-school activities."

1988

Bradley R. Koogler, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, works on multiple projects “to improve wellness and educational outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth in south Florida’s large, multicultural, and highly institutionalized K-12 educational systems,” he informs. “I spy on my Kenyon family on social media and occasionally get to see in person a fellow classmate like the lovely Beth (Miyashiro) Vivio '88."

1988

Paul Singer, Boston, has “packed up a truck and left D.C. and the national politics beat after about 30 years,” he writes. “It was time.” Now the investigations editor for WGBH and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, Paul is “walking the city neighborhoods to learn Boston history, fiddling with knobs and dials to learn how to make radio, and plowing through state budget records to learn where Massachusetts secrets are buried. I’m having a blast!”

1990s

1990

Melissa L. Earley became lead pastor this spring at First United Methodist Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois. “I’m excited about this new opportunity in a progressive, welcoming congregation in the Chicago area,” she writes.

1990

Michael J. Mullen practices general obstetrics and gynecology with the underserved community in central Pennsylvania around Harrisburg. Mike also teaches medical students and residents from Penn State-Hershey Medical Center and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Three of his six children are in college, two have graduated, and the sixth returned from deployment to Afghanistan and received an appointment at West Point.

1991

David A. Schiopota, Aurora, Ohio, was promoted to director of programs at the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, which relocated to Cleveland’s University Circle. “Open to connecting with alums who want to discuss arts education in northeast Ohio,” he writes. Regarding two teenage daughters who have begun the college search, he adds, “Not sure I’m ready. But I’m hoping at least one applies to Kenyon.”

1993

John R. Wellschlager represented two Brazilian boys who were separated from their fathers while detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. A partner with DLA Piper in its Baltimore office, John and his firm, in a pro bono effort, filed a successful motion to reunite the families. The boys, 16 and 9, were reunited with their fathers on July 12 after more than six weeks’ separation.

1995

Kimberly B. (Tulp) Greene lives in San Carlos, California, with two busy girls and two busy careers, one of them with QuickBooks. “Eager to host some of my favorite Kenyon Ladies in Los Angeles this fall,” she writes, warning: “The state may never be the same!”

1997

Jennifer Henderson Louden was promoted to dean of undergraduate admission at Loyola University Maryland in Columbia in July. A press release described Jennifer’s “extraordinary leadership and vision,” her “exceptional collaboration across campus” and her “deep commitment to equity and inclusion and a passion for the Jesuit mission and values of our university.”

Seeking 'Paths of Exploration'

Building a career doesn't require a narrowing of focus, advises Judy Hoff Gilbert ’91.

2000s

2000

Susie Oman Bennett, West Hartford, Connecticut, is working toward licensure in clinical psychology at a community mental health clinic.

2000

Naomi R. Enright, Brooklyn, New York, will see publication in October by 2Leaf Press of her examination of the language and ideology of racial difference/whiteness. She wrote the book, a challenge to systemic racism, through her “personal lens as a bilingual, multiethnic individual and mother of a bilingual son presumed to be white.”

2001

Hannah E. Levin bought a house in the beautiful mountains of Brasstown, North Carolina. “In addition to still making pottery,” she writes, “I graduated as an Ayurveda health counselor in 2016 and started a private practice working with clients in person and over the phone.” This June she launched the Vitality Circle, a yearlong online program “to implement the habits of Ayurveda into daily life”; details are at heartfeltwellbeing.com.

2001

Scheroi D. Taylor, in Nashville, Tennessee, for four years, works as a lab tech at a startup company and has been learning guitar.

2002

Abby G. Brethauer was named associate head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming teams at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Previously, at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, Abby received six Coach of the Year honors. At Kenyon she was team captain, an NCAA national record-holder and a 13-time All-American. A New England native, Abby told Tufts Athletics she is excited to “be in the best city and cheer the Sox in person!”

2002

Carl A. Weber, Brooklyn, New York, has been “perfecting his skills as a vintage wallpaper enthusiast and amateur weatherman,” he writes, hoping that his forecast “includes coming into contact with a stunning Fornasetti motif. Working on starting a family business with 2-year-old son selling combination compost bins/ant farms,” he adds.

2003

Parke Junker and Kelly B. (Gallagher) Junker '03 live in Pittsburgh, where Kelly was recently promoted to lead pharmacist for the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute Hypertension Clinic. They are enjoying their 5-year-old twins, Jack and Tommy, and 2-year-old daughter, Grace.

2003

Nathan N. Hara and his family have settled into a new home in Caracas, Venezuela, after a “very difficult transition,” he informs. A foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department, Nathan writes that he is “excited to be in Venezuela at such a difficult time and to have the opportunity to work on important issues.”

2004

Taryn A. Myers, Virginia Beach, Virginia, chairs the psychology department at Virginia Wesleyan University. She also serves as president of the Obesity and Eating Disorders Special Interest Group of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

2006

Samuel W. Anderson and Grace Twesigye '06 are “living large in Brooklyn, New York,” they report. Grace works at One Acre Fund, and Sam works for Cornell Cooperative Extension.

2006

Mari R. (Franks) Greenberger moved to the Chicago suburbs (Wilmette, Illinois) and is director of informatics at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. She is “loving being close to wonderful family and friends.”

2006

Mary E. Klecka, Bay Village, Ohio, received from her alma mater, the Saint Joseph Academy, its “25 Under 35” award. The school honors alumnae “who have gone above and beyond in both personal and professional endeavors since their graduation.”

2006

Melanie J. Wender, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, was named to the 2018 list of Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania, an award based on peer recognition and professional achievement. A press release from Williams Family Law notes that Melanie “has successfully handled complex custody cases ranging from unmarried same-sex couples to custody agreements between long-distance parents.” She is a board member of the Bucks County Bar Foundation and donates her services pro bono to protection-from-abuse actions.

2007

Christopher S. Basile, New York City, celebrated his tenth anniversary with husband Alexander Price. He continues to work as a director and actor in New York and Los Angeles.

2008

Joseph A. Kanengiser moved to Chicago last year and received his LCSW license to provide psychotherapy.

2009

Diana Ruskin Black and David M. Black '09, Staunton, Virginia, welcomed son Jason to their family on Jan. 8. Adam Shoop '09 and Elizabeth R. Hansen ’10 were named godparents.

2009

Catherine D. Norbeck, San Ramon, California, was promoted to director of learning and development at Prologis. She and her husband celebrated their first anniversary in a tiny house, have found a small local theater they like, and are “now looking for food as good as Kenyon’s Friday Café,” she reports.

Cutting to the Chase

Q&A with film editor Alex O’Flinn ’03.

2010s

2010

Mollie Ferro-Hart continues to work on social inequality issues while earning her M.B.A. at Columbia Business School in New York City, learning how to bridge the public and private sectors.

2010

Ned Littlefield continues his study in the political science Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. His research focuses on civil-military relations in Latin America.

2010

Nicole J. (Green) Zimbardi married Angelo Zimbardi last year. A Keller Williams real-estate agent in Massillon, Ohio, Nicole updates: “We’re enjoying married life while juggling careers and family. Overall, things are good!”

2011

Daniel A. Groberg and Mary Margaret Groberg '11, Montpelier, Vermont, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Molly, on March 22.

2012

Paul B. Bisagni is now a full-time lecturer in the writing studies program at American University in Washington, D.C., having completed his linguistics M.A. last year at the University of Arizona. Paul teaches academic writing to multilingual international students and looks forward to reuniting with D.C.-area alumni.

2012

Cyo R. Nystrom, San Francisco, launched a cannabis-infused self-care line, Quim Rock. When not “working in the factory, fundraising or speaking with women about their vaginas,” she informs, she plans camping trips with Lily B. Kaizer '12, Natalie J. Klapper '12, Vivienne Peng '12 and many others.

2013

Charles Clark III took a curatorial research fellowship at Washington, D.C.’s Smithsonian Institution. At the National Museum of American History, he will serve as a junior curator in its Division of Home and Community Life, “providing research assistance helping to examine regional folkways, material culture and the historical narrative of the Gullah people,” he informs. Charles described growing up in Port Arthur, Texas, with his life “structured to become the next running back in a town known for its athletes. However, there was another calling for me, and I felt as if football was simply another steppingstone that allowed me to get where I am now.” He credits his parents along with Professor Peter Rutkoff. “The ways in which culture establishes a collective identity, influences and weaves its distinctiveness into the fabric of America are a few subjects I plan to explore through my research project,” he writes.

2013

Palista Kharel received the Philip Hertz Scholarship Award from the School of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Palista presented her capstone project, “Access to Technology and Student Academic Achievement: Evidence from Nepal,” at the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management student conference and took a position this summer at an education-focused social enterprise in Washington, D.C.

2014

Gregory B. Andreoli returned to New York after two years in Utah to start a new job. Greg is excited to reconnect with Kenyon friends.

2014

Darci K. Marcum Kern was married in July. “I live happily in Brooklyn with my husband, Arthur, and our cats, Spot and Bernie,” she updates. “I’m starting at Mercy College in the fall in their graduate program in communication disorders! Counting the days until our five-year reunion!”

2015

Mia P. Barnett, Los Angeles, “can’t help but notice that Shruti ‘Rekha’ Mohan '15 neglected to mention their friendship” in her recent alumni note “despite knowing full well how much we mean to each other.” Mia, who works at BuzzFeed, recently “ate chicken on camera.”

2015

Drew A. Hogan headed to Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in August.

2015

Julie E. Hartman of East Williston, New York, joined the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee as a resource development associate last November.

2015

Sydney Carney-Knisely is now assistant field hockey coach at the College of Wooster.

2016

James S. Currie works as a multimedia specialist with a science communication group associated with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He combines his scientific background with filmmaking, working with datasets, generating graphics and making environmental documentaries. “Factoid of the year: Sturgeon are surprisingly affable,” he reports. “Even the six-footers.”

2016

Rachel K. Dragos lives in a tiny San Francisco apartment with Emily A. Hills '16, Jane D. Symmes '16, a cat and “a leopard gecko named Freckles,” who recently celebrated his 18th birthday.

2016

Ryan W. Funk was hired in March as a pilot for Piedmont Airlines after one year of flight instructing. He will be flying for American Eagle out of Philadelphia. “I look forward to flying past/present/future Kenyon students to their destinations,” he writes.

2017

Nathaniel E. Shahan, a paralegal with Latham & Watkins in New York City, lives in Morningside Heights near Claire E. HarnEnz '17 and Michael W. Michnowicz ’16, his regular Settlers of Catan opponents.

2017

Elizabeth R. Siphron works at Harvard Business School, where she helps coordinate weeklong executive education programs. On weekends, Lizzy is “lucky enough and very thankful to see many Kenyon alumni” in the Boston area, she writes.

2017

Jennifer L. Wendler completed a stint with City Year Boston and spent last summer as a visitor assistant at the city’s Institute of Contemporary Art. In the spring she was selected as a teaching assistant at the Acadèmie d’Amiens in France. This fall she begins work as an English language assistant in a collège and lycée in Creil, leading conversation and culture lessons in English for French students.