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Fall 2009 | Number 22

Class Notes

  • Robert Michael (CAS’58) of Murfreesboro, Tenn., has written three plays: a full-length Holocaust work titled The Presence, and two short plays titled Alexa and Dan and P-Town. All three will be read this year at the Murfreesboro Little Theatre. Robert also has written 75 short stories, two (“Proud” and “Mr. Christian”) published in Poetica and one (“Emeritus”) in The Jewish Magazine. Reach Robert at leahcimrobert@gmail.com.

  • Eleanor (Feinberg) Kemler (CLA’60) of Champaign, Ill., graduated from the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute. She continues in private practice in Champaign, where she resides with her husband, Walter (CLA’60).

  • Richard H. Cummings (CAS’71) of Dusseldorf, Germany, has written Cold War Radio: The Dangerous History of American Broadcasting in Europe, 1950–1989, published by McFarland & Company. Cummings was the director of security for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for 15 years beginning in 1980. He notes that the history of the radio stations in the Cold War era reveals the perils their staff faced from the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Romania, and other Communist states. Reach Richard at rcix9@arcor.de.

  • Caroline Downing (CAS’76) of Potsdam, N.Y., was named SUNY (State University of New York) Distinguished Teaching Professor. She teaches art history and archaeology at SUNY Potsdam. Contact Dowling at downincj@potsdam.edu.

  • Ellen Hochman (CAS’76) of Pennsylvania took advantage of her unemployed status by realizing a long-held dream to ride her bicycle across the United States. She traveled along the northern U.S. border from the Pacific Northwest to Boston. The route included a ferry ride across Lake Michigan to avoid going around Chicago. View Ellen’s online journal at www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/dreamtrip2009.

  • Patricia Loiko (CLA’78) of Chicago, Ill., was appointed executive director for museum registration at The Art Institute of Chicago in August 2008. She was formerly head registrar at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

  • David Bernz (CAS’80) of Beacon, N.Y., has been a singing attorney for most of the past two decades. Recently, he co-produced Pete Seeger's latest CD, At 89, which was nominated for a Grammy. He also plays with his own group, Work O’ the Weavers, which pays tribute to Seeger’s pioneering folk quartet, The Weavers. David lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with his wife and two teenage sons.

  • Steven Emmanuel (CAS’81) of Virginia Beach, Va., has produced Making Peace with Vietnam, a feature-length documentary about the challenges of reconciliation in the aftermath of war. Charles Griswold, CAS philosophy professor, is interviewed in the film. Making Peace was an “official selection” at the New Beijing International film festival. The film also will be broadcast on Vietnam National Television (VTV). Contact Steven at semmanuel@vwc.edu.

  • Theo Gluck (CAS’81, COM’84) of Studio City, Cal., is approaching his 20th year with The Walt Disney Studios and is in his fifth year as the studio's director of library restoration and preservation. His team was responsible for the March 2009 Blu-ray release of Pinocchio and the upcoming release of Snow White. Look for the digitally restored Dumbo in March 2010.

  • Daniel Charles Morris (CAS’85) of West Lafayette, Ind., is co-editor of The New York Public Intellectuals and Beyond: Exploring Liberal Humanism, Jewish Identity, and the American Protest Tradition (Purdue University Press, 2008). In spring 2009, he held the Walt Whitman Chair in American Culture Studies at Radboud University, Netherlands, through the Fulbright Program.

  • Matt Hickerson (CAS’86) of Northport, N.Y., published his first children's chapter book.  A Ball in the Woods tells the story of two sisters and their loyal dog who venture into the woods in search of a lost soccer ball and encounter adventure along the way. Learn more at www.matthickerson.wordpress.com. The book is available at amazon.com.

  • Sara Walz (CAS’90) and her partner, Cheryl Lawrence, of Chicago, Ill., welcomed the birth of their daughter, Augusta Rose, on December 16, 2008. Sara is a counselor at the Women's Center at Northwestern University. She would love to hear from her classmates at sara.walz@gmail.com.

  • Wilfred Labiosa (CAS’93) of Boston, Mass., is working at Casa Esperanza, in Roxbury, as the director, Relapse Prevention & Outpatient Services, and director, Women's Residential Program. He had the honor of presenting his research on clients with co-occurring disorders at an international medical conference in Habana, Cuba.

  • David Schwalb (CAS’93) and his wife, Shawna, of Chicago, Ill., announce the birth of their second child, Gavin Isaac Schwalb, on March 8, 2009. Schwalb is president of Schwalb Realty Group, Inc., which specializes in the private brokerage of commercial real estate. The Schwalbs live on the north side of Chicago. E-mail David at david@schwalb.com.

  • Jo Anne (Domingo) Lemus (CAS’94) and her husband, Abel, of Pearl City, Hawaii, announce the birth of their second child, Alyssa Leilani on November 17, 2008. Alyssa's big sister, Isabel Anne, was 3 1/2 years old. Both Jo Anne and Abel are airway transportation system specialists with the FAA. Jo Anne is part of the Radar/Automation Group and Abel is in the Data/Communication Group. E-mail Jo Anne at jodmingo@hotmail.com.

  • Jennifer (Ewen) Frank (CAS’95, MED/BUSM’99) and husband, Ben (MED'02), of Neenah, Wis., welcomed son, Caleb Benjamin, on June 23. He joins older siblings Joshua, 6; Natalie, 5; and Rachel, 3. Jennifer is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Wisconsin. Ben continues the hardest job of all as a stay-at-home dad. Contact Jennifer at drjenfrank@gmail.com.

  • James Lavino (CGS’93, CAS’95) of London, England, composed the score to the HBO documentary film Which Way Home, which premiered on HBO in August. James also was commissioned to write a piece for the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The new piece, “They Have Become Bright Stars,” received its premiere on May 8 at St. Paul's Cathedral in the presence of Charles, Prince of Wales; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; and Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Learn more about James's music at www.jameslavino.com. Contact James at music@jameslavino.com.

  • Henry Hampton (CAS’96) of Fort Mill, S.C., is the regional chief pilot for Mesa Airlines (doing business as US Airways Express). Henry has been a pilot with Mesa since August 2003. E-mail him at henryhampton@hotmail.com.

  • David Pai (CAS’96) of San Francisco, Cal., is a deputy attorney general at the State of California's Department of Justice. When not daydreaming, he represents state agencies in employment and constitutional law matters. Reach David at davepai@gmail.com.

  • Jeff Rush (CGS’94, CAS’96) of New York, N.Y., was married to Stephanie Elam of Saratoga, Cal., at the Cordevalle Club in San Martin, Cal., on Aug. 2, 2008. The couple resides in New York City, where Jeff is in the Investments & Wealth Management Group at Merrill Lynch and Stephanie is a broadcast journalist at CNN. To view a slide show of the wedding, go to www.lisaleigh.com/slideshows/StephanieJeff. Reach Jeff at jeff.rush@alum.bu.edu.

  • Margaretta (Gillis) Silva (CAS’96) and David Silva (MED’07) of New York City are proud to announce the birth of their son, Nicholas James. He joins older siblings Isabella, 6; Anna, 4; and Anthony, 2. Margaretta is a stay-at-home mother and David is a senior business development analyst.

  • Shin Yu Pai (CAS’97) of Seattle, Wash., received a fellowship from the Life of Discovery Program sponsored by the International Writers Program at the University of Iowa.

  • Nicole (Williams) Adamowicz (CAS’99, SED’99, GRS’01) and her husband, Matthew, of Waltham, Mass., happily welcomed their first child, James Wyatt Adamowicz, on February 7, 2009.

  • Suzyn-Elayne Soler (CAS’00, SED’02) of Jensen Beach, Fla., announces her engagement to Juan Pablo Camargo of Bogota, Colombia, and of Fort Myers, Fla. The couple plans to marry in early 2011. Suzyn-Elayne would love to hear from old friends at suzyn-elayne.soler@alum.bu.edu.

  • Jennifer Sullivan (CAS’00, MET’06) of Cambridge, Mass., and business partner James Gilbert launched Plus1TV, an independent video network that delivers original online content across four initial channels (music, film, food, and humor) in December 2008. Jennifer, who works full-time in BU's Distance Education Office as manager of online student services, notes that she worked nights and weekends to start her online business venture. Reach her at jsullivan@plus1tv.com.

  • Maegan Brooks, Esq. (CAS’01) of Springfield, Mass., has opened a law practice dedicated to furthering economic development through the cultivation of small businesses and social enterprises. Visit her website at www.mbrookslawoffice.com. Contact her at maeganbrooks@hotmail.com.

  • Robert A. Caplen (CAS’01, GRS’01) of Washington, D.C., recently published “The ‘Charlie Brown Rain Cloud Effect’ in International Law: An Empirical Case Study” with the Capital University Law Review. A recent constitutional law article, “When Batson Met Grutter: Exploring the Ramifications of the Supreme Court’s Diversity Pronouncements within the Computerized Jury Selection Paradigm,” was published by the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law. Reach Robert at rcaplen@aol.com.

  • Rebeka Fergusson-Lutz (CAS’01) of Washington, D.C., completed a dual master's program at American University in Washington, D.C. She now has a Master of Arts in teaching secondary English and a Master of Arts in international peace and conflict resolution. This fall, she'll teach high school English at the American School of Doha in Doha, Qatar. 

  • Ashley Barrington (CAS’02) and Christopher Ludlow (ENG’02) welcomed John Atticus (“Jack”) Ludlow into the world on September 28, 2008. Contact Ashley at akb4444@hotmail.com.

  • Tara (Paradise) Dwyer (CAS’02) of Rhinebeck, N.Y., married Charles Dwyer on December 1, 2007, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Cristina DeCelestino (SMG’02) attended the wedding. The Dwyers welcomed their first child, Wilhelmina Catherine, on September 12, 2008. Contact Tara at taraparadise@yahoo.com.

  • Susanne Matias (CAS’02) of Glendale, Ariz., graduated from Midwestern University—Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine on June 5, 2009. She will complete a one-year internship in St. Petersburg, Fla., before pursuing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology. Contact Susanne at bugirl380@yahoo.com.

  • Kristen (Marx) Russo (CAS’02) of Buffalo, N.Y., married Michael Russo on October 4, 2008, in Buffalo. Contact Kristen at kmarx06@hotmail.com.

  • Rebecca Bartels (CAS’03) of Miami Beach, Fla., married Jeremy Firth at the BU Castle on May 23, 2009. Rebecca is a marketing manager for the Burger King Corporation and Jeremy is an attorney at Markowitz, Davis, Ringel, and Trusty, PA. The couple resides in Miami Beach, Fla.

  • Matthew Glenn (CAS’03) of Bivalve, N.J., a former captain of the Terrier sailing team, is now captain of the schooner AJ Meerwald. The restored Delaware Bay oyster boat provides science and maritime-based experiential education programs on the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays and New York Harbor. Visit www.bayshorediscovery.org.

  • Joyce Liang (CAS’03) of San Jose, Cal., has launched a fashion blog, Studio Purpura Fashion (blogs.studio-purpura.com). The blog covers the latest in fashion news and trends, provides style tips for women, and offers coupon codes for sample sales.

  • Monique Maria (Tamez) Marsh (CAS’03) and Robert Marsh of La Quinta, Calif., announce the birth of their first child, Mackenzie, on November 26, 2008. Contact them at momarsh15@gmail.com.

  • Michelle Wassenaar (CAS’03) married Ian Menzies (CAS’03) on March 7, 2009, in Oak Lawn, Ill. Elizabeth (Mahon) Brown (CAS’02), John G. Manna (CAS’02) and Rebecca Taylor (MET’05) were in the wedding party; Patrick Sexton (ENG’04,’07), Melissa (Kent) Krueger (COM’97), Caitlin Conway (SED’06), Samuel Kurnit (CAS’06), and Alex Macnow (CAS’08) attended the wedding. The couple is residing in Brighton, Mass. Contact Michelle at danae@alum.bu.edu.

  • Cory Bortnicker (CAS’04) of Brooklyn, N.Y., was awarded an Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for his work writing and producing Minyanville's World in Review, the first animated news show. He tells arts&sciences that he was “very surprised” to receive the honor. E-mail Bortnicker at corybortnicker@gmail.com.

  • Nadine Champsi (CAS’04) of Pittsburgh, Pa., married Kevin Carl on March 7, 2009. Edward Garcia (CAS’04) attended the wedding. Nadine and Kevin reside in Pittsburgh.

  • Nicholas Kassotis (CAS’04) of Virginia Beach, Va., was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps. After graduating from BU, he received a JD from Northeastern School of Law in 2007, then was commissioned in the U.S. Navy. He is stationed in Norfolk, Va. Contact Nicholas at nickkassotis@gmail.com.

  • Lindsey Lariviere (CAS’04) received a master’s degree in French language and literature and returned to the Boston area in December 2008. She completed her last semester of graduate school at California State University, Fullerton, after spending four weeks in Armenia in the summer of 2008 to study the Persian language. She now resides in Fall River, Mass. Contact her at lalariv@yahoo.com.

  • Jennifer Wallace (CAS’04) of Athens, Ohio, and Daniel Turek of McLean, Va., were married on April 11, 2009, in Cuzco, Peru. Rebecca Manzolini (CAS’02) attended the wedding and hiked to Machu Picchu, along with 20 other daring friends and family, with the soon-to-be bride and groom for four days prior to the wedding. Jennifer and Daniel are living in Mar Vista, Cal., and teach at a private high school in Los Angeles. They look forward to a lifetime of adventures together.

  • Rachael (Petro) Wojtovich (CAS’05) and Andrew Wojtovich (CAS’05) of Rochester, N.Y., welcomed their first child, Jackson Avery, on August 26, 2008. Rachael graduated in May 2009 from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and will be a pediatric resident at Strong Children's Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. Andrew expects to receive his PhD in Pharmacology, also from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, in 2010.

  • Cameron Davis (CAS’06) is the CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes (www.greatlakes.org). His international relations major is coming in handy for work on U.S.-Canadian Great Lakes issues. In his personal time, he served as a senior advisor to the Obama presidential campaign. Son Sage keeps him even busier.

  • Julie Ann Ackerman (CAS’07, GRS’07) of Somerville, Mass., was awarded a Fulbright Postgraduate Student Scholarship to study at University College London/The Anna Freud Center. She will complete an MSc in psychoanalytic developmental psychology. Contact Julie Ann at Julie.n.ackerman@gmail.com.

  • Jesse D. Rodgers (CAS’07) of Northfield, N.J., finished his first year at Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, N.J. He spent the summer working as a judicial extern for The Honorable Katharine S. Hayden, U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey. E-mail Jesse at jessedrodgers@gmail.com.

  • Jason Sanders (CAS’07) of Framingham, Mass., is an MD/PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, researching the biology of aging and emergency care.