[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Related Links

arts&sciences | Fall 2011

Ernest and Diana Geigis on their wedding day, June 5, 1956
Photo courtesy of their daughter, Deborah Geigis Berry

Class Notes

  • Ernest Geigis (CAS'55) and Diana (Santoro) Geigis (CAS'56) celebrated 55 years of marriage on June 5, 2011. Both originally from Boston and graduates of the Latin high schools, they met as students at the College of Liberal Arts (now the College of Arts & Sciences), married at Marsh Chapel, and raised their two daughters, Deborah and Priscilla. Now retired and living in Falmouth on Cape Cod, Ernest served as a minister for nearly four decades, including at the Congregational Church in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and Diana taught first grade for over twenty years. They have maintained a close relationship with their alma mater through the BU Alumni Association group on Cape Cod and as members of the Claflin Society.

  • Bonnie Marshall (CAS'62) of Meredith, N.H., published a new book, Far North Tales: Stories from the Peoples of the Arctic Circle. It is the fourth book she has written in the World Folklore Series published by Libraries Unlimited.

  • Beatrice Green (CAS'63, GRS'64) is a new graduate student in theology at Marquette University and is writing a book on Christians on trial in Caesar's court.

  • Ronald Wells (CAS'63; GRS'64,'67) just published his fifteenth book, Hope and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland: The Role of Faith-Based Organisations. It is available on Amazon.com.

  • Karl Dennis Chambers (GRS'69) of Newburyport, Mass., has recently published two books, both with Greenwood Publishers—Toyota (Corporations That Changed the World) and The Entrepreneur's Guide to Writing Business Plans and Proposals.

  • Szifra Birke (CAS'72) released the documentary film Browsing Through Birke's, a poignant yet hilarious film about her parents who survived the Holocaust, their perseverance, and their success in the quirky landmark clothing store they ran for 50 years in Lowell, Mass. For more information, visit www.BrowsingThroughBirkes.com.

  • Ellen LaFleche (CAS'75) of Northampton, Mass., recently won the Philbrick Poetry Chapbook award for her manuscript, Workers' Rite. The manuscript will soon be published, and a second book of poems, Ovarian, is also forthcoming. Email Ellen at ellenlafleche@gmail.com.

  • Arthur Lazarus (CAS'75) of Chadds Ford, Pa., the senior neuroscience research physician at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in Wilmington, Del., was appointed to the Board of Directors of the American College of Physician Executives for a three-year term. He also won an honorable mention in the 2011 Medical Economics Doctors' Writing Contest. Lazarus can be reached at artlazarus@comcast.net.

  • Melody T. McCloud (CAS'77, MED'81) recently published a new book, Living Well… Despite Catchin' Hell: The Black Woman's Guide to Health, Sex and Happiness. She is an Atlanta-based obstetrician-gynecologist, media consultant, and national speaker. Her book can be found on Amazon.com.

  • Jan Moidel Schwartz (CAS'77), now the director of development at the MetroWest Jewish Day School in Framingham, Mass., has a newfound respect for what it takes to run a school. As a fund-raiser, being in the world of your constituency makes the mission that much more real and dynamic. She would love to hear from classmates at janschwartz@comcast.net.

  • Pamela (Terr) Starobin (CAS'77) of Bronxville, N.Y., designed and created the SittingTaller handbag. It is an adult booster seat in a bicast leather handbag that allows petite women to sit taller. To learn more, visit www.sittingtaller.com or email Pamela at pamelastarobin@hotmail.com.

  • David Buttolph (CGS'77, CAS'79) of New Canaan, Conn., is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the investment management firm he founded, Brookside Mezzanine Partners. The firm, headquartered in Greenwich, Conn., recently opened a second office in Boston, Mass. Both his daughters attend Boston University. David can be reached at dbuttolph@brooksidegrp.com.

  • David Hosmer (CAS'80) of Andover, Mass., earned the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance credential from the American Society for Training and Development Certification Institute. David is the former senior director of learning and organizational effectiveness at Charles River Laboratories. He can be reached at davidj4@verizon.net.

  • Noreen Grice (CAS'85) of New Britain, Conn., is the author of a sixth book, Everyone's Universe: A Guide to Accessible Astronomy Places. Published in June 2011, Everyone's Universe is two books in one. The first half of the book is an educator's guide to making the night sky accessible to people with disabilities through mobile, nonvisual, nonauditory, and nonverbal communication means. The second half is a friendly state-by-state guide to already-accessible astronomy destinations, such as observatories and planetariums. For more information, visit www.youcandoastronomy.com.

  • Bruce Ostrow (CAS'85) of Grand Haven, Mich., is an associate professor of biology at Grand Valley State University. He teaches introductory biology, genetics, cell and molecular biology, and embryology, and researches animal developmental biology. He recently won GVSU's annual Pew Teaching Excellence Award. He lives near Lake Michigan with his wife, Georgette, and two teenage children, Quin and Ozette.

  • Philip Chang (CAS'88) of Boulder, Colo., graduated with a PhD in music therapy from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in May 2011. He has taught music theory at the University of Colorado at Boulder since 2006.

  • Nicholas Lopane (CAS'89) is currently serving as a circuit court judge in the Juvenile Delinquency Division of the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County, Fla. He was appointed to the circuit court bench after serving as general magistrate since 1999. His honors include the 2003 Heart Award for Outstanding Public Official and 2004 Summit Award for Excellence from the Dependency Court Improvement Summit. Judge Lopane received a Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law.

  • Alexandra Lei Chan (CAS'93) and Jack Harvey Katz of Pound Ridge and Westhampton Beach, N.Y., were married on Saturday evening, December 18, 2010. The couple honeymooned in Mexico for two weeks. You can reach her at chanal@optonline.net.

  • Christina McEvoy-Derrico (CAS'93) of Mamaroneck, N.Y., was elected Village Justice for the Village of Mamaroneck, N.Y., in November 2010. She will maintain the part-time position while running her law practice, Law Offices of Christie L. McEvoy-Derrico, P.C. She can be reached at cderrico@soundshorelaw.com.

  • Debra Weissman (CAS'93, COM'93) of Seattle, Wash., is currently vice president, product management for Yahoo!, working on Yahoo!'s new Livestand project (www.livestand.com). She is married with three children, and commutes between the Bay Area and Seattle. She can be reached at debweiss@gmail.com.

  • Daniel Welty (CAS'93, SED'94) of Westborough, Mass., is a physics teacher and field hockey coach at Algonquin Regional High School in Northboro, Mass. In his fourth year as varsity coach, he led the field hockey team to its first Central Mass. Division 1 Championship in Algonquin's 51-year history. The Tomahawks went on to win their state semifinal game and play their first Mass. Division 1 State Final, where they finished as runner-up.

  • Daniel Sax (CAS'94) of Warsaw, Poland, and his wife, Beata, welcomed their first child, Zoe, on March 8, 2010.

  • Kirsi Stjerna (GRS'95) has published two books: Women and the Reformation and No Greater Jewel: Thinking about Baptism with Luther. She was also promoted to full professor at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pa.

  • Richard Haglund (CAS'96) recently became director of charter schools for the Tennessee Department of Education. Richard spent the last seven years working as legal counsel to the Tennessee State Board of Education.

  • Lisa Hayes (CAS'96) has joined the American Constitution Society as director of development and senior counsel. Learn more at www.acslaw.org. She can be reached at lhayes@acslaw.org.

  • Hoi Lee (CAS'96) of Wynnewood, Pa., and his wife, Manivanh Keobounnam, welcomed their first child, Kiran Lee, on February 20, 2010. Hoi is a partner in a physicians' group, Main Line Emergency Medicine Associates, based at Bryn Mawr Hospital, outside of Philadelphia. The couple would love to hear from old classmates; email hlee96@yahoo.com.

  • Audrey Lucero (CAS'96, COM'96) recently received her PhD in language, literacy, and culture from the University of Washington. This fall, she begins an assistant professorship in language and literacy at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

  • Debra Ochoa (CAS'96) of San Antonio, Tex., married Mark Tittel on September 25, 2010, in San Antonio, Tex. The couple had an intimate ceremony of close friends and family at the chapel of Trinity University in San Antonio where Debra teaches Spanish literature and culture. To celebrate their cultures, the couple's friends gave readings in Polish, German, and Spanish. The couple honeymooned in Basque Country. Debra can be reached at debra.ochoa@trinity.edu.

  • Sarah (Miller) Beebe (CAS'97, UNI'00) of Herndon, Va., used her degree in international relations as a stepping-stone to an incredible career as an analyst, instructor, and policy maker. She is putting that experience to good use in a new book, Cases in Intelligence Analysis: Structured Analytic Techniques in Action, aimed at helping students and practitioners of intelligence, foreign policy, law enforcement, homeland security, and military decision-making hone their analytic skills. She can be reached at sbeebe@ascendantanalytics.com.

  • Shin Yu (Doris) Pai (CAS'97) won first place in the 2011 Ekphrastic Poetry Contest sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Center for her poem "animal animalis."

  • Rebecca Rung (CAS'97, MED'02) and her husband, Doug, recently welcomed their daughter, Elyse. The couple also has a two-year-old son, Tyler. The family lives in Concord, N.C. Rebecca is a full-time physician and faculty member for Cabarrus Family Medicine (and Residency). She can be reached at rebecca_rung@yahoo.com.

  • Laurel (Mayer) Homer (CAS'98) of Norwell, Mass., published her first novel, Pushover. Visit www.laurelmayer.com or email Laurel at laurel@laurelmayer.com.

  • Christina (Chang) Liew (CAS'98; COM'98, '03) of Singapore was selected as chair of the 2011 UN Women Singapore fifth annual fashion fund-raiser, to be held in December 2011. Funds raised will go toward scholarships for at-risk young women in domestic violence shelters or to mentoring programs. She can be reached at Christina.Liew@unifem.org.sg.

  • Julie Ott (CAS'98) of Center Moriches, N.Y., announces the birth of her daughter, Skylar Grace, born October 31, 2010. Email Julie at jao2481@hotmail.com.

  • Alan Colosi (CAS'00) of Boston, Mass., has published his first novel, KKXG: King Kong vs. Gigantosaurus: The Adventures of Yuriko Kumage During the Greatest War on Earth, after traveling to Japan 80 times. The book is available for sale on Amazon.com. In addition, he just finished a second nonfiction book about digital copyright law. Email him at shado3@verizon.net.

  • Beth (Kelly) Freidinger (CAS'00) and Frank Freidinger (CAS'00) of Freehold, N.J., welcomed their first child, Connor James, on January 14, 2010. Email them at freidingers@gmail.com.

  • Robert Simon (CAS'00) published a new book of poetry, The Traveler el viajero/ o Viajante, with Cyberwit, out of Allahabad, India. He can be reached at rsimon5@kennesaw.edu.

  • Andrew Walker (CAS'00, GRS'00) was recently promoted to Regional Habitat Manager at the Stony Brook office of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Andrew's responsibilities include the preservation and protection of tidal freshwater wetlands on Long Island. He can be reached at armorine10@yahoo.com.

  • Aimee (Olsen) Kindorf (CAS'01, SPH'06) of East Boston, Mass., and her husband, Brian, welcomed twin daughters, Cailyn Alice and Annika Catherine, on September 5, 2010. Aimee currently works at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center as the finance director for geriatric programs. Email her at aimee.kindorf@gmail.com.

  • Christine (Knoblauch) Hall (CAS'03) of Glendale, Calif., married Christopher Hall on September 25, 2010, at Marsh Chapel. Stephanie Koutrakos (COM'03) was maid of honor. Christine is a research associate at City of Hope and Chris is a field producer for E! Entertainment. Friends can contact Christine at christineannehall@gmail.com.

  • Franceska O'Reilly (CAS'04) of Wakefield, Mass., opened her law firm, The Law Office of Franceska J. O'Reilly, in Wakefield, Mass. Her firm focuses on elder law, family law, business litigation, and real estate. Email her at franceskaoreilly@gmail.com.

  • Jeanette Sayers (CAS'04, GRS'08) of Stoneham, Mass., married Jonathon Towles on April 30, 2011. Dawn Quinlan (COM'03, GSM'10), Lisa Travers (CGS'02), and Christopher Sayers (CGS'99, CAS'06) were in the wedding party. Also in attendance was Miranda Bureau (CAS'03). Jeanette can be reached at jeanettesayers@yahoo.com.

  • Elif S. Armbruster (GRS'05) of Arlington, Mass., has just published a new book on the private writing lives of four American realist authors. The book, Domestic Biographies: Stowe, Howells, James, and Wharton at Home (Studies on Themes and Motifs in Literature, vol. 105), explores the overlap between the authors' real lives and their literary realism. The book is available on Amazon.com, as well as other venues. Elif received her PhD in American studies in 2005 and joined the full-time faculty of Suffolk University's English Department in 2006, where she is currently assistant professor of English. For more information on her book or to contact the author, please email earmbruster@suffolk.edu.

  • Abby Collier (GRS'05) was recently promoted to assistant editor in acquisitions at the University of Chicago Press, where she has worked on high-profile science and science studies books since 2008. Abby will acquire books independently and define the future of the press's books program in geography and non-reference cartography.

  • Kimberly (Stone) Goodwin (CAS'05, GRS'10) married Jeffrey Goodwin on September 25, 2010, at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Mass. The wedding party included Natasha Steinberg (CAS'05, GRS'05) and Christopher Beck (LAW'07). Shawn Lynch (COM'04), Marc Yoshida (CAS'05), and Erin Hatch (GRS'09) were also in attendance. Kim is currently an associate behavioral consultant with Applied Behavioral Associates, LLC, and Jeff is a lawyer with Aframe & Barnhill, P.A. The couple went to the Canary Islands for their honeymoon, and they plan to buy a home soon in the MetroWest area.

  • Courtney McClellan (CAS'05) and Pascal Ferzli (MED'05) were engaged in October 2010. They met through mutual friends at BU, and their first date was to Pascal's medical school dance in February 2005. They are planning a summer 2012 wedding.

  • Jennifer Uhrhane (GRS'06) of Jamaica Plain, Mass., organized a photography exhibit as a guest curator at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, Mass. It ran January 29 to April 24, 2011. Information about the exhibit can be found at www.decordova.org.

  • Mark Estano (CAS'07) graduated with honors from Quincy College with an Associate of Science in Nursing. He plans to seek employment as a registered nurse in an acute care hospital in the Boston area.

  • Liliya Robbins (CAS'09) of Framingham, Mass., welcomed Leo Michael Robbins on February 17, 2011.

  • Jesica (Morgan) Sack (CAS'09) married Andrew Sack (ENG'09) in Philadelphia, Pa. on May 21, 2011. Tim Sack (ENG'09), Lauren Tuthill (ENG'09), Abby Cohn (SED'09), and Jessica Boote (CAS'10) were in the wedding. Kelsey Derricks (ENG'09), Phil Rodriguez (ENG'09), Andrew Rothman (CAS'09), and Zack Mardoc (ENG'09) attended. The couple currently lives in Newport, R.I.