Class Notes
From career milestones to marriages to world travels…
See what’s happening in the lives of CGS alums, and submit your class note here.
1950s
Norman Muller (’58, CAS’61) retired from the Princeton University Art Museum in 2017, where he had worked as a painting conservator for 36 years and taught a class on the materials and techniques of painting. In retirement, he has written technical articles on two 14th-century Italian panel paintings and coauthored an article on the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of an archaeological site in the Oley Hills of eastern Pennsylvania.
1960s
Kenneth Beaton (’61) is coauthor of the book Legacies of the Silver State: Nevada Goes to War (BookBaby, 2020), which features 71 World War II veterans’ stories, including three female veterans. All proceeds from sales of the book go to Honor Flight Nevada, which flies vets to Washington, D.C., to tour the war memorials. Currently, the coauthors are interviewing Vietnam veterans for a book to be published on April 30, 2025, the 50th anniversary of the evacuation of Saigon. All the proceeds from the second book will go to a veterans organization to be determined.
John Leddy (’64, Wheelock’66) has been retired for about 12 years. Through that time, he’s remained healthy and very active and is using his vocational rehabilitation skills to support refugees and asylum seekers to return to work.
John Barry (’68) has two works of art and three descriptions of others’ work in an ekphrasis show that recently ran at the Orinda Library Gallery in Orinda, Calif. He notes the term “ekphrasis” began in Plato’s Greece as a literary description of visual art.
William Harrington (’68, CAS’70) is still working federal security at the Federal Aviation Administration in Burlington, Mass., and living on Cape Cod with his wife, Mack the dog, and four cats. He’s working on writing his autobiography and looking forward to hiking soon.
1970s
John McNamara (’70, COM’72), institutional advancement director emeritus of Capital Community College in Hartford, Conn., was elected Ward 4 alderman in New Britain, Conn., and is the Common Council majority leader.
David Ehrmann (’71) is maintaining his executive coaching practice. He says he is proud of all five of his grandkids, as well as his two children and their spouses, and that he and his wife are considering downsizing from their home of 40 years. He wishes all his classmates good health.
Robert Auclair (’73, COM’75) has joined the law firm of Toscani, Stathes & Zoeller LLC. He also currently serves as the director of the Delaware County, Pa., Office of the Recorder of Deeds. He has worked as an attorney, both in private practice and for various court systems, for more than 30 years. Bob resides in Media, Pa., and spends considerable time in Bethany Beach, Del.
Diane Kilgore (’75, MET’11) writes “She the People News,” a nonpartisan lifestyle column that follows our cultural and political landscape from a woman’s point of view. She also chairs the Manchester-by-the Sea Cultural Council. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the State of Massachusetts, the mandate of all councils is to fund projects of “excellence,” she writes. She says, “These interests dovetail as opportunities to share the BU ethos that we remain evergreen and open-minded students of our zeitgeist.”
Michael Thayer (’77, Questrom’79) says, “One of my greatest experiences at BU was attending CGS. To this day, I can still remember all the names of the professors I had in those two years. They all had different approaches to teaching material that was new to most of the class—in a way that was interesting and thought-provoking. It was clear to me that CGS saved my college career, which in turn led me to meeting my wife of 43 years, a Sargent’79 grad! How lucky was that?”
1980s
Georgia (Parker) Tyner (’82, ENG’85) coauthored a children’s mobile cybersecurity book titled Lorie in Cybersecurity Wonderland: The Fun of Camping & Mobile Security (2023) with Dr. Xiaojing Liao from Indiana University Bloomington, illustrated by Yuan Lu. Lorie in Cybersecurity Wonderland was chosen for exhibition at the Shanghai Illustration Art Festival, held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Center.
Kate Mora (’83, CAS’85) is a psychologist and coach on the north shore of Massachusetts. She is launching a podcast, Midlife Matters: Embracing Transitions and Strengthening Relationships, focused on how “midlife” means something entirely different for women today. She is also passionate about fashion and is working toward establishing her own line of women’s clothing, with an appreciation of what fashion at midlife looks like for a modern woman. She is forever grateful for CGS and the foundation she gained there, which made anything possible.
Alys Myers (’86, COM’88) is proud to share that her business, SUPPLY Bulk Foods, a plastic-free, dry bulk food store, now has a contract with the nonprofit ABCD to provide food assistance packages to their clients. The food is organic and the flour is freshly ground from a local, women-owned mill.
Jessica Frank Hernstadt (’87, CAS’89) has joined the law firm of Collins Brown Barkett, chartered in Vero Beach, Fla. She has also been named president of the Kiwanis Club of Vero Beach-Treasure Coast. She would love to hear from any BU alumni in the Vero Beach-Treasure Coast area.
1990s
Melissa Hall Klepacki (’90, Wheelock’92) presented her work on chronic constipation to more than 1,500 attendees at the CellCore Biosciences Conference in May 2024. She has identified eight root causes of constipation and developed a program called GutReset123 to take people from “Constipation to Liberation” by going after the root causes of their symptoms. She also released her first ebook, Start Pooping Better, to help people understand how to treat the underlying causes of their constipation naturally.
Alan Huberman (’91, Questrom’93) writes, “I recently took my son to visit BU as he starts his college search (wow, I feel old), and we walked the campus and participated in the tour. So much has changed—yet much has also stayed the same. It was great to be back on campus!”
Michelle “Mimi” Murphy (’91) writes that she had the pleasure of reuniting with Professors Grasso and Corrin on March 18, 2024. “Thirty-five years after I first listened to their respective lectures, we had a delightful time!”
Peter Shankman (’92, COM’94), who sold his Help a Reporter Out (HARO) 14 years ago, got lured back to his roots and launched Help Every Reporter Out (HERO) in April 2024, and has already attracted 20,000 subscribers and more than 500 media outlets using the service. HERO is a free email newsletter with queries from journalists looking for sources for their stories. The email goes out three times a day to anyone who wants to obtain free publicity, including PR agencies, entrepreneurs, small and large businesses, and solopreneurs. Anyone can sign up at helpeveryreporter.com.
Michelle Molin (’93) is the founder of Organic Communications, a full-service boutique integrated marketing firm. She says, “I have the great honor of partnering with so many wonderful organizations who are committed to doing good in this world. Over the past year, we have spent a great deal of time working with Vets4Warriors, the nation’s leading 24/7 military peer-support program staffed by veterans. This incredible organization is committed to ensuring that every one of the 30+ million members of the US military community knows that they are NEVER alone. We are proud to be doing our part to help them realize that commitment. We even launched a billboard in Times Square on New Year’s Eve to get the word out! They won’t stop until every active-duty soldier, veteran, family member, and caregiver has ‘Discovered the Power of Connection.’ And I intend to help them, every step of the way.”
Anna Crosby Brooke (’98, CAS’00) cowrote WRITE! Your Guide to Revealing the Writer Within, which came out in 2024. The book is both a guide and an encouragement to write your story no matter what. She says, “Our lived histories are important, and it can be an incredible gift to both ourselves and our descendants to write our life stories while they are still fresh in our minds.” The book is available wherever books are sold.
Camille Fortunato (’98, COM’00) is a practicing personal injury attorney specializing in construction accident litigation in Brooklyn, N.Y. In addition to her law career, she is an avid activist and fundraiser for Williams syndrome medical research and awareness. She writes that Williams syndrome (WS), which her 12-year-old son Anthony was born with, is a rare, complex, multi-organ system caused by a micro-deletion along chromosome 7. “WS is characterized by systemic cardiovascular disease and elastin insufficiency. There is neither a cure nor a therapeutic drug available for individuals with WS,” she says. In her efforts with the Williams Syndrome Association, she is working to advance medical research and awareness with the ultimate goal of one day finding a therapeutic drug. To learn more about the work she is doing, please visit wsresearch.org; follow @afresearchgrant on Instagram; or contact Camille at camille.fortunato@wsresearch.org.
Alessandro Stravato (’98) writes, “Very excited to share my progress as a BU alum due to the guidance, passion, and dedication of the faculty of CGS, including Dean McKnight, Dr. Zawacki, and Jay Corrin, and international travel and studies in China and Oxford, England, as a direct result from their recommendations. In addition, the faculty helped me launch a successful career in PR, broadcasting, marketing, communication, and business with the NHL, the New York Rangers, Bobby Orr, ESPN, WFAN, IMG, the New York Jets, and USTA in the sports and entertainment industry. As a proud alum and broadcaster, I often discuss BU hockey and athletics on podcasts, national TV, and radio!”
Lindsay (Kennedy) Hyland (’99, Wheelock’01) is a teacher with the New York City Department of Education. She teaches students with intellectual disabilities in an academic, career, and essential skills program. She is also the New York State representative to the Sibling Leadership Network and helps facilitate a group called SibsNY. This group helps support siblings of individuals with disabilities. Lindsay lives in Staten Island, N.Y., with her husband Patrick and two daughters, Keira, 10, and Fiona, 8.
Jessica Kleiman Kassin (’99) moved to Italy after CGS to study art history, Italian, and photography. She is a portrait and documentary photographer. She writes, “I recently started to combine my passions for photography, continued education, and travel, which have led me to create and host distinctive retreats around the world. I am a mother of three, and my eldest will be attending UT Austin next year! I live with my family in Miami Beach, Fla.”
John JaeYoun Kim (’99, CAS’01) is a partner at the law firm Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC. This past year, he was named to the 2023 Diverse Attorney of the Year list by the New Jersey Law Journal. He also attended Officer Basic Corps and joined the US Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, serving in the New Jersey National Guard. His law firm was given the Patriot Award on January 25, 2024, by the Department of Defense, in recognition of support for his service as an Army JAG in the National Guard.
2000s
Jeffrey Manheimer (’00, COM’02) has a consulting group, Post Link Rank (postlinkrank.com), which has been growing steadily over the past two years and has helped clients in more than four countries optimize their marketing campaigns and scale their SEO content development. He says, “It has been an exciting ride and we look forward to engaging more with local alumni and students as our business expands. Our small company has grown into a full service growth and technology consulting firm that specializes in scaled content development, customer acquisition strategy, and full stack software development. We pride ourselves on having decades of experience as veteran founders in both technical and non-technical capacities. We work with clients ranging from large Fortune 500 companies to small mom-and-pop operations and take pride in watching our customers’ revenue and user base grow.”
Heather Barbod (’03, COM’05) is thrilled to be celebrating the five-year anniversary of her company elemental mktg. She writes, “I set out to do this work representing sustainable businesses to help drive meaningful change and positive impact in our communities and the world. It’s an honor to be living up to the mission with clients that are leaders in environmental conservation, fossil fuels reduction, and creating safe and rewarding workplaces. I welcome you to visit the company website (inspireelemental.com) to learn more and reach out if you have ideas for how we can collaborate to support this type of progress.”
Jasmine (Nemesio) Baten (’04, Questrom’06) is about to celebrate 18 years with the Cigna Group, where she started working after graduation. She says, “It’s been a journey and I’ve enjoyed every part, from managing teams to leading a migration program to getting my MBA, fully supported by my company!”
Tara (Ruccolo) Reardon (’06, COM’08) and husband David Reardon (Questrom’07) welcomed their second child, Noah Joseph Reardon, on January 24, 2023. She writes, “His first name means rest or comfort and is the epitome of who he is: a sweet and gentle soul with tender, loving eyes. Noah was given the middle name of Joseph after his father and after his maternal grandfather and great-grandfather. He is cherished by all but mostly by big sister Emmaline (4.5 years).”
Joseph Carroll (’07, CAS’09) graduated in 2009 with a degree in political science. He was commissioned as a naval officer through the BU NROTC consortium and has been in the US Navy for 15 years, flying a P-3 Orion aircraft. He writes, “The navy has sent me to a variety of different countries and I’ve gained so many valuable skills and experiences since graduation. I now work at the Pentagon and there is a Boston University Terriers patch Velcroed to the wall in my office. Go Terriers!”
Tarah Mohika (’07, CAS’09) was promoted to the role of senior director of human resources at the Community Group.
Ian Edery (’08, COM’10) recently moved his family from Brooklyn to Westport, Conn., “quite the transition for a born-and-raised NYC ‘city kid,’ but a great one,” he writes. His son, Dylan, 5, recently finished kindergarten, and daughter, Chloe, 1, will start preschool in the fall. Ian has continued to grow his ecommerce and digital marketing agency ECOY, which he established in 2020, with new offices in the Flatiron District, four full-time employees, a team of more than 50 freelancers across the globe, and more than 40 clients, spanning industries from luxury jewelry to skincare to fine art and photography. Some of his clients include Material Good, Heyday Skincare, Morrison Hotel Gallery, the Great Eros, Schoolhouse, Food52, and the Wythe Hotel. He writes, “We’ve designed ourselves as a tactical partner that drives immediate business results by filling in our clients’ most vulnerable gaps in their ecommerce presence. We also LOVE to meet fellow Terriers who want to connect—whether it be a brand introduction, having similar professions or backgrounds, or just wanting to catch up and chat.”
2010s
Alex Lopez (’10, Questrom’12) writes, “Over the last year, my family and I have moved from Los Angeles to Dallas, and I am completing my second full year as in-house corporate counsel at DraftKings. December 2025 will mark 10 (!) years as an attorney, but I still remember my BU days like they were yesterday. I am grateful for the skills that CGS and BU have taught me.”
Kyle Czarnecki (’11, Questrom’13) has successfully launched a new version of his beloved tabletop game, HOOKS! XPLR, which has quickly become an international classic. He writes that this iteration transforms the original wooden ring toss into a collapsible, weatherproof design that’s perfect for competition anywhere, anytime. He also exceeded the efforts’ Kickstarter funding target, brought the product to market, and forged partnerships with national retail stores to showcase the product on shelves.
Sam Adams (’12, CAS’14) works at the US Office of Personnel and Management in the health insurance division. He enjoys competing in the New England men’s rugby league with the Boston Maccabi/MIT club and participated in the NH48 4K hiking expedition this summer.
Emily Kirwin (’16, CAS’18) graduated from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in May 2024 with a master’s in public health.
Alec Vaughn (’18, Pardee’20, STH’23) writes that he moved to Nashville, Tenn., to be a hospital chaplain resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “My six years at three of BU’s colleges gave me a wider vision and the ability to pursue my professional dreams. I hope to be a chaplain professionally and one day be a university chaplain like the ones who mentored me at Boston University. Also, my friends from CGS and I still reminisce about London (2017) to this day!”
2020s
Rukshana Khan (’22, COM’24) is an assistant account executive at Porter Novelli. She writes, “After graduating with a degree in public relations, I was excited to begin at a top-name PR agency in New York City. I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity and appreciate the resources I was given at BU COM and CGS that helped me secure this position.”