Class Notes
Share your news with UConn Nation!
Your classmates want to know about — and see — the milestones in your life. Send us news about weddings, births, new jobs, new publications, and more — along with hi-res photos — to: Alumni News & Notes, UConn Foundation, 2384 Alumni Drive, Unit 3053, Storrs, CT 06269.
Submissions may be edited for clarity or length.
P. Sydney Herbert ’48 (CLAS) lives in Portland, where she is VP of Oregon’s Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs and says she would very much like to hear from classmates. She passed along the news that Marcia Mernstein ’49 (CLAS) is living in Houston, Texas.
Congratulations to Daniel Leone ’53 (PHR), who was named a fellow of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association at its awards banquet in September.
Poet and writer Lois Greene Stone ’55 (ED) was nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize in writing, recognizing the best poetry, short fiction, and essays published by small presses during the year.
Kudos to Robert Bagg ’61 MA, ’65 Ph.D., professor emeritus of English at the University of Massachusetts, who published a translation from ancient Greek, “Four by Euripides: Medea, Bakkhai, Hippolytos & Cyclops.” He has published several volumes of poetry and written studies of Sappho and Catullus.
Frank Boskello ’64 (PHR) of The Villages, Florida, was featured in The Villages Magazine for his work on medication safety for older adults.
Local author Arno B. Zimmer ’68 (CLAS), of Fairfield, Connecticut, published his fifth novel, “The Severed Finger: A Thimble Islands Mystery.”
Kevin Kane ’68 JD retired in November after 13 years as Connecticut’s chief state’s attorney. He worked as a legal aid lawyer before becoming a prosecutor in 1972.
Mark Rich ’68 (CLAS), ’74 MS was elected president of the 400-member Richmond, Virginia, chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. He’s a retired U.S. Army colonel and lives with his wife, Kathleen Rich ’70 MA, in Chester, Virginia.
Congratulations to Joseph Paul Bouffard ’68 (PHR) and Barbara Ann Randall Bouffard ’69 (NUR), of St. Albans, Vermont, who celebrated their 50th wedding anni-versary in July.
Master gardener Larry Cipolla ’70 (CLAS) published “Hydroponic Gardening the Very Easy Way.”
The Connecticut Pharmacists Association named John Parisi ’71 (PHR), Mary Ann Petruzzi ’71 (PHR), Richard Carbray Jr. ’75 (PHR), Margherita Giuliano ’75 (PHR), Peter Tyczkowski ’78 (PHR), ’85 MBA, and Cynthia Huge ’75 (PHR) as fellows.
Jeffrey Judson ’71 (PHR) reports that he is playing golf and going to the beach now that he is retired and living in a 55-plus golf community in Waretown on the Jersey shore. He’s married and has two daughters and four grandchildren. He retired after a long career as director of pharmacy at two New Jersey hospitals. An interesting side note: He has been collecting Howdy Doody memorabilia for 50 years.
Speaking of golf, James J. Harrison ’71 (CLAS) published his first book, “Golf Ball Cover Story: What Every Golfer Should Know,” about the science and technology of golf balls, from aerodynamics to dimple patterns.
And Ed Byman ’73 (CLAS), who was captain of the golf team while in Storrs, is now CEO of Global Value Commerce (GVC) in Raleigh, North Carolina, an e-commerce platform for pre-owned and new golf gear.
Loving life in the woods: Timothy E. Gillane ’73 (CLAS) and his wife, Pat, retired from their careers as lawyers in New York and now live in the woods of Pomfret, Connecticut, where he was recently elected to the board of trustees of the town’s public library.
More alumni authors: Nancy Palker ’73 (NUR) published “Magic and Tragic Rosebud,” about her experience working at the Rosebud Public Health Service Indian Hospital in South Dakota.
And Laurence H. Freiheit ’74 JD published his second book, “Major General Joseph King Fenno Mansfield: A Soldier from Beginning to End.”
In other news, Robert Farfaglia ’76 (CAHNR) retired in October as environmental health supervisor after 30 years with the Greenwich Department of Health.
Vicki A. (Wollkind) Tesoro ’77 (CLAS) was reelected as first selectman of Trumbull, Connecticut, winning approximately 62% of the vote in one of the largest margins of victory in the modern history of the town.
Jacqueline M. Murphy ’78 (PHR) was honored with the Daniel C. Leone Pharmacist of the Year Award, given by the Connecticut Pharmacists Association, at a recent awards banquet.
This just in: Nadine D. McBride ’78 MBA was appointed chief financial officer of The Day newspaper in New London, Connecticut, where she directs the paper’s distribution, circulation, and information technology divisions. Previously, she was president and publisher of The Bulletin newspaper in Norwich, Connecticut.
Benita Rose ’80 (SFA) became an applied piano instructor at Yavapai College and an organist-pianist at American Lutheran Church in Prescott, Arizona. She is an active solo piano recitalist and performs in a duo with her saxophonist husband, Tony Gibbs ’03 MM.
In other career news, Kenneth F. Martino, Jr. ’80 (BUS), ’82 MBA was promoted to president of MedRisk.
Also, Paula B. Woodhouse ’82 (BUS) joined the Savings Bank of Danbury as vice president commercial lender.
Suzanne Smith ’82 (CLAS) writes that she has retired from the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado, after 25 years as human resources director. She, her husband, Steve Costello, and their blue heeler rescue dog, Roxie, packed it up and moved to Oregon, where they will focus on growing grapes, gardening, volunteering, and travel.
R. Robert Berube ’82 (CLAS), a practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Augusta, Maine, for more than 25 years, founded 5th Port, a cloud-based, informed consent company that helps doctors and patients advance their understanding of surgical procedures.
Another founder, Frances J. Trelease ’83 (CLAS), ’96 MBA, started Boomr Den, an organization to help midlife adults navigate new and ongoing careers (see our “Future of Everything” story in Spring ’18 for more on Trelease).
Brian P. Reilly ’85 (BUS) was appointed to the board of directors of Chimera Investment Corp., Inc.
Also, George D. Morton III ’85 (BUS) was named regional human resources director for Pelican Products, Inc., in South Deerfield, Massachusetts.
Worried that age was catching up with him, Corey A. Bronstein ’85 (CLAS) decided it was time to start ticking off items on his bucket list. So, on October 7, he and a friend ran the coveted Rim to Rim to Rim challenge across the Grand Canyon. They started at 4 a.m. and, nearly 13 hours later, finished on the south rim just before dark. In all, he said, he “descended 12,000 feet, climbed 12,000 feet, and ran 44.5 miles, which made for a very tired UConn alumnus with a huge smile!”
And here are a few more accomplishments for the class of ’85. Laurie Anne Pearlman ’85 MA, ’87 Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and independent trauma consultant, was awarded the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from Division 56, the Trauma Division of the American Psychological Association.
Angelo DeFazio ’85 (PHR) was named a fellow of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association at its annual awards banquet in September.
And David B. Oestreicher ’85 (CLAS), ’88 MBA, a chemistry and physical science teacher and Civil Air Patrol squadron commander at Bridgeport Military Academy, received his doctorate in educational leadership from Southern Connecticut State University.
Andrew M. Klos ’87 (CLAS) was promoted to senior contract officer in the business services department in the city of Tucson, Arizona. This is a second career in public procurement for Klos, who worked for more than 25 years as an analytical chemist in the environmental field.
Congrats to Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo ’88 (CLAS) on the publication this month of her second middle grade novel, “Galaxy of Sea Stars.” Ferruolo is shown with her first, “Ruby in the Sky,” which won a slew of awards, including the PEN-New England Susan Bloom Discovery Award, and was named a Washington Post 2018 Summer Read. A two-time cancer survivor, Ferruolo lives in Ellington with her husband, Paul, their two children, and “poorly behaved” golden retriever.
John E. Delaney ’87 (CLAS), ’96 MBA has been appointed to vice president of sales at Boral Building Products.
Congratulations to Miriamne Ara Krummel ’88 (CLAS), who co-edited “Jews in Medieval England: Teaching Representations of the Other” with Tison Pugh. The book just won the 2019 Teaching Literature Book Award, an international, juried prize for the best book on teaching literature at the post-secondary level.
Another author, Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D., ’88 (CLAS), reports that her third book, “Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility,” is being released.
Paul Valenti ’90 (CLAS), director of Pinellas County’s Office of Human Rights in Florida, was reelected to the board of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies, representing state and local civil and human rights agencies across 19 southern states.
Meanwhile, Beverly K. Streit-Kefalas ’90 JD was appointed probate court administrator in Connecticut.
Karen DeMeola ’91 (CLAS), ’96 JD, assistant dean for finance, administration, and enrollment at the UConn School of Law, was keynote speaker at the Equity Symposium at Goodwin College in East Hartford in October.
Forging new paths in sports law, attorney Josef Volman ’91 JD was named a sports trailblazer by The National Law Journal for his work in sports law. Volman has represented Sportvision and led the purchase and sale of six minor league baseball teams.
Congratulations to Susan (Lindsay) Irvine ’93 (ED), ’94 MA, an enrichment specialist at Southeast Elementary School, who was named Mansfield, Connecticut’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.
And kudos to Kate Robinson ’93 (SFA), who became a principal at Gallo & Robinson Government Relations, a Hartford-based lobbying firm, in 2019. She lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, with her husband Rob Vietzke ’93 (CLAS) and two sons, Alex and Theo.
Ronald O. Rosenberg ’93 MBA was appointed group technical innovation director of Azelis, leading the group’s strategy and direction for innovation and the Azelis lab community.
Sabrina Trocchi ’94 (CLAS), ’18 Ph.D. was appointed president and CEO of Wheeler Clinic, a nonprofit that provides behavioral health, addiction, and primary care services across Connecticut.
In other sports news, Rob Carolla ’94 (CLAS) was named director of communications and media relations for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL. The professional football league will begin play in eight cities around the country, including Dallas, in February 2020.
Heather (Heaton) Anderson ’95 (CLAS) was promoted to the rank of deputy fire marshal for the Danbury (Connecticut) Fire Department in November and recently attained all her state certifications.
Marianne (Linger) Roth ’95 MA was selected by Government Executive Media Group as an inaugural recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Government Leadership Awards. Roth is chief risk officer for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Michael McPherson ’95 (BUS) joined the law firm Halloran Sage as a partner in the Hartford office.
And Kevin E. Burke ’95 MBA, a senior vice president and market executive for Wells Fargo commercial banking, has been named to the Business Advisory Council for the School of Business at Southern Connecticut State University.
Jamelle Elliott ’96 (BUS), ’97 MA spoke at the UConn Sports Analytics Symposium in October at UConn Storrs.
Donna Sodipo ’96 MA was appointed Chief Program Officer of the YWCA Hartford Region. She formerly served as senior vice president of education at Connecticut Public.
Steve Nelson ’96 Ph.D., a professor of educational leadership at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, published a book, “John G. Kemeny and Dartmouth College: The Man, the Times, and the College Presidency.”
Congrats to Peter Knight ’96 JD, who was honored in September by Lawyers for Children America for providing pro bono legal services to Connecticut children who are victims of abuse and neglect.
Talk about a tall order! Mark Milewski ’96 MA summited Indonesia’s 16,024-foot Mount Carstensz Pyramid in August, thereby completing his quest to summit the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, including Mount Everest in 2016. Congratulations!
Lee Gold ’97 JD, a lawyer with Butler, Norris & Gold in Hartford, was elected to a first term on the West Hartford town council in November.
Long-time volunteer Gary F. Borla ’97 MPH was recognized in August for 30 years of volunteer service for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He got started at Tanglewood, the symphony’s summer home, by helping to develop the first computerized database for the thousands of symphony volunteers.
Meanwhile, there were several promotions and job changes for the class of ’98. Elizabeth M. Smith ’98 MBA, ’98 JD joined FordHarrison LLP as counsel.
Scott E. Szymanski ’98 MBA was named president of Theranica USA, of Montclair, New Jersey.
And Raul Villar, Jr. ’98 MBA was appointed chief executive officer of Paycor, a human capital management company.
In addition, Jon M. Adinolfi ’99 (BUS), a hardware and home improvement veteran who served as president of U.S. retail for Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., was named Hillman U.S. divisional president.
And Gina Polley Cavallo ’99 (CLAS), ’05 MA was appointed principal of the Lincoln Elementary School in the Consolidated School District of New Britain, Connecticut.
Chris Hemingway ’99 (CLAS), a distant cousin of Ernest Hemingway, reports that he is circulation librarian at the Hagaman Memorial Library in East Haven, Connecticut, where he has worked for 25 years. He recently published “The Day The Bull Lived: And Other Poems.” He and his wife, Sabrina, have a greenhouse where they grow fruits and vegetables year-round and enjoy traveling, antiquing, and art.
Stephen Balkaran ’94 (CLAS), ’96 MA and Wanda Weeks ’95 (BUS) shared this picture from Standing Rock Reservation in Fort Yates, North Dakota, where they delivered school supplies and worked with the students.
Wedding news! Lucia Pang, MBA ’00 married Michael Murren on Sept. 22 at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle, New York. Guests included Ashish Arora ’00 MBA, Tanvi Arora, Neel Arora, Shikha Arora, Eugenia Aeschlimann ’93 (CLAS), ’00 MBA, Jeffrey Aeschlimann ’93 (PHR), Valerie Riesbeck (Bashura) ’97 (CLAS), ’00 MBA, Kaye Johnson ’81 (CLAS), ’99 MBA, and Scott Johnson ’72 (CLAS).
Meanwhile, Colin Leonard ’01 JD, a management-side labor and employment law attorney, was named deputy managing member of the Syracuse office of Bond Schoeneck & King.
And Desi Nesmith ’01 (ED), ’02 MA, ’09 6th Year was appointed one of two deputy commissioners for the Connecticut Department of Education, overseeing education and innovation.
Micah E. Brandt ’02 (CLAS) completed a documentary feature film about Kristallnacht and twenty-first century antisemitic attacks in a small German town while following a Connecticut Holocaust survivor and other Americans back to their hometown of Wetter in 2008. The film, a journey 10 years in the making, is about reconciliation, remembrance, and redemption and is showcasing in about 30 cities.
Congratulations to Diana L. Robins ’02 Ph.D., who was named director of the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University in Philadelphia, where she is a professor and research program leader. A clinical neuropsychologist, she will continue her groundbreaking work on early screening in community settings, early diagnosis, and intensive evidence-based early intervention for autistic children.
Jennifer S. Collier ’02 MBA, a registered nurse with business management expertise, was named senior VP of Stop-Loss & Health at Sun Life in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Also, Annik Carrier ’02 (PHR), ’04 Pharm.D was named a fellow of the Connecticut Pharmacists Association at its 143rd Awards Banquet and Installation Ceremony in September.
In academic news, Max Zubatsky ’03 (CLAS) received tenure and promotion in the School of Medicine at Saint Louis University. He is an associate professor and program director of the Medical Family Therapy Program.
Also, Bryan Blair ’03 (CLAS) earned a doctorate in applied behavior analysis from Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, and is currently a tenure-track assistant professor at Long Island University in Brooklyn.
Congratulations to Sarah M. Thompson ’04 (PHR), ’06 Pharm.D, who was recently promoted to vice president of clinical operations and pharmacy at Coastal Medical in Providence, Rhode Island. Sarah also is a member of the School of Pharmacy’s Advisory Board.
And to MaryAnn N. Haverstock ’04 MBA, who joined The Gunnery faculty as director of its Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Applied Scholarship (IDEAS) Lab.
In baby news, Phillip Yu ’05 MS reports that he and his wife, Kristina, are the proud parents of Austin James Yu, who arrived four days early in August at 6 pounds, 12 ounces and with a full head of hair. Auspiciously, his wife, during early labor at home, had eaten a fortune cookie with a fortune that read, “Big things are coming in the future. It’s only a matter of time.” In professional news, he reports that he earned the 3M Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Excellence Award and the ESPRIT Team Award in 2018 while responsible for VHB tapes and primers as senior product engineer in the industrial adhesives and tapes division at 3M.
Jason Weida ’05 JD and Kyley Weida, of Hingham, Massachusetts, happily announce the birth of their fourth child and third daughter, Hollis Grey, in November. Hollis joins siblings Bowen, Alden, and Sailor.
Also, Michael Frakes ’05 MS and Malisa Iannino Frakes welcomed a son, Gabriele Ray, in July in Boston. He joins brother Charlie at their home in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Michael is chief quality officer and director of clinical care for Boston MedFlight. Malisa is a clinical nurse in the newborn intensive care unit at the UMass Medical Center.
David V. Mariano ’06 (CLAS), ’19 MBA was promoted to assistant vice president, credit risk analyst in the consumer restructure and recovery department at Webster Bank.
Erin Sales ’06 (BUS), ’08 MA, a former member of the women’s cross country and track and field teams, has joined Baker & Hostetler as an associate in the labor and employment practice group in Orlando, Florida. She previously served as a law clerk for a federal magistrate judge and was an assistant U.S. attorney.
Matthew Rosen ’07 (CLAS), ’10 MA married Danielle Rosadini at Preston Ridge Vineyard in Preston, Connecticut, on July 27. Fellow Huskies Ashley Hultgren Dennis ’08 CCS, Adam Kopelman ’07 (CLAS), Julian Manaloto ’07 ED, and Maximilian Ulanoff ’08 (CLAS) were all part of the wedding party. Other alumni in attendance included Sean Helmes ’08 (CLAS), Eric Simpson ’05 (CLAS), Seth Blumenthal ’05 (BUS and ENG), Robert Yomtov ’08 (BUS and ENG), and Roey Weiser ’07 (CAHNR).
Matt Fleury ’07 EMBA, president and CEO of the Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration, was reappointed by Connecticut governor Ned Lamont to a second term as chairman of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education.
More Husky weddings: Rob Puff ’08 (BUS and CLAS) married Lauren DiBari ’10 MPS on August 10 on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. A UConn Husky flag was flown proudly on the dock mast at the reception.
And Adam Morrone ’08 (CLAS) and Rachel Bolinsky ’12 (CLAS) tied the knot on October 27 in Brookfield, Connecticut. While at UConn, Adam was a member of Alpha Beta Epsilon and Rachel belonged to Psi Chi. They fell in love after meeting at an obstacle course race in 2016. They have shared many fond UConn stories with one another and plan to continue to do so into the future.
Also, Austin Keneshea ’09 (CLAS) and Kyla Hickey ’10 (CLAS) were married September 29, 2018, in Ojai, California, with several UConn alumni in attendance. They met at UCTV in 2008 and moved to California together at the end of 2011. Austin is a television producer and the co-founder of a golf organization in Los Angeles called Tiny Putters Golf. Kyla is an executive assistant in sports and entertainment, a registered yoga teacher, and is working on a creative coaching business. They live in Santa Monica, California, with their newly adopted dog, Bogey.
And more career moves: Felicia Hunt ’09 JD joined the Hassett & George law firm in Simsbury, Connecticut. Hunt is a divorce and family lawyer with trial experience, including international child custody and kidnapping cases.
Also, Kristina Wallace ’09 (CLAS), ’12 MA, ’17 6th Year was appointed assistant principal of Avon Middle School in Avon, Connecticut. She most recently served as associate principal at Naugatuck High School.
Krissa Skogen, ’08 Ph.D., a conservation scientist at Chicago Botanic Garden and an adjunct professor at Northwestern, was part of a 100-women-in-STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine) voyage to Antarctica last November. The largest such expedition in history, it was the culmination of Homeward Bound, a year-long global leadership program that aims to train 1,000 women in 10 years.
Matthew Willett ’10 (CLAS) and Jennifer (Falcigno) Willett ’09 (CAHNR), ’12 DPT have lots of good news to report. They tied the knot in June 2018 with their favorite fellow Huskies by their side. Then, in August 2019, they welcomed a baby girl — and future Husky — to the family, Aria Michele. Class of ’41, here she comes!
Lots of career news to report. Liz Connelly ’10 (CLAS) joined Capitol Consulting LLC as a government relations associate/lobbyist. Capitol Consulting was established in 2010 by Michael Dugan ’86 (CLAS).
Rebecca M. Murphy ’10 JD was promoted to partner at Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC. She works in the firm’s Johnston, Rhode Island, office.
Also, Shane Goodrich ’10 (CLAS), ’13 JD, an associate at Morgan, Brown & Joy in Boston, was rated by Massachusetts Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star,” a designation reserved for candidates who are age 40 or younger or have been in practice for 10 years or less.
Michael Truman Cavanaugh ’10 MA is the production stage manager for the San Jose Stage Company, which kicked off its 37th season with the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Cavanaugh, who earned a master of puppet arts at UConn, is originally from Boise, Idaho, and now lives in San Jose, California.
Speaking of little Huskies, Justin Raymond ’11 (CLAS) and Michelle Raymond ’12 (CLAS) recently had a baby boy, Anderson John Raymond.
Congratulations to R.J. Brogis II ’12 (CLAS), who completed his medical training and residency in osteopathic medicine at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri, and the University of Nebraska as chief resident. He married Dr. Lauren Weber in March 2019, and they currently reside in Spokane, Wash. He is a captain in the U.S. Air Force stationed at RE Fairchild AB, assigned to the 92nd medical group, attached to the 36th Helicopter Rescue Squadron.
Kudos to Ralph J. Riello III ’12 (PHR), ’14 Pharm.D, who was named the 2019 Pharmacists Mutual Distinguished Young Pharmacist by the Connecticut Pharmacists Association at its awards banquet and installation ceremony in Hartford in September.
Also, Aaron D. Rosenberg ’12 JD joined Sheehan Phinney in the firm’s business litigation department in Boston, Mass.
Entrepreneurs Gregory Kirber ’13 MBA, JD and Erik B. St. Pierre ’12 MBA, JD created PartsTech, an automotive e-commerce platform where professional technicians and auto-shop owners can order parts online.
In Westport, Connecticut, Andrew J. Colabella ’13 (CLAS) was reelected to the Representative Town Meeting for a second term. He was recently honored for passing the first single-use plastics ban on the Eastern Seaboard.
In career news, Kelly Wall ’14 JD, an attorney who practices insurance defense, joined Halloran Sage at the firm’s Hartford office.
Conor Pescatello ’14 (ED), ’16 MS became the travel operations coordinator at Education First in Boston, Massachusetts.
Huskies also were well represented at the wedding of Robert Quinn ’12 (CLAS) and Caroline Rogi ’12 (CLAS), ’17 MD on Sept. 7. Immediately after this photo was taken, they all joined in a UConn cheer.
In another Husky love story, Emma Place ’14 (ENG), ’18 MS and Thomas Blackburn ’16 (ENG), who met in the UConn marching band, married in New Hartford, Connecticut, on June 15. Emma is a senior design engineer at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford and Thomas is a project engineer at Collins Aerospace in Windsor Locks and is pursuing an MBA at UConn Hartford.
For some people, one wedding just isn’t enough. Gina Getonga ’14 (BUS) got married to Tiedah Evans three times this year! Gina, who was born and raised in Kenya and moved to America 12 years ago, first tied the knot in May in Bolton, Connecticut, where her husband is from. In August, they traveled with his family to Kenya to have an African wedding with her Kikuyu tribe, followed by a Catholic wedding. They are now living happily ever after in Vernon, Connecticut, and she works at Cigna as an IT software engineer.
Suzanne Updegrove ’15 MA, a gifted and talented teacher in the Branchburg Central Middle School in Branchburg, New Jersey, was named Somerset County Teacher of the Year. Suzanne built the school’s enrichment program from the ground up, started the Somerset County Spelling Bee, and coached 12 Odyssey of the Mind teams to regional, state, and world finals competitions.
And in another Husky love story, Kerry (McCole) McDowell ’11 (CLAS) and Andrew McDowell ’11 (CAHNR), who met their freshman year at UConn, were happily married on May 26. The wedding included many fellow Huskies, including best man Jimmy Miller ’11 (BUS), groomsman Jake Atkins ’11 (BUS), and bridesmaids Megan Duffy ’11 (BUS), Michelle (Wahab) Angeloni ’10 (CLAS), Rachel Brown ’09 (CLAS), and Natalie (Judge) Kaufman ’10 (CLAS). Kerry and Andy say they hope to have some little Huskies soon.
Krystle Breault ’15 (NUR) married her classmate and “love of her life,” Jamal Daniels ’15 (NUR), on Valentine’s Day 2019. Their blended family resides in Ashford, Connecticut.
In recognition of his heroic efforts and inspiring service during Hurricane Florence, Jordan DeAngelis ’15 (PHR), ’17 Pharm.D was honored with the 2019 American Society of Health-System Pharmacist (ASHP) Chief Executive Officer’s Award for Courageous Service. As the hurricane approached North Carolina, he helped set up a medical shelter in a former state psychiatric facility to treat patients who had been evacuated. They moved patients despite power and air conditioning outages and tornado warnings. DeAngelis is a pharmacy coordinator of procurement and emergency preparedness at Duke University Hospital.
More career honors: Daniel Crispino ’15 6th Year, principal of John Barry Elementary in Meriden, Connecticut, received the 2019 Terrel H. Bell Award for outstanding school leadership.
Geralynn McGee ’15 JD joined the Connecticut Health Foundation as policy director, leading strategies for advocacy and policies designed to help eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities and improve the health of Connecticut residents.
And Dan A. Brody ’15 JD has been elected president of the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association, which supports Asian Pacific American attorneys and communities.
Best wishes to Benjamin W. Burger ’16 (ED), ’17 MA, a math teacher at Framingham High School in Framingham, Massachusetts, who got engaged to Marie C. Hydro ’16 (CLAS).
Here’s some wild news: Kimberly Grendzinski ’16 (CAHNR), a keeper at the Prospect Park Zoo, studied desert and marine landscapes using ecological and social field methods last summer in Baja as a graduate student at Miami University. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Jessie Rack ’16 Ph.D. was one of 125 U.S. women in STEM fields asked to share their stories with middle school girls as American Association for the Advancement of Science If/Then ambassadors. An ecologist and evolutionary biologist, Rack teaches in a Title I K-12 classroom as program coordinator for the University of Arizona’s community and school garden program in Tucson.
Nico Piscopo ’17 JD joined Halloran Sage’s litigation and insurance practice in Hartford.
Margaret Moscati ’16 JD was named a deputy assistant state’s attorney in Connecticut. She was previously a legal research clerk for the state’s judicial branch and a special deputy assistant state’s attorney. She began her new post in the Stamford-Norwalk judicial district in August.
Harold Bentley III ’17 MS is now director of championships for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Chelsea R. Sousa ’18 JD joined Murtha Cullina LLP as an associate in the litigation department, representing clients in the areas of collections, foreclosures, evictions, and commercial and landlord-tenant matters.
Baoluo Xie ’18 MS is international coordinator at Guangdong Electronic Sport Association in China. He also serves as the international coordinator of Asia Pacific Forum on Youth Leadership Innovation and Entrepreneurship for UNDP China.
In sports-related news, Andrew Girard ’19 MS is stadium operations manager for the Hartford Yard Goats in Hartford, Conn.
And Ivy Kim ’19 (ED) is a production trainee at the National Basketball Association (NBA) in New York, New York.
Safeguarding UConn’s campuses, Justin Pedneault ’19 (NUR), along with UConn firefighter Benjamin Roper and members of UConn Rescue and the UConn Fire Department, spent countless hours installing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) around UConn’s campuses and training students and staff in CPR and first aid. Now UConn has roughly 135 AEDs; there is one within a three-minute walk from anywhere on campus.
Alexandra Kirby Schneider ’19 (ENG) began work as an assistant geotechnical engineer at WSP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in July. She is the fourth college-educated woman in her family, a claim only 5% of the world can make.
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop and co-captain of superstar-packed 2010–11 UConn baseball team Nick Ahmed earned the 2019 Gold Glove award, which is presented annually to the best fielder at each position in each of the National and American leagues. He won the honor last season too.
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