Class Notes - Winter 2014

 ’10s 

Jonathan Schaudies ’13 has joined Invotex, a national accounting, financial, and economic consulting firm, as a consultant. Previously, he interned with the Department of Economic Development at the Montgomery County Innovation Network.

Julie Baughman ’12 joined the staff of the Independent Record in Helena, Mt., as the cops and courts reporter.

Emily Faye Felderman ’08 and Jason Garrett Raxenberg ’08 were married Dec. 7 at Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, N.Y. She received her law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University and is a lawyer at the New York City Human Resources Administration. Raxenberg is a portfolio manager and trader for Goldman Sachs in New York.

 ’00s 

Dr. Matthew Jonathan Siegel ’08 and Alexa Jordan Silverman were married Nov. 23 at Temple Sinai in Roslyn Heights, N.Y. He received a dental degree from the New York University College of Dentistry and is a first-year dental resident at Lutheran Medical Center  in Brooklyn. JoVon Photography

Sarah Thomas ’08 and Kyle Weber ’08 were married at Whitehall Manor in Bluemont, Va., on Oct. 26, 2012. Homecoming 2013 fell on their anniversary, so they made sure to return to campus for the festivities.

“Meat,” a short story by Charlotte Stephanie Malerich M.A. ’07, is included in the new anthology “Among Animals: The Lives of Animals and Humans in Contemporary Short Fiction.”  Her other short stories have appeared online in Aphelion and Sorcerous Signals and its print counterpart Mystic Signals.

Patrick Maggitti Ph.D. ’06, the Helen and William O’Toole Dean of the Villanova University School of Business (VSB), has been named a member of the board of trustees at Sacred Heart University. In addition to his role as dean, Maggitti is an associate professor of strategic management and entrepreneurship at Villanova. Prior to joining VSB’s faculty in 2008, Maggitti taught at Temple and Saint Joseph’s universities and spent nearly 15 years in the steel and mining industries.

Lyn J. Mundey ’05 has been appointed to the board of education for Prince George’s County Public Schools. She visited all 21 schools that she represents in six days. Mundey had been an active PTA parent, and she works as a management analyst in the Government Accountability Office.

Corey Powell ’05, M.Arch. ’07 has been named one of Affordable Housing Finance’s 2013 Young Leaders, one of only seven individuals nationwide to receive that honor. He is a senior development manager at Enterprise Homes, overseeing all aspects of the preservation and development of affordable and market-rate communities—both home ownership and rental—for families and seniors.

Nicholas Haydn Tangney ’05 and Samantha Robyn Lee were married Nov. 9 in New York at Trinity Church. He is pursuing an M.B.A. at New York University and is a managing director in the New York office of Lorentzen & Stemoco, a Norwegian ship brokerage and consultancy.

Atomic physicist Ana Maria Rey Ph.D. ’04 won a 2013 MacArthur Fellowship, a prize commonly known as the Genius Grant. Rey is an assistant research professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder and a fellow of the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics. She will receive $625,000 over five years and hopes to advance her research on ultra-cold atoms.

J. Ross Burhouse M.S. ’01, PE, has been promoted to associate in the Fairfax, Va., office of Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm. He has more than 15 years of experience as a structural engineer with a focus in the design and analysis of highway bridges and structures.

Jordan Raanan ’01 is now covering the New York Giants for NJ.com. He previously spent eight years covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL, and broke stories including the hiring of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and a season-ending knee injury to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. Raanan’s byline has appeared on NJ.com, CSNPhilly, Bleeding Green Nation and Metro Philadelphia.

Bradley A. Marcus ’01 has been promoted to counsel at the financial services and criminal and civil enforcement law firm BuckleySandler LLP. He received his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2006, where he graduated first in his class.

Dave Melson ’01, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, was selected to serve as the command judge advocate for the USS George Washington,homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.

James H. Waggoner ’01 has released “The Wages of Sin,” a sequel to his suspense novel “Empty Soul.” It again features troubled murder-for-hire Lance Goodman on a self-destructive path. He currently teaches within the U.S. Department of Defense and lives in Alexandria, Va. Find more information at www.jameshwaggoner.com.

Jason Newton ’00, a Baltimore native and former anchorman at WISN-TV in Milwaukee, has joined WBAL to take on co-anchoring duties at 5, 6 and 7 a.m. weekdays.

Ryan Spiegel ’00 has joined the law firm of Paley Rothman as a member of the litigation, commercial transactions and government contracts practice groups. He spent the past decade in the D.C. office of Winston & Strawn, and he graduated from Stanford Law School.

Michael A.H. Schoenberg ’00 has been promoted to counsel at Farrell Fritz. 
He is a commercial litigation attorney living in Bellmore, N.Y., and earned his J.D. degree from Hofstra University School of Law.

’90s

Brian D. Bloomfield M.A. ’99, Ph.D. ’13, executive director at Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul, Minn., will become the new head of school this summer at the Academy at Charlemont in Charlemont, Mass.

Jackie Clarke ’98, CPA, was recently named manager of the audit department at McQuadeBrennan LLP. She previously served as controller and chief financial officer of various national not-for-profit organizations.

Eliot Sokalsky ’98, president of Doctors Asset Group in Fort Myers, Fla., has been selected by Medical Economics magazine as a 2013 Best Financial Adviser for Doctors.

Frances Woodard ’96 has joined Human Rights First as its vice president of human resources. She previously held senior leadership roles at the ONE Campaign, ONE Economy Corp. and the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Imad Madanat ’95, M.I.M. ’99 has been promoted to vice president of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, a humanitarian organization. A 14-year veteran of the agency, he previously served as senior program finance manager.

Jay Powell ’95 has been promoted to executive director of AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Plans in the District of Columbia. Powell has worked in health care for nearly two decades. He sits on the board of directors of Baltimore-based People Encouraging People Inc. and is a past treasurer of the National Association of Health Services Executives’ Baltimore chapter.

David Rensin ’94 has joined the Novitas Group as senior vice president for products. He comes from Amazon Web Services, where he was working to bring public cloud infrastructure to the U.S. intelligence community and was named “Most Valuable Amazonian” in 2013. Prior to joining Amazon Web Services, Rensin founded and sold his first company for more than $1 billion. He previously received the Editor’s Choice Award from PC Magazine, has 15 patents and has written four books.

Cynthia L. Knight ’92 explores the relationship between two sisters and the difficulties they face following the sudden death of their parents in her novel “Whyte Chocolate.”

Suzanne Greenberg M.F.A. ’91 has a new novel, “Lesson Plans,” coming out in May 2014. It’s centered around the lives of five families, each of which has selected homeschooling for different reasons, revealing the sometimes humorous and sometimes grim realities associated with this under-examined lifestyle choice. Greenberg has also been honored for her collection of short stories and has co-written two novels. She teaches creative writing at California State University, Long Beach, where she’s a professor of English.

The League for People with Disabilities has named Tom Schniedwind ’91 vice president of marketing and development. He worked most recently as an area executive director for the American Cancer Society, preceded by his role as executive vice president of Special Olympics Maryland.

’80s

Sharon-Frances Moore ’89 writes: As an alumna with a degree in American history, I always enjoy hearing older alumni’s memories of the university. Recently while attending a Terp Town pre-football game reception with my former college roommate Robin White, I had the pleasure of meeting two alumni each 40 years older than me. Mike Logan regaled me with stories of the university in the 1950s, which included roaming cows, the location of the football stadium and his experiences going to class. Tom Hannigan shared his campus memories, which despite our age difference, were in many ways similar to mine. This led me to ask Tom his graduation year. He smiled widely and said “1990.” Tom had graduated one year after me! He had begun his education decades earlier, but, as sometimes happens, responsibilities and obligations postponed his ability to formally complete his Maryland education. It was a pleasure getting to meet alumni with such an expansive treasure trove of living history and Terp spirit.

John R. Sieber Ph.D. ’87, research chemist in the Material Measurement Laboratory, Chemical Sciences Division, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, has received the John L. Hague Award from ASTM International Committee E01 on Analytical Chemistry for Metals, Ores and Related Materials. The Hague Award recognizes significant contributions relative to the initiation, preparation or development of standards for testing metals and ores.

Comcast SportsNet’s Joe Yasharoff ’87 was inducted into the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington Sports Hall of Fame Nov. 23. He began his television career at Channel 5/WTTG in Washington, D.C., in 1986, working there for almost 15 years as executive sports producer. In 2001, he was one of the original hires at Bethesda-based CSN, where he is now the managing editor of news. He has won 11 Emmy awards during his 27-year career.

Cécile La Grenade M.D. ’86, Ph.D. ’90 was last year named the first female governor general of Grenada. A food scientist, she previously managed the family’s company making liqueurs, jellies and syrups. Now called Dame Cécile, she represents Queen Elizabeth, who is Grenada’s head of state.

Chris Malone ’86, with Susan T. Fisk, wrote “The Human Brand: How We Relate to People, Products and Companies,” a book suggesting that customers choose companies and brands on the basis of their warmth and competence. He is managing partner of Fidelum Partners, a research-based consulting and professional services firm based in Philadelphia. He earned his M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Pinckney Hugo Group, a marketing communications firm based in Syracuse, N.Y. whose president and founding partner is Douglas Pinckney ’86, has been named one of the 60 Best Companies to Work For in New York State for 2014. It is the second year in a row that the company has been named to the list.

In his new novel “Ephemera: The Civil War Papers of Private James Bruckner,” Bruce R. Gourley M.A. ’85 explores the harrowing psychological and spiritual journey of a North Carolina Confederate soldier from naïve volunteer to traumatized veteran of the Battle of Sharpsburg. Long active in Civil War events and associations, Gourley studied more than 100 books on the Civil War as part of his research.

Camille D’Annunzio M.A. ’80, Ph.D. ’86, manager of the Automated Sensor Exploitation Technology Center at Northrop Grumman Electrical Systems, was recently presented with the Technologist of the Year award at the 2013 Women of Color STEM Conference in Dallas.

’70s

John Graves ’77, owner of the software company NetComm Inc. in Rockville, Md., and married grandfather of five, has signed up for a coveted flight into space on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo later this year. “After meeting (Virgin founder) Richard Branson, I have taken up kite-surfing—at my age,” he told Space.com. “He has inspired me.”

Daniel Robert Anderson ’76 and Gregory Joseph Melanson were married Nov. 9 at the Mansion on O Street, a hotel in Washington. Anderson has a law degree from the University of Baltimore and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard and is a deputy director of the fraud section in the civil division of the Justice Department in Washington.

Sue Bredekamp ’72, Ph.D. ’85 co-wrote the new books “Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on Kindergartners” and “Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on Children in First, Second, and Third Grades” for teachers. She is an early childhood education specialist from Washington, D.C.

J. Donald deBethizy ’72 is the new president and chief executive officer for Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Previously, he co-founded Targacept Inc. and served as its president and CEO for 15 years.

Ross J. Kelbaugh ’71 is among the expert appraisers appearing in the fourth season of Maryland Public Television’s program Chesapeake Collectibles, which began Jan. 9. The president of Historic Graphics LLC in Pikesville, Md., he is expert in all aspects of 19th- and 20th-century photographs, prints, textiles, decorative arts, collectibles and militaria, Kelbaugh joined the program in 2012 and has valued items there as diverse as a personal letter signed by Apollo 11astronauts and a charred piece of wood from the White House burning of 1812.

’60s

Jerald B. Lurie ’68, a member of Adelberg, Rudow, Dorf & Hendler LLC, has been appointed a trustee of the Bar Associations Insurance Trust. A joint venture between the Maryland State Bar Association and Bar Association of Baltimore City, the trust donates funds to law-related charitable interests and runs the Bar Associations Insurance Agency Inc. Lurie concentrates his practice in the areas of business, real estate, employment, intellectual property, health care and tax law.

Richard L. Bailey ’66 just published the “cli-fi” book “Stormy: A Novel of Climate Change,” which explores what could happen to our world in the next 90 years and beyond. He has a doctorate in forest resources from the University of Georgia, and he researched more than 60 books to write it. Find more information at thelastcenturybook.com.

’50s

In “Breaking New Ground: a Personal History,” Lester Brown M.S. ’59, founder of the Worldwatch and Earth Policy Institutes, traces his life from his childhood on a small farm to his leadership on global environmental issues.

Passings

Robert V. Hess ’83, who as New York City’s commissioner of homeless services presided over a gradual decline in the homeless population, died of liver cancer on Dec. 24 at his home in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., according to The New York Times. He was 57. Hess graduated from Towson Catholic High School and served in the army. In Baltimore, he ran a thrift store for veterans and came to know many who lived on the street. He worked with several homeless aid organizations and in 2001 became Philadelphia’s deputy managing director of special needs housing. Hess was appointed to his post in New York in 2006 by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and revamped a voucher program to help homeless people afford housing; focused on designing shelters for homeless veterans and building them for the chronic street homeless; used city employees and volunteers to persuade homeless people to enter shelters; and administered programs to help people leave the shelter system. He stepped down as commissioner in April 2010 and went on to work for the Doe Fund, a nonprofit organization that finds work and housing for the homeless. In 2011, he founded the nonprofit Housing Solutions USA. In addition to his wife, Tish, he is survived by their daughters, Christi and Brittany Hess; his mother, Barbara Ann Neumeister Hess; a brother, Steve; and a sister, Lynda Hess.

Kathy A. McGovern ’78, a medical researcher and teacher in Arizona, died Dec. 1 at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis. She was 55. The cause was complications from a stroke eight years earlier, The Washington Post reported. She was a 1975 graduate of the Academy of the Holy Names in Silver Spring, received bachelor’s degrees in dance and chemistry from Maryland and a doctorate in medicinal chemistry from the University of Florida in 1983. After postdoctoral work in cell research at Johns Hopkins University, McGovern became a research assistant professor in cancer biology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, where she worked for more than a decade. McGovern later taught third grade in Tucson and served as a court-appointed special advocate for children. She also was an international agility judge in dog competitions. McGovern returned to Maryland after her stroke and lived most recently in Annapolis. Survivors include three brothers, John, Steven and Mark.

James Patrick Leer ’76, a disc jockey, road manager for touring bands and volunteer, died Nov. 12 at his Mechanicsburg, Pa., home. He was 62. Leer was employed by Bristol Sounds Co. as a radio disc jockey for a popular station in the D.C. metro area for 25 years. Prior to radio, he served as a road manager for bands including the Isley Brothers, Hall & Oates, Tim Curry Band and Simon & Garfunkel. He was the disc jockey for the New Year’s Eve Wrench Drop celebrations in Mechanicsburg and for the Free to Breathe 5K events in Harrisburg. He volunteered for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society events and the Special Olympics. Surviving are his wife, Patti A. (Decker) Leer; a daughter, Megan E. Leer; and five cousins.

Stephen K. Myers ’76, a retired deputy director of facilities and administrative services in the Justice Department’s management division, died Oct. 3 at his home in Frederick, Md., according to The Washington Post. He was 59. A graduate of John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Md., he began his federal service in the General Services Administration in 1978, and shifted to the Justice Department in 1989. He retired 20 years later. Survivors include his wife of 31 years, Susan Long Myers; his mother, Carol Shaffer Smith; his father and stepmother, Clarence J. Myers and Dorothy Myers; a brother, Douglas Myers; and four sisters, Cynthia Retterer, Linda Kindred, Robin Groves and Cassondra Shaedig.

Robert Richard Glesener ’69 died Dec. 22 at his Henderson, W.Va., home. He was 66. A native of Chicago, he graduated from both the University of Maryland and the University of Michigan. His taught at Brevard College for 26 years and started the BC Recycling Program and the White Squirrel Count. He was director and founder of the Brevard White Squirrel Institute. Surviving are his parents, Richard F. and June K. Glesener; his wife, Jennie T. Glesener; two daughters, Traci Higgins and Stefani Wilmoth; a son, Timothy; a stepdaughter, Alicia Freeman Le; a stepson, Robert Freeman; a brother, Ron Glesener; a sister, Kathi Snook; four grandchildren; and two stepgrandchildren.

John “Jack” Lawrence O¹Brien ’69 died Jan. 28 at his home in College Park. Originally from Paterson, N.J., the former Terp football player, physical education teacher and award-winning coach is survived by his wife of nearly 42 years, Sharon; his brother, Robert; children Cheryl and Lynn; and three grandchildren.

Grace S. Rand ’68, a retired Baltimore County public school librarian and former Reisterstown resident, died Dec. 16 of congestive heart failure at Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster. She was 94. Born in Baltimore and raised in Sparrows Point, she graduated from Sparrows Point High School and enrolled at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College). After two years, Mrs. Rand withdrew and began teaching fifth-graders at Sparrows Point Elementary School. “She had an earlier marriage to Gilbert Gorsuch, a Navy dentist, who lost his life in 1942, when his ship was torpedoed in the Caribbean,” said a daughter, Grace Rand Nelson. During World War II, Rand worked at the Enoch Pratt Free Library and at Fort Holabird, where she met her future husband, William T. Rand, who was serving with the Marine Corps. Rand returned to college and earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Maryland and a master’s degree in 1971 from the Johns Hopkins University. She worked as a school librarian at Patapsco Neck Elementary School in Dundalk and later at Franklin Elementary School in Reisterstown. When Hernwood Elementary in Randallstown opened in 1967, Rand became its first librarian, a position she retained until retiring in 1979. Rand was an inveterate world traveler and especially enjoyed trips to Alaska, Europe, Japan, Canada and Israel. She was predeceased by her husband in 2004. In addition to her daughter, Rand is survived by a son, William; and two grandchildren.

David J. Yanssens ’66, of Ellwood City, Pa., died Jan. 6 in the University of Pittsburgh Presbyterian Hospital. He was 70. A graduate of Beaver Falls High School in Beaver Falls, Pa., he served with the Army Reserve during the 1960s. Yanssens worked at the Babcock & Wilcox Steel Mill office building in Beaver Falls for several years, then as plant manager for Greif Brothers in Darlington for more than 25 years. He also co-owned the Yanssens Brothers Grocery Store in New Galilee during the 1980s. A member of the Holy Redeemer Parish, he volunteered as a funeral Mass server for many years. Yanssens is survived by his daughter, Julie Needs; his son, Matthew; three grandchildren; and brothers Jim and Bill.

John R. Tydings ’63, who spent 24 years as president and chief executive of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and helped revive the city in the aftermath of the 1968 riots, died Nov. 16 at his home in Potomac of a degenerative brain disorder, according to The Washington Post. He was 72. A native of Washington, he spent five years working in personnel at Pepco before joining the Board of Trade in 1968 and became the public face of its push toward civic-mindedness. Tydings sought collaboration with suburban business organizations to improve the region’s transportation needs. He pushed forward long-delayed projects such as the reconstruction of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and he spearheaded efforts for larger businesses to mentor smaller shops in distressed neighborhoods. After his retirement in 2001, he became a consultant with clients such as PNC Bank. Tydings was one of the founders of Leadership Greater Washington and was senior vice president of HEROES, a foundation of businessmen who help the widows and children of law enforcement officers and firefighters. Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Donna Thomas Tydings; a son, J. Michael; his daughter Lynnly; and four grandchildren.

Van Court Wilkins ’59, M.B.A. ’62, a retired Army colonel and veteran of World War II and the Korean War, died Dec. 23 at a hospital in Martinsburg, W.Va., of complications from Alzheimer’s disease, according to The Washington Post. He was 87. Wilkins was born in Chevy Chase and raised in Lebanon, Ohio. Wilkins served 31 years in the Army and in American-occupied Japan after World War II. During the Korean War, he received the Silver Star. His other decorations included the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. After earning his degrees at Maryland, he received a master’s degree in political science from George Washington University in 1968. He later served as financial officer with the Association of American Colleges and Universities from 1975 to 1983, followed by editing work at Passenger Train Journal and Motor Coach Age. Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Demaris Forsythe Wilkins of Shepherdstown, W.Va.; five children, Kristen Brown, Sharron McCoy, Jennifer O’Neill, John Wilkins and Michelle Cardillo; and 12 grandchildren.

Joan A. (Adams) Spurrier ’58, a retired legal secretary and former UMD “Queen of the May,” died of kidney failure Oct. 27 at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, according to The Baltimore Sun. The Idlewylde resident was 80. Spurrier was a 1951 graduate of Eastern High School, where she was the head majorette of its drum and bugle corps. She remained active in its alumnae association and remained class treasurer and worked on reunion committees. She earned a B.A. in history at Maryland, and as a senior, she was named Queen of the May during a May Day celebration. The Terrapin yearbook said she was chosen for the honor because of her “scholarship, citizenship and service to the University.” Family members said Spurrier helped pay her academic expenses by serving as a hostess at the old McCormick headquarters on Light Street in downtown Baltimore. She also worked on the White House staff during the Eisenhower administration and at the old Baltimore Federal Savings and Loan Association, also in downtown Baltimore. For many years, she was a secretary for attorney George W. Baker and later was an executive secretary for radio station owner Thomas Tinsley. She was predeceased by her husband, George R. Spurrier, and is survived by her sons Stephen, Stuart, Kurt, Kevin and Craig; a brother, Robert G. Adams; and seven grandchildren.

Kenneth G. Yeager ’57 a retired Catonsville educator and counselor, died Oct. 20 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Columbia, according to The Baltimore Sun. The longtime Ellicott City resident was 78. In addition to his Maryland education, Yeager entered Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va., to prepare for the Episcopal priesthood, and six months later withdrew and married Barbara Gilson in 1958. In 1960, Yeager began teaching at Catonsville Junior High School. He later became a guidance counselor, a position he held at the school for more than three decades until retiring in the 1990s. He was also a counselor and eventually principal of the Catonsville Evening High School and Catonsville Adult Center. Yeager was a communicant of Holy Apostles Episcopal Church in Arbutus for 70 years, where he was director of Christian education and director of acolytes and served as a lay reader and chalicist. In addition to his wife of 55 years, Yeager is survived by a son, Donald; a daughter, Cynthia Scourtis; a sister, Shirley Walker; and three grandchildren.

John F. Leitzel ’50, a retired insurance broker and agency owner, died of heart failure Dec. 21 at the Joseph Richey Hospice in downtown Baltimore, The Baltimore Sun reported. The Dundalk resident was 95. Leitzel was a 1935 graduate of Sparrows Point High School and attended Strayer, Bryant and Stratton Business College. After working in Bethlehem Steel’s purchasing department, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces in 1944. A secretary to a colonel, he was assigned to Bury St. Edmunds in England and Wiesbaden, Germany. He then earned a business administration degree at Maryland. He began as a claims adjuster for Farm Bureau Insurance and later was a Nationwide agent and owner who worked from an office at Old North Point Boulevard and Wise Avenue. He later sold the business and worked for Kroh, Miller and Knight. He retired in 1980. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, the former Virginia Doris Mae Hines, a United Methodist minister and teacher, who died in 2010. Survivors include two sons, John and James; two daughters, Janet Lee Leitzel and Susan L. Kelly; a sister, Velma E. Bessent; and three grandchildren.