Class notes

1964

William B. Gillooly, A&S '64 (PhD), learned that his memoir describing a night of heightened tensions during the Eisenhower administration had been accepted by the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, Kansas, for inclusion in its collection. As a young naval officer aboard the USS Essex, Gillooly witnessed the military preparations for a Soviet attack during the height of the Cold War. His memoir recalls a night when Air Force One tested the ability of the United States Navy's Sixth Fleet to detect an oncoming Soviet Union bomber.

1965

Frank Merceret, A&S '65, '72 (PhD), published Wake Turbulence in November 2021. It is the second book in his hard science fiction series, the Alcubierre Metric Connection. Informed by his background as an atmospheric physicist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA, the book follows two physicists as they investigate the cause of a mysterious explosion over the Indian Ocean.

Stuart G. Walesh, Engr '65 (MS), published Engineering's Public-Protection Predicament: Reform Education and Licensure for a Safer Society through S.G. Walesh Consulting in March 2021. The book celebrates American engineering excellence and offers numerous action ideas for interested individuals and organizations that want to take engineering to the next level and improve public safety.

1967

Blanche P. Alter, Med '67 (MD), HS '70, SPH '00 (MPH), retired last year from her role as a senior clinician in the Clinical Genetics Branch of the National Cancer Institute after 21 years of service.

Jeffrey L. Marsh, A&S '67, Med '70 (MD), received the 2022 Honors of the Association award from the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA). The award represents the highest expression of respect and gratitude that ACPA bestows and is granted to those whose lifetime of research, health care delivery, or leadership has advanced the amelioration of physical, behavioral, or social conditions of cleft lip and palate or other craniofacial differences.

1974

Robert M. Ward, Med '74 (MD), since becoming professor emeritus at the University of Utah, has continued working to advance drug studies through consulting in study designs and in volunteering at nonprofits such as the Institute for Advanced Clinical Trials for Children and the International Neonatal Consortium. The University of Utah recently honored him with the establishment of the Robert M. Ward, M.D., Endowed Chair in Clinical Pharmacology in the Department of Pediatrics.

1976

Daniel J. Price, A&S '76, published his first book, A Physical and Spiritual Reality: An Essay Connecting Theology and the Life Sciences, in September through Summerland Publishing. The book aims to stimulate conversation between life scientists and people of various theological backgrounds through discussions of structural biology, molecular biology, cellular signaling, and evolutionary biology.

1978

Daniel Schenker, A&S '78 (MA), '81 (PhD), published Confessions of a Marrano Rocketeer, a work of historical fiction surrounding the development of the V-2 rocket in Nazi Germany, through Black Rose Writing in January 2021.

1979

Roy A. Beveridge, A&S '79, Med '88 (PGF), was named to the board of directors of Epizyme Inc., a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing epigenetic medicines, in November 2021.

1980

Ellen Feld, A&S '80 (MFA), published Comma Sense: Your Guide to Grammar Victory through Mango Publishing in January. The book is a style guide on how to write technically, professionally, and personally.

Kathy Karsting, A&S '80, received the 2021 Title V Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions made to the field of maternal and child health. The award, given by the Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, recognizes a history of distinguished service to maternal and child health, including children with special health care needs. Karsting has worked in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Title V Maternal and Child Health Program since 2006. She resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, with her husband and their two young adult daughters.

Jeffrey Taylor, A&S '80, Med '83 (MD), '84 (PGF), HS '84, '88, won the 13th Annual Spin Technology Award from Orthopedics This Week in 2021. He is a co-founder and chief science and technology officer of Dymicron, a medical technology company creating musculoskeletal devices. He also served as founding director of Consensus Orthopedics, a company specializing in total joint replacement products. Taylor is an active orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive surgery.

1982

Stephen Richmond, A&S '82, was elected chairperson of Beveridge & Diamond PC, the leading national environmental, health, and safety law firm in the United States. He has practiced environmental law his entire career and previously served in governmental positions and as an in-house counsel with two corporations. He recently completed a three-year term on the firm's management committee.

1984

Lucy Cairns, Med '84 (MD), retired in August 2020. She remains active in the Bucks County Medical Society, the Baird Ornithological Club, and the Mengel Natural History Society. She is currently working on initiatives to remove invasive plants and replace them with native plants.

1985

Aleksandar Rajkovic, A&S '85, was named to the board of Bionano Genomics, which provides genome analysis solutions that can enable researchers and clinicians to reveal answers to challenging questions in biology and medicine.

Marti Tirinnanzi, Bus '85 (MS), was named to the board of Intercontinental Exchange Inc., a leading global provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure, in March.

1988

Helen L. Collins, Med '88 (MD), '91 (PGF), HS '91, was named chief medical officer at Enliven Therapeutics, a precision oncology company.

1989

Laura Donegan, A&S '89, and her husband were among those named to Baltimore Magazine's Top Doctors of 2021. She is also proud of her twin daughters, who have both competed on Jeopardy! this year and were featured on the front page of the Baltimore Sun.

David J. Giarracco, Engr '89, Med '93 (MS), was appointed CEO of Noninvasix in November 2021. Noninvasix creates medical devices that noninvasively monitor the severity of sepsis and septic shock, enabling clinicians to diagnose and monitor the response to treatment of tissue hypoxia in real time.

1991

Andrew L. Rosenberg, Med '91 (MD), HS '94, '95, Med '95 (PGF), was named ORBIE Michigan HealthCare's chief information officer (CIO) of the Year for 2021. He has been the CIO for Michigan Medicine, which is made up of the University of Michigan's Health System and Medical School, since 2016. Additionally, he served as interim vice president and CIO for the University of Michigan in 2018 and was previously chief medical information officer for the University of Michigan Health System.

1993

Jane Dietze, SAIS '93 (MA), the chief information officer and vice president at Brown University, was named to the board of Galaxy Digital Holdings in March. Galaxy Digital is a technology-driven financial services and investment management firm.

1994

Lisa A. Cooper, Med '94 (PGF), a pioneering public health disparities researcher, general internist, and professor at Johns Hopkins University, was appointed to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in September 2021. Cooper is a professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health. She is also the James F. Fries Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine.

1996

Stephen Meraw, HS '96, was recently installed as vice president of the American Academy of Periodontology at its annual meeting. He also recently completed his term as president of the Michigan Dental Association for 2020–21.

1997

Keith T. Flaherty, Med '97 (MD), was named to the inaugural Strategic Advisory Board of Sporos Bioventures LLC, a private biopharmaceutical company.

R. Kevin Mallinson, Nurs '97 (MSN), '01 (PhD), released his memoir, Alarm in the Firehouse: A Memoir of America's First Openly Gay Professional Firefighter, in October. In it, he chronicles his years in the Key West Fire Department with stories of discrimination, assaults, and, ultimately, triumph that anger, amuse, and inspire. He brings to light the connections between homophobia, racism, and misogyny while exploring the concept of masculinity and his experience of being one of "America's bravest."

Altoria Ross, A&S '97 (MFA), received the National Association of Housing Cooperatives' (NAHC) Author of the Year Award for her contributions to NAHC publications as a writer, reviewer, and editor. She is a technical writer for Sparksoft Corporation, a technology company based in Columbia, Maryland, and is an adjunct professor of communications at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Peter Vaughan, SPH '97 (MPH), was appointed a member of the Order of Canada on December 29, 2021, by the governor general of Canada, Mary May Simon, for his contributions to Canada's health care system and for his pioneering leadership in the establishment and advancement of digital health. Through his roles as deputy minister of health and wellness for Nova Scotia, CEO of the Canadian Medical Association, and chair of Canada Health Infoway, he has pioneered initiatives to improve access to virtual health care, reduce wait times, and facilitate the secure sharing of patient information.

1998

Marc E. Grasso, Med '98 (MD), was named chief financial officer at Alector Inc., a clinical state biotechnology company, in February.

Mark Sulkowski, Med '98 (PGF), was named senior associate dean for clinical trials and the founding director of the Office of Clinical Trials at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

1999

Julianna Jung, Med '99, HS '02, Ed '17 (PhD), was named inaugural director of innovation in medical education at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

2000

Panayiotis M. Varelas, Med '00 (PGF), was named the 13th president of the Neurocritical Care Society. It is the only international, multidisciplinary society of health providers whose mission is to improve outcomes for patients with life-threatening neurological and neurosurgical illnesses. He currently holds the Matthew Bender Endowed Chair and is chair of the Department of Neurology at Albany Medical College.

2001

John W. Devine, Bus '01 (MS), after receiving his master's degree in information technology and retiring from Verizon, went back to school for a bachelor's degree in orthotics and prosthetics. He is now retired again and owns a bed-and-breakfast in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, called the Elmdale Inn.

2002

Gwendolyn K. Binder, Med '02 (PhD), SPH '07 (PGF), was promoted to president of science and technology at Cabaletta Bio Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, in January.

2004

Jonathan M. Spenner, Med '04 (PhD), '04 (PGF), a patent attorney based in the Chicago office of the intellectual property law firm Leydig, Voit & Mayer, was elected to become a shareholder in January. He joined the firm as a patent agent in 2008, completing his law degree from Fordham University School of Law in 2009. Prior to joining the firm, he worked for law firms in New York City as a patent agent and scientific adviser.

2005

Alexi Franklin, A&S '05, '10 (MA), was selected to command the 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, of the Maryland Army National Guard. The battalion was founded in 1774 and is the seventh oldest continuously operational unit in the United States Army. With wartime service spanning from the Revolutionary War to Operation Iraqi Freedom, the battalion most recently mobilized in support of COVID-19 operations.

Michalis Persianis, SAIS '05 (MA), took on a new job as chair of the Independent Fiscal Institution of Cyprus.

2007

Anastasia Pike, Peab '07 (MM), recently completed the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative's Meta-Leadership training program through the joint Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership. Out of 2 million eligible active-duty military spouses, she was one of 50 selected for the fully funded program.

2010

Leigh A. Frame, SPH '10 (MPH), director of integrative medicine at George Washington University, recently co-founded the new Resiliency & Well-Being Center at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences and will serve as the inaugural associate director. To support the meaningful contributions of all employees and trainees at the university, the Resiliency & Well-Being Center provides whole-person care and education at all levels: individual, departmental, and institutional.

2011

Deepika Darbari, Med '11 (PGF), received the American Society of Hematology award for Leadership in Promoting Diversity in Atlanta during the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in December 2021.

Celeste Lipkes, A&S '11, is a writer and practicing psychiatrist in Asheville, North Carolina. Her first book of poems, Radium Girl, will be published through the University of Wisconsin Press' Wisconsin Poetry Series in spring 2023.

2012

Lincoln Phillips, A&S '12 (MA), SAIS '13 (Cert), published his second novel, The Interact Configuration. The military suspense novel follows CIA operatives during the outbreak of the 1991 Gulf War.

Ted T. Simpson, Bus '12 (MS), recently joined Deloitte Consulting as a managing director in the Government and Public Services practice. He lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, with his wife and two children.

2013

Ronnie J. Greene, A&S '13 (MFA), published his third book of nonfiction, Heart of Atlanta: Five Black Pastors and the Supreme Court Victory for Integration, this year through Chicago Review Press. The book explores the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the battle over public accommodations in the streets of Atlanta, shedding light on an oft-overlooked chapter of the nation's civil rights movement and a group of ministry students who risked personal harm to demand a seat at the table.

2015

Gerard Battersby, Bus '15 (MS), '15 (MS), was promoted to senior data scientist and engineer for the Midwest at data processing company Celonis Inc.

2018

Leonard Bellisario, A&S '18 (MS), a data analyst in the project management office for ZIN Technologies, received a 2021 Technical Excellence Award for his work on building new dashboards and other tools to better track various projects' performance over time. ZIN is a leader in providing advanced engineering services and product development solutions for NASA, the Department of Defense, and private industries.

2019

Derek James Smith, A&S '19 (MS), is the author of a new science fiction book, Technoconvergence, published in September 2021. The book investigates topics surrounding artificial intelligence as a group of friends, one of whom is a robot, investigates a murder.

Eran Steinberg, A&S '19 (MS), was named CEO of Vaica Medical, a telemedicine company, in February.

2020

Jon Hornstein, A&S '20 (MS), program director at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, has been selected to join Class 6 of the Wexner Field Fellowship. The fellowship focuses on developing promising Jewish professionals' leadership skills while enveloping them in a rich network of Jewish colleagues. Fellows are selected on the basis of their accomplishments, current motivation and engagement, and exceptional attributes they will contribute to their cohort of 15 diverse Jewish professionals. Class 6 will come together through in-person intensive institutes, where they will be exposed to Jewish educational and professional growth opportunities while addressing their unique needs of career and personal progress.