Class Notes

1959

John E. Brown, A&S '59 (MA), '60 (PhD), authored What This Country Really Needs: A Story of an American Vice President and the Cause of the 25th Amendment. The book follows the life of Vice President Thomas R. Marshall, who served under President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson's stroke in 1919 left the country leaderless with Marshall unable to intervene, eventually necessitating the passage of the 25th Amendment. The book was published in 2022 by Dorrance Press.

1967

Marc Thomas, A&S '67, who retired to Savannah, Georgia, in 2011, revived his writing practice during the pandemic and published his first book of poetry in January. The book is titled Surviving Fragments and was published by SwanHorse Press.

1970

Robert J. Levy, Med '70 (MD), holds the William J. Rashkind Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is professor of pediatrics and professor of systems pharmacology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He delivered the annual Pediatric and Congenital Cardiovascular Basic Science Lecture in February at Cardiology 2024, the 27th Annual Update on Pediatric and Congenital Cardiovascular Disease.

1972

Michael J. Asken, A&S '72, is the psychologist for the Pennsylvania State Police. He authored The Code Calm Mindset: Mental Toughness Skills for Nurses in Medical Emergencies, with Kimberly I. McMillen, nurse manager at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The book was published in 2023 by Amazon Publishing Plus.

1976

Victor E. Long, A&S '76, is a board-certified civil trial lawyer and founding partner at Regan Zambri Long. He is also a founding board member of the Friendship Public Charter Schools (FPCS), which operates 16 campuses for grades pre-K3 through 12 in the Washington, D.C., area. Four years ago, FPCS purchased Ideal Academy in northwest D.C. and began an expansion and renovation of the failing charter school. At its dedication ceremony in December, the school was renamed Friendship Victor E. Long Ideal Public Charter School, in recognition of his service to the school system and his more than two decades on the board.

1977

Ivan Strunin, A&S '77, released an album of fiddle music titled The First Day of December in February. The album, which encompasses various musical forms such as Cajun, jazz, bluegrass, and funk, is available on all major streaming platforms. Physical copies of the CD are available on Bandcamp.com.

1979

John L. Hall, A&S '79, was elected to a third 10-year term as a trial judge on the Chester County (Pennsylvania) Court of Common Pleas. He was elected president judge, administering a judiciary comprised of 31 judges and more than 425 employees and serving approximately 550,000 residents.

1980

Josiah "Joe" Heyman, A&S '80, is among the top 2% in the field of anthropology in normalized citations, both cumulatively and in 2022. The accomplishment was noted in the 2023 Stanford-Elsevier citation study.

1984

Sharon E. Crane, A&S '84, Med '90 (PhD), is counsel in the life sciences practice group of Haynes and Boone in the Washington, D.C., office. Her focus is on intellectual property, advising clients in the biotech and pharmaceutical fields on drafting and processing patent applications, providing validity and freedom-to-operate opinions, challenging competitor patents, and defending against infringement claims. She previously was partner at Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck.

1988

Suraya Mohamed, Peab '88, '89, is executive producer for NPR Music, where she leads the development and production of content across the division's podcasts, programs, and shows, including Tiny Desk, Alt Latino, Jazz Night in America, and All Songs Considered. She is a three-time Peabody Award–winning producer, sound designer, and editor.

1989

Michael Fenzel, A&S '89, was awarded the 2023 Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service in recognition of his 35-year Army career and current role as the U.S. security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority. In his three-plus decades in the Army, Fenzel spent seven years in combat zones, attaining the rank of three-star general. He credits his father, the late John Fenzel Jr., A&S '54, for the award, noting that his own career achievements are the direct result of his father's constant encouragement, work ethic, and dedication to excellence.

1994

Eric E. Bleich, Engr '94, is senior attorney in the intellectual property group at Clark Hill. He and his wife, Cristina, live in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Julie Zuydhoek Nicholas, Nurs '94, is an occupational health nurse at the University of Washington. She was the lead author on an article titled "Addressing Underreporting of Blood and Other Body Fluid Exposures Among Perioperative Personnel," published in the October 2021 AORN Journal.

1995

Garron Chang, Peab '95, a musical composer, received a 2023 Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding music direction and composition for his work on the Apple TV+ documentary series Home.

1996

Devon Chivvis, A&S '96, is chief creative officer of REAL (Recovery Education and Applied Learning) and executive producer, co-founder, and director of World Life Productions. She directed the PBS adventure series America: The Land We Live In, which follows America's original travel guidebook of early post–Civil War explorers. It premiered on the network at the end of February.

Clarence Edwards, Ed '96 (MS), owner of Clarence Edwards & Associates, was Maryland's first African American chief of police, serving Montgomery County. His book, From D.C. Streets to Chief's Seat, highlights his personal journey and was published in November 2023 by Inicio Press. Additionally, he was assistant commissioner for the U.S. General Services Administration, overseeing national law enforcement and security operations, and a major in the U.S. Park Police. He also served as president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

1997

Jane Callen, A&S '97 (MA), is senior editor and writer at the U.S. Census Bureau, focusing on economic statistics. She received a bronze medal from the Census Bureau and, early in her career, an award from the White House for facilitating the transition of the census online, one of the first government services on the internet. She also is the Montgomery County (Maryland) fire and emergency services commissioner and a lieutenant and volunteer first responder. She provides pro bono trauma therapy both in the United States and abroad, using eye movement desensitizing and reprocessing, or EMDR. In 2018, she was named Volunteer of the Year by Montgomery County.

Kimberly Seifert, Nurs '97, a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital, received a 2023 Excellence in Nursing Award from Baltimore magazine.

1998

Mary Grace Nayden, Nurs '98, a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital, received a 2023 Excellence in Nursing Award from Baltimore magazine.

1999

Avi Bobker, Bus '99 (MBA), is partner at CohnReznick in their Value 360 transactional advisory services group, headquartered in New York City. He identifies and evaluates tax risk for clients in a wide range of industries including business services, health care, manufacturing, and technology.

Traci M. Krause, BSPH '99 (MPH), Nurs '99 (MS), is chancellor of St. John's College of Nursing in Springfield, Illinois. She previously was dean and director of nursing at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

2001

Steven S. Chang, A&S '01, Med '05 (MD), is chair of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Health in Detroit. He previously was the department's vice chair and director of both Henry Ford Cancer's Head and Neck Cancer Program and the Center for Patient Reported Outcome Measures. Chang is also an associate clinical professor at both Wayne State University School of Medicine and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He is a member of the executive editorial board of Head & Neck: Journal of the Sciences and Specialties of the Head and Neck.

2003

Julian Pellicano, A&S '03, Peab '03, was appointed staff conductor of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra beginning with the 2024–25 season. He is also music director and principal conductor of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He served as associate conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra from 2013 until May 2024.

2006

Melissa ("Mel") Jordan, A&S '06, Peab '06, has been recognized by Lawdragon for the second year running as a Global 100 Leader in Legal Strategy & Consulting for her work as founder and CEO of Jordan's Ladder Legal Placements. She and her husband, Jesse Mermelstein, A&S '07, reside in NYC with their two sons.

Laura Strickling, Peab '06 (MM), a soprano, began commissioning art songs from 40 different composers and poets in 2019. Her first installment, "40@40," released by Bright Shiny Things, features piano accompaniment by Daniel Schlosberg, A&S '00, Peab '00, '01 (MM). The album debuted at the top of the Billboard Classical Albums chart the last week of August 2023 and was nominated for a 2024 Grammy Award for best classical vocal solo album.

2008

Lori Vislocky, A&S '08, is director of screening and vetting on the White House's National Security Council.

2009

Lisa Bucciarelli-Carlos, Ed '09 (Cert), is principal of Plainfield Elementary School in Des Plains, Illinois. She is a finalist for the 2024 Golden Apple Award of Excellence in Leadership. The award is presented by the Golden Apple Foundation, an Illinois nonprofit committed to preparing, honoring, and supporting educators who foster educational opportunities for students.

Amber Richert, Nurs '09, '11 (MSN), '15 (DNP), is clinic manager for JHU East Baltimore and D.C. and a clinical faculty member in the JHU School of Nursing. She received a 2023 Excellence in Nursing Award from Baltimore magazine.

Craig Rosenblum, Engr '09, '10 (MS), is president of Himed, a global provider of biomaterials and innovative surface treatments in the dental and orthopedic markets. The company is headquartered in Old Bethpage, New York.

Caitlin Vincent, Peab '09 (MM), a librettist, and composer Jenny Game explore the life of Australian suffragist Vida Goldstein in The Blood Vote, a chamber opera with circus that premiered during the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Vincent was the winner of the 2024–25 Dominick Argento Chamber Opera Competition for her work on Bessie and Ma, which will be performed at the 2025 National Opera Association conference in Savannah, Georgia.

2010

Craig Collins-Young, A&S '10 (MA), is a digital business analyst at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He received the 2023 Service to the Citizen Award from Service to the Citizen: Champions of Change Program. The award honors public servants who demonstrate excellence in delivering services that improve the public experience with—and trust in—government.

Laura Paulsen, Engr '10, is chief of staff in pelvic health at Medtronic. She finished 95th in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, just six months after giving birth to her daughter. To qualify for the trials, competitors had to run 2:37 or faster. Paulsen qualified when she ran 2:36 at the Houston Marathon in 2022. She reported that she knew of at least one other alumna in the field, Holly Clarke, A&S '14, who finished in 63rd place.

2011

Mark Meadows, A&S '11, Peab '11, '13 (GPD), made his Broadway debut in the spring as associate music director for The Outsiders.

2012

Chris Boland, A&S '12, is vice president of MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services, in the company's Lutherville, Maryland, office. He specializes in leasing of commercial office and industrial/ warehouse space and the sale of office and industrial properties in the Greater Baltimore metropolitan market. He joined the company in 2022 as senior real estate adviser and has more than a decade of experience in sales and business development.

2013

Jennifer Love, A&S '13, married Dustin Jay Bell in May 2023 in La Cañada Flintridge, California, Love's hometown and the location of the high school where the couple met. Reid Ginsburg, A&S '13, served as the officiant; Ashley Hawn, A&S '13, was the maid of honor; and Emily Kashka-Ginsburg, A&S '13, and Hannah Miller, A&S '13, were bridesmaids. Attendees included Noah Greenbaum, Engr '13; David Miller, A&S '12; Marissa Jarosinski, A&S '14; Kathryn Alsman, A&S '13; Katie Malzbender, A&S '13; Olivia Florio Roberts, A&S '13; Kenny Pierson, A&S '14; and Mary Sutherland Woolston, A&S '13. Love is manager of distribution operations for the Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles.

2014

Yvonne Commodore-Mensah, Nurs '14 (PhD), BSPH '19 (MHS), is associate professor at the JHU School of Nursing and the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the president and co-founder of the Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance. She recently received a grant from the Discovery and Innovation Fund, which supports work of JHU School of Nursing pre- and postdoctoral students and faculty. Commodore-Mensah is studying cardiovascular health and disease prevention in African immigrant communities.

2015

Yuri Agrawal, BSPH '15 (MPH), is chair of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Previously, she was professor of otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at JHU School of Medicine and an attending physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Agrawal is principal investigator on multiple National Institutes of Health grants that focus on the vestibular system in aging and Alzheimer's disease. She is president of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, and education director of the American Neurotology Society.

2017

Hannah Fetting, Nurs '17 (MSN), is a nurse practitioner in the Bayview Division of General Internal Medicine. She received a 2023 Excellence in Nursing Award from Baltimore magazine.

Diana Lee, A&S '17, and Tom Reinhart, Engr '17, were married in his hometown of Pittsburgh in March. Although they graduated the same year, they didn't connect until 2020. He is a risk developer at ExodusPoint Capital Management, and she is an internist at NYU Langone Health and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Alyssa Sooklal, Engr '17, is a licensed water resource engineer with McCormick Taylor in Baltimore. She is the younger member director of the Maryland chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and is also president of its Younger Member Group. In this role, she works directly with JHU's ASCE student chapter and the JHU ASCE Sustainable Solutions Team. She received ASCE's Outstanding Practitioner Advisor Award and was selected to be a 2024 ASCE New Face of Civil Engineering, one of 10 young professionals age 30 or younger highlighted and provided with leadership opportunities by the organization.

2019

Paul Byssainthe Jr., Peab '19 (GPD), is music director for The Wiz, which was on tour last fall and winter before its spring revival at New York's Marquis Theatre. Byssainthe is an organist, conductor, and composer.

Jonathan Taylor Rush, Peab '19 (MM), is guest artist for the 2023–24 season at the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. He led the orchestra through William Grant Still's Festive Overture, Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1, Classical, and Florence Price's Symphony No. 1.

2022

Trish Dewald, A&S '22 (MA), is CEO and principal adviser of Mondo Unlimited, a consulting and staffing firm for nonprofits. The company recently formed a strategic partnership with Non-Profit Personnel Network, a national executive search firm, serving the nonprofit sector. Both firms are based in Oakland County, Michigan.

Valery Saul, Peab '22 (MM), is associate conductor at the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and also serves as music director for the ASO Community Orchestra. She spent last summer training with Cristian Măcelaru at the Romanian Chamber Orchestra Masterclass.

2023

Olivia Chen, Peab '23, was appointed second violin with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

Mifrah Hayath, A&S '23 (MS), is a graduate student, teaching fellow, and research assistant at Harvard Medical School. She hopes to follow in the footsteps of some of her professors at Hopkins, inspiring fellow students and serving as a leader of change.