Class Notes

1966

Don Nicholson, Med '66 (MD), a retired physician, published a memoir in June 2024 titled My Dementia Defense. The book is based on his personal experience as a caregiver for his father for 10 years and as a patient himself. Read more about the book at mydementiadefense.com.

Thomas J. Vander Salm, Med '66 (MD), is a retired cardiac surgeon. He published his first novel, Maaijke, in March 2024. The book follows a Dutch farmer's daughter from the 1800s as she travels through time and falls in love with a doctor in the 1970s.

1969

Joseph T. Coyle, Med '69 (MD), is the Eben S. Draper Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (emeritus) at Harvard Medical School. He was previously chair of Harvard's academic Department of Psychiatry. He was honored with a commissioned portrait, painted by Jason Patterson, unveiled in February 2024 and displayed in the administration building of McLean Hospital, in Belmont, Massachusetts.

1970

William I. Brustein, SAIS '70 (Dipl), '71 (MA), is the Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus and former vice president for global strategies and international affairs at West Virginia University. Last year, his monograph Anti-Semitism Without Jews, Germany, France, and the U.S.: Phantom Enemies, was published in Palgrave Critical Studies of Antisemitism and Racism (London: Palgrave MacMillan).

1977

Mark R. Katlic, Med '77 (MD), retired last year from his position as chair of the Department of Surgery at LifeBridge Health System. He was a thoracic surgeon for four decades. Also last year, his medical thriller, Thorax, was published in June by Atmosphere Press.

1978

Todd Ovokaitys, A&S '78, Med '81 (MD), is a bioscientist, researcher, and inventor in the fields of regenerative medicine and advanced therapeutic technologies at QiGenix. He was invested as an Honorary Knight Cross of the Portuguese Royal House in November 2024 at a gala at the house of the pope in Vatican City. The honor was conferred by His Royal Highness D. Duarte De BraganÇa, Duke of BraganÇa.

1980

Phillip L. Pearl, A&S '80, is director of epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology at Boston Children's Hospital, holds the William G. Lennox Chair, and is a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. In October 2024, he presented the Fritz E. Dreifuss Lecture during the Presidential Symposium at the annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society. His lecture was titled "Imaging in the Inherited Metabolic Epilepsies." He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts and more than 160 book chapters and reviews, and he has written or edited five books. He is a member of the Music and Health Institute at the Berklee College of Music, Boston, and is past president of the Professors of Child Neurology and the Child Neurology Society.

1990

Kelli Kidwell Garber, Nurs '90, is associate professor and director, DNP Advanced Practice, at the Ellmer School of Nursing at Old Dominion University. In 2024, she was inducted as a fellow of both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing.

1991

William Marks, Med '91 (MD), is co-founder, general partner, and chief medical officer at Nexus NeuroTech Ventures, an investment firm that supports technology development that aids in the diagnosis and management of brain disorders. Recently, the firm helped lead $21.5 million Series B financing for a medical device company developing diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for children with autism and early childhood vulnerabilities.

1995

Marcela del Carmen, Med '95 (MD), was named president of the Massachusetts General Hospital in March 2024. She also continues as president of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization.

Howard Turner, Engr '95, is senior director of preconstruction and risk management for energy and technical services at McKinstry, a national construction and energy services company. In this position, he focuses on energy, sustainability, and decarbonization projects at existing U.S. facilities.

Ethan Weiss, Med '95 (MD), is co-founder and chief scientific officer at Marea Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new generation of medicine for cardiometabolic diseases. Launched in June 2024, Marea has secured $190 million in venture funding.

2000

Daniel Trahey, Peab '00, is a faculty member at Johns Hopkins Peabody Preparatory and the founder of Tuned-In, a program that provides scholarships to Peabody Prep for musically talented Baltimore City youths. He plays tuba for the Archipelago Project and RET Brass Band and has performed worldwide, frequently in areas with limited access to live performance. He recently received a Fulbright Award to support small tours in Colombia, focused on creative youth development, youth leadership, and collective composition.

2002

Selena Ramkeesoon, Bus '02 (MBA), is chief communications officer at the American Speech Language-Hearing Association and is an adjunct associate professor at American University and the University of Maryland Global Campus. She was invited to join the Harvard Business Review advisory council and the Public Relations Society of America's national diversity, equity, and inclusion committee.

2003

Sean Moore, Med '03 (MD), is the Mitchell Cohen Chair and division director of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He is a boardcertified pediatrician and pediatric gastroenterologist.

2004

Omar Galarraga, A&S '04 (MA), BSPH '07 (PhD), is professor of health services policy and practice at Brown University and director of the International Health Institute at Brown University School of Public Health.

Karen M. Watson, Ed '04 (Cert), '05 (MAT), is a retired teacher and writer whose short story, "Desert Fish," appeared in Best Climate Change Stories. The international anthology featured stories on the human impacts of climate change around the themes of social realism, dystopia, social justice, post-apocalypticism, humor, and horror.

2005

David Flanigan, Engr '05 (MS), '07 (MS), is associate dean for nonresidential graduate education at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering.

Jerome Graber, BSPH '05 (MPH), is professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Washington, where he also is director of both the Clinical Integration Weeks in the School of Medicine and the adult NeuroOncology Fellowship.

Zoe Johnstone Stewart, Peab '05, is a faculty artist at Johns Hopkins Peabody Preparatory. She was elected chair of the Guitar Foundation of America's board of trustees, the first woman to hold the position in the organization's history.

2006

Stephen W. Chang, Med '06 (MD), and Mark P. Eid, Med '06 (MD), founded Acts Financial Advisors, which offers wealth management, tax strategy, and personal financial advising services to physicians and business owners. The company manages more than $100 million in assets.

Devin Gray, Peab '06, is a jazz percussionist, bandleader, and label owner. His sixth album as a bandleader, Melt All the Guns II, is the ninth released on his own label. The album features 11 of his politically minded works, performed by Gray, trumpeter Ralph Alessi, and pianist Myslaure Augustin.

2007

Paul Jaffe, Engr '07 (MS), is program manager in the Tactical Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Previously, he was an engineer and researcher at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory for 30 years. He is the co-author of Power Beaming: History, Theory and Practice, published in June 2024 by WSPC.

2009

Kerry McAvoy, A&S '09 (MS), principal at ONE Environmental Mid Atlantic, was appointed to the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Meng Su, Peab '09 (Cert), '11 (GPD), '15 (GPD),'16 (MM), '18 (AD), is a classical guitar soloist and a member of the Beijing Guitar Duo, which toured in the United States in February 2025. She teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and is the artist-in-residence for the Baltimore Classical Guitar Society. She was included on Tatler Asia's annual "Gen T Leaders of Tomorrow" list, recognizing entrepreneurs, creatives, and changemakers who are making a positive impact in Asia.

2011

Victor Caccese, Peab '11, is a percussionist with Sandbox Percussion in New York City, with fellow alumni Terry Sweeney, Peab '13, Ian Rosenbaum, Peab '08, and Peabody faculty member Jonathan Allen. They performed three pieces—"Systems Breach," "The Egg and the Fox," and "Fink"—on the soundtrack of the animated science fiction adventure The Wild Robot. The soundtrack can be found on Spotify and Apple Music.

Debjani Mallick, Engr '11, is senior manager in the environmental, social, and corporate governance and supply chain practice areas of business performance improvement at Protiviti, a global business consulting firm. She and Brian Guthrie were married at the Grand Canyon in November 2024.

Joel Weszka, Peab '11, '12 (MM), '13 (GPD), is a clarinetist and a member of the U.S. Navy stationed with the Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band in Italy and the Navy Band Northwest in Washington state. Last fall, he won the audition for the U.S. Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Maryland, where he performs with the marching band, ceremonial units, and chamber winds.

2012

Darnell Barnett, Ed '12 (MS), is an online tutor with Varsity Tutors, an independent tutoring company. He earned a Doctor of Education in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University in 2022.

Michael Maliakel, Peab '12, is an actor and singer whose credits include headlining Aladdin when it returned to the New Amsterdam Theatre in 2021. He was a special guest on Joy: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir, broadcast in December on PBS.

2013

Maia Arnold, Med '13 (PhD), Bus '22 (MBA), is senior vice president of scientific strategy at Spectrum Science Communications. She was named to MM+M's Women to Watch 2024 list.

Young-Ah Tak, Peab '13 (DMA), is associate professor of piano and head of the piano area at the Crane School of Music at Potsdam State University of New York. She also is the founding artistic director of the Crane International Piano Festival. A devotee of Franz Schubert since age 12, she recorded his Piano Sonata No. 14 in A. Minor, Op. 143, D. 784, and Piano Sonata No. 18 in G Major, Op. 78, D. 894 at Steinway Hall in New York City. Steinway released the performance on its Steinway & Sons label.

2014

Brady DelVecchio, Peab '14, is a 2024–25 resident artist at the Toledo Opera, where he performs for the Opera on Wheels and Opera Outdoors programs and in mainstage productions.

Jeff Stern, Peab '14 (MM), is a member of the percussion faculty at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute. He and fellow faculty member Doug O'Connor performed "Unity Synonym" in December 2023 at Bowling Green State University's Moore Musical Arts Center. The commission was composed by Michael Laurello. James David Young, Peab '14 (DMA), is a Baltimore-based composer, improviser, administrator, educator, and show runner. He collaborated with Dan Deacon, a fellow Baltimore composer, on the soundtrack for Rez Ball, a Netflix sports drama about a basketball season on a Native American reservation. Young provided orchestrations for the soundtrack, which is available to stream or purchase online.

Bahar Zarrabi, Bus '14 (MBA), is senior administrative manager for chemical and bioengineering at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering. She received the Johns Hopkins 2024 Career Impact Award and the Career Champion Award, which recognizes exceptional dedication in furthering another person's career.

Kelly Carty Zimmerer, A&S '14, is an associate in the Louisville, Kentucky, office of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, where she practices in health care and related litigation.

2015

Nicholas Fitton, Peab '15, '21 (MM), is assistant principal flute and piccolo player for the Omaha Symphony Orchestra.

Jarrett Gilgore, Peab '15, is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and teacher who performs internationally with a variety of ensembles. He was a guest musician on the single "Plant," on Things We Have in Common, the seventh album of the Danish trio Efterklang. The album, on the City Slang label, is available to stream or purchase online.

Nindhana Paranthaman, Bus '15 (MBA), is executive and medical director of clinical development at Summit Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical oncology company. She received a 2024 Life Science Catalyst Award from Biocom California, the association representing the life science industry in the state. The awards program, in its ninth year, recognizes accomplished leaders who make significant contributions to California's life science industry.

2017

Sam Deason, Peab '17 (MM), is executive director of the Regina Symphony Orchestra in his native Canada.

Clara Plestis, Peab '17, is director of development for Smart Dog Media, a television production company. In her position, she has been on the discovery and development team for The Masked Singer. At the 76th Annual Emmy Awards in September, she received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special for her work as an executive producer of Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic, which celebrates his legendary career. The special premiered on CBS and now is available on Paramount+.

2018

Joy Guidry, Peab '18, is a bassoonist, performance artist, composer, and a doctoral fellow at the University of California, San Diego. She performed on "Is It Over Now?" with singer Niecy Blues on TRANSA, a compilation of 46 songs by more than 100 musicians in celebration of the trans community. The album was sponsored by not-for-profit Red Hot Organization, which formed in 1990 as a response to the AIDS epidemic and recruited artists and musicians to create charity albums to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS relief around the world.

Joseph Staten, Peab '18, '22 (GPD), is a member of the Mount Vernon Virtuosi Cello Gang, with fellow alumni Mafalda Santos, Peab '21, '22 (MM), and Natalia Vilchis, Peab '21 (MM), '22 (GPD), and Peabody undergraduate Shawn Hsu. They recently recorded, with faculty artist Amit Peled, "Kaddish," composed by Mark Kopytman and arranged for six cellos by Guy Eylon. This world premiere arrangement was released by Centaur Records on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.

2020

Hayden Denesha, Peab '20 (GPD), is music director of the Loudon Symphony Orchestra and the Loudon Symphony Youth Orchestra in Leesburg, Virginia.

Laurie Roath Frazier, A&S '20 (MA), is a science writer and educator whose first book, Navigating Rocky Terrain: Caves, Karsts, and the Soul of Unseen Spaces, was published in August 2024 by Maverick Books.

2022

Alessandro Rotundo, Peab '22, is a 2024–25 resident artist at the Toledo Opera, where he performs in the Opera on Wheels and Opera Outdoors programs and in mainstage productions.

2023

Ui-Seng Francois, Peab '23, is a swing cast member in the first national tour of MJ the Musical, Lynn Nottage's jukebox musical based on the life of the late Michael Jackson.

2024

Jonathan Silver, A&S '24, is a filmmaker whose short documentary, From Block to Block, was selected for the Baltimore Public Media's New/Next Film Festival. The film explores systemic inequity in Baltimore public transportation.

You Wu, Peab '24 (MM), is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music. He won first prize in the college/ professional division in the 2024 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition.