Transitions

Luis E. Sanz, BS Biology ’72, is the new director of the Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstruction Center at the Virginia Hospital Center.

Mike Reinemer, MA English ’81, is vice president for communications at the American Association for Homecare.

Gregory George Paspatis, BA History ’83, was elected to the Alexandria Sportsman’s Club Board of Governors. He previously served as the club’s president in 2002.

Evelyn McConathy, MS Biology ’86 and JD ’92, former intellectual property chair for Dilworth Paxson left the firm in December to join Drinker Biddle & Reath in their Philadelphia office.

Soheila Mellom, BA Communication ’86 and MA Telecommunications ’02, is an adjunct faculty member at Mason and has won three 2004 Communicator Awards of Distinction, an international awards competition, for two videos. The 2004 competition received 2,937 entries.

DID YOU KNOW?
T. Mills Kelly, assistant professor of history and art history and associate director of the Center for History and New Media at Mason, received a 2005 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award, the commonwealth’s highest honor for faculty at Virginia’s colleges and universities. Kelly was the first honoree in a new category, Teaching with Technology. He received his award along with 11 other educators at a ceremony February 15 in Richmond.

Emily Chamlee-Wright, BA Economics ’88, MA Economics ’90, and PhD Economics ’93, was promoted to the rank of full professor in economics and management at Beloit College.

Joseph A. Esposito, MA History ’88, is deputy undersecretary for international affairs in the U.S. Department of Education.

Victor C. Mullins, BA Communication ’89, recently earned a PhD in higher education administration from New York University. He is assistant dean of student affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the College of Business.

Jennifer Symonds, BA Russian Area Studies ’90, earned her MS in public administration at Troy State University in 2004 and is enrolled in the PhD program in political science at the University of Alabama.

Brian Corbey, BA History and Latin American Studies ’91, is vice president of sales and marketing at Coventry Health Care in Bethesda, Maryland.

Ramola Dharmaraj, MFA Poetry ’91, received a 2005 Literature Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. The $20,000 award supports the creation of new work.

Tracy Evans, BA Speech Communication and Mass Media ’91, recently became a producer on the Fox television newsmagazine A Current Affair.

Eric Oberst, BS Public Administration ’91, and his wife had their first child, Steven Russell, on August 20.

Robert Shumaker, BS Biology ’91, MS Biology ’97, and PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy ’02, leads the orangutan research at the Great Ape Trust of Iowa in Des Moines. He previously conducted his language research with orangutans at the National Zoo’s acclaimed Think Tank in Washington, D.C.

Dallas Hudgens, MFA Creative Writing ’92, published his first novel, Drive Like Hell, in February 2005. The book is a spring 2005 selection for Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writer series and a Booksense March 2005 pick.

Ray Morath, MA Psychology ’92 and PhD Industrial and Organizational Psychology ’96, will wed Cynthia Jean Maahs in Bluemont, Virginia, in July.

Ted Arnn, BS Law Enforcement ’93, was awarded a Bronze Medal of Valor in February at the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce’s 27th annual Valor Awards Ceremony. He earned the award for controlling a fire in a single vehicle crash and freeing the passenger trapped inside.

Laura Ellen Scott, MFA Creative Writing ’93, had her story, “Folk Hero,” recognized as a Notable Story of 2004 by storySouth. Her story was published online by Plots with Guns (plotswithguns.com). storySouth annually honors and promotes the best fiction published in online magazines and literary journals. For more information, check out its web site at www.storysouth.com/millionwriters.html.

Bill Allmond, BA English ’94, and his wife, Rebecca, announce the birth of their daughter, Meredith Anne, on February 14.

Kirk Thor, PhD Industrial and Organizational Psychology ’95, is vice president of talent management at the Centex Corporation in Dallas, Texas.

Kelli Wies Castle, BS Psychology ’96, married Aldon Castle on July 4 in Newport Beach, California. Kellie is a human resource manager and is pursuing an MBA at the University of Phoenix.

Kelisa Kehne-Cliff, BA Communication ’96, is the manager of marketing and member recruitment for the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals International in Alexandria, Virginia.

Anne Byron Sullivan, BA Communication ’96, and Sean Sullivan, BS Marketing ’97, announce the birth of their daughter, Kaylee Shea, on August 3.

Matthew R. Picerno, MA Psychology ’97 and PhD Psychology ’02, is engaged to Debra Ann Tucker and will be married in Newport, Rhode Island. Picerno is a clinical psychologist in the U.S. Navy and a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric psychology at Harvard Medical School.

Sara J. (Lee) Crowe, BA Sociology ’98, is a stay-at-home mom with a two-year-old son, Spencer Daniel, who was born May 3, 2003.

Linda Dickerhoof, BA Communication ’98, is president and founder of Signature Strategy Inc., a public relations, marketing, and communications firm. She continues to stay connected to Mason as an instructor in the Department of Communication.

Felix A. Herrera, BA Government and Politics ’98 and MS Conflict Resolution ’00, is a reservist on active duty in Iraq for the army’s Civil Affairs section. He taught science and math at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington, Virginia, until being placed on active duty in 2004. During his home visit to the United States in December, he returned to Kenmore to visit his former students, read to children at Barnes & Noble, and attended a debate on the Iraq War at Georgetown University.

Jeremy Lasich, BA Communication ’98, was named chief of the Communications Division for the Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs. He and his wife, Amy (BA English ’98 and MEd ’03), live in Centreville, Virginia, with their son Ethan.

DID YOU KNOW?
Sharron Guillett, PhD Nursing ’98, and Leslie Neal, PhD Nursing ’98, co-wrote Care of the Adult with a Chronic Illness or Disability: A Team Approach. Published by Mosby-Yearbook, the textbook won the Book of the Year Award from the American Journal of Nursing.

Liam Callanan, MFA Creative Writing ’01, was nominated for an Edgar, the annual awards given by the Mystery Writers of America. His novel, The Cloud Atlas, was nominated in the Best First Novel by an American Author category.

Brian Kehl, MA Economics ’02 and PhD Economics ’03, a U.S. Air Force captain, teaches strategic environment and economics at the Professional Military Comptroller School.

Julie Moore, BA Communication ’03, and Jason Barden, BA Government and Politics ’96, became engaged over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Nathan Rohrbaugh, BA Integrative Studies ’03, joined the Aviation Services Group of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in October.

Christine A. Barry, BA English ’04, and Timothy M. Ilardi, BA English ’04, will marry on June 25 in Yorktown, Virginia. They both are employed at Reams Computer Corporation in Newport News, Virginia.

Sarah R. Mertz, BA Spanish ’04, married Michael Sayward Anderson on October 16 in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Jaclyn Wood, BS Integrative Studies ’04, bought her first home in Reston, Virginia, with her fiancé, Ercin Gobuluk, BS Finance ’01.

BUSINESS

Conrad J. Grzybowski Jr., BS Business Administration ’75, wrote the novel H.M.S. Vanguard under the pen name John Conrad. PublishAmerica contracted to publish it and another of the 27 novels Conrad has written and hopes to make public.

Robert P. Quinn, BS Business Administration ’77, was named managing director for the Rockville, Maryland, office of the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.

Cindy Daniel Chamberlain, BS Business Administration ’82, is the director of human resources marketing for Compass Group, North American Division. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, Jay, and their four cats.

Tom Stangroom, BS Business Administration/Management Information Systems ’82, has been honored as 2005 Premier 100 Information Technology Leader nationally by IDG’s Computerworld. Tom works for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Arlington, Virginia.

Russell E. Jamison Jr., BS Accounting ’83, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, has been serving in Iraq as a senior military advisor. Finding the assignment challenging and rewarding, he helps to prepare his Iraqi counterparts for the day when they can take full responsibility for securing their country.

Mohammed Khatib, BS Management ’87, lives in Centreville, Virginia, with his wife, Angie Hasan Khatib, BA Communication ’88, and their two children. He has a new job as director of sales and operations for a general insurance agency in McLean, Virginia.

Jenny Hodge, BS Finance ’92, was named vice president marketing strategy for the Midland Company in Amelia, Ohio. She is the president of the Society of Insurance Research and has designations for Associate in Underwriting and Associate in Research and Planning. Jenny is working on an MS in organizational leadership at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati.

Richard Bulman, MBA ’93, was appointed to the board of trustees of Chesapeake College by Maryland Governor Ehrlich. He previously served on the board of directors for the Foundation for Rural Education and Development.

Charles Hutton, BS Business Administration ’94, was promoted to senior client support specialist at ATX Communications Inc. in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He is a single dad of a five-year-old son, Charlie.

Lawrence Ed Ireland, MBA ’97, was hired as a project manager in Burgess & Niple’s Dulles District Office in Chantilly, Virginia, where he manages site civil engineering services. Ireland enjoys traveling and attending sports events at Mason.

Karen Barassi Vaughan, BS Business Administration ’97, is a content architect for Enwisen Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. She had her first baby, Nicolas Lee, in September.

Simeon Dimitrov, BS Management ’98, had his first novel, The Basenji Revelation, published under the pen name Simon Cleveland. Visit his web site at simoncleveland.com.

EDUCATION

Janie Todd, MEd Elementary Education ’82, a teacher at Grace Miller and M.M. Pierce Elementary Schools, received the Washington Post’s Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award for Fauquier County, Virginia.

Leslie L. Edsall, BS Health, Fitness, and Recreation Resources ’01, a consultant for the American College of Cardiology in Bethesda, Maryland, will marry Stephen M. Pantano on October 8 in Saratoga Springs, New York.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

J. Scott Goldstein, BS Electrical and Computer Engineering ’89 and MS Electrical Engineering ’93, received a PhD in electrical engineering from USC in 1997. He currently is a vice president at SAIC in Chantilly, Virginia, where he leads the Sensor Technology Operation and the Advanced Research and Engineering Solutions Division.

Paul R. Guevin III, MS Computer Science ’94, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, lives in Hawaii and is stationed with Special Operations Command, Pacific, where he is deputy director for communications.

Firas N. Makarem, BS Urban Systems Engineering ’96, was named an associate with the Dewberry firm in Fairfax and is a project manager and civil engineer in its federal programs division

C. Randall Howard, PhD Information Technology ’05, was appointed director of information architecture at TECHi2, a company founded in 2000 to design and develop intelligent systems and architectures.

DID YOU KNOW?
The Library Journal named George Oberle, BA History ’96 and MA History ’99, one of its 2005 Outstanding Librarians. Oberle, who is a multimedia and liaison librarian in Mason’s University Libraries, was recognized for his mentoring and supervisory skills.

LAW

Glenn C. Lewis, JD ’77, was chosen to chair the Virginia Bar Association Board of Governors.

Cynthia Angelos, JD ’82, a former chief circuit judge, is now a partner in the law firm of Weiss, Handler, Angelos and Cornwell based in Boca Raton, Florida. Cynthia leads the firm’s new office in Port St. Lucie and specializes in real estate and development law and litigation.

Lorraine Cichowski, JD ’91, was appointed vice president, product development by the Associated Press where she has worked as a media and strategic planning consultant since May 2004.

Robert Blount Jr., JD ’92, was named the Texas Outstanding Adult Volunteer for large school districts by the Texas Association of Partners in Education.

David Landers, JD ’93, is director of Credit Suisse First Boston’s Washington, D.C.-based external affairs office.

Arthur E. Schmalz, JD ’93, a Hunton & Williams attorney, was named one of Virginia Business magazine’s Legal Elite.

Cynthia M. Gayton, JD ’95, is coauthor of Legal Aspects of Engineering, seventh edition, with Richard C. Vaughn. The book was published by Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company in August 2004.

Adam M. Spence, JD ’95, a commercial litigator and bankruptcy attorney in Towson, Maryland, was featured in the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management magazine’s January/February 2005 issue. The article, “Gaining the Edge,” discusses the innovative use of computer technology by Spence’s firm to increase productivity and efficiency for their clients.

Christopher F. Tate, JD ’97, joined the firm of Cochran & Owen LLC where he will focus on estate and gift taxation and estate planning.

Erica McMahon, JD ’99, was named the acting chief of staff for the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.

NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCE

Lora Wyss, BSN ’89 and MSN ’90, completed her PhD at the University of Akron and is assistant professor of nursing at Malone College in Canton, Ohio.

Megan Stobo, BSN ’99, was appointed director of perioperative services at Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, New Jersey.

PUBLIC POLICY

Robert H. Trice, MA International Transactions ’95, was promoted to general partner of Nokia Venture Partners and leads their new fund, Nokia Growth Partners.

John A. Anderson, MA International Commerce and Policy ’01, formerly a senior policy advisor to Senator Mike Crapo (R–Idaho) and a chief lobbyist of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, joined the Securities Industry Association.

Marsha Fiol, MS Transportation Policy ’02, was appointed administrator of the Transportation and Mobility Planning Division by the Virginia Department of Transportation and will oversee planning for the commonwealth’s highway system.

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Kate Sekula Moser, MM ’03, married Brad Moser on November 6 in Barto, Pennsylvania. She recently was appointed assistant music director of Emanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester, Connecticut, and started work on a doctorate in flute performance.

ARTS AND SCIENCES