• Alumni Association President's Letter:
  Tradition from the Nontraditionalists
• 1960s
• 1970s
• 1980s
• 1990s
• 2000s
• In Memoriam

Editor’s Note: Class Notes are submitted by alumni and are not verified by the editors. While we welcome alumni news, Mason Spirit is not responsible for information contained in Class Notes.

1960s

Steve Burk’s freshman year (1963–64) occurred when Mason was located at Bailey’s Crossroads and his second year was when Mason moved to Fairfax. He graduated with honors from the then-two-year branch of University of Virginia. He then received a BS in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s and PhD in atmospheric physics from the University of Arizona. In 2005, Burk retired from a 30-year career with the Marine Meteorology Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey, California, where he received numerous performance and scientific publication awards. He and his wife, Sue, now reside in Prescott, Arizona, and encourage Mason alumni from that 1963–65 era to e-mail him at [email protected].

1970s

Carolyn Boyer Kramer, BS Elementary Education ’70 and MEd Early Childhood Education ’94, received The Washington Post Company Educational Foundation’s Grants in Education award for her We Can Be Authors, Too! project, which helps preschoolers create spin-off books based on published children’s literature.

Christine Hughes, BA History ’71, received the 2008 Samuel Eliot Morison Award from the board of trustees of the USS Constitution Museum. She is a scholar at the United States Naval History and Heritage Command where she focuses on the history of the USS Constitution and the naval history of the War of 1812.

David Cushing, BA Government and Politics ’76 and MPA ’80, received the 2008 Presidential Rank Award from President George W. Bush, which is given to top-achieving Senior Executive Service members in the federal government. He is the deputy chief financial officer at the Office of Personnel Management.

Martin Johnson, BS Physical Education ’76, set four new NRA national records in September 2008 while participating in the Virginia State Action Pistol Championships. These add to the approximately 20 national records he has set since the 1980s.

Alan Plevy, JD ’77, was named one of Washington’s top divorce attorneys in the February 2009 issue of Washingtonian magazine. Plevy is a founding principal of the firm SmolenPlevy.

Donald A. Miller, BA Biology ’79, completed his board certification in emergency medicine and was promoted to commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve.

1980s

Blair Hedges, BS Biology ’81, and his wife, Carla Hass, discovered the world’s smallest snake (Leptotyphlops carlae) on the island of Barbados. He is a biology professor at Penn State University.

Denise Bode, JD ’82, is the new CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. She is a nationally recognized energy policy expert.

Editte Gharakhanian, BA Biology ’83, received the 2008 Distinguished Faculty Scholarly and Creative Achievement Award at California State University, Long Beach. Since joining the university in 1990, she and her students have produced more than 75 student research conference presentations and submitted more than 30 peer-reviewed research abstracts and manuscripts.

Arnold “Duke” Livermore, BS Decision Science ’83 and MS Information Systems ’90, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. He was previously the company’s executive vice president for business operations.

Susan J. (Seely) Brown, MSN ’85, received the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award from Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Col. D. Scott George, BS Law Enforcement ’85, assumed command of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center in June 2008.

Jan Brodie, JD ’86, has been appointed by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to the Fairfax County Circuit Court. She was previously the deputy county attorney for Fairfax County.

Scott Alan Smith, BA English ’86, joined the adjunct faculty at Pepperdine University where he directed Horton Foote’s The Roads to Home. He was also seen last fall on the HBO series True Blood and on Fox’s Prison Break.

Crystal R. (Epps) Williams, BS Public Administration ’86, joined VSE Corporation in December as corporate vice president, contracts. She was previously the contracts director for the North American public sector at Computer Sciences Corporation.

Linda Gambatesa, BS Management ’87, was named assistant to the president for management and administration in the Office of Management and Administration by President George W. Bush in September 2008.

Mary Roberta “Bobbie” Brandt, BA History ’88, was named interim vice president for legal affairs and general counsel at West Virginia University. She was formerly the associate general counsel for the university.

Frank Stephens, MAIS ’88, was named vice president of human resources for LTD Management, a Chesapeake, Virginia-based hotel development and management company.

David Rehr, MA Economics ’89 and PhD Economics ’98, was again listed as a top association lobbyist in The Hill. Rehr is the president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters.

Rev. George H. Waxter, MD, MS Electronic Engineering ’89, is spending a year working in out-patient clinics as a locum tenens physician on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

1990s

Jennifer L. Roberts, BS Early Education ’90, was appointed to the Tree Commission under the Town Council of Leesburg, Virginia. In this position, she works to educate the public, and manage and increase the tree canopy in the city.

Col. Michael J. Colburn, MA Music ’91, director of the U.S. Marine Band, was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. He is the 27th director of the band known as “The President’s Own.”

Anne Demo, BA Art (Studio) and BA Speech Communication ’91, received a Golden Anniversary Monograph Award at the 94th annual convention of the National Communication Association. The award is presented for the most outstanding scholarly monographs published during the previous calendar year.

Chris M. Kormis, MA English ’91, was named associate dean for marketing and communications for the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

Corina Alvarez, BA International Studies ’92, was appointed to the newly created position of agency multicultural director for New England Financial, a MetLife Company. She will recruit, retain, and market Hispanic financial services representatives for the company, as well as strengthen ties to Miami’s multicultural community.

Joseph Klinko, BS Management ’92 and MBA ’97, married Kate Yee-Wen Hwa on September 26, 2008. He is a reporting manager for Securities and Exchange Commission filings at Washington Gas Light Holdings.

Marguerite A. Massett, JD ’92, was appointed by the New York State Bar Association’s Health Law Section as cochair of its Hospitals and Health Systems Committee.

Carla Morrelli, BA Economics ’92, owns FreyerMartin, a bill-paying service. Her business was profiled by the Washington Post in the “Making It” column, which profiles people who have turned their passion into profit.

Patrick Rice, MBA ’92, joined the New York office of Reed Smith LLP as counsel in its private equity group.

Wanda Richards Seaman, MA English ’92, has written five books in the past two years: Summer of Dolores and Opciones- educacion Linda, and three romance novels under the name of Leigh Barbour. Seaman and her husband live in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Jarrod H. Brown, BS Biology ’93, graduated with a doctorate of worship studies in June 2008 from the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Orange Park, Florida. He is a dentist in Danville, Virginia. Brown and his wife, Lisa, adopted two sons, Trevor and Nathan, in summer 2007.

Carole Carter-Pfisterer, BS Management ’93, was named assistant director, human capital management for the Bureau of Land Management. She will oversee human resources and workforce policy, civil rights, safety, and recruitment and talent management, as well as the National Training Center in Phoenix.

Musa L. Eubanks, Esq., BA Government and Politics ’93, joined the law firm of Insley & Race LLC in Atlanta, Georgia. Eubanks is a labor and employment and commercial lawyer.

Charniele Herring, BA Economics ’93, was reappointed by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to the Council on the Status of Women. She resides in Alexandria and is president and CEO of Solaris Enterprises Inc.

Amy J. Innes, BA Economics ’93, won reelection to the Moyock District seat on the Currituck County (North Carolina) Board of Education in November 2008.

George Jackson, BA Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems ’93, was promoted to chief information officer at Triad Guaranty Inc., a nationwide mortgage insurer. He was previously the company’s vice president of information services.

Emilio J. Rouco, BA Speech Communication ’93, was named director of public relations and marketing for the American Physical Therapy Association. He will direct the association’s physical therapist branding campaign, product and service marketing initiatives, and public and media relations efforts.

Barbara Hatcher, PhD Nursing ’94, was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing. She works for the American Public Health Association.

Robert A. Levy, JD ’94, was named chair of the Cato Institute in September 2008. He was formerly a senior fellow in the institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies and a board member since 2004.

Kathleen Kiernan, MA International Transactions ’95, was named chair of the InfraGard National Board of Directors. Kiernan had a 29-year career in federal law enforcement and is currently the CEO of the Kiernan Group, an international consulting firm serving law enforcement.

Chris Nicholson, BA Speech Communication ’95, was promoted to senior public relations manager for SeaChange International.

Dara Turansky, BA Studio Arts ’95, is founder of 7 Lucky Dogs Creative. The design and marketing agency won one Gold and three Silver Awards at the 2008 Communicator Awards for brand identity, publicity, and advertising creative. The agency also earned a Gold Award at the Service Industry Awards for brand identity creative.

Brian Ragan, BA Speech Communication ’96, married Julie Ann Galdieri on October 25, 2008, at Wave Hill, a public garden in Riverdale in the Bronx.

David G. Smith, PhD Education ’96, retired from Fairfax County Public Schools after 33 years and is the new principal at Broadneck High School in Annapolis, Maryland.

Christopher J. Tafe, BA Government and Politics ’96, was awarded the Gold Medal for distinguished performance by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for investigative excellence resulting in Chiquita Brands International pleading guilty to making substantial payments in support of a terrorist organization.

Robin Valentine, BS Accounting ’96, has been named a partner in KPMG LLP’s Washington office. She is an audit partner providing internal guidance on the publication, Government Auditing Standards, and federal audit guidelines.

Bradford Vivian, BA English ’96, received the Karl R. Wallace Memorial Award at the 94th annual convention of the National Communication Association. The award is given to foster and promote philosophical, historical, or critical scholarship in rhetoric and public discourse.

Joshua Bogart, BS Accounting ’97, is a principal at Catapult Consultants. The financial management and information technology company was named to Inc. magazine’s Inc. 500, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States.

John K. Graham, MBA ’97, was named president of the Security, Government, and Infrastructure Division of Intergraph. He was previously executive vice president for global sales and services for Siemens UGS Software.

Tennille Smith Parker, BA Government and Politics ’97, and Jerod M. Parker, BS Electrical Engineering ’97, announce the birth of their daughter, Layla, in September 2008.

David Stemple, BA Music ’97, was honored by the Fluvanna (Virginia) Review for five years of service as the newspaper’s photographer. He also covers emergency services news and events for the newspaper.

Todd Thibodeaux, MA Economics ’97, is the new president/CEO of CompTIA, which represents the information technology industry.

Jessica Darago, MA English ’98, is a finalist in Romantic Times Magazine’s American Title V contest for her historical novel, The Serpent’s Tooth.

Corinne B. Diehl, BS Biology ’98, makes and designs jewelry through her company, the Real Diehl Jewelry Company. She and her husband Ron have two daughters, Paige (4) and Abigail (1).

Felix Herrera, BA Government and Politics ’98 and MS Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’00, was named the Victoria D. de Sanchez Northern Virginia Hispanic Teacher of the Year at Marymount University’s Education Dinner in May 2008. He teaches English as a second language at Wakefield High School in Arlington.

Thomas Rozylowicz, MS Electrical Engineering ’99, was named as a principal in Fish & Richardson’s Patent Prosecution Group, where he focuses on patent prosecution for electrical engineering.

2000s

Robert Almosd, BA English ’00 and JD ’05, accepted a position with Amnesty International Hungary and has moved to Budapest. He previously practiced law in Washington, D.C.

Carrie Teresa (Sage) Maison, BA English ’00, and Nicolas Maison, BA Speech Communication ’98, announce the birth of their daughter, Lily Claire, on February 22, 2008.

Sarah Perrier, MFA Creative Writing ’00, was named assistant professor of creative writing in the Department of Humanities and Human Services at Point Park University.

Regina Pinkney, BA English and Psychology ’00, was awarded the 2008 Platinum Performance Award by the Virginia Housing Development Authority. She is a senior mortgage banker at 1st Mariner Bank.

Dann Sklarew, PhD Environmental Science and Public Policy ’00, returned to Mason as a full-time faculty member in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy and associate director of Mason’s new Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center at Belmont Bay.

Amy A. (Welch) Bonaccorso, BA History ’01, married Attilio Bonaccorso Jr. in June 2008.

George Bounacos, BS Business Administration ’01, is the online marketing director of Silver Beacon Marketing in Herndon, Virginia, and New York.

Lynne Minami Johnson, BA Communication ’01, and husband Nick welcomed daughter Taylor Akiko on January 2, 2009, at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Taylor has a big sister, Kendall, who was happy to finally meet her.

Martina Cotton, BIS ’02 and JD ’07, was sworn into the District of Columbia bar in May 2008. She currently works at a law firm as an immigration attorney.

Janie L. Rhoads, JD ’02, joined MercerTrigiani. Her practice will focus on representation of common interest communities and real estate developers in transactions and development.

Lauren Rywak, BA English ’02, was hired by Mason as the head coach for women’s lacrosse. Rywak played lacrosse at Mason from 1998–2001. She comes to the university from Iona College, where she has coached since 2003.

Doug Currin, BA Communications ’03, was promoted to morning anchor at WBRE-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In December 2007, his second child, Halle Noelle, was born. She is the little sister of Parker Douglas.

Julie Flanders, BA English ’05, was named an assistant women’s basketball coach at Howard University. She was a four-year letter winner for Mason.

Camille H. Hedrick, PhD Education ’05, recently published a research book, Retaining Career Switchers, which focuses on the impact of principals on school culture and teacher retention.

Brendan Lynch, JD ’05, was included in the 2008–09 Honors Edition of Who’s Who among Executives and Professionals. He is an attorney for Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed.

Victoria P. (Morgan) Nwasike, MPP Public Policy ’05, has joined the Litigation Division of the Davis Brown Law Firm. She was a federal judicial law clerk to the Honorable James E. Gritzner for the Southern District of Iowa.

Jill Berthiaume, BA Government and International Politics ’06, and Christopher Clark, BS Information Technology ’07, were married in July 2008 in Newport, Rhode Island.

Karen Drenkard, PhD Nursing ’06, was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing. She is the director of the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program.

David Goldberg, MS Health System Management ’06, was named administrator of Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children. A part of the Inova Health System team since 2001, he was most recently the chief growth officer and assistant vice president of operations at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. Prior to that, he was with Inova Loudoun Hospital as vice president of planning and development.

Lee A. Kind, EMBA ’06, wrote 25 Days to Becoming a Better Leader at Work, Home, and Play, which he published in 2008.

Roger Mellen, PhD History ’07, was honored by the American Journalism Historians Association as one of four scholars with distinguished dissertations in media history. His dissertation was titled “A Culture of Dissidence: The Emergence of Liberty of the Press in Pre-Revolutionary Virginia.”

Yesim Caylakli, MA Psychology ’08, lives in Turkey where she works as an education specialist for ACEV, an organization that specializes in early childhood and family education. She also works part-time at a private children’s clinic, conducting developmental assessments for children under the age of five.

Laura (Mays) Mills, BA Communication ’08, married Jonathan Mills on June 28, 2008. During her time at Mason, she wrote the song, “We Are Virginia,” which she performed during the vigil for the Virginia Tech shooting victims held on Mason’s Fairfax Campus.

Erin Neff, BA Psychology ’08, deployed in November to work on her first service project with the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program. She will complete a series of six- to eight-week service projects as part of a 10- to 12-person team.

In Memoriam

Alumni

Patricia M. Cain, BA English ’70, December 3, 2007
Helen T. Ryan, BA Psychology ’72 and MEd Secondary Education ’74, November 30, 2008
Joseph E. Meyers, BA Government and Politics ’73, September 27, 2007
Clyde S. DeLong Jr., MEd Education Administration/Supervision ’74, December 7, 2007
Frances Finta, MEd Counseling and Development ’75, June 19, 2008
John C. Johnston, BS Early Education ’76, May 27, 2008
Rick A. Rude, JD ’76, July 12, 2008
Jeffrey H. Shea, BA Geography ’77, September 22, 2008
Priscilla Henderson, BA History ’78, August 7, 2008
Arthur D. Fisher, BS Biology ’79, July 7, 2008
Carole Hoffman Lopez, MEd Counseling and Development ’79, July 9, 2008
Susanne R. Rohrer, BSN ’79, August 5, 2008
Dolores B. Holtsman, BA Art (History) ’81, November 13, 2008
John A. Newman, JD '87, December 23, 2008
William F. O’Neal, JD ’81, December 10, 2008
Stuart W. Birch, BS Business Administration ’83, July 10, 2008
Martha Murray, JD ’84, August 30, 2008
Darlene R. Zuber, MSN ’84, September 17, 2008
Peter B. Farrell, JD ’85, December 1, 2007
Lucinda F. Bennett, BA Psychology ’86 and Certificate Psychology Technician ’86, August 28, 2008
Nan Irick, BA History ’87, October 14, 2008
Duart J. Johnston, BSN ’87, August 23, 2008
Carol Morrissey, JD ’89, May 28, 2008
Mielen Arquines, BA International Studies ’90, June 4, 2008
Hester Bakewell, MS Computer Science ’90, October 14, 2008
Joan Zimmerman, MEd Elementary Education ’90, June 23, 2008
Mark E. LeTourneau, BIS ’91, August 22, 2008
James V. Fare, Certificate Community College Education ’92, July 31, 2008
Timothy A. Thomas, MBA ’92, October 4, 2008
Lynda M. (Kanakry) Wilson, BA Psychology ’92, July 20, 2008
Stephanie Jennings, MA Sociology ’93, November 8, 2008
J. Scott Bailey, BS Decision Sciences and MIS ’97, December 9, 2007
Cynthia H. Mendez, MA History ’98, July 20, 2008
Calvin J. Paulette, BS Finance ’98, November 22, 2008
Jennifer M. Cain, BSN ’01, November 6, 2008
Erin E. Gaffney, MA Arts Management ’07, July 10, 2008

Faculty and Staff

Joseph J. “Sunny” Mathy, whose quiet encouragement and leadership philanthropy to George Mason University spanned decades, died February 11, 2009. The university president’s residence, Mathy House, is named in honor of the Mathy family. Born on a farm that is now the site of Fair City Mall in the city of Fairfax, Mathy witnessed the transformation of Fairfax and played a role in it professionally through real estate, construction, farming, and banking. Mathy is survived by his wife, Liliana, and other family members. He was predeceased by his first wife, Sarah.

Josephine F. Pacheco, professor emerita of history at Mason, passed away on August 16, 2008, following several months of illness with cancer. She was 87. Pacheco was director of the Center for the Study of Constitutional Rights at Mason. She retired from the university in the mid-1990s but remained an active historian. She wrote and edited several books, including The Legacy of George Mason. Her final book, The Pearl: A Failed Slave Escape on the Potomac, was published in 2005.

Sharon Peek, plan and records coordinator in the Facilities Management Department, died in a traffic accident on October 3, 2008. Peek joined Facilities Management in 1998 as a senior storekeeper. She later moved into the Building and Fire Code Compliance Group to a compliance safety officer I position and was then promoted to the Plans and Records Group, where she served as the plans and records coordinator. She is survived by her two sons, Harrison, age 14, and Max, age 12, and her longtime companion, Mike Kelly, who also is part of the Facilities Management family. A tree was dedicated in her honor in the Mason Pond Memorial Grove.

Tony Wallace, adjunct professor in School of Public Policy (SPP), died on September 4, 2008, from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. From 1990 to 2004, Wallace taught courses in the International Commerce and Policy Program. Before joining SPP, Wallace was a deputy director for International Affairs at Westinghouse. He served for many years as a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department. In 2004, Wallace retired from teaching because of the progression of the illness. A year later, SPP presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing him as among the best of the school’s outstanding adjunct professors. The SPP Alumni Chapter has honored him posthumously with a special Distinguished Service Award.