Class Notes
’10s
Miss Maryland USA 2017 Adrianna David ’17 competed in the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas on May 14. She co-founded the nonprofit Charities Angels and is part of the grassroots campaign "Juliana’s Hope" to raise funds for the Kidney Project’s work to create a bio-artificial kidney, inspired by a cousin battling kidney disease. She was also American Cheerleader magazine’s 2011 Cheerleader of the Year.
Hannah Rosenberg ’15 was promoted to internal communications and digital media specialist at the Children’s Guild. She began working there in the fall as an executive associate with TranZed Apprenticeship Services. Previously, she was marketing director at Bit of Britain Saddlery and, before that, marketing and project coordinator for The Resource Collective.
Cole Farrand ’14 rescued a neighbor from the roof of his burning home in Rockaway, N.J., in the early morning hours of Jan. 9. Read the dramatic story about the former Terps football standout http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/2017/01/12/former-giants-player-rescued-man-green-pond-blaze/96484356/">here.
Meghan McConnell ’12, M.S. ’17 was hired as Delaware’s state apiarist. When she starts her work in June, Meghan will inspect bee colonies, conduct surveys for the presence of honeybee parasites and determine suitable measures to control and/or eradicate disease. She was recognized by the American Beekeeping Federation in 2016 as a Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees scholar.
Dr. Brian Baturin ’11 and Dr. Pooja Niraj Pandit were married March 19 at the Liberty House restaurant in Jersey City. The couple met in August 2011 at Rutgers University, where they received medical degrees. Both are residents in the internal medicine program at Brown University.
Kevin Beran ’10 and Lauren Brown ’10 were married July 30, 2016, at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, followed by a reception at the Ohio Statehouse, featuring a signature drink called the Terrapin and turtle-shaped chocolate favors. The couple met as freshmen at Maryland. He is a development officer with the Ohio State University’s Fischer College of Business, and she is a marketing manager at Alliance Data Card Services.
’00s
Emily Greene Feinberg M.S. ’09, Ph.D. ’13 and Philip Benjamin Ugelow were married March 4 at the Arts Club of Washington. She works on the human resources agenda for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Ryan Stephen Lewis MPP ’09 married Jamie Brooks Satterfield on Oct. 8 at First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Va. The groom received a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University, Kirksville. He is a vice president at In-Q-Tel. The couple honeymooned in Japan, and they reside in Arlington.
Jesse David Dymond ’08 married Robin Sarah Levine on March 18 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington. He works in Pittsburgh as a designer and engineer of natural gas wells for Rice Energy. He graduated from the University of Maryland. The couple met in Cincinnati at the 2004 JCC Maccabi Games, an Olympic-style event held for Jewish teenagers.
Cyanne E. Loyle M.A. ’08, Ph.D. ’11, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Indiana University, was appointed a PRIO Global Fellow to research the use and misuse of judicial processes during and after armed conflict. This academic year, Loyle is the Leonard and Sophie Davis Fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. In 2014 she was a Fulbright scholar at PRIO, the Peace Research Institute Oslo.
Seven Terps performed in the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20 as members of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band: Chief Warrant Officer Douglas Burian D.M.A. ’08, Gunnery Sgt. Franklin Crawford ’07, Master Sgt. Mark Jenkins M.M. ’06, Lt. Col. Jason Fettig M.M. ’05, Gunnery Sgt. Douglas Quinzi M.M. ’04, Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Orban ’84, M.M. ’93 and Master Gunnery Sgt. Jane Cross M.L.S. ’03.
Shuang (Jake) Yang Ph.D. ’08 was presented with the Chinese American Chromatography Association (CACA) 2017 Young Investigator Award. He is a staff fellow in the Laboratory of Bacterial Polysaccharides in the Center for Biological Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Yang has published 41 peer-reviewed papers in journals and has given more than 20 oral presentations at international conferences. He also has four patents, has contributed to three chapter books and earned several awards in separation and analytical chemistry.
Eric DeDominicis ’07 has been promoted to deputy practice leader in the aviation division of Urban Engineers. He was serving as a leader in the aviation department through Urban’s Baltimore office since joining the firm in 2014.
Joi-Marie McKenzie ’07, an entertainment/lifestyle writer for ABCNews.com in New York City, has written a new memoir, “The Engagement Game: Why I Said ‘I Don’t’ to Marriage and ‘I Do’ to Me.”
Eddie Tyner MBA ’07 was named Ohio regional president for the USA Today Network. He now leads Enquirer Media, which publishes The Enquirer, Cincinnati.com and the Community Press group of weekly newspapers, and the Media Network of Central Ohio, which publishes in print and digital across the state. Tyner most recently served as senior vice president of enterprise dealer partnerships with Cox Automotive.
Oakland Raider Jon Condo ’05 received the Ed Block Courage Award, given to the player on each NFL team seen as a role model of inspiration, sportsmanship and courage. The long snapper was noted for his work volunteering with Easter Seals, visiting the Children’s Hospital Oakland and participating in the Raiders’ Toys for Tots drive, along with numerous other community appearances.
Dr. Thomas Huebner ’05 joined Natural Transplants Hair Restoration Clinic as senior physician at the Maryland surgery facility. He joins his brother, Matt, who is chief medical director of Natural Transplants. Huebner is a board-certified physician specializing in hair transplant surgery and diagnostic histopathology. He received his M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical School, completed his residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center and spent two years in fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Andy Schwentker M.S. ’05 was named principal in the intellectual property litigation group at Fish & Richardson in Washington, D.C. He represents high-tech clients in federal courts across the country in cases involving a wide range of technologies. He received his J.D. with high honors from The George Washington University.
Jason Silverberg '05 has written "The Financial Planning Puzzle: Fitting Your Pieces Together to Create Financial Freedom." In it, the financial planner offers advice on how to make decisions that help you achieve your goals, avoid myths and misconceptions about money, and become an educated consumer. He lives in Gaithersburg, Md., with his family.
Adrienne (Fairlight) Forgette M.A. ’04 was named principal of Nardin Academy in Buffalo. She previously served as academic dean for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and media arts director and college counselor at the Darlington School in Rome, Ga.
Stephanie Williams M.C.P. ’04 received a Minority Business Leader Award from the Washington Business Journal. In January 2016, Williams was promoted to president of Bozzuto Management Co., a division of the larger real estate development entity headquartered in Greenbelt. The management group, with a staff of 1,800, oversees about 60,000 residential units, most of which are in the D.C. region. She joined the Bozzuto Group in 2004.
Shirley Steinbach ’03 joined the law firm of Lerch Early as of counsel in the Community Associations practice. She represents homeowners associations, condominiums and co-operatives throughout metropolitan Washington, D.C. Steinbach, who received her Juris Doctor with honors from The George Washington University, previously worked for firms in D.C. and owned her own law firm.
Juan Dixon ’02 and Tom McMillen ’74 and women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese will be inducted into the Washington, D.C., Sports Hall of Fame on July 9. Dixon is the all-time leading scorer in program history (2,269 points) after leading the Terrapins to their first national title in 2002. He is now head women's basketball coach at Coppin State University. McMillen, a Rhodes Scholar, played on the U.S. Olympic basketball team in 1972, and played for 11 years in the NBA. He currently leads the Division 1A Athletic Directors’ Association as part of a major repurposing of that organization. McMillen is also chairman and CEO of the investment firm Washington Capital Advisors and serves as a director of RCS Capital and of Nexstar Broadcasting Group. He is the former chairman and current treasurer of the National Foundation on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and served in Congress for three terms.
In her new book, “No Ordinary Soldier: My Father’s Two Wars,” Liz Gilmore Williams M.A. ’02 delves into her late father’s letters and photos from World War II, seeking to solve a mystery: What caused his terrifying rages? She ends up tracing Hawaii’s transformation from island paradise to war zone, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, his combat duty on other Pacific battlegrounds—and a family secret.
Dr. Bryan Loeffler ’01 and another hand surgeon at OrthoCarolina in Charlotte completed the first surgery to allow for a prosthetic hand with individual finger control on an amputee patient. The patient who underwent the test surgery is now able to control individual prosthetic fingers using the same muscles that controlled his fingers pre-amputation, making him the first person in the world to have individual digit control in a functioning myoelectric prosthesis.
Raj Arora ’00 joined Jensen Hughes as president of strategy and business development in the Baltimore headquarters office. He most recently served as vice president/general manager with Tyco’s fire detection and special hazard product businesses in Switzerland.
Alan Braun ’00 was promoted to CEO of interactive content creator Scrollmotion. He had been president of the Scrollmotion product division, where he directed the development of its upcoming software platform called Ingage. The first Ingage product is an iPad app that enables users to quickly create interactive presentations that can be viewed on any device.
’90s
Shawn Chandler Bingham M.Ed. ’99 co-edited the new book “The Bohemian South: Creating Countercultures, from Poe to Punk,” a series of essays that challenge popular interpretations of the South and provide perspective of the region as an epicenter for progress, innovation and experimentation.
Jennifer L. Nevins ’99 was named a shareholder at Stevens & Lee in Reading, Pa. She concentrates her practice in Orphans’ Court matters, including the administration and settlement of trusts and estates, trust reformations, guardianship proceedings and administration, and litigation involving fiduciary matters and the interpretation of estate planning documents. She received a J.D., summa cum laude, from the Pennsylvania State University.
Shaune Bordere, who attended UMD from 1996–98, has written the new novel “Action Words: Journey of a Journalist,” about the efforts of a young black writer named Ora M. Lewis to convince the editor of a small-local newspaper to publish her critiques of the segregationist New Orleans mayor in 1935. Bordere has developed the story of the desegregation journalist into a literary realm that includes a novel, films, television productions and more.
Ralph D’Amico ’98 joined the investment banking department of Seaport as managing director focusing on oil and gas exploration and production and Midstream companies. He has worked in the oil and gas industry for the past 20 years, most recently at Stifel, Nicolaus & Company. D’Amico earned his MBA from the George Washington University.
Ron Allen ’97 was promoted to vice president of national accounts at
SuperiorReview, a provider of review management, consulting and attorney staffing, and placement services. He earned his law degree from the University of Baltimore.
Frontier Airlines promoted Josh Flyr MBA ’97 to vice president-network and revenue from senior director in that unit. He previously worked at America West Airlines, US Airways and Skybus.
Dr. Khalid Kurtom ’97, a neurosurgeon in Easton, Md., and four members of his practice traveled to Jordan in April to perform free brain and spine surgeries on Syrian refugees.
Jennifer Middaugh ’97 was named a regional vice president at Megatel Capital Investment, the capital markets division of Megatel Homes, where she oversees sales efforts in the Eastern region. Prior to joining Megatel, Middaugh was with Provasi Capital Partners, Griffin Capital, United Development Funding and CNL Financial Group. She earned a master of leadership degree from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Cari Lynn ’95 co-wrote the new book “Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women.” It chronicles the life of a leading figure in the national justice reform movement. She has written several other books as well as articles for many newspapers and magazines.
Michael Colborn ’93, ’95 was hired as controller at the Cary, N.C., firm S&A Communications. He previously worked for an outside CPA firm for 10 years.
Todd Del Tufo ’93 was promoted to vice president, acquisitions and asset management at Enterprise Homes. He joined the company in 2009 as a senior asset manager. He received his MBA from the Sellinger School of Business at Loyola College and serves on a Howard County (Md.) Parks and Recreation advisory board that promotes youth wrestling.
Keith A. Goldan ’93 was appointed chief financial officer of OptiNose. He is an experienced CFO of private and public biopharma companies from early stage through commercial stage, including Fibrocell, NuPathe, PuriCore (now Realm Therapeutics) and Biosyn. Goldan holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Richard Harris ’93 joined the board of directors of Littler, an employment and labor law practice representing management. The co-chair of Littler’s Litigation and Trials Practice Group, he was honored in The Legal 500 United States 2016 guide as a leading lawyer in the Labor and Employment Disputes: Defense category. He earned his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Asif Choudhury ’92 was elected executive secretary of the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) for 2017–18. He is founder and president of Bahar Consulting and previously was director of operations for a mechanical contracting company in the D.C. area. He is active in CFMA’s Maryland chapter, is an alumnus of both CFMA’s National Mentoring Program and CFMA at Spring Creek and has an MBA from American University.
Glenn Fleischman ’92 was appointed head of North America for Aircall. He has more than 20 years of international experience overseeing growth at PGi and Arkadin, an NTT Communications company, where he was executive vice president of North America and the New Services division.
Chuck Hicks ’92 was promoted to executive vice president for strategic growth at SC3, which provides intelligence and technology solutions to the federal government. He joined the company in 2015 as chief operating officer/chief financial officer.
Virginia State Sen. Jennifer Wexton ’91 is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Rep. Barbara Comstock (R). She is a former prosecutor from Loudoun County, earning her law degree at the College of William and Mary. She won her legislative seat in a special election in January 2014, then won a full term the following year.
Michael Stein ’90 joined PNC Bank as a senior vice president and business banking sales manager. He has 27 years of experience in the banking industry and was formerly managing PNC’s Private Client Group in Greater Maryland. He received an MBA from the University of Baltimore and volunteers for Young Audiences of Maryland, Maryland Special Olympics and FIDF.
’80s
Chris Mann ’89 was promoted to managing partner at MorganFranklin Consulting, where he worked for the past decade. He has over 23 years of consulting experience, specializing in technical accounting, SEC reporting, and merger and acquisition-related services.
Brenda Freeman ’87, MBA ’91 joined Magic Leap, the augmented-reality startup whose backers include Google, Warner Bros. and Alibaba, as chief marketing officer. She most recently served as chief marketing officer of National Geographic Channel and previously held senior marketing roles at DreamWorks Animation, Turner Broadcasting, Viacom/MTV and PepsiCo.
Al Jansen ’87 was promoted to executive vice president of sales at Butterball. He previously served as vice president of integrated business strategy and senior vice president of retail sales with the company He was also involved in Butterball’s tray pack expansion and Farm to Family launch. He has an MBA from the University of Baltimore.
Eileen Mercilliott ’84 was promoted to vice president, product management at OptioLabs, a security insight solution provider for the mobile enterprise. She previously served there as director of product management.
Christopher Aitken ’83, a private wealth advisor and managing director at Merrill Lynch, was recently recognized on Barron’s “America’s Top 1,200 Advisors: State-by-State” list. He has extensive experience in working with ultra high net worth families, corporations, health care entities, endowments/foundations and 401(k) plans.
Marc Hodak ’82 was named partner at Farient Advisors, an independent executive compensation and performance advisory firm. Hodak most recently served as principal of Hodak Value Advisors and led projects for Stern Stewart & Co, a management consulting firm. He teaches corporate governance as an adjunct professor at NYU’s Stern School, and as a visiting lecturer at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. He has an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Hildy Pearl ’82 was named the IAKM Alumnus of the Year by Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science. She is the senior application analyst for the oncology team at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Pearl holds an undergraduate degree in dietetics from UMD, an M.S. in nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, and an M.S. with a health informatics concentration from Kent State’s iSchool.
Michael A. Diamond Ph.D. ’81 has written “Discovering Organizational Identity: Dynamics of Relational Attachment,” published by the University of Missouri Press. In it, he presents a framework of reflective practice for organizational researchers, scholar-practitioner consultants, executives, managers and workers in order to promote a more satisfying and humane work-life balance. Diamond is professor emeritus of public affairs and organization studies and director emeritus of the Center for the Study of Organizational Change at the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri.
Margee Ensign M.A. ’81, Ph.D. ’82 was elected president of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. She most recently served as president of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), where she convinced her school to offer scholarships to girls who managed to flee from the Boko Haram Islamist militants after their abduction in 2014. Fifty-seven of the girls eventually attended AUN. Ensign also founded and chaired the Adamawa Peace Initiative, a group of civic and religious leaders that helped feed and empower hundreds of thousands of refugees from Boko Haram who landed in the Yola area. Prior to her 15 years of work in Africa, Ensign served as dean of the University of the Pacific’s School of International Studies, and in faculty and administrative roles at Columbia and Tulane universities.
James W. Miller M.A. ’81 wrote the new book “Integrated: The Lincoln Institute, Basketball, and a Vanished Tradition.” In it, he shares the story of an all-black high school in Shelby County, Ky., where students prospered both in the classroom and on the court. In 1960, the Lincoln Tigers men’s basketball team defeated three all-white schools to win the regional tournament and advance to one of Kentucky’s most popular events, the state high school basketball tournament. This proud tradition of African-American schools was ironically destroyed by integration. Miller is the retired athletics director at the University of New Orleans and previously spent 11 years as a newspaper reporter and 21 years in the NFL. He is the author of “Where the Water Kept Rising.”
Rachel A. Seifert ’81 retired from her post as executive vice president, secretary and general counsel of Community Health Systems at the end of March. Seifert joined Community Health Systems as the first and only member of the Legal Department and steadily assembled a team of attorneys.
Dr. Clifford Bassett ’80 has written the new book “The New Allergy Solution: Supercharge Resistance, Slash Medication, Stop Suffering,” in which he presents the unique, integrative approach he’s used in his Manhattan offices for two decades to vanquish allergy symptoms in his patients.
Bob Johnson ’80 joined InSite Wireless Group as chief operating officer, based in its Alexandria, Va., headquarters. He was most recently chief experience officer at Sprint Nextel. He serves on the advisory board of the Robert H. Smith School of Business.
’70s
Randy Day ’79 was promoted to chief executive officer at Purdue Farms. Day has served in a number of executive positions, including presidents and chief operating officer. He joined Perdue in 1980.
Boyd J. Michael III ’79, M.S. ’82 was named superintendent of Washington County (Md.) Public Schools. He has spent all 38 years of his career there, including as a teacher and principal, and most recently as deputy superintendent.
Deborah Read ’77 was appointed regional vice chancellor for advancement at USF St. Petersburg. Most recently, Read served at California Polytechnic State University in a number of roles, including vice president for University Advancement and CEO of the Cal Poly Foundation. She previously served as vice president for university advancement at several institutions, including the University of Dayton in Ohio, the University at Albany State University of New York, and Northern Kentucky University. Read began her career in university advancement at UMD, where she worked for 16 years.
Ed Kohls ’77, FAIA, LEED AP was hired at Rubeling & Associates, the architecture and interior design division of JMT, as a vice president with a focus on expanding the higher education practice at the firm. He joins UMD friends and classmates Al Rubeling ’77, senior vice president, John DiMenna ’77 and Tim Cooper ’79 at the firm. Prior to joining Rubeling & Associates, Kohls was the managing principal of Baltimore-based Ayers Saint Gross’ academic design studio.
Roger D. Winston ’76, a Ballard Spahr partner and leader of the firm’s Mixed-Use Development and Condominiums Practice, is the new president of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, a national association of approximately 1,000 distinguished real estate attorneys. Winston is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and has more than 35 years of experience in real estate law.
Linton Brooks ’72, senior adviser at CSIS and former National Nuclear Security Administration administrator, will receive the 2017 Johnny Foster Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming Nuclear Deterrence Summit. He is also an independent consultant on national security issues, a distinguished research fellow at the National Defense University, and an adviser to four of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories.
Patrick Olmert ’72, who retired in 2008 after 35 years of service with the National Science Foundation, shares the following images he shot in 1980 on a three-week photographic assignment in Antarctica. “The images I brought back convinced NSF that a future contract photographer could deliver better scientific images than what the Navy was producing,” he recalls.
Daniel Ryan M.A. ’71 received the James R. Wade Service Award from (ISC)² in recognition of his decade as a volunteer legal counsel for its Board of Directors. (ISC)² is a cybersecurity membership association with more than 123,000 members worldwide. Ryan’s career in information security has spanned over 25 years. Previously, he was a professor at the National Defense University, corporate vice president for SAIC, executive assistant to the DCI at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, and director of information security for the U.S. Department of Defense.
’60s
Andrew J. Georgelakos ’68, principal and managing partner at real estate brokerage firm KLNB for the past 17 years, will retire on June 30. Georgelakos led the firm to its two most successful years, with nearly $1.5 billion in annual transactions for both 2015 and 2016. Georgelakos, who joined KLNB in 1985, has worked on a number of notable projects, including the sale of more than 350 acres of R&D flex land in Northern Virginia in the Dulles Airport area, the representation of Walmart in 300,000 square feet of sub-lease space in Baltimore, and the coordination of a three-state site selection search and build to suit RFP for McCormick Spice Company’s 370,000-square-foot distribution facility in Riverside, Md.
Karla Goodridge ’62, who has beaten cancer and had both knees and hips replaced, biked 4,238 miles cross-country last summer at age 76. “I want to inspire people my age—and all ages—to get out and bike,” she told The (Annapolis) Capital.
Gene Tyndall ’61 was promoted to president of MonarchFx, the Division of Tompkins International that provides e-fulfillment services to sellers of products online. He was most recently executive vice president, chief solutions and business and development officer and has more than 30 years of experience with 100-plus multinational corporations and domestic companies in strategy development, new process design, technology and leading practices. Many of the best practices in place today across all industries are due to his leadership. Tyndall was elected to the Global Logistics Hall of Fame and has been honored as “Innovator of the Year” by Information Management.
’50s
Fred A. Neil ’59 was re-elected in April to a four-year term on the Dover (Del.) City Council, winning 82 percent of the vote in his district. Previously, he spent a decade in radio news and sports, served as press officer for then-Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer, spent 20 years as public affairs officer of the Maryland Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, then semi-retired to Delaware in 2003.
Mollie (Coppel) Kruger '50 last year wrote her debut novel, "The Swift Seasons," which takes readers deep into the lives of octogenarians in a retirement community as they learn to live with themselves and each other. She is an award-winning poet and author of nine other books, including a 2010 memoir, "The Cobbler's Last: A True Story of Hard Times, War, and the Journey of a Maryland Girl Who Lived Over a Shoe Store on Main Street." Kruger was a Diamondback columnist and editor of The Old Line humor magazine in the late 1940s. Her papers are part of the Special Collections at Hornbake Library.
PASSINGS
Laraine E. Hardy ’79, a retired nurse and travel agent, died April 21 from leukemia at the Lutheran Village at Miller’s Grant in Ellicott City, according to The Baltimore Sun. The longtime former Columbia resident was 73. The daughter of Herman Gehert and Kathryn Delp, Laraine Eva Gehert was born and raised in West Reading, Pa., and was a graduate of Reading High School. In 1962 she married Robert Charles Hardy of Shillington, Pa. She was a graduate of Prince George’s Community College and for more than 20 years was head nurse at the Maryland School for the Deaf, in Frederick. She retired in the 1980s. After retiring, Hardy worked as a travel agent in Columbia for Cardan Travel and later for Moncia Becker Travel. She was a volunteer sign language interpreter for the deaf and their physicians, and also volunteered at her grandchildren's schools and Epiphany Lutheran Church in Ellicott City, where she was a member. Hardy was an avid world traveler. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, a former chairman of the Institute for Child Study at UMD; two daughters, Melanie Lynch and Donna Elshafei; a brother, Rea D. Gehert; and three grandchildren.
Peggy Meszaros Ph.D. ’77, provost emerita at Virginia Tech, died in her hometown of Hopkinsville, Ky., on April 18. She was 79. Following a series of administrative roles at Hood College, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Kentucky, Meszaros joined Virginia Tech in 1993 as professor of family and child development and dean of what was then the College of Human Resources. Two years later, she was tapped to serve as senior vice president and provost of the university, making her the first — and only — woman to become provost of the university. Over her nearly six years as provost, Meszaros developed a strategic plan, instituted an academic agenda, identified and applied the university’s core values, established the Institute for Distance and Distributed Learning, initiated key regional and international partnerships, developed diversity programs, and helped internationalize the curriculum. From 2000 to 2015, she served as founding director of the Center for Information Technology Impacts on Children, Youth, and Families. Meszaros also taught a range of human development courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. A generous benefactor to Virginia Tech, Meszaros was a member of the university’s Ut Prosim Society of donors. Upon her 2016 retirement from Virginia Tech, Meszaros became president of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association. She received her bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University, a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky, and a doctorate from the University of Maryland. Meszaros was preceded in death by her husband, Alexander Louis Meszaros; her sister, Joyce Faulkner; and a granddaughter, Hannah Mackensie Kriss. She is survived by her daughters, Lisa Kimberly Kriss and Elizabeth Caroline Villarreal; her son, Louis Todd Meszaros; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and her brothers Albert Sisk and Eugene Lee Sisk Jr.
Lynda J. Foro ’76, a leader in the “no-kill” movement against animal euthanasia, died Dec. 27 in Jefferson City, Tenn., of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 74. Born in Buffalo to osteopath Chauncey B. Sturgess and Dorothy May Griffin, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school. She served until 1961 in the hospital corps, meeting and marrying Bradley R. Foro in 1960. Divorced in 1974, they had two children together: Craig and Gwen. Lynda Foro earned an associate of arts degree from Montgomery College, then a B.A. from Maryland while working in medical office management, as a correctional counselor, editor/proofreader and eventually administrative secretary for the state of Arizona. Later, in 1995, Foro earned a certificate in nonprofit management from Arizona State University. She established a pet-sitting referral service in Phoenix, which led to her volunteering with the Valley Dale Animal Haven no-kill shelter in Sedona, then to working with the Best Friends Animal Society sanctuary near Kanab, Utah, in 1992. She and friends formed a no-kill shelter called Critter Crater in Flagstaff; it folded in 2002. Foro also founded Doing Things For Animals, compiled a directory of “no-kill” animal shelters around the U.S., and hosted the first No Kill Conference in Phoenix in 1995 and succeeding ones around the country. She went on to hold positions at Homeless Animals, the Pet Savers Foundation and the National Humane Education Society.
Thomas M. Mountjoy MBA ’68, ’73, an entrepreneur who operated Spirit Cruises, died Feb. 10, 2016, after five years of treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. His experience made him an advocate for semi-annual PSA screening after age 60. Mountjoy grew up in Hanover, Pa., as the son of Morris and Polly Mountjoy. Tom graduated from Virginia Tech, then UMD. Mountjoy’s first job with the Virginia Port Authority brought him and his bride, Alice, to Norfolk. In 1972, he co-founded Cruise International to develop Norfolk as a cruise port. From this business grew CI Travel, eventually one of the nation’s 50 largest travel agencies, and also Spirit Cruises, owning and operating 10 large dining/entertainment vessels in harbors nationwide. In 1986, Mountjoy struck off on his own, forming a new company that owned and operated dinner and eco-tourism vessels in Virginia and Maryland. He was recruited back to manage Spirit Marine concurrently with his entrepreneurial ventures. He also opened the 19th Street Brewery and Festhouse in Virginia Beach, far before others identified the craft-brewery trend. Mountjoy served on the boards of WHRO, Norfolk Sister Cities, Bay Diesel and Generator and Cruise International. He was also a Big Brother. Mountjoy is survived by his wife of 48 years, Alice; daughters, Elizabeth Daly Mountjoy, Catherine Ann Mountjoy and Margaret Louise Mountjoy; a sister, Patty Mountjoy; niece, Wendy Mountjoy Marino; nephew, Bill Ehrhart; and four grandsons.
Veteran scientist C.V. Vishveshwara Ph.D. ’68, known as a pioneer in black hole research in India, died Jan. 16 in Bengaluru following a bout of illness, LIGO India said on its Facebook page. He was 78. Popularly called “Vishu,” Vishveshwara’s contribution to black hole physics dates back to even before the term “black hole” was coined, said U.S.-based India researcher Karan Jani. Vishveshwara made an important calculation that was used in the discovery of gravitational waves by LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) detectors in 2015, from the merger of black holes. LIGO India paid homage to the scientist with a photograph that showed his emotional reactions when the waveform predicted by him was first observed. “Besides his larger-than-life stature as an excellent academic, he endeared himself to the entire science world with his witty comments, humorous after-dinner speeches and amazing science cartoons.” LIGO wrote.
Joan (Shapiro) Nevins ’67, an artist who worked as an interior designer and teacher, died March 17 at Kensington Park of complications from Alzheimer’s disease, according to The Baltimore Sun. The former Rockville resident was 87. Nevins was born in the Bronx and graduated from the High School of Music & Art in New York. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Cooper Union and a bachelor’s degree in teaching from UMD. Nevins began her career as a commercial artist, designing ads and packaging for products, her son said. She later worked as an art teacher and an interior designer, eventually running Joan Nevins Interiors in Rockville. Throughout her life, she painted extensively. Nevins was married for 30 years to Dr. Frederick Nevins, a state health official who died in 1979. Several years after her husband’s death, Mrs. Nevins decided to begin dating. She founded Dimensions, a group for Jewish singles in the Washington area that eventually grew to 1,000 members. That was how she met Allen Winer, who became her companion of 35 years. Mrs. Nevins is also survived by two sons, David and Eric; a daughter, Lizabeth S. Nevins; a sister, Winnie Delon; and nine grandchildren.
Vincent “Woody” Spong ’67, a former teacher, principal and Washington County commissioner, died March 31 at his Hagerstown home. He was 73. Spong graduated from Williamsport High School, and went on to receive degrees from the University of Maryland, where he became a life member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, and Western Maryland College. For more than 30 years, he taught at various elementary schools in Washington County, and was principal at Keedysville, Pleasant Valley and Salem Avenue elementary schools. After he retired, he held several positions in the Washington County and Maryland State Teachers Associations. In 2015, Spong was nominated to fill a county commission seat, after Bill Wivell was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates. He served on the commission until last year. He is survived by his wife of nearly 49 years, Constance A. (Holland) Spong; daughter, Sally A. Spong; brother, Gary L. Smith; one granddaughter and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bernard C. McGinn Jr. ’60, a retired children’s advocate in the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services who was later a Calvert Hall College High School faculty member, died of cancer Jan. 16 at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson, according to The Baltimore Sun. The Lutherville resident was 79. Born in Baltimore, he was the son of Bernard C. McGinn, an American Bank Stationery sales manager, and his wife, Mabel Kernan. He was a 1955 graduate of Loyola High School at Blakefield. He majored in sociology at UMD, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He also competed in the butterfly stroke on the school’s varsity swimming team. He was a 1969 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law. McGinn was later active in the Knights of Columbus swimming program. He traveled the state as a child advocate for the Department of Juvenile Services, where he worked for more than three decades. He left retirement in 1994 to become director of Calvert Hall’s Academic Resource Center and took on other roles at the school. He was a resident of the Springdale community in Cockeysville and had been a president of the community and pool associations. He also enjoyed swimming in Deep Creek Lake, where he had a summer home. McGinn belonged to the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for 60 years and was its president in 1989. The group named him its Irishman of the Year. He regularly marched in Baltimore’s annual St. Patrick parade and also marched in Dublin in 1982 at the St. Patrick’s Day event. Survivors include his wife of more than 51 years, Eleanor Earley, a retired school psychologist; a son, Michael McGinn of Dundalk; a daughter, Karen Ritter of Lutherville; a sister, Mary Margaret McGinn of Catonsville; three grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
Richard Crowley ’58 died peacefully after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease on Feb. 22, in Easton, Md., according to The Easton Star-Democrat. Richard was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Chevy Chase, where he attended Blessed Sacrament School and Georgetown Prep. While at UMD, he met Joan Asay ’58, who would become his beloved wife for 57 years. They were married in Tokyo, Japan, where Richard served for four years in the Air Force. He served an additional 10 years in the USAF Reserve, retiring as a captain. Richard and Joan raised their two sons in Montclair, N.J., while Richard worked in New York City, becoming a leading executive in the transportation industry. A love of sailing brought them to Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where they lived for almost 30 years. He also was a volunteer with the Talbot Mentors. Besides his wife, he is survived by his brother, Tom; son Stephen and daughter-in-law Cynthia; granddaughter, Anna; and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his brothers, William and Ed; his sister, Jane Crowley Koones; son, Paul; and one granddaughter.
Alvin J. Brooks ’56, the nationally known former head of Mercedes-Benz of Arlington, died March 17 due to complications stemming from Parkinson’s disease. He was 84. Alvin was the son of Reba and Saul Brooks, and attended Hebrew School at Agudas Achim Congregation in D.C. He graduated from Coolidge High School, then UMD with a business administration degree. After a stint in the army during the Korean War, Alvin Brooks returned home to work for his father at the American Service Center (ASC), a Studebaker dealership. He and his business partner of 60 years, Morty Zetlin, expanded over the years to sell Fiats, Ferrari and Mercedes. ASC became the largest Fiat dealer in the U.S. and the first to sell more than 500 cars in a year. Brooks was elected to the Fiat Dealer Counsel and ultimately rose to its vice chairman. Although Fiat exited the U.S. market in 1983, Brooks continued his career in the automotive industry when he was contacted by Fiat-owned Ferrari, and he successfully ran the Ferrari dealership from 1982–97. In 1997, ASC continued as an exclusive dealership with Mercedes-Benz, after its initial franchising in 1957. Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria was opened in 2002 and American Service Center was renamed Mercedes-Benz of Arlington in 2008. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gail Breman; daughter Annette Brooks ’85; sister Cynthia Zetlin; three grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Gershon Kekst ’56, founder and honorary chair of Kekst and Company and a leading figure in the public relations industry for more than 50 years, died last week after a lengthy illness. He was 82. The son of a Hebrew teacher, Kekst was born and raised in Salem, Mass., and educated at UMD, where he majored in psychology and developed an interest in radio journalism. “I didn’t want to be just a radio broadcaster, I wanted to be Edward R. Murrow,” he once told reporters. He soon realized that wasn’t going to happen, and so he joined Ruder Finn. He left in 1970 to establish Kekst and Company. There he helped to invent modern mergers-and-acquisitions communications when—working alongside law firm Skadden Arps, a frequent partner—he mobilized the customers of dental equipment manufacturer Sterndent to oppose an attempted takeover. It was the first time the grassroots techniques of public relations had been employed to turn the tide in a financial transaction. For the next 40 years, the firm remained a leader in the financial communications arena, topping the U.S. ranking of M&A advisors repeatedly. Kekst diversified his firm’s range of services to include broader investor relations, crisis and issues management, corporate reputation and employee communications counsel, insulating against market fluctuations. In 2008, Kekst and Company was sold to the Publicis Groupe, and a year later Kekst stepped down from his day-to-day leadership. For 18 years, he was chairman of the Jewish Theological Seminary’s board of trustees; he was chairman of the board at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, for nine years; and he also served on the boards of Brandeis University, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting-WNET Thirteen, Montefiore Medical Center, and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. He was an honorary vice president of the American Jewish Committee and was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Kekst is survived by his wife, Carol, and his sons, David and Joseph.
Eugene N. Gogel ’54, M.S. ’56, former co-owner of a Pikesville hardware store and garden center, died March 6, according to The Baltimore Sun. He was 84. The son of Louis Gogel, an insurance salesman, and Irene Gogel, a U.S. Census Bureau worker, Eugene Nathan Gogel was born in Baltimore and raised on Garrison Boulevard in Forest Park. After graduating from Forest Park High School, he earned degrees in food technology from UMD. From 1956–58, Gogel served aboard the destroyer USS Kenneth M. Willett as a lieutenant junior-grade and navigator. He then went to work for Crosse & Blackwell, a food-processing plant on Eastern Avenue, eventually becoming a vice president and plant manager. After corporate owner Nestle USA closed the plant in 1972, Gogel purchased Pikesville Hardware with a business partner. They eventually added a garden center and renamed the Reisterstown Road business the Pikesville Hardware and Garden Center. In 1984, the pair sold the business. In 1990, Gogel became co-owner of Strasburger and Siegel Inc., a food laboratory that was located on Eutaw Place and later moved to Dorsey Road in Linthicum. His responsibilities included serving as director of administration and marketing. After the business was sold in 1996, Gogel worked for several years for QC Laboratory, a Philadelphia food laboratory, before retiring. He served as president of the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce from 1977–78, and was founder and first president of the Pikesville Community Growth Corp. Gogel also chaired the Pikesville Revitalization Task Force and had been a longtime member and treasurer of First Step Youth Services, which worked with troubled youth and their families. In 1986, he ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for a seat in the House of Delegates from District 11. Gogel was a member of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. Gogel is survived by his wife of 58 years, the former Jean Frank; son Barry; daughters Linda Perline and Debra Gogel-Chado; and five grandchildren.
Thomas W. Coughlin Sr. ’51, a longtime executive at Airpax on the Eastern Shore, died Feb. 22 at his home in Cambridge, Md., according to The (Easton) Star-Democrat. He was born in Cambridge on July 31, 1926, to the late Emory A. Coughlin and Lily Foxwell Coughlin. He graduated from Crapo High School then served in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1944-46 in the China-Burma-India theater and was a member of SACO, a covert group under Chinese supervision. After graduating from UMD with his degree in mechanical engineering, he worked for one year at Mutual Chemical Company in Baltimore. He then began a 48-year career at aircraft parts manufacturer Airpax, rising from mechanical engineer to general manager in the Cambridge division. He retired as senior vice president of Airpax (division of North American Phillips Corp.). He married the former Doris Willey in 1953; she died in 1988. His second wife, the former Vera Hoffman, died in 2015 after 13 years of marriage. Coughlin was a life member of the Cambridge Lions Club and a member of Grace United Methodist Church, the Maryland State Chamber of Commerce, Maryland National Bank, Dorchester United Fund, Dorchester General Hospital, Maryland Blue Cross, Salvation Army in Cambridge and Pleasant Day Adult Day Care Center. He was director of the 1776 Committee Celebration. He is survived by his daughters, Sheila (Shelly) Ernest and Sandra Johnson; a son, Thomas W. Coughlin Jr.; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two stepdaughters, Carol Ann Coulbourn and Connie Brooks; five step-grandchildren; five step-great-grandchildren; a nephew, Michael D. Coughlin; and a niece, Mary Beth Adams. He is also survived by his beloved caregiver, Donna Willey of Cambridge. Besides his parents and his wives, Coughlin is preceded in death by two brothers, Emory Coughlin and James T. Coughlin; and a sister, Alois Matthew.
Paul Ellsworth Fogle ’50, M.Ed. ’59 died March 25 at his home in Quincy Village, in Waynesboro, Pa. He was 90. Fogle was a 1943 graduate of Frederick High School in Frederick, Md., and was drafted into the Army the following year. He served at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland in 1945, processing discharges of soldiers returning from overseas. He was honorably discharged in August 1946. After graduating from Maryland, he taught commercial subjects at Frederick High School from 1950–54 and then became supervisor of pupil personnel for Frederick County Public Schools until 1983. With his wife, Pat, they owned and operated the Antietam Travel Service in Frederick from 1984 until 1989. Fogle was a lifelong church member, beginning at Centennial Memorial Evangelical United Brethren in Frederick. He was an active member at Christ Reformed United Church of Christ in Middletown and Trinity United Church of Christ in Waynesboro, where he and his wife moved in 2000. He was a member of the Frederick County Genealogical Society, Frederick County Teachers Association, Maryland State Teachers Association, National Education Association, Maryland Department of Pupil Personnel, International Association of Pupil Personnel Workers, Frederick County Retired Teachers Association, Maryland Retired Teachers Association, Frederick County Junior Chamber of Commerce, Middletown Lions Club, Middletown Valley Historical Society, Frederick Catoctones of the SPEBSQSA and Waynesboro Lion’s Club. In 1998 he was inducted into the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. He was predeceased by his parents; his brother, the Rev. Bernard E. Fogle; sisters, Grace R. Darr and Hazel M. Beard; and son, Timothy W. Fogle. Fogle is survived by his wife, Pat; son, Stephen M. Fogle; daughters, Linda C. Newsom and Christine M. Ryan; and five grandchildren.
Alan Hance Stocksdale ’49, a retired attorney who was a decorated World War II combat veteran, died of heart failure Feb. 23 at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, according to The Baltimore Sun. He was 92. Born in Baltimore and raised in Hampden, he was the son of Howard B. Stocksdale, an attorney, and Margaret Hance. He was a 1941 Polytechnic Institute graduate who served in an Army infantry unit during World War II. On Nov. 29, 1944, he was badly wounded in Lammersdorf, Germany. He was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery and a Purple Heart. While recuperating from his wounds, his future wife, Ruth Elizabeth Wisner, suggested they marry because they had dated before the war. They married Oct. 11, 1945. After the war, he earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was a 1950 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law. He joined his father’s law practice in downtown Baltimore. The firm, which moved to Northeast Baltimore, is now Stocksdale, Jarrell & Cvach. He retired in 2010. Stocksdale was the attorney for the Maryland-Delaware Baptist Convention for 50 years. He lived in Wiltondale for 50 years and had been president of its community association. He coached Little League baseball and was a past president of Ocean City’s Excaliber Condominiums. He later lived at the Mercy Ridge Retirement Community in Timonium. He was also a past president of Baltimore Jaycees and was active in the Optimist Club. He had been a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Woodbrook Baptist Church. Survivors include a son, A. Dean Stocksdale; three daughters, Zoeanne S. Denham, Beverly S. Cvach and Karen S. Mann; 11 grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
George E. Snyder ’50, a state senator in Maryland and then in North Carolina, died April 5 at Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Boone, N.C. He was 88. Born in Hagerstown, Snyder was a local entrepreneur first elected to the Maryland Senate from Washington County in 1958 at the age of 29. He was a wholesale ice cream and soft-pretzel distributor through a company he founded in 1948 while attending UMD. Snyder is credited for being one of the first to freeze pretzel dough for sale to consumers, and one of the first to market ice cream in a half-gallon container, according to his obituary. Active in the local Jaycees, Kiwanis, Young Democrats and Elks organizations, Snyder won accolades for his civic leadership, including being named the outstanding Jaycee president of the year in 1958. He became a political leader, too, serving as Senate majority leader and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Snyder repeatedly clashed with House Speaker Marvin Mandel, even writing a 1974 book challenging how he governed, “Beyond the Game Plan.” He had a short-lived gubernatorial campaign against Mandel that year and left politics. Snyder moved to Sarasota, Fla., where he switched parties and ran in 1982 for the U.S. Senate seat then occupied by Democrat Lawton Chiles. He was defeated in the primary and worked as a business consultant. In 2006, he retired to Blowing Rock, N.C. Snyder is survived by his wife, Karen; son, George “Chip” Snyder; daughter, Laura Young; stepson, Todd Templin; stepdaughter, Kelly Ovitz; and several other relatives.
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