Class Notes

Jennifer Wojeck ’24 wrote an article in White House History Quarterly: Celebrating America, published by the White House Historical Association. She takes readers to New York City on the centennial of George Washington’s first oath of office, following President Benjamin Harrison as he traces Washington’s steps to Federal Hall in a days-long celebration. 

Eduardo Ortiz MBA ’23, CEO of the digital services firm Coforma, chaired this year’s Heart of Greater Washington campaign for the American Heart Association. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a former member of the U.S. Digital Service. The campaign brings together individuals and organizations across the D.C. metro area to raise funds for cardiovascular research, prevention and education. 

Brock Yetso CERT ’23 was named a 2026 Baltimore Business Journal Executive Leadership Award honoree, recognized for his record of growing his organization and showing leadership in the community through volunteer and board work. Yetso is CEO and president of the Ulman Foundation, which supports young adults with cancer and their families.

Rosie Grant MLS ’22 wrote “To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes,” based on her popular TikTok and Instagram posts at @GhostlyArchive, where she researches and re-creates recipes found on gravestones. She appeared on an episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” to talk about it.

Ryan Little M.Jour. ’20 contributed data work to ProPublica’s Pulitzer Prize winner for local reporting: a project that exposed how Connecticut towing laws allowed companies to overcharge and even sell people’s cars.

Nick McMillan M.Jour. ’20 won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for a story he co-wrote for ProPublica that exposed how the FDA allowed generic drug imports that violated safety standards and could harm Americans.

Benjamin Carver ’19 joined Fox Rothschild in Wilmington, Del., as an associate in the financial restructuring and bankruptcy department. He represents debtors, creditors, creditor committees and other parties across a full range of bankruptcy proceedings and restructuring matters.

Madeline Hosie ’19 joined Kaplan Construction as a project manager. She brings five years of experience from the Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., where she advanced from project engineer to project manager while leading large-scale, technically complex projects, including data centers. At Kaplan, she will oversee budgeting, scheduling, procurement and coordination with clients, design teams and subcontractors.

Sarah Adams ’17 received the 2026 Sidney D. Drell Science and Technology Award from the Intelligence and National Security Alliance for her contributions to advancing science and technology research in support of national security. She is program manager for Alternative Computing Paradigms at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. The award recognizes early- to mid-career scientists and engineers whose work demonstrates potential to significantly impact U.S. intelligence, defense, and homeland security. Adams holds dual bachelor’s degrees in materials science and engineering from UMD, and a degree in hotel administration from Cornell University. 

A. Marie Smith MBA ’17 was selected as town manager of Melbourne Beach, Fla. Smith most recently served as executive director of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and before that as chief of staff and chief innovation officer at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Smith holds a Master of Public Affairs and Communications Management from American University, and a bachelor’s degree from the Catholic University of America.

Clara Allsup ’16, M.Ed. ’18 was named Prince George’s County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She is an English teacher at International High School at Langley Park. 

Aydin Mohtashamian MBA ’16 was appointed president of Kagwerks, a leader in advanced tactical technologies, and DTC America, a leading provider of high-performance tactical communication solutions. He most recently served as chief operating officer at Parry Labs, overseeing operations and technology development across five sites. Mohtashamian holds an M.S. in systems engineering from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. A U.S. Army veteran, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

Alexander Ziv Stough M.E. ’16 was promoted to senior associate at James Posey Associates, an engineering consulting firm. He specializes in infrastructure-related, high-performance building, government and corporate office projects. Stough joined JPA in 2011 as a mechanical engineer. 

Yousef Munayyer Ph.D. ’15 was named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 list, highlighting influential leaders in public policy, advocacy, business and civic affairs across the D.C. area. He is the head of the Palestine-Israel program and senior fellow at the Arab Center.

Lane DesAutels Ph.D. ’14, associate professor of philosophy at Missouri Western State University, received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound and a master’s degree from Western Michigan University.

Muyinat “Faye” Majekodunmi M.S. ’14, director of Catenary Engineering at Amtrak, was named the 2026 Delaware Valley Young Engineer of the Year by the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia. While advancing through engineering and leadership roles at Amtrak and as a consultant, she has played a key role in modernizing critical electric traction infrastructure across the Northeast Corridor and Harrisburg Line. Her industry recognition includes Railway Track & Structures’ 2024 “10 Under 40 Women in Rail,” GVF’s 2024 “Top TDM Professionals Under 40,” the Women’s Transportation Seminar’s Philadelphia’s 2024 Member of the Year and a 2022 Railway Track & Structures “10 Under 40 Professionals in Rail” honorable mention.

Kyra Peckaitis ’14 was appointed vice president of marketing at Dermata Therapeutics, a science-driven leader in dermatologic solutions. She was previously associate director of brand marketing for Coterie, a direct-to-consumer baby care brand. 

Renata “Ren” Southard ’14, M.Arch. ’17 was nominated by Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott as planning director. She joined Baltimore in 2018, first with the Department of Planning, where she was the urban design division principal, before moving to the Department of Housing and Community Development in 2025. In her most recent role with Baltimore's neighborhood development division, she led a team of planners, architects and engineers to provide community design services, technical assistance and alignment with partners on investment strategies.

Brothers Ayman and Osama Abdeldayem ’13, founders of skate- and streetwear brand Carpet Company, opened their first brick-and-mortar store in downtown Baltimore.

Molly Merritts-Ricci ’13 was promoted to partner at the law firm Venable in the Washington, D.C. office’s corporate practice. She earned her juris doctor from the University of Virginia.

Melinda Nguyen ’13 was named the first-ever coach of the women’s flag football program at the University of Texas at Arlington. Nguyen joins UTA after three seasons as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan. She was the head coach and quarterback of two club football teams at the University of Maryland and helped lead them to nine total championships spanning six years.

Matthew Miller Ph.D. ’12 was appointed director of Auburn University’s School of Kinesiology. Miller has served Auburn University since 2012, holding several key leadership roles in the College of Education’s School of Kinesiology, including interim director, assistant director and graduate program officer. He holds an M.S. in exercise, fitness and health promotion from George Mason University, and a B.A. in from Elizabethtown College.

Anshul Gupta ’11, ’11 was elected partner of global strategy consultancy L.E.K., where he is a member of its Retail and Consumer practice, based in the New York office. He holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Kyle Kneisly ’10 joined the board of directors of Teasdale Foods, a leading full-line supplier of Latin-inspired foods. He is a partner at Knighthead.

Dr. Adam Blechman ’09 was named to the 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors list, which recognizes the top 7% of board-certified physicians nationwide for clinical excellence and outstanding patient care. Blechman is board-certified in dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery. He earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Sarah Cigna ’09 was featured in the documentary “The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs and Who Has Control,” about a company’s battle to get regulatory approval of Addyi, often called the female Viagra. It’s streaming on Paramount+. She is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology with the GW Medical Faculty Associates.

Abhinav Gupta Ph.D. ’09 is co-founder and president of Skild AI, which recently raised $1.4 billion in a funding round. The company plans to ultimately deploy robotics in consumer homes. 

John Sateri MPS ’09 was appointed chief investment officer of Gladstone Land Corp., a real estate investment trust that acquires farmland across the United States. Sateri has been with Gladstone since 2007; since 2021 he has served as executive vice president of investments for Gladstone Management Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. 

Brian G. Smith Ph.D. ’09 was named director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Richard T. Robertson School of Communication. Smith comes to VCU from the University of Mississippi, where he served as professor and chair of the Integrated Marketing Communications department, part of the university’s School of Journalism and New Media. He earned a master’s degree in international relations and bachelor’s degree in humanities from Brigham Young University.

Ahmed Zaman ’09, M.Arch. ’11 was appointed managing director of the Washington, D.C., office of Rhode Island-based architecture firm ZDS Architecture & Interiors. He joined ZDS after six years at Perkins Eastman, where he served as senior associate and co-led the design of a hospitality project in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Rob Albritton ’08 was appointed managing director, technology and innovation at Enlightenment Capital, an aerospace, defense government and technology-focused investment firm. He was previously at Octo, where he established and led oLabs, Octo’s AI Center of Excellence. He holds an MBA from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree from the National Intelligence University.

Shane Crockett MBA ’08 was appointed vice president and chief underwriting officer at Harford Mutual Insurance Group. His previous role was as senior director of underwriting and production for agriculture at global insurance provider Markel. He holds a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy. 

Maital Legum ’08 was named head of ETF solutions at Teucrium, a provider of alternative-asset exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and of ETF white label and growth services. She joins Teucrium after nearly 15 years with the New York Stock Exchange, most recently as director of exchange traded products.

Neal Kovach ’07 was named chief executive officer of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the organization representing more than 6,500 members who care for high-risk pregnant people. He came from the American College of Cardiology, where he served as global chief commercial officer. Kovach earned an MBA from Temple University.

Mark E. Ritacco ’07 joined professional services firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP as senior adviser to the firm’s government advocacy and contracting practice. Prior to joining Manatt, Ritacco was chief government affairs officer for the National Association of Counties, where he led federal advocacy on behalf of 3,069 county governments nationwide, engaged directly with Congress, the White House and federal agencies, and supported local leaders in accessing federal programs, grants and regulatory pathways.

Ram Sriharsha Ph.D. ’07 joined the advisory board of Moores Lab AI, a leader in agentic AI solutions for silicon engineering. Sriharsha has held senior leadership roles at some of the industry’s most influential technology companies. He served as chief technology officer at Pinecone, vice president of engineering at Splunk, and head of product at Databricks. 

Laura Connor Smith MBA ’06 is the co-chair for the 36^th annual Lawyers Have Heart 10K, 5K and Fun Walk. Smith is a partner at consulting firm HKA.

Adam Maarec ’06 was admitted as a fellow of the American College of Consumer Financial Services Lawyers. He is financial counsel at law firm Ballard Spahr and holds a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Corie Baker M.Arch. ’05 was appointed to the board of directors of Greshem Smith, an architecture, engineering and consultancy services firm. Baker is the market vice president for Gresham Smith's health care market. She holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Vermont. 

Mihai Dimian Ph.D. ’05 was named minister of education and research of Romania, where he oversees primary, secondary and higher education. He spent a decade as a professor of electrical engineering at Howard University and most recently held that role at Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava in Romania. He holds undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași.

Elizabeth Jurinka ’05 was named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 list, highlighting influential leaders in public policy, advocacy, business and civic affairs across the Washington, D.C., area. She is operating director of healthcare policy at Vistria PRG, a private investment firm.

Jeffrey P. Mongiello ’05, M.P.P. ’06 was promoted to member at the New Jersey-based law firm of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, where he focuses on white-collar criminal matters, government investigations and internal corporate investigations, commercial disputes and appellate litigation, Prior to joining the firm, Mongiello served as an associate at a national law firm and a regional law firm, and as a judicial law clerk. Before then, he served as a New Jersey state deputy attorney general in the Appellate Bureau of the Division of Criminal Justice. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Seton Hall University.

Joshua Newman Ph.D. ’05 was named dean of the School of Education & Human Sciences at the University of Kansas. He was previously the associate dean for research and Sara Lavinia de Keni Endowed Professor at Florida State University’s Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. He earned his master’s degree in sport and leisure commerce and his bachelor’s degree of education in sport and leisure studies from the University of Memphis. 

Amber Simco MPP ’05 joined global professional services firm Guidehouse as an associate director within the firm’s technology and cyber practice. She most recently served as chief of strategy and planning for threat hunting in CISA’s cybersecurity division. Her academic background includes a graduate certificate in cyber intelligence from National Intelligence University and an M.A. in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College.

Syed Zaidi MBA ’05 was appointed CEO of Odevo U.S., a leader in residential property management. He most recently held that role at System Pavers, the largest outdoor living remodeling and construction company in the United States. 

Prashant Lamba M.E. ’04 was named senior vice president and chief information officer of RGP, a global professional services firm. He previously served as senior managing director at Ankura Consulting Group. He holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Edwin Martini Ph.D. ’04 was named chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He was previously provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs at UW-Oshkosh. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College.

Josh Schneider ’04 competed as part of Team USA at the 2026 International Blind Hockey Series in Toronto, the premier competition for the sport. The former teacher is a full-time advocate for the sport.

Chris Jahn MBA ’03 was named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 list, highlighting influential leaders in public policy, advocacy, business and civic affairs across the D.C. area. He is president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council. 

William Wan M.Jour. ’03 and editor Kelley Benham French M.A. ’02 contributed to The Washington Post’s Pulitzer Prize in Public Service for coverage of DOGE and the federal workforce.

Justin Coen ’02 joined law firm Faegre Drinker as a partner in its government and regulatory affairs practice in Washington, D.C., with specific emphasis on U.S. Food and Drug Administration matters. Coen graduated, with honors, from Duke University School of Law.

Stephanie Lewis ’02 was promoted to chief financial officer of Forbes. She joined Forbes in 2008 as a financial analyst and has since held roles including controller and senior vice president of finance. 

David Murrell ’02 was promoted to the position of executive vice president and chief banking officer at MainStreet Bank. He joined MainStreet in 2008 and previously specialized in delivering complex financial solutions for high-value sectors, including medical practices, law firms and government contractors. 

Michael Randolph ’02 was promoted to vice president at architectural services company STV. Randolph has more than 20 years of experience managing transit, highway and rail projects across the DMV. He was previously engineering director in STV’s D.C. office.

Rania Al-Mashat Ph.D. ’01 was appointed executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. She served for eight years as minister across three key portfolios in Egypt: tourism, international cooperation and planning, economic development and international cooperation. Al-Mashat holds a B.A. in economics from the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

Christine Eibner Ph.D. ’01 was named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 list, highlighting influential leaders in public policy, advocacy, business and civic affairs across the D.C. area. She is a senior economist at Rand Corp., a research institute. 

Eliza Knight ’01 is the author of “Lost in the Summer of ’69.” The novel follows three generations of women, an unforgettable summer of music, and the epic cross-country road trip they'll never forget. 

Leon Smith ’01 was announced as the 2026 National Teacher of the Year on “CBS Mornings” (by co-host Gayle King ’76). He teaches Advanced Placement courses in U.S. history and African American studies and coaches the freshman basketball team at Haverford High School, northwest of Philadelphia.

Hadar Susskind ’01 was named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 list, highlighting influential leaders in public policy, advocacy, business and civic affairs across the Washington, D.C., area. He is president and CEO of political advocacy group New Jewish Narrative.

Scott Swenson ’01 was elected one of 29 new fellows at the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Swenson is a Delaware-based attorney focused on estate planning and settlement, and estate trust and litigation. He earned a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Jason Buckner ’00 is co-chair of the newly launched critical minerals practice group at law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. Buckner is a 2003 graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law.

Mingyan Liu Ph.D. ’00 was appointed the next dean of the University of Michigan College of Engineering. She was previously associate dean for academic affairs at University of Michigan Engineering and is the T.C. Chang Professor of Engineering. 

Christy Shafer ’00 was appointed chief commercial officer of Neurogene, a clinical-stage company founded to bring life-changing genetic medicines to patients and families affected by rare neurological diseases. She most recently served as senior vice president and general manager, North America, of Avidity Bioscience. 

Farooq Anjum Ph.D. ’99 was appointed chief AI and systems officer of Guideway Care, a patient activation company. He will oversee the continued development of enterprise activation intelligence.

Pete Feinberg MBA ’99 was appointed chief product officer of Casepoint, a unified, AI-powered platform that helps legal and compliance teams run legal hold, eDiscovery, investigations, and FOIA in one secure, defensible environment. He previously served as chief product officer at Consilio, where he led innovation and product strategy for a broad portfolio of legal technology solutions. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Virginia Tech.

Keri L. Stockland ’99 joined the National Restaurant Association as chief financial officer. She was most recently CFO of DKT International. 

Scott Nelson MBA '98 is associate vice president for undergraduate admissions at Warner Pacific University. He also sits on the board of trustees for the YMCA of the Columbia-Willamette region. 

Tom Schultz ’98 rejoined the nonprofit Santa Barbara News-Press as a general assignment reporter, with a focus on K-12 grade education. He previously worked at the paper from 1998 to 2007. He was hired when the paper was owned by the New York Times and was one of the leading forces to unionize the newspaper under later ownership by Ampersand Publishing. 

Andrea Vieira ’98 was a recipient of the Washington Business Journal’s 2026 Diversity in Business Award. She is the founder and CEO of nailsaloon.

Samir Kaul M.S. ’97 was named to the board of directors of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Kaul is founding partner and managing director at Khosla Ventures, where he focuses on artificial intelligence, advanced technology, health and sustainability. Following the passing of his father, Pradman Kaul, from Parkinson's disease in 2025, Kaul committed himself to further accelerating progress for patients and families affected by the disease. He holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Amy Kristof-Brown Ph.D. ’97 was reappointed to a five-year term as dean of the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. She joined the college in 1997 as a faculty member in management and entrepreneurship. She became senior associate dean in 2017 and was named interim dean in March 2020, before being appointed dean following a national search in December 2020. Kristof-Brown holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond.

Monique Roelofs Ph.D. ’97 is the author of “Strange Tastes: Aesthetics and the Public in Latin American and Latinx Feminisms,” published by Duke University Press. The book is a philosophical excursion onto the paths that connect aesthetic experience, the strange, decolonial practice, and the public through the works of contemporary Latin American and Latinx women writers and artists. Roelofs is professor and chair of philosophy of art and culture, and head of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam.  

Kevin Gillen ’96 is the author of “Echo of Atlantis,” the first installment of a six-book sci-fi fantasy series that follows four teenage descendants of Atlantis who discover their extraordinary gifts at a hidden academy in the American Southwest. The book will be published on June 21. 

Anand Govind M.S. ’96 joined Citigroup as a managing director in technology investment banking, focusing on enterprise software and artificial intelligence. He was previously chief financial officer of enterprise planning software company o9 Solutions. 

Mohamed Karama ’96 was named senior vice president of growth acceleration and performance for Acentra Health, a technology and health solutions and services company serving government and commercial healthcare clients. 

Sudafi Henry ’95 was named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 list, highlighting influential leaders in public policy, advocacy, business and civic affairs across the Washington, D.C., area. Henry is a managing partner at strategy, policy and communications firm theGROUP. He earned a J.D. at the George Washington University Law School.

Danny Hyun ’95 was appointed vice president of engineering at Circadian Risk. He leads its engineering team, overseeing platform architecture, product development, data science and infrastructure. Most recently, Hyun was vice president of engineering for Veracode.

Jason Meklinsky ’95 was named chief revenue officer of DLA, a leading accounting advisory firm. He was previously chief revenue officer and executive committee member at Sonata One, a private markets exchange platform. 

Alleen Delpierre ’94 was named vice president of strategic alliances at IntelePeer, a leading provider of Agentic AI solutions to the healthcare industry. She most recently served in a variety of partner leadership roles in companies delivering conversational AI to the healthcare market, including at Amelia, where she drove significant growth in partner-driven revenue by overhauling partner onboarding and enablement programs. 

Joseph Kluh ’94 was named police chief of the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority. Kluh is a 28-year veteran of the Airports Authority Police Department. He has held command positions at Reagan National, Dulles International and the headquarters office, as well as the Authority’s 911 call center. Kluh earned a master’s degree from the University of Virginia.

Alex Nock ’94 was named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 list, highlighting influential leaders in public policy, advocacy, business and civic affairs across the Washington, D.C., area. Nock is a principal at Penn Hill Group, a lobbying firm specializing in education and workforce issues. 

Jeffrey Watters MBA ’94 joined the board of directors of Teasdale Foods, a supplier of Latin-inspired foods. Watters is the former president and chief executive officer of Ainsworth Pet Nutrition and senior vice president at Del Monte Foods.

Kristen Pironis ’93 was named a 2026 Baltimore Business Journal Executive Leadership Award honoree. Honorees were chosen for their documented track record of growing their organizations and showing leadership in the community through volunteer and board work. Pironis is CEO of Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.

Amy Childress ’92 was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for advances in membrane technologies in desalination and wastewater reuse. Childress is Dean’s Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering’s Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, where she also serves as founder and director of the ReWater Center and academic lead of the Water Reuse Consortium. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.  

Laura Petrecca ’92 joined public relations agency DiGennaro Communications as chief content officer. Petrecca will oversee content strategy, storytelling and creation across a wide range of platforms and formats. She is an award-winning journalist and former editor at USA Today, The New York Post and Ad Age. 

Maria Reeve M.Jour. ’92, managing editor of the Minnesota Star Tribune, guided coverage of the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School that won the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting. 

Gregory M. Stone ’92 joined the law firm Womble Bond Dickinson's patent prosecution and litigation practice group as a partner. His experience includes service as a U.S. patent examiner in the mechanical and biomedical device arts. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Rich Wajsgras ’92 was appointed senior manager at NVIDIA. He was previously vice president for the U.S. public sector at Groq, an AI inference platform provider. He holds an MBA in information systems and finance from the George Washington University.

Adam Peake ’91 was named president, Americas for Under Armour. He will lead Under Armour's business across North and South America, overseeing marketplace strategy, distribution and omni-channel growth. He has held senior leadership roles at Under Armour for 16 years.

Blake Wetzel ’91 joined Entelligence, the leader in AI-powered professional services for enterprise software, as chief operating officer. He previously worked in leadership roles at CenturyLink, Qwest Communications and Rackspace.

Troy Fitrell ’90, former U.S. ambassador to Guinea, was named CEO of SAGINT International, the global operations arm of SAGINT. He previously led the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, he oversaw U.S. policy across 49 countries and introduced a continent-wide commercial diplomacy strategy. 

Kathy Jentz ’90, editor and publisher of Washington Gardener magazine and host of the GardenDC Podcast, was elected president of GardenComm: Garden Communicators International, formerly known as the Garden Writers Association of America. Jentz is a longtime member and volunteer with the organization. She also edits three plant society journals: Water Garden Journal, The Azalean and Fanfare, and is the co-author of “The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City” and author of “Groundcover Revolution.”

Alan Brubaker ’89 was named director of the office of legislative and intergovernmental affairs in the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He previously served as a senior adviser to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform under U.S. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky. 

Lee Nadler ’89 was hired as chief marketing officer at Flip, an enterprise voice AI platform for retail/e-commerce, healthcare and transportation. He was founding head of marketing at DoubleClick and spent a decade at BMW Group. 

Michael T. Richard MBA ’89 was nominated by Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer to serve on the Delaware Public Service Commission, pending confirmation from the Delaware State Senate. Richard is a former two-term Maryland Public Service Commissioner and past director of the Maryland Energy Administration. He currently serves as a senior fellow and policy advisor at Colorado State University’s Energy Institute and the Center for the New Energy Economy, where he leads initiatives on grid modernization and clean transmission.

Phil Laws ’88, the COO of Comcast Spectacor, a Philadelphia-based division of Comcast, was the subject of a profile feature in the Philadelphia Inquirer in March.

Jay Baldwin ’86 is now chair of the board of directors of Glen Burnie Bancorp, the bank holding company for the Bank of Glen Burnie. Baldwin has served as the president and CEO of Reliable Contracting Company since 2002. 

Maria Korsnick ’86 was named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People of 2026 list, highlighting influential leaders in public policy, advocacy, business and civic affairs across the D.C. area. Korsnick is president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute. 

Sally White M.S. ’86 was appointed to the board of trustees at Goodwin Living, a faith-based, not-for-profit, senior living and health care services organization in the National Capital Region. She is the chair of the 2025 LeadingAge DC Board of Directors.

C. Robin Buell ’85 was named 2026 SEC Professor of the Year, the conference’s highest faculty honor. The professor of crop and soil sciences is Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar Chair in Crop Genomics at the University of Georgia. Her work has been instrumental in the development of massive genomic datasets that are used by scientists worldwide to improve crop resilience and productivity. 

Brion Talley ’84 was appointed CEO of Steelforce Packaging North America. Most recently, he served as CEO/president of JFE Shoji America, where he became the first non-Japanese executive to lead a business unit of JFE Shoji Corp. Talley earned an MBA from Pepperdine University. 

Vahid Motevalli ’83, Ph.D. ’89 was named vice chancellor for academic affairs at Penn State Harrisburg. He has served as interim vice chancellor for academic affairs at the college since 2023. Prior to joining Penn State Harrisburg, Motevalli was a tenured professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean for research and innovation at Tennessee Tech’s College of Engineering. 

David Wajsgras ’82 was appointed chairman and CEO of Herndon, Va., cybersecurity company Everfox. He was most recently CEO of Tysons communications satellite company Intelsat SA and before that was a longtime executive with Raytheon, now called RTX Corp. He earned an MBA from American University.

Rick Shapiro ’80 was inducted into the Virginia Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Shapiro, a personal injury attorney, is a partner at Shapiro, Washburn and Sharp. He graduated with distinction from George Mason University School of Law.

Michael Ray Smith ’77 spoke at a webinar for the Society of Christian Scholars in March about the Rev. Charles M. Sheldon, a clergyman who took over the Topeka Daily Capital newspaper in 1900. Smith examined Sheldon’s approach to mainstream news in his “Jesus Newspaper” and his “Fake News, Truth-Telling and Charles M. Sheldon’s Model of Accuracy” books. He has spoken to journalism groups and academic conferences on Sheldon’s attempts to reform the press. Smith spent a decade writing for mainstream newspapers and has worked off and on at LCC International University as a distinguished visiting professor, professor and chair and guest faculty since 2019.

Author and educator Sylvia Cada Auton Ph.D. '76 wed Dr. John Cook at St. James’ Episcopal Church, Leesburg, Va. on May 9. Auton, 85, and Cook, 90, first met in May 2011, when Auton and her late husband became patients at Cook’s concierge medical practice in Leesburg, and the couples became friendly. Read the story of how he proposed on their first date and about their wedding in The New York Times. 

Maria Karametou ’74 is the author of “The Amalgam,” a novel published in March. Published by Vine Leaves Press, the book is a story about two strong women—an immigrant and a refugee—and their struggle to defy the odds and live life on their terms.

Ronald Attman ’68 was named a 2026 Baltimore Business Journal Executive Leadership Award honoree. Honorees were chosen for their documented track record of growing their organizations and showing leadership in the community through volunteer and board work. Attman is co-CEO of Acme Paper and Supply Co.

Brenda Brown Rever ’65 was inducted into The Baltimore Sun Business and Civic Hall of Fame. She was recognized for her contributions to public service and community impact, particularly through her leadership in government and civic initiatives. Brown Rever is the founder of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women and an emerita trustee of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.

Fred A. Neil ’59 was elected president of the Dover (Delaware) City Council for the second straight year. At 92, he says he is the oldest elected local official in the United States. He ran for office for the first time at the age of 81 to protect his senior community from landlord abuse. Neil was an award-winning news and sports director in Baltimore who later served as the first press officer of Mayor and later Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer. He also served as public affairs officer at the Maryland Rehabilitation Center and Department of Education, earning a Baltimore Is Best Award. Neil co-authored the book, “It's A Very Simple Game: The Life & Times of Charley Eckman.”

Margaret Jean Ketchum Hager M.Ed. ’78 died on May 11, 2026, at her Rancho Viejo, Texas, residence, two days shy of her 97th birthday. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she attended Memphis State University where she was a member of Delta Zeta Sorority. In 1950, she married Walter Richard "Dick" Hager. He died in 2011. When her three children were in school, she returned to college and earned a B.S. in elementary education and a M. Ed. in guidance and counseling at North Texas State University and a M.Ed. in special education at UMD. Hager taught in elementary schools in Dallas, Texas and in Fairfax County, Virginia. She served as a supervisor of the learning disabilities program in Fairfax County Schools and retired in 1984 from there as coordinator of special education programs. She taught as an adjunct professor for the University of Virginia for several years. The Hagers divided their time between homes in Rancho Viejo and Massanutten, Virginia. She served as editor of the Rancho Viejo Reporter for 15 years, was an alderwoman for four years and the first woman mayor of Rancho Viejo, serving for two years. She was also president of the Rancho Viejo Garden Club, table director of the Brownsville II Pan American Round Table and the state director of the Pan American Round Tables of Texas. She was a member of P.E.O. Chapter BU and of the Church of the Advent, Episcopal of Brownsville. Preceding her in death are her husband; her son, Richard Hugh Hager; a granddaughter, Aleesha Hager; and brother, Charles L. Ketchum. Surviving are her daughters, Barbara L. Hager and Katherine H. Mann; and 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Dennis M. Kearns ’77, of Keego Harbor, Michigan, died on March 27, 2026, after a brief illness. He was 71. He earned a B.S. in criminal justice from UMD. Kearns was deeply involved in the Keego Harbor community as president of the Jacket Club and as a reserve officer with the Keego Harbor Police Department since 2015. Kearns played an integral role in his father Robert W. Kearns’ landmark patent lawsuit over the electronic intermittent windshield wiper, sitting second chair and contributing his experience as a private investigator to help win the case against Chrysler. He is survived by his children, Riley Kearns and Sierra Newman; former spouse Helen Kearns of Columbus, Ohio; and five grandchildren. 

Kerry Dean ’69, 79, died Jan. 20, 2026, at home in Richmond, Virginia, of cancer. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, and majored in geography at UMD. He joined the U.S. Navy where he earned his wings and flew the F-4 Phantom. As a civilian, he went to work for Reynolds Metals/Alcoa where he retired as operations manager. Dean was a master wood worker and could most often be found in his shop. He was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Powhatan. His greatest joys were his family and friends. Dean is survived by his wife Rebecca Anderson-Dean; children Timothy Dean and Holly Dean Hamersley; six grandchildren; and three great-granddaughters.

Jim Dietsch '69, former Maryland men's soccer head coach and men's lacrosse assistant coach  died on March 31, 2026, at age 78. At Baltimore Polytechnic High School, he lettered as captain of the lacrosse and football teams, then he played on the Terp’s lacrosse team all four years as a face-off midfielder. He was a member of the 1967 national championship team and three ACC championship seasons. Shortly after graduation, Dietsch proposed to Barbara Ann Yates while watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, and the two were married in 1970,at the University of Maryland Memorial Chapel. The following year they moved to Giessen, Germany as part of his service in the U.S. Army.  Dietsch served as the head coach of the Terps' men's soccer program from 1975-80; he led the Terps to the NCAA Tournament and was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1976. He also was an assistant coach with the men's lacrosse program from 1972-83. During that span, the Terps won the 1973 and 1975 NCAA Championships. He also served as an assistant athletic director for academic affairs until 1986, when he left the university. Dietsch returned to middle school, teaching industrial arts and physical education at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School for over 20 years and joined his best friend, Dave Mintzer, coaching at Catonsville Community College and later at various high school and youth programs within Maryland. After retiring in 2007 from teaching in Maryland, Dietsch returned to collegiate coaching at Limestone College, Gaffney, S.C. The following year he accepted the position as head coach of men’s lacrosse at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, where he led the team to a Conference Carolina Tournament Championship. After retiring from Belmont, he and his wife moved to Ocean View, Delaware. There, he started the boys’ lacrosse program at Indian River High School and a middle school recreational league. In retirement he and Barbara enjoyed traveling the world and spending time with friends and family. Dietsch is survived by his wife of 56 years; daughter Erika and son Kevin; and three granddaughters.

Oliver Patrick "Pat" Scott M.A. ’69, visual artist, political and civil rights activist, educator and mentor died on May 3, 2026 at his home in Zephyrhills, Florida. He was 86. Scott grew up in Baltimore, where his talents in art and golf emerged early. He caddied at country clubs from age 13, played on the Golf Team at Frederick Douglass High School and college, and remained an avid golfer throughout most of his life. Scott earned a B.S. in art education and M.F.A. in painting from Morgan State College and UMD, respectively, followed by additional studies at the Maryland Institute of Art and Johns Hopkins University. Many local, regional and national exhibitions, gallery shows, and commissions followed over the next 60 years. For nearly two decades, he served as professor, director of the Murphy Fine Arts Center, and chair of the art department at Morgan State. In the 1960s, after designing campaign materials for Joseph C. Howard, who became the first elected African American member of the Supreme Bench of Baltimore, he was inspired to continue to work in political campaigns and other community, housing, education, business, civil and human rights initiatives. This led to his becoming a core member of Baltimore's Goon Squad, a group of African-American activists who spoke out on behalf of justice, equality and increased opportunities especially for people of color, working class and poor citizens. In 1972, Scot began his service as chairman of the Board of Sojourner-Douglas College. There, he helped establish, teach and host seminars for bachelor and graduate programs in political campaign management. He was admired and respected for his calm, pensive, generous, unassuming but forthright and supportive persona.

Martha Tompkins Folk ’69, MLS ’77 of Lanham, Maryland, died on April 29, 2026 at age 79. She grew up in Old Greenbelt alongside her twin sister, Alice, and developed a lifelong love for the great outdoors during family trips to national parks, a passion that would define much of her life. After completing her degrees in education and library science at UMD, she dedicated over 30 years to her career as a librarian with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. Folk was a lifelong member of the Greenbelt Community Church Choir, where she met her husband, Larry. She delighted in being a mother, and the family enjoyed summer adventures through Glacier National Park, the Canadian Rockies and Alaska. She also had a long tenure as a second soprano with the National Christian Choir, singing all over the country, and as coordinator of the Church World Service CROP Hunger Walk fundraiser at her church. Folk was preceded in death by her husband, and is survived by her sister, Alice T. McGregor; her daughter, Erika F. Freeman; and two grandchildren.

Richard Lee “Dick” Somazze Sr. ’65 of Lynchburg, Virginia, died on May 12, 2026, at Lynchburg General Hospital. He was 83. Born in Oella, Maryland, he graduated from Margaret Brent High School, St. Mary’s College and the University of Maryland, where he majored in agriculture. Somazze was the former owner of a Western Auto in the Fairview Heights area and a former Realtor with Century 21. He also sold and built homes. He enjoyed landscaping, tending to his garden, and raising fruit trees. Somazze was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Eleanor; a granddaughter, Hannah Marie Somazze; and a brother, Mark Wise. He is survived by his children Carolyn Sue Fodel and Richard Lee Somazze Jr.; five grandchildren; one sister, Bette Gill; three nieces and two nephews.

James Alexander Ruckert ’53 died in St. Leonard, Maryland, on March 9, 2026, at the age of 101. He majored in physical education at UMD, and completed his master’s degree in education at Bowie State UUniversity. While at Maryland, he was a noted half- and quarter-miler on the track team under the tutelage of Coach James Kehoe. Following his graduation, Ruckert returned to campus as an assistant track coach under Kehoe for 22 years; together they led the Terps to the ACC Championship for 15 of 16 years in both indoor and outdoor track. Ruckert also taught physical education at University Park Elementary School and served as an environmental education instructor and organizer in central and southern Maryland. He was a founder of the Schmidt Environmental Center, which provides outdoor experiences for underprivileged elementary schoolchildren. A competitive canoeist and kayeker, he coached a team from UMD that triumphed over squads from MIT, UCLA and the University of Southern California in 1976. Ruckert also achieved notoriety when he defeated a thoroughbred horse and a Model T Ford in a race celebrating the 50th anniversary of Laurel Race Course in 1961. Ruckert was a member of the M Club and Terrapin Club and an inaugural donor to the James H. Kehoe Track and Field Facility. Following a generous donation to the University of Libraries’ Special Collection, the foyer of Hornbake Library was named in honor of his late wife, Audrey Armistead Ruckert. He is survived by his son, Robert, and partner, Ruth Gudiness.