Class Notes

Kimberly Behre Kenna (Col ’79) will publish her latest novel, Lola Gillette and the Summer of Second Chances, on March 3. The middle-grade adventure, the third installment in her Brave Girls Collection, follows a 13-year-old grieving the loss of her twin sister while spending the summer in her quirky agoraphobic uncle’s unique castle home. Part of the proceeds from book sales will benefit Friends of Gillette Castle State Park and The Cove Center for Grieving Children in Connecticut.

Grace Elizabeth Hale, Commonwealth Professor of American Studies, received a Whiting Nonfiction Grant for Works-in-Progress for her upcoming book, They Don’t Own Us: Harlan County, Kentucky and the Past and Future of American Works. The grant gives contemporary nonfiction authors $40,000 to aid their projects, as well as publicity guidance. They Don’t Own Us examines labor struggles in the changing political social and economic climate of the 60s and 70s, and reflects on how this period impacts our labor climate today.

Clifton W. Potter Jr. (Grad ’64,’70 CM) published Yankees in the Hill City, The Union Prisoner of War Camp in Lynchburg, Virginia, 1862-1865 with McFarland and Company, Publishers, Inc. It is the first comprehensive study of the rarely-mentioned transit camp that existed in Lynchburg from June 1862 until April 1865. Using the diaries of soldiers who were held there, as well as extant manuscripts and burial records, Potter fashions the story of a POW camp unlike any other in the Confederacy. He is professor of history emeritus at the University of Lynchburg.

Alexandra Rains (Col ’19 CM) and Jonathan Hartley celebrated their wedding with family, friends and many fellow Hoos in Afton, Virginia, on October 11. Reuniting with so many loved ones in Charlottesville and on Grounds made the weekend extra special. The couple honeymooned in Switzerland.

Jason Jimerson (Grad ’90) has been selected to participate in Writing Vocation: A Colloquy for Future Contributors. This opportunity is offered by the Council of Independent Colleges through its Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. The colloquy will be held January 16–18, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jimerson is chair of the sociology department at Franklin College.

Adam Kadlac (Grad ’07) published his second book, The Magic Kingdom and the Meaning of Life, with Polity Press in November. In it, he argues that Disney theme parks are a remarkably fruitful environment in which to reflect on the human condition. He reflects how a day out at the Magic Kingdom can prompt parks-goers to ruminate on all sorts of important topics and questions: authenticity and pleasure; what it means for corporations to play such a large role in our culture; whether nostalgia is always bad; and, of course, princesses (so, so many princesses).

George Coussoulos (Educ ’65 CM) wrote his third book of historical speculative fiction, The Unknown, Surprising, and Fascinating Life of Jupiter Evans: Thomas Jefferson’s Personal Valet Tells His Story, released in October.

Michael Viscount (Col ’75 CM) retired in April 2024 after 43 years as an attorney in private practice, primarily in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He now lives in Linwood, New Jersey, near the Jersey Shore, and is using his retirement to relax at the beach, play golf, travel and spend time with his family, which includes two sons and two grandsons.

Ron Culberson (Col ’83 CM) produced Pep Banned, directed by Chris Farina (Col ’82) and Bill Reifenberger, which premiered to a sold-out crowd at the Virginia Film Festival in October 2025. The film depicts the creation, the humor and the ultimate demise of the UVA Pep Band, which performed from 1974 to 2003.

Bob Witeck (Col ’74 CM) received the Arne Sorenson Vanguard Award at Out & Equal’s global summit in October 2025. Out & Equal, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ business and professional organization, presented him with their lifetime achievement honor for his work to recognize the LGBTQ+ community in every aspect of business. Witeck is the co-founder of the first gay-owned business certified by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and author of Business Inside Out, the first book on gay marketing.

Emily Goodson (Educ ’09) will release her debut memoir, Dating Disability: 15 Stories of Dealing with the BS and Building Confidence on December 9. Goodson experienced a brain bleed at age 8, which resulted in partial paralysis on one side of her body. In this book, she invites readers into intimate stories about growing up, navigating relationships and building confidence in a world that often fails to talk about disability. Now 40, with a plethora of adventures (and misadventures) to draw from, she openly shares her realities and takeaways in Dating Disability. A Kirkus Review said that the book is “A cheerful chronicle of bravery and self-compassion that encourages all readers looking for love.”

Cynthia Lawson Malhotra (Col ’02 CM) continues to grow Art & Forge, the luxury brass and bronze decorative hardware brand she co-founded with her husband, Rish Malhotra. Rooted in her enduring love of Virginia’s history and craftsmanship, she recently debuted the Williamsburg hardware collection, created in partnership with Colonial Williamsburg and inspired by the region’s timeless architectural and decorative traditions.

Susan Monaco (Com ’85 CM) was elected president of the Eastern Lenders Association (ELA). The ELA is the largest non-profit consortium of Federal Housing Administration-approved lenders and industry partners who are active in the financing and servicing of HUD-insured multifamily properties. Monaco is the managing director and Federal Housing Administration chief underwriter at Dwight Capital. In addition to her professional responsibilities, she is a certified health coach, helping people get and stay well naturally.

Rita Dove, Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing, was officially inducted into the American Philosophical Society. She had been elected a member of the American Philosophical Society three decades ago, but was able to participate in person for the first time at the society’s 2025 autumn meeting. The American Philosophical Society is the oldest honorary society in North America, founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin. It counts among its members numerous U.S. presidents as well as Marie Curie, Albert Einstein and many other luminaries of the 18th through the 21st centuries.

Craig W. Sampson (Col ’90, Law ’93 CM) has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a national organization of leading family law practitioners who are recognized by the bench and bar for their knowledge, skill and integrity. Sampson is president of Barnes & Diehl in Richmond, Virginia, and is a co-author of legal treatise Virginia Practice – Family Law: Theory, Practice and Forms (2025 edition).

Ilina Das Ewen (Col ’92) founded Seen & Heard, a youth-powered advocacy nonprofit organization that amplifies young people’s voices and lived experiences around health, education and joy. Inspired by the values of leadership and community she learned at UVA, Ewen leads efforts to ensure youth are seen and heard with the tools, platform and access they need in order to influence policies about their future.