Class Notes

James Irving (Col ’76 CM) released the seventh installment of his detective mystery series, Friend on the Inside. The series’ protagonist, Joth Proctor, becomes ensnared in a web of danger as he pursues the connection between a suspicious death and a missing-person case. Friend on the Inside is a thrilling ride with college sports gambling at the center.

Rob Clocker (Arch ’90), the managing principal of architecture at design firm Hacin, is celebrating the publication of the firm’s first monograph, Stories of Home: Residential Designs by Hacin, which will be released Nov. 10.

Carla Jay Harris (Com ’02) been selected for two prestigious artist fellowships for 2026–2027: the California Arts Council Mid-Career Artist Fellowship and the California Community Foundation Fellowship for Visual Artists. As a multidisciplinary visual artist working across photography, collage, drawing and mixed media, Harris honored to receive this recognition and support as she continues to develop her artistic practice.

Rick Voit (Educ ’77, Grad ’80) has released his second book, Breaking Through: Making Peace with Reality. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Voit examines how many emotional symptoms often develop as automatic responses to stress, and how a humanistic, existential approach empowers us to take ownership of constructive change. It is designed for general readers navigating life’s major challenges, as well as psychotherapy students and practicing professionals looking for a grounded perspective on treatment. Voit previously co-authored Hypnosis in Clinical Practice: Steps for Mastering Hypnotherapy.

Jon Torre (Col ’14 CM) is the co-founder of Sun Vault Roofing, company specializing in residential roofing and building-integrated solar shingles, based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company recently installed Wisconsin’s first integrated solar roof, has been recognized by the Better Business Bureau and roofing suppliers for their work, and has opened a new office in Verona, Wisconsin. On the personal front, Torre and his partner, Amanda, welcomed their first child, Nico, in Nov. 2025.

Alex Shaw (Educ ’09) published Say Yes To Risk: Living Outside the Safety Industrial Complex in October. In it, Shaw defines the “Safety Industrial Complex” and examines the interconnected world of regulatory agencies, public health institutions, the media, the insurance industry, tort law and the safety profession. He uncovers how related incentives, however well-intentioned, continually push us toward more protection, more control and less tolerance for risk.

David Stuckey (Law ’01) has launched Lynx Books, a company that allows users to design and populate their own entirely individualized daily planners, diaries and journals, which are then printed, bound and delivered. Stuckey, who now lives in Prague, is excited for all his new adventures.

Aisha T. Langford (Col ’00 CM) founded Funeral Syllabus, an online resource to make healthcare, caregiving, estate, funeral and legacy planning more approachable. Langford is an associate professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Her podcast, also called Funeral Syllabus, has featured a fellow UVA graduate who discussed palliative care and enhancing quality of life. She is also writing a book, I Gift You Peace: Planning Ahead for Yourself and the People Who Matter Most.

Ben Eggert (Col ’96, Law ’00 CM) launched Tyka Law, a boutique insurance coverage firm based in Washington, D.C. Eggert, who was named by Chambers USA as “one of the best coverage lawyers in the country,” serves as managing partner. Also among the 21 attorneys launching Tyka Law is associate Kelsey Hunt (Col ’18).

William L. Friar (Engr ’74 CM) participated in an oral history interview at the request of the Alaska Oil and Gas Historical Society to commemorate the 50 year anniversary of the start-up of the Alaska Pipeline. In 1974, shortly after graduating from UVA, he went to work in Prudhoe Bay, 240 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Friar and his wife are retired and live in Anchorage, Alaska. His daughter Virginia Friar Kane (Engr ’07) and her husband Daniel Kane (Col ’07) also live in Anchorage with their two children.

Coleman Bigelow (Col ’97, Darden ’05 CM) has published These Stories Are Catching, a flash fiction collection from Bottlecap Press. This is his third story collection and includes 10 original game-themed stories. Bigelow’s short stories appear in a wide range of literary journals.

Nelson D. Neal (Educ ’85) published Hemsley Winfield: An Anthology in October 2026. His 35-year research project on Winfield, a pioneering Black American modern dancer, began when he was one of 25 faculty members nationwide chosen to participate in the prestigious Black Tradition in American Modern Dance project held at Duke University in 1991. Neal is a retired professor of dance and physical education. Most recently, he worked as the director and head coach of golf at Camp Wayne for Boys in Wayne County, Pennsylvania.

Geoffrey Weiss (Engr ’91) retired from the U.S. Air Force after 32 years of active duty service and having attained the rank of brigadier general. His last duty station was at the Pentagon, where he served as deputy director of operations for the Joint Staff and as director of regional affairs for the U.S. Air and Space Forces, managing over $320 billion in foreign military sales cases and orchestrating security cooperation initiatives for US allies and partners around the globe. Weiss has settled in Lexington, Kentucky, and is founder and CEO of Strategic Arts and Leadership Consulting.

Cara Goodwin (Col ’07) published “How Can I Reduce My Stress as a Parent?” in RoanokeFamily Magazine. The article draws on the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on parent mental health and offers research-backed strategies for easing everyday parenting stress. Her work on why unstructured time builds creativity and independence in children was also adapted for VirginiaSummerCamp.com as “Why Kids Need Boredom.” A licensed clinical psychologist who majored in psychology and neuroscience at UVA, Goodwin is the founder of Parenting Translator and is a mother of four.

Carla Friend Huggins (Educ ’91) wrote RJ’s Story: Our Little Soldier, a narration of the true story of her premature baby son who lived for nearly nine months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). In the book, his brother JD, who passed away at birth, narrates the story and serves as RJ’s guardian angel. The book follows the family through multiple surgeries, setbacks, holidays, highs and lows. The book is meant as a gentle but honest guide for children with siblings in the NICU.

Christina Shawn (Educ ’08) and illustrator Merry Miller-Gass published No Love Potion, a funny and heartfelt picture book about a no-nonsense witch. While brewing her most powerful spell yet, a “No-Love Potion,” she discovers that a little love is the most magical ingredient of them all. Full of humor, heart and hocus-pocus, No Love Potion is all about discovering friendship and letting others in. The book is perfect for children between 4 and 8 years old.

David Susman (Col ’81 CM) has been elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association, “in recognition of outstanding and unusual contributions to the science and profession of psychology.” Susman, a clinical psychologist, currently serves as executive advisor for clinical services at the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Emma Radcliff (Col ’22) entered the Ph.D. program at the University of Cambridge, in Cambridge, England, in the department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, in October 2025. She has been a member of the Queens’ College Chapel Choir at Cambridge since 2024, and has toured with the group in Sweden and Barcelona.

Roger Lawson (Col ’74 CM) retired in 2024 from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., after 45 years as librarian, including seven years as executive librarian. He received the 2024 Art Libraries Society of North America’s Distinguished Service Award. He currently works as a copy editor for the society’s semiannual journal, Art Documentation.

Joel Curtis (Col ’72 CM) received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Distinguished Career Award for his 43 years with the National Weather Service. Curtis, who has spent most of his career in Alaska, specializes in weather forecasting for public warnings as well as routine forecasts for marine, aviation, fire weather and other natural hazards. He has been deployed for numerous woodland fires, emergency responses and HAZMAT incidents, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Roger “Ronnie” Mayhew (Col ’03) was promoted to deputy chief counsel for the Office of Counsel at the United States Postal Inspection Service in August. In this role, he oversees legal support to headquarters and field law enforcement operations.

Jon Elliott (Nurs ’26) was promoted to Clinician III at UVA Medical Center. He continues to work on the abdominal organ transplant service as an inpatient nurse.

Jonathan Malacarne (Col ’09 CM) was promoted to associate professor of agricultural economics with tenure at the University of Maine.

Stefan Sittig (Col ’94 CM) published Latinidad in Musical Theatre, an exploration of the contribution and representation of Latine artists in musical theatre, with Bloomsbury/Methuen Drama in 2026. In September, he returned to UVA to celebrate its publication and reconnect with the university community. Sittig is a director, choreographer, fight director, educator and author based in the Washington, D.C., area. Currently, he is at work on his second book, Graciela Daniele: A Critical Companion, which examines he career and legacy of the acclaimed Tony Award-winning Argentine Broadway director and choreographer.

Nancy Shainberg Colier (Col ’87) will release her sixth book, Narratives: Let Go of the Stories That Keep You Stuck, in November. Colier is a psychotherapist, interfaith minister, mindfulness teacher and public speaker.

Austin Palmore (Col ’15, Com ’16) has joined PJI Law as an attorney in the firm’s Richmond office, where he practices in probate, trust and estate administration and fiduciary litigation. He is licensed in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Karin Cather (Col ’86) released A Million Monkeys, a sci-fi mystery thriller novel. Along with co-author Dick Margulis, she also released The Paper It’s Written On: Defining your relationship with an editing client. Cather has worked as a freelance editor for over a decade, specializing in detective fiction, dystopian fiction and speculative fiction, among other genres.

Brian Sneeden (Grad ’14) has published Year of the Labyrinth, a new poetry collection from Carnegie Mellon University Press. This folk-horror pastoral weaves myth and ritual, fatherhood and climate collapse, ghost stories and grief, drawing on Sneeden’s work as a translator and multilingual writer supporting ongoing language preservation efforts worldwide.

Tony Gentry (Educ ’06) published his 11th book, a dystopian novel called Covenant City, in June. The book is set in a near-future Richmond, Virginia, renamed Covenant City. Gentry is a professor emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he pioneered research into mobile devices and smart homes as cognitive-behavioral aids for people with disabilities.

Andrew Glickman (Col ’86, Law ’91, Grad ’91) has 20 photographs on display at the Leica Store Washington D.C. through Jan. 9, 2027. The show, titled Chance Encounters, features work from multiple series spanning the late 1990s to 2026. He has also been invited to give a gallery talk.

Winn Gardner (Col ’73 CM) and Laurie (Kimbrough) Gardner are celebrating 47 years of marriage this year, as well as the recent birth of their fifth grandchild. Their grandchildren live in Boston and Boise, Idaho. The Gardners live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and think frequently of their UVA friends.

Bob Gardner (Engr ’79, ’80) retired from full-time work in 2025 after 46 years at SCS Engineers. He served on the SCS Board of Directors for 38 years and led the firm’s solid waste management practice for the last 25 years. He continues to work part time as a technical adviser for the firm. He and his wife live in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Zac Cohen (Col ’01) has joined Hirschler Law as a partner in their Corporate and Business Services and Intellectual Property & Technology practice groups in Richmond, Virginia.

Katie Genuario (Engr ’18 CM) and Jake Singh (Engr ’18) were married May 2 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia. The reception was held at the historic Woodlawn & Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House. The bride is the daughter of Rick Genuario (Com ’77 CM) of Alexandria. The couple lives in Washington, D.C.

Ben Brown (Col ’04) is now co-president and head of AV at Bond, a Los Angeles-based entertainment marketing agency. Previously, Brown was senior vice president at the Zealot Agency, where he established the company’s theatrical division, working on marketing campaigns for Apple, Amazon MGM, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros., Disney, A24, Searchlight and Focus Features.

Geoff Brown (Col ’09) has been promoted to the position of ESPN College Football Studio coordinating producer. In this role, Brown will play a key role in producing the network’s award-winning College GameDay program on site during the football season.

Ray E. Richardson (Engr ’81, ’82 CM) and Wyatt Andrews (Col ’74 CM) were featured in the television documentary series Disaster: the Chernobyl Meltdown, streaming on CNN. Richardson was a nuclear analyst with the CIA, and Andrews was the CBS Moscow correspondent during the 1986 crisis.

Michael Barry (Col ’89) was appointed dean of American University’s Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., in July. He and Lee Newman Barry (Col ’89) have been married 36 years. They returned to Virginia this summer, settling in McLean, after 21 years in Texas.

Ruika Lin (Col ’11) celebrates one year of Fieldnotes From a Watcher, her independent literary journal. The journal publishes creative nonfiction essays monthly, exploring themes as personal as they are universal: belonging, parenthood, grief and loss, cross-cultural experience and intergenerational stories. Lin plans to share more guest writer voices and facilitate personal storytelling workshops regularly.

Juli Pappas Sarris (Col ’81) received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to teach research methods and applied linguistics at the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Previously, she received a Fulbright Specialist Award to Korkyt Ata University in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan, and a Fulbright Scholar Award to the University of Pristina in Kosovo.

Tom Henske (Col ’94) has returned to Grounds as a senior lecturer, teaching LASE 2559: Hoos Money Smart, a personal finance class. A former Virginia soccer player and recipient of the Ernest H. Ern Distinguished Student Award, Henske has spent several years working with UVA Athletics teams to help student-athletes build financial literacy and confidence as they navigate college, NIL opportunities and life beyond athletics.

John Guerard (Grad ’76) published two articles, “A Low Country View” and “Information, Security Selection, Portfolio Construction, and Active Equity Management,” in Wilmott magazine and The Journal of Financial Data Science, respectively. “A Low Country View,” written with co-author Juan Chen, discusses the foundations of American capitalism, the economic success of the Huguenots of South Carolina during the Colonial period, Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations, and UVA’s role in subsequent centuries in defending capitalism in the U.S.

Guerard has authored several books in the Library of Congress. His newest book, Financial Forecasting, is at press with Oxford University Press and Peking University Press. He edited a special issue of Annals of Operations Research to honor Nobel laureate Harry Markowitz, with whom he worked and published, during his 35 years on Wall Street. A third-generation Cavalier, he continues to enjoy visits to Charlottesville.

Pictured on left are Guerard and Kevin Mo (Engr ’09), and on right are Guerard, Harry Markowitz, and Ganlin Xu, a frequent co-author.

Jack Steinberg (Col ’84) produced his fourth feature film, The Cashier, which is slated to screen at the 39th Virginia Film Festival in October. Steinberg is an assistant director member of the Directors Guild of America, with production experience encompassing feature film, television, documentaries, industrials, web-based media, film festival management, corporate training, industry education and commercial shoots for Fortune 50 clients like Google, VISA, Lockheed Martin and Mercedes Benz. His feature film credits include How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Planet of the Apes, Terminator 3, Serenity and The Last Samurai.

Kevin McBride (Col ’14 CM) and Kayla McBride welcomed their third child, Charlotte June McBride, on June 2, 2026. Charlotte is welcomed by her two older sisters, Emma Jeanne and Olivia Mae.

Janice Rayl (Nurs ’85 CM) retired this July after working full-time as a nurse for fifty years. In retirement, Rayl does some speaking for nursing and education groups in addition to women’s groups. Her primary focus is on enjoying her family, friends, crafts, hobbies and traveling.

Rayl’s entry into nursing was as a licensed practical nurse in 1976. In 1982, her director of nursing recommended that she return to school to become a registered nurse. She got into the UVA School of Nursing after having been out of school for nine years.

During her career, she worked as Boy Scout camp nurse, in long-term care and intensive care, as a travel nurse, in the visiting nursing specialty, and in in-home infusion nursing. In the last ten years of her career she decided to give back to the profession that she loved so much. She started as a nurse educator at Fairfax County School of Practical Nursing and retired as the program director. Rayl was instrumental in starting the county’s Nurse Aide and Patient Care Technician Programs, which now graduate about 250 certified nursing assistants and patient care technicians each year.

Atima Omara (Col ’03 CM) published The Instigators: How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy (And What We Can Learn from Them) in May with HarperCollins. Omara is a nationally recognized political commentator who has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Boston Globe. She was also named one of Ebony Magazine’s “Power 100” list of emerging leaders.