Class Notes

Peyton Hall (Arch ’74 CM) received the first Impact Award given by the University of Southern California Architectural Guild. He was honored for his four decades of dedication to the practice of historic architecture and enrichment of the cultural and civic fabric of Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a managing principal emeritus of Historic Resources Group in Pasadena, California, and an adjunct professor in the Heritage Conservation Program of the School of Architecture at USC.

Ross Micheletti (Col ’10) and Mary Wigge (Col ’10) celebrated their wedding with family and friends in Crozet, Virginia, on June 6. Wigge is the daughter of Maureen Aungier Wigge (Engr ’81 CM). The couple plans to travel to Japan in the fall for their honeymoon.

Eric Brown (Darden ’84) announced he is leaving his position as county manager in Washoe County, Nevada, which is the second-largest county in the state with a population of over 500k. He oversaw 3,100 employees and a $1 billion annual operating budget. He had been in the position since 2019. Brown plans to pursue other opportunities.

Latorial Faison (Col ’95 CM) will publish her poetry collection, Nursery Rhymes in Black, on July 15. Faison was awarded the 2023 Permafrost Poetry Book Prize, judged by renowned poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil, for the manuscript. Blending tradition, memory and resistance, Nursery Rhymes in Black reimagines familiar childhood rhymes through the lens of Black history and lived experience. The volume has received acclaim from some of the most esteemed voices in literature, including Joanne Gabbin, Judy Juanita, Glenis Redmond, Trudier Harris and Cedric Tillman, who praise Faison’s ability to transform the rhythmic echoes of youth into a resonant and necessary cultural reckoning.

Rachel Boate (Col ’09 CM) was hired as an assistant professor of art history in the department of art at Colgate University. She researches and offers courses on transatlantic modernisms.

Thornton Staples (Engr ’80) had his composition, “Symphony #1, in F major,” performed by the American Contemporary Classical Orchestra at the Miracle Theater in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 2025.

Dan Reiter (Col ’00) published his debut collection of surf-themed non-fiction, On a Rising Swell, through the University Press of Florida in April. Kirkus Reviews awarded it a star, calling it “a surfing classic fit to sit beside John Long’s The Big Drop (1999) and William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days (2015).”

Christina Shawn (Educ ’08) published her children’s picture book: And Then Came You: When Families Grow Love Grows Too with Chronicle Books in April.

Families grow and change, but what if you like things just the way they are? What if you aren’t ready to welcome in a new parent, a messy pet, or a baby sister who cries a lot? Change can be scary, but even a full heart has room to grow.

Both hilarious and heartwarming, this endearing children’s book is a powerful tool for helping little ones understand that there are often silver linings to the changes life brings. Even when things are initially uncomfortable, an open heart paves the way and teaches us that a family can be full of love at any size.

Liz Garton Scanlon, author of Caldecott Honor winner All the World called Shawn’s book “A lyrical love letter, written to families of all shapes and sizes.”

Shawn received her master’s degree in reading education at UVA before becoming a reading specialist, literacy coach, and author. Originally from Long Island, New York, she now lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, three kids, and two fuzzy bunnies.

For information about Shawn’s book tour and local events visit her website or follow her on Instagram.

Patrick Wheaton (Col ’86 CM) was named president of the Southern States Communication Association during their 95th annual convention in Norfolk, Virginia in April. SSCA is a regional association of academics and professionals in the fields of human communication. Wheaton is a professor of communication studies at Georgia Southern University, teaching courses in rhetoric, argumentation, public speaking and political communication.

Ian Marcus Amelkin (Col ’04) is joining the faculty of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University as a tenure track associate professor teaching first year criminal law, criminal procedure and other criminal justice related seminars. Amelkin joins the faculty after more than a decade as a public defender at the Federal Defenders of New York, Inc.

Kari Miller (Educ ’07) was featured in an interview with CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine, in which she talks about International Neighbors, the Charlottesville-based non-profit she founded. International Neighbors works to help ease the transition to life in the Charlottesville community for immigrants and refugees.

Jack Bailey (Col ’88 CM) published his first work of fiction, Harold the Hairy Herald and the Adventure of a Lifetime. This middle-grade novel tells the story of Harold, an inexplicably hirsute apprentice herald working in the castle of King Thymos. When Harold joins the search party tasked with locating the King’s missing son, he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the very existence of the Kingdom of Dazain. To save the Kingdom, he must find his way to the Pandemonium for a fateful conversation with the mysterious goddess Aletheia.

Harold the Hairy Herald and the Adventure of a Lifetime is a classic hero’s journey in which a boy navigates a dangerous world and discovers what he’s capable of in the face of difficult challenges.