Class Notes
Victoria (Tori) DeJarnette (Col ’10 CM)
Victoria (Tori) DeJarnette (Col ’10 CM) received the KPMG 2024 Employee Award of Distinction for the Washington, D.C. and Tysons, Virginia office. DeJarnette received multiple nominations, attesting to her ability to innovate to uncover new insights and solutions, her impact among the firm and its clients, and her dedication to quality and excellence.
Hayden Lee (Col ’04 CM)
Hayden Lee (Col ’04 CM) joined the Reston, Virginia, law firm of Hirsch & Ehlenberger as Of Counsel, where he will continue his Virginia and District of Columbia family law practice.
Richard Scher (Res ’90)
Rich Scher (Res ’90) will release his debut album, Mill Pond, in March. Scher transitioned into the world of music after a successful career as a physician to channel his passion for storytelling, using it as his new medium of healing. He crafts gritty folk and Americana songs inspired by his observations and connections with the many people and places he’s encountered throughout his life.
Scher is a former professor of surgery at Duke University and head and neck cancer surgeon who trained in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at UVA. He is based in North Carolina.
Daniel Frisch (Arch ’87 CM)
Daniel Frisch (Arch ’87 CM) has published Looking Forward to Monday Morning (ORO Editions 2025), a collection of essays. Frisch is an architect based in New York City and a member of the American Institute of Architects.
Ian Jenkins (Col ’97, Med ’01)
Ian Jenkins (Col ’97, Med ’01) has published Romeo and Julian, a re-telling of the classic play in which queer kids and biracial boys and trans people get to have an adventure even more grand than the original, while taking on present day concerns like racism, homophobia, the substance use disorder epidemic, and resistance against the trying political system we’re living under.
The book includes events up to President Donald Trump’s nominations for major administration posts in 2025. Jenkins worked from the play’s original framework and substituted his own passion and experiences and events straight from the headlines.
Jenkins’ first book, Three Dads and a Baby, was featured on podcasts and morning shows on five continents.
The Kindle version of his new book is for sale now, with the print edition coming soon.
Patrick Wheaton (Col ’86 CM)
Patrick George Wheaton (Col ’86 CM) recently planned the 95th annual convention of the Southern States Communication Association, to be held in Norfolk, Virginia April 2-6. Faculty, students and professional scholars from across the south will present their research at the conference.
Wheaton is 1st Vice president of the association. He holds a doctorate in speech communication from the University of Georgia and has been a professor of communication studies at Georgia Southern University since 1998.
Eric Kalkhurst (Col ’68 CM)
Eric Kalkhurst (Col ’68 CM) has been accepted into the M.A./Ph.D. psychology, religion and consciousness program of Pacifica Graduate Institute for fall 2025.
(Ronald) Christopher Langhorne (Engr ’99, Darden ’05 CM)
Chris Langhorne (Engr ’99, Darden ’05 CM) has recently taken on the role of chief strategy officer at Almarai, the Middle East’s largest food and beverage company. In this role, he is leading strategic initiatives across mergers and acquisitions, long-term planning, and expansion into new categories and markets. His work is focused on driving sustainable growth and positioning Almarai for continued success in the region.
While Chris is based full-time in Saudi Arabia, his wife, Brooke, and their three children remain in Houston. Brooke has been instrumental in ensuring a strong foundation for the family during this transition, creating the best environment for their kids while also exploring new passions, including floral design and travel. She enjoys visiting Chris in Saudi Arabia, and as a family, they love traveling together—most recently spending Christmas in Dubai and ringing in the New Year in Saudi Arabia.
Their eldest son, CJ (15), is a ninth grader who has a deep passion for baseball and photography. Cameron (13), in seventh grade, is an avid basketball, football and baseball player and enjoys creating home movies. Morgan (11) is a dedicated gymnast, spending much of her time training and perfecting her routines.
Chris and his family continue to embrace this exciting chapter, balancing life between Houston and Riyadh while making time for shared adventures along the way.
Justin Ruth (Grad ’97 CM)
Justin Ruth (Col ’97 CM) has been appointed as associate circuit judge in St. Louis County, Missouri, by Gov. Mike Kehoe.
David Hein (Col ’76, Grad ’82 CM)
David Hein (Col ’76, Grad ’82 CM) has published Teaching the Virtues (Mecosta House, 2025), a primer for parents and teachers of secondary school students on how to teach the theological and cardinal virtues as well as such essential traits as humility, patience, perseverance, gratitude, and generosity. Hein is currently distinguished teaching fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal.
Halley House (Col ’08)
Halley (Bogart) House (Col ’08) was named assistant dean for alumni & development at Duke University School of Law in February 2025.
Rozanne “Roze” Worrell (Col ’82 CM)
Roze Worrell (Col ’82 CM) has published HEARTS: Finding Unexpected Signs of Hope, Comfort, and Joy. The book explores her profound experience of connecting with the divine through “heart-finds” and seeking their meanings.
After a series of significant life events, including the loss of a cherished heart necklace, Worrell started finding hearts. Everywhere. She wasn’t looking for them, but they seemed to be looking for her. From rocks to bits of foil, charms to blotches of oil, each heart-find appeared at a particular time and seemed to deliver a particular message. To Worrell, they were God’s way of telling her, “It’s okay. I’m here. You have all you need.”
Worrell started documenting the phenomenon with photos and journal entries, sharing her discoveries with friends and family members. These “field notes” not only resonated with them but they also started noticing the presence of hearts in their own lives.
Worrell’s approach embraces equal parts coincidence and providence. Her practical take-aways offer a guide to living well no matter the circumstance. In HEARTS, she shares some of her favorite finds–from hundreds found over forty years–conveying how the ordinary and the extraordinary alike can be divine interventions if we’re willing to embrace them.
John Via (Engr ’84 CM)
John Via III (Engr ’84 CM) was elected a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) in October 2023 and was elected to the ASEM board of directors in January 2025. Via was also elected director of graduate program certification and will lead ASEM’s Master of Engineering Management certification team. Via is currently a professor of practice and associate director in the Master of Engineering Management & Leadership program at Rice University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and a Certified Professional in Engineering Management (C.P.E.M). He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Morgan’s Point, Texas, a suburb of Houston.
Jerry Chen (Col ’14 CM)
Jerry Chen (Col ’14 CM) and his wife, Susan Russell, welcomed their first child, Millicent “Millie” Chen, in January. The family lives in New York.
Debbie Levy (Col ’78 CM)
Debbie Levy (Col ’78 CM) has published A Dangerous Idea: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools, the first of three books she will publish in 2025. Levy will also publish Photo Ark 1-2-3: An Animal Counting Book in Poetry and Pictures and The Friendship Train: A True Story of Helping and Healing After World War II.
Levy’s previous books for children and young adults have put her on the New York Times bestseller lists and earned awards including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award, and the Virginia Library Association’s Jefferson Cup Award.
Philip Whitman (Col ’04 CM)
Philip Whitman (Col ’04 CM) was raised to the sublime degree of master mason on Sept. 21, 2024 and currently is serving as junior deacon of Bremond Lodge #241 in Newport News, Virginia.
Libby Buck (Col ’85 CM)
Libby Buck (Col ’85 CM) will publish her debut novel, Port Anna, with Simon & Schuster in July. The book explores second chances and a blossoming romance in a charming port town in Maine.
Zachary Brown (Col ’22)
Zachary Brown (Col ’22) has launched a production company, ZHB Productions, and is in the process of shooting “Up the Waterspout,” an animated short to be released in 2025. Brown performed in “When the Rain Stops Falling” as a fourth-year student at UVA, and the experience inspired him to pursue theater and acting as well as create movies and art. He is happy to have learned from such people as Cortney Lowinski (Grad ’23), Brian Willis (Grad ’23) and Mark Edmundson.
Cara Goodwin (Col ’07 CM)
Cara Goodwin (Col ’07 CM) has recently been published in CharlottesvilleFamily magazine. Her article is about the science behind toilet training. After a deep dive into current medical research, she distilled the findings into easy-to-understand action items to help parents. This is part of an ongoing series for the publication and will include future articles on sleep in childhood, parenting styles, mother burnout, developmental milestones, childhood anxiety and more. A licensed psychologist, Goodwin is the founder of Parenting Translator and the mother of four young children.
Charles Trowbridge (Law ’11)
Charles F. Trowbridge (Law ’11) has been elevated to shareholder at Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management. Based in the firm’s Tysons Corner, Virginia office, Trowbridge focuses his practice on occupational safety and health law. He also defends employers against OSHA enforcement actions.
In addition to his workplace safety and health practice, Trowbridge regularly advises clients on a range of other employment law issues such as whistleblower claims, workers’ compensation issues, wage garnishment complications, among others.
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