“Award/Recognition” Class Notes

Victoria “Tori” White DeJarnette (Col ’10 CM) was awarded the KPMG Silver Award for her pivotal role in successfully launching KPMG’s new enterprise technology platform, a foundational global initiative driving the firm’s strategic multi-year business transformation. She orchestrated the efforts of seven teams, synthesizing their diverse plans into a cohesive roadmap for a seamless launch. In addition to her strategic direction, leadership praised her agility in adapting to shifting priorities, noting her “work and commitment were vital to our success.”

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.

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.

Byron Dickson (Arch ’63 CM) participated in the 2025 Spirit of Virginia Award ceremony at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, on June 10. Dickson was the project designer of the memorial, which was dedicated in 2001. In recognizing the staff and volunteers of the National D-Day Memorial Foundation, Governor Glenn Youngkin said, “Their educational programs and commitment to remembrance inspire future generations, and it’s an honor to recognize their contribution and service to Virginia and our nation with this award.”

Anant Das (Com ’19 CM) was honored as one of the recipients of the 2025 Norman Vincent Peale Award for Positive Thinking as lead executive producer and general manager of In My Own Little Corner Productions. In My Own Little Corner Productions produced both a professionally filmed musical and a documentary about the making of the aforementioned musical. The two films share the story of Broadway, TV and film actor Chryssie Whitehead as she confronts her Bipolar II diagnosis.

Michael Cascio (Col ’72) produced and co-directed a critically acclaimed documentary on the artist Edward Hopper for American Masters on PBS, the latest entry in a career that has brought Cascio four Emmys, two Oscar nominations, and a “Producer of the Year” award. His work includes award-winning documentaries such as Inside 9/11 and The 90s: The Last Great Decade? for the National Geographic Channel, Biography, Titanic: Death of a Dream and Investigative Reports for A&E, and At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal for HBO, which received the prestigious Television Academy Honors. In addition to producing documentaries, Cascio has held executive roles at A&E, Animal Planet, the National Geographic Channel and NBC News. He was cited in Entertainment Weekly “It List” as one of the most creative people in the entertainment industry. He also was a backstage janitor at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, which he chronicled in a first-person article in the Sunday New York Times.

Charles Napier (Col ’81 CM) came out of semi-retirement last year to serve as director for the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority. His team was honored to receive the 2024 Governor’s Award for Excellence in recognition of outstanding public service to Pennsylvania.

Gabrielle Rhodes Crawford (Col ’00 CM) was named Advanced Practice Provider of the Year for the Centra Medical Group Sept. 25. This recognition honors one advanced practice provider who truly exemplifies excellence in patient care, leadership and teamwork. Crawford has worked in the general surgery and trauma department at Centra Health in Lynchburg since 2015 and currently serves as the lead advanced practice provider. After graduating from UVA, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lynchburg College, now University of Lynchburg, and an Master of Science in Nursing from James Madison University. She and her husband, Kenneth Crawford (Col ’01 CM) are the proud parents of two sons, Kenneth II and Kingston, and a daughter, Austin. Kenneth II is a senior at Appalachian State University.

Myron Santos (Col ’01 CM) has been accepted as a member of American Cinema Editors, an honorary society that celebrates excellence within the art of motion picture editing, promotes mutual respect among peers and supports diversity and inclusion within the profession. Myron, his wife and their 10-year-old daughter live in Los Angeles. He is also a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is on the board of the UVA Entertainment Club of Los Angeles.

Andrew G. Lee (Col ’85, Med ’89 CM) is proud to receive The 2025 UVA Walter Reed Distinguished Achievement Award. The award recognizes professional accomplishments, outstanding innovation and exemplary leadership in the field of medicine.

Sara A. Austin (Col ’87 CM) was granted fellowship in the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), which provides a forum for the exchange of information among experienced legal professionals working for the advancement of community association governance. Austin, who is the founder of Austin Law Firm, earned this national recognition due to her outstanding leadership and commitment to the advancement of the legal principles and practical tools necessary for community associations to thrive. Among other professional positions, Austin is a past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Spencer Francis (Engr ’03 CM) celebrated 22 years with Bowman Consulting Group (NASDAQ: BWMN) and commemorated Bowman’s 30th anniversary by ringing the NASDAQ opening bell with other Bowman leaders. Francis has helped grow Bowman from a regional Washington, D.C.-based engineering firm into one of the top multidisciplinary design firms in the United States. Francis is currently executive vice president and division manager at Bowman. He and his wife, Kirsten (Dodd) Francis (Col ’03 CM) live in Richmond with their three daughters.

Deborah E. Sheetenhelm Hammond (Arch ’82 CM) has been selected as the regent of the William Henshaw chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Hammond traces her ancestry to Peter Mantz of Frederick, who aided independence efforts in the Revolutionary War. She has also recently become a member of the Captain James Gibson chapter of the United States Daughters of 1812, being descended from soldiers who fought in the War of 1812.

Hammond continues her second career as a novelist, with a new novel, Death in a Perfect Village, due in the autumn. Her previous novel, Death in Lewes, is a murder mystery set in Lewes, Delaware. All of her novels are available on Amazon.com in both Kindle and paperback versions.

Trey Cox (Law ’95) has been named a finalist for Texas Lawyer’s Texas Lawyer of the Year. So far in 2025, he has helped secure over $3 billion in verdicts and dismissals on behalf of clients. On the plaintiff side, he led two high-profile trial wins: a $667 million jury verdict for Energy Transfer against Greenpeace and a $46 million compensatory award for Gala Capital Partners. On the defense side, Cox obtained two major summary judgment victories, defeating over $2 billion in securities claims against Energy Transfer and securing dismissal of $400 million in fraud claims against GE Vernova.

Adrian Talley (Educ ’86 CM) was named the 2025 DuPage County Regional Office of Education Educator of the Year and Administrator of the Year. Talley is currently in his sixth year as superintendent of Indian Prairie School District 204, the fourth largest school district in Illinois. He was recognized for his work in expanding mental health services, amplifying student voices and expanding STEM opportunities for students.