“Award/Recognition” Class Notes

Andrew G. Lee, MD (Col ’85, Med ’89) was named as one of the top 30 ophthalmologists in the United States by Newsweek’s America’s Best Eye Doctors for 2023.  America’s Best Eye Doctors 2023 – Ophthalmologists (newsweek.com)

On June 6, 2023, Rodney Hobbs (Com ’94) appeared on “The Price Is Right” and won the Showcase, for the 2nd time!  His first appearance and win occurred in May 2012.  His latest prizes included a refrigerator, and trips to Bali & New Orleans, which he will be taking later this year with his wife, Freda Johnson Hobbs (Col ’94 CM).

Col. (Ret.) Tara A. Osborn (Grad ’84 CM) has been appointed to serve an eight-year term on the Military Justice Review Panel, a blue-ribbon commission chartered by Congress to conduct independent periodic reviews and assessments of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the military justice system. Osborn is a former chief trial judge of the U.S. Army and a current faculty member of the National Judicial College.

Kent Bennett (Engr ’00) has been included in The Boston Globe’s second annual list of the most influential people in the New England tech sector.

The leaders spotlighted in the selective Globe Tech Power Players 50 List have demonstrated innovation and resourcefulness and have contributed heartily to keeping their sector thriving during challenging economic times.

Boston Tech Leaders: Kent Bennett, Bessemer Venture Partners – The Boston Globe

Bryan McGrath (Col ’87 CM) has been nominated to serve on the National Commission on the Future of the Navy. The Commission is tasked with providing recommendations to Congress on force structure and shipbuilding no later than July 1, 2024. McGrath is a retired naval officer, commissioned through the UVA Naval ROTC program. He commanded the destroyer USS BULKELEY (DDG 84) on active duty and retired in 2008. 

Adam Titrington (Arch ’06) became a partner at Estes Twombly + Titrington Architects in Newport, Rhode Island. Since joining the firm in 2015, Titrington has designed contemporary homes across New England and Long Island, with an emphasis on simple, innovative design­­­ that integrates healthier, low-energy, fossil-fuel free solutions. His work has received awards from the American Institute of Architects AIA Rhode Island & New England. The Quahaug Point home was recognized by Residential Design Magazine with a 2023 citation award.  The Cape Cod Hemp House, completed this year, was built with hempcrete insulation in the roof and walls, drastically lowering embodied carbon. Titrington lives in South Kingstown, Rhode Island with wife Laura Erban (Col ’06) and their two children.

Virginia Frischkorn (Col ’06 CM) was recently named one of the top 10 innovators in the event tech industry by Bizbash, for her work on Partytrick, a web-based platform that provides anyone with the tools and confidence to host exceptional experiences.

Alex Rothenberg (Col ’04 CM) is this year’s recipient of The Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award For Teaching and Research, the highest honor given to untenured faculty at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. An assistant professor of economics, Rothenberg is senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research. His research focuses on the effects of urban transport policies on commuting outcomes in Jakarta, Indonesia; long-term growth and development outcomes in Indonesia’s outer islands; the impacts of rural migration programs on diversity and identity; and how transport improvements affect firm entry and employment. 

Rothenberg joined Maxwell in 2018 after serving as an economist at the RAND Corporation in Washington, D.C., as well as a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He and his wife, Sarah King, live with their two children in Manlius, New York.

Ryan McEnroe (Arch ’09) has been elevated to the American Institute of Institute’s (AIA) College of Fellows. The honor recognizes architects who have “achieved a standard of excellence in the profession and made a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.”

McEnroe’s work at Quinn Evans includes designing several renewal projects at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park, the new National Native American Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian and the U.S. Botanic Garden Production Facility for the Architect of the Capitol. 

McEnroe has been active with the AIA’s Young Architects Forum, where he served as national chair in 2020. He’s also previously served as the knowledge director and regional director. 

McEnroe holds a Masters in Architecture and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia.

Anwar Allen (Col ’08) and Laura Allen (Col ’06) have recently been recognized as a Virginia Wine & Country Life Artisan for their baking business, Allens Scottish Shortbread. The magazine shared Anwar and Laura’s new flavor announcement and the details of their exciting collaboration across the pond with Harney & Sons Fine Teas to create unique tea-infused shortbread flavors. 

Warren McCarty (Law ’13) of Dallas-based Caldwell Cassady & Curry has been recognized on the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list of the state’s top young lawyers based on his work in intellectual property. You can read more about McCarty in this announcement: https://caldwellcc.com/2023/03/attorneys-from-dallas-caldwell-cassady-curry-named-among-best-in-texas-4/

Lettie J. Bien (Batten ’19 CM) has received the 2023 Military Hero award from the American Red Cross, Central Virginia Chapter. The “Military Hero” has been awarded to individuals, veterans, and civilians whose body of work to support active-duty military members, their families and veterans in our community and has made a significant impact. 

The award will be presented to Colonel Bien at the 2023 Help Can’t Wait-Celebration of Heroes breakfast April 20.

Megan Sirna (Col ’99 CM) was recently named senior vice president of Human Resources for Georgia-Pacific. She focuses on advancing the company’s culture and helping supervisors empower employees to achieve their full potential. Sirna has devoted her professional career to advising businesses on leadership, talent and culture matters. 

Sirna joined Georgia-Pacific in 2006 as an attorney in the company’s law department and moved to Human Resources in 2014. She has held various leadership positions supporting HR across several departments, including manufacturing, sales, supply chain and finance. 

Born in Washington, D.C., she has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Patrick O. Gottschalk (Law ’83 CM) was awarded a life membership in the Virginia Economic Developers Association at the December 2022 annual membership meeting. Gottschalk has served as pro bono legal counsel for the organization for over 20 years, and he has been a member of VEDA since 1989. Gottschalk is the seventh person to receive the award in the 40 year history of the Association.

Charley Johnson (Com ’69 CM), chief executive officer, OptiCat, LLC, received the Triangle Award from the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association.

The Triangle Award is given periodically to a person or organization to honor selfless contributions to the vehicle supplier industry. Johnson was presented the award in September at his office in Maryland.

“Charley’s decades of exceptional leadership and dedication to the supplier industry embody the spirit of the Triangle Award,” said Bill Long, president and CEO of MEMA.

From its inception, the Triangle Award was not intended as an annual award.  It is presented when truly deserving candidates are found — those who have worked tirelessly, behind the scenes, out of the spotlight and whose contributions have advanced the supplier industry. 

David Meredith (Com ’03) was named on Comparably’s Best CEO 2022 list in the largest company category for his work at Boomi. The annual ranking derives from 15 million anonymous ratings from employees across 70,000 companies. 

In 2022, Comparably also awarded Meredith Best CEO for Diversity, and recognized Boomi for Best Company Culture, Best Company Career Growth and Best Company Happiness. 

Meredith previously ranked in the Top 50 for Best CEO 2020 also in the largest company category during his tenure as a NASDAQ public company CEO in the Russell 1000 Index.   

Casey King (Engr ’89) recently concluded the 16th annual HGTC Addiction and Recovery lecture series at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Conway, South Carolina. Casey created the series in 2008, two-and-a-half years into his own recovery from addiction, as a way to reduce the stigma associated with addiction and to show recovery in a positive light. This year’s keynote speaker was actor/producer Todd Bridges, who spoke about his own recovery. 

In 2019, Casey was awarded HGTC Professor of the Year and FAVOR Community Advocate of the year for his dedication and work with the series.