“Job” Class Notes

Robert Edwards Griffin (Col ’02 L/M) was appointed associate dean for the College of Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a research intensive institution. Griffin will help lead a college of approximately 100 faculty, 2,000 students and $10 million in annual research expenditures. He is the son of Gordon Dix Griffin Jr. (Arch ’72 L/M).

William Brockschmidt (Arch ’86 L/M) and his husband, Richard Dragisic, are opening Sud, a shop on Magazine Street in New Orleans specializing in unique artisanal goods, antiques and art from or inspired by Sicily. The couple has been visiting Sicily since 2000 and restored a house in Modica, a city known for its late baroque architecture.  In addition, his decorating firm, Brockschmidt & Coleman, has opened a southern design studio in New Orleans.

Julie Walko (Nurs ’05) is an adult gerontology nurse practitioner at Signature Hospice after earning her MSN from the University of North Dakota in 2019.

Lyle Dukes (Col ’86 L/M) began his term as the 10th chairman of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce on July 1st. Dukes serves as senior pastor of Harvest Life Church and is also the founder and former CEO of Mainstream Concepts, a media marketing company. In addition to his full-time responsibilities at the church, Dukes has written several books and publications and is active in the community. He and his wife have a daughter, a son-in-law, and three grandsons.

Harriet J. Kiers (Col ’19 L/M), daughter of Susan Wingo Kiers (Col ’85 L/M) and sister of Olivia J. Kiers (Col ’12 L/M), is working a 10 month apprenticeship at Champagne Lacroix Triaulaire in Aube, France, to learn the champagne-making process.

Chris Ferenc (Col ’05 L/M) was promoted to partner in the intellectual property group at Katten Muchin Rosenman. Ferenc has been with Katten since 2010, assisting clients in resolving complex patent and technology-related disputes in the federal courts and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Denice Heller Wardrop (Engr ’79, Grad ’87 L/M) was selected as the executive director for the regional science collaborative, Chesapeake Research Consortium. Wardrop replaces Bill Ball (Engr ’76). 

Melissa Farmer Richards (Col ’93 L/M) was appointed vice president for communications and marketing at Hamilton College in September 2019.

Alex Roosenburg (Col ’04, Educ ’05 L/M) followed a dream and started her own school after spending a decade in schools around the world. Capitol Learning Academy opened to the first cohort of students in Fall 2019 and provides a progressive education for the future. Roosenburg intends to use the model as research in order to create a scaled model that can be offered to public and charter schools nationwide. 

Nayna Agrawal (Col ’98) is a 2019 ABC Disney TV Writers Program fellow. She is one of eight selected from 2,000 applicants. She recently joined ABC’s new rom-com hour-long show, The Baker and The Beauty, as a staff writer. Her play, Dharma, was selected for the Athena Reading Series in NYC in September. 

Kendall Jones (Col ’89 L/M) has been hired as senior corporate counsel of California Pizza Kitchen at its corporate headquarters in Playa Vista, California. Jones lives in Thousand Oaks, California, with her three children.

Robert W. Karow (Arch ’86) joined Quinn Evans Architects as a senior associate and director of technical services in their Washington, D.C., office. He will advise on projects nationwide, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the design of educational, government, and institutional facilities, as well as complex historic preservation projects.

Kevin Whitaker (Col ’79 L/M) returned to the United States in August 2019 after five and a half years of service as U.S. Ambassador to Colombia. The longest-serving ambassador to Colombia in a century, he oversaw U.S. relations with Colombia during a historically significant moment—the peace process with the FARC terrorist organization—and worked with two U.S. and two Colombian administrations.  Ambassador Whitaker entered the Foreign Service immediately after graduation from UVA. Prior to his confirmation as ambassador in 2014, he served in various senior positions in his 40 years of service, and attained the rank of career minister, the second-highest rank in the Foreign Service. 

Murielle de Wekker (Educ ’14) founded FranceUS Connect, an independent consultancy that promotes business and cultural partnerships between the United States and France. She teaches in the French Department at the UVA.

James Erickson (Col ’08) was appointed chair of the Visual Arts Department at Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, Virginia. He and his wife, Jenna Erickson (Nurs ’10), moved to campus with their five children in July.