“Other” Class Notes

Marissa Moore (Col ’07) and Jerome L. Moore (Engr ’07 L/M) welcomed a son, Aidan Thomas, on April 21, 2016. Aidan joins brother Ashton, 2. The family lives in Dallas.

Robert Sexton (Col ’78, Grad ’81) is vice president and international general counsel of the biotechnology company Amgen. He is based in Switzerland and is responsible for the company’s legal affairs in more than 85 countries. He lives in Zurich with his wife, Yesim; and their two children, Benjamin and Sarah.

Marie Martin (Col ’03 CM) and her husband, Matthew Martin, welcomed a son, Gibson Edloe, on Feb. 9, 2016. Gibson joins brother Grayson, 3.

John Carten (Com ’74) has retired from Amtrak after 39 years with the corporation. He began working with Amtrak after earning his M.B.A. degree from the George Washington University. He worked in Amtrak’s finance department and later in the corporate development department, serving as director board liaison and assistant corporate secretary for 22 years. Mr. Carten also served as corporate secretary for the Chicago Union Station Co. and the Washington Terminal Co. and as assistant corporate secretary for the Union Station Redevelopment Corp. in Washington.

David Akinaka (Arch ’93 CM) was promoted to principal at Ferraro Choi, a Honolulu firm specializing in sustainable architecture, interior design and research in the Pacific region. He will focus on design and business development for health care, educational and commercial projects. Before joining Ferraro Choi in 2004, Mr. Akinaka practiced in New York City for seven years. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Urban Land Institute. He lives in Honolulu with his wife and son.

Thomas Pettigrew (Col ’52) has received the American Sociological Association’s 2016 Cox-Johnson-Frazier Race Relations Award in honor of his contributions to the study and advancement of race relations and the status of disadvantaged populations. Mr. Pettigrew is a research professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Katie Niebaum (Col ’03 CM) and her husband, Geoff Niebaum, welcomed a son, Graham Andrew, on Oct. 25, 2015. The family lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Chris FitzGerald (Engr ’86 CM) was named CEO of BrandFX, a Fort Worth, Texas-based manufacturer of truck service bodies. He and his wife, Joanne D. FitzGerald (Educ ’88 L/M), live in Southlake.

Clay Gravely (Col ’99 CM) and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed a son, Harry Clay “Quinn” Gravely V, on Feb. 18, 2016. The family lives in Martinsville, Virginia.

Christina Polenta (Com ’09 CM) has been promoted to managing director at JHL Capital Group, a Chicago-based hedge fund.

Latasha Vernon (Col ’98) and her husband, TaRail Vernon, welcomed a daughter, Lauryn Rose, on Oct. 16, 2015. Lauryn joins sister Taryn, 3. The family resides in Lindenhurst, Illinois, where Ms. Vernon has taken time off to raise their family.

Troy Lescher (Col ’98) is an assistant professor of theater, film and dance at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.

Kristin Riddick (Col ’95 CM) and her husband, David Kirkwood, welcomed a son, Emory Thomas Kirkwood, in November 2015. Ms. Riddick had her third book in the “Kat McGee” series, Kat McGee and the Thanksgiving Turkey Train (2015), published by In This Together Media, a company founded by Saira Rao (Col ’96) and Carey Albertine (Col ’96 L/M). Her previous two books are Kat McGee and the Halloween Costume Caper (2013), and Kat McGee Saves America (2014). Ms. Riddick currently works doing voice-overs for television and film in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Philpott (Col ’03) has been promoted to counsel of the Washington Nationals baseball club in Washington, D.C. As counsel, Ms. Philpott handles various litigation and transactional matters for the team, the stadium and related charitable organizations.

David Melon (Col ’03 CM) and Jennifer Sage Melon (Col ’03 L/M) welcomed a daughter, Alexandra Leigh, on June 4, 2015. She joins brother Ethan Grant, 5, and sister Genevieve Sage, 3. The family lives in Hickory, North Carolina.