“Other” Class Notes

Kamran Kowsari (Engr ’20) and Masoud Bashiri (Engr ’20) have founded UniversityCube, a social network platform for students and faculty designed to prioritize educational content and foster a supportive online environment conducive to learning and scholarly engagement. Unlike entertainment-focused social networks that can detract from academic focus, UniversityCube is a dedicated space for academic peers to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge. Created by students, for students, it aims to bridge gaps in academic connectivity and empower users to make informed decisions about their educational paths.

Key features include:

• Comprehensive university and course discovery worldwide.
• AI-powered tools like Ash, an assistant for writing assistance.
• Robust collaboration tools for students and educators.
• Opportunities to publish and share academic articles.
• Access to a global network of over 350,000 faculty and educators.

By leveraging AI and behavior analysis, UniversityCube helps prospective students connect with peers and professionals in their desired fields, ensuring they have the insights needed to choose their majors wisely and minimize regrets later on. It offers a unique platform where students, educators, and creators can thrive together, sharing knowledge and building meaningful connections that enrich their academic and creative pursuits.

Patricia A. Steenberg Leonard (Col ’88 CM) has been elected to the executive committee of the board of directors for the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.  The Armory Art Center provides art classes for artists of all ages and abilities, and is a premier space for exhibitions, art salons, lectures, and special events.  The Armory also provides healing arts programs, such as BraveHeARTS, which promotes the rehabilitation of military service veterans through the visual arts, and the Art of the Phoenix, which serves teens and young adults who have experienced past trauma by encouraging creative expression paired with arts therapy.  The board of directors is an all-volunteer board that supports and advances the mission of the Armory Art Center. Leonard has served on the board since 2021.

Stephen Rider (Com ’80 CM) has been recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. Rider works for McGlinchey Stafford and was recognized for his work out of the New Orleans office. 

Kevin Clouther (Col ’01) will publish a collection of stories, entitled Maximum Speed, in November 2023. In the stories, character Billy’s improbable reappearance connects Nick, Andrea and Jim, and forces them to revisit the shared secret of their past. The book moves across time and plays with multiple points of view to dramatize youth’s aftershocks. 

Clouther is also the author of We Were Flying to Chicago: Stories (2014). 

Thomas H. Cook Jr. (Com ’81 CM) has been named the Best Lawyers® 2024 Tax Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is also listed as a leading tax lawyer by Chambers USA, a prominent ranking agency for law firms and lawyers. Cook works with Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP in Raleigh.

Rob Elliott (Com ’90 CM) and Tom Kloiber (Com ’90 CM) took on the Triple Bypass, a 118-mile bike ride across Colorado, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1993 cross-country bicycle trip. They proudly wore their Virginia crossed-sabres bike jerseys, drawing plenty of attention and remarks from fellow riders. The jerseys also allowed them to meet several other Wahoos from all over the country who were participating in the ride.

John M. Stewart (Col ’65 CM) enjoyed celebrating his 80th birthday with family and friends, including daughters Jennifer Crone (Col ’94) and Catherine Lochead (Col ’97 CM); Goddaughter Kendra Lee Carberry (Col ’91 CM), Phi Gamma Delta brother Thomas Nardi (Educ ’65, ’66) and his daughter, Chris Nardi; and Jennifer Murray Moskowitz (Com ’88).  An impressive gathering of Wahoos in Naples, Florida. 

First-year suite mates Jordan Lasker (Col ’14 CM) and Julia Monahan (Com ’14 CM) competed together on The Price is Right in Los Angeles. The episode aired in January 2023. Unfortunately, the only one in their group “called down” was Jordan’s brother – a Hokie.

Terry Bailey (Educ ’71, ’90 CM)  has authored and published two books: Forged by Coal: A Family’s Story and The Gooney Otter.

Forged by Coal is a memoir about family life in the coal camps of Southern West Virginia from 1945 to 1959. The book portrays cultural changes and the impact of automation and technology as the coal camp system declines in the last decade when “Coal was King.” 

The Gooney Otter is a children’s picture book about river otters in Southern West Virginia. Watercolor illustrations provide a close-up view of the life of the river otter.

Both titles are available from Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Dr. Vanessa M. Barnabei (Grad ’81, Med ’85 CM) recently retired from the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences after 10 years as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She served as Chair of that department from 2012-2020 and as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs from 2020-2023. She currently holds the title of Professor Emerita. 

In January 2023, she relocated to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and is happy to be back on the East Coast and closer to family and friends. In retirement, she hopes to get back to playing tennis and piano, volunteering and finding ways to give back to the community.

Anne Newgarden (Col ’83 CM) has published Adventures of a Soul: Psychics, Mediums, the Mystical, and Me. The book is memoir chronicling her explorations in the metaphysical realms and how they transformed her worldview and her life. The book features Dr. Jim Tucker and the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies’ work investigating children’s past life memories. 

Newgarden’s other published works include Becoming Jane: The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen, as well as Christmas in New York and Christmas Around the World, pop-up books with artist Chuck Fischer. 

Valorie Young (Col `04 CM) has launched two CBD brands: Uncle Yogi’s and Kadii (pronounced caddie). The products contain zero THC. Uncle Yogi’s is a health and wellness brand that focuses on all natural and organic skincare. It’s named after Valorie’s late brother, nicknamed Uncle Yogi, who struggled with an opiate addiction after a back injury. In his honor, the brand donates 5% of all sales to organizations around Charlottesville that aid in combating opiate and drug addiction.

The second brand, Kadii, is inspired by golf. The products are based on Valorie’s husband’s experience as a professional golf caddie. Through his work, he came to understand the problems golfers have with their physical and mental game. Kadii offers products to help with both. 

David Massey (Col ’81, Law ’84) released his sixth album of original music – Darkness At Dawn – in August 2022. The record peaked at number 4 on the Roots Music Report’s Country/Americana album chart and at number 15 on the RMR’s Country album chart. Darkness at Dawn and David’s five previous releases are available on the major streaming platforms; several videos are available on youtube, and reviews and other information are at www.davemasseymusic.com.

Brian Stengel (Col ’89 CM), competed in the 2022 Mongol Derby, a 10-day 1,000-kilometer endurance race across Mongolia on native feral horses.  

After over two years on dialysis, Scott Lancaster (Col ’88 CM) has been admitted to the Kidney Transplant Program at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina.

Scott experienced kidney failure in 2020, with no warning and none of the usual risk factors.  Finding a living organ donor is his best option for having a second chance at life.

Scott requests that anyone who is interested or who knows someone interested in being a donor – or simply in learning more about transplantation – contact him at jscottlancaster@verizon.net or at (336) 653-8923. Potential donors can also contact the Duke living donor team at (919) 613-7777 to find out specific information and whether they would be a medically compatible donor. Provide the team with Scott’s name (Joseph Scott Lancaster) and his birth date (10/29/1965).

Scott understands that many people who read this may not be comfortable with the idea of being a donor but hopes they will spread the word about how living donation can save his life and the lives of many others.

Scott works as an actuary in Richmond, Virginia, and has no family of his own. He would like to thank everyone for taking time to read his story.

Paul W. Hobby (Col ’82 CM), founding partner of Genesis Park and GP Capital, is one of six 2022 inductees to the Texas Business Hall of Fame. He will be honored along with his fellow inductees at the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation’s 40th anniversary induction dinner on Thursday, Nov. 3. Inductees are recognized as exemplary business leaders who have made significant contributions in their local communities through both philanthropic and civic engagement.