“Other” Class Notes

Anant Das (Com ’19 CM) is a co-producer of the U.S. national tour of the Broadway musical “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.” Das is also producing two shows on Broadway this season: “Gypsy”, with Audra McDonald; and Steven Spielberg’s “Smash.” Das recently celebrated the four-year anniversary of his theatre subscription box company, Broadway Boxed Up.

Stefan Sittig (Col ’94 CM) was recently nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for outstanding choreography for In The Heights at NextStop Theatre Company in Herndon, Virginia and a Broadway World Award for best direction and best choreography for Xanadu at Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia.

Sittig is a director, choreographer, fight director, intimacy and movement coordinator, educator, performer and podcast host who has been involved in more than 125 productions in New York (off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway), internationally in Brazil, Uruguay and Canada, and at various regional theaters across the U.S. He has also worked in most of the major theaters in the Washington, D.C. area including The Kennedy Center, Studio Theatre, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre, 1st Stage, The Washington Savoyards, The Atlas Performing Arts Center, Adventure Theatre, Creative Cauldron, Open Circle Theatre, The American Century Theatre and many more.

He recently completed 30 years of teaching at the college/university level and is honored to have trained hundreds of theater students at various institutions including George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, George Washington University, James Madison University and Georgetown University. He is currently writing a book titled Latinidad in Musical Theatre: From Carmen to Lin Manuel Miranda, to be published by Bloomsbury UK/Methuen Drama in August 2025.

Tomer Vandsburger (Col ’08) has been promoted to partner at Perkins Coie, a global law firm headquartered in Seattle. Vandsburger is a member of the business practice, with a focus on employee benefits and executive compensation. He advises clients with Employee Retirement Income Security Act, Internal Revenue Code, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, COBRA, and Affordable Care Act issues. He also counsels on employee benefits issues arising in mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions.

Jack Totty (Col ’17 CM) is founder and CEO of Antigua Threads, a company on a mission to bring high quality, artisan-made belts to market while supporting local communities in Guatemala with fair wages and skilled jobs.

The company’s belts are handcrafted using traditional Mayan weaving techniques and finished with premium materials, a process that produces meaningful, sustainable fashion and empowers artisans.

More information is available at https://antiguathreads.com.

Chuck Ross (Engr ’80, ’83, ’88 CM) recently had the honor of officiating the wedding of his former research student and close friend Garrett Josemans. The wedding of Josemans and his bride Taylor Krause was televised on Season 7 of the popular Netflix show “Love is Blind.” Ross is professor of physics and dean emeritus at Longwood University.

Capt. Marvin Heinze (Arch ’79 CM) has been selected to serve as first vice chairman of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The association is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization with 360,000 members from every branch of uniformed service — active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retired, former officers, and surviving spouses. MOAA advocates for a strong national defense, plays an active role in military personnel matters and proposes legislation affecting the career force, the retired community, and veterans of the uniformed services.  It also provides career transition assistance, military benefits counseling, and educational assistance to children of military families through its charities. Heinze is serving a six-year term, from 2020 to 2026.

Dorothy Shea (Col ’88 CM) was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the next deputy U.S. representative to the United Nations with the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.  She was pleased to have several close friends from the UVA class of 1988 in attendance at her Aug. 16 swearing-in ceremony, which U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield officiated.  She took up her new duties in New York on Aug. 19.

June P. Bartley (Nurs ’49) celebrated her 100th birthday on June 16, 2024. She started at UVA on March 11, 1946, and graduated on March 10, 1949. She met her husband, John A. Bartley, who was attending UVA in the School of Architecture, in 1947. They were married March 11, 1949, the day after her graduation.

Luis G. Pedraja (Grad ’94) has been appointed as a delegate to the New England Board of Higher Education by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. The appointment highlights Pedraja’s leadership in higher education and his dedication to expanding educational opportunities in Central Massachusetts.

Pedraja has served as president of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Massachusetts for seven years and has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. During his tenure, QCC has increased enrollment, launched student success initiatives, developed a strategic plan, expanded community partnerships, enhanced workforce development programs, and achieved reaccreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education.

https://theworcesterguardian.org/f/qccs-president-named-to-ne-board-of-higher-ed-by-gov-healey

Valerie Johnson Thornton (Col ’87 CM) graduated with a doctorate in education from Regent University on May 3, 2024.  Thornton is as a second-grade teacher at Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, Virginia.

Arthur Kahn (Col ’69 CM) is in his third season screening arthouse and repertory films at Thetford (VT) Academy’s Martha Jane Rich Theater.  Thetford Arthouse Cinema hosts residents and visitors in the Vermont/New Hampshire Upper Valley twice weekly for twelve weeks of free films, refreshments and discussion, with support from The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation and Vermont Humanities.

Mark Eid, M.D., M.B.A. (SCPS ’22) and Stephen Chang, M.D., M.B.A (SCPS ’22) have founded Acts Financial Advisors, a wealth management firm in McLean, Virginia that recently surpassed $100 million in assets under management. They started their company after graduating from UVA’s Certified Financial Planning program, and now provide comprehensive financial advising with an emphasis on tax strategy and asset protection for high-net-worth physicians and entrepreneurs.

Becky Krystal (Col ’05) has been named recipes editor at The Washington Post. Krystal has worked at the Post since 2007 and recently completed a six-year stint as a staff writer and recipe developer. She also worked for the TV Week, Sunday Source and Travel sections.

Nayna Agrawal (Col ’98) received a commission from the Bechdel Project in Brooklyn, New York for her play, Brad Pitt’s My Bitch. Her play, Slut, will be produced this October in Arkansas.

Sabrina du Pont-Langenegger (Col ’04 CM) has founded Good Friends of The First State, a non-profit all women’s organization whose mission is to inspire hope and provide financial stability to struggling women and girls in Delaware, her home state. Good Friends provides one time, limited financial assistance in times of crisis to prevent women on the brink from falling into a downward spiral that can be nearly impossible to recover from when living month to month, for example.  Women are referred through social workers and healthcare professionals. The organization helps with needs such as housing, transportation, medical expenses, utilities, childcare and more.

The organization raised over $60,000 at its inaugural fundraiser in April and since then has helped 12 women in crisis, with plans to help many more. Vera Gerrity (Col ’04, Law ’08 CM) serves on the board of directors.

Tresa Chambers (Col ’89 CM) has launched Mawu Greetings, a line of culturally inclusive greeting cards and stationery derived from her vision to live in a world where there are no more starving artists. She is especially focused on elevating the personal and collective economies of Black and Brown artists. Mawu Greetings will feature designs from those artists and will provide a chance for customers to learn more about the artists by producing and hosting virtual and in-person events to connect more deeply with the artists’ brands and works and to be a part of a community with a shared vision.

As a brand marketer and publishing strategist, Chambers has been working with authors, artists, and thought leaders in nonprofit, tech, and higher education. She launched her own business nearly two years ago providing consulting services.

She is seeking new small business customers who are aligned with her vision of social enterprise, as well as collaboration and sponsorship of events. She continues to support authors via a weekly virtual event on LinkedIn, “About My Book Business,” which is available for replay on YouTube, and is seeking guests for the next season. She welcomes calls or emails from authors and publishing experts among UVA alumni.

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.

Philip Woodward Young (Col ’64 CM) reports that his granddaughter, Margaret “Maggie” Galloway Young (Col ’23) is in her fourth year at UVA.

David Logan (Law ’77 CM), a professor at Roger Williams University School of Law, debated leading first amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams and Professor Mary-Rose Papandrea of the University of North Carolina School of Law on whether the Supreme Court of the United States should revisit the iconic decision New York Times v. Sullivan. The program was a part of the annual meeting of the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section.

Daniel J. Hoffheimer (Law ’76 CM) had the privilege of commissioning a new work by renowned American composer and violist, Nokuthula Ngwenyama. Her Piano Quartet for violin, viola, cello, and piano received its world premiere at Linton Chamber Music in Cincinnati on April 3, 2022. The composition, entitled “Elegy,” in twelve minutes tells the story of African-Americans from their first arrival as slaves in 1619, through slavery, Civil War, emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, and into the present backlash against Critical Race Studies. Dan is board chair of Linton Chamber Music, now in its 41st season. He practices law in Cincinnati.

John G. Wilder (Col ’62 CM) published Wagons, Gold and Conflict, a chronicle of the adventures of Captain Alfred Davenport in the Trans-Mississippi West from the 1840s through the 1860s. The book will appeal to lovers of history, travel and adventure, especially those interested in California from 1846 to 1861 and the western theater of the American Civil War.

On Apr. 19, 2022, UVA Air Force ROTC alumni from the classes of 1973, 1974 and 1976, along with one of their professors from that time, met on Grounds for a reunion and to speak to current Air Force ROTC cadets from both UVA and James Madison University. Major J. David Carroll, USAF, Ret. (Col ’73, Darden ’85, Law ’85), Lt. General David A. Deptula, USAF, Ret. (Col ’74, Engr ’76 CM), Colonel Richard T. Kingman, USAF, Ret. (Col ’74 CM), Bruce L. Webster (Engr ’74 CM), Michael W. Skojec (Col ’76 CM) and Lt. Colonel John E. Valliere, USAF, Ret. (Engr ’76 CM) participated in this reunion along with their UVA Air Force ROTC Air Science Professor, Colonel James A. Ball, USAF, Ret. They met for lunch in the historic Varsity Hall before being escorted by officers and cadets of the current Air Force ROTC unit to O’Hill Forum, where they spoke to some 100 cadets of the James Wing of the current Air Force ROTC Detachment 890.

Robert Burton Scearce II (Engr ’13 CM) was recently promoted to Plant Manager of Monogram Foods in Martinsville, Virginia.

Pete Ward (Educ ’81 CM) is entering his 12th year as Chief Operating Officer of the Indianapolis Colts and his 42nd season with the franchise. Ward started as a PR intern with the Baltimore Colts in 1981 and was part of the historic relocation to Indianapolis in 1984. He resides in Indianapolis with wife Lena and two children.