“Other” Class Notes

Theresa Bowen (Col ’99) married Stephen D. Hatch on June 2, 2012 in Del Mar, Calif. Ms. Bowen is a senior trial attorney at The Gomez Law Firm in San Diego. The couple met on a cross-country flight.

Benjamin Andrews (Col ’99 CM) is an intern architect with The Freelon Group in Durham, N.C. He serves on the project team for the District of Columbia Public Library-Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects.

Latasha Vernon (Col ’98) and her husband, TaRail Vernon, welcomed their first child, Taryn Alexandra, on July 3, 2012.

Renee Reese (Com ’98, Grad ’99 CM) and her husband, Will Reese, welcomed a daughter, Parker Jayne, on August 7, 2012. Parker joins a big sister, Dylan Chloe. The family resides in Smyrna, Ga.

Jeffrey Kirwan (Grad ’98) received the Crown Award from the Virginia Department of Forestry, the highest civilian honor the state forester can bestow. He was recognized for his exemplary conservation efforts and outstanding research on the Commonwealth’s trees. Mr. Kirwan is a professor emeritus of forest resources and environmental conservation at Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment and serves as coordinator of Virginia’s Big Tree Program. He co-authored a book, Remarkable Trees of Virginia, which highlights trees that are extraordinary for their age, size, and historic or community significance.

Keith Kile (Engr ’98) and Kimberley Post Kile (Col ’99 L/M) welcomed their second daughter, Elise Anne, on July 30, 2012. Elise joins a sister, Sarah Grace, 4; and a brother, Ian Kenneth, 1. The family resides in Oak Hill, Va.

Kirt Von Daacke (Col ’97 CM) is an associate professor of history in the University’s Corcoran Department of History and assistant dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. His first monograph, Freedom Has a Face: Race, Identity, and Community in Jefferson’s Virginia, was published by the University of Virginia Press in 2012.

Tracey Perry (Nurs ’97) and her husband, Matthew, welcomed their third child and first daughter, Caroline Faith, on Oct. 24, 2011. Caroline joins two brothers, Charlie and Nathan. The family resides in Frisco, Texas.

Kerry Moskol (Col ’97) is an attorney in the health law group in the Madison, Wis. office of Quarles & Brady. Her experience includes assisting health care providers with a variety of issues, including health care information, regulatory compliance, health care professional reviews and licensing and patient care issue. Ms. Moskol was selected for the Best Lawyers in America 2013 list and was named a 2011 “Up and Coming Lawyer” by the Wisconsin Law Journal.

Michael Landler (Arch ’97 CM) and his wife, Carrie, welcomed a daughter, Hayley Brynn, on August 22, 2012. Hayley joins big brother Garrett, 3. The family resides in Plainview, N.Y.

Ginny Gowski (Col ’97) and her husband, Bill, welcomed their third child, John William, “Jack,” on Oct. 25, 2011. Jack joins siblings Freddy, 4, and Liza, 2. The family resides in Salt Lake City, where Ginny is a marketing consultant and stay-at-home mom and Bill is a hand surgeon.

Derek Furr (Educ ’02, Grad ’97) published Suite for Three Voices, a book of short fiction, personal narratives and essays, with Fomite Press.

Jason Williams (Col ’96) is a story producer for Investigation Discovery’s Homicide Hunter, a real-crime drama television show. He worked on five of the 10 fall 2012 episodes. Mr. Williams is also an award-winning playwright. His play Handle with Care will play the JCC CenterStage in Rochester, N.Y., in December 2012; the Minnesota Jewish Theatre in St. Paul, Minn., in spring 2013; and is scheduled to open off-Broadway in June 2013.

Kyle Van Houtan (Col ’96) received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Obama in a White House ceremony on July 31, 2012. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government upon outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. Mr. Van Houtan was recognized for his pioneering research on the influence of climate change to oceans and sea turtle populations and for mentoring students from Pacific Island nations. He currently leads a sea turtle research program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Hawaii.

Megan Stauffer (Col ’96 CM) and her husband, Clay, welcomed their second child, Clayton Robert, on February 13, 2012. Clayton joins a sister, Montgomery Mae, 2. The family resides in Nashville, Tenn., where Dr. Megan Stauffer works as an allergist with the Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Center and the Rev. Clay Stauffer serves as the senior minister at Woodmont Christian Church.

Joshua Rogers (Col ’96 CM) married Carrie Shaw Belt on June 9, 2012. The wedding party included groomsmen Kenneth Cope Jones (Com ’96 L/M) and Adam Penn Carter (Col ’96, Darden ’02 L/M). The couple resides in Richmond, Va.

Biff Lyons (Grad ’96) is senior vice president and manager of the national security and defense division for the Parsons Corporation government services group. He will lead Parsons’ work in the warfighter support, intelligence, and defense and security markets. Parsons is one of the largest providers of management, engineering, environmental and planning services to government agencies. Previously, Mr. Lyons worked as vice president and manager of the defense and security sector for Systems Planning Analysis Research and Technology Associates.

Mark Gillespie (Engr ’96 CM) and his wife, Trixy, welcomed twin girls Megan Elizabeth and Morgan Leigh on Feb. 15, 2012. They join big brother Connor, 5, and big sister Caroline, 3. The Gillespies reside in Tampa, Fla.

Shae Garwood (Com ’96) published a book, Advocacy Across Borders: NGOs, Anti-Sweatshop Activism, and the Global Garment Industry, with Kumarian Press. The book examines the transnational anti-sweatshop movement, the challenges faced by it and by the workers for whose benefit it advocates. Clothing and textile industry workers face long hours, inadequate wages, harassment and abuse—it is often difficult or impossible for them to unionize, so they have reached out to allies across political borders in order to apply more pressure on garment manufacturers. Ms. Garwood’s study points forward to a better system.