Class Notes

Dr. Reginald J. Sanders (Col ’81 CM), was recently named President of the American Society of Retina Specialists. The ASRS is the world’s largest organization for retina specialists, and Dr. Sanders is the first African American to serve as President. His other achievements include being elected into the Retina Hall of Fame as a charter inductee in 2016.

Justin Humphreys (Col ’01) has been nominated for a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Book of the Year for his recent biography George Pal: Man of Tomorrow. 

Sarah V. Schweig (Col ’07) has won the 2023-24 Jake Adam York Prize for her second collection of poems, The Ocean in the Next Room. The collection will be published by Milkweed Editions in January 2025. Schweig’s first poetry collection, Take Nothing with You, was published by the University of Iowa Press in 2016. 

Charles Avery (Col ’72) has been leading The Nehemiah Project DC, a federally funded housing program which helps men transition to society following incarceration, while also consulting on other mental health matters. He also serves as the president of the Loudoun Douglass School Alumni Association and co-chaired the effort to preserve and restore the school, which has been designated as a historic landmark. Avery, who was valedictorian of the last class of the segregated school, received a 2023 Charles Hamilton Houston Equity and Justice award from Loudoun County NAACP in recognition of his work. 

Avery took on these projects after completing 11 years as the executive director of Veterans On the Rise, a non-profit dedicated to providing a holistic system of care to fight veteran homelessness in the Washington D.C. area.

Melanie Avery (Col ’99 CM) is leading a large data transformation and decision support team for BAE systems as Technical Program Manager for a cross-functional team of data scientists, software developers and business analysts in a data transformation and decision support division at DHS. She took on this role after serving at Veterans on the Rise, a 501(c)3 non-profit, for nine years while also working as a Management Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

Justin Humphreys (Col ’01) has been nominated for the Theatre Library Association’s Richard Wall Memorial Award for his book George Pal: Man of Tomorrow. The award recognizes performing arts scholarship with exemplary use and interpretation of library and archival collections. 

Paul Alp (Arch ’91) has joined the law firm of Adams and Reese, where he serves as one of the co-leaders of the new Adams and Reese Aviation and Aerospace Team.

In addition to traditional matters for airlines and manufacturers, Alp focuses a substantial portion of his law practice on complex airworthiness, compliance and enforcement issues. He is an author of numerous articles on legal issues affecting the aviation and aerospace industry. He also holds a commercial pilot certificate and has worked as a flight instructor.

Arp received a J.D. from George Washington University and an LL.M. with a specialization in Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice from American University. He served as a partner at the law firm of Jenner & Block and as legal counsel at The Boeing Company.

Paul practices in the Washington, D.C. office.

Ryan McNeilly (Col ’20 CM) and Chelsea Guillory (Col ’19 CM) were married in Pensacola, Florida on May 2, 2023.  The two met at the Aquatic and Fitness Center in 2018.  They recently celebrated their marriage back in Charlottesville on Jan. 13th, 2024 with many ‘Hoos in attendance. The couple lives in Jacksonville, Florida.

Mills Kelly (Col ’82 CM) will be a Fulbright Scholar at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany during 2024. He is currently a visiting scholar at the Luxembourg Center for Contemporary and Digital History.

Byron Dickson (Arch ’63 CM), was inducted into the Salem (Virginia) Educational Foundation and Alumni Association Hall of Fame on April 26th, 2023. The five inductees were recognized for major achievements in their chosen fields of education and architecture.

Henry Legard (Com ’17 CM) and Niel Ketkar (Engr ’19 CM) have founded Verisoul, a platform that identifies fake accounts and bots by using Artificial Intelligence to analyze email, network, device, and user behavior. The product prevents sign-up promotions from being abused, reduces cybersecurity risk, improves user experience, and more.

Legard and Ketktar have raised $3.25M from investors, and are always looking to connect with fellow ’Hoos – either customers or potential employees.

Erica Stephenson (Nurs ’11 CM) and Caleb Stephenson (Com ’08 CM) welcomed their daughter, Isabel Charlotte Stephenson, on Sept. 27, 2023. The family lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Thaddeus Minshall (Col ’03) received a Design-Build Award from the New England chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America for Connolly Brothers Inc.’s design and construction management work on New England Academy’s new South Shore campus in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Minshall is vice president of real estate/development at Connolly.

Joe Essid (Col ’83) published “Writing Centers & the Dark Warehouse University: Generative AI, Three Human Advantages,” in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies: Vol. 2, 2023.

Jim Roche (Darden ’06 CM) has been named president, BRP and CEO, Underwriting, Capacity, & Technology Operations at Baldwin Risk Partners, one of the largest insurance brokers in the United States.  

Roche has been at BRP since 2019, when he joined as part of the acquisition of Millennial Specialty Insurance (MSI), a firm which he founded in 2015.

Additionally, he has purchased a farm in Charlottesville near Foxfield to serve as a full-time residence upon retirement.

Capt. Jenny Sigel Burkett (Nursing ’97 CM) assumed command of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command, Camp Pendleton, California, on Aug. 4, 2023.  She is the first Nurse Corps officer to command the hospital.  She lives in Oceanside, California, with her husband C. Allen Burkett Jr., and children Emma, Lizbeth, and Clarence.

Mark Nuckols (Col ’90 CM) has published Travels with Ferdinand and Friends: A Centennial Journey Through Austria–Hungary, which won Hidden River Press’s Panther Creek Nonfiction Book Award. Beginning at Franz Ferdinand’s castle in the Czech Republic, Nuckols trekked through former Habsburg lands to Sarajevo for the centenary of the Archduke’s assassination, visiting old friends from Slovakia—where he taught English after graduating from UVA—and singing with local musicians in Dubrovnik, Prague and elsewhere. He lives on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where he translates, plays music and chess, and is active in the local alumni group.

Tom Gilroy (Col ’73 CM) has published Out of Season, a political thriller set against the backdrop of a 1980s civil war in West Africa, which Gilroy covered as a reporter based in Douala, Cameroon. The book also explores deeper themes like race, religion, colonialism and the high cost anger and resentment inflict on relationships and judgment. Gilory’s book of short stories, In Bikole, based on his two-years as a Peace Corps volunteer in a village in Senegal, was published by Alfred A. Knopf. 

Jim Chapman (Col ’89 CM)has been honored with the Lewis Cenker Award by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (GAHBA). 

Named after an industry luminary and the only GAHBA member to serve as president of the National Association of Home Builders, this award is the GAHBA’s highest honor, given in recognition of lifelong contributions and achievements in the housing industry.

Chapman, president of the Jim Chapman Construction Group, served as the GAHBA president in 2018. He has been named builder of the year by numerous industry organizations.

Ross Perry (Col ’73 CM) was named a Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur by the Republic of France for his work building French and American relationships during his tenure as president general of the Society of the Cincinnati.  The society was formed at the end of The Revolution in 1783 by George Washington’s officer corps, and the current members focus on the appreciation of the deeds, accomplishments, and relevance of the American Revolution.

Jason F. Lovvorn (Grad ‘96) was promoted to professor of English at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Lovvorn has served as assistant director of the Teaching Center and as Writing Program director and currently serves as the English Department’s internship coordinator.

Laura Rikard (Grad ’11) has been invited to speak at the Berlin Film Festival on intimacy coordination, the process of working with and advocating for actors to develop and choreograph intimate scenes in film, television and theater. Rikard is founder of an organization called Theatrical Intimacy Education and a leading voice in creating intimacy coordination. She is associate professor of Theatre at the University of South Carolina Upstate.

Peter Capuano (Grad ’09) has published Dickens’s Idiomatic Imagination, an analysis of how Charles Dickens’s use of “low” and “slangular” language allowed him to express and develop his most sophisticated ideas. Capuano considers Dickens’s use of bodily idioms—”right-hand man,” “shoulder to the wheel,” “nose to the grindstone”—against the broader lexical backdrop of the nineteenth century.  Capuano is associate professor of English and a faculty fellow in the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Nebraska.

Dr. Chuck Edwards (Col ’69 CM) has published Late Fragment: Notes on the Later Stages of Life, his second book helping the aged find hope in their later years. His first book was Much Abides: A Survival Guide for Aging Lives. Sales support Memory & Movement Charlotte, the nonprofit medical practice Edwards founded to treat Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.   

Steven Betz (Grad ’98) has joined the University of Michigan-Dearborn as government relations director.  In this role, he directs all university interactions with federal, state, and local officials.

Benjamin Cunningham (Com ’16 CM) and Stephanie Coffua (Col ’16 CM) were married in Savannah, Georgia, on October 28, 2023, 10 years after meeting at the Corner Parking Lot during a scavenger hunt for new students. Over 50 ‘Hoos attended the nuptials, where the bride and groom led a rendition of “The Good Old Song” during the reception. The couple lives in Brooklyn, New York, where Stephanie works as an editor for ABC News and Benjamin works as a consultant for McKinsey & Co.

Sharon E. Crane (Grad ’84) has joined Haynes and Boone, LLP as counsel in their Life Sciences practice group in Washington, D.C. Crane’s practice focuses on intellectual property matters in the biotech and pharmaceutical fields. She advises clients on drafting patents, challenging competitor patents and defending against infringement claims.

Catherine Jansch (Col ’13, Med ’18 CM) and Paul Andrew Jarasek Jr. welcomed their first child, Paul Andrew Jarasek III, on December 26th, 2023. 

Robert Muckenfuss (Col ’93 CM) has been appointed as chair of McGuireWoods’ Financial Services and Securities Enforcement Department. Previously, Muckenfuss chaired the Commercial Litigation Department. He has over 20 years of experience representing financial institutions nationwide. 

Fred Levy (Col ’70 CM) has retired after 42 years as a financial adviser at Merrill Lynch, just his second employer since graduating from UVA. He first worked for his family’s long-established retail grocery, bakery, and restaurant enterprise in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It closed in 1981, after hanging on for nearly a decade following a catastrophic flood that devastated the region. Levy began anew with Merrill Lynch, building his business based on the trust and relationships he’d gained in the food business. Always aiming to better his community, Levy served for many years on local nonprofit boards. He can now be found on a tennis court, in a pool, at a bridge table or cheering on UVA sports teams.

Liz Barbour (Col ’16, Educ ’16 CM) and Ian Nickel (Med ’19, Res ’20) were married in Albemarle County at Valley Road Vineyards on September 30, 2023. The couple lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with their dog, Rhys. 

Linda Lakhdhir (Col ’81 CM) has joined the NGO Climate Rights International as its legal director. CRI was founded in 2022 to focus on the intersection between climate change and human rights abuses, using on the ground research, detailed documentation and strategic advocacy to press for needed change. Lakhdhir previously served as Asia legal adviser for Human Rights Watch.

Malerie Ma Roddy (Col ’10 CM) has been promoted to partner at the law firm ArentFox Schiff. Roddy concentrates her practice on civil litigation and class action defense, serving clients across industries such as juvenile products, food and beverage, automotive, and consumer home goods. Her experience extends to multidistrict civil litigation, governmental investigations, and advising clients through all stages of product development and sales. Roddy co-chairs ArentFox Schiff’s New Moms Group, ParentFox Midwest, and the Asian Attorneys Inclusion Group.

Allison (Powell) Leighton (Arch ’07) has been promoted to senior associate at Quinn Evans. Leighton has served as the project manager for Cristo Rey High School in Richmond, Virginia; the Acuff Center for Aquaculture at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point, Virginia; and the Advanced Career Education Centers at Hermitage and Highland Springs for Henrico County Public Schools.

Ryan McEnroe (Arch ’09) has been promoted to senior associate in Quinn Evans’ Washington, D.C. office. He has contributed to the design of the recently reopened Bird House at the National Zoological Park and the award-winning National Native American Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian, both for the Smithsonian Institution. He is a co-founder of AIA|DC’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program.

Nakita Reed (Arch ’06) has been promoted to senior associate in Quinn Evans’ Baltimore office. Working at the intersection of historic preservation, sustainable design, and equity, she engages in transformative projects such as the redevelopment of the 800 block of Harlem and Edmondson in Baltimore, Maryland, and the restoration of Baltimore Penn Station. Reed currently serves as president of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation.

Lawrence E. Jordan (Arch ’80 CM) published his first book, The Way: Meaningful Spirituality for a Modern World. The Way integrates religion and science and reconciles Eastern and Western worldviews, confirming with the mystics and the scientists that everyone is related, and everything is connected. Larry lives in Arlington, Texas and Crestone, Colorado. He retired in 2011, after a 25-year career in investment banking. He and his wife, Jill, have two grown children and three young grandchildren, and they enjoy playing with their grandchildren, traveling, and volunteering.

Jonathan G. Malacarne (Col ’09 CM) and Janet E. Horsager welcomed a son, Ari Horsager Malacarne, on December 13, 2023.

Steven Munger (Col ’89 CM) is joining the faculty of the UVa School of Medicine as a professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, where he will continue his research into the function and dysfunction of the senses of smell and taste and direct a new center focused on the science of smell, taste, hearing, speech and balance. Dr. Munger has served as the director of the University of Florida Center for Smell and Taste since 2016, is a past-president of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, and is the editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Chemical Senses. He and his wife, Caroline Worrall (Darden ’98 CM), a financial consultant, will move to Charlottesville in the spring of 2024.

Juliana Yee (Col ’10 CM) has been promoted to partner at the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson.

Juliana focuses her practice on high-stakes disputes, including class actions, mass actions and trials in state and federal court and across a wide range of industries, including technology, entertainment, higher education and financial services. She helps companies navigate their most challenging and high-profile matters through all stages of litigation. Juliana also maintains an active pro bono practice focused on immigration matters and civil rights. She is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and currently serves as the co-chair of the Development Committee of the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion.

Before joining the firm, Juliana clerked for Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and Judge Jay Bybee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In 2019, she completed a three-month fellowship as a volunteer assistant district attorney for the San Francisco District Attorneys’ Office, first-chairing four criminal jury trials to a verdict.