Class Notes

Stephen Ziegler (Engr ’97) and Katharine Miller Ziegler (Col ’99 L/M) welcomed their first child, Owen Condray, on Nov. 20, 2008. The family resides in Clifton, Va.

Julie Meyer Grogan (Com ’95) and Bruce Grogan are proud to announce the birth of their little girl, Haley Kaitlin, on March 25, 2009, in Clarence Center, N.Y.

Alison Cunnane McKee (Col ’02) and Thomas McKee Jr. (Col ’01 L/M) are proud to announce the birth of their first child, Thomas John McKee III, born on March 31, 2009, in Fairfax, Va.

Sharon Crane (Grad ’84 A/M) is a member of the intellectual property law firm, Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck, P.C. in Washington, D.C. Ms. Crane is a member of FICPI (Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle), a worldwide organization of intellectual property attorneys in private practice. She was active in planning FICPI’s World Congress in June in Washington, D.C., which focused on the continuing relevance of IP rights in a global economy.

Bryan Murtagh (Col ’82 L/M) is a managing director at UBS AG in Stamford, Conn., and is currently overseeing UBS’s restructuring efforts with various financially-troubled institutions. He is also active in the credit derivatives markets and recently testified before the U.S. House Agriculture Committee on the “Role of Credit Derivatives in the U.S. Economy.”  Mr. Murtagh lives in Rye, N.Y., with his wife, Peggy O’Brien, and their daughters, Catherine “Katie” and Mary. Katie will be attending the College of Arts & Sciences as a first year student this Fall.

Richard Washer (Col ’78) wrote a play, Quartet, that was performed at the Hamner Theater in Nelson County, Va. Quartet was developed at the first Earl Hamner Playwrights Conference at the Hamner Theater in 2006. Last August, Quartet was included in the Kennedy Center’s 7th annual Page-to-Stage annual showcase for new plays. Mr. Washer lives in the Washington, D.C. area, where he is active in the theater scene and a founding member of the Charter Theatre. His plays have been produced in various venues in the D.C. area over the last twenty years, including New Works Theatre, Charter Theatre and the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. He currently offers creative playwriting workshops at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Md.

James Moore (Engr ’83).  Jim’s budding career as a motorcycle roadracer suffered a severe setback last year. He lost the front end in a sharp right hand turn and tumbled off the racetrack in a shower of dirt, broken plastic and colorful language.  Luckily, Jim was unhurt and the bike suffered largely cosmetic damage.  Mrs. Moore was not amused. Mr. Moore recently retired after a 22-year career as an AV-8B Harrier pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps. He now spends his time caring for his two young daughters and occasionally sneaks out to race his motorcycle (poorly).

Joel Rubin (Col ’75 L/M) was inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame on April 2 in Richmond, Va. The Hall of Fame is a program of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Mass Communications that recognizes individuals, principally Virginians, who have made significant contributions in the field of communications. Mr. Rubin worked for WNOR Radio in Norfolk, Va., and as political and features reporter for WAVY TV (NBC) in Hampton Roads for 15 years before starting his own public relations firm, Rubin Communications Group, which is headquartered in Virginia Beach. From 1992-2008, in a part-time role, he was executive producer and host of “On the Record with Joel Rubin”, a weekly news interview program on WVEC TV (ABC) in Hampton Roads. Mr. Rubin’s son, Danny Rubin (Col ’06 L/M), is a TV news reporter for WTKR TV (CBS) in Hampton Roads. His daughter is Molly Rubin (Col ’09).

Ilan Kaufer (Col ’03 L/M) received a Juris Doctor and a master’s degree in Forest Resources and Conservation from the University of Florida in December. He works as a contract attorney with Florida Power and Light in their Regulatory Group. (Col ’03 L/M) received a Juris Doctor and a master’s degree in Forest Resources and Conservation from the University of Florida in December. He works as a contract attorney with Florida Power and Light in their regulatory group.

Louis A. Sherman (Law ’71 L/M) was sworn in as the 55th judge of the Circuit Court of the City of Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 31, 2008.  Judge Sherman previously served as a judge of the Norfolk General District Court for more than 13 years. Judge Sherman and his wife, Carol, have two sons, Eric M. Sherman (Col ’98, Med ’02) and Scott M. Sherman (Com ’01 L/M).

Jenna Pastuszek (Col ’09 L/M) and Gaby Wilson (Col ’10), along with the rest of the 2008-09 Sil’hooettes planned and celebrated the group’s 20th anniversary in Charlottesville,  with an alumni reunion weekend April 3-4. The current group welcomed back 60 alumni, including the four original founders of the group. The weekend culminated with the 20th Anniversary Concert.

Joseph Guyton (Col ’07) and Kara Wagner (Col ’07) were married on Dec. 27, 2008. The couple resides in Olympia, Wash.

Desiree A. Davis (Col ’07 L/M) is a senior research analyst with Interpret, a new media and entertainment market research firm based in Santa Monica, Calif. She has been working in the mobile and new media sector of the company since joining it in June 2008.

Whitney Alexandra Jones (Col ’06 L/M) and Andrew Carroll Robertson (Col ’05 L/M) were married on Sept. 13, 2008. The couple resides in Alexandria, Va. Mr. Robertson is senior financial analyst/legal assistant at the law firm of Eichner and Norris in Washington, D.C., and Ms. Robertson is an adjunct professor at Marymount University in Arlington, Va., and a substitute teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. 

Chad Stewart Ratliff (Educ ’06 L/M) was featured in the 2008 edition of the “Top 20 Under 40,” a profile of Southern Virginia’s top 20 emerging business leaders under the age of 40, published by the Blue Ridge Business Journal. He is an M.B.A. degree candidate at Virginia Tech and is married to Cay Lee Chang Ratliff (Col ’00 L/M).

Nicolle Small (GSBA ’05) and Jay Small (Com ’00) welcomed their first child and daughter, Julia Colby, on Jan. 29, 2009.

Erin M. Symonds (Col ’05) is serving in the Peace Corps developing sustainable ecotourism in rural areas of Guatemala. Currently, 197 volunteers are serving in Guatemala.

Andrew Perreault (Engr ’05), of Los Angeles-based Proactive Pictures, produced an independent feature film, Bureaucracy, which premiered in the Los Angeles area in April at the Riverside International Film Festival. It will also screen at the Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival, where it is competing for Best Drama and Best Actor awards. His company is currently in preproduction on two feature films.

Linda Gail Williams Manger (Col ’03 L/M) and Jules Powers Manger (Col ’03 L/M) welcomed their first child, Jules Castro, on Feb. 15, 2009. The family resides in Newton, Mass. 

Kristin Noelle Lepore (Col ’03) and Matthew Craig Hyman (Engr ’03 L/M) were married on April 12, 2008. The couple resides in Ann Arbor, Mich., where Dr. Kristin Hyman is a resident physician in pediatrics at the University of Michigan and Mr. Hyman is a medical student at the University of Michigan. 

Stephanie Baker Lane (Nurs ’03) and Charles Joseph Lane welcomed their first child, Matthew Aidan, on Sept. 26, 2008. He was born in Houston.

Jeffrey Alan Grossman (Engr ’02) and Kelleigh Carlyle Bannen (Col ’03) were married Nov. 8, 2003. Mr. Grossman is brand manager of SMART Center Nashville. Ms. Bannen completed a 90-day tour in honor of her late brother Grant, catalogued at www.90in90.com.

Daniel Rubin (Engr ’01) and Emily Krause (Col ’02) announce the birth of their daughter, Lily Alice Rubin, on Nov. 10, 2008.

Timothy Davis (Educ ’01) is an assistant professor of physical education at the State University of New York at Cortland, and received the college’s eighth Dr. Rozanne Brooks Dedicated Teacher Award. Mr. Davis joined SUNY Cortland in 1998 as an assistant professor and received tenure in 2004. He serves on the college’s Student Affairs Committee as the School of Professional Studies representative for the Faculty Senate. He also chairs the Adapted Physical Education National Standards Project and is an adviser for Flaghouse Inc., and GeoFitness Inc. He has presented at numerous conferences and has written for several publications and children’s books. From 1995 to 1997, he was an instructor in the Department of Health and Physical Education at the University of Virginia.

Courtney Wirwahn (Col ’00 L/M) and Tom Enright (Col ’01) were married Aug. 23, 2008. The couple resides in Atlanta, where Ms. Enright is a consultant for Deloitte and Mr. Enright is an M.B.A. degree candidate at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

Michael Homenick (Engr ’00 L/M) and his wife, Elizabeth, announce the birth of their daughter, Avery Grace, on March 26, 2009.

Laura E. Gardner (Col ’00 L/M) was appointed clerk of court for the Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in Richmond, Va., on March 10, 2008.

Nicholas Acquavella (Col ’00 L/M) and his wife, Travis Long Acquavella (Col ’00 L/M), welcomed their second child, Shelby Allen, on March 18, 2009. Shelby joins sister Chloe, 2. The family resides in New York.

Gwendolyn Wilson Osborn (Col ’99 L/M) and her husband, Michael, welcomed their first child, Eleanor McKinnon, on Jan. 19, 2009. The family is planning a move from California to Portland, Ore., this summer. 

Jim McCabe (Com ’99) and Kimberly Loomis McCabe (Nurs ’99) welcomed their daughter, Colleen Rose, on Feb. 4, 2009. Colleen joins a brother, Patrick.