Class Notes

Tara Wheeler Prather (COM ’90 CM) has started a new position as the alumnae engagement manager for Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity, Inc. Based in Indianapolis, Alpha Gamma Delta is an international women’s fraternity and is part of the National Panhellenic Conference.  Prather works from her home in Valrico, Florida where she lives with her husband and son.

Richard Strulson (Col ’90 CM) has retired from his position as general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary of Interior Logic Group, after negotiating and finalizing the sale of the company to Blackstone, one of the country’s largest private equity funds. In his position at Interior Logic Group, the nation’s largest interior finishing company, Richard was responsible for all legal and compliance matters, oversaw the company’s active mergers and acquisitions program, and managed the company’s human resources group.  Richard is currently an adjunct professor at USC Gould School of Law, teaching mergers and acquisitions, and also serves on various boards.

Rev. Jack Peterson (Col ’85) has written his first book, Jesus Himself Drew Near: A Spirituality for Shaping the Lives of Young People. He serves as the director of mission and development for Youth Apostles, a community of Catholic men based in McLean, Virginia who strive to bring young people closer to Christ. His book is based upon the premise that mentors must first know and love Jesus before they can authentically invite others to encounter Him.

Milton F. “Eric” Tyler IV (Col ’14 CM) and Samantha L. Tyler (Col ’14, Educ ’14 CM) celebrated the birth of their first child, Milton F. “Finn” Tyler V on July 31st, 2023.  They live in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Eric is completing his general surgery residency and Samantha works in financial literacy education for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. 

Wolfgang Dreschler (Grad ’86 CM) and co-authors Rainer Kattel and Erkki Karo have won the Academy of Management’s 2023 George R. Terry Award for their book How to Make an Entrepreneurial State: Why Innovation Needs Bureaucracy. The George R. Terry award is granted annually to the book judged to have made the most outstanding contribution to the global advancement of management knowledge during the last two years.

https://aom.org/membership/awards-and-recognition/george-r-terry-book-award/2023-george-r-terry-book-award

Gunes Hopson (Col ’97, Law ’01 CM) has started her own travel business, Luxe Travel by Gunes. She provides curated luxury travel planning services to her clients, taking care of all the details so that they can relax.

Mark Trank (Law ’90 CM) and his wife Andrea Trank (Col ’80, Educ ’97, ’04 CM) have moved back to Virginia after 15 years in southwest Florida. Mark, who has spent more three decades in legal practice and has a passion for aiport law, has joined the Norfolk Airport Authority as senior vice president and general Counsel.  Mark and Andrea live in Norfolk’s historic Ghent district and will be welcoming their three sons and their wives and significant others, and especially their 4-year old granddaughter to their new home. 

Mark Scharf (Grad ’84 CM) has published the play Final Respects (Brooklyn Publishing). His play Clean Up was published in the journal Literature Today in July 2023.

Luke Hopkins (Engr ’08) and Sara Hutter Hopkins (Com ’08, ’09 CM) lovingly welcomed a second son, Owen Hutter, on April 20, 2023. The family, including big brother Will, lives in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Jessica Botta (Col ’96 CM) graduated this May from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development with a master of arts degree in food studies.  Jessica lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Dr. Thomas F. Smith (Col ’71, Med ’74 CM) has published his first book, The Search For King: A Fable, written in verse, and is completing his second book, Strange Creatures & Odd Bedfellows: Selected Poems. He also has published haiku and limericks in literary journals. He retired from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as professor of pediatrics in 1998 to enter private practice. His current academic affiliation is adjunct professor of internal medicine and pediatrics in the College of Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center. He and his wife, their three children and four grandchildren live in Austin, Texas. He can be reached through his web site authorthomasmith.com.

CJ Bowie (Com ’14) and Kathleen Bowie (Col ’13, Nurs ’20 CM) welcomed a daughter, Chloe Grace, on June 13, 2023. 

Lindsey Jensen (Col ’13) is getting married to Bryan Dale (Engr ’14 CM) at Moss Vineyards, north of Charlottesville, on Sept. 16, 2023.

Patti Hartigan (Col ’82 CM) has published August Wilson: A Life, the first authoritative and definitive biography of August Wilson, the most important and successful American playwright of the late 20th century. The biography, published by Simon and Schuster, debuts August 15.

The acclaimed Wilson wrote a series of plays celebrating African American life in the 20th century, one play for each decade. Through his brilliant use of vernacular speech, Wilson developed unforgettable characters who epitomized the trials and triumphs of the African American experience. He said that he didn’t research his plays but wrote from “the blood’s memory,” a sense of racial history that he believed African Americans shared. A former theater critic and arts reporter for the Boston Globe, Hartigan traced his ancestry back to slavery, illustrating how his plays echo with uncanny similarities to the history of his ancestors. She interviewed Wilson many times before his death and chronicles his life from his childhood in Pittsburgh (where nine of the plays take place) to Broadway. She also interviewed scores of friends, theater colleagues and family members, and conducted extensive research to tell the story of a writer who left an indelible imprint on American theater and opened the door for future playwrights of color.

Wade Morris (Col ’04) is publishing Report Cards: A Cultural History with Johns Hopkins University Press. The book traces the nearly two hundred year history of American education by examining how grades have reflected the shifting power dynamics between teachers, parents, and students.

Morris argues that report cards reflected broader shifts in the evolution of U.S. schools: the republican zealotry and religious fervor of the antebellum period, the failed promises of postwar Reconstruction for the formerly enslaved, the changing gender roles in newly urbanized cities, the overreach of the Progressive child-saving movement in the early twentieth century, and―by the 1930s―the increasing faith in an academic meritocracy. The use of report cards expanded with the growth of school bureaucracies, becoming a tool through which administrators could surveil both student activity and teachers. And by the late 20th century, even the most radical critics of numerical reporting of children have had to compromise their ideals.

Steven I. Platt (Col ’69 CM) has published his memoir, Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench.  A retired senior judge and renowned legal luminary who has been an integral part of the Maryland justice system, Platt shares insights into the inner workings of the justice system as well as highlights of a career so intricately woven within the fabric of history that he’s been dubbed “The Forrest Gump of politics.” He provides both a riveting analysis of the strengths and failings of our justice system and humorous sidebars recounting his life both in and outside the courtroom. Focusing on issues such as judicial decision-making, legal ethics, and the role of judges in our society, Platt offers a comprehensive and cogent examination of the legal system and its impact on individuals and society. Interspersed with this serious review are important and entertaining depictions of his interactions with some of the most influential news makers of our day. Lessons Lived and Learned: My Life On and Off the Bench is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online. Visit both to find this and other books in Judge Platt’s Pursuit of Justice series.

Daisy Stevens Rojas (Col ’09, Educ ’15) recently accepted a role at Charlottesville-based, Platt Financial, as a financial services professional. She works collaboratively with individual and corporate clients to create financial strategies bridging generational, cultural and professional challenges. Rojas also develops the branding and marketing strategies of the firm’s related content, research and initiatives. Before moving into this role, Rojas was vice president at a multi-state contracting firm managing contracts in locations such as the Homestead and Greenbrier resorts and other private communities in Central Virginia, West Virginia and the Washington, D.C. and Maryland areas. Before that, Rojas worked in philanthropic pursuits garnering more than $20 million in support for the University of Virginia, education initiatives and various community service organizations. She also served as president of the Albemarle County Rotary Club during the 2022-2023 fiscal year and has over 20 years of financial services experience. She holds a Certified Fund Raising Executive designation and has acquired industry registrations with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the State of Virginia with Annuity, Life & Health Insurance, SIE, Series 6, 63 and 65 exams. https://www.plattfinancial.com/

Casey Chalk (Col ’07, Educ ’07) published his second book, The Obscurity of Scripture: Disputing Sola Scriptura and the Protestant Notion of Biblical Perspicuity (Emmaus Road Publishing). The Obscurity of Scripture is the first book-length summation and critique of the Protestant doctrine of perspicuity, analyzing its historical, theological, and philosophical dimensions. Chalk, a former Presbyterian seminary student, provocatively argues that perspicuity, rather than sola fide or sola scriptura, is the most foundational of Protestant doctrines. Best-selling author and biblical scholar Scott W. Hahn, who wrote the foreword for the book, declared that it is “sure to be considered a masterpiece.” Chalk serves as an editor or regular contributor for many publications, including The New Oxford Review, The Federalist, Crisis Magazine, The American Conservative, and The Spectator. 

Sabrina K. Mendez (Col ’09 CM) and her husband welcomed twin daughters, Riley and Skyler, on May 19, 2023. Mendez serves as a district administrator for Orange County (Fla.) Public Schools overseeing kindergarten through 12th grade Multi-Tiered System of Supports and Interventions. 

Andrew G. Lee, MD (Col ’85, Med ’89) was named as one of the top 30 ophthalmologists in the United States by Newsweek’s America’s Best Eye Doctors for 2023.  America’s Best Eye Doctors 2023 – Ophthalmologists (newsweek.com)

Lloyd F. Stamy. Jr. (Col ’73 CM) has published his newest book, Perfect Strangers (Bad Bear Down), the third volume in The Hap Franklin Series. Ripped from current headlines, this timely and gripping thriller is a serious and riveting story, but also told with an abundance of playful humor. Underpinning the primary storyline of bringing down the Russian president is Franklin’s emotional struggle with his faith for guidance and forgiveness in order to get life right while there is still time. Early readers have found it “engaging, captivating, suspenseful, and provocative.” To learn more about the entire three-book series, follow the below link to his author page:

www.amazon.com/author/lloyd.stamy

Devon Knudsen (Col ’05) is concluding a two-year secretariat position coordinating the U.S. government’s atrocity prevention efforts. She also led the multilateral atrocity prevention efforts of a group started by Samantha Power, who she first heard speak at UVA. Knudsen is grateful to have been entrusted with this responsibility and for the widespread support she received in this role.

Susanne Croasdaile (Educ ’05) has published her first book, Building Executive Function and Motivation in the Middle Grades: A Universal Design for Learning Approach. Using real-life examples, Croasdaile shows educators how to integrate Universal Design for Learning to transform the learning experience for their students. She provides a roadmap for anyone who seeks practical, research-based strategies to help their students survive and thrive to become expert learners in the middle grades. In an easy-to-follow, 8-step process, Croasdaile offers numerous strategies that will enhance instruction and support student social and emotional competency. By highlighting practices related to students’ executive function and sustained effort, this book is a useful addition to the toolkit of every classroom teacher, coach, and administrator. 

On June 6, 2023, Rodney Hobbs (Com ’94) appeared on “The Price Is Right” and won the Showcase, for the 2nd time!  His first appearance and win occurred in May 2012.  His latest prizes included a refrigerator, and trips to Bali & New Orleans, which he will be taking later this year with his wife, Freda Johnson Hobbs (Col ’94 CM).

Daniel Sunshine (Col ’14, Grad ’18, ’22 CM) wed Kajsa Eskilsson on June 3, 2023 in a beautiful ceremony at Early Mountain Vineyards. The couple met in Charlottesville in 2018, while Kajsa was studying abroad at UVA through her law program in Sweden, and Daniel was earning his doctorate in history. The wedding was officiated by the groom’s brother, Ben Sunshine (Col ’11), and was attended by many ’Hoos from the class of 2014!

Katie McCarthy (Col ’09, Arch ’18 CM) married Alex Stefanic in St. Lucia on May 27, 2023. The couple lives in Richmond, Virginia. ’Hoos in attendance included Megan (Van Syckle) Winter (Com ’09 CM), Chris Winter (Col ’07 CM), Katie (Gruber) Sheldon (Col ’08 CM), Virginia McCormack (Com ’08 CM), David Schultz (Engr ’11 CM), and Marshall Agee (Engr ’11 CM). 

Michael Genovese (Col ’98 CM) was married October 9, 2022, to Jennifer Ann.  Sons Alexander and Ryan served as best men.  Genovese completed his doctorate at St. John’s University in New York in 2020, and is the principal at Norwood Avenue Elementary School in Northport, New York.

Col. (Ret.) Tara A. Osborn (Grad ’84 CM) has been appointed to serve an eight-year term on the Military Justice Review Panel, a blue-ribbon commission chartered by Congress to conduct independent periodic reviews and assessments of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the military justice system. Osborn is a former chief trial judge of the U.S. Army and a current faculty member of the National Judicial College.

Robert Graboyes (Col ’76 CM) has published “Shockley versus Shockley: Don’t Cut the Tail off the Rattlesnake,” an analysis of physicist-turned-eugenicist William Shockley’s controversial appearance at UVA in 1975; and “Do Not Go Gentle: J. Sargeant Reynolds Against the Dying of the Light,” a remembrance of an historic 1971 anti-segregation speech by Virginia’s then-dying lieutenant governor. Graboyes, who writes on economics, science, and culture at Bastiat’s Window, was recently named senior research affiliate at the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at West Virginia University.

Ilana Berry (Law ’03) published her debut spy novel, The Peacock and the Sparrow (Simon & Schuster), in May 2023. Her pen name is I.S. Berry. After spying for the CIA for six years, including one year in wartime Baghdad, Berry decided she preferred writing about espionage to doing it. The Peacock and the Sparrow is about an American spy caught in the crosswinds of the Arab Spring who becomes involved in murder, consuming love, and an unpredictable revolution. Joseph Kanon, bestselling author of The Berlin Exchange, calls it “remarkable” and Joseph Weisberg, creator of the TV series The Americans, calls it “the most realistic espionage story I’ve read.”

Simon & Schuster

isberry.net

Christina Polenta (Com ’09 CM) and Eric Magenheimer (Com ’09 CM) welcomed their first child, Grace Elizabeth Magenheimer, in February 2023. The family lives in Oakton, Virginia.

Carl Markowitz (Com ’67 CM) has published two novels. Churching Carla Carson is a story about religious zealotry and small-town corruption.  Let Them Die at West Point is the story of an assassination attempt on the U.S. President and a group of NATO officials who are attending a summer seminar at the United States Military Academy. His third novel, Here Lies Greasy D ,will be published in late June. It is the story of four generations of a family-owned farm in North Carolina, struggling to prevent an organized crime family’s efforts to take their property.

Before retiring in 2015, Markowitz practiced law in Virginia Beach, Virginia for forty-five years.

Sarah Elaine Hart (Col ’10 CM) and Patrick Higgins (Col ’10, Darden ’16 CM) joyfully welcomed their second child, Celeste Hart Higgins, in September 2022. The couple hopes their first child, Orion, will forgive them for neglecting to announce his birth in April 2020.

Abby Armistead (Col ’14, Law ’18 CM) recently covered two equestrian stories that beautifully document the horse life in Virginia hunt country: the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, the oldest event of its kind in the United States; and the national champion UVA Polo Teams. An equestrian and artist, Armistead regularly contributes to the magazines Virginia Wine & Country Life and Virginia Wine & Country Weddings. She has also founded an inspirational bespoke stationery company.

Kent Bennett (Engr ’00) has been included in The Boston Globe’s second annual list of the most influential people in the New England tech sector.

The leaders spotlighted in the selective Globe Tech Power Players 50 List have demonstrated innovation and resourcefulness and have contributed heartily to keeping their sector thriving during challenging economic times.

Boston Tech Leaders: Kent Bennett, Bessemer Venture Partners – The Boston Globe

Eric Solomon (Law ’78) former assistant secretary for tax policy at the U.S. Treasury, has joined Ivins, Phillips & Barker (IPB) firm as a partner in its Washington, DC office.

Solomon brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to IPB, having most recently served as a partner and then senior counsel at Steptoe & Johnson, where he focused on transactional tax, tax policy, and tax controversy issues. Previously, Solomon held the position of co-director of Ernst & Young’s national tax department. He also served in the Office of Tax Policy at the Treasury from 1999 to 2009 and at the IRS from 1990 to 1996.

He was assistant secretary for tax policy, the highest tax policy position in the Treasury, from 2006 to 2009. At the IRS, he headed the corporate tax division in the Office of Chief Counsel.

Bryan McGrath (Col ’87 CM) has been nominated to serve on the National Commission on the Future of the Navy. The Commission is tasked with providing recommendations to Congress on force structure and shipbuilding no later than July 1, 2024. McGrath is a retired naval officer, commissioned through the UVA Naval ROTC program. He commanded the destroyer USS BULKELEY (DDG 84) on active duty and retired in 2008. 

Courtney Jones Hamlett (Col ’12 CM) and Christian Hamlett welcomed their son, Campbell Edward, on March 28, 2023. Campbell is the couple’s first child. The family lives in Richmond, Virginia.