Class Notes

Holly Donahue Singh (Grad ’05, ’11 CM) published her first book, Infertility in a Crowded Country: Hiding Reproduction in India (Indiana University Press), an academic monograph based on long-term fieldwork in North India.

In Lucknow, the capital of India’s most populous state, the stigmas and colonial legacies surrounding sexual propriety and population growth affect how Muslim women, often in poverty, cope with infertility. Singh draws on interviews, observation, and auto ethnographic perspectives in local communities and Lucknow’s infertility clinics to examine access to technology and treatments and to explore how pop culture shapes the reproductive paths of women and their supporters through clinical spaces, health camps, religious sites, and adoption agencies.

Singh is a faculty member at the Judy Genshaft Honors College at the University of South Florida. 

For more information about the book: https://iupress.org/9780253063878/infertility-in-a-crowded-country/

Above left: Singh presents a copy of the book to Dean Charles Adams (Grad ’79, ’85) of the Judith Genshaft Honors College at the release event at USF.

Ed Coleman (Col ’04) was selected to the 2023 “Legal Elite” list by Business North Carolina magazine for his litigation law practice. Inclusion is based entirely on peer review and fewer than 4 percent of the lawyers in North Carolina are recognized on this list. Coleman is a partner at Ragsdale Liggett PLLC in Raleigh, North Carolina and practices in civil litigation defense.

Justin Humphreys (Col ’01) wrote the introduction to a new edition of The Man Who Fell to Earth, published by Centipede Press. 

Alison Deich (Col ’10) has been named to Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PPLC’s partnership. Deich is a partner in the law firm’s antitrust practice, where she represents a wide range of plaintiffs in antitrust, civil rights and environmental litigation. She is currently working on a number of high profile antitrust cases such as Jien v. Perdue Farms, where the firm represents a proposed class of poultry plant workers. 

Dr. Mark W. Dewalt (Grad ’86 CM) published an article in The Journal of Plain Anabaptists Communities this past fall, entitled “Amish Mortality Rates in the Twenty-First Century.” 

John W. Via III  (Engr `84 CM) has joined Rice University as a Professor of Practice and Associate Director of the Master of Engineering Management and Leadership (MEML) program, based out of the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL). The in-person version of the MEML was launched in 2021 and the online program was launched in 2022. The program honored its first graduates in December 2022. 

Via also continues to serve as a Trustee for UVA’s School of Engineering. 

Carolyn Oare (Col ’17 CM)  married David Wilkes on November 12, 2022 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Washington, DC. In attendance were Jean Wang (Col ’18 CM), Henry Hull (Arch ’16, ’17), Morgan Hull (Col ’17) and Kathleen DiSanto (Col ’05). Carolyn and David are living in Arlington, Virginia while David is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base.

Bhakti Patel (Col ’99) has been appointed as Managing Principal of the Austin, Texas office at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, which is a top ten professional services firm offering assurance, tax, consulting and wealth advisory services.  

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. 

Peter Garvey (Darden ’02) has been appointed mid-Atlantic growth officer at Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia. Garvey has spent more than 16 years with the firm in various roles, including technical leader for water and wastewater, lead for northeast water business growth initiative, and business unit manager for the firm’s Boston office and New England operations. He has also developed and led the firm’s client management and business development training initiatives for senior managers. As mid-Atlantic growth officer, Garvey will help Dewberry continue its expansion in the region, focusing on maintaining and developing relationships and opportunities with state/local, commercial, and federal clients.

Joseph A. Fry (Grad ’70, ’74) has published Letters from the Southern Homefront: The American South Responds to the Vietnam War (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2023). This edited collection of letters provides a voice to southerners from across the region expressing a broad range of political, economic, racial, and cultural views on the war and its domestic impact. 

Matt Trogdon (Col ’04 CM) and Sarah Devine were married on June 18, 2022 in Washington, DC. Matt is a financial advisor at Craftwork Capital, LLC, an independent advisory firm in the DC area. Sara is a foreign service officer at the U.S. Department of State. The couple currently lives in Washington with their beloved rescue pup, Maisie.

James Lewis (Col ’76 CM) has been elected to a two-year term as Chief Judge of the Virginia Beach Circuit Court.

Alana Malick Ritenour (Col ’02 CM) and her husband, Rhodes Ritenour (Col ’00, Law ’05 CM) have published a children’s book called The Adventures of Rhodes and Alana: School Bus Secret. Eight-year-old Rhodes and Alana miss the school bus, leading to an exciting journey and an opportunity for Rhodes to tell Alana about living with type 1 diabetes. As a result, a new friendship is formed between these two spirited and confident kids. Proceeds benefit the American Diabetes Association, JDRF, and TheDiabetesSupportGroup.org. For more, visit www.RhodesandAlana.com.

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.

Steven Schaikewitz (Col ’70 CM) recently coauthored “Variations on a Theme: Georgia’s Evolving Test for Interlocutory Injunctive Relief”.  The article appeared in the August 2022 issue of the Georgia Bar Journal.

Jim Flinn (Col ’76, Grad ’98) looks forward to catching up with classmates in 2026 at the 50th anniversary reunion of the class of 1976.

Matt Coleman (Col ’03, Darden ’11 CM) has joined The Demex Group as chief risk officer. Demex enhances the climate resilience and economic value of companies and people by designing, underwriting, and executing weather risk transfer products. In addition, Coleman was honored as a 125th Anniversary Fellow by Penn State University’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Matt was nominated by the Department of Meteorology for his pioneering leadership in financial weather risk, insurance-linked securities investing, and diversity and mentorship.

Deborah Sheetenhelm Hammond (Arch ’82 CM) has released her 26th novel, The Very Thought of You. It follows the cases of FBI Agent John McIver, who is pulled from his customary undercover work to oversee the stalking investigation of a famous actress, Charlotte Meadows. Chased across two continents, the stalker seeks to overturn Charlotte’s life and end John’s. This novel and Hammond’s other titles are available on Amazon.com in both Kindle and paperback versions and at local book signing events. 

Lindsey Wray (Col ’03) released a debut musical album in December 2022 as part of The Flip Phones band. Titled Better in the Dark, the album features quirky lyrics and catchy melodies that explore themes of light vs. darkness and humans vs. nature. The Flip Phones’ sound lies at the intersection of indie, rock, and folk music. Lindsey (keyboard, melodica, flute, vocals) collaborated with her bandmate and husband, Ryan Kobb (guitar, vocals), to create the unique album, which includes the singles “Man-Made Moon” and “Fly Back to You.” 

Jacob Hiram “Jake” Yost IV (Col ’10) founded PT Rehab Doc after graduating from UVA and, later, Virginia Commonwealth University at the Medical College of Virginia as a doctor of physical therapy. Jake’s company offers rehab videos for specific issues like knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain, total knee replacements, or even just a rough stay at the hospital.

The goal is to improve the quality of today’s physical therapy while at the same time helping to solve the problem of affordable healthcare for all people.

Ed Ehler (Educ ’68) marked the 55th anniversary of the 1968 men’s gymnastics team, which defeated Virginia Tech at Tech. Ehler, a former captain of the West Virginia University team, coached the UVA squad at the invitation of faculty member Edward Ratliff “Butch” Slaughter, while pursuing his master’s degree in education.

Donald Delson (Law ’80 CM) serves as president of the board of trustees of Chester Charter Scholars Academy, a 700-student K-12 charter school in Chester, Pennsylvania entering its second decade. Delson is also a developer of 110 Park Avenue, a 30-unit upscale condominium project in downtown Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Cordelia, will be married 50 years in June 2023.

David Susman (Col ’81 CM) has been named executive advisor for clinical services in the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Susman, a licensed clinical psychologist, is a former president of the Kentucky Psychological Association and a current member of the American Psychological Association (APA) Board of Directors and 2023 chair of the APA Council of Representatives Leadership Team. 

Mark Angle-Hobson (Educ ’98, ’02) has been appointed to serve on the board of directors of the Resolve Center in Medford, OR. Resolve seeks to transform the way the people and communities of Southern Oregon manage and resolve conflict and repair from harm.

Mark has also been invited to join the Region 16 Comprehensive Center (R16CC) Community of Stewards. A “network of networks,” R16CC seeks to improve the quality and equity of education for students in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. 

Carin M. Smilk (Col ’89 CM) became editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times in September 2022. She has worked as a journalist for nearly 30 years, most recently for the Jerusalem-based online news site JNS.org. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and four sons. 

Dr. Andrew G. Lee (Col ’85, Med ’89 CM) has published his 12th textbook, Space Flight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). The condition, known as SANS, is unique to long duration space flight. There is no known terrestrial equivalent.

Dr. Lee has worked as a consultant for NASA on SANS, but he has no intention of leaving Earth for the planned manned mission to Mars. Nevertheless, he remains committed to continued terrestrial research on the mysteries of SANS.

Lynlee W. Palmer (Col ’98 CM) has joined Jackson Lewis P.C., where she will serve in the litigation group for the Birmingham, Alabama office. The firm specializes in national labor and employment law. 

Lynlee brings a depth of experience representing both public and private employers. She has represented clients before the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board and more. 

Karen Jones (Educ ’73 CM) has published her fifth book, The Summer of Grace. The southern coming-of-age novel, set in 1951 North Carolina, tells the story of a young girl’s transformation from victim to survivor through humor, hard truths and grace. 

Jones is an author, award-winning broadcast journalist and freelance writer. Her other works, both fiction and non fiction include Up the Bestseller Lists! A Hands-On Guide to Successful Book Promotion, Death for Beginners and The Highland Witch.

Jones lives in Virginia Beach and can be reached through her website, kjwriter.com

W. Lee Jones (Arch ’82) has been awarded the AIA Charlotte Citizen Architect Award by the Charlotte American Institute of Architects. The award recognizes the work of architects who serve as elected or appointed officials, public administrators or institutional leaders and establish and contribute to the development of laws, regulations, policies, or initiatives that promote excellence in architecture. Jones serves as park and recreation director for Mecklenburg County, N.C.

In addition, the county’s Park and Recreation Department received the Great Public Space Award for Romare Bearden Park at the City of Charlotte’s Urban Design Awards. The goal of the local awards program is to recognize and celebrate quality urban design in Charlotte, while encouraging continued community discussion around what makes for unique and great places.  This is the second year in a row that the department has received an award from the organization. Last year, the department received the Merritt -New Construction Award for the Eastway Regional Recreation Center.

Steve Collins (Col ’83) has been named Journalist of the Year by the Maine Press Association. He is the state house reporter for the Sun Journal, in Lewiston, Maine, and a co-founder of Youth Journalism International, a Maine-based nonprofit that teaches and publishes students around the world.

Judith Baroody (Grad ’85 CM) published her second book of short stories, Paris Gold: Ten Tales of Treasures Lost and Found in 2022. Like the first, Casablanca Blue, Paris Blue is a collection of fiction and fantasy based on her experiences and travel. Judith has worked as a foreign service officer, professor and journalist. She is also the author of the non-fiction Media Access and the Military.

Dr. Kern Jackson (Col ’87 CM) was delighted to return to UVA and be recognized by the Virginia Film Festival for the screening of Descendant on Nov 5. Descendant was awarded the Special Jury Award: Creative Vision in the U.S. Documentary Competition during the Sundance Film Festival. Netflix has acquired the documentary, co-presenting the film with former President and First Lady Michelle and Barack Obama’s media company Higher Ground. In addition, the vision, support and partnership of Participant Media continues to inspire the visibility of storytelling. Co-writing and serving as co-producer for this film elevates the visibility of a collection of Jackson’s archived oral histories and interviews with informants – an accomplishment and sacred honor. As a folklorist, Jackson’s preoccupation is with the nuances, the nooks and crannies of culture, as inspiration for honoring the ancestors and the people of Africatown, U.S.A., in Mobile, Alabama.

Robert F. Graboyes (Col ’76 CM) is now owner and president of RFG Counterpoint, LLC in Alexandria, Virginia. Through his firm, he does economic consulting, journalism, and music production. He publishes BASTIAT’S WINDOW, a Substack journal devoted to economics, ethics, health, technology, and culture. He is also a FAIR in Medicine Fellow (where FAIR = Foundation Against Racism and Intolerance). His musical performances and compositions are on his YouTube channel.

Paul W. Hobby (Col ’82 CM), founding partner of Genesis Park and GP Capital, has been inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation. The foundation honors the accomplishments and contributions of outstanding business leaders by celebrating and telling their stories.

John Guerard, (Grad ’76 CM) has published two books: The Leading Economic Indicators and Business Cycles in the United States: 100 Years of Empirical Evidence and the Opportunities for the Future (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022), and the third edition of Quantitative Corporate Finance (Springer, 2022). Guerard, who taught at the McIntire School of Commerce from 1979 to 1981, has retired after 15 years as director of quantitative research at McKinley Capital Management in Anchorage, Alaska. He and his wife, Julie, have settled in Bluffton, South Carolina.