Class Notes

Casey Chalk (Col ’07, Educ ’07) and his wife, Claire, welcomed a son, Daniel Edmund, on Aug. 3, 2020. He joins siblings Annemarie, 9; Thomas, 7; Elizabeth, 5, and Lawrence, 2. 

Jessica Hatch (Col ’12 CM) celebrated the debut of her first novel, My Big Fake Wedding (Hachette Book Group; Bookouture), on August 18, 2022. It debuted at #1 in Amazon’s Humorous American Literature category. Hatch has a second novel forthcoming from Bookouture in February 2023. Learn more at www.jessicahatch.com.

Ed Coleman (Col ’04) has been included in the Best Lawyers in America 2023 edition for his practices in Insurance Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation-defendants.  Recognition is by peer review.  Only 5% (approximately) of U.S. lawyers are selected for inclusion in the publication.

Gordon Bernhardt (Com ’85 CM) has written Buen Camino: What a Hike through Spain Taught Me about Investing and Life. The book will remind readers that although we’re all walking a different path, we’re all headed for a common destination. Gordon is the founder, president, and CEO of Bernhardt Wealth Management, a comprehensive wealth management firm based in McLean, VA. The company is an independent registered investment advisory firm that provides clients with financial planning and investment management.

Jordan Brown (Com ’04) and husband Greg welcomed their first daughter, Easton Campbell Brown, on July 26th, 2022. Easton is well-loved by brothers Bruce (10) and Bode (2). The family lives in Newport Beach, California. 

Bradford Moore (Col ’07 CM) has published his debut novel, The Phoenix of Upperville.  Set in Washington, D.C. and Virginia, this political/legal mystery follows the investigation of the apparent suicide of a US senator.  The protagonists must grapple with the reverberations of Southern history that linger in our modern times as they attempt to uncover the truth behind the senator’s death.  Available from Brandylane Publishers.

John Teschner (Col ’03) has written his debut novel, Project Namahana, a mystery thriller set in Hawaii and published by Forge/Macmillan in June. It was inspired by the seven years he spent living on Kauai. He and his family recently moved to Duluth, Minnesota.

David Scott Thompson (Com ’01 CM) has announced that he is joining forces with Doug Rohan, another workers’ compensation attorney in Atlanta, to provide more resources to better serve their clients. Thompson, who has been in Atlanta since enrolling at Emory University School in 2001, will also be helping with marketing.

David Hamilton Golland (Grad ’02) has accepted appointment as dean of the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Monmouth University, where he has also been appointed professor of history.

Dr. George Drake (Educ ’93) was granted status as founding dean emeritus of the College of Education and Human Services and the School of Social Work by the president and the Council of Trustees of Millersville University of Pennsylvania following his retirement in January 2022.  Dr. Drake retired after 29 years of service to Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and 42 years in various roles in basic and higher education education.

Erik Larsen (Engr ’90 CM) started a new job as a proposal manager at Maxar Technologies – Assembly, Integration & Test Group. Previously, he was an engineering fellow at Bombardier Transportation/Alstom.

Amy Shroyer Lightbourn (Col ’12 CM) and James Lightbourn (Col ’12 CM) welcomed their daughter, Linnea, on July 5th, 2022. She joins big brother Landon and dog Bernie at home in East Norwalk, Connecticut.

Jordan McElwain (Col ’14 CM) has taken on a new role as the first content marketing hire at Chapter, a Medicare Advisor with a simple commitment: it’s impossible to find a better Medicare recommendation or better support anywhere else. Chapter’s team and technology search every Medicare option nationwide at an unprecedented level of detail. 
The company aligns with McElwain’s life goal of helping underserved populations.

Kailey Leinz (Col ’17 CM), Dani Burger (Col ’14) and Kriti Gupta (Col ’18 CM) were part of a rare and fun moment, when the Bloomberg TV anchors appeared together on the show Bloomberg Surveillance: Early Edition. They played up the UVA connection throughout the program.

Mark Harrington (Educ ’00, ’02) has written the first edition of Preventing School Violence; A Self-Assessment Approach, released by Cognella Publishing and available through https://titles.cognella.com/preventing-school-violence-9781793570277 or at amazon.com or bordersbooks.com.

Alden Hathaway (Engr ’81 CM) and his son, Tripp Hathaway, have published Energy Independence – The Individual Pursuit of Energy Freedom, a step-by-step guide to achieving energy independence.

David Buie-Moltz (Col ’08 CM) started a new job as director of advancement communications at the UVA Darden School of Business Foundation in July 2022. Previously, he was director of strategic communications for UVA Health.

Charles L. Orndorff (Col ’74 CM) has retired after 47 years with The Conservative Caucus, the last 44 as administrative vice chairman. In addition to overseeing the organization’s administrative matters, he also served as its expert on American history and the U.S. Constitution. He was acting chairman during early 2012. He now lives in Amissville, VA.

Chris Schroder (Col ’78 CM) published a humorous memoir detailing his journey growing bald and getting hair transplant surgery that has won all 5-star reviews on Amazon and praise from book critics. Headscape: how a bald guy replanted his hair and restarted his life begins with his first haircut and concludes with his attending a UVA reunion.

Patricia (Anyaso) Sasser (Col ’99 CM) recently moved with her family to Raleigh, North Carolina to start her new job as the Assistant Head of School at Saint Mary’s School. Saint Mary’s is an all-girls boarding and day Episcopal school serving grades 9-12 founded in1842.

Lt. Col. Michael Trimble (Col ’04 CM), USAF, on May 25 completed a two-year tour as Squadron Commander and C-130J Instructor Pilot, 19th Operations Support Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. The 19th Operations Support Squadron enables the combat airlift mission of the 19th Operations Group, operating the airfield and providing mission scheduling, aircrew training, combat tactics instruction and development, aircrew flight equipment, aviation resource management, weather forecasting, and joint airdrop inspection for two AMC flying squadrons of 32 C-130J aircraft and 327 aircrew members. 

Christopher S. Lee (Com ’05) published his first novel, Between the Shimmer & the Blinding, which debuted at No. 1 in Genetics on Amazon. A multi-generational family drama, the book centers on a young couple grappling with the decision of editing their embryos to reduce disease risks, inviting readers to probe the meaning of parenthood and legacy in our era of profound biotechnological change. Find more information at www.chrisleeauthor.com

Melody Robertson Weigel (Col ’06 CM) won the Ben Fry Service to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock award for her dedication to promoting and advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Her passion is increasing the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.  She also serves as the adviser for the OutLaw Legal Society at the university’s William H. Bowen School of Law and works in the admissions office.

Judith Hermis (Com ’09 CM) joined the faculty of Saint Mary’s College of California in January as an assistant professor of accounting in the School of Economics and Business Administration. She was previously on the faculty of the Naval Postgraduate School. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and her research examines how accounting information enhances decision-making at the intersection of the public and private sectors.

John Markowitz (Col ’05) was appointed Deputy Secretary of Finance for the Commonwealth of Virginia by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Eric Gyauch (Engr ’82 CM) has retired from Michelin Tire Corp. after 35 years. He joined the company after five years of service as an officer in the U.S. Army. Gyauch and his wife of 36 years, Alisa, live in Greenville, S.C. 

Andrea Trank (Col ’80, Educ ’97, ’00 CM) has returned to working with teachers and students by helping them develop strategies to manage stress, stay resilient and maintain emotional self-regulation. She is about to launch a major project with the HeartMath Institute to develop an online series of training seminars for teachers all over the world to learn simple but highly researched and effective tools for staying physically, emotionally and mentally healthy in the classroom. These tools can be used by teachers to help develop more restorative and less punitive behavior management plans.

William Robert Oliver II (Educ ’11 CM) earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative STEM Education from Virginia Tech in May 2022. He plans to continue serving as Professor of Information Systems Technology at Blue Ridge Community College.

Emily Longenecker Andrews (Col ’06 CM) was selected as Newport News Division Teacher of the Year, 2022-2023. Andrews has been the lead social studies teacher at Hines Middle School in Newport News, Virginia, since 2018. She previously taught at Riverbend High School in Spotsylvania, Virginia, after a career in international development.

Jeffrey Toney (Col ’81 CM) is currently Professor Emeritus at Kean University, where he previously served as the Senior Vice President for Research as well as Provost and Chief Academic Officer. He concurrently serves as a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. Toney is a Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society, and has served on the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science and Human Rights Coalition since its founding in 2009. He has also published a wide range of peer-reviewed scientific publications and holds six U.S. patents.

Brandon Possin (Col ’05 CM) moved to Tokyo, Japan, in 2021 to serve at the U.S. Embassy. Possin will lead the mission’s health, biotechnology, space, science and computing diplomacy initiatives. Among his goals are developing plans for U.S.-Japan lunar surface exploration missions, tightening cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, finalizing civil space negotiations, advancing U.S.-Japan cooperation in Latin America and Africa, boosting U.S.-Japan research collaboration in quantum computing, attracting venture capital to fuel the growth of Japanese startups and advancing bilateral cancer research programs. He will also serve as the post representative for the White House-led Joint High-Level Science and Technology Committee.