Class Notes
Joanne Searles (Col ’99 CM)
Joanne “Joleen” Searles (Col ’99 CM) has joined the Sarasota, Florida office of the law firm Shutts & Bowen as partner in the private client services practice group. Searles focuses her practice on complex estate planning, trust and estate administration, settlement and probate, high net worth planning, as well as federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax planning.
Audrey Fahlberg (Col ’20)
Audrey Fahlberg (Col ’20) has been awarded a 2024-25 Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship. Fellows spend one year researching and providing in-depth reporting on their chosen topics surrounding the principles of a free society. The fellowship is named after the late Robert D. Novak, renowned columnist, CNN broadcaster and reporter for The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press. Novak Fellows have gone on to become leaders in journalism as Pulitzer Prize winners, leaders of national outlets and authors of bestselling books. Fahlberg is a political reporter for National Review.
Jim Thunder (Grad ’74)
Jim Thunder (Grad ’74) retired from law in 2022. Thunder has nearly 300 publications to his credit covering law, public policy, history, biography, ethics, and religion. They include The United States Attorneys for the District of Columbia 1801-2024, “Quiet Killings in Medical Facilities: Detection & Prevention” (Issues in Law & Medicine, 2003) cited by Justice Neil Gorsuch in his book on euthanasia, and a recent exposition on the bicentennial of Lafayette’s 1824-25 national tour focusing on visits with Thomas Jefferson and to the University of Virginia (New Oxford Review). Jim, his wife Ann of 50 years, and their children, including Dr. Megan Swanson (Col ’98 CM), and Kateri Thunder Southall (Col ‘02, Educ ‘02, ‘11 CM), and grandchildren all live in Charlottesville.
ellen finkelstein (Col ’88 CM)
Ellen Finkelstein (Col ’88 CM) has been named CEO of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America. With more than 300,000 members worldwide, Hadassah works to advance women’s health, supports a strong Israel and instills Jewish values in future generations. Hadassah is helping women find their voices to advance health equity, fight hate and antisemitism in the U.S. and model shared society in Israel. Thanks to the medical system in Israel that Hadassah helped create, new treatments and scientific breakthroughs are saving lives around the world.
Steven Johnson (Grad ’84, Grad ’90)
Steven Johnson (Grad ’84, ’90) has published Jim Londos: The Golden Greek of Professional Wrestling through McFarland Books. The Golden Greek studies a worldwide icon of the Depression era against a backdrop of immigration, athletic entertainment and Greek identity. It is part of McFarland’s series on strength and physical culture. Johnson writes on a contract basis for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, from which he retired as managing editor.
Christopher Strain (Col ’93)
Christopher Strain (Col ’93) has published his fifth book, Driving Lessons: A Road Trip Through American Travel Literature, with University of Alabama Press. The book is part memoir, part travelogue, part academic analysis and not only recounts the author’s own cross-country odyssey in a 1972 Volkswagen Bus but also delves into other travel narratives, exploring the enduring power of the road trip in American culture. Strain is professor of history and American Studies at the Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University.
Anne (Missy) Lorio (Col ’95 CM)
Anne “Missy” Kilpatrick Lorio (Col ’95 CM) recently graduated with a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Georgia State University, where she is a board-certified neurologic physical therapy clinical specialist and clinical professor in the physical therapy program. She has over two decades of experience in clinical practice, teaching, and research, focusing on patient education, health literacy/clear communication, innovative teaching methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration to advance physical therapy education and practice. She is passionate about enhancing student engagement and learning and improving patient care through both teaching and practicing evidence-based approaches.
Ross Blankenship (Col ’08 CM)
Ross Blankenship (Col ’08 CM) has published his second book, Everyday Leadership: A Guide to Developing Your Mindset as a Leader. The book aims to help readers integrate their values—the things they care about and are already building their lives around—into how they lead. It presents useful frameworks, key ideas, and practical techniques, all grounded in scientific research, to help leaders improve their day-to-day effectiveness.
Whether someone is stepping into their first leadership role or is an experienced leader looking to expand their scope and skillset, this book serves as an essential resource for gaining greater clarity about leadership. Recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t effective, Everyday Leadership encourages readers to develop their own leadership mindset. It provides a foundational overview of what leadership is, what makes leaders effective, and how to think systematically about organizations and teams.
Michael Ross (Col ’70, Law ’77 CM)
Michael Ross (Col ’70, Law ’77 CM) has published volumes eight and nine of his collections of quotations from literary fiction, Ross’s Spiritual Discoveries and Ross’s Literary Discoveries. Ross has been collecting gems from his reading of literary fiction since the 1970s, seeking pithy observations and perspectives from a diverse group of authors across the globe. Quotes are often thought-provoking, humorous, or both. The collections illustrate the value of quotations, introduce readers to authors and books that they do not know, and provide the perfect pocket-sized gift for readers and booklovers.
Emily Waterfield (Col ’05 CM)
Emily Waterfield (Col ’05 CM) has been appointed head of school at The Common School in Amherst, Massachusetts. A progressive, independent elementary school entering its 60th year, The Common School seeks to advance equity and environmental justice through joyful learning, community, and emergent curriculum. Waterfield holds a master’s degree from Columbia University, is a graduate of the Inclusive School Leader Fellowship, serves as adjunct faculty at Tulane University and has two decades of experience as an educator and school system leader. She moved to Amherst from New Orleans, Louisiana along with her husband Chris and their three children.
Michelle Perrin-Steinberg (Col ’01 CM)
Michelle Trong Perrin-Steinberg (Col ’01 CM) has published Kindly, Michelle, a book that seeks to assist law students, early career lawyers, and others with inspiration and encouragement on their journey. The book details her path to becoming chief legal counsel at a global technology company, explaining how she grew up differently and fell into export control and sanctions regulatory compliance. Through family stories—including from her father, Michael T. Perrin (Com ’75 CM)—and practical advice, Perrin-Steinberg explains that uncovering one’s values is key.
Anant Das (Com ’19 CM)
Anant Das (Com ’19 CM) is a co-producer of the U.S. national tour of the Broadway musical “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.” Das is also producing two shows on Broadway this season: “Gypsy”, with Audra McDonald; and Steven Spielberg’s “Smash.” Das recently celebrated the four-year anniversary of his theatre subscription box company, Broadway Boxed Up.
Matthew Morris (Col ’16 CM)
Matthew Morris (Col ’16 CM) has published The Tilling, a collection of essays which explores questions of race, identity, family history and love. The book won the 2024 Deborah Tall Lyric Book Prize, founded in 2017 by the editors of Seneca Review to support innovative work in the essay form, including cross-genre and hybrid work, verse forms, text and image, connected or serial pieces, and/or beyond category projects. It was published by Seneca Review Books, an imprint of Hobart and William Smith Colleges Press.
Stefan Sittig (Col ’94 CM)
Stefan Sittig (Col ’94 CM) was recently nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for outstanding choreography for In The Heights at NextStop Theatre Company in Herndon, Virginia and a Broadway World Award for best direction and best choreography for Xanadu at Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia.
Sittig is a director, choreographer, fight director, intimacy and movement coordinator, educator, performer and podcast host who has been involved in more than 125 productions in New York (off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway), internationally in Brazil, Uruguay and Canada, and at various regional theaters across the U.S. He has also worked in most of the major theaters in the Washington, D.C. area including The Kennedy Center, Studio Theatre, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre, 1st Stage, The Washington Savoyards, The Atlas Performing Arts Center, Adventure Theatre, Creative Cauldron, Open Circle Theatre, The American Century Theatre and many more.
He recently completed 30 years of teaching at the college/university level and is honored to have trained hundreds of theater students at various institutions including George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, George Washington University, James Madison University and Georgetown University. He is currently writing a book titled Latinidad in Musical Theatre: From Carmen to Lin Manuel Miranda, to be published by Bloomsbury UK/Methuen Drama in August 2025.
Robert Levy (Col ’80)
Robert Levy (Col ’80) has retired from the practice of optometry after 40 years. Levy graduated from UVA with a degree in psychology and got a Bachelor of Science degree in visual science and his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He practiced in Richmond and Northern Virginia, finishing his career at Grove Eye Care in Richmond, where his colleagues included Dr. Laura Schwartz (Educ ’13 CM). His retirement plans include continuing to play bass guitar and sing in his Richmond band TrainWreck, doing more kayaking, more traveling, and moving down to “the Rivah” with his long-suffering girlfriend Debbie.
Brennan Lowery (Col ’09)
Brennan Lowery (Col ’09) and his wife, Brittany, welcomed their daughter, Saige Palmer, on October 31. The best treat! Mom, Dad, Saige, and big brother Lennox are all healthy and well at home in New York City. Thank you, Claudius, for bringing us our rainbow baby.
Virginia LeBaron (Nurs ’96 CM)
Virginia LeBaron (Nurs ’96 CM), the Kluge-Schakat associate professor of nursing at the UVA School of Nursing, published her first book, Caring in Context: An Ethnography of Cancer Nursing in India (Routledge Press, 2024). The book is a vivid and compelling account of how most of the world experiences cancer, and how nurses bear witness and respond to the suffering of others when they have little means to help—or for complex reasons, choose not to. Caring in Context has been hailed as “essential reading for clinicians, researchers and policy makers who care about human rights” and a “crucial book for all who are interested in global health.” Caring in Context’s unique perspective and accessible style will appeal to a wide and interdisciplinary audience, from practitioners, academics, and advocates to anyone interested in the complex context of the human experience. The hardback and ebook are available at Routledge Press and the paperback is currently available through the author’s website.
William Ross (Grad ’88, Grad ’91)
Bill Ross (Grad ’88, ’91) was honored at the conference at the Centre International de Rencontres Mathématiques in Marseille, France. Ross is one of the leading figures in the study of- analytic function spaces, the operators acting on them and their applications.
W. Grant Scott (Com ’83 CM)
W. Grant Scott (Com ’83 CM) was elected as an American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) fellow. ACREL is the preeminent association of commercial real estate lawyers, focused on service to clients, colleagues and the profession. Scott is a partner at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ben Rosenthal (Com ’05 CM)
Ben Rosenthal (Com ’05 CM), CEO and co-president of Standard Meat Company in Fort Worth, Texas has been named an Entrepreneur of The Year® 2024 National Award winner by Ernst & Young. The award, established in 1986, recognizes entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing industries and leading businesses that will shape the future. Ten national winners were chosen by a panel of independent judges from a group of 214 regional winners, representing 185 companies across the U.S. The candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.
Standard Meat Company is a meat processing and packaging firm with four plants in North Texas. It has been owned and operated by the Rosenthal family since it was founded in 1935.
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