Class Notes
Duncan Clarke (Grad ’70 CM)
Duncan Clarke (Grad ’70 CM) has published a new novel, Murder on the Appalachian Trail. The novel follows a criminal law professor who works with his beloved German Shepherd, a runaway teen and the FBI to solve a series of murders on the Appalachian Trail. Clarke, who has hiked the Appalachian Trail twice, draws on his experience and love of the trail in his writing. Murder on the Appalachian Trail can be found online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It is published by Bell Isle Books. Clarke is a professor emeritus of international relations at American University and is a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Ronnie Poff (SCPS ’12 CM)
Ronnie Poff (SCPS ’12 CM) was initiated as the national president of Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE), a co-ed business fraternity focused on professional development in sales, marketing and management. Poff is an associate professor at Virginia Tech.
Laura Terry (Col ’06)
Laura Wells Terry (Col ’06) and Jonathan Terry (Col ’06, Law ’11) welcomed their fifth child, Fern Joanna Brooke, on Feb. 22, 2025. She joins big sisters Afton, Spring, and Kai, and big brother Thad. The Terrys reside in the Washington metro area, where Jonathan is employed as an in-house corporate counsel for Amazon and serves as a (recently promoted) lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
Julie Hummer (Col ’90 CM)
Julie Kleckley Hummer (Col ’90 CM) was elected chairman of the Anne Arundel County Council in Maryland in December 2024. She represents 85,000 residents of District 4.
Jason Baer (Col ’08)
Jason Baer (Col ’08) has published a short children’s book, Good Morning, Trash Truck. The book, loosely based on experiences from his time in Brooklyn, New York, follows a trash truck and crew as they drive to different parts of the city, collecting the neighborhood trash. The book can be found on Amazon.
Walter Lee Fanning (Med ’70, Intern ’71)
Walter Lee Fanning (Med ’70) has published Microbial Mysteries: A Rocky Road, under the pseudonym Lee F. Walters MD. Microbial Mysteries is the third release in a trilogy of semiautobiographical medical thrillers published by Friesen Press in Vancouver. The novel follows the Walter couple, whose medical careers are caught between an unstable associate and a mafia boss. It is available at various online book sellers.
Irwin Shur (Col ’80, Law ’83 CM)
Irwin Shur (Col ’80, Law ’83 CM) has just released his fourth solo album, “The Farther Away You Get, The Better I Look,” available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and other music streaming services. He continues practicing law but focuses on his passion for music.
Bruce Dierenfield (Grad ’77, Grad ’81)
Bruce Dierenfield (Grad ’77, Grad ’81) has published his seventh book, Separating Church and State: How the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union Led the Nation in Religious Liberty (2024).
Richard Katholi (Med ’68 CM)
Dr. Richard Katholi (Med ’68 CM) has retired from the practice of medicine. Over 56 years he trained in internal medicine, took care of troops in Vietnam for a year when in the United States Air Force, and then trained in and practiced cardiology. Over those years he published 167 research and review articles.
Kim Gallagher (Col ’84 CM)
Kim Tuten Gallagher (Col ’84 CM) celebrates eight years of her Blue Book Essays national college coaching company. Her squad of five coaches includes two UVA grads, Kara Davis Cosby (Comm ’93 CM) and Nicole Borghard (Col ’11, Educ ’11). Blue Book Essays serves high school seniors at public and private schools nationwide, as well as applicants to law, medical, and business schools. A Blue Book student essay was featured on the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast. Kim also serves as a source for media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal.
Victoria (Tori) DeJarnette (Col ’10 CM)
Victoria (Tori) DeJarnette (Col ’10 CM) received the KPMG 2024 Employee Award of Distinction for the Washington, D.C. and Tysons, Virginia office. DeJarnette received multiple nominations, attesting to her ability to innovate to uncover new insights and solutions, her impact among the firm and its clients, and her dedication to quality and excellence.
Hayden Lee (Col ’04 CM)
Hayden Lee (Col ’04 CM) joined the Reston, Virginia, law firm of Hirsch & Ehlenberger as Of Counsel, where he will continue his Virginia and District of Columbia family law practice.
Richard Scher (Res ’90)
Rich Scher (Res ’90) will release his debut album, Mill Pond, in March. Scher transitioned into the world of music after a successful career as a physician to channel his passion for storytelling, using it as his new medium of healing. He crafts gritty folk and Americana songs inspired by his observations and connections with the many people and places he’s encountered throughout his life.
Scher is a former professor of surgery at Duke University and head and neck cancer surgeon who trained in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at UVA. He is based in North Carolina.
Daniel Frisch (Arch ’87 CM)
Daniel Frisch (Arch ’87 CM) has published Looking Forward to Monday Morning (ORO Editions 2025), a collection of essays. Frisch is an architect based in New York City and a member of the American Institute of Architects.
Ian Jenkins (Col ’97, Med ’01)
Ian Jenkins (Col ’97, Med ’01) has published Romeo and Julian, a re-telling of the classic play in which queer kids and biracial boys and trans people get to have an adventure even more grand than the original, while taking on present day concerns like racism, homophobia, the substance use disorder epidemic, and resistance against the trying political system we’re living under.
The book includes events up to President Donald Trump’s nominations for major administration posts in 2025. Jenkins worked from the play’s original framework and substituted his own passion and experiences and events straight from the headlines.
Jenkins’ first book, Three Dads and a Baby, was featured on podcasts and morning shows on five continents.
The Kindle version of his new book is for sale now, with the print edition coming soon.
Patrick Wheaton (Col ’86 CM)
Patrick George Wheaton (Col ’86 CM) recently planned the 95th annual convention of the Southern States Communication Association, to be held in Norfolk, Virginia April 2-6. Faculty, students and professional scholars from across the south will present their research at the conference.
Wheaton is 1st Vice president of the association. He holds a doctorate in speech communication from the University of Georgia and has been a professor of communication studies at Georgia Southern University since 1998.
Eric Kalkhurst (Col ’68 CM)
Eric Kalkhurst (Col ’68 CM) has been accepted into the M.A./Ph.D. psychology, religion and consciousness program of Pacifica Graduate Institute for fall 2025.
(Ronald) Christopher Langhorne (Engr ’99, Darden ’05 CM)
Chris Langhorne (Engr ’99, Darden ’05 CM) has recently taken on the role of chief strategy officer at Almarai, the Middle East’s largest food and beverage company. In this role, he is leading strategic initiatives across mergers and acquisitions, long-term planning, and expansion into new categories and markets. His work is focused on driving sustainable growth and positioning Almarai for continued success in the region.
While Chris is based full-time in Saudi Arabia, his wife, Brooke, and their three children remain in Houston. Brooke has been instrumental in ensuring a strong foundation for the family during this transition, creating the best environment for their kids while also exploring new passions, including floral design and travel. She enjoys visiting Chris in Saudi Arabia, and as a family, they love traveling together—most recently spending Christmas in Dubai and ringing in the New Year in Saudi Arabia.
Their eldest son, CJ (15), is a ninth grader who has a deep passion for baseball and photography. Cameron (13), in seventh grade, is an avid basketball, football and baseball player and enjoys creating home movies. Morgan (11) is a dedicated gymnast, spending much of her time training and perfecting her routines.
Chris and his family continue to embrace this exciting chapter, balancing life between Houston and Riyadh while making time for shared adventures along the way.
Justin Ruth (Grad ’97 CM)
Justin Ruth (Col ’97 CM) has been appointed as associate circuit judge in St. Louis County, Missouri, by Gov. Mike Kehoe.
David Hein (Col ’76, Grad ’82 CM)
David Hein (Col ’76, Grad ’82 CM) has published Teaching the Virtues (Mecosta House, 2025), a primer for parents and teachers of secondary school students on how to teach the theological and cardinal virtues as well as such essential traits as humility, patience, perseverance, gratitude, and generosity. Hein is currently distinguished teaching fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal.
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