Class Notes

Cristina Liebolt Foran (Col ’10 CM) and Lincoln Foran (Col ’10 CM) made it to their 15-year Reunions with 2-year-old Susanna Walton Foran and 9-week old Eugenia Lee Foran, who was born March 29. Susanna loved being back on the lawn and introducing baby Eugenia to the grounds. The girls’ matching outfits were given to them by friends Michelle Wagner (Col ’10) and Freyan Soonawalla (Col ’10, Darden ’19). The Forans look forward to continuing to take the girls down to Charlottesville as they grow up!

Charles Napier (Col ’81 CM) came out of semi-retirement last year to serve as director for the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority. His team was honored to receive the 2024 Governor’s Award for Excellence in recognition of outstanding public service to Pennsylvania.

Lea Jih-Vieira (Engr ’24) joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as a data science fellow in the Information Technology and Systems Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center in Alexandria, Virginia. Jih-Vieira earned her bachelor’s degree in information science from Cornell University in 2023 and her master’s degree in systems engineering from UVA in 2024.

Tuan “Megan” Doan (Col ’24) joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as a research associate in the Cost Analysis and Research Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center in Alexandria, Virginia. IDA is a nonprofit corporation that operates three federally funded research and development centers that seeks to answer the most challenging U.S. security and science policy questions. At UVA, Doan studied applied statistics.

Tina Schust Robinson (Col ’94) will publish her first book, Developing Your Business Leaders: A Guide to Investing at All Levels in March 2026 with ATD Press. In the book, Robinson discusses the leadership qualities and outlines the reasons and methods for investing intentionally in leaders. As a seasoned public speaker, workplace consultant and executive coach, she’s grateful every day for her Virginia education, particularly the UVA English department.

Gabrielle Rhodes Crawford (Col ’00 CM) was named Advanced Practice Provider of the Year for the Centra Medical Group Sept. 25. This recognition honors one advanced practice provider who truly exemplifies excellence in patient care, leadership and teamwork. Crawford has worked in the general surgery and trauma department at Centra Health in Lynchburg since 2015 and currently serves as the lead advanced practice provider. After graduating from UVA, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lynchburg College, now University of Lynchburg, and an Master of Science in Nursing from James Madison University. She and her husband, Kenneth Crawford (Col ’01 CM) are the proud parents of two sons, Kenneth II and Kingston, and a daughter, Austin. Kenneth II is a senior at Appalachian State University.

Amy Rector (Col ’00 CM) and her colleagues from the Ledi-Geraru Research Project in northeastern Ethiopia have discovered what could be a new species of Australopithecus, an early hominin species that lived alongside the early human ancestors of the Homo genus two to three million years ago. Rector, a paleontologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, and the other team members discovered and studied a large number of ancient fossilized teeth at the Ledi-Geraru research area, with their findings supporting a view of human evolution as a “tangled-up bush,” rather than a linear timeline. The Ledi-Geraru Research Project and their findings were featured in an article in the Washington Post.

Kieran Carter (Col ’06 CM) launched her own firm, Oakgrove Legal Strategies, which focuses on tax law, high-stakes litigation and legacy planning. The new practice helps clients design sophisticated wealth management strategies that prepare families, founders and fiduciaries for generational transitions. Kieran draws on her 15 years of government experience, including serving as a senior trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division, where she litigated complex tax cases across the country. She also served in DOJ leadership, advising the deputy Assistant attorney general on tax policy and sensitive tax matters involving the IRS, Congress and the White House.

Charles Snyder (Grad ’73, ’79) published Murder at Knebworth, a cozy historical murder mystery novel which follows an American couple navigating English high society in the post-American Civil War period.

Carlton Higby (Engr ’19 CM) and Wendy Wright (Col ’19, Educ ’19 CM) were married in Arlington, Virginia, in September. The couple met in the Baker Street tube station in London on a UVA study abroad program the summer after their second year.

Laura DeLuca (Col ’85 CM) was named the director of the University of Colorado, Boulder’s study abroad program, Global Seminar: Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship in Bali, Indonesia, for 2025 and 2026. Students in the program will learn about Bali’s native plants and their uses in traditional medicine and food; visit Tirta Empul, a Hindu temple; tour Mai Organic Farm, a community-led movement to preserve traditional agricultural village life; hear a presentation on coral reef growth from the Biorock Indonesia coral restoration project; and visit with social entrepreneurs at the Makadaya Social Impact Centre, a group that develops sustainable solutions to social and environmental challenges in Indonesia.

Scott Gakenheimer (Engr ’86, Darden ’90 CM) has published his first book, A To-Do List (And Some Don’t-Do’s) For Building Wealth. Gakenheimer shares the lessons and learnings from his own personal finance journey that allowed him to reach financial independence at a young age and retire at 54 years old. Though the book is aimed at recent college graduates, it provides financial advice for people of all ages. In retirement, Gakenheimer splits his time between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

Myron Santos (Col ’01 CM) has been accepted as a member of American Cinema Editors, an honorary society that celebrates excellence within the art of motion picture editing, promotes mutual respect among peers and supports diversity and inclusion within the profession. Myron, his wife and their 10-year-old daughter live in Los Angeles. He is also a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is on the board of the UVA Entertainment Club of Los Angeles.

Kathryn Wymer Clarke (Col ’14) and Philipp Clarke (Col ’15 CM) welcomed their son, Benedict Philip Maria Clarke, in October 2024. Benedict is also the grandson of John Wymer (Law ’74 CM) and the nephew of Mason Wymer (College ’01 CM) and Sarah Wymer Raj (Educ ’17, 21).

Aaron Peters (Engr ’01 CM) and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed their fourth child, Sophia, May 25, 2023, and their fifth child, Margaret, July 24, 2025.

Charles M. Bryant (Col ’67 CM) co-founded Spangler Bryant, a company dedicated to originating and producing Broadway shows and movies. His co-founder, David Spangler, is a composer of Broadway musicals, including Hard Road to Heaven, which premiered at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Connecticut, in March to standing ovations. The new company has also optioned a book by Stefani Moore, Last Dance in Paradise, which is in pre-production for a shoot in New Hope in the late spring. Along with running Spangler Bryant, Bryant is a practicing interior designer based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Lucie André (Col ’89 CM) published her debut novel, Never Ready, which tells the story of protagonist Henri Drake’s experiences with love and loss in the New York City dance scene in the 1990s, which is likened to “working at a circus during a plague.” Described as “mythic and modern,” it has been featured in readings at the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina, the Paul Taylor Dance Company in New York and Spalding Nix Fine Art gallery in Atlanta. The novel was inspired by André’s time working at a leading modern dance company in NYC when it lost two of its nine men to AIDS.

Jane Everson (Educ ’80, ’83 CM) has retired from a long career in academia. In retirement, she has been elected to a position on her local school board and has published a non-fiction book exploring the lives of women who have influenced her life, titled Everyday Women, Extraordinary Wisdom.

Katie Walker (Educ ’12, ’18), the former associate vice president and chief budget officer at UVA, was named vice chancellor for finance and administration at Indiana University. She currently lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with her husband, Andrew Walker (Arch ’12) and her children, James and Lily.

Andrew G. Lee (Col ’85, Med ’89 CM) is proud to receive The 2025 UVA Walter Reed Distinguished Achievement Award. The award recognizes professional accomplishments, outstanding innovation and exemplary leadership in the field of medicine.

Molly Elizabeth Beauchemin (Col ’12 CM) and her husband, Rishi Paul Singh (Col ’11 CM) welcomed their third baby, Iris Oak Singh, in June. Iris is baby brother to two girls, a 4-year-old named Cypress and 2-year-old named Lilac. Cypress, Lilac and Iris have all spent many beautiful hours rocking in the same rocking chair that used to sit outside of their mother’s former Lawn room, 32 East.

Asmau Ahmed (Engr ’00) was named the first chief artificial intelligence and data officer for Varo Bank, the first all-digital nationally chartered bank in the U.S. She will lead company-wide AI and machine-learning efforts. Asmau has led teams and delivered products over the past 20-plus years, most recently sitting on the leadership team at Google X, where she led the development of new technologies. She has also served on the boards of various companies, including the Creative Arts Agency, the Yale Board of Advisers, QuinStreet, Pony AI and blackcomputeHER.

Peter Barres (Col ’58 CM) has retired after a fulfilling career teaching at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut, and tutoring students in math. He is spending his retirement building tiny houses and growing lima beans, tomatoes, butternut squash and string beans in his garden.

Greg Coxson (Col ’80) has published his first book, Optimal-Peak-Sidelobe Polyphase Codes, co-authored with long-time collaborator Jon Russo, and published by ArTech House. Coxson is a research engineer at the United States Naval Academy (USNA), where he teaches electrical engineering courses. Prior to working at USNA, he worked as a radar systems engineer at Hughes Radar, Lockheed Martin and the Naval Research Laboratories in Washington, D.C.

Sara A. Austin (Col ’87 CM) was granted fellowship in the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), which provides a forum for the exchange of information among experienced legal professionals working for the advancement of community association governance. Austin, who is the founder of Austin Law Firm, earned this national recognition due to her outstanding leadership and commitment to the advancement of the legal principles and practical tools necessary for community associations to thrive. Among other professional positions, Austin is a past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

David Powers (Law ’82) published his memoir, Power Lines: My American Story, recounting his youth in Washington, D.C. and his career which took him around the globe. The memoir started as a collection of light-hearted anecdotes shared with friends and evolved into an exploration of inherited personality traits based on over 200 years of family history, observations on America’s shifting political and social values, and a healthy dose of humor. Power Lines was edited by Dallas editor Nina Flournoy and published by NFES Publishing in Dallas.

Spencer Francis (Engr ’03 CM) celebrated 22 years with Bowman Consulting Group (NASDAQ: BWMN) and commemorated Bowman’s 30th anniversary by ringing the NASDAQ opening bell with other Bowman leaders. Francis has helped grow Bowman from a regional Washington, D.C.-based engineering firm into one of the top multidisciplinary design firms in the United States. Francis is currently executive vice president and division manager at Bowman. He and his wife, Kirsten (Dodd) Francis (Col ’03 CM) live in Richmond with their three daughters.

Austin Palmore (Col ’15, Com ’16 CM) recently completed a two-year clerkship at the Court of Appeals of Virginia, where he was a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Randolph A. Beales (Law ’86 CM). Palmore is now a litigation associate with the broad-based civil practice law firm Christian & Barton, LLP in Richmond, Virginia.

Ted Weihe (Arch ’79) published his book, What Is Lost with the Demise of USAID: Personal Reflections. The book discusses what is lost with the demise of USAID, reflecting on its impact on American leadership, poor and rural communities and humanitarian relief efforts. It includes chapters covering the voter registration campaign in Chile that defeated Pinochet and the successful formation of cooperatives in Poland, Albania, Barbados, South Sudan and Uganda. Weihe has written 12 self-published books which cover ancestry, sailing, chocolate and cooperative development, among other topics.

Randy Stephens (Arch ’86 CM) retired from a fulfilling, 40-year career in architecture. His career began with WRT, a Philadelphia-based, multi-discipline firm responsible for the design of the Atlantic City Convention Center and Rail Terminal. After 15 years in private practice, he transitioned to higher education, serving as campus planner and project manager for Miami University, and then as university architect for Montana State University. Stephens concluded his career as planning manager for the state of Montana, preparing the portfolio of capital projects for the governor’s budget. Along the way, Stephens was a visiting instructor at Miami University, was named honorary Coach of the Week by the late football coach Terry Hoeppner, and presented at national and regional meetings for the American Institute of Architects and the Society for Collegiate and University Planning. His plans for retirement are to stay connected, to explore, to learn and to serve, including being an A-School alumni mentor this year! Stephens and his wife, Barb, live with their two dogs in Jefferson City, Montana, where he has spent much of his free time hiking and catch-and-release fishing for trout.

Nakita Reed (Arch ’06) and Ryan McEnroe (Arch ’09) have both been promoted to associate principal at Quinn Evans, an award-winning national design firm.

Reed’s past projects include the revitalization of Baltimore Penn Station. She is also the host of the Tangible Remnants podcast, which seeks to demystify the process of transforming historic buildings into thriving spaces that honor the past while serving the present. She is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology, a co-chair of the of the Zero Net Carbon Collaboration for Existing and Historic Buildings, and a past president of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation.

McEnroe has contributed to the design of the Bird House at the National Zoological Park and the National Native American Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian, both in Washington, D.C., for the Smithsonian Institution. He was elevated to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows in 2023, is a member of the National Architectural Accrediting Board and is a co-founder of AIA|DC’s Christopher Kelley Leadership Development Program.

Will Overman (Col ’17) releases his second record, Stranger, September 26, and will tour Virginia with the band Holy Roller in November, making stops in Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Norfolk and Charlottesville. Singles on the album include “Virginia is for Lovers,” “Held Up by a Woman” and “Landlocked Heart.” Much of his record was inspired by and written in Virginia during a tumultuous time in his life. Overman, a working singer-songwriter, is currently based in Nashville, but he grew up in Virginia Beach and spent many years in Charlottesville, giving him a lifelong love of both Virginia’s coastlines and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Jena Crisler (Col ’86) is running for the Virginia House of Delegates, District 35. She is campaigning against assaults on civil rights, the repeals of women’s rights to bodily autonomy, the lack of due process, and budget cuts designed to eliminate basic health care. Crisler has a 25-year career as an internal medicine physician and seeks to use her experience and knowledge of the inner workings of the healthcare landscape to make a difference. She has been endorsed by the Virginia Democratic Women’s Caucus and the Democratic Party of Virginia Rural Caucus. Virginia District 35 includes large swaths of Augusta County and Rockingham County, as well as parts of Bath County and Highland County.

Peter M. Page Jr. (Col ’88 CM) and his daughter, Anne Page (Col ’17, Darden ’23 CM) celebrated their 60th and 30th birthdays at Grand Teton summit August 10. Joining them were fellow ‘Hoos Lyons Brown (Col ’82, Darden ’87 CM), Kayde Schwabacher (Col ’19 CM), Emma Whelan Page (Grad ’22, ’26), John Hughes Page (Col ’20), Valerie Newton Page (Col ’88 CM) and Turner Bredrup (Col ’88, Darden ’94 CM).

Deborah E. Sheetenhelm Hammond (Arch ’82 CM) has been selected as the regent of the William Henshaw chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Hammond traces her ancestry to Peter Mantz of Frederick, who aided independence efforts in the Revolutionary War. She has also recently become a member of the Captain James Gibson chapter of the United States Daughters of 1812, being descended from soldiers who fought in the War of 1812.

Hammond continues her second career as a novelist, with a new novel, Death in a Perfect Village, due in the autumn. Her previous novel, Death in Lewes, is a murder mystery set in Lewes, Delaware. All of her novels are available on Amazon.com in both Kindle and paperback versions.