Class Notes

Jason F. Lovvorn (Grad ‘96) was promoted to professor of English at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Lovvorn has served as assistant director of the Teaching Center and as Writing Program director and currently serves as the English Department’s internship coordinator.

Laura Rikard (Grad ’11) has been invited to speak at the Berlin Film Festival on intimacy coordination, the process of working with and advocating for actors to develop and choreograph intimate scenes in film, television and theater. Rikard is founder of an organization called Theatrical Intimacy Education and a leading voice in creating intimacy coordination. She is associate professor of Theatre at the University of South Carolina Upstate.

Peter Capuano (Grad ’09) has published Dickens’s Idiomatic Imagination, an analysis of how Charles Dickens’s use of “low” and “slangular” language allowed him to express and develop his most sophisticated ideas. Capuano considers Dickens’s use of bodily idioms—”right-hand man,” “shoulder to the wheel,” “nose to the grindstone”—against the broader lexical backdrop of the nineteenth century.  Capuano is associate professor of English and a faculty fellow in the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Nebraska.

Dr. Chuck Edwards (Col ’69 CM) has published Late Fragment: Notes on the Later Stages of Life, his second book helping the aged find hope in their later years. His first book was Much Abides: A Survival Guide for Aging Lives. Sales support Memory & Movement Charlotte, the nonprofit medical practice Edwards founded to treat Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.   

Steven Betz (Grad ’98) has joined the University of Michigan-Dearborn as government relations director.  In this role, he directs all university interactions with federal, state, and local officials.

Benjamin Cunningham (Com ’16 CM) and Stephanie Coffua (Col ’16 CM) were married in Savannah, Georgia, on October 28, 2023, 10 years after meeting at the Corner Parking Lot during a scavenger hunt for new students. Over 50 ‘Hoos attended the nuptials, where the bride and groom led a rendition of “The Good Old Song” during the reception. The couple lives in Brooklyn, New York, where Stephanie works as an editor for ABC News and Benjamin works as a consultant for McKinsey & Co.

Sharon E. Crane (Grad ’84) has joined Haynes and Boone, LLP as counsel in their Life Sciences practice group in Washington, D.C. Crane’s practice focuses on intellectual property matters in the biotech and pharmaceutical fields. She advises clients on drafting patents, challenging competitor patents and defending against infringement claims.

Catherine Jansch (Col ’13, Med ’18 CM) and Paul Andrew Jarasek Jr. welcomed their first child, Paul Andrew Jarasek III, on December 26th, 2023. 

Robert Muckenfuss (Col ’93 CM) has been appointed as chair of McGuireWoods’ Financial Services and Securities Enforcement Department. Previously, Muckenfuss chaired the Commercial Litigation Department. He has over 20 years of experience representing financial institutions nationwide. 

Fred Levy (Col ’70 CM) has retired after 42 years as a financial adviser at Merrill Lynch, just his second employer since graduating from UVA. He first worked for his family’s long-established retail grocery, bakery, and restaurant enterprise in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It closed in 1981, after hanging on for nearly a decade following a catastrophic flood that devastated the region. Levy began anew with Merrill Lynch, building his business based on the trust and relationships he’d gained in the food business. Always aiming to better his community, Levy served for many years on local nonprofit boards. He can now be found on a tennis court, in a pool, at a bridge table or cheering on UVA sports teams.

Liz Barbour (Col ’16, Educ ’16 CM) and Ian Nickel (Med ’19, Res ’20) were married in Albemarle County at Valley Road Vineyards on September 30, 2023. The couple lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with their dog, Rhys. 

Pat Cuadros (Col ’09) was promoted to pop culture editor of Blogcritics magazine. In this new role, she will continue to cover TV, film, theater and books. Prior to that, she worked for 8 years as a contributing writer. 

Cuadros is also a senior writer-editor with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Linda Lakhdhir (Col ’81 CM) has joined the NGO Climate Rights International as its legal director. CRI was founded in 2022 to focus on the intersection between climate change and human rights abuses, using on the ground research, detailed documentation and strategic advocacy to press for needed change. Lakhdhir previously served as Asia legal adviser for Human Rights Watch.

Malerie Ma Roddy (Col ’10 CM) has been promoted to partner at the law firm ArentFox Schiff. Roddy concentrates her practice on civil litigation and class action defense, serving clients across industries such as juvenile products, food and beverage, automotive, and consumer home goods. Her experience extends to multidistrict civil litigation, governmental investigations, and advising clients through all stages of product development and sales. Roddy co-chairs ArentFox Schiff’s New Moms Group, ParentFox Midwest, and the Asian Attorneys Inclusion Group.

Allison (Powell) Leighton (Arch ’07) has been promoted to senior associate at Quinn Evans. Leighton has served as the project manager for Cristo Rey High School in Richmond, Virginia; the Acuff Center for Aquaculture at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Gloucester Point, Virginia; and the Advanced Career Education Centers at Hermitage and Highland Springs for Henrico County Public Schools.