Back in November Jennifer Avellino ran into Susan Shons Luria in Hanover. Susan is chief strategy and development officer of Quality Electrodynamics (QED), a research, development, design and manufacturing company serving the healthcare industry, where she works in partnership with the CEO and senior management team in the areas of business development, organizational design, marketing and strategic initiatives. She has a background in early-stage venture development, mergers, partnerships, operational integrations and expansion activities. In addition to her work at QED Susan is a partner in the North Coast Angel Fund, an early-stage investment fund, and a board member for two early-stage ventures.


At Dartmouth Susan was captain of the equestrian team and involved with numerous programs in a leadership capacity at the Tucker Foundation, with a particular focus on literacy. Upon graduation she served as Tucker’s volunteer coordinator for two years. Susan has continued her involvement with Dartmouth ever since, serving as the president of the Dartmouth Club of Northeast Ohio, an alumni interviewer and a member of the Alumni Council and its trustee and leadership nominating committee—as well as being a mentor to many students along the way. Susan is also on the Tucker Foundation’s board of visitors. Great to see another example of a truly dedicated ’89!


Susan’s other community engagement includes significant involvement in the field of economic development, working to secure business and government investment into the State of Ohio with a focus on long-term job creation. Susan received her M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University and resides in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband, Neil, and their two daughters.


Tom Avril wrote in and shared this great story of finding fellow classmates all around the girdled earth. “My teenage daughter is starting to visit colleges, and I thought that on our swing through Chicago what better way was there to experience Northwestern University than with a calculus class taught by Eric Zaslow. Afterward Eleanor and I agreed: The guy can teach. But then I already knew that, as he got me through linear algebra during junior year. We also got to see Derek Kamper, who uses his biomedical engineering skills at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. This was in October, and Derek’s kids were looking forward to an American-style Halloween after missing it the year before when he had a temporary position in Switzerland. Poor, deprived children!”


Sometimes I get mail from classmates I talk to regularly, and then sometimes I get emails from classmates going all the way back to September 1985—and DOC trips (what we remember as freshman trips)! Jean Robertson Getraer and I met on our canoeing trip, and it was great to hear from her. Jean writes, “Andrew Getraer ’86 and I live in Highland Park, New Jersey, where he is the executive director of Rutgers Hillel and I work at a Jewish Montessori school. My oldest son, Sandy (21), became an Israel citizen after spending a gap year there after high school. He is currently a commander serving in the Israel Defense Forces. In October he married Shifra Steiman, the daughter of the family that adopted him as a soldier. Our other two sons graduated from high school last spring and after a gap year in Israel will attend Princeton. Keeping the home life exciting are our two daughters.”


So that’s it for this write-up—please send me your stories of what you’re up to or classmates that you’ve recently seen. Enjoy the start of summer!


— Ned Ward , 2104 Graham Ave., #B, Redondo Beach, CA 90278; ned@nedorama.com