Class Notes 1997

This year marks the 30th anniversary of my Spanish language study abroad (LSA) in Querétaro, Mexico, an amazing experience filled with new friendships and daily adventures. I still remember when everything clicked and I began dreaming in Spanish. I especially loved hanging out with everyone on our midterm break in Puerto Escondido. I reached out to my classmates all the way back from 1995 winter term to get their thoughts on that special time in our lives.

Misong Kim wrote: “I still consider our LSA in Mexico as one of the most important and pivotal times in my life. I connected with the people and culture there so strongly that I returned after graduation with a public-service grant (thank you, Dartmouth’s Richard B. Lombard fellowship) to live in a small Veracruz beach-town called Tecolutla, where I did various volunteer jobs and, more importantly, formed lifelong friendships that bonded me to Mexico forever. Not to mention what an incredible time I had with the ’96s and ’97s on the LSA; I still feel a special bond with these people 30 years later, whether we are in contact or not. My favorite memories revolve around traveling with them by bus all over the country, including one harrowing experience in Oaxaca when our two taxis were stopped by police with machine guns for what we assumed was a shakedown but were released with a wink and a smile when one cop recognized us from the disco a few nights earlier. Today I live in the Chelsea neighborhood of N.Y.C. with my partner, Becca, and our dog Theodora and work for a commercial real estate debt fund. I have photos from my LSA album I can share upon request.”

Matt Fantle recalled: “The LSA was, for me, terrific in many ways. I probably cannot talk in detail about my most impactful experiences. I do have fond memories of traveling during our vacation with Holly (Thomas) Landsittel, Jonathan Godinger, and Sara Clark and meeting up with more folks on the coast. So much so that we went back the following spring, visited my host family, and saw more of the country. Time flies…I am a full tenured professor of geosciences at Penn State, coach middle school (fall) and travel (spring) soccer, and have one son who just started high school this year—unbelievably. I am a huge fan of Premier League soccer and root, unfortunately these days, for Manchester United.”

Holly remembered Matt’s love for Counting Crows, traveling with him and Sara to Ixtapa, Misong’s fluency in Spanish, my cow brain soup story, and riding the little white bus to school every day. “I really have all positive memories of everyone and am so thankful no one made too much fun of me because I was so terrible in Spanish!”

Jonathan, who now lives in New York City with his three sons (who are 17, 16, and 13, with the oldest applying to college), added: “Querétaro—that was a fun couple of months. Some highlights I remember were squeezing onto the local bus every morning and hanging off of it because it was packed, riding horses on the beach, playing ultimate Frisbee, skinny-dipping, and taking some fun trips. I love Mexican food now but don’t recall being so adventurous back then, though my host mom was a great cook and supplied yummy local fruits every day, including papaya. Practicing Spanish with my local family was also awesome.”

Feliz año nuevo, everyone. Please send your news. 

—Jason Casell, 19018 Salado Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78258; jhcasell@gmail.com

Roger Federer wasn’t the only one to ace his speech at the College’s Commencement in June. Congratulations to Kenny Mitchell, who delivered Tuck’s investiture address on June 8. Kenny, a 2004 Tuck graduate, is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the Levi’s brand at Levi Strauss & Co. He has had an impressive career at such companies as Snap, McDonald’s, and Gatorade and earned numerous accolades, including being named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company and listed among Business Insider’s 25 most innovative CMOs. Recalling guidance he picked up along his career journey, Kenny gave the graduates three pieces of advice, which the former point guard called “K. Mitch’s Three Pointers.” He said: “Go out there and kick ass at your current job. As you’re working and leading, remember that the standard is the standard and focus on the things that you can control—how you prepare, how you respond, and your effort. And finally, in your career and in your life remember that ultimately we’re here to be in service of others.” Check out Kenny’s speech on Dartmouth’s YouTube channel.

Congratulations also to Jaime Guzman on his recent move with wife Mayra and 8-year-old son Ignacio from his native Chicago to Los Angeles, where he will lead Nike’s social and community impact work in the city. Jaime wrote: “I will definitely miss being close to family having spent most of my life in Chicago. I will miss its familiarity—I know where everything is. It’s like putting on a favorite sweatshirt. L.A. is so big and sprawling and full of so much history. I am excited to learn more about our new city and do some urban exploring with my family. We are particularly excited to explore L.A.’s diverse neighborhoods—especially the food (I’ll take any recommendations!). Ignacio is most excited about learning to surf.” Jaime added: “It has been a whirlwind lately with the move, but I did see Jenn Tudder Walus and Matt Walus at a Dartmouth event with President Beilock in Chicago a couple of months back. I also keep in touch with Mayank Keshaviah, who lives in L.A. and has offered some tips. Looking forward to connecting with other Dartmouth folks in L.A.”

Finally, congratulations to Nadine Evans Oliver, who found another great love after the tragic 2020 loss of her beloved husband, Greg Evans, whom she met during Sophomore Summer. On April 7, Nadine married Matt Oliver on a black sand beach in Papagayo, Costa Rica. The two met on the third anniversary of Greg’s passing. They have blended their families, with Nadine’s five children, Sophia, 19, Gregory, 17, Isabella, 15, Gabriella, 10, and Noah, 6; Matt’s 19-year-old daughter Isabella and 11-year-old son Brody; and 145-pound Great Dane Otis. Nadine, who works as a senior counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission in Atlanta, said she found writing has helped with her grief. “I got a lot of joy from writing,” she said. She plans to publish her work and do some humorous and lighthearted podcasts to provide comfort and laughter to those who have lost loved ones. “Even in deep sadness, you can have life and beauty,” she said. “The sun does come out again.”

Take care, everyone. Please send your news. 

—Jason Casell, 19018 Salado Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78258; jhcasell@gmail.com

On January 31 the class of 1997 launched its first installment of “How Did They Do It?”—a live virtual gathering featuring different classmates each time talking about how they got started in their careers, major milestones along the way, and some of their funny stories. Chris Rhodes interviewed Jim Meyer and took questions from the ’97s watching on Zoom.

Jim has worked for the Secret Service for more than 23 years and shared some of his amazing experiences. Jim started in the Las Vegas, Nevada, field office and is now based out of Houston in operations. Jim has 42 states and 28 countries under his belt and has protected seven former and current presidents.

“Every day is different,” he said. “Every protection assignment is different.”

Jim recalled visiting the College in 2011 when he was on the detail of former First Lady Barbara Bush, who was with former President George H.W. Bush for his awarding of an honorary degree. Jim even wore a Dartmouth tie for the occasion and accompanied Mrs. Bush to a puzzle factory in White River Junction, Vermont. He said every summer when he was on the Bush detail in Kennebunkport, Maine, he and his family would head to Hanover to visit the College.

Some of his favorite sights on his adventures were the Egyptian pyramids he saw on a trip with First Lady Jill Biden and the Taj Mahal, which he visited while in India on former President Donald Trump’s detail. He also loved crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2 with the Bushes.

When asked what it is like at the watercooler, he said political opinions cannot be part of the job. “We protect the office, not the person.” He added that through time “you learn the little quirks of different protectees and what they like and what they don’t like.”

He also said that popular depictions of the Secret Service are not necessarily accurate. Although he did like the film In the Line of Fire, he said Clint Eastwood’s character “did the job of five different agents that we would do on a particular advance for the president.”

Jim is now busy preparing for the first presidential debate, scheduled to take place at Texas State University in September.

Look for more editions of “How Did They Do It?” throughout the year.

Take care, everyone. Please send your news.

—Jason Casell, 19018 Salado Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78258; jhcasell@gmail.com

Congratulations to John Honovich for being selected as one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People in AI.” In 2008 John founded a niche trade publication called the Internet Protocol Video Market (IPVM), which aimed to provide reliable reporting on the limits of security technology. Fifteen years later, IPVM has become a leading source of information on the dangers of facial recognition technology. John leads a team of 30 journalists and researchers specializing in surveillance who review company filings and financial documents and engineers who test surveillance cameras and other security equipment. The team works to reveal issues with video surveillance, especially as governments increasingly rely on the technology.

“There are clearly deep ethical and moral problems there, but even pragmatically, I question how you can distinguish ethnic groups just by looking at them,” John told Time. “Take Europeans, for example: Can you detect someone who’s French? What is a ‘French person’? So there are all sorts of massive issues there.”

IPVM’s work has been acknowledged in official hearings by the U.S. Congressional Executive Committee on China and the U.S. State Department.

In other news,’97s have been spotted up and down the East Coast.

Mike Messina, Amanda Medford Messina, Danielle Benware Thompson, David Coleman, and Keith Jacobsen made it to Hanover for Homecoming. Danielle even scored a picture with Keggy at the bonfire.

Llezlie Green, Sequoyah Simermeyer, Jess Russo Revand, and Michael New were among more than 250 alumni who attended President Beilock’s inaugural road show in Washington, D.C.

Jeremy Turk, Rich Yeh, Rick Camp, and Steve Sugarman met up in Miami.

Dave Zipkin and Abby Klingbeil cheered on the Big Green against the Crimson at Harvard Stadium in Boston.

Take care, everyone. Please send your news.

—Jason Casell, 19018 Salado Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78258; jhcasell@gmail.com

Twenty-six years ago, Paavo Lipponen ’64, class of 1997 Commencement speaker and former prime minister of Finland, talked to us about the importance of American involvement in Europe for political stability. Flash forward to June 2023, when Phil Lord and Chris Miller did the same. Not really, but the Oscar winners did deliver a powerhouse speech in which they addressed the importance of art, failing, and hard work. Here are some highlights.

Chris: “It doesn’t matter if you’re going into finance, consulting, medicine, teaching, or basketball. Every field is a creative field. They all need your imagination.”

Phil: “That’s why we want to ask you to continue to make space in your life for art, much like this campus and this Green make space for it. And make space for silliness. And playfulness. It will keep your mind from turning flabby. It is a dumbbell for your soul.”

Chris: “Art is often very silly but it is not frivolous. People have been going into dark caves to see paintings and hear stories for 30,000 years, at least, longer than people have been eating bread.”

Phil: “We have lost three Oscars, one Emmy, we have been made fun of by Chris Rock at an awards ceremony and mocked by David Fincher at a funeral.”

Chris: “But don’t worry. You’re not going to fail like we did and hopefully not on the CNN ticker. You’re each going to fail in your own unique, beautiful ways. And it’s going to really, really suck.”

Phil: “And that is all right. That is what is supposed to happen. When that happens, just know you are right where you are supposed to be.”

Chris: “You’re going to go out there and build your own messy network of people who will help you when you fail, who will help you look at the world in a new way, and make your good ideas better, and last you a lifetime.”

I caught up with Phil by email (Chris was out of town), who responded with characteristic humility and wit to the following questions.

How did it feel to be up on stage delivering the Commencement address 26 years after graduating?

“We felt like charlatans because we were the least accomplished people getting degrees of any kind that day. The other honorees are dynamos of humanism, altruism, and scholarship. Many actual doctors just graduated. We write doody jokes for talking animals. (Please see Strays only in theaters this August!)”

What do your honorary degrees mean to you?

“We are going to see if it gets us better tables at restaurants. We are doctors of arts, which means we can now practice artsy medicine. It also means we can malpractice it. Anyway, take two friezes and call me in the morning.”

Do you have a project that is most influenced by your time at Dartmouth?

“Probably Strays from Universal Pictures, only in theaters this August! Dartmouth is where we met and learned to work together. So, honestly, every single project.”

Take care and keep sending your news.

—Jason Casell, 19018 Salado Canyon, San Antonio, TX 78258; jhcasell@gmail.com

On January 27 Miranda Johnson led a Women of Dartmouth webinar on setting and maintaining boundaries. The workshop was part of the Thrive series of alumnae-led workshops offering opportunities to learn, try new things, and connect with other women from all Dartmouth-affiliated schools across generations and around the globe.

Miranda guided the discussion on challenges related to boundary setting in the workplace.

Miranda is a clinical professor of law at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and director of the Loyola Education Law and Policy Institute. In addition to her background in participatory teaching and facilitation, she conducts workshops on education law and policy related topics. She also regularly teaches on the topics of receiving feedback, setting boundaries, and managing time. Her areas of research and scholarship include school discipline and school policing reform and race and disability equity.

Take care everyone and keep sending your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

I am sorry to announce the recent passing of Jennifer Jolicoeur Segal. Her husband, Jeremy Segal, wrote the following.

“It is with great sadness that I have to report the passing of my beloved wife, Jennifer Jolicoeur Segal. Jen passed away at home on October 1 after a brave three-year struggle with pancreatic cancer. If you knew her, you couldn’t help but be struck by her bright eyes and smile, positive attitude, and zest for life and zany fun.

“We were married in 2004 near her hometown of Bedford, New Hampshire, and we lived mainly in New York City and most recently in Chicago for nine years. Jen always had wonderful talents for organization and design and she leveraged them after graduation working as a buyer for Martha Stewart and for a number of other companies. She also started a couple of small businesses of her own.

“After the birth of our second son, she decided to stay home and devote herself to raising our boys full time, to their great benefit. When we received her shocking diagnosis, she faced it as she did everything else, with such bravery and positivity that it seemed impossible that she wouldn’t survive even against overwhelming odds. She will always be my hero. It is not possible to adequately describe the joy that she brought to our lives or the feeling of emptiness in our home and hearts produced by her absence.

“In addition to me, she is survived by our sons Jaymes, age 15, and Jack, age 11; her older brother Peter Jolicoeur ’95; and parents Jacqueline and Marc Jolicoeur ’70. If you would like to reach out to me with condolences, please feel free to email me at jsegal5@bsd.uchicago.edu. We have set up a memorial fund for Jen within my pathology department at the University of Chicago to support pancreatic cancer research and education (http://giving.uchicago.edu/jennifer-segal), and our family would be honored if you would consider a small donation.”

May Jen’s memory be a blessing.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

I am sad to report Ryder Sherwin passed away on March 9 at his home in Norwich, Vermont. Born September 28, 1974, Ryder was a lifelong resident of the Upper Valley. A fourth-generation Dartmouth graduate, he majored in geography and participated in a French foreign study program. He also was a member of Green Key Society and founded the Dartmouth Entrepreneurship Society. Jenn Tudder Walus remembered: “He was so funny and so sweet with a mischievous yet warm glint in his eye. We took a Latin dance class together our senior year and had so much fun, and our band Kodiak Jack used to rehearse in his family’s barn. I’m so glad he came to our last reunion.” Mikael Morn noted: “He was a popular resident in Woodward our freshman year. People were often hanging out in his dorm room.” Jess Russo Revand recalled Ryder “as my first amazing friend at Dartmouth. I was so impressed with his openness and his experience of the world. On the first night of school, Dawn Delizia and I stayed up all night with Ryder and some other guy just talking and talking and talking. I had never talked so much in my life! He and I would rollerblade through Hanover and go swimming off the rope swing. He was always up for having a good chat or a good time. He was so kind and effervescent.”

An obituary will appear on the magazine’s website, and those who wish are welcome to post remembrances of Ryder. May his memory be a blessing.

It was incredible to see so many of you at our 25th reunion in June. A huge thanks to outgoing ’97 class co-president Lindsey Noecker and co-president Blaire (Osgood) Bernard, reunion co-chairs Amy Henry and Danielle (Benware) Thompson, and everyone else who helped make the weekend so special for the 250-plus ’97s and their families who returned to Hanover. Although it got pretty cold Saturday night, the comfy green-and-white blankets given out as swag kept us warm in the class tent.

Class co-head agents Chris Winship and Lauren (Kleinberg) Levy also deserve recognition for leading the effort to raise more than $4.3 million for our reunion class gift to the College. As of this writing we are approaching our class participation goal of 55 percent.

On to reunion news.

Sashi Bach, recently named co-administrative partner of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, office of Boies, Schiller & Flexner, came armed with old photos, including our freshman hiking trip where we got lost and had EBAs delivered to the Skiway.

Michael New, also on that hiking trip, teaches at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

Jonathan Gale is a clinical psychologist in San Diego, where he lives with his wife and 8- and 12-year-old sons.

Eran Bendavid specializes in infectious disease and teaches at Stanford. We were the only ’97s to make it to an optional Saturday morning Spanish drill, but, sadly, the instructor did not show.

Mayank Keshaviah is a stay-at-home dad to his 4-year-old son in Los Angeles.

Liz (Lucarelli) Baldwin, husband Brian, and children Abbey, Nicholas, and Samantha recently moved to Pennsylvania while Liz completes a fellowship in maternal fetal medicine.

Matt Ellis leads the Latin American practice group at Miller & Chevalier and lives in Austin, Texas, with wife Emily and their two kids.

Vas Narayan is an endocrinologist in Irvine, California.

David Bruder, wife Tara, and adorable 8-month-old daughter Sadie were in from Boulder, Colorado. They have been traveling for a year, living in London; Austin, Texas; and Hawaii.

More reunion news in the next issue!

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Congratulations to Drew Spencer, who was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Drew, the coach of Great Britain’s national baseball team, found some things need translating when teaching new kids the fundamentals.

“ ‘Go out to the outfield and shag!’ the Sacramento, California-born, lifelong A’s fan told his young charges, to gasps and chuckles from parents nearby. ‘I got a great look from some of the moms, who were like, ‘Wait—what?’

“ ‘I do have to often tell people we don’t play matches, we play games, and it’s not called a pitch, it’s called a field,’ ” Drew told the paper. “ ‘Some of the culture stuff is obviously like Ted Lasso—the American coaching style in the British system. It’s funny, when you talk to a group of British players before or after a game, the speeches have to be a little bit different than if you’re back in California talking to a group of kids.’ ”

Congratulations to Stephanie Yu, who is now serving as first executive vice president of the Association of Alumni. Prior to taking on this role, Stephanie served for a decade in various other alumni leadership roles, including Alumni Council representative for the class of 1997 and the Dartmouth Asian Pacific American Alumni Association (DAPAAA) and cochair of DAPAAA. Stephanie reported that she and Sarah (Cho) Choi are part of a DAPAAA subcommittee advocating for an Asian American studies program at the College, and they have also worked with other alumni to establish the Academic Enrichment Fund for Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities within the College’s Call to Lead campaign, which went live in early December at dartgo.org/aapi. “The fund will advance scholarship and research related to the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and although the fund is different from an enduring Asian American studies program, we hope it will lead to one,” Stephanie wrote. “Lead donors for the fund, committing a combined $200,000, are the Chen Family in memory of Michael Chen ’95 and Takahito Kent Dahn ’95 family.”

Finally, congratulations to Caroline Chubb Calderon for working to make a difference in the world. “We went to Guatemala to build a home for an indigenous family,” Caroline wrote. “Dulce was abandoned by her husband and lost her father in a car accident. She is now raising her two kids, Jesus and Gilary, and caring for her mother, Silvia, on her own on an extremely low housekeeping salary. With From Houses to Homes Guatemala, we were able to give her a modest home with a new working stove and 10-year water purifier to help her pave a safer and healthier future for her family, to help her feel hope. In this incredibly uneasy time I am left with this: I think love and hope are the way,” Caroline noted. “I think every one us of doing something every day is what it will take.” Caroline added her 13-year-old son, Sebastian, wore her Dartmouth hat while they worked “so Dartmouth was very much present in Guatemala with us.” She hopes to return with 11-year-old son Mattias and husband Felipe.

Our amazing 25th reunion will soon be here on June 16-19. To register, follow the link in the email you received from the College or visit https://alumni.dartmouth.edu/reunions/class-1997-25th-reunion. See you in Hanover!

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Congratulations to Amber (Morse) Broadaway on becoming president and chief operating officer of Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Amber was previously vice president of guest services and safety at Sugarbush Resort in Vermont. Amber won numerous national awards at Sugarbush and eagerly anticipates her next venture. “Solitude is a very special place, and I am excited to amplify all it has to offer. My family and I are looking forward to calling Solitude our home mountain.”

Iason Demos is preparing to open a photography gallery and café/wine bar in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The Kentlands Photography Café will host a commercial art photography space, bookstore, and café that will serve both as a vibrant arts center and as a neighborhood gathering spot where one can enjoy great coffee, a curated wine list, and local food products.

Iason wrote: “After graduating from Dartmouth I returned to my native Greece, where I took over the family business, a photo agency. I also assisted my father as he curated major photography exhibits in Greece and all over Europe. I came to love and appreciate the art of curating, as well as publishing photobooks. Eventually in 2010 I opened my own gallery in Athens, and in 2013 I opened another one. Unfortunately, the economic crises eventually caught up with our business, and I sold everything and moved to D.C. in 2016. After working in the wine industry and the restaurant industry in Maryland and loving it, I decided to make the leap, quit my job, and dedicate myself to this new project.”

To learn more, visit www.kentlandspc.com.

Xantha Bruso recently started a new job as a principal at the consulting firm Cadmus Group, where she works on plans and programs to electrify transportation. Xantha also serves on the board of the Dartmouth Outing Club of Northern California, which is undertaking a capital campaign for the club’s rustic gem of a cabin near Donner Summit. Check out www.docnc.net to find out more.

Finally, a hearty congratulations to new parents David Bruder and wife Tara, who welcomed daughter Sadie Emily on October 14 in London. Sadie weighed in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces and all are doing well. David wrote: “After a first career as a corporate lawyer in New York and then going back to Stanford to get my M.B.A. and working in corporate strategy for a now-defunct electric car startup in Los Angeles, the last couple of years have been more focused on the personal side. I got married to Tara two years ago on the Greek island of Kefalonia, a destination we had loved on vacation some years before. In the midst of the pandemic last year, when we were both working from home from Brooklyn, we suddenly realized we no longer needed to stay in one place, and so this spring began a nomadic year. We are spending about three months in each of four or five places. We moved to Austin, Texas, in May (which we loved), and are now in London, where I grew up. Our little adventure has been disrupted a tad, with the exciting arrival of Sadie, who does not like merely being carry-on luggage. Nonetheless, we’ve decided to continue the tour, with the next stop being Hawaii in January (visitors welcome) and potentially Colorado in spring, before ending closer to campus with a summer in New England. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, as there is an enormous amount of logistics involved, but we’re having fun so far and glad we’ve picked up a hitchhiker.”

Take care and keep sending your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Congratulations to Eyal Podell on publishing his first children’s book, The Little Cat That Zoomed. Written with wife Ashley, the book is an allegory designed to help children deal with the frustration of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Eyal explained the book was “an attempt to commemorate a small part of our family’s experience during this historic and insane time. In the beginning of 2020 Ashley underwent hip replacement surgery and was recovering at home. When Covid hit and everything shut down she was furloughed and a few months later was let go. During that time she not only became a full-time, stay-at-home mom but also, like many of us, was looking for a creative outlet and an opportunity to turn the lemons of the lockdown into some kind of lemonade.”

He went on: “We have a cat named Sugar we all adore that would jump on our kids’ desks and sit with them during their school Zooms. My son introduced her to his fifth-grade classmates and they all loved her; even the teacher knew her name. My mother-in-law suggested my wife write a children’s book about it. Something just clicked. Ashley wrote a first draft, we collaborated to fine-tune the story and brought on a talented artist for the illustrations. This book is a love letter to our children and an acknowledgment of how strong and resilient they were during this time. The thematic message is that sometimes life’s biggest obstacles offer surprising opportunities for growth.”

On collaborating with Ashley, Eyal wrote, “We’re both creatives with backgrounds in performing arts so working together was a breeze. It was a fun experience to share with her and something that was always a bright spot in our day.”

Look for The Little Cat That Zoomed on Amazon in August.

Kudos to Chandra Guglik, another first-time author, who writes under the pen name C.H. Avosa. She wrote: “I’m so excited to announce I published my first novel this spring! Are You My Mother? begins with the main character, Sol, getting an email from a stranger saying her mother isn’t her mother and her ‘real mother’ needs a kidney transplant. From there we follow Sol’s journey to find out the truth and address timely topics such as racial identity and medical crises.”

I asked Chandra, a graphic designer, what inspired her to write the book. “In my family I’m the middle of three sisters, but our coloring is very different, so we always joke about having different parents. However, I do look like my dad, so I started exploring the idea of how a middle child could have a different mom than her sisters. I did a lot of research into medical situations where someone was looking for a family match and also read a lot of stories from late-discovery adoptees about their experiences.”

Chandra started writing in the fall of 2019 and took about one and a half years to complete the book. In addition to the main character being inspired by her own story, Chandra noted “most of the rest of the characters are a combination of lots of people I know, but the dating stories are about 88-percent true, so those are based on real people I went out with!” In a nice Dartmouth connection, Jeneil (Palmer) Russell’s review is on the book’s back cover.

Chandra doesn’t have immediate plans for another novel but wrote, “Several people have told me they want to know what happens with these characters, so there may be another novel or two in my future.”

Find out more about Chandra and her book at www.chavosabooks.com.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

It is with great sadness I report Sarah Grow passed away January 9 in London after valiantly battling leukemia for more than two years. She is survived by her husband, Jiyar Gol; their 5-year-old daughter Liana; parents Carol and Bob Inouye; Dr. Tom Grow ’60 and Lynn Chase; brother Joel Grow; his wife, Mollie Greves Grow; Joel and Mollie’s daughters Ellie and Emma; and numerous other relatives and friends. An experienced U.S. diplomat who worked in embassies and consulates in India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Washington D.C., Sarah was a master of languages and fluent in Spanish, Italian, Turkish, and Farsi and conversant in French and Serbo-Croatian.

Mollie wrote: “Sarah would become the wonderful Tia Sarah, aunt extraordinaire with the best style and taste, and gifts from her were always treasured by our two daughters. In addition to travel, she taught them a love for elephants, eating chocolate chip cookie dough, walking briskly and with purpose to take in the sights and cuisine in any city, drinking black tea (at least that’s a love for our younger daughter, Emma), wearing lots of bright colors, and, I sincerely hope, a love for languages.

“As we grieve the tremendous loss of her physical presence with us, may we all continue to honor Sarah’s legacy with boldness, brightness, curiosity about the world, and building bridges across languages and culture. May we use our voices, in whatever language we speak, to work for justice, equity, and elevating and empowering girls and women in the world, as she modeled so exceptionally for us.”

An obituary will appear on the magazine’s website, and those who wish are welcome to post remembrances of Sarah. May her memory be a blessing.

Congratulations to Cara Abercrombie, who was named special assistant to President Biden and senior director of defense at the National Security Council, overseeing defense policy and strategy issues. Cara wrote: “It’s an expansive portfolio, but my priorities broadly are ensuring our defense department resources and strategies are aligned with the Biden-Harris administration priorities, that we are organized to compete effectively with China, and we are tending to the health of our armed forces.

“In true small-world fashion, I work closely with Brian Boynton’s wife, Mallory Stewart. I managed to squeeze in a reunion with Sarah Lenczner Caputo and Theresa Ellis last February, two weeks before we went into lockdown.”

Cara lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband, David Freccia, and 14-year-old daughter, Audrey. Outside of work, Cara is active in the disability advocacy community, serving as the founder of KPTN Alliance, which shares information about KPTN genetic mutations and resulting health impacts to help improve the lives of those diagnosed with these mutations. Cara is also a member of Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy’s research committee and Children’s National Epilepsy Council and treasurer for the Arlington special education PTA.

Take care everyone and please keep sending your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Congratulations to Drew Spencer on becoming the head coach of Great Britain’s national baseball team. Drew previously served as Great Britain’s under-23 head coach for two years. He led that squad to its best finish ever at the European Championship in 2019, placing fifth while earning the country’s first victory over the Netherlands at any level. He also managed the London Mets to back-to-back titles in the National Baseball League, the United Kingdom’s highest domestic baseball competition.

I asked Drew about his goals for the team. “My short-term goals for the team are to create stronger connections between players and alumni at all levels and all over the world. I want our players to know just how much it means to those who came before them and to carry that pride with them into each competition. In the long term I would like to see us continue to rise in the world rankings. It would be amazing to see us in the top 20 or top 10 in a decade.”

Covid is also posing its own challenges. “Covid is affecting us like everyone else. We have less time with each other and less time on the field, so we have to find ways to communicate with each other to help our athletes develop an approach to getting and staying in shape and to motivate each other from afar.”

Named to an All-Ivy League team in each of his four seasons in Hanover, Drew ended his time at the College as the career record holder in 11 offensive categories. Today he still ranks among the top 10 in batting average, hits, runs, stolen bases, and RBIs. When asked how Dartmouth prepared him for his current role, Drew noted: “Coach Whalen told me, ‘You can get there from here,’ when he was recruiting me from southern California to play baseball in New Hampshire. Indoor sessions at Leverone, where outfielders don’t see a fly ball for weeks, taking batting practice in the spring with snow flurries coming down, and being underestimated as an athlete because your league wasn’t perceived by some to be as competitive are all experiences that taught me things that directly apply to baseball in Britain. I tell our younger players that being from the United Kingdom or playing in bad weather are not reasons to sell themselves short.” 

Congratulations also to Carmen (Schmitt) Lopez for being named to Dartmouth’s first presidential commission on financial aid. The 27-member commission is analyzing data, meeting with numerous College officials, and preparing to introduce a multi-year plan to strengthen the Dartmouth community’s commitment to a robust scholarship program that supports every student who needs financial aid. In September President Hanlon outlined the committee’s mandate: to bring greater clarity to the true impact of socioeconomic diversity on students’ learning experience and upward mobility, with an emphasis on the urgency and vulnerabilities of this moment in our nation’s history; to capture and share stories of personal transformation made possible through scholarship funding that expands access to the full Dartmouth experience; to create a vibrant philanthropic plan of action to achieve the remaining $276-million endowed scholarship goal contained in the Call to Lead campaign; and to identify emerging trends that will inform Dartmouth’s vision and strategies for attracting a socioeconomically diverse applicant pool in the coming decades.

Stay safe, everyone, and please send your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

I really enjoyed Laura (Zachman) Jamison’s debut novel, All the Right Mistakes. The book centers on five friends turning 40 in different circumstances: lawyers Elizabeth and Sara; physician Martha, a Dartmouth graduate; wealthy homemaker Carmen, also a Dartmouth graduate; and famous tech executive Heather, the most successful of the group. When Heather writes a women’s advice book detailing what she characterizes as her four friends’ mistakes, her friends are understandably hurt. The novel explores the unique obstacles the women face as they wonder whether their lives might have been different had they followed Heather’s advice. Look for numerous fun College references throughout.

I asked Laura what inspired her to write the book. “I was visiting my parents when the idea for the book came to me. I read a news item that Ivanka Trump was writing a book about how women could architect their lives to be successful. ‘Here we go again,’ I thought. Another book geared toward telling women, not institutions or society, to change themselves (and from an author who I doubted had a perspective that would be relevant to most moms). Exhausting and irritating. But Ivanka, after all, is a person who is trying to be helpful, in her way. What if she was your friend, even your best friend? And so the idea for All the Right Mistakes was born.”

Laura wrote the book in 2016 and spent the next four years working toward publication. “It was weekends, and a fair amount of writing from the sidelines of my kids’ soccer practices.” She noted the characters reflect her experiences and those of her friends and colleagues, but the book and the women are purely fiction. “I’m probably closest to Elizabeth and Sara, because, like them, I work full-time as an attorney. But, in truth, there is a little of me in all of the five women.”

Kevin Hand’s latest book, Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space, should also be on your reading list. The book explores the science behind the search for life on water-rich moons at the solar system’s outer reaches. I asked Kevin about his interest in life beyond Earth.

“I credit the clear night skies of Vermont where I grew up and Carl Sagan’s Cosmos with really getting me hooked. One can’t help but wonder whether we’re alone in the universe when you’re bathed in starlight, looking up on a cold, clear winter night.”

While Kevin was an undergraduate, the Galileo spacecraft began returning data indicating an ocean beneath the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa, still Kevin’s research focus. “The Dartmouth physics department was great—I had the keys to the Shattuck Observatory and could go look at Jupiter, and the rest of the night sky, whenever I wanted. When I was a junior, professor John Thorstensen brought me to Kitt Peak in Arizona, where Dartmouth had time on a pair of telescopes. That was my first experience at a large observatory, working with a research-class telescope, and it was phenomenal.”

Kevin hopes to get a lander on Europa’s surface to search for signs of life. “In some ways the science is perhaps easier than the sociopolitics of getting a mission like this to the launch pad. We’ve got a great team, though, and a lot of new faces with diverse backgrounds are joining the project and that’s tremendously inspiring.”

Regarding future books, about 100 pages of science history and thermodynamics details were cut from Alien Oceans, “so that may serve as good starting material for a book I want to write about the physics of life.” (Read more about his work on page 42.)

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

It may be 2020, but it feels like 1997 fever is in the air. At the VOX conference in Hanover in September, the class of ’97 was named Class of the Year 25 Years Out and Younger, the first time our class earned this honor. I was so proud to accept the award with Lindsey Noecker, Blaire Bernard, Tony Field, Rebecca Siegel Baron, and Heidi Conner. Big congratulations also go out to Natasha (Lam) O’Rourke, Ben Sweetser, and Heidi Conner for earning Newsletter of the Year 25 Years Out and Younger honors. Go, ’97 sweep! And kudos to our class for winning the Outstanding Mini-Reunion Program 25 Years Out and Younger, in recognition of successful mini-reunions around the country organized by Rebecca Siegel Baron, Natasha (Lam) O’Rourke, Cai (Boldt) Pandolfino, Jessica Russo Revand, Karin (Kelley) Sloan, Danielle (Benware) Thompson, and Jennifer Tudder Walus. Oscar Yang, president of the Dartmouth Club of Western Washington, and Michele Lamberti, vice chair of Women of Dartmouth, were also at the conference, which brought together for the first time in one gathering volunteers from classes, clubs, and groups. Looking forward to the next VOX conference in October!

We had a great ’97 turnout for Dartmouth’s “Big Green in the Big Apple” weekend in November in honor of Dartmouth’s 250th anniversary. On November 8, Phil Lord and Chris Miller discussed their experiences making the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Mary Lou Aleskie, director of the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts, moderated the lively discussion. Chris and Phil took questions from the audience, followed by a screening of the film. On a beautiful but chilly November 9, Big Green football fans gathered at Billy’s Sports Bar in the Bronx before making their way to cheer Dartmouth onto a huge 27-10 win over Princeton in Yankee Stadium to essentially clinch a share of the Ivy League championship. I have never seen so many Dartmouth alums together outside of Hanover. Class of ’97s spotted throughout the weekend include Rebecca Siegel Baron, Blaire Bernard, Chris Butler, Erica Chong, Jon Curreri, Jeff Cutshall, Ryan deFord, Francesca De Simone, Henry Detering, Laura du Pont, Jennifer (Pollina) Echlov, Russell Echlov, Traci Entel, Lloyd Fass, Jon Feldman, Sascha Goldsmith, Jonathan Hunnicutt, Misong Kim, Shane Leahey, Steve Lisowski, Gina (Henry) Lubin, Emilio Mena, Joel Montgomery, Lindsey Noecker, Anna Ochoa, Cai (Boldt) Pandolfino, Nevin Patton, Drew Payne, Cameron Potts, Josh Pristaw, Chris Rhodes, Kate Fowler Rizzo, Amy Schneeberger, Amy Semet, Matt Shafer, Scott Simon, Pete Sisitsky, Alejandro Soto, Cindy (Bellefeuille) Stanton, Katherine Taylor, Jeremy Turk, and Tracy (Rosen) Williams.

On a different note, congratulations to Cara Abercrombie, recently named the first president of the Defense Security Cooperation University, the new U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) center of excellence for security cooperating training, with campuses in Arlington, Virginia, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. According to the DoD, security cooperation is the effort to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by building the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared challenges. Cara said in a press release the biggest task ahead is ensuring the 20,000 or so DoD personnel involved in security cooperation work get certified in that work. “That’s an extremely ambitious goal,” she said. “A lot of it will hinge on making sure all the curriculum is fully developed. But our goal is making sure we get them certified at the basic level by 2022.”

Take care and keep sending your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Did you know 7 percent of our class is married to each other? In honor of Valentine’s Day, I reached out to ’97 couples to see how they met, their favorite Dartmouth memories, and what they’re doing now.

Mikael Mörn sent greetings from Geneva, Switzerland, where he and wife Marie Pauline “Empi” (Esguerra) Mörn live with their children, Gabriela, 13, and Matias, 9. Mikael wrote: “Empi and I met on freshman trips in the fall of 1993. We were on the same canoeing trip with John Doub, Eric Newton, and Amanda Jones, among others.

“Some of our favorite Dartmouth memories together include road tripping with international students Torbjorn Dimblad, Dickon Verey, Rob Leathern, Sariya Sharp, and Sophie Billekens in the fall of 1993 to play a rugby game in eastern Massachusetts, and late 1990s Halloween parties in Boston with fellow Ivy grads and classmates Jeff Woods, Craig Whitmer, and Doug Vandenberg.

“The Dartmouth homecoming reunion in Switzerland on October 12 went very well. We had 28 people, including grad students, and the classes of ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, and ’10s were well represented.”

Quite the climber, Mikael recently ascended Pik Lenin in Kyrgyzstan, Elbrus in Russia, and Cotopaxi in Ecuador. Read about Mikael’s and Empi’s adventures at bigmountainchallenge.wordpress.com.

Lynne Campbell Soutter and Morgan Soutter met freshman fall through Lynne’s roommate Kathryn Miller-Jensen and freshman tripmate Rob Bannerman. Lynne wrote: “Rob and Morgan rowed together on freshman crew. Morgan rowed for four years and studied computer science. He and the vibrant Jim Zak were inseparable teammates and friends in those days. I played rugby and studied geography. Our story together didn’t begin until senior year. During exam period in December, the snow fell and the lights briefly went out across campus. As we stood gazing out the window of Baker Library at the snow, Morgan asked me to dinner, a favorite memory for us. The next evening, he arrived in a car borrowed from Will Taylor, his housemate at Fire & Skoal, to drive us to Sweet Tomatoes in Lebanon. It was a proper date. Morgan was charming, and I was smitten.

“We married in my hometown after my first year of law school. Morgan joined me in Ithaca, New York, to attend business school, and we graduated from Cornell together in 2003. We moved to Boston, where we live now with our two boys, ages 13 and 11. 

Lynn is assistant general counsel for international law firm Ropes & Gray and Morgan heads instructional technology at Boston College High School, which their older son attends. Their younger son goes to a neighborhood school with the daughter of Jeff Longnecker and Johanna Longnecker ’98, who live down the street. Morgan also wrote a novel, The Madman’s Daughter, a thriller set at Dartmouth.

“We often swing through Hanover on our way to ski or hiking weekends in Vermont. It is a special place to us both.”

Kathleen (Williams) and Mark Abel met winter term freshman year. “I’m pretty sure it was on the dance floor at a fraternity house,” Mark wrote. “We became good friends, often met for lunch at the Hop, and shared breadsticks from EBAs. We started dating sophomore fall and the rest is history.

“Many fond memories. No one thing jumps out. Sophomore Summer was a blast, lunch every Monday at Panda House, Kat jumping off the bridge into the Connecticut River, Homecoming bonfires. Kat had Baker Tower ‘Happy Birthday’ bells played for me.

“These days we’re busy chasing around our two young girls and experimenting with careers outside corporate America.”

More ’97 couple news in the next column.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Can you believe it’s been 22 years since we walked across the stage in front of Baker Library to collect our diplomas and begin the next chapters of our lives? You may recall Paavo Lipponen ’64, the former prime minister of Finland, addressed our graduating class. I am sure he imparted some wisdom, but I can’t recall much of the speech.

Fast-forward more than two decades to world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s insightful Commencement address to the class of 2019, in which he reminded the audience in a Dartmouth-specific way that “every struggle for reform, innovation, or justice starts with a voice in the wilderness.” He also challenged the new graduates: “Promise yourself that when you find your power, you will use it thoughtfully, with restraint, and with good intention.”

I asked classmates what that sage advice means to them. Here are some responses.

Jennifer Tudder Walus: “Help others and be kind, whether in life or in business.”

Tim Redl: “Think before you act or speak.”

Camille Barreto: “Make it count, be humbler, and be kind.”

Emily McConnell: “ ‘Use your power for good and not evil,’ but said more gracefully. I think it’s a beautiful way to balance the idea of valuing yourself and taking up space in the world with the idea of being conscious and supportive of others.”

Mayank Keshaviah: “Yo-Yo Ma’s remarks at Commencement bring to mind the fact that, while we give honorary degrees to those who didn’t attend Dartmouth but whose contributions to the world were positive and impactful enough that we would invite them to be honored on graduation day with those who did attend Dartmouth, we might also use the same occasion to remember those who did go to Dartmouth but who have not embraced the old ‘Twilight Song’ pledge to ‘keep [their] hands from shame.’

“So perhaps Dartmouth should consider awarding dishonorable degrees to alumni who have disgraced the name of the College because of their activities in the world.

“ ‘Let us promise one another/In the silence ere we part./We will make our lives successful,/We will keep our hands from shame/For the sake of dear old Dartmouth/And the honor of her name.’ ”

Check out Yo-Yo Ma’s full speech at www.news.dartmouth.edu/news/2019/06/2019-commencement-address-yo-yo-ma.

Take care and please send me your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Several Dartmouth undergrads had a warmer winter thanks to ’97 generosity. Our class donated $1,000 in winter gear for first-generation and low-income students. We plan to do this annually, and it’s entirely funded by class dues, which also support reunions, mini-reunions, and mailing our revitalized ’97 Sweep newsletter. If you didn’t receive the latest Sweep, check it out at 1997.dartmouth.org. And while you’re there, please pay your class dues, now exclusively online, to keep all of these great things going.

On the international front, I asked classmates living abroad what took them there, what is interesting about the worldview where they live, and when they last visited the United States. This dispatch focuses on Asia.

Dickon Verey has called southeast Asia home since 2003. “I’m actually English, so moving outside of the United States was quite natural. Initially I moved to do development work, but have moved into business since then. I have been living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for nearly three years. In all the southeast Asian countries I have lived there tends to be a singular feeling that their country is the center of things. One gets a very local feel in that respect. Interest in global occurrences tends to be a little more low-key, as their immediate impact isn’t felt.

“I haven’t been in Hanover in a long time, unfortunately, but do hope to go back in the next few years. I’ll be getting married in April and one of my ushers will be Robert Rogers. Also in attendance will be Cristina (Hallenbeck) Rogers, Will Taylor, Micke Morn, Robert Leathern, and Torbjorn Dimblad.” Congratulations, Dickon!

Feng Hsiung moved from New York to Hong Kong as a third-year Goldman Sachs analyst to be closer to his home of Taipei. After four years in Hong Kong, Feng spent three years in Tokyo, returned to New York for one year, and then came back to Hong Kong for good 10 years ago.

“Hong Kong is to some extent the intersection of Chinese and Anglo-Saxon spheres, thus perspectives on current events differ greatly depending who you ask. More interaction, not less, will, I hope, bridge the gap between universal values and historical context.” 

Feng last visited campus years ago. “I really miss Dartmouth and hope to bring my family there in the coming years. There is a great group of alumni and parents in this region, which I see with increasing regularity as the endowment office now visits the region frequently. I also connect with classmates Will Taylor, Jimmy Franzone, and Ervin Tu on various travels.”

Lisa Hosokawa relocated to Tokyo in 2008 with husband Kenji Hosokawa ’98 and their two daughters for Kenji’s job with a law firm. “We were tired of moving around, and so we said, ‘Let’s stay for at least 10 years.’ Ten years have passed and we think we will stay here permanently.

“ ‘Race’ is built into all systems in the United States. In Japan the categories impossible to escape are ‘Japanese’ and ‘foreign.’ These categories are about more than legal status. They are part of a worldview that is starting to be challenged by increasing numbers of non-Japanese living, working, and studying here.

“We visit my parents in Massachusetts every summer. I was last in Hanover for the 2013 reunion. Kenji is president of the Dartmouth Club in Tokyo, and most of my connection to other Dartmouth alumni is through him. Alex Smith ’95 tutored me when I was taking Japanese at Dartmouth, and seeing him always brings back memories. I wish there were more Dartmouth women here. I enjoy occasionally connecting with Mayuka Kowaguchi ’11 and Yan Fan ’12.”

More international updates to come!

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

At Class Officers Weekend in September, Tony Field and I ran into Sariya Sharp and Lynne (Campbell) Soutter at Murphy’s. They were in Hanover for a women’s rugby reunion. Sariya is a radiologist in Cooperstown, New York. She and her husband have a 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son. Lynne is firm counsel at Ropes & Gray in Boston, where she lives with husband Morgan Soutter, a teacher at Boston College High School, and their 14-year-old and 12-year-old sons.

As I write this, Dartmouth just defeated Harvard in a riveting Homecoming football game, the first win against the Crimson at Memorial Field since our freshman year 25 years ago. I vaguely remember attending that game, but would never have guessed a quarter century would pass until a repeat victory at home. Go, Big Green!

And it’s been 200 years since Daniel Webster, class of 1801, argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, and delivered his famous tribute to Dartmouth: “It is, sir, as I have said, a small college, and yet there are those who love it.” 

In honor of Dartmouth’s 250th anniversary, I asked classmates what they love most about the College. Here are some responses.

Dinsie Williams: “Dartmouth is a small university, yet you can find our alumni everywhere.”

Kelley Hart: “It’s a magical place that attracts a certain kind of person (as students and teachers)—people of great kindness, generosity, curiosity, and community-mindedness. The College has so much contagious good energy. Going back for reunions makes my heart ache, though. I miss my classmates so much. Even after all these years!”

Kathy Celenza Behling: “The camaraderie among alumni and students. Seeing another Dartmouth grad out in the real-world results in an instant bond, which transcends generations, professions, and socioeconomic standing. Several years ago I was wearing a Dartmouth T-shirt in a grocery store 300-plus miles from the Upper Valley in a suburb of Philadelphia. An older gentleman, who ended up being a Dartmouth alumnus, got out of his checkout line and traversed half the length of the grocery store just to meet me. We chatted for a few minutes and exchanged our classes and a few kind words. There are just about no other academic or social families that I have belonged to that have shared this kind of bond and have possessed such love and loyalty to their mother institution. I cherish my Dartmouth family.”

Lindsey Noecker: “Having just come back from Hanover last night, I have to say that I love how a trip to Dartmouth always feels like returning home. Home is where the heart is—so true!”

Jeff Longnecker: “I love the Dartmouth community. Alums are afforded a very strong common connection with fascinating people in all walks of life throughout the world.”

Rain Minns: “Phi Tau coed fraternity, the government honors thesis program, and my on-campus summer! Writing my thesis and having meetings with my thesis advisor once to twice a week was an incredible experience that allowed me to explore my ideas about justice that have shaped my entire legal career and values in life. I also used the analytical and writing skills to later write in legal publications in immigration and civil rights that had a meaningful impact.”

Courtenay (Petersen) Barlow: “I love the people and friendships I formed at Dartmouth. I love the beauty of the campus, the remote location, the seasons, reunions, and the sense of belonging I feel whenever I am there.”

Robbie Ashe: “Easy answer—my lifelong friends.”

Happy sestercentennial, Dartmouth! Here’s to another 250 years!

Take care and please send me your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Hello, ’97s! It was wonderful seeing so many of you at our 20th (21st) reunion in June. Hats off to outgoing ’97 class president Jenn Tudder Walus, co-president Lindsey Noecker, reunion chair Amy Henry, Danielle Benware Thompson, and everyone else who made the return to Hanover of more than 250 ’97s and their families such a resounding success. We had phenomenal weather to boot. The fireworks on the Green set to This Is Me and the alma mater was especially moving.

Our ’97 class head agent Chris Winship also deserves a special shout-out for leading the effort for our class to surpass our ambitious goal of raising more than $1 million for the College. As of this writing, we are this close to meeting our class participation goal of 42 percent.

Now for some reunion news.

While chatting with Rachel Dratch ’89, who was watching her son play in the kids’ tent, I ran into Patrick Hansen, who was there with his beautiful daughters, 7-year-old Elisa and 1-year-old Annika. Patrick’s wife, Cynthia, is a professor of linguistics at Grinnell College in Iowa. Patrick leads the TrustRadius customer success team and manages the company’s community programs. He also recently organized a political action committee to bring together small donors to make an impact on local elections in Iowa.

Tim Curtin calls Burlington, Vermont, home. He is a test data infrastructure, analysis, and software engineer by day and an accomplished salsa dancer at night. Tim teaches and performs kizomba, a salsa-type dance which originates from Angola. He has traveled to Montreal, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, and Havana for performances. “It’s a good reason to travel and see the world,” Tim said.

Cristina (Dugan) Schmidt and Eric Schmidt live in Denver, where Eric is a pulmonologist and assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Their sons are fourth-grader Hunter and first-grader Matthew.

Also in Colorado are Mary Ellen Moore and Neal Rich, who live in Snowmass with their three daughters.

Rebecca Siegel Baron was having a mother-son weekend with fifth-grader Jonah while her husband and two other kids were home in Larchmont, New York. Rebecca works as in-house counsel for an investment bank.

Anna Ochoa lives in Chelsea in Manhattan, works as a director at Credit Suisse, and is quite an impressive photographer.

After traveling the world for the U.S. State Department, Tim Fitzgibbons is now based in Washington, D.C., where he lives with husband Jonathan. They were married in front of Casque & Gauntlet in 2013.

Peter Mancoll also lives in the D.C. area with wife Sara and their three kids.

Xantha Bruso works for AAA in San Francisco shaping clean technology and climate policy by advancing autonomous vehicle deployment.

Amy Semet lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and is doing postdoctoral work at Princeton. She plans to become a law professor.

For parents of kids approaching a certain age, Mollie Greves Grow, a pediatrician in Seattle, recommended It’s Not the Stork when it’s time for that special conversation.

David Chiang has been with the Queens, New York, district attorney’s office for 18 years and now serves as a supervising assistant district attorney dealing with community relations.

At Molly’s I ran into fellow Texans Vicky Martinez Garcia and husband Ted, who were in from San Antonio, and Michelle Lewis in from Dallas.

Michelle Stern is a new mom to 7-month-old son Ellis and works in digital marketing strategy in Boston.

Jaime Guzman is the director of youth opportunity programs at the Obama Foundation and a member of the Chicago Board of Education.

More reunion news in the next issue.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

As I write this in the waning hours of our February Flashback Challenge, I am overwhelmed at our class’s generosity. An anonymous ’97 offered to give $19,997 to the Dartmouth College Fund if 97 class members donated to the College in February. I am proud to report that we more than met the challenge with 137 donors!

In other February news, the Open Theatre Project just completed its production of the world premiere of Stefan Lanfer’s play, An Education in Prudence. Shown during three weekends in February in Boston, the play is based on the true story of an early desegregation battle involving the education of African-American girls in Connecticut in 1833, told through the lens of today. “The first time my work was ever produced on stage was as part of the Frost Festival, spring of my senior year,” Stefan wrote. “A thrill that cemented my self-conception as a playwright, and truly changed the trajectory of my life.”

In a February 6 Q&A in The Dartmouth, Stefan delved into the five-year process of writing and perfecting his script, the challenges of balancing his career in the nonprofit sector, family life, perseverance and Dartmouth’s influence on his life.

“The biggest shaper of my experience beyond the ‘Dartmouth bubble’ has been a girl I met from Atlanta [Ashley Graves], who is now my wife of almost 19 years,” Stefan said. “Specific to the playwriting process, being surrounded by friends and having the few lines that were in The Dartmouth that had kind words about a project fuel you up with what at times can seem like irrational beliefs. After about nine months into this project, I started sending it out to theaters and festivals all around the country and got one rejection after another. We’re pushing more than 100 rejections by now. Two years ago, at 80-something ‘no’s,’ I was pretty sure the universe was telling me it was time to move on. My success is certainly not all attributable to Dartmouth, but it’s one of those places that encouraged me to take risks, try new things and find and explore what those passions may be.”

Rosi Kerr was interviewed in a February 21 article in The Dartmouth. Rosi directs the Dartmouth Sustainability Office, whose mission is to challenge and empower the College and its students to solve the human and environmental problems presented by a rapidly changing planet. Rosi stressed that with respect to our responsibility to maintain a better environment for future generations, we need to decide what kind of fingerprints we want to leave on the world. “We get to decide what our sustainability legacy is going to be,” she said. “And that’s the thing about legacies; you get to decide how it’s going to be by the effort you put into it. And if you think about the impact you have on the people around you, you get to decide sort of every day, how that legacy will continue in the world.”

And speaking of decisions, please choose to attend our 20th reunion June 15-17. Go to alumni.dartmouth.edu/reunions/1997 to register. Also visit our all-new class website at 1997.dartmouth.org for more reunion information, to pay class dues and to read old Class Notes columns.

If that’s not enough nostalgia, check out our Class of 1997 Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/Dartmouth1997, where you will be treated to Jenn Tudder Walus’s daily ’97 Shmenu page postings. If you missed your page, go back and find it. If not, keep checking up through reunion. Don’t you want to see what everyone looks like now? Can’t wait to reunite in Hanover in June!

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

On a glorious September weekend in Hanover I met up with Lindsey Noecker and Tony Field for Class Officers Weekend. We attended some fantastic panels, including a discussion of the new branding strategy emphasizing the College’s sense of place. We listened to some impressive students describe their class projects and heard three trustees discuss volunteer leadership and how to prepare students to be leaders. We walked around the ever-changing yet always familiar campus marveling at how young the members of the class of 2021 looked. And while Tony and I were hanging out at the Pine, we struck up a great conversation with Zach Grenier of The Good Wife and actors Tracie Thoms and Marjolaine Goldsmith, who all were starring in Theater of War’s amazing production of Antigone in Ferguson next door at the Hop.

These moments all reinforced for me how special the College is and how lucky we were to have our time on the Hanover plain. I can’t wait to see many of you at our reunion June 15-17 and look forward to making new memories.

Congratulations to Tim O’Leary on being named the next general director of the Washington National Opera. In an interview with The New York Times, Tim said he intends to make sure that his company capitalizes on being in what he called “a golden age” of new American works.

“There are more new American operas being programmed throughout the whole country, by companies large and small, than ever before,” Tim said. “Whereas 20 years ago that kind of project was regarded as something opera companies did out of a sense of duty, these are now often the sellout shows of opera seasons, and provide companies with many of their most meaningful opportunities to engage with the culture at large.”

Tim, who has led the Opera Theater of St. Louis since 2008, staged a series of world premieres of American operas, including Champion, a boxing-and-jazz themed opera by Terence Blanchard and Michael Cristofer, 27 by Ricky Ian Gordon and Royce Vavrek, and Shalimar the Clown by Jack Perla and Rajiv Joseph, based on the Salman Rushdie novel. Tim also chairs the board of Opera America, a national service organization. He will begin his new position in July.

Over on the West Coast, Catherine MacDonald Christian lives in Sacramento, California, with husband Tony and two daughters.

“Our oldest, Corinne, is a sophomore at a boarding school in Monterey, so we make as many excuses as possible to visit her there,” Catherine wrote. “My youngest, Isabelle, is in seventh grade and I homeschool her. She is an avid ballet dancer and is in the pre-professional division of the Sacramento Ballet’s school. Tony and I run our commercial construction company, Bancroft Development. Business is good. Between running a business, homeschooling a junior high schooler and keeping up with a teen at boarding school, I don’t have a whole lot of time for much else, but do spend time volunteering for Capitol Ballet’s costume department sewing new costumes for them. I guess that’s just about all the news that’s fit to print for me!”

And across the pond, cheers to Cecile Divino, who recently became a British citizen. She wrote that she got the London bug more than 20 years ago on our London history foreign study program. Cecile graduated from business school at Oxford. When we caught up on Facebook, she had been working in Manila for the Asian Development Bank on secondment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

That’s all for now. Best wishes to everyone for a happy and healthy new year!

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Congratulations to Matt Ellis on the publication of his book, The FCPA in Latin America: Common Corruption Risks and Effective Compliance Strategies for the Region. As Latin America experiences a historic anti-corruption wave, the book highlights the often-overlooked role of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). For years extraterritorial application of the FCPA by U.S. officials to companies, individuals and schemes in Latin America led to penalties in the United States for conduct largely occurring in the region. The mere threat of FCPA enforcement has prompted people working in the region to embrace anti-corruption compliance norms. Matt’s book takes a regional and cultural approach to FCPA compliance and enforcement matters in an effort to better understand the major anti-corruption shifts occurring in the region. He explains how American companies often confront cultural, historical, geographical and language barriers when implementing FCPA compliance programs with their neighbors to the south, and provides advice for navigating these challenges. The book focuses on one of the most challenging and cutting-edge aspects of FCPA compliance, and an area for which little has yet been written: crossing cultural barriers to make compliance strategies effective. Matt explores the nature of unique corruption risks as well as proven strategies to bridge cultural divides that often make compliance difficult to successfully implement on the ground. Matt, who is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, has years of experience working on these issues in various parts of Latin America. He is a partner at Miller & Chevalier in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations also to Cai (Boldt) Pandolfino, who recently was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by Moffly Media’s annual Women in Business event at the Greenwich Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. Cai and husband Jeff founded Green & Tonic, a plant-focused restaurant chain with locations throughout Connecticut—Cos Cob, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan and Westport. Check it out at greenandtonic.com.

Hope everyone’s summer is off to a great start. Please send me your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Two classmates are making their mark in the world of publishing.

Congratulations to Ulrich Boser on his third book, Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything. Ulrich posits that learning is a skill, showing how techniques like self-questioning and thinking about thinking can create much deeper levels of understanding. As part of his reporting, Ulrich took basketball lessons from a former Harlem Globetrotter, spent time with the country’s foremost emergency room doctor and profiled the man who used some of the recent learning research to dominate the game show Jeopardy.

Publisher’s Weekly called Ulrich’s book “engaging” and “thought-provoking,” noting that the “work infuses a sense of fresh excitement and accessibility into a topic sometimes considered stodgy or overly cerebral. Readers will be left craving something new to learn.” A Korean translation of the book is in the works.

Ulrich is a senior fellow at the Washington think-tank Center for American Progress. A former contributing editor for U.S. News & World Report, Ulrich isthe author of The Leap: The Science of Trust and Why It Matters and The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft. His work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two daughters.

Congratulations also to Susan Barba on the publication of her debut collection of poetry, Fair Sun, which explores the importance of connection, both with other human beings and with the natural world. Robert Pinsky, one of America’s leading poet-critics, wrote that Susan “has perfected her poet’s gift for thinking in images, moving with efficient grace.”

Susan, who lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a senior editor for The New York Review of Books. Her poetry has appeared in Poetry, The Yale Review, The Harvard Review, The Antioch Review, The Hudson Review and Poetry Daily. She has published book reviews in The Boston Review and translations from Armenian in Words Without Borders and Ararat. Susan participated in Consenses, a multi-genre, interactive art installation which opened in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, and is now touring the country. She recently received a MacDowell Colony Fellowship in poetry.

For more information about Fair Sun, go to www.godine.com/book/fair-sun.

Take care and keep sending your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Three classmates recently were featured in radio, print and television.

In September Carmen (Schmitt) Lopez was part of a great story on NPR’s All Things Considered, about College Horizons, a New Mexico-based nonprofit organization providing college and graduate admissions workshops to American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students and participants from across the nation. Carmen is the executive director of College Horizons, which offers five-day summer “crash courses” in which Native sophomores and juniors work with college counselors and admissions officers to select suitable colleges where they can apply, gain admission and receive adequate financial aid. “We’re talking about a population that is so underrepresented and so underserved,” Carmen told NPR.

Students research their top 10 schools, complete college essays, resumes, the Common Application, the preliminary FAFSA and receive interviewing skills, standardized test-taking strategies and financial aid and scholarship information.

The story focused on a program at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where 85 students gathered with admissions officers from some of the country’s most selective universities. Carmen said that Native students are often overlooked because they’re isolated, likely no one in their family attended college and they have little access to college preparation. She said she invites admissions officers to College Horizons retreats because, “I want colleges to recognize that in their story and in what they’ve presented academically, this is the student who’s going to do well in your college because they’ve already had so much thrown at them.”

The retreats also reaffirm students’ identity and purpose. On the last day of the Lawrence University retreat several students made a poster reading, “Be as tough as the land that made you.”

Listen to the story at www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/09/26/493112553/how-native-students-can-suc....

Anne (Gibson) Burkholder was interviewed about cattle farming in the October issue of The Atlantic. “I met my husband [Matt Burkholder ’94, Th’95] at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire,” Anne said. “He is a farm kid from Cozad, Nebraska, who decided he wanted to see a different part of the country, so he played football at Dartmouth. I was a swimmer there, and we met on Halloween of my freshman year, fell in love and got married. We spent a year on the East Coast before deciding to move back to the farm.”

With the ability to feed 3,000 cattle in their farm’s feed yard, “we practice what’s called low-stress cattle handling,” said Anne, a psychology major. “We provide a very natural environment. When we handle cattle, we do it using non-verbal communication, which is how cattle communicate with each other.”

Anne continued, “My perspective of the world is a lot different now that I’ve spent two decades as an animal caregiver. I love to work with animals and I enjoy the fact that I’m growing food. It makes me feel good at night that I’m doing something meaningful.”

Anne lives on the farm with Matt and their three daughters. Read the interview at www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/10/cattle-farmer/502991.

Finally, Brady Beale, a veterinary ophthalmologist and clinical instructor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, was featured in Life at Vet U., an Animal Planet documentary following the lives of six fourth-year students in their clinical rotations. Watch Brady’s episode at www.animalplanetgo.com/life-at-vet-u/no-sleep-til-graduation.

Brady also made the news in 2015 when the Philadelphia Zoo asked her to restore the vision of Princess, a 60-plus-year-old Andean condor. Brady and her team successfully removed cataracts from both of Princess’s eyes. Learn more here: www.vet.upenn.edu/about/press-room/publications/penn-vet-extra/penn-vet-....

Brady is married to Davis Clark, an emergency physician. They live in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with their daughters, Vivian (5) and Anna (3).

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2017!

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com
 

How many of you have ever planned out your whole weekend only to be lured into a marathon of Property Brothers? On one such rainy Saturday in May, I turned to HGTV and was delighted to see Drew and Jonathan working with my fellow Querétaro, Mexico, language study abroad alum Nadine (Haig) Evans and her husband, Greg. After finishing the 2014 episode, I checked in with Nadine to see what she’s been up to.

Nadine, who calls Atlanta home, writes: “We are still enjoying our home and we live across the street from my sister, Nicole Haig ’95. Greg and I have four children: Sophia (11), Gregory (9), Isabella (7) and Gabriella (20 months).

“I left private firm practice nearly four years ago to join the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where I am a senior special counsel specializing in the area of municipal securities. I enjoy my diverse work with the commission. I am a frequent speaker at internal and external conferences, while I also provide advice daily to staff members nationwide. As one of the principal drafters of the examination protocol for advisers to municipalities, I collaborate with the commission’s enforcement division as well as several other divisions within the commission.”

Nadine and Greg’s house turned out beautifully and their episode is frequently rerun on HGTV. You also can check out a behind-the-scenes “bro cam” about their episode at youtube.com/watch?v=AZSCCFbO0GU.

Congratulations to Cai Boldt Pandolfino and husband Jeff on the birth of their third son. Grayson entered the world on March 1 and joins older brothers Coleman, 7, and Bennett, 9.

In addition to three boys, Cai and Jeff happily have their hands full with Green & Tonic, the plant-focused restaurant chain they founded together. Originally formed as an Internet-based meal delivery service, Green & Tonic transformed into a restaurant chain in 2012 with locations throughout Connecticut—Cos Cob, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan and the newest restaurant in Westport. Green & Tonic has an all-plant menu that includes wraps, such as a sunflower seed tuna wrap, bowls such as quinoa rotini with peas and sautéed greens, as well as breakfasts, salads, soups, pressed juices, superfood smoothies, snacks and more. The menu includes local and organic ingredients whenever possible. My words don’t do this justice. Check out these delicious-looking and healthy meals, drinks, juice cleanses and snacks at greenandtonic.com.

Hope everyone has been enjoying the summer. Please send me your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Will Taylor sent an update from Singapore: “In August 2014 I married Sarah Soetarjo in Bali, Indonesia. Dartmouth alums attending included Torbjorn Dimblad, Empi Morn, Micke Morn, Ervin Tu, Dickon Verey, Ku Chung Feng Hsiung, Eran Bendavid, Joshua Miller ’95 and Joe Bartlett ’74. I met Sarah through family friends while working on a project in Bali in 2012 and proposed by the River Thames, outside of London, the following year. Shortly after marrying, we moved to Singapore, where I work as a strategist for Interbrand, a brand consultancy. I enjoy helping Southeast Asian organizations develop a voice and tell their stories internationally—I suppose I learned a bit about communicating across cultures from coming to Dartmouth (and the United States) as a freshman. When we’re not working we like to explore the outdoors in various countries around the region. I miss a lot about the United States and Europe, but there is a real dynamism in this part of the world that is nice to be a small part of. I hope any classmates coming through will drop me a line if they’re interested in a drink or meal. Singaporeans are very serious about their street food!”

According to Techcrunch.com, Rob Leathern is embracing ad blocking under the familiar name of Optimal.com. Optimal was the name of the social ad company Rob founded and served as CEO of until 2013, when he sold the company to Brand Networks. Rob’s new company, which acquired the old Optimal domain, will allow consumers to pay a subscription fee that goes to online publishers that agree not to serve ads to those subscribers.

In a post excerpted by Techcrunch.com, Rob explained: “Most adblocking is all­or-nothing today, but I know that for me there are some websites and some advertisers with whom I want to maintain an ongoing dialog and don’t mind seeing ads. Optimal.com will let users see and share which websites are showing ads respectfully, and as advertising stops deceiving and advertisers start being more upfront about the data they use, users will let some of it return. The vocal minority blocking ads today can help shape a new ad ecosystem for us all—it’s time for a transparent conversation about ads vs. no ads instead of leaning on the previously implicit relationship between ads, users and content.”

Hope all is well with everyone. Please keep sending me your news.

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

Congratulations to Grayson Allen, who married Lorraine Hanley on April 18 in Warwick, Rhode Island, at the Aldrich Mansion overlooking Narragansett Bay. Dartmouth alums attending include David Bruder, Marc Lewinstein ’98, James Panero ’98 and Rohit Chandra ’98. The couple honeymooned in Saint Barthelemy before returning to Boston.

Grayson writes: “I met Lorraine in 2012 at a social event in Boston I attended with some friends. I immediately knew she was a great match for me, but it took me some time to win her over. I am very thankful to my friend Richard Hornblower and her friend Karma Longtin, a yoga instructor here in Boston, who helped convince her that I was indeed a good match for her. We got engaged in Tenants Harbor, Maine, last summer. Lorraine loves lobster, so our engagement actually took place over a home-cooked lobster dinner. The weather that day didn’t exactly cooperate, but, in the end, the rain subsided, and I proposed to her under a double rainbow.

“From a professional standpoint, I’ve been a chief financial officer of a couple of different companies and, during the past three years, I’ve been a consultant at Tatum, where I have served as interim chief financial officer for several companies, primarily in the software, medical device and healthcare industries. Through Tatum I’m serving as interim chief financial officer at Maxwell Health, a Boston-based startup in the healthcare benefits management industry.

“I’m also a founder of LaunchPad Medical, a startup working to commercialize a novel bone adhesive technology. Brian Hess, a classmate from MIT Sloan School of Management, invented the technology several years ago when he previously worked at Stryker Corp. After we graduated from Sloan’s mid-career M.B.A. program last summer, we worked on exclusively licensing the technology from Stryker. Earlier this summer we executed the license agreement and won a finalist spot at MassChallenge, a Boston-based accelerator for technology companies. We are really excited about our prospects and the current trajectory for our company.”

Camille (Masini) Barreto now calls Mexico City home. Camille writes: “After graduation I headed back to Toronto and worked with a startup called Workbrain until heading to Columbia Business School in 2002. I had the fortune of meeting my husband, Luis, also a Columbia Business School grad, and we worked together at Citi for more than six years. While we initially worked in the investment bank, I switched over to the private bank when our son, Damien, was three as our combined schedules were intense.

“Citi moved us temporarily in 2007 for a few years to London, where our daughter, Sofia, was born. Little did we know our adventure would continue across the globe!

“Our next stop was to Lima, Peru, in early 2010 (Luis spent his early childhood there), when Luis opened Brookfield Asset Management’s offices for its infrastructure group. It was definitely an adventure for the kids and me. I resigned from Citi and managed to learn Spanish quickly enough to take a position as group head for a large private bank after getting the kids settled in to our new country. Peru is a beautiful place and I recommend taking the time to visit the Sierra, the jungle and all of Peru’s other wonders. The food is divine as well.

“We were in Peru just shy of five years until Luis was asked to open Brookfield Infrastructure’s Mexico office. So the Barreto clan was off again and now and we are settled in Mexico City. What a fantastic place! There are many misconceptions about this beautiful city of 20 million people and we welcome our friends to visit anytime.

“Hope to see you all at our 20th reunion!”

—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com

In publishing news, I heard from Rebecca Sullivan about her recently published book called The Longest Distance. Rebecca calls it “a coming-of-age story about a high school runner dealing with the myriad challenges of being a female student athlete. I wrote it during two wonderful fellowships in Vermont and Washington.” Check it out on Amazon.


It may be difficult or even impossible to believe that this year marks the 20th anniversary of our Sophomore Summer, but believe it. Back in the summer of 1995 Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Batman Forever (the one with Val Kilmer) and Apollo 13 were playing in theaters and TLC’s Waterfalls and Seal’s Kiss from a Rose topped the music charts. And those of us browsing the web probably used Netscape.


I asked a random group of ’97s about their favorite memories from summer 1995 in Hanover. Here are some responses.


Meredith Epstein Goodman wrote: “My most vivid memory of the summer is of Tubestock—painting our tubes, holding onto others’ tubes and trying not to go too far in any direction down the river, furiously applying a ton of sunscreen as, if I remember correctly, it was quite sunny and hot, and marveling at the rafts that people built and wondering how they found the time and skill to do so. On a more serious note, I remember spending a lot of time in Kiewit as it was air conditioned! My third-floor, small room in Theta was most definitely not! Never again do I need convincing that heat rises.”


As a Texan raised on central air conditioning, I, too, remember the intense heat during the day, especially walking backwards as a tour guide and thinking that the College’s motto should be changed to vox clamantis in inferno. But I also fondly recall lounging in a kiddie pool from Kmart in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, and reading and writing papers for professor Mary Kelley’s wonderful class, “American Intellectual and Cultural History Since the Civil War.”


Zoe Langsten McKelvey wrote: “I really liked that time on campus. I remember getting back into jogging after my language study abroad in Italy (eating a lot), and the pleasure of jogging the loop. I think it began on Lyme Road and followed along Reservoir Road, Grasse Road and then back to campus on East Wheelock. I also recall jogging some nature trails with one of my house mates, Nicole Bruneau, who transferred the following year. Academically I loved professor Stephanie J. Hull for French 8. Her class convinced me to add French to my major, along with government. I also enjoyed working in Paddock Music Library for cold, hard cash.”


Patrick Hansen wrote: “Well, I was one of a (stubborn? ill-fated?) few who petitioned for ‘relief’ from the Sophomore Summer requirement. I had what at the time was a well-paying, seasonal job as a bartender on river boats in Boston. So instead of floating the Connecticut I was cruising the Charles. In hindsight would I do it that way again? Probably not. My best memories of Dartmouth have lasted much, much longer than my student loans.”


Don’t go chasing waterfalls, and enjoy the summer of 2015!


—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com


If you’ve ever wondered about exploring life on other planets, talk to the hand, that is, Kevin Hand. Kevin, who serves as deputy chief scientist for solar system exploration at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, narrates a new video called Europa: Ocean World, in which he explains why scientists are looking beneath the ocean surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa to answer some of mankind’s most profound questions.


“The search for life beyond Earth begins with understanding the life on our home planet,” he says. “And that story, the story of life on earth, may have begun in our oceans.” Kevin goes on to say that the ocean beneath the icy shell of Europa is perhaps 10 times as deep as the Earth’s ocean and may contain two to three times the volume of all the liquid water on Earth. Despite Europa’s distance from the sun, it has liquid water because it orbits Jupiter, and the tidal energy eventually turns into friction and heat to help maintain the liquid water ocean beneath an icy shell, he says.


“The question of whether or not life exists beyond Earth, the question of whether or not biology works beyond our own planet, is one of humanity’s oldest and yet unanswered questions,” he says. “For the first time in the history of humanity we have the tools and technology and capability to potentially answer this question and we know where to go to find it—Jupiter’s ocean world, Europa.”


To watch this fascinating video, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz9VhCQbPAk&sns=em.


Back on Earth, after three intelligent and thought-provoking seasons, HBO’s The Newsroom came to an end and so did David Harbour’s recurring role as Elliot Hirsch. David can now be seen in State of Affairs, the new NBC drama about a CIA officer (played by Katherine Heigl) who leaves the field to become the president’s daily briefer in charge of targeting the country’s most critical threats. David portrays David Patrick, the president’s chief of staff who will do whatever it takes to further the agenda of the president, played by Alfre Woodard. Check it out on Mondays at 10 p.m. or at www.nbc.com.


You may also have seen David in the recent feature films A Walk Among the Tombstones, starring Liam Neeson, and The Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington. This fall he will appear in Black Mass, based on Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger.


As if the release of both The Lego Movie and 22 Jump Street in the same year wasn’t enough, Phil Lord and Chris Miller can add directing a real trailer for a fake movie to their credits. If you caught the new Annie film, you may have noticed the fake movie within the movie starring Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Rihanna. Phil and Chris directed the trailer for Moonquake Lake, which nicely parodies young adult supernatural romance films. You can see it at www.sonypictures.com/movies/moonquakelake. The pair also directed the pilot for The Last Man on Earth, set to debut on Fox in March.


Take care, everyone, and let me know what you’re up to.


—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com


I hope some of you in the New York area had the good fortune to see Katherine Taylor’s exhibition at the Skoto Gallery in Chelsea. Titled Katherine Taylor: New Sculpture, the exhibition ran from September 11 to October 18 and featured eight sculptures from Katherine’s work during the past year. Her sculptures offer a visual fragment of the familiar: a turtle’s shell, a mandarin orange and part of an elephant’s body. But instead of using the textures from those representations, the surface textures feature tree bark pulled directly from nature. Katherine takes impressions of the bark using silicone mold and shapes and casts in bronze, stainless steel and aluminum.


Katherine feels that her animal-botanical hybrids create the appearance of a state of constant flux, a strange back-and-forth that gives the viewer what she calls a sense of “visual refreshment.”


Katherine keeps busy dividing her time among Houston, New York, and Eibar, Spain. Her work has been shown all over the world, including exhibitions at the National Arts Club in New York and the Hood Museum of Art.


Closer to the Green, Theresa Ellis is serving as the Tucker Foundation’s interim dean. A former member of Tucker’s board of visitors, Theresa, a religion major, was involved with Tucker as an undergraduate volunteer with the Big Brother Big Sister program. 


Also the Gleitsman Visiting Practitioner at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Theresa is leading Tucker at a time of exciting change. The College’s board of trustees recently approved a new structure that will create two centers: one dedicated to religious and spiritual life and one committed to public service.


Theresa told Dartmouth Now in July that the new centers will allow both religious and spiritual life and public service to thrive on the Dartmouth campus, “embracing the fullness of their respective missions.


“As an alumna I recognize that the Tucker Foundation has a rich and storied history at Dartmouth. Many students have been involved in its various programs. I think that this decision creates an opportunity for the College to better serve our students and our community as we move forward,” Theresa said.


The reorganization will ensure that religious and spiritual life has the resources to meet the needs of the Dartmouth community, she said. “And this decision allows both public service and religious and spiritual life to be fully focused on their respective missions, which has been difficult to do under the current configuration.”


A broad search for leaders of both centers is under way and should be wrapped up by the end of the fall term.


“Ultimately, by engaging a broad swath of the community, we hope that these new centers can be part of the effort to improve campus climate,” Theresa said.


Hope everyone is doing well. Please let me know what you’re up to.


—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com


Steve Sugarman is making news in the banking world. Steve, who is the president and CEO of the Banc of California Inc., was featured in an April Los Angeles Times article on the bank’s acquisition of 20 southern California offices of the Puerto Rico-based Popular Inc. According to the article, Banc of California, now the largest Orange County-based bank, is one of several large community banks rapidly expanding in the Southland area with a focus on small businesses. The bank will also have a strong presence in areas with large Latino communities where Popular operated. 


“We think the dreams of entrepreneurs are the same in these neighborhoods,” Steve told the Times. “A person trying to finance his second restaurant in Downey is not much different than [Banc of California client] Tender Greens expanding to a second restaurant in West L.A.”


Steve also made news last summer when he hired former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as a strategic advisor on expanding home and small business loan portfolios.


Steve lives in Pacific Palisades, California, with his wife and three kids.


Better late than never: Mark Abel sent in his first update since graduation. He reports that wife Kat (Kathleen) Williams won an Emmy in September at the 65th Creative Arts Emmy Awards. She was honored in the “Outstanding Special Class: Short Format Nonfiction Programs” category for executive producing Remembering 9/11, which aired on the History Channel’s website, history.com. The documentary series, about several items in the 9/11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center site, beat out strong competition from Jay Leno’s Garage, Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and 30 Rock: The Final Season. Congratulations, Kat! 


Mark works at Merrill Lynch in New York trading government bonds, which he has done for 14 years. He and Kat live in Manhattan with their 4-year-old daughter Charlotte.


Hope everyone is enjoying the summer. Please send your news.


—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com


On a foggy evening on June 20, 65 floors above Manhattan, Karen Salzberg married David Arnett in a beautiful and touching ceremony at the Rainbow Room, just before it closed its doors after 75 years. David’s best man joked in his toast that the room was enveloped by cloud nine, which he said Karen and David have been on since they met each other and which was apparent to everyone there. The guests and wedding party danced the night away on the club’s famous revolving dance floor. Dartmouth alums in attendance included maid of honor Andrea Arata ’98, bridesmaid Meredith Epstein Goodman and Liz (Lipson) Glass.


Meredith and her husband, Jeff, a nephrologist, are new parents to daughter Erica Blair Goodman, born on March 25. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Liz, a radiologist, and husband Andrew have a 3-year-old son and live in Greenwich, Connecticut.


Now on to more birth announcements. Congratulations to all.


On June 10 Matt Clavel and wife Liz welcomed daughter Madeleine Bauer Clavel, who weighed 7 pounds, 2.5 ounces. Matt, who is a teacher, was looking forward to spending his vacation time getting to know Madeleine.


Xantha Bruso reported that she and husband Dan Leibowitz welcomed son Remy on May 6. The family was headed to Alaska for a month this summer. 


Xantha wrote: “This fall I’ll be returning to my job in the environmental policy department of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in San Francisco, where I work on helping the company comply with greenhouse gas emissions regulation. I recently joined the board of the Dartmouth Outing Club of Northern California, which maintains a historic, alumni-built cabin near Lake Tahoe. It’s in dire need of a new foundation and other repairs, so if you’d like to help fix it up or donate to the cause, please visit our Web site, www.docnc.net.”


On April 8 Joanna Whitley and husband Ken Rizvi became parents to son Brooks Rex Rizvi, who was 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and 20 inches long. The family, including mini-schnauzer Zeus, lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Joanna moved in 2000 to pursue a career in professional golf. She said she played for seven years with three wins on the mini-tour level. She now works as director of sales and marketing for a PGA Tour event called the Frys.com Open.


Joanna stays in touch with a handful of Dartmouth alums. She wrote: “Jess Adelman ’96 came out from D.C. in March to throw a baby shower for me. Whitney McMurtry and I reconnect every year or two with a long chat. I was at her wedding probably five years ago. She’s got two beautiful little boys and is living in Denver. My husband used to work with Jimmy Franzone in San Francisco, so when Jimmy and Jennifer Guy come out to visit her parents in Scottsdale we get together. If there are any ’97s out here, get in touch at joanna.whitley@gmail.com.”


Maggie Fritz wrote in with baby and engagement announcements: “I just wanted to pass along some news from the ladies formerly of 201 Channing Cox. Between us we have three babies and an engagement. On December 6, 2008, Stephanie Waddell and husband Greg O’Neal (Northwestern ’97) welcomed son Ames August O’Neal into the world. Three days later, on December 9, my husband, Kwaku Driskell (Northwestern ’96), and I were thrilled by the arrival of our baby girl Nora Mae Driskell. Then on February 16 Robyn Murgio gave birth to son Graham Murgio Miller, the first baby for her and husband Chris Miller. Finally, in March Kathleen Valenzuela announced her engagement to Sonny Cheng (NYU ’95). They plan to marry in N.Y.C. in October.”


—Jason Casell, 4-75 48th Ave., Apt. 1106, Long Island City, NY 11109; jcasell@aol.com


We start off with the announcement of yet another new addition to the rapidly growing number of children of ’97s. Congratulations to Liz Lucarelli Baldwin and husband Brian on the August 7 birth of their daughter Abigail Elizabeth Baldwin, who was 6 pounds, 15 ounces.


Congratulations also to Jeremy Turk and Danielle Lann, who were married June 28 at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, New Jersey. Rich Yeh, Rick Camp, Steve Sugarman and Bill Tovell ’96 were groomsmen. Jeremy’s sister, Beth Turk ’98, was a bridesmaid. Other alums in attendance include James Jarrett, Nevin Patton, Aaron Brooks ’96, Pete Jastreboff ’96, Misha Rosoff ’96, Eric Schwartz ’96 and John Katen ’93.


Brian Kim is keeping himself busy as the president and chief investment officer of Liquid Capital Management, a family of closed-end investment funds that use a statistical approach to take advantage of volatility in equity markets by trading in futures contracts. Liquid Capital was recognized in May by BarclayHedge Index as a Top 10 fund in the stock return index category. BarclayHedge highlights funds that have excelled in delivering consistently strong risk-adjusted performance relative to peers. Brian has worked in the financial markets in various positions for more than 10 years.


In entertainment news, it’s been quite a year for Eyal Podell and David Harbour. Fans of 24 may have noticed Eyal this past season. He played Ryan Burnett, the chief of staff for a senator who was initially out to get Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer. It turned out Ryan was a pretty bad guy, and like most of the bad guys on 24, he did not meet a pretty end. Eyal, who had a major role on The Young and the Restless for several years, also recently appeared as a guest star on CSI: NY. He is currently starring in ABC’s Defying Gravity, a space thriller series set in the year 2052 against the background of our solar system, in which eight astronauts from five countries embark on a mysterious six-year international space mission covering 8 billion miles. Eyal plays Israeli psychiatrist and onboard medical officer Evram Mintz. On starpulse.com Eyal described the show, which also flashes back to the characters’ past encounters with each other as “Grey’s Anatomy meets Lost in space.”


Fresh from the success of his roles in the films Revolutionary Road and Quantum of Solace, David, a 2005 Tony Award nominee, turned in a positively creepy small-screen performance earlier this year as the killer of the week in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In fact, David has completed the Law & Order trifecta, having also appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the original Law & Order, which is heading into what seems like its 100th season.


My next column will come from Austin, as I am literally packing my bags right now to join a Texas law firm. Faye, Ellery and I are going to miss our friends in the Big Apple, but we’re looking forward to new adventures in the greatest city in the Lone Star State!


Please keep sending me your news.


—Jason Casell, 4-75 48th Ave., Apt. 1106, Long Island City, NY 11109; jcasell@aol.com


This column is about ’97s keeping it all in the family with news from two ’97 couples and one ’97 married to the brother of another ’97. So without further ado…Congratulations to Jonathan Selva and Antonia (Golianopoulos) Selva on the birth of their son Luke Forrest. He arrived on April 19, 2009, which Jonathan noted was Greek Easter, and weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces, and measured 20 inches.


Kelly Roda Taliaferro, who is married to Hank Taliaferro, wrote in with a long overdue update: “Greetings from Albuquerque, New Mexico! I thought I would give your column a little update on our family since we have never written in and much has happened since graduation. Hank recently opened up MD Urgent Care (www.mdurgentcare.com) with two fellow board-certified emergency medicine doctors. After being open a year and a half they are already planning on expanding. He also works in many of the local hospital emergency rooms. Since moving to New Mexico for his residency in 2002 Hank has really gotten into big game hunting (as well as bird hunting, which he has done since he was little). He harvested his first elk with a bow in September 2006 and got me out on a successful elk hunt with a rifle this past October. I am a residential Realtor (www.luckydogrealty.com) and also overlook our investment properties. I am still running and playing soccer recreationally. We have two wonderful boys: Henry is 4 1/2 years old and Matthew is 19 months. Between work, kids and our two German shorthaired pointers we are a busy family! We love New Mexico and would be happy to host any classmates who are wandering through.”


Mollie Greves Grow also sent in an update: “I’ve been meaning to write for ages, as it’s been a full couple of years. I got married on May 25, 2008, to Joel Grow. We met on match.com and discovered on our first date that Joel’s sister is Sarah Grow, and she and I had last seen each other at Georgia Reid’s wedding in 2002. Sarah was able to attend our wedding between her stints with the Foreign Service in Mumbai and Istanbul. We had a great Dartmouth reunion with the East Coast contingent including Kelley Hart, Kristin Canavan Wilson, Tom Caputo ’96, Sarah Lenczner Caputo, Carolyn Abruzzo Campion and our local buddies Abby Klingbeil and David Zipkin.


“Joel and I welcomed our daughter Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Margaret on March 21, 2009, and got to take her to visit her Aunt Sarah in Istanbul at 5 months of age. We called her our little ambassador as she loved meeting the Turkish people. We hope she inherits her Aunt Sarah’s language skills (I think Sarah’s latest count is seven-plus languages). Ellie is also buddies with Abby and David’s daughter Julia who is three months younger. After finally finishing training in 2008 I have a real job as a pediatric faculty at the University of Washington in general pediatrics and love being humbled by trying my hand at parenting.”


Please keep sending me your news. Take care.


—Jason Casell, 9209 Donner Lane, Austin, TX 78749; jcasell@aol.com


Jenn Chen sent greetings from Rome: “Ciao da Roma! I have news I’d love to share. Following eight fantastic years as an expat in Paris and Rome, I’m moving to New York City in July. In Paris I taught the literature option internationale du baccalauréat Français for the American section of the Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye; in Rome I taught international baccalaureate literature and served as English and curriculum coordinators at St. Stephen’s School. This fall I’ll assume an English literature teaching position at the United Nations International School in Manhattan.” 


Jenn has packed a lot into her time abroad. Her first job in Paris was with a documentary film production company that had just published the first issue of an annual Anglophone poetry journal. She also translated and wrote film proposals, did subtitling, worked with a voiceover artist in the studio, served as an Anglophone liaison on projects in Australia, Malaysia, and the United States and worked as a production assistant and on-the-go interpreter for a Colorado-based production company that toured France for a shoot for the Style network.


“That last gig was the most fun,” Jenn wrote. “I got to spend a day in Provence (and a few follow-up work lunches in Paris) with Olivier Baussan, the very charming founder of L’Occitane and Oliviers & Co.; Jacques Polge, the nose of Chanel (we interviewed him one early morning in the privately owned jasmine fields whose entire output Chanel has purchased since the 1970s for Chanel No. 5); and Philippe d’Ornano, a Sisley vice president and the son of Count Hubert d’Ornano, founder of the cosmetics company. The film job was the only opportunity I suppose I’ll have in this lifetime to encounter celebrity. I’m passionate about teaching and literature and, well, mine isn’t a very glamorous profession!


“I’m thrilled to be returning home and can’t wait to reconnect with friends and settle into one of the greatest cities of the world! In N.Y.C. I’m excited to hang out more often with Matt Clavel and Steve Lee. They were very supportive in my job search and have been good friends over the past several years, despite our not being able to see each other often. Matt’s happily teaching at St. Bernard’s in the city and he and his wife, Liz, have the sweetest little girl, Madeleine. Steve’s married to the lovely and very talented dancer Carolyn Cryer and recently purchased a place in Brooklyn.”


Jenn was off to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Paris before returning to New York. 


Thank you to everyone who donated to the Leo Park Scholarship Fund. We raised the $18,000 we needed to partially support a named scholar. Starting this fall a Dartmouth student will receive a scholarship in Leo’s name of approximately $6,000 to $7,000 per year. The scholarship will renew annually until the student graduates or is no longer eligible for financial assistance, and at that point the scholarship will pass to another student.


While future donations to the fund are no longer needed to secure an annual gift in Leo’s name, those who wish to continue to contribute may do so. Such gifts will still have a large impact, as any future contributions to the fund will increase the amount of the annual scholarship awarded.


As I write this, Faye and I are preparing for our first international trip with Ellery, who will turn 2 on our flight to Tel Aviv. What did you do this summer? Any exciting trips or upcoming travel plans? Please send me your news, travel-related or otherwise. Take care. 


—Jason Casell, 9209 Donner Lane, Austin, TX 78749; jcasell@aol.com


As I write this we are in the final days of 2013, an eventful and transformative year in many ways. Can’t wait to see what 2014 brings, but first congratulations to our classmates on a birth, a wedding and a big company sale. Let’s get to the news.


Jen Merzon Evans and husband Chris welcomed son Cameron Matthew to the world on October 29, 2013, at 8 pounds and 20.47 inches. Jen is a labor and employment lawyer at O’Melveny & Myers in New York City and Chris works in investment banking.


On December 15 Marisa (Bassett) de la Garza married Kate de la Garza in Seattle. Marisa is a clinical social worker in Seattle and she and Kate are the parents of daughter Camila.


Social media marketing company Brand Networks recently acquired social ad optimization platform Optimal from founder and CEO Rob Leathern. Rob will serve as the new chief product officer at Brand Networks. Founded in 2008, Optimal’s advertisers include Gucci, Sephora and Gilt Groupe. The company was recognized in 2013 as Facebook’s most innovative partner with an award for its Open Signals product, and was profiled by Forrester Research as one of the best vendors in its “social advertising wave.” Rob, who lives in San Francisco with wife Amanda (Stanford ’98) and their two young daughters, reports that he will continue to help aspiring entrepreneurs in the Dartmouth community.


Please keep sending your updates.


—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com


With great sadness I report that Amy Stein died on May 14 in a rock climbing accident near Leavenworth, Washington. Amy received a master’s in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2004, and her love of climbing and the outdoors led her to relocate to Squamish, British Columbia, two years later. She is survived by her father, Jay, stepmother Gretchen, brothers Benjamin and Peter, sister-in-law Rebecca, stepsister Fox, stepbrother Fleming, and nieces and nephews Annie, Jack, Jason, Sylvi, Sammy and Zachary. An obituary will appear on the magazine’s website at www.dartmouthalumnimagazine.com, and those who wish are welcome to post remembrances of Amy.


Our 15th reunion was a huge success. Please check out pictures on the class of 1997 Facebook page. During reunion class officers were elected. Jenn (Tudder) Walus and Lindsay Noecker are co-presidents; Amy Henry is vice president; I will continue to serve as secretary; and Alejandro Soto is treasurer. Appointed positions include webmaster Tony Field and newsletter editor/social media manager Cai (Boldt) Pandolfino. Other appointments are forthcoming. 


Special thanks to Kristin (Canavan) Wilson for her many years of service to our class as president and co-president. 


In other news, Phil Lord sent an update from Sydney, Australia. He and Chris Miller are down under directing The Lego Movie, a computer-animated film scheduled for February 2014 release. Phil wrote: “Staying right on Sydney Harbor which sounds wonderful until you realize that means waking up to cruise ships blaring electronic horns at all hours and avoiding terrifying giant bats while jogging. Yes, I jogged. One time for 10 minutes. Sorry to brag.”


The Lego Movie will feature the voices of Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Will Ferrell. Can’t wait for it!


Please keep sending your news.


—Jason Casell, 6426 Needle Leaf Drive, Rockville, MD 20852; jhcasell@gmail.com


Fans of the hit Fox series Bones may have been pleasantly surprised to see Eyal Podell in a recent episode. Eyal played a lawyer who was a member of a radical honesty support group and had some good scenes with the show’s stars, David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel. Eyal also had guest roles this past season on two NBC series, The Event and Harry’s Law with Kathy Bates.


In print news, Michael Glatze was featured in a lengthy New York Times profile in June. He currently lives in Wyoming.


It’s been a very hot summer and a very quiet one as well, as you can tell by the brevity of this column. Please send in updates. Your classmates want to know what you have been up to.


—Jason Casell, 9209 Donner Lane, Austin, TX 78749; jcasell@aol.com


I am sad to report that Keith Broughton passed away on July 18 in Everett, Washington. He is survived by his wife, Jill, son Gage, daughter Abigail, stepdaughter Alexis, parents Gary ’66 and Sharon and sister Laura Broughton ’95.


Keith, who graduated from the Thayer School of Engineering in 1998, was a mechanical engineer at Electroimpact in Mukilteo, Washington. According to the Everett Daily Herald, Keith enthusiastically coached his children’s soccer teams and enjoyed sailing, hiking, hockey, skiing and singing in his church choir. He was secretary of the Japanese Gulch Group, an organization dedicated to preserving Washington State’s Japanese Gulch as a natural and undeveloped area for the benefit of current and future generations of people and wildlife.


While an undergraduate Keith was a member of Glee Club, Chi Gamma Epsilon and Kappa Sigma, Marching Band, student workshops and final Cut.


A celebration of Keith’s life was held July 20 at the First Presbyterian Church in Everett. Memorials in his name may be made to the Key Bank, N.A., Keith T. Broughton Memorial Account, 2707 Colby Ave., Suite 600, Everett, WA 98201. 


Congratulations to Dave Lynch, who got married in the Granite State in July. Class of ’97s in attendance included Andrew Terzella, Dave Stefanowicz, Beth (Johnson) Stefanowicz, Melanie (Gustin) Timm, Kevin Paquette and Chris White. Dave works in investment management and new wife Julie is in social work.


Amy Henry is one of three winners of the 2011-12 Dartmouth Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented annually to those alumni who have graduated within the last 15 years and have demonstrated extraordinary service to the College. Way to go, Amy!


In what is surely a first mention in this column, the Drovers Cattle Network, America’s beef business source, recently singled out Anne Burkholder, who works as a feedlot owner in Cozad, Nebraska, for her creation of a check-off funded blog titled Feedyard Foodie. Here’s the excerpt:


“Two days after receiving her B.A. in psychology from Dartmouth College, Anne put on her blue jeans and went to work at the cattle feedyard. She has since become an avid advocate for the cattle industry and believes it is imperative for farmers and ranchers to provide a place online where people can go to read about the real story of beef, written by someone who actually gets their hands dirty.


“Anne says she and her husband, and three daughters have a family farm, and invite all those interested in learning more about the people who are dedicated to providing safe, wholesome, and nutritious beef, to join in the conversation.”


Check out Anne’s blog at feedyardfoodie.wordpress.com.


—Jason Casell, 9209 Donner Lane, Austin, TX 78749; jcasell@aol.com


Margaret Wheeler recently was interviewed by Fox 13 News Seattle about avalanche safety and education in the wake of a deadly avalanche in Washington state in February. Margaret works as a backcountry guide and instructor of avalanche education and ski touring in North Bend, Washington. She is only the second woman in the country to complete her International Mountain Guides Association guide certification. Margaret is also an instructor of guide training for the American Mountain Guides Association and serves as president of that organization. To watch the interview, go to www.q13fox.com/videogallery/68252010/News/backcountry-avalanche-risks.


Maria Simental sent an update from San Antonio, Texas. She reports that Vicky (Martinez) Garcia was in charge of alumni interviews in San Antonio, and more than 80 applicants were interviewed for the class of 2016. Hard to believe we’re closing in on 20 years since we were first-year students. 


Maria works as a domestic violence counselor for the San Antonio police department, which she said can be stressful but is worth the reward of helping someone break the cycle of abuse. She recently went to New York and visited Carla Rogers-Henry, who is an obstetrician/gynecologist, just bought a new home and is enjoying life with her husband and two children.


Maria also met up with Taja-Nia Henderson, who is an assistant professor of law at Rutgers School of Law in Newark. Taja-Nia teaches property, civil procedure, confinement, offender reentry and public policy, and business law for entrepreneurs at Rutgers Business School.


Take care, everyone. Please keep sending me your news.


—Jason Casell, 9209 Donner Lane, Austin, TX 78749; jhcasell@gmail.com


Adam Nelson recently has been in the news. The New York Times reported in December that Adam ascended to first place in the shot put more than eight years after the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece, when doping officials ruled that Yuriy Bilonog, the Ukrainian athlete who originally won the gold, was guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. Steroids were detected when Bilonog’s sample was reanalyzed, and he was subsequently stripped of his gold medal, along with three other track-and-field athletes whose samples were reanalyzed and tested positive for steroids.


According to the Times, doping protocols allow for officials to store samples for eight years and retest them for substances they may not have been able to detect at the time the sample was taken. The results of Bilonog’s sample were negative in 2004, but eight years later, with new tests at their disposal, officials reexamined about 100 samples from the Athens Games, focusing on certain sports and medalists.


Now Adam may receive the gold medal that he narrowly lost in a tiebreaker in 2004, when the shot put was staged at the site of the original ancient Olympics in Olympia, Greece. 


“I’m still processing this one, but the 2004 Olympics were a really special moment for me,” Adam told the Times. “My wife was there, a bunch of my friends from college, my family. We competed at the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The downside of this is I feel like our country was robbed of a medal at the relevant time. One of the biggest parts of an Olympic career is when you hear your anthem and see your flag when you stand on that podium. That’s something I can never replace.” 


According to the International Olympic Committee, track-and-field’s world governing body now will decide whether to officially alter the standings or void the positions of the stripped athletes. An Olympic gold medal would be a crowning achievement for Adam, who recently decided to retire from the shot put, ending what Sports Illustrated referred to as “one of the most distinguished throwing careers of any U.S. athlete.” He has a silver medal from the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, silver medals from the 2001 world championships in Edmonton, the 2002 world championships in Paris, the 2007 world championships in Osaka, and a gold medal from the 2005 world championships in Helsinki. Adam is now an officer in the track-and-field athletes association, which has challenged an International Olympic Committee regulation that limits how athletes can promote their sponsors.


“I felt like I was leaving the sport better than it was when I started,” Adam told the Times. “And that’s a big thing. There are ways for me to stay involved without training. I want to help athletes have a voice, and that’s become a real passion for me.” 


Please keep sending me your news. Take care.


—Jason Casell, 6426 Needle Leaf Drive, Rockville, MD 20852; jhcasell@gmail.com


Congratulations to Karen (Salzberg) Arnett and husband David on the birth of their son Michael Dylan. He arrived on December 4 at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and 19 inches long. Karen and David say that Michael has a “terrific attitude toward food, sleep and his parents.”


Catherine MacDonald Christian, who recently moved to Sacramento, California, writes that she is a project manager for a construction company that builds and maintains retail and restaurant locations such as Jamba Juice, Petco, Starbucks and Williams-Sonoma. She said her daughters Corinne (age 8) and Isabelle (age 5) are adjusting well to the move. “Life is good! If anyone is ever in the Sacramento area, we’d love to see them.”


Please send me your news.


—Jason Casell, 9209 Donner Lane, Austin, TX 78749; jcasell@aol.com


Mollie Greves Grow sent an update from the Pacific Northwest: “Greetings from Seattle. Hope this finds you well in 2012—a little scary to think of the numbers as they climb. I have to do mental math calculations sometimes of ‘just how long have I been out of college now?!’ I was wearing my Dartmouth cap on a jog with Abby Klingbeil around our beloved Seattle landmark, Greenlake, this weekend. Someone stopped to ask about us being from the East Coast and how well we liked living in Seattle. We paused and realized that we’ve both been here a long time—almost nine years for me and Abby is going on close to seven, I think. 


“Abby and I were feeling pretty proud of ourselves for getting out for our almost-weekly jog (used to be several times a week and much further, but we are happy to squeeze in about 30 minutes now). Of course we spend most of the run on our kids and work-life balance. We both added a second child last July, and I can’t believe how the time is flying by. Dave Zipkin and Abby welcomed Ethan Jacob Zipkin, and we welcomed Emma Kathryn Grow nine days later.”


Abby and Mollie both work at the University of Washington (UW). Abby is in advancement communications and manages editorial efforts. Mollie is an assistant professor of pediatrics and adjunct assistant professor of health services. She noted that she is excited about new opportunities working with the UW pediatric residents on advocacy and health promotion/obesity prevention this year. 


Mollie continued: “I find myself nostalgic and missing Hanover. Finally got a brief afternoon visit there last summer with our kids on the way back to Boston, where we stayed with the best hosts in town, Sarah Lenczner Caputo and Tom Caputo and their mature and well-mannered 5-year-old twin girls (Sarah has a particularly impressive repertoire of parenting skills). While I love living in Seattle, I wish we were closer to all of our friends on the other coast (and in between!) as well.”


Abby added that Mollie’s research on childhood obesity prevention has garnered a lot of media attention and that she’s often quoted in local and national news. She wrote that Dave is staying busy with the two kiddos, his work at Amazon and training for his first triathlon in July.


Take care, everyone. Please keep sending me your news.


—Jason Casell, 9209 Donner Lane, Austin, TX 78749; jhcasell@gmail.com


I am sad to report that Kimberly Akemi Bal Sloper passed away October 9 in her home in Wailuku, Maui, after fighting an aggressive form of breast cancer on and off for the past year and a half. She is survived by her husband, Bill, daughters Caroline, Emily and Olivia, and her parents, Beryl and Eugene Bal.


Andrea Meacham Rosal wrote: “Allison Pope Mangin, Elizabeth Fuller Boone, Mita Gupta, Susan Vernal Rogers and I spent a week in Maui in late July visiting with Kim. Later, when Kim’s condition worsened, Mita and Liz were each able to spend time with Kim in her final weeks, first in the hospital and then at home under hospice care. 


“Kim’s impact as a bright, beautiful, peaceful and loving person is felt deeply by all of us and by so many others who had the good fortune to know her. We will be creating a memory book for Kim’s daughters with photos, impressions and stories about their mother. Anyone who wants to share a memory or impression of Kim during our time at Dartmouth is invited to please e-mail your thoughts to me at ameach@gmail.com.”


An obituary will appear on the magazine’s website at www.dartmouthalumnimagazine.com, and those who wish are welcome to post remembrances of Kim.


Congratulations to Lauren (Hirshfield) Belden, who has been pretty busy lately. She wrote: “After marrying Nate Belden last fall, we welcomed a little girl into the world on June 10, 2012. Her name is Olivia Bird Belden, and we’re already looking forward to bringing her to Hanover next spring for reunion. Life in San Francisco is happily full of Dartmouth get-togethers, and my book club alone is a great excuse to see Allison Brown, Barb Wentworth, Andrea Lodzieski, Carrie Spring ’98, Carrie Langsdorf ’98, Abbey Doolittle ’98, Karen Dauer ’99, Jeana Chung ’99, Tara Pennington ’99 and Katie Hearey ’99. 


“In other news Nate and I have just begun embarking upon plans to open a winery in Sonoma come 2014, so if any of you find yourselves in California wine country, give us a call and come taste some of the very first barrels of Belden Barns wine!”


Congratulations also to Sandy Alexandre, who just published her first book, The Properties of Violence: Claims to Ownership in Representations of Lynching. Available at Amazon.com, the book demonstrates how representations of lynching violence in literature and culture are shaped by a dialectic of possession and dispossession. Sandy is an associate professor of American literature at MIT.


Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful holiday season and a terrific 2013!


—Jason Casell, 6426 Needle Leaf Drive, Rockville, MD 20852; jhcasell@gmail.com