Class of '02
Brown Alumni Association
Box 1859
Providence, RI 02912

Social and Career Networks

Our class has spread around the globe.  Fortunately, online social and career networking websites make it easy to keep in touch.  Update your profiles and join our class groups at the following sites:

• BRUnet -- a resource for members of the Brown community looking for job contacts and career advice. Update your contact information to help your fellow alums.
• LinkedIn -- a career-networking site with advanced search and referral services. Register yourself, compile your connections, and join the Brown Alumni Association group. (Note: this group is not public yet, so you must use this link to join.)
• Facebook -- a social networking site that allows you to share your pictures and stories.  Join the Brown University Class of 2002 Facebook group and stay up to date with the lives of your fellow alumni!

Class Notes

March/April 2008

Justin and Erin Ferris Garzia announce the November 13 arrival of daughter Kristen Anne. She joins big brothers Gavin and Owen.

Alisia Solano Williams and her husband, Sean, announce the August 13, 2007 birth of Kayla Noelle. Kayla is their second child and first girl. Contact Alisia at alisiasolano@yahoo.com.

January / February 2008

Julie Brener writes: “Marcie Rubin (Columbia ’05 MPH, MPA) married Adam Schaffner (Emory ’93, Rush ’98 MD) on June 10 at the Garden City Hotel in New York City. In attendance, and tearing up the dance floor, were Laura Brown ’03, Mathew Farkash ’03, Doug Kechijian, and bridesmaid Lindsay Rhodes. After a whirlwind honeymoon in Croatia, the couple lives in Michigan, where Adam is completing a residency in plastic surgery. Marcie, who is finishing her doctorate in public health at Columbia, can be reached at marcie.rubin@alumni.brown.edu.

Vincent Capaldi ’03 ScM, ’07 MD married Melinda Toye (Eastern Nazarene ’06) on March 9, 2007, in Providence. In attendance were Omar Hyder ’07 MD (groomsman), Sarah DeNucci ’03, ’07 MD (bridesmaid), Portia Thurmond ’03, ’06 MPH, ’11 MD, Ido Preis ’02, ’07 MD, Thomas DeNucci ’80 MD, and Julianne Ip ’75, ’78 MD. Vincent and Melinda have relocated to Elkridge, Md., to embark on residency and graduate school.

Ethan Loewenthal can be reached at 814 Damascus Church Rd., Chapel Hill, N.C. 27516.

Rachel Mason announces the August 4, 2007, birth of her daughter, Naema Sage Mercia Popp. Rachel, her husband, Nathan, and Naema have just returned to Victoria, B.C., where they plan to settle indefinitely. She writes: “Contacts are welcome—please stay in touch!” Contact Rachel at rachel_mason@alumni.brown.edu .

Evan S. Michelson married Ilysa Kimball on October 14 in Morristown, N.J. Evan is a research associate at the Woodrow Wilson Center, and Ilysa is a staff clinical psychologist at Greystone Park Hospital. Evan is also pursuing a doctoral degree in public administration at NYU. Groomsmen included David Flink, David Hyman, and Jason Rauch ’03. In attendance were Tamara Chestna, Lila Elman, Sarah Denniston, Elizabeth Johnson, Rebecca Schendel, Millicent Rauch ’03, Jaime Berg Hyman ’03, and Laura Epstein ’04.

Juan Carlos Olivarez writes: “I’m happy to report the birth of our son, Kai Ikeda Olivarez. Both mom and baby are healthy, and we are all excited to start a new chapter as a family.” Juan can be reached at 42 Wolf Rd. #934, Lebanon, N.H. 03766; juan.olivarez@alumni.brown.edu.

Jason Sobel ’03 ScM writes: “I married Sarah Linker on September 9, 2007, at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, Calif. George Cabrera III was the best man, and Harry Li was in the wedding party. Also present were David Eramian ’03, Li-Ming Pu , Kirstin Mennella, Michael Kriedman ’03, Margaret Robinson ’04, Peter Griess, Darren Modzelewski, Tiffany Reese, Karen Wesley ’03, Alison Lee, Rebecca Doctors Botelho ’04, James Botelho ’04, and Courtney Brown ’01. It was a lot of fun to have so many Brown friends present. We’ve bought a house in San Francisco, and I’ve started work at Facebook in Palo Alto. Also at Facebook are Leah Pearlman ’04, Jon Warman ’05, Eric Zamore’04, Eugene Letuchy ’04, and Alison Rosenthal ’98. We’re always hiring, so drop me a line if you’re looking for a job!”

Liz Yu ’06 MD writes: “Allan Hansen ’06 MD and I were married in La Jolla, Calif. on August 18, 2007. We had a wonderful time enhanced by all of our Brown family! In attendance were: Aimee Paik, Audrey Kwak, Elizabeth DiBona, Stanley Pelosi ’06 MD, Peter Vezeridis ’07 MD, Kerala Goodkin, Sara Kaplan, Jesse Winer, Nick Jaster, Amanda Higginson ’06 MD, Katja Goldflam ’06 MD, Will Carter and Tad Jusczyk.” Contact Liz at elyu@ucsd.edu.

November / December 2007

Anna Goldberg writes: “I am pleased to announce that Jon Reiter ’00, ’01 ScM and I were married on July 14 in Florence, Italy. In attendance were Daniel Reiter ’03, Juliana and Thomas Pepinsky ’01, Patrick MacRoy ’00, ’01 AM, Ayako and Allen Lee ’00, Valerie Weiss ’97, ’01 MD, and Shad White and family. We are currently living and working in London and can be reached at anna.goldberg@alumni.brown.edu and jonreiter@gmail.com. ”

Kate Hirschmann-Levy was awarded a Fulbright Grant in April. She will be in Santiago, Chile, from January 2008 until August 2008 to research and implement an adolescent health component within an organization called Educacion Popular en Salud (EPES). EPES primarily serves adult women in poor neighborhoods in and around Santiago. When Kate returns in August she plans to begin medical school.

Charles Shaw writes: “Eric Bendick beat the odds and found a wonderful woman to wed in Suzanne Hubbard (James Madison Univ. ’02) high on a mountaintop in Bozeman, Mont. The groom’s party included noted international legal scholars Andrew Woods and Matthew Perault, and Central Asia–phile Charles Shaw. The (ir)reverend Reif Larsen presided. Also in attendance were founder and curator of the Sheffield Gallery, Jeanne Gerrity; Respect for Delaware advocate Emily Tynan; mountain rangers Sarah Woods Klingelheber and Chris Klingelheber; aquatic educator Justin Lewis; dobro virtuouso Mike McGaraghan; documentary rights activist and filmmaker Rebecca Cohen; moose whisperer Alana McDonough; and Eric’s aunt Mickey Rice ’64 and uncle Clifton Rice ’64. Eric is a producer at Terra (www.lifeonterra.com), a web-based production and distribution outfit for wildlife documentaries. Suzanne teaches at a Montessori school and leads outdoor trips. They invite any and all friends to look them up in Bozeman to take advantage of views, skiing, tubing, hiking, the ‘mountain chic’ downtown, and their downstairs movie theater.”

Sarah Squire ’06 MD writes that she entered an essay contest thrown by Edy’s Slow-Churned Ice Cream explaining why her neighborhood in Winston-Salem, N.C. deserved an ice cream block party and she ended up winning the sweet prize of ice cream, party supplies, and invitations for her neighbors and friends. Sarah Coogan and Lindsay Haddix ate all the mint chip before Sarah could get a scoop of it. Sarah can be reached at sarahsquire@gmail.com.

John Wiener writes that Matthew Heaney married Michelle Olsheski on June 2 in a ceremony full of joy and merriment. Other Brown alums in attendance were Michael Ailes ’69, Arthur Coviello, Julia DiMartino, Peter Feroe, Martha Johnson, Lauren LaRochelle, Katharine Malinowski, David Mansbach, Mary Jo Markle, Sarah Markowitz, Megan Patterson, Jana Pickard-Richardson, Jeffrey Rasmussen, and best man John Wiener. The couple can be reached at weddingofthesummer@gmail.com.

September / October 2007

Gideon Arthurs married Erin Shields on April 28 in a rehearsal hall at Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre, where he is company manager. Chelsea Polis and Michael Gannon attended. The newlyweds have their own company, Groundwater Productions, which just closed Goblin Market, which was nominated for a Dora Award. The company had two more productions this summer: Ubu Roi (Massacred) in July, and Wallace Shawn’s A Thought in Three Parts in August. Reach Gideon at garthurs@gmail.com.

Elizabeth DiBona, of Waterville Valley, N.H., graduated from Boston Univ. School of Dental Medicine on May 20. Elizabeth graduated cum laude and received the Horace Wells award for outstanding achievement in anesthesiology. She was also inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honor Society. Elizabeth started a general practice residency at Boston Medical Center in July.

Evan Parness is engaged to Elizabeth Lash. The couple met during winter break of their first year of law school and got engaged in the fall of their third year. They recently celebrated graduating from law school and will be living in New Jersey, where each will serve as a judicial clerk before returning to New York City to enter private practice. Reach Evan at evan.parness@alumni.brown.edu.

July / August 2007

Ben Collier is living in New York City, working as global brand manager for American Express and also shooting freelance photojournalism for World Picture News. Please visit his Web site, www.benjamincollier.com, to see his portfolio.

Jenna Wainwright has been working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art since graduation, as an objects installer and mount-maker. To sell her jewelry she recently opened a store called Barometer in Chinatown: www.barometernyc.com. Jenna can be reached at jenna.wainwright@gmail.com.

May / June 2007

Jocelyn Chong married John Charles Halbert on Dec. 30, 2006, in the back yard of the Chong family’s home in Honolulu. The two had met when Jocelyn bicycled across the United States in 2003 to raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation. Brown alumni in attendance included the bride’s sister, Wincha Chong Gelbart, and Kevin Lo ’96. Jocelyn can be reached at P.O. Box 270752, Honolulu, HI 96827; Jocelyn.chong@alumni.brown.edu.

March / April 2007

Gideon Arthurs writes that he is working in advancement at Ryerson University in Toronto. This is his first “real” job.

Greg Machlin won the 2006 IRAM (the University of Iowa’s New Play Award) for his full-length sci-fi comedy, 2034: Basket Full of Books. His comedy about vampires, Bloody Lies, received a University Gallery production at Iowa this past Halloween weekend, and more than 300 people saw and enjoyed it. He’s currently getting ready to teach the art of the theater next semester. He can be reached at greg_machlin@yahoo.com.

January/February 2007

Mark Fitzgerald and his brother Matt (Princeton ’05) have founded a specialty foods company called BGLG Foods, Inc. BGLG stands for Big Guy and Little Guy, the brothers’ nicknames for each other. BGLG, which is based in Scarborough, N.Y., will be launching with a product called Cool Beans. Cool Beans is a white bean dip available in three flavors. For more information, go to www.bglgfoods. com. Mark can be reached at 270 Law Rd., Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. 10510; mpfitzgerald @optonline.net.

Alex Kruglov married Alia Zaharudin (Cambridge ’01) on June 9, one day after they both graduated from Harvard Business School. Present were emcee Eli Batalion, Barrett Hazeltine, Stephen Siegel ’85 PhD, Peter Mahoney, Katie Artis, Phil Chin, John Zox, Benjamin de Menil ’00, and Sean Flynn ’00. After an extended honeymoon they moved to the Los Angeles area. Alex is involved in a few entrepreneurial ventures, including Perimeter Films, a digital media company he founded at HBS, and J.O.B. The Hip-Hopera, a musical he produced with Eli Batalion and Jerome Sable ’01, which opened in New York on Sept. 25.

Rachael MacDonald married Jason Woodall on the beach in Laguna Beach, Calif., on March 19, 2005. They were expecting their first baby at the end of November.

Leta Malloy writes: “I am thoroughly enjoying my new job as the affiliate director of Career Gear. Career Gear helps disadvantaged men reenter the workforce. I will be expanding affiliate sites across the country as well as establishing new ones. Yes, I continue to dance and perform all over. I am thrilled to be reunited with Lauren Hale onstage in a musical in New York City. The girls from Little Red—Kathleen Corriveau, Jess Lopez, Lauren, and I—recently celebrated Kathleen’s engagement to Jacy Bird ’03. Jess just received numerous awards for her work as online marketing manager at New York Cares. I would love to hear from old friends and can’t wait until our 5th reunion!” Leta can be reached at letam@careergear.org.

Sarah Markowitz writes: “Jana Pickard- Richardson married Franklin Peralta Espinal (Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo ’01) in a bilingual ceremony on July 29 in Chicago. The bridal party included honor attendant Kate Malin owski, Martha Johnson, the bride’s sister Robin Pickard-Richardson (Colorado College ’04), and me. The couple traveled from their home in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Other guests traveled from near and far, including Matt Heaney, Kerrie O’Donnell (in from the Philippines), Michelle Olsheski, Graham Siener, and John Wiener. Former residents of 68 John Street are looking forward to the 5th reunion in May and more upcoming nuptials slated for June.” (See also Susan Van Wiggeren Markowitz ’68.)

Romita Mukerjee writes: “I am happy to announce that on June 24 Maxwell Rondon ’01 and I were married at The Willows, a beautiful estate in Radnor, Pa. In attendance were Oswald Rondon ’98, Luis Hernandez ’01, Kamali Willett ’01, Steven Rodriguez, Sangeeta Parikshak, Christina Yen, Raechy Wang, Yesenia Santana ’00, Stacey Alicea ’00, ’04 MD, Latika Ravi ’01, Tricia Desvarieux ’01, Onya West ’01, Khatija Ladhani ’01, Alykhan Lalani ’01, Rahul Agarwal ’01, Sara Acosta ’01, Kenneth Shaw, Francisco Aguayo, Jeffrey Ogbara ’06 MD, and Darpun Dhawan. We are living in Philadelphia. Max is working at Bloomberg LP, while I am in my fourth year at Jefferson Medical College.” Romita can be reached at romita81@gmail.com. 

Kerry Silva Ryan and Sam Kusnetz write: “We were married at Buck’s Rock Camp in Connecticut this past summer with many of our wonderful friends and family in attendance. We’d love to hear from Brown friends anytime. Our door is always open in Portland!” They can be reached at 2227 SE Tibbetts St., Portland, Ore. 97202; kerry@oddkazoo.com or sam@notquite.net.

Jackie Delamatre writes: “In my current position at the Guggenheim Museum, I coordinated a study about the effect of our arts education program on students’ literacy skills. The study findings made the New York Times on July 27 and was on the most e-mailed list.”

Erin Ferris Garzia: “My husband, Justin Garzia, and I announce the May 13 arrival of our second son, Owen William. Big brother Gavin, 2, loves counting Owen’s toes every chance he gets.”

Brendan McGinn writes: “On July 1, I married Rebecca Cohen ’01 on Skaneateles Lake, N.Y. Brown alums in attendance were Alana MacDonough, Alex Bell, Alyssa Arcaya ’03, Amanda Metzroth, BJ Perlmutt, Caleb Hurst-Hiller ’03, Chris Wolfe ’01, Courtney Maum ’01, Derek Mitchell ’03, Eric Calderwood ’03, Genna Hymowitz, Jenny Good Zurik ’01, Jess Vogel ’01, Jesse Graham, Jessica Ratey, Joanna Lack ’01, Jonah Cohen, Joe Tarr, Justina Szal ’01, Kate Esselen, Katherine Ball ’01, Katie Smith, Lizzie Fisher ’01, Matt Kelley, Nadim Issa, Melissa Weisberg ’01, Mike Grimes, Rosalyn Menon ’01, Sam Slaughter ’04, Sari Aviv ’01, and Tom Gormican. Rebecca is an attorney and I am a medical student in New York City, where we currently live. Feel free to drop either of us a line.” Brendan and Rebecca can be reached at brendan_mcginn@hotmail.com; rebeccarosecohen@hotmail.com.

Eli Miller, John Zox, and Dan Edinberg ’03 are three of the four members of Zox. After selling more than 10,000 copies of their independently released album The Wait, Zox signed with indie label Side One Dummy Records, which re-released the album nationwide this past June. The band has signed with major booking agency CAA, and this year has performed on the Warped Tour and opened a tour for the band Rusted Root. In August, they traveled to Europe for a tour supporting Hawthorne Heights and performed at the U.K.’s legendary Reading and Leeds festivals. A three-month U.S. tour began in the fall.

Juan Carlos Olivarez writes: “Miwa and I relocated from New York City to New Hampshire, where I attend the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.” Juan can be reached at 42 Wolf Rd., #934, Lebanon, N.H. 03766; juan.olivarez@ alumni.brown.edu.

Mara Sanchez writes: “I married Matthew Recker on June 10. The ceremony and reception took place in the boathouse at the Chequessett Neck Yacht and Country Club in Wellfleet, Mass. Numer ous Brown alums were in attendance, including bridesmaids Tamara Chestna and Aimee Pickett ’01; groomsmen Ari Kardasis ’01 and Peter Macy; and guests Renold Rose ’01, Evan Rock ’01, James Ryang, Ken Li ’01, Will Schachterle, Jessie Cohan ’03, Karthik Pandian ’03, David Moore ’01, and Louis Abelman ’06. We had a great time and are now enjoying married life in New York City.” Mara can be reached at mara_sanchez@yahoo.com.

Kyle Weisbrod married Sara Gravelin (Univ. of Colorado ’06) on June 24, in Boulder, Colo. Brown alums in attendance included Michael Harper Alexander, Moses Rifkin ’01, Scott Doniger ’01, Pauline Lauterbach, Justin Safdie ’00, Jesse Myers ’01, Jeremy Schwartz, Carla Fowler ’01, Matthew Kromer ’99, ’01 ScM, Megan Owen ’00, Kevin Loo ’03, Michael Franz ’03, Jon LaRosa ’00, and Alex Korb. Kyle has been working as the director of youth development at the Ultimate Players Association, the national governing body for the sport of Ultimate Frisbee, since graduation in 2002. Since that time Youth (18 and under) Ultimate has grown more than tenfold. Kyle and Sara are excited to be heading to Atlanta this year, where Sara was accepted to Emory Univ. Medical School. Kyle can be reached at kyle.weisbrod@gmail.com.

David Hyman married Jaime Berg ’01 on June 4, in Minnetonka, Minn. Many Brown alumni were in attendance.

September/October 2006

Margaret Alexander writes: “Matt Louderback, my boyfriend of seven years, took me to Block Island, R.I., for my 26th birthday. He re-created (and improved upon) the last time we were there. We stayed in the Tea House at the Blue Dory Inn and went horseback riding on the beach, and then he surprised me by taking me to Eli’s, a restaurant we had gone to for my 19th birthday. The restaurant was supposed to be closed that day, but he had arranged for them to open just for us. He presented me with the most beautiful ring and proposed to me at dinner. We are so excited and plan to be married sometime next year! I would love to hear from friends from Brown.” Margaret can be reached at 1605 7th St. N.W., #B-2, Washington, D.C. 20001; m.e.alexander@gmail.com.

Gideon Arthurs has returned to his arts roots and is now the company manager of Soulpepper Theatre Company, Canada’s premiere actors’ company. Gideon can be reached at garthurs@soulpepper.ca.

Anthony DiPietro was promoted to advancement and communications manager at Leadership Rhode Island. His major function is to promote key goals of the nonprofit through community relationships, positioning, and fund-raising. He executes the annual marketing and development plans, coordinates major events, maintains member databases, and initiates communications with alumni and donors. He is also responsible for maintaining the official records and historical archives of the organization. A Providence resident, Anthony has been at Leadership Rhode Island since June 2004. He is a member of the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and volunteers with the Worksite Wellness Council of Rhode Island and ire Provi­dence. Anthony can be reached at adipietro @leadershipri.org.

Mary Holt writes: “I just returned from Wyoming, where Megan George married Jerry Herold on May 27. Brown alums in attendance were Robert ‘Ben’ George, Julia Keller ’00, Robert George ’73, ’77 MD, Elizabeth Ruedisueli George ’73, ’76 MD, and Robert Ruedisueli ’69. Megan and Jerry will live on a ranch in Buffalo, Wyo., with their many horses, seven dogs, and almost 200 cattle.” Mary can be reached at maryholt @mac.com.

Seamus Mark has graduated from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He will begin his family medicine residency in at the Univ. of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass. Seamus is the son of Roger Mark ’70, ’76 PhD and Hon Fong L. Mark ’69, ’74 PhD, and brother of Roger Mark Jr. ’99 and Yvonne Mark ’92, ’97 MD.

Joshua K. Mondschein was awarded his medical degree from the Univ. of Miami School of Medicine on May 13. While at the Univ. of Miami, Josh published his research on petrous apex cholesterol granulomas in the journal Skull Base: An Interdisciplinary Approach. In July, he began his residency training in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the Univ. of Cincinnati Medical Center. Josh looks forward to hearing from fellow Brown alums at joshua.mondschein@gmail.com.

July/August 2006

Juan Olivarez writes: “After four years in New York City, I proposed to Miwi Ikeda in Central Park. We plan to marry in Hawaii on July 13.” Juan can be reached at 641 Hudson St., #3A, New York City 10014; juan.olivarez@alumni.brown.edu.

May/June 2006

At dawn on Feb. 22, Mark Dembitz, Mark Scott ’03, Jordan Elpern-Waxman, and Ross Fabricant ’03, along with Alessandro Passardi and Thomas Matusczak, reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro at 19,340 feet. After six days of hiking, they were very glad to reach the top and very glad to get back down, Jordan reports. Jordan can be reached at jelpern@ gmail.com.

March/April 2006

Gideon Arthurs is working in university advancement at Ryerson Univ. in Toronto. This is his first “real” job.

Emily Carmichael married Ethan Babcock ’01 on April 9, 2005, in her hometown of Montgomery, Ala. Alumni in attendance included the bride’s father, Malcolm Carmichael ’70, Avi Astor ’01, Emily Hughes, Dan Liffman ’01, John Clingan ’01, Tim Cook ’01, and Genna Hymowitz. Emily and Ethan reside in New York City, where Ethan is a second-year medical student at New York Univ. School of Medicine, and Emily, who completed a master’s degree in museum studies at New York Univ. in 2004, is a publisher’s representative with Thomson Learning.

Alyssa Hochberg writes: “I married Mike Fontaine in Lakeville, Conn., on Aug. 20. We live in Lansing, N.Y. Mike is an assistant professor of classics at Cornell and I am in my third year of law school at Cornell. We were so glad that Abbey Barrett ’03, Robin Bettarel, Jennifer Bosich, Jonathan Bloom ’03, Laura Goodman, Zoe Kontes ’05 PhD, and my dad, Mark Hochberg ’69, could celebrate with us.” Alyssa can be reached at ath35@cornell.edu.

Ella Kindness, Leina’ala Lei, and Erin Shanley, attended Jennifer Edwards ’05 marriage to Daniel Weston of Johnston, R.I., on Aug. 12 in Jennifer’s hometown on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in South Dakota.

Jason Lucas attended the wedding of Daniel N. Kantrovitz ’01 and Brenna Hall Kantrovitz ’03 on August 6, 2005 in St. Louis, MO.

Marlon Ramirez and his family have launched BrightSteps, a fun and unique cultural language immersion program in New York City designed for children 3 to 6 years of age. BrightSteps teaches foreign languages through active learning, individualized attention, and most importantly cultural themes. Native speaking instructors use music, dance, games, drama, and other exciting activities in order for little ones to easily learn a new language. For more information, visit www. brightsteps.com. Marlon can be reached at info@brightsteps.com.

Rose Shuman writes: “Two and a half years of living in Santa Barbara have mellowed me out considerably. While rather divorced from most other realities, I enjoy a steady diet of eternal spring sunshine, mountains in my backyard to tromp in, and miles of beaches to visit if I ever figure out what to do at them. I’ve also got it made knowing which houses have fig, orange, kumquat, avocado and newly discovered persimmon trees for me to raid. Professionally, I’ve somehow ended up working for a humanitarian startup based in London called Adaptive Eyecare. We make adjustable glasses for which people set their own prescriptions without the aid of an optometrist in under two minutes. The lenses are fluid-filled and by changing the quantity of fluid in them, you change their refraction. I am in charge of figuring out how to sell them in Latin America! Anyone and everyone please write; old friends please visit.” Rose can be reached at roseshuman@gmail.com.

January/February 2006

Eli Batalion writes: “Alex Kruglov teamed up with the writing/performing team of Jerome Sable and Eli Batalion of Brown EP alumnus company FDLT Productions to produce J.O.B. The Hip-Hopera in Los Angeles, which ran Oct. 28–Nov. 27 at the Stella Adler Playhouse in Hollywood. The musical, based on Sable & Batalion’s hit two-man show JOB: The Hip-Hop Musical, featured an array of L.A. artistic talent, including award-winning director Stefan Novinski, critically acclaimed choreographer Hassan Christopher, and many more.” For information, visit www.sableandbatalion.com.

Justin Castillo writes: “On Aug. 20, I married Angela Bernadette Enciso (Loyola– Chicago 2001) in her hometown of Nogales, Ariz. Alberto Villalpando was the best man, and also in attendance were AndresLuco ’03, Justin Cherry, and Matt Bycer ’01. Angie and I reside in Tucson, where she works in the cancer center for a local hospital and I am starting my career as an attorney.”

Jennifer Miller has published Inheriting the Holy Land, chronicling her two years in Israel and focusing on the Intifada’s impact on young adults and its implications on future generations. She traveled on a book tour to promote the book and visited the Brown Bookstore on Sept. 30.

Jana Pickard-Richardson writes: “Franklin Peralta and I were engaged in December 2004 at my parents’ house in Oak Park, and will be getting married in July 2006. We are living in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and welcome any tropical adventurers or old friends to drop a line if they are in the area, or even if they’re not.” Jana can be reached at jana@alumni.brown.edu.

Emily Schlesinger and her parents, Phyllis Fineman Schlesinger ’73 and Len Schlesinger ’73 climbed and summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro to commemorate Emily’s graduation from Vanderbilt Law School.

Class News 2005

Audrey Anhood moved to Italy to live with her aunt, teach English, and improve her Italian after graduation. She returned to California to work for an advertising firm in Santa Monica for a year, then moved to Orange County, where she started a company that consults with small businesses on marketing and advertising strategies. She indulges her passion for international relations in her travels to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. She is training for the San Diego Rock ‘N Roll marathon in June and plans on moving to San Francisco in the summer.

Evan Feldman reports that he is still in medical school and will graduate in 2006.

Ginny Nuckols was living in New York, will spend the summer (2005) studying and volunteering in Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Argentina and has applied to graduate school for the fall.

Josh Farkas is a third year medical student at Cornell Medical School in Manhattan.

Lila Elman writes: “Saturday night Sandy Pan and I threw a small party in our even smaller New York City apartment. Brown alumni in attendance were: Cristy Bonuso (who just modeled for a hair salon that gave her a bob and made her a brunette), Colleen Burke (who just won $80 at a horse racing track in L.A.), Jason E. White ’04 (who passed out in our pappasan chair), and Alex ‘the girl’ Sullivan (who teased her hair out into a kick-ass ‘fro and wore a candy necklace for the occasion).  We frequently hang out with many other Class of 2002 Brown alumni, all of whom were invited to the party. Wishing everyone the best. Oh deuce!”

Marissa Parker got married in June 2004 and began her first year at Temple Law School in Philadelphia the following fall.

Pablo Quintanilla writes: “After working for UniTeller Financial Services in New Jersey for two years, I began a nine-month fellowship in public affairs called Coro, which has taken me to work for a governmental agency, a labor union, a nonprofit organization, a political campaign, and a foundation. I plan to attend graduate school in the fall (2005) for a master’s in international affairs. Otherwise, I continue to serve as a member of BULAC (Brown Univ. Latino Alumni Council) and a BASC volunteer, and I hope to stay active with Talent Quest in the near future.”

Riley Graebner has been with the Peace Corps since 2002, serving as a volunteer English teacher in China and Romania.

Sophie Deutsch writes: “I have been living in the lower East [side of New York City] for well over a year and a half, and I love the neighborhood. I often see Brown alumni all over the city. I am working in publishing and I love my job. Things are great!”

Steve Martinko writes: “Since graduation I have been working on Capitol Hill for the House Republican Conference and Congresswoman Deborah Pryce as the manager of floor debate and committee relations. I have also stayed busy by continuing to run marathons and playing in the congressional softball league. On a personal note, last summer I got engaged to Erin Mincemoyer (Cornell ’99) and will be getting married this November. I can be reached at stephenmartinko@yahoo.com.”

David Billings writes: “In June I married Christina Lau (Wellesley ’02) in Salt Lake City. We were joined by several classmates, including Brandon Finegold, Rob Mitzner, Josh Mondschein, Anthony Giunta, Jeanette Markle, and Jaime Alberts. Other Brown alums in attendance were Peter Billings ’67, Stuart Billings ’77, Tom Billings ’73, and Robin Steiner ’05. We went to Scandinavia for a two-week honeymoon and are very happy to be married!” David can be reached at david.billings@gmail.com.

Belinda Chen writes: “I have completed my tour of Brown weddings for the year (and have the frequent flier miles to prove it!). The first stop was Le Parker Meridien in New York City, where Yoming Lin ’01 married David Wan ’01 on March 6. Other Brunonians in attendance included Eileen Wu ’00, ’03 MD, Grant Wei ’98, ’02 MD, Rich Ting ’00, Charles Chan ’01, ’06 MD, Franklin Chiao ’01, Pak Wong ’01, Gary Kuo ’01, Carol Huang ’01, Emily Eng, Ian Chun ’01, Eun Ji Kwon ’01, John Kim ’01, Jason Huang, Richard Hsieh ’03, Michelle Lin ’03, Roy Kao ’01, ’07 MD, Eileen Oh ’03, Jerry Chao, Vanessa Li ’03 AM, Alison Lee, and Jessie Ting ’03. My second stop was the wedding of fellow Unit 12ers Alexy Scholl and Michael Teitelbaum on July 3 at the Hartford, Conn., City Hall. The wedding party included bridesmaids Kerry Verrone and Genna Teitelbaum ’06, groomsman Ben Seigel, and best man R. Peter Weistroffer. Guests included Jeanne Barrueta ’03, Stephanie Harris ’04, Jennifer Hou, John Jacobs, Dan Ko ’01, Michael Kreidman ’03, Evan Parness, Jon Purow ’03, Stephen Rickard, Gary Schmirer ’01, Brian Singer ’04, and LeDon Wilson. My final stop was to Camp Jenny and Greg at the Mountain Top Inn in Chittenden, Vt., where Jennifer Lester and Gregory Moffitt ’05 MAT were married on July 23. The wedding party included my fellow bridesmaids Kartini Shastry and Elizabeth Terry, friend of honor Kelly Gallagher, and groomsmen Josh Green, Edward Kirschenbaum ’03 and Dan McKinley ’01. Other campers included: Rebecca Bass, Christine Coletta, Sarah Coogan, Rebecca Fiekowsky, Allison Tugel Friend-Gray ’03 MAT, Kate Grossman, Lindsay Haddix (all the way from Guatemala!), Mark Heyman, Sarah Kwon ’03, Betsy Mallow, Adam Marcus, Paula Markarian, Heather McCrea, Jack Rusley ’03, Lee Sabow, Anne Shapiro, Kevin Smith, Sarah Squire ’06 MD, Dean Robin Rose, and Professor Polly Ulichny. Luckily, I did not catch the bouquet at any of these weddings. Future wedding invitations, baby announcements, etc., can be addressed to bchen@alumni.brown.edu.”

Rachel Mason and Nathan Popp (Univ. of Alberta ’98) were married on July 2 in a backyard wedding at the home of Rachel’s parents in Westport, Conn. The wedding, whose vows Rachel and Nathan wrote, combined elements from their travels and spiritual practices. About seventy guests joined a barbecue dinner and an evening of dancing under the stars. Taylor Hines ’00 was a member of the wedding party. Other guests included Elaine Farber, Laura Belson, Joanna Bettinger ’01 and Davekumar Chandreasekaran ’01. Rachel works with Aboriginal youth and studies education on Vancouver Island. She can be reached at 140 Moss St., Victoria, BC, V8V 4M3, Canada; rachel_mason@alumni.brown.edu.

DJ Paul attended the wedding of Jennifer Farber Dulos ’90 and Fotis Dulos ’89in New York on February 5.

Marlon Ramirez has recently launched his own business in New York City, BrightSteps—Languages for Little Ones, a foreign-language immersion program that uses culture and art to teach young children. For more information, visit www.brightsteps.com. Marlon can be reached at marlon.ramirez@brightsteps.com.

Kerry Silva and Sam Kusnetz announce their engagement. They will be married in the summer of 2006 at Buck’s Rock Camp. They live in Portland, Ore., and can be reached at kerry@oddkazoo.com; sam@notquite.net.

Anthony DiPietro was named a communications specialist at Leadership Rhode Island, where he has been a contract employee since June 2004. He has also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and the American Parkinson’s Disease Association of Rhode Island.

Rebecca Fiekowsky writes: “I am engaged to Eric Whitten (Univ. of Maine at Farmington ’02). We are planning a wedding for July 3, 2006, in Newport, R.I. In the meantime, we live in Bryn Mawr, Pa., while I am in school at Widener Univ. for a doctorate in clinical psychology. Eric works as an intelligence architect for Keypulse Inc.” Rebecca can be reached at rebecca_ fiekowsky@alumni.brown.edu.

David Hyman, of New Rochelle, N.Y., and Jaime Berg ’03 of Minnetonka, Minn., have announced their engagement. The wedding will be held in Minneapolis on June 4, 2006. David is completing his third year at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Jaime is completing her second year at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Greg Machlin writes: “I’ve been accepted to the Univ. of Iowa’s Playwrights Workshop to get my MFA, and have received the Norman Felton scholarship from Iowa. My short play Film Noir Anthology 1: The Sleep Demon was presented at the 2005 Samuel French Festival, and the short film I wrote, Starring Laura Silver, premiered at the Maine International Film Festival in July.” Greg can be reached at greg_machlin@yahoo.com.

Drew Maletz writes: “I finished producing my debut album (dance-pop), free samples of which can be heard at theproduktmusic.com. Any other alumni in the music industry? Drop me an e-mail.” Drew can be reached at drewmaletz@yahoo.com.

Caitlin Armistead writes: “In August, Sarah Kate Giddings ’01 married Matt Sharkey ’98 in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Westport, Mass. In attendance were Miriam Pfisterer, Caitlin Armistead, Charlotte Lapsansky, Atiya Ali ’01, Elizabeth Hayes ’01, Kay Canniff ’01, and Sarah Roberts ’01.” Caitlin can be reached at 280 E. 2nd St., #7D, New York City 10009.
Dante Weston was awarded Best Advocate at the Southeast Regional of the National Trial Competition on Feb. 13, in Jacksonville, Fla. Dante and his partner also finished first in the region as members of Stetson Law School’s Trial Team. The team competed in four separate trials representing both the state and the defense in a murder case. Dante and his partner were ranked the number one team from the region and represented the Southeast region in the national finals in San Antonio, Tex., at the end of March. Stetson is second in trial advocacy in the 2004 U.S. News & World Report rankings of law schools.

Thai Marie Vargas Branca writes: “On Sept. 24, I married David Branca in Taveuni, Fiji. We had a romantic ceremony on a mountaintop overlooking the Pacific. After the honeymoon, we came back home and had a beautiful reception on Oct. 2, in Valparaiso, Ind.” Thai can be reached at tvargas@chicnet.org.

Sarah DiGregorio attended the wedding of Sheel Saxena ’96 and Aditi Rao (Univ. of Chicago ’96) in Dallas.

Ian Kaplan attended the marriage of Jay M. Shapiro ’69 and Rick Reinkraut on Oct. 9, at the Harvard Faculty Club.

Daniel Stolzman and his father, Henry Stolzman, have copublished Synagogue Architecture in America: Faith, Spirit and Identity. Tami Hausman ’89 was also involved with the book, which chronicles the evolution of American Jews and their religious buildings over the past four centuries.

Emily Egan, who is pursuing a master of philosophy degree in world archaeology at the Univ. of Cambridge in England, has received a 2004 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship. While growing up in Chapel Hill, N.C., Emily volunteered to help in the excavation of an 1802 fraternity house. Salvaging shards of broken bottles and dishes, she wondered how they could be used to tell the stories of ordinary people. She has also done hands-on work, digging for relics in Jordan, Greece, and Italy.

Catherine McElearney Gautier writes: “Adam Gautier and I were married in my hometown of Paducah, Ky., on May 22. I met Adam, who attended Harvard, during my final semester, while I was working for WiSE and finishing my work in religious studies. In attendance were several of us who originally were class of 2000, including my maid of honor, Cristina Somolinos ’00, and ushers Dave Pantalone ’00 and Dion Banville ’01. Also in attendance were usher Supriya Wickrematillake ’94 and my cousin Ann Rivet Stanley ’96. Adam and I live on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.” Catherine can be reached at cat@gautier.org.

Omar Haque has received a 2004 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Scholarship. He is combining his interest in neuroscience with the study of global religions as he prepares for a role as a community physician for developing nations in South Asia and the Middle East. A child of poor Pakistani immigrants, Omar founded a chapter of Big Brothers at Brown to mentor fatherless boys and worked in Mali to test anti-malaria drugs. He also wrote the first history of Islam in Rhode Island. He intends to enroll at Yale for a combined MD and master of public health degree.

Amy Hsieh writes: “I’ve been back in Taipei for the past two years. These days I’m working on Legislator Bi-khim Hsiao’s re-election campaign. E-mail me to discuss Taiwanese politics or, better yet, to catch up.” Reach her at amy.hsieh@alumni.brown.edu.

B. J. Perlmutt is the coproducer of Control Room, a film that looks at the way Al-Jazeera covered the war in Iraq in 2003. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Full Frame Documentary Festival in Durham, N.C., and went to the Sundance Film Festival.

Nichole Wong and Mark Gomez ’01 got married last summer and held a ceremony for family in Los Angeles. Mark finished his analyst program at JP Morgan, and Nichole concluded her job at a Florida law firm, followed by an editorial position at a magazine. They have moved out of Miami and in August will be going to Benin, West Africa, for two years of service with the Peace Corps. Nichole will be involved in health development while Mark will work in business development. Reach them at nichole.wong@ alumni.brown.edu; markagomez@hotmail.com.

Alexandra Kerry showed her short film, The Last Full Measure, at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The film is about a nine-year-old girl and her father’s return from the Vietnam War.

Justin and Erin Ferris Garzia announce the March 17 arrival of Gavin James. They can be reached at eferris23@hotmail.com.

Darren M. Jorgensen writes: “I have seen the light and decided to follow my bliss. I have quit law school and will begin my MFA studies at the Univ. of Michigan School of Art and Design in the fall. It has been a long and circuitous route to this decision, but I’m glad I have finally reached this point. I’d love to hear from old friends and acquaintances whom I’ve lost touch with—please send me an e-mail.” Darren can be reached at 11612 94th St., Edmonton, AB, Canada, T5G 1H8; darren_jorgensen@alumni.brown.edu.

Mrinal Joshi writes: “I taught at a nearby high school last year and am now finishing my first year of medical school.”

Anna Gindes announces the Dec. 27 birth of Kathryn Olivia. Anna can be reached at anna.gindes@alumni.brown.edu.

Jonathan Grossberg writes a belated note about the small Brown reunion at the wedding of Jeffrey Green Snyder and Marcine Dawn Stump last August in Boca Raton, Fla. A good portion of the crowd had Brown ties, including the groom’s father, David Snyder ’71, ’75 MD; Eric Snyder ’04; Jonathan Segal ’02 AM; Mayuran Sriskandarajah ’01; Jaron Zitrin ’04; Cara Zeldis ’04; and Justin Permar ’02. The bride and groom are pursuing graduate degrees at Oxford.

Beth Johnson, after a marvelous year in Chicago with the Healthcorps of Americorps, started a new job this fall with the Leo Burnett advertising firm.

Erin Ferris married Justin Garzia on Oct. 11 at the Central Park Conservatory Gardens in New York City. The couple lives in New York, where Justin works for Morgan Stanley.
Carolyn Gouse attended the wedding of Joel Kent ’95 and Meredith Love (Virginia ’95) on Nov. 8 on Long Island, N.Y.

Sarah Markowitz attended her cousin, Emily Filler’s (Univ. of Rochester ’93, Vanderbilt School of Law ’96) marriage to Ben Kahn ’91 in October in Portland, Maine.

Kerry Silva has been cast in the international tour of Imago Theatre’s FROGZ. Sam Kusnetz will also be touring as the company’s lighting director and production stage manager. For the tour schedule, check out imagotheatre.com. Kerry and Sam can be reached, respectively, at kerry@notquite.net and sam@notquite.net.

Meagan McKenney Gillette writes: “On Aug. 2, I married Scott Gillette (Baylor ’01) in New Orleans. We were pleased to have Elizabeth Geddes and Kevin Smith as part of our wedding party. Also in attendance were Soraya Azari, Chris Leroy, Darryl Abrams, Sean Polvino, Dave Anthony, Sarah Berman ’03 A.M., Matt Herz, Jeff Cheng, Marc Levitt and Mike Panich ’03 Sc.M., as well as Mike Franz ’03 and Bettina Dempsey ’03. After honeymooning in Antigua, we returned to New Orleans, where I am in my second year at Tulane Law School and Scott is an account executive with Clear Channel Communications.” Meagan can be reached at mmckenne@law.tulane.edu.

Dmitri Seals teaches at the Maya Angelou Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.

September/October 2003

Aruna Chandrasekhar won a Fulbright scholarship to do public health research in Singapore for the 2003–04 academic year. Aruna can be reached at aruna@alumni.brown.edu.
Jessica Murphy writes: “I am engaged to Sean Lyons (Tufts ’02). We are planning a September 2004 wedding on Cape Cod.”

Graham McNally writes: “After working all summer in the studio, my album, I Like to Watch, was released April 2. Thanks to those at Brown who supported me and pointed me in the right direction. The album mostly features my own lyrics, ‘electrifying’ guitar, and percussion that is right on time.”

Christine Coletta writes: “It wasn’t an official reunion, but it certainly felt like one at the Seeds of Peace ‘Bid for Peace’ charity auction in New York City in January. In attendance were Jennifer Miller, Adam Marcus, Lindsey Schoenfelder, Jasper Speicher, Lee Sabow, Matthew Greene, Arden Stern, Sarah Squire, Sarah Coogan, and Nicole Herschenhous. No winning bids from this fresh batch of Brunionians, but it was lots of fun!” Christine can be reached at chriscoletta@yahoo.com.

Margaret Kwoka writes from Burkina Faso in West Africa, where she is serving as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching science and math in Djibasso, a small village near the border with Mali. She loves the hospitality of the Burkinabe and is enjoying the challenges of a cross-cultural, cross-language experience. She has occasional access to her e-mail and can be reached at margaret.kwoka@alumni.brown.edu. (Also see John Kwoka ’67.)

Darius Pierce, Sam Kusnetz, and Kerry Silva, who helped found the Cardboard Box Theatre Company while at Brown, have moved to Portland, Ore. In March their company made its debut with a production of Veronica’s Room. They would welcome any support. Darius can be reached at 1549 S.E. 32nd Pl., Portland, Ore. 97214; darius@cardboardbox.org.

Jerome Saibil and Eli Batalion have written and performed in Job: The Hip-Hop Musical, which opened in New York in March after a successful run in four Canadian cities. The musical is based on the story of Job.

Joshua Barker writes: “Chris Dirkes and I are playing some serious hockey. If any Brown students are in the Roanoke, Va., area, catch one of my games.”

Sam Kusnetz, Darius Pierce, and Kerry Silva have moved their Cardboard Box Theatre Company to Portland, Oreg. On March 21, their company will make its Portland debut with their production of Veronica’s Room. They can be reached at dariuspierce@hotmail.com.

Adriana Raudzens writes that she is enrolled in Green Corps, a yearlong program that “specializes in training the next generation of environmental and social change leaders.”

John Zox, Eli Miller, Eli Batalion, and Spencer Swain have released their debut CD, Take Me Home. ZOX blends reggae, rock, and punk influences with the “searing” melodies of classical violin.

Jeffrey Edwards began his term as a Vilar Fellow at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Jeffrey was chosen from a pool of 180 applicants for this fellowship program.

Lauren C. Fine writes that she has moved to Austin, Tex., to launch a music career. For more information, visit lofinemusic.com. Lauren can be reached at 2301 South Mopac, #813, Austin 78746; lofine@hotmail.com.

Jessica Gonzalez writes: “Having a great time in New York City.” Jessica can be reached at J62266@columbia.edu.

Tim Perry has been awarded a South Africa Fulbright Scholarship. He will work on the enforcement of constitutional language rights in South Africa, a country with eleven official languages.

Michael H. Alexander and Rachael D. Miller are spending the year in Japan, as part of the Japan English Teaching (JET) Program. Michael is an assistant language teacher in Hokkaido, while Rachel is in Osaka.