Class Notes - Spring 2024
Class Notes - Spring 2024
May 16, 20241960s
H. David Moehring, M.D., ’60 (College of Natural Science), has written and published “For Patriots Dream,” his personal memoirs of a childhood during WWII, making the dean’s list and falling in love at Michigan State in the 1950s, and his experience as a combat surgeon in Vietnam, a transformational part of the last century.
Vern Schooley, ’61 (College of Engineering), was reelected to the Ball/Hunt/Schooley American Inn of Court in Long Beach, California. He also was recognized as the 1980 founding president with nearly 50 years in service mentoring newly admitted attorneys on civility and professionalism in the practice of law.
Diane (Vajda) Phelps, ’66 (College of Social Science), recently published her fifth book "Needle in a Haystack: How Clyde W Tombaugh Found an Awesome New World," a children's STEM title about how Pluto was discovered.
Dr. Ritch K. Eich, M.Ed. ’68 (College of Education), published the article The Trader Joe’s Way (to Success) in the international Journal of Values-Based Leadership. Co-authored with his wife, Joan T. Cummings Eich, ’69, the case study is being used by many international colleges and universities.
Joan T. Cummings Eich, M.Ed. ’69 (College of Education), published the article The Trader Joe’s Way (to Success) in the international Journal of Values-Based Leadership. Co-authored with her husband, Dr. Ritch K. Eich, ’68, the case study is being used by many international colleges and universities.
1970s
Edwin L. Demerly, ’70 (College of Arts & Letters), was the 2024 recipient of the National College English Association's most prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of excellence in teaching (primarily at Henry Ford College in Dearborn) and for his service to the state and national levels of this organization.
Dan Cerullo, ’74 (College of Communication Arts and Sciences), has retired after a four-decade career in advertising. He lent his award-winning writing and creative direction talents to several Detroit agencies.
Dr. Lee Upton, ’78 (College of Communication Arts and Sciences), published her debut novel, “Tabitha, Get Up,” with Sagging Meniscus Press. She is writer-in-residence and Emerita Francis A. March Professor of English at Lafayette College in Easton, Penn.
1980s
Judith E. Winter, ’80 (College of Communication Arts and Sciences), premiered her award-winning documentary film “Camp RicStar” at the Cinequest Film Festival on March 8 in San Jose, California Winter served as the executive producer on the film which received the festival’s coveted Kaiser Permanente Thrive Award for being the most life-affirming film at Cinequest 2024.
Thomas J. Martinelli, ’83, J.D. ’89, M.S. ’99 (College of Arts & Letters, College of Law, College of Social Science), recently published "Deterring Unconstitutional Policing." The book provides a template of expectations for next generation officers based on Martinelli’s research and experience as a Detroit police officer, Internal Affairs prosecutor and eventual defense lawyer.
Edward Aboufadel, ’86 (College of Natural Science, Honors College), is the inaugural recipient of the T. Christine Stevens Award for Leadership Development from the Mathematical Association of America. This award recognizes significant, sustained work to develop leadership within the mathematical sciences, across the full range of professional activities.
Steven Wilcox, MBA ’87 (Eli Broad College of Business), recently joined Calder Capital, LLC in Grand Rapids as a mergers and acquisitions adviser.
1990s
Scott DeVries, ’90, M.S. ’95 (Both in College of Engineering), has joined Spalding DeDecker as a senior project manager. DeVries has received multiple industry awards including Michigan Society of Professional Engineers Capital Area Chapter Engineer of the Year and Michigan Water Environmental Association’s Young Professional of the Year.
Dr. Stephen Meraw, ’91 (College of Natural Science), was installed as President of the American Academy of Periodontology in December 2023.
Christopher Thuma, ’91 (James Madison College), was recently named special assistant to the president and principal deputy legal adviser to the National Security Council.
Mark Bunce, M.M. ’93 (College of Music), has been named director of the Oneida Area Civic Chorale in Oneida, New York The chorale recently traveled to Ireland and Scotland to perform a tour of American Music.
Bob Hoffman, ’93 (College of Social Science), was named one of the Volunteers of the Year at the 2023 Governor’s Service Awards in November. The award recognizes those who go above and beyond in their commitment to volunteerism, service or philanthropy.
Christopher Mundy, ’96 (College of Social Science), has published the memoir, “Forty Acres: A Legacy of Love and Loss.” The book, which Mundy co-authored with his sister, is a compilation of stories, essays and poems that illuminate the family’s lessons, loves and losses over the past 50 years.
Peter Votruba-Drzal, ’96 (College of Engineering), will become vice president of global sustainability at PPG Industries.
Dr. Elizabeth Gil, M.Ed. ’97, Ph.D. ’17 (Both in College of Education), was selected as an Honorable Mention for the 2024 American Educational Research Association Social Justice Teaching Award for the Leadership for Social Justice Special Interest Group.
Ms. Sepideh B. Rowland, J.D. ’98 (College of Law), was recently honored by The American Bankers Association with the 2023 Distinguished Service Award for Financial Crimes. Rowland is a senior managing director with FTI Consulting.
Anthony Youn, M.D. ’98 (College of Human Medicine), released his latest book, “Younger for Life,” in January 2024. Dr. Youn is the most followed plastic surgeon on TikTok and YouTube and hosts the popular podcast, “The Holistic Plastic Surgeon Show.”
Bill Burke, ’99 (College of Human Ecology), recently released his debut book, “Victory Outside The Arena.” The book inspires athletes who struggle to figure out who they are after their playing career ends. Burke was the quarterback for MSU football from 1995-99 under Head Coach Nick Saban.
Jennifer Cooley, ’99 (College of Arts & Letters), was named director of Museum Education and Community Engagement of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts in December 2023.
2000s
Megan Lopp Mathias, ’00 (Eli Broad College of Business, College of Social Science), has joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as a partner in the firm’s Commercial Transactions practice in Chicago. Mathias focuses her practice on minority and women-owned companies and executives, advising clients on a broad range of legal matters.
Kate Cosgrove, ’01 (College of Arts & Letters), illustrated the book "A Day With No Words" written by Tiffany Hammond. The book reached No. 1 on the NY Times Children's Picture Books List in May 2023.
Marlo (Bodzik) McKenzie, ’01 (College of Communication Arts and Sciences), co-directed the recently released documentary “Carol Doda Topless at the Condor,” which tells the story of America’s first topless dancer.
Kelly Rankin-Gomez, ’01 (College of Social Science), was recently promoted to Lead Recruiting Business Partner/Data Tech Liaison of the Michigan Public Health Institute in Okemos, Mich.
Pamela L. Eddy, Ph.D. ’02 (College of Education), recently received the Association for the Study of Higher Education Mentoring Award.
Shad Hanselman, ’02 (College of Arts & Letters), was named vice president for institutional advancement at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington. In this role he serves as the chief development officer and head of alumni and consistent engagement for the institution.
Jason Miles, ’03 (College of Social Science), was recently named vice president and U.S. commercial officer of the Joint Commission in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.
Michael Wilder, ’03 (James Madison College), has been elected the 2024 board of directors chair at Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice.
Dr. David Dimitrie, ’05 (College of Natural Science), has joined the Detroit Zoological Society as the director of conservation.
Abigail Urish, ’05 (College of Natural Science), M.D. ’12 (College of Human Medicine), was elected President of the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians.
Jennifer McIntosh, D.O. ’07 (College of Osteopathic Medicine), was a co-corresponding author on a paper recently published in the journal Science Advances. The paper detailed a study of an emerging theory for what causes preeclampsia, which occurs in one of 10 pregnancies. McIntosh is an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, ’08 (College of Social Sciences), recently appeared on CNN Central News to provide expert insight on the emotional toll of financial scams. She highlighted the misconception that only seniors fall prey to scams and stressed the importance of empathy and understanding in combating financial exploitation.
Brenda Friedman, ’08 (College of Social Science), has been elevated to partner at Kogut & Wilson, LLC. Friedman joined the Chicago firm as an associate in 2020.
Leslie J. Anderson, ’09 (College of Arts & Letters), will release her debut novel “The Unmothers” in August 2024. The novel, published by Penguin Random House (Quirk Books), also was recently awarded an Individual Excellence Award in Fiction from the Ohio Arts Council.
Brian Stone, ’09 (Eli Broad College of Business), of the law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, has been elected to partnership. Stone is based in Detroit and operates in the firm’s Real Estate practice group.
2010s
Mike Purcell, ’10 (Eli Broad College of Business), was named partner at GBQ, a top 100 tax, accounting and consulting firm.
Audry Pallas, ’11 (James Madison College), recently was named a South Carolina state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Nicholas S. Kline, ’14 (Eli Broad College of Business), was recently named a principal of Gallagher, Flintoff & Klein, PLC, Lansing, Mich.
Mitchell W. Bild, ’17 (James Madison College), a trial lawyer at the Chicago law firm of Corboy & Demetrio, was selected to the 2024 Illinois Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers.
Caitlin E. Vander Meulen, ’18 (College of Arts & Letters), published her debut memoir in April under her pen name Cait West. “Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy” began as her creative writing thesis and was given a Publishers Weekly Starred Review.
Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner, Ph.D. ’19 (College of Arts & Letters), an Indigenous scholar, has set up the Indigenous Futures Lab at the University of Maryland. The lab's goal is to preserve and revive Indigenous languages and cultural resources. Meissner, of Luiseño and Cupeño descent, has been aware of the threatened Luiseño language since childhood.
2020s
Clark Joslin, ’23 (College of Arts & Letters), was named volleyball assistant coach at Central Michigan University in July 2023. Joslin was a four-year member of the MSU men's club volleyball team, where he received multiple conference and national honors.
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