Class Notes - Fall 2019
News from Spartans around the world
1960s
JOHN F. SCHAEFER, ’65 (Communication Arts And Sciences), J.D. ’69 (Law), spoke about fee arrangements in domestic relations matters at the annual Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers seminar. He specializes in matrimonial and family law. In addition, he founded The Law Firm of John F. Schaefer and is a trustee emeritus of the MSU College of Law.
RICHARD FORD, ’66 (Arts and Letters), ’13 (Honorary Ph.D. MSU), received the Library of Congress’ Prize for American Fiction during the 2019 Library of Congress National Book Festival. He is the author of seven novels, three short story collections, a memoir and a “New York Times” bestselling novella collection. His work has garnered such honors as a Pulitzer Prize and a PEN/Faulkner Award.
1970s
DANIEL LICHTSTEIN, ’70 (Natural Science, Honors College), received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. This award recognizes an outstanding medical school faculty member who demonstrates clinical excellence and outstanding compassion
in the delivery of care and who shows respect for patients, their families and health care colleagues.
PATRICK M. O’KEEFE, ’76 (Business), was named Executive of the Year by the Detroit Executives Association. The founder and CEO of O’Keefe & Associates Consulting, LLC, he has been active as a financial consultant, crisis manager and turnaround advisor to under-performing businesses for over 30 years in a range of industries. He is an advisor to financial institutions in complex work outs and asset recovery strategies.
BARRI FLOWERS, ’77, M.S. ’80 (Both in Social Science), released a new nonfiction audio book entitled, “Street Kids: The Lives of Runaway and Thrownaway Teens, Second Edition.” It examines the pathway from home to homeless for runaways and thrownaways, including precursors to life on the street, such as child abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, substance abuse, mental health, promiscuity, behavioral issues and problems related to sexual orientation/gender identity.
1980s
KRYSTAL FIELDS, ’83 (Communication Arts and Sciences), Clean and Safe director of Jefferson East, Inc., has been appointed to the Michigan Citizen-Community Emergency Response Coordinating Council by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
CHRISTY BUCK, ’84 (Agriculture and Natural Resources) received a certificate of award and a Women in American History medal, bestowed by Sophie de Marsac Campau Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in Grand Rapids. She is executive director of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan.
GEOFFREY GALLINGER, ’84 (Business), J.D. ’87 (Law), attorney and shareholder at Butzel Long, has been elected to a one-year term as president and member of the Board of Directors of the Detroit Athletic Club.
GLENN OLIVER, ’84 (James Madison), is founder and CEO of San Diego-based H2bid, Inc. His start-up sells subscriptions to connect vendors and buildings to utility companies.
SCOTT MUELLER, ’86 (Business), has been named vice president of marketing at the American Concrete Pavement Association.
JAMES PEASE, Ph.D. ’86 (Agriculture and Natural Resources), professor of agriculture and applied economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has been honored with the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Directors.
LEV RAPHAEL, Ph.D. ’86 (Arts and Letters), has published his 26th book, “State University of Murder,” with Perseverance Press.
GARY W. MILES, ’87 (Communication Arts and Sciences), was promoted to editor and publisher of “The Detroit News.”
MICHELLE T. LAJOYE-YOUNG, ’89 (Social Science), received a certificate of award and a Women in American History medal, bestowed by Sophie de Marsac Campau Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in Grand Rapids. She is Kent County’s first sheriff and was formerly a captain in the Michigan Army National Guard/Army Reserve.
DAVID ROUSH, Ph.D. ’89 (Social Science), recently published “Recalibrating Juvenile Detention: Lessons Learned from the Court-Ordered Reform of the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.”
SANDRA SEATON, M.A. ’89 (Arts and Letters), a playwright, authored the text, set to music by a Pulitzer Prize winning composer, of a solo opera, “From the Diary of Sally Hemings.” It was performed at Victory Hall Opera in Charlottesville, VA. Soprano Alyson Cambridge performed the work.
1990s
LYNN N. HENDRICKS, ’90 (Business), M.A. ’92 (Education), has been appointed the associate dean of student affairs at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT.
SCOTT SPENCER, ’90 (Agriculture and Natural Resources), has been named project manager at Huntington Construction.
JASON A. BROWN, ’92 (Communication Arts and Sciences), principal and founder of PublicCity PR in Detroit, has been chosen to serve a one-year-term as president of PRConsultants.
DIANE L. ROBINSON, ’92, (Engineering), has been named vice president of engineering for Sargento Foods, one of the nation’s largest cheese manufacturers. She’ll manage all the company’s engineering areas, including production, facilities, innovation and continuous improvement.
GEANEEN ARENDS, ’94 (Social Science), attorney and shareholder at Butzel Long, has joined the Advisory Board for the Detroit Board Leadership Program (DBLP).
MATT WENDLING, ’95 (Engineering) AND GEORGE TSAKOFF, ’98 (Engineering), recently became shareholders of OHM Advisors, a community advancement firm that specializes in infrastructure, architecture, engineering and planning spheres.
AMY BORMAN SOMEK, ’96 (Social Science), has been appointed director of development for the Jewish Museum of Florida in Miami.
LORI SINGLETON, ’98 (Agriculture and Natural Resources), has been promoted by the SmithGroup, one of the nation’s leading integrated design firms, to vice president. She is also the corporate design director. In addition to offices in Detroit and Ann Arbor, the group has offices in the U.S. and China.
LINDA JANTZEN, M.A. ’99 (Communication Arts and Sciences), has joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as an adjunct researcher in the organization’s information technology and systems division. The Virginia-based group operates three federally funded research and development centers that provide analyses of national security issues and other challenges that rely on scientific and technical expertise.
2000s
SHANNON MULLALLY, ’00 (Social Science, Honors College), authored a new book, “The Second Detective,” through Anvil Press. She’s a writer in Grand Rapids.
ERIN A. NOVAK, ’00 (Arts and Letters), is now a partner in the Philadelphia office of Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, LLP. She handles consumer litigation cases.
KIM MEIGH, ’02 (Communication Arts and Sciences, Honors College), is an assistant professor and director of the West Virginia University Speech Motor Control Lab. She discusses her clinical expertise in a highlighted faculty interview series on the university’s website.
BRENT JONES, ’03 (Business), is a new managing director of UHY Advisors MI, tax and business consultants. A licensed CPA, he is also a partner of UHY LLP, based in Sterling Heights.
ROBERT J. SCHLAGHECK JR., ’03, (Business), has been hired as chief financial officer at Park West Gallery in Southfield.
AARON BERESH, ’04 (Social Science), J.D. ’08 (Law), has joined Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC in Royal Oak, where he focuses on health care transactional, corporate, regulatory and related matters.
TRISH DEWALD, ’05 (Communication Arts and Sciences), has joined Phoenix Innovate in Detroit as executive vice president. She will lead the company’s nonprofit client division.
KENNETH R. NELSON, JR., ’05, M.A. ’07 (Both in Communication Arts and Sciences), penned the screenplay in “Sincerely, Brenda.” The film recently snared four prizes, including best feature film, at the Prisma Independent Film Awards in Rome, Italy.
ERIN MANDRAS, ’06 (Education) AND NINA KOLBE, ’06 (Natural Science, Social Science), D.O. ’10 (Osteopathic Medicine), former captains of the MSU Women’s Soccer Team, recently published “Austin’s Allergies,” a children’s book that focuses on the severity of food allergies. Written by Mandras and illustrated by Kolbe, the book was inspired by Mandras’ son, Austin.
AMY RADFORD-POPP, Ph.D. ’06 (Education), is now Olivet College’s dean of student engagement, a new position.
ELIZABETH RENO, ’06 (Social Science, Business), has been elected partner at Gallagher Sharp LLP in their Detroit office.
ALICIA CURLEY, ’07 (Business), authored “Life Lessons from the Dog,” published in the April issue of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.”
2010s
JENNIFER CHURCHILL, ’10 (Communication Arts and Sciences), wrote a new book, “Movies Are Magic: A Kid’s History of the Moving Image from the Dawn of Time to about 1939.” Aimed at children in grades K-5, the book is published through the author’s Churchill Public Relations company.
ERIC EILERSEN, ’13 (Arts and Letters, Honors College), appeared in First Folio Theatre’s production of “All Childish Things,” in Oak Brook, IL. He’s an accomplished actor, most notably in Shakespeare, and lives in Chicago.
NICOLE SAMUEL, ’14 (Social Science), M.J., J.D. ’18 (Law), has joined Warner Norcross Judd LLP in Grand Rapids, as an attorney.
DAVID RADER, M.J., J.D. ’16 (Both in Law), was recently selected for a George Marshall Fellowship at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.
GEORGE R. WELLINGS, ’17, M.S. ’18 (Both in Business), has been hired as an accountant in the Okemos office of Andrews Hooper Pavlik PLC (AHP).
NINA E. LUCIDO, M.J., J.D. ’18 (Both in Law), has joined Warner Norcross Judd LLP, in Grand Rapids, as an attorney.
MATTHEW J. PERRIN, ’18 (Business, Social Science, Honors College), has been hired as an accountant in the Okemos office of Andrews Hooper Pavlik PLC (AHP).
