Issue 4, 2023
Class Notes
1943
Laurie Russell, e’43, celebrated his 100th birthday in January. He served in World War II and later enjoyed a long career designing power plants as a consulting engineer in Kansas City and Omaha, Nebraska. He makes his home in Prairie Village and has three children, one of whom is Annette Russell Zimmerman, c’72, c’73; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
1958
Robert Terrill, b’58, lives in Overland Park, where he wrote Becoming Human: A Lifelong Metamorphosis, which was published in November.
1961
David Britton, c’61, recently published his first book, The Best Senior Trivia Book. He makes his home in Bellingham, Washington.
1962
Larry Jecha, c’62, m’66, lives in Richland, Washington, where he’s the health officer for Walla Walla County Department of Community Health and also serves Garfield and Columbia counties. He recently was named interim health officer for Yakima County.
1963
Hoite Caston, c’63, lives in Independence, where he owns Hoite Caston Productions.
1968
Jim Connelly, d’68, g’72, is a metalsmith and owns Silver Works & More, an online jewelry shop. He and Cara Russell Connelly, f’71, live in Lawrence, where they first opened a brick-and-mortar store on Mass Street in 1974 and enjoyed retail space for 35 years before taking their business online.
1969
David Mikami, p’69, is a pharmacist and owns Molokai Drugs in Kaunakakai, Hawaii.
Kenneth Ruthenberg, b’69, is a shareholder attorney at Employee Benefits Law Group in Folsom, California. He lives in Gold River.
1970
Carol Engler Stevenson, p’70, received the Bowl of Hygeia Award from the Maryland Pharmacists Association and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations for outstanding community service. She and Todd, e’70, make their home in Bethany Beach, Delaware.
1971
J. Hannah, d’71, is a partner at iDredge, a water solutions company in Louisburg.
1972
Scot Foster, c’72, n’74, h’76, PhD’84, retired as academic vice president and provost at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, California.
Romalyn Eisenstark Tilghman, c’72, g’74, who wrote To the Stars Through Difficulties, a 2018 Kansas Notable Book of the Year, lives in Los Angeles and is working on a second novel set in New Hope and Prairie Hill.
1973
Jim Modig, a’73, retired in January as University architect, a position he had held since 2011. He previously served as director of design and construction management for 30 years. During his tenure, Jim oversaw KU’s $350 million Central District project as well as the reconstruction of Jayhawk Boulevard and Memorial Drive, the construction of Capitol Federal Hall and the renovation of Spencer Museum of Art, among other projects.
1974
Chris Carver, a’74, founding senior principal at Populous in Kansas City, in November was named to Sports Business Journal’s 2020 list of Power Players: Leaders and Innovators in Design and Development. Chris also directs design for the firm’s sports and public assembly facilities.
Anne Lolley, b’74, l’77, works at Bank Management Services and conducts webinars for Kansas bankers. She makes her home in Topeka.
Eugene McCall, e’74, l’84, PhD’90, is president and CEO of McCall Environmental in Greenville, South Carolina.
1975
Douglas Merrill, c’75, m’78, is chief medical officer at St. Charles Health in Bend, Oregon.
Don Nottberg, c’75, owns Elite Feet in Leawood. He and Leslie Goldstein Nottberg, ’78, live in Overland Park.
1976
Rusty Clark, j’76, retired in December and closed his family’s fourth-generation business, Thorpe & Co. Jewellers, which opened in 1900 and was the oldest retailer in Sioux City, Iowa. He and his wife, Karen Bloom Clark, d’76, had run the store for decades.
1977
Fred Conboy, c’77, is CEO and president of Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley, California.
Mark Denison, c’77, m’80, is professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology and director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. In October he received the Distinguished Medical Alumnus Award from the KU Medical Center Alumni Association.
Joseph France, p’77, g’80, lives in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he retired as managing director of Caxton Pynson.
Steven Miller, c’77, PhD’83, is an executive at Sandia Biotech in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Galen Oelkers, b’77, g’78, stepped down as president of the Zeist Company in March 2020 and transitioned to a part-time role as chief investment officer for the company and its foundation. He lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, where he also serves as director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and volunteers on several community boards and committees.
Marjorie Rothschild, g’77, g’80, is assistant professor in the department of natural sciences at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis, where she makes her home with her husband, Lewis Coons.
1978
John Anderson, e’78, retired as director of the Office of Regulation and International Engagement at the U.S. Department of Energy. He lives in Centreville, Virginia.
Trish Rose, l’78, is a judge on the 27th Judicial District. She was among 13 judges in October who joined the Kansas Supreme Court to hear cases on the court’s dockets.
1979
Paula Woolworth, h’79, retired senior vice president at GAB Robins and MedInsights, in October received the 2020 Distinguished Health Professions Alumna Award from the KU Medical Center Alumni Association. She makes her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her wife, Deborah, assoc.
1980
Jeff Elder, b’80, l’83, in October was appointed chief judge of the 2nd Judicial District by the Kansas Supreme Court.
Jay Hinrichs, c’80, g’83, is president and general manager of the Kansas City Baseball Club, formerly known as the Kansas City T-Bones. He lives in Overland Park.
Mike James, p’80, manages scientific publications at Grifols in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He lives in Raleigh with his wife, Suzanne.
Christopher Raynolds, c’80, l’84, is an education paraprofessional in the Shawnee Mission School District. He and Abigail Morris Raynolds, n’82, a registered nurse at HCA Midwest, live in Overland Park.
1981 Mavis Carroll-Emory, c’81, owns Creative Management, a human resources consulting firm in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Patricia Weems Gaston, j’81, was honored in November at the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools’ “Reasons to Believe” virtual event, which celebrates alumni for their accomplishments and life stories. Pat, a Kansas City native, is a KU professor of journalism after her long career as an editor at The Washington Post and the Dallas Morning News, where she shared a Pulitzer Prize for international stories on violence against women.
Brenda Press Harden, j’81, is a real estate agent at Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Kansas City Homes. She lives in Mission Hills.
Lynelle Baba Pierce, n’81, in October received the Distinguished Nursing Alumna Award from the KU Medical Center Alumni Association. She’s a clinical assistant professor at the KU School of Nursing.
Roxann Hargrave Ward, j’81, wrote Color-Rich Gardening for the South: A Guide for All Seasons, which will be published in March by the University of North Carolina Press. She’s a garden designer and owns Roxann Ward Designs in Senoia, Georgia.
1982
Stanford Felix, f’82, DMA’08, wrote Beautiful Singing: A Singer’s Guide to Improving the Voice, which was published in November. He is founder and former executive director of Kansas Concert Opera and Minnesota Concert Opera, and he continues to concertize and teach voice lessons in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
James Kindscher, m’82, professor of anesthesiology at KU Medical Center, in December was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
1983
Dee Ahuja, c’83, m’87, is CEO of UnityPoint Accountable Care and interim medical director of quality for UnityPoint Clinic. He lives in Rock Island, Illinois.
Tracy Ashlock, d’83, works in technical marketing and sales management at Combined Resource Solutions in Vancouver, Washington.
Michael Cummings, a’83, e’83, a renowned architect who specializes in movie theatre design, in November received the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cinema Technology Community. He and his wife, Pamela Miller, also were honored by KU Endowment and Children’s Mercy Hospital with the Legacy Giving Partnership Award for establishing an estate gift that will fund an endowed program at the hospital as well as several initiatives at KU.
Brad Daniels, c’83, owns Windtrax Inc., a carwash equipment supplier in Mission.
Rajiv Kumar, m’83, m’86, lives in Agoura Hills, California, where he’s a psychiatrist.
Joseph Moore, c’83, retired as senior management analyst at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the foresight, strategic planning and risk management service. He makes his home in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Sam Murray, b’83, retired in May after a nearly 30-year career in sales and marketing with Koch Industries. He and his wife, Kathy, live in Andover and have two children, one of whom is Jacob, c’18.
Rodger Payne, c’83, is professor of political science and an associated faculty member with film studies and production at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Francis Wardle, PhD’83, lives in Denver, where he recently wrote an article about his late wife, Ruth, which was featured in the fall 2020 issue of Chokma Magazine, a publication of the Chickasaw Nation. His ninth book, Oh Boy!, was published in 2018 by Exchange Press.
1984
Diana Butler, j’84, lives in Mission, where she’s a senior paralegal specialist at the U.S. Department of Defense.
Charles Jehle, b’84, ’97, directs revenue accounting at T-Mobile USA in Overland Park, where he makes his home with Janet Perkins Jehle, c’83, g’85.
Mike, e’84, g’93, and Teri Leckie Kelly, b’83, live in Mickleton, New Jersey, where they recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary. Mike is vice president of strategic learning and development at ChristianaCare Health System in Newark, Delaware. They have three sons, two of whom are Jayhawks, Taylor, b’12, and Mitchell, e’18.
Marcy Stonefield Nemeth, c’84, is senior principal engineer for technical support at RSA Security. She lives in Overland Park with her husband, Scott.
Melissa Taylor Standridge, b’84, in November was appointed by Gov. Laura Kelly to the Kansas Supreme Court. She had served on the Kansas Court of Appeals since 2008.
1985
Joseph Hung-Gai Lun, b’85, owns the International Medical Company in Kowloon, Hong Kong. He and Woan-Yyng Yap, p’86, a pharmacist, live in Tai Hang.
Jeffrey Stanton, b’85, is executive vice president at Labconco Corp in Kansas City. He and Sarah Hannah Stanton, b’85, who directs administration at the Kansas City Sports Commission, live in Overland Park.
Andrea Mitchell Walsh, b’85, c’85, is president and CEO of HealthPartners in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is on the board of Electromed.
1986
Lisa Stormes “LS” Hawker, j’86, is the author of the thrillers The Drowning Game, Body and Bone, End of the Road and The Throwaways. The Drowning Game is a USA Today bestseller and finalist in the ITW Thriller Awards in the Best First Novel category.
Jamsheed Mehta, g’86, directs development services for the city of Glendale, Arizona.
Mark Reiske, a’86, director of facilities planning and development at KU, in January also was named University architect. He has been with KU for 31 years and replaces Jim Modig, a’73, who retired.
Paul Winslow, f’86, lives in Arlington, Virginia, where he’s senior account manager at Opus Interactive.
Felicia Drury Wright, c’86, is deputy director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s American Indian Environmental Office in Washington, D.C. She recently started at the EPA’s Office of Mountains, Deserts and
Plains in Denver.
1987
Frederick Breidt, PhD’87, is a microbiologist with the United States Department of Agriculture at North Carolina State University. In October he was honored with the 2020 Technical Achievement Award from the Association for Dressings and Sauces.
Brad Proctor, e’87, manages national sales at IBM Corp. He lives in Overland Park.
Bill Sequeira, g’87, PhD’89, lives in El Dorado Hills, California, where he’s CEO of Alida Inc., a data technology firm.
1988
Robin Hales Johnson, b’88, is senior manager of global real estate operations at Salesforce in San Francisco.
Jeffery Keeling, c’88, manages North American sales and marketing at Brokk, a manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition machines. He lives in Olathe.
Mary Schuler, c’88, owns Gobo Marketing Services in Kansas City.
1989
Jeffrey Davies, e’89, lives in Peoria, Illinois, where he’s drivetrain chief engineer at Caterpillar.
Andrew Eilert, b’89, is president of Evernorth Healthcare. He and Stephanie Digman Eilert, b’90, live in Leawood.
Paula Dechant Robison, j’89, lives in San Diego, where she’s president and CEO of Golden Rule Charity.
David Snell, c’89, is an actor who has appeared several television series, including “The Shield” and “The Unit.” He lives in Van Nuys, California.
Michael Werner, j’89, teaches language arts at Shawnee Heights High School in Topeka, where he lives with Michelle Deitrick Werner, h’89, g’06.
Michael Wetson, b’89, owns Inscio, a Netsuite consulting company in Plano, Texas.
1990
Dana Brown, ’90, is partner and manager of technical alliances at Panzura. She lives in Aliso Viejo, California.
Andrew Fox, c’90, is president of Ingevity’s Asia-Pacific division and vice president of performance materials. He’s based in Shanghai, China.
Jill Jess, j’90, is the onsite communications manager for FleishmanHillard’s client General Motors. She lives in Lawrence.
Mark McCormick, ’90, in October was appointed by Gov. Laura Kelly to the Kansas African American Affairs Commission. He directs strategic communications at the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas.
Guy Rupp, g’90, retired from IBM in Austin, Texas.
Elaine Sung, ’90, is sports editor at The Daily Memphian. Previously she was deputy sports editor at Detroit Free Press and digital editor at The Blade in Toledo, Ohio. She lives with her partner, Will, in Memphis, Tennessee.
1991
Scott Branton, a’91, is a quality assurance specialist at Hollis + Miller Architects in Kansas City.
Theresa Pettersch Larsen, b’91, manages investor relations at Jubilee REACH in Bellevue, Washington.
Angela Jacobson Watson, b’91, is president of enterprise sales at UPS in Atlanta. She makes her home in Marietta, Georgia.
1992
Jason Glidden, c’92, lives in Overland Park, where he’s managing director at U.S. Bancorp Asset Management.
Stef Taunton Hanna, c’92, is a financial planning assistant at Heart Financial Partners in Topeka.
Andrew Schefter, c’92, is executive vice president and head of production at Sentient Entertainment in Los Angeles. He and Erika Ostertag Schefter, b’93, who directs revenue management at Royal Caribbean Cruises, live in Miami.
Michael Schwartz, b’92, is CEO of Specialty Dental Brands in Nashville, Tennessee.
1993
Denise Scott Geelhart, c’93, created and produces the true crime podcast, “Murderous Roots,” which first went live in July 2020. She makes her home in Bloomington, Illinois.
Michael Gremillion, c’93, directs the Alabama Water Institute at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Stephen Maceli, g’93, g’95, owns Maceli’s Banquet Hall & Catering in Lawrence, where he makes his home.
John Thywissen, c’93, lives in Austin, Texas, where he recently earned his PhD in computer science from the University of Texas.
Rex Walters, d’93, is assistant coach of the New Orleans Pelicans professional basketball team. He was a guard at KU from 1991 to ’93 and helped lead the Jayhawks to the Final Four during his senior year.
1994
Derek Brown, c’94, l’97, is a U.S. Army colonel and staff judge advocate in San Antonio.
Denise Gabel-Comeau, c’94, directs quality and patient safety at Mountain Health Network in Huntington, West Virginia.
Debra Pierce, PhD’94, is a neuropsychologist at Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia.
Bobbi Rahder, g’94, ’17, is museum director at the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center in Carson City, Nevada.
Molly Wilder Stephens, b’94, is a project manager at Foley Equipment in Kansas City.
Matthew Vaughan, a’94, is executive director of Ministry Leadership Initiative Inc. in Prairie Village, where he lives with his wife, Amy.
1997
Jenifer Naaf Ashford, l’97, a magistrate judge on the 10th Judicial Court in Johnson County, was elected president of the Kansas Magistrate Judges Association.
Drew Carter, b’97, lives in St. Louis, where he’s president of Maritz Motivation.
1998
Becky Nicholas Lowry, d’98, m’03, is associate professor of internal medicine at KU Medical Center. In October she received the Early Career Achievement in Medicine Alumna Award from the KU Medical Center Alumni Association.
Amber Shultz, c’98, g’17, g’18, on Feb. 1 was named secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor by Gov. Laura Kelly, pending Senate confirmation.
Kimberly Friedrichsen Simms, c’98, is chief customer officer at Planful. She lives in Littleton, Colorado.
1999
Adrienne Goodwin, a’99, owns Construct Design in Portland, Oregon.
Ryan Jones, c’99, lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he’s a physician at UCHealth.
Paul Pierce, ’99, will be inducted in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in November. The consensus All-American was a forward for the Jayhawks from 1995 to ’98 and was drafted in 1998 by the Boston Celtics, where he became a 10-time NBA All-Star and 2008 NBA champion. Affectionately known as “The Truth,” he played 19 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2018.
Paul Voiles, e’99, is managing director of transportation at Binkley & Barfield in Houston, where he lives with Lisa Bessinger Voiles, e’01, an engineer at KBR.
2000
Stacy Abernathy, j’00, g’10, is a pharmacy relationships manager at the National Healthcareer Association in Leawood.
Robert Bishop, b’00, is senior director of quality reporting at Cerner in Kansas City. He lives in Prairie Village.
Leslie Peterson Reardon, b’00, c’00, works in business development at Veracity Consulting in Overland Park.
Devon Reese, l’00, in November was elected City Councilmember At-Large in Reno, Nevada, where he makes his home.
2001
Neda Karimi, m’01, is an ophthalmologist at Elander Eye Care in Santa Monica, California.
Jeffery Lichtenhan, c’01, g’03, PhD’07, assistant professor of otolaryngology at Washington University in St. Louis, in October received the Early Career Achievement in Health Professions Alumnus Award from the KU Medical Center Alumni Association.
Christopher Stoppel, b’01, g’02, directs budget and financial planning at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. He makes his home in Broomfield, Colorado.
2002
Kathryn Thomas Alsobrook, c’02, is an associate attorney at Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Montemore in Kansas City. She specializes in personal injury and discrimination claims.
Rich Federico, l’02, is an assistant federal public defender for the District of Kansas in Topeka. He and his wife, Ann Premer, j’99, l’02, live in Lawrence and have two daughters, Emilia and Elizabeth.
Jonathan Gilmore, c’02, is of counsel attorney at Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Montemore in Kansas City. His practice focuses on estate planning and administration.
Maura Klein, c’02, manages housing at the Ohio Department of Medicaid. She lives in Columbus with her husband, Brandon Sturgill.
Michelle Miles Lang, b’02, director of alumni programs at the KU Alumni Association, was selected in December to participate in the University’s 2020-’21 Staff Fellows Program.
Erik Roesh, c’02, is a franchise recruitment manager at Shell USA and Jiffy Lube International in Houston.
2003
Katharine Williams Arroyo, j’03, wrote For Better or Cursed, which was published in December by Delacorte Press. It’s the second book in her young adult series The Babysitters Coven. Kate and her family recently moved to Lawrence from California.
Kyle Hunt, b’03, is national account manager at Axalta Coating Systems in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania.
Jason Lehtinen, g’03, founded 35 North Capital, an investment management firm in Overland Park.
2004
Trevor Chipman, b’04, manages global marketing of disposable respirators at 3M. He and his wife, Nicole, assoc., who also works at 3M, live in Hudson, Wisconsin, with their two sons, Henry and Luke.
Scott Huizenga, g’04, is director of management and budget for the city of San Antonio.
Paul Shoulberg, c’04, a freelance director and screenwriter, recently participated in a video discussion on the indie filmmaking process. His films include 2017’s “The Good Catholic” and “Ms. White Light,” which was released in 2019.
Thomas Toler, g’04, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is executive director of the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University. He makes his home in Evans, Georgia.
Ryan Voth, c’04, m’11, lives in Topeka, where he’s a psychiatrist at Stormont Vail Health.
Kristen Baranek Whitacre, b’04, is an internal audit senior manager at PNC Bank. She and Micah, e’04, g’11, live in Olathe.
2005
Jennifer Goetz, ’05, is a crisis case manager at Valeo Behavioral Health in Topeka, where she lives with her partner, Mark Aaron, assoc., a prevention and control specialist for the EPA in Lenexa.
Lisa Schmitz, g’05, manages public relations for Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa.
2006
Ian Bradt, e’06, g’11, is senior program manager at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies in Kansas City, where he makes his home with his husband, Josh Hollingsworth.
Born to:
Jeremy, b’06, g’12, and Rebecca Mann Allen, f’08, son, Luke, April 15, in Kansas City, where he joins a brother, Leo, who recently turned 4.
2007
Kevin Berman, b’07, g’08, is a partner at Richey May and leads the firm’s governance, risk and compliance service. He’s based in Los Angeles.
Ryan Brumbaugh, c’07, is a senior geophysicist at Mundell & Associates in Indianapolis.
Chris Leitenberger, e’07, lives in Renton, Washington, where he’s an engineer at Blue Origin.
Lauren Marino, c’07, l’10, is an attorney for the United States Postal Service in Washington, D.C.
Marisa Spoonhunter Mendoza, s’07, is director of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. She has two daughters, Devon and Julia.
Rachel Case Oracki, b’07, is a mortgage planner at Blackhawk Bank in Rockford, Illinois.
Kevin O’Rourke, m’07, lives in Kansas City, where he’s a physician at University Health Physicians.
Matthew Pauly, g’07, is an architect at Gould Evans. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Jessica, assoc.
Stacie Kramer Rolfingsmeier, c’07, is a senior portfolio management expert at Swiss Re in Kansas City. She and Cort, c’05, a public defender in Johnson County, live in Lenexa and have two children, Rylie and Nolan.
Kyle Ver Steeg, m’07, is a plastic surgeon at Mercyhealth Galleria Dermatology and Plastic Surgery in Loves Park, Illinois.
2008
Julie Hayes, g’08, is senior growth success manager at Klaviyo, a software company. She and her husband, Jeff Peden, make their home in Scituate, Massachusetts.
Kesa Swadley Herlihy, n’08, PhD’17, a clinical assistant professor of nursing at KU Medical Center, in October received the 2020 Early Career Achievement in Nursing Alumna Award from the KU Medical Center Alumni Association.
Matthew Mawby, c’08, makes his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he’s an attorney at Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan.
Neva Sedorcek Thiessen, g’08, is an elementary education liaison at Wichita State University.
Chance York, c’08, is an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
Married
Austin Schenkel, c’08, to Maddie Morrell, Oct. 24 in Dallas, where he is a principal at DBA Commercial Real Estate.
2009
Andrew Clark, j’09, g’14, lives in Overland Park, where he’s a digital marketing manager at Amazon Web Services.
Katherine Haug-Myers, c’09, is partner at Edelman, Liesen & Myers in Kansas City.
Jacob Hill, b’09, leads product management and development for mobility and 5G at AT&T in Dallas.
Benjamin Jones, PhD’09, is state historian and director of the South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre. He previously served as the state’s secretary of education.
Bertram Lyons, g’09, is partner and managing director of software development at AVP. He and Lisa Rausch, g’06, PhD’13, an associate researcher at the University of Wisconsin, live in Madison and have two children, Delia and Winslow.
Christopher Vague, c’09, ’10, directs marketing at GlaxoSmithKline. He and Rachel Ernst Vague, c’06, live in Raleigh, North Carolina, and have three children, Logan, Hattie and Emma.
Gino Rea Zanabria, e’09, g’11, is a senior FPGA engineer at Vecima Networks. He makes his home in San Jose, California.
2010
Dalena McGrew, g’10, lives in Shawnee, where she’s senior director of finance and operations at the Military Family Advisory Network.
Ayesha Mehdi, l’10, g’10, is an attorney and partner at Spencer Fane in Las Vegas. She recently became vice chair of the American Bar Association Health Law Section’s coordinating committee on diversity and the healthcare fraud and compliance interest group.
Nathan Miller, c’10, g’11, is a senior land services specialist at Black & Veatch in Overland Park.
2011
Erin Bryan, u’11, is a brain injury waiver service coordinator at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. She lives in Overland Park.
Audrey Seybert Chritton, e’11, g’17, is lead electrical engineer at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies in Kansas City. She and Douglas, e’12, live in Lenexa.
Lauren Braun Ellenbecker, e’11, is a senior cost analyst at Turner Construction in Kansas City, where she lives with Max, e’11, l’14.
Dayna Langdon, s’11, s’12, is an associate attorney at McHenry, Haszard, Roth, Hupp, Burkholder, Blomenberg & Camplin in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her practice is concentrated in family and juvenile law.
Jacob Lynn, e’11, manages analytics at Textron Aviation in Wichita, where he lives with his wife, Emily.
Peter Nye, l’11, lives in Arlington, Virginia, where he’s a program officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Rachel Wuntch, j’11, is a teacher in the Dallas Independent School District. She lives in Plano.
Born to:
Kory Kirkegaard, c’11, and Lauren Magathan Kirkegaard, b’12, daughter, Khloe Ariel, June 15 in Overland Park. Kory is a dentist at the Art of Dentistry.
2012
Julia Barnard, c’12, lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she’s a researcher at the Center for Responsible Lending.
Amelia Bartkoski, b’12, is a recruiter and human resources generalist at Colavria Hospitality in Denver, where she lives with Patrick Morton, j’12, g’18, a consultant at accounting and business advisory firm Plante Moran.
Lisa Dahlke Connell, l’12, is assistant legal counsel at the Iowa Economic Development Authority in Des Moines.
Stephanie Schutt Graff, m’12, in October was appointed medical adviser to the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. She’s an internist and oncologist and directs clinical research and the breast program at Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at HCA Midwest in Leawood.
Taylor Kelly, b’12, is a senior business operations specialist at RSA Archer in Overland Park. He lives in Lenexa.
Esther Kparyea, s’12, is co-owner of Effective Fulfillment and partner at Best Care Consulting in Prescott Valley, Arizona.
Daniel Lee, c’12, is a freelance photographer and owns Sinlee Creations Inc. He and his wife, Vanessa Sin, live in McKinney, Texas.
Robert Miller, g’12, PhD’16, is a lecturer in the department of history at South Texas College in McAllen, Texas, where he lives with Jacyln, g’13, PhD’16, assistant professor of history at the college, and their son, Philip, who recently turned 1.
Samantha Schueler-Emerson, e’12, g’15, is a configuration design engineer at Boeing in Everett, Washington, where she lives with her husband, Adam, and their daughter, Maren, who’s almost 2.
Jonathan Shorman, j’12, is lead political reporter at the Kansas City Star. He lives in Lawrence.
2013
Alexa Backman Hughey, d’13, manages operations at Netsmart in Overland Park. She lives in Leawood with her husband, Joshua, and their daughter, Josephine, who’s 1.
Owen Martin, e’13, is head distiller at Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey in Denver.
Lindsay Smith, l’13, is Coconino County deputy legal defender in Flagstaff, Arizona. She lives in Bellemont and has a daughter, Thea, who just turned 6.
Married
Rebecca Sabatés, c’13, m’18, to Sam DuMontier, June 6 in Kansas City. They make their home in Prairie Village.
2014
Gina Adams, g’14, is an artist in Longmont, Colorado. She was selected to participate in the inaugural exhibition of K Art, the nation’s first and only Native-owned commercial art gallery in Buffalo, New York.
Dillon Davis, c’14, is a communications strategist at Terracon in Olathe. He commutes from Lawrence.
Stuart Mitchelson, b’14, g’15, lives in Pittsburg, where he’s an accounting manager at AutoAlert.
2015
Callista Buchen, PhD’15, is assistant professor of English at Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana. The author of two chapbooks and a full-length collection of poetry was featured in a virtual poetry reading last fall, hosted by the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Nathan Coons, g’15, directs data management at Waddell & Reed in Mission.
Kim Gochioco, g’15, ’16, is senior manager of process engineering at Vertex. She lives in Camarillo, California.
Austin Lear, b’15, g’16, manages financial services at RSM US in San Francisco.
Kouri Linder, c’15, is manager of professional services at WellSky. He and Jenna Coon Linder, c’13, executive coordinator at the National Insurance Producer Registry, live in Westwood.
Graham Oltjen, c’15, ’16, lives in Houston, where he’s a field service engineer at Agilent Technologies.
Born to:
Andrew, PhD’15, and Sara Wenzel Riley, g’13, daughter, Adrienne Cooper, Aug. 4 in Chicago, where Andrew is assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Illinois. They live in Oak Park, Illinois.
2016
Darren Haag, c’16, is asset and innovation manager for the city of Lawrence. He lives in Topeka.
Brandon Haerle, e’16, lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, where he manages projects at Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline.
Ross Ringer, c’16, is vice president of product at GeoWealth Management in Chicago.
Shameem Kauffman Strecker, b’16, g’17, is a deals senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Denver, where she makes her home with Rachel Strecker, g’17, who also works at PwC as a risk assurance senior associate. The two married in Maui, Hawaii, in February 2020.
Nate Swann, g’16, is U.S. Army chief of staff in Savannah, Georgia.
Evan Traylor, c’16, lives in Washington, D.C., where he’s associate director for college engagement at the Union for Reform Judaism. In December, he participated in a Zoom panel discussion about his experience as a Jewish person of color.
2017
Malika Baker, c’17, l’20, is an associate attorney at Baker Sterchi in Kansas City. She practices in the areas of product liability defense and commercial litigation.
Hannah Smith Bihuniak, e’17, manages market risk at Koch Supply and Trading. She and Sam, b’17, live in London.
James Crowder, e’17, is a manufacturing engineer at Schlumberger in Lawrence. During the COVID-19 pandemic he developed AllBadge, an ID badge with a hooked end that allows users to avoid door handles.
Alex Hinkle, c’17, lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he’s a financial adviser at Edward Jones.
Travis Hoehn, c’17, l’20, is an associate attorney at Baker Sterchi in Kansas City. He lives in Lawrence.
Matthew McFarlane, e’17, g’19, works in energy analysis at Henderson Engineers in Lenexa. He and Ebony Onianwa, c’17, g’20, make their home in Overland Park.
Madelyne Moloney, j’17, directs external communications at NewRez, a mortgage lending company.
Michael Pritchett, m’17, is a hospitalist at the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City. He and his wife, Chelsea, live in Roeland Park.
Rebekah Taussig, PhD’17, wrote Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body, which was published in August by HarperOne. She lives in Kansas City with her husband, Micah Jones, and their son, Otto, who’s almost 1.
Married
John Hunter Senior, e’17, g’19, and Emily Draeger, d’18, g’21, Nov. 21 in Lawrence. They make their home in Denver.
Born to:
Christopher Cordt, g’17, g’19, and his wife, Jessica, daughter, Edie-Grace Avianna, Aug. 22 in Miramar Beach, Florida. Chris is a district sales manager at ADT Security.
2018
Mitchell Kelly, e’18, is a process controls engineer at Applied Control in Englewood, Colorado. He and Amy Peacock Kelly, c’17, an environmental scientist at New Horizon, live in Overland Park.
Jonathan Pine, b’18, works in business development at Zpartz Inc. in Grandview, Missouri. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in De Soto.
Makayla Reed, c’18, lives in Lawrence, where she’s a case manager at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.
Travis Toon, g’18, manages business development at the Global Finance Group in Newport Beach, California.
Kerry Williams, l’18, is an attorney in Kansas City. He and his wife, Meaghan, live in Prairie Village.
Born to:
Justin, g’18, g’19, and Lauren Schmidt, assoc., daughter, Aubrey, Nov. 2 in Kansas City. Justin is a program manager at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics.
2019
Joseph Le, c’19, is chief of staff for Kansas House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer. He commutes to Topeka from Lawrence.
Melvin Mack, g’19, is a space operations officer in the U.S. Army. He and his wife, Melinda, live in Lansing and have two children, Alexus and Quincy.
Eligia Raio, s’19, directs sales and admissions at Ascension Via Christi Village in Pittsburg.
Derrick Smith, g’19, is a budget analyst for the city of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Valeza Zogjani, g’19, is a policy researcher and program manager at the Democracy for Development Institute. She lives in Serbia.
2020
Ami Albert, g’20, is a staff accountant at Varney & Associates in Manhattan, where she makes her home.
Hannah Ehmcke, b’20, lives in Kansas City, where she’s a consulting analyst at Accenture.
Smruti Gore, g’20, is a research scientist at OsteoNovus in Toledo, Ohio.
Madison Graves, j’20, coordinates media for GlynnDevins in Kansas City.
Lisa Laughlin, g’20, is a project manager at City Light & Power. She lives in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Halley Maloy, g’20, is the first-ever epidemiologist for Umatilla County in Pendleton, Oregon.
Evan Parsons, j’20, is an account executive at GlynnDevins in Kansas City.
Blake Ronnebaum, l’20, lives in Kansas City, where he’s an associate attorney at Polsinelli.
Michael Swain, j’20, is the Iowa State University beat writer for 247 Sports.
Cindy Pipes Swatek, g’20, is a mental performance consultant and owns VIDA Mindset & Performance in Kansas City.
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