Class Notes: Fall 2024

Jayhawks: Fill out a Class Note to tell us what you’re up to!

1964

Suzanne Tubby Batra, PhD’64, an entomologist who has made significant contributions to bee and insect science, was recently honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Saranac Lake, New York, school district, where she attended high school. Suzanne is retired from a 30-year career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

1966

Duane Miller, p’66, is professor emeritus in the college of pharmacy at the University of Tennessee, where he was on the faculty for over 20 years. He holds over 100 patents and is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

1968

Elbert Russell, PhD’68, a retired clinical psychologist and former chief of neuropsychology at the Miami VA Medical Center, wrote Building 51, a memoir of working in a state mental hospital in Pennsylvania, published last year. He lives in Miami.

Dennis Taylor, c’68, in July received the 2024 Meloy Stevenson Award of Distinction, which recognizes outstanding service to the Archie Bray Foundation, an arts center in Helena, Montana. Dennis is a retired city manager and former deputy director of the Montana Department of Justice. He and his wife, Joan, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in October.

1969

Kyle Craig, j’69, a retired restaurant industry executive, in October was inducted into the Joplin Schools Foundation Alumni Hall of Fame in Joplin, Missouri. He owns Outlook Consulting and lives in Denver with his wife, Elyse.

1970

H. Edward Flentje, PhD’70, professor emeritus at Wichita State University, co-wrote and co-edited the book Reform and Reaction: The Arc of Kansas Politics, published in June by University Press of Kansas.

Richard Juarez, e’70, is retired from a 21-year career at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. and served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Wichita.

1971

Tom McCormick, f’71, owns McCormick Gallery in Chicago, which shows paintings, drawings and sculptures from modern and contemporary artists.

1975

Ronald Shaklee, c’75, g’79, PhD’83, professor emeritus of geography at Youngstown State University in Ohio, in August was elected to the board of directors of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

1978

Richard Arnspiger II, c’78, m’82, in July was promoted to associate professor of surgery in the division of vascular surgery at KU Medical Center.

Deric Gilliard, j’78, is retired from a 25-year career as a public affairs adviser with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is an author, journalist, historian and speaker. His latest book, The Longest Four Years of My Life: A View from the Field by a Black Fed in the Trump Administration, was published in September. He lives in Atlanta.

Ann Mracek, f’78, g’79, wrote the book Unpacking the Attic: A Path to Healing Your Inner Child, published in September. She lives in St. Louis, where she teaches piano, voice and music composition at Mracek Studio.

1979

Scott Bakula, ’79, portrayed Abraham Lincoln in the fall production of the play “Mister Lincoln” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Robert Berry, g’79, DE’80, in September was inducted into the Rolla High School Hall of Fame in Rolla, Missouri. He is retired as vice president and general manager of Burns & McDonnell’s St. Louis office. He worked at the engineering firm for 32 years.

Carol Hunter, j’79, executive editor of the Des Moines Register, in February was honored by the Iowa Newspaper Association as a Master Editor-Publisher, the organization’s lifetime achievement award.

1980

Dennis Garcia, l’80, a retired attorney, wrote Las Madres: Latinas in the Heartland Who Led Their Family to Success, published in November by University Press of Kansas. The book tells the stories of three generations of women in Dennis’ family.

Tracy Camp Kaufman, b’80, retired last year as a project manager at NeuNet Consultants.

Richard Konzem, b’80, in September was named executive director of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. He previously served on the organization’s board of directors and is a former senior associate athletics director at KU. He and his wife, Debbie Vignatelli, c’77, d’78, live in Lawrence.

1981

Philip Brouard, ’81, retired as an architect with Brouard Architects in the U.K. He founded the practice in 1999.

Jan Anne Dubin, j’81, is founder and CEO of Jan Anne Dubin Consulting, which works with law firms and corporate law departments. She wrote the chapter “Grateful: A Life Well Served” in the anthology Own Your Story: Empower. Connect. Create Change., published in May.

William Katherman, b’81, is retired as chief operating officer at Fox Factory Holding Corp.

1982

Julie Black Wellner, a’82, e’82, a’92, has been the principal owner of Kansas City-based Wellner Architects since 1987. The firm recently expanded to Wellner Architects + Engineers.

1985

Cherie Haury-Artz, g’85, is an education assistant in the Office of the State Archaeologist at the University of Iowa.

Michael Stiles, m’85, is an ophthalmologist and medical director at Stiles Eyecare Excellence in Overland Park. Michella McKinney Stiles, c’85, m’90, is an anesthesiologist at Kansas City Orthopedic Institute in Leawood. They have two adult daughters and live in Prairie Village with their golden retriever, Lulu.

1987

Clare Weinrich Graham, b’87, retired in August from a 37-year career in accounting, during which she worked in the mutual fund, trust and retirement plan areas at State Street Bank and Trust Co. and Benefit Trust Co. She and her husband, Darren, live in Olathe and have a son, Anthony, c’19.

Tom Gregoire, g’87, PhD’95, serves on the board of directors of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, a state initiative that supports prevention and treatment efforts for the opioid epidemic. He is associate professor and dean emeritus of the college of social work at Ohio State University. Tom and his wife, Carolann Buckley Gregoire, s’77, g’87, live in Upper Arlington, Ohio.

Keiko Kira, c’87, f’93, is an artist and co-owns Keiko Furoshiki, which makes multipurpose fabric wraps inspired by the Japanese tradition of furoshiki and designed to be a reusable alternative to paper gift wrapping. The products have been featured on the Martha Stewart, Wired and The Spruce websites. She lives in Kansas City.

Jim Pusateri, c’87, in June was named chief sales officer at LCS, which manages senior living communities.

Bridget Huerter Richards, j’87, is vice president of marketing at the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation.

1988

Kay Cathcart Bronshteyn, c’88, in June joined Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, as director of its Preus Library.

Andy Guzman, c’88, is a research and development scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Security Campus in Kansas City. He and his wife, Avi, have four children, Carlos, Jose, Hannah and Angelina. Their oldest, Carlos, m’23, is completing his family practice residency at the School of Medicine-Salina.

Alison Young, j’88, an investigative journalist, in September joined the nonprofit service journalism organization Houston Landing as a reporter and associate editor for investigations. She is the author of the book Pandora’s Gamble: Lab Leaks, Pandemics, and a World at Risk.

1990

Mary Baker Boucher, d’90, g’98, is music director at Overland Park Christian Church. She and her husband, David, c’88, live in Olathe.

Jack Del Rio, c’90, a former NFL linebacker and coach, is senior adviser to the University of Wisconsin head football coach.

Gerry Dixon, b’90, in July retired from Ernst & Young as managing partner of the company’s government and public services sector. His wife, Carrie Woodling Dixon, b’90, and daughter, Katherine, b’22, are also Jayhawks.

Glen Martin, m’90, in August was appointed vice president of medical affairs at Baptist Health’s Beaches and Nassau medical centers in Florida. An anesthesiologist, he has been on Baptist Health’s medical staff since 2005.

John Milburn, j’90, c’98, is special assistant for communications and policy to the Kansas secretary of state.

Brian Wimes, c’90, is a federal judge for the Eastern and Western districts of Missouri.

1991

Ronald Baker, c’91, in August was named senior vice president of operations and clinic enterprise at LMH Health in Lawrence.

Gina Bleile Hartigan, g’91, is chief people officer at Kantata, a software development company based in Irvine, California.

John Hutton, c’91, l’94, is managing partner of the Topeka law firm Henson, Hutton, Mudrick, Gragson & Vogelsberg.

Andrea Broers Melanson, h’91, OTD’11, a pediatric occupational therapist, is a program manager at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.

Kristina Mitchell Walker, f’91, g’97, director of education and interpretation at KU’s Spencer Museum of Art, received the 2024-’25 Outstanding Museum Educator of the Year award from the Kansas Art Education Association.

1992

Lisa Krigsten, c’92, in August was elected chair of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City. She is managing partner of the Kansas City office of Dentons and a member of the law firm’s U.S. board of directors.

Amy Lucas Whitaker, j’92, is a Plano, Texas-based artist who creates some of her paintings using coffee. She sells her works at local shops and art shows and on her website, Art by Amy.

1993

Jamee Fritzemeier Ross, j’93, is chief development officer at the Tanganyika Wildlife Foundation in Goddard.

Karen Wickersty Schoenly, c’93, is human resources manager at Performance Gear Systems in Plainfield, Illinois.

1994

Jen Brull, c’94, m’98, a family physician in Fort Collins, Colorado, in September was named president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Chad Cowan, c’94, c’95, in October was appointed chief scientific officer at Century Therapeutics, a biotechnology company.

Gretchen Starnes Fitzgerald, c’94, in September joined IMA Financial Group as a client advocate. She lives in Kansas City.

Eric Mersmann, a’94, is an associate principal and senior project manager at Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architecture in Chicago.

Dean Newton, c’94, is president and CEO of Delta Dental of Kansas and Surency.

Peter Tebben, c’94, m’98, an endocrinologist, in October joined the school of medicine at Yale University as director of the Yale Bone Center.

Eric Zabilka, a’94, is president of Omni Architects in Lexington, Kentucky. He has worked at the firm since 1995.

1995

Jim Beitel, e’95, in August was named chief business officer at the San Diego-based biotechnology company Cidara Therapeutics.

Tonya Cole, ’95, is administrator for school operations and enrichment programs at Saint Anne’s Day School in Atlanta.

Jodi Snook Fincher, n’95, is CEO of St. Joseph Medical Center in Kansas City.

Melissa Lacey, j’95, is a marketing manager at Ascension Via Christi in Wichita.

Molly Harris Laughlin, j’95, is a substitute teacher in the Blue Valley school district in Overland Park.

1996

Latisa Carson, m’96, is an OB-GYN in private practice in Chula Vista, California.

George Evans, m’96, practices family medicine with Stormont Vail Health in Topeka.

Steve Woodberry, c’96, a former KU men’s basketball player, in August was named assistant men’s basketball coach at Missouri State University.

1997

Kevin Bates, d’97, g’03, is a senior budget analyst at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

David Teska, g’97, in February retired from a 30-year career with the federal government, primarily with FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He recently joined KU’s Study Abroad & Global Engagement office as assistant director of health and safety. He is also a retired captain in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. David and his wife, Kristy, b’88, g’99, live in Lawrence and have a son, Stephen, d’23, and daughter, Laura, who is a senior at KU.

1998

Jim Knight, PhD’98, and Michael Faggella-Luby, PhD’06, co-wrote the book Data Rules: Elevating Teaching with Objective Reflection, published in September. Jim is a senior research associate at KU’s Center for Research on Learning, and Michael is professor of special education at Texas Christian University.

1999

Diamond Williams Bronson, a’99, is associate vice president and health care studio leader at the architecture firm Hoefer Welker.

Kayla Knaup Crowell, c’99, is a family nurse practitioner at the Crawford County Health Department in Pittsburg. She has two sons, Gabe and Max.

Tony Fuemmeler, f’99, is an artist who specializes in masks, puppetry and theatre arts. He created the collaborative mask installation “A Universal Feeling,” recently on display at the Ink People Center for the Arts in Eureka, California. Tony lives in Blue Lake, California.

William “Butch” Graham, g’99, a lieutenant general in the U.S. Army, in July was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as chief of engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He assumed the duties in September.

Kyllene “Kelly” Jones, e’99, is president and co-CEO of Lighting Design Alliance, an architectural lighting design firm based in Long Beach, California.

Jan Guidry Lacina, PhD’99, is senior associate dean for research, graduate studies and strategic partnerships in the college of education at Texas Christian University, where she is also the Bezos Family Foundation endowed chair for early childhood education.

Matthew Snyder, m’99, is a neuropathologist with Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin.

Judson Stanion, c’99, g’00, is managing director in capital markets at Academy Bank in Kansas City.

2000

James Grogan, l’00, a restructuring and bankruptcy attorney, in June joined the law firm Greenberg Traurig as shareholder.

Ryan Munro, a’00, c’00, is a partner at Lake Munro law firm in St. Louis.

2001

Mandi Chace, c’01, is a stormwater program administrator for the city of Lawrence.

Gabe Clements, g’01, DPT’08, in May was named CEO of Lee’s Summit Medical Center in Missouri.

Tansy Brooks Hayward, c’01, g’03, is Thornton, Colorado, city manager.

Jill Bachman Kenney, l’01, is a municipal court judge for the city of Olathe.

Trish Ward, c’01, in August was elected national president of the American Legion Auxiliary. She has held numerous leadership positions in the organization. Trish is retired as a lead project manager at Lumen Technologies.

2002

Ashley Crosby Davidson, g’02, in September was named senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Black & Veatch.

Tabitha Reavis Gibson, g’02, is senior vice president of permanency services at The Family Initiative, a child welfare agency.

Zachary Leacox, g’02, l’02, is an attorney at Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law, which has five offices in central Florida.

Matthew Porubsky, c’02, wrote Stand in Old Light, his sixth book of poetry, published in August. He lives in Lawrence and is a copywriter for KU Marketing.

Nathan Rodriguez, c’02, g’10, PhD’15, is associate professor of communication at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.

Sarai Interiano Tobon, c’02, is a human resources business partner at Koch. She and her husband, Fabio, live in Wichita and have two children, Joaquin and Brielle.

Nicole Clark Van Denabeele, b’02, g’04, in September was promoted to chief financial officer at National Bank Holdings Corp.

2003

Maria Lara-Ojeda, g’03, is San Pablo, California, assistant city manager.

Jonathan Ng, c’03, j’03, is a foreign service attorney with the U.S. Agency for International Development. He is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ana Nixon, g’03, in July was named communications director for Gov. Laura Kelly.

Chris O’Brien, PhD’03, a Cold War historian, in September was named executive director of the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan, Maine.

Basil Sherman II, e’03, g’05, is a principal at Pulse Design Group, a Kansas City-based architecture firm.

2004

Denise Guttery, g’04, in September was promoted to assistant executive director of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. She has worked for the organization since 2010.

Melanie Weiser Krugel, c’04, is senior MBA admissions officer at the University of Texas at Austin. She and her husband, Brad, have a daughter, Isabella.

Regan Lemke, c’04, g’06, in October was promoted to chief practice strategy officer and chief of staff at the law firm Polsinelli.

Lauren Sturm Marinaro, l’04, is a partner at Fink Rosner Ershow-Levenberg Marinaro, an elder and disability law firm in Clark, New Jersey.

2005

Tadd Blair, c’05, l’08, is an associate business litigation attorney at Gunster Yoakley & Stewart in the law firm’s Jacksonville, Florida, office.

David Burkhart, e’05, is CEO of Kansas City-based Garney Construction, where he has worked since 2005.

Andrew Crouch, c’05, is chief fiduciary officer at Byline Bank in Chicago.

Sam Hopkins, c’05, is senior adviser at Mind Over Machines, a data and software consultancy based in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Jose Interiano, c’05, is an attorney with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office in New York. He and his wife, Lea, have a daughter, Valentina.

Maya Davis Israel, g’05, PhD’09, is associate professor of educational technology and computer science education at the University of Florida.

J. Matthew Leavitt, c’05, j’05, l’09, is a partner at Hulnick, Stang, Gering & Leavitt, a criminal defense law firm in Wichita.

2006

Chris Beal, c’06, g’23, is a clinician at Johnson County Mental Health Center in Mission.

Mikki Brock, c’06, is professor of history at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, where she has been on the faculty since 2014.

Jack Cauley, g’06, is Castle Rock, Colorado, police chief.

Joel Leader, d’06, is director of principal preparation programs and an assistant professor in the department of teacher and administrator preparation at the University of Texas at Arlington. He and his husband, Brad Grant, live in Frisco.

Marisol Romero, c’06, is events manager at Hope House, which provides services to those impacted by domestic violence in eastern Jackson County, Missouri.

Lyndsay Rush Sanders, c’06, is a humor writer and co-founder of the branding agency Obedient. Her debut poetry collection, A Bit Much, was published in September. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and son.

Born to:
Weston Rockers, b’06, and his wife, Kelly, daughter, Penelope “Poppy,” Dec. 14, 2023. Weston is a principal at Polsinelli, based in the law firm’s Dallas office.

2007

Dan Dakhil, d’07, in August was promoted to Wichita market president at CrossFirst Bank, where he has worked since 2010.

Dan Partridge, g’07, in July was elected to the board of directors of the Kansas Health Institute. He retired in 2023 as director of the Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Department.

Taylor Schreiner, c’07, teaches in the Turner school district in Kansas City.

Stephanie Tijerina, g’07, in August was named chief operating officer at HCA Florida Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg.

2008

Eric Elsinghorst, g’08, h’17, is chair of the clinical laboratory sciences department at KU Medical Center.

Milagros Figueroa-Tetuan, g’08, g’15, is a technical project manager at Guidant Measurement. She lives in Merriam with her husband and daughter.

Sandy Moore, g’08, in July was named director of university libraries at Yeshiva University in New York City.

Laura Tate, c’08, is an OB-GYN at The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Topeka.

Tristan Telander, f’08, is an exhibition designer at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

Tamisha Grimes Tenorio, g’08, is chief beneficiary services officer at the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development recently named her one of its 2024 “40 Under 40” honorees. The program recognizes young Native Americans for leadership, dedication and contributions to their communities.

2009

Carol Journey Adler, b’09, is an account executive at Apple in New York City. She and her husband, Jonathan, have two sons, Cameron, 5, and Micah, 1. The family lives in Scarsdale, New York.

Sara Adkins Asher, g’09, teaches social studies at Bishop Seabury Academy in Lawrence. She was recently among 51 teachers nationwide selected by the U.S. Institute of Peace to participate in its Peace Teachers program. Sara lives in Lawrence with her husband, Jaron, and their 16-year-old twins.

Joe DeLissio, d’09, is senior director of partner strategy at Elevate, a consulting firm that works with sports and entertainment organizations.

Patrick Housby, c’09, lives in Salem, Oregon, where he is assistant winemaker at Zenith Vineyard.

Sean Pederson, c’09, is deputy county administrator for Douglas County.

2010

Adam Brewer, g’10, PhD’13, received the 2024 Provost’s Teaching Award from Western Connecticut State University, where he is professor of educational psychology.

Allison Chase, c’10, a makeup and costume artist, partnered with Paramount Pictures to create a 7-foot costume of the Transformer Bumblebee for the U.S. premiere of the movie “Transformers One.” Bumblebee walked the red carpet at the Sept. 17 event in New York City. Allison lives in Orlando, Florida.

2011

Katy Cortese Bisanti, u’11, teaches elementary music and high school choir at Pacelli Catholic Schools in Austin, Minnesota. She is a founding member of the Hometown Opera Company in Rochester.

Lily Boyce, c’11, is a graphics editor at The New York Times.

Danielle White Dulin, g’11, in August was appointed Manhattan city manager.

Alberto Gonzalez, l’11, is a New York City Housing Court judge.

Kevin Gremmelsbacher, g’11, is a project manager at Hastings+Chivetta Architects in St. Louis.

Jordan Jacobson, a’11, is a creative director at The New York Times.

2012

David Elliott, j’12, news director at KRSL Russell Radio, in July received the Community Impact Award from the city of Russell.

Chris Fields, c’12, is an economic development and member relations specialist for the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance in South Dakota.

Guy Foster, g’12, is a supervisory hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s New York Water Science Center.

Andrew Jones, h’12, is a clinical assistant professor in the clinical laboratory sciences department at KU Medical Center.

Francis Park, PhD’12, a colonel in the U.S. Army and military strategist, retired in June as director of the U.S. Army War College’s basic strategic art program. He was on active duty for 30 years and was the first recipient of the Army Strategist Association’s Order of Saint Gabriel gold medallion for lifetime achievement. Eric Hartunian, PhD’19, succeeded Francis as director.

Brian Steele, g’12, EdD’21, is associate dean for admissions at the University of Georgia school of medicine. He and his wife, Katelyn Carr Steele, p’14, PharmD’14, have two children, Graham and Brooke.

Married:
Jacob Estes, c’12, and Junmo Cho, April 3 in Belleville, Illinois. The couple lives in Lenexa. Jacob is a program specialist at the American Association of Veterinary State Boards, and Junmo is a veterinarian.

2013

Hayley Budden, j’13, is director of field marketing for Saint James Iced Tea.

Brooke Taylor Fischer, j’13, is a development officer for the School of Medicine at KU Endowment.

Tyler Shriver, c’13, practices family medicine at Hanover Hospital in Hanover.

Married:
Abby Montgomery, c’13, and Nick Ellingson, May 11 in Duluth, Minnesota.

Born to:
Tyler, c’13, m’17, and Laura Prohaska Darland, p’15, PharmD’15, son, Damian, Dec. 18, 2023. Tyler practices family medicine at Amberwell Health in Atchison, and Laura is a pharmacist at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

2014

Mala Alahmadi, e’14, leads the social value advisory group in the Middle East region for Jacobs, a global engineering, environmental and technology consulting firm.

Caitlin Doornbos, j’14, covers politics and federal government for the New York Post. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Kenny Enriquez, c’14, in July was promoted to vice president of U.S. fragrance sales at Bell Flavors & Fragrances.

Matt Giunta, e’14, is a marketing manager at SOR Controls Group, which designs and manufactures measurement and control devices.

Cole McGregor, c’14, m’18, is an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoKansas in Lawrence.

Laila Tawfik, c’14, is an optometrist with Optometric Physicians of Middle Tennessee. She lives in Nashville.

Ryan Xiao, c’14, c’14, is an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoKansas in Lawrence.

2015

Eddie Glenn, PhD’15, is assistant professor of media communication at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Anna Boyd Shook, p’15, PharmD’17, is assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and director of the university’s pharmacy residency program at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames.

2016

Brennan Keller, d’16, is associate director of donor relations at Child Bridge, a Montana-based nonprofit that works with foster children and families.

Gabrielle Munoz, c’16, is a protection order project coordinator for the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.

Bianca Sisillo-DeFries, c’16, is founder and owner of Inspired Play Cafe in Overland Park, which offers an educational play environment for children alongside a full-service cafe.

Thomas Visel, g’16, in June joined the research staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia.

2017

Elizabeth Anstine, g’17, in September was named the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year. She teaches business marketing, entrepreneurship and finance courses at Leavenworth High School.

Cassie Caedo, n’17, DNP’23, is a nurse-midwife at Bothwell OB/GYN Associates in Sedalia, Missouri.

Elizabeth Mitchell, b’17, is a dentist at Love Dentistry in Wichita.

Ryan Moog, g’17, is head of life sciences solutions at Datavant, a health care data platform.

Raul Picazo, b’17, is a senior account executive at Worldwide Express, a logistics company.

Wade Reed, g’17, in July was promoted to colonel in the Army National Guard. He commands the Tennessee National Guard’s 117th Regional Training Institute in Smyrna and is a regional director of operations at Southern Orthodontic Partners.

Anna Herrick Supalla, b’17, m’21, is a physician with Olathe Health Family Medicine and practices at its Louisburg and Osawatomie locations.

Haley Wiaz, j’17, is group director for digital media at Scale Marketing in Chicago.

Berkleigh Wright, j’17, a former Rock Chalk Dancer, modeled for the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She is a professional model, Denver Broncos cheerleader and account manager at the technology company Oracle.

2018

Caroline Fiss, a’18, is a fashion and commercial photographer based in New York City. Her work has appeared in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and she has photographed for brands such as Givenchy Beauty and Isaac Mizrahi.

Melissa Precht, g’18, is a radiation oncology ambassador with The University of Kansas Health System. She and her husband, Mike, live in Lansing.

Kyle Sagendorph, j’18, manages digital content for USA Swimming. He and his wife, Lauren, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Jordan Willis, m’18, is an orthopedic surgeon at the OrthoKansas clinic at Newman Regional Health in Emporia.

2019

Robert Armstrong Jr., d’19, is an estate planning attorney at Oath Law in Kansas City.

Abby Berkery, d’19, manages corporate partnerships for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Nikhil Biju, e’19, g’23, is a staff application engineer at Gamma Technologies, an engineering software company in Westmont, Illinois.

Rachel Windham Gonzales, j’19, is an associate attorney at Foulston Siefkin in the law firm’s Kansas City office.

Jose Montoya, d’19, j’19, is an assistant athletic director at Eastern New Mexico University.

Christina Peterson, m’19, is a urologist at The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Topeka.

Jannet Rios, g’19, supervises the Basic Needs Center at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California.

Bryan Sandoval, b’19, g’20, is a finance manager at Huhtamaki, a food packaging company.

2020

Aseret Bertram Grant, j’20, is director of communications and graphic design at Mercy High School in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sierra Franklin-Morton, c’20, is assistant director of the Wichita-based Tallgrass Film Association.

Michael Ponce, c’20, is a regional director at NuMedica, a nutritional supplements company.

Truman Solverud, g’20, is director of alternative learning at Clayton High School in St. Louis, where he lives with his wife, Donna, and their Labrador retriever, Lila. They have three adult children and three grandsons.

Ingrid Yew, d’20, g’23, g’23, teaches kindergarten at Sunset Hill Elementary School in Lawrence. In August she was voted by the Lawrence community as the city’s No. 1 K-5 teacher in the annual “Best of Lawrence” competition.

2021

Shaye Maetzold Anderson, l’21, in July joined Holland & Hart as a real estate associate in the law firm’s Denver office.

Emma Greenwood, j’21, is a social media analyst at Hill’s Pet Nutrition. She lives in Olathe.

Maci Hicks, m’21, is a family physician at Heartland Health Care Clinic in Abilene. She and her husband, Michael Poland, have a son, Myer.

Ethan Wagoner, g’21, teaches band at Derby Middle School.

Elizabeth Wolfe-Meyer, m’21, practices family medicine at The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Valley Falls.

2022

Christopher Arrington, e’22, is a manufacturing engineer at Boeing.

Chris Brown, PhD’22, in July was named associate commissioner for governance and compliance for the Mountain West collegiate athletic conference.

Tom Davoren, DMA’22, is assistant professor and director of bands and instrumental music at Benedictine College in Atchison.

Keegan Hewitt, j’22, is sports director at News 9 WAOW in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Alyssa Jones, a’22, b’22, is a marketing manager at Mission Critical Electronics.

Andrew Lind, j’22, is a sports reporter and weekend sports anchor at KOTA Territory News in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Nolan Sagan, g’22, is sustainability coordinator for the city of Ames, Iowa.

2023

Audrey Hanna, j’23, an artist and graphic designer, founded the home decor brand Auds & Ends. She lives in Dallas.

SK Reed, g’23, is an artist, curator of Beco Gallery in Kansas City, and lecturer at the Kansas City Art Institute.

Alex Ruhland, e’23, is a facility engineer at Lifecore Biomedical.

Jeffrey Weinell, PhD’23, is an evolutionary biologist and postdoctoral fellow at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

2024

Roger Booker Jr., PhD’24, is assistant professor of instruction in the department of history at Texas State University.

Julia Carter, l’24, is an assistant district attorney with the Queens District Attorney’s Office in New York.

Elson Core, g’24, is an operations geologist at Chevron.

Lauri Goheen, g’24, is a therapist at Pawnee Mental Health, which serves 10 counties in north-central Kansas.

Emily Green, b’24, c’24, is a business technology solutions analyst at Deloitte Consulting.

Molly Heitz, j’24, is a digital account executive at Steel City Media in Kansas City.

Andrew Lensmeyer, d’24, teaches sixth grade English language arts at Merriam Park Elementary School in Merriam.

Joshua Martin, b’24, is a sales development representative at AlphaSense, an AI-powered market intelligence platform. He lives in New York City.

Jessica Mzhickteno, e’24, is an air quality specialist at Providence, an engineering and environmental consulting firm based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Makaela Stevens, l’24, in August joined Hinkle Law Firm as an associate attorney in its Wichita office.

Timothy Sullivan, c’24, e’24, is a student naval flight officer in the U.S. Navy.

Aaron Thomas, c’24, is founder and CEO of GearBrokers, an electronics retailer in Kansas City.

Elizabeth Walters, j’24, is a marketing analyst at Kimley-Horn, a planning and design consulting firm.

Jeremy Wegiel, e’24, is a design certification engineer at Garmin in Olathe.

Associates

Ann Brill, assoc., dean of the School of Journalism, was honored as the 2024 Administrator of the Year by the Scripps Howard Fund and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.