Class Notes: Summer 2024

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1958

Richard “Larry” Meuli, c’58, m’62, in June was presented the 2024 Chamber Heart Award from the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his service to and passion for the city, where he has lived for 44 years. Larry is retired from a career in medicine and served 10 years in the Wyoming Legislature.

1962

Fred Perry, c’62, is a former businessman, Oklahoma state legislator and Tulsa County commissioner. Since his retirement in 2013, he has been an active volunteer and received numerous local and regional awards for his work as a children’s welfare advocate. Fred and Marcia Ediger Perry, c’64, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in March and have lived in Tulsa for over 40 years.

1967

Dick Grove, j’67, g’68, is founder and CEO of INK Inc. Public Relations in Kansas City.

Merikay Murphy Ringer, d’67, is professor emerita of psychology at Louisiana State University Shreveport. She retired in 2006 and has lived in Kansas City since 2019.

1968

David Preston, j’68, is a former U.S. Air Force pilot and retired corporate chief pilot. He lives in Kansas City.

1969

William Coates Jr., c’69, l’72, of counsel at Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice in Kansas City, is in his 52nd year practicing law and has tried 130 jury cases in federal and state courts in Kansas and Missouri. He is a former adjunct professor of trial advocacy in the School of Law. Bill and his wife, Kathryn Hillyard Coates, d’72, live in Prairie Village.

1973

Steven Peterson, d’73, is retired from a 45-year career in automotive aftermarket sales. He and his wife, Darcy, live in Fountain Hills, Arizona, with their dog, Zeus. They have two adult children, Lisa and Bryce, and two granddaughters.

1975

Kevin Carver, b’75, retired in December after a 35-year career with the federal government, most recently as a senior attorney with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. He lives in Olathe.

Michael Loose, e’75, in February was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He is retired as deputy chief of naval operations in the U.S. Navy.

Lawton Nuss, c’75, l’82, was selected to serve on the board of directors of All Rise, a nonprofit that advocates for justice system innovation that addresses substance use and mental health disorders. He served as chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court from 2010 until his retirement in 2019.

1976

Rebecca Gartung Lyons, b’76, recently funded a scholarship for School of Business undergraduate students who have participated in the school’s Summer Venture in Business, a program for high school students interested in business who are from underrepresented groups. Rebecca is retired as vice president of supply chain operations at Johnson & Johnson, where she worked for over 30 years.

Shirley Scheier, f’76, is an artist and recently displayed her paintings and prints in a solo exhibition, “Sifting the Silence,” at Jeanette Best Gallery in Port Townsend, Washington, where she lives. She is professor emerita at the University of Washington.

1977

Donna Crabb Nyght, n’77, g’93, DNP’10, recently retired as chair of KU’s department of nurse anesthesia education, a position she’d held since 2007.

1978

Patricia Bond, c’78, wrote the children’s book Eight Days in a Gum Tree, published in January. She is retired in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Scott Jarus, c’78, g’82, is an entrepreneur and business executive who has served as CEO and on the boards of directors of several public, private and nonprofit companies. As recent executive chairman of the board of EV Connect Inc., a supplier of electric vehicle charging and management systems, he facilitated the sale of the company to Schneider Electric. He lives in Southern California.

1979

Karen Arnold-Burger, c’79, l’82, chief judge of the Kansas Court of Appeals, in July was elected to the American Law Institute, an independent organization that produces scholarly works summarizing and clarifying the law.

Gene Camarena, b’79, and his wife, Yolanda, in June were inducted into the Kansas Business Hall of Fame. Gene is president and CEO of La Raza Pizza.

Tim McNamara, c’79, in April was appointed to a two-year term as dean of the college of arts and science at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He began his career at Vanderbilt in 1983 as assistant professor of psychology.

Nancy Schmidt-Brunson, f’79, in July was named managing director of the St. Joseph Symphony in St. Joseph, Missouri.

1980

Bryce Abbott, c’80, retired in May after serving 23 years as a municipal court judge in Wichita. He and his wife, Jana Deines-Abbott, b’81, have two sons, Logan, p’16, PharmD’16, and Reid, e’19.

Jack Stapleton, m’80, was honored by the School of Medicine as its 2024 Distinguished Medical Alumnus. He is professor of internal medicine-infectious diseases, microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa, where he also directs the Helen C. Levitt Center for Viral Pathogenesis. He and his wife, Anne McKee Stapleton, n’79, live in Iowa City.

1982

Kevin Harlan, j’82, a longtime sports announcer, was honored by the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the team’s 35th anniversary celebration on May 12, during a break in the Timberwolves’ playoff game against the Denver Nuggets, which Kevin called for TNT. He was the voice of the Timberwolves for the team’s first nine seasons and continues to call NBA, NFL and college basketball games for major TV networks.

Stacey Leslie Lamb, f’82, co-authored and illustrated Hope and the Winds of Grief, a book for children who have lost a loved one to suicide, published in May. She has illustrated numerous children’s books and founded HAPPYtown, which provides activities and tools to help those navigating difficult circumstances. Stacey and her husband, Brent, c’84, live in Lawrence.

1983

Rebecca Winterscheidt, l’83, is a partner at Snell & Wilmer in Phoenix and leads the law firm’s immigration practice.

1984

Patrick Hearn, c’84, l’87, recently retired as a federal prosecutor after 36 years prosecuting at the local, state and federal levels. He was honored by the U.S. Department of Justice with its Assistant Attorney General’s Award in 2006 and 2015. He and his wife, Cari Hassig Hearn, j’88, live near Washington, D.C.

Kari Shanard-Koenders, p’84, received the 2024 Lester E. Hosto Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. She has been executive director of the South Dakota Board of Pharmacy since 2015.

Kathy Thomas, g’84, in June was appointed to the Healthcare Workforce Task Force, part of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, by Gov. Greg Abbott. She is retired as executive director of the Texas Board of Nursing.

1985

Jenny Faw, f’85, is a painter and commercial artist. She and her husband, Peter McDonald, live in Eastham, Massachusetts, where Jenny also leads watercolor workshops and teaches painting at the Eastham Senior Center.

Mark Preut, c’85, in May was named principal of Lawrence College & Career Center and the school district’s adult education services and alternative programs.

Denitta Ascue Ward, c’85, lives in Denver, where she is director of constituent and immigration services for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.

1986

Cheryl Roberts Knopf, n’86, g’94, is an appeals clinician at CorroHealth.

Brian McClendon, e’86, was honored by the School of Engineering with its 2024 Distinguished Engineering Service Award. He was one of the primary drivers behind the creation of Google Earth and was vice president of engineering at Google for 10 years. He is a research professor in the department of electrical engineering & computer science and senior vice president of engineering at Niantic. Brian and his wife, Beth Ellyn, live in Lawrence.

Carrie Wood, c’86, is an assistant clinical professor in the school of veterinary medicine at Tufts University in Massachusetts.

1987

Alan Bruflat, PhD’87, in May was honored by Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, with its State Nebraska Bank & Trust Teaching Excellence Award. He is professor of language and literature and teaches Spanish at the college, where he has been on the faculty since 1990.

Brian Caswell, p’87, received the 2024 Distinguished Service Award from the School of Pharmacy. He has owned and operated Wolkar Drug in Baxter Springs for nearly 30 years.

Maja Mataric, c’87, was honored by the Association for Computing Machinery with its 2024-’25 Athena Lecturer Award, which celebrates women researchers who have made fundamental contributions to computer science. Maja is distinguished professor of computer science at the University of Southern California, where she is founding director of the USC Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center. She is also a principal scientist at Google DeepMind.

1988

Mark Farmer, a’88, was promoted to associate principal at Lamar Johnson Collaborative, an architecture and design firm.

Daniel Green, c’88, is a territory sales representative for SurgiTel, a medical equipment company.

Sonya Likins Jury, a’88, wrote Mom Forgot My Birthday: A Daughter’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s, a memoir, published earlier this year. She and her husband, Scott, ’86, live in Kansas City.

Kelly Ridgway Magee, b’88, is CEO and founding partner of Q39 restaurants, which will open a downtown Lawrence location in October.

1989

Vicki Smith Daniel, c’89, g’92, in July was named dean of the employment experiences program at Bethel College in North Newton.

Wynetta Massey, l’89, in June was elected president of the Colorado Municipal League executive board. She is city attorney for Colorado Springs.

Scott Nehrbass, c’89, l’93, is a trial attorney and partner at the law firm Foulston Siefkin in Kansas City. He and his wife, Jennifer Harris Nehrbass, e’91, met as members of the Marching Jayhawks.

Michael Wheat, ’89, in April joined JLL, a real estate services firm, as managing director of its North Texas retail group.

1990

Fatah Kashanchi, PhD’90, is professor of virology and director of the laboratory of molecular virology at George Mason University in Virginia. He is co-founder of the American Society for Intercellular Communication.

Ryan McCammon, c’90, is the national coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Atmospheric Deposition Program. He and his wife, Dana Feldhausen McCammon, ’93, live in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Rakesh Mohan, g’90, retired in June as director of the Idaho Office of Performance Evaluations, a state government watchdog agency, which he led for 21 years.

Mark Taylor, c’90, g’94, is a veterinarian and owns Taylor Veterinary Imaging in Overland Park.

1991

Heather Whitted Brungardt, g’91, in July became president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida.

Steven Ellis, m’91, is a physician at Head & Neck Surgery of Kansas City.

Vince Vecchiarelli, c’91, is senior vice president of sales and marketing at Healthy Together, a health technology company.

Archana Gupta Wagle, m’91, is medical director at UnityPoint Health’s Trinity Pain Management Clinic in Moline, Illinois. She is also a violinist and performs with the Clinton and Muscatine symphony orchestras.

Mark Wewers, c’91, a family law attorney, was named to Thomson Reuters’ “Texas Super Lawyers” list for 2023 and 2024. The distinction is given to only 5% of attorneys in the state. Mark and his wife, Kimberly Zoller Wewers, j’91, live in Colleyville, Texas.

1992

Luis Coloma, g’92, PhD’98, directs the Jambatu Center for Amphibian Research and Conservation in Ecuador.

Douglas Gleason, m’92, is an OB-GYN at Stormont Vail Health in Topeka.

Patrick Kelly, d’92, g’00, retired in June as chief academic officer for the Lawrence school district, where he worked for 25 years.

Phil Scaglia, c’92, is senior loan officer at First State Bank Mortgage in Overland Park.

Laura McKee Sweet, j’92, vice president and chief operating officer at Des Moines Performing Arts, was recently honored by the Des Moines Business Record as one of its Women of Influence. She and her husband, Mike, have three adult children and seven grandchildren.

Amy Timmerman, c’92, is operations manager at Atler Law Firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Kevin Wake, c’92, is president of the Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest.

1993

Kathleen Carr, g’93, is a psychotherapist at Sutter Health in Fremont, California.

Kimberly Hays, l’93, is a divorce and family law attorney in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Lori Highberger, c’93, m’97, is chief medical officer for behavioral health at TriWest Healthcare Alliance, headquartered in Phoenix.

John McGrath, ’93, is creator and host of “Art House,” a Kansas City PBS series about the Kansas City filmmaking community.

Bob O’Neil, j’93, was promoted to vice president and general sales manager at FOX6 News Milwaukee. He has worked at the station since 2002.

Tricia Cooley Paramore, c’93, g’95, in April was promoted to president of Hutchinson Community College, where she has worked since 1996, beginning as a biology instructor.

David Turner, c’93, owns David Turner Photography. He lives in Chicago.

1994

Katie Brown, g’94, a registered dietitian nutritionist, was honored by the School of Health Professions as its 2024 Distinguished Health Professions Alumna. She is president of the National Dairy Council and executive vice president of Dairy Management Inc.

Scott Capstack, a’94, is a senior principal at Populous and the firm’s design director for the Americas.

Travis Carlisle, c’94, is a program coordinator at MITRE Corp., a nonprofit that operates federally funded research and development centers. He lives in Virginia.

Chao Yang, g’94, in March was named a 2024 fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. He is a senior scientist in the applied mathematics and computational research division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

1995

LaRisa Chambers, c’95, is senior director of principal gifts and strategic initiatives at the University of California, Davis. She lives in Sacramento.

Juliana Hoffpauir, c’95, is a film and TV costume designer and led costume design on the 2023 movie “Hit Man.”

Marqueal Jordan, b’95, is a touring saxophonist and singer, recording artist and composer. He lives in Chicago.

Ernie Rupp, p’95, is a pharmacist and co-owns Stark Pharmacy in Overland Park.

Jeff Woodfill, c’95, is lead recruiter for global technology at Nike.

1996

Jana Blackburn Calkins, j’96, in June was promoted to news director at WDAF-TV FOX4 in Kansas City. She first worked at the station as an intern and joined the staff full time in 1996. Jana and her husband, Troy, have a son, Evan, b’23, and daughter, Claire, who is a student in the School of Nursing.

Zack Holland, e’96, a petroleum engineer and entrepreneur in the energy industry, received the 2024 Distinguished Engineering Service Award from the School of Engineering. He and his wife, Melissa, live in Denver and have three daughters. Their youngest, Reese, is a freshman at KU.

Vanessa Vanek, f’96, lives in Shanghai, where she leads fine arts curriculum for middle and high school students at Concordia International School Shanghai.

Sheahon Zenger, PhD’96, in July became president of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

1997

Kim Dickerson-Oard, c’97, is lead pastor at Woodlawn United Methodist Church in Derby.

Scot Pollard, d’97, received the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Education & Human Sciences. A former KU and NBA basketball player, Scot has partnered with the school on several fundraising and student support events, including the Gale Sayers & Scot Pollard Golf Classic.

1998

Trey Pitts, c’98, in May was appointed to the National Wireless Safety Alliance board of governors. He is a senior environmental, health and safety program manager at T-Mobile.

1999

Jonathan Huskey, c’99, is communications director at the State Revenue Alliance, a nonprofit that supports equitable tax policies. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Tisha Ritter, d’99, is development director at the Iowa Women’s Foundation.

Shawn Tunink, e’99, is an aviation programs engineer and manager at Garmin in Olathe.

2000

Joe Larsen, c’00, is managing director at EverGlade Consulting, which works with federal contractors in the life sciences sector.

Shane Wedd, d’00, d’01, a former KU baseball player, is associate head baseball coach at Sam Houston State University in Texas.

2001

Andrew Davidson, c’01, is Reno County deputy district attorney. His daughter, Maggie, is a freshman at KU.

Jay deVenny, c’01, in April was named CEO of Medical City Dallas hospital.

Justin Mills, c’01, m’06, was honored by the School of Medicine as its 2024 Early Career Achievement in Medicine Alumnus. He is a medical officer at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and a pediatrician at Mary’s Center, a community health center serving the Washington, D.C., area.

Susan Wilper Moss, l’01, is general counsel at Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph. She and her husband, Aaron, b’94, live in Leawood and have two children, Vivian and Vincent.

Andy Vinciguerra, b’01, g’03, in July joined Anchin, a New York City-based accounting and advisory firm, as a partner in its private client and family office services groups.

Greg Woolen, c’01, is assistant vice president of intermodal and automotive service design at BNSF Railway, where he has worked for 23 years. He and his wife, Alicia, live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and have two sons, Burke and Beckett.

2002

Phil Buttell, g’02, l’02, is CEO of Los Robles Health System in Thousand Oaks, California.

Jacquelyn Dice Johnson, g’02, in June was appointed to the board of directors of Avera Health, a health system based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is a financial adviser at Dice Financial Services Group in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Erin Gough McDaniel, j’02, is director of communications for the city of Newton.

Genniveve Holder Ramsey, b’02, in April joined Polsinelli as a shareholder in its real estate practice group. She is based in the law firm’s Kansas City office.

Jason Rucker, g’02, PhD’14, in March received the Award of Academic Excellence from the Kansas chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. He is a clinical associate professor at KU Medical Center and teaches in the physical therapy doctoral program.

Jon Suddarth, b’02, is vice president of self-storage acquisition and development at Buchanan Street Partners, a real estate investment management firm. He lives in Denver.

Jamel Cruze Wright, g’02, PhD’04, president of Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, was appointed to the Illinois Board of Higher Education by Gov. JB Pritzker.

2003

Chad Dick, d’03, is owner and CEO of Fully Promoted, a branded apparel and promotional products company based in Lawrence.

Sarah Donahue, d’03, is vice president of events and fundraising for the Dallas County Medical Society in Texas.

Jana Frye, g’03, in July was appointed to the Missouri State Committee for Social Workers by Gov. Mike Parson. She is associate professor of social work at Missouri Western State University.

Mark Suazo, PhD’03, in June was named dean of the college of business at California State University, Long Beach.

Shannon Swimmer, c’03, l’13, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, in May was named director of the Cherokee Center at Western Carolina University in North Carolina. The center provides outreach and services in the Cherokee community.

2004

Christian Fricke, f’04, is a creative director at Brighton Agency, a St. Louis-based marketing agency.

Katie McCurry, c’04, is vice president and manager of campaign management operations at Citizens Financial Group in Boston.

Felipe Rosso, c’04, m’08, is a urologist at Associated Urologists in Manhattan.

Stephen Ruger, g’04, in July was appointed Evanston, Illinois, deputy city manager.

Ben Unruh, e’04, is a dentist at Hello! Pediatric Dentistry in Blue Springs, Missouri. He opened the practice in 2017.

Melissa Valadez-Cummings, g’04, is Cedar Hill, Texas, city manager.

Taylor Vaughan, c’04, is vice president and market officer at Regency Centers, which develops retail properties throughout the U.S. He works in the company’s Los Angeles office.

2005

Jessica Proctor Beeson, c’05, in April was named executive director of the Willow Domestic Violence Center in Lawrence.

Natalie Vick Glusman, c’05, in July was named to the board of directors of Arc Broward, which provides opportunities for residents of Broward County, Florida, who have disabilities. Natalie served as chair of the organization’s recent Miss Arc Broward Pageant. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, where she is a real estate adviser with DeBianchi Real Estate.

Greg Holmquist, b’05, c’05, in April joined Stange Law Firm’s Overland Park office as an associate attorney.

Brian Platt, g’05, PhD’12, is associate professor of geology and geological engineering at the University of Mississippi.

2006

Jason Beahm, l’06, is founder and president of Beahm Law, which has offices throughout California.

Norby Belz, g’06, PhD’16, is founder and CEO of Seva Learning, a business and career coaching company. He lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Kristin Edie, g’06, is vice president of enterprise sustainability at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City.

Haley Harrison-Lee, j’06, is senior public relations director at Trozzolo Communications Group in Kansas City.

Megan Winkelman Knoblauch, b’06, is managing partner of the Kansas City office of RubinBrown, an accounting and business consulting firm.

Greg McDaniels, c’06, in March was promoted to senior director of national accounts at Royal Canin North America, a pet food company. He lives in Phoenix with his wife, Melanie, and their daughter, Maelyn.

S.J. Moore, l’06, is a shareholder and attorney at the Kansas City-based law firm Krigel Nugent + Moore.

2007

Jeff Braun, f’07, is sports information director and assistant athletic director at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska.

Kimberly Karfonta Carnley, j’07, is Stillwater, Oklahoma, city attorney.

Blake Dell, b’07, in May was promoted to vice president for corporate development, strategy and U.K. operations at MLC, which manufactures lime- and calcium-based products.

Anne Burgard Rellihan, c’07, j’07, wrote Not the Worst Friend in the World, a mystery novel for readers ages 8 to 12, published in February. She lives in Leawood with her husband and four children.

Rachel Wilson Simoes, b’07, c’07, lives in New York City, where she is a senior brand manager at Colgate-Palmolive.

2008

Luca Bortoletto, g’08, is sales director at Maikii, a promotional products company. He lives in northern Italy.

Sarah Bunnell, g’08, PhD’11, directs the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning at Elon University in North Carolina.

Brian Jones, s’08, g’12, is a clinical social worker and therapist in Topeka.

Brian Segebrecht, b’08, g’12, in April was appointed chief revenue officer at Elias Animal Health, which develops cancer therapeutics for pets.

Nick Weiser, f’08, a pianist, is associate professor and head of jazz studies at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

Born to:
Adam Jenkins, c’08, and his wife, Chakshu, son, Niyan, Oct. 23, 2023. The family lives in the U.K.

2009

Sara Gold Ballew, c’09, l’12, is an attorney at the law firm Bracker & Marcus. She lives in Overland Park with her husband and three sons.

Steven Blustein, b’09, g’11, is co-founder and president of PickleTile, which makes materials for and constructs pickleball courts. He also co-founded Gembah, a platform and marketplace for consumer product development, and PrideBites, a pet product merchandising company. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Kimberly Jackson, g’09, is a senior civil engineer at CEC, an engineering firm. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Andrew Shaw, l’09, in June joined Bracewell as a partner in the law firm’s policy resolution group in Washington, D.C.

2010

Beth Gulley, PhD’10, wrote the book Frog Joy, a collection of poems, published in April. She is professor of English at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park.

Joshua Rauch, g’10, is Riverside, Ohio, city manager.

Stephanie Wittman, d’10, teaches health and strength & conditioning at Tonganoxie High School.

2011

Chris Hall, c’11, PhD’21, is assistant professor of English at the University of the Ozarks in Arkansas.

Brian Massey, c’11, is a procurement officer for the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Lauren Ptomey, g’11, PhD’14, assistant dean for medical education and associate professor at KU Medical Center, was honored by the School of Health Professions as its 2024 Early Career Achievement in Health Professions Alumna.

Autumn Wassom Street, d’11, is a senior manager at Oracle Corp. She and her husband, Garrett, live in Baxter Springs.

Ben Trombold, e’11, in April joined Meddux, a medical device company based in Boulder, Colorado, as vice president of sales and marketing.

2012

Chris Harris Jr., c’12, a former KU football player, in April announced his retirement from the NFL. His nine seasons as a cornerback for the Denver Broncos included a Super Bowl championship, and he later played for the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints.

Nic Langford, c’12, is economic development director for the city of Delaware, Ohio.

Sarah McCandless, e’12, is a navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. She was one of four crew members for NASA’s simulated trip to Mars Aug. 9-Sept. 23 at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Van Winter, l’12, in June was promoted to vice president of marketing and aftermarket sales at Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics and the company’s True Blue Power division.

2013

Chihsun Chiu, PhD’13, is senior educational technologist in the digital learning and innovation office at Boston University.

Bryant Parker, SJD’13, in June was appointed Riley County deputy counselor.

2014

Daniel Allen, g’14, in April joined Henry Group Real Estate in Denver as a development manager.

Dar Fornelli, e’14, owns Peak Tile and Renovation in Salida, Colorado.

Brian Grover, b’14, is lead product manager at Paylt, a software company. He lives in Overland Park with his wife, Alyssa Hof Grover, ’14, who is a neonatal nurse practitioner at Children’s Mercy Hospital. They have a daughter, Graham, and son, Shepherd.

Bradley Smith, l’14, is a criminal defense attorney and founding partner of Smith & Weidinger law firm in Denver.

Whitney Antwine Stavropoulos, j’14, is associate director of mobile app marketing at Dentsu Media.

2015

Nicole Bettes, c’15, is a project coordinator at the Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute at KU. She and her husband, William, c’13, g’15, have two daughters, Colbie and Teagan.

Cara Busenhart, PhD’15, clinical associate professor in the School of Nursing, in June was named a 2024 fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Sam Florance, g’15, in May was ordained a Catholic priest. An architect, he recently completed a new high altar for St. Benedict parish in Fort Worth, Texas.

Gaston Millar, d’15, is a court services officer for Kansas’ 31st Judicial District.

Paul Pierce II, j’15, is associate chief of club operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.

Taylor Pohlman, g’15, is president of Ridgeline Low Voltage. She lives in Edgerton with her three children.

2016

Jacob Hessman, m’16, in July was appointed director of medical education at the School of Medicine’s Salina campus.

Mercedes Hoffman Ryan, m’16, is a pediatrician at Clara Barton Medical Center and practices primarily at its Great Bend clinic.

Francie Trimble, c’16, in April joined Baker Donelson as an associate in its labor and employment group. She practices in the law firm’s New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, offices.

Zachary Watson, c’16, in June was ordained a Catholic priest. He serves at St. Clare and Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishes in Essex, Maryland.

2017

Eric Becker, c’17, lives in North Texas, where he is a flora field ecologist for the National Ecological Observatory Network.

Parendi Birdie, c’17, is co-founder and CEO of Asentia, a food-tech startup in the alternative protein sector. She lives in San Francisco.

Christina Hodel, PhD’17, was promoted to associate professor in the department of communication studies at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. A filmmaker, she recently completed the short film “American Foulbrood,” which has been selected for U.S. and international film festivals.

Kwang Hyun, j’17, is senior manager of marketing technology and automation at Disney Streaming.

Christine Keith, g’17, a project engineer at Thornton Tomasetti, was a primary engineer on Kansas City’s new CPKC Stadium. Home to the Kansas City Current, it is the first privately financed stadium built exclusively for a women’s professional soccer team.

Shelby Ostrom, c’17, g’24, is a health equity policy analyst for Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.

Savannah Pine, c’17, is a fellowships adviser at the University of Denver.

2018

Chandler Boese, c’18, j’18, is service journalism editor for The Kansas City Star and Wichita Eagle.

Landon Munsch, j’18, is digital advertising and retail media manager at Hatchery Group.

Tysen Pina, g’18, a U.S. Air Force veteran, in July was appointed head of the aviation department at Kansas State University Salina.

2019

Katie Bernard, c’19, j’19, covers election administration and suburban politics and government for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Jennifer Niemann, g’19, is a research analyst in the school of marine, atmospheric and Earth science at the University of Miami.

Lilly Stewart, j’19, in July was named assistant director for communications and digital strategies for the Summit League, an NCAA Division I conference headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

2020

Stephen Denny, g’20, lives in Las Vegas, where he is a tax manager at Interblock Gaming.

Spencer Qualls, d’20, is a risk analyst at StoneX Group.

Reagan Walsh, b’20, g’22, g’22, is a financial planning analyst for the city of Chicago.

2021

Will Amsberry, p’21, PharmD’23, is a pharmaceutical development scientist at Catalent Pharma Solutions in Kansas City.

Mary Bisbee, c’21, g’23, g’23, is a budget analyst for the city of Lawrence.

Cami Koons, c’21, j’21, a rural affairs reporter for Kansas City PBS, placed first in the video category in Report for America’s 2024 Local News Awards for her story “Making a New Meat Market.”

Abraham Pfannenstiel, l’21, founded Pfannenstiel Law in WaKeeney. The firm specializes in estate planning and real estate law. He and his wife, Leigh Ann, married in April.

2022

Olivia Acree, c’22, j’22, is a reporter at KSHB 41 News in Kansas City.

Evan Bail, j’22, is internal communications coordinator at DLR Group, an integrated design firm. She lives in Fairway with her dog, Cannon.

Irma Faudoa, c’22, g’23, g’23, in May was appointed executive director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission by Gov. Laura Kelly.

Shayla Gaulding, j’22, a reporter for the Emporia Gazette, in April was named New Journalist of the Year by the Kansas Press Association.

Kendal Johnson, d’22, is an athletic trainer for University of South Dakota Athletics.

Sophie Palma, a’22, g’24, in May joined AIS, an office furniture company, as designer and manager of its Chicago showroom.

Connor Reazin, c’22, received the 2024 Rubinstein/Mason Award from KU Libraries, which supports current and former students’ graduate studies in librarianship and archival studies. He is a former Spencer Research Library employee and will pursue a master’s at Indiana University Indianapolis.

Elizabeth Torres, OTD’22, is an occupational therapist and instructor in the occupational therapy department at Hawaii Pacific University.

Katelyn Waldeier, AuD’22, is an audiologist at Associated Audiologists. She lives in Lawrence.

Madeline Elliott Warthan, j’22, is assistant to the arts at Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, where she lives with her husband, Grant, b’22, and their dog, Ollie.

2023

Chloe Gunville, g’23, g’23, is a legislative specialist for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota.

David Holiday, b’23, is a staff accountant at MyFreightWorld, a logistics company based in Overland Park.

Ashley Hooley, c’23, works in social media marketing at Strictly Results Marketing Group.

Muhammad Ittefaq, PhD’23, is an assistant professor in the school of communication studies at James Madison University in Virginia.

Christopher Madden, g’23, a major in the U.S. Army, is support operations officer for the 11th Transportation Battalion in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Andrew Ost, b’23, c’23, is an associate analyst in the customer strategy and innovation department at United Airlines in Chicago.

Ethan Sandburg, a’23, g’23, is an architectural designer at PGAV Destinations.

Kayla Sandusky, c’23, is a teaching artist at What If Puppets, a nonprofit arts organization in Kansas City.

Kelsey Farmer Wallpe, DPT’23, is a physical therapist at Clara Barton Medical Center, which serves central Kansas.

2024

Jenna Barackman, j’24, covers Kansas politics and government for The Kansas City Star.

Kate Thornburgh Bayer, DNP’24, is an advanced practice registered nurse at F.W. Huston Medical Center in Winchester.

Katherine Bryan, c’24, received the 2024 Rubinstein/Mason Award from KU Libraries, which supports graduate studies in librarianship and archival studies. She worked at Watson Library for two years and will pursue a master’s in library science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Grace Hoge, c’24, is press secretary for Gov. Laura Kelly.

Gabriel Mansfield, b’24, g’24, is a transaction advisory associate at Intrinsic, a financial services firm in Denver.

Caroline Whipple, b’24, is an associate consultant at Michael Page, a staffing and recruitment agency.

Associates

Carlos García, assoc., wrote the book Caravan of Specters, set in Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War and based on true events. Carlos, a native of Puerto Rico, practiced medicine for 28 years in Massachusetts and Kansas. He and his wife, Lisa Wortman García, h’87, live in St. Petersburg, Florida, and have three adult children.