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Zoobits

ZooBits Spring 2023

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1960s
Andy Miller '99 and Don Schneider '63

Don Schneider ’63 and his wife, Jean Chin, visited with Andy Miller ’99, associate vice president for development at Kalamazoo College, in Muskegon, Michigan, on a December business trip Andy took to the Grand Rapids area.

Tom Hoopengardner ’67 biking

Tom Hoopengardner ’67 recently established three world cycling records for the 75 and older age group at 100 kilometers, 100 miles and 6 hours. Tom retired from the World Bank in 2001 and started a video production company. His main show, America’s Best Student Shorts, appeared on more than 70 public access TV stations from coast to coast; however, it failed to achieve financial viability. When the economic meltdown hit in 2008, Tom began providing pro bono financial counseling for low-income seniors, and two years later founded The Institute for Financial Fitness, which continues today. Tom lives near Washington, D.C., with his wife, Gerry, daughter, Laura, and grandson, John.

George Drake ’69 M.D. writes, “I have resided in Edwardsburg, Michigan, for the past 20 years and have been retired from the practice of medicine for the past three and a half years. Outside activities include serving as secretary for the Michiana Astronomical Society and volunteering for the National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart, Indiana. The NYC trains used to come to my hometown of South Haven, Michigan, and I guess there is a sentimental attachment there. At home, I am enjoying 42 years of wedded bliss with my wife, Jeannine.”

1970s
The Hoben Lads

The “Hoben Lads” had a reunion dinner on a Saturday night in September 2022, at Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago. Everyone in the picture was a Hoben Hall resident at K in the ’70s. Pictured are (from left) Brick Mason ’75, John Petrakis ’74, Tom Teske ’75, Chris Matthews ’75, Paul Little ’75, Paul Liepa ’75, John Davies ’75, Read Ferguson ’75 and Steve Gevinson ’73.

Rodney Martin ’76

Rodney Martin ’76 was recognized by the Comprehensive Therapy Center (CTC) as one of its 2022 Legacy Award winners. CTC is a West Michigan nonprofit established in 1982 that meets the needs of at-risk adults and children with disabilities through skill building, academic enhancement and social emotional support. Rodney served on the CTC board for more than 25 years, 20 of which were spent as board president. He is an attorney with Warner Norcross and Judd, LLP.

Nancy (Sherman) Becher ’79

Nancy (Sherman) Becher ’79 is the founder and president of Invisible Warriors, a nonprofit located in Alabama that advocates for and supports women around the country who have hidden invisible chronic and autoimmune conditions. The organization supports these women and fights for changes in the insurance, pharmaceutical and travel industries. Anyone wanting to help with time, talent or treasure may contact Nancy at nancy@invisiblewarriors.org.

1980s 1

Larry Bell ’80 recently donated $250K to Kalamazoo modern dance company Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers. Bell’s Brewery founder and former owner, Larry has made a number of philanthropic investments through the recently founded Larry J. Bell Library Foundation since he sold the brewery in late 2021. Through the foundation, Larry has gifted $5.25M to Kalamazoo College, donated $1 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kalamazoo to help fund the construction of a new club facility near downtown, and introduced the Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist Awards through The Gilmore. The foundation also purchased the former Food Dance building, 401 E. Michigan Ave., to serve as the foundation headquarters and a place to house a private reference library and multiple public galleries.

Ralph J. Basile ’81, vice president of Healthmark Industries, has started a two-year term on the ASTM International board of directors. The board is made of 25 leaders from a variety of companies, associations, universities, government bodies and other organizations around the world. Through his work at Healthmark, Ralph helps develop and market products to aid healthcare facilities in delivering safe and ready-to-use medical devices. He joined ASTM International in 2004 and has participated in multiple committees. Ralph earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at K and an M.B.A. in marketing from the University of Michigan in 1988.

Anita Fox ’81, director of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, has been named chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee, which ensures Michigan has a strong voice in determining health insurance policy on the national level. The committee serves as the NAIC’s health insurance liaison to Congress, the White House and federal agencies. The committee considers issues relating to all aspects of health insurance, including examining factors that contribute to rising health care costs and insurance premiums. It is also tasked with emphasizing equity considerations and the potential impact of health policy decisions on underserved populations. Anita was elected vice chair of the Midwest Zone, which represents 13 states and is part of the NAIC Executive Committee.

Explore: Life After Apocalypse game cover

Lorri Hopping ’82 has been commissioned to create four more special game events for Cell to Singularity: Evolution Never Ends, a mobile video game that unlocks compelling science and humanities stories one click at a time, to debut in 2023. In 2022, she was appointed narrative director/writer for the game and premiered two game events, “Life After Apocalypse” and “A Coevolution Love Story.”

The Michigan Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates recently announced its 2022 Awards of Excellence recipients. The winner of the Lifetime Judicial Achievement Award was Judge Christopher P. Yates ’83, who was appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals in spring 2022, after serving on the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County. Chris is the current president of the Michigan Judges Association, vice president of the American College of Business Court Judges, a member and former president of the Grand Rapids Bar Association, and an appointed council member of the judicial section of the State Bar of Michigan.

Donna (Santer) D’Alessandro ’85

Donna (Santer) D’Alessandro ’85 received the President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence at the University of Iowa, the university’s top teaching award. It recognizes faculty who have sustained a high level of teaching excellence. As a faculty member at Iowa for 26 years and professor of pediatrics, Donna has taught medical students and residents in pediatrics, family medicine and dentistry, becoming a leader in medical education across the country. Passionate about training the next generation of physicians, she continually seeks opportunities to educate and mentor others and is adept at tailoring her teaching to her audience. She has developed 12 digital libraries and published numerous peer-reviewed articles on medical and educational informatics, reaching millions of learners through these digital platforms. She created and curates the large repository of cases at PediatricEducation.org, which educates pediatricians, residents, medical students and other medical professionals with examples of common pediatric problems and how to treat them. In 2012, and again in 2022, she was named Teacher of the Year in Pediatrics, and was elected to the inaugural cohort of the National Academy of Distinguished Educators in Pediatrics in 2020.

Cassandra Tucker ’88

Cassandra Tucker ’88, regional office administrator for Warner Norcross and Judd, LLP, has been named among Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s Unsung Heroes for 2022. Unsung Heroes recognizes the state’s most talented and dedicated legal support professionals who have consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty, often behind the scenes. Cassandra was recognized in the firm office manager category. Cassandra’s nomination read in part: “As manager overseeing three busy offices, Cassandra has a lot on her plate; however, she’s always willing to take on new responsibilities and fill a gap when needs arise. This was particularly evident in the past couple years when Cassandra managed the logistical and technical complexities of two office moves. She is kind, compassionate and professional in all her dealings.” Cassandra is responsible for providing on-site administrative and managerial support across Warner’s three southeast Michigan offices. She manages staff, oversees relationships with suppliers and facility management, and implements and maintains firm policies and initiatives. She is part of the firm’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Leadership subcommittee. Cassandra has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kalamazoo College and a master’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix. She and her husband, Vincent, reside in Southfield.

1990s 1

Ethan Segal ’90 is currently living in Tokyo, where he is conducting research in medieval Japanese history with the support of a research Fulbright.

Ethan Jewett ’93 in a DMAX shirt

DMAX Foundation announced Ethan Jewett ’93 as executive director of the impact organization devoted to supporting college students facing mental health challenges. Prior to his arrival at DMAX, Ethan served as executive director/CEO of Corazón Community Services in Cicero, Illinois. Ethan began his work with impact organizations at the American Academy of Pediatrics, where he spent 12 years conducting health policy, research, child advocacy, and ultimately directed board and governance operations. Ethan holds an M.A. from the University of Chicago, as well as a Master of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary. At DMAX, Ethan succeeds Laurie Burstein-Maxwell, who, with her husband, Lee Maxwell, established DMAX Foundation in 2013, after the suicide of their son, Dan Maxwell, for whom the charity is named. Ethan’s hiring comes as the foundation has DMAX Clubs at 11 schools in four states, and is continuing to increase its reach and expand on a national scale.

Aspen Aerogels Inc., a technology leader in sustainability and electrification solutions, announced the appointment of Katie Kool ’93 to its board of directors. Katie also was appointed to the audit committee and the nominating, governance and sustainability committee of the board. Katie most recently served as the chief executive officer of Tide Cleaners, a wholly owned subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, until her retirement in June 2022. During her 27-year tenure at P&G, Katie served in a variety of executive leadership roles and was a key member of P&G’s award-winning Investor Relations team. Katie received her B.A., summa cum laude, in economics from Kalamazoo College and her M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. Katie is a member of the board of directors of Digimarc Corp. She was also an active member of the GreenEarth Cleaning Advisory Board and serves as a board member and chief financial officer for Sonje Ayiti, a non-profit organization focused on providing tools for native Haitians to help themselves escape from poverty via education, economic development, and health and wellness initiatives.

Andy Dominianni ’94 holding his award

WWMT-TV 3 Anchor Andy Dominianni ’94 was honored by the local chapter of Kiwanis International as the organization’s Citizen of the Year in November. The recognition salutes the sum of Andy’s contributions to charitable projects that benefit the lives of West Michigan children. Andy is on the board of Serve for Kids, an annual tennis tournament at Western Michigan University’s West Hills tennis facility to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center. For nearly a decade, he also produced a weekly feature on NewsChannel 3 with West Michigan’s Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter to match kids with adult mentors. A few years ago, he was named Child Advocate of the Year by the Kalamazoo-based Community Healing Center.

Christa Clapp ’97 recently sold the small company she co-founded, CICERO Shades of Green, which provides green ratings to the financial sector to highlight the environmental risk of large investments. The company was acquired by S&P Global credit ratings agency in December 2022, with the aim to grow green ratings globally. Christa continues with S&P as a managing director of sustainable finance. Most of the proceeds of the sale of the business will directly support climate change research at the non-profit institute CICERO, where Christa’s team developed the green ratings methodology based on climate change science. “I am still based in Oslo with my family,” Christa writes, “and I really enjoyed reconnecting with K friends at the reunion in October!”

Justin Dula ’99

Justin Dula ’99 was named director of the Office of Environmental Justice at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The office was established as a point of contact for Pennsylvania residents in low-income areas and areas with a higher number of minorities. Its primary goal is to increase communities’ environmental awareness and involvement in the DEP permitting process. Environmental justice embodies the principles that communities and populations should not be disproportionally exposed to adverse environmental impacts. The Office of Environmental Justice ensures that the Pennsylvanians most at risk from pollution and other environmental impacts have a voice in the decision-making process. As director, Justin will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Office of Environmental Justice as well as projects such as the creation and implementation of a comprehensive environmental justice policy, which is currently in the revision phase.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has appointed Laura Lam ’99 to a term on the Local Community Stabilization Authority Council, expiring September 3, 2028. The council is the governing body of the Local Community Stabilization Authority, which is responsible for coordinating access to public rights-of-way and the payment of maintenance fees by telecommunications providers to municipalities. The authority is responsible for distributing personal property tax replacement revenue to municipalities throughout the state according to specific statutory formulas. Laura is the chief operating officer of the city of Kalamazoo and received a Master of Public Relations from San Jose State University.

2000s
baby Marin Phelan-Calvino holding LuxEsto

Kate Phelan-Calvillo ’04 submitted this photo of her daughter, Marin (K 2043?), checking out a recent issue of LuxEsto. Marin turned 2 in January and became a big sister the same month.

Matthew T. Pearl ’05 was recently appointed director of emerging technology at the White House National Security Council, where he will work on wireless policy, 5G, Internet of Things, data security, technology standards setting, open architectures such as Open RAN, and quantum communications and computing. Matthew has a B.A. in philosophy from Kalamazoo College and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Stacey Steep ’06 was appointed senior legal adviser to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Willie L. Phillips. Stacey will focus on energy projects and permitting. She served as a legal adviser for Phillips during the past year. Prior to that, she was the interim transition lead for the FERC Office of Public Participation and was an attorney-adviser in the Office of General Counsel. Before joining FERC, Stacey worked at a lobbying and consulting firm and for the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School.

GTCR, a leading private equity firm, announced the promotion of Luke Marker ’07 to managing director. Luke has contributed significantly to numerous GTCR investments while helping build the firm’s culture and franchise since joining GTCR in 2009. He currently serves as a director for Corza Health, Maravai LifeSciences and Regatta Medical. In addition, he played an instrumental role in GTCR’s past investment in Devicor Medical Products. Luke holds an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School and a B.A., magna cum laude, in mathematics and economics from Kalamazoo College.

Danielle Badra ’08 receiving an award

ArtsFairfax announced its 2022-24 Fairfax Poet Laureate will be Danielle Badra ’08. The laureate serves as a literary arts ambassador, promoting poetry as an art form in Fairfax County and throughout the state of Virginia through a community service project. Danielle plans to hold poetry workshops, readings and activities in Fairfax County Parks to illuminate how language and the natural environment can be a source of comfort and creativity. Learn more about Danielle’s work at DanielleBadra.com.

2010s

On September 24, 2022, Nya Greenstone ’15 and Petar Simic ’15 got married at the beautiful Cares Farm, owned by the family of Olivia Cares Lindley ’16, in Dexter, Michigan. Nya and Pete now live in Colorado.

Nya Greenstone '15, Peter Simic '15 and their wedding party

Attendees included: Jackson Greenstone ‘16, Stanton Greenstone ’21, Miles Greenstone ’20, Petar Simic ’15 (groom), Nya Greenstone Simic ’15 (bride), Kelsey (Hill) Jong ’15, Alexandra Gothard ’15, Camille Burke ‘15, Camryn Romph ’15, Olivia Cares Lindley ’16.

Group photo of K alum at the Greenstone-Simic wedding

Attendees included: Camryn Romph ’15, Olivia Cares Lindley ’16, Camille Burke ‘15, Nya Greenstone Simic ’15 (bride), Kelsey (Hill) Jong ’15, Alexandra Gothard ’15, Matthew Jong ’15, Aaron Schoenfeldt ’15, Petar Simic ’15 (groom) and Michael Lindley ’16.

Maya Gurkinkel '20, Rachel Fine '14 and Justin Leath '17

Three recent Kalamazoo College alumni connected through the app for the Foundation for Jewish Camp conference. Rachel Fine ’14 (left) works at Tamarack Camps in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Maya Gurfinkel ’20 (center) works at the Greensboro Jewish Federation in Greensboro, North Carolina; and Justin Leath ’17 works for the Foundation for Jewish Camp in New York. The conference was conducted in December 2022, in Atlanta. The trio had their photo taken at the Georgia Aquarium.

Zoobits Book Review
Book cover of Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites

David Hammond ’73 recently published Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites (University of Illinois Press, 2023) with co-author Monica Eng. Together, they draw on decades of exploring the city’s food landscape to serve up 30 can’t-miss eats from all corners of Chicago. Stories of the people and places behind each dish illuminate how these local favorites reflect the multifaceted history of the city and the people who live there. Illustrated with full-color photos, each entry provides all the information readers need to track down whatever sounds good, and selected recipes tell how to prepare dishes such as Flaming Saganaki or Akutagawa. David is dining and drinking editor for Newcity/Chicago magazine. He regularly writes on food- and drink-related topics for Wednesday Journal and the Chicago Tribune. He is a founding member and moderator of LTHForum.com, a site celebrating Chicago’s mom-and-pop restaurants.

Book cover of The Empowered Performer

Sharon L. Stohrer ’77 recently published her third book, The Empowered Performer, focusing on overcoming performance anxiety and building confidence for instrumentalists, singers and public speakers. Most writing about performance anxiety is done by psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health researchers who have studied the phenomenon but not experienced it themselves. By contrast, Sharon is a singer who has gone from paralyzing stage fright to helping others break free. While she has done extensive reading and research, this book is primarily based on numerous hours of leading workshops and individual sessions. This experience has enabled her to refine approaches and strategies into real game-changers. Barry Ross, emeritus professor of music at K, writes, “I would unhesitatingly recommend The Empowered Performer to all my students and fellow performers seeking to develop and strengthen their inner resources for successful stage performances.” The volume has been endorsed by professionals across the country and is available at Upjohn Library.

Danny Agustin Flores ’80 recently published a new edition of his book for advanced students and fellow researchers, Lignocellulosic Biotechnology and Related Research: Lignocellulosic Related Research for Feeds, Food and Energy. Developed from an earlier Ph.D. experience from 1992-1995 (internal/external) tenure at the University of New England, New South Wales in Australia, the collection was updated recently, including a new chapter on the exciting role of what he refers to as non-GMO, genetically regulatory organisms in ensilage processing and its ruminant digestion, which has recently arrived on the research scene with Ribonucleic acid playing a new and potentially prominent role for cancer research. This year, he plans to expand into print and e-book editions distributed and marketed in the Australian/New Zealand marketplace, as was done with the first edition, which is available at Kalamazoo College’s Upjohn Library Commons for student and staff reference.

Book cover of Those Who Know Don’t Say: The Nation of Islam, the Black Freedom Movement, and the Carceral State

Garrett Felber ’07 has been recognized for his book, Those Who Know Don’t Say: The Nation of Islam, the Black Freedom Movement, and the Carceral State, a political and intellectual history of the Nation of Islam. Those Who Know Don’t Say (University of North Carolina Press, 2020) received the 2021 Merle Curti Intellectual History Award from the Organization of American Historians and was a finalist for the 2020 Museum of African American History Stone Book Award and the 2021 African American Intellectual History Society’s Pauli Murray Book Prize. Garrett is currently writing a biography of former political prisoner Martin Sostre, We Are All Political Prisoners (under contract with UNC Press), and is a visiting fellow in American studies at Yale University.

Book cover of A Constellation of Authority: Castilian Bishops and the Secular Church During the Reign of Alfonso VIII

Kyle C. Lincoln ’10, assistant professor of pre-modern European history and interdisciplinary humanities at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, recently published a book, A Constellation of Authority: Castilian Bishops and the Secular Church During the Reign of Alfonso VIII (Penn State University Press, 2023). Kyle is considered an authority on the medieval history of religions in Europe and the Mediterranean. In a feature on Medievalists.net, Kyle attributes the origins of the book to his Senior Integrated Project, in which he researched St. Dominic of Osma with an eye to what makes a person a saint in the Roman Catholic tradition and how the decision to name someone a saint reflects the time and the world in which people lived. Kyle holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in history from Saint Louis University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in classical studies at K.


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