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Maggie Wheeler Sadoway ’64 writes, “Sixty years in 160 words! 1964–67: Studied, worked, traveled on four continents, sometimes with Kalamazoo grads. 1967–80: Thirteen years in Athens, Greece. Taught English, supported women’s liberation. Met an Ohio mathematician/artist there, married him, birthed a son. Jack was first dad ever allowed in delivery room—lifetime achievement, paved the way for other couples. 1980–2016: With my sister, 33 years running a small natural foods store in Lenox, Massachusetts. Adopted baby daughter in Peru. Mostly homeschooled our kids, hosted a dozen international students, worked for racial equity, political sanity, and battered women’s safety. Cared for mom and then husband through their Alzheimer’s and deaths 10 years apart. 2016–24: Moved to Turners Falls, Massachusetts, a block from three grandkids and their parents. Put miles and miles on ‘Grandma’s ChatMobile.’ Welcomed our daughter’s two sons into the family, in the surgical unit for one. More miles on that Honda Fit. Became a volunteer proofreader/writer/photographer/coffee-supplier for our dying-breed, small-town, nonprofit, independent weekly newspaper. Find me on Facebook and at maggiesad@verizon.net.”

A group of K alumni had a mini reunion in Philadelphia. Pictured are Bill Garrow ’68, Joe Young ’68, Nancy (Southard) Young ’67 and Mary Lou Hess ’67.

Karen Stanley ’69 has (“finally!”) retired and is now professor emerita at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, having taught academic English as a Second Language there for 39 years. She first began tutoring ESL in 1976, while she was taking modern Greek at Wayne State University. Later, in Athens, Greece, where she spent half a year to practice her Greek, she set up a tutoring service. A few years later, when she got bored working in the legal information section of the World Bank in Washington, D.C., she started taking graduate linguistics classes at American University, but before finishing an M.A., she accepted the job at Central Piedmont. She eventually completed her M.A. in linguistics by commuting from Charlotte to Columbia, South Carolina. She rounded out her career by sharing what she learned, making more than 35 international and 30 regional conference presentations. In addition, she published a composition textbook and a grammar workbook along with numerous articles.

Michael Kane ’74 joined Andrew Paul ’75 and his wife, Katie, at their daughter’s destination wedding in Branson, Missouri.

Elisa Klein ’75 retired in July 2023, after 35 years as a professor of human development at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to that, she was a professor in the College of Education at The Ohio State University, Columbus, for eight years, after receiving her M.S. and Ph.D. (1980) at Penn State. Forty-three years in higher education provided many opportunities for conducting research in early childhood education, mentoring doctoral students who have gone on to become important contributors to early education policy in the U.S. and abroad, and supporting the education of numerous cohorts of students who became teachers of young children. Elisa also served as the director of the Center for Young Children on the University of Maryland campus and spent several sabbaticals as a visiting scientist at the Administration on Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She was an American Association for the Advancement of Science Policy Fellow and worked in the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the National Institutes of Health. Her focus has always been on the intersection of research in child development and the formulation of public policy to support young children and their families, especially those at risk. After a challenging first retirement year health wise, Elisa is starting to consider how she might best continue to contribute in this domain in the current political climate—not an easy task. She is starting to travel again and enjoys spending time with her two adult daughters, who live on opposite edges of the U.S., in Boston and Hawaii.

The American Chemical Society’s 2025 National Awards recipients include Eric Martin ’78 and Bill DeGrado ’77. Eric is receiving the ACS Award for Computers in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Research. Director of Computational Chemistry at Novartis, Eric has worked in computational drug design and herbicide design for over 30 years, has been awarded the lifetime title of Novartis Leading Scientist, and is currently developing novel methodologies for two areas of drug discovery. He holds a Ph.D. in physical organic chemistry from Yale University. Bill is receiving the Ronald Breslow Award for Achievement in Biomimetic Chemistry, supported by an endowed fund established by Ronald Breslow and others. Biomimetic chemistry involves using biological information to inspire new chemistry based on natural principles. A professor at the University of California San Francisco, Bill is principal investigator in the DeGrado Lab, which studies the structure of proteins to understand disease-related processes and develop new treatments, particularly in relation to influenza A, antibiotic-resistant infections, HIV and Alzheimer’s disease. Bill holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago. Eric and Bill were roommates at K and each earned a B.A. in chemistry.

Kelly B. Brill ’80 retired in December after 30 years of service as pastor of Avon Lake United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, Ohio. The Oklahoma native found her drive to become a minister while attending K. Under her leadership, the Avon Lake United Church of Christ completed a $3 million renovation to the sanctuary, added a youth center to the property, and started the Good Neighbor Thrift Shop. She will continue running her consulting business, Calm Consulting and Coaching.

William Fisher ’80 writes, “Bill and his wife bought the farm in 2011, in Viroqua, Wisconsin—the Driftless Area—where there are more certified organic farmers than any other county in the U.S. of A. Eight years of ‘boutique’ farming for local farm-to-table chefs/restaurants (two James Beard finalists) turned out to be the site of lots of sex and death. (That’s what farming is!) But we didn’t know it was going to include the deaths of our co-farmers—my wife’s parents. At the same time, Toril’s art career took off (torilart@gmail.com). In one weekend in Minnesota, we made more money in art sales than a whole summer of organic produce farming had ever done. So, we sold the farm and moved back to the civilized world (Sheboygan, Wisconsin: the Malibu of the Midwest!), where our world revolves around the summer art fair circuit along the I-90/I-94 corridor. O happy days!”

Jon Stryker ’82 was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in the area of leadership, policy and communications, with the specialty business, corporate and philanthropic leadership. Jon is the founder and president of the Arcus Foundation, a grantmaking organization which supports the advancement of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights, and conservation of the world’s ape populations. He is also a founding board member of the Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy in Northern Kenya, Save the Chimps in Fort Pierce, Florida, and Greenleaf Trust in Kalamazoo. He is a patron of nature of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and a member of the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation Council for Hope and has served on the boards of The Museum of Modern Art and Kalamazoo College.

Jonathan Warshay ’82, re-elected as West Bloomfield Township trustee in November 2024, was selected by the township board to be township supervisor when the newly re-elected supervisor left to pursue another opportunity. The township supervisor oversees the police, fire, building, development services, engineering, environmental, code enforcement, human resources, information technology, budgeting, purchasing/procurement, assessing, and water utilities departments.

John Anzalone ’86 spent the 2024 fall semester as a resident fellow at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University. As an Institute of Politics resident fellow, John taught a study group for undergrads and graduate students on the 2024 elections and the intersection of polling and messaging. He also guest lectured throughout the university system. John was the lead pollster for President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and was a pollster for both of President Obama’s campaigns. His polling firm, Impact Research, celebrated its 30th year in business.

Meredith (Robertson) Eaton ’88 writes, “While in Savannah, Georgia, on our annual Class of ’88 girls’ trip, we stopped a stranger to take our picture in Forsyth Park. What are the odds he was also a K grad, now living in Australia but also visiting Savannah. We made him jump in the photo, but unfortunately didn’t get his name and year!” Pictured with him are (from left): Meredith (Robertson) Eaton, Christy (Kortryk) DeGrendel, Allison Pudduck, Anne (Herrnstein) Morris and Erin (O’Brien) Whaley.

Cristin Reid ’90, chair and CEO of Capitol National Bank in Lansing, Michigan, was recognized by American Banker at the 2024 Most Powerful Women in Banking Gala, held in New York City in October 2024. Cristin was also a featured speaker at the conference. In September, Cristin was one of the officers representing Capitol National Bank as the bank was honored in Atlanta, as a Top 5 finalist in the country for the “Extraordinary Bank of the Year” award given by the Institution for Extraordinary Banking. On the same evening, the bank received the Influence and Impact Award at the Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards. 

Eric Hegg ’91 began serving as dean of Michigan State University’s College of Natural Science in September 2024. Eric joined the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology in 2006. His previous role was as the associate dean for budget, planning, research, and administration in the College of Natural Science, a position he held since January 2020. Prior to that, he served for approximately seven years as the director of MSU Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center’s business operations and as the MSU subcontract lead. Eric’s research is at the interface between chemistry and biochemistry, where he focuses on environmentally important processes, including biofuel production and enzymes involved in the global nitrogen cycle. He earned his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Marian Goodman Gallery announced that Julie Mehretu ’92 has been awarded the rank of Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. The prestigious award recognizes eminent artists and creators and those who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts and culture in France and throughout the world. Born in Ethiopia, Julie lives and works in New York City.

Paul Ebner ’93, professor of animal sciences, has been named head of Purdue University’s Department of Animal Sciences. After graduating from K with a degree in political science, Paul traveled as a Peace Corps volunteer to rural Paraguay, where he worked with poultry and swine producers. He returned to the U.S. and completed master’s and doctoral degrees in animal sciences at the University of Tennessee and postdoctoral work in microbiology and immunology at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Paul joined the Purdue faculty in 2006.

Matt Longjohn ’93 is one of 12 new representatives in Michigan’s 103rd Legislature. Matt represents the State House of Representatives District 40, which encompasses Oshtemo Township, Texas Township, the city of Portage and portions of Kalamazoo. Matt holds M.D. and M.P.H. degrees from Tulane University. He was a fellow at the Altarum Institute and served on faculty at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He co-directs a course at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine and serves on the board of directors of the Committee to Protect Healthcare.

Michael L. Bąk ’96 recently transitioned from a distinguished career as a U.S. diplomat to leading public policy for Facebook (Meta) in Thailand and regional institutions in Southeast Asia. During his tenure, he spearheaded strategic initiatives to address the intersection of digital rights, human rights and gender equity. Michael served from 2023–24 as the executive director of the Forum on Information and Democracy, a Paris-based global NGO dedicated to ensuring democratic safeguards for the information ecosystem and addressing the societal impact of big tech’s technology, particularly in the Global Majority. Recently, Michael co-founded Sprint Public Interest, a Bangkok-based public interest market research firm. The firm’s mission is to support progressive, sustainable policymaking and advocacy through data-driven insights that inspires policymakers to create conditions for all people to build the lives they choose, in peace, health and security. In addition to these endeavors, Michael is a Non-resident Senior Fellow at the NYU Center for Global Affairs, where he focuses on cyber policy. He also serves on the advisory board for the Centre for AI Leadership in Singapore. Michael remains connected to his Michigan roots, serving on the board of directors for Eisenhower Dance Detroit (EDD), a nonprofit international touring dance company that also engages the community through the School of EDD. Michael splits his time between Singapore, Thailand and Portugal with his partner, Ferdian Widjaja, an Indonesian-Singaporean marketing executive.

Christopher Lyons ’96 has been named assistant vice provost for faculty affairs at The University of New Mexico. Chris joined UNM as a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and Criminology in 2006 and has served in various administrative roles. Chris earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology from K and an M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Washington. Honigman LLP announced the appointment of Kathryn Doyle ’99 as managing partner of its Kalamazoo office in January. Kate joined Honigman in 2008, when the firm established its presence in the Kalamazoo market. She became a partner in 2015. She holds a J.D. from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.

Hastings+Chivetta Architects recently welcomed Diana Daly ’01 as a senior proposal coordinator. With nearly 10 years of experience in marketing and interior design at various architecture and design firms, her passion for architecture emerged early in her career, inspiring her to pursue a Master of Science in design. Diana now combines her expertise and enthusiasm for design with her professional skills, playing a key role in developing strategic proposals that shape and promote meaningful spaces. Diana received a B.A. in biology and fine art from K.

The Hornet Hive converged on the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Phoenix, in November. Pictured from left are Nicki Bailey ’21, Sandra Lìzarraga ’21, Marco Ponce ’19, Rina Talaba ’22 and Dan Hulbert ’09. Also attending the meeting were Rob Morrison ’06, Rachel Mallinger ’05, Brett Blaauw ’06 and Emily Fraser ’09 (who was accompanying Rob but is not an entomologist herself). Rob was this year’s recipient of the Early Career Innovation Award. This award honors young professionals working in the field of entomology who have demonstrated innovation within any area of specialization (research, teaching, extension, etc.). Rob received $1,000 and a plaque at the awards breakfast at the meeting. In addition, two of the students from his lab received second place in their student competitions, while a third was awarded a Rising Stars of Entomology Award and gave a talk on her research.

Colleen Leonard ’12 was elected trustee of the Kalamazoo Township board in November. She is a mid-Michigan native and a lead compensation analyst within HR operations at Stryker. During her time at K, Colleen was a dedicated member of the volleyball team, and her post-college years as a coach further refined her leadership and team-building skills.

Eric Fishman ’13 was inducted in October 2024 into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. A star basketball player at K, Eric takes his place alongside inductees including his father, uncle, and his grandfather, who among their athletic accomplishments were standouts at the University of Michigan.

Sean Bogue ’18 and Aly Homminga ’20 were married on October 29, 2023. The ceremony was a K College extravaganza! Represented in the wedding parties were mother of the bride Debra Farrell ’93, Lukia Artemakis ’21, Eleanor Hughes ’21 and Ynika Yuag ’21 on the bride’s side, and Kanwal Chowdhury ’18, Aidan Ives Johnson ’17, Graham Key ’16, Austen Scheer ’18 and sibling of the bride Ben Homminga ’23 on the groom’s side. The celebration took place in Traverse City, Michigan, and was attended by many K alums, Professor Emeritus Ed Menta, and retired Playhouse Company Manager Laura Livingstone-McNelis ’89. The reception featured performances by former Monkapult and Kalamadudes members and was emceed by Anders Finholt ’20. Aly and Sean “honeymooned” in Yokohama, Japan, while Sean was on a year-long English teaching contract. Since returning to the United States, the pair resides in New York City, where Aly is a theatre director and intimacy choreographer, and Sean is a video editor and content creator.

Gerald E. Rosen ’73 wrote Grand Bargain: The Inside Story of Detroit’s Dramatic Journey from Bankruptcy to Rebirth, published in October 2024 by Hour Media. The city of Detroit’s decades-long downward spiral crash-landed in bankruptcy court on July 18, 2013. Recession, decaying infrastructure, crime and competition from foreign automakers had hollowed out the city’s economic core. In Grand Bargain, Gerald—the chief mediator in the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history—tells the dramatic inside story of how Detroit was rescued from the brink of oblivion. The book can be purchased through GrandBargainBook.com, where the author of it receives a ringing endorsement from Mike Duggan, who has served as mayor of Detroit since 2014. “Gerald Rosen will go down as a very important figure in Detroit’s history,” Duggan said. “His work as mediator in the city’s bankruptcy and as architect of the Grand Bargain is a story of daring leadership, wisdom and diplomacy. He loves this city and always believed it could recover if it was given a fair shot. Ten years later, Detroit is undergoing a historic recovery, and Judge Gerald Rosen is a major part of that success.” Gerald served as a federal judge on the Eastern District of Michigan court for almost 27 years, including seven years as its chief judge. He obtained his law degree at George Washington University Law School. Gerald taught evidence at a number of law schools as an adjunct professor for 26 years and is the coauthor of two widely read law books. He is now with JAMS, the largest provider in the world of mediation, arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution services, and has mediated some of the largest civil cases in the United States. He lives in Franklin, Michigan, with his wife, Laurie.

Lawrence Pfaff ’73 recently wrote and published the book 52 Seeds: A Guide to Self-Discovery, Personal Growth and Meaningful Change. Larry is a member of the Kalamazoo College Athletic Hall of Fame, and the book is dedicated to Edward Baker, who was Larry’s head football coach at K. 52 Seeds is divided into nine chapters (Pathways), each focusing on a specific aspect of personal development. Within those Pathways, the book contains 52 thought-provoking essays (Seeds) that serve as starting points for introspection, growth and change. Readers start at the place in the book that is most appealing or intriguing to them. These Seed essays are not meant to be prescriptive nor conclusive, but rather serve as starting points to explore topics such as self-acceptance, mindset, human connection and resilience while gaining valuable insights into one’s own motivation and ability to make conscious choices to live a more fulfilling life. The book is a compilation of Larry’s wisdom after 40-plus years as a counselor and psychology professor. It is available on Amazon, and more information can be found at Amazon.com/author/lpfaff.

Randy H. Morse ’76 retired from his position as a research scientist at the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, in July 2022. His first retirement project was to finish a book on chromatin structure and function, the topic on which he spent the bulk of his scientific career. The result, Chromatin: Structure, Function, and History, has been published by Academic Press. Chromatin refers to the assemblage of proteins and DNA that exists in organisms whose cells have nuclei (like ours, and unlike those of bacteria); the proteins that are central to this packaging of the genetic material have been found over the last 30 years to play important roles in gene regulation and other cellular processes involving DNA. The book summarizes the research, beginning with the first isolation of DNA in 1869, that has led to our current understanding of chromosomal structure and function. Apart from this project, Randy and his wife, Sue, who recently retired from her research position, have kept busy with travel, tennis, reading for pleasure and visiting their adult children, who are currently living in Brooklyn. Randy is emeritus professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, at the University at Albany.

Jared M. Ragusett ’00 recently published Understanding the Great Recession: A Pluralist Approach to US Capitalism in the 21st Century. An associate professor of economics at Central Connecticut State University, Jared describes the book as both a textbook on the Great Recession and a tribute to his education in heterodox economics and pluralist economic thought, which began at K. The book uses the Great Recession as a case study for understanding economic concepts, the conduct of policymaking and competing schools of economic thought. Divided into four parts, the book begins by introducing readers to the headline events of the crisis and the major differences between neoclassical and heterodox economics. The second part investigates the lead-up to the crisis, beginning with the long-term restructuring of capitalism following the Great Depression, the housing market bubble, and the transmission of the 2008 financial crisis. The third part investigates the policy responses to the crisis. The final part analyzes economic performance, the shift toward populism, and policy developments, providing the basis for understanding the long-term trajectory of capitalism today.

Becca McMurdie ’07 published her debut children’s book, Building A Beak: How a Toucan’s Rescue Inspired the World. The picture book, which follows the true story of an injured toucan named Grecia in Costa Rica who received a prosthetic beak and inspired legal protection of the rainforest, was published by Page Street Kids in June 2024. According to Booklist, “This cheerful, happy-ending STEM selection, with applications for both animal conservation and problem-solving units, makes a great read-aloud.” Becca is an elementary school principal in New York City by day. At night, she researches and writes children’s books. She takes trips to climb up mountains, hike through rainforests, and swim in oceans and lakes. While living in Costa Rica for two months, she learned of Grecia’s story from a local ornithologist and visited Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center in Alajuela to conduct interviews with the rescue team.

Aaron Coleman ’09 had his translation of AfroCuban poet Nicolás Guillén’s The Great Zoo (El gran zoo) published by the University of Chicago Press. “Coleman’s pitch-perfect translation comes to us at just the right time, with its themes as relevant now as when the book was originally published in 1967,” writes Rosa Alcalá, Phoenix Poets consulting editor and author of YOU. “Through The Great Zoo, a guide describes what is being held captive in each cage, including a series of archetypes, places, abstractions and things—moneylenders, the Caribbean, Ursa Major, orators and atomic bombs. The cages allow for interrogation of destructive, racist and absurd colonialist ideologies, and these poems vibrate with the possibility of an uprising, the dismantling of order. Adeptly echoing Guillén’s sly discourse around race, Coleman recovers a work by one of the most important Hispanophone writers of the 20th century.” Aaron joined the faculty at the University of Michigan as assistant professor of English and comparative literature in the Helen Zell M.F.A. Writers’ Program in fall 2024.

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