ZOOBITS

Click a button to jump to that decade’s class notes.

Richard ’61 and Lynne (Emmons) Hudson ’62 write, “We have been snowbirds since retirement, splitting our time between Lakeside Chautauqua in Ohio and either Bradenton, Florida, or Tucson, Arizona. But this fall, we leave the nomadic life behind us to stay full-time in our cottage overlooking Lake Erie. We look forward to being surrounded by kind, caring, considerate neighbors who share the Chautauqua spirit year-round. They assure us that winters are milder these days and we won’t have to put aside a good book beside the fireplace to go out for supplies! What remains to be determined is whether Richard’s lighting solutions for my seasonal affective disorder are successful.”

Henry Bittaker ’70 was honored by the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) with its President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his distinguished career and enduring contributions to the planning profession. Over the course of more than 40 years, Henry exemplified the highest standards of public service, environmental stewardship, and professional leadership, and his continuing service within APA at the local, state, and national levels reflects a deep and sustained dedication to the planning profession. Henry is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners, the highest honor the AICP bestows on its members.

Joyce (Alexander) Hiebert ’71 writes, “After a lengthy moving process, we are finally settled in our ‘aging-in-place’ home next door to our son and his family in Palatine, Illinois. We moved in just in time for the first big snowstorm. We’re not in Tennessee anymore!”

Flare Therapeutics Inc. appointed Dr. Stephen L. Eck ’75 as chief medical officer. In this role, Stephen leads Flare Therapeutics’ clinical strategy and development efforts, overseeing clinical trial design and execution, as well as interactions with global health authorities. He served most recently as senior vice president of clinical development and chief medical officer at MacroGenics, and he brings more than three decades of oncology drug discovery and development leadership across academia, biotechnology, and large pharmaceutical companies. He currently serves on the boards of 1cBio and the Central Pennsylvania Clinic and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Stephen holds an M.S. and a Ph.D. from Harvard University and an M.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, with Internal Medicine residency and Hematology/Oncology fellowship training at the University of Michigan.

Deb Russell ’76 writes, “In October, I had a wonderful visit with classmate Barb Slinker ’76 in Nazaré, Portugal. She was a hostess extraordinaire, showing us around the area and helping us get familiar with Portugal’s culture and ways (especially planes, trains, buses, and rideshares). It was a great start to a splendid two weeks by land and river cruise. Truly a bucket list! Hoping we will be together at the upcoming 50th reunion!”

David Francis ’78 has published a new book, Welcome to Bhutan: Where Happiness Lives (Goff Books 2026). Bhutan has the reputation of being the happiest place in the world and prides itself on its index of Gross National Happiness. This large-format photobook explores themes of place, people, culture, and the future through four interdependent sections of fine art photographs shot in either full-frame medium format or 35 mm, presented with accompanying native insights into Bhutan and Buddhism. David’s photographs are accompanied by text from co-author Namgay Tshangkhap of Bhutan. All author proceeds from the book go to support education and the dzongs (monasteries) in Bhutan. David holds the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Chair in Psychology at the University of Houston and is the director of the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES). His photos have won awards and appeared in juried shows across the United States.

These Class of 1978 suitemates reunited this past fall in Asheville, North Carolina, enjoying a mini reunion highlighted by a holiday tour of the Biltmore Estate. Pictured from left to right are Nancy (Nolan) Moody, Karen (Grabijas) Gengle, Bonnie (Johnston) Forrester, Cindy (Eichstedt) Berry, Renee Oshinski, and Annette (Knight) Campbell. The group has remained close over the years, gathering for a mini reunion nearly every year.

Nancy (Sherman) Becher ’79 writes, “Since graduating, I founded and now lead the Huntsville (Alabama) Military Women’s Community Center, a grassroots hub dedicated to supporting women who have worn the uniform and their families. Over the past year, we have focused on expanding peer support and mentorship, guiding women through Veterans Affairs and local resource navigation, offering career readiness and education workshops, and strengthening wellness programming. We deepened partnerships with area nonprofits, colleges, and employers; hosted community conversations to elevate the voices of women veterans; and mobilized volunteers and donors to meet urgent needs related to housing stability, mental health access, and family support. I’m proud of the resilient community we’re building in Huntsville and would welcome fellow Hornets to connect, collaborate, or volunteer with us in the year ahead.”

Lori Ayre ’81 writes, “As I’m winding down my career as a library technology consultant, I’m spending more time with my ukulele rock band, traveling, and doing projects around the house. I’m also hoping to put some energy into promoting the app I created during COVID times. It’s an audiobook app for kids. It just plays audio stories. That’s it. Nothing to see. Just listen. Easy to use. Free. I’d love to see more downloads, so check it out. Whole World Kids is the name of the app, and it’s available in app stores now.”

Dave Zimmer ’83 writes, “I recently retired after 30-plus years in the decorated apparel (screen printing) industry, and now my wife Jane (also retired) and I split our time between Walloon Lake, Michigan, and La Quinta, California—yes, we’re officially ‘snowbirds.’ We’re enjoying volunteering, travel, golf, tennis, fitness, and generally making the most of our newfound freedom. Jane is also keeping busy with a new small business venture, ‘Z’est’ (www.zesthere.com). Our two daughters, Lucy and Gabrielle, both recently became engaged within 30 days of each other, so weddings are also in our future. All the best to my K classmates and friends. Look us up if you’re ever in our area!”

After 22 years working at the National Institutes of Health,
L. Michelle Bennett ’85 stepped away from civil service to start her own business focused on helping individuals, teams, and organizations thrive in collaborative endeavors. She took what she learned at the laboratory bench and integrated it with team dynamics to help researchers build and sustain successful research teams. This work led to the publication of How to Succeed at Collaborative Research: A Practical Guide for Teams (Bristol University Press 2025), written with co-authors Howard Gadlin and Sawsan Khuri. Today’s complex research challenges demand effective teams, yet researchers rarely receive training in the teamwork skills crucial for collaborative success. The authors aimed to fill that gap. The book outlines theory and provides practical actions that equip researchers with tools to build and sustain effective teams. Drawing on organizational psychology, team science, and the authors’ own experiences, the book offers concrete practices for fostering collaborative innovation, managing diverse perspectives, and achieving high-impact outcomes.

Amy Burrows-McCabe ’85 says, “I’ve retired from a career in education and EdTech development. Now I feel I am way busier volunteering at our local community center and working with refugee resettlement organizations. My latest teaching gig was with Ukrainian teens scattered around the world who were learning English remotely as part of their scouting program.”

Robert Severinac ’85 writes, “Fond memories come rushing back as I flip through our yearbook, seeing all the friends and characters who helped shape my postadolescent world. Suzanne and I have been married for 33 wonderful years, and we’re blessed with four adult children—an engineer, a physician, a nurse practitioner, and a business major—along with four grandchildren so far. Our newest addition proudly carries the name Robert Nicholas Severinac III. I’m now in the ‘evening’ of my plastic surgery career, intentionally slowing the pace to enjoy more time off and explore other passions—serving as chairman of the board at Dupont Hospital, a partially physician-owned institution; launching Yinlife, a startup dedicated to promoting a lifestyle of stretching and flexibility through Yin Yoga–inspired poses and simple yet effective patented devices (yinlife.com); and keeping music in my life. While my composition and band playing have slowed, the recording studio and instruments remain set up, ready for the day a new band might spontaneously form. Any takers?”

Keith Crandall ’87 received the Lakeshore Innovator of the Year Award from Grand Valley State University for his work developing language models for DNA sequence data. Keith has cofounded a new company, seqSight, based on this patent-pending technology derived from research he conducts at George Washington University, where he serves as director of the Computational Biology Institute.

Ed Mamou ’00, second-generation leader of his family’s business, Royal Oak Recycling, announced a strategic equity investment from Tamarix Equity Partners to support the company’s continued growth. Headquartered in Metro Detroit, the company provides commercial recycling services and operates nine facilities across 22 states.

Dustin Morris ’00 won the 2025 Terry Kuseske Education Award from OutFront Kalamazoo. This award honors an individual, group, or organization that has made significant advancements in the field of education for LGBTQIA+ students in Southwest Michigan. OutFront Kalamazoo’s mission is to create a just, inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. Dusty has taught middle school and high school choir at Vicksburg Community Schools for 20 years.

In February 2025, Christian Grostic ’01 argued on behalf of petitioners before the U.S. Supreme Court in Esteras v. United States. In June, the Court ruled for petitioners, holding that district courts may not consider punitive factors when revoking supervised release. Christian is an assistant federal public defender with the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School.

Kyle Konwinski ’06 has been named chair of the State Bar of Michigan’s Environmental Law Section. In his role as chair, Kyle will lead the section’s initiatives toward advancing the state’s environmental and natural resources laws, including overseeing educational programs, publications, and events that support the fair and effective administration of environmental regulations in Michigan. Kyle is also the chair of the Environmental Litigation and Administrative Practice Committee for the section. Kyle is a partner at Varnum law firm, where he is a commercial litigator with expertise in environmental and land-use law. Before joining Varnum, he clerked for the Honorable Gordon J. Quist of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, gaining extensive trial and appellate experience. In addition to his practice, Kyle is an active member of the Environmental Litigation Section of the American Bar Association. He also serves on the Alumni Association Engagement Board for Kalamazoo College and volunteers as a youth sports coach in his community.

Michael Morosi ’07, cofounder of the ESOP advisory firm 40 Million Owners, saw his firm acquired by 3LS, Inc. in 2025. The firm, whose mission is to build and grow sustainable employee-owned enterprises across the country, provides a range of acquisition advisory services for ESOPs and ESOP holding companies. As part of the acquisition, Michael was named 3LS’s first Chief Investment Officer, responsible for capital allocation and corporate development.

Elyse Durham ’10 published her debut novel, Maya & Natasha (HarperCollins 2025), now available in paperback and soon to be published in translation worldwide. Set in midcentury Soviet Russia, Maya & Natasha follows twin sisters navigating the world of Soviet ballet. Spanning three decades, two continents, and the perspectives of dozens of characters, the novel explores the role of the arts in U.S.–Soviet relations during the Cold War, as well as the challenges of creative expression and censorship under authoritarian regimes. Elyse notes, “I never could have written this novel without my time at K. Kalamazoo College is where I learned to conduct research and indulge my curiosity about history, the arts, and human nature. What’s more, while working on my SIP with my advisor, Andy Mozina, I discovered my voice as a writer and fell so deeply in love with writing fiction that I knew I had to dedicate my life to it. My SIP experience gave me the confidence and practical experience I needed to take on life as a working artist. I wouldn’t say that it changed my life so much as gave me access to the life I’d always wanted, and for that, I will always be grateful. The mentorship and care I received from K professors shaped me deeply, as a writer and also as a person, and I’m happy to report that at my book launch in Kalamazoo last February, five of my K professors were present. It was such a joy to celebrate with them; their presence made the event so much more meaningful.” You can read more about Elyse’s work at her website, elysedurham.com.

Alex Bae ’11 has opened a pediatric and adult dental practice in Tribeca, New York City. Born and raised in Southeast Michigan, Alex graduated from K with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and minors in biology and economics. He earned his D.D.S. at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry and completed his General Practice Residency at Denver Health Medical Center.

Joshua Abbott ’13, senior scientist at Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals in Baltimore, and Allison Tinsey ’14, senior counsel on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, welcomed their daughter, Claire Marie, on June 11, 2025. The family is pictured on campus in September 2025.

Kaela Van Til ’17 and Eric Hart ’17 married on May 25, 2024. They began dating during their study abroad in Strasbourg, France, in 2015, and have been together ever since. They now live in Southeast Michigan. Eric is working in commercial real estate, and Kaela has earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Several K alums were at the wedding and in the wedding party.

Erica Vanneste-Weber ’17 and Shelby Long ’17 returned to Strasbourg, France, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their study abroad experience. During their visit, they enjoyed exquisite cheese, sampled fine Alsatian wines, and had the opportunity to reconnect with their former resident director, Bethany Zehr.

Gabrielle Shimko ’18 and David Vanderkloot ’18 married on May 31, 2025, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Included in the wedding party were Angelia Garwood ’18, Reshay Hatzenbihler ’18, Hannah Myers ’19, and Beau Godkin ’18. Go ‘Nets!

Rayne Alarcio ’24 has published their debut poetry chapbook, Starving the Wolf (Bottlecap Press 2025)—a loose transmasculine reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood. Moving between digital culture, desire, memory, and self-invention, the collection traces how identity is shaped, resisted, and reimagined in contemporary life. The chapbook has since been accepted into the Poets House permanent collection. The book grew out of Rayne’s work studying English and film and media at K, including their Senior Integrated Project, Fairytale Protagonist Syndrome, a queer, feminist fairy-tale retelling hybrid poetry–prose collection. Since graduating, Rayne has continued working as a writing mentor and teaching artist, and they are currently based abroad while preparing applications for Fulbright and MFA programs in poetry.