Class Notes

62

Emory Glover enjoyed a five-week rail tour of Europe in May and June 2013 via 40 trains and visiting 23 friends in 10 countries, despite the challenge of not having a change of clothes for the first two weeks while the airline located his lost bag. One plus: his Texas hat made it easier for hosts to find him. Emory lives in Houston, Texas.

63

Nick Lund, professor emeritus at Northern Arizona University, has begun a new “career” as a volunteer in Arizona non-motorized trails. He serves as chair of the Arizona State Committee on Trails. He also is president of TRACKS, a non-profit group of 450-plus volunteers who build and maintain more than 200 miles of trails in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. That organization received a national Award for Community Service from American Trails during its International Trails Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona. TRACKS has begun a project to improve safety on the trails, installing some 1,500 coded, white reflective trail markers, each location available to emergency responders. Trail users in need can call 911, report the code of the nearest diamond, and can be quickly found by emergency personnel.

64

Members of the Class of 1964 gathered for their 50-year reunion May 16-18 in conjunction with the College’s 2014 Commencement. The 1964 alumni joined the Golden ’Roo Society, all alumni of 50 years or more, many of whom return each year. See Golden ‘Roos photos and information.

66

Laurie Coker has published a collection of poetry based on her experiences during 12 years of substitute teaching in Austin, Texas. School Daze: Poems of a Substitute Teacher is available in paperback through Amazon.

67

James R. Bryant and Mary Hill were married in Tyler, Texas, on January 20, 2010. Since 1995, they have operated Carpe Diem Fine Books in Monterey, California, a shop that California magazine reviewers have called “simply the best” and “a bibliophile’s delight.” James recently was elected to the national Board of Governors of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and is a past president of the Old Monterey Business Association and Alliance of Monterey Area Preservationists.

69

Larry Wheeler was elected for a second term as faculty president at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. He joined the faculty in 1988 and, as an associate professor of theatre, teaches all theatre design courses, as well as theatre appreciation and stagecraft. He also is the technical director for theatre, which requires the coordination of all technical aspects of the six-play season. He not only designs sets and lights for productions or supervises student designers but also serves as chair of the Theatre Department. Larry was instrumental in creating and implementing the school’s new Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theatre, with tracks in acting, musical theatre, stage management, design and theatre technology, and theatre education. He reported that many of the principles he learned from Austin College faculty Bonnie and Paul Beardsley remain with him and that he passes those on to his students.

70

Gary Goodfriend has been elected vice president/senior asset manager at Bank of New York Mellon in Irving, Texas.

73

Keith Hopson was named a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers last fall, one of just 20 individuals added to the group in 2013. Membership is by invitation only and eligibility is limited to those who have practiced environmental law for at least 15 years and whose practice for the five years prior to membership nomination has been at least 50 percent focused in the area of environmental law. A partner with the full-service litigation and business law firm of Husch Blackwell in Austin, Texas, Keith is a member of the firm’s energy and natural resources team and counsels clients in a wide variety of environmental matters. Widely recognized as a leader in his field, he has been acknowledged by Chambers USA since 2003. He has been named a Best Lawyer since 1999 and a Texas Super Lawyer since 2004. He also maintains a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent peer ranking.

74

Keith Mahaffey (MA ’75), was recognized last fall for his work as a teacher. Read more in ACCOLADES.

Mark Miller was named to the 2013 San Antonio Scene “Best S.A. Lawyers” list in franchise and dealership and intellectual property litigation. In a survey by magazine staff, attorneys were asked to nominate their peers in different practice categories. Mark is a partner in the San Antonio office of Jackson Walker and chairs the firm’s intellectual property section.

76

John and Tara J. Gibson Myers ’78, M.D., won championships in ballroom dancing at Arthur Murray World’s in Orlando, Florida, in April 2013. The couple won Amateur 3 Dance Smooth and Amateur 3 Dance Rhythm Open competitions. Tara placed second in Full Bronze Pro-Am 4 Dance All-Around, and John placed third in Associate Bronze Pro-Am 2 Dance All-Around. They also received the Top Associate Bronze Amateur Couple Award. John and Tara are students at Arthur Murray Houston-Cypress.

78

Stephen Schlacks, a Montgomery County (Texas) attorney since graduating from Baylor Law School in 1986, has been honored as a 20-year AV-rated “Preeminent” Attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading independent attorney rating entity. The AV preeminent rating is given to attorneys with the highest legal ability and ethics peer review ratings. In 2013, Stephen was re-certified as a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer through the year 2018, which will mark 25 years as a board-certified attorney. Only nine percent of all licensed Texas lawyers are board certified. He also was recognized in 2013 as a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a Fellow Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas.

Cameron White (MA ’79) is professor of social education/critical humanities and associate chair of curriculum and instruction at the University of Houston. In addition to being awarded the University of Houston Teaching Excellence and the University of Houston Service Awards, he recently was chosen as a Fulbright Specialist for the Middle East. His eighth and ninth books, Community Education for Social Justice and Critical Qualitative Research in Social Education have been accepted for publication. His professional interests include social justice/critical pedagogy, international education, and media/popular culture. He credits his teacher education experience at Austin College, especially the teaching of Dr. Tom Baker, who died in June 2009, for much of his success.

82

Charla Glass Aldous was inducted into Texas Lawyer newspaper’s Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame in fall 2013 after winning a $9.3 million verdict. Aldous Law Firm also was named one of the country’s “Best Law Firms” of 2014 by the publishers of U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America, including a Metropolitan Tier 1-ranking among Dallas firms for both medical malpractice and personal injury law.

85

William Kerrigan, the Arthur G. Cole and Eloise Barnes Cole Distinguished Professor of American History at Muskingum University in Ohio, received the William Rainey Harper Award for Outstanding Scholarship at Muskingum in 2013. His recent book, Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard: A Cultural History, published by the prestigious Johns Hopkins University Press became a selection of the History Book Club, and a portion of the final chapter was the lead essay in the fall 2012 issue of the highly regarded Antioch Review. He joined the Muskingum faculty in 1997 and earned The William Oxley Thompson Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2011 and the Cora I. Orr Award for Service in 2007.

86

Melissa Gatlin Wampler was featured in the Kerr County People magazine in summer 2013, gracing the cover as she transitioned her career from obstetrics and gynecology— delivering many babies over nearly 20 years—to a practice in gynecology and women’s wellness. She and her husband, David ’84 have two growing children, and the doctor wants a bit more control of her schedule than the arrivals of babies allow. David is a partner and financial professional with Moloney Securities and a former mayor of Kerrville.

87

Jody Rhone and Tom Pritchard were married September 1, 2013, in a grove of aspen trees just outside Crested Butte, Colorado. Jody moved to New York after graduating from Austin College, making art and working in several SoHo art galleries, including Crown Point Press. He received a master’s degree in sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design in 1993 and returned to New York to continue his career. Both men are principals of Madderlake Designs, a Williamsburg-, Brooklyn-, and Aspen-based architecture and landscape design firm, which Tom co-founded. Jody’s sculptural training serves him well in the landscapes that are the hallmark of Madderlake Designs. The couple left the wedding ceremony in their beloved 1971 International Harvester Scout.

 

Brent Williams, associate professor of rehabilitation education and research at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, is the principal investigator and project director for a $325 million grant to the university’s College of Education and Health Professions and the Arkansas Department of Education. The grant funds a program aimed at improving the education and career outcomes of low-income Arkansas teenagers with disabilities. He has been with the university since 2002, previously working as director of research for the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center and as program coordinator of the National Center for Physical Activity and Disability at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

88

Matt Kyle, founding partner of The Kyle Law Firm, was named the 2013 Small Business Person of the Year by the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce last April. It was the first time a lawyer received the honor. His community is important to Matt. He coaches youth sports, sponsors charitable events, and has a variety of local and regional causes. His personal injury and criminal defense firm has operated for the past 20 years. Readers of the New Braunfels Herald have voted him “best attorney” for the past four years, and he has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly the past two years. Pictured with Matt are his children, Catcher, Pierce, Cannen, Baker, and Brett, and his wife, Kerri.

Julie Sims Steward was just promoted to professor of English at Samford University in Alabama, where she received the 2013 John H. Buchanan Award for excellence in teaching. In announcing the award the university provost noted that students gave her “rave reviews for bringing energy—and even a little attitude—to discussions of great works of literature.” Steward, who joined the Samford faculty in 1999, is also director of Creative Writing. In addition to teaching various English courses, she was instrumental in launching a film studies program. Her research interests include 20th-century poetry, creative writing, literary theory, and the use of contemplative practices in the study of poetics.

89

Jim Webb has been named executive vice president – general counsel and corporate secretary at Chesapeake Energy in Oklahoma City. In addition to overseeing the legal department, his responsibilities include human resources, environmental health and safety, compliance, corporate security and ethics, and government and community relations. Jim joined Chesapeake in October 2012 after serving as a consultant to the company for five months. Before joining Chesapeake, he spent 17 years as a litigator at McAfee & Taft, Oklahoma’s largest law firm, serving as a partner for 12 years.

91

92

Katie Burford spent 14 years working in journalism and earned a Fulbright Scholarship to go to Chile and teach in 2004. She now lives in Durango, Colorado, where she started an artisan ice company called Cream Bean Berry, where she uses local, organic ingredients and focuses on sustainable practices. The shop where the ice cream is made is in a renovated Depression-era school that is fully solar-powered. Upon seeing the “food focus” in the Summer 2013 issue of Austin College Magazine, she shared her stories. She pointed out that Lisa Fain ’91 (writing as The Homesick Texan) and Katherine Withers ’91, who was highlighted in the previous issue, were both friends of hers and that she finds it interesting how all “traversed different paths through journalism to food.”

94

Heisha Hunter Freeman is executive vice president at The Move Management Center, a global relocation management company, in San Mateo, California. She continues to live in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, Anthony, and son, Austin.

Adam Reed serves as chair of the board of Shakespeare Dallas, a non-profit theatre organization known for production of Shakespeare in the Park in Dallas. Adam also announces formation of Meyer Friedman Reed, a litigation law firm in Dallas that handles family law, criminal law, and personal injury litigation in Texas and Oklahoma. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Dallas with their son, Michael.

95

Patrick “Pat” Morris has been promoted to partner in the Perkins Coie law firm’s San Francisco office. He is a member of the firm’s intellectual property practice, with a primary focus on biotechnology, advising clients on all aspects of patent strategy and management. His work includes patent procurement, patent interferences, patentability and freedom to operate analyses, and due diligence relating to licensing, funding, and partnership negotiations. Pat holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology with his doctoral research focusing on elucidating the mechanisms behind helicase-mediated DNA unwinding.

96

Julie “JJ” Zuniga earned a Ph.D. in nursing at the University of Texas at Austin in May 2013 and began a post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University School of Nursing where she focuses on HIV research.

97

Melinda Massie performed with the Fort Worth Opera as a lady’s maid in Daughter of the Regiment during its spring opera festival at Bass Hall in April and May 2013. She also spoke about home organization at the Visions Women’s Expo at Dallas Market Hall.

98

Graham Painter has been named creative director for Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency for its recent expansion into Yangon, Myanmar. Following democratic reforms, most international trade sanctions have been lifted, and U.S. consumer productions again are becoming available after a 60-year hiatus. One of Graham’s principal clients is Coca-Cola. After receiving his Austin College degree, Graham graduated from Miami Ad School and worked in advertising in New York, London, and Bangkok before his move to Myanmar.

99

Ishaq Kundawala is a professor of law at Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad Law Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He began his career with the university in 2008 and earned tenure in July 2013. He teaches contracts, sales, secured transactions, and bankruptcy law. He serves on the law faculty’s admission committee and is an advisor to the Asian-Pacific American Law Students Association. He also coaches the school’s international commercial arbitration moot court team. After law school, he clerked for the Honorable Barbara Houser and also worked in private practice with Baker Botts for more than five years.

00

Kevin Barton was named a Buffalo Business First “40 Under 40” honoree in Buffalo, New York, where he worked with Coca-Cola Bottling Company. “Once again our honorees exemplify all that is good with our community,” said Jack Connors, Business First publisher and president in announcing the 2013 honorees who were recognized in November. “Their dedication to their professions and to our community will ensure that the future of the Buffalo and Niagara region remains bright and promising for generations to come.” Kevin and his wife, Susannah (Stevens) ’01, have since moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he serves as human resources manager for converting operations with Evergreen Packaging.

Robert Greeson was promoted to partner earlier this year in the global legal practice of Norton Rose Fulbright. He works in the firm’s Intellectual Property Transactions and Patent Prosecution section in the Dallas office and concentrates on patent litigation, licensing, transactions, and prosecution. His technology experience includes wireless systems, wireless devices, eCommerce software and services, network infrastructure, communication software, storage devices, green energy, and mechanical devices. After earning his Austin College degree, he completed a master’s degree in applied physics at University of Texas at Dallas and a law degree at Baylor University School of Law.

01

Jill Gin Dinges was recognized last fall for her work as a teacher. Read more in ACCOLADES.

Duncan Robertson earned a master’s of fine arts degree in communication design at Texas State University in December 2013. He launched his thesis project— “Makeready Podcast: Conversations About Finding and Defining Success in the Field of Graphic Design”—with a gallery exhibition as part of the school’s MFA Showcase in January, interviewing creative people about their careers and processes and creating podcasts of the conversations.

02

Omi Boggus Ford was named a top teacher this spring. Read more in ACCOLADES.

Stacey M. Holtzman has joined the McGlinchey Stafford law firm Dallas office. She is an associate in the consumer financial services section of the national firm that includes 34 attorneys in Texas and offices in 10 other states. Stacey represents clients in consumer financial services matters, licensing, and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining McGlinchey Stafford, she was in-house counsel for a multi-state mortgage lender, where she focused on regulatory compliance, licensing, operational, and corporate matters.

03

Hayley Gillespie has opened a unique art gallery—Art.Science.Gallery.—in Austin, Texas. It is one of the first venues in the nation to exclusively feature science-related art. The gallery’s mission is to provide a friendly environment to make science more accessible to everyone through science-related visual arts exhibitions, to foster the careers of emerging and established artist-scientists, and to provide professional development opportunities for scientists to become more engaging public communicators. The gallery has been featured on the PBS program “KLRU Collective.” Hayley said this small local business is a true reflection of her liberal arts education at Austin College, where she majored in biology and minored in environmental studies and studio art. She later earned a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and animal behavior at the University of Texas. Her continuing work as a scientist studying endangered species inspires her art. She also writes about the intersection of art and biology. She and her husband, Cole Weatherby ’04, live in Austin.

Amanda Jester has joined the law firm Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis as a partner in their Austin office. Amanda’s practice includes advising clients in the healthcare industry on mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory and licensing issues. She previously practiced in Miami, Florida, with McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in the health law group. Amanda is excited to return home to the Lone Star State with her husband, Ken, and their son, Leo, 2.

04

Jessica Smith (MAT ’05) was recognized last fall for her work as a teacher. Read more in ACCOLADES.

05

Laura Amlin was recognized this spring for her work as a teacher. Read more in ACCOLADES.

Vera Corbett and Lonnell Ahiyya were married December 8, 2013, at Mercury Hall in Austin, Texas, with Laura Page ’05 as a bridesmaid and Krystal Pope ’05 among the attendees. Vera is in her second year teaching at a new school in Bedford, Massachusetts, and her husband is the lead robotics engineer at a company in Boston. The couple met through friends in Austin.

06

Kyle Floyd is living in Esquipulas, Matagalpa, as a small business volunteer with Peace Corps Nicaragua and celebrated his first year “in country” in March. He particularly works to equip teachers in the local high schools, and his day may include classroom management and co-planning daily lectures for the “Emprendedurismo” program. Peace Corps and MINED (Ministerio de Educación) have compiled a curriculum for high school seniors that includes working in groups throughout the year to design a product that does not exist in their community. They complete market studies, interviews, and create a prototype of their product. Finally, students write a business plan that is presented at a local competition, with potential to advance to regional and national competitions. Winners receive money they can invest in their business plan if they wish to continue. In addition to working in the schools, the Peace Corps volunteers work with small business owners providing business and financial education.

Laura Brule and Alan Stryker ’05 were married June 2, 2013, in Plano, Texas. The wedding party included Laura Glass ’07, Kathryn “Kat” Crawley ’07, Phil Deardorff ’05, and Nick Garcia ’05. The groom’s parents are Rick and Cathy Connell Stryker, both ’71. Julie Mielke MacPherson ’91 officiated. The new couple lives in Austin where Laura works in environmental science and Alan works in computer software. Pictured are Nick, Phil, Alan, Laura Stryker, Laura Glass, Kat, and Riley, the niece of the bride who has attended camp at Austin College so considers herself a ’Roo.

07

Austin Coachman (MAT ’08) and Andrea Bauer ’06 (MAT ’08) were married June 15, 2013, in Muenster, Texas. The wedding party included bridesmaids Raney Bauer ’07, Jacqueline Bauer ’09, and Kacie Weaver ’09; groomsmen Evan Coachman ’11, Bradley Rawlins ’06, Taylor Adams ’08, Dustin Logston ’08, and Zaq Mamot ’09; ushers Kent Bell ’08, David “Scooter” Means ’09, Jonathan Rawlins ’08, Ross Hasten ’09, Nick Zitaglio ’10; and readers Matt Ellington ’06 and Brad Jones ’08. The new couple lives in Anna, Texas.

Christopher and Amber Powell Hinds moved to New York after graduating from Austin College. Christopher worked as the sous chef in a tavern near West Point and, for three years, as the chef de cuisine of the Brotherhood of Thieves on Nantucket Island where he regularly served well-known politicians and celebrities, including Vice President Joe Biden. During winter 2012-2013, they moved to Gillette, Wyoming, where Christopher opened a 350-seat, multi-million-dollar steakhouse as the executive chef. At the grand opening party, he served many notable VIP guests, including Liz Cheney; Annie Clements of Sugarland, who also performed; and several high-ranking military officials. Christopher has won numerous “best of” awards and accolades from Zagat. Meanwhile, Amber is a freelance website and graphic designer with a business called Au Coeur Design. She also is a certified lactation consultant and is leading an initiative to start a K-8 charter school in their new hometown.

08

Courtney Baker and Mason Anders ’09 were married October 5, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, Texas, with a reception at The Argyle Club, where Courtney’s parents held their wedding reception. The new couple lives in College Station, Texas, where Mason works as a research assistant for Texas A&M University and is pursuing a Ph.D. in nuclear physics. David Riddle ’09 served as best man and Han Kim ’09 was a groomsman. Leeta Faye Britton ’08 and Alicia Houser ’12 were bridesmaids. Attendees included Sean Muder ’10, Patrick Ray ’09, Andy White ’10, Daniel Jackson ’10, Rachel Dodd ’11, Mason Anders ’09, Kylee Rutledge ’09, Nayan Patel ’08, Sam MacDonald ’08, Ryan Buell ’08, Rebecca Webb Buell ’08, Steven Matthis ’09, Robert Likarish ’09, Ashley Sallee ’10, Sarah Sorvet ’11, Ashton Gelat ’13, Jessica Douglas ’09, Sahar Mehdi ’11, Carolyn McLaughlin Matthis ’08, Cari Hubbard Solano ’08, Clint Buck ’07, Emily Bull ’10, and Sunaina Suhag ’11.

Cari Hubbard married Austin Solano, a University of Texas at Arlington graduate, on November 9, 2013, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Fort Worth, Texas, follow by a reception at The Modern Art Museum. Bridesmaids included Leeta Faye Britton, Liz Varner Strathman, and Chelsea Chappell-Cox, all ’08. Alumni attending, pictured with the bride, also included Mason Anders ’09, Courtney Baker Anders ’08, Kyle Clayton ’08, Kerry Van Zant ’08, Lance Frank ’08, Ebby Arias ’09, Leeta Faye Britton ’08, Chelsea Chappell-Cox ’08, Doan Vuong ’09, and Shannon Graves ’08. Cari works for Route 66 Tire and Rubber, a company she and her father started in 2009. The new couple lives in Fort Worth.

Will Radke and Mio Komatsu enjoyed a wedding dinner with friends September 21, 2013, in Tokyo at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art. Family from across the U.S. and Japan and friends gathered with them to celebrate at an outdoor dinner in beautiful weather. The new couple could be called ’Roo Sweethearts though they did not know each other at Austin College. Will graduated in May 2008, and that fall, Mio came to Austin College to begin a two-year stay as the resident speaker/assistant for Japanese in Jordan Family Language House. Will, who had been living in Tokyo for over a year, came back to campus in February 2010 to hear Dr. Muhammad Yunus, that year’s Austin College Posey Leadership Award honoree. Will and Mio met during his time on campus; Mio moved back to Tokyo in May. The relationship continued, and as Will wrote, “that was that.” In Tokyo, Mio is an in-house translator for pharmaceutics company Merck Serono. Will has been with Goldman Sachs Japan for five years. He began work with the firm in Singapore in 2008.

Beth Shaw-Meadow and Daniel Navarrete ’07 were married at the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, Texas, on December 28, 2012. Attendees included Eric Hungerford ’06 who performed the ceremony; Rachel Friedman Goldsmith ’05, John ’07 and Lauren Sweat Warren ’08, Gregg and Monica Martinez Maher ’09, Joey and Ashley Mullings Mott ’06, Jesus ’06 and Delilah Rodriguez Navarrete ’05, Cassandra Navarrete ’12, Emily Olvera ’13, Micaela Reznicek ’05, Swathi Dhoma ’05, Arya Rejaee ’07, and Ryan Patrick ’06. Beth earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in May 2013 at Texas A&M University. The couple has moved to the Washington, D.C., metro area where Daniel is a senior analyst with the U. S. Department of Labor. Beth works as a small animal veterinarian in Maryland.

Laura Westerlage was the first recipient of the Max Sherman and Barbara Jordan Fellowship during her Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary graduation in May 2013. The fellowship recognizes demonstrated potential to integrate faith and public policy. She earned a dual degree: a master’s in divinity from the seminary and master’s in social work from the University of Texas.

09

Jessica Antonelli (MAT ’11) was recognized last fall for her work as a teacher. Read the details in ACCOLADES.

Monica Martinez and Gregory Maher were married April 27, 2013, in Austin at St. Austin Catholic Parish. Many alumni attended, including bridesmaids Sunaina Suhag and Sahar Mehdi; groomsmen Clayton Travis and Tyler Wallace; and ushers Robert Likarish, Britain Bruner, Daniel Jackson, and Christopher Ellis. Gregg is the director of the 8th grade and an English teacher at San Juan Diego Catholic High School in Austin. In the evening, he plays guitar for an Americana band that he and Tyler Wallace started while at Austin College. Monica is attending the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas. She received the Duggan Fellowship and plans to specialize in social and economic policy with a specific focus on education. Beyond school, she homebrews beer and wine and is learning to play the accordion.

10

Emily Bull completed a year of AmeriCorps VISTA in Yuma, Arizona, as Yuma County Nonprofit Resource Center manager before beginning graduate school. In May 2013, she earned a master’s degree in social work at Washington University in St, Louis, with a concentration in International social economic development. While in graduate school, she traveled to China and Tanzania for practicum and research opportunities. She is employed as U.S. director of operations and development by the international NGO Maji Safi Group.

Dallas Key and Karen Edwards were married December 29, 2012, with many alumni attending, including Emily Bull ’10 as maid of honor; Daniel Jackson ’10 and Jordan Rose ’11 as co-best men and Jordan as officiant; groomsmen Neal Spradlin ’10 and Shamyal Khan ’08; groomswoman Carolyn Stone ’11; and bridesmaids Sarah Oliveri ’08 and Ashley Overturf ’11. Dallas graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in May 2013.

11

Swathi Anantha visited Nepal on a Himalayan Pilgrimage from India to Tibet during summer 2013. “The scenery the entire way was equally if not more amazing!

Sahar Mehdi and Vanessa Castro ’12 were in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in July, at Barrachini Restaurant, birthplace of the Pina Colada, when they heard the bartender ask a couple at the bar where they lived. When the young women heard the couple was from Dallas, they began to chat. When college came up, everyone was amazed to discover it was a ’Roo Reunion as the man, Dallas Cothrum, is a 1992 graduate. “What are the odds?!” Sahar graduated from the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas in May 2013. Dallas and his wife, Carrie, live in University Park with their two children. He was in Puerto Rico on business; he is CEO of Master Plan, a land use consulting firm.

Lily Van is readjusting to life in one place after nearly a year of living out of a suitcase. She spent that time serving in a branch of AmeriCorps called National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), often called the domestic version of the Peace Corps. Like all AmeriCorps programs, NCCC is a volunteer program. What makes NCCC different than other AmeriCorps programs is that it is team-based, residential, and national. Lily was assigned to a new collaborative effort called FEMA Corps, working with disaster response and recovery. She and her nine fellow team members offered assistance in New York City following Hurricane Sandy, spent time working at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C., and worked the Yukon River Flooding disaster in Galena, a small community of less than 500 people in interior Alaska. The Alaska assignment was Lily’s favorite. Upon acceptance, all volunteers are randomly assigned to one of five regions. At completion of their assignment in fall 2013, the 140 volunteers of the Pacific region voted Lily the Corps Member of the Year, determining her to be the volunteer who best exemplified an AmeriCorps NCCC-FEMA Corps member, showed dedication and strong work ethic every day, and inspired their teammates. Lily now works for a specialty pharmacy and continues to volunteer.

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