NEWS AND NOTES

Please send your news to Rhonda Port Walker at rpwalkerbhnj@verizon.net.  News submitted prior to 2015 can be found in ARCHIVED NEWS.

SUSAN BREGMAN: I’m delighted to announce the publication of my latest book, Along Route 1: Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.  US Route 1 is an unapologetic blend of historic gravity, exuberant entertainment, unexpected juxtapositions, and wonderfully kitschy roadside attractions. The book shares the stories of this road – everything from Presque Isle’s favorite racehorse to the beloved Hilltop Steak House and its neon cactus.  This is my third collaboration with Arcadia Publishing; my other books are New England Neon and New England Candlepin Bowling.  The titles are available directly from me at www.rednickel.com or wherever books are sold.

JOHN BISHOP: I retired in January 2023.  I have worked for Intel, HP, GE, and Digital in compilers and tools.

MICHAEL GOLRICK (P’02), aka GOLDY: I became the Associate State Librarian at the State Library of Louisiana in November 2022. I previously was Head of Reference. I continue to serve as the State Data Coordinator for public library statistics.

BRUCE RIEDEL: I am retiring from the Brookings Institution after 16 years as a senior fellow.  Prior to Brookings I served thirty years in the Central Intelligence Agency with postings at the White House for eight years and overseas in the Middle East and Europe.  I am a member of the Royal College of Defense Studies in London.  The author of nine books on the Middle East and South Asia, my wife Elizabeth and I live in Chestertown on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

JOE FIESCHKO: I am announcing the marriage of our son Zander Lewis Fieschko to Marissa Bergman on November 5, 2022.  The marriage took place at the Castle Green in Pasadena, California and had a Pre-Raphaelite theme.  Attendants included my sister Dr. Julie Fieschko (Keller) ’73, my college roommate Dr. Neil Derechin ’75 and our good friend Kathy Buechle (Egler) ’76.  Marissa grew up in Las Vegas and her grandfather was the architect who invented the modern casino.  Next time you can’t find the exit, blame him.  My wife Regina and I continue to work at our little law firm and plan to run in the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon in May. We’re not dead yet.

DOUGLAS DIAMOND was awarded a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. You can read the details at https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-10-10/diamond

STEVE 'BUDDY' GRECO: My wife Audrey and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on May 28, 2022, while attending the Brown Reunion weekend.  We were married on the porch of the old Delta Tau Fraternity house (now South Wayland) on May 28, 2010. I was a member of Delta Tau. Presiding over the ceremony was the Chaplain of the University, the Reverend Janet Cooper Nelson. 

We live at the Jersey shore in Little Egg Harbor.  I now practice dentistry part-time since selling my private practice of several years.  We have 3 grandsons and one on the way.  We enjoy going back to Brown as often as we can.

JAN BLACHER: The documentary, Autism Goes to College, won GOLD at the inaugural Anthem Awards for Diversity Equity and Inclusion under Special Projects for our film and podcast. The Anthem Awards is the cause-focused division of the Webby Awards. Winners are categorized as Gold, Silver, and Bronze....we won GOLD!! Fellow winners include Trevor Noah, the New York Times 1619 project, and HBO Max's "See Us". This is an enormous honor and is a recognition of the authenticity the autistic college students brought in sharing their stories of navigating college.

Here’s our page on the Anthem Awards site: https://www.anthemawards.com/winners/list/entry/#diversity-equity-inclusion/awareness-categories-not-for-profit/autism-goes-to-college/1971/25356/330220 

DENNIS COLEMAN: Dennis is featured on a Brown Bears Podcast:

We celebrate Black History Month by talking to a true pioneer - Dennis Coleman '75 who made history in 1973 starting at quarterback for Brown when the Bears faced Marty Vaughn and the Penn Quakers in the first-ever major college football game featuring two black starting quarterbacks. You can listen wherever podcasts are heard.

https://today.brown.edu/announcements/147320

MEREDITH POST: My rom-com  feature, "Tick" will be produced as soon as it is safe to shoot on set. It's about a woman on the brink of getting all she ever wanted 'til a doctor who she trusts misdiagnoses her, causing her to lose everything, including her clothes/iPhone/purse. She kidnaps the doctor to get revenge only to find love instead. The film will be accompanied by a documentary by award-winning filmmaker, John Dempsey, about my real-life experience with a misdiagnosis at the height of my career. I was in and out of hospitals, fighting for my life for almost 20 years. But I always kept on writing and started teaching and mentoring aspiring tv/film writers. I am currently writing another feature, "In An Instant", for producer, Mark Lipsky, ("Beverly Hills Cop"/"Coming to America") based on the true story of a college senior who had to find a way to give his life new meaning after suffering a TBI.

CRAWFORD BUNKLEY III: The audiobook, SCARS: The Trials of Mental Illness and the Farthest Reach for God, by Sandra Rains DeBusk and narrated by Crawford Bunkley '75 BA, is now available from Audible and ACX. For more information, visit his website at: Audio Books by Crawford Bunkley | books (rinardpublishing.com)

RICHARD CALLAHAN: I retired from a 42 year banking career a few years ago and relocated to Barrington, RI after many years in CT and NY. Sad news is that my wife of 40 years, Susan, passed away in July 2017 after a courageous battle with breast cancer.  But the better news is that all three of my daughters, sons in law and new grandson all live within 15 miles of Providence so I get to see them often.  Staying in regular touch with classmates Tony Higgins and Barry Whittaker and enjoyed the Brown Soccer Team 1970's reunion last year. Looking forward to seeing other classmates around the Providence area. 

LYNNE BRODSKY: I continue to work as a primary care physician. My husband died shortly before the 2016 election. Since then I have become very active in my local temple, as well as in politics. I have moved away from partisan activity to promoting voter awareness and civil dialog through the League of Women Voters. I also am working on increasing awareness of racial justice issues among members of our white community.

DAVID COHEN: I celebrated 25 years together with Alan Tetreault, married 7 years since the SCOTUS decision. Our last child will be getting married in March, 2019!

JOSEPH MACHAC: I am in my third year of retirement and enjoying family, friends and travel. I'm staying in shape with folk dancing, Tai Chi, martial arts, gardening, reading, writing and lecturing. I volunteer once a week as a primary care physician at a clinic for the uninsured. In short, enjoying a good life.

JOSE MIRANDA: I retired in November 2018 after 38 years of ER medicine practice. I have two boys, now adults, and two grandchildren, ages 7 and 9. I'm still married to my wife of 45 years.

PETER PINESS: I retired from the Department of State in September 2017 following a career in the Foreign Service.  Assignments included Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, Swaziland, Democratic Republic of the Congo, El Salvador and Washington.  While in the State Department, I received a Master of Arts from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. and served as a Foreign Affairs Fellow in the House of Representatives.

MARSHA SPINDELL: I traveled to India in November 2018 and I am looking forward to retirement from RI Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. I'm feeling very well, 11 years post cancer. I'm single again. My best achievement is my two sons: Josh, an architect in Boston, and Aaron, a doctor of physical therapy working in Manhattan.

STEPHEN UPHAM: I retired in December 2017 and I am now seeing patients two days a week at Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center in New Haven, CT. I visited Petra in March 2018.

ANNE WEST: I was appointed to the Maryland State Arts Council and I am a member of the Board of Directors of both Enoch Pratt Free Library and Baltimore Outreach Services (a homeless shelter for women and children). I am also a member of Baltimore Women's Giving Circle. My husband, Christopher, is a Maryland state delegate. My son, Christopher, is an EMT and a junior at Towson University.

MARK WESTON: I have written a graphic novel for children, Finding the Speed of Light: The 1676 Discovery that Dazzled the World, that tells the story of how a young Danish astronomer, Ole Romer, figured out the speed of light with nothing more than a telescope and a clock. It will be published in March 2019 by Tilbury House and distributed by W.W. Norton. Astrophysicist Robert Pfaff read an early draft.

SYLVIA WINSBERG JAMESON: We started our large tree native nursery in 1984 when few were understanding the ecological reasons why. It's been a slow process but now natives are seen in most nurseries and all county and city planning. They do better in all conditions - heat, wet, hurricane, occasional cold. And the wildlife can use them. Ture for all regions as most are realizing. It's rewarding.

ALAN WINSON: I married Julie Cullison on September 29, 2018 in Kensington, California. Clifford Bergman and Marilyn Vaughan were present. I look forward to hearing from friends at alan.winson@gmail.com.

JEFFREY YOUNG: I was recently elected to the national board of the National Employment Lawyers Association. NELA is the largest civil rights group representing victims of discrimination and wage theft. Jeff and his wife, Betsy Mahoney (Wesleyan '77) live on the coast of Maine.

JOHN BERYLSON: Amy and I celebrated our 40th anniversary and welcomed our 6th grandchild recently. Now 5 boys and a girl. We are very lucky to have them all living within 5 minutes of our home and all of our children within 20 minutes. We continue to live in Wellesley Farms, MA. Only existing problem in the family is that other than me, they all root for Harvard football and most probably know for whom I would lay down my life. Other than that no controversial issues. Hope everyone in the class is doing and feeling well. 

KATHY BILLINGS: I just published a book, From a Distance - quite the accomplishment for a non-author! People can visit my Facebook page - FromaDistanceBook. Two simple tales, past and present, imagined and true, capture the essence of family and compassion in this "interesting tale involving the present day struggles of coping with elderly parents, mixed with the history, mystery and romance of an earlier time," according to Rodney Laughton, local historian and innkeeper, The Breakers Inn. "Set in the community of Higgins Beach, this will be an enjoyable read for those who have come to know this special place on the coast of Maine." 

SUSAN BREGMAN: I am pleased to announce the publication of my book, New England Neon. With dozens of original photos and informative text, the book takes an affectionate look at the region's neon legacy from the shores of Lake Champlain to the tip of Cape Cod. The book includes some Providence signs familiar to fellow alums, including the Avon Cinema - still open on Thayer Street - and the old Shepard's department store downtown. New England Neon is available wherever books are sold. For a signed copy, you can order the book directly from me at my website www.rednickel.com. 

CRAWFORD BUNKLEY III: My wife, Anita Bunkley, has published her third historical novel, The Twisted Crown. The Twisted Crown, a historical novel that tells the story of a black woman living in South Carolina after the Civil War and slavery have just ended, is published by Rinard Publishing. The other titles are Emily, The Yellow Rose and A Thousand Steps.

MICHAEL WALACH: My wife, Jean O’Loughlin, and are I back in the Peace Corps serving as English teachers at a high school in a farming community high in the mountains of Ethiopia.  We met 40 years ago while serving in Peace Corps Zaire.  After raising our family and having our careers, we are back for another adventure before retirement sets in.  We sold off most of our possessions, kissed the kids and grandkids goodbye, and here we are.  Wish us luck!

MEREDITH MILLER POST: After years of TV writing (followed by 12 yrs in/out of hospitals) I'm back with my first feature which will shoot in Ct this summer after being optioned by Roman Media. "The Red Hourglass", about a devious black widow who has devised the perfect plan to get away with murder, will have a table read in NYC 1/6/18. Any classmates who want to come to the reading (midtown location TBA) and/or be extras lmk. I am also the subject of 2 documentaries about how I survived 46 surgeries all stemming from malpractice and continued to write disabled so I know have 12 scripts I'm shopping (my A-list agent dropped me when he heard I was sick). And you can see my webseries "The Grass is Always Greener" on Vimeo - a comedy about the opening of the first medical marijuana dispensary in Ct.... I can be reached at: meredithmillerpost@gmail.com 

LESTER CHITSULO: I had quite an enjoyable time at our 40th Class Reunion.   I wish to thank all the organizers of our class activities.  There was so much going on it was not possible to fully catch up with friends. 

The surprise for me was to have made it to the Brown campus in September 1971, five years after leaving my home village in Malawi.  It was at Brown that Neil Steinberg switched me on to the Motown Sound during the many shared rooms and interminable bus rides to track meets.  Professor Alfred Senft lit a passion for schistosomiasis which I have pursued for the past 40 years.  Other Brothers and Sisters introduced me to jazz and a different way of looking at the Black experience.  I made lifelong friends, as well as learned many other things at Brown.   The passing of our classmate and one of my senior year apartment mates, Mark D. Matthews, in May 2014, that made me realize there were going to be fewer opportunities to see and catch up with Class of 1975 friends and colleagues.  Coming to the reunion also gave me the opportunity to visit family and friends in Boston, Iowa, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Fort Lauderdale.  I got the chance to meet my other senior year apartment and class mates, Michael Francis andMichael Hampden on these travels.

So coming to the Class of 1975 Reunion, was a wonderful chance to reimagine the wonderful 4 years I had on campus and in Providence and a way to reconnect to friends and colleagues.  I hope I can tempt some class mates to visit the ‘’warm heart of Africa’’.  Follow up on the sense of adventure that was the Brown education!

SALLY GOLDIN: This August will mark twelve years since I relocated to Bangkok, Thailand. I'm teaching computer engineering at one of the top universities here, finding great challenges and great rewards. In addition, my husband and I are in the process of commercializing a new technology to detect hidden deterioration under roads, railways and dikes in order to prevent catastrophic collapse and similar disasters (smartroadtools.com). If anyone is headed to Asia, get in touch:

seg@goldin-rudahl.com (There's a very active Brown Club in Bangkok, too!)

DAVID KRIMM: I retired in 2012, after a career creating new products and businesses at Charles Schwab, Intuit, Hambrecht & Quist, JPMorgan and most recently Silicon Valley Bank. Since then I've been active as a consultant on product development to Acquiom, a new financial services initiative; on the Advisory Council of Sack Properties, a state-wide real estate investment firm; and Chairman of Opportunity Fund (the largest nonprofit microlender in California). I'm also Chairman of the chorus at the Bohemian Club. I married Peter Bradley in 2008; we live in San Francisco.

JUD SAVISKAS: My wife (CHRIS BEGOLE '75) and I are thrilled to be back and now living in Providence after many years in CT.  I continue to oversee graduate finance programs for UConn out of Storrs, CT and I get to work from home some. After many years teaching middle school English, Chris is now tutoring. Most exciting: we now have a garden but no deer to eat it.

BETH SHADUR: I continue to work as a professional artist, exhibiting my work in museums and galleries throughout the United States. I have also created over 150 murals as private and public art projects in numerous settings, including libraries, prisons, schools and community centers. In addition, I am Gallery Director at Prairie State College, and am an independent curator of The Poetic Dialogue Project, in which I pair visual artists with poets to create collaborative works of art. The most recent exhibition, Convergence: The Poetic Dialogue Project, featured 20 pairs of visual artists and contemporary poets from all over the country and was shown February-April at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art in Chicago.

I have been married to Bruce Mainzer (Cornell 74’) for almost thirty-five years, and our son Jordan Mainzer is a 2012 graduate of Brown.

ALEX SZABO: For the first time ever, Madeleine and I will unfortunately miss our Reunion since we will be attending a relative’s wedding that same weekend in Los Angeles.

Madeleine and I moved to Carlsbad, California (30 miles north of San Diego) about 2 & ½ years ago to retire.  Our year-round average temperature is 72 degrees ---- about 62 degrees in the winter and 82 degrees in the summer.  It is almost always sunny and there is very little humidity ....... we love living here since we are less than 3 miles from the Pacific Ocean,  especially when we watch the sun set over wine and dinner at the beach.

As an Officer and Board member of the Brown University Club of San Diego, I have contributed to the re-vitalization of club events --- four professors and three administrators have visited us within the last two years.

Best wishes to all our 1975 Classmates and have a wonderful time at our 40th Year Reunion!

JOHN TAYLOR: Our son John (Wake Forest '12) will be beginning his Ph.D. studies this fall at the Univ of Texas at Austin and our daughter (Trinity College Dublin '15) will be beginning the MALS program at Dartmouth this fall also.

MICHAEL YOUNG: I am a happy Class of 1975 member, not suffering at this point in my life from existential crises or significant doubts. I have been happily married for over 35 years, have two adult children (one of whom is a Brown graduate), as well as a daughter in law, and continue to enjoy a thriving career as a mediator and arbitrator of legal and business disputes with JAMS - the nation's largest provider of such services and of which I am a co-founder. My major sadness as I approach the Reunion is the loss of my close friend from Brown (and senior year apartment mate), Richard Fishbane, who passed away in December 2014 from cancer. Richard was a close friend since Brown days and was someone who did a lot of good in the world.