Ronald James “Ron” Newton BA ’61, Coppell, Texas, authored Here’s the Score; an account of Ron’s “struggles in the classroom, on the basketball court, and portrays his striving toward development of meaningful relationships.” Ron and his wife, Mary Newton BA ’61 graduated from UNC along with nine other family members.
Carl Silber BA ’62, Colorado Springs, received The President’s Volunteer of the Year Award at Peterson Air and Space Museum, Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs.
James “Jim” Cantrell MA ’65, Bardstown, Ky., was among 15 artists selected to be included in the Manifest Gallery’s 10th Annual NUDE Exhibition in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Kent Corkran MA ’73, BA ’72, Beaverton, Ore., has worked for the U.S. Social Security Administration for 40 years as a Claims Representative, Claims Specialist, Management Support Specialist, Assistant District Manager, Claims Representative Instructor, and National Training Cadre Specialist, and is currently an Operations Supervisor.
Gregory Michno MA ’73, Erie, had his 13th and 14th non-fiction American history books published in 2017: The Three Battles of Sand Creek: In Blood, In Court, and as the End of History (Savas Beatie); Depredation and Deceit: The Making of the Jicarilla and Ute Wars in New Mexico (University of Oklahoma Press).
E. Michael Rosser MA ’73, Aurora, recently published A History of Mortgage Banking in the West: Financing America’s Dreams, the first definite history of this $14 trillion industry.
Neil Best MA ’74, BA ’70, Greeley, continues his career in public broadcasting as President and CEO of Community Radio for Northern Colorado dba KUNC-FM and the Colorado Sound, a music discovery station. Best is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Humanities Council and President of Western States Public Radio, a consortium of public radio stations in 11 western states and Guam.
Margaret E. Mizushima BA ’74, Wellington, has been named as a finalist for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award for her novel Hunting Hour, which is one of five finalists in the Mystery category. Mizushima also released Burning Ridge published by Crooked Lane Books in September 2018.
Rick Robinson MA ’76, BA ’74 Cheyenne, Wyo., was appointed by Governor Matt Mead to a three-year term on the Wyoming Mental Health Profession’s Licensing Board. This board governs the licensure and certification of Wyoming mental health professionals in the fields of counseling, social work, addictions, and marriage and family therapy. Robinson was also a member of the 1972-1973 Swimming and Diving Team inducted into the UNC Athletics Hall of Fame, Class of 2014.
Who plays Tom Koracick on Grey’s Anatomy?
UNC alumnus Greg Germann ’78 is a familiar face in the television world and he has been an active actor for over three decades. He’s known on Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Tom Koracick and while that role is huge, Germann is most recognizable from playing Richard Fish from Ally McBeal.
Steven “Steve” Hornibrook BA ’78, Reno, Nev., appeared as Abner Dillon in City Springs Theater Company’s grand opening production of 42nd Street at the new 1,100 seat Byers Theater in Sandy Springs, Ga. Catherine Olin BA ’78, Canon City, retired after 30 years of teaching with 28 years spent in Canon City Schools.
Mary E. “Beth” Carlberg AB ’79, Greeley, celebrated 35 years as a State of Colorado employee with 25 years in the Department of Transportation. Carlberg is also co-owner of Too Much Fun!, a DJ service with her husband, Neil; working alongside their sons, Nick and Kevin.
Mary Jo Drew BA ’79, Loveland, has relocated back to her native Colorado after a 30-year absence in pursuit of her career in blood banking and transfusion medicine.
Lynn Mestnick Johnson BA ’81, Lakewood, was nominated by President Trump and later confirmed by the Senate to lead the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Marc LaChance BME ’83, Roanoke, Va., has accepted a position in the music department at Roanoke College in Salem, Va. LaChance will direct the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble.
Mary Ellen Attridge BA ’84, Carlsbad, Calif., has retired after 30 years practicing criminal defense law in San Diego, Calif. Most recently, Attridge served as the Senior Supervising Attorney of the San Diego Alternate Public Defender. Featured in several national news stories, Attridge specialized in homicide defense, and was honored as the top criminal defense attorney for the State of California by California Attorneys for Criminal Justice in 1998. Additionally, she served as the President of the San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyers Club in 2016.
Patrick M. Dennis MA ’84, Waterloo, Ont., Canada, is a retired Canadian Air Force colonel who recently wrote Reluctant Warriors: Canadian Conscripts and the Great War (University of British Colombia Press in co-operation with the Canadian War Museum, Sept. 2017).
Edmund Kellerman MA ’89, Gainesville, Fla., was named 2017 Teacher of the Year from the Florida Communication Association. He was cited for innovation in the classroom and curricula, International Scholars Program to Tunisia and Fulbright Scholars Awards to Malaysia, research and publications, and 24 years of service to the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. Kellerman wishes to cite Dennis Warnemunde, retired UNC professor, and all Speech and Communication Studies professors as inspirational role models for his successful teaching, research, and service career.
Martin “Marty” Lamansky MA ’90, BA ’80, Steamboat Springs, retired June 29 after 38 years teaching in the Steamboat Springs School District. Lamansky served as a classroom teacher, Assistant Principal, and the Director of Teaching for the Steamboat Springs School District.
Tyson Miller BA ’95, Fort Collins, is the Chief Financial Officer for Hill Petroleum in the Greater Denver Area.
Ken Reed Ed.D. ’95, Littleton, authored The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place.
Carrie Anne Cavallo BA ’96, Long Beach Township, N.J., has been sworn in as president of the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association.
Jennifer Briggs BS ’97, Windsor, was named a fellow with Rutgers University. Jennifer Kirkland BA ’99, Gypsum, is a 911 Operations Administrator for Vail Public Safety Communications Center.
Justin Kirkland BA ’99, Gypsum, is the Fire Chief of the Gypsum Fire Protection District. Chief Kirkland was instrumental in saving homes in the El Jebel Mobile Home Park from the Lake Christine Fire in Basalt this summer. Kirkland was on the front line with a strike team and together they saved the mobile home park from the flames, which came right up to the houses before the strike team beat them back.
Rosenna Bakari Ph.D. ’00, Colorado Springs, has written a memoir, Too Much Love Is Not Enough in which she discusses living as an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse and why she decided to break her silence.
Raychel (Maez) Roy BA ’01, Superior, is back home in Colorado to help CU Boulder plan for their sesquicentennial fundraising campaign.
Kurt Lewis BA ’02, Chicago, Ill., is the 2018 recipient of the “St. Peter the Rock” Award. The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Catholic Schools (OCS) presents this award annually to an employee who not only demonstrates outstanding service in their role, but personifies the educational and Catholic mission of the OCS through their attitude and treatment of others.
Charlie Jeffords BA ’03, and Amber Jeffords BA ’03, Fountain, will celebrate 15 years of wedded bliss in July 2018. Both completed 12 and 14 years of teaching, respectively, at Fountain-Fort Carson High School in Colorado.
Kathryn Skulley Ph.D. ’04, MA ’93, BA ’91, Westminster, works at Front Range Community College as the Assistant Director of Academic Services. Skulley was elected to the city of Westminster City Council in November 2017.
Jonathan Allen BM ’05, North Liberty, Iowa, serves a Lecturer of Trombone at the University of Iowa where he maintains a studio of more than 20 trombone students as well as serving as the Brass Area Head. In July 2018, Allen hosted the International Trombone Festival at the University of Iowa.
Hannah J. Braun BA ’05, Pickerington, Ohio has written Learn to Read Activity Book: 101 Fun Lessons to Teach Your Child to Read and Learn to Read for Kids with Dyslexia: 101 Games and Activities to Teach Your Child to Read.
Thomas Hayden BA ’05, Denver, was issued two patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for his creation of an earbud headphone adapter and ROCKZ!
Cynthia Pohlson BA ’05, Colorado Springs, has been cast in a production of The Crucible at the Stray Dog Theatre in St. Louis.
Aaron Young BA ’06, New York, N.Y., has been cast as the Prince in Cinderella at the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Utah.
Neyla M. Pekarek MA ’09, Denver, has been commissioned by the Denver Center of Performing Arts to create a new theater piece titled Rattlesnake Kate based on the true story of Kate McHale, who in 1925 fought off 125 rattlesnakes to save her 3-year-old child.
UNC Alumnus Adam Wilson Featured in new Microsoft ad
As Chief Creative Officer and co-founder of Sphero, Adam Wilson ’10 has realized his childhood dream of building robots and is featured in Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 6 spot.
Tyler Ledon BA ’11, North Hollywood, Calif., has been cast in the Out of the Box production of American Idiot at Center Stage Theatre in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Erika Vetter Fontana BA ’12, Fountain, has been accepted into the MFA Acting Program at the University of Washington.
Stephanie Darby BS ’13, Austin, Texas, has accepted an assistantship in the MRA Scenic Design Program at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Aisha Jackson BA ’13, New York, N.Y., became the first African-American Disney Princess when she appeared as Anna in the Broadway musical Frozen on March 28, 2018.
Keith Lindgren BA ’13, Sioux City, Iowa, has been named the inaugural men’s lacrosse head coach at Morningside University. He previously held the same position at Adams State as well as the University of Dallas.
Andrew Russell BA ’13, Westminster, won Best Animated TV Show at the Teen Choice awards for Lady Bug, an animated TV show in which Russell voices the role of Luka.
Emily Rae Batterson BA ’14, Gilbert, Ariz., is appearing in Blackbird at the Mendocino Theatre Company in Calif.
Jake Corcoran BA ’15, Greeley, made his New York City debut in Me and My Girl as a part of City Center’s ’Encores!’ series in May.
Lilian Brown BA ’16, Las Vegas, Nev., has been accepted into the MFA Acting Program at Ohio State University.
Samantha “Sammie” Harroun BA ’16, Longmont, accepted a position as a K-5 Drama Teacher for Montclair Elementary School in Denver.
Connor McRaith BA ’16, Burbank, Calif., cast as Brendan in The Aspen Project, which was shown as part of the Beverly Hills Film festival in April.
Cameron Koshgam BA ’18, Frisco, Texas, has been accepted into the MFA acting program at the University of West Virginia.
UNC Department of Aerospace Studies/Air Force ROTC Commissioned Five Graduating Cadets as Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force
- Ascheleigh N. A. Downum BS ’18
- Henry J. Hyde BS ’18
- Miguel A. Rios BS ’18
- Seamus M. Severance BA ’18, BS ’18
- Jacob W. Solseth BS ’18
