Class Notes

Caitlin Donnelly married Landon Mock (University of Colorado ’07) on September 24^th, 2016 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The ceremony was followed by a waterfront reception on the Potomac at Indigo Landing in Alexandria, Virginia. Kathryn Saunders served as the Maid of Honor. Also in attendance were fellow Mary Washington 2010 classmates Cassandra Ratti, David Pierandri, Courtney Woodburn, Scott Hoffman, and Andrea Briceno. Caitlin works as a Proposal Writer for MorphoTrust USA, LLC, an identity solutions firm, and Landon works as a Personnel Research Psychologist at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Caitlin and Landon currently reside in Washington, D.C.

Laura Pilati is now working at St. Andrew’s School (in Richmond) as Volunteer and Special Events Manager. She started the new job in August.

Samantha Bradshaw Nochitta married Hernan Nochitta on October 10, 2015, gaining twin stepchildren, Fabrizio and Guillermina, age 12. On October 4, 2016, they welcomed Alba Maria Beatriz Nochitta, in the middle of Hurricane Matthew. The Nochittas live in Bluffton, SC.

From Hannah Hopkins: Michele Alexander is a M.A. Candidate in Strategic Communication at American University. She is recently engaged to Matthew Magruder (Class of 2010).

Mary Katherine Napier and Brendan Bailey were married in Durham, NC on July 16, 2016. Brendan and MK first met in Mason Hall during their freshman year at UMW. They were surrounded by many MWC grads (including MK’s parents and old brother) and UMW grads (the maid of honor and all of the groomsmen).

Meredith McLeod and Catzby James are in their second year of teaching English at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia. They are likely to remain for a third year.

Kira Lanewala is an MPH candidate at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Her research practicum at Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida examines support persons in the abortion procedure room. She plans to remain in central Florida after graduation in Spring 2017.

Samantha Luffy is a Program Analyst within the Research Division in the Office of HIV/AIDS in the Bureau for Global Health at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, DC. She primarily manages HIV vaccine and microbicides awards through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

##

From press release submission: Edward “Dirk” Lynch, Environmental Scientist with MSA, P.C., recently obtained his Class 4 Drinking Water (“Waterworks”) License, which allows him to serve as operator for Class 4, 5, and 6 systems.  Systems classified by a lower number serve a greater number of individuals and/or provide more advanced forms of treatment.  This license complements his Class 4 Wastewater Operator license and allows Lynch to service entire water systems from the water source through consumer usage to wastewater treatment and finally disposal.  With a Bachelor of Science from the University of Mary Washington, Lynch has a background in environmental sciences with an emphasis in chemistry as related to groundwater and environmental health.

##

From Madeline LeCuyer: Madeline was inducted into IASTE Local 798, the Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Union. She also started work as a Hairdresser on the new Broadway musical, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.
##

From press release submission: Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic’s Emily Antos, from Merrimac, Massachusetts, and a 2011 graduate of University of Mary Washington, was recently named a “Rising Star” by Federal Computer Week Magazine. The 27-year-old engineer is an Assistant Program Manager for the Navy’s Program Management Warfare (PMW) 240 Sea Warrior Mobility Project Team at SSC Atlantic’s National Capital Region Detachment. “I am very honored and flattered that my supervisors did all the work to nominate me for the award. It is very humbling,” said Antos.

Antos and her team have been developing Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPTE) mobile applications for Sailors to access at their fingertips, and on their personal devices to simplify their career self-management. “Emily’s involvement has dramatically sped up the capability services delivery front, leading the acquisition of tools for pay and personnel modernization systems, from idea to delivery to weeks and months, instead of years,” said George W. Willman IV, Antos’ lead supervisor.

“I really liked starting the app program,’ said Antos. “As the lead engineer, I have a lot of leeway with normal engineering processes, traditionally used for large scale programs, to customize them for the smaller scale projects we are working on, and tailor them for those projects. A lot of these processes are now being used by other groups at SSC Atlantic. It is very fast-paced. It is cool. Plus I get to do the whole lifecycle engineering of a project and application.”

Antos has been in her current position for less than two years. She began her government career at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, with a Mathematics degree. But doors opened up to SSC Atlantic after she earned her Master’s degree in Engineering Science from Old Dominion University in 2014.   “I liked the work I was doing at Dahlgren, but I was on the front end of the project and I wasn’t able to see the user utilize what we were doing’ said Antos. “But here at SSC Atlantic I am able to see Sailors use what we have created for them. That is what motivates me every day.”

“I think overall, whether inside or outside of work, I need to feel like I am making a difference,” said Antos. “With what I am doing now, I get to see Sailors use our products and I know that the work we do is having a direct impact. To me, that makes all the difference.”

Kristin Leber Frank married Charles Edward Frank on October 1, 2016 on the beach in Nags Head, NC

Sofia Ahmad received her Doctor of Optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. She moved back to her hometown and joined Advanced Ophthalmology Inc., a private practice in Woodbridge, VA.

From Andrew Hogan: Elizabeth Brennan works for an accrediting agency and has spent the last 2.5 years traveling to post-secondary institutions throughout the USA. Among her observations, she has noted that students that are provided with a school sponsored week long outlet to engage in spirited, mascot centric events appear to be more engaged, involved, and satisfied with their institution.

Andrew Hogan is currently working on a performance art installation targeted towards up-and-coming urban neighborhoods. The piece, entitled “Bring Back Beak Week,” explores the themes of loss, anguish, and desire in a contemporary setting crippled by the power of oppressive elites.

Daniel McGuire works as a Digital Operations Manager where he has seen firsthand the effects of Social Media on adolescent awareness of important events. Currently, Daniel has been monitoring the declining trend in tweets and hashtags regarding spirit weeks, and how this decline may effect participation in future events.

Eric Phung ’15 continues to pursue his career in software development. Eric has recently been developing an app for school systems that notifies students of upcoming spirit weeks. Eric hopes to spark excitement on college communities.

After earning his degree, Max Reinhardt ’15 went on to enter the senior housing industry with the hope that he could play a part in the development of caring, spirit filled communities.

Ryan Vaughn continues his work on a Ph.D. in mathematics from George Mason University. His groundbreaking thesis, entitled “Diffusion Modelling of School Spirit Among College Communities Via Spring Spirit Weeks” will be completed soon. Ryan hopes to enact positive change in small public liberal arts universities across the country after graduation.

From Kelly Bassford: Kelly Bassford is a 2014 graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a Bachelor of the Arts and an Associates in Education from Germanna Community College. Since graduation, Kelly has held positions in Higher Education as an Education Support Specialist in the Virginia Community College system and currently as the Program Support for the Office of Student Activities and Engagement and the Administrative Assistant for the Assistant Dean of Student Involvement here at UMW. Kelly is continuing her education in both higher ed and event management and will obtain her Career Diploma in Event Planning January 2017.