C’83
Cliff Gerstman is spending two weeks this summer in Switzerland studying particle physics and doing research at CERN (European Council for Nuclear Research). He is very pleased to have been selected for this highly sought-after and very competitive opportunity, coming on the heels of last year’s journey to FermiLab outside of Chicago, where he also studied particle physics.
Congratulations to Christine (Carpenter) Cullen, who retired on March 31 from New York Life, where she was a data analyst in group annuities since 2019. Prior to that, she was a business analyst at MetLife for 20 years. She and her husband reside in Madison, and their two adult sons live in the area.
Valerie (De Marco) C’82 and Robert Muir send everyone their greetings.
Susan (Kessler) and Alan Apter C’80 became grandparents for a second time in November 2024.
C’84
First, we have some sad news to report; if you haven’t already heard, Michael Merrill died unexpectedly earlier this year. Please refer to the In Memoriam section in this issue for the main citation. Our collective condolences go out to his family and friends, especially our classmates who knew him well. Fortunately, Mike did attend our fortieth reunion last summer. Laura Hook shared that she, Ken Vega, Jon and Beth (Myers) Lander, Nathaniel “Rob” Kohn, Doug Schneller, Ari Levine, and Andy Shapero spent some time with him. I’m glad to hear they were able to, in Laura’s own words, “catch up and hang out with Mike.” I’d be honored to submit other remembrances of shared experiences with Mike you might recall as a fond tribute.
At our reunion, I caught up with Chris Browne. Chris and wife, Aimee, both graduated from Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, MA, which is near where they previously lived in Longmeadow. Since then, they have moved to Belchertown, a much more rural part of Western Massachusetts. They both practice child protective law with the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families. Aimee serves as Regional Counsel, managing twenty attorneys; Chris humbly describes himself as an “ordinary lawyer prosecuting abuse and neglect cases.” There’s also another generation of Brownes in the legal field. Daughter Mary Kate Browne graduated from Siena College and then received an LL.B. from City of London College and an LL.M. from St. John’s University. Son Cameron Browne graduated from Mount Ida College. Then, he received an LL.B. from Queen Mary University of London School of Law and an LL.M. from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Mary Kate provides legal aid to indigent taxpayers, representing them in tax court; she also writes for taxnotes.com, as does Cameron.
Donna (Filion) Hartley is heading into retirement at the end of the current school year, as this column goes to press. She has been working as a high school counseling secretary for six years after substitute teaching for twenty years in the Wheatland-Chili Central School District in Scottsville, NY, which both of her children attended. Donna began substitute teaching when her daughter was in first grade, stepping away from a position in medical research; she hadn’t expected to work in the district all these years, but she now looks forward to spending more time with her two toddler grandchildren. Donna plans summer camping trips and a celebration cruise to Australia and New Zealand next winter, along with her already-retired husband, Dave. We look forward to hearing about it, Donna, and congratulations!
C’86
Peter Schnatz writes that he and his wife, Melanie, are enjoying watching their children grow and thrive in their academic, athletic, and social endeavors. Rebekah is in her final year at Southeastern University’s nursing program and plans to pursue a career in Florida, while Abby has settled into life at UConn, recently joining the School of Business as a marketing major. Sarah is wrapping up her senior year of high school, looking ahead to college, and David, now a sophomore, balances tennis, coaching skating, and a potential interest in architecture. Melanie has started working again, using her editing talents. Peter has transitioned from his role at Reading Hospital and is now working at Lehigh Valley. He cherishes time with his family and remembers loved ones with gratitude.
Doug Woelfel and his partner, Don, escaped the New Jersey cold this past winter with a 14-day transatlantic cruise from Miami to Spain. They spent a few days in Barcelona, which included a visit to Montserrat and a cooking class.
C’88
Roommates Paul Oberman and Rob Halverson have reconnected, as Paul has been working with Rob’s son to prepare for the SAT. Paul reports that Rob’s son is quite bright and a lot of fun to work with! Also, if Paul closes his eyes, he hears the voice of 20-year-old Rob whenever his son speaks! If you know of anyone looking for a tutor, http://www.ObermanTutoring.com. By the way, Rob reports that he is quite pleased with Oberman Tutoring for building his son’s English and math test-taking skills.
Rev. Jeffrey Markay C’88, T’95 is in his 35th year of full-time ministry in the United Methodist Church. He now serves as Senior Pastor at the United Methodist Church in Chatham, NJ. If any Drew alum would like to help with the 24/7 food pantry or at the weekly food distribution in the church’s back parking lot, please contact him at the church office: 973-635-7740. Chatham UMC is always welcoming new partners, businesses, volunteers, and people of compassion as they help people dealing with food insecurity.
Josh Friedman is opening another business (the last was The Other End). This time, it’s cannabis instead of coffee. The NYS-licensed dispensary is called The Corner House and is located in Trumansburg, NY (just outside of Ithaca). Come visit!
I (Horst Staudner) recently started a new part-time job as a NEMT (Non-Emergency Medical Transport), helping transport elderly patients with limited mobility residing in nursing homes to their required hospital, doctor, or other medical care appointments. I am also still active as a librarian with The Human Library®, where I bring people together to have conversations with those who are often marginalized in our society, creating mind-expanding and sometimes life-changing interactions. Get more information about this global initiative at http://www.humanlibrary.org or by contacting me at [email protected].
C’91
Arthur Malkin shared, “I can report that I am living in the house I grew up in with my wife of 24 years and in my 23rd year as a pool Public Defender for the Office of Parental Representation. I am fortunate to be able to help families stay together and make a difference in the lives of my clients!”
Cathy Carhart Henry was nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to a lifetime appointment as a federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on December 3, 2024. Cathy graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Drew University in 1991 before earning her J.D. from the District of Columbia School of Law in 1995. After working as a staff attorney at the Feminist Majority Foundation in Arlington, VA, in 1995, she became a public defender in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas from 1996 to 2001. Since 2001, she has worked as a federal defender in the Federal Community Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
C’95
Sarah (Saunders) Buhre is a teacher of the Deaf and hard of hearing in the San Francisco Bay area; same job for 25 years and counting! She’s still married with two kids (ages 19 and 17). For fun, she likes to volunteer with a nonprofit that educates the public about “live steam” engines, where they give free rides to the public around about a mile of track. It’s a lot of fun; she and her son are learning a lot about mechanics, electronics, etc. See photo gallery.
Gale Paff is in her 29th year of teaching at Wall High School, where she has been teaching Honors Lab Chemistry and AP Chemistry. She was recently nominated for the FM 95.9 WRAT radio Teacher Who Rocks award recipient. Gale was noted for her unwavering commitment to her students’ success and her nurturing yet challenging approach to teaching, which is demonstrated through her work ethic, teamwork, and responsibility in how she deals with everyday interactions. Additionally, her many volunteer efforts outside of school have become inspirational for high school students and colleagues alike.
C’96
Happy spring, fellow C’96 classmates! I hope your 2025 is off to a great start! Can you believe that many of us are now 50 years old and older? Wow, time just flies by. – Shannon Travis, Class Secretary
Speaking of turning 50, Marie (Aufiero) Drohan shared that back in November, a group of C’96 grads went into NYC to celebrate several classmates turning 50. They had dinner and saw &Juliet. The participants included Marie (Aufiero) Drohan, Michelle (Aufiero) Cleary, Kristen Deo, Heather (Tobin) Abrams, Caterina “Cathy” (Caruano) Toner, Gabriella “Gabby” (Vescio) Lopes, Cynthia “Cindy” (Vaccaro) Aki, and Michelle Benedek-Barone. Marie also mentioned that Lorraine (Michocki) Visvikis and Emma (Faravelli) Rubino could not make the November event, but joined many other Drew Crew dinners over the years. See photo gallery.
In celebration of my 50th, my husband and I went on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. In January, we journeyed to Antarctica. It was an amazing and breathtaking experience. One more continent down. I now have just one continent left to check off, visiting all seven continents. See photo gallery.
Shreya Mandal celebrated her 20th anniversary as a qualified trauma expert witness in federal immigration court. She was later qualified in the New York Unified Court System, New Jersey, and Florida State Courts.
What about your 50th birthday celebration? We would love to hear about that, as well as other updates and pictures you want to share. You can send those to me at [email protected]. If you have not been receiving my submission request emails, please validate and update your contact information with the Drew University Advancement office here. Have a beautiful spring and a fun-filled summer. Talk to you in the fall.
C’99
Dawn Digrius Smith C’99, G’05, ’07 shares, “My husband and I lost our home and all of our belongings in the Eaton Fire on January 7-8, 2025, which ravaged through the town of Altadena where we lived. In addition to losing his Emmy awards for cinematography (11 of them), I lost my academic regalia from Drew University worn for my PhD, as well as all of our clothing, furniture, art, and such. We evacuated only with a few photo albums and important documents. Sadly, I also lost my external hard drives that had all of my academic work, including research, syllabi, and photos from my time teaching at Drew (while a grad student), Clemson University, and Stevens Institute of Technology.” See photo gallery.
Christina (Biamonte) Faubert has been living in Orlando, FL for almost seven years and loving a new job with Hoopla Digital, a content platform for public libraries.
Alejandro Villarino is now an assistant professor of Immunology at the University of Miami, living in the Sunshine State with his wife and two daughters. He still keeps in touch with the Rugby suite boys.
C’00
Pierre Orbe shares, “I’m proud to share that I was recently named the 2025 New York State High School Principal of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS). This prestigious honor recognizes a principal who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a measurable impact on student achievement and school culture.
I graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology, originally intending to pursue medical school to support students like my older brother, who is on the autism spectrum. However, my journey took a meaningful turn when I began working in the New York City Public Schools. There, I discovered a deeper purpose: to transform schools from within and ensure that students with diverse needs have the support and opportunities they deserve. Since 2017, I’ve had the privilege of serving as the Principal of DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. At the time, the school faced steep academic and cultural challenges. With a committed team and community support, we’ve raised graduation rates from 48% to as high as 97%, doubled college readiness, and created a school culture built on opportunity, safety, and equity. This recognition also positions me to represent New York State as a nominee for National High School Principal of the Year through the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). You can read the full press release here. My time at Drew laid the foundation for my commitment to equity, inquiry, and servant leadership. I remain proud to be a part of the Drew community and am grateful for the opportunity to share this milestone with my fellow alumni.” See photo gallery.
C’01
Congratulations to Pavan Ramdya, who gave a TEDx talk about his work. If you want to hear Pavan speak about how flies can help us build better robots and AI, you can view the talk here.
Daniel James “D.J.” Wright says he misses his Drew days, adding that they “really were amazing, fun, free times with awesome people who wanted to, and are changing the world for the better.” In addition to his funeral home, D.J. owns Max Fitness & Wellness (formerly the Max Challenge) in Clinton, NJ, in addition to the Flemington location. He is excited to be helping people live healthier, longer, and happier lives! With the combination of these two ventures, D.J. notes that he can help people with grief, as “so many families I serve through my funeral ministry are getting the opportunity to take care of themselves physically, which helps with their psychological healing so it’s truly a win-win for everyone!”
John Tiesi and his wife Trude live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with their daughter, Jeanne, who turns eight this summer. John is a Managing Director at Marsh, Inc., where he oversees middle-market financial products. Over spring break, the family took their first trip to Italy, John’s ancestral homeland, where they enjoyed lots of great art, historic sites, and pasta!
C’04
Elisabeth Ploran shares, “I am happy to report that I have been promoted to Full Professor at Hofstra University and am currently serving as Chair of Psychology.”
C’08
As Assistant Director of Clinical Services at New York University’s Student Health Center’s Counseling and Wellness Services, Genny Cuocci is helping to launch a Collegiate Recovery Program at NYU. This is a university-sponsored program to help join students and NYU’s community who are in recovery from substance misuse and/or disordered eating. Genny is also learning to snowboard and keep work-life balance at the forefront.
C’09
Jennifer (Bronstein) Sargent has moved to London with her husband and two children. She is continuing her career in video production and advertising. See photo gallery.
