G’90s
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Adam Mekler G’92,’94,’98 shares, “I am pleased to announce the publication of a book I have been working on for over twenty years, The Diary of Dr. John William Polidori, including Related Correspondence and Other Documents.”
Dr. Matthias Beier G’97,’02 shares, “I am a 2002 and 1997 graduate of the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor at Christian Theological Seminary. I am pleased to share that the Indianapolis Star newspaper series on Christian Nationalism that featured my debate with Indiana Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith received national award recognition by earning first prize for Local, Regional and Metro Outlets from the Religion News Association in RNA’s international Excellence in Religion Reporting Contest. The debate took place at my suggestion after an Op-Ed I wrote and had been interviewed several times by Indiana’s flagship newspaper. My PhD in Religion and Society with a specialization in Psychology and Religion has prepared me for contributing public theology to this kind of award-winning journalism. I am grateful for this.”
Dr. John Kaltner G’90,’93 was presented with Rhodes College’s highest honors conferred on faculty at the college’s annual Awards Convocation held May 1 on campus. Kaltner, an associate professor of religious studies, was honored with the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity, recognizing his significant scholarly and creative contributions to his field. These awards, established in 1981 by businessman and Rhodes alumnus Clarence Day, are provided by the Day Foundation. Dr. John Kaltner has been a member of the Rhodes faculty since 1996 and has held the position of the Virginia Ballou McGehee Chair of Muslim-Christian Relations since 2007. With expertise in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin, and Arabic, he is an internationally recognized biblical scholar, specializing in the connections between the stories and ideas found in the Bible and the Qur’an. His first monograph, The Use of Arabic in Biblical Hebrew Lexicography, has become a key resource in the academic community. In 2023, Kaltner co-authored Jonah: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary with Profs. Steve McKenzie and Rhiannon Graybill.
G’00s
Dr. Barbara (Boscaino) Tamburro G’02, Doctor of Letters, gifted her extensive art collection to the Meadows Museum in Dallas, TX. The 39 works of Spanish-American artist Manuel Ayaso, the subject of her 2002 dissertation, represent varied media, including numerous silverpoint works for which he is celebrated internationally. The Meadows Museum houses one of the largest collections of Spanish art outside of the Iberian Peninsula. The museum has had frequent visits from the Spanish Royal Family, as well as Paloma Picasso and many notable 20th- and 21st-century Spanish artists and patrons. Manuel Ayaso, born in 1934 in the province of Galicia, witnessed the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War and the suffering and poverty he experienced as a child. His earliest memories were of pilgrims traveling through Galicia on the famous Camino to pay homage to St. James. This fantastical imagery was ever-present in his silverpoints, collages, etchings, and paintings. Ayaso was among the great figurative expressionists of the twentieth century, whose art reflected the human condition with all of its beauty and anguish. Dr. Tamburro’s gift coincides with a 2027 exhibit featuring art and artifacts on loan from the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral Museum to the Meadows Museum. Her dissertation is considered the primary resource on the subject of Manuel Ayaso and has been quoted in books, media, and exhibition materials in Spain for 25 years.
In December 2025, Dr. Joseph Segriff G’07, ’09 earned his latest degree, a 35th degree: an AA in Psychology (Honors: Summa Cum Laude) from Butler County Community College in Butler, PA. He was selected for inclusion on the BCCC President’s List for the Fall Semester 2025. This degree marks the 20th university or college from which he has graduated with at least one earned college degree.In addition, in August 2025, Segriff earned an AA in Early Childhood Education (Summa Cum Laude) from Hudson County Community College in Jersey City, NJ. A few months earlier, on May 21, he earned an AS degree in Criminal Justice (Summa Cum Laude) at HCCC’s 48th Commencement ceremony, held at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ. Segriff was congratulated for achieving a GPA of 4.0 and making the Spring 2025 Dean’s List. Also in May 2025, Segriff graduated from Montgomery County Community College with an AA in Liberal Studies (Summa Cum Laude) at MCCC’s 58th Commencement ceremony in Blue Bell, PA. He was selected for inclusion on MCCC’s Dean’s Commendation List (part-time students). Earlier that month, he graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College with an AA in Social Sciences (Summa Cum Laude), majoring in Social Sciences, and was named to HACC’s Fall 2024 Dean’s List. Dr. Segriff’s HACC history professor found two of his political science papers noteworthy: The Ending of the Cold War Was More About an Old Sick Animal Dying Rather Than an Old Man Bragging About Killing the Animal and Cracks Begin to Form Along the Fault Lines of American Hegemony: Mixing Business, Politics, and Sprinkling Small Amounts of Humanity Here and There Have Proven Disastrous for American Democracy (April 2025). In January 2025, Dr. Segriff graduated from Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, PA, with an AA in Philosophy (GPA: 4.0). He was included in NCC’s Spring 2024 Dean’s List. In May 2024, he graduated from Hudson County Community College’s 47th Annual Commencement ceremony, earning his AA in English (Summa Cum Laude). The day before that, Segriff graduated from Lehigh Carbon Community College’s 57th Annual Commencement ceremony in Allentown, PA, with an AA in Criminal Justice (Summa Cum Laude). He was also included in LCCC’s Dean’s List for the Fall 2023 semester. Segriff is currently a student at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, MD, majoring in Gender and Sexuality Studies. He is also a student at Hudson County Community College, majoring in Theater Arts. Dr. Segriff holds academic expertise in several scholarly areas, including writing pedagogy, academic writing, and psychiatric social history. He is a professionally certified life coach and has been living in New Jersey for more than 20 years. Segriff is a past graduate of Drew University, earning two doctorates: a D.Litt. (2007) in Writing/Humanities—Academic and Creative Writing, and a D.M.H. (2009) in Psychiatric Social History.
G’20s
Renata Kessler G’21 shares, “I am teaching ESL at County College of Morris and continue my playwriting. My last reading of The Hiding Place was presented in the Community Room of the West Orange Public Library. I am currently writing a new play based on my dissertation, The Flowers & Bones of Georgia O’Keeffe. I am looking for a venue for my next reading. Please contact me via [email protected] if you have any suggestions or would like to be a reader. Happy spring, everyone!”
