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CLASS NOTES

Class Notes

Supporting Women on Roads of Achievement

Beverly Brown '73

'73 BS Beverly Brown is more than a biochemist, she's a change agent. As the new director of the Boston University Women's Council and honorary president of the Boston University Women's Guild in Boston, MA, Brown will help raise scholarship funds and provide housing for women of diverse backgrounds who are engaged in graduate work at the university.

“The efforts and dedication put forth by the Council to support women students of Boston University and enhance their educational experiences are outstanding,” said Brown. “I'm honored to be involved with such a dynamic group, and I'm looking forward to being a part of the organization as it continues to build strength and stature.”

Brown lends impressive experience to the group. As chief development officer of the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT)/Partners Healthcare in Boston, Brown is responsible for cultivating sponsors and raising funds to improve patient care by initiating the development of innovative technology. She began her career in research and development, holding various positions in diagnostic and therapeutic research and drug development. She has an extensive background in the fields of neuroscience, gene expression and drug discovery.

Brown holds a bachelor's degree in medical technology from UIW (formerly Incarnate Word College), a master's degree in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin, a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota, and she conducted a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School's Department of Neurochemistry. She has authored numerous publications including two book chapters and has one issued patent on drug discovery technology.

Brown resides in Boston with her husband, Robert A. Brown, current president of Boston University.


A Ministry of Community Development

Arturo Chavez '89

'89 BA Arturo Chávez will be the new president of the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) beginning Aug. 1.

Chávez firmly believes in the mission of MACC, and its board has expressed confidence in his foresight and leadership qualities to keep the organization on track as the national leading Catholic institute in Hispanic and multicultural ministries.

His education includes a bachelor's degree in religious studies from UIW, a master's degree in theological studies from the Oblate School of Theology and a doctoral degree from a joint program of the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology.

Chávez has worked in a variety of ministries including as a teacher, youth minister, and chaplain. As a community organizer and activist, he has assisted grassroots communities in assessing and responding to their critical social needs. He was instrumental in developing resources to implement community development projects and innovative programs for youth and families. His extensive experience in all facets of nonprofit management includes helping to establish a local youth organization.

Chávez resides in San Antonio with his wife Mary and two daughters, Graciela and Angelica.


Second in Command

Paul A. Spilsbury '95
Paul A. Spilsbury ‘95

'95 MA Paul A. Spilsbury, a native of Illinois, assumed the role of Executive Officer as second in command of the only naval air station in the Pacific Northwest.
Spilsbury will lead Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in the state of Washington, a location that received top honors as the Navy's 2006 Command Installation Excellence Award winner. Before this, Spilsbury served as operations officer, administrative services officer and interim chief of staff for three major naval operations located there.

The air station has been operating for 64 years and is home to numerous squadrons and tenant commands. Its workforce consists of 11,250 personnel including military members, federal civilian employees and contractors.

Spilsbury began his Naval career in 1982 as an electrician's mate. He earned his bachelor's degree in technical journalism from Oregon State University under the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He went on to serve as a Naval flight officer at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento, CA, and continued his work at the Naval Air Station at Moffett Field.

Years later, while assigned to the 562nd Flying Training Squadron at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Spilsbury attended UIW and earned his master's degree in management in 1995.

1960s

Mary Michaels Pohlmann ‘65

Mary Michaels Pohlmann ‘65

‘65 PhD Mary Michaels Pohlmann has been elected to a four-year term on the City Council of Carbondale, IL. As chairperson of the Smoke-Free Carbondale Coalition, Pohlmann was instrumental in passing a local smoke-free ordinance. She also worked to pass the Smoke-Free Illinois Act that bans smoking in all indoor workplaces, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1.

'66 BA, '94 MA Jackie Stott was named a finalist for the 2007 Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Stott is an English teacher at Robert G. Cole High School in the Fort Sam Houston School District in San Antonio.

'67 BSN Sr. Kathleen Coughlin, CCVI, UIW vice president for institutional advancement, was appointed by CHRISTUS Health to a three-year term on the system's board of directors, effective
Jan. 1.

1970s

Mary Spalding

Mary Spalding ‘70, ‘74

'70 IWHS, '74 BA Mary Spalding is regional chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Texas Tech Health Science Center in El Paso.

'71 BA Carol Darling moved to Colorado Springs, CO, to join Cottonwood Artists School and work with the Adduce Foundation of Colorado Springs, which helps high school students prepare portfolios for art school scholarships. Darling has taught university and high school students for many years. She fondly remembers UIW and the exciting art classes that helped prepare her for a long and satisfying career in art education.

Dennise Maslakowski ‘76, ‘79

Dennise Maslakowski ‘76, ‘79

'76 BA, '79 MA Dennise Maslakowski received a Phi Delta Kappa Education Award EDie in June for her dedication to the state of New Hampshire by providing innovative graduate-level coursework and unrelenting support of Phi Delta Kappa and Plymouth State University.

1980s

'81 BA Moses West launched www.topusattorneys.com earlier this year. The web site, which receives about 30,000 hits each week, lists over 100,000 attorneys in the U.S. including Hawaii and Alaska.

Stephen and Jessica Gann

Stephen and Jessica Gann

'82 BA John Gann and wife Lucy proudly announce the high school graduation of two of their five children. Stephen, age 18, and Jessica, age 15, both graduated at the annual Homeschool Christian Youth Association (HCYA) ceremony in May in Houston. They both were national honor society members and dual-credit students who attained recognition on the President's List for academic achievement at Tomball College in Texas. Stephen will attend Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH, to pursue a degree in theology. Jessica will continue studies at Tomball College and then transfer to complete a four-year degree program in graphic design.

'83 BA Jerry Pilato is working with Nederlander Corporation and Broadway San Diego, a company that handles Broadway shows touring in San Diego and Los Angeles, CA, and in Tucson, AZ.

'83 BA Mardi Marah is student teaching and working with a project that assists persons with mental health problems who want to return to the workforce.

’86 BA Max Parrilla has accepted a position at California Institute of Technology as technical operations manager after working in the theater field in San Antonio for 25 years.

1990s

'90 BA Linda Jacobson donated one of her original floral paintings to the Texas public television on-air auction to be sold to raise programming funds. She also exhibited two paintings at the Fiesta Show this spring at the San Antonio International Airport. Jacobson returned to New York City for the International Licensing Show in June (last year's trip was featured in the fall 2006 edition of The Word). In July, she displayed two paintings at the Regional Artists Consortium Gallery in Alamo Heights.

'90 BA Melody Campbell-Goeken was named director of marketing communications for Barton Creek Resort and Spa in Austin.

'91 BSN Cindy Stout was promoted to chief nursing officer for Del Sol Medical Center in El Paso. She began at Las Palmas and Del Sol Healthcare in 1988 as a nurse technician and has held several positions prior to being named chief officer.

'96 BA Cindy Osbourne and her husband Philip played in the band Scary Manilow for over three years. She is involved with a public access music show, Inside the Room, the Short Ends [film] Project in San Antonio, and the TV series, Just Getting By.

'97 BBA Justin Rodriguez was elected to the San Antonio City Council in May.

'98 BA, '02 MEd Roxanna Montes-Bazaldua received the Spotlight of Excellence Award at the Alamo Heights Independent School District Board of Trustees meeting in February.

'98 BS Sophia Cantu was voted Teacher of the Year at her campus. Cantu teaches sixth-grade science at Cobb middle school.

'98 IWHS, '03 BBA Erin Dunham, an account executive at Southwest Business Corporation, has been nominated for the Young Agent of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas. The list includes ten executives under the age of 40. Dunham is the youngest nominee and one of only two women listed.

'98 MA Ricardo Carrion, Jr., a scientist at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, is involved in groundbreaking research using donated human blood for testing agents against Lassa fever, a virus confined to western Africa. The virus is of concern to Federal health officials regarding its potential use as an instrument of bioterrorism.

'99 BA Leticia Gutierrez-Ledesma teaches special education at Horace Mann Academy. She is also an instructor at the Good Samaritan Community Service Center helping to prepare teen parents and those on parole or probation to take the GED exam. She has a six-year old daughter, Jaelin, and a one-year-old son, Moises.

2000s

'00 BA, '02 MA Adriana R. García was named vice president of communications for the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She is responsible for internal and external communications at the Chamber and also marketing, media relations, publications and telecommunications. Garcia is also pursuing a doctorate in advertising from the University of Texas at Austin.

'00 BA Shannon Jarrell guest-starred as the character Gillian on the season finale of the television show All of Us. She also had a role on the ABC network show Notes from the Underbelly in June.

'00 BA Thi Pham, SCJ, was ordained to the priesthood at St. Luke Parish in San Antonio.

'01 BS Armando Ramirez, Jr., received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine in San Antonio and will conduct his residency in surgery at the University of Tennessee in Memphis.

'01 BS Kacy A. (Vandewalle) Ramirez received her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine in San Antonio and will pursue a residency in pediatrics at the University of Tennessee in Memphis.

'01 BS Maria G. Falcon received her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine in San Antonio. Falcon will remain in San Antonio to complete a pediatrics residency.

'03 BA Meagan Block recently graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

Tae Dawson ‘05

Tae Dawson ‘05

'05 MAA Tae Dawson was named associate to the executive director and human resources liaison for the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park in Syracuse, NY. Dawson will provide executive administrative support of the organization's human resource department functions.

 

Yliana Trevino ‘05

Yliana Trevino ‘05

'05 BAAS Lupe Salazar is currently pursuing a master's degree in management and leadership at Webster University and attends classes held at San Antonio military installations.

'05 BBA Yliana Trevino joins Carneiro, Chumney and Company's audit and assurance services team as a staff auditor.

'06 BA Melissa Pabon's essay, “The Representation of Curanderismo in Selected Mexican American Works,” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education. Pabon wrote the essay when she was a UIW McNair Scholar. She is currently teaching in a Houston middle school.

'06 MBA Reagan Merchant has accepted a job with Southwest Business Corporation as a product manager.

Side Note

At the CCVI Jubilee on May 26, alumna '54 BA Lily Lee Chinn told the story of her son-in-law who recently met actor Bruce McGill at a golf tournament in California. After realizing a connection to San Antonio and Incarnate Word, McGill raved about UIW theatre teachers '62 BA Sr. Germaine Corbin, CCVI, and '06 HON, '71 Maureen Halligan, professor emerita. As an area high school student, McGill was involved in some of Incarnate Word's productions before going to Hollywood and making a name for himself in the film Animal House.

Anniversaries

'58 IWHS, '62 BA Mary Pat Wiener and husband Raymond celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this year.

Engagements

Jennifer Balleza ‘05 and Jason Gonzalez

Jennifer Balleza ‘05 and Jason Gonzalez

'00 BA Gina N. Gonzales and '99 BS Michael R. Dockal are engaged to marry in Houston in August.

'05 BA Jennifer Balleza and Jason Gonzalez are engaged to marry on Nov. 24.

Wedding Belles and Beaux

'97 BA Jamye Sagan and Louis Ray Komurek on Oct. 21 in San Antonio.

'99 IWHS Nancy Catherine Agnese and '07 MBA Bryan Kyle Vrla on June 2 in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word.

'00 BS Susan Chung and David Baltzer on May 26 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Houston.

'02 BBA Matthew Stephen Duke and Andrea Meredith Holt on Dec. 29.

'05 BA Melissa Lee Lamb and Dustin Hurst on Feb. 3.

'06 BA Christine Luke Martin and Tyler Jeffrey Fox on July 7 in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word.

'06 BBA Ross Alan Ondrusek and UIW student Jenna Marie Dunk on May 19.

Future Alumni

Hannah Erin Sullivan

Hannah Erin Sullivan

'84 IWHS, '93 BSN Yvonne Gonzalez Sullivan and husband Sean M. Sullivan: a daughter, Hannah Erin Sullivan, on April 12.

 

Olivia Rose Sanchez

Olivia Rose Sanchez

'96 BA Rosalinda (Mendez) Sanchez and '97 BA Mark Anthony Sanchez: a daughter, Olivia Rose Sanchez, on Jan. 9.


Julia Elizabeth Roehl

Julia Elizabeth Roehl

'00 BBA Ehren Roehl and wife Elizabeth: a daughter, Julia Elizabeth Roehl, on Jan. 12.

 

Simon Gerard Perry

Simon Gerard Perry

'02 BA Jessica Perry and Robert Perry: a son, Simon Gerard Perry, on Dec. 29.

 

Peyton Alexander Salas

Peyton Alexander Salas

'02 BA, '05 MAA Richard Salas and his wife Rilana: a son, Peyton Alexander Salas, on June 11.

 

'04 BBA Arturo Mejia, Jr., and '02 BS, '05 MS Carolina (Negrete) Mejia: a daughter, Sarah Sonia Mejia, on Feb. 9.

CCVI Alumnae Jubilarians

Diamond 60 Years 1947-2007
'52 BA, '98 HON Sr. Margaret Patrice Slattery
'56 BS, '68 MA Sr. Brigid Mollaghan
(formerly Sr. Benignus)

Gold 50 Years 1957-2007
'55 IWHS, '73 BA Sr. Mary Bernadette Burke
'62 BA Sr. Germaine Corbin
'61 BM, '71 MA Sr. Mary Ann Kendrick
'61 BSN Sr. Sarah Lennon
'64 BA Sr. Pauline Nugent
'68 BA Sr. Mary Pezold
'70 BS Sr. Carmen Roche

In Memoriam

'29 Julia Webster
'35 BA Minnie Baum Strunk
'35 Santa Rosa School of Nursing,
Mary Frances Peterson Rolf
'36 IWHS, '40 BA, '63 MA Helen Elder Cassin
'42 Santa Rosa School of Nursing, Kathleen Joy Keith
'42 Santa Rosa School of Nursing, '67 BSN Janet Esther Wendel
'47 Santa Rosa School of Nursing, Gussie Mae Tasler Baumgart
'49 BSN Sr. Theodosia Conroy, CCVI
'50 BSN Annie Lally Milhaven, CCVI
(formerly Sr. Peter Gerard)
'50 BSN Sr. Declan Moroney, CCVI
'54 BSN Lt. Col. Margaret Price Clark,
USAF NC (Ret.)
'56 BSN Carol Ann Pulkrabek Crouch
'61 BSN Sr. Margaret Mannion Magnus, CCVI
(formerly Sr. Hilary)
'68 BA Sr. Mary McArdle, CCVI
'73 BA, '80 MA Marjorie P. Awalt
'75 BA Diane E. Erwin,
library staff
'93 MA Geraldine Terrazas
'03 IWHS Susan Marie Calvey
Helen Roberta Pettus Loftis,
former IWC student
Audrey Jane (Ajay) Castro,
benefactor
Col. Victor J. Ferrari, USAF (Ret.),
benefactor
Dr. Peter D. O'Connor,
former IWC academic vice president
Theodora (Dora) Ruffner,
former faculty
Audrey Jones Sasser,
benefactor
Vice Admiral Wallace B. Short,
benefactor
Irene Wischer,
benefactor

Endnotes

Share Your News!

New job? Newly married? New arrival in the family? Simply send us your email address and recent news so we can share your accomplishments in a future issue of The Word: alumni@uiwtx.edu, or call the Department of Alumni Relations at (800) 584-5322. Visit our web site at www.uiw.edu/alumni regularly to keep up with alumni news and events. You can also receive our monthly email newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you.

Note: Please remember that submission of material does not guarantee its publication.

Link with Others

You can network and locate classmates in your area by using the UIW Alumni Online Directory. To join, visit http://www.uiw.edu/alumni/onlinedirectory.html and register. You'll receive an email to establish your password once your status has been verified. Once you're in, your ID and password will give you access to over 1,000 former students and lots of networking resources. Be sure to keep your personal information up-to-date to stay connected.

Get Together!

Help build an Alumni Network in your area. Contact the Department of Alumni Relations to link with other graduates and plan a network get-together. UIW is looking for help building networks in various locations so fellow classmates can meet and have fun. Networks have already been formed in some key Texas cities. If you are interested in developing one in your area, please let us know: alumni@uiwtx.edu.

Be a Class Agent

Support your school by representing your class. As a Class Agent, you'll contact alumni in your area to organize activities in support of UIW and encourage alumni to volunteer, donate, network, and stay involved! Class Agents can be influential in encouraging potential students to consider UIW as their choice for higher education. If you are interested and would like more information, please let us know:
alumni@uiwtx.edu.

Help Provide Faculty Development $

Thanks to those who regularly use their Bank of America UIW affinity credit card. UIW receives a percentage quarterly on all credit card use without any extra charge to alumni or the university. We are receiving annual revenue of $4,000 from Bank of America, which goes directly to the Faculty Development Endowment to continue improving the quality of classroom teaching. The university also receives matching Federal dollars. UIW is now partnering with Liberty Mutual to provide discounts on insurance and funds to boost faculty development.