Class Notes

Kevin J. Jones (Class) of Denver reported on the hopes and the sufferings of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Jordan and Lebanon during a Catholic Relief Services’ 2014 Egan Journalism Fellowship. His reports were published through the Denver-based Catholic News Agency, where he is a senior staff writer. Kevin’s reports were translated for CNA’s Spanish- and Portuguese-language sister news agencies.

Psychologist Anna Peters (MPsych; PhD’08) relocated to Estes Park, Colo., to become chief clinical officer of Harmony Foundation, Colorado’s longest-running residential alcohol and drug addiction treatment center. She directs the Harmony Clinical Program, which treats around 700 men and women for alcohol and drug addiction each year.

Anthony Pigliacampo (Engr) created Modmarket with partner Rob McColgan as a healthy alternative to existing fast-food restaurants. There are now 10 Modmarket restaurants in Colorado and Texas, and the chain is hoping for more. Read more about Anthony in the Summer 2014 issue of the Coloradan. Modmarket offers fast, inexpensive, farm-fresh food.

When Brad Turner (Jour, Mus) of Denver joined Colorado Public Radio in 2013, he was the first digital producer for CPR’s classical service. He has worked as a reporter, editor and public relations professional. Before working at CPR, Brad managed communications and voter outreach for the Boulder County Elections Division.

President Barack Obama named Adrian Chavez (MCompSci) a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. This award is the highest honor the U.S. government gives scientists and engineers who are beginning their careers. An Albuquerque native, Adrian works for Sandia National Laboratories. His focus is on cybersecurity for critical infrastructure such as power grids, oil and gas refineries and water pipelines.

At Boulder’s Industrial Market Information, Bridget Strand (MEcon’05, PhD) serves as economist for its industrial markets research firm. She is the economist for the organization’s sister company, Modern Distribution Management. Bridget specializes in economic modeling, international trade and project management. She has published research in many journals.

NASA named Nathaniel Putzig (PhDGeoPhys) a Planetary Science Early Career Fellow, which will aid his research goals. He plans to search for ground ice in sand dunes across the southern hemisphere of Mars. Nathaniel is a senior research scientist in Boulder’s Southwest Research Institute’s space science and engineering division.

As NASA’s deputy social media manager, Jason Townsend (PolSci) of Washington, D.C., coordinates more than 450 social media accounts for the space agency. They broadcast about NASA’s people, missions and programs.

On Aug. 16, 2014, Whitney Bombard (IntlAf) and Andrew Mohler (Aero) were married at the Dennis Inn in Dennis, Mass. They met in Boulder their senior year and tied the knot last summer with some of their favorite Buffs in attendance. They live in Boston and write, “Go Boston Buffs!”

Mark Arnoldy (Psych), the CEO of Possible, a nonprofit delivering low-cost healthcare to the poor, was named one ofForbes magazine’s top 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs in January 2014. Prior to Possible, he worked closely with a Nepali social entrepreneur for three years to help treat malnourished children and also helped create two U.S. businesses to fund Nepal nutrition programs.

Last summer Sara Weisberg (EnvSt) studied coral reef ecology and the conservation of marine systems along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with Miami University’s Earth Explorations global field course. She is pursuing a master’s degree from Miami University’s Global Field Program.

Matthew Davis (Jour) of San Francisco received second place for the 2013 best sports story from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for his article titled “Young Guns” in The Ark newspaper of Tiburon, Calif. He writes as a freelancer for the George Lucas Educational Foundation, Adobe and various other companies.

Friends Christian Nitu (Mktg) and Cory Finney (Fin’12) sold their outdoor ski locker system to Best Lockers, a 46-year-old Maryland firm. The pair started their concept, a high-tech kiosk that networks with an app, after a friend’s skis were stolen. In February 2013, 71 of their lockers were installed at Winter Park Ski Resort. “For us, it was a validation that we could build a product while we were in school that means something in the real world,” Christian told The Denver Post.

With his CU entrepreneurial training and experience with the Deming Center Venture Fund, a capital investment account operated by CU-Boulder graduate students, Matt Reisman (MBA, MEnvSt) launched Rachio, a Denver-based startup firm focused on water conservation through smart irrigation systems. Matt lives in Superior, Colo.

Polar Bottle and Cenote hydration system brands hired Elisa Schauer (Jour) of Boulder as a marketing and public relations associate. While at CU, Elisa helped the triathlon team win a national championship and interned in the marketing department at American Rec.

The Wayfaring Band, co-founded by Pavel Reppo (Spch), provides adults with special needs with social opportunities, such as group road trips. The group also designs leadership workshops for executives and emerging thought leaders.

When Zachary Wehner (MMechEngr) graduated in December, he was the fourth generation of his family to earn a degree from CU-Boulder. His great-grandmother Anna Mary DesBrisay (Btny, Edu1914) was part of the first class to use Macky Auditorium. His grandmother, Margaret Sylvester Wehner (Edu’53), was next to graduate, followed by his father, Russell Wehner (Econ’83). “Through the years, the University of Colorado has been our stronghold and has served our family very well,” Margaret says.