Class Notes

At age 91, wind energy pioneer Palmer Carlin (ElEngr; MS’52; PhD’55) can be found at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Wind Technology Center in Golden, Colo., three days a week answering questions from the public about renewable energy. While working at CU as an electrical engineering professor, he built an early wind turbine prototype and discovered his calling. He’s been with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory ever since. “We’re trying to keep the planet’s temperature down,” Palmer says. “Wind is one way to do that.”

Sandra Cortner (Ital) published her second book this fall, Crested Butte . . . Love at First Sight. The book is filled with Crested Butte tales of traditions, characters, old-timers, ranchers and the early days of the ski area. A companion to Crested Butte Stories . . . Through My Lens (Wild Rose Press, 2006), the book is illustrated with more than 100 of Sandra’s photographs taken during her 40-plus-year career as a photojournalist. The book is available at crestedbuttestories.com.

Eighty-four-year-old Sue Humel Viders (Art) created an alter ego of herself named Meg, a character with a strong personality and the star of a series of mystery books available at dbhumel.com and Amazon. Sue also is author of numerous nonfiction books, articles and columns for artists and writers. A book she co-authored, The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines, is used by writers worldwide.

The National Federation of Press Women named Barbara “Bobbi” Hillman Gigone (Jour) the 2015 Communicator of Achievement winner during its national conference in Anchorage, Alaska. Bobbi is a longtime supporter of CU’s host parent program for international students, and most recently hosted a female student from Iran. Bobbi was the first regular female news reporter at the Boulder Daily Camera and first public information officer for Boulder County.

The Rocky Mountain Centennial Cup is back in Buff hands after the football team was victorious against CSU in September. Bob (Law) and Lydia Ruyle (Econ, PolSci’57) were there to witness the victory. Lydia went to her first game 80 years ago when her parents brought her just after she was born, in 1935. She continued attending games through childhood and as a CU student and then with Bob. They live in Greeley, Colo.

Martha Grossman (Hist) has published a memoir, Coming of Age: Come Rain or Come Shine. Martha began writing the book after her 44-year marriage ended in 2003, while she was looking to piece her life back together and find her voice. “I came of age at the age of 65,” she writes. Martha lives in Taos, N.M.

The College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University in Minnesota named Anna Lisa Ohm (IntlAf; MGer’79) professor emerita. She has taught at the school since 1988. After graduating from CU, Anna lived and worked in Germany and served four years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia and Tunisia before earning her doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She lives with her husband, Stuart, in Saint Cloud, Minn.

Richard George (Engl’62) has published five volumes of his writing on smashwords.com, the world’s largest distributor of indie e-books. The works include a collection of poems, a novel about a man who leaves Colorado for a big city and a book of verses Richard has penned since high school. The titles can be found by searching Richard’s name in the search box of the website.

In June, Albuquerque attorney Roberta Cooper Ramo (Hum) received the highest award of the American Bar Association, the ABA Medal. She was the first woman to head the association. She works in New Mexico for the law firm Modrall Sperling, concentrating on mediation, arbitration, business law, real estate, probate and estate planning. Roberta also was the first woman elected president of the American Law Institute, in 2008, a position she remains in today.

After his graduation from CU, artist Anthony Szabo (MArt’67) worked as director of arts programs in Roswell, N.M., a position created under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. He then worked as an instructor with the College of the Desert in Palm Desert, Calif. Anthony has retired and published a science-fiction novel, Terrascension: A Quiet Cacophony.

In October the William N. Rom Environmental Lung Disease Laboratory opened at Bellevue Hospital. Bill Rom (PolSci) served 25 years as the director of the New York City hospital’s chest service and also worked for the pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine division at New York University School of Medicine. He was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award by the American Thoracic Society and also delivered a 2010 presentation at CU on the early detection of lung cancer using biological markers. He teaches climate change and environmental policy at NYU’s College of Global Public Health. Bill enjoys skiing in Aspen, canoeing from his cabin in Ely, Minn., and living and working in New York City.

After 36 years as a geography teacher at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, David Hickcox (Geog) retired. While there, he founded and chaired the environmental studies department and wrote several books. He writes that his CU geography professors had a life-changing and lasting impact on his personal and professional life. He also was a ROTC graduate and spent three years on active duty overseas, including a tour in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. He was awarded a Bronze Star and other decorations.

Regis University physical therapy professor Marcia B. Smith (PhysTher; PhDEPOBio’96) was awarded the American Physical Therapy Association’s Catherine Worthingham Fellow Award. She was honored for her contributions to the advancement of the physical therapy profession. As an educator, she has been a strong advocate for neurological content in entry-level education. She has also emphasized for a broad audience the acute and long-term effects of concussions and brain injuries, and the role physical therapists should play in intervention.

George Karvel (Fin; MAcct’72; PhDBus’79) last year was inducted into the Minnesota Real Estate Hall of Fame. He writes: “Much of what I have achieved is the result of earning three degrees at the University of Colorado. My success is really the success of CU.” George lives in St. Cloud, Minn.

This year attorney Linda Kinney Neuman (A&S; Law’73) was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame. Linda was the first woman appointed to the Iowa Supreme Court, in 1986. She moved to the state after meeting her husband, Henry Neuman (Law’73), at CU. Linda retired from the Iowa Supreme Court in 2003 and has since focused on private practice and teaching at the University of Iowa Law School. She also serves pro bono as counsel to the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa.

The American Collegiate Retailing Association awarded Michael Levy (Mktg; MS’75) its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in Academics for his dedication to retailing. Michael is a marketing professor at Babson College. He has researched retailing, business logistics, financial retailing strategy, pricing and sales management and published more than 50 articles in marketing and logistics journals. He co-authored Retailing Management, a best-selling text published by McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Former NBA and Buffs basketball player Scott Wedman (RelEst) was inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. He played at CU from 1971-74 and is ranked 19th all-time for scoring, with 1,251 career points. Scott was the sixth overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft for the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. He won two titles with the Boston Celtics, in 1984 and 1986, the first former Buff to earn an NBA title.

Rocket scientist Kevin McNeil (Math) spoke about the exploration of Mars during a lecture series for children at the Cortez Cultural Center Plaza in Cortez, Colo. He worked for Marietta/Lockheed Martin for 28 years, 25 of which he spent developing spacecraft for NASA missions, including missions to Jupiter, Venus, Mars and comets. He retired in 2007 and moved with his wife to Ridgway, Colo.

Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers promoted Beth Robinson (Math) to broker in charge. She specializes in luxury estate and ranch properties in North Kohala, on Hawaii island, where she lives. She was named to Hawaii Business magazine’s top 100 realtors list in 2011 and 2013. She received her doctorate degree in economics from the Colorado School of Mines and spent more than 10 years working as a Wall Street banker. When she moved to Hawaii in 2006, she began her career in real estate.

Biotechnology company Nora Therapeutics appointed Joseph Turner (MMCDBio) to its board of directors and chair of its audit committee. A seasoned executive in the biopharmaceutical industry, he served as senior vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer of Myogen, Inc. for several years. Joseph serves as an active board member for several biopharmaceutical companies and is on the board of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome at CU Anschutz.