Notes from the Class of 1980

Former CU Foundation President and CEO Rick Lawrence (Bus’80) is now president and CEO of wealth management firm Sargent Bickham Lagudis. The firm, which has offices in Boulder and Denver, manages $900 million across 400 clients. Rick lives in Lafayette, Colo.

Attorney Susan Korenvaes Robin (EPOBio) is a partner in the Akerman law firm’s real estate practice in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She represents clients in commercial real estate transactions with a focus on advising developers, owners and operators of hotels, resorts, condominiums and mixed-use real estate projects in the U.S. and Caribbean.

Rebecca Shockley (DMus) wrote “Dorothy Stolzenbach Payne: Remembering a Legendary Cincinnati Piano Teacher,” about her mother, for the January-February issue of Clavier Companion magazine. Rebecca traces her mother’s life and career as a teacher and pianist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and as a longtime friend of composer Percy Grainger. Rebecca has donated materials to the Dorothy Stolzenbach Payne Archives, to be housed at the University of Cincinnati.

Boston consulting firm Charles River Associates hired economist Michelle Burtis (PolSci) as vice president. A seasoned analyst of alleged price fixing, market allocation and attempted monopoly, among other things, she has served as an expert in a wide variety of legal proceedings.

As director of communication at Patrick Henry College in northern Virginia, David Halbrook (Jour) supervises planning and implementation of broad-based, integrated college communications and social media strategy. He also is an adjunct journalism professor, editor of the college’s American Roundtable publication and coordinator of an interview series.

After writing sociology textbooks and poetry for 27 years, Irene Blea (PhDSoc) has published three novels. Her latest book is Daughters of the West Mesa (APQ Press). Irene retired as chairperson of Mexican American Studies from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1998.

Daughters of the West Mesa, a novel published in 2015 by Irene Blea (PhDSoc), is a murder mystery based on the true story of the discovery of 11 female remains and an unborn fetus west of Albuquerque, N.M. Irene is the author of seven sociology textbooks and a play, as well as academic articles and poetry.

Herb Keinon (PolSci), diplomatic correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, is the author of two books: French Fries in Pita, a collection of his columns about life in Israel, and Lone Soldiers: Israel’s Defenders from Around the World, which tells the stories of young non-Israelis in the Israeli army. Herb has lived in Israel for more than 30 years, and is married with four children.

The Board of Trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities appointed Barbara Kelberer McDonald (Engl) president of North Hennepin Community College. She has worked as interim president of Minnesota West Community and Technical College since 2014. Barbara received her master’s degree from the American University in Cairo and her doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Osseo, Minn.

Retired educator Phyllis J. Perry (EdD) released a book in November 2015 from History Press, Colorado Vanguards: Historic Trailblazers & Their Local Legacies. It chronicles the exploits of 30 men and women of Colorado, including explorers, miners, farmers, Native Americans, railroaders, inventors, scientists, doctors, statesmen, environmentalists and entrepreneurs. Phyllis has published scores of books, six of which have dealt with Colorado. Find her at www.phyllisjperry.com.

California formal verification services company Oski Technology, Inc. appointed Dave Perry (ElEngrCompSci) chief operating officer. He previously served as vice president of engineering at Arteris. He also worked for Silicon Graphics, Inc., serving in multiple development and leadership roles for multiprocessor systems. Dave has seven granted U.S. patents and one pending in microprocessor, system and SoC design.

Marc Rayman (MPhys; PhD’85) is the chief engineer and mission director at NASA for an exploration of the two largest uncharted worlds in the inner solar system. Following his nuclear physics research at CU, Marc worked for JILA on experimental tests of special relativity and atomic and laser physics. In 1986 he joined the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and worked on optical interferometry missions to detect planets around stars and designed a mission to return samples from Mars. Asteroid Rayman was named in recognition of Marc’s contributions to space exploration.

Mary Bendelow (MComm; PhD’83) was selected to join the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation’s (PDF) People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council. In this role, she will help drive PDF’s goals of ending the disease and supporting those affected by it. Mary works as a tour director for U.S. and Canadian national parks.

Laura Marello’s (MEngl) book, Maniac Drifter, has been published by Guernica Editions, Toronto. Earlier in 2016, Laura released a collection titled Balzac’s Rose and Other Poems. Laura has published four other books and received numerous grants and fellowships. She lives in Lynchburg, Va.

After serving 15 years as chancellor, Pamela Shockley-Zalabak (PhDComm) retired from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus in February. She worked for UCCS for four decades and taught classes in the communication department while serving as chancellor.

Golden, Colo., resident Gina Meagher (MCDBio) published her second book, The Nitty-Gritty of Managing Diabetes: Personalizing Your Approach through Determination, Perseverance & Balance. The book addresses how personality, attitude and self-advocation can impact Type 1 diabetes. Gina was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 17 and with celiac disease at age 32. She strives to live a life that is not defined by her conditions.

Rebecca Shockley (PhD’80), professor emerita of piano pedagogy at the University of Minnesota School of Music, recently published a revised and expanded edition of her mother’s memoir, Is There a Piano in the House? Her mother, Dorothy Stolzenbach Payne, was a well-known pianist and teacher in Cincinnati for many years. Originally published in 1985 by the Keyboard Club (which she founded in 1935), the book includes new photos, letters, programs and stories

Since graduating from CU, Tammy Kaitz (Thtr’80) has worked as an actress and producer based in Los Angeles. She writes that she married childhood sweetheart Steve Crane (Psych’77; Law’80), who works for the LA law firm Crane Robinson & Seal, which he co-founded in 2001.

Laurie Cantillo (Jour’80) is deputy director of communication and education at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Previously, she worked at NASA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., for three years as a lead communication specialist in the planetary science division. During her time in D.C., she created and produced NASA’s first podcast, Gravity Assist.