Notes from the Class of 1997

New York-based vocalist Keith Miller (Art ex’97) performed in a concert with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra. The concert, “An Evening on Broadway,” took place in May at the Vance Brand Civic auditorium. Keith lives in New York City with his wife and sings at the Metropolitan Opera in Manhattan.

The Denver Post featured Boulder resident Allen Lim (MKines’97, PhDIntPhys’04) in the August article about athletes and their diets.  “A lot of the stuff athletes put in their bodies while training and in a race is stuff that wouldn’t be serviceable to eat at home,” he told The Post. “It’s not food.” Allen says this is why so many athletes suffer from cramps, bloating nausea and more. He is a nutrition expert and founded Boulder-based Skratch Labs, a company that provides food and drink products made from real ingredients that optimize performance.

Director of global marketing solutions at Facebook Kelly Keaveney Graziadei (Jour’97) spoke at the CU-Boulder journalism and mass communication Cultural Caffeine series in October. Kelly discussed the culture at Facebook and the impact it has had on innovation and team leadership. She is responsible for North American sales and account management. Previously she worked as the global account director at Yahoo! Kelly lives in San Francisco.

On June 4, 2013, Julie Bartsch Riley (ApMath, Geol’97) and David Riley (Aero’97) welcomed a baby boy, Cooper Jackson Riley, who joins his big sister, Avery. The family lives in Arlington, Va.

The U.S. Forest Service promoted Scott Tangenberg (Geol’97) from San Bernardino National Forest mountaintop district ranger to deputy forest supervisor for the Stanislaus National Forest in northern California. Scott’s accomplishments include extensive fuels reduction, replanting projects, renovated roads and receiving state off-highway vehicle grants to help maintain roads in the forest. Scott lives in Big Bear City, Calif.

Being a part of America’s oldest general-interest magazine, Harper’s Magazine, is an honor. The magazine first began printing in 1850. Stacey Clarkson (A&S’97) is the magazine’s art director. She has helped lead Harper’s to numerous art awards and has received awards for her work as picture editor. She lives in New York.

As Facebook’s director of sales and account management, Kelly Keaveney Graziadei (Jour’97) has seen technology and the Internet’s impact on lives. In October 2013 she led a panel at CU-Boulder about Facebook’s influence on innovation and team leadership. Read more about her in this issue.

Professional chefs’ attention to detail as they chop or season the meal inspires admiration in amateurs. “Top Chef” season five winner Hosea Rosenberg (EngPhys’97) awed judges on the show and has continued to gain respect in the Denver/Boulder area with his catering business, Blackbelly Catering, Events, and Farm.

Mexican American writer Luis Alberto Urrea (Engl’97) received a Canadian award from the Blue Metropolis Foundation for his novel Queen of America. This book is a sequel to his bestseller, The Hummingbird’s Daughter, and tells the story of a young woman moving to America. Luis lives in Naperville, Ill., and is a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Harper’s Magazine’s art director, Stacey Clarkson (A&S’97), and photojournalist Tomas van Houtryve (Phil’99) spoke last spring at CU-Boulder about technology, society and privacy. The event was part of the recurring ATLAS Speaker Series.

This summer Matthew Larsen (PhDGeog’97) was appointed director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, which aims to determine the importance of tropical nature on human welfare. In his role, Matthew oversees 300 employees, a budget of $23 million and the institute’s research facilities in Panama and field sites in 14 countries.

Former English teacher Melinda MacInnis’s (MEngl) trip to Swaziland seven years ago led her to take an eye-opening trip around the globe to film The Price a documentary about rhino poaching and the issues that arise from it. She was honored as one of National Geographic’s 2014 Travelers of the Year for her efforts. Melinda lives in Boulder.

Sarah Kauss (Acct), the inventor of a popular, sleek, stainless-steel water bottle in 2010, was named to Forbes’ “40 Under 40” list. Sarah has sold millions of the bottles, available through J. Crew, Starbucks and other retailers. She even received a nod of approval from Ellen DeGeneres.

Last October Joy Roberts (Soc) was awarded the 2014 Specialized Prosecutions Attorney of the Year Award from the Association of Deputy District Attorneys. Joy is a deputy district attorney in the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Life coach, speaker and author Jenn McRobbie (Comm) wrote the book Why Is She Acting So Weird? A Guide to Cultivating Closeness When a Friend Is in Crisis. The book was born of her experiences interacting with friends after her diagnosis with breast cancer. It was an Amazon best seller in three categories and the “#1Hot New Release” in the friendship category. Jenn also was selected as a finalist for the 2015 International Book Awards in the relationships self-help category. The book is available in paperback and digital format on Amazon.com. Jenn lives in Fairfax, Va.

CU couple Scott (Mktg) and Allyson Roach Berberich (Mktg’98) and their two children threw a dog birthday party in their hometown of Parkville, Mo., for their dogs Folsom and Ralphie, Allyson writes. Scott is a vice president at Commerce Bank in Kansas City and Allyson works for Bartlett Grain Company.

Nicole Vranesh (ArchEngr) was inducted into the CU Athletic Hall of Fame this November. As a Buff volleyball player, she was a two-time, first-team All-Mideast Region selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. She helped bring the Buffs to the national stage in volleyball and as setter led the Buffs to the 1992 and 1993 Big Eight Tournament Championships and the 1993 Big East title.

Rosa Blooms, the latest book from Lori Batcheller (MJour), is a children’s picture storybook about a wild rose that seeks to find her place in the natural world. The full-color illustrations depict the Flatirons, local flora and fauna and the seasonal weather of the Front Range. Lori is a freelance writer specializing in health and wellness, yoga and disabilities.

James Eric Lupo (ElCompEngr; MD’08) moved back to Colorado from Los Angeles after completing his final two years of surgical training in otology, neurotology and lateral skull base surgery. He joined the practice at the Rocky Mountain Ear Center in Englewood, Colo.

In July 2017 Katie Stanich Kramer (Mgmt) will become the president and executive director of the Boettcher Foundation. She becomes the fifth executive director in the foundation’s 78-year history, as well as the first woman and the youngest to serve in the position. A Boettcher Scholar herself, Katie has worked at the foundation for nearly 20 years, including 13 years as vice president and assistant executive director. In 2014, she was recognized as one of the Denver Business Journal’s “40 Under 40.” She lives in Arvada, Colo., with husband Joseph (ElEngr’97), who was a member of the CU-Boulder Alumni Association’s board of advisors.