Notes from the Class of 1998

At the fourth annual Change LA event, former student leader Pilar Diaz (Ethn’98) received the NextGen Leadership award by the Liberty Hill Foundation. The award recognized her commitment to social justice and her work in philanthropy. She lives in Los Angeles.

Baby girl Eve Alexandra Graves was welcomed by parents Kimberly Martin Graves (PolSci, Soc’98) and Peter Graves on Jan. 28, 2011. Eve joins big sister Lola and the family in Oregon City, Ore.

Uruguay resident Lucy Peglar’s (Anth’98) was surprised to hear her purse was featured in a Dec. 8 Denver Postarticle about hip purses that are pushing the envelope in handbag fashion. Lucy and her husband own Cocobelle Designs, a purse, sandal and jewelry business. They live on the coast of Uruguay with their three daughters. While Lucy loves beach life, she says she misses Boulder and the Flatirons. She is the sister of Tori Peglar (MJour’00), the editor of the Coloradan.

Avid mountaineer Peter Beal (MArt’98) wrote Bouldering: Movement, Tactics and Problem-Solving (Mountaineers Books). He has climbed for more than 30 years with a strong focus on bouldering. He also teaches art history at Front Range Community College and lives in Boulder.

In January Eben Clark (Law’98) joined Johnson & Repucci as counsel. Eben’s practice consists of land use, resort development and project financing, real estate and commercial litigation. He lives in Boulder.

Director of family wealth planning at Crestone Capital Advisors, Randi Grassgreen (Law’98) joined the board of trustees of The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County. He lives in Boulder.

Erie, Colo., resident Jennifer Spitz (Law’98) was named to the Colorado Super Lawyers list as two of the top attorneys in Colorado for 2012. She practices in areas of trust and estate planning, taxation, probate, charitable planning, real estate and business law.

Louisville, Colo., resident Clint Wells (Psych’98) ran in the Bolder Boulder in May. He placed eighth with a time of 32:16.

In January Risa Kass (EnvSt, EPOBio’98) and her fiancé are expecting their first baby. Her law firm, Kass & Navins, is thriving with three locations with a concentration on divorce coaching. Risa lives in Nyack, N.Y.

The Arapahoe Library District Board of Trustees appointed Nicolle Ingui Davies (Jour’98, MPubAd’03) as executive director. In this position she is responsible for formulating and administering an annual budget as well as developing and implementing policies that support the organization’s strategic plan. She lives in Littleton, Colo.

On Dec. 21 Courtney Nowlin Opdyke (Hist, PolSci’98) and Christopher Opdyke (Econ’99) welcomed their third son, Andrew Clement. The family lives in Park City, Utah.

Apple recognized Jordan Schugar (Engl, Geog’98) as one of the nation’s most notable and innovative teachers with its prestigious Apple Distinguished Educators Award. He is one of 90 U.S. educators selected for the award and will serve as an “ambassador of innovation” at education events around the world. Jordan is an instructor at West Chester University and specializes in teaching writing, composition, literacy and educational technology. He lives in West Chester, Pa., with his wife and two children.

Co-owner of Cocobelle sandals and accessories Lucy Peglar (Anth’98) lives in Uruguay with her husband and three daughters. Cocobelle’s sandals were featured in the Garnet Hill summer 2013 catalog. More of her collection is at cocobelledesigns.com.

Pirie Associates Architects promoted Brady Stone (EnvDes’98) from project manager to associate. Pirie Associate Architects is one of New Haven, Conn.’s, top architecture firms. Brady has been professionally designing, detailing and constructing the built environment for more than 14 years. His work includes a contemporary addition to and rigorous restoration of a 1950s modern residence designed by architect-turned-sculptor Tony Smith. Brady lives in New Haven with his wife and two boys and is always working on their mid-century modern home.

Freedom’s Frontier: California and the Struggle over Unfree Labor, Emancipation, and Reconstruction by Stacey Smith (Hist’98) details the battle of slavery in the multiracial state of California. It covers such  topics as African American slavery, American Indian indenture, Latino and Chinese contract labor and sex traffic in Indian and Chinese women. The University of North Carolina Press published the book in the fall.

Olympia, Wash., resident Stephen Manning (Mktg’98) joined the law firm of Bean, Gentry, Wheeler & Peternell as associate attorney. Stephen received his law degree from Seattle University and works in the areas of business, employment, real estate, health care and administrative law.

The Quarterly Forum, a leadership organization connecting Colorado’s influential executives and companies, named Ryan Heckman (Fin’98) executive director in January. Prior Ryan spent his 17-year-long career as a private equity investor. Before he entered the financial market, the Colorado native and passionate skier became the youngest member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. He lives in Denver.

Former Leeds business school dean and current Trinity University President Dennis A. Ahlburg promoted eight members of his faculty to full professor in February. Mark Lewis (MAstro’98, MCompSci’00, PhDAstro’01) was one of them. Effective this fall, he will be a professor at Trinity’s computer science department. Mark lives in San Antonio.

The World Economic Forum named Amy Cuddy (Psych’98) one of its 2014 Young Global Leaders. Each year 250 leaders under the age of 41 receive the distinction. Amy is an associate professor and Hellman Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School.

Eric Schweikardt’s (CompSci, EnvDes’98) Moss robot-construction kits gained great support after a crowdfunding campaign began last year. Eric is co-founder of Boulder-based Modular Robotics. The campaign brought in $77,000 in pledges in the first seven and a half hours, according to an article published in BizWest. The kits include different plastic modules, such as sensors or motors with magnets embedded in the corners, for connection points.