Fall 2021
See 1950–60s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020, Weddings and Engagements, Babies, or Seen on Social
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Maybe you recently got married or had a baby, celebrated a promotion or professional milestone, or had a gathering with some UHart friends. Whatever your news may be, share your UHart pride with your fellow alumni by submitting a class note, tagging us on social media, or using the hashtag #UHartAlumni. Select news and posts may be published in a future issue of H magazine.
1972 | Greg Oviatt
After 40 years at Barnes & Noble, Greg Oviatt (A&S) started Milton Creek Digital Services in 2013 to develop public domain classics for publishers and retailers. Oviatt is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and lives in Bucks County, P.a.
1973 | Bob Isherwood
Bob Isherwood (Hillyer) will serve as guest curator and content researcher for the Slate Valley Museum (Granville, NY) exhibition One Painting, Many Stories: Exploring the Legacy & Context of a Slate Valley WPA Mural. The exhibition opened November 13, 2021 and will run into 2022. Isherwood retired from a 33-year career as an educator, and recently closed his consulting business after 11 years.
1977 | Caryn Jarvis
Caryn Jarvis (Barney) is a retired consultant and is now writing books to help people succeed in business.
1974 | Dawn Varava
Dawn Varava (Hartt) has been selected as the interim artistic director at the South Camden Theatre Company (SCTC) in Camden, N.J. Varava is an equity actor and has performed in several productions on the SCTC stage. Varava is also a director, musician, and teacher.
1977 | Irwin Novak
Irwin Novak (M Barney) was a guest on the St Pete X Podcast. Novak is the chief executive officer at Kane’s Furniture in St. Petersburg, Fl. Listen to the podcast.
1980 | John O'Brien
John O'Brien (M Barney) has been elected to the board of trustees at the Springfield Museums. O'Brien is the managing partner of the certified public accounting firm, J.M. O'Brien & Company, P.C.
1984 | Randall Gordon
Randall Gordon (Hartt) was highlighted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in their Rensselaer at Work series. The profile chronicles his career path from cellist to senior vice president, data governance at Citi Private Bank.
1980 | William Bridgeo
William Bridgeo (M Barney) is retiring after serving as city manager in Augusta, Maine for 23 years. Bridgeo has spent 43 years in municipal management, serving the towns of Killingly, Conn.; Calais, Maine; Hallowell, Maine; Canandaigua, N.Y.; and Augusta, Maine. Read more about Bridgeo’s career.
1980 | David Murray
David Murray (Hartt) is currently in his 25th year as professor of Bass and fourth year as director of the School of Music at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind.
1980 | Bruce Raffel
Bruce Raffel (Barney) has been named membership manager at the under-construction Hunt Valley, Maryland location of Onelife Fitness, a chain of fitness clubs headquartered in McLean, VA with more than 50 locations from Baltimore south to Atlanta and west to Kansas. He is also a certified Les Mills BodyPump and BodyCombat instructor and personal trainer.
1980 | Patrick Roye
Patrick Roye (ENHP) has been recognized by the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association (NHIAA) for 25 years of athletic coaching. Roye is a four-time Coach of the Year in boys and girls basketball in New Hampshire. He is currently in his 32nd year of teaching special education.
1982 | Marcy Campbell
Marcy Campbell (A&S) has joined NextRoll, a marketing technology company, as an independent board director. Campbell is the senior vice president, digital commerce sales and global professional services at PayPal, where she leads the global sales and professional services team.
1985 | Kevin Ronan
Kevin Ronan (A&S) is a television producer, director, and seven-time Emmy winner. Ronan is also the co-owner of Ronan & Ronan Productions and 3R Media, LLC. Ronan and his wife recently produced a documentary on aging and are in the process of getting it ready for broadcast. Read more about Ronan.
1986 | Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick (Honorary) was honored at the Third Annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Tribute Awards with the Special Tribute Award. The TIFF Tribute Awards honor the film industry’s outstanding contributors and their achievements.
1989 | Susan Danis
Susan Danis (M Barney) was interviewed by Broadway World about post pandemic plans for Florida Grand Opera. Danis is in her ninth season as the general director and CEO for the Florida Grand Opera. Read the interview.
1989 | Jolie Rocke
Jolie Rocke (Hartt) has written and produced a performance titled, Triumphant Over Triple Negative, which is set to premiere Oct. 3, 2021. The performance is an auto-biographical fragment of Rocke’s life and demonstrates the healing power of music and the importance of a supportive community. Read more about the performance at JolieRocke.com.
1992 | Aïda Alassane N'Diaye-Riddick
Aïda Alassane N'Diaye-Riddick (A&S) was a speaker at the Amujae Leadership Forum convened by the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development (EJS Center). The forum consisted of women leaders from across the African continent. Aïda Alassane N’Diaye-Riddick is the country manager for Teaching at the Right Level Africa, a new initiative jointly led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Abdul Jameel Poverty Action Lab and the Indian education NGO Pratham.
1997 | Nelba Márquez-Greene
Nelba Márquez-Greene (Hartt), founder of The Ana Grace Project, was the Commencement speaker during two separate Fall Commencement ceremonies on Dec. 5. Márquez-Greene founded The Ana Grace Project in 2013 as a response to the school shooting in Sandy Hook, Conn., in 2012, which took the life of her daughter, Ana Grace Márquez-Greene. Márquez-Greene received a Distinguished Alumna Award as part of UHart’s 2020 Anchor Awards, which recognize alumni who have distinguished themselves through their achievements professionally and in the community. Read more about Márquez-Greene and Fall Commencement.
1990 | David Cappellina
David Cappellina (M Barney) has joined Grant Thorton LLP as a fraud and forensics managing director. Cappellina has more than three decades of experience as a forensic accountant and compliance professional. He has worked with Fortune 100 companies in a multitude of industries as well as federal and state regulators.
1991 | Frank Wolak
Frank Wolak (M Barney) has been announced as president and chief executive officer of The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA), a national association representing over 60 leading companies and organizations. Wolak previously was the senior vice president for government affairs and marketing development at FuelCell Energy, Inc., an FCHEA member; and previously served as FCHEA’s board chair.
1993 | Peter Boyer
Peter Boyer (M Hartt, D’95 Hartt) premiered new work, Balance of Power, in September with the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The 18-minute, three movement work was commissioned in celebration of the 95th birthday of Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State.
Photo by Dario Acosta
1993 | Debra Volz
Debra Volz (Hartt) has joined Appell Center for the Performing Arts in York, Pa. as the director of marketing, following a 20 year tenure as senior director of creative services at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). She hopes to get back to campus to visit the old stomping grounds, and also to visit her niece who just started at The Hartt School.
1994 | Eric Truntz
Eric Truntz (CETA) has been named chief technology officer at Adams & Knight, a digital marketing services firm in Avon, Conn. Truntz will lead the agency’s technology specialist, oversee IT infrastructure, and direct the agency’s marketing technology development services.
Image from the Hartford Business Journal
1995 | Ginne-Ray Clay
Ginne-Ray Clay (M 1995) has been selected as the inaugural executive director of the state Social Equity Council (SEC), which will have a large role in approving cannabis business licenses in Connecticut. Clay is the president of the Greater Waterbury NAACP and president of Executive Solutions.
Image from the Hartford Business Journal
1995 | David Cordani
David Cordani (M Barney) will serve as the chair of the Board at Cigna starting Jan. 1, 2022. Cordani is also the president and chief executive officer at Cigna and has been part of the company for 30 years.
1996 | Michael Perrone
Michael Perrone (M Barney) was appointed as treasurer for the Old Rochester Regional School District in Massachusetts. Perrone has spent his entire career in the educational sector, most recently serving as the associate superintendent and chief financial officer at the Polk County Public Schools in Florida.
1996 | Subramaniam Viswanathan
Subramaniam Viswanathan (M Barney) has joined Chimera Investment Corporation as chief financial officer and principal financial officer. Viswanathan previously served as the managing director and chief operating officer at Global Mortgages and Securitized Products since 2012.
1997 | Charlene Casamento
Charlene Casamento (M Barney) has been appointed associate vice president for enterprise administrative operations at Virgina Tech University. In this role, Casamento will work alongside Virgina Tech leadership to execute university-wide operational initiatives. Most recently, Casamento served as chief financial officer at Central Connecticut State University for nine years.
1999 | Neil Becker
Neil Becker (Barney) has joined First Republic Bank as a managing director. Becker brings more than 20 years of experience in banking to the role.
2001 | Raffaella Petrini
Raffaella Petrini (M Barney) has been appointed secretary-general of the Office Governing Vatican City State—making her the first female secretary-general of Vatican City State, the highest-ranking woman at the Vatican, and the second-ranking position in the government of the Vatican City State. In this role, she will oversee a diverse range of departments such as the Vatican’s museums, post office, department of health, and police force. Read more about Petrini.
2001 | Alex Hellinger
Alex Hellinger (ENHP) has been announced as the senior vice president and regional executive director of Northwell Health’s Brooklyn region. In this role, he will be responsible for managing the health systems strategic affiliations. Hellinger previously served as the executive director of Lenox Health Greenwich Village.
2005 | Dezron Douglas
Dezron Douglas (Hartt) has joined the Trey Anastasio Band, an off shoot of the band Phish, as a jazz bassist. Douglas has been playing with the band since September 2021.
2005 | Kelly Turner
Kelly Turner (HAS) received the prestigious Barbra Goodrich Rising Start award from the Connecticut Mortgage Bankers Association for outstanding work in the Connecticut Mortgage Industry.
2007 | Anne Halloran Tortora
Anne Halloran Tortora (M Hartt) successfully defended her dissertation research, Leadership Awareness and Professional Identity in Ensemble Conductors, earning a doctorate degree in education at Creighton University. Tortora serves as the director of music at Saint Bernard School in Uncasville, Conn.
Andrea Hawkins (M A&S) and her husband Doug Barber, who own Berkins Blend in Glastonbury, Conn, have taken over the café at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. In addition to offering counter service, Berkins will also take over catering service for events at the Atheneum. Read more about Berkins on Main.
2000 | Tina Beckwith
Tina Beckwith (M Barney) has been named chief marketing officer at LL Global, a parent organization for LIMRA, LOMA, and Secure Retirement Institute. Beckwith brings more than 20 years of experience to the role, including leadership positions at both MetLife, Aetna, and Beacon Health Options.
2002 | Jeff Champagne
Jeff Champagne (HAS, M’06 Barney) has started his own consulting practice; Champagne Strategic Advisors, LLC; to help medtech entrepreneurs develop breakthrough medical devices and biotech. Focused on product development, strategy, and fundraising, Champagne is proud to be part of a group of angel investors in the Boston ecosystem dedicated to empowering startups to succeed.
2004 | Cheri Eleazer
Cheri Eleazer (Hartt) has been announced as SUNY Maritime College’s Women’s Basketball head coach. Eleazer most recently was an assistant coach at the University of Maryland Baltimore College, where she assisted with strength and conditioning and guard coaching.
2004 | Stephanie Knutson
Stephanie Knutson (M ENHP, D’19 ENHP) was inducted in the Capitol Community College’s Alumni Wall of Fame during their virtual Changing Lives Celebration in late October. Knuston is a senior training and technical assistance associate for Education Development Center. Read more about Knutson and the Capitol Community College’s Alumni Wall of Fame ceremony.
2004 | Salverio Titus
Salverio Titus (Barney, M’06 Barney) has been selected by Stafford, Conn. republicans as the party’s candidate for first selectman. Titus is currently in his first term on the Board of Finance for the city.
2005 | Riad Habib
Riad Habib (CETA) has been announced as the senior vice president of energy and industry in North America at Bureau Veritas, a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection, and certification services. Habib brings nearly two decades of experience in the energy industry, including leadership positions at a Fortune 500 global infrastructure consulting firm.
2005 | Maureen Leathers
Maureen Leathers (Barney) has joined Travelers Insurance as senior director of operations communications. Leathers has held various marketing and communication roles in insurance, wealth management, and health services.
2006 | Ryan Bauer-Walsh
Ryan Bauer-Walsh (Hartt) conceived of and helped write the music for the world’s first LGBTQ lullaby album, The Rainbow Lullaby. Bauer-Walsh is a New York-based writer, composer, artist, and community activist. Learn more about The Rainbow Lullaby and Bauer-Walsh.
2006 | Lauren Drapeau
Lauren Drapeau (M Barney) has been hired as the national sales director of annuity advisory solutions at Protective Life Corporation. In this role, Drapeau will be responsible for leading efforts to enhance Protective’s business partnerships.
2006 | Ethan Nash
Ethan Nash (M Hartt, D’07 Hartt) has been named Glastonbury’s Teacher of the Year. Nash is a music teacher and director of choirs at Glastonbury High School. He conducts the concert choir, treble choir, chorus, men’s choir, and madrigals.
2006 | Anthony Rinaldi
Anthony Rinaldi (A&S, M’10 A&S, D’17 A&S) has joined the Hospital for Special Care’s Center for Cognitive Health. Rinaldi is a neuropsychologist and will help continue to grow the center and look at patient care through a neuropsychological lens. Read more about Rinaldi and the hospital.
2007 | Gregg Katzman
Gregg Katzman (A&S) has been promoted to director of marketing and publicity at Valiant Entertainment. Katzman joined the company in 2018 as a marketing coordinator, then was promoted to marketing manager, and most recently, served as marketing and publicity manager. In this new role, Katzman will help shape the future of the Valiant Universe in announcement strategies and stories.
Image from Valiant Entertainment
2008 | Paul John Rudoi
Paul John Rudoi (Hartt) won third place in The American Prize in Composition, 2021, in choral music (major works), professional division. Rudoi is an award-winning composer, conductor, tenor vocalist, and entrepreneur.
2009 | Douglas Lyons
Congrats to Douglas Lyons '09 (Hartt) on his Broadway playwriting debut. His play, Chicken & Biscuits, officially opened on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 10. A feel-good comedy and “multi-generational Black play,” Chicken and Biscuits features performers including Norm Lewis, the first African-American performer to star in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, and Michael Urie of Ugly Betty.
2009 | Norman Oates
Norman Oates (A Hillyer) was interviewed by Fox 61 about his business, Norman Oates Photography. Oates is a self-taught photographer who turned his hobby into a thriving business. Watch the interview on Fox 61.
2011 | Corey Pane
Corey Pane (HAS) participated in the WEHA Bear Fair in West Hartford, Conn. The project’s goal was to bring joy to the West Hartford community and support local businesses and non-profits. See Pane’s bear and read more about the project.
2014 | Aneesa Folds
Aneesa Folds (Hartt) is a pioneering female member of the hip hop improv group, Freestyle Love Supreme. The group was founded by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Anthony Veneziale. The show will run on Broadway through Jan. 2, 2022. Read more about Folds and Freestyle Love Supreme.
2014 | Sydney Anderson
Sydney Anderson (Hartt) performed a co-produced piece titled, Vexations in Time, in Times Square in October 2021. Read more about the performance.
2018 | George Goodrich
George Goodrich (M ENHP) was featured in an article in UConn Today. Goodrich is researching the interpersonal exchange between nurse and patient while pursing his doctorate in nursing at UConn. Read more about Goodrich.
2019 | Emily Qualmann
Emily Qualmann (Hartt) was interviewed in the Hartford Courant about her return to Hartford and the Bushnell as a star in the Broadway tour of Escape to Margaritaville. Read the interview in the Hartford Courant.
2019 | Brandon Johnson
Brandon Johnson (Barney) has a song featured in the soundtrack of the You Can’t Rock Da’ Pub, a documentary about the 1993–94 Hartford Public Owls basketball team.
2012 | Tim Corpus
Tim Corpus (M Hartt) has released his debut full length album, MMXX. Corpus has been composing for the last decade for live performances and film, including performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Chicago Cultural Center. Read more about Corpus and listen to the album at TimCorpus.net.
Image from timcorpus.net
2012 | Katherine Donovan
Katherine Donovan (M Barney) graduated from the inaugural class of the Connecticut Professionals’ Leadership Academy, a program designed to strengthen leadership skills, develop, and build relationships, and create a collaborative professional services in community. Donovan is a CPA at Whittlesey Accounting Firm in Hartford.
2012 | Katherine Trainer
Katherine Trainer (Hartt, M'16 Hartt) has been named Coginchaug Regional High School’s new assistant principal. Trainer was previously the director of bands and dean of students at North Branford High School as well as the K–12 Music Department leader for the North Branford school district.
2014 | Adam Paul
Adam Paul (CETA) was honored by Commercial Observer Magazine, an NYC based real estate, design, and construction mag, as one of their “Top 20 Under 35” in Design and Construction. Read more about Paul.
2015 | Katherine Manning
Katherine “Kat” Manning (HAS) lead a workshop on how to improve social media presence in the beer and brewing industry during Hop Culture’s Beer With(out) Beards Women in Craft Beer Festival. Manning is the social media and content creator at Two Roads Brewing. In this role, she manages social media for Two Roads Brewing Co; Area Two Experimental Brewing, Two Roads innovation hub; Daybreaker Cocktails; and hard seltzer brand H2Roads.
2016 | Chaz Davis
Congrats Chaz Davis (A&S) on winning the vision impairment division in 2:46:52 at the Boston Marathon. Davis was also honored earlier in the month by the City of Boston, which declared Wednesday, October 6, 2021 as Chaz Davis Day—celebrating his accomplishments on and off the track.
2016 | Hailey Gagnon
Hailey Gagnon (A&S) has joined Cromwell Textiles as an account representative. Gagnon brings 10 years of customer service experience to the role, including five years as an employee of the Legislative Branch of Connecticut.
2016 | Chris Helminski
Chris Helminski (ENHP) won the 5K in 15:22 at the Eversource Hartford Marathon.
2017 | Danielle Baron
Danielle Baron (ENHP) was interviewed by the Jewish Times about her experiences. Baron is the Israel engagement associate at the Hillel at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Read more about Baron’s experience with Hillel and Israel.
Image from the Jewish Times.
2018 | Bryson Owens
Bryson Owens (A&S, M'20 A&S) has been promoted to creative coordinator at Showtime Networks. Previously, Owens was a production assistant at Showtime Networks, where he worked on creative marketing campaigns for shows like The Chi, Vice, and Couples Therapy. Owens has worked at Newsweek, NBC Universal Media, iHeartMedia, and Live Nation Entertainment.
2018 | Antonis Theodoridis
Antonis Theodoridis’ (M HAS) work was featured in an exhibition titled, Betwixt and Between. The exhibition is a photographic installation on the terrace of the B&M Theocharakis Foundation for The Fine Arts and Music building in Athens, Greece. Theodoridis is an Athens-based photographer, Fulbright Foundation fellow, and Stavros Niarchos Foundation fellow. Read more about Theodoridis and his exhibition.
2020 | Hannah Francis
Hannah Francis (HAS) had illustrations featured in the Washington Post’s Video Game Section "Launcher" for an article on 10 video game franchises they want "raised from the dead." See her illustrations.
2020 | Sabrina Rivera
Sabrina Rivera (A&S, M'21 A&S) has joined McDowell Communications Group (MCG) as their director of digital media. Rivera previously oversaw digital and social media for Connecticut’s Department of Health during its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. In this new position, Rivera will oversee social media for clients, develop digital content, and manage MCG’s online presence.
2020 | Alex Robertson
Alex Robertson (Hartt) has been named associate producer for the New York City premiere of Jim Hensons’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas at the New Victory Theater.
2021 | Eric Cantar
Eric Cantar (CETA, M'22 CETA) earned the Student Design Award of Honor for his project, The Array Hartford Boutique Hotel, at the 2021 CT Green Building Council annual awards in October 2021. Read more about his project.
2021 | Brandon Fuentes
Brandon Fuentes (CETA, M'22 CETA) earned the Student Design Award of Merit award for his project, The Palisade Hotel, at the 2021 CT Green Building Council annual awards in October 2021. Read more about his project.
2021 | Beth Pritchard
Beth Pritchard (M A&S) has been appointed United States Army Reserve Ambassador for Connecticut. As an ambassador, Pritchard provides community outreach assistance to Army Reserve members and families, provides feedback on plans and programs, and helps promote awareness of the Army Reserve and its goals and objectives.
Arynn Rosenstein Kelly '17, M'19 (ENHP) and Mike Kelly ’18 (A&S) were married at Disney World on Nov. 19, 2021.
Pictured left to right: Ilena Rosenstein '04, '07, M'09; Shelby McKay '17; Julie Best '18; Arynn Rosenstein Kelly '17, M'19; Michael Kelly '18; Cami Soucy Garcia '17; and Tony Garcia '18
David Daye '06 (Barney) and Natalie Daye were married on July 10, 2021.
Nicole (Demars) Hannable '18 M'20 (A&S) and Mark Hannable were married on Sept. 24, 2021.
Corinne Horanzy '17 (ENHP) and Ben Roberts '14 (ENHP) were married on Sept. 18, 2021 at Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingston, R.I.
Pictured left to right: Steven Florkiewicz '12, Zach Czaplicki '14, Shelby (Bissonnette) Czaplicki '14, Matt Kavulich '14, and Ian Muhlgeier '14
Matt Kavulich '14 (Hartt) and Kelsey Kavulich were married on Aug. 14 in Stratford, Conn.
Pictured left to right Steven Florkiewicz '12, Ben Roberts '14, Zach Czaplicki '14, Matt Kavulich '14, Kelsey Kavulich, Shelby Bissonnette Czaplicki '14, Corinne Horany Roberts '17, and Muhlgeier '14
Past Weddings and Engagements
Jillian (Ziman) Pollock '07 (ENHP) and Steven Pollock welcomed a baby girl Audrey Marie on May 17, 2021. She joins her big brother Adam who is four.
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