Class Notes

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1950s

• Donald Bullock ’57 quoted Mark Twain after seeing his name in the “In Memoriam” section of the winter 2011– 12 Michigan Tech Magazine: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” He noted, “I am very much still here and enjoying it.” Since the turn of the century, he has visited the Peruvian Amazon in 2001 and traveled to Antarctica in January 2003, when he crossed Drake’s Passage in the M.V. Polar Star. “The Drake Passage is noted for its rough seas, and my trip across happened to occur when the route took us between two atmospheric low-pressure regions,” he said. “Therefore the passage was among the roughest the Polar Star had ever experienced.” He and his wife also took a more conventional trip on a cruise ship in 2008, touring the Baltic Sea area. They live in the Santa Monica Mountains, where he enjoys taking walks.

1960s

• James Grigg ’68 is completing his third term as mayor of Horicon, Wisconsin, and has announced his candidacy for the 39th State Assembly District for the November 2012 election.

1970s

• Sharryl Pyke ’70 published her first story in 1969 for the Michigan Tech Engineer. Since then, she has seen her name in print many times and has just published her first novel, A Crowd of Three, available on Amazon and Kindle. You can reach her at sharie.pyke@gmail.com.
• Dave Herrman ’71 has retired as administrative director of the Kissimmee Police Department in Florida. He and his wife, Gloria, are living in Saint Cloud, Florida, but plan to relocate to Michigan in the future.
• Donald Patrick ’73 (CE) retired January 31 and will be moving to Brevard in the mountains of North Carolina. During his thirty-nine-year career in government and private practice, he was involved in multi-million dollar domestic and foreign infrastructure programs, including over two years in the early 1980s in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Royal Commission constructing the new cities of Jabail and Yanbu. Donald’s outside passion has been his three Corvettes, a passion he shares with Judy, his wife of thirty-nine years. They are active members of the Northern Virginia Corvette Club.
• Rick Kajander ’74 (BS Chemistry) ’75 (BS Chemical Engineering) ’76 (MS Chemistry) has been working at NewPage Corporation’s central Wisconsin R&D center as a senior engineer for six years and notes that Michigan Tech students have been well represented as interns. Most recently, they include chemistry student Na Hu, who is now on staff in a temporary position, and chemical engineering major Suresh Bommineni, who interned last year.
• William Murchie ’76 (BSCE) is semi-retired in the Florida Keys with his wife, Suzanne. He was elected to the City Council of Layton, Florida, in November 2011.
• Sandra Doll-Gustafson ’81 is a homemaker in Oakland with three children. Her hobbies include photography, golf, volunteering, and travel. Her husband owns a restaurant in Royal Oak.
• Don Beery ’89 announces the launch of his new consulting business, Blendon Group LLC. Blendon Group provides business development, product strategy, commercialization, and key messaging solutions.

1990s

• Jason Brewer, PE, SMP ’92 was named vice president of strategy and business development at Materials Processing Inc. of Indianapolis.
• Richard Weslock ’94 has been promoted to vice president of engineering at Pinnacle Converting Equipment, where he has worked for six years.
• Christopher Coxon ’96 announces the birth of his daughter, Sophie Grace, on April 5, 2011.
• Anna (Joyce) Mulholland ’96 and Todd Mulholland ’96 were married October 14.
• Spencer ’97 ’99 and Britt (Forslund) ’01 ’04 Slade announce the June 23 birth of their first child, a son, Eli Anders.
• Joseph Spencer ’97 has been promoted to geo market product line manager for Baker Hughes Inc. in Cape Town, South Africa, and will be responsible for all wireline activities in the Sub-Saharan market. His wife and two children are also relocating to Cape Town from Wyoming.
• Scott and Tonya (Treichel) Albers ’98 welcomed their second child, Jonah Scott, on August 28, 2010. Tonya is currently a stay-at-home mom for their two children and loving it.
• Sara and Robert ’98 Doyle announce the birth of their son, Landon Thomas, on January 7.
• Jennifer Jermalowicz-Jones ’98 has received the 2012 Gilbert W. Mouser Fellowship from Michigan State University, where she is completing her PhD in Water Management. The fellowship is awarded for “outstanding leadership in environmental education and conservation.” She is also the water resources director at Lakeshore Environmental Inc., based in Grand Haven.
• Jennifer Meyer ’98 announces the birth of Leighton Ann on October 12, 2010. She was welcomed home by her three sisters, Megan, Kiersten, and Erin.
• John ’99 and Karrie (Schemmel) Abbitt ’99 announce the birth of their daughter Quincee Ray, born on March 29, 2011.
• Nick and Christi (Chapman) ’99 Bellmore announce the birth of their daughter, Jillian, in May 2011.
• Stephanie and Jason Groendyk ’99 welcomed Sloane Patricia on October 25. She joins her brothers, Christian and Carey, in Phoenix, Arizona, where Jason works for the US Department of Energy’s Western Area Power Administration.
• Melonie Stothers ’99 was selected as one of twenty 2011 “Up and Coming Lawyers” in the state by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Stothers’ practice covers all aspects of commercial litigation, with a special emphasis on electronic discovery and evidence.

2000s

• Laura Williams ’00 was married May 14 to Peter Williams. They live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with their black Lab, Luke, and Laura works at James Madison University.
• Joshua Bennett ’02 graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary on May 8, 2011, with a MDiv in Theological Studies and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on June 11 for the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. He was assigned as parochial vicar to two parishes in Kokomo, Indiana.
• Stephanie and James ’02 Kuntz announce the birth of their third child, Aiden Russell, born April 8, 2011.
• Erin and Casey ’03 Ries added a third child to their family on November 3, when Molly Marie joined her two older brothers.
• Gregory Carter ’04 (ECE) and Marissa (Lupino) Carter were married on October 15 in Ocean City, Maryland.
• Adam ’04 (BSME) and Beth Podleski (BSCE) ’04 welcomed into the world their second child, Seth Matthew, on October 12.
• Adam ’05 ’06 and Melissa (Trahan) Ward ’06 welcomed their first son, Brooks Scott, on September 17.
• Courtney and Jared ’06 Aymen welcomed their first child, Trevor Joseph, on January 25.
• Joal Derbas ’06 married Micah Johnson on October 8 in St. Joseph. They reside in Maumee, Ohio, and he works for Dana Holding Corporation as a test engineer.
• Brandon ’07 and Tara Bal ’07 welcomed their first child, Jeremiah Everett, on January 4. Grandpa Randy Bal ’74 is very proud!
• Kathryn Gray ’07 welcomed a daughter, Mary, born October 24, 2010.
• Jed Peters ’07 married Heather (Warning) Peters on May 21, 2009. They welcomed their first child, Wyatt, on April 24, 2011. He’s excited to be a future Husky!
• Carrie (Markesino) ’07 and Mitchell ’06 Stump announce the birth of Marshall Allen on August 2. They hope that he will be a Husky.
• Christopher ’08 ’09 Coughlin and Jana (Bloom) ’09 Coughlin were married in Wisconsin on October 1.
• Joel Vertin ’09 is a web marketing and content specialist for University Marketing and Communications at Michigan Tech. He is engaged to be married to Melissa Becker on June 16.
• Aaron Spalding ’11 has been hired as a sales engineer with responsibilities in customer support at Monroe Mold, a manufacturer of high-precision molds for the blow-molding industry, in Saline.

In Memoriam

The Michigan Tech family extends condolences to the relatives and friends of those who have passed away.

Correction

Don Bullock ’57 was incorrectly included in “In Memoriam” in the winter 2011–12 Michigan Tech Magazine. We apologize for the error and invite you to read Don’s class note.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.