Graduate Schools

Accountancy Class Secretary — Kim Talianko; ktalianko@alumni.nd.edu

Architecture

London architect John Simpson, RIBA, “one of the world’s leading practitioners of New Classicism and New Urbanism,” has been selected to design the new School of Architecture building. The 80,000 square-foot $27-million building is being underwritten by Matt and Joyce Walsh and will be known as the Walsh Family Hall. It will be located on the south end of the campus, east of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. It will be designed to accommodate “the (current) needs of a school that is considered the nation’s leading institution for the study of classical architecture and traditional urbanism and the two added new graduate programs in historic preservation and real estate development.” Simpson studied architecture at the University College, London. He has his own firm in London and recently received praise for the master plan for the area surrounding London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral and numerous other British projects. The School of Architecture was established in 1898 as the first such program at an American Catholic college or university. This is the school’s first all-new building in its 116 year history. I was at the 2014 International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) in Orlando FL in mid-March, where I spoke to Robert P. Walker, AIA, FACHA, ’76, of Minnetonka MN. He has his own firm in Minnetonka but just opened a new branch in Austin TX. Joseph G Burns, SE, PE,CEng, RIBA, LEED AP, ’79 has been named a Fellow in the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Joseph is a managing principal of Thornton Tomasetti, Inc. an international engineering firm located in Chicago. A licensed architect and licensed engineer in multiple states across the country, he specializes in the design of complex structural systems, including earthquake engineering and dynamic analysis for a variety of projects. To jointly celebrate the 40th anniversary of being in the Rome Program (1973-74) and their 60th birthdays, a group of ND and SMU friends traveled to Italy last October. In the group were Class of ’76 Arkies: Robert S. Barringer, St. Louis; Ann E. (Greenburg) and Gregory P Benz, Owings Mills MD; Sarah and Mark C. Herr, Milwaukee; George C. Niewrzel, Kansas City MO; and Patrick O’Neill of Boston. They spent their first week in a villa in the Umbrian countryside exploring surrounding towns including Orvieto, Assisi and Florence. Many spent the second week in Rome where they visited favorite places of their student days. Ronald B. Blitch, FAIA, FACHA, ’76, New Orleans is the AIA Fellows regional representative for the Gulf States. His firm Blitch/Knevel Architects just won the award for “Best Place to Work” by the New Orleans Citibusiness magazine. Richard W. Quinn, FAIA, ’61, Middletown RI is the Fellows regional representative for New England. Congratulations to Marianne Cusato ’97 of Miami for being profiled in the spring issue of the ND Magazine feature, “Who We Are.” Marianne is known for her award-winning design of the Katrina Cottage, a 300 square-foot hurricane-proof house suggested as alternative emergency housing in Mississippi for those displaced by the 2005 storm. Congratulations also to Mark Santrach ’14, who was valedictorian of the 2014 graduating class. — Orlando T. Maione FAIA, FACHA, NCARB; 27 Bucknell Lane, Stony Brook NY 11790-2521; 631-246-5660; fax 631-751-7598; omaione@optonline.net

Biological Sciences

Recently, there were three consecutive years of Notre Dame valedictorians hailing from the Dept. of Biological Sciences. While the past academic year saw the valedictorian coming from architecture (congratulations to Mark Santrach), there was no flagging in undergraduate teaching and advising in Biological Sciences. Both Michelle Whaley and Giles Duffield were named Malloy Award recipients for outstanding undergraduate teaching/advising for this academic year; graduate alumni who have worked with Michelle and Giles will not be surprised that these two faculty members continue the Department’s distinction for quality undergraduate teaching. Communication from James “Jim” Sidie, ’63, ’67MS, ’70PhD indicates that he is planning to retire after many decades as a Professor of Biology at Ursinus College in east central Pennsylvania. Jim anticipates that this summer may be the last time that he teaches in the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory summer program, where he would often see ND professor, Kenyon Tweedell. Wenceslaus “Wen” Kilama, ’67MS, ’68MA, ’70PhD reports that he and his wife, Ann, have finally fulfilled their dream of establishing a school in Wen’s home town of Bukoba, Tanzania, a city of about 100,000 people on the northwest shore of Lake Victoria, not far from the Ugandan border. Wen spent his career, and still resides following retirement, in Dar es Salaam where he was head of the Tanzanian National Institute of Health. Even so, he never forgot his home and its educational needs. W.R. “Bill” Klemm, DVM, ’65PhD, Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience at Texas A&M University, writes that he has recently published a new book entitled “Mental Biology: The new science of how the brain and mind relate,” which follows on his popular “Memory Power 101” (2012). — Joan S. ’71MS and Philip B. Carter ’67, ’71PhD; 12916 Barsanlaw Drive, Raleigh, NC 27613; 919-848-2192; fax 919-848-3166; Phil@ncsu.edu

History Class Secretary — Mary Linehan ’91 PhD; mlinehan@uttyler.edu

Mathematics Class Secretary — Patti Strauch; 255 Hurley Hall, Notre Dame IN 46556; bus 574-631-7083; strauch.1@nd.edu

Master of Nonprofit Administration

Congratulations to the most recent MNA cohort who received their diplomas in May: Sheri Aurenz, Sister Cynthia Broderick, Christina Brooks, Erin Carlson, Ann Reilly Frey, Sister Jennifer Henry, Brendan Kelly, Daniel Parziale, and Elizabeth Pomerenke. We also have several new jobs and new babies to celebrate. Peter Renz ’01 is the site coordinator for Southern Illinois U – Extended Campus. Maureen O’Neill ’13 works as the regional administration officer in the Peace Corps West Coast Office in Oakland CA. Ashleigh Thompson ’03 has been appointed university associate dean for academic affairs at City U of New York. Andrea Helmuth ’02 has been promoted from director of admissions to assistant vice president of traditional admission and financial aid at Bethel College. She will be responsible for directing the college recruitment efforts for traditional-age college students and providing oversight for the student financial services office. Sarah and Chuck Lamphier ’09 welcomed their second child, John Francis, on Feb.12. Andrea McMerty-Brummer ’10 and her husband, Matthew, welcomed their fifth child, Elisabeth Rose, on Feb. 21. Congratulations to Crystal Bowyer-Pierce ’09 and her husband, Troy Pierce, on the birth of their son Preston Michael Pierce on March 23. Congratulations to everyone on these wonderful life events. — Anne Hayes; 105 Main Building, Notre Dame IN 46556; ahayes2@nd.edu

Political Science Class Secretary — Charlie Kenney; 2724 Meadowbrook Dr., Norman OK 73072; 405-360-2090; ckenney@ou.edu

Graduate Degrees

Monica Luechtefeld ’13MBA has been appointed to the board of directors of PFSweb, Inc., of Allen TX, an international business process outsourcing provider of end-to-end ecommerce solutions. For more than 20 years, Ms. Luechtefeld held executive leadership positions with Office Depot in multiple departments. In 2012 she founded her own consultancy. She also serves on the board of her alma mater, Mount St. Mary’s College, which has granted her an honorary doctorate. Ron Williams ’81MS, psychology, director of the neuropsychology department at the Fort Wayne Neurological Center, will spend four months with five other participants in a facility in Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano as part of the NASA- funded Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation. Mauna Loa’s terrain is similar to that of Mars. While on the mission, Dr. Williams will focus on exploring the personality and psychological characteristics of the crew, their relationship to adjustments, group dynamics, and mission success. James Lucot ’94MSA, has been named one of 13 finalists for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year 2015 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Mr. Lucot is a history teacher at Seneca Valley High School in Harmony PA. — Marvin J. LaHood ’58 MA, ’62 PhD, English; 93 Parkhaven Drive, Amherst NY 14228; res 716-691-4648; mlahood@roadrunner.com