Graduate Schools

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

 

Architecture

It was great to read the recent issue of Notre Dame Magazine eight-page cover story about the Notre-Dame Cathedral de Paris (1831) and why it should be saved. Written by Paul Elie, a senior fellow in Georgetown U, it is a well-written, informative article filled with facts and figures and based on his personal experiences from a visit some time ago with his family. On that topic, this past September the ND School of Architecture hosted the cathedral’s restoration architects to deliver the John Burgee Lecture in the new Walsh Family Hall of Architecture auditorium (John H. Burgee ’56). The free lecture, which was also available via Zoom, was delivered by French architects Philippe Villeneuve and Remi Fromont and covered the restoration plans and their progress after the devastating fire in April 2019. Hosted by Dean Stefanos Polyzoides, he stated that, “Returning the building to its original form is an affirmation of the importance of the values that it has embodied over the centuries. The historical, spiritual, and architectural connections between this most important building in the world dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and our own Golden Dome are deep and enduring.” The lecture recording is available for public viewing on the School of Architecture YouTube channel. Marianne Cusato ’97, ’17MBA, professor of the practice and director of housing and community regeneration initiatives in the ND School of Architecture, was recently on The Fine Homebuilding Pro Talk podcast, “Podcast 500.” Marianne is the award-winning partner in charge of design and development at Cypress Community Development Corp., a not-for-profit housing corporation. She is renowned for her work on innovative solutions for disaster recovery and workforce housing and for being “an advocate for affordable housing and sensible urban design” especially for undoing urban renewal disasters of the 1960s. She is the author of two books: The Just Right Home: Buying, Renting, Moving…or Just Dreaming—Find Your Perfect Match! and Get Your House Right, Architectural Elements to Use and Avoid. Delma Palma ’14 is the deputy director at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America. She served as the primary author and project manager for the Connected Communities Guidebook, a handbook for community engagement and design on NYCHA campuses. The handbook was written in conjunction with the New York City Department of City Planning and will increase NYCHA’s ability to be in discussions about broader planning policy. She is also responsible for the first NYCHA Open Space Master Plan in the history of the authority. Michael J. Molinelli ’82, Briar Cliff Manor, NY’s latest “Architectural Codex” (#50) is a comprehensive look at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West and Paolo Soleri’s Arcosanti both in Arizona and available on YouTube. Mike also wrote a graphic novel published in August, billed as the last Molarity comic strip. He originally launched the strip as a student in 1977 and it was printed in the campus’ The Observer. Our prayers and condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of professor emeritus and former chair of the School of Architecture (1978–1989) Robert L. Amico and alumni Alfred R. Ganther Jr. ’54, Oshkosh WI; Richard B. Hanafin ’66, Newburyport MA; Patrick W. Nook ’78, Greenwood Village CO; and Thomas A. Farina ’60, Tequesta FL. — Orlando T. Maione, FAIA Emeritus, FACHA Emeritus, NCARB; 27 Bucknell Lane, Stony Brook NY 11790-2521; 631-246-5660; fax 516-578-5320; omaione@optonline.net

 

Biological Sciences

Following mention in the summer issue of the magazine, James W. Curran ’66, MD, MPH sent a note reminiscing about the spring 1996 symposium “Perspectives in Molecular Medicine” sponsored by and held at Notre Dame, an event in which he played an important role. Jim writes that he has retired as dean of Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health after a long and impactful term which began in 1995 and ends with Jim being the longest-serving dean at Emory U and the longest tenure among deans of schools of public health. One of this nation’s top public health schools, the Rollins School is located literally next door to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Clifton Road in Atlanta where Jim spent a great part of his long career in public health and service to our country. A good part of his years at CDC was spent in organizing the national response to the developing AIDS crisis, work that contributed to his election to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A special honor for Jim is that the new dean holds the endowed James W. Curran Deanship. Jim’s note finished with praise for the job current CDC director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH is doing in her management of the COVID pandemic during a particularly difficult time in public health. James L. “Jim” McDonel ’73PhD communicated his fond memories of Edward A. Havell ’70PhD following announcement in the autumn edition of Ed’s passing. Jim began his doctoral studies at Notre Dame in the laboratory of Dr. James P. Doll, CSC, ’42, soon to be disrupted by Fr. Doll’s illness and death. His transfer to the lab of Dr. Thomas Kellogg ended when Kellogg left for Mississippi State; that led to Jim completing his doctoral work under Prof. Tomoaki Asano. After a postdoctoral experience at the University of Wisconsin, Jim had a long career in both academia and industry in the US and Europe. Jim reports that he is now teaching part-time at the relatively new Virginia Tech School of Medicine and Research Institute, which is near his home in Roanoke. It is closely associated with the Carilion Clinic, a not-for-profit network of hospitals in western Virginia. Raymond A. Tennant ’62MS, PhD celebrating his 85th birthday in mid-September, reports a recent brush with COVID and praises the new Merck antiviral for making it virtually a one-day event. This is quite an endorsement considering that Ray spent his career in virology which finished with a long tenure at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the NIH. In response to birthday greetings from friends, Michelle Whaley ’93PhD, Notre Dame Teaching Professor in Biological Sciences, writes that she would like to read how her graduate year contemporaries such as Ryne Gorsuch ’15PhD, Gautum Kao ’90PhD, Christine Manubay Gardiner ’98MS, Kiran Shetty ’98PhD, Timothy Tonini ’96, Thomas Vihtelic DVM ’93PhD, and many others are doing. Lastly, Dr. Alan Lindsay, director of Notre Dame’s relatively new program in biophysics (biophysics.nd.edu), asks for help in publicizing the program by those alumni involved in undergraduate education. Please contact Dr. Lindsay at biophys@nd.edu for further information. — Joan Smith Carter ’71MS and Philip B. Carter ’67, ’71PhD; 12916 Barsanlaw Drive, Raleigh NC 27613-6400; res 919-848-2192; phil@ncsu.edu

 

History Class Secretary — Mary Linehan ’91PhD;

maryline113@yahoo.com

 

Mathematics Class Secretary — Patti Strauch;

255 Hurley Hall, Notre Dame IN 46556; bus 574-631-7083; strauch.1@nd.edu

 

Master of Nonprofit Administration

Mark your calendars for the MNA reunion in the spring. Mendoza Director of Alumni Relations Ryan Retartha ’07 informed MNA alumni of this exciting event. The Mendoza College of Business and the faculty and staff of the MNA programs are thrilled to finally invite us to the first-ever MNA reunion on April 28–30. The weekend will be filled with learning, networking, and celebrating the journeys and accomplishments of hundreds of MNA alumni growing the good in business each day. As you reconnect with classmates ahead of the reunion, please be sure all of them have their profiles updated on my.nd.edu so that they can receive these emails. Congratulations to Mike Benson ’11 who just had a book released by Johns Hopkins University Press titled Daniel Coit Gilman and the Birth of the American Research University. It was his COVID lockdown project and the book has been getting some strong reviews. Hoping to see many of you at the reunion next spring. As always, you are encouraged to submit your news for upcoming class notes. You may email me directly at the address below. — Betsy Quinn ’12; 2110 Brummel St, Evanston IL 60202; 847-733-0557; betsyquinn@alumni.nd.edu

 

Political Science Class Secretary — Charlie Kenney;

455 W. Lindsey, Room 205, Norman OK 73019; 405-325-3735; ckenney@ou.edu

 

Graduate Degrees

In May, Mariele Courtois ’17 MTS received her doctoral degree in moral theology and ethics with distinction from The Catholic U of America in Washington DC. Her dissertation is titled “Biomedical Challenges to Identity and Parenthood: An Investigation into the Ethics of Genetic Technologies at the Beginning of Life.” She has joined the faculty of Benedictine College in Atchison KS as an assistant professor of theology. — Marvin J. LaHood ’58MA, ’62PhD English; 93 Parkhaven Drive, Amherst NY 14228; 716-691-4648; mlahood@roadrunner.com