Skidmore College - Scope Magazine Spring 2019

40 SCOPE SPRING 2019 Museum of American Jewish History. She lectures on their historical and cultural context and exhibits widely. In 2016, Frann received the NICHE Award, the highest honor given in the craft field. Her work can be viewed on Instagram (@frannaddisonjudaica). Marianne Boswell launched Boston Lighthouse Innovations, a startup that offers “next-generation” genomic software to diagnose and treat disease in a more personalized way. Marianne also operates a non- profit in Lexington, Mass., that helps refugees acclimate to life in the U.S. Jean Bidlack , professor of pharma- cology and physiology at the Uni- versity of Rochester Medical Center, was awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to determine if the hor- mone fibroblast growth factor 21 will reduce the preference for opioids in mice. Jean’s research opens a potential approach to treating opioid use disorder by reducing the craving for opioids. Noni Reilly noreen.reilly@verizon.net ’76 Signe M. Kastberg published “Feeling the Call: Therapeutic Uses of Traditional West-Afri- can Drumming.” A licensed mental health counselor, she draws on years of experience using drumming as a therapeutic modality. Signe practices in the Merritt Island, Fla., area and also counsels clients remotely. I was honored to be elected chair of the board of directors at BSC Companies, an engineering firm. My career in environmental science has focused on wetland ecology. I am the first woman to serve in that role in BSC’s 53-year history. I head up the BSC Group, an affiliated services practice that manages transportation, energy and land development proj- ects. I also serve the town of Stow as a member of its conservation com- mission and board of selectmen. Ingeborg Hegemann Clark iehegemann@gmail.com ’77 Peter Weisman and his family live in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where Peter works in the commercial real estate investment business. He is an avid scuba diver, tennis player and ocean swimmer. Over the last five years, Peter has completed 14 triathlons. Art Richardson art.richardson@earthlink.net ’78 Mimi Willey Madden is development director for the American Mural Project, a nonprofit in Winsted, Conn., that honors American workers. Over 10,000 artists have painted pieces of a massive mural housed in a refurbished mill. The exhibit will be the largest indoor collaborative mural in the world. Janice Cipos-Pangrazzi lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz. Relocation from the East Coast yielded an unex- pected bonus: reconnecting with classmate and long-lost friend Lou- ise Stark . “What a joyful surprise it was to see each other at a Skidmore gathering last year in Phoenix/Scott- sdale.” Janice continues to teach French language and culture. “I will never stop teaching or learning.” Janice is studying German, Italian and Sanskrit! Emily Walker Bracchitta ebracchitta@gmail.com ’79 REUNION ’19 Our 40th reunion is right around the corner, May 30 to June 2! If you’ve never returned for reunion, you owe it to yourself to join us for this milestone event. You’ll marvel at the beautiful “new” campus and the hip city of Saratoga Springs. (You can still stop for a beer at the T&L.) Maura Connelly is working at the Pat Conroy Literary Center in Beau- fort, S.C., a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring young writers and readers. Maura’s children also find inspiration in nonprofit endeavors: Thor works for Toadfish, and Maren is at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Cal- lie attends the College of Charleston. In September, Jessica Crocker and husband Paul Hayes visited son Mike, a junior at Middlebury, during his semester in Copenhagen. His brother, Ryan, is a junior at North- eastern University. In February, Jes- sica, Paul and Mike traveled to the Alps for a ski trip. Jessica is looking forward to reunion. Sadie Izard Pariseau is sorry she cannot make our 40th; she’ll be on a cruise in Croatia. Her two mar- ried sons live nearby in Tampa, Fla., and Sadie adores her 16-month-old granddaughter. The Pariseau’s third son is a consultant in Los Angeles. Daughter Emily works for a luxury travel company in NYC. Sadie sends her best to everyone, adding, “I can’t wait to see pictures!” Holly Roberts Adams and hus- band Michael welcomed their first grandchild, Katherine Marie Conley, on May 22, 2018. Holly is taking her youngest daughter to Greece in late May to celebrate her graduation from college. Sadly for us, the trip conflicts with reunion. Excited about reunion, Ann Kuhn Levitan is beating the drum for a great turnout. Ann’s eldest daughter, Sarah, married Matthew Perry on Nov. 10 at the Mansion at Natirar in Far Hills, N.J. Skiddies in attendance included Mary Bates, Jean Scholz Kegel ’81 and husband Carter (who spent J-term ’78 at Skidmore) and Leslie Bergman Savage . Carol VanBuren wed her significant other of 10 years, Kurt Munnich, on May 19, 2018 at his home in Pittsford, N.Y. Kurt, who was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in August 2017, died four days after the ceremony. He was scheduled to receive a bone marrow transplant in June. Both Francophiles, the couple also shared a passion for architecture, land- scape design and gardening. They had planned to retire in the south of France, where in 2013 they had helped restore historic gardens in Bormes les Mimosas. Carol contin- ues to pursue her dream of moving to France and will travel to Corsica and the Luberon in May. I was saddened to learn that Janice Rizzo DeLaney died Sept. 21 in South Bedford, N.Y. We send our sympathy to her husband, Gerald DeLaney, and their daughters, Jen- nifer, Joanna and Juliette. Leslie Vanden-Handel DiCarlo can’t believe our 40th reunion is around the corner. Leslie marked her 30th year welcoming guests to the Springwater Bed & Breakfast on Union Avenue in Saratoga. Class- mates may remember the property as The Lantern Lodge. Leslie re- cently completed a two-year restora- tion of the exterior and renovation of guest rooms and bathrooms. She runs the inn with her mother, Lyn, and son Matthew. Martha Van Gelder joined the U.S. Center for SafeSport as chief market- ing and business development offi- cer. Based in Denver, the center is an independent nonprofit committed to ending all forms of abuse in sport. Debbie Monosson debbie@bfec.com ’80 Ella Flight Davidson celebrated the 20th reunion of the Songadeewin on Lake Dunmore, a summer camp in Vermont. As camp director (and a former camper) she was asked to create a set of three paintings to hang in the dining hall. They were unveiled before the festivities began. Peri Snyderman specialcat@msn.com ’81 Alison Apicella moved from NYC to Stamford, Conn., to help her elderly mother. She has been a horticulturist at Blondie’s Treehouse for the past 12 years. Karen Bradley McElroy bkccamac@gmail.com C L A S S N O T E S