Class Notes

Bobby Lee ’07, above, is public relations officer at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and board chair at the Emeryville Transportation Management Association.

’52 Robert M. Johnson writes, “Happily living in Marin — just celebrated my 95th birthday and wondering if any of my old classmates are still with us.”

’58 Michael D. Johnson writes, “Retired and happy in my retirement!”

’62 Stephen Morrissey has published a book: The Jesuits: Nearing the End.

’67 Francis Anthony Doherty writes, “My second book, When the Lights Go Out, is published. It’s a series of short stories with love and death the common thread, focusing on mortality, Vietnam, post-traumatic stress, and the aftermath of the war.”

’68 Kenneth H. Pitetti PhD recently retired from his position as a professor in the physical therapy department at Wichita State University. His work advanced the physical capacities of youth with developmental disabilities.

’72 Eric F. Glassy MD, FCAP, was honored with the 2025 Pathologist of the Year award at the College of American Pathologists’ annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.

’75 Paulina (Trotman) Van recently retired as a full professor — the first of only two faculty of African heritage in the 116-year history of Samuel Merritt University to achieve that rank. She returned to USF to teach in the School of Nursing and Health Professions from 2003 to 2006, “a full-circle experience and one of the most superb memories of my academic career.”

’79 Alberto Gomez Rodriguez Jr. writes he has “had the privilege of engaging in faith-based Christian social welfare programs to provide assistance to marginalized communities in the Philippines.”

’82 Timothy P. Kenneally has retired after 35 years at Southern Glazer’s Wines and Spirits. He lives in Sacramento with his wife Joy Graf ’81.

’85 Martine Heymoz Barthelme writes, “After graduating from USF, I moved to Switzerland and worked in the pharmaceutical field in field training and quality for over 33 years. Today I’m recently retired. I’ve been married for 35 years, with three children and one grandchild, and I’m still in Switzerland.”

’85 Grace Phillipe, a school nurse for Nevada’s Clark County School District, writes, “I am deeply grateful to the University of San Francisco, where I graduated in 1985 and where the foundation of my nursing journey began. USF did more than prepare me clinically; it instilled in me the enduring values of lifelong learning, service, ethics, and social responsibility. These principles have guided every step of my professional and personal life for more than four decades.”

’89 Edward Feser was inaugurated last October as the 34th president of Saint Louis University. A scholar of city and regional economic growth and development, Feser previously served as provost and executive vice president at Oregon State University.

’92 Michael Patrick Rodgers writes, “In April of 2025 I retired after a 33-year career with Wells Fargo, my first and only job after graduating USF.  When I reflect back, I can say without a doubt my Jesuit education from USF not only was a key ingredient to a successful and fulfilling career, but it also serves me today as I continue learning and experiencing life and what the world has to offer.”

’93 Heather M. Angove left the federal public defenders’ office in 2023 and started her own law business practicing indigent criminal defense for both state and federal cases. In 2024, she joined the Northern California Innocence Project at Santa Clara University School of Law as a senior clinical supervising attorney.

’95 Robert Herrick, who graduated from the College of Professional Studies, writes, “I retired in 2014 and found my degree to be extremely valuable during the latter years of my career. Since retirement I have traveled extensively, including to the lowest and highest locations on earth — Dead Sea and Everest base camp — and have authored two books, Choices and The Journalist.”

’95 Diana Lynn Kaysen of Turlock was selected by Governor Newsom's Office of Volunteers to serve as a California Service Corps Alumni Ambassador. Diana brings to this role her five years of AmeriCorps service.

’96 Pablo Bravo has spent decades working to improve the lives of people in San Francisco, especially immigrants, children, and seniors. He has held senior roles at the San Francisco Department of Health, Baker Places, and Catholic Health Care West, and has also helped invest in and support local organizations like community centers in the Tenderloin.

’97 Angela Marie Oppenheimer writes, “I graduated in 1997 from the College of Professional Studies, and my field of study was applied economics. I attended many of my core curriculum courses in the library at USF's Lone Mountain campus, and I loved the experience!”

’97 Rhonda Lee Shane writes, “I am so grateful to have attended a university that taught me that science and faith are not mutually exclusive but interwoven. I thrived at USF and have such fond memories of the time spent in the genetics lab mapping fruit fly DNA! Now I have twin daughters, one who attends LMU.”

’99 John Harris Hoecker writes, “I had a long public safety career, culminating with retiring from San Francisco Fire Department as a firefighter paramedic, and I am currently living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with my wife and 3-year-old son.”

’99 Dennis Allan Marzan was ordained a deacon on October 4, 2025, in San Francisco. He will complete his theological studies at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley and is scheduled to be ordained to the Catholic priesthood in June 2026.

’00 Thomas Becker, human rights attorney, spoke on campus in April and shared his experience as a legal observer on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla last October, describing its attempt to provide food and medical aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Becker and his crewmates were seized by Israeli forces in international waters and taken to Israel, where he was detained.

’00 Robert C. Reyes, a commander for the U.S. Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Navy, was promoted to the rank of captain July 1.

’04 Martha Stanford Escalera MS ’11 is assistant director of career coaching and education at Stanford University. She writes, “I’ve been accepted into the 2025–2026 Aspiring Latino Leadership Fellowship with Latinos for Education! This 9-month leadership development program equips education professionals with strategic skills, expands professional networks, and drives systemic change to positively impact students, families, and communities.”

’06 Christopher Dela Cruz, a TV and film director, published a book about Dr. William Novick, a pediatric heart surgeon who traveled to war-torn countries to save children’s lives. The book is titled Like-Hearted: A Filmmaker’s Path. Dela Cruz credits his wife, Maricel Dela Cruz ’05, with supporting him during the project.

’06 David Schoeller-Diaz is impact engagement manager at the CyberPeace Institute, the “NGO dedicated to enhancing peace and stability in cyberspace.”

’09 Jovan Royce Blake writes, “I am happy to announce that this year, I launched Entero Architects, a multi-disciplinary architecture firm with experience in a wide range of project typologies.”

’19 Betsy Jacobo MA ’24 is working for Mia Bonta, California Assembly District 18. Before that, she was the recruitment coordinator at the USF School of Law.

’10 Kelsey K. O'Brien writes, “I've been living in Paris as a freelance writer for the last two years and in January my first novel, The Three, was published.”

’11 Gillian Marie Rose-Hassell, director of annual giving at the University of San Diego, writes, “My husband, Paul, and I welcomed our daughter, Mirabelle Rose Hassell, to the world on July 2, 2025. Baby Miri makes us a family of four, along with her proud big brother, Theo.”

’13 Stephanie Estrada writes, “I completed the California requirements to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. Having obtained my master’s from Pacific Oaks College in 2019, I spent the last six years providing care to victims of domestic violence, teens in the juvenile justice system, refugee families in shelter care, and underserved communities in private practice.”

’13 Melissa Marie Silva writes, "I was honored by the San Jose Earthquakes to kick the ‘first goal’ for this year’s Portuguese Heritage Night event for my services in the Portuguese community.”

’16 Taylor Smalls is a painter who creates portraits of women of color. The Golden State Valkyries WNBA team last year commissioned her to create a few pieces.

’18 Cindy Perez MA ’21 is an educator in the Lynwood Unified School District in Los Angeles County.

’19 Gabriel Greschler, a former Foghorn writer and editor, now covers San Francisco government for the San Francisco Standard. He previously worked at the Mercury News, where he covered politics in San Jose and Santa Clara County.

’19 James M. Zumel Dumlao MS ’20 writes, “I’m currently in my fourth year pursuing a PhD at the University of Michigan. In August 2025, I published my first research article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study identifies a structural bias in scientific peer review against researchers from countries underrepresented among reviewers.”

’20 Vanessa A. Hegazy writes, “I’m proud to share that after years in medical practice management, I’m expanding my journey by pursuing a master’s in health care systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Excited to drive innovation in patient care and integrate technology into health care for a brighter future.”

’22 Daniel Resner MA ’23 and Isabelle (DuCharme) Resner ’23 co-founded MatchBook Rentals, a veteran-founded startup addressing a growing gap in monthly housing nationwide. MatchBook Rentals connects renters and property owners seeking stays between 30 days and 12 months, serving students, traveling professionals, military members, and others who need midterm leases.

’22 Bhumika Srinivas MS ’24 is an AI engineer at Asurion in San Francisco.

’25 Chandana Srinivas graduated in December with a BS in computer science and is working as a software engineer at MongoDB in San Francisco.

’25 Chuhan (Jerry) Tang is a research assistant at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford, working on topics including human capital, education policy, and local politics.

’75 Jeanne Powell JD writes, "A retired adjunct and writing consultant, I now focus on my own creative writing. Currently I have four poetry books in print, along with a collection of essays. In 2024 I attended a 10-day writing retreat in Tuscany. In 2025 I participated in two such writing retreats in Oregon.”

’80 Martin Jenkins JD, California Supreme Court Justice, retired in October. “I could not imagine a better capstone to my career on the bench than serving on the California Supreme Court,” Jenkins said. He spent eight years as a trial judge in Oakland, 11 years as a federal judge in San Francisco, and 11 more years on a state appeals court in San Francisco before leaving the bench in 2019 to become Gavin Newsom’s adviser on judicial appointments. Two years later, he was chosen by the governor to succeed retiring state Supreme Court Justice Ming Chin.

’81 Francisco Martel Gonzalez MA writes that he would like to be in touch with his classmates.

’82 Robert G. Lansley MBA retired in December 2024.

'85 James G. Bertoli JD has joined the Santa Rosa mediation firm, Arbitration & Mediation Center, after serving for 24 years on the Sonoma County Superior Court. Bertoli provides mediation services focusing on family law, labor and employment law, and business law.

’85 David Kopperud MA writes, “After retiring from the California Department of Education as an education programs consultant, I was hired at RaaweeK12 Solutions as a principal consultant for their comprehensive attendance platform.”

’92 Anjana F. Utarid MA is the executive director of the Oasis Academy, a school for orphans based in Hawaii. Her leadership is guided by a lifelong commitment to building inclusive, supportive communities that nurture potential and create lasting change.

’93 Mark Molumphy JD served as the lead trial counsel for a class action lawsuit against Elon Musk on behalf of former Twitter shareholders. The jury found Musk liable for securities fraud and awarded the shareholders $2.5 billion.

’97 Diana W. Francis MA, also known as author Diana Williams, published her first book, The Joy of Connecting: Find Meaning in a Disconnected World, in January.

’00 David J. Fraser MBA writes, “I am focusing on keeping healthy on all levels after spending a number of years balancing corporate life, family, and end stage heart failure. In 2020 I received a heart transplant, and I am happy to report that I am staying very active.”

’01 Michael Ray Dotson MBA retired in January after 27 years with the Electric Power Research Institute.

’01 Erika M. Barbara JD has rejoined national employment law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. in the Sacramento office. Previously, Erika served as senior employment law counsel for the California Chamber of Commerce. In her new role, Erika will advise employers on day-to-day compliance issues, preventive strategies, and California-specific workplace requirements.

’02 Carrie Lee Friedberg MA, a teacher at the Woodland School in Portola Valley, California, wrote a book, At Peace with Money, A Holistic Roadmap to Financial Wellness, which incorporates principles of Buddhism, wellness, and yoga.

’03 Meghna Tare MS is the chief sustainability officer at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she supports the operations and strategic planning for university-wide sustainability practices, programs, and policies in collaboration with university operations units, academic and research units, student organizations, and external partners.

’04 Julie Del Catancio JD won an election seat for Newark City Council in 2025. She is the first person of Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ancestry to serve on the Newark City Council. She was sworn into a four-year term by Judge Ian Rivamonte JD ’04.

’04 Erica Alexandra Stewart MPA, a faculty member at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, was elected in October as the president of the African American Caucus for Cal Cities, the statewide organization for the 484 cities in California.

’04 Andrew Michael Flick JD is an administrative judge and mediator with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.

’05 Jonathan Kerry-Tyerman JD writes, “After a 20-year career in legal technology — with an emphasis on applying AI to the business and practice of law — I have retired with my family to Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.”

’07 Browning M. Neddeau MA, EdD ’13 is an associate professor of elementary teacher education and of American Indian studies at California State University, Chico.

’08 Alfonso Rey MBA is co-founder and chief revenue officer of Sentra, an artificial intelligence memory system for enterprise.

’08 Omar Young MS, sport management grad, was in February hired as the running backs coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Young brings 17 years of coaching experience to the Raiders, including six seasons in the NFL and nine seasons at the collegiate level.

’11 Kendal Fletcher JD was promoted to partner at Sheppard on March 1. Based in the firm’s Silicon Valley office, she is a member of the business trial practice group and private wealth and fiduciary litigation industry team.

’11 Ben Scott MA is an artificial intelligence go-to-market lead at Google.

’12 Brianna Elizabeth Russell MA writes, “After graduating from the master’s in global studies program at USF I went on to found two businesses. One was a nonprofit helping women and girls through sports, which I ran for 10 years. The other is a business advisory firm called FemThrive that helps women founders in the Bay Area grow and scale their companies.”

’12 Lianne M. Dumas JD was appointed as a judge in the San Francisco Superior Court in October. Dumas had served as a deputy city attorney at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office since 2019.

’12 Kimberly Shane Hochradel JD is vice president for privacy at Cardinal Health, leading the Enterprise Privacy Office and acting as lead legal privacy counsel of the Fortune 15 health care company.

’13 Jenny Carhart MS is pursuing a doctorate in business at the University of South Florida, with a goal of teaching. She is also a horror writer who goes by the pen name JC Bratton. Her short film Dollhouse won best horror short at LA Fantasy Fest ’25. It premiered at San Francisco’s Balboa Theatre, and is now streaming.

’13 Alison Jane Spasser MPA is director of communications for Greener by Default, a nonprofit organization that consults with institutions to apply behavioral science to food policy, nudging diners in the health care, higher ed, and corporate spheres towards sustainable plant-based food while preserving freedom of choice.

’13 Ronald Q. Tran JD has been promoted to principal in San Francisco at Jackson Lewis P.C., a national employment law firm.

’17 Daniela Josefina Vargas MSN, MPH ’17, a registered nurse with the San Francisco Department of Public Health, will be inducted as a fellow in the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing. The honor recognizes her nursing work in public health and her work as co-chair for the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing.

’18 Alyssa Perez Marquez MNA is the service and learning director at Cristo Rey San José and the 2025 recipient of the Ignatian Solidarity Network’s Moira O’Donnell Emerging Leader Award.

’21 Sindy Griselda Oliva MA writes, “I’m excited to share that I recently accepted a new position as associate director of enrollment at San Francisco Bay University. This opportunity represents a significant milestone in my higher education journey and reflects my ongoing commitment to creating equitable pathways for students from diverse backgrounds.”

’26 Tasneem Khan MA expanded her YouTube channel focused on education to more than 1,000 subscribers. She also is director of Daffodils Higher Secondary School in Bhopal, India.