Class Notes

CAROL J. DABBS ’68

During my 35-year career at USAID, I worked in 29 countries on international public health programs in gradually widening circles, starting with family planning and expanding to child survival and infectious diseases, maternal health, noncommunicable diseases, health financing and systems, women’s programs and water programs. I then worked as a worldwide program officer, including on the formation of the public health budget in the State Department Office of US Foreign Assistance Resources. These assignments made good use of both my bachelor’s degree in Spanish and French from Duke University and my master’s degree in public health policy and management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Since retiring in 2011, I relish getting enough sleep, lunching with friends, and attending plays and movies. Early in retirement, I joined exercise classes and two book groups, and I continue to be involved in my local community, including through a neighborhood dining group I organize.

As the years have evolved, I’ve undertaken increasing responsibilities in a variety of organizations. I’ve served as board member and secretary of my neighborhood citizen’s association and on an Arlington School Board committee to provide input for the expansion of my neighborhood elementary school. Currently, I am on the board of directors and serve as treasurer of the USAID Alumni Association, after a stint on the Membership Committee. I am immediate past president of the Arlington, Virginia, branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and the immediate past bylaws chair of the board of directors of AAUW Virginia. I was elected chair of the International Health Section of the American Public Health Association effective this November, after serving as governing councilor, Action Board representative, and secretary since the early 1990s. I also serve on the board of the Public-Private Alliance Foundation and was active on the advisory council for the Mount Carmel House program for formerly homeless women.

I enjoyed traveling with my nieces and nephew to celebrate high school and college graduations, to Italy, France (twice) and Japan. I visited Antarctica with high school friends, collecting the seventh continent punch on my passport. I plan to produce a polished version of my 10 Rules for Successful Travel, which begins with “conserve cash” and “eat when food is presented.”

ELAN GARONZIK ’70

My comedy Eternity will be presented this fall during a festival of plays at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida. My drama Scenes and Revelations was produced by NYU’s Tisch School of Drama during spring 2022.

LIAM O. PURDON ’70

While retired after 41 years of teaching, I’ve managed to continue publishing. My latest publications include essays on Chopin’s “The Awakening” (Mississippi Quarterly, 73.4), the OE poem “The Ruin” (Quidditas 41) and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tender Is the Night” (F. Scott Fitzgerald Review, Volume 20).

James Clement ’76

I now run nonprofit medical research labs in Texas and Florida and have a medical office for conducting clinical trials in The Villages, Florida. The focus of our work is slowing or reversing the detrimental effects of aging. For more information visit antiagingclinicaltrials.org and betterhumans.org. I’ve recently finished a health book, The Switch, which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2020. My prior medical research work on supercentenarians was featured in the Science Section of the New York Times.

AMY J. MILLER ’80

Currently living and working in Santa Cruz, California, as a Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at a beautiful multifaceted retreat center, Land of Medicine Buddha. I lecture and lead retreats around the world on Buddhist and secular philosophy, meditation and mindfulness to help people de-stress and create a happy, meaningful life. I’m usually in Paris once a year teaching at our center there. Find out more at amymiller.com.

ALISON CLAY-DUBOFF ’84

After the death of my husband by use of the legal “Medical Aid in Dying” legislative act, I published my first book. It’s about one man’s courage and my unwavering fortitude in accompanying him to the doors of death. My goal is to enlighten the world on this unique choice when faced with a universal foe: terminal illness. This is our story of profound love. Read an extract at thelastdeliplatter.com.

DR. LES JOYNES ’84

I am the recipient of the 2022 FulbrightNehru Professional and Academic Excellence Award and a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, where I lead novel research on transcultural collaboration in the arts. The aims of this project are to enhance our understanding of intercultural collaboration in the 21st century, especially in the context of how we now define culture. Honored by this recognition, I am also grateful to AUP for inspiring me on this journey to discover our world’s diverse heritages.

I am currently in India’s Northeast border region, near Myanmar, where I have also accepted the post of fellow with the Highland Institute, where I am leading research on Nagaland’s indigenous arts and culture. I am also serving as visiting faculty at Visva Bharati University in West Bengal and the Royal University of Bhutan and lecturing at universities around India.

JENNIFER (STANLEY) LAVOREL ’85

I have recently been promoted to Director of Asset Management Policy in the Office of Housing, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

GREGG TATE ’87

Hi, everyone! If you were at AUP anytime in the ’80s, I probably know you and you probably know me! I was Cafeteria Manager (when there was a cafeteria behind the church). Loved you all, and I hope you’re all doing well! My wife, Susan, and I are waiting on our fourth grandchild. After our careers, we started a cat-sitting business, Cat Sitting by Susan, that is now employing 20 people and giving us a whole new perspective on life. The picture is with our daughter who passed away seven years ago. Still miss her every day!

SANDRA BRAMWELL ’87

I have just expanded my business, which assists students in finding their paths through schools, colleges and graduate programs, to the New York area. We currently also have offices in the Caribbean and will now attempt to broaden our outreach across the Tri-State area. I stand proud as Director of Versan Educational Services! Find out more at versan.org.

ANDY SWAY ’87

After 33 years in New York, I relocated my healing and hypnosis practice to Hollywood. I’m very excited to be in a place without winter!

KIPPEN DE ALBA CHU ’88

In July 2022, I started a new position as CEO for the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), an Oregon-registered nonprofit organization that has a fully virtual office with employees based in the US, Canada and France. ILI works with organizations, communities and museums around the globe to expand the way that people think about learning. We have performed research for decades and apply those findings to everyday learning, looking into who has access to it and where and when it can be expanded. As CEO, I will continue to be based in Fort Worth, Texas.

ALEX ALEXANDER ’88

After being a contemporary art dealer for many years and having hosted alumni events in my gallery on La Cienega in Los Angeles, I’m now transitioning to a museum career. I have founded a contemporary museum in Long Beach California. The inaugural exhibition was held on September 10, 2022.

RASHEED KHAN ’91

It’s amazing to still be in touch with AUP (which became AUP while I was there – it was ACP when I first came to campus). I had a pretty conventional career at the start: banking, MBA, management consulting and so forth. I started my first company in 2002, selling engineering consultancy services to industry, which did fairly well. I also served in volunteer organizations, charities and educational trusts, looking for a balance and wanting to give back.

I’ve now taken this to another level, recently co-founding a luxury fashion business as a social enterprise. It’s an experiment to see if fashion is truly compatible with sustainability and

social justice: the verdict is YES! (But it’s not easy.) I’m delighted to share LIDIA MAY with you. Visit lidiamay.com or find us on Instagram; we’d love to have your feedback. You can sign up for the newsletter and follow us, which is always deeply appreciated, or keep an eye on our LinkedIn where we often post jobs and internship opportunities. Also, to anyone with a compatible business interested in a future collaboration – drop me a line!

EVAN TOWNSLEY ’91

I recently received the Carnegie Hero Award for helping a woman who was being attacked by a huge dog. While on my way to breakfast with my three children, I heard horrible screaming, then I saw a dog trying to kill an elderly woman. I stopped my car in the street, got out, pulled a small knife, and went to help her. The account is summarized on the Carnegie Hero website.

After making local news, I was contacted by an investigator for Carnegie who spent a few months looking into every aspect of the incident. My recovery was horrific; it took two months and stopped all aspects of my life. I’m thankful to be alive and happy that I was able to save the woman from imminent death. I am honored to be a recipient of the award.

ANDREW KOCH ’94

I’ve been writing fiction since my years in Paris and have finally started to earn some high-profile publication credits. This past summer, a story of mine, “Planetfall,” appeared in Analog Magazine along with an interview I did with the magazine. Another piece, “The Invention of Paper,” adapted from the same manuscript of interconnected stories, is forthcoming in Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine. Some of my other short stories are available at literary magazines like Split/ Lip, Hobart, F(r)iction and Puerto del Sol.

BRIAN BRAZEAU ’95

After 15 years at the American School of Paris, I will be beginning a new role as the Director of the American section of the Lycée International de Saint-Germain-enLaye in September 2023.

YOUNÈS BENNANI ’95

I am happy to announce my engagement to Ms. Amina Boutaleb. I am looking forward to hearing from my fellow friends from AUP.

DAVID LESLIE KETCHUM ’95

Having lived and worked in Costa Rica for the last five years, I recently started a new position at one of the oldest private bilingual schools in Cartago. I am currently teaching grammar, science and literature at the highschool level. I will likely also be working with French classes in the next school year.

CHARLIE (RITTS) TEIXEIRA ’96

I have been living in Hawaii since 2002, where I have co-founded a lifestyle brand called Route 99 Hawaii, named for the highway that brings you to the North Shore of O’ahu. Route 99 Hawaii’s mission is to share “aloha” worldwide.

In October 2022, we will celebrate the first anniversary of our retail store on the North Shore. We carry unique hats and apparel, embroidered out of our home shop, working with local artists and vendors. If you find yourself visiting O’ahu, please stop to say “aloha.”

RIA DE BORJA ’97

With over a decade of experience in content marketing and creative copywriting, my company, RDB Media, does website copy, blogs, social media copy, white papers, manuals, business reports, books, press releases and editorial content for international and local companies. Past clients include Louis Vuitton Paris; Les Roches Shanghai; DrCom Singapore; Stores Specialists, Inc.; Edukasyon.ph; Delbros Group; and The Good Alchemist. We make dedicated efforts toward building positive relationships while authoring content and developing content marketing strategies.

ANA NOV ’00

I migrated to Australia in 2013 after several jobs in Cambodia and more than a year in Canada in 2003. After working in childcare centers and retail jobs for many years, I have started another journey to be an interpreter for the Australian New South Wales department of justice and community. I am still planning to continue my career in early childhood education, but I want to retrain my interpreting and translation skills in addition to disability care.

LOUISE DE TURCKHEIM (NÉE KAHRMANN) ’04

I am living in London, working in PR, communications and marketing for luxury brands. Most recently I worked as Chief Communications Officer for the British luxury skincare brand and celebrity favorite 111SKIN. Prior to this role, I was Global Marketing and Communications Director for British heritage jeweler David Morris. This followed previous positions at De Beers – LVMH, Elie Saab and Parisian PR agency DM Media. I am currently consulting, specializing in luxury communications and covering PR, events and marketing. I married Alexi in 2019, and we welcomed baby daughter Cosima in 2020. I’d be delighted to hear from AUP alumni – don’t hesitate to contact alumni relations to facilitate a meeting.

CLARA RACHEL EYBALIN CASSEUS ’06 & G’09

This note serves as a call to fund a chair of Caribbean Studies at the Université de Jean Price-Mars (Hinche, Haïti). As an independent researcher, I find that the novelty of this project is in rethinking a South–North university cooperation based on an array of interdisciplinary courses: from the study of sustainable development, memory, critical migration and heritage tourism. This initiative is unique in its perspective as an interface for academic exchange and the coproduction of knowledge.

KRISTINA KEENAN ’08

I experienced a major career success this year as the Assistant Legislative Director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). As the lead advocate for military toxic exposure issues, I worked tirelessly to pass the Honoring Our PACT Act, the most comprehensive, multigenerational toxic exposure legislation for veterans in American history. I testified twice on this issue, once before the US House Veterans Affairs Committee and once before the US Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

I spoke at numerous press conferences with comedian and veteran advocate Jon Stewart, participated in media interviews, and lobbied members of Congress for two years until the bill passed this August. This legislation will help millions of American veterans who have been exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances during their military service, providing them with health care and disability benefits. I couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of this movement, to have made a positive change in my country, and to continue to serve the veteran community.

FOUAD ALOBAID ’08 & G’13

I currently work in talent development for a leading Kuwaiti Bank. As part of supporting my alma mater, I would be more than happy to help coach seniors or graduate students to help prepare their transition from studies to their future careers. Send me a note to my email if interested: ff.alobaid@gmail.com. Wishing recent graduates success in their upcoming endeavors!

SEBASTIANO LUSTIG ’11

As Policy Officer for the Health Security and Vaccination Unit of DG SANTE, my responsibilities included negotiating the European Health Union proposals and acting as a focal point for the European Commission on topics related to Health Security for the G7, G20 and OECD. I also led on Covid-19 policy, including nonpharmaceutical interventions. Within the European Commission, I am now a Policy Coordinator at the newly established European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority. With a background as a social policy professional, I have served as a consultant for several international and governmental organizations including the OECD, NATO and GIZ.

PAULINE RODHAIN ’13

Hi AUP fam! I wanted to share my story as a French expat in Los Angeles – hopefully, it will inspire some of you to follow your heart and make your dreams come true! Born and raised in Paris, I always dreamed of setting foot in the US. I knew the journey would be a long and challenging one, but I was determined to make it happen. Now here I am, exactly where I’m supposed to be! I had a strong feeling that AUP would be a great stepping stone to America – and it did not disappoint! For me, 2015 was a year of change and fear, yet also an amazing time during which many opportunities arose. After completing my master’s degree in public relations and journalism at USC, I landed a job in entertainment for two years – before following my passion for luxury fashion as a Marketing Director at a female-owned company. (I’m very proud of that fact!)

Seven years and multiple palm trees later, I’m still here – reporting live from sunny Los Angeles! I recently got to rekindle my friendship with other LA-based AUP alumni at an anniversary reunion event. What an amazing feeling it was to reunite with my international family!

DAVE BLOOM G’13

Since the summer of 2021, I’ve been working in the mine action sector with Mines Advisory Group, a global humanitarian and advocacy organization that finds, removes and destroys landmines, cluster munitions and unexploded bombs from places affected by conflict. This role is focused on raising awareness of – and funding for – these programs in the US Congress. This sort of position would not have been possible without my advanced degree from AUP. I still reside in Washington DC with my French wife, who runs two wine bars called La Jambe (which are well known to the DC alumni chapter), as well as our two daughters.

GENEVIEVE (HARTMANN) COLOM G’13

After two years leading Amazon’s “Personal Shopper” business, I was promoted to Senior Program Manager under the Amazon Fashion umbrella. Responsible for driving nascent business initiatives, including a net-new confidential beta program slated for a Q1 2023 launch, I remain passionate about balancing the art of style and fashion with the science of data and technology. My husband, Andrew, and I also welcomed our daughter, Liliane (now three), in October of 2018. The Coloms regularly return to Paris to visit family and friends in France.

FABIEN WULLENS G’14

Hello, my dear AUP family! I hope everyone is doing well in these times. After my year at AUP – and thanks to one of the courses I took in the humanitarian field – I started doing deep research on the former Pakistani Federally Administered Tribal Areas. I worked extensively on the presence of non-state armed groups in the region. Finally, after several years of work and a partnership with a French editor, I published my research as a book (in French), La réalité des groupes armés non étatiques évoluant au sein des FATA One of my aims is to translate it into English. This work helped me enter the humanitarian sector in 2016, and I could not be more thankful for the experiences I have had working for NGOs and the United Nations in countries such as Nigeria, Chad, Mali, Haiti, Central African Republic, Niger, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and, more recently, Ukraine.

Last year, I started teaching in French business schools, and I enjoy the feeling of helping students achieve their goals, which I have been able to do notably thanks to the courses I took at AUP. I am thankful that AUP students regularly reach out to me looking for advice; some of the students I have spoken to have already reached an impressive professional level. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to connect and discuss the field of international relations!

GABRIELLA SUIGHI G’16

Since graduating from AUP, I’ve taken jobs in marketing, working for clients like Colgate-Palmolive and Coca-Cola. I’m now working as a Marketing Director in The Bahamas and very happy to announce the publication of my first book! The Swimming Pugs: Explore the Islands of The Bahamas is a children’s book about my two pugs and our home country. Fun Fact: I got Mr. Pugsley, the book’s main character, while living in Paris as a student at AUP!

P JOSHUA LASKEY G’16

As a cornerstone of my dissertation work in humanities (University of Texas at Dallas), I will present a production of Federico García Lorca’s “Mariana Pineda” (fall 2022), which is the play I translated as part of my MA in Cultural Translation thesis at AUP in 2015.

SOYOUNG PARK ’17

I recently co-founded a tech startup in New York City called Mamakoo, which makes food guides for travelers. Each guide introduces must-try food and restaurants handpicked by local insiders like chefs, sommeliers and experienced diners, so users can easily access vetted food experiences unique to the destination. We’re currently covering 20 destinations around the world! Unlock your first guide for free with code AUP100 at mamakoo.com.

DEVON KEAKULINA DEANGELO G’17

Along with fellow AUP alum Nacera Belal, I am co-founding a travel technology

and creator marketplace startup called Landng. Our platform helps people experience the world through personalized itinerary discovery, powered by our creator marketplace, and we’re on a mission to make the experience of travel planning frictionless, inclusive and creative. Focused on solving the problem of travel content overwhelm when trip planning, our solution is twofold. Our travel planning tool bridges the gap between travel content discovery and actionable travel itineraries, and our creator marketplace connects creators and brands to generate actionable travel content for travelers. Landng’s database of customizable itineraries (think Pinterest for travel planning) allows on-the-go users to discover, collaborate, share and activate itineraries designed by their friends, by favorite content creators and by brands – or to curate their own itineraries from scratch.

From cultural advocacy to ethical privacy policies, Landng is committed to creating a positive space for people to explore and experience the world through travel. We have recently been featured on the Forbes Books Podcast; you can tune in to learn more about what we’re building and how you can join our community. The beta of our platform will be live in fall 2022. Signup on our website (landng.travel) to be informed of the launch.

GERARD ANDREW FAYLONA HERNANDEZ G’18

I am about to have a book published called Problems with History and Current Events: Reflections on Historical Narratives from An American Who Lived in Paris. It is currently being edited but should be published soon.

YOUSSEF MINA ’19

I proposed to the most amazing, wonderful, intelligent woman of my dreams – whom I met at AUP in Grenelle during our The Islamic City (Architecture) class in Spring 2017. She stole my classic seat (back corner on the left-hand side), and we struck up a conversation. We just bought a home together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and have two funny and lovable mini schnauzers. Thank you, AUP, for a life-changing class!

LEONA FRANÇOISE CAANEN ’19

I have just published my second book, Being Human: Create Life by Your Own Design, which contains 24 interviewsturned-stories about overcoming life’s challenges and figuring out how to shape hardships into opportunities for growth, creating a life that fits our uniqueness. I had the pleasure of including nine AUP alumni in the book. During my time at AUP I met so many lovely and intriguing individuals who have lived and are living lives that I believe inspire others.

RENEE WALTON G’20

I began a new position in May 2022 at the University of California, Irvine’s business school in the program services office of the fully employed MBA program.

SARAH GORENFLO G’21

After an intensive job hunt following the completion of my degree, I’ve been thrilled to start a new position in refugee work. In March 2022, I moved across the United States to Houston, Texas, where I now work as a Starting Essentials Program Associate for Houston Welcomes Refugees. We partner with local resettlement agencies to provide incoming refugees with household goods and friendship, mobilizing volunteers around the area to welcome them to their new homes. It’s so fulfilling to finally have a career in the humanitarian field. The work has been full of variety so far, and I’m excited to walk alongside my team to welcome the next thousand refugees and beyond.

Got an update for your fellow alumni? You could be featured in the next issue of the AUP Magazine. Whether it’s a new job, a recent wedding or a relocation across the world, we want to hear what you’ve been up to over the last year.

Visit aup.edu/class-notes to share your story.