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lumni living in and around Washington, D.C., gathered on Oct. 24 at the capital’s most St. Louis spot, Pi Pizzeria, in the Penn Quarter neighborhood. They dined on featured pizzas such as “The Berkeley,” “The Maplewood” and “The Kirkwood” and had a chance to reminisce about their college years. On the table were placards, offering the alumni the chance to pitch in their words for the university’s “Choose Your Word” campaign, which promotes the characteristics most common in people who choose UMSL.
Viktoriya Gruden, BS 2002, MS 2004, joined Lickenbrock Technologies in St. Louis as a business operations coordinator.
Michael Quillin, MS 2002, joined O’Leary, Shelton, Corrigan, Peterson, Dalton & Quillin in Richmond Heights, Mo., as a founding partner and trial attorney.
Kimberly Gutchewsky, MA 2002, was named a 2017 Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year for the St. Louis region. Kimberly also received a 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award from Emerson Electric. She is an English-Language Arts teacher at Ladue Horton Watkins High School.
Jonathan Frost, BSEd 2003, was appointed executive director of Sigma Pi Fraternity International headquartered in Lebanon, Tenn.
K. Gutchewsky
Crystal Gale, BA 2003, BSEd 2003, received a 2017 Excellence in Education Award from The St. Louis American Foundation. Crystal is director of performance management for St. Louis Public Schools. Darija Hadziselimovic, BA 2003, was promoted to principal compliance chemist at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in St. Louis.
A slice of UMSL in DC Steve Hutson, BSEd 2003, received a 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award from Emerson Electric. Steve is a physical education teacher for the Clayton School District in Missouri. Erik Smetana, BA 2003, was named executive director of compensation and talent in the Human Resources Department at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. Stephanie Bell Martin, BA 2004, was appointed to public health administrator for the Randolph County (Mo.) Health Department. Andre Stevens, BSBA 2004, was named a 2018 St. Louis Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree. Andre is a manager for Daugherty Business Solutions in St. Louis.
Bruce Green, MEd 2005, was named one of North County Incorporated’s 30 Leaders in their Thirties. Bruce is the assistant superintendent for high school education for the Hazelwood School District in St. Louis. Lori Gwyn, MS 2003, PhD 2005, was promoted to associate professor of biochemistry at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Okla. Todd Larkin, MBA 2005, joined Intalere in St. Louis as vice president of contracting. Jana Loftis, BA 2005, BSEd 2005, received a 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award from Emerson Electric. Jana is a social studies teacher at the Jennings Educational Training School in St. Louis.
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