CLASS NOTES
SEMA HASHEMI ’02 Germantown, Maryland, an international policy analyst with the Office of International Programs in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), won a Mansfield Fellowship from the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. In September 2006, Hashemi began 10 months of full-time Japanese language and area studies locally. Once her training is complete, she will travel to Japan for a year, where she will work in a ministry or agency of the government of Japan. The Mansfield Foundation is dedicated to promoting understanding and cooperation between the United States and the nations of Asia. The fellowship program, the first of its kind, is administered by the foundation, with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as grantor. Established by Congress in 1994, the fellowships are designed to build a core group of U.S. government officials who will be able to serve as a resource to their agencies on issues related to Japan. Hashemi was chosen because of a demonstrated career interest in Japan. She plans to study Japan’s regulatory structure, as well as its international public health initiatives, to enhance ongoing communications between the FDA and its counterparts in Japan.
Sandra Nelson Campbell ’97
James Rineaman ’01
Glenn Dale, Maryland, retired from Verizon Communications after 27 years of service as a staff consultant and project manager. She is a certified project management professional and an active member of the Project Management Institute’s Silver Spring chapter.
Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, wrote, “Great experience, great education. I can highly recommend UMUC!”
Katherine Evette Simmons ’97 Suitland, Maryland, wrote, “UMUC has a wonderful support and network system. I am truly thankful for the opportunity and proud to say that I am an alumna of UMUC.”
Dianne McSears ’98 Clinton, Maryland, works for the U.S. General Services Administration. She wrote that completing her master’s degree at UMUC was “the best decision that I could have made.”
2000
Jessica Kerry Crandell ’00
Takoma Park, Maryland, is the technical service manager for Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc., a professional liability underwriting company. He wrote that, after retiring, he would like to earn a Doctor of Management degree and teach.
Jonathan Kaster ’02 Eau Claire, Wisconsin, works for Beckman Coulter, Inc., a manufacturer of biomedical testing supplies. He wrote, “The instructors at UMUC were great, and I really appreciated the opportunity to complete my degree requirements by utilizing the distance education program.”
Doreen Mannion ’02
s Golden, Mississippi, has moved four times since completing her master’s degree in computer systems management. Her latest move has left her “about as far out in the country as you can get.” She wrote, “Thank goodness for online training, since schools are more than two hours’ drive from here.”
Bowie, Maryland, has been named a fellow of the Society for Technical Communication, a professional organization for technical writers, editors, illustrators, managers, and educators. She is a quality assurance manager for Catapult Technology and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary, in Washington, D.C.
Maria Esther Guzmann ’00
Matthew J. Frawley ’03
Kensington, Maryland, is the owner of Continental Insurance Agency. She wrote, “Selecting this university was the best career move! . . . Thank you, UMUC, for helping!”
Silver Spring, Maryland, is in his final year of study at the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia. The class of 70 students also includes another UMUC graduate—Melisha Souders. Frawley wrote, “UMUC is the reason we will soon be receiving our JD degrees.”
Robert Evans ’96
Clivette Tamika Jones ’01 & ’04
Australia, wrote, “Earning a degree [with a specialization in] Asian studies definitely gave me a better understanding of the places I traveled to or was stationed. . . . I certainly applied the writing skills I gained from UMUC to my 20year career in the U.S. Air Force. It’s so important for folks coming in the service nowadays to have solid writing skills.”
Greenbelt, Maryland, completed two degrees at UMUC while working full time. She wrote, “UMUC has helped me achieve my goal of pursuing higher education. . . . The training and knowledge gained from UMUC has complemented and enhanced my social and professional skills.”
Ronald Warner ’96
Little Rock, Arkansas, is currently pursuing a Master of Education in gifted and talented education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she works as a graduate assistant. In 2006, she won the National Association for Gifted Children Non-Doctoral Student Award.
Asia, completed his associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in Korea, where his father was stationed and where he worked as a supply clerk. He wrote that UMUC Asia “provided me the opportunity to be with my family and get an education from some great teachers.”
James David Hersh ’02 & ’04
Willie F. Willis ’03 St. Petersburg, Florida, works at Baypines Veterans Administration Hospital. He wrote, “UMUC helped me to define myself as a person. . . . It made me more aware of the things around me and in the world.”
Gwendolynn Miller ’01
Achiever | 22 | University of Maryland University College
Anthony Silibe Aneke ’05 Beltsville, Maryland, works for EA Engineering and is studying to complete the second half of his dual degree program, the MBA. He wrote that he chose UMUC because of “its prestigious faculty and remarkable curricula.”