1980s

1981

Kenneth Dunner ’79, ’81 (COS) was promoted to research laboratory coordinator within the Department of Cancer Biology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Anthony Marzo ’81 (SCB) and Christopher Pong are proud to announce the completion of the adoption of their son, Christopher Anthony Marzo-Pong. Marzo adopted him in April at the age of 2. This followed an earlier international adoption by Pong. Marzo recently closed his law office to become a stay-at-home dad.

Gale Bram Gand ’81 (CIAS) was asked by Chicago’s mayor to create the dessert for the Welcome Dinner when Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Chicago in January 2011. In addition, her Passover dessert recipes were published on the White House website. The Cooking Channel has started to air her show, Sweet Dreams, and she was a guest judge on an episode of Food Network’s Last Cake Standing. She has accepted a new position as the chef-in-residence at historic Elawa Farm in Lake Forest, Ill.

1982

Judith Krimski ’81, ’82 (CIAS) published her first children’s book, Vanilla Gorilla: Animal Art & Poems. The book, a compilation of full-color collage art animals with whimsical poems written by David Harrow, can be purchased through www.authorhouse.com. She lives in Quincy, Mass., with her teenage son and is principal of Krimski Design, a graphic design and marketing firm servicing nonprofit organizations throughout greater Boston.

Alan Church ’82 (CAST) engaged in his own civil engineering practice in Armour, S.D., and recently became the daddy of Amanda, who was born July 10. Church and his wife, Melanie, now have two boys and two girls.

1983

Allison Taylor ’78, ’83 (SCB) was awarded a Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in May and has accepted the position of senior epidemiologist at the Tennessee Department of Health in Nashville.

Oliver Cannady ’83 (CAST) retired after 35 years of service to Allstate Insurance Co.

Jonathan White ’83 (CIAS) is both the curator and a participating artist in the seventh exhibition of “A Fraternity of Artists,” featuring student and alumni artists from the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity from RIT and other chapters. The exhibition is opening on Jan. 6 and runs until Feb. 17 at 1570 Gallery at the Valley Manor Apartments, 1570 East Ave., Rochester.

Daniel Bean ’83 (CIAS) enjoys being part of an 18-piece big band with singers from the Fox Valley Area. Check the band out on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8usvDpGQDDc.

1984

Martha Dimeo ’84 (CIAS) joined the Board of the New England Chapter of American Society of Picture Professionals as communications and membership chair.

Christopher Lerch ’84 (CAST), ’91 (SCB) accepted a position at Heritage Christian Services in Rochester as chief information officer. He was previously employed at RIT as manager of IT at The Wallace Center.

John Villard ’84 (CAST) and Kathleen Huggins are happy to announce their marriage on July 3 in Canandaigua, N.Y. They live in Farmington, N.Y.

Michael Dawes ’82, ’84 (CIAS) was ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church on June 11 at the annual meeting of Susquehanna Annual Conference (a Pennsylvania regional conference).

Steven Gregory ’84 (CIAS) has returned to his original interest of fine art photography after working 20 years in the commercial photography field. In 2005, he was chosen as the Best Emerging Artist at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. Since then, he has received a Hillsborough County Individual Artist Grant, a State of Florida Artist Fellowship, and was commissioned as a City of Tampa Photographer Laureate. His current project “Depth of Memory” is the exploration of memories through the symbolism of architecture. www.stevensgregory.com

1985

Alex Bruski ’85 (CIAS) redecorated a 1989 Tollycraft Yacht. “In addition to my handyman business, I have been enjoying the car races trackside by working as a corner marshal at Pacific Raceways. In May, I worked an event at Dirtfish Driving School in Snoqualmie, Wash., where they sponsored a national rally race that was televised by ESPN.”

1986

Bryan Wenner ’85, ’86 (CIAS) has been named client services manager in the American Print Management Division of e-LYNXX Corp., a leader in procurement innovation and print management in the United States and Canada.

1987

Marylou Singer Fraser ’87 (CIAS), owner of Fraser Interiors, was featured on This Old House for her work on the Auburndale House in Newton, Mass.

Bonnie Hammer ’87 (CIAS) was recognized in the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald Tribune for teaching seniors about social networking. In the fall, she taught at Ringling College of Art and Design and did corporate training for Children’s First.

Robert Firestein ’86, ’87 (CIAS) is with his daughter, Taylor, who entered her first year at RIT this fall as a photojournalism major. This photo was taken by Rick Brady ’72 (CIAS) during the Washington/Baltimore alumni cruise in Annapolis, Md.

1988

Christopher Toumbacaris ’88 (CAST) accepted a position at Pall Corp., Advanced Separations Systems Group in Cortland, N.Y., as controls project engineer. He was employed at Schneider Packaging Equipment as controls engineer for nine years.

Stephen Kennedy ’88 (COS) writes, “I wrote a science fiction novel, Terra Forma, by my pen name J. Russell that is now published on Kindle and will be on shelves soon.”

Joseph Pacher ’88, ’95 (KGCOE) is site vice president at R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant in Ontario, N.Y. He previously was the engineering manager at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station in Scriba, N.Y. Pacher joined Constellation Energy Nuclear Group in June 1986 and has held a number of leadership positions at Ginna and Nine Mile Point.

1989

Gary Zeiger ’87, ’89 (CAST) is expected to release his first science-fiction novel, Stingray: You Can’t Hide Forever, on Thanksgiving Day. For more information, go to www.GaryZeiger.com.

Deborah Bernacki ’89 (COS) CEO and founder of Happier At Home, has been selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare by the International Association of Nurses. She also has been granted approval from New York state to franchise her business. www.HappierAtHome.org.

Susan Svika Smith-Hartman ’89 (COS) has been working in the private sector of OB/GYN ultrasound for the same physicians for 14 years. She recently became an advanced practice sonographer through the Society for Diagnostic Sonographers. She also was awarded Senior Member status through the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. She was honored in May as one of RIT’s invited alumni at the Women’s Career Achievement dinner.