Class Notes

Name: Wayne Oliver

Class Year(s): 74,78

Note: The True Band of Brothers By Wayne Oliver BS ’78 In 1974, Wayne Oliver BS ’78 enrolled as a freshman at RIT and was assigned to the 4th floor of Sigma Pi—then known as Honor House B. At the time, their resident advisor was a senior student by the name of John Brown BS ’75. The floor was a mix of seniors and students on co-op, and though they occupied prime Greek real estate, they were not affiliated with any fraternity. Because of this, their house was facing possible elimination by the end of the third trimester. Determined to preserve their space, they advertised in the dorms for new members. And that’s when their true Band of Brothers was born. In the Spring Trimester of 1975, a new group of students joined the floor, now under Wayne’s guidance as the new resident advisor. This group remained together, strong and united, until 1978. Since then, their friendship has endured for over 50 years. They have witnessed each other’s weddings, celebrated the births of their children, and, sadly, mourned the loss of their first brother, Mark Newhouse BS ’80. This July, they will gather for their fifth reunion since graduation, another opportunity to roll back the sands of time. They will meet in Penn Yan, New York, nestled in the beautiful Finger Lakes region. Though time has caused them to lose contact with some of their former floormates, eight of them—along with their better halves—will come together once again. Those attending are: Bill Bibbens BS ’79, Jim Buckpitt BS ’79, Jerry Decausemaker BS ’80, Tony DiFlorio BS ’79, Peter Jackson BS ’79, John Tackacs, Jim Whipple BS ’79, and Wayne Oliver BS ’78. To any of their old friends reading this: they would love to reconnect. Please reach out to Wayne Oliver, wfoliver2013@gmail.com.

Submitted on: July 9, 2025

Name: Jeremy Sniatecki

Class Year(s): 1995

Note: Jeremy Sniatecki ’95 (CIAS) was chosen as the winner of the design competition for the new official city flag of the history-rich North Tonawanda, New York community.

Submitted on: July 9, 2025

Name: Briana Mackey

Class Year(s): 2023

Note: Briana Mackey BFA ’23 has been hired as a Junior Multimedia Designer for the Division of University Advancement at RIT.

Submitted on: July 9, 2025

Name: Jemeul Thompson

Class Year(s): 1987, 2005

Note: Jemeul Thompson BS ’05 is grateful for his RIT education. In 2012, after working in the education and non-profit sectors on a variety of instructional and community technology programs and projects in Rochester and Western NY, Jemeul decided to explore using the communications and instructional design aspects of his degree. This opened doors to a world he had no idea existed. Jemeul took a position with a unique company that provides training for the aviation security (AVSEC) sector and has not looked back. At the end of the pandemic, he took an exciting position with Delta Air Lines in cargo compliance and security, helping ensure that our planes are safe and secure for passenger travel. Jemeul loves what he does every day. His career would not have been possible without his RIT education.

Submitted on: July 9, 2025

Name: Viren Desai

Class Year(s): 1985

Note: Viren Desai BFA ’85 self-published a book entitled, Footprints in Time, a collection of Viren’s poems in English and Hindi, juxtaposed with images Viren shot over the years.

Submitted on: July 9, 2025

Name: Kathryn McGuire

Class Year(s): 97

Note: Kathy McGuire MS ’97 retired after 40 years of executive health care leadership. In her transition, she created McGuire Advisor LLC and has taken on the role of executive advisor to several health care organizations and health tech start-ups, including inventors, founders, and leaders. She’s also working on her golf game in FL. She was thrilled to see the RIT orange and brown recently in Grand Central Terminal in NYC - with great promotion of various RIT colleges and programs.

Submitted on: July 8, 2025

Name: Joel Miller

Class Year(s): 1977

Note: Joel Miller BS ’77 has been a Jewish communal professional for approximately five decades. Joel is currently director of operations at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe, IL. This is one of the largest reform congregations in the US.

Submitted on: July 8, 2025

Name: Ethan Feldman

Class Year(s): 2007

Note: Ethan Feldman BS ’07 and his wife welcomed their second daughter, Bexleigh.

Submitted on: July 8, 2025

Name: CJ Wurster

Class Year(s): 2000

Note: Dr. CJ Wurster BS ’00 was recently appointed as president of Chandler-Gilbert Community College, which is a part of the Maricopa County Community College District in the Greater Phoenix Metro area. CJ is the fifth college president to lead the institution, which serves over 19,000 students per year.

Submitted on: July 8, 2025

Name: Robert Stone

Class Year(s): 2021

Note: Robert Stone MFA ’21 was hired as a photography instructor at CT State Manchester in Manchester, CT, USA. This is a full-time tenure-track position! Robert will be starting Fall 2025, and he couldn’t be more excited. A dream come true, and a journey a decade in the making.

Submitted on: July 8, 2025