Class of 2003

Tuckernuck was originally founded by Maddy Grayson, September Votta, and Jocelyn Gailliot ’03 as an online direct-to-consumer clothing boutique. Named for an island off Nantucket, where the three cofounders grew up summering, Tuckernuck now has its own in-house label and two brick-and-mortar stores, one by the Georgetown waterfront in Washington, D.C., and the other on New York’s Upper East Side. CEO Jocelyn Gailliot calls the clothing “classic with a twist.”

Olivia Wong writes: “At the 30th anniversary presentation of the 2025 Hilton Humanitarian Prize Ceremony this past October, which celebrates organizations fighting human suffering, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) was honored with the $3 million award. Representatives from the U.S. contingent of MAG were present at the awards ceremony gala in New York City, which included Steve Solow ’80, MAG U.S.’s pro bono counsel, and me, U.S. secretary of the MAG board of directors and vice president of the Brown Club of Boston. MAG aims to save lives and build safer futures through the removal of landmines and explosive remnants of war, and reduce the impact of small arms and light weapons and ammunition on people and communities.” 

Jamie Effros writes: “I’m excited to announce that Big George, a short film I wrote and directed, has been released on Omeleto, a YouTube channel featuring the best short films in the world. After 20 festivals, including two Oscar-qualifiers, and several awards, you can watch it online for free. The synopsis: When a New York actor gains too much weight to pull off his survival gig as a George Clooney impersonator, he must justify to his nine-year-old daughter, and to himself, why he’s still chasing his dream. It’s an ode to working artists, and a heartfelt father/daughter story about the compromises we all make for our passions and the people we love.”

Lee M. Hoffman ’03 is the cofounder and president of Runwise, the leading smart controls platform that operates key heating and water systems more efficiently in 7,500 buildings throughout the country. Hoffman cofounded and managed technology for companies as diverse as Time Warner, Razorfish Studios, and Terabolic, Inc. Most recently, he cofounded and served as CEO of Veri, a venture-backed NYC mobile startup that was acquired by The Knot in 2018.

Pat Kelleher writes: “Tara Mounsey ’03 was officially inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame on December 10, 2025. In the photo posted by the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Tara is flanked by me, executive director of USA Hockey, and Jim Madich ’75, board member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum.”

Catherine Simpson Bueker ’00 AM, ’03 PhD writes: “In September I published Beyond White Picket Fences: Evolution of an American Town with the Russell Sage Foundation. The book examines the changing demographics of Wellesley, Massachusetts, over the past 100+ years. Drawing on interviews, archival data, and participant observations, I examine how Italian, Jewish, and Chinese newcomers influenced and were influenced by the established community. I examine the ways in which immigrant groups assimilate, retain their cultural backgrounds, and respond to discrimination, sometimes simultaneously, and, in doing so, alter the mainstream.”

Michael Rothman writes “I’d just like to give a shout out to fellow alum Dr. Robert “Bobby” Parisien, who just performed a seamless shoulder arthroscopy on my dominant shoulder. Consider this a general note of appreciation to Bob and to the idea that a relationship that started at The Ratty continues 25 years later on the operating table!” Contact Michael at [email protected].

Lillie Marshall has been enjoying a three-part career in Boston. She’s a school librarian and a Reiki relaxing touch practitioner and teacher at Healing Touch “L” Energy Work (healingtouchl.com). She is also a writer at the following: Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog (aroundtheworldl.com); Drawings Of… (drawingsof.com), a hand-drawn educational cartoon site; Reiki Colors: an Energy Work Insights blog (reikicolors.com); and Teaching Traveling Global Education Community (teachingtraveling.com). She sends warmth and hellos to the Brown community!

Andrew “Andy” Golodny married Julia Arons (Case Western ’08) on Mar. 29 in Washington, D.C. In attendance were many friends from Brown including: Ari Gerstman ’05, Ryan Levesque ’04, Tylene Bautista Levesque ’04, Josh Mandel ’99, Evan Parness ’02, Jeff Saltman ’03, Brian Singer ’04, Stephanie Harris Singer ’04, Cara Zeldis Snyder ’04, Eric Snyder ’04, Josh Troy ’04, and Jaron Zitrin ’04.

Lauren E. Oakes published Treekeepers: The Race for a Forested Future on Nov. 12 with Basic Books. The book offers a critical look at how forests contribute to the fight against climate change, revealing the complex roles they can play in making the planet more habitable for life into the future. Lauren writes: “I spent four years working on this project and interviewed 150 people around the world to craft the narrative. Many people paused their pressing work in research groups, nurseries, fields and forests, companies, NGOs, and governments to speak with me. Their perspectives helped shape this story, and I hope it makes a positive contribution to the wider discussion on the reforestation movement today.”

Raffi Bilek, director of the Baltimore Therapy Center, published The Couples Communication Handbook: The Skills You Never Learned for the Marriage You Always Wanted on Nov. 11 with HeartZig Press.  

Dr. Sean Thomas was featured as a “power player” in the 2024 spring edition of Industry magazine. See pg. 73 on issuu.com/industrymagazine/docs/si_mar_2024links.

Joseph Penza writes: “I started a municipal archive in rural East Tennessee about 13 years ago and was recently featured on our local NPR affiliate, WETS, regarding a state grant I received for creating a digital historic recipe database as a way to document local heritage through food and cooking. As city archivist I’ve collected hundreds of linear feet of documents, photographs, maps, deeds, audio and visual recordings, artifacts and textiles. I received numerous state grants to promote preservation and public access to records and information. From a community perspective, being a member of the public library staff has enabled me to present educational programing at all levels of local schools and civic organizations, start a skateboarding club for youth adversely affected by the opioid crisis, and help in creating distribution policies and practices for clothing and food for our unhoused population as well as free narcan for anyone in the community in need. Creating community archives is my passion, but it loses its relevance if the community itself isn’t thriving. Thus, I take very seriously all the hats I have to wear, from dressing up as a pink T-Rex for story time to assisting recent parolees in developing resumes and seeking public housing, to taking out the trash, or plunging a toilet—it’s all just part of the job I love. If you’d like to know more about our little library, feel free to reach out at [email protected].”

Chris Norlund ’03 AM published Positive Angle: Reboot Your Mind, Live Your Awesome Life on August 11, 2023. It is available on Amazon.

Raffi Bilek published his first book, The First Ten Letters with Mosaica Press in February. The book is available on Amazon and in the Brown Bookstore.

Shani Belgrave ’07 MD (see ’03).

Dr. Shani Belgrave ’07 MD is featured in the September issue of Best Self Atlanta magazine. Dr. Belgrave is a bariatric surgeon at Peachtree Surgical and Bariatrics. The practice won the magazine’s 2023 award for best bariatric surgery practice.

Alexandra MacCallum ’03 joined the Washington Post as chief revenue officer. Previously, she worked as global head of product for CNN Worldwide and general manager of CNN+.

Samuel David Snead was appointed to the board of directors of the Maryland Transportation Authority by Governor Wes Moore. He currently serves as the director of transportation of Anne Arundel County. He actively chairs the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board, serves as a commissioner of the Central Maryland Transit Agency, and is a board member for the Transit Association of Maryland.

Nicholas Beem writes: “I run a small yoga studio in Evanston, Illinois (www.gratefulyoga.com) with my wife Lela, whom I met thanks to Reed Aubin ’02’s crazy play Pez/Pescado. Our studio survived the pandemic thanks to massive community support and the magic of Zoom. I started a Substack where I explore my intersecting interests in yoga, science, ritual, parenting, and ecology: withinwithout.substack.com. I’m also available for private yoga and meditation instruction over Zoom, or in person if you happen to be in Chicagoland!”

Praise Shadows Art Gallery in Brookline, Mass., presented “Snapshots,” a solo exhibition by Cambridge-based artist Helena “Lanie” Wurzel from Feb. 17 to Mar. 19. Those familiar with the streetscapes of Cambridge will recognize the many scenes depicted on the sidewalks and around the city’s public spaces.

Katherine Antos ’03 has been named undersecretary of decarbonization & resilience for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. In this position, she will integrate EEA’s climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts in response to the climate crisis. She will also oversee implementation of the Clean Energy and Climate Plan, the Commonwealth’s roadmap to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Elizabeth Stark ’03, cofounder and CEO of Lightning Labs, Devin Finzer ’13, cofounder and CEO of OpenSea, and Daniel Tapiero ’90, ’91 AM, cofounder of Gold Bullion International, were featured in Business World’s list of the “Most Influential 100 Inside World of Crypto.”

Lillie Marshall writes: “Hello! For those of you who knew my cartoons in the Brown Daily Herald, please check out my site, DrawingsOf.com, where I illustrate life and language ideas in an educational yet entertaining manner—from English lessons to art ideas and How-To Guides. I have also started a wildly colorful clothing line
at DrawingsOf.com/shop for your rainbow pleasure. Finally, if you’re in the Boston area and looking for relaxation, I’ve opened HealTouchL Boston Reiki + Energy Balancing (HealTouchL.com) to help.”

Calvin Ho and Jason Wahlman ’04 traveled to Denver for a reunion with Jared Eddy ’04 this past spring. Calvin writes: “Jared is an infectious diseases physician at National Jewish Health in Denver. Jason continues his human resource consulting practice at Mercer in Minneapolis and I juggle with different change management projects for KPMG in San Francisco. The “hotel Andrews” alums enjoyed spending a weekend hiking the Rocky Mountains and exploring the microbrewery scene in Denver. While I’m living an erratic lifestyle, Jared is still keeping late hours, and Jason remains the most sensible of the bunch. Nevertheless we are all looking forward to our respective in-person reunions in the coming years.”

Al Gerstein announces the Oct. 27, 2021 birth of his youngest grandchild, Andromeda (Andie) Web Lichtman. She was welcomed by her parents Hilary Gerstein ’03 and Martin Lichtman ’01 and her older sister Winnie. “The family is doing fine.”

Lily Geismer published Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality on March 1 with Hachette. It has received reviews in the New York Times and Washington Post.

Kenneth Lim writes: “In December I moved to Toronto, Canada, with my wife and two children. After a five-year stint on Wall Street and 13 years running a photography studio in Hong Kong, I am excited about being close to family again and starting new adventures in a different city.”

Raffi Bilek published The First Ten Letters: Secrets of the Universe Hiding in Plain Sight.

Al Gerstein writes; “I am pleased to announce the latest addition to my extended family. On Oct. 27, Andromeda (Andie) Web Lichtman came into this world weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces, joining her sister Winifred, age 7. Her parents are Hilary Gerstein ’03 and Martin Lichtman ’01. Needless to say there will be no pressure to join the ranks of alumnae when it’s time to apply to college.”

Rosie Mangiarotti was featured in Forbes in early September regarding her journey with her bra startup, Perkies. Perkies creates innovative undergarments for women to wear, most notably the only sticky bra with replaceable adhesives. Perkies was born out of Danny Warshay’s ENGN1010 class, “The Entrepreneurial Process.” Rosie pitched at the inaugural Brown Venture Prize competition in 2018, participated in Brown’s B-Lab and then pursued this venture after graduating. Her two investors are Brown alums as well: Liz Lange ’88 and Eliot Horowitz ’03.

Baldhiraj (Raj) S. Dang and Saloni Kaur Dang announce the June 18 birth of their daughter Karma Kaur Dang. Contact Baldhiraj at [email protected]

Hentyle Yapp published Minor China: Method, Materialisms, and the Aesthetic with Duke University Press. A professor of art and public policy at New York University, Hentyle analyzes contemporary Chinese art as it circulates on the global art market to outline the limitations of the predominant narratives that currently frame understandings of non-Western art.

Lillie Marshall writes: “For those who enjoyed my daily cartoon in the Brown Daily Herald from 1999 to 2003, you can now follow my artwork online at drawingsof.com, an educational cartoon site. Stop by for creative inspiration, illustrated lessons on common English typos, and fun kids’ stories. I’ve really enjoyed connecting with readers over the years, and just as I did during my Brown days, I still take drawing requests… so be in touch.”

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that Peter Case ’83 and Rebecca Rockefeller Lambert ’03, great-great-grandchildren of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller Sr., have created the Equation Campaign and pledged a combined $30 million of their personal wealth to the effort aimed at supporting people on the front lines fighting new oil and gas development. The campaign, which is looking to raise $100 million, will fund all aspects of blocking new development, including lawsuits, protest activities, public relations, social-media campaigns, and legal support when people are arrested or blocked from exercising their First Amendment rights of speech and assembly. 

Jessica Blanco-Busam ’04 MAT was appointed to the board of directors of the San Miguel School in Providence, R.I. San Miguel is a mission-based Lasallian boys school located in Providence that has been in operation since 1993. The school serves grades 5-8 students who come from underserved populations in the Providence area. Jessica has served on the Executive Director’s Council and is the middle school principal at Highlander Charter School in Providence. Contact her at [email protected].

After a 12-year partnership and the birth of their two sons, Brooke Stevens and Till Wirth (’07 NYU, ’12 Oxford) were married in Oxford, England on August 9, where they completed their MBAs together in 2012. In attendance were bridesmaids Frances Betancourt, Erika Faires ’04 and Ellen Goldstein ’04, all former Brown women’s crew teammates. They were also joined by Alex Agloro ’05, Luke Balleny ’06, Eric Heimark ’14, Andrew Keats ’04, Nicole Morris ’04 and Matt Salzler ’02. 

Risa Puno writes: “I am a New York City-based interactive installation/sculpture artist, and I was chosen as the first ever emerging artist to work with Creative Time through their inaugural Open Call. My project, The Privilege of Escape, is an escape-room-inspired public art installation designed to address issues of privilege and social inequity. The write-up was featured on the cover of the New York Times arts section. The project was live in Manhattan until Aug. 18. I wanted to let you know how much my education at Brown helped shape my life and this work in particular. After all, I first learned about privilege when I visited Brown as a prefrosh for the very first time. A first year who lived on the same floor as my host handed me a copy of White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. I am Filipina and grew up in Kentucky, so that essay exploded my world view in the best way. I started at Brown as part of PLME, but I ended up falling in love with art and it really helped me find my voice. Brown fostered my natural curiosity and instilled in me a sense of social responsibility. I’ll never forget that one of the deans when I was there had a quote in her email signature: ‘Harvard grads rule the world; Brown grads change it.’ I hope to do my small part in keeping that legacy ever true.”

The National Law Journal named Matthew R. Kittay ’03, who is cochair of mergers and acquisitions at Fox Rothschild LLP, a Trailblazer in Cannabis Law. This nationally recognized distinction is presented to attorneys who are agents of change in the new and rapidly developing industry.

Brooke Stevens and her partner, Till Wirth (NYU ’07, Oxford ’12), welcomed their second son, Sven Lucian Stevens Wirth, on Jan. 15. Brooke writes that big brother Theodor Edwin is slowly warming up to him. The family lives in London.

Seth Dorsky and his wife, Heather, welcomed their second son on Nov.12, 2018.  He joins older brother Zachary.

Anne Berchenko Weisholtz and Steven Weisholtz announce the wedding of their son, Daniel ’02 to YunXiang Chu on June 10, 2018, in Copake Lake, N.Y. In attendance were Boris Abromov ’00; Daniel Ko ’01; George Kong ’02, ’03 ScM; Eric Snyder ’03; and Cara Zeldis Snyder ’03. Daniel is a neurologist with a specialty in epilepsy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Al Gerstein is looking forward to the reunion. He writes: “I think I can still do the walk down the hill and up again to the green without requiring any medical care. As to what’s happening of any consequence in our immediate lives: had our first trip to Hawaii and paid our respects at the World War II memorial. Even though I was much too young to serve, I was old enough to appreciate what was going on then. Naomi is maintaining a small psychotherapy practice while I’ve been fully retired for six years. We’re still spending the three winter months at Longboat Key, and three summer weeks in Maine. Still driving without any problems. My only real complaint is an increased word-finding difficulty. I’m taking an American History course at Penn and have immersed myself in family genealogy. I can cover eight generations on both sides of my family. It’s a nice obsessive pursuit that substitutes for my past involvement in applicant interviewing, in which I was quite active for the past 20 years. I gave that up this year. It was time. Finally, to enrich our golden years we are very involved with our youngest granddaughter, Winnie, whose parents (Hilary Gerstein ’03 and Marty Lichtman ’01) have lived quite nearby for the past three years.”

Edissa Nicolas-Huntsman’s essay FIERCE: Essays by and about Dauntless Women was published by Nauset Press on Nov. 30.

Dylan Brown and E. Alexandra Athos Brown announce the June 27 birth of their son Preston Tyler Brown. They live in San Francisco, where Dylan is a partner at the law firm Goodwin Procter LLP and Alexandra is an academic neurologist at UCSF.

Wendell S. Brown III  ’67 ScM writes: “As my father used to say, ‘I’m still in the harness,’ which for me is a labor of love at UMass Dartmouth. My wife, Leslie, and I take time to visit our new grandson, Preston Tyler, and his parents Dylan ’03 and Alexandra Athos Brown ’03 in San Francisco a couple of times a year. While there we visit my other grandsons, August and Oliver, and their parents, my son Adrian and his wife, Mandy.”

Joanne Moreno Sharma and her husband, AJ Sharma, announce the Dec. 26 birth of their second child, Raquel Victoria Sharma. Raquel joins big brother Michael.
 

Rustam Metha writes: “In 2015 Tal Schori ’03 and I started GRT Architects, a small design firm in Brooklyn, New York. We’ve since grown our office staff to five and have completed several projects with Brown alumni, including Medium White Tee, an installation in Hawaii with Emily Spivack ’01; Don Angie, a contemporary Italian restaurant in New York City with Michael Stillman; and a townhouse for Rachael Bedard ’05 and Gideon Friedman ’05. We look forward to working with Marvin Barksdale on a redevelopment project in Providence.”

At a Dec. 5 awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., Kevin Khasigian, an assistant U.S. attorney in Sacramento, Calif., received an Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award for his participation in dismantling AlphaBay, the largest dark web illegal marketplace in the world, with 200,000 users, 20,000 vendors, and hundreds of thousands of listings that included drugs, weapons, and other illegal materials. Through a lengthy and complex investigation involving numerous foreign countries, the team successfully identified and arrested the founder of AlphaBay and seized tens of millions of dollars in criminal proceeds, including large amounts of cryptocurrency. Kevin remains close with many of his classmates. 

Richard Barker writes: “My daughter, Jessica J. Barker ’03, opened a Cuban-themed restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission
District in March, called Media Noche. It has had an enthusiastic reception and excellent publicity. A second location is under consideration. Her sister, Rebecca Bridges ’05, now a resident of Menlo Park, is an educational therapist and a proud mother of two. I underwent a triple bypass in March but have mended well. I am still involved at Brown in several capacities, including the board of the Watson Institute.”

Kevin M. Garrity ’03, of East Hampton, Mass., formerly of Watertown, Conn.; Nov. 3. A gifted athlete, during his high school years he was a member of the Frederick Gunn School varsity rowing, soccer, and basketball teams and was selected for the U.S. Development rowing team, earning a spot on the national team in 1999, which led to training and international competition in Canada and Bulgaria. At Brown, he was a four-year student-athlete on the crew team. He then joined the faculty at the Frederick Gunn School, teaching science and coaching basketball and rowing. He was the recipient of the Class of 1955 Distinguished Teaching Award. In 2014, he and his wife both accepted faculty positions at Williston Northampton School, where he taught chemistry and served as an advisor and coach. He is survived by his wife, Kate; a daughter; a son; his parents; and four siblings.

Lee J. Golini ’03, of North Kingstown, R.I.; Sept. 3. He continued on after Brown to obtain graduate degrees in both business administration and law from Washington University in St. Louis before opening his law practice in the Jamestown, R.I., area. He was an avid chef, host, and fisherman. He is survived by girlfriend Leah McCue; his parents; and countless brothers and members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, with which he was profoundly involved.