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1970s
Irene H. Araneda, ’79 MS, was named 2008 Florida Elementary School Counselor of the Year by the Florida School Counselor Association. She has been a counselor with the District School Board of Pasco County, Fla., since 1990.
Patrick Murphy, ’78 BS, was named CEO of the Waco YMCA.
1980s
Carolyn Brooks, ’85 BS, was named Galena Park ISD Educator of the Month for March 2009. She is a kindergarten teacher and grade level chair at Jacinto City Elementary School.
Karen Engle, ’86 MA, will be the principal of Clear Creek ISD’s newest high school, which will be named soon and is set to open in fall 2010. She is currently the principal of Clear View Education Center.
Randall Horton, ’83 MA, led a discussion on medical humanities at the Seventh International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities in Beijing, China. He is a visiting professor at Peking University Health Science Center and a doctoral student with The University of Texas Medical Branch.
Abboud Mardini, ’89 MBA, works in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the life and medical manager for Saudi National Insurance Company.
William “Bill” Martin, ’87 BS, has been named accounting supervisor for The Woodlands Township.
John Moon Jr., ’81 MS, recently was sworn in as a member of the San Jacinto College Board of Trustees.
Sandra Mossman, ’87 Mid-Management Certificate, ’87 Supervisor Certificate, Distinguished Alumna ’03, will have an elementary school named for her in Clear Creek ISD.
Peggy Ferguson Murrah, ’85 BS, co-wrote, “42 Rules to 24-Hour Success with LinkedIn.” The publication made the Amazon bestseller list and became No. 1 in several job search categories.
Elizabeth Radicioni, ’85 BS, was named Rotary Secondary Teacher of the Year in Clear Creek ISD. She teaches at Victory Lakes Intermediate School in League City.
Vicki Thomas, ’83 MS, has accepted a position with Fayetteville, Ark., school district as superintendent. She starts the new position in July 2009.
Marilyn Wiley, ’83 MS, ’82 MBA, Distinguished Alumna ’84, has assumed a new position as senior associate dean of the College of Business at University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.
1990s Celeste Aguilar-Polanco, ’97 BA, married Edgar Polanco on April 4. Celeste is a senior technical writer for National Job Corps Data Center in Austin, Texas. Steve Christopherson, ’98 MS, ’81 BS, received an appointment from Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas State Board of Examiners for Professional Counselors. Walter Cox, ’99 MS, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University. He has been awarded the John D. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship for 2009 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. During his fellowship he will spend a year at the NOAA headquarters in Silver Springs, Md., working in the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Valschkia Dabney-Smith, ’99 BA, received her Ph.D. from the community college leadership program at The University of Texas at Austin. She currently serves as director of the Blinn College P-16 Council in Brenham, Texas. Gary Horlacher, ’95 MS, was named a flight director for NASA. In its 50-year history, only 77 people have been selected to serve as NASA flight directors. Jan Johnson, ’95 MA, ’86 BS, ’86 Elementary Teaching Certificate, has published a book, “Walking Historic Galveston: A Guide to its Neighborhoods.” The book offers walker-friendly ways to explore Galveston Island. Laura Kelly, ’91 MS, ’87 BS, passed the Certified Institutional Review Board Profession examination in September 2008. She is a senior policy analyst for Baylor College of Medicine. Robert Knapick, ’94 MA, has a weekly television show on Channel 55 KTBU, “Scuba Bob’s Ocean Quest,” about ocean conservation. He has been diving for almost 30 years and is an instructor trainer for SSI and PSAI. Gary Lackey, ’99 MBA, is a vice president at Morgan Stanley. He lives in Jersey City, N.J. Kristi LaMell, ’95 MS, ’89 MS, is principal at Victory Lakes Intermediate School in League City, Texas. Scott Marler, ’94 BA, is an assistant professor of history at University of Memphis. Jennifer Reaves, ’92 BS, is a biology instructor at Jackson State Community College in Jackson, Tenn. Alisa Salvans, ’96 BS, teaches chemistry at Richardson High School. Robin Veariel, ’91 BS, is the senior manager of treasury operations for AEI.
2000s Audra Ament, ’08 BS, married Michael Lane on Jan. 10. The couple resides in Dickinson, Texas. Charles David Armstrong, ’00 MS, is a biotechnology project manager at BJ Services Co. Jennifer Benson, ’05 BS, married Marcus Davis II on April 25. She is the activities coordinator at Bering Omega Community Services. Ashley Birmingham, ’08 BA, won the UHCL Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta Outstanding Undergraduate Student in History Award. She will be teaching world history and advanced placement history at Friendswood High School in the fall. Christina Bradley, ’06 BS, married Timothy Featherly Jr., on Jan. 24. She works for Galveston County as a community supervision officer. Safiyyah Bluncson, ’08 MS, was nominated HAABSE Teacher of the Year 2008- 2009. She currently teaches special education in the Houston ISD. Greg Chamitoff, ’02 MS, gave a presentation at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif., about his six-month experience in 2008 living on the International Space Station. Sylvia Chapa, ’01 BS, was College of the Mainland Police Department’s first recipient of the Police Officer of the Year Award. She also has been certified as a mental health peace officer through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. Alisa Chavers, ’07 BS, married David Carter on March 22. Emily Drummond, ’08 MS, married Jon Hesterman on April 15. Emily teaches in Katy ISD in Katy, Texas. Virgina “Ginger” Hilton, ’04 MA, ’00 BA, teaches freshman and sophomore English at Alvin Community College. She is department chair and seventh-grade English teacher at Berry Miller Junior High. Author of the book “The Sticking Place,” she lives in Alvin, Texas. Buffie Johnson, ’02 MS, ’97 BS, has been named assistant principal at Ward Elementary in Clear Creek ISD. Matthew Juren, ’04 BS, married Jessica Weintritt on Feb. 7. He is an associate with Matthews, Lawson and Bowick P.L.L.C. Jepsey Kimble, ’05 MS, has been named assistant principal at Clear Lake City Elementary in Clear Creek ISD. Lauren Lee, ’06 BA, teaches history and coaches cheerleading at York Junior High in The Woodlands, Texas. Destini Martin, ’08 MS, has been named assistant principal at Greene Elementary in Clear Creek ISD. Valerie Marzullo, ’08 MA, is a teacher and assistant principal at Clear Lake Christian School. She won the UHCL Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta Outstanding Graduate Student in History Award for 2008-09. Jennifer O’Brien, ’04 MBA, ’03 BS, works for University of Texas-Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, as a financial analyst II. Brenda Quintanilla, ’04 MS, works at Lee College as an instructional designer and director for the Teaching and Learning Resource Center. She was named chair of the UHCL Alumni Association Executive Council in May. Brenda K. Rambarran, ’02 MA, ’00 MA, and her husband, Dexter Khan, welcomed a baby girl on Nov. 7, 2008. Rambarran is an English and humanities professor at Lee College in Baytown, Texas. Jessica Reyes, ’08 MA, married Michael Liske on Jan. 3. She is employed by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Patient Advocacy. Thomas Reyes, ’02 BBA, is project coordinator for Industrial Specialty Contractors. Marc Schooley, ’07 MA, ’93 BA, published a novel titled “The Dark Man.” Brian Strawn, ’06 BS, married Kristen Sanchez on May 2. Brian is a financial adviser at Ameriprise Financial. The couple resides in Dickinson, Texas. Jenny Suffredini Moss, ’01 MA, recently released her book, “Winnie’s War.” The book follows the life of a young girl who fights to save her loved ones from the outbreak of Spanish influenza in the early 1900s. Joni Julian Thrasher, ’07 MA, ’01 BA, is a writing instructor at UHCL. She teaches advanced writing and business writing. She has been teaching at UHCL since January 2008. She taught developmental writing at San Jacinto College-South. Jaymi Trimble, ’05 MA, has published a new book, “Roslyn: Images of America.” Roslyn, Wash., is an old mining town where the television series “Northern Exposure” was filmed. She currently lives in Prosser, Wash. George Weisinger, ’07 BA, published the historical section of a new report on sugar plantation excavation in Brazoria County. Trevicia Williams, ’03 MA, has published a book, “There Are Pearls in the Pain of Every Experience: Spiritual Truths about Life’s Experiences.”
Ben C. Andrews,’77 BBA, passed away in February 2008.
Stephen B. Browning, ’93 BS, passed away in May 2009.
Sandra Sue Ford, ’88 MS, ’88 Professional Teaching Certificate, passed away in February 2009.
David De La Rosa, ’86 BS, passed away in February 2009.
Robert L. Mueller, ’81 MS, passed away in November 2008.
Priya Shastri, ’95 BS, passed away in March 2009.
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