June and July 2026 Class Notes
In May, Cecil “Bill” Pierce (C ’74) retired after 26 years of teaching computer science at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.
On June 5, Oneika Phillips (C ’00, B ’00) starred as Brutus in an outdoor production of “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” at New York Classical Theatre in New York, New York. (pictured)
On June 4, Carrie Adams (P ’11) was promoted from chief operating officer to president of Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, Maryland.
On May 5, Dan Beard (AS ’11), Lebanon Valley College’s special team football coordinator, was featured by the American Football Coaches Association in an article about the college’s commitment to fundamental special teams play, guided by the philosophy to “Tilt the Field.”
On April 16, Ryan Griffiths (HP ’12) opened a veteran-owned business called Pursue Movement Strength & Mobility Development in Petersborough, New Hampshire.
On July 2, Steve Walker (AS ’13) was named athletic director at Delmarva Christian School in Georgetown, Delaware.
On May 21, Nick Ruxton (AS ’14) and wife, Laura, welcomed baby Elaine Virginia Ruxton.
On March 4, Kyle Robb (AS ’14) and Laurie Connelly Robb (AS ’15) welcomed baby Sydney Connelly Robb. She joins big brother James, 2.
On June 16, Bryce Mitchell (AS ’14, E ’17, E ’22) was announced as the principal of Waterview Elementary School in Portsmouth, Virginia.
On April 27, Christopher Vangsnes (AS ’17) and Tucker Hackett Vangsnes (N ’18) welcomed baby Kelly Callahan Vangsnes. She joins big sisters Sutton, 4, and Riley, 3.
On March 30, Karissa Rhodes Banzhof (C ’18) welcomed baby Brinleigh Jean Banzhof. She joins big brothers Brixton, 3, and Bryson,1.
On August 3, 2024, Kelli Birchfield (C ’18) married Timothy Birchfield.
On Dec. 27, 2025, Brenda Nieves Rosario (AS ’18) welcomed baby Andie Claude Rosario.
On June 20, 2025, Victoria Fahrney (AS ’20) married Mike Buchert. Joanna Windesheim (N ’19), Erica Mohn (AS ’20) and Ansleigh White (AS ’20) were members of the wedding party.
On May 30, CJ Morton (B ’21, ’23) and Abigail Gronczewski (C ’22, ’23) got engaged to be married. CJ is an assistant baseball coach at SU and Abigail is a financial aid coordinator at Shenandoah University. (pictured)
On May 28, Cydney Kutcipal (C ’23) and Jasper Thomas Moore (C ’29) were cast in “West Side Story,” playing at the Tony Award-recognized Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey. Kutcipal will play the role of Anybodys and Moore will play the role of Baby John.
On April 17, Szymon Czerniak (C ’24) returned for his third performance to display his jazz proficiency at Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury, a Winchester, Virginia retirement community.
On May 14, Michael Gerlach (HP ’24) received the 2026 Publishing Award from the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), one of the profession’s highest honors for scholarly publication. The award recognized his lead authorship of the article entitled, “Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines and Their Alignment with Recent Literature,” published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Associates (JAAPA).
On May 20, Grace Peña (C ’25) performed her show “Under the Influence” at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York, New York.
On June 8, Taryn Greene (C ’26) started a new job as a music therapist at Living Unlimited Inc. in Harrisonburg, Pennsylvania.
Alumni Passings
Robert Lloyd Keiter ’61 of Winchester, Virginia, passed away on June 10, 2026.
Dana Paul Menser (C ’76) of Somerset, Pennsylvania, passed away on Jan. 8, 2026.
Brunhilde “Hilde” Matheson (HP ’77) of Winchester, Virginia, passed away on June 1, 2026.
Angy Yvonne Cessna (HP ’83) of Winchester, Virginia, passed away on Feb. 6, 2026.
Derrick Thompson (C ’03) of Baltimore, Maryland, passed away on May 4, 2026. (pictured)
Key
AS – Arts & Sciences
B – Business
C – Conservatory
D – Dayton
E – Education
HP – Health Professions
N – Nursing
P – Pharmacy
ANG – Alumnus Non Grad
