Class Notes

Edward R. Ford, AB ’71, MArch ’72, was elevated to the College of Fellows by the American Institute of Architects, the highest honor bestowed by the organization. AIA Fellows are recognized for achieving a standard of excellence in the profession and making a significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.

Susan Engel-Saag, BFA ’71, and Gary Nichols, BFA ’71, had a wonderful reunion in Switzerland in September. They enjoyed a successful truffle hunt — joined by Susan’s dogs, Coco and Cannelle — which was a “fun and memorable adventure.”

Dennis Bolazina, AB ’68, MArch ’70, wrote Desire (Independently published, May 2024). The book centers on character Sal Rossi, who is visiting New Orleans on business. To escape boredom, he takes a ride on the city’s famous streetcars, where he has a chance encounter with a woman of mystery and pursues her. When he learns about her family’s criminal history, he is faced with a hard choice. Does he love her enough to align himself with her family, or will he leave her? Bolazina is an architect and attorney living in St. Louis.

The Landmarks Association of St. Louis presented Robert W. Duffy, AB ’67, with the H. Meade Summers Jr. Award for his contributions, through journalism, to the cause of historic preservation in the St. Louis region. Duffy is a 40-plus-year veteran of reporting and editing in St. Louis, working for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis Beacon (which he helped to found) and St. Louis Public Radio. He covered the visual arts, music, architecture and urban design, and he spent many hours in Bixby, Steinberg and Givens halls.

Gary Arlen, AB ’67, was elected to the board of directors of the National Capital Radio and Television Museum in Washington, D.C. The museum, which collects, preserves and interprets artifacts, programs and publications about the history of electronic media, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Arlen, who is also a docent at the museum, had a long career as a Washington editor and analyst who chronicled and advised on the development of cable TV, satellite and other media breakthroughs. Arlen was editor of Student Life at WashU.

Maya Matheis, MSW ’14, created a free online mental health toolkit to help people after the 2023 wildfires in Maui. The toolkit, which was downloadable just two months after the fires, includes trauma-informed workbooks and resource cards with clear language and visual aids, with versions tailored for children and adults, ensuring accessibility for all affected. The project was backed and funded by the Hawaii Department of Health Developmental Disabilities Division.

Ale Uriostegui, AB ’23, was awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. The award offers full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The Gates Cambridge mission is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others. Uriostegui is interested in social movement theory and, in particular, transnational and transracial/transethnic social movements in Latin America and the possibility of collective change. 

Henlay Foster, BM ’21 (music), is a U.S. Army veteran who held leadership positions in Washington, D.C., including national director of Head Start, the pre-school child development program, and associate commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families, both in the Department of Health and Human Services. Foster also was deputy associate chief of the U.S. Children’s Bureau in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He is on the faculty of the Community Music School in St. Louis (now part of Webster University) and is a piano teacher and an organist for the United States Religious Retreat House in Berchtesgaden, Germany.

Daun Lee, AB ’20, was selected as a 2023 Fulbright-National Geographic Award recipient. The award allows recipients to undertake in-depth explorations of pressing global issues over the course of an academic year. Lee works toward equitable, holistic climate mitigation strategies. She will research the social impact of converting agricultural lands to solar farms on Jeju Island, South Korea, uncovering the cultural and heritage value disruptions that citrus farmers are facing due to the nation’s greenhouse gas reduction goals. Lee will share her findings through a journal article and short-form documentary film.

Meredith Rose, MSW ’19, opened Integrated Counseling in St. Louis. She is an IFS-informed therapist working with adults and adolescents who need support and guidance to restore wholeness and choice in their lives. Rose specializes in sexual health and sees clients dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues and more. Website: http://wholenessandchoice.com.