Class Notes

Nizar Mullani, EN67, won the de Hevesy Prize of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in June for his significant contribution to the development of positron emission tomography (PET). In 1973, Mullani joined the nuclear medicine laboratory in Barnes Hospital. He helped design and build the first PET scanner of hexagonal design. Mullani went on to build four more PET scanners at Washington University before he left for the University of Texas at Houston. He is now a partner at DermLite LLC and president of Translite LLC.

Perci Chester, FA67, had her work “Tore So Glow” curated by Esther Callahan into the exhibition The Periphery of Power, held July 15–Aug. 18 at the Gamut Gallery in Minneapolis, Minn. Chester was also invited to speak on the artists panel on the show.

Tsvi Blanchard, LA67, GR69, GR73, has been the Meyer Struckman Professor of Jewish Law in the Berlin faculty of law at Humboldt University since 2011.

Michael M. Berger, LW67, received the Jefferson B. Fordham Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of State and Local Government Law. As one of the top land use and condemnation attorneys in the United States, Berger was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the practice of state and local government law over the course of his career. The award is one of the highest honors given by the ABA. He is senior counsel with Manatt.

Martin A. Frey, LW65, professor emeritus at The University of Tulsa College of Law, recently published his first historical novel, Captain Hornigold and the Pirate Republic. A reviewer wrote: “History lovers, especially those particularly interested in this era, will find great information to help them continue their pursuit of the period’s secret. Frey’s writing is easy to read and approachable for upper-middle-grade students through adults.” His 10th blog post, “The Caribbean: The First Hundred Years of European Colonization” is posted to his website (thepiratehaven.com).

Anne Ward Sabbert, LA61, and Donald Sabbert celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 29 with a “progressive anniversary dinner” with members of their wedding party — starting in St. Louis; continuing in Aurora, Ill.; moving on to West Bend, Wisc.; and concluding with a stay at Liberty Lodge in Sister Bay, Door County, Wisc.

Joan F. (Blumenthal) Grossmann, LA54, turned 91 years old in July and still has close relationships with sorority friends that helped build the Delta Gamma School for children with visual impairments.

Frances Weiss Mandel, UC50, turned 95 this past February. Prior to retirement, Mandel was an esteemed and much-loved librarian at Serna Elementary School in San Antonio. She lives in Sun City, Ariz., where she enjoys reading every day, watching comedies and jazzercize. Her son, Ross Mandel,EN79, who majored in chemical engineering and went on to earn an MBA from Texas A&M, retired from a career that spanned Bechtel, Phillips Petroleum, Texas Instruments and Microchip Technologies. He lives in Phoenix. Frances’ cousins, Irv Fagin, BU51, and Frank Haspiel, LA51, GR53, as well as his son, Joey Haspiel, LA81, are all WashU alumni as well.

Gabriella Smith, LA22, was recently named a 2023 Stanford University Knight-Hennessy scholar. Knight-Hennessy scholars receive up to three years of funding to pursue graduate studies at Stanford, and Smith is pursuing an MD at Stanford School of Medicine. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from WashU with a bachelor’s degree
in biochemistry and molecular biology.

Lucy McCollum, GL20, a partner at McCollum Mediation and Conflict Resolution, has more than 20 years’ experience in local and international conflict resolution as a community advocate for refugees. McCollum is a registered mediator in Georgia and is well-known for her charitable fundraising and commitment to ensuring the rights of refugee women and children.