Class Notes

Michael B. Cosmopoulos, GR86, GR91, the Hellenic Government-Karakas Foundation Professor of Greek Studies at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in May 2022. Cosmopoulos has spent more than 30 years in research and scholarship on ancient Greece and is known for his work with the Iklaina Archaeological Project, which he directs.

Jim Avery, LA86, HS93, after 28 years as a general internal medicine physician at WashU, left in spring 2022 to devote more time to bone and mineralization disorders. Avery has been interested in this subject since 1983, when Louis Avioli, MD (1931–1999) and his research team at WashU hired him as an undergraduate biology student. A flight surgeon for the United States Air Force, Avery maintains and directs a wellness clinic at Nestlé Purina PetCare in downtown St. Louis.

Nancy K. Peterson, LA85, was honored with the 2022 Don Fiedler Excellence in Criminal Defense Award, bestowed annually to a member of the Nebraska Criminal Defense Bar by the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association. Peterson was recognized for “her tireless dedication, boundless compassion and battle-honed wisdom.”

Pete Woods, LW84, a managing partner at St. Louis law firm Haar & Woods, LLP, was recognized in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of commercial litigation and family law. He was also inducted into the University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in November 2022.

Paul Obrock, DE83, was recently elected by the Pierre Fauchard Academy as trustee representing the southeastern U.S., Jamaica and Puerto Rico. An international honor society for dentists, the PFA promotes continuing education and leadership development. In addition to his duties with the board, Obrock will support the leaders of the 11 sections within the region.

William “Bill” Hunt, EN83, was named global president of VVF Ltd. (formerly Vitamins, Vegetables & Food Ltd.), with operations in Indonesia, Singapore, India, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the U.S. A contract manufacturer for respected personal care brands, VVF is the world’s largest contract manufacturer of bar soaps, deodorant sticks and other products. Hunt is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

James Whittaker, EN82, retired in September 2022 after 40 years as an electronics and software engineer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and its predecessor organization, the Naval Underwater Systems Center, in Newport, R.I. He is enjoying more time with family, traveling with his wife and pursuing hobbies including gardening, woodworking, photography and reading.

Jay Heller, LA78, an attorney for more than 40 years, published a second novel, The Man Who Could Fly(Xlibris US,February 2022), almost 11 years after he wrote The Last Man. Heller and his wife of almost 40 years enjoy their three married kids and five grandchildren in Chicagoland.

Ted Rich, LA77, happily retired, writes that his WashU experience changed his life, including by teaching him how to learn and how to be a critical thinker. With clear personal pride, he shares that he is the father of two children and the grandfather of four, has been married almost 40 years, enjoyed a good career and has been a loyal friend to many. He hopes his classmates’ lives have been successful as well, however they define success.

Elma Kanefield, SW76, wrote and self-published Hamlet’s Mirror: Reaching Your Performance Potential Onstage and Off(September 2022), designed to help empower performers and restore their mental health. In the book, Kanefield recounts fictionalized anecdotes of real performers and experiences of hundreds of performing artists to explain why some fail to reach their performance potential and others succeed.