Class Notes

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.

Daniel Hebert, GL20, joined Syracuse University as an assistant teaching professor of business management in fall 2022.

Tracee (Orlove) Fruman, LA00, was appointed as an administrative law judge for the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings.

Tasha Jordan, SW18, GR18, a seventh grade science teacher at Ferguson Middle School, was named Ferguson-Florissant School District’s Teacher of the Year for 2023. Jordan has been described as “a beacon of equity and creativity for her students by actively engaging them in lessons while pushing their critical thinking skills. She holds her students in high regard, and when stepping into her classroom, you understand that the feeling is mutual.”

Shawntelle Fisher, SW18, founder and CEO of The SoulFisher Ministries, received a 2023 Women Trailblazer Award from the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL). Honoring the achievements of exceptional UMSL women who have paved the way for others, the award is bestowed annually during Women’s History Month.