Class Notes

James Bailey, MA ’89, PhD ’91, the Hochberg Professor of Leadership at the George Washington University, has received many accolades. They include the following: the Outstanding Contribution Award from the GWU Executive MBA program, the Distinguished Service Award from the American Law Association and the Best Practitioner Article Award from the American Philosophical Society. He has been named the GWU Outstanding Educator of the Year 10 times, and he published articles in Harvard Business Review in 2023.

Robert Berlin, JD ’87, was reelected to a fourth term as state’s attorney of DuPage County, the second-largest county in Illinois. A career prosecutor since 1987, Berlin’s mission is to protect the public and defend the rights of crime victims. 

Alexander S. Douglas II, AB ’86, was named 2025 Elder Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Orlando, Florida. He is a partner with the law firm of Shuffield Lowman.

Tracy L. Wise, AB ’85, wrote her first novel, Madame Sorel’s Lodger (Type Eighteen Books, February 2025). The book is about a tormented artist who arrives in a village in southern France to begin painting again. No one understands the artist — what he sees, how he paints or why he stays — and their confusion increases as he becomes increasingly erratic, plagued by forces growing out of his control.

Eddie W. Runde, AB ’85, has written two novels in his sci-fi trilogy, The Genesis Trust (December 2023) and Trust and Obey: The Genesis Trust Book II (April 2025), both published by Christian Faith Publishing. The books, which he wrote under his pen name, Wayne Runde, are available at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Gabriel Spalding, AB ’83, took up the gavel in January 2025 as the incoming president of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Tim Olsen, BM ’83, released the Tim Olsen Big Band digital album/compact disc Obsidian. It features nine original works and one arrangement. Inspired by the work of Duke Ellington, the pieces span five decades and showcase Olsen’s collaboration with a host of talented musicians. Olsen is professor of music at Union College in Schenectady, New York, and directs the Union College Jazz Ensemble. He also performs as a soloist, with the Tim Olsen Quartet and the 17-piece Tim Olsen Big Band.

Brian S. Zachariah, AB ’82, was named professor of emergency medicine at the new Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Memphis, Tennessee. The college took its first class of 81 future physicians in August 2024. Previously, Zachariah was associate professor at the William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Craig McKown, BS ’82, retired to the California Central Coast after more than 34 years building large commercial geosynchronous satellites in Silicon Valley. He will continue to coach cross country at Nipomo High School.

Mark Feldman, MS ’82, PhD ’86, writes a blog, www.inside-higher-ed.com.