Class Notes

Shelley Dieterichs, BFA ’72, designed and illustrated the children’s book Fun ABC Flipbook (Fox Chapel Publishing, April 2024). The book uses six of her illustrated alphabet letters — boys, girls, sports, cats, dogs and zoo animal letters.

Allen Saxon, AB ’71, wrote Training in Charity (Christmas Lake Press, January 2026). Told with humor and empathy, the book captures what it meant to begin a life in medicine before computers and technology softened the edges — a time when skill was learned by doing, compassion was earned at the bedside and the making of a doctor was raw and real.

Jack Schnettler, BS ’70, transitioned after a 50-plus year career to part-time practice of transportation engineering and planning in South Florida for a global consulting firm while devoting more time to his wife, Joan, family, hobbies and community service.

Gary Feder, AB ’70, JD ’74, LLM ’80, was elected to a third term on the city council of Clayton, Missouri. He is beginning his sixth year on the council following retirement as a partner from Husch Blackwell. Feder has been an adjunct professor at WashU Law since 2013 and was chair of the Law Eliot Society.

Elinda Fishman Kiss, AB ’69, retired in May 2025 as a professor of finance from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

Jane Goldberg, AB ’68, published her ninth book, Wired for Why: How We Think, Feel and Make Meaning (self-published, September 2025). 

Andrew Vogel Ettin, MA ’67, PhD ’72, penned The Five Biblical Scrolls (Cascade Press, 2025). The book is an introduction and guide to Ecclesiastes, Esther, Song of Songs, Ruth and Lamentations. Ettin retired from teaching English at Wake Forest University and is now an adjunct in religion at High Point University, as well as an ordained rabbi serving a congregation in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Jan Degenshein, BSAS ’67, became the oldest first-time elected city council member in the history of Norwalk, Connecticut. Degenshein also received the Community Beacon Award from the Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects for 50 years of leadership, advocacy and commitment.

Perci Chester, BFA ’67, created the sculpture “Spiralitious” using repurposed spiral-shaped farm implements. Inspired by Chester’s love of slinky toys, the playful sculpture remains kinetic despite being 20 feet tall, bouncing slightly while anchored to heavy steel plate bases. The sculpture is available for collection.

Gordon L. Ankney, BSBA ’67, came out of retirement in 2023, returning to the courtroom as a pro bono prosecutor for the City of St. Louis when the city faced a staffing crisis. He has concluded 25 homicide cases in this role, half by trial, and mentored younger prosecutors. Ankney is a senior counsel with Thompson Coburn.