Alumni News

Aaron Moe, M.A. 2009

Aaron MoeOur featured alum for this issue of @UI&U, Aaron's impressive background as a mountaineer and rock climber makes for an interesting story. Click here to read more.

Kristin Bensen-Hause, M.A. 2004
Kristin Bensen-Hause is an associate professor of English at Broome Community College. She recently presented “The Limitations of Women in Victorian Times from the Perspective of a Pious Spinster” as a part of the Victorian Lecture Series at the Bundy Arts & Victorian Museum in Binghamton, New York.

Suzanne Bond, B.A. 1999

Suzanne BondSuzanne Bond is the co-host of the radio talk show The Wealth Code on KABC 790 AM radio in Los Angeles. Bond has made finance her career, serving as a fixed income trader for E.F. Hutton & Co. She is also the chief compliance officer and is accountable for developing and implementing risk management infrastructure for the Vanclef Financial Group of Companies.

In addition to her UI&U B.A., she received a teaching degree from the College of Teachers in London and an honors diploma from the London School of Journalism.

Joseph Bruchac, Ph.D. 1975

Joe BruchacAward-winning storyteller and writer Dr. Joseph Bruchac presented the "Language of Conservation" during two programs at the main library in Little Rock, Arkansas in December. He presented also "Family Trees," a family story hour focusing on nature and Native American traditions, and read from his book "Poems for the Earth" in the library’s Darragh Center.

Dr. Bruchac earned a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, a Master of Arts in literature and creative writing from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. with a concentration in comparative literature from UI&U. He is founder and co-director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. In addition, he has edited numerous anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, and his poems, articles, and stories have appeared in more than 500 publications, including American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 120 books for adults and children

Dr. Bruchac’s honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.

Todd Chamberlain, B.A. 2008

Todd Chamberlain Los Angeles Police Department Officer Todd Chamberlain was recently promoted to captain of the LAPD Central Division. Captain Chamberlain has served in seven of the LAPD’s 21 divisions, including the Emergency Operations Division. In his new role, Captain Chamberlain will oversee 415 sworn officers who patrol downtown Los Angeles. Read more about Captain Chamberlain’s promotion.

Eugenia Curet, Ph.D. 2004
Shortly after Dr. Eugenia Curet graduated from Union Institute & University, she was named an instructor of public health at the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. In April 2008, she retired as an adjunct assistant professor. Currently, she serves as a faculty associate and as director of student health services for the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

Eric Holman, B.A. 2007

Eric Holman San Joaquin County Police Officer Eric Holman was recently named police chief of Lathrop, California. The 28-year veteran of the San Joaquin Sherriff’s Office began as a cadet and was promoted to deputy sheriff in 1983. After graduating from UI&U in 2007, he continued his education at the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. Read more about Chief Holman’s promotion.

Sherri Silverman, Ph.D., 1996
Dr. Sherri Silverman recently announced the launch of seven archival giclee pigment prints of her most popular art images: Swimming to the Moon #2, Gathering Moondust #1, Ladders of Light #4; Root Chakra, Ladders of Light #3; Kali Yantra, Rudrabhisheka in Devi #1; and the abstract geometric Matthew #12. Two of Dr. Silverman’s original pastel paintings from the Motherworld Series were recently purchased by Los Alamos National Bank in New Mexico.

Aaron Spiegel, B.A. 1994

Aaron SpiegelAaron Spiegel has been invited to present “Social Networking and Congregations” at the Religion Communication Congress 2010 workshops. This workshop will discuss how congregations can build online communities and overcome stumbling blocks based on the consulting work of the Center for Congregations and a survey conducted by the center.

Currently, Spiegel serves as the information technology director at the Center for Congregations and as campus rabbi for Butler University. Spiegel’s work for the Center for Congregations includes resource consulting with congregations to enhance congregational effectiveness and efficiency and management of the center's in-house information systems projects. A trans-denominational rabbi, Spiegel is currently a D.Min. candidate in congregational studies at Hartford Seminary. He is the board chair of Synagogue 3000 and a member of the Synagogue Studies Academy. He is the author of many articles, including “Volunteer or Indentured Servant?” “Is there a Jewish mainline?” “Technology Plan for Your Synagogue,” and “Spiegel on Scripture Software.”

Dr. Twyla Cummings, Ph.D. 1992

Twyla CummingsDr. Twyla Cummings was recently appointed associate dean at the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Susan Wadia-Ells, Ph.D. 1995

Dr. Susan Wadia-EllsDr. Susan Wadia-Ells recently founded the National Breast Cancer Prevention Project and the Know Breast Cancer Program, a non-profit organization dedicated to real breast cancer prevention and education that features easy ways for women to prevent breast cancer. Also as part of the project, Dr. Ellis translates the international research on breast cancer into easy-to-understand language.

Rose Lyn Zanville, Ph. D. 1997
The Center for International and Global Studies at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, recently honored Dr. Rose Lyn Zanville with the establishment of The Rose Lyn Zanville Leadership and Character Award, an annual student honors award. Additionally, there was a recent citation in the Bass Handbook of Leadership (Free Press, 2008), about Dr. Zanville’s quantitative research study on the sociology of women leaders.