It’s a common joke among Washingtonians: what’s the official bird of DC? The crane, of course. The heavy machinery that dominates the skyline in many corners of the city is the inspiration for second-year MFA student Zarina Zuparkhodjaeva’s latest work. “I’m very interested in the invasion of space in an urban setting,” says the Columbia Heights resident, who hand-drew more than 20 cranes for the piece. The painting is still under construction in Zuparkhodjaeva’s colorful, second-floor studio in the Katzen Arts Center.
1950s Martin Ries, CAS/BA ’50, has released new works of art in <strong>2016</strong>. martinries.com 1960s Mark Lando, SOC/BA ’65, wrote a guide to winning strategies at the track, Game Plan for Signers, which has been featured on the TVG Network. Georgia Beth Smith Thompson, CAS/MA ’67, received an honorary doctorate in community service from Southern Utah University in 2015. She served her professional career at SUU in various student affairs assignments, including vice president. Abraham Peck, SIS/BA ’68, SIS/ MA ’70, was awarded a doctor of letters—the highest degree given by a British university—by the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, in July <strong>2016</strong>. 1970s Deborah Weinstein, CAS/BA ’70, received the Legal Intelligencer’s <strong>2016</strong> Lifetime Achievement Award. She is among 25 Pennsylvania lawyers who have been recognized for their work. David Sacks, SPA/BA ’71, a probate and family court judge in Springfield, Massachusetts, has been named chair of the Trial Court’s Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution. Steve Krevalin, CAS/BA ’73, was named to Best Lawyers in America 2017. He received the honor for family law for the fifth consecutive year. Clarence Edwards, SPA/BS ’74, wrote an online article for Harvard Law School’s Charles Hamilton Houston lnstitute for Race and Justice in July <strong>2016</strong>. Michael DeCandio, SPA/BS ’75, an attorney with Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, is among the <strong>2016</strong> Florida Super Lawyers. He has tried almost 100 cases to verdict. Robert Sandler, SPA/BA ’75, was selected by his peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2017. Bruce Taylor, Kogod/BSBA ’75, was named to the board of Kongsberg Automotive ASA. James Brett, SPA/ MPA ’76, has been appointed by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to serve on the Disabled Persons Protection Commission. He is also chairman of the Governor’s Commission for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Helene Solomon, SOC/MA ’77, CEO and cofounder of Solomon McCown, received Banker & Tradesman’s Women of Fire Award, which honors female leaders in the finance, insurance, and real estate sectors. Steve Winter, SOC/BA ’77, is president and owner of Brotman- Winter-Fried, a premiere sports marketing and event management agency in McLean, Virginia. 1980s KNOW ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS. VISIT AMERICAN.EDU/ ALUMNI/EVENTS. Shirley Neely Ezell McCulloch, SON/BS ’80, has been selected as volunteer for Global Seed Peace Corps to serve in Swaziland, Africa. She will teach midwifery at the Southern African Nazarene University. David Smith, SPA/BA ’82, published Peace Jobs: A Student’s Guide to Starting a Career Working for Peace. He is a consultant who works with colleges and universities to promote peace and conflict resolution education. davidjsmithconsulting.com John Bell, CAS/ME ’83, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his charity, Transitions Foundation of Guatemala. The organization just completed a $1.3 million capital campaign and constructed a new facility for manufacturing wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs, as well as housing outreach programs for the disabled. Larry Chloupek, Kogod/ BSBA ’83, retired from the National Institutes of Health as a management liaison director. He spent 33 years in the federal government. He and his wife Jenn retired to Scottsdale, Arizona. Leah Devlin, CAS/BA ’83, is a mystery writer and marine biologist whose Woods Hole Mysteries are based on her career at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Her third and latest mystery is The Bends. The Chesapeake Tugboat Murders, her upcoming series about pirates ancient and modern, is based on her life on a small tugboat on the upper Chesapeake. leahdevlin.com Wendy Strip, SIS/BA ’83, was named director of advancement at Detroit Country Day School with campuses in Bloomfield Hills and Beverly Hills, Michigan. She is responsible for development, alumni relations, marketing and communications, and enrollment. Kenneth Cutshaw, WCL/LLM ’87, was promoted to president and CEO at Garden City Group. He previously served as the president and chief legal officer for Quiznos and chairman and CEO of global advisory group GNG. AMERICAN.EDU/ALUMNI 37