Updated: November 2013

Ernest W. “Bill” Smith, BA’59, LLB’65, retired five years ago after practicing law in Jeffersonville, Ind., for 42 years. Since his retirement, he has written a biography of Davis Floyd, for whom Floyd County, Ind., was named and who was the county’s first circuit judge in 1819. Smith and his wife, Janet, moved from New Albany, Ind., to the Villages in Sumter County, Fla., in 2011.

San Francisco-based attorney Guy O. Kornblum, BA’61, has merged his civil litigation law firm to form Kornblum Cochran Erickson & Harbison, with offices in San Francisco and Santa Rosa, Calif. The firm will continue to specialize in representing clients in trials, arbitrations, mediations, and appeals, as well as family law and estate planning. Kornblum recently authored the 2013 edition of Negotiating and Settling Tort Cases: Getting to Settlement, released by Thomson West Publishing Co.

Douglas C. Roland, BA’65, MAT’67, has spent the last three years as a volunteer in South Africa. He is a Tampa, Fla., based attorney.

Former IU roommates Janet Schmierer Greenblatt, BA’67, and Marion J. Sinclair, BA’67, have formed a Bloomington, Ind.-based community-housing group, Bloomington Cohousing. The group has 33 members and has purchased land, which it plans to develop into a common “green” living space and gardens.

Retired U.S. Army reserve officer and former Special Operations official Arthur W. McMaster III, BA’68, is the author of Need to Know: Journey of an American Intelligence Officer to College Professor and Poet. A playwright, poet, and short-fiction writer, McMaster is also retired from full-time teaching, most recently as visiting associate professor of English at Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C. He lives in Greer, S.C.

Samuel L. Brooks Jr., BA’70, MPA’78, recently graduated from Walden University where he received a PhD in public policy and administration. He lives in Park Forest, Ill.

Forensic engineer Norman L. Cooper, MA’70, has served the U.S. justice system as an expert witness in more than 800 cases. Cooper has also served as United Nations international consultant in Israel, represented the United States in negotiations with Spain, and worked on the policy staff of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. He is included in Who’s Who in American Law and national and international editions of Who’s Who in Engineering. The founder of Realty Engineering Inc., Cooper lives in Canyon Lake, Texas.

In August, retired U.S. Army Reserve Col. Michael F. Herman, BA’70, accepted a position as adjunct professor of criminal justice at the African Center of Strategic Studies, National Defense University, in Washington, D.C. He provides expertise in the strategic development of criminal justice systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Originally from Hobart, Ind., Herman retired in 2004 from his civilian job as chief United States probation and pretrial services officer for the Federal Northern District of Indiana.

“After five years in Australia as chairman and CEO of Investa Property Group,” writes Scott D. MacDonald, BA’70, “I resigned as CEO and moved back to Del Mar, Calif., in October.” He adds, “I will remain chairman of Investa, which is one of the largest property companies in Australia.”

The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inducted David L. Anspaugh, BS’70, and Angelo J. Pizzo, BA’71, the makers of the movie Hoosiers, as members of the 52nd annual basketball class in March. USA Today and ESPN have ranked Hoosiers the No. 1 sports movie of all time. Pizzo, a native of Bloomington, Ind., was the film’s screenwriter and producer, while Decatur, Ind.-native Anspaugh was director. The pair received the St. Vincent Health Silver Medal for contributions to Indiana basketball. Hoosiers was loosely based on Milan High School’s basketball team, which upset favorite Muncie Central on a last-second shot by Bobby Plump to win the 1953–54 Indiana state basketball title.

In March, M. Jane Pauley, BA’72, LHD’96, received the 34th annual Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service. The award recognizes individuals who have enriched modern society in a range of human endeavors. Fellow honorees this year included actors Alan Alda and Martin Sheen and author and historian David McCullogh. The recipients shared a $300,000 cash prize.

Robert E. Hayes, BA’73, JD’76, is a retired Illinois administrative law judge. He lives near St. Charles, Ill., and writes fiction. One of his stories, “Commotion,” was published as part of The Huffington Post’s “Featured Fifty Fiction”in June.

Michael H. Starks, BA’74, MLS’12, of Zionsville, Ind., is a computer lab assistant at the Indianapolis Public Library. He instructs individuals, libraries, and other organizations in digital and information literacy.

Wayne F. Fuson, BA’75, is chief operating officer for Pacers Sports & Entertainment in Indianapolis, having joined the organization in 1986. He lives in Indianapolis.

Maureen E. Mahoney, BA’75, was among 180 influential artists, scientists, scholars, authors, and institutional leaders who were inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at a ceremony in Cambridge, Mass., in October 2012. Founded in 1780, the academy is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious learned societies. Mahoney is a founder member of the Supreme Court and appellate practice in the Washington, D.C. office of Latham & Watkins. She originally joined the firm in 1980, but left in 1991 to accept an appointment as a U.S. Deputy Solicitor General. Mahoney returned to the partnership of Latham & Watkins in 1993. She has been ranked by The Washingtonian as one of the top five lawyers in Washington, D.C. Indiana University President Michael McRobbie was also a 2012 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Stephen R. Pennell, JD’76, a partner in the Lafayette, Ind., office of the law firm Stuart & Branigin, was selected for inclusion in the 20th edition of The Best Lawyers in America and was listed by the 2013 Indiana Super Lawyers magazine as among the top attorneys in the state. Pennell has successfully represented clients in a wide variety of cases including antitrust, insurance coverage, employment, personal injury, product liability, premises liability, business, construction, school and education law, and wills and estates. He lives in West Lafayette, Ind.

Author and journalist David C. Brill, BA’78, has been selected as a 2012 inductee into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame for his non-fiction work. Brill received the award at a ceremony in October 2012, in Knoxville, Tenn. Past members of the Hall of Fame include New York Times best-selling authors Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men and The Road), Lisa Alther (Kinflicks), and Alex Haley (Roots). Brill’s essays, personality profiles and articles on science, ecology, the environment, business, health, fitness, parenting and adventure–travel have appeared in more than 25 national and regional magazines, including National Geographic Traveler and Men’s Health. He has published four non-fiction books and has served on the teaching staffs of two universities and a community college. Brill lives in Lancing, Tenn.

In October, clerk–treasurer for the town of Highland, Ind., Michael W. Griffin, BA’81, MPA’95, received the 2012 Russell G. Lloyd Distinguished Service Award from the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. The award is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to local government. Griffin was first elected clerk–treasurer of Highland in 1991 and was recently elected to his sixth term in office.

Tony K. Sloan, BA’83, recently retired from the U.S. Air Force as lieutenant colonel. He lives in Tampa, Fla., where he is a logistics manager for Bloomin’ Brands Inc., a company that owns several American restaurant chains, including Outback Steakhouse.

Kenneth T. Ungar, BA’85, is president and founder of U/S Sports Advisors, a sports marketing agency based in Indianapolis. He has worked as a marketer, representative, promoter, and leader in professional sports, including baseball, basketball, football, and motorsports. An attorney, Ungar’s sports experiences led him to write Ahead of the Game: What Every Athlete Needs to Know About Sports Business. He lives in Zionsville, Ind.

Scott D. Yonover, BA’86, JD’89, is deputy director of financial policy for the City of Chicago. He was formerly director of business and legal affairs at NBC–Universal. Yonover lives in Chicago.

Tracy Borgert Marshall, BA’87, a trial lawyer based in Florida law firm Gray Robinson’s Orlando office, has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a 2013 “Florida Super Lawyer.” She practices in the areas of eminent domain, land use litigation, and commercial litigation.

In July, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation announced that Kelly J. DeRango, BA’89, was one of 51 Fellows selected for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship. DeRango is an experienced college-level instructor/administrator in economics and a tutor with the Kalamazoo Public Schools. He will receive a $30,000 stipend to complete a special intensive master’s program at Western Michigan University.

In July, IU Alumni Association Executive Director and CEO J Thomas Forbes, BA’90, MPA’96 was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Council of Alumni Association Executives. Founded in 1989, CAAE is a professional organization of CEOs from roughly 100 of the largest alumni associations in the U.S. and Canada. In the three years since Forbes was appointed head of the IUAA, the organization has undergone a dramatic transformation, including a record nine consecutive months of net growth in paid memberships. A former IU trustee, he served as IU student body president as an undergraduate and founded the All University Student Assembly, of which he also was president. Forbes lives Bloomington, Ind.

Gina M. London, BA’90, is the author of Because I'm Small Now And You Love Me: The World According To My Four-Year-Old, published in February by Sakura Publishing. Funny, poignant, and touching, the book is a collection of stories written by the author to her four-year-old daughter, Lulu. An award-winning veteran CNN correspondent, London is now an international communications consultant. She lives with her husband and daughter in the heart of Tuscany, in the medieval-walled town of Arezzo. London is currently working on her next book, about a group of American ex-pat moms who wine (and whine!) their way through the joys and frustrations of raising kids in another country. For more information, go to www.GinaLondon.com.

In March, Molly J. Moran, BA’90, JD’98, of Washington, D.C., married Mark A. Synnes in Chicago. A lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C., she is a counselor to the attorney general.  

In May, President Barack Obama nominated Sara Lee Ellis, BA’91, to be a U.S. District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Senate confirmed her nomination on October 7, and she received her commission the following day. Ellis worked as a staff attorney at the Federal Defender Program in Chicago from 1994 to 1999. From 2000 to 2004, she worked at Stetler, Duffy & Rotert, a white-collar criminal defense law firm. From 2004 to 2008, she served as assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago Department of Law, handling claims for injunctive relief and civil rights lawsuits. From 2008 to 2013, she served as counsel at the law firm of Schiff Hardin in Chicago, where she was a member of the litigation and white-collar crime practice groups.

In May, Chicago-based law firm SmithAmundsen, announced the opening of its Indianapolis office, with Suzanne Siefferman Newcomb, BA’93, JD’97, joining the staff as an attorney. A skilled litigator, Newcomb brings 16 years of experience to SmithAmundsen’s labor and employment group. She litigates federal and state court discrimination claims and other employment related disputes, and represents clients before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state and local civil rights agencies. Newcomb lives in Zionsville, Ind.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Todd A. Schmidt, BA’96, recently completed his third combat tour with an 18-month deployment to the Persian Gulf. He is currently pursuing a second master’s degree at the School of Advanced Military Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., often referred to as the Army’s “Intellectual Center of Excellence.”

In February, Kenneth R. Hyde, BA’72, DDS’75, MS’79, of Valparaiso, Ind.; Linda Olvey-Helmen, MSW’83, of Indianapolis; and Jimmie L. McMillian Jr., BA’98, JD’02, of Indianapolis, received Maynard K. Hine Medallions for their efforts on behalf of IUPUI, its students, schools, programs, and alumni. Hyde has been a part-time volunteer clinical assistant professor in the School of Dentistry’s Department of Orthodontics and Oral Facial Development since 2008. Olvey-Helmen is the direct field coordinator for the IU School of Social Work’s online master of social work program. McMillian is a partner in the Indianapolis law firm Barnes & Thornburg.

Kevin M. Nelson, BA’98, joined the law firm Duane Morris’s intellectual property group as a partner in its Chicago office. He focuses his practice on complex pharmaceutical patent litigation. Nelson lives in Northbrook, Ill.

In January, the law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister announced that Tracy N. Betz-Sandifur, BA’00, JD’04, has been elected a partner in the firm’s Indianapolis office. A member of Taft’s litigation group, she routinely represents companies and individuals in matters involving fiduciary and probate litigation, business and contract disputes, injunctive relief, product liability and personal injury, creditors’ rights and collections, receiverships, intellectual property, criminal defense, and non-compete and securities litigation. Betz-Sandifur has enjoyed significant courtroom time in both state and federal courts, and has been recognized as a distinguished fellow by the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, as a rising star by Super Lawyers magazine, and as an Indiana “future star” in litigation by Benchmark Litigation.

James A. Drew, BAJ’00, was recently named vice president and general manager of Ancilyze, an Internet marketing service for health care distributors. He lives in the Chicago area with his wife, Lisa, and their two young sons. [Note: political science outside area]

Matthew P. Hottell, BA’00, BA’01, MS’03, has been named a recipient of the Beth Wood Distinguished Service-Learning Faculty Award by the campus of IU Bloomington. The award is named in honor of Beth Wood, who taught service-learning public relations courses in the IUB School of Journalism until she lost her battle with cancer in November of 2009. Her teaching exemplified high-quality service-learning that was valued by students and community partner agencies alike. Recipients of the award demonstrate excellence in three areas: teaching pedagogically strong and mutually beneficial service-learning classes, participating in Service-Learning Program events, and raising the visibility of service-learning on and off campus. Hottell is a senior lecturer in informatics and computing at IU Bloomington.

Ryan M. Hurley, BA’00, JD’03, who works in the law firm Faegre Baker Daniels’ Indianapolis office, has been selected as a BTI Client Service All-Star for 2013. The All-Star designation is reserved for attorneys who stand out with corporate counsel as delivering the highest levels of client service. Hurley is a business litigator focused on antitrust, health care, contract disputes, and bankruptcy litigation. He defends class actions, multi-district proceedings, and appellate matters and provides antitrust counseling and training. Hurley is also active in pro bono work with the Wishard Medical–Legal Partnership, providing guardianship assistance to patients at Wishard Health Services. He lives in Carmel, Ind.

In December 2012, Indiana Bankers Association vice president of government relations Dax E. Denton, BA’01, was named 2012 Association Professional of the Year by the Indiana Society of Association Executives. Indiana Bankers Association vice president of education Christina McConnell Bennett, BA’90, was ISAE’s 2011 Association Professional of the Year.

In April, Gavin Mariano, BA’01, of Merrillville, Ind., was inducted into the Sigma Alpha Pi National Society of Leadership and Success, with presidential status. He is coordinator of the youth-as-resources program at the Crisis Center Inc., in Gary, Ind.

In June 2012, the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association — the official sales and marketing organization for the city — announced the hiring of Marshawn A. Wolley, BA’03, MPA’06, as director of partner relations. Wolley joins the ICVA team after working as director of emerging business for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee. As director of partner relations at ICVA, Wolley’s responsibilities include developing and managing strategic partnerships with potential and current ICVA stakeholders. He will also act as a community relations representative. Wolley, who was the IU Union Board student director in 2001, lives in Indianapolis.

Heather K. Bowman, BA’06, MLS’11, is the new electronic resources and serials librarian at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where she lives.

William R. Foley Jr., BA’07, was a 2013 inductee into Indianapolis’s Shortridge High School Hall of Fame. A Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist with more than 34 years experience in news, creative editorial, and corporate photography, Foley has worked on assignments in more than 47 countries, and his work has been published in major newspapers and magazines around the world. A former faculty member of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, he now lives in Indianapolis and teaches at Marian University. [Note: political science minor]

Donald E. Morgan, BA’09, is an associate in the law firm Faegre Baker Daniels. He is a member of the firm’s business litigation group in downtown Indianapolis. A former law clerk at Faegre Baker Daniels, Morgan served as a judicial extern for Judge John T. Noonan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, Calif., and for Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland, Calif. Morgan received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 2012 and a bachelor’s degree with highest distinction in history and political science from Indiana University in 2009.