Class Notes

The Class of 1975 enjoyed a 50-year reunion on campus on Alumni Day in May followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Attending (pictured) were Larry Kleinman, Doug VanPelt, Ernie Renda, Rick Jasionowski, Sheri Gertel-Rutman, Rory O’Connell, Della Hammer Cherchia, Lynda Joy Silverman, Alec Chanin, Dan Kirshner, Fred Margulies, and James Salicos. Randy Sherman joined later for dinner. Catching up was a blast! Touring campus and reminiscing about favorite places and teachers in Lower and Upper School made the day special for all. The group is making plans to meet again and encourages others to reconnect by updating RPS with their contact information.

Stuart Brodsky ’81 writes: "On my way to Alumni Day 2025 (with my dad, Barry Brodsky ’55!) I got a chance to catch up with classmate Tara Klipstein. I was as thrilled by both Tara’s enduring commitment to Prep and the opportunity to discuss with her all the changes on campus. Today, RPS is an even more vibrant and supportive a community where, it appears to me, students of all ages are engaged, stimulated, encouraged, and challenged in dozens of meaningful ways. The result of these observations is a great hope that as our 45th reunion is approaching, all members of the Class of ’81 plan on coming back to RPS and see for themselves the cherished place that is our alma mater.” 
 

A great group of friends from the classes of 1985 and 1986 gathered for their annual Poker Weekend, continuing a cherished tradition of good food and great company. Pictured L to R: Scott Metzger '85, Dan Tam '85, Rick Marcou '85, David Bressler '85, James Keller '85, Todd Sapiro '85, David Konigsberg '86, Jay Feingold '86, and Marc Bromfeld '85.

Mary (Coakley) Denney ’85 has twins, Ellie and James, who graduated high school in June. Ellie will be attending Bowdoin, where she plans to compete on the swim team, while James is headed to Hamilton College. Both plan to major in biology.

Kama Bethel Pierce '87 is the Chief Program Officer at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Kama and her colleagues recently won an Emmy Award for the (re)Defining History documentary on the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre.

Congratulations to Kama and the entire team on this well-deserved recognition!

Nakul Rao '99 and Megha Rao '01  have come full circle—both now work alongside their father, Dr. Rao, at St. Peter’s. The siblings reflect on their roots and what it means to share a calling in medicine with family in a special video interview.

Sheridan Tennant-Straube ’03 writes: "I am thrilled to share some exciting news—I have officially launched my own private practice, The Pastors Lounge! I am stepping into the role of clinician I’ve always aspired to be, focusing on Christian and faith-based counseling and consultation. My practice provides a safe clinical space for clergy, pastors, and front-line leaders to address their unique challenges.

Kristen Tamburro ’07 tied the knot! Kristen married Anthony Caruso on November 16th at The Ryland Inn, surrounded by loved ones. Celebrating with her: Michelle Notardonato '07, Amanda DiPane '07, the bride Kristen, the groom Anthony Caruso, father of the bride Gerry Tamburro, brother of the bride Johnny Tamburro '14, mother of the bride June Tamburro, and Meg Kelly '07. 

Lauren Wink Brenner ’08 and her husband Jeffrey welcomed a baby boy, Ryan Elliot Brenner, on February 10, 2025. Their daughter Abby is thrilled to be a big sister. 

Manvir Singh ’08, an anthropology professor at University of California, Davis, recently published the book “Shamanism: The Timeless Religion,” an in-depth investigation of the practice of shamanism that has received glowing praise from outlets including "The Atlantic," "Time," and "The New Yorker."

The review in "The New Yorker" offers the following synopsis:

"Singh, a contributor to 'The New Yorker,' supplies a vivid study of who shamans are, and why their practices, which predate organized religion, have endured for centuries. He deftly weaves together memoir and fieldwork, reporting from places as varied as Indonesia, the Amazon forest, and Burning Man, and reveals how shamanistic traditions have infiltrated both our culture and our politics."

More Positive Press for “Shamanism: The Timeless Religion”:
The Atlantic: Return of the Shaman
The Spectator: Why shamanism shouldn’t be dismissed as superstitious savagery
The New Yorker: The Best Books We've Read This Week
Time: The Best New Books to Read in May
Featured excerpt in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/may/01/the-ancient-psychedelics-myth-people-tell-tourists-the-stories-they-think-are-interesting-for-them

Talia Lopez ’09 and her son Ian Benedict Dodds who was born on March 7th. Ian is growing fast and ready to play sports at Rutgers Prep! 

Matt von Roemer '14 and his wife, Christina, were married in a small NJ ceremony in the Fall of 2024 and held a reception in January of 2025. Matt is entering his 7th season with the Toronto Blue Jays and will be the Bench Coach for the Vancouver Canadians, one of their minor league affiliates, this upcoming season.

Riya Patel '16 opened up "CHAR by Riya", which offers a custom charcuterie experience. She does custom grazing tables, charcuterie cups and snack boxes for small and large events. They now have a storefront in Kendall Park but can also be found online at https://charbyriya.com/

Tyler Chandross-Cohen ’18 received the prestigious Daryl and Dawn Lund Student International Scholarship to present his research at the International Association for Food Protection European Symposium in May. A third-year Ph.D. candidate in Food Science at Penn State, Tyler is researching Bacillus cereus in food systems and is supported by a USDA-NIFA Predoctoral Fellowship. He also serves as President of Phi Tau Sigma’s Penn State Chapter, which earned Chapter of Excellence honors under his leadership.

Divleen Kaur Singh ’21, a recent graduate from Stony Brook University, was one of the twenty students that received the Stony Brook 2025 Provost's Award for Academic Excellence. This award is given to seniors at Stony Brook University who have demonstrated academic excellence in the classroom, in research and creative activities, and in building a stronger academic community. She is grateful for the support of her mentors and family, which allowed her to excel in her pursuits at Stony Brook. Divleen will be continuing her journey at Stony Brook at the Renaissance School of Medicine.

Read more: https://news.stonybrook.edu/uncategorized/20-students-win-provosts-award-for-academic-excellence/

Leyla Castro ’22 is a junior at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she plays for the women’s basketball team. This season, she was named to the All-Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Second Team and earned First Team All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom honors. She also received D3Hoops.com All-Region Second Team recognition after a standout year, averaging career highs in points, assists, rebounds, and steals.

Mikayla Blakes ’24 was named the 2024–25 Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and also earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors. Averaging 23.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, Mikayla is the first Vanderbilt player to ever receive the national award.

Grace Williams '24 writes: "I’m excited to announce that I’ve been selected as a fellow for the Principled Pluralism Fellowship this summer, hosted by the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest! Over the course of 8 weeks, I’ll be working alongside a small group of students to: Research the concept of pluralism, Co-author work on the importance of principled pluralism, Develop the skills and the virtues needed to foster meaningful dialogue across differences. I’m also grateful for the mentorship I’ll receive from experts in the field and the opportunity to deepen my understanding of these crucial topics.

A big thank you to the Program for Leadership and Character for this opportunity! I can’t wait to dive into this experience and see how it shapes my journey ahead."

Even though they’re off on their college adventures, Kunmi Babalola '24, Zach Caruso '24, Scotty Chen '24, Sanjog Dandona '24, Jacqueline Day '24, Ella Gilman '24, John Kelly '24, Payce Lamb '24, Sushant Lebaka '24, William Mao '24, Tanay Patil '24, Kareem Shaban '24, Jas Singh '24, Jordyn Sutton '24, and Yifan Yao '24 couldn’t let Mr. Neal’s birthday pass without sending their best wishes from afar. Their heartfelt video is a testament to the lasting impact he had on them as their advisor. Happy Birthday, Mr. Neal!