2022-2023 Class Notes





Share your news and photos with fellow Western alumni

We want to hear from you. Have you taken on a new job, got married, had a baby, taken the trip of your dreams? Please let us know using our online Class Notes form so we can share your news with former classmates and with the Western alumni family around the world.

Adam Rice, BA’08, GDip’15,

is re-imagining lending in India through his company Asset Direct of Canada Inc. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Huron University College
Amelia Daurio, BA’01,

was appointed as a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Family Branch in May 2022.

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Arts & Humanities
Andrea Feldman-Kohlver, BA'13,

started a new position as the retail operations manager of Cannabis Xpress in July 2022.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Belle Puri, MA'84,

won the Canadian Screen Awards 'Best Local Reporter 2022'. 

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Information & Media Studies
Beverly Behan, HBA'81, LLB'84,

was selected by The Women Leaders magazine as one of 20 Most Inspiring Women Leaders of 2022.  

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Law
Bhupinder Dulku, BA'14,

married Harjot Bhandal, BMOS'16, in May 2022 in Hamilton, On. 

Western Weddings - 2010
Social Science
Christos Nikitopoulos, BA'92,

leads Canada's Agency team at Google. 

Professional Accomplishment - 1990
Social Science
Clare Dear, HBA'75,

was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame as a journalist for his decades of covering motorsports in North America and Europe.

Professional Accomplishment - 1970
Ivey Business School
Damhnait Monaghan, LLB’92,

won the 2022 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer's Award for New Girl in Little Cove, published in 2021. 

Literature - 1990
Law
Danny Chang, BSC’20,

and Jason Grier launched a startup called Delphic Research to help support government affairs professionals.

Professional Accomplishment - 2020
Science
Darren Hamilton, MMus’16,

won the prestigious MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award in 2022. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Don Wright Faculty of Music
David Mewa, BA’02,

began showrunning after more than a decade of directing. David’s recent project, MTV's unscripted TV series 'Hip Hop My House' is available worldwide on MTV International and Paramount+ (streaming).

Professional Accomplishment
King's University College
Dennis McKaig, BSc’88,

has recently accepted a faculty teaching position at Fanshawe College where he will teach Law to business and accounting students.

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Science
Diane Kirby, BA’80,

published her first book, Demystifying Grief: What You Need to Know to Heal, in 2022.

Literature - 1980
Social Science
Dr. Gillian Mandich, BHSc'07, MSc'12, PhD'19,

joined the National Board of Directors for The Sunshine Foundation of Canada. 

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Health Sciences
Emily Passfield, BA’22,

began a new job as the research project director for Young London, that seeks to empower a generation of leaders through community engagement.

Professional Accomplishment - 2020
Social Science
George Kalopsis, BA’79,

was appointed as the Finance Committee Chair/Secretary/Treasurer for Head Injury Rehabilitation Ontario. 

Professional Accomplishment - 1970
Social Science
Germaine Joseph-Hays, BSc'05, MSc'07,

was promoted to Assistant Principal at Corvallis High School in Corvallis, OR,USA and was selected as scholar in the prestigious Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program. 

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Science
Gregory Leeson, BA’80,

retired from a project management career and is now traveling the continent with the goal of visiting 52 cities, 39 states, and 8 provinces.

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Social Science
Hugh Armitage, BESc'82, MESc'85,

retired as supervisor from the Hydro Services group at Southern Company-Georgia Power in Atlanta, Georgia in March 2021. 

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Engineering
Ishita Aggarwal, MPH’19,

Deryn Rizzi, GDipPA'18, Jody Becker, BA’96, LLB’99, Karen Chan, EMBA’10, Rebecca Kacaba, BA’03, Priscilla Luna, EMBA’19, Erica Nielsen, MBA’02, Karen Peesker, HBA’92, MBA’97, Eva Salem, HBA’93, Oricia Smith, HBA’95, MBA ‘98, Nitsa Staikos, BA’97, and Nurin Thawer, HBA’05, were selected by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) as some of the 2022 Canada’s Most Powerful Women. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
James McInnes, BSc’02,

and Vasiliki McInnes, MScN’15, opened a vegan food manufacturing facility in London, Ontario. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Science
Jamie Rocco, BEd’11,

and family welcomed baby Hartley Muriella Rocco in June 2022.

Mini Mustangs - 2010
Education
Jennifer Street, BSc'18,

and Kyle Tan, BSc'18, met at Western and were married in June 2022. 

Western Weddings - 2010
Science
Jerry Battista, MSc’73,

produced a virtual music album The Stochastics & Friends with 13 other amateur international physicist-musicians. Learn more here.  

Personal Achievements - 1970
Science
Jessica Wan, BMus’11,

and Thomas Wong had a private wedding in August 2021 and renewed their vows with family and friends in August 2022. 

Western Weddings - 2010
Don Wright Faculty of Music
Joel Sherlock , MLIS'13, MA'14

Joel, his wife Kim, and their son Samuel welcomed baby Isla Jade to their family in May 2022.

Mini Mustangs - 2010
Information & Media Studies
Josh Barr, MBA’17,

and Amar Gupta, MBA’17, founded the functional coffee company brüst in 2018 and have recently partnered with Denis Shapovalov. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Ivey Business School
Kevin Jacobs, BA’16,

won Season 10 of Big Brother Canada.

Personal Achievements - 2010
Arts & Humanities
Kevin Wamsley, BA’85, MA’87,

was installed as Nipissing University’s President in June 2022. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Social Science
Lauren Pelley, BA'10, MA'11,

married Adam Miller in June 2022 near Elora, Ontario.

Western Weddings - 2010
Information & Media Studies
Laurence Hutchman, BA’72,

published Writers’ Words Volume II, a collection of interviews with 10 Canadian poets.

Literature - 1970
Arts & Humanities
Lee Manchur, BSc’07,

was promoted to Chief Information Officer at Ontario College Application Service in May 2022.

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Science
Leslie Ruth Damude, MD’80,

retired as a family physician in 2019 and self-published a novella called Hearts Of Wax in 2022. 

Literature - 1980
Lilian Lin, MSc'17,

married Scott Burton, HBA'13 in March 2022.

Western Weddings - 2010
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Lorin MacDonald, JD’09,

is a 2022 inductee to the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame which celebrates those who have made extraordinary contributions to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities.

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Law
Mary Anne White, BSc'75, DSc'11,

and John Noel, were granted a US patent for "Phase-change Material and Method for Producing Same".

Professional Accomplishment - 1970
Science
Melanie Levenberg, BA'04, BEd'05,

was selected by canfitpro as Canada’s Top Fitness Professional for 2022.

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Health Sciences
Michael Menard, BSc'84,

is the Adjunct Professor at Nazareth College School Of Business Rochester, NY and new Board Member with Volunteers Of America Upstate NY.

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Science
Nicholas Hunt-Bull, BA'89, MA'90,

was appointed as the 13th President of Paul Smith's College, in northern New York State.

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Arts & Humanities
Nicole Baranowski, BA’19, MScM’21,

Anthony Giugno, BSc’19, Paige Martin, BA’18, MMJC’19, Ian Rake, BMOS’16, and Justin Tiseo, BA’16 were recognized as trailblazers in the 2022 Business London's Twenty in the 20s. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Health Sciences
Omar Ha-Redeye, JD'10,

joined the Department of Justice Canada as counsel.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Law
Quinn Ross, JD'04,

was acknowledged by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of the 2022 Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada in the Changemaker Category. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Law
Richard Tyler, BSc’74, MSc’75,

participated in the 29th Annual International Conference on Tinnitus.

Professional Accomplishment - 1970
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Rick Woodgate, MBA’71,

CEO of Allanson International Inc., was awarded the 2022 “Sign Professional of the Year” by the Canadian Sign Association, recognizing his 30 years of leadership and contributions.

Professional Accomplishment - 1970
Ivey Business School
Robin Harvey, BA’97,

celebrated working at the London Free Press for 25 years.

Professional Accomplishment - 1990
Social Science
Ron Scanlan, BA’75

launched Fonds pour la démocratie Matthew R. Scanlan Democracy Fund Inc., a private foundation based in Ottawa that donates grants to charities.

Professional Accomplishment - 1970
Social Science
Rosa Devés Alessandri, PhD’78,

has been elected as the rector of the University of Chile.

Professional Accomplishment - 1970
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Rosemary Sloot, BEd’96,

published Immigrant to accompany her paintings featured in the 'Immigrant' exhibition. Read more here.  

Literature - 1990
Education
Ruosong Gao, MSc’22,

began a new job at PricewaterhouseCoopers in September 2022.

Professional Accomplishment - 2020
Ivey Business School
Rustam Juma, LLB’07,

won the 2022 Canadian General Counsel Award. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
Law
Sara Van Vaals, BA'15,

married Michael Van Vaals, in April 2022.

Western Weddings - 2010
Arts & Humanities
Sarah Van de Vooren, BSc’10,

celebrated five years travelling as a digital nomad, working with Waste Solutions Canada as a sustainability data analyst.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Science
Shefali Panicker, BHSc’22,

first went viral in 2020 for her unique TikTok music mashup featuring her ability to sing in more than nine languages and her online following continues to grow. Read more here.  

Personal Achievements - 2020
Health Sciences
Stacey Ann Allaster, LLD’14, MBA’00, BA’85,

James Lloyd Cassels, LLB’80; Dr. William Foster Clark, MD’70; Dr. Zane Cohen, BA’65; and Guy Jacques Pratte, BA’78 all joined the prestigious Order of Canada roster in 2022. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 2010
Law
Surranna Sandy, GDip'21,

was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Toronto Arts Foundation in September 2022. 

Professional Accomplishment - 2020
Arts & Humanities
Thalia Standish, BSc’14, PhD 2020,

and Geoff Standish welcomed their first child, Eliana Ava Standish in May 2021.

Mini Mustangs - 2010
Science
Tim Progosh, BA’80,

actor-producer is the acting Executive Director and Board Member of the new Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 1980
Social Science
Tina Bax, BA’93, BEd’95,

was inducted into the Junior Achievement London and District Business Hall of Fame in 2022. Read more here.

Professional Accomplishment - 1990
Arts & Humanities
Vincent Panepinto, BA'09,

began the startup Spently (now UpOrder) that has been acquired by Pantastic. Vincent has joined the Pantastic team as Director of Corporate Development.

Professional Accomplishment - 2000
King's University College
Wendy Lopez-Pollard, BSc’00,

married the love of her life in August 2022.

Western Weddings - 2000
Science