Alumni Notes

Laura H. Gilbert’s new book, Enough: A Retirement Life That Works for Me (October 2020), shares her journey to “enough” based on a middle-income budget. The book offers a down-to-earth path for those who fall short of the oft-cited million-dollar mark for a financially secure retirement. Enough builds on Gilbert’s earlier work, The Stories We […]

The Minnesota Association of School Administrators has named Dr. Wayne Kazmierczak (OLPD PhD’14), Superintendent of the White Bear Lake Area Schools, the 2021 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year. As the Minnesota honoree, Dr. Kazmierczak is a candidate among other state recipients for National Superintendent of the Year, to be announced during the American Association of School Administrators National Conference on Education in […]

Minneapolis nonprofit Juxtaposition Arts announced the selection of Gabrielle Grier (MEd’19, youth development leadership) as the youth arts organization’s new managing director. Grier has a background in both arts and education, having joined Juxtaposition Arts in 2019 to lead its contemporary art lab. While working at the nonprofit, she also held a full-time position as […]

Monica Sturgis (MEd’98, HRD Cert’00) has accepted the lead position of The Port of Virginia’s Human Resources Division. As chief human resources officer, Sturgis is responsible for the development and implementation of human resources needs and plans across the three port entities: the Virginia Port Authority, Virginia International Terminals, and Hampton Roads Chassis Pool II. […]

Bridgette R. Mastaglio (Family Social Science BS’99) has been appointed by the superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York as COVID-19 response coordinator.  Mastaglio will be the primary person responsible for ensuring preparedness and safety of school operations, and for managing and implementing responses to COVID-19 infections in Catholic schools. 

Liz Dengate (MEd x’21) was chosen by the Knowles Teacher Initiative as one of 34 Teaching Fellows. Liz began her first year of teaching at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, Minnesota, during the 2020–2021 school year. She is committed to teaching science to high school students in the U.S. Before starting a […]

Monica Steinmetz, a teacher at St. Francis of Assisi School in Rochester Catholic Schools, was surprised with the news that she is a recipient of a 2020 WEM Outstanding Educator Award, an honor that is accompanied by a $15,000 award. Steinmetz (MEd’97) has been teaching for 30 years and currently teaches sixth grade. Steinmetz is […]