Alumni Notes Regions: East South Midwest West Overseas
	Werner Fornos '65 Receives Highest German Award
	UMUC Bookshelf
	In Remembrance
	A Helping Hand for Latino Immigrants
	A Fusion of Body, Mind, and Entrepreneurship

Alumni Notes are organized by region—East, South, Midwest, West, and Overseas. We hope this will help facilitate involvement and network building with UMUC alumni and friends in your area.

East Region

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Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C. , West Virginia

90s Gloria A. Brooks ’97, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is a human resource business partner with the MITRE Corporation. She also teaches at Columbia Union College and was certified as a professional in human resources by the Society for Human Resource Management. She writes that her UMUC master’s degree "has really made me more marketable in business and in academia." Robert Cordrey ’95, Bear, Delaware, was promoted to nuclear control room supervisor at the Salem Nuclear Generating Station after receiving his senior reactor operator’s license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He writes, "I would not have achieved my current position without the help of UMUC." Michael Counts ’98, Columbia, Maryland, is an audit and tax team member at Peacock, Condron, Anderson & Co. Gerard J. Donahue ’96, Methuen, Massachusetts, a senior client specialist for Putnam Investments, writes, "I have used my skills from my M.G.A. at UMUC extensively at work." His son, William Jeffrey, was born on November 26, 1998. Shah Jewayni ’91, Potomac, Maryland, expects to complete a master’s degree in human resource management from Johns Hopkins University in May 2000. Adiatu Ajimalay John ’97, Germantown, Maryland, is pursuing a Master of Science in management at UMUC. Jay Newton Powell Sr. ’95, Bowie, Maryland, was named director of operations at Care Partners, a Baltimore-based managed care organization. He received an M.S. in health services administration from Central Michigan University in August 1999. Brandi S. Rice ’99, Andrews AFB, Maryland, is a computer specialist with the Defense Information Systems Agency. She writes, "I have UMUC to thank for this!" John L. White ’96, Havre de Grace, Maryland, an assistant administrator with HCR ManorCare Health Services in Baltimore, passed the state and federal exams necessary to become a licensed nursing home administrator.

South Region

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Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia

’50s Walter E. Greene ’59, Edinburg, Texas, and his wife, Ruth, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 30, 1999. ’70s William C. Jones ’78, Alexandria, Virginia, is a manager of analysis at the CIA. He earned a master’s degree in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University in 1986. ’80s Herman ("Pete") Petersen ’86, Springfield, Virginia, was named vice president of business development for Presearch Inc., which specializes in high-tech services and products. Dennis E. Stoops ’84 and Karen I. Stoops ’84, Pensacola, Florida, recently transferred from assignments in Germany. They now work at the U.S. Naval Hospital Pensacola, where he is director of health care management and plans and she is an occupational health nurse consultant. ’90s Carl Behnke ’95, Slidell, Louisiana, is working with a Canadian nuclear utility plant to establish a program to improve thermal efficiency. He planned to receive his private pilot’s license by March 2000. Marine 1st Lt. Henry L. Blackshear ’94, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in 1999 served a six-month tour of duty to deliver the first American troops in support of a NATO/UN peacekeeping force in Kosovo and assisted in the humanitarian efforts after the earthquake in Turkey. William Christopher Byrd ’94, Conyers, Georgia, is president of Byrd and Associates and is pursuing a Ph.D. in management information systems at North Central University. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Douglas G. Coats ’95, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in 1999 helped deliver the first American troops for a NATO/UN peacekeeping force in Kosovo and assisted in the humanitarian efforts after the earthquake in Turkey. John Samual Day ’99, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is an electronics technician for the Naval Air Station Oceana. Richard Gutknecht ’93, Universal City, Texas, was promoted to chief master sergeant in the U.S.Air Force in October 1999. James D. Haynes ’92, Jackson, Tennessee, is a shipping manager with Hart & Cooley and hopes to run for a city commissioner’s seat in the next year. William David Roberts ’96, Humble, Texas, is senior operations manager at the Hard Rock Cafe in Houston. In May 1998 he opened the Hard Rock Cafe in Guam, the second largest Hard Rock Cafe internationally. Anthony Bernard Spivey ’91, Tallahassee, Florida, was promoted in November 1999 to board executive director for Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation. He oversees the administrative affairs of four professional boards regulated by the state. Carl Ray Taylor ’98, Clarksville, Tennessee, is a chief intelligence sergeant (E-8) in the US Army.

Midwest Region

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Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin

’90s Tracy A. Barnett ’96, Bellevue, Nebraska, was promoted to technical sergeant in the US Air Force and is pursuing a master’s degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma. Robert Long ’98, Westerville, Ohio, is a software consultant with Indecon. Daniel F. White III ’92, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, retired as a sergeant first class (SFC/E-7) after 20 years in the US Army. He writes that the highlight of his career was his last duty assignment, working at the Pentagon in the office of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

West Region

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Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

’80s Debra Lynne Hutchison ’82, Seal Beach, California, is director of network development for Apria Healthcare. While on Okinawa, she took UMUC classes and worked as assistant to the former area director, Lois Mohr. ’90s Melvin M. Black ’94, Bellevue, Washington, a support engineer at Microsoft, is pursuing a Master of Software Engineering from UMUC. Rodel A. Erece ’98, San Diego, California, serves in the U.S. Navy and is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration from National University. Jessica Jonson ’99, Renton, Washington, works in the fixed assets department at USWest Communications in Seattle. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in professional accounting at Seattle University. Ronald W. van Vierssen ’92, Long Beach, California, draws on his computer science background from UMUC and his J.D. from Tulane University (1997) to create automated corporate law documents for the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP. "It is a fairly new field," he writes, "and one in which I can use all of my skills (and pick up new ones too)."

Overseas Region

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All countries other than the United States

’80s Derek Peter Cooper ’84, Stilton, Cambridgeshire, England, retired from the U.S. Army in 1997 as a master sergeant after 22 years of service and is now a webmaster for the EUCOM joint Analysis Center. ’90s Juan Carlos Abondano Olivella ’95, Bogotá, Colombia, writes that his UMUC management degree "has helped me a lot in running my import business." He expects to earn a master’s degree from UMUC in the coming year. In Memoriam Jim Burness, Jacobus, Pennsylvania, former overseas faculty member. December 21, 1999. Nancy A. Holt ’87, Mount Airy, Maryland. January 18, 2000.

Werner Fornos ’65, president of the Washington, DC — based Population Institute, received Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit — the highest award the German government can bestow on a non-German citizen.

At the February 2000 award ceremony in Washington, DC, Karl H. Pitz of the German Embassy called Fornos "an influential voice in global population policy" and praised Fornos’ early recognition of problems related to rapid world population growth — from food, health, and water issues to mass migration and war.

Nafis Sadik, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund, noted that Fornos is "an inspiration to all of us who are working to improve the quality of life for the billions of people in the developing world who are in need of basic social services."

Born in Leipzig, Germany, Fornos came to the United States four times as a stowaway. His determination to remain in the United States resulted in much public attention and controversy, eventually leading to his becoming a U.S. citizen by an act of Congress in 1953.

Norton Savage ’91 has edited a collection of writings by his mother, Prose & Poetry by Sonia Savage (Rutledge Books, 1999). . . . Brigadier General (Ret.) George Macon Shuffer Jr. ’56 is the author of My Journey to Betterment: An Autobiography (Vantage Press, 1999). A reader’s online review at Amazon.com sums it up this way: "To be black, go from private to general, survive 3 wars—whew!". . .Jan Fleet Umhau ’86 wrote and illustrated Potomac Captive: The Adventures of Henry Fleete (Dietz Press, 1999), the story of her ancestor Captain Henry Fleete, who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1621 and disappeared six months later. A review in the Roanoke Times noted that the novel for middle school readers "provides history in a most entertaining way. . . ." Gary Kissick, an English instructor in the United Kingdom, has set his first novel, Winter in Volcano (Hutchinson, 1999), in the 1970s in Hawaii, where he once taught. In an interview with fellow U.K. instructor Michael Apichella, Kissick said, "Everything in print these days is sex and violence . . . I wanted to try something different. I wanted to write a novel without any violence." . . . Lawrence M. Lesser, who teaches business and management, recently authored Business, Public Policy, and Society (Harcourt College Publishers, 2000). According to Lesser, "Readers learn firsthand how successful companies manage their responsibilities toward government and society." The textbook draws heavily on Lesser’s experience on Capitol Hill, where he served for more than 12 years as legislative director for senior members of Congress and as a staff member of the House Committee on Appropriations. . . . More faculty wordsmiths: the Graduate School’s Abol Ardalan, whose Economic and Financial Analysis for Engineering and Project Management (Technomic Publishing Co., 1999) is winning praise from leaders in government, industry, and academe; Bud Burkhard, director of history and literature and author of French Marxism Between the Wars: Henri Lefebvre and the "Philosophies" Circle (Humanity Books, 2000); English instructor Christine Gray, author of Willis Richardson: Forgotten Pioneer of African-American Drama (Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999); and the European Division’s Paul Rose ’67 and William H. Van Husen ’85, assistant editors for World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia (Garland Publishing, 1999). . . . And did you catch the reference to UMUC in Stuart Woods’ best-selling mystery Orchid Beach (Harper, 1999)? The central character, Major Holly Barker, is a UMUC grad.

Bernard A. Carver
The UMUC community is saddened by the death on November 22, 1999, of Bernard A. Carver, associate director and assistant professor in the Graduate School’s applied computer systems program. Before joining UMUC full time in January 1998, he spent 12 years as an instructor and coordinator for the telecommunication management program at Howard University’s School of Communications in Washington, DC His experience also included research and marketing positions with the National Cable TV Association, the Public Broadcasting Service, and the National Broadcasting Company. He was an established technology consultant, "the info-consultant," in the Washington, DC, metro area. He was also a strong advocate for minorities in education, particularly concerned with narrowing the "digital divide" for minority youth. In his honor, a memorial grant has been established to assist any UMUC graduate student who has completed at least 9 credits with a superior grade-point average. To make a contribution or to learn more about the grant, call the Institutional Advancement office at 301-985-7154.

Sang-bin Im
The Asian Division mourns the loss of its senior faculty member, Sang-bin IM, who died on December 26, 1999. While serving as a corporal in the South Korean army, he joined the Asian Division (formerly the Far East Division) in 1961 as an adjunct lecturer in Korean. Since 1979, he had also served as the coordinator of UMUC’s programs in Korean language and culture. In addition to developing and teaching courses, he led countless trips for students throughout Korea, allowing them to experience the culture firsthand. He also established official Korean language programs for the US forces in Korea and coordinated Korean language and culture training for the Peace Corps. The faculty and staff of the Asian Division have established a grant in his honor. To make a contribution or to learn more about the grant, call the Institutional Advancement office at 301-985-7154.

Harvey W. Wallender III
UMUC notes with sadness the passing of Harvey W. Wallender III, a member of the Graduate School’s international management faculty since 1991, on March 2, 2000. He was managing director and chief operating officer of the Council of the Americas between 1972 and 1979. He served as a board member of the Fund for Multinational Management Education, a consultant to major corporations in inter-national technology transfer, and a member of the US delegation to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Negotiations on Science and Technology Programs. He also served as director of trade and investment services and director of business development for the International Executive Service Corps. He attended the US Air Force Academy and served in Latin America as a first lieutenant with the US Army, Eighth Special Forces Group Airborne. He earned an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

The American dream for Nora Eidelman ’98 isn’t about money, status, or possessions. After turning her long-time desire to live in the United States into a reality 11 years ago, she spends much of her time helping others in the large Latino immigrant community in Maryland’s Prince George’s County.

"I’m sensitive to a lot of Latinos who come here. They . . . are just surviving here," says Eidelman, a native of Paraguay, who was named one of Washingtonian magazine’s "100 People to Watch" in December 1999. "They were in such desperate situations in their country and are now working hard every day to support themselves and their families in their [home] country."

At the Law Foundation of Prince George’s County, which provides free legal representation to the county’s low-income residents, Eidelman assesses the legal needs and financial status of potential clients. For County Councilman Peter Shapiro, she does outreach to "make the Hispanic community aware of who represents them [and] educate them about access to government officials." Too often, she says, people are "not aware of services they could use."

"When you’re in a situation because of education or whatever that someone else doesn’t have . . . I feel I have a responsibility to give that back. A lot of people feel hopeless and I want to be able to help, especially when things are available. . . . I want to be that helping hand," she says.

Eidelman said she likes to turn the "great number of phone calls" from victims of domestic violence into situations where women and their children can feel safe. Many Latina women "have no idea of services or solutions available like the House of Ruth [shelter]. . . . Lots of women in general don’t know," she says.

"All the work I do relates," she says, ticking off a host of volunteer activities: the Prince George’s County Police Department District 1 Hispanic Advisory Council, Action Langley Park, the Coalition for the Foreign Born, the Hispanic Bar Association, the Hispanic Democratic Club, and Census 2000.

One of the big challenges with Census 2000, she says, is "to convince the Latino community or any immigrant community that it’s safe to fill out the forms . . . that it’s confidential." Besides relying on newspapers and the bilingual newsletters of apartment complexes to reach the Latino community, she says, "soon we’ll go door to door."

Despite working 50 hours a week, Eidelman takes two courses a semester at UMUC. She also serves on the UMUC Student Advisory Board.

With about 80 credits to go toward her bachelor’s degree, she says, "I wish it would go faster." Before heading on to law school, she’ll take time out, at least a day, for the graduation ceremony at UMUC. "Of course! Are you kidding?"

Talk about putting your education to work. The full-scale business plan Adriane Alfred ’89 and ’98 drafted for her final project in the Master of International Management (IMAN) program blossomed into a full-scale business venture. In November 1999, Fusion Natural Spa opened in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, with services ranging from therapeutic massage to body wraps and polishes to fitness programs. Here Alfred lets us in on the ground floor.

"A few angel investors" helped Adriane Alfred '89 and '98 (left) and her business partner, Josette Shelton, open Fusion Natural Spa in Costa Rica in November 1999.

Have you always wanted to be in business for yourself? Yes, yes, yes! I have had the entrepreneur bug since I was seven. It started with selling recycled toys door to door. After that lucrative venture and a few more years of experience, I decided to hire a few friends to help me with my doughnut enterprise. The independence and the ability to make as much money as I wanted has always been very appealing to me.

How did you come up with an idea for a spa?
The idea to own and operate a spa had been brewing for more than a decade. My first spa experience was in Europe and I really enjoyed it. A few friends and I began talking about the idea, but it fizzled before we got to the business plan stage, so it went to my mental file of businesses I would like to start. The push for me to do this business now was wanting to live a less stressful life and to take care of me.

How did you choose Costa Rica as your location?
About seven years ago a friend (also a UMUC graduate) and I set out on a trek around Central America to learn more about the region and Spanish. After a few months on the road we ended up in Costa Rica—and I knew instantly I wanted a reason to be here on a regular basis. . . . After several years of research on the country’s viability, I began thinking of the appropriate business for this region and my back-burner idea of owning a spa became part of the plan.

What roadblocks did you hit getting your business off the ground?
The first major challenge was financing. Getting venture capital or loans for a new business in a developing country was very difficult. Fortunately I found a few angel investors (family and friends) to help launch the spa and a partner who is a perfect fit. The second biggest barrier is the language. I am not fluent in Spanish and fortunately I have a few very good friends who help to translate. Since a lot of research was conducted using the tools from the IMAN program, a lot of things that might have been obstacles were dealt with or eliminated.

How is business so far? Are you making a living from it?
I was told by one of my finance professors that it’s a hobby if you are not making money. So, the plan for this venture is definitely to make money. We are in the growth phase of the product life cycle and are definitely feeling growing pains. The spa industry itself is growing and I hope by having a "first movers" advantage in this area and with the education about spas to our target market, this will become a very lucrative business.

What is it like working in paradise?
Working in paradise is similar to working anywhere, especially when it is a start-up. My days are a bit more relaxed because in Costa Rica there are two words that slow you down, mañana and tranquilo. Also, the spa atmosphere and views of the Pacific Ocean make it perfect.