Class Notes
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Rachelle Gold ’02 writes, “I won a 5-year $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to create an oral history archive of Black women justice-seekers who are alumnae of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), where I have taught English, Composition, African American Literature, World Literature, and Grammar since 2008. So far, I have trained 80 students […]
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Class of 1989 Jill Bronfman
Jill Bronfman ’89 writes, “I’m excited to share that I have a new book available for pre-sales, Second Cities, which is a beautifully-illustrated slim volume of narrative poems that I wrote about the less-traveled cities of the world. Second Cities is a book of poems that takes a sideways glance at the world. “Second City” […]
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Class of 1982 John Godwin
John Godwin‘s book, Strategic Direction from the President: A Century of US Foreign Policy, 1915-2015, was released on September 3.
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Class of 1981 Neal Fandek
Neal W. Fandek ’81 has published Native American Monuments of Missouri: A History & Guide, a journey of 10,000 years (Arcadia Publishing). It’s a history of the long Native American presence in the state, starting with the ancient, advanced civilizations who built great monuments throughout Missouri and the Midwest. These people built giant cities long […]
Silvia Valisa, PhD '07, published a new book on the construction of modern Italian culture. The Periodical Life of Modernity: Sonzogno's First Century (1804-1909), published by University of Toronto Press in 2026, focuses on Milan-based publisher Sonzogno. The book examines the technological and innovations at the heart of the new periodical market, and their importance in creating a new, more...
Littler, the world's largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has appointed William H. Ng and Marlene S. Muraco '88 as office managing shareholders (OMS). Ng takes the reins from longtime OMS John T. Bauer in Long Island, N.Y. while Muraco succeeds Robert J. Wilger in San Jose, Calif., both of whom will continue to focus on their practices.
"We appreciate the...
Kennedy (Ken) Richardson '71 reports that his debut novel, Sublime Dissonance (Vanguard Press, Feb. 26, 2026) just received a favorable review in this month's issue of the Historical Novels Review (Issue 117, pp. 31-32, August 2026). Here is a link to the review.
The novel is about the lives of German and German-American musicians and how they navigated the wars and other social upheavals of...
J. A. Gray '72 grew up in Berkeley (and lives here still), and he remains ever grateful to Cal ("the university next door") for providing him with two years in the Tussman Experimental College Program, followed by two years of Classical studies in Latin and Greek ("Great teachers were the rule at Cal, not the exception"). A professional writer-for-hire, John is now also a novelist. His debut...
Laura Mullen '84 is finishing her translation of Véronique Pittolo's 10th book, Hélène mode d'emploi, published by Al Dante in 2008. The translation is forthcoming from Black Square Editions in 2027. Find an excerpt in the latest Asymptote and look for forthcoming work in Tripwire and Fence. Very timely, this take on the Helen of Troy story!
Sabrina Maras, PhD '09, has just published David Stronach and British Archaeology in the Middle East, a biography of the late Berkeley professor of archaeology, through Bloomsbury UK. Sabrina first met David while working toward her PhD in ancient Near Eastern archaeology at UC Berkeley. She found that the excavation stories with which David peppered his graduate seminars were so riveting that...
Kirk Tramble ’93, Founder and Principal of Kizata LLC, has been appointed to the Foundation for California Community Colleges Board of Directors following the unanimous approval by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. He will serve a four-year term from July 2026 through June 2030.
Tramble is a technology and artificial intelligence (AI) leader with expertise in AI...
Jane Clare Upp ’94 writes: “We wore bobby socks and saddle shoes. We were career determined when we joined Dean Griffin's Journalism class in 1946. We, Joan from Piedmont and me from Bakersfield were alone in a class of males, which Dean Griffin preferred (not us). Joan wanted to be a reporter and I wanted to be a Foreign Correspondent. She succeeded and was also on TV. I remember only two of...
Dana Cruz ’13 was named one of Comstock’s Magazine’s 2026 Young Professionals, recognizing emerging leaders making a meaningful impact across California’s Capital Region. The son of Filipino immigrants and a first-generation college student, Cruz credits UC Berkeley with amplifying his curiosity, drive, and sense of public purpose that have since guided his career.
Cruz serves as a...
Chip Robertson ’94 is honored to be appointed to the UC Board of Regents.
Award-winning alum, lawyer-turned-writer Andy Becker ’76 explores the humanity, heartbreak, and humor hidden behind the legal system in The Paralegal Speaks.
Drawing on more than three decades of legal experience, Becker delivers a witty and insightful satirical novel about the people behind the cases—and the paralegal who sees it all. He takes readers beyond courtroom drama and legal...
Mary Fontana, Ph.D.’12 published her first book, Strangers in the Province of Joy: Practicing Radical Hospitality on the US-Mexico Border (Orbis Books) in May 2026. This nonfiction narrative follows the compelling journeys of individuals in order to illustrate the complex forces driving immigration across the US-Mexico border over the last half-century.
