Class Notes
John Starrels received his BA in political science from UC Berkeley in 1965, and went on to earn his doctoral degree in the same field from UC Santa Barbara in 1971. Soon thereafter, he accepted a position as assistant professor in George Washington University’s political science department where he taught throughout the 1970s. “I liked teaching and research in my chosen subfield, comparative politics; but alas tenure proved elusive,” he recently observed. This reverse proved temporary, however, from the vantage point of time, he reflects. Washington, both then and now, remains a mecca for academically trained social scientists; the area has always been heavily populated by think tanks, NGOs, positions at all levels of the Federal Government, Capitol Hill, and the multilateral organizations, he notes. Many of these slots are hard to obtain, Starrels allows, “but a degree in economics, applied science or law will almost invariably open the right door.” As if to hammer home the point, John’s last full-time position was with The International Monetary Fund from where he retired in 2006. “This is from a guy whose doctoral dissertation was on political education in the long-gone primary school of The German Democratic Republic!” John’s post-IMF life includes teaching English as a second language and as an Adjunct professor in the UC Washington program.
John Starrels resides with wife Judy in Chevy Chase, Maryland. They have one son, David.
Susan Robison ’79 writes: A few days after I retired in 2019 I began writing Halley and the Mystery of the Lost Girls, a young adult historical adventure, about a 15 year old girl who goes with her father to India in 1952. Shortly after they arrive in Bombay (Mumbai) Halley discovers that the young woman in the hotel room next to hers is a prisoner. When the young woman disappears, Halley is drawn into an ever-expanding web of intrigue and danger.
During my years at Berkeley I took short fiction writing from Masao Miyoshi while he was in residence at Berkeley. His class has had a lifelong impact on me. When I was a child my family of six lived in Poona while my father set up the Virus Research Centre (VRC) for the Rockefeller Foundation before he moved us to Berkeley in 1954. For the rest of his career he worked for the California State Health Dept. and taught virology at UC.
Jordan Berk ’08 just published his debut sci-fi novel, The Timestream Verdict, in September. It is a love letter to time travel fiction, and centers on a trial for the first-ever case of “temporal homicide,” time-travel murder, and the jury pulled in from across the modern timestream that must reach a critical verdict. The victim is a Berkeley physics professor, colloquially known as “the mother of time travel.” Naturally, a good portion of the story takes place in and celebrates the author’s beloved Berkeley. The Timestream Verdict is available everywhere now. https://linktr.ee/jordanberkauthor
As a Berkeley student, Randy Hall ’79, MS ’80, PhD ’82 was an original member of the student co-op Kingman Hall. Kingman Hall was named for Harry Kingman, a founder of the co-op system that has housed thousands of students over the decades.
Kerr’s book The Uses of the University has been an inspiration for Randy. Kerr depicts universities as “multiversities,” due to their broad spectrum of interconnected activities and their overarching purpose to serve society.
In Randy’s new book, Managing Innovation Inside Universities, Systematic Change for Research Service and Learning (Springer), Randy aimed to bring the multiversity to the present.
Kingman Hall was a second inspiration for Randy’s book. He and his future wife, Janice Partyka ’79, jointly served as workshift managers at Kingman, assigning students to the various tasks needed to keep the house running, including cooking, cleaning, maintenance and even rodent control.
Randy’s book specifically examines how old institutions (i.e., universities) can lead in the knowledge economy. As universities seek to modernize in a world altered by changing demographics and information technology, Randy has articulated a roadmap for change.
He draws from his long experience as V.P. of Research at USC, along with case studies, new scholarship and his student days. In particular, he examines how universities can be more effective as learning institutions, where learning doesn’t just mean educating students.
In his words, “a culture of learning should encompass the entirety of the university, engaging students, staff and faculty in a continuous process of examination, innovation and change. That is, universities can do the things themselves that they have been teaching their own students to do for so many years.”
Ann P Meredith ’70 was chosen, along with 99 other lesbians, for GO magazine’s 100 Women We Love, Class of 2024.
John Garrison’s ’93 book, Red Hot + Blue, was published by Bloomsbury in September 2024. The book recounts the music’s industry’s first major response to the AIDS epidemic in the context of Garrison’s own coming of age story. More about John’s writing can be found at www.john-garrison.com.
Peggy Li ’96 has one of her jewelry creations featured in the upcoming film from Searchlight Pictures – The Supremes at Earl’s All You Can Eat. Costume designer Whitney Anne Adams selected Peggy’s Eye of the Sun Necklace to be worn throughout the film by the character of Barbara Jean, played by actress Sanaa Lathan. The movie, based on the novel by Edward Kelsey Moore and directed by Tina Mabry, premieres on hulu August 23rd. Peggy has been making and designing jewelry for over 20 years, inspired by the artisans she saw on Telegraph Avenue during her time at UC Berkeley. Her work can be seen on TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scandal, The Bachelorette, Dead to Me and more. You may view Peggy’s work at https://www.peggyli.com
Award-winning author Janine Kovac ’09 began her life on stage dancing in Ballet El Paso’s production of The Nutcracker, lead by director Ingeborg Heuser. Despite Heuser–who once performed for Hitler–frequently hurling insults at the young dancers, Kovac decided to dedicate her life to the beauty of the artform. She climbed through the ranks as a professional dancer and her Nutcracker roles progressed from soldier to snowflake to candy soloist. After leaving the stage, as all dancers must, Kovac adjusted to her new roles as a mother and audience member, watching her husband, children and students as they performed. Despite shifting roles at midlife, Kovac never lost her artistry. Transitioning her talents to writing, she remains connected with the same creative spirit that allowed her to take the stage in the first place. Now, she is set to release her autobiography, The Nutcracker Chronicles, which tells the story of Janine’s pursuit of an elusive dream that compels her to endure blistered toes, weekly weigh-ins, second-hand pointe shoes, and constant insults from her directors.
Barry Zelleb, M.A. ’85 writes: On July 26, 2024, my 14th book, Arctic Exceptionalism: Cooperation in a Contested World, a structural realist analysis of the enduring geopolitical roots of Arctic cooperation and the stabilizing impact of the fourth image (indigenous polities and tribal dynamics) on Arctic international relations, came to press (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Books, 335 pages).
For more than three centuries, the Arctic region has been a zone of increasingly collaborative, multilevel and multilateral governance and diplomacy.The interests of diverse sovereign states, indigenous peoples, NGOs, and other stakeholders have largely aligned across this impressive duration. Now, however, its consensus-based foundations are being tested once again, straining the collaborative dynamic known as Arctic exceptionalism.
While many scholars suggest Arctic exceptionalism is now dead, or on life support and fading fast, I argue that it is alive and well, albeit undergoing a regional realignment under the pressures of Russia’s military resurgence. Dr. Christopher Kirkey, Director of the Center for the Study of Canada and Institute on Québec Studies at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh, describes this book as a “timely, compelling account of the international forces that influence and constrain the foundations and functions of Arctic collaboration.” Dr. Alan Tidwell, Director, Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies, Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University observes: “Barry Zellen delivers a thoughtful and inspired analysis of the Arctic world. His insights weave between the world of great power competition to the intricacies of indigenous identity. No scholar or policymaker interested in the Arctic can miss Zellen’s views. Arctic Exceptionalism: Cooperation in a Contested World will long be a standard against which Arctic scholarship will be measured.”
Diane Steenman ’68 writes: Class of ’68 Class Gatherings are for Cal ’68 members and friends of Cal. Contact Cal68@blueconnect.org for details and to join the Class of ’68 email list. Learn about upcoming Class of ’68 events as they evolve. The Center on Civility & Democratic Engagement (CCDE), founded by the Class of ’68, is sponsoring a panel discussion on Saturday, October 7 at 10:00 a.m. Details to follow. The Center provides stipends to 3 Cal students each semester who are going to the UCDC program. It also supports second-year Goldman School of Public Policy Master’s Degree students working on projects. Spring semester projects involved work with: the City of Richmond developing policies for vacant land; community groups in Oakland on developing noise policies; a non-profit in Nevada to organize small farmers to preserve farm water; the City of Oakland’s Ethics Commission to increase contributions and voter turnout; small farmers in Kenya and India to get better technical assistance; and an analysis of District Attorney elections, as well as a study of voting rights policies for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated. For Center programs, including digital recordings of public lectures, see: https://gspp.berkeley.edu/centers/ccde/public-events. Many thanks to those who contribute to the Center. To make a contribution, see: https://gspp.berkeley.edu/centers/ccde/give-to-the-center.
Wendy Tyler Cobleigh ’67 died peacefully with her family by her side on June 19th, 2024. She is dearly missed by the family she leaves behind: her husband of 57 years, Don Cobleigh; her children Matt Cobleigh (Nikki), Ted Cobleigh (Julie), and Molly Gildea (Dan); her grandchildren Kai, Lily, Abbey, Sierra, Morgan, Tuolumne, and Warren; and her brother Tim Tyler. She also leaves a large and supportive circle of friends from all eras of her life, from infancy to the present. A devoted, creative, loving mother, Wendy raised not only her three children but also countless litters of puppies, bunnies, and hamsters. She loved to sew for her children, creating not only everyday clothing but elaborate Halloween costumes and even her daughter’s wedding dress; she built toys (including a giant rocking horse), coached soccer teams, and hosted countless visitors. In addition to her work as a real estate agent, Wendy found deep satisfaction in serving on boards, believing that she was helping make positive changes in her immediate community. She served as a board member of the Pasadena Foothill Valley YWCA, the Pasadena PTA council, and the Armory Center for the Arts Board. Some of her proudest work was accomplished on the City of Pasadena Community Development Committee; she was particularly proud of finding a way to save the Pasadena Train Station. She served on the Affordable Housing Task Force, committee to integrate Pasadena, Community Nonviolence Resource Center, Fair Housing Council of the San Gabriel Valley/Housing Rights Center, and the Pasadena Board of Realtors Equal Opportunities Committee as well as its Political Action Committee. Wendy was a generous and warm host to everyone who walked through her door. She loved hosting parties, whether for her children or her adult friends and was always sure to have too much of everything! Visitors didn’t need a special invitation: everyone was welcome to stop by anytime. She loved to share family traditions with everyone, including international students, neighbors, co-workers, and friends—Wendy loved to craft her grandmother’s Christmas marmalade, to share her family’s English Christmas pudding, and to cook her traditional day-after-Thanksgiving turkey enchiladas. Moving forward without Wendy will not be easy; she brought beauty, warmth, joy, and fun into the lives of everyone who knew her. We will do our best to carry on her traditions, and to honor her generous spirit. Above all, we will think of her daily while we do the things she taught us. The list of these lessons is endless… as is our love. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Pasadena Education Foundation General fund in her name. https://pasedfoundation.org/support/donate/ Please contact the molly@cobleigh.net for information about a memorial service.
Meredith Walters ’01 just had her debut novel published by SparkPress. The story is based in part on Meredith’s experience at Cal and centers on UC Berkeley grad student Frankie Conner, who after multiple failures and several false starts, has finally found her calling: become a neuroscientist, discover the cause of her depression and anxiety, and hopefully find a cure for herself and everyone like her. But her first day of the program, Frankie meets a mysterious group of talking animals who know things she doesn’t, like scientific facts and what happened in the years before her adoption. This Animal Body follows Frankie as she risks her career, her goals, and her mental health to uncover the truth about these animals and the urgent, life-changing message they claim to have but refuse to share. Meredith’s writing can also be found in Eden Magazine, Tiny Buddha, elephant journal, and at https://meredithwalters.com.
