Alumni notes
1976
Who knew elderhood was so much fun? After 40+ years of teaching at every level, Alice Leeds ’76 is thoroughly enjoying retirement and is immersed in her Addison County, Vermont community. Among many other things, she oversees the “Ways of Seeing” column in the Addison Independent, a wonderful local newspaper out of Middlebury. You can look for her column there as well as for the writing of Claire Corkins ’06. Alice is also on the board of Metta Earth Institute, a nonprofit run by Gillian Kapteyn Comstock ’88 and Russell Comstock ’89.
This past year, after serving three terms in the Connecticut General Assembly as vice chair of the Environment Committee, Christine Palm (’76) chose not to run again in order to launch The Active Voice (theactivevoice.blog), a high-level internship program where young environmentalists learn to use journalism and civics (testifying on bills) as a way to turn climate change despair into meaningful action. While serving in elected office, she wrote and passed legislation to require the teaching of climate change in all public school curricula, making Connecticut the first state to do so. She also passed a bill to create the Connecticut Office of Aquatic Invasive Species, modernize the Bottle Bill, and ban PFAS, among other environmental initiatives. “Although I never graduated from COA, I will always be grateful for the ways it and its people cultivated the environmentalist in me.”
1978
Timmon (Milne) Wallis ’78 published his first hardback in May. Nuclear Abolition: A Scenario (Indespensible Press, 2025) is the antidote to Annie Jacobsen’s bestseller, Nuclear War: A Scenario (Dutton, 2026), which describes, step-by-step, how a nuclear war could engulf the planet at any moment. Timmon’s book describes step-by-step what it would take to eliminate nuclear weapons worldwide and prevent such a catastrophe, building on the steps that have already been taken by cities and countries around the world.
1980
Helen Caivano ’80 writes, “This November, Katharine Starlight Caivano Macko turned 50—and to celebrate, 20 McGregor family members spent Thanksgiving in Scotland. The trip of a lifetime, or at least 50 years! Roc started teaching in 1974. 1975 was our first full year at COA. Since then, Kate was born, Lilly was born, I graduated, Kate met Ben Macko ’00, and she worked at COA for 10 years. Life is good. All thanks to COA!”
1989
Over the past year, Deborah Mandsager Wunderman ’89 has been based in the DC area and working at the intersection of human consciousness, ecology, and social systems. “I’m the author of Sapience: The Moment Is Now (independently published, 2024), a book 12 years in the making that explores how psychological perception, historical patterns, economic structures, and collective imagination shape human behavior—and how those forces are being leveraged in the present moment. My work examines human ecology at its deepest level: somatic, psychological, philosophical, historical, and future-facing. Drawing on history, systems thinking, and depth psychology, the book looks at how authoritarian movements take root, how misinformation becomes internalized as truth, and how individual awareness remains a critical form of resilience. In addition to the book, I publish essays and educational resources at sapience2112.com and host the Wisdom Guardians podcast on Spotify, where I explore current events through historical, psychological, and scientific lenses. I also run The Quip Collection on Etsy, a creative project using humor, design, and cultural critique to make complex social and political ideas accessible through everyday objects. COA’s integrative, ecological approach to learning continues to deeply inform my work.”
1991
Dan DenDanto ’91 and his company, Whales and Nails, Inc., completed three large whale skeleton exhibits in the past year, including a pair of humpback whales at the Maine State Museum in Augusta, a minke whale at the Cape Lookout National Seashore in Harker’s Island, North Carolina, and a fin whale at Maine Beer Company in Freeport, Maine. The project at Maine Beer Company is a fundraising initiative marking a 14-year collaboration between the craft brewery and College of the Atlantic Allied Whale, which also included the naming of their very popular IPA, “Lunch,” for a fin whale tracked by Allied Whale (see page 5). A number of alumni worked on the teams that executed these projects, including Courtney Vashro ’95, Phoebe Wagner ’24, Josiah Hansen ’24, Nick Hoffman ’24, Rosie Chater ’25, Marina Schnell ’25, and current student Emi Jones ’27.
It’s been a busy year of field research and science education for Beth Heidemann ’91. This summer, Beth and her partner, Curtis Bentley, traveled to the Pantanal in Brazil, the world’s largest wetland, in search of capybaras for their latest project, and “In May, we depart for Madagascar to film our 15th field research mission. These expeditions are the heartbeat of Go2Science, which is now in its ninth year. Our goal is to bridge the gap between active field science and the classroom, providing K-5 learners in Maine and beyond with a front-row seat to real-world discovery. By engaging schools, afterschool programs, and homeschoolers, we aim to move beyond rote facts and instead nurture the next generation of evidence-based decision makers. As we continue to expand our reach internationally, I encourage my fellow alums to share our mission with the educators and parents in their lives. Helping young learners develop a critical, scientific lens has never been more vital.”
1992
Blessed by community near and far, Lelania Avila ’92 prioritizes play even as the world gets wonkier. Thanks to extensive support from fellow alums Aimee Hunt ’91, Louise Tremblay ’91, Jessie Greenbaum ’89, Kate Young ’15, and Zach Taibi ’17, all the asbestos in her Northeast Harbor home is now sealed up. Lelania prepares to open a new Puppet Portal in Town Hill, Bar Harbor, in April 2026. Vivaxis and the Noise Band, her current puppet show-in-progress, includes a 20-foot cocoon for the audience to enter. While we wait for the puppets to usher us into the post-capitalist world so many of us anticipate, Lelania tends two part-time dream jobs: puppetry and movement teacher at the Cranberry Island School (which invites a welcome immersion into Wabanaki Studies); and circulation substitute at the Northeast Harbor library. Meanwhile, her Paradise Found, LLC metamorphosizes into The Land of Both-And. Visit her family’s pollinator sanctuary next time you’re in Northeast Harbor!
Clark Lawrence ’92 is teaming up again with the London-based painter David Hollington for a third book about plants and gardens. A Verbal Herbal will be published by Libreria della Natura (Milan) in autumn 2026. This time, as the title warns, there will be more words—often short anecdotes and aphorisms, garden jokes, and folklore. There will be fewer full-page illustrations, but amusing, quick ink drawings will appear throughout. Clark is still in Italy, near Mantua, running Reading Retreats in the countryside. www.lamacchinafissa.com
1993
After almost 20 years of teaching in alternative education, Jennifer (Bureau) Crandall ’93 switched gears and became a Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) teacher at Mount Desert Island High School. FCS has gone by many names, including human ecology and home economics. “My goal is to help students gain the information they need to make informed decisions about what they eat and wear, how they might raise their children, and how they spend their money. This year, the Maine Association of Family and Consumer Sciences has given me the Teacher of the Year award. I’ll be attending the national conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in June.”
Eric (Weikart) Wolf ’93 independently published a book in May 2024 entitled A Field Guide to Narrative Therapy. Eric is a practicing narrative therapist who lives and works on Hawaii Island in the State of Hawaii. He is the winner of a National Oracle Award from the National Storytelling Association for service to the storytelling community. Eric was born and raised in New York City and has lived in intentional communities in the United States. He is a social worker, environmental educator, and professional storyteller. Eric has an MSW and an MS in environmental education. He is committed to finding new narratives to solve the overwhelming problems that are troubling the humans who live on this planet.
1996
Jim Kellam ’96 writes that he is now in his 19th year of teaching biology at Saint Vincent College (Latrobe, Pennsylvania). “I was recently promoted from associate professor to full professor. Our department faculty have always valued teaching more than research, and so they have not tended to apply for promotion because there are publishing requirements for that. I was able to teach and conduct research at the same time, becoming the first full professor in my department in at least 40 years. I don’t usually brag about this to anyone, but COA Magazine seems a pretty good place to do it! Meanwhile, I am continuing my research on birds, and how they are affected by pollution left over from our area’s coal mining past. I am also building a college aviary to house a non-releasable rehabilitated raptor for use as an education ambassador and training opportunity for our pre-vet students.
Ryan Ruggiero ’96 joined Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust as its director in January 2025.
1999
Erin Chalmers ’99 continues to enjoy living in northern California, where Yosemite and other destinations aren’t far away. “At work (I’m still an attorney for the California Coastal Commission), I help the state plan for sea level rise, protect public access to the coast, and protect coastal ecosystems. In 2025, I picked up a trumpet for the first time since COA, and my son (age 13) and I are playing a bit together. My daughter (age 16) started driving and dating. My wife and I escape the city to go to Tahoe as much as we can, and are grateful our kids still enjoy spending time with us. Despite the craziness, life is beautiful and bountiful,” he writes, “though I do still miss Maine and its rivers and lakes.”
2002
Hello from Tree Sturman ’02 in Bolinas, California! “After more than a decade in environmental conservation, I switched careers and co-founded Compass Montessori Jr. High in Traverse City, Michigan, where I taught for 11 years. This past summer, I pulled up roots and moved to Marin County to take on the leadership of Marin Montessori Jr. High,” Tree writes. “I remember my COA days fondly and hope to make it back there soon. Here’s to the class of 2002!”
2003
Matt Corum ’03 and his band, Old Profanity, released their second album, Downhill Both Ways. Available on all streaming platforms and vinyl (of course), and do check them out at a live show if you’re in Portland, Oregon. Matt writes, “We’re performing on a one gig a year clip, so temper expectations.”
Clementine Mallet ’03 starts a new job in March. “I will be working for Roland Foods as a food safety & quality assurance specialist and will be moving to central New Jersey.”
2004
Julia Morgenstern Hefner ’04 and her family live in the mountains of southwest Colorado, where they love to camp and explore. “I earned my secondary teaching license through an alternative licensure program, and am now in my second year of teaching high school English in our local public school, and I am loving it,” she writes. “Our daughter, Zoe, is in 7th grade, and our son, Wyatt, is about to graduate from high school and will continue his education in mechanical engineering at Western Colorado University this fall.”
2009
Adam Kumm ’09 and his better half, Fiana, celebrated the first birthday of their daughter Sonja. Adam finished his MS in environmental science and policy from Johns Hopkins University. Together they live in San Diego and love spending time in the wilderness with their Vizsla, Copper.
2010
Leland Moore ’10 was elected to the New Haven Board of Alders as the Alder for the city’s 18th ward. Leland is an attorney who lives in New Haven with his wife, Ashley.
Brandyn Schult ’10 and Emily Speir (now Schult) ’11, their two children, Walter (age 8) and Imogen (age 4), and three rescue dogs are now living in Austin, Texas. Brandyn is a director at Saronic Technologies. Emily co-leads a “Nature Nerds” after-school club at Walter’s elementary school, teaching kids the value of native and organic gardening practices and helping students get certified from the Junior Master Gardener’s Association as wildlife gardeners.
2012
Jenny Harris ’12 and Julianna Lichatz ’90 found each other on the Roaring Fork Women’s Triathlon Team this summer in Colorado.
Renae Lesser ’12 lives in Bloomington, Indiana with her husband, Gabriel Piser, and their new baby, Misha, who arrived in July! Together, Renae and Gabriel co-publish The Funny Times, a cartoon newspaper that recently marked its 40th year in print. Renae is also completing a PhD in education at Indiana University, where she teaches courses focused on creativity, youth cultures, and social change.
Jose Merlo ’12 writes, “Living in Ecuador with my wife Meli and our lil-dog Oli. Working at orijin.io developing agricultural and traceability-related projects. Missing Bar Harbor sunsets and being 20 years old.”
For the last 14 years, Urs Riggenbach ’12 has been busy spreading solar energy access with Lytefire, especially in Africa where they’ve been equipping and incubating solar bakeries with the new technology. “I became a co-founder in the Lytefire company soon after graduating back in 2012. We call it human scale tech as it can be built and maintained locally, something that was important to us from the start. Looking back, it’s been a very intense journey! We have some of the largest nonprofit organizations and the UN as clients, even though we’re still a very small company and team. We are especially proud of all the small bakeries that create jobs and reduce tree-burning. This year, we’re putting everything we’ve learned to work and hope to get Lytefire more known and grow our impact both among DIYers and in the humanitarian sector. Sending my regards to you all!”
2013
In July, Hannah-Mathilde Little Waschezyn ’13 made the difficult decision to leave regional planning after two years. After some time to reset, she then found work—and a world-class team—at her local credit union. “I’ve been there three months and love the new, familiar (from library service) view of my community’s human ecology. I also have a dog now, though that’s a 2024 update. Cheers to 2026!”
2015
Emily Huggins ’15 and Connor Huggins ’16 welcomed their daughter, Eden Louise, in June 2025. They are living in Bowdoinham, Maine, and loving this new chapter!
2016
After many years of college after COA, Corrie Ingall ’16 is getting ready to complete her PhD in mathematics at the University of Connecticut. Her research work is within reverse mathematics, a subfield of mathematical logic that she first came across while taking a tutorial on mathematical proofs at COA. Her first academic article, “Properties of Range Sets of Continuous Functions in Reverse Mathematics” was published in July 2025 in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science series. She spends most of her time teaching introductory math courses at the University of Connecticut and hopes to find an academic teaching-focused position after graduation. When she isn’t doing math, she follows creative pursuits like dance, creative writing, and theatre.
2017
Retirement gives Shlomit Auciello ’17 time to walk in the woods and fields. She continues to write her bi-weekly column, “Letter from Away,” for online and local print publication in Maine’s Midcoast Villager, and is preparing a book of selected essays with Maine Authors Publishing & Cooperative. She writes, “Since February 8, 2025, I have been a song leader at weekly political demonstrations every Saturday at noon in Rockland. It is heartening to sing in community at any time. Before cataract lens replacement, I was able to convince the surgeon to rescue my original equipment and return the old mush to me for safekeeping. In November, my daughter and I bought land together in Vermont. Stay connected.”
Nicole Gurreri ’17 just wrapped up her second year as the assistant manager of the Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor. “It’s a dream job,” she says. “I’m working outdoors with plants and people in the calm, verdant oasis of the garden. I am so lucky to be mentored by my fellow COA alum, longtime garden manager Mary Roper ’85! I feel grateful to continue to work and live year-round on beautiful Mount Desert Island and spend my non-garden time in all the usual ways: hiking, running, cross-country skiing, swimming, kayaking, camping, and lying on warm rocks in the sunshine.”
2019
Kaitlyn (Clark) Kowaleski ’19 successfully defended her dissertation on Atlantic sea scallop reproductive and feeding ecology to earn her PhD in marine science (concentration in fisheries science) from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary. Following graduation, she moved across the country to start a postdoc position with Washington Sea Grant at the University of Washington. In this new role, she is working with shellfish growers, Tribes, and local, state, and federal organizations to capture community knowledge and build tools for decision-making and scenario planning around ecosystem-based management for estuaries in southwest Washington.
2020
Since 2023, Rebekah Heikkila ’20 has been singing with the Mount Desert Summer Chorale and now also serves on their board of directors. This past spring, she had the great pleasure of being invited to sing under the Chorale’s beloved conductor, David Schildkret—as well as two other conductors, Tom Porter and Mack Wilburg—in a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The performance included Chichester Psalms (Bernstein), Schicksalslied (Brahms), and A Cloud of Witnesses (Wilberg). Amazingly, once Rebekah had successfully navigated the backstage web of staircases at the hall, she did not have any jitters as she stepped on stage!
Rose Jackson ’20 is touring quite a bit these days with her bands Dearest Dear and Stove Dragon. She was a recent recipient of a Grant for Creative Individuals from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for her work with New England fiddle music. Her debut album will be out in the spring.
Emmy AveryWitham ’20 is currently living in Scarborough, Maine, where she self-published her debut novel, The Power of Family, in June. After five years of hard work, she says, “It feels so good to have this book be out in the world!” If anyone is interested in reading it, The Power of Family is available on Amazon.
2021
2025 was a year full of professional milestones and joyful personal change for Aliza Leit ’21! She works as a marine biologist at ECOncrete, a nature-inclusive marine infrastructure firm that brings ecological uplift to coastal and marine projects around the world. “This year, I had the chance to present my work at several national and international forums, including the National Practice Forum on Nature-Based Solutions hosted by the National Academies at UC Irvine, New York Climate Week, and the World Conference on Ecological Restoration in Denver. I remain incredibly grateful for my time at COA, and for mentors like professor Chris Petersen, whose guidance and enthusiasm continue to shape my work in marine science and engagement with coastal communities,” she writes. “On the personal side, I married the love of my life, Daniel, with Sarah Somes ’21 in the wedding party! Daniel and I also adopted a second dog and bought our first home this year. It’s been a whirlwind!”
In August 2025, Micaela Sueldo Glattli ’21 married Vanessa Taylor ’19 in Copenhagen, Denmark. “We met and started dating at COA, and now we can call each other spouses. It was a beautiful ceremony, and we were fortunate to have our parents, family members, and close friends join us to celebrate our love. Putting it in the alumni notes feels like full circle!”
2023
Izzy Grimm ’23 has been living in Ithaca, New York, and working at an anarchist used book store downtown. Still recovering from herniating three disks playing Dance Dance Revolution, they are currently performing with the band The Worm Collective and continuing their solo project as Izabelle Labs. This year, during the Jaws 50th reunion screening, Izzy finally popped the question and asked Annika Ross ’23 for their hand in marriage. They plan on celebrating in the fall of ’27.
2024
Emiliana Reinoso ’24 embarked on a year-long Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, “Social Ecologies: Weaving Stories through Art,” after graduation. “It was a year full of transformative experiences, and it helped me envision new ideas for graduate school. I met wonderful, creative humans who think critically about the climate crisis. I thought that many of them could be human ecologists in one way or another. I found hope in dialogues with different species. I am now in Vienna pursuing a master’s degree in environmental science, policy, and management through the Erasmus Mundus program. I have recently met with friends from COA, and we shared fond memories of our time in Bar Harbor.”
