ALUMNI NEWS, continued
Back When it Was the USSR: The 1980s

Steve Trumbo - 1980
Rex Holloway - 1982
David Brand - 1984
Desiree Di Mauro - 1985
Allison Jablonski (Belsches) - 1986
Matthew Harrison - 1987
Norman Johnson - 1987
Alison Krufka - B.S. Biology 1987
Jonathan (Jon) Fleenor - 1988
Ginny Lee (Parsons) - 1988

Ginny Lee (Parsons) and family in Korea

Steve Trumbo - B.S. Biology W&M 1980
   I was recently promoted to full professor at The University of Connecticut - Waterbury campus.

Rex Holloway- B.S. Biology W&M 1982
   After leading the Hammes Company's East Coast Strategy and Planning practice for Hammes Company for 10 years, I'm now directing Surgery Center development activities for Health Inventures - a subsidiary company. I live in Mt. Vernon, VA with my wife Anne and two daughters.
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David Brand - B.S. Biology W&M 1984
   In addition to my duties performing bench research on mechanisms of tolerance in autoimmunity, I am working with a startup biotech company called arGentis Pharmaceuticals to extract type I collagen from the skins of fetal calves. This process will provide us with the raw materials to perform a phase III trial for oral type I collagen as a tolerogen for patients with systemic sclerosis ( Scleroderma , or SSc.) Our previous trials have shown very promising results for a subset of patients taking oral collagen, with their thick, fibrous skin actually softening to some degree. This is no small development as to date, no drug has ever shown any efficacy whatsoever for these patients. The local newspaper recently featured our process in a news story.
   Also, I would be happy to talk with any biology students about research in academic medicine. As you know, NIH dollars are hard to find these days, but other governmental and non-profit organizations still offer grant monies so the field is not totally devoid of a future.
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Desiree Di Mauro - B.S. Biology W&M 1985
   It was great to get a copy of the online issue of the Niche! I'm currently working as an adjunct professor of biology and environmental science at No.VA Community College and the northern VA campus of Virginia Tech . I've also been in touch with a couple of other biology grads from 1985. After earning both a Masters in Environmental Management and an MBA, Thom Mistele is in NJ teaching AP biology to high school students. Margie Bessler (aka Johnson at W&M) has traveled the world with her husband, John Bessler (a U.S. Army Colonel and also a W&M bio grad!) and kept a career as an athletic trainer alive through all those travels!
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Allison Jablonski (Belsches) - B.S. Biology W&M 1986
I'm an associate professor of Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, VA, and the campus coordinator for student-faculty research. I've just completed my 10th year here, and am still loving my job! My teaching focus is on cell and molecular; my research focus is on signal transduction in several different mammalian models. I have three children: Lucy (7), Amy (5) and Lily (2), as well as a great husband, Brian.
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Matthew Harrison - BS and MA Biology/studio art and biology W&M 1987
Just returned from Medical Mission to rural area of Ghana. Delivered about $250,000 worth of equipment and medicine to rural villages and hospital. Ran medical clinic for 5 days and deliver care to 1500 people. Preparing for child number 7 in September and will be opening 2nd medical practice in suburbs of Charlotte, NC in Fall.
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Norman Johnson - B.S. Biology W&M 1987
I published a book on molecular evolution geared to general audiences. The book, Darwinian Detectives: Revealing the Natural History of Genes and Genome s (Oxford University Press, 2007), describes how biologists infer evolutionary processes by examining patterns of DNA sequence information.The Niche editors note: Norm Johnson is cited in our feature story here .

Alison Krufka - B.S. Biology W&M 1987
I am happy that the Niche is running on online! Congratulations. I have recently been tenured in the Department of Biological Sciences at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ

Ginny Lee (Parsons) - B.S. Biology W&M 1988
I am a certified nurse-midwife working for the US Army in Seoul Korea . My husband, Ian, is an active-duty Army physical therapist. We are lucky to live in this very busy and cosmopolitan city....until 2010.