Updates from your community
1970s
Len Gougeon ’74PhD is the author of Old England, New England, and the Civil War: How a Clash of Cultures Ignited an Global Campaign for Racial Equality and Civil Rights, which was published by the State University of New York Press in May 2025.
Steven Bauer ’75MFA taught creative writing for more than three decades at Colby College and Miami University and is now happily retired and immersed in new creative projects. Most recently, he and his wife, novelist Elizabeth Arthur, coauthored a 26-book series that reimagines the iconic Three Investigators mysteries—originally created by Arthur’s father, Robert—for today’s young readers.
Stephen V. Masse ’75 married Andrea Laws on May 8, 2021, in one of the first wedding receptions in his community after the COVID lockdowns. He describes the event as “a raucous and well-deserved celebration.” He lives in Medford and works as a home remodeling contractor to support his lifelong writing habit of authoring books for adults and children.
Poet and novelist Diane Wald ’78MFA recently published The Bayrose Files (Regal House, 2025), a literary novella that explores truth and deception at a famous writers colony.
Frederick Winer ’79 retired in 2024 after working for over 25 years at Tufts Health Plan, helping people age into Medicare plans when they turned 65. He now lives in Brookline and volunteers at The Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts, as a participant in its Sage & Seekers program.
1980s
Lee Upton ’81MFA has several books out or forthcoming from Sagging Meniscus Press. Tabitha, Get Up (2024) was named a semifinalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, and the sequel, Tabitha, Stay Up, is forthcoming later this year. She also published Wrongful (2025). Another novel, The Withers, will be out in June from Regal House Publishing. She has also had poems published in The New Yorker and The Yale Review online.
Lisa Kautz ’83 was included by Forbes on its 2025 “America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors” and “Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” lists. She is a senior vice president and wealth management advisor at her firm, Lisa V. Kautz & Associates, in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Robert Desjarlais ’84 recently authored The Visual Afterlife of Abdelkader Bennahar (Duke University Press, 2025). The book explores the life and death of an Algerian man who died on the outskirts of Paris in October 1961, illuminating how the French colonial state and police violence shaped the lives and deaths of Algerians. Desjarlais is a professor of anthropology at Sarah Lawrence College.
1990s
Steven D. Spitz ’90 was installed as president of the Massachusetts Dental Society, which seeks to advance oral health on behalf of patients and dental practitioners across the state. A respected prosthodontist, Spitz brings more than two decades of clinical excellence, innovation, and community service to the role.
Ziv Gillat ’95 is the cofounder and chief technical officer of Tow4Tech, a start-up looking to replace outdated, manual systems with a real-time dispatch platform that’s already reducing downtime for fleets nationwide.
President of the International Kodály Society Jerry L. Jaccard ’95EdD received the Pro Cultura Hungarica prize from the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Innovation. The prize is awarded to foreign citizens who have made great strides in introducing and disseminating the values of Hungarian culture abroad, and in enriching cultural relations between Hungary and other nations.
Alex Kasendorf ’96 joined the law firm of Grant Shenon Almaraz as partner, focusing on business, real estate, HOA, and construction matters in California.
Aaron L. Polansky ’97 was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on April 5, 2025. Polansky began his coaching career at Amherst Regional High School while studying at UMass, and he has coached at schools throughout the state. He currently serves as a superintendent of Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, where he started its inaugural wrestling program, and also serves as president of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators and president-elect of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.
Justin Townsend ’97 and Ben Stanton ’99, ’22MFA were both nominated for the 2025 Tony Awards in Best Lighting Design of a Musical. Townsend was nominated for Death Becomes Her, and Stanton was nominated for Maybe Happy Ending.
2000s
Michael Deibler ’01 writes, “This is my second year as a dyslexia specialist after having taught for 20 years as an elementary classroom teacher in Texas public schools. I enjoy helping students become proficient readers and writers.” He adds, “I recall my undergraduate years at UMass fondly.”
Michael Hauke ’04 appeared on Shark Tank with his business, Mad Mutz, which offers from-scratch mozzarella sticks in a variety of bold flavors.
Yvonne Martinez ’00MS is a labor organizer and author of the book Scabmuggers (She Writes Press, 2025). Based on true events that occurred during her time in the Harvard Trade Union Program in the 1990s, Scabmuggers showcases marginalized workers and exposes how workers unified under a common cause.
Bunkong Tuon ’08PhD won the Pushcart Prize for his poem, “What Is Left.” The Cambodian American writer’s work explores his personal history and his experience of loss and being a refugee. His recent novel, Koan Khmer (Northwestern University Press, 2024), examines his experiences of post-genocide trauma and alienation in the U.S.
2010s
Andy Tuetken ’10 writes, “As a passionate UMass baseball alum (2005–2008), I have had the distinct pleasure of working with UMass Director of Development Ryan Boudway and UMass baseball Head Coach Matt Reynolds in completing two UMass Athletics history books.” All proceeds from the books about UMass Baseball in the 2000s and 2010s will be donated to the program.
Adam Szetela ’12 is the author of That Book Is Dangerous! How Moral Panic, Social Media, and the Culture Wars Are Remaking Publishing (MIT Press, 2025). It’s been hailed as “courageous” (Wall Street Journal), “fiery and insightful” (Washington Post), and “a cutting debut” (Publishers Weekly). He writes for the Washington Post, the Guardian, and elsewhere.
Amy Gonsalves ’13 has been appointed CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket, Rhode Island—the first woman CEO in the Club’s 125-year history. Gonsalves first joined as director of development and communications in March 2020, continuing her career as a dedicated fundraiser and communications professional for nonprofit organizations supporting youth and families.
David J. Zurawski Jr. ’18 has been in Ako, Japan, as an assistant language teacher since July 2024. He made his way there through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. In July 2024, along with other JETs from the New York metro area, he had the opportunity to meet with the Japanese ambassador at the Consulate General of Japan in New York.
Connor Hay ’19 went to Washington, D.C., as part of a group known as TBFighters to participate in the largest-ever tuberculosis-focused Hill Day. The group and other organizations met with more than 150 members of Congress to advocate for more funding to fight the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
2020s
Kelsey Perry ’20 received the 2025 New England Women in Energy and the Environment Rising Star Award, recognizing her leadership in the offshore wind industry in Massachusetts. Perry currently serves as the external affairs manager for South Coast Wind.