ClassNotes

Maire O'Keefe Byrne '90 expanded her catering business in the fall of 2009 to open Thyme Café and Market in Santa Monica. Thyme Café specializes in seasonal fresh gourmet foods.

Nicole Bugna-Doyle '95 and E. John Doyle IV '95 welcomed twin boys, Colin and Thomas Doyle on November 19, 2011. The family lives in Los Angeles.

Kevin and Devon (Woodfin) Beals '00 welcomed their first child, Zachary Matthew Beals, on December 16, 2008.

David Banmiller ’95 is a managing director at KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., the corporate and investment banking arm of KeyCorp.

Banmiller joined KeyBanc Capital Markets from Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Houston, where he served as director of investment banking and managed client relationships, both US and international, in the upstream, midstream and oilfield services sectors within the energy and power group. Before Bank of America Merrill Lynch, he was a vice president at Bank of America NA in Dallas.

Reza Aslan ’95 is speaking at the University Forum Distinguished Lecture Series this spring at Appalachian State University. Aslan’s lecture is titled “Understanding Muslims and the Future of the New Middle East” and addresses a drastic shift taking place in the Middle East.

A new generation of youth in the Middle East are clamoring for their rights and freedoms, and they drastically outnumber their elders. Seventy-five percent of the population of the Middle East is under the age of 35, and 50 percent is under the age of 25. The young, educated, and politically motivated youth in places like Iran, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and beyond have a new vision – one that represents their values, not the values of a ruling elite or of the generation that preceded them.

Aslan is a world-renowned expert on the Middle East, its history, economy, culture and populations. In this eye-opening talk, Aslan goes beyond skin-deep punditry and reveals the true nature of these historic societal changes. What motivates the Muslim youth of today? What will the new Middle East look like? How will these sudden regime changes affect the world’s economic and political climate? With unparalleled authority and eloquence, Aslan unravels the complexities of the new Middle East and shows audiences what the future holds for this often misunderstood part of the world.

Aslan is the author of the international bestseller No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, which has been named by Blackwell Publishers as one of the 100 most important books of the last decade. It’s now available in 13 languages. Aslan appears regularly in the media, on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report, among other high-profile outlets. He has degrees in religion from Santa Clara University, Harvard and UC Santa Barbara, as well as a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa, where he was named the Truman Capote Fellow in Fiction.

Matt Armanino J.D. '95 is chief executive officer of Armanino McKenna LLP of San Ramon, the largest CPA firm headquartered in California.

Bridget (Branson) Albert '95 and husband Mark Albert welcomed the birth of their second son, Samson Steam, in May 2009. Samson joins big brother William Hawkeye in their home in Bend, Oregon.

Paul Aggarwal MBA '95 was appointed as vice president of pre-construction services from his former position as vice president of estimating at Cupertino Electric, Inc. Aggarwal will set the strategic direction for the company's pursuit of new projects and oversee all pre-construction activities. 

Freshman Dorm: Campisi

Jacquie Walker '96 writes: "My husband Matt Walker '95 and I live in Dallas, Texas with our two boys, Barrett (5) and Casey (3). I worked for an investment bank in New York as a graduate recruiter before moving to Texas in 2006 and 'retiring.'"

Garrett Wade '96 and his wife Lisa welcomed their first child, Emily Marie Wade, into the world on June 11, 2010.

Garrett Wade '96 and his wife Lisa welcomed their second daughter, Madison Riley Wade, into the world June 4, 2012.

Stephanie (Melia) Tsiagkas '96 and husband Nick welcomed their second daughter, Katherine Anne, on Oct. 12, 2008. The family currently resides in Sunnyvale with 3-year-old daughter Amelia.

Mary Trujillo '96 earned her master's degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado.

Alison Tanigawa ’96 was named advertising and media director for Island Insurance Company in Hawaii. Tanigawa, who has nearly 15 years of experience, will be responsible for managing the company’s advertising and media activities.  Prior she was the marketing manager for DTRIC insurance.

Eric Swenson MBA '96 welcomed Katelyn Olive Oct 15, 2009 who joins 5-year-old brother Ethan. The family recently relocated to the Pheonix, Ariz. area.

Alison (Beimfohr) Stanely '96 and husband Shawn welcomed their second child, Trevor Alan Stanley, on June 23, 2009.  He joins big sister Lauren, 2, in the family's Dallas, Texas home. 

Carrie Ann Shirota '96 has been named a 2009 Open Society Institute Justice Fellow. A lawyer and advocate in Wailuku, Hawaii, Shirota  will work to mitigate and reduce the transfer of incarcerated Hawaiians to mainland prisons thousands of miles away. Hawaii's growing reliance on transfers severs family ties, disconnects Hawaiians from cultural traditions, gives rise to prison gangs, and complicates community reintegration. 
 

Christopher Shepherd '95, principal with Shepherd & Associates Insurance Services of San Jose, and Sarah Almazol Shepherd '96 proudly announce the birth of their first child, Olivia Almazol Shepherd on June 29, 2011. The family resides in Santa Clara and are loving every minute with little Olivia.

Jim Schiechl '96 and Mary Higgins Schiechl CPE '00 welcomed a son into the family on December 9, 2010. Alexander James (AJ) joins his 4-year-old sister Julia. Jim now works as a middle school principal for the Kent, Wash., school district. Jim and Mary live in Auburn, Wash.

Freshman Dorm: Campisi

Jen Santoro '96 writes: "I am currently a pharmacist for the Orange County Medicaid Program. I competed in my first Olympic distance triathlon last year and have since done five more!"

Lucy (Azevedo) Rojas M.A. '99 and husband Ariel welcomed baby girl Chiara Francesca on Dec. 23, 2008. Chiara is named in honor of SCU's patron St. Claire. The family lives in Watsonville, Calif., where Lucy works as a project manager in the student affairs division at UC Santa Cruz.

Jeff '92, J.D. '96 and Molly (Foy) Rich '92 welcomed their third baby, Findlay George Rich, on June 12, 2010. Finn joins his older brother, Jeffrey Jr. (8) and sister, Caeleigh (6) in Palo Alto where Molly works in real estate. Jeff is currently Assistant General Counsel at Juniper Networks.