Class Notes, fall 2023

Alumni, we want to hear what you’ve been doing. Mail career, wedding, birth, and death news to Class Notes, Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Holtzman Alumni Center, 901 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA 24061; email the news to classnotes@vt.edu; or submit the news online, where photos may also be uploaded for consideration.

1962 

Frank A. Gourley Jr., Charleston, W.Va., stays busy in retirement. He coordinates a 44-bed community garden, makes improvements to his 70-acre family farm near Smith Mountain Lake, plays pickleball three times a week, hosts an art group biweekly in his backyard studio-shop, plays guitar in a weekly jam group, coordinates a weekly breakfast group, travels (Kenya and Alaska-Yukon this year), showed wood furniture in two juried exhibitions recently, and participated in three craft shows this year. He is currently working on his third family-related book.  

1970 

Michael E. Guy, Marion, Va., published a book of essays, "Standing on a Spinning Ball."  

1973 

Christopher J. "Kit" Utz, Naples, Fla., retired from teaching and coaching at the Community School of Naples after 26 years. He continues in the athletic department as the "Voice of the Seahawks.”

1981 

Bevlee A. Watford, Blacksburg, Va., who has been a Virginia Tech faculty member since 1992, was selected by President Joe Biden to serve on the National Science Board.

1984 

Susan H. Hilleary, Marshall, Va., was named Fauquier County High School Teacher of the Year for 2022-23.  

1985 

Thomas A. Dingus, Pulaski, Va., was honored with the U.S. Government Award for Safety Engineering Excellence at the 27th Enhanced Safety of Vehicles conference this spring in Yokahoma, Japan.

1986 

Matthew R. Heffernan, Spartanburg, S.C., is vice president, broadcast hub services with Nexstar Media Group Inc.   

1990 

Mary S. Mayes, Ames, Iowa, received the 2023 Professional and Scientific Research Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University.  

1998 

Patrick J. Ryan, Spring, Texas, was appointed chief technology officer to support continued development of ABS as a maritime technology leader.  

2000 

Marshall R. Eichfeld, Midlothian, Va., is a senior engineer in the Alternative Project Delivery Division of the Virginia Department of Transportation.

2004 

Jason D. Colvin, Springfield, Va., is vice president, strategy and marketing at Newbridge Marketing Group.

Erin C. Poff, Salem, Va., joined the Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science as director of finance and administration.   

2007 

Andrew W. Newland, Charlottesville, Va., is principal at ADTEK Engineers Inc.                     

Ashleigh W. Garnes, Blacksburg, Va., general manager of Meridian Waste, was named to Waste 360s 40 under 40 awards list.  

Children:  Ashleigh W. Garnes and Matthew Jon Chandler ’14, Blacksburg, Va., a son, 2/4/23.  

2009 

Christopher Aaron Noble, Blacksburg, Va., is head of the Virginia Tech Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering.                   

2012 

Children: Ashley Morgan Clifton, Bunker Hill, W. VA., a son, 11/19/22.  

2015 

Children: Emily E. Preisendan Chandler, Hamilton, Va., and Matt Chandler ’14, 4/25/20.  

2016 

Frances B. Keene, Blacksburg, Va., is Virginia Tech's vice president for Student Affairs.   

2019 

Wedding: Rachel A. Dougherty and Justin Peter Larkin ’21, Fairfax, Va., 9/17/22.  

2020 

Cody L. Santmyer, Blacksburg, Va., a financial planning analyst with Agili, earned Certified Financial Planner designation.  

Blake R. Seydel, Austin, Texas., a musician based in Austin, Texas, released his debut album, “Blake Robert” on March 31. The album is available on all platforms.

Wedding: Jordan Bray and Austin Fox, Blacklick, Ohio, 10/9/21.

Wedding: Taylor Young Hinton and Bryce Hinton, Hagerstown, Maryland, 3/20/23.

2021

Wedding: Samantha Richard Dean and Dwight Dean, South Hill, Virginia, 10/1/22.

2022 

Evan I. Abramoff, Blacksburg, Va., joined SOSH Architects as a project coordinator.