2,444

Number of registered attendees to Homecoming 2021

41

Countries represented at Homecoming 2021

1,516

Number of alumni logged into events at Homecoming 2021

Recent Class Notes

Books and Beyond

  • Lessons from Thor cover

    Lessons from Thor

    Kimberley DeFiori, MBA'20

    As the world evolves toward a deeper understanding of mental illness and the importance of seeking treatment, Kimberly DeFiori (MBA’20) shares an unusual perspective on her own recovery. Lessons from Thor, her debut book from Tactical 16 Publishing, tells the story of DeFiori’s struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder while serving in the U.S. Army and the life-changing lessons she’s learned from her service dog, Thor. 

  • Chasing the Blues cover

    Chasing the Blues: A Traveler’s Guide to America’s Music

    Craig Jones, PhD'97

    Musician Craig Jones (PhD’97) traces the cultural and geographic journey of perhaps the single most influential modern music genre in Chasing the Blues: A Traveler’s Guide to America’s Music, which he co-authored with Kingston-based travel writer Josephine Matyas. Together they chart the history of the blues, from its birth in the pre-Emancipation Mississippi Delta to its modern-day influence on nearly every form of popular music.

  • Ava Jean's Wings cover

    Ava Jean's Wings

    Catherine Taylor, MSc'16

    Catherine Taylor (MSc’16) turned personal tragedy into a heartwarming lesson for young children. She wrote Ava Jean’s Wings, a rhyming story of a young angel who refuses to hide her wings, in 2019 while pregnant with her first child. Although her pregnancy ended in miscarriage, the story ultimately became a children’s book, illustrated by Champa Gunawardana, which Kickstarter recognized with the Project We Love label for its “compelling message and creativity.” The book, which was released in August, encourages children to recognize their unique qualities, use their talents, and be proud of who they are.

  • Free Radical by Tyler Black book cover

    Free Radical

    Lawrence Finlay, Artsc'92

    A backpacking trip through Soviet-era Estonia and a decades-long career in the tech industry inspired Free Radical, the debut novel by Lawrence Finlay (Artsci’92), which he released under the pseudonym Tyler Black. The book, published by FriesenPress, tells the story of James, a U.K. tech-firm employee who finds himself fighting for his life in the middle of a northeastern European forest, his only support coming from a toy-sized robot with the ability to learn by watching and listening to humans.

In Memoriam