Notes from the Class of 2006

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation announced Bridget (Liz) Gauthier (Aero’06) is a 2013 Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellow. As a fellow, Bridget received a $30,000 stipend to complete a special intensive master’s program at Ohio University that will prepare her to teach math or science in a high-needs school in Ohio. Bridget lives in Athens, Ohio.

Michael Agresta (Acct’06) married Kathryn Gore at Rembrandt Yard in Boulder just east of the Hotel Boulderado. Michael is a certified public accountant with Deloitte. The couple lives in San Francisco, Calif.

Enquire Solutions, founded by Erin Gilbert Hayes (Mktg’06) and her husband, is a leading call center and customer relationships management provider in the senior living industry. It is one of the fastest growing technology and service companies in the senior living marketplace.

Writer and consultant Joshua Foust (IntlAf’06) is a national security columnist who covers foreign policy, counterterrorism, targeted killings and the former Soviet Union. Previously Joshua held a fellowship at the American Security Project and worked as a senior intelligence analyst. He is a regular writer for the BBC, Al Jazeera and MSNBC. His work has appeared in PBS, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, Salon, CNN and The New York Times.

Guitarist Ryan McCloskey (Span’06) plays for the Philadelphia-based independent rock/Americana band Song Dogs.The New York Times featured Song Dogs and the debut of their LP Wild Country. Ryan writes his music ambitions took off on and around campus, playing guitar by Varsity Lake and on the bench in front of Farrand Hall with his friends. Ryan lives in Chester Springs, Pa.

USA Cycling selected CU-Boulder alum Allen Krughoff (Mktg’06) to represent America at the Cyclocross World Championships in Hoogerheide, Netherlands, on Feb. 2, 2014. Allen, part of the CU team that won the Collegiate Road national title in 2005, came in 48th in Hoogerheide and returned to Boulder, where he lives, with great memories of spreading some Buff pride overseas.

Looking for new décor to spice up a room? Check out Sarah Billstein’s (Fin’06) business, A Claim to Frame, which sells handcrafted and one-of-a-kind framed decorations. Sarah works full-time in finance for News Corp, but decided to turn her hobby into a business venture. She is offering CU alumni, faculty and students 25 percent off a framed creation. 

Who can resist the perfect powder day? Joel Gratz (MEnvDes, MBA’06) wants to make sure nobody misses a good day of skiing. He created opensnow.com, which gives users live snow updates directly from the slopes. When he’s not skiing, Joel hikes, climbs and bikes. He lives in Boulder.

NASA named Nathaniel Putzig (PhDGeoPhys) a Planetary Science Early Career Fellow, which will aid his research goals. He plans to search for ground ice in sand dunes across the southern hemisphere of Mars. Nathaniel is a senior research scientist in Boulder’s Southwest Research Institute’s space science and engineering division.

Want to glam up your heels or add some comfort? Benjamin Adams’ (Fin) business, Alas Designs, designs high heel wraps which cover the heel of a shoe and provide comfort and style. See the designs at highheelwraps.com.

Kinsey Hasstedt (Jour, Psych) is a public policy associate in the Guttmacher Institute’s Washington, D.C., office. She focuses on publicly funded family planning programs in the U.S., the impact of women’s ability to time childbearing and immigrant women’s access to sexual and reproductive health-care.

Kristen Russell Humphrey (Jour) provided marketing services for Lythgoe Family Productions’ Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight. The play premiered in December at the Pasadena Playhouse. CU alumni were offered a special discount.

Business partners Seth Johnson (MPhys) and Justin Lee (MChemEngr’03) opened J&L Distilling’s tasting room on Pearl Street in Boulder in June 2013. Today, the company produces three spirits, SNO Vodka, SNO Gin and FYR.

Chef Jonathan Power (Phil) is executive and owner of The Populist. 5280 magazine designated the Denver restaurant one of the city’s best in 2014.

The Bryan Cave law firm in Boulder hired Christopher Achatz (Mgmt, Psych; Law’10).He advises clients on the licensing and transfer of intellectual property and high technology and provides legal services to businesses ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

After abandoning her plans to become a lawyer, Jazmin Chavez (Ethnic) worked for the magazine Talentedly, then became the New York City Council’s social media and community manager. In an interview, Jazmin told Talentedly social media helps educate the masses, sustain movements and unify messaging.

Former CU Presidential Scholar Rania Elhelo (MJour) is a communications officer in Gaza for ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid), which was created to assist the homeless and impoverished victims from the Arab-Israeli War. Today it helps Palestinian families in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.

Engineer and entrepreneur Adam Green (MBA) serves as president and principal engineer at the civil engineering firm Crosstown Engineering, which has offices in Texas and Florida. His firm specializes in foundation, civil and structural engineering reports and plans. Adam lives in Dallas.

Albertson & Davidson LLP named Gian Ducic-Montoya (PolSci) partner. Gian received her law degree from the University of La Verne. She represents clients with probate, trust and estate litigation issues in the firm’s office in Ontario, Calif.

The first microbrewery in Jordan, Carakale, was created by Yazan Karadsheh (ElEngr). [See story in this issue.] Yazan produces 40,000 bottles per month. He hopes to create brews more reflective of Jordan’s native flavors and hopes to transform local tastes.