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鈥�20) shares an unusual perspective on her own recovery. Lessons from Thor, her debut book from Tactical 16 Publishing, tells the story of DeFiori鈥檚 struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder while serving in the U.S. Army and the life-changing lessons she鈥檚 learned from her service dog, Thor. 

  • Chasing the Blues cover

    Chasing the Blues: A Traveler鈥檚 Guide to America鈥檚 Music

    Craig Jones, PhD'97

    Musician Craig Jones (PhD鈥�97) traces the cultural and geographic journey of perhaps the single most influential modern music genre in Chasing the Blues: A Traveler鈥檚 Guide to America鈥檚 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鈥�16) turned personal tragedy into a heartwarming lesson for young children. She wrote Ava Jean鈥檚 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鈥檚 book, illustrated by Champa Gunawardana, which Kickstarter recognized with the Project We Love label for its 鈥渃ompelling message and creativity.鈥� 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鈥�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