Class Notes

In July 2018, Samuel T. Jackson ’12 started new position with University of Tennessee, Knoxville Alumni Affairs Office as Assistant Director for the Center of Student Alumni Programs.

is the recipient if the 2015 AACR Women in Cancer Research Award. She has been doing research on CDK4/6 Breast Cancer.

M.D., Ph.D., a third-year medical oncology fellow, recently received several national awards and grants, as well as a Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center fellowship, in recognition of her translational cancer research. Jansen received an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2015 Women in Cancer Research Scholars Award. The awards are given to members of the Women in Cancer Research group of AACR who are scientists in training and presenters of highly meritorious, top-scoring research papers submitted for the AACR Annual Meeting, which was held April 18-22 in Philadelphia. Jansen gave an oral presentation on mechanisms of resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. CDK4 and CDK6 are proteins involved in the regulation of the cell cycle pathway. Inhibition of CDK4 and CDK6 results in cell cycle arrest, thus preventing the proliferation of cancer cells. She has also been recognized by the Tennessee Oncology Practice Society (TOPS), a chapter member of the Association of Community Cancer Centers. Jansen received a TOPS award in conjunction with a presentation at the ACCC conference in Nashville.

currently of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, received a research grant award during the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held May 29 – June 2 in Chicago. The grant, designed to boost the recipients’ research careers, were awarded by ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation, a non-profit organization working to conquer the disease by funding breakthrough cancer research and sharing cutting-edge knowledge with patients and physicians worldwide. Third-year medical oncology fellow Valerie Jansen, M.D., Ph.D., received a Young Investigator Award which provides $50,000 in funding for cancer research projects. Jansen is researching breast cancer and works in the laboratory of Carlos Arteaga, M.D., director of the Center for Cancer Targeted Therapies and director of the Breast Cancer Program. Read more: http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2015/06/vicc-investigators-asco/

Maryville College Baseball has added a familiar face to the 2017-18 baseball squad. Logan Jenkins has joined the Scots’ staff as an assistant coach. More here: http://www.mcscots.com/sports/bsb/2017-18/releases/20170807luaaoa

Through his nonprofit charity, First Foundations Inc., Dick Jensen plans to donate new Spanish and English language books to libraries in Cuba during 2016. For more information contact Dick at ffi113@bellsouth.net.

I am currently serving in Zambia as an education Peace Corps volunteer. I’m working with my community to build a library for the use of our students and other community members. We are working hard, but we need help financially so that we can purchase all the books and materials we need. You can read more about the project on my blog here: and you can donate to the project on the official Peace Corps grant page here: Thank you for your help, ya’ll!

My husband, Mark & I welcomed our second son, Drew Russell Johnson in April 30th, 2019. We also have a four year old, Luke Edward Johnson.

Cora and her husband Mark recently relocated to Kingsport, TN. Cori is currently a Senior Account Executive over Membership with the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. Mark and Cora recently purchased their first home and are expecting their first child in October 2015.

Has retired from teaching at Maryville Jr. High.

Virginia Johnson ’17 has been officially into the Peace Corps. and will be moving to Zambia in fall 2018. to teach English. She is currently working with AmeriCorps in San Francisco Bay area.

writes in to share that she is living living with her daughter, Mary Kathryn, and her two younger children, Benjamin and Melody. Being a member of the family keeps her active and happy.

Rachel Jones ’05 and her wife, Deanne Revel, are living in Seattle, Washington where is a PR specialist for Amazon Prime Video and Deanne is a full-time travel writer.

writes in to share that she graduated from the University of Tennessee's College of Social Work in 2015 with a Master's of Science in Social Work. She is currently the Director of the Rape Crisis Center in Chattanooga, TN, where she gets to work alongside her therapy dog, Quinn, who gets to comfort clients and get a lot of pets. She has been called to ministry and has been accepted to the historic Chicago Theological Seminary and will start the program in Fall 2019.

Carol (Veltman) Kariotis and her husband of 43 years, Kostas Kariotis, now split their retirement time between Liberty, Mo., and Larissa, Greece (Kostas’ hometown). They have just completed a partial renovation of his boyhood house and are finally getting ready to enjoy some beach time during a heatwave in the 100s. They love going back and forth between Greek relatives and friends, and their sons and families in Kansas City, Mo.

took an early retirement from her position as Director of Residential Life at the University of Missouri – Kansas City at the end of 2007. She has since served as the Executive Director/CEO of two arts organizations – Kaw Valley Arts and Humanities and The Writers Place. Carol has now left working for pay and is volunteering as a grant writer for the Liberty Arts Foundation, Inc. She will be going to Greece for two months this summer to better learn the Greek language and work on her studio art work, as well as editing a book of poetry.

Carol (Veltman) Kariotis '74 retired early to pursue a meaningful retirement. She currently is the Public Arts Chair on the Liberty (MO) Arts Commission, curating exhibits (18 per year) in three public art galleries. She is also working on a professional storytelling certificate and recently won the MO Liar's Contest with her tall tale "On the Farm." Carol has a new granddaughter, Eleni Kariotis, two sons and a daughter-in-law living in Kansas City. She has taken a hiatus from professional storytelling while undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for cancer. The prognosis for complete remission/recovery is excellent. Carol and her husband Kostas celebrated their 40th anniversary in the hospital in June, but plan to celebrate well in summer 2017 in Greece where the entire family will travel to baptize Eleni. Carol and Kostas plan to split their time between the US and Greece when Kostas retires in 3 years.

Reda is “retired” from travel consulting and enjoying her love of art. She is an active member of the Asheville Gallery of art cooperative in Asheville, NC. www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com. You can also see her art work at Miya Gallery, Weaverville, NC.

Reda continues to pursue her art painting mysterious landscapes using bold and muted color in oil, acrylic and mixed media on canvas and board. Her art work can be seen at www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com and miyagallery.com.

The East Carolina softball program completed its staff with the hiring of Leah Kelley ’12 as an assistant coach according to an announcement from head coach Beth Keylon-Randolph on Monday. Kelley, who will work with infielders and outfielders and also be involved in game management and recruiting responsibilities, was a two-year letter winner at Maryville College and helped the Scots reach the championship game of the Great South Athletic Conference in 2012.

Graduated from George Mason University in 2014 with MA in Interdisciplinary Studies, with an emphasis in ethics & interpreting. She is currently working as a certified sign language interpreter in the DC area.

Writes in to say, “After gradually reducing days worked in our Private Psychotherapy practices over a 3 year period Marilyn and I took down our professional shingles 1/31/2013. We had already been spending 2-3 months a year in Michigan, Arizona and Florida, so full time retirement didn’t result in any significant time away from home. We manage 80 acres of farm and forest land as well as maintain over an acre of perennial gardens. Our home is on a ridge top in Southern Indiana in an area called “The Little Smokies”…I couldn’t return to flat Ohio farm land after spending 4 years at Maryville. Marilyn and I are avid about staying physically active and enjoying a healthy life style. We celebrate good health and contentment. I reflect upon my MC years with fond memories.”

became a great Great Grandpa on April 17, 2014 . His oldest Grandson Jason Brasel and his wife Carolyn gave birth too Hope Elizabeth who weighed 6lbs.4oz. at birth.

Writes in to share that he is now the proud grandfather of 4 girls and 2 boys. Three of the girls live in Goodlettsville, TN.

has been appointed as Property Manager at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN