Category Archives: An Eye On Alumni
1973 Alumna Recognized as UC Davis’ Top Teacher
Congratulations to Ladue Schools alumna Judy Callis, Class of 1973, who recently received the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement! Judy is a professor and vice chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology in the College of Biological Sciences. The $45,000 prize is funded by gifts managed by the UC Davis Foundation.
Callis has been teaching biochemistry at UC Davis since joining the faculty in 1989. For Judy, teaching is about helping students make connections between what they learn in class and their own life experiences.
“I get excited about teaching because I like to excite people about the subject matter — I love it when principles and concepts click with students and all of a sudden they understand something they’ve struggled with,” she said.
Alumnus Brings Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza to St. Louis
Ladue Schools Alumnus Jim Mizes, Class of 1974, is bringing his pizza home. Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is a fast, casual chain with more than 240 locations around the country. The first restaurant in St. Louis will open its doors on Friday, March 9, in Kirkwood at 1050 S. Kirkwood.
To launch the restaurant’s first day, the store hopes to give away 1,500 free pizzas. Customers will be able to choose as many toppings and sauces as they want for $8.50.
“We’ve done it since the very first restaurant,” Mizes, Blaze Pizza president and CEO, told St. Louis Magazine. “We know that if we can get our pizza into the mouths of guests, that they will be back.”
Mizes plans to open at least three additional St. Louis locations in St. Peters, Richmond Heights and Chesterfield.
Alumna’s Nonprofit is Featured by KMOV
Joy Benedick Millner, 1980 LHWHS alumna, founded a nonprofit organization called Fit and Food Connection, which strives to bring fresh food and fitness to neighborhoods with limited access. The group is profiled in an article by KMOV, which you can see here. Joy was profiled in a recent Ladue Education Foundation article, which you can see here.
Alumnus Named President of St. Louis Media History Foundation
Congratulations to Bill Greenblatt, Ladue Schools Class of 1972, for being named the new president of the St. Louis Media History Foundation! This foundation preserves the history of radio, television and advertising in the St. Louis area, maintains a media hall of fame and awards an annual college scholarship. Click the link here to learn more!
Alumna Betsy Heller Cohen Profiled for Work with St. Louis Mosaic Project
Recently, 1972 Ladue Schools alumna Betsy Heller Cohen was featured in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for her work with the St. Louis Mosaic Project, a regional initiative with the goal of transforming St. Louis into the fastest growing major metropolitan area for immigration by 2020.
Betsy is the Executive Director of the organization, which is professionally managed by St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, World Trade Center St. Louis and a 27-member committee.
The article delves into Betsy’s penchant for international activities and relations.
“I’ve always been involved with different nonprofits and businesses,” she told the post-dispatch. “I think of myself as a connector.”
To read more about Betsy’s background, the St. Louis Mosaic Project’s mission or its initiatives, read the article here.
Two Ladue Schools Graduates Featured in Town & Style for Veiled Prophet Ball
Two Ladue Schools graduates are featured in the “Meet the Maids” portion of the Jan. 3, 2018 edition of Town & Style. Hannah and Hadley Parham were maids of the 2018 Veiled Prophet Ball. The young women involved in the social are active volunteers in their communities and have plans to continue their philanthropic efforts.
Hannah and Hadley, both the Class of 2016, attend the same university and are both pursuing a degree in elementary education. The two joke that they’re partners in crime, both through their academics and their volunteerism. The sisters have worked with the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Great Circle, and Beyond Housing and Food Outreach. For more information, see the feature here.
Alumnus Featured in Town & Style for Published Book
Ladue Schools alumnus Doug Kaufman was recently featured in the Town & Style magazine for his published book, “Cultural Icons of the 20th Century”. The book is filled with interviewed from musicians, comedians, actors and actresses, and celebrities from all walks of life. Kaufman, Class of 1974, a Ladue resident and a lifelong journalist, has written for the Belleville News-Democrat and now works as a freelance writer.
For more information, see the feature here!
Alumnus Jim McKelvey to Open New Maker Space Studio
Entrepreneur and Class of 1983 Ladue Schools alumnus Jim McKelvey has purchased a building at 5127 Delmar Boulevard for the purpose of opening a “maker space” studio, which will house high-tech 3D printers, injection molders, laser cutters and other equipment. The equipment was previously used by TechShop, which closed in November. McKelvey and co-owner Doug Auer are finalizing the name, and an opening date has not yet been set.
The building is across the street from one of McKelvey’s other enterprises, Third Degree Glass Factory, a gallery and studio that has glass-blowing studios and kilns for artists. Click the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article here for more information!
Alumnus Heads Conservation Partnership Between Wash U, Zoo, Botanical Garden
Washington University, the St. Louis Zoo and the Missouri Botanical Garden are launching a new partnership to bolster their collective conservation efforts, and our very own Jonathan Losos, Class of 1980, will lead the program.
The Living Earth Collaborative is undertaking the goal of slowing down and halting the extinction of plants and animals by sharing research among the three entities.
Jonathan received his tenure at Washington University before moving on to continue his research at Harvard.
As the Post-Dispatch reported, “Losos — who is also a popular author — has been touted as the kind of rare scientist who can translate complex biodiversity science to laymen and policy leaders.”
For more about this story, visit the Post-Dispatch article here.
Alumna & Playwright’s Third Play to Debut on Broadway in Chicago
Hollye Levin, Class of 1972, an accomplished playwright, will have her third play, “A Taste of Things to Come”, debuted on Broadway in Chicago beginning in March 2018. See here for details.
Background
It all began in the Ladue School District. Hollye attended Old Bonhomme Elementary and then West Ladue Junior High, where she was on the cheerleading squad and began to play guitar and write my own songs. Her first professional job as a guitar player was at a lounge in Euclid when she was 16.
“I got my first paid gig because the ‘regular’ guitar player had the flu, and he called me to take over a few nights,” she says. “I was nervous, thrilled, but then said, ‘I’m not ready!’ And he said, ‘If you are not ready now, you never will be!’ I got paid $60 that night, and it suddenly hit me that I might have a future as a songwriter and guitar player.”
