2010s
Teresita Lozano, BMEd ’10, was one of 21 people named Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellows for 2018 by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. She is a College of Music, Ethnomusicology PhD candidate at University of Colorado Boulder, completing her dissertation, titled Songs for the Ghosts, Saints for the Undocumented: Mexican Cristero Corridos and Transborder Immigration Discourse. The Newcombe Fellowship is the nation’s largest and most prestigious award for PhD candidates in the humanities and social sciences addressing questions of ethical and religious values. Each Fellow receives $25,000.
Jason Steadman, MSCP ’10, PsyD ’14, joined Chattanooga [TN] Peds as a pediatric psychologist. He completed his residency at The Village for Families and Children in Hartford, CT, followed by a fellowship in community health and integrated primary care at Community Health Center Inc. in Middletown, CT. Previously he taught at East Tennessee State University.
Dr. Jenica Wessels Harwood, BA ’10, graduated from the Family and Community Medicine residency program through the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita at Smokey Hill Family Medicine in Salina.
Patrick Cummings, MBA ’11, was named executive director of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation, a nonprofit organization established to create a forum to improve the prospects of the thoroughbred industry. Cummings spent three years with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, where he led the racing division’s public affairs team. He also spent four years as director of racing information for Trakus, near Boston, and seven years with investment giant Vanguard.
Cyclist Leigh Ann Ganzar, BS ’11, MPH ’13, won the US Pro Criterium Championship, beating three-time track world champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Kelly Catlin. Ganzar began cycling after a successful running career at Baylor that included three All-Big 12 Indoor honors. She also was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English to university students in Brazil.
George D. Montañez, MS ’11, of Ontario, CA, graduated with a PhD in machine learning from Carnegie Mellon University. He began teaching at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA, this fall.
Utah Jazz center Ekpe Udoh, BSEd ’11, started a hydroponic farming company in his hometown of Edmond, OK. His biggest goal is to provide healthy food to underprivileged children. Udoh continues to host Ekpe’s Book Club, a venture he started five years ago to expose people to good books.
Ashleigh Myers Acevedo, BA ’12, joined international law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as an associate in the firm’s Houston office. She works in Pillsbury’s Environmental & Natural Resources practice, where she focuses on helping companies resolve environmental liabilities. Acevedo previously worked at Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend PC. Contact at ashleigh.acevedo@pillsburylaw.com.
Paul Baumgardner, BA ’12, was awarded a doctoral fellowship for emerging scholars engaged in original and significant research in the field of law, social science and higher education by the American Bar Foundation. Baumgardner, who will be the ABF/AccessLex Doctoral Fellow in Legal and Higher Education, is a doctoral candidate seeking a joint PhD in the department of politics and the humanities council at Princeton University. He holds an MA from Princeton.
Lindsey Johnson, BA ’12, MSCD ’13, and Ryan Garrett, BA ’12, were married April 14 at Baylor’s Truett Seminary. The couple met in Baylor’s Golden Wave Band during their senior year. They reside in Garland, TX.
Michael Leavine, BBA ’12, was named the competition director for Leavine Family Racing and its No. 95 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series team. He is the grandson of team owner Bob Leavine, and he has served as director of operations at the organization for the past year. Michael will help maximize the team’s resources in its alliance partnership with Richard Childress Racing.
Mollie Moore, BA ’13, is the director of the Washington, DC, semester program for Baylor University. She previously was senior manager of academic programs at the American Enterprise Institute.
Laura Morgan, BSN ’13, and Philip Alan Dunson were married March 11. After five years working as Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, she is the clinic lead of Watermark Urgent Care: A Partnership with QuestCare Medical, in Plano, TX. Run by volunteers from Watermark Community Church, it is a non-profit urgent care clinic created to meet the physical and spiritual needs of Collin County and surrounding areas.
Rachel Urbanczyk, BBA ’13, entered her first year of the Family and Community Medicine residency program through the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita at Via Christi Family Medicine in Wichita.
Alexis Cubit, BA ’14, joined the Plainview [TX] Herald as sports editor after a three-year stint covering sports in Minnesota. While at Baylor, Cubit was a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Impact Bible study group. She also had internships at KXXV-TV and KWBU-FM in Waco, ESPN Central Texas and the Baylor Bear Foundation.
David McGee, BBA ’14, was featured in Baylor Business Review’s spring issue. His job with Eli Lilly as a diabetes pharmaceutical sales representative is near to his heart because he is helping people, including his family, who are trying to get their diabetes under control.
Kira Rockwell, BFA ’14, of Boston premiered With My Eyes Shut, a play inspired by her two younger brothers who identify on the Autism Spectrum, in June at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Rockwell’s plays have been developed and or produced with Fresh Ink Theater, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Goat Song Theatre Collective and Little Black Dress INK. She is an MFA candidate in playwriting at Boston University. See more at kirarockwell.com.
John Romero, BM ’14, left his position as principal trombonist for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for one of the most prestigious posts in the orchestra world: a seat for the 2018-19 season as principal trombonist for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He won the top spot in May and started in September. Romero, from Longview, TX, studied at Baylor and Rice.
Matt Bley, MBA ’15, was named chief accounting officer and corporate controller of Sugar Land, TX-based CVR Energy Inc. He also serves as chief accounting officer and corporate controller for the general partner of CVR Energy’s petroleum subsidiary, CVR Refining LP, and for the general partner of its nitrogen fertilizer subsidiary, CVR Partners LP. He has more than 14 years of experience, most recently serving as assistant controller for Andeavor (formerly Tesoro).
Mariah Dancy, BA ’15, spoke at a Future Teacher Signing Day for 21 seniors in Spring [TX] ISD. The seniors made a commitment to earn their education degree and return to teach. Dancy grew up in Spring ISD schools, chose the education career pathway at Carl Wunsche Sr. High School and returned to teach English at her alma mater.
Tara Hutchison, BS ’15, and Jordon Reese, BA ’14, were married May 26 in New Braunfels, TX. They met in 2011 when both were Army ROTC cadets at Baylor. Jordon is a field artillery captain, and Tara is a military intelligence lieutenant.
Alysia Johnson, BS ’15, a second-year student at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, won first prize in her research category at the national Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society student research forum. Her research focuses on formerly incarcerated women and whether future orientation toward healthy pregnancy can impact substance use after release. At Baylor, she conducted research on dengue fever.
Elizabeth Arnold, BA ’16, joined On the Mark Strategies as an account executive to help credit unions with marketing and branding. While at Baylor, Arnold founded The Bundle, a student-run online magazine.
Johnathan Jordan, JD ’16, joined Kane Russell Coleman Logan in Dallas as an associate to handle a wide range of commercial litigation cases. He also holds a BBA from Southern Methodist University.
Ally Stallings, BA ’16, MA ’17, and Brandon Hemphill, BBA ’16, were married Sept. 30, 2017, in Tulsa, OK, where they reside. Ally writes: “We had a wonderful time celebrating with our friends and family, and we can’t wait to spend many future weekends back in Waco for football and friend reunions! Waco will always be home! Sic ’em, Bears!”
Lyndy Wheeler Stokes, BSEd ’16, of Waco, is founder of Adopted Twice, a ministry focused on helping adoptees work through their adoptions. She is a first grade teacher and has also written a Bible study, Adopted Twice, about her own experiences as an adopted child. The study looks at the adoptions of four major Biblical characters: Moses, Esther, Ruth and Jesus. Connect with her at www.adoptedtwicebs.com.
Hannah Marie Weber, BA ’16, received a master’s degree in public health from Vanderbilt University. Her thesis research aimed to assess the level of data completeness in the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability’s statewide database to measure the effectiveness of federally funded meal programs over time on recipient nutritional risk.
Honest Men, a band of Baylor graduates Seth Findley, BBA ’17, Brooks Whitehurst, BA ’15, Zach Solomon, BA ’15, and Nathan Wallace, BA ’18, released its second EP via online music vendors such as Amazon.
Kaitlyn Pecue, BA ’17, and Collin Stipe, BSME ’17, were married June 1 in Aubrey, TX. Kaitlyn writes: “Our reception DJ and his wife are Baylor alumni, and we had all Baylor alumni on the dance floor for the Baylor fight song. We are football season ticket holders. I had the best all-around experience at Baylor and met my best friend there.” Kaitlyn was a member of Baylor’s acrobatics and tumbling team, Alpha Delta Pi sorority and the all-girl spirit squad. The Stipes reside in Euless, TX, where Kaitlyn teaches kindergarten and Collin is a mechanical engineer.
Meredith Aldis, BA ’18, joined the FOX34-TV team as the Look Around Lubbock [TX] reporter on Good Day Lubbock. She worked for the Baylor Lariat, was on the college broadcast team and interned at KATV-TV, an ABC affiliate in Little Rock, AR.
Katie MacKenzie, MA ’18, joined the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive in Valdez, AK, as a summer collections care intern. MacKenzie used her experience with digitalization, material culture and Past Perfect cataloguing to help with the museum’s long-term project of re-cataloguing its entire collection.