John Bucher ’73, Ph.D., senior scientist in the NIEHS Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), retired in April after nearly four decades at the institute. His scientific achievements, innovative thinking, and mentorship will leave a lasting influence, according to colleagues.

Al Crumbliss ’64, Duke University Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in Chemistry, recently received the 2021 Brodhead Award from Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his exemplary service to the school. During his 50+ years with the university, he has received the University Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award, the David and Janet Vaughan Brooks Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award, and was named the Bishop-MacDermott Family Professor of Chemistry.

Karen Dittmer Bowyer ’63 will retire from her position as the president of Dyersburg State Community College (Tennessee) at the end of 2021. Congratulations and best wishes!

Gary Pollack ’79 has been named dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Buffalo. Dr. Pollack serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Experimental Pharmacology and was formerly associate editor of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Josh Abrams ’03 has been named the chief product officer for Updater, a technology platform designed to simplify the relocation process for U.S. families. He previously served in executive roles at DoorDash and We Work.

Amanda Smith Sodomka ’05 was recently named chief juvenile officer and assistant court administrator for the City of St. Louis. She earned a law degree from University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2008.

Cindy Wilson ’82 received the Dawn Clark Netsch Award from Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law for her career achievements and dedication to public service. Wilson spent a year as a law clerk to Justice Seymour Simon on the Illinois Supreme Court before deciding to focus on public interest work, serving 10 years representing victims of employee discrimination with the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She is now a clinical professor of law at Northwestern Law and directs the Public Interest Center and the Bluhm Clinic Center for Externships.

Sierra Henry ’18 won second place as Rookie of the Year at the Illinois Press Association's Best of the Press Awards for her work as a reporter at Bloomington’s Pantagraph.

Sandra Klein Frum ’70 has retired as president of Northbrook Village, Illinois, after more than 30 years of service. Says Frum, “I knew my last year as president would be memorable. But I never imagined it would look like 2020.”

Dara Kozlowski ’90 recently received the Chicago Society for Neuroscience Career Achievement Award for her work in neuroscience teaching, research, and outreach. “This couldn’t have been possible without the introduction to the field of neuroscience that I was given by Dr. Heather Hoffmann during my undergraduate years. “

Phillip Mottaz ’98 will soon publish the first novel in his intriguingly titled Psychic Barber Mystery Series. The Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air is available for pre-order now.