¹ú²úÂ×Àí

Barbara Eckholdt Johnstone, '66, Grove City, OH, was honored to receive fourth place (Honorable Mention) in the Children’s Mystery division of the 2026 Readers’ Favorite® International Book Award Contest for her novel, "Cemetery Ridge." The organization receives thousands of entries from all over the world and separates each into categories, so every book competes only with others in the same genre. Submissions include those from publishing giants and New York best-selling authors, as well as independently published books or those by small publishing houses.

Sarah Karns, MLIS '15, Madison, IN, married David Fischmer, of Madison, IN, on May 17, 2025.

Michael A. Duniec, ’15, Brunswick, OH, is a U.S. veteran and leads Actimor Technology Group, a veteran-owned technology company helping organizations build, modernize, integrate and automate practical systems. His second book, "The Golden Bitcoin: Hard Money, Power Markets, and the AI Age of Digital Money," launches Nov. 14 in eBook, paperback and hardcover editions, with future plans for an audiobook. The story-driven book explores Bitcoin, payment systems, energy markets and artificial intelligence.

Andrea Wright Jones, '91 Fort Wayne, TX, is the assistant director of Fiscal/HR and Administrative Services in the Public Events Department for the City of Fort Worth. She's been with the city for 14 years, having held her current position since 2018. In her role, she leads the department's financial operations in six funds, totaling more than $150 million in operating and more than $500 million in capital funds. First elected in 2018, she was recently re-elected to serve on the Fort Worth Employees Retirement Fund (FWERF) board of trustees for the fifth consecutive term.

Andrea Wright Jones, '91, Fort Wayne, TX, and Michael "Mike" Jones, were married in a small private ceremony on Aug. 26. The ceremony was held in the chapel of their church, Rising Star Baptist Church, which is led by Pastor Ralph S. Emerson. Before God and 40 close family and friends, the loving couple said, "I do!" This is the second marriage for them both, and they plan on it being their last. The dashing couple met nine months ago and have been inseparable ever since. They share a love of sports, traveling and laughter.

In September, Dave Herpy, '01, Clayton, NC, began a new role as a district director with the NC Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. In this role, Herpy provides leadership and support for regional centers and talented professionals who serve small and midsize businesses across the state. He credits his experience directing the ¹ú²úÂ×Àí Adventure Center from 2007-13, including launching the Crooked River Adventures canoe/kayak livery in 2010, as an important part of his professional journey.

¹ú²úÂ×Àí electronic media production graduate Brandon Lazenko, '16, Coraopolis, PA, has launched a Seed&Spark campaign for ""Body in the Basement,"" a short horror film presented by Robert Kurtzman.

Written and directed by Lazenko, the film brings together numerous ¹ú²úÂ×Àí alumni among its cast and crew. It follows two men attempting to dispose of a body in the basement of an abandoned house, where the job becomes more than they expected.