51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ

Robert Smale, '95 BA History and BA Spanish, attended the University of Texas for his Ph.D. and now is associate professor and chair of the history department at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He will be returning to 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ on April 13 to give a lecture in Latin American Studies at the University Forum lecture series. While at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, Smale was on the swim team all four years while achieving a 3.987 GPA. 

Juan Martinez, '11 Ph.D. English, is an associate professor at Northwestern University. Martinez has a new book out titled, Extended Stay. Haunting and visceral, Extended Stay uses the language of body horror and the gothic to comment on the complicated relationship between the Latinx undocumented experience and capitalism, the erasure of those living and working on the margins, the heavy toll exacted by memory, and the queasy permeability of boundaries that separate the waking world from the world of dreams. The book has been featured on several book lists, including Book Riot.

Amelia Davis, '22 BS Graphic Design & Media and '22 BA English, was hired shortly after graduating as a graphic designer and creative coordinator for the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Foundation/Division of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement. Davis is 26 years old and has lived in Las Vegas since 2006. She attended CSN before moving on to 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ. Davis started as a 3-D animation major in high school before transitioning to graphic design and English. In her spare time, she likes to read, take care of her two pet reptiles, Chirby (blue tongue skink), and Scylla (leopard gecko. Davis also likes to play video games and does freelance graphic design. She sometimes likes to try new restaurants and enjoys archery.

McKenna King, '18 BA History, is an associate buyer and merchandising coordinator at the University of Colorado-Boulder bookstore. King enjoys reading the classics, paddle boarding, fishing, and finding new restaurants around the city.

Alyssa LoBello, '16 BA Psychology and minor in human services, is a school counselor.

Chelsea Milko, '09 BA Political Science and BS Kinesiological Sciences, recently celebrated one year as senior communications advisor in the U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, she joined the online publication Maryland Road Trips as a contributing travel writer. She spends her spare time restoring her Victorian-era row house in Baltimore, Maryland.

Reagan Pfifer, '09 BA Anthropology and Theatre minor, is currently starring in the upcoming 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ film project, Riot In Bloom, directed by Brett Levner, and slated to shoot in fall 2022. She is very excited to be part of such an amazing film.

Wendy Wimmer Schuchart, '20 PhD English, has been awarded the 2022 fiction prize by Autumn House Press for her short story collection Entry Level: Stories. The prize was awarded by novelist Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. Wimmer’s debut short story collection contains a range of characters who are trying to find, assert, or salvage their identities. These 15 stories center around the experience of being underemployed — whether by circumstance, class, gender, race, or other prevailing factors — and the toll this takes on an individual. Wimmer pushes the boundaries of reality, creating stories that are funny, fantastic, and at times terrifying. Her characters undergo feats of endurance, heartbreak, and loneliness, all while trying to succeed in a world that so often undervalues them. From a young marine biologist suffering from imposter syndrome and a haunting to a bingo caller facing another brutal snowstorm and a creature that may or not be an angel, Wimmer’s characters are all confronting an oppressive universe that seemingly operates against them or is, at best, indifferent to them. These stories reflect on the difficulties of modern-day survival and remind us that piecing together a life demands both hope and resilience. At 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, she was a 2017-20 Black Mountain Institute PhD fellow. She also is the co-founder of UntitledTown Book and Author Festival as well as the president of The Art Garage, a nonprofit arts, performance, and literary organization. She lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Cheryl L. Lyons, '93 BA Sociology, earned her Doctor of Education in higher education and student affairs from Ohio State University (OSU) on May 8, 2022. Lyons discovered her passion for working with college students serving as a resident assistant at 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ during her undergraduate career. She currently serves as the director of disability services at OSU. 

Iris Hattersley, '12 BA English and '17 MA English, was one of the first 13 female deputy U.S. marshals hired by the U.S. Marshals Service. She has written a book about her experiences called Lucky Thirteen. Now she is writing a mystery. She retired in 1993, but continued to work as a contract special investigator conducting background investigations for the U.S. office of personnel. Writing, reading, and walking are among her hobbies. She belongs to a memoirs group, the Sun City Anthem Authors, and the Valley Women's Club. She lives in Henderson.