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Derek Pollard, '15 PhD English, recently saw his latest collection of poems, On the Verge of Something Bright and Good, published by Barrow Street Press. It is his third book and second collection of poems. In 2020, the University of Michigan Press published the critical anthology he edited on the writing of 51�ԹϺ��� English department faculty member Donald Revell, Till One Day the Sun Shall Shine More Brightly: The Poetry and Prose of Donald Revell, in the Under Discussion Series. He recently was appointed series editor for the Poets on Poetry Series, also published by the University of Michigan Press. The series was founded in 1977 and has been in continuous publication ever since. He lives in West Palm Beach, Florida.  

Diane (Hornsby) Ferraro, ’90 BA English, is the first female CEO of the nonprofit organization Save the Storks in Colorado Springs, Colo., after being a key member of its executive and leadership teams since 2018. Save the Storks partners with pregnancy health clinics across the United States to empower women with choice during pregnancy through mobile medical units known as "The Stork Bus" that are on the road in 30 states. Before joining the nonprofit, Ferraro served in various roles at large corporations, including overseeing marketing and communication efforts at a national retail chain based in Southern California. She had previously founded "The Soulful Experience" marketing and PR consulting agency that served businesses and nonprofits.  

  Ryan Muir, ’14 BA History, is an attorney licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Last spring, he represented a client in a Title 2 SSDI matter before Social Security Administrative Law Judge. His client suffered from chronic migraines for decades that eventually caused her to leave her career, and finding her only migraine relief through steroid treatment. Unfortunately, prolonged steroid treatment led to the development of avascular necrosis in the hip, requiring a hip replacement. She had been denied disability benefits but after a hearing, she was approved and received back pay of over $90,000. He lives in Woodbury, Minn., with his wife, four children, and two dogs. He enjoys playing hockey, fishing, and following Minnesota sports in his free time.  

Under the banner of Hot Tub Mimosas, Anthony Guidubaldi, ’10 BA English, ’15 MA Writing for Dramatic Media, and Keith Strausbaugh, ’13 MFA Screenwriting,  recently wrote, produced, directed, edited, and sold Marathon, a Christopher Guest-style mockumentary about runners, to Gravitas Ventures. The film features Kimia Behpoornia (from NBC sitcom Abby’s) and Las Vegas comedic stars from Cirque du Soleil, Absinthe, Second City, and Blue Man Group. Marathon was released in July 2021 on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.  

Regina Mitchell, '18 BA Psychology, conducts a Zoom cooking class, teaching others with vision loss what she learned in her own kitchen in what she describes as “descriptive cooking." She was on the fast track in the culinary world as a classically trained chef who had worked with notable chefs, including Emeril Lagasse and Julia Child. Later she provided team-building culinary experiences for Fortune 500 companies as a corporate executive chef and eventually landed a top position in Las Vegas with MGM Properties, providing personalized-services to elite hotel guests. Her life took a detour when she was diagnosed with bilateral panuveitis, a condition which affects the lens, retina, and optic nerve. She paused to contend with the challenges of vision loss and to earn her 51�ԹϺ��� degree, which had an emphasis on neuroscience. More recently, she returned to cooking. She serves as an advisor to Hadley, a Illinois-based nonprofit that serves those with vision loss by providing practical help at no cost. She participates in Hadley’s "What’s Cooking?" discussion group series and is helping with the creation of a new Braille series.   

Monica Marie Miller,  '96 BSBA Management and '96 BA Psychology, is a property appraiser for the Clark County assessor's office.

Ahiddibah Tsinnie, '00 BA English, is the author of the recently published book Yes, I Took My Meds, a raw, intimate dive into finding peace amongst the chaos. Dive into Tsinnie's world of family, culture, and motherhood while navigating her way through the ins and outs of bipolar disorder. Her story is one of courage and learning from mistakes. She lives in North Las Vegas.    

Rehan Anwar Hasan, '95 BA History, is a business and tax attorney at Hasan, LLC, in Denver. He has been listed as “highly commended” by Chambers USA for the 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Lawyer of the Year award.

Matthew O'Brien, '15 MA English - Creative Writing, and former adjunct professor at 51�ԹϺ��� (2012-16), has a book due out in October with Las Vegas-based Central Recovery Press. Dark Days, Bright Nights: Surviving the Las Vegas Storm Drains is an oral account from people who lived in the city’s underground flood channels and got out and turned around their lives. These redemption stories cast light on a rarely seen side of Las Vegas and offer a portrait of homelessness and recovery in America. (The book was edited by his classmate, Dan Hernandez, '15 MA English.) He also is the author of two other books, Beneath the Neon (Huntington Press 2007) and My Week at the Blue Angel (Huntington Press 2010). Additionally, he is the founder of Shine a Light, a program that provides housing, counseling, and other services to the people in the drains. Part of the proceeds from Dark Days, Bright Nights will benefit Shine a Light. From 2017 until this July he was a teacher and tutor with Escuela Americana. His hobbies include reading, working out, hiking, traveling, and urban exploring. He lives in San Salvador, El Salvador.  

Larry Lyon, '71 BA Psychology, has worked in various mental health positions for many years since earning his master's degree in experimental psychology and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Washington State University. For the past six years he has worked at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System. His previous jobs included 19 years in private practice in The Dalles, Oregon. He recently saw a long-held dream realized with the publication of a book, 1930: Manhattan to Managua, North America's First Transnational Automobile Trip, originally written by his uncle, Arthur Lyon, who with his younger brother; Joe Lyon, Jr., drove their 1930 Ford Model A Roadster from New York to Managua all under their own power. Larry Lyon wrote the introduction, while award-winning Nevada author Sally Denton wrote the conclusion. Denton compared it with travel writings by Charles Lindbergh, Jack Kerouac, and John Steinbeck. His main hobby is music. He lives in Boulder City.