Spring 2017
Spring 2017
Features
Bonnie Blackburn-Penhollow ’84
From classrooms to research labs, seven Taft alumni teach the next generation of college students.
Julie Reiff
Spanish and Geography Teacher Baba Frew has spent 30 years showing Taft students how to walk the walk.
Alumni Spotlight
Peter Van Der Mije ’98
After working for notable chefs in New York City, Peter Van Der Mije ’98 opened Osteria Leana, a chic, casual Italian restaurant in Oyster Bay on Long Island in 2016. He’s successfully established a place that is small, local, and accessible for diners craving a city experience along the North Shore coastline, with easy access to excellent fresh produce and seafood.
Dr. Joyce Poole '74
For more than 40 years, Dr. Joyce Poole ’74, the 2017 Horace Dutton Taft Alumni Medal honoree, has been a passionate voice—a protector and defender—of elephants, dedicating her life to their conservation and welfare.
Emerson Wickwire '91
Sleep expert Emerson Wickwire '91 studies the effects of what is known as “blue light” emitted from electronic devices on the body’s natural circadian rhythms, and discusses the importance of getting enough sleep.
Nick Halmos '97
Nick Halmos '97 has created a way to efficiently grow food in urban environments by combining hydroponic systems with automation and live data. He established Cityblooms, a micro-farm technology company that can safely and sustainably grow fresh food in a range of climates and everywhere from rooftops to parking lots.