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Alumni Announcements | Spring 2026

Published Apr 29, 2026 by
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Check out these announcements and notes from our CFAC alumni from this quarter, approximately February to April 2026. If you are an alum with news and information to share with us, please complete our short form. We would love to get back in touch with you!

 

Fresh off her success as Azucena in Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” with the North Carolina opera (one of her signature roles), School of Music alumna Deborah Nansteel ’07 joined the SOM voice area on April 22 for a performance, masterclass, and talkback about the opera business.

A woman stands with two college students beside her in a music classroom. Chairs on riser steps are behind them.

Deborah Nansteel ’07 at the Fletcher Music Center with students Seth-Elijah Pennix ,left, and Selah Apollo.

 

CFAC invited our seven recipients of the 40 Under 40 Leadership Awards to a special brunch event on April 19, following the full ECU ceremony and celebration on April 18. Joining college deans, directions and staff at The Croatan on campus for food and friendship were Katie Dodge Gillis ’15 (Communication), Kate Oliphant ’16 (Music), Mallory Strange Paulson ’17 (Communication), Nina Rose ’10 (Communication), and their families and friends.

Check out a video of these outstanding alumni introducing themselves, a video where they share a favorite ECU memory, and a video where they offer advice to current students.

Rounding out our CFAC 40 Under 40 class this year are Miller Orians Diaz-Cobo ’15 (Communication), Kate Ker ’20 (Communication), and Larissa Harris Liles ’11 (Dance). Check out graphic profiles of all seven CFAC alumni on our LinkedIn page.

Seven people standing in a row, in front of a set of double doors. Six women standing in a row on a small stage, with a purple background behind them.

 

School of Communication alumna Addison Carrasquillo ’23 ’25 recently published her thesis findings in the Proceedings of the 9th Annual Global Issues Conference, as a special issue of The Global Partners in Education Journal. She published “Navigating Anxiety and Uncertainty: International Students’ Challenges and Strategies to Cultural Adjustment.” Her co-author and thesis committee chair is Dr. Sachiyo Shearman; Drs. Erika Johnson and Aysel Morin also served on Carrasquillo’s thesis committee. Carrasquillo is currently an admissions counselor at Barton College.

 

L. Wright Wallace (music performance minor), a current Harvard University graduate student, released the new book “A Wingman for Miss Universe,” the true story of a brief but profound meeting between Marine fighter pilot 1st Lt. Dennis Peek and Miss USA Sylvia Hitchcock in 1967, during the Vietnam War.

 

School of Theatre and Dance alumni Alepha Foster ’06 and Michelle Moran ’12 are making waves in Wilson with the launch of Artistry Unleashed Dance, a nonprofit studio dedicated to making high-quality dance training more accessible to the community. From Greenville to Wilson, their work is a powerful example of how arts education can open doors, build confidence, and bring people together. 

 

Metal design alumni Kenda Kistenmacher and Marty Markel made headlines when Kistenmacher opened a Raleigh jewelry storefront after 15 years creating in her home studio. She opened Kenda Kist Jewelry, featuring handmade designs in sterling silver and gold-filled forms. The couple met at ECU and Markel is a goldsmith.

 

Linda Kean (CFAC), Seo Eo (CFAC), and Kitt Lavoie (SOTD) spent spring break 2026 in New York City to strengthen alumni engagement, explore industry partnerships, and explore professional development opportunities for our students. While there, they had a casual meetup with alumni at The Throwback — owned by CFAC alumni! Big thanks to our alumni Joe Veale, Alex Bryant, Sarah Kleinke, Brittni Bryant, Christian Keiber, Heath Wagoner, and Omar Abbas for hanging out!

This was a step in helping plan our 2027 alternative spring break trip for students from all four schools in our college. This year’s Pirate Nation Gives helped us receive over $6,400 in gifts to helps students make the trip. We are grateful, and looking forward to this enriching experience.

Small groups of a adults stand in groups around a dimly lit bar-restaurant.

 

Following their passions, taking care of themselves, and not being scared to change jobs or career trajectories are just some of the tips School of Communication students picked up from Pirate alumni during the school’s annual career panel on Feb. 10. The SOC holds a career panel and fair each winter to help communication students learn, network, and submit their resumes for potential internship and job opportunities. About 20 ECU departments and outside companies joined the fair to engage with students. Sharing their experience and wisdom with students this year during the career panel were:

  • Zac Giffin ’23 (MA in Health Communication), senior marketing and sales manager for global research organization Rho
  • Nina Rose ’10 (BS Communication, double concentrations in public relations and journalism), president of Rose Sales Inc.; ECU 40 Under 40 Leadership Award 2026 recipient
  • James “J.L.” Summers III ’13 (BS Communication, mass communication/media students), social media coordinator for N.C. Department of Revenue

 

The college and the School of Theatre and Dance were excited to welcome back Michelle Pearson ’92, the founder and artistic director for the Black Box Dance Theatre in Raleigh. Pearson and her Black Box colleagues spent a day in master classes with our dance students, teaching movement methods accessible to all people.

They also screened the new documentary, “We Lift Each Other.” The emotional film follows Black Box during a week in 2023 when they introduced movement-based community and healing to a group of Asheville veterans, resulting in a performance at Asheville’s Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. The film is part of a documentary anthology by Tony Award-winning producer Mara Isaacs, exploring the impact of art in America through five stories.

Read more about Pearson’s visit and the documentary, and watch for it to air on PBS soon.