Alumni Received Awards on Reunion Weekend

At the Kingswood Oxford Reunion Weekend on Saturday, October 21, three alumni were given distinguished alumni awards, and five were inducted into the school’s Atheltic Hall of Fame.

 

Head of School Tom Dillow gave the Distinguished Alumni Awards to the following individuals. The individuals accepted the awards except Katherine Cheney Chappell ’63, whose grandson accepted on her behalf. 

 

 

The Oxford Award to Katherine Cheney Chappell ’63 

 

 

The Oxford Award is given to individuals who embody the Oxford School motto, Vincit Qui Se Vincit, by challenging the accepted limits for what young ladies were expected to achieve, ultimately clearing the path for the opportunities and successes that are embraced by girls at Kingswood Oxford.

 

Kate attended Oxford School from 7th to 12th grades and credits art teacher and lifelong mentor Rebecca Jones with inspiring in her a serious studio practice and a willingness to explore many media. After graduating from Oxford in 1963, Kate attended Chatham College, studying with Finnish painter and printmaker Vaino Kola. She continued her study of art and literature at the Sorbonne and L’Atelier Goetz under the Sarah Lawrence program, ultimately graduating from the University of Southern Maine in 1983. Kate is co-founder, with her husband, Tom, of Tom’s of Maine, makers of natural toothpaste and other personal care products, where she directed R&D and New Product Development. 

 

 

Kate returned full-time to the studio in 2000 after teaching two years at Harvard with Dr.Robert Coles. She is a painter, printmaker, and sculptor who exhibits in Maine and beyond, maintaining studios in Westbrook and Monhegan Island. 

Her recent mixed media work reflects her concern with human-generated pollution of the interconnected web of life, especially oceans and sea creatures. 

 

 

The Distinguished Alumni Award to Jeffrey D. Dunn ’73 

 

 

 

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to an individual who has earned distinction in their field (professional, military, or public service) and brought credit to the Kingswood Oxford community. 

 

 

Jeffrey D. Dunn spent his career leading brands and organizations through periods of significant change, financial growth, and societal impact. Most recently, he served as the Interim President & CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra while they searched for a permanent CEO from the orchestral industry. Prior to that, he served as Executive in Residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, mentoring students and faculty on issues of using media to improve educational access and outcomes. In May of 2023, he was elected to a six-year term on Harvard’s Board of Overseers. Before his retirement in 2021, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer and then Executive Chairman of Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit educational organization that produces Sesame Street, the most Emmy-awarded and influential show in television history.

 

Under Jeff’s leadership in the seven years of his tenure, Sesame Workshop ended eight years of operating losses, reached record audience levels, revenues, and earnings, and won 38 Emmy awards. Before joining Sesame Workshop, Jeff served as a 2014 Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellow at Harvard University, President and CEO of the London-based HiT Entertainment, Chief Operating Officer of the Nickelodeon Networks group, and the President of Nickelodeon Film and Enterprises, and took on major marketing roles at the Bank of Boston and Time Magazine.

 

The Patricia Rosoff Distinguished Alumni Award to Peter Winograd ’78 

 

 

 

The Patricia Rosoff Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes an individual who has significantly contributed to the creative arts field; one who is celebrated for creativity, accomplishments, and distinctions in various disciplines. Named in honor of beloved KO educator and artist Patricia Rosoff, whose talents and passion for the arts inspired the KO Community and beyond, the award is given to an alum who can answer Pat’s legendary final exam question: “What is Art?”

 

Peter Winograd (violin) joined the American String Quartet in 1990. He gave his first solo public performance at the age of 11, and at age 17 he was accepted as a scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School. Recognized early as an exceptionally promising young artist, Winograd was a top-prize winner in the 1988 Naumburg International Violin Competition. He then made his New York debut to critical acclaim and has since appeared as a guest soloist with numerous orchestras and in recitals across the country and abroad, including annual collaborative performances with cellist Andrés Díaz at the Florida Arts Chamber Music Festival. 

 

In 2002, Winograd performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Hartford Symphony; his father, Arthur Winograd, was the featured guest conductor. Winograd has been a member of the violin and chamber music faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and the Aspen Music School (where the American is Quartet-in-Residence) since 1990. Born into a gifted musical family, Winograd began his studies with his parents. His mother was a professional pianist, and his father was the founding cellist of the Juilliard Quartet and a conductor of the Hartford Symphony in Hartford, Connecticut, where Winograd grew up. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Juilliard. His wife, violinist Caterina Szepes, is a regular participant in the Marlboro Festival and a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

 

Five individuals were inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame. The purpose of the Kingswood Oxford Athletic Hall of Fame is to honor those who have brought distinction to themselves and Kingswood Oxford through their achievement, commitment, sportsmanship, and leadership in athletics. 

 

Hall of Fame inductees may include alumni, coaches, faculty, administrators, or friends of the Kingswood Oxford community. Selection is based primarily on athletic accomplishments at Kingswood Oxford; however, athletic achievements following graduation will be considered. The Hall of Fame Committee may consider the following criteria in making selections: awards received, number of sports played, number of Varsity letters earned, captainships, individual accomplishments (e.g., school records, all-league status), and team accomplishments (e.g., league championships, undefeated seasons) 

 

 

Mark Fisher was introduced by longtime friend Mark Kerin ’72

 

Mark Fisher played two years of varsity football at Kingswood, three years of varsity basketball, and four years of varsity baseball.  During his senior year, he was a co-captain of the basketball team and a tri-captain of the baseball team. Mark was the starting safety and placekicker on the undefeated 1971 football team and was co-captain and the starting point guard on the basketball team runner-up for the Class B NEPSAC championship. In that year, he was selected to the KIT All-Tournament Team. During his senior year, Mark helped lead the 1973 baseball team to a 12-3 record. Mark was selected to the all-state and all-regional tournament teams as a second baseman. Upon graduating KO, Mark attended Tufts University, earning a BA in history. He continued his passion for sports, playing varsity baseball and football. Mark was a tri-captain of the baseball team and selected 3rd Team All New England Division III second baseman during his senior year at Tufts.

 

During his junior and senior years, Mark started at tight end and placekicker on the football team and set the Tuft’s record for most field goals in a season. In 1980, Mark completed his education by earning a J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law (formerly the University of Bridgeport School of Law). 

 

 

Richard “Shade” Gomez’s award was presented by his former track coach Alex Kraus. Shade Gomez passed away in 2018, and Shade’s mother accepted his award posthumously.

 

Shade hailed from Hartford, CT and came to Kingswood Oxford as a scholarship student. His academic and athletic achievements flourished during his time at KO. While not participating in sports, he was an avid writer. He participated in various sports while at KO but excelled at cross country and track running between 1985 and 1988. He played Ultimate Frisbe and had stints on the football, soccer, tennis, and basketball teams. His passion was truly in running, however, where he served as captain of the cross-country team in 1987 and captain of the track team in 1988. Between 1986 and 1987, he broke nine course records in cross country, including KO’s own, and the 3000m record in 1987.

 

After Kingswood Oxford, he attended Wesleyan University, earning his bachelor’s degree in English. After graduation, he moved to Ithaca, NY, and eventually got his MA in Teaching English from the State University of New York at Cortland. From there, he taught English at Ithaca High School for six years, dedicating his free time to the arts, writing poetry, doing tarot, and creating collages. He began a Ph.D. at Cornell University in 2007 and served as a graduate teaching assistant. He eventually decided to leave the program and return to teaching as an Adjunct Professor of English at SUNY Cortland in 2010. 

 

Brenna Chiaputti ’98 was introduced by Ron Monroe.

 

 

Brenna Chiaputti ’98 has been a long-time member of the KO community as both a student and a faculty member. During her time as a student at KO, Brenna played three varsity sports, captaining the varsity soccer, basketball, and softball teams her senior year and serving as the team’s most valuable player in basketball. In her senior year, Brenna won the Robert A. Lazear Award given to a female student-athlete at KO for outstanding athletic achievement.

 

After graduating from KO in 1998, Brenna went on to play soccer and basketball at Hamilton College. At Hamilton, Brenna majored in Sociology and minored in Comparative Literature.

 

She returned to KO to teach English in 2005 and coached the varsity girls’ basketball team alongside her high school basketball coach, Ron Monroe. During this period, Brenna received her Masters of English from Trinity College. Brenna left KO in 2009 to pursue a Masters of Social Work from the University of Connecticut. She then worked in private practice as an adolescent therapist and school social worker for five years. Brenna returned to KO in 2020 as the Middle School Counselor, a position she still holds today. 

 

Dayna S. Lord ’13 was introduced by Ron Garcia.

 

A native of Bloomfield, CT, Dayna Lord joined  KO in Form 2, playing tennis immediately with her sister Melissa, who was in Upper Prep. A year later, their brother Matthew would join Upper Prep. Dayna served as captain her sophomore through senior years and earned a regular season record of 64-1 in the #1 singles position at KO. She helped lead the team to three deVillaFranca championships, two Founders League Championships, and a NE Class A Championship. Dayna also played on the Varsity Girls Volleyball team, was voted MVP, and was an All-Star selection. For her athletic contributions, she received the Robert A. Lazear Award, which is given to the school’s outstanding female student-athlete.

 

 

A leader off the volleyball and tennis courts, she was also voted by her peers to serve as Head Senior Prefect, helping Form 3 students get acclimated to the Upper School, and a member of KO’s Citizenship Committee, a peer-disciplinary body. She also volunteered in the summers with RALLY (Racquet and Literacy League for Youth), a group founded by KO alums to bring free tennis lessons and literacy enrichment to children in Hartford. For her citizenship and character, she earned the Gold Seal and Katherine Long Day Awards. 

 

After KO, Dayna attended Brown University, where she majored in International Relations and played on the Varsity Women’s Tennis team. In her freshman year, she was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year and ITA Northeast Rookie of the Year and also received the Kate Silver ’86 Award as Brown’s outstanding first-year female student-athlete. 

 

 

By the time Dayna graduated in 2017, she was nationally ranked as high as #91 in singles and #45 in doubles, was an NCAA Woman of Year semifinalist, and was the Majorie Brown Smith Award winner – an award presented to the outstanding female varsity athlete of the year at Brown. She holds the record for the most combined singles and doubles wins in Brown women’s tennis history at 182. Dayna is just a handful of student-athletes in the history of Brown athletics to be a four-time First-Team All-Ivy Selection. Her feat came while playing in the No. 1 singles and doubles positions all four years. In doubles, she was a two-time Second-Team All-Ivy Selection. 

 

Mark Toubman ’13 was introduced by Andy Krugman.

 

Mark Andrew Toubman ’13 played soccer, squash, and tennis at KO. He earned 17 varsity letters throughout his seven-year tenure at the school. For many years before he enrolled, he eagerly watched his two older sisters, Shayna and Diana, with his parents, Gary and Sue, from the sidelines as they represented KO on their own respective sports teams. In his senior year, he was named MVP of each sport, earning the M.W. Jacobus Award for soccer and the Boys’ Tennis award. His early leadership by example on the tennis team earned him the role of captain as a sophomore; by his senior year, he led the team to their first win of the K.I.T.T. for the first time in over a decade, as well as a berth to the New England Tennis Tournament. As a squash captain, he regularly placed highly in the New England Championships, winning the #1 bracket his Junior year. On the soccer field, he co-captained the team, was named all-state and WNEPSSA all-star, and received the Valerio Moretti Scholar Athlete Award. After KO, Mark attended The University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in Philosophy and Cognitive Science.

 

He played Varsity Squash there until an unexpected back injury in his freshman season cut his collegiate career short. He stayed active in rehabilitation by joining the UPenn Club Tennis team; however, his injury proved a blessing in disguise, allowing him to explore other interests, including political debate clubs, philanthropic extracurriculars, and a love for Philadelphia.