Class Notes

January / February 2022

Columns compiled by your class correspondents

1940s

1940s

1946

The editors of Cornellians should be blowing horns and sending up fireworks. Congratulations to you all. Now, so many more Cornellians will be in touch—except some nonagenarians with whom I have recently spoken. Those of us in our 90s do not always have access to computers, iPhones, etc., or perhaps are just not interested.

Here is the list of those in our class who registered for our virtual 75th Reunion in 2021: James Beckett Jr., Barbara Schaefer Colbert, Jean Carnell Conner, Clara Heffernan Ferguson, Jerrold Finch, BME ’48, Joyce Lee Fletcher, Philip Gisser, Paul Levine, BS ’49, Steven Marder, Sylvia Mayer Helbert Paul, and me, Dottie Taylor Prey. Many alumni also invited family members to register and attend events. Our class sponsored a meet-and-greet memorial tribute to Lloyd Slaughter, our past president, on Thursday, June 10, as well as a virtual wine tasting with the Johnson Estate Winery, New York’s oldest estate winery, on Friday, June 11. It was a memorable weekend with many interesting and worthy events.

Priscilla Alden Clement (gmcpac431@gmail.com) sent a message via email that she has survived COVID and is “retiring from retirement” as a librarian. She is enjoying life with cocktails and neighbors three nights a week. Great satisfaction comes from prayer, church, reading, and her third-floor social hours. For Dorothy Van Vleet Hicks, BS ’45, not much has changed. She is lucky so far to be free from canes and walkers—just slowing down a lot. Dottie still enjoys bridge, reading, and light exercise classes. Staying active and able takes lots of naps! Her biggest takeaway from the pandemic is learning to be patient and wearing a mask.

Send me your current info, using whatever carrier is best for you—slow mail (it really is!), email, or telephone. ❖ Dorothy Taylor Prey, 1 Baldwin Ave., #501, San Mateo, CA, 94401; tel., (650) 342-1196; email, dmprey@aol.com. Class website. Online news form.

1947

Joan Dall Patton, BArch ’47, writes, “I have been living in Chico, CA, since my husband, Ed, BArch ’49, died. I live in Sycamore Glen, an ‘active senior community.’” The recent pandemic has put a hold on many things, including the weekly watercolor class that Joan had been attending before the pandemic began, “but I am still able to play golf about once a week. Needless to say, I am the grandma of the club. My son and wife live in Chico and my granddaughter just started college. My daughter lives in Ashland, OR, and is able to visit frequently.”

Murray Rosenblatt writes, “I’ve been tutoring math and physics at Rowen College at Burlington County for about 20 years—and online for the last year.” Murray gets great satisfaction from his 10-year-old yorkie (Holly), cooking, tutoring, friends, and family—which includes his two great-granddaughters, Adeline and Ava. ❖ Class of 1947, c/o Alexandra Bond ’12, abb83@cornell.edu. Online news form.

1948

Having had a full column last time, I now have news to share from only one classmate: Leon Hammer, MD ’52. He reports being confined to a wheelchair the last several months (not unusual at our age, says your correspondent). But that does not stop him from continuing his writing and publishing, which provides him much satisfaction. He is also a devotee of history and reads extensively. He makes a very perceptive comment about the pandemic: “Freedom without responsibility is not freedom.” And on that, I close. ❖ Ray Tuttle, 65 Oyster Reef Dr., Hilton Head Island, SC 29926; email, RayTutt@aol.com. Online news form.

1949

Happy New Year! We would love to hear from you. Please submit an online news form or send your news to: ❖ Dorothy Mulhoffer Solow, 50 Grant St., Wellsboro, PA 16901; tel., (570) 948-9107 or (412) 215-1435; email, winspeck@yahoo.com; or Class of 1949, c/o Alexandra Bond ’12, abb83@cornell.edu.

Back to the top

1950s

1950

The new University-sponsored alumni publication has been launched. Our former Cornell Alumni Magazine was owned by the alumni association. It was reaching only about 10% of alumni, while the new publication will be available to all. It is called Cornellians. Our class column and others can be found under the Alumni Community tab in the navigation bar. The online news form makes it easier to submit news for our class column. Also, there is a section titled Updates from Alumni, also under Alumni Community, where readers can make comments not usually submitted to our class column. With all our classmates now able to read our column, we hope communication among us will be much improved.

I received a short note from Dick Silver, MD ’53 (New York City): “I am now professor emeritus. I don’t see patients anymore, but I am still active and involved with our hematology-oncology group at Weill Cornell Medicine (leukemia/myeloproliferative diseases). I’ve just written a couple of papers and hopefully will be attending some congresses in the fall. Old age is coming at a bad time!” I also heard from Bill Atkinson (Cambridge, MA), who is in his fifth year in assisted living at Youville House. Bill reports that he remains mentally active with a family Zoom every Sunday—and on email (atkinsopht@gmail.com) and Twitter (@Atkinsopht), where he “spends far too much time flogging the sorry state of the US press and the mainstream media, the climate deniers, and the ‘covidiots.’” He invites classmates to visit his webpage, where you can find memoirs, family history, and information on the climate crisis. “There’s also at least one Cornell reminiscence there, plus my latest post: My life in cars!”

It’s a pleasure to continue reporting bios of our accomplished class officers. Previous columns have featured vice president Nels Schaenen, MBA ’51, and past-president Dick Pogue. It’s now a pleasure report on class president Jim Brandt (Chicago). At our 65th Reunion in 2015, Jim and his wife, Nancy (Hubbard), were elected class co-presidents. Then, given the interference of COVID-19 on our 70th Reunion, Jim and our other officers graciously agreed to continue in office until our next Reunion in 2025. However, Jim and Ben Williams are working on a 2022 Reunion to replace the lost 2020 one.

Jim grew up in Birmingham, MI, a suburb of Detroit, where his father was an engineer with his own firm that had consulting work in many places—in 1929, he designed and oversaw construction of the world’s largest truck plant, outside Moscow, Russia. During WWII, while working for Consolidated Vultee, Jim’s father was responsible for increasing the production of B-24 four-engine bombers, the most produced aircraft ever. Observing his father’s work inspired Jim to become a manufacturing engineer.

After preparatory school at Cranbrook, Jim joined the Navy and remained in the Naval Reserve for 19 years, attaining the rank of lieutenant. With the rest of us, he entered Cornell in fall 1946—as you will recall, a rather tumultuous time. On campus he played JV baseball, was a varsity cheerleader for football and basketball, and was wearer of the “C.” Jim was president of Chi Psi fraternity and was active in the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Sphinx Head, Red Key, Atmos, Campus Chest, Freshman Camp, and CURW. He had the good fortune to meet his future wife, Nancy. They were married in 1951, in what Jim calls “the best decision I ever made.” Nancy died in December 2019 after 68 years of marriage.

After graduation Jim went to work for Reliance Electric in Cleveland, where he also worked recruiting secondary school students for Cornell and interviewed candidates for McMullen Scholarships in Mechanical Engineering. Subsequent work took him to Dayton, OH, for Master Vibrator, then to Chicago as VP for Nachman Corp. Then he became president of Saville Organ Co., which built custom-designed instruments, including a large electronic organ for Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, where it was dedicated by well-known organist Virgil Fox. After Saville he joined Zurn Industries as VP and general manager working with president Frank Zurn, a Cornell classmate, on projects worldwide. Following retirement in 1992, he was asked in 1999 to start what became the very successful Ringspann USA, remaining on the board for another 13 years.

His interest in music has stayed with him his whole life. In 1973, the trumpet he had played in high school, and in the Bugle Corps at the Great Lakes Naval Base, was brought out of the attic to be played in the Lake Forest Symphony. He continues to play, and currently is the oldest horn player in the Windy City Winds, a 65-piece wind band that started six years ago. Moreover, Jim has sung in church choirs for over 60 years.

In retirement, Jim has stayed active in community activities and world travel. He was president of his church congregation, and for 25 years he was active with the Executive Service Corps of Chicago, helping not-for-profit organizations improve their operations. He and Nancy developed an intense interest in ancient history, specifically cultures of the Mideast. They traveled four times to Greece, three times to Turkey, and two to Egypt, plus visits to Syria and Israel, as well as studying at the U. of Chicago’s Oriental Inst. Other travels took them yearly to Germany for business/pleasure trips—in all, a total of 40 different countries.

Jim and Nancy had four children, three living: Barbara (Boston U.) is a preschool music teacher; Doug (Washington U.) is an editor for the Journal of the American Medical Association; and Doug’s twin, Carolyn (Rice U., Baylor MD), is a pediatrician and mother of Jim’s two grandchildren. ❖ Paul Joslin, 13731 Hickman Rd. #4207, Urbandale, IA 50323; email, phjoslin@aol.com. Online news form.

1951

Your correspondent, Brad Bond, turned 92 in October. He has his first great-grandchild, Miriam, born in September in New Mexico. Brad recently traveled to Upstate New York, accompanied by his son, his daughter-in-law, and two of his three daughters, to his brother’s second wife’s funeral. He still lives in his house in Marietta, OH, with one of his twin daughters.

Howard Hyde recently moved into assisted living. He gets great satisfaction these days from reading, and he turned 102 in January 2021! David Werdegar, MA ’53, is a retired physician and professor emeritus of family and community medicine at UC San Francisco School of Medicine, a department he was the founding chairman of. “We live in a beautiful ‘suburb’ of San Francisco, 15 miles north of the city, across the Golden Gate Bridge. My wife, Kathy, retired after 23 years as a justice of the California Supreme Court. We have two sons, each married, and five grandchildren.” His biggest takeaway from the pandemic is that “science is amazing—to have a vaccine in one year.”

Winifred Bergin Hart is “still getting used to the outside world after a COVID year of isolation. I live in a continuing care retirement community, Kendal at Lexington, VA, so we are super careful. Bit by bit we are returning to normal, whatever normal may be. I have audited classes at Washington and Lee U. and participated in a memoir class at VMI. I also volunteer as a docent at Stonewall Jackson House. In summer, I garden; in winter, I catch up on my reading, lift weights, and loaf. I am alive and in good health at 90. I have four children (one set of twins), eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren—all Virginia born and bred!” What brings her satisfaction? “The beauty of my surroundings in the Shenandoah Valley; the birds outside my window; my garden and its surprises; and, of course, my family.” Wallace Rich keeps it short and sweet: “Just getting older!” ❖ Brad Bond, email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12, abb83@cornell.edu. Online news form.

1952

As I write this, it is mid-October and not a leaf has turned. First, some brief notes: You can find Class Notes online by googling Cornellians; I believe new news forms will be sent out with dues notices—be sure to check the small box on the form if you want your email address online.

Now the big news: Our 70th Reunion is June 9–12 at the Statler on campus. All ’52 class events will be at the Statler, which is handicap accessible. There will be a shuttle if you need it, and provisions will be made for the mobility challenged. There are about 500 of us left. Think seriously of joining the party. Details will follow, but this should start your thinking.

Now for news from you, almost all of which arrived in late spring. John Orr ’51, BME ’52 (Newtown, PA) is still in a continuing care retirement community. He is “steaming as before—but somewhat slower at 91.” His fraternity brother, friend, and boss, Jim O’Brien ’51, BCE ’52, died in December 2020. John had his COVID shots in March, followed by his “first dinner out in a year. I’m selling my boats—have had two from 1977 until 2021.” In retirement, he has been writing. His first great-grandchild was born in January 2021. These days, he finds the most satisfaction in his 17 years of marriage with his second wife. Takeaway from the pandemic? “It was right to stay at my New Jersey lagoon front ‘shore house’ from May to October.” When asked about any changes, C.V. Noyes, MBA ’55 (Adamstown, MD; cvnoyes@gmail.com) notes, “My handwriting has gotten much worse.” C.V. has been sorting and scanning thousands of photo slides. His most satisfaction comes from friends and travel. His takeaway from the pandemic? “Me!” Frank Laimbeer, BS ’55 (flaimbeer@aol.com), whose life has changed recently, is doing nothing in retirement. His family comes to see him in his apartment, and his grandchildren bring him great satisfaction.

Lewis Ward-Baker (Rochester, NY; patnlew@rochester.rr.com) on change: “I’ve lost a few friends and feel sad that I didn’t have a chance to thank them for their contribution to my life.” Lewis is currently working on writing a play. Life and family? “There has been a distinct warming of all the relationships as we all realize with great clarity how much we mean to each other.” What brings the most satisfaction? “1) My wife’s loving support and encouragement. 2) Connecting by Zoom with a large group of friends.” Biggest takeaways from the pandemic: “1) How strong we all are. 2) We all will deal with a kind of PTSD for the next few years as fear abates and sadness heals.” Rik Clark (Osterville, MA; capeclarks@aol.com) writes, “The presence of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone’s life. Before the pandemic started, we moved. Since moving, we have remained safe and well.” Rik has been volunteer fundraising for the Pan-Mass Challenge and the Dana-Farber Cancer Inst., and staying as fit as possible at the YMCA and with walks. He derives the most satisfaction from thinking about and playing golf, enjoying Cape Cod, and being very grateful for family and friends. Takeaways from the pandemic? “Gratefulness for those on the front lines, fighting COVID-19 and caring for those sickened by it. Sadness for all who have died.” Ted, MS ’53, and Trudy Krueger Winsberg (Boynton Beach, FL; tandtwinsberg@gmail.com) say that daily life is very much the same. “We continue to live here on the farm surrounded by a Palm Beach County park. Green Cay Wetlands is scheduled to be enlarged by 70 acres starting this summer, which will shrink our farm to 45 acres.” Ted and Trudy’s four “children” are all in the middle to top end of their 60s now. All are well, as are their five grands. These days, Ted gets the most satisfaction from “waking up every morning (at 5 a.m.) and knowing I have another day to enjoy.” His biggest takeaway from the pandemic? “That working people, documented or undocumented, are the engine that drives the economy.”

Hazel Lowe von Rosenvinge (Peabody, MA; hvonr3@gmail.com) has moved to a senior living community. She is a museum guide. “Being alive!” brings her the most satisfaction these days. Murray Wigsten, MA ’54 (who is somewhere in England) is still the “poorly paid supervisor” at his home farm, where they have been logging and having annual events. In retirement, he is “wintering at our prehistoric English cottage.” Judy Winter Burger (New York, NY; judyburger@verizon.net) is living on the Upper East Side. She sends a big kiss. Her most satisfaction comes from “friends, family, and all the things NYC has to offer! The pandemic changed that, but I hope it returns soon!” Alice Warshaw Forman (New York, NY) is also on the Upper East Side. Her life has been changed by the virus: “NYC is less vibrant, but it’s now reviving.” She exhibited some of her early work—abstractions that were in the Whitney—last summer in Southampton. Alice’s granddaughter “graduated from Oberlin with high honors and received an internship in medieval art from the Metropolitan Museum.” What brings her the most satisfaction? “Being in relatively good shape and enjoying this spring.” Biggest takeaway from the pandemic? “Remembering to obey all rules!” ❖ Joan Boffa Gaul, joangaul@mac.com. Online news form.

1953

Thanks to everyone who responded to our call for news. The University’s new, digital-first publication should help make it easier to stay in touch.

Jack Brophy (johnbrophy@aol.com) writes about the stroke he suffered last year. “They did an MRI of my brain, which showed a white, dime-sized ‘snowflake’ identified as the blockage that caused the stroke. I began thinking about the human brain and its computer-like memory capacity. Is the capacity limited? Will it reach ‘full’ and reject new thoughts, or selectively delete some old insignificant data to make room for the present flow of information? I find that if I read an old memoir written 20 years ago, I can begin to recall more details than I had recorded on paper. The brain has a great recall capability. Well, my brain is old but still working, a bit slower than I would like, but for all of the above, I consider myself lucky and blessed. A New Year’s wish for all my ’53 friends: try to stay well!”

Janice Button-Shafer (jbuttonshafer@gmail.com) shares that the highlight of her year was a family reunion celebrating her 90th birthday. “My daughter, Christina, who lives nearby in Sierra Madre, arranged for all of my family to gather in Palm Springs for a three-day celebration. The house she rented was once owned by Bing Crosby (and now belongs to Francis Ford Coppola). Furniture and pictures were rather ancient, but there were modern appliances … and even a small home theater inside and a large swimming pool outside. My twin Cornell sons—Charles ’92 and John ’92—joined us, along with two granddaughters. We all had a great time!” Some years ago, Janice made an investment in Cornell’s Pooled Life Income Fund and specified that it be used, after her death, to establish a scholarship for a woman studying in the School of Engineering Physics (now called Applied & Engineering Physics). Thank you, Janice, for helping pave the way for a future female scientist.

Ruth Burns Cowan (ruthcowan@aol.com), senior research fellow, Ralph Bunche Inst. for International Studies, is pleased to report that her documentary, Tribal Justice, will be shown at Cornell twice in December and then twice in January off-campus in Arizona. “Tribal Justice features two Native American judges who reach back to the traditional concepts of justice, which aim at rehabilitation rather than punishment and imprisonment. They address the root causes of crime, offering effective and far less costly responses. The film has been shown in colleges and universities in the US and throughout the world, so I am especially pleased that Cornell will join the ranks. State and federal judges in the US have embraced the film and have hosted events featuring it. Their support reflects a belief widely held by those engaged in our criminal justice system: the system is broken.”

Rose Carpenter Gernon (jdgernon@aol.com) says she and her husband, Dean ’51, are “very happy living in a large retirement community not far from one of our five daughters in Lacey, WA. When I retired from my teaching job, I was science department head and taught chemistry and biology in the El Monte Union High School District.”

Joan Pennell Grant (joankiaora69@gmail.com) says, “I’m still living contentedly in my apartment in Melbourne, Australia, and am long retired from university lecturing in Asian politics and from volunteer work with refugees, although I still contribute to their support. My adult children and grandchildren generously assist when necessary for shopping, repairs, etc., and provide welcome friendship and humor.” Like many of us, Joan has enjoyed online meetings with her book club and friends and looks forward to the end of COVID restrictions. “I pass the time with lots of reading, sitting in the sun, and a little streaming—which my eyes don’t like! And I feel very lucky. Apart from a sister in New York, my American contacts have become pretty slim, but my memories of beautiful Cornell are still vivid. I send all classmates the warmest wishes.”

Diane Johnston Graziano (coelhen2@frontiernet.net) and her husband, Calvin, MBA ’54, still live in Pittsford, NY, where Diane enjoys digging into family history and genealogy. “As the family historian and genealogist, I dig into our past and track down ancestors, which is good exercise for my brain,” she says. She finds the German language classes she took at Cornell useful when searching through genealogy records written in German. “I’ve discovered 1,700 surnames of students who were at Cornell in my time—probably we are all distant cousins. And I doubt that any one of us was aware of the very severe hardships our ancestors dealt with as white ‘serfs’ under a descendant of the original Dutch Patroon Van Rensselaer—who was also a relative of Martha Van Rensselaer.” Diane and her husband are currently reorganizing a longtime church group that lapsed during the COVID shutdown and finds email a useful way to keep in touch with friends and relatives. “With perseverance, we do what we can with the talents, health, and years dealt to us.”

Irene Selmer Griffith, BA ’52 (irenesgriffith3@gmail.com) writes from her new address in New Horizons apartments in Torrance, CA, that her husband, Owen ’50, PhD ’58, died in 2020, the same year she had a broken hip surgically repaired. “I now use a walker,” she reports. “Fortunately, my family is very supportive, meeting with me regularly in person and via Zoom.” Irene serves on the Torrance Commission on Aging, providing inspiration to seniors, assisting with funerals, and providing grief counseling. “I am grateful for living so richly these past 89 years and being able to continue with my practice of lifelong learning.”

Claire Moran Ford, the first female president of the Class of 1953, died in Connecticut on July 28, and a memorial service, ending with “The Evening Song,” was held in November. Claire and her late husband, Clark, were married for 53 years and raised three children at their longtime home in Westport, CT. In addition to serving as ’53 president and Reunion chair, Claire was president of the Cornell Club of Fairfield County and a member of the Cornell council. She is survived by her children, Jeff ’79, Suzy, and Chris ’89, and four grandchildren, including Blair ’11. Memorial donations “in memory of Claire Moran Ford” can be made to the Cornell Annual Fund online and condolences can be sent to clairefordfamily@gmail.com. Submitted by: ❖ Caroline Mulford Owens, 53news.cornell@gmail.com; Jack Allen, jwallen@msu.edu; Ed Gibson, edwincosgibson@gmail.com; John Nixon, nixn1@hotmail.com. Online news form.

1954

Mason and Patricia Jerome Colby have been living in a retirement community in Naples, FL, since 2013. Mason is coordinator of his local men’s book club. At Cornell he sang in a choir, the Glee Club, and Cayuga’s Waiters—who he still frequently meets and sings with via Zoom. Let’s hope he and some of his fellow Waiters can entertain us at our next Reunion.

Another Floridian is Jane Gregory Wilson, who lives in Sun City Center, FL. Having learned to play bridge as a Cornell freshman, she continues to play avidly in her senior living community. Aline Nitzsche Ashkin is retired and living in Rumson, NJ, where she enjoys oil painting and reading German literature. Her late husband, Arthur, PhD ’52, won the Nobel Prize in physics in 2018 for the invention of laser tweezers.

Phila Staines Slade is retired and living in North Andover, MA, with her husband, Dick, in the house they bought in 1957. How is that for longevity? She is active in her community’s improvement society and chairs the committee that has restored and maintains Olmsted Park. Phila writes that her Zoology major at Cornell was “surprisingly helpful” in raising their three girls. Retired architect John Fodor Jr., BArch ’57, lives with his wife, Jacqueline, a French citizen, in Huntington, CT, where he enjoys gardening and woodworking. In his younger years he was close friends with Peter Noyes of Cornell varsity football and recruited over 30 student athletes into the program. He was also president, director, and an original charter member of the Cornell Club of Fairfield County, CT. Since 1994 John has served as trustee of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Church in Fairfield.

Betty Wagler Striso and her husband, Clem, have been cocooning in their home in Glen Cove, NY, throughout most of last year. Betty is an avid reader, having gone through more than 1,000 books since she started counting a few years ago. Son Andy Striso ’78 (Chemical Engineering) has retired from Colgate Palmolive and spends his time golfing and skiing. Daughter Claire Striso Wilkinson ’79 (Arts & Sciences) is assistant registrar at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Barbara Jones Jenkins (barbjenkins16@charter.net) lives in Northfield, MN. Until retiring, she served as finance director for Cannon Valley Elder Collegium. The collegium administers classes for Northfield residents age 50-plus, taking advantage of having two local colleges with retired professors still eager to teach. Barbara’s bucket list item: “Perfecting my tennis serve.” At our age—wow! Last year she went to Tokyo to visit her grandson Stewart, his Japanese wife, and two great-grandsons. Barbara writes, “And to think that their great-great-grandfather earned the Navy Cross fighting the Japanese in World War II!”

One of our classmates who has not retired is Robert Greenwald (bobsellsflowers@gmail.com) of Monroe Township, NJ. As you can guess from his email address, Bob is in the business of selling flowers online. He loves his work because, as he says, “It keeps me upright.” Bob claims to have moved 22 times since leaving Cornell. We suspect this may be close to a record.

Merrill Hessel, BChemE ’56, a retired chemical engineer living in Gaithersburg, MD, recently remotely engineered an audiobook with his good friend Maurice Martinez, a professor in North Carolina, titled Blackcreole: Too White to be Black, Too Black to be White. The 500-page book describes the racism Martinez faced as a Black Creole from New Orleans through graduate school at the U. of Michigan and in the academic workplace. The project took them one and a half years working from their homes in two different states via computers. ❖ Bill Waters, billwaters@optonline.net; Ruth Carpenter Bailey, rcbhtb@gmail.com. Class website. Online news form.

1955

Steve Clingan, president of Clingan Steel Inc., reports, “We worked right through COVID as an essential industry. We were really slow at first, but then since November 2020 we got busier than we have ever been. I’m now on dialysis four hours a day, three days a week after work, which is a pain but necessary. High blood pressure took its toll.” And now, Steve says, “I’m working harder than I ever did in my life.” His wife died three years ago, which we are very sorry to hear. His takeaway from the pandemic: “I can’t understand the reluctance to get the vaccine, but that seems to tie into a general malaise in our country.”

Barbara Balsam Brown sold her home of 59 years and moved to Lantern Hill, a continuing care retirement community. “It was a great move!” Her other good news was becoming a great-grandmother to Theo.

Fred Antil has had a very active life. “Because of Chuck Feeney ’56, I returned in 1983 as special assistant to Hotel school dean John Clark. After retiring, I became very involved with the Ithaca community and the University, serving on the Ithaca school board and the Cayuga Heights village board, plus serving on the Cornell Council and the Executive Council of Cornell Academics & Professors Emeriti.” New chapter: In the ’90s Fred began researching Abraham Lincoln and giving hundreds of presentations dressed as Lincoln. He kicked off the annual CACO meeting when it moved to Philadelphia after 100 years in New York, and completed his well-received book, A Lincoln Treasure Trove, which is available on Amazon.

Donna Jean Avery Darling, MS ’61, says she’s “been doing a lot of 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles lately,” and reading too. Nancy Eisenberg Grabow has moved to New Jersey to be nearer to her children and adds, “I would love to work on a project for Cornell!” ❖ Nancy Savage Petrie, 85 Brook St., Noank, CT 06340; email, nancysavagepetrie@yahoo.com. Online news form.

1956

Lonnie Hanauer, MD ’60, has retired. His daughter Amy Hanauer ’89 heads the Inst. on Taxation and Economic Policy, and Amy’s kids, Max Cassell ’20 and Katrina Cassell ’24, are both Cornellians.

Herschel and Shirley Dean Loomis have moved to a lifecare community in Carmel, CA. They want you to know that they love it. “No cooking, country living, perfect weather.” Shirley continues to do her calligraphy for pleasure and/or money, and she also enjoys her garden. When they sent in their news form, the Loomises were looking forward to an upcoming vacation with their family in the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Allen Unger (Bronx, NY) continues in the practice of cardiology. “The grandchildren are growing and are happy, despite the pandemic.”

Diana Motycka Day (Wooster, OH) enjoyed seeing a few classmates on Zoom recently and misses her husband, Robert, who passed away. Margot Mahoney Haddock (Lebanon, NH) is recently widowed; her husband, Harold, passed away from complications of COVID-19 in December 2020. Margot moved to an assisted living facility last fall to be near three of her four children. She’s grateful for good health and good friends. Judy Morse Jones (West Dover, VT) continues her charity work in her community and with her church. She and her husband developed syringes over the years for various pharmaceutical companies—and they have been put to good use during the pandemic!

Patricia Hamm Finstad (Sarasota, FL) writes, “I’m as busy as ever. I still attend a variety of classes and meetings, but they’re mostly online. So instead of zooming around town, I’m ‘Zooming in place!’” She continues teaching Tai Chi Chih meditation, which she has been doing for the past 18 years in many venues—adult education programs, retirement centers, health clubs, and martial arts studios. “The form I teach is not a martial art, but a moving meditation. It’s great for health and wellbeing and has been life-changing for many of my students. I love it.” Patricia is also enjoying the newest addition to her family: her great-grandson. She publishes a weekly newsletter geared to the spiritual community in Sarasota and just completed issue number 974.

Shelby Singleton Fillingane and husband Hugh have moved to a retirement home in Ashburn, VA. Hugh is a retired naval officer. His muscle disease confines him to a wheelchair, while Shelby sometimes uses a cane. She is grateful that they were able to get vaccinated on site! Betsy Jennings Rutledge (Wilmette, IL) and Dick ’55 are doing well. “Retirement is busier even than work, it seems. Family—including three adult offspring, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandkids—occupy us a lot.” Their civic activities have reduced, but Betsy remains active with a charitable organization (working alongside a “great group of women”) offering scholarships.

Sad news: Jean Willman Scott (Venice, FL) passed away on September 14, 2020. Jean was past president of Pi Beta Phi, and her father was a professor in the Ag school. And John Hoare Jr., MBA ’57 (Basking Ridge, NJ), retired CPA, passed away this past June. They will both be missed. Keep your news coming. Best: ❖ Phyllis Bosworth, phylboz@aol.com. Online news form.

1957

Emita Brady Hill has had no grass grow under her feet. Chancellor emerita, Indiana U. Kokomo, former vice president, Lehman College, City University of New York, author, dancer, grandmother and great-grandmother, diver, oral historian, and blogger, she planned to take the train into the city from her home in New Rochelle, NY, to attend the class dinner organized by Judy Richter Levy, LLB ’59, each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving prior to the Cornell-Boston U. hockey game at Madison Square Garden.

One person who was not at the dinner is Gerald Dulin, who answered the question “How has your life changed recently?” with this: “With COVID, are you kidding?” During the height of the pandemic, he hunkered down with family, similar to most or all of us. One exception is Stu Fischman, who in retirement has moved to Israel and would have had to quarantine both ways in order to attend the dinner and game. In his absence, he instructed Judy to “Have one for me!” ❖ John Seiler, suitcase2@aol.com. Online news form.

1958

David Brown, MBA ’60, lost his wife several years ago from Parkinson’s disease. They were married 60 years and had five children, 11 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren! David still enjoys skiing and usually goes about 25 times a year. He lives in Vermont and says that his family is close and very supportive, so he feels very fortunate. Philip Getter says he’s hiding from COVID and moving to Park Avenue in NYC. He has a new grandson, and another granddaughter who lives in London is coming to college in the US!

Hugh Hartzberg (hughhart36@gmail.com) retired five years ago and has been spending his winters in Scottsdale, AZ, at a marvelous racket club and playing lots of tennis and golf. He still loves reading and attending concerts. He also loves seeing friends old and new and has a significant other who was a teacher for 35 years. She was in charge of the school musicals and sings all the time! Hugh still fears getting the virus and doesn’t get to see his four great-granddaughters.

Charles “Sandy” Burton, MS ’63, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a few years ago; he can no longer drive and his activities are limited. He lost one of his daughters in fall 2020, but notes that his grandchildren are all doing well. Neil MacCormick passed away in Scotland in August 2021. One of his sons and one of his granddaughters are classes of ’83 and ’21! His love of Cornell was always evident and, after his return to campus in the mid-1970s, it rubbed off on some offspring.

Cynthia Rau Sears writes that her life has not really changed that much. She enjoys Zoom meetings for now, and she’s masking and being very careful, but she still enjoys going out for dinner and being with friends as much as she can! Ann Gaffey Coyne has been staying home and keeping safe knitting hats for newborns at the hospital. She is retired and lives in a cottage at Kendal at Ithaca with lots of other Cornellians nearby. Her son Tom died at age 60 just before Christmas 2020 of a seizure disorder. Ann enjoys reading and listening to books and hiking the many trails near Ithaca.

Dean Danzer (dedanzer@sbcglobal.com) is slowly recovering from amyloidosis—getting better, but still walking with a cane. His house is in the woods, so he and his wife enjoy watching wildlife. They are getting ready to begin trips to nearby parks in the Ozarks! He retired in 1997 after 38 years with Monsanto, where he designed and built chemical plants around the world. He has three sons and five grandchildren. Laurence Pringle has not yet retired. He just published his 121st book (mostly children’s books) in April 2021, The Secret Life of the Sloth. He has four more in the works for 2021, 2022, and 2023. ❖ Jan Arps Jarvie, janjarvie@gmail.com; Dick Haggard, richardhaggard11@gmail.com. Online news form.

1959

Norman Brockmeier (ib703exP@comcast.net), a vice president at the Seal & Serpent Society during his undergraduate years, was among alumni members attending the group’s virtual Homecoming this past September. In addition to updates from the board and from individual members, the event recognized Seal & Serpent’s new alumni member sisters, previously “little” or “honorary” sisters. (In 2020, the house club voted to become gender neutral and to admit graduate students.) Norman and his wife, Sharon, divide their time between homes in Wheaton, IL, and Green Valley, AZ. “I am retired, healthy, and fully vaccinated against COVID, and I enjoy playing nine holes of golf once a week,” writes Norman. After graduating from Cornell, he worked in industry for three years, then went to MIT, earning a PhD in microwave plasma discharge. “Max Deibert and several others from my days at Cornell were also working on their doctorates at MIT—we joked that the place was Cornell’s finishing school in the field of chemical and metallurgical engineering.” Norman went on to teach at the U. of Texas in Austin and the U. of Ohio; in 1995 he incorporated Oakwood Consulting to offer services to the petrochemical industry.

“My grandson, John Megrue III ’22, a senior in the Dyson School, adores Cornell,” says Brooke Morrison Megrue (Bmegrue@gmail.com). Brooke has been enjoying condo living in the John’s Island community in Vero Beach, FL, for the past 13 years. She also has a condo in Darien, CT, convenient to three of her children and her granddaughter Brooke, who have houses nearby. “I spend as much time with my kids and grandkids as possible. However, happily, they are all so busy with life and careers, so I have also developed my love of golf, duplicate bridge, travel, and friends to keep my life overflowing with joy and fun. So much to be thankful for!”

New on the Hill is Sam Fulmer ’25, also in the Dyson School. He’s the grandson of Carole Kenyon (carolekenyon59@verizon.net), who helped Sam move onto campus on a rainy August day: “I’ve been wearing the red rain jacket with ’59 on the back—a class favor from one of our Reunions—which has started some wonderful conversations, including one with a freshman from Texas who asked if Ithaca winters are really so cold.” He’ll learn—as will grandson Sam, who left a cotton sweater with Carole in case he needs something “heavy” for winter use.

During the pandemic, nine Alpha Delta Phi members and widows from our class have relied on Zoom sessions to stay in touch. Here’s an update on them. Since retirement, Bill Dring, BArch ’61 (billdring@comcast.net) and his wife, Jan, have lived in Steamboat Springs, CO, enjoying winter sports and wonderful summers in a great community. They feel lucky that Colorado is such an attraction that their kids and grandkids visit fairly frequently, but they also dearly miss their own travels. Rick Dyer, MD ’63, is still at his farm in Watertown, CT, enjoying the area’s natural beauty as well as having his family nearby. He continues to row to stay fit. Like the Drings, Dan and Ann Hall, BA ’61, in Andover, MA, are hoping to travel again soon. They enjoy retirement, support worthy local causes, and share their dog’s therapy with others. Cal Carr stays in close touch with his Cornell fraternity brothers, although he transferred to Tufts as a junior and later graduated from that university. He and Ginger have lived in Boothbay, ME, for the past 26 years. Hans and Barbara Lawaetz are still on St. Croix, which Hans calls “a paradise with occasional hurricanes.” He recently became a great-grandfather to a young charmer named Ana. His herd of Senepol cattle has been reduced to a hobby herd of 20, surrounding the house to graze and search for human attention. The original herd of 1,500 can be traced to countries worldwide.

Continuing with Alpha Delta Phi updates, New Jersey native Tom Martin retired in 2009 and returned with his wife, Margret, to her small town of Heppenheim in Germany’s Hessische Bergstrasse region, one of its smallest wine-growing regions. “We don’t export much of our excellent wine because we like to drink it ourselves,” Tom notes. Stan Lomax, JD ’62, has moved to Mystic, CT, after retiring from teaching at the U. of South Carolina, and says he still enjoys life because his two daughters are nearby. Penny Nelson, widow of Bob Nelson, also lives in Mystic near their three children. She continues to support High Hopes Therapeutic Riding. Sally Eaton Vrooman, widow of Dave Vrooman, lives in Canton, NY, advocating for more public tennis courts, and traveling to Ethiopia and Rwanda to teach SAT prep skills to students who want to attend an American university.

“COVID-19 notwithstanding, I have been quite busy,” writes Rolf Barth (rolf.barth@osumc.edu), professor in the Dept. of Pathology at Ohio State U. Among his recent publications is one that relates to the illness and death of England’s King George VI (was it really a blood clot that stilled his “valiant heart”?). Another is a review of three coronavirus diseases, SARS, MERS, and COVID-19: “Ending on a positive note, the development of a number of vaccines, at least six of which now are in clinical use, should mitigate and eventually control the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.” ❖ Jenny Tesar, jet24@cornell.edu. Online news form.

Back to the top

1960s

1960

Congratulations to Barbara Baillet Moran (bbmoran1@gmail.com), who announced in October that she has published her second book, What Just Happened: Stories in Verse (Bonventura Press), and already received an enthusiastic review that her writing is “intelligent and poignant, yet approachable, and full of wit and cleverness, but never condescending.” Barbara notes that all her profits from book sales go to Plan International USA, which she has been involved in for 50 years. The organization serves children living in small villages in the world’s poorest countries, focusing on their nutrition and education while also guiding adults to improve their villages and thus their children’s lives. Barbara concludes her note by saying: “I will soon swap with Ron Pereira for his book, Porch Conversations, and I greatly enjoyed reading Becky Quinn Morgan’s fine autobiography, Life in Three Acts: Farm Girl, Public Servant, Philanthropist. It seems the Class of 1960 has been looking back—and writing about it!”

At the end of 2020, Becky and Jim Morgan ’60, BME ’62, MBA ’63, sent news about their family’s activities, noting that they missed two Cornellian weddings because of the pandemic, one in France of their grandson Julien ’19, the other of their son, Jeffrey ’84, in California. Their granddaughter Sophie ’24 happily began her college life in Ithaca in fall 2020; there, said Becky, “incredible planning, the signing of behavioral contracts, and twice-weekly testing with a one-day turnaround kept the COVID caseload very low.” Becky and Jim’s travel during a nine-month period consisted of just one three-day trip to Jackson, WY, where they visited their daughter, Mary, and her husband, Dave, who had both luckily recovered from a bout with COVID-19 in March, allowing the four of them to take hikes and enjoy their time together.

In October, Leigh Buchanan Bienen (lbbienen@law.northwestern.edu) proudly announced that she and Henry ’60 have a grandson, Henry Rogers ’24, who “entered Cornell in the College of Arts & Sciences and seems to be very much enjoying it, which pleases us immensely.” Meantime, Carl Volckmann wrote from Florida that “both Linda and I tested positive for COVID-19 in October. Linda had no symptoms, but I ended up in the hospital for seven days. Remdesivir and a son on the university hospital staff fortunately made for a quick recovery. Having retired from IBM and several smaller companies a while back and then selling our Connecticut house, my wife and I now divide our time between Park City, UT, and Stuart, FL.” Carl is grateful these days for “good health and seven grandchildren.”

Retired as president of Sawmill Creek Vineyards, from which he generously donated wine for our 55th Reunion, James Hazlitt (Hector, NY) clearly retains his dedication to the grape: he describes himself as a “retired grape grower” and says that his activity in retirement is “pruning grape vines and enjoying R&R and wine.” What brings him the most satisfaction these days is “golf and good wine,” and his biggest takeaway from the pandemic is that it had “no effect on wine grapes.” Alan Krech, MA ’63, who lives with his wife, Louise, in Columbia, SC, writes that he is “busy teaching round dance in a co-ed ballroom, bowling, and gardening, if the rain ever stops.” What now brings him the most satisfaction is “58 years in a healthy marriage and staying active.”

Cynthia Golomb Dettelbach (cindydett@gmail.com) reports from Pepper Pike, OH: “Since my retirement as a newspaper editor, I’ve tried my hand at writing plays. When my one-act play scheduled at a local theater was canceled last year due to the pandemic, I helped organize a Zoom series of ten-minute plays provided by the Stagewrights Workshop. Three of my plays have had readings since the program’s inception. It’s been a great outlet and a wonderful way to connect with family and friends throughout the country. I’m still adjusting to life without my beloved husband, John ’58, but I realize that you’ve got to learn to pivot, adjust, and try to nurture relationships as best you can.”

Barbara Anderson Everett says her daily life changed “much the same as others, I suspect. We had wonderful travel in Canada, Portugal, and Panama, and visits with family and distant friends until March 2020 and the shutdown.” Her takeaways from the pandemic are to “savor every moment and be grateful for everything—in this year, especially Zoom!” Fortunately for Barbara and husband John, when the danger abated in fall 2021, they managed to spend two weeks on a Maine island with children and grandchildren and were beginning to plan other travel.

Heartfelt condolences to classmates who have experienced grievous loss during these past many months. Margaret Osmer McQuade lost her wonderful husband, Lawrence, to pneumonia in late 2020, and Daniel Martin ’58 lost his beloved wife, Barbara (Cyrus), who died suddenly in March. Recently Elaine Smith Schwartz sadly reported the September death of her husband, Stuart ’58; they had been married for 61 years, “during which,” she says, “we shared many memories of our days at Cornell and enjoyed an active life together.” Send your news directly to me, or fill out an online news form. ❖ Judy Bryant Wittenberg, jw275@cornell.edu.

1961

This column reflects the life transitions of our classmates, as well as the overhang of our many months dealing with the COVID pandemic. Ever the optimist, I, along with you, hope for better days. Keep sending your updates to us so we can share them with your classmates.

Eleanor Stanford Erskine (eleanorerskine@gmail.com) writes that she has lived in a retirement community for two years and is enjoying it very much. “COVID caused restrictions, but activities are coming back. Plenty of time for reading and storytelling. I have four grandchildren in undergraduate or graduate programs and one who is a second lieutenant in the Army.” Final thought: “Have an attitude of gratitude.”

Therese Elzas Baker-Degler writes from Stanford, CA, and her long-term residence on Mears Court, one of the faculty housing streets on the Stanford campus. “I’m trying to finish a study of the original Mears Court leaseholders. My late husband, Carl Degler, was one of them. I and another original owner interviewed 15 of the original 32 in 2003, after they had been in their houses since 1968, the year the street was built. I will prepare a text describing how the original owners felt about the street after 35 years. I’ve now lived on this street since 1989.” She further lamented the effects of the coronavirus in curtailing family and travel activities. However, she has been unscathed.

Most of us know David Lipsky from his lengthy tenure as dean of the ILR school. “I was a member of the Cornell faculty for 50 years; I retired in 2018. I was the Anne Evans Estabrook Professor of Dispute Resolution and served as dean from 1988 to 1997. Regrettably my wife, Sandy, died in early 2020. We were high school sweethearts and met in 1956. We were married in 1962, 58 years. I maintain an office at the ILR school and do my best to stay up to date in my field. Obviously 2020 was a terrible year, especially for me, but we must persevere and do our best.”

We heard again from Gail Kweller Ripans (gkripans@gmail.com) in Atlanta, GA. “I moved to a senior community, Lenbrook, in January 2020. I still lecture about international relations, especially the Middle East. My twin grandsons will have their bar mitzvah in November in Atlanta.” Gail comments that the pandemic is “a Biblical plague and can happen again.” She further adds that she remains in regular contact with a group of five of her fellow Cornellians.

Willard Reed has moved to Rensselaer, NY, and writes, “My wife passed away in October 2017. I sold the house in Ocala and purchased a doublewide in a trailer park. When the pandemic struck, I eventually caught the virus, lost 30 pounds, and had a memory problem. Both are getting better a little at a time. Now I have relocated to Rensselaer near one of my sons. My pandemic takeaways include some loss of memory, learning, and strength.”

Gerrit White (gerritwhite@yahoo.com): “Elizabeth and I have gotten our COVID shots and are happy to resume our traveling again after a long-inspired drought. Playing golf and pickleball, gardening, and swimming on The Villages Aquatic Swim Team has kept me busy, along with the active lifestyle here at The Villages. We have a reunion scheduled in August at the Jersey Shore for our family of 12, including our five grandchildren. Our oldest grandson will start college this fall in the nearby city of St. Petersburg, FL. I wish everyone would take their vaccine shot so this pandemic can be eradicated worldwide.”

As you are aware, after publication of the May/June 2021 issue, CAM closed. Cornellians is a new, digital-first alumni publication. For those who prefer a more traditional magazine, there will be a paid print option in the future; details on its content and timing are still being discussed. Please keep your news flowing to us. ❖ Doug Fuss, dougout@attglobal.net; and Susan Williams Stevens, sastevens61@gmail.com. Online news form.

1962

David Green, PhD ’67, writes, “Greetings across the decades. My wife, Arlene Goldstrom ’64, and I have, for the last 18 years, lived in Toronto, Canada, whence we observe the American scene with a mixture of trepidation and hope. As you may be aware, in Canada we have had Medicare for All since 1961 and it works just fine. We wonder what the big deal is about it down there. We have four very happily married kids and six beautiful grandkids. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, the only ones we have seen in the last year are our middle daughter and family, who live an hour and a half away in Waterloo, Ontario. The others—who are in Saskatchewan and Vermont—we see on FaceTime and Zoom. We are anxiously looking forward to better times. Arlene is now fully retired from a very rewarding career as an arts curator. After my Cornell BA, I did an MA at Stanford, then returned to Cornell, where I completed my PhD in History in 1967. Although I left full-time academia several years ago, I continue to write and teach on a part-time basis. My book, The Language of Politics in America: Shaping Political Consciousness from McKinley to Reagan, was published by Cornell University Press in 1992. Since then, I have written several articles on the subject for the American Interest. I presently hold the position of visiting professor of history at Cornell, where I teach a summer session course titled Words as Weapons: Political Vocabulary, Mass Media, and the Evolution of Political Consciousness. While in previous years I taught on campus, this past summer I had to teach via Zoom. Loving Ithaca and Cornell as we do, that is one more reason to look forward to better times.”

From Frances Denn Gallogly: “We are retired and now split our time between condos in Bridgeport, CT, and Fort Pierce, FL. Our three children live in L.A. and Brooklyn, and we have two grandchildren in L.A. Our granddaughter may apply to Cornell Engineering as an undergrad next year. I have been doing a great deal of photography—landscape and nature. My work has appeared in shows, won awards, and been sold on Pixels.com (formerly Fine Art America) and by stock agency Tandem Stills + Motion. My husband, Vin, has taken up birding and often uses Cornell’s ornithology sites in identifying birds. In recent years I have often reflected on the wisdom imparted by special professors I encountered during my time at Cornell: George Healy (poetry), Urie Bronfenbrenner ’38 (children and families and research techniques), and Ted Lowi and Clinton Rossiter ’39 (both government).”

Betty Kopsco Bennett writes, “I have so many fond memories of my four years at Cornell that it is hard to pinpoint just a few. The beautiful campus and its surrounding gorges and other natural scenery, the stimulation of ideas presented in various classes by outstanding professors, field trips for some of my natural science courses, meeting people from many states and countries, and the opportunity to grow and develop both mentally and emotionally are just a few of the highlights of my Cornell experience. Although I have not been able to return to campus for more than 20 years, I still retain vivid memories of my time spent on the Hill. Those four years were some of the most formative and valuable of my life, and I am forever grateful for the experiences I gained from them. Even today, as an 80-year-old still teaching part time as an adjunct (remotely due to the pandemic), I continue to draw upon the knowledge and ideas I accrued while at Cornell.”

From Margaret Sandelin Benson, MS ’66: “In State College, PA, my husband, Tom, PhD ’66, and I have been very isolated during the pandemic. Our daughters live far away: Daisy in Vermont, and Sarah, PhD ’01, and her husband, Rick Ruth, PhD ’06, and their daughter in Maryland. Like other families, we have turned to Zoom for get-togethers, and one of the things we decided to do last summer was to read plays together. We had just started reading Sheridan’s The Rivals when the request for memories of the years at Cornell arrived. At once I was transported back to fall ’58 on the Hill, and the Cornell Dramatic Club’s production of The Rivals, in which I played a part. It was the second CDC production of the term. The first was Bell, Book, and Candle, for which I worked lights. I had gravitated to the dramatic club like a homing pigeon, and it became a central part of my life for the next five years. Even after Tom and I were married (fall ’60) I still worked on several plays and worked the front of the house for all the rest. Those years, all those productions, represented work, fun, and camaraderie. I have a sweeping collage of memories, which I hope others share—The Taming of the Shrew, Under Milk Wood, My Three Angels, The Boy Friend, Death of a Salesman, O’Casey’s Pictures in the Hallway, Volpone, Stephen Vincent Benét’s dramatic poem John Brown’s Body, and The Fantasticks. I was in As You Like It the spring before Tom and I left Ithaca, and Cornell.”

Fred Hart (fchart22@gmail.com) writes: “I read my copy of Cornell Alumni Magazine today. I thought as I read it how many I’ve read over the last nearly 60 years. Frankly, I got emotional about it. The Cornell story is special. The class column is special. Our friends are special. It hit me when I read the tribute to Jan McClayton Crites, BS ’61, from Anne Ginsberg Hoffman ’63, MA ’64. There are many special people we know because of Cornell—particularly being in the same class. The wonderful thing is that we have influenced many others—in ways we can’t imagine, like Mrs. Hoffman. I occasionally get a compliment from a former associate, and it is wonderful to know you’ve impacted someone in a positive way. (Emphasis on the occasional.) We treasure them. The column is such a great place to read those stories. Thanks for your column and including those tributes.”

From Neil Schilke, MS ’64: “Ro and I were married on June 8, 1963, after I received my bachelor’s degree (Engineering was a five-year program) and before I went on to get a master’s. I was named head resident of U-Hall 3, so Ro and I moved into the basement apartment and had 150 ‘kids’ the first year we were married! Tom ’63, MBA ’64, and Nancy Williams Clark, MS ’64, Phil and Nancy Halsey Young, and Bill Wilson, BEE ’64, and Kiki were also married on June 8, 1963. Ken Blanchard ’61, PhD ’67, was head resident of U-Hall 4, so Ro and I saw him and his wife, Margie (McKee), MA ’65, quite a bit during the 1963–64 academic year.”

From Jacqueline Browne Bugnion (jackie@bugnion.org): “We have recently moved to a new home in Switzerland. The only change to our life is semi-confinement due to COVID-19. We received our vaccination. We are doing lots of reading, walking, and traveling (before COVID). I recently completed an independent study recommending that Switzerland plant more trees in their forests and reduce the herd of cattle. We follow the interesting careers of our two children: our son involved in high-tech database work at the EPFL in Lausanne; our daughter running her own company in the US dealing with environmental issues. We would like to travel again but have to wait for COVID-19 to go away.”

Mari Stachenfeld (mstachenfeld@gmail.com) writes, “My ‘new news’ is that I am retiring from college teaching at long last. It’s been fun and it’s time for an ending.” ❖ Evelyn Eskin, evelyneskin@mac.com. Online news form.

1963

I hope all of you have adapted to our new online alumni publication, Cornellians. The intention is that this new form of distributing the Class Notes columns reaches a lot more classmates, as it is free and available to all alumni. We are a year and a half away from our 60th Reunion, which will be June 8–11, 2023. It will be wonderful if the world has returned to normal by then and we can celebrate in person.

Mary Falvey wrote in August that she was spending as much time as possible at her country home in Calistoga, CA. She added, “I’m hoping fires don’t chase me back to San Francisco. In August 2020, I had to evacuate and didn’t get back until December. We’re not as locked down now as we were a year ago, but fire season started earlier this year so it could happen at any time. I had a massive job of cleaning small trees and brush around my home as attempted fire protection—you do the best you can and pray.” Linda Goldstein Towbin writes from Bethany, CT, “I’m amazed by the number of people who pop up to help those of us stuck at home. (I’m going into year number two without my husband, Alan ’50.) I’m also grateful for the outstanding webinars, etc., offered by Cornell’s Inst. of Politics and Global Affairs and by the Cornell Club–New York, which keep us informed and engaged.”

Jim McArdle writes from Cos Cob, CT, that he and his wife, Carolyn, have been wintering in Florida. “We still enjoy our vacation home in Vermont but find winters too harsh for us now. We have been enjoying the activities of our ten grandchildren and try to attend all of their school and sports activities. Seeing all the groups that are helping those in need during the pandemic has given me great satisfaction. I am still trying to improve my golf game—without much success, unfortunately.”

Frank and Susan Waldo Baker (susanwbaker@mac.com) wrote, “We moved from our home in Colt’s Neck, NJ, in February 2020 to Applewood, which is an assisted living retirement community that locked down because of the pandemic a few weeks after we moved in. After becoming vaccinated in 2021, we can attend lectures and meet friends for socially distant dinners or bridge games. I’ve also taken up jigsaw puzzles. We are both grateful for good health and many friends.”

Channing, BS ’65, and Mary Jones live in Aiken, SC. Channing writes that he is in an investment club, a member of the South Carolina Bluebird Society (associated with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology), and involved in club activities such as golf and other sports. “Two out of our three granddaughters graduated from Cornell—Emily ’18 and Claire ’21. A third granddaughter graduated from the U. of Pennsylvania.” Channing feels that family brings him the most satisfaction in life these days.

Russ and Margie Axtell Stevenson ’66 (rstevenson@pobox.com) live in Severna Park, MD. Russ said, “I will retire again, this time from the law faculty at Georgetown U., where I have been teaching for 12 years—after retiring the first time as general counsel of Ciena Corp. Twelve years ago I founded the Chesapeake Legal Alliance, a nonprofit that provides free legal support for efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. I remain chair of the board and an active volunteer. Margie and I have two daughters, Lauren and Amanda ’99, and four wonderful grandchildren. We are about to visit Amanda and her family in the Bahamas, where they are finishing up two years of cruising on a sailboat.” Steve and Marjorie Walker Sayer are still in Bradenton, FL. Marjorie, like so many of us this year, turned 80 years of age. She sent a photo of her celebration with a great cake.

We lost Marcy Bergren Pine in August after a long battle with cancer. She was an active volunteer in Los Angeles. Constant “Connie” Queller passed away this summer; he lived in Hudson, FL. A memorial service for Dick Lynham, BME ’65, was finally held on August 27 in Medina, OH. Betty (Card) sent the following story: “Daughter Jennifer Lynham Cunningham ’92 took Dick’s ashes to campus last week when she was there visiting friends. She ‘walked him’ around the Arts Quad and up onto Libe Slope and tried to go into Sage Chapel but it was locked. There was a thunderstorm looming and it started to rain, so she put him under her raincoat and walked toward the car. The Chimes had been playing but had finished. All of a sudden, the rain stopped, and the Chimes started up again—playing our ‘Alma Mater’! Jennifer and her husband, Sean, stood there swaying, very emotional of course, while the wonderful chimesmasters, surely inspired by Dick from ‘Far Above,’ played all six verses! As soon as they ended, the rain started coming down again. Incredible!”

Hope everyone is staying well. Send me news via text or email. ❖ Nancy Bierds Icke, 12350 East Roger Rd., Tucson, AZ 85749; email, nancybicke@gmail.com; tel., (520) 780-4653. Online news form.

1964

Happy New Year! Winter’s here seasonally (if not skewed climatologically), the pandemic seems in retreat, and I’ve got news to report from classmates we haven’t heard from lately—beginning with John Rumble (jumbleusa@earthlink.net), who is in this column for the first time in 37 years! John lives in Gaithersburg, MD, with wife Diane (Smith) ’67 and writes, “I’m not near retirement. I am now editor-in-chief of the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, am still publishing research papers, and have a career coaching business.” John adds, “During the pandemic, one grandson did virtual schooling from our house. My brother-in-law and track-mate James Sims retired from the National Inst. of Standards and Technology and has moved to Seattle.”

David Slepyan, MD ’68, who lives in Langley, WA, with wife Judith, is retired from his plastic surgery practice—and also from being the team physician for the U. of Washington rowing team, a takeoff from his Cornell days when he was coxswain for the eight-oared boat. David now enjoys spending his time bike riding, growing begonias, dog walking, and visiting grandchildren. Family activities include the beach, a water park, and recently going to Atlanta to visit grandchildren.

Randall Odza, LLB ’67 (rodza@bsk.com), last here a decade ago, is still working as an attorney. Randall lives in East Amherst, NY, with wife Rita. Their most recent trip was to Japan. Joan Nathanson Tosici has retired after 37 years as a New York City high school teacher. She now lives in Asbury Park, NJ, where she has joined the Woman’s Club of Spring Lake, which is “dedicated to service projects. Our emphasis has been assisting homeless veterans to find housing support services.” Joan also writes that she’s “enjoying all the activities offered at my new community; I bought a home at Rolling Meadows, an above-55 adult community.” Last April, she went to Seattle to visit her daughter.

Carol Wiley Bossard, last here six years ago, still lives in Spencer, NY, with Kermit ’63, and catches us up in several areas. She writes, “In retirement, I write a bi-weekly essay that goes out to more than 100 people who seem to enjoy thinking and occasionally reminiscing. I sing with a church choir and with an independent sextet. I enjoy two granddaughters, when we are fortunate enough to see them. And I facilitate a weekly women’s group that is ostensibly a Bible study but really discusses life in general.” Carol also notes, “Daily life has not changed a lot, but after two years of semi-isolating, activities and travel are beginning to be part of our lives again. Our older son began working at Cornell last spring, which delighted us. Our younger son is working remotely for a Chicago firm and also, with his wife, home-schooling two daughters and sort of homesteading.” Carol notes she gets satisfaction from writing, “expressing ideas and sending them out for discussion and/or feedback, and also from family, good friends, and gardening. And I have enjoyed all of the Cornell information that has come via computer during this time of remote-everything.” Carol’s even trying flute-playing while “trying to deal creatively with increasingly bad eyesight.”

Stephen Abramson, who lives in Hauppauge, NY, with wife Phyllis, was last here just two years ago. He’s moved his company, APS Pension & Financial Services, to larger offices in Melville, NY. He remains active in volunteer activities: vice president of Hadassah Assocs.; treasurer of the Chatham, NY, synagogue and of the Hamlet Wind Watch Homeowners Assn.; and on the board of the Family Service League of Huntington, NY. Stephen also continues to play tennis “at least once a week,” notes he’s reading “more than ever,” works on their country house in New Lebanon, NY, and even took up painting again. He noted, “COVID has kept us from traveling, a favorite activity. Our next destinations will be the Snake and Columbia rivers; a Lewis and Clark expedition in America’s Northwest; Morocco; and New Orleans.” He goes on to say how their two children, their spouses, and five grandchildren keep them busy. And he hopes to make it to our 60th Reunion.

That’s it for now. I could always use more of your news, so please update me by email, regular mail, our class website, or our class Facebook page. ❖ Bev Johns Lamont, 720 Chestnut St., Deerfield, IL 60015; email, blamont64@comcast.net. Online news form.

1965

William Brothers, BS ’68 (Ojai, CA; bill@hsiforanimals.com) reports that he and Susie still spend summer and fall in Ithaca at their pre-Civil War home just off campus, with their sailboat in the Cornell marina. The other half of the year they live in “the bucolic Ojai Valley of California.” Bill notes that quite a few other Cornellians live in Ojai. He is on the boards of two environmental groups based there, dedicated to land preservation and improvement; he works on hiking-trail building and maintenance. Bill and Susie occasionally take trips in California and the Southwest in their RV. Bill considers that Cornell has managed the pandemic crisis “superbly well.”

Dave Wilson (Palo Alto, CA; dwilson99@gmail.com) has in recent times been contracted to serve as an expert witness in a patent infringement case, analyzing a computer source code. Sadly, his wife, Cheryl, passed away in 2018, after over 50 years of marriage. Dave has five grandchildren, two situated in San Jose and three in Ohio. He also enjoys the company of his cat, Junior, and driving his relatively new mid-engine Corvette.

Lawrence Lombard (Birmingham, MI; L.B.Lombard@wayne.edu) is still teaching philosophy at Wayne State U., as he has now done for 52 years. He has more recently been on a half-time schedule: one semester on, one off. He and his wife, Nancy, spent the month of October 2019 in Paris. Earlier, they acquired a fox-red Labrador retriever, which has given them great joy. Lawrence notes that this “connected us to all the other dogs and their humans in the neighborhood.” He wryly describes his lesson from the pandemic to be “that it does take a village, even if the villagers stand at least six feet from each other.”

Julianna Ricci (Derby, NY; julricnow@roadrunner.com) had to suspend travel with the pandemic, except for the annual winter sojourn in Florida. She finds she has “an increased sense of gratitude for health and mobility.” Julianna published her first novel at the end of 2019 and has been working on a second. She also helps friends edit and revise their work, and she writes holy icons in the Eastern Orthodox tradition at a yearly workshop. She enjoys communicating with her daughters and reading. Her biggest takeaways from the pandemic are “not to take anything or anyone for granted and to help those in need even more than before.” ❖ Joan Hens Johnson, joanipat@gmail.com; Stephen Appell, bigred1965@aol.com. Online news form.

1966

I hope this finds you well and that life is getting closer to normal. Joe Polacco (polaccoj@missouri.edu) is professor emeritus in biochemistry at the U. of Missouri, Columbia. For a few years after retirement, he was a visiting professor in Porto Alegre, Brazil. At Missouri, he advised research projects by undergrads and visiting Brazilian grad students. He was also a Fulbright advisor/evaluator, a Goldwater Scholarship evaluator, and a reviewer of manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals. He taught a problem-based course for biochemistry seniors. These days Joe volunteers for the Columbia, MO, food bank and is a past secretary of his local Missouri writers guild. He enjoys writing prose and poetry and has some fluency in several languages. He recently published a collection of Spanish/English poetry. This past August, Joe and his wife, Nancy, took a tour in Portugal. He had spent time living and working in Spanish Iberia, but this was his first time in Luso-Iberia. Joe and Nancy have three children and three grandchildren. Son Ben (at UCSF) was involved in two papers identifying approved drugs and pharmaceuticals that can be repurposed as antivirals against COVID-19.

Lochie Emerson Musso has been secretary to the Committee on Teaching About the United Nations (CTAUN). Since COVID shut down the UN for conferencing, the committee has been doing webinars (more info here). She devotes her free time to reading, and she celebrated her 75th birthday in Tibet with her two sons.

Kiyoshi Murata (kiyoshi.murata@gmail.com) was so inspired by Bill Gates’s book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, that he is actively working to get others involved. In this book, Gates assembled information and suggestions for actions we may take, and presented it in an easy-to-understand format. Kiyoshi hopes to get this book distributed to as many people as possible and is personally sponsoring the cost of the books. He hopes classmates will get the book and spread the word to others. You can receive a copy by emailing him your address at AvoidClimateDisaster@gmail.com. On a personal note, Kiyoshi and his family did a six-week tour of several western states. They started in Denver then went to Las Vegas, Palo Alto, L.A., Davis, Bend, Seattle, Spokane, Bozeman, Casper, Cheyenne, and back to Denver. He visited many friends and family and spent time with his grandchildren.

John Monroe, PhD ’70 (monroe.jw@gmail.com) and his wife, Meg (Warne), MS ’68, made the decision to move to a life plan community last March. They are now in a lovely villa at the Forum at Rancho San Antonio in Cupertino, CA, seven miles from their old Palo Alto home. They have traded proximity to Stanford, full attics, and a small yard for a smaller home with air conditioning, a bigger master bath, and a 4,000-acre nature preserve as their backyard. They both continue their pre-move activities including raising almonds, trombone playing (John), quilting (Meg), and enjoying their British grandchildren thanks to the internet and FaceTime. John is also enjoying meeting with classmates as your Class of ’66 co-president. After a 55th Reunion year, John and co-president Rolf Frantz, ME ’67 (nrfrantz@verizon.net) are thinking forward to keep the class together and engaged.

Patrick Eggleston, MS ’66 (eggleston4444@hotmail.com) retired from Keene State College in New Hampshire in 2010 after teaching biology and environmental studies for 35 years. Patrick and his wife, Penny, have been active working to elect candidates at the state and national level. He does lawn and garden work and tries to protect bees, butterflies, and birds. He is studying climate change and is working to slow the change. Past travels included a family trip to Colorado and Utah and a trip to South Carolina and Georgia as well as a week in New Hampshire at Squam Lake. Patrick gets satisfaction from family and science research and safe travel. His new hobbies include species protection, reading Scientific American, and bird watching.

Joan Ratner and Alice Katz Berglas shared the news that their SDT sorority sister Laura Fisher passed away in late September after several illnesses. Laura’s life took a spectacular turn mid-career, when she left her job working for Eleanor Holmes Norton at the NYC Human Rights Commission, after winning a Channel 13 (PBS) auction that gave Laura a gallery space in an antiques and art building on Second Ave. and 56th St. in NYC (later on 61st St.). Laura transformed herself, acquired new expertise, and created a business of Americana quilts and folk art—becoming a highly respected voice and author in the field. Her antique quilts were stunning; it was a gift to witness her curated collection. Over the years, Laura became a frequent lecturer on folk art and wrote several books on the subject. Her fabulous smile, even more fabulous laugh, spirit, and friendship will be missed—as will her quick edgy wit that added spice to it all. ❖ Susan Rockford Bittker, ladyscienc@aol.com; Pete Salinger, petersalinger95@gmail.com. Online news form.

1967

Jim Trullinger (Naples, FL; jt84@cornell.edu) reports, “My Cornell-related research project on the Vietnam War, Village at War, is now on sale and well received. It’s a collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and is available on Amazon as both paperback and e-book.”

David Simon (Zurich, Switzerland; simon.md@gmx.ch) writes: “As an undergrad I was a member of the Glee Club, the Savoyards, and a musical comedy group (did Li’l Abner my junior year). After ten years of pediatric academic practice in the Bronx, I joined the pharmaceutical industry in clinical development and research (orthopedic pharmacology) in New Jersey and later in Zurich, Switzerland, where I transferred to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (now a subsidiary of Pfizer), where I was European research director. I am now retired after five years of international consulting work, living in Zurich and enjoying the good life. Still in contact with several Cornellians via email and occasional visits to the US.”

While it will likely not be practicable to include full accounts here of all departed classmates, I will try to provide more depth, space permitting, about some classmates’ multifaceted lives. Jacqueline Hoeppner-Freitas died last March 7 in Garden Valley, CA, of metastatic breast cancer. Her obit in the Placerville, CA, Mountain Democrat reads, in part: “Jackie graduated with a major in English. In 1969 Jackie received an MA in English education from the U. of Wisconsin, Madison and by the fall was teaching English at the College Preparatory School in Oakland, CA. In 1973 she returned to Madison and obtained another MA in English linguistics. From 1974–85 she taught English to foreign students at UC Berkeley. She organized a faculty committee to research UC labor practices and took the university to court several times, arguing that it needed to provide faculty benefits for the teachers in the program. As a result, nine UC extension teachers were awarded yearly contracts, healthcare, and retirement benefits.

“In 1981 Jackie married Jay Garcia, and after his early death, she went traveling along the coast on Highway 1 in California, coming upon a car that was precariously balanced on the side of a steep slope. She singlehandedly rescued the family from their car. Due to this life-changing incident, and with the desire to help and rescue people, she went through training with the Reserve Unit of the Oakland Police Force, received the Standards and Training Certificate, and was awarded ‘Rookie of the Year.’ There she met officer Tony Freitas, one of her trainers. She and Tony often worked together, not only in regular police calls but also in undercover operations, including prostitution sting operations. Although initially Tony thought of her only as a ‘Berkeley Broad,’ Jackie overcame his prejudices. They married in 1984, but only after Jackie finished watching a wild card playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Raiders. They were late to their own wedding.

“She was a lover of football and baseball and won the lottery to throw out the opening pitch for the Oakland As on Breast Cancer Awareness Day. One of her goals was to visit every baseball stadium in the US. She was a lover of travel, traveling with family and friends to France, Italy, Turkey, and Spain, and through Central America.” Jackie received her JD in 1988 from the UC Berkeley School of Law (then known as Boalt Hall) and was admitted to the California Bar. In May 1993 Jackie was responsible for a landmark California Court of Appeals decision (Jamshid-Negad v. Kessler), holding a Connecticut couple personally liable for damages caused by their teenage son, a freshman student at UC Berkeley.”

Phoebe McGuire Nichols died at her home in Davis, CA, on February 21, 2021. Her obit in the Newcastle, ME, Lincoln County News reads, in part: “She studied printmaking and received a BFA from Cornell. She worked as a graphic designer for many years in New York, Boston, Virginia, and Maine. Her favorite job was in New York City, where she was an art editor on the American Heritage Dictionary in the 1960s. Being there, she said, was like encountering an early, human-based version of the internet: whatever your question, one of the dictionary’s experts could answer it. Phoebe was briefly married to Peter Hedblom of Annisquam, MA, and together they had a son, Sam. After her marriage to Peter ended, Phoebe met and fell in love with John Nichols. They were married for 38 years, until his death from cancer in 2012.

“Phoebe and John were peripatetic and energetic, filled with wanderlust, and always itching to tackle new things. Among many other adventures, they opened a successful computer store in Waterville, made a foray into the antiques business, and eventually found their way to the local public school system, where Phoebe worked as a librarian. Designing, building, and rehabbing a chain of houses, they were both fearless in taking on big projects.

“She was a richly talented visual artist. She showed her unique collages at local galleries; portraits of quirky, imaginary characters were a big hit, and many of them still hang on her friends’ walls. Phoebe was a writer as well, and crafted a vivid series of personal essays. She was justifiably proud of her sense of humor, which was generous, often sly, and sometimes downright dark. Active as a volunteer, she worked at the Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop and joined a hospice choir, among many other activities. She joined a quartet of ‘Ukeladies,’ four close friends whose musical stylings were heard up and down Lincoln County.” ❖ Richard Hoffman, 2925 28th St., NW, Washington, DC 20008; email, derhoff@yahoo.com. Online news form.

1968

This is it—three-quarters of a century, or near that milestone, for those of us in the Class of ’68. I celebrated with family and longtime friends, but in a funny way I didn’t feel it was much of an accomplishment. Just like 65 is the new 55, I’m feeling like 75 is the new 65. I don’t think it’s old enough yet to have earned priority at the Statler. The moral is, keep yourself in shape, exercising and eating wisely, use all the gifts modern medicine offers, inherit longevity genes, and stay lucky, and perhaps we’ll be reading ’68 Class Notes online for quite some time.

James Kelly (JimXXJim@mac.com) and his siblings still care for their 101-year-old mom so she can remain in her home. But he wasn’t so lucky in the past year, as two of his beloved family pets died during the pandemic (unrelated to COVID, of course). Jim was productive in the face of the pandemic, writing 150 poems, now in a collection titled “The COVID Year.” Email Jim if you’re interested in reading some of them. With the prescribed safety precautions, he’s now beginning to resume his social life. Henry and Ellen Schaum Korn (HK@henrykorn.com) live in Larchmont, NY. They suggest that getting through the pandemic works best if you are resilient and creative and use your time productively.

Linda Jacobsen lives in Groveland, FL, where she celebrated her 75th with her husband, children, brother, and sister-in-law—all vaccinated and observing the safety protocols. The pandemic interrupted her ideal retirement, which included river cruises through Europe along with ocean cruises to many spots around the world. Linda still finds time to post on Facebook the activities for her church. She passes on this insight about the morality of some people when dealing with COVID: while her family and close friends strictly adhere to the guidelines for social interactions, some people are willing to lie about their vaccination status and they really don’t care what happens to others. She credits many of the lessons she learned during her time at Cornell with teaching her tolerance and the need to explore all aspects of an issue before making a decision. I would add that we wish Linda well as she deals with the treatment of a glioblastoma diagnosed last January.

Happily married and retired couple John and Mary Ann Tencza Landmesser (MaryannLandmesser@gmail.com) live in North Wales, PA. John retired in 2011 then went to work for their son, which was a great help to the business. John and Mary Ann recently bought a shore home in Stone Harbor, NJ, only two hours from their home in North Wales. They hope and plan that the Stone Harbor home will be a family summer retreat, much the same way as John’s parents’ home in Maine was years ago—and it’s nine hours closer than the Maine retreat, which should be an attraction, especially for their grandchildren. In normal times, John and Mary Ann have many activities with their family and friends. The pandemic allowed them more quiet time for reflection, and they are now ready for busier and better days.

Sad news was reported with the passing of Neal Sher. Neal is being noted in this column for the exemplary service he performed as the head of the federal department that rooted out WWII Nazis who illegally took up residence in the US. Of particular interest was the case of John Demjanjuk, who was caught while working for a major automobile company and who was believed to be “Ivan the Terrible,” the sadistic guard at Treblinka, a death camp in Poland. Tried and convicted in Israel, he was ultimately released by the Israeli Supreme Court for insufficient evidence of his identity, and he was returned to the US. For a more complete story and others, you can read this New York Times piece. Good to hear from so many of our classmates. ❖ Chuck Levitan, CLevitan22@comcast.net. Online news form.

1969

Guest columnist Tom Jones, MRP ’72, was asked to say a few words about himself. Tom entered the business world after graduation, with stints at “Big Eight” accounting firm Arthur Young & Co. and John Hancock Insurance Co., then he became president of pension manager TIAA-CREF and CEO of global investment management at Citigroup. Tom founded his own investment firm in 2005, where he continues to work. He says his greatest pleasures in life are his 46-year marriage to life partner Adelaide, four wonderful children, and four beautiful grandchildren. Tom authored a memoir, From Willard Straight to Wall Street, published by Cornell University Press in 2019, and he writes a blog on “Race in America,” which can be found at his website. Tom spoke at classmate Homer “Skip” Meade’s memorial service in August 2021; Skip passed on July 2, 2021. Tom’s remarks can be seen here.

John Rees, ME ’70, writes that he and daughter Ashley discovered some new Cornell trivia: David “Doc” Robinson, PhD ’82, the lead singer in King Harvest, was a Government major and member of Delta Phi in the Cornell Class of ’69, and their hit song “Dancing in the Moonlight” (which reached as high as number ten on the pop charts) was written by Cornellian Sherman Kelly ’66, BA ’68! Bart Lubow says he’s retired from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and living in Southwest Louisiana. Ronald Schildge writes that he’s enjoying the beach, tennis, and golf on Seabrook Island while splitting time at his house in Asheville, NC. Ron is an elder at Johns Island Presbyterian Church, is ex-president of the Exchange Club of Kiawah-Seabrook, and was expecting his 16th grandchild when he wrote! Ronald especially values time spent with friends and family—“either remotely or directly.”

T. Shepard Burr is retired as a CPA but continuing to work part time managing his real estate and mortgage broker businesses. He and spouse Fern are enjoying their quiet and beautiful five acres in the woods at Lake Mary, FL, where they’ve also been doing a lot of rehab and improvements on their 30-year-old house. They “look forward to excessive travel in the near future—and miss Broadway shows most.” Ann Goldsholl Varsano and spouse/classmate Samuel write that they’ve learned it’s better to have too little to do than too much; they’ve done both and less is best! “We love YouTube and Zoom lately,” says Ann. “I love to cook and have tried some vegetarian recipes. Luckily, Sam loves them!” Their oldest granddaughter, Logan ’23, is a junior at Cornell.

Diane King writes that, while COVID has drastically limited available places to visit and local events, she has happily stayed healthy. She is staying in contact with friends and family through phone and text, and shares that she gets the most satisfaction in life from donating to agencies that help those most affected by COVID. Jerry Greene (jerry@bakedintel.com) is enjoying his second home in Catlin Valley, VT. He is retired from owning and operating Baked in Telluride, a bakery and casual dining and pizza restaurant in Colorado.

Steve and Joan Wolfers Belkin write that they’re 50% retired and working on staying healthy. Their biggest takeaway from the pandemic is appreciation of health, family, and friends. Susan Owre Gelberg and spouse Howard, DVM ’71, PhD ’80, have moved to New Hampshire from Oregon, in part because of wildfires in Oregon, and are building a new home in Eastman Lakes Community. Susan is a retired psychologist and continues to write professionally, with one textbook on cultural competency for psychologists published in 2018 by Lexington Books. Susan and Howard write that they derive the most satisfaction from their marriage of 51 years and time with children and grandchildren.

Elizabeth Oshry Dietz (drlizrn@aol.com) turned “75 years young” last March. “I’m now in the last column of ages when filling out surveys. In fall 2021, I will return to San Jose State U. as a retired annuitant to teach the community health nursing clinical. I volunteer for the American Red Cross as disaster health services manager and disability integration regional lead in Silicon Valley, CA. I am also the disaster health services manager for the Virtual Family Assistance Center for families with COVID deaths and social service issues. I’ve been on ten virtual disaster assignments since 2020—the current one for four months.” Elizabeth and Larry have been married for 51 years and are now living in a condo in a retirement village in San Jose, CA. They have two sons, one nearby in San Jose and one in Pocatello, ID. Elizabeth happily reports four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Andy Grundberg has written a new book, How Photography Became Contemporary Art, from Yale University Press, which was released in early April 2021. Scott Abramson tells us that he gets the most satisfaction from being alive and able to walk, talk, eat, see, smell, and touch! Stephen Goldberger writes, “I have a new life partner, Marylee Smith. We met on a dating site and are having a ball together! She’s a retired accountant and nurse, very well-traveled, and very well-informed. Can’t wait to show her Cornell at the next Reunion.” ❖ Tom Jones, twjones@optonline.net. Online news form.

Back to the top

1970s

1970

As I sat down to write this column in early October, and looked at my saved previous efforts, I realized that it has been over a year that I have been the correspondent for our class. And a stressful yet amazing year it has been, as these notes will show. The most amazing change in this small world of alumni correspondents is the debut of the new Cornellians website, and the expansion of reach of these Class Notes to a much larger audience, as subscription is no longer required. If you are reading this, you already know how to find the Class Notes. However, here is the link for the new site, and where to find notes, so you can pass this along to the Cornellians in your life. The Class Notes are under the “Alumni Community” tab at cornellians.cornell.edu.

Suzanne Grisez Martin (Cranbury, NJ; suzannegmartin@gmail.com) writes in late March that to help survive the pandemic, she took on a major house renovation of kitchen, laundry room, and a half bath, with hopes of completion by April. She is still working half time in her own business, as management consultant for healthcare systems and presentation skills. As with many classmates, Suzanne’s satisfaction in life comes from her grandchildren, Maddie, 10, and Xavier, 7. The pandemic has taught her that “keeping in touch with friends and family can get you through most anything.” R. Daniel Ladd Jr. (Bethesda, MD) has seen no change in work life due to already being retired. He has, however, had to stop gym visits. He is planning future trips and is proud of the newest grandson.

Arthur Litowitz (New Smyrna Beach, FL; arthur.litowitz@gmail.com), in addition to excellent daily physical and psychological exercises, begins each day by awakening to “Oblivion,” a tango. His energies are now focused on nonprofit organizations, Riverside Conservancy Inc., and Seat of the Soul Chair Yoga Inc. He mentions connecting with siblings—Susan Litowitz ’75 in Massachusetts and Budd Litowitz ’71 in North Carolina—and finding satisfaction in myriad art and creative activities, along with family and friends. Arthur’s takeaway from the pandemic is as follows: “Our species is part of nature and ‘all life on earth (including viruses),’ and we all need to be mindful of the sanctity of life and care for the condition of our planet Earth.”

Nicholas Adams (Amenia, NY) writes in early April that, unable to travel, he has used his time to explore the natural resources of Dutchess and Litchfield counties, walking daily one to two hours. He is still researching, reading, and writing, while having ended 40 years of teaching. Negative things have followed his son: first a lost job, then thyroid cancer. The positive has been surgery, and then finding a local job. What brings Nicholas the most satisfaction these days are a good night’s sleep, walking, reading, writing, and dinner with his wife. Facetiously, he says, the biggest takeaway from the pandemic has been “two large pizzas.”

Bob Gordon (Oakland, NJ; rgordondvm@gmail.com) writes in early April that his daily life is unchanged, as he continues to do veterinary medicine for companion animals. As with many classmates, he finds great satisfaction being busily in contact with his children and grandchildren, all nearby in northern New Jersey. Grandchild number six was recently born, and number seven is on the way! Bob finds satisfaction through frequent telephone conversations with classmate John Orduna Jr., now in Nebraska.

Patrick Kelly (Ottawa, ON; pkelly42@sympatico.ca) writes again, in late March, that he has not worked in person as a mental health counselor since March 2020. One of his memorable efforts was in providing support for repatriated cruise passengers who were quarantined for 14 days before going home. All of this has been as a mental health professional with Health Canada. He is also part of a psychosocial emergency response team in support of public health nurses and federal employees, and he volunteers on a pro bono basis with the Canadian Red Cross and the Salvation Army. In his daily life, home renovation, bread-making, “walkabouts,” and doing random acts of kindness take up free time. Patrick’s largest takeaway from the pandemic has been as follows: “We are all in the same school—only different classes.” Ken Finch (Sacramento, CA; Ax2h22p.p@gmail.com) has moved to Sacramento, where he is now in adult independent living. He has been making web movies, while his daughter is doing well in Silicon Valley, and Ken finds that the most satisfaction in his life comes from his church friendship group.

Again, I am very grateful to have plenty of material from so many of you! And yes, there is a gap between receipt and publication. I attempt to do them all in chronological order, oldest first, up to my word limit. (This is so much like the old Cornell Daily Sun days!) After finishing up this month’s column, the remaining stack of responses begins with May and currently ends with last Tuesday (October 12). All will appear in future columns! Given all the uncertainty due to the pandemic as it surges and recedes, themes will change. So keep sending your notes! You may contact me directly, at my email or phone below. If I don’t answer, do leave a voicemail, and I will call you back. Or you may use the online news form. ❖ John Cecilia, jlcecilia96@gmail.com; tel., (312) 524-2912.

1971

I (Elisabeth Kaplan Boas) did some reporting for you, as Cara Nash Iason insists we mustn’t invent. Do send material about classmates—and yourself. NB: I am capable of fiction. Just sayin’…. Also: We publish email addresses only with permission.

Jay Kaplan posts on our Facebook page! Check these out! Share them as some classmates (e.g., Marc Cohen) have. Roaring Brook Nature Center (Canton, CT) director for 47-plus years, Jay posted daily essays on their page during the darkest days of the pandemic, scaling back after a year. Married for 39 years, he’s pleased that his two kids are “fully functioning adults with their own spouses,” living on their own. He has one grandchild. Jay is also longtime director of the Canton Land Conservation Trust and current member (and former chair) of its Conservation Commission, of the Hartford Audubon Society (where he’s also past president), and of the Connecticut Ornithological Assn.

From Ithaca, Janis Kelly shares a summer highlight: seeing their daughter off for South Korea. Irena’s on Ithaca College’s fast-track Doctor of Physical Therapy program. For fall, she attended Hanyang U.’s biz school and danced with 1MILLION Dance Studio. (In this YouTube video, at around the 1:40 mark, look for a dancer in white hat and pants, dark hoodie.) “Not bad for a visiting Cambodian-American!” Janis adds, “With my spouse, the lovely and talented Ellie Rosenberg, we overnighted from JFK at the Cornell Club–New York and caught the Met’s Medici exhibition, Portraits and Politics, 1512–1570, which posits that Cosimo I was, essentially, an early ‘influencer,’ using art to promote Florence.” More information here. Take-home message? To become a Renaissance influencer: build your brand, grow your reach, secure your legacy. Lastly, “Bravo Cornell,” she shares, impressed by the University’s COVID response. Also from Ithaca, news from Richard Keyser: His life remains relatively unchanged. Having never had a wife or family of his own, he is free to work, mostly at odd hours and at night, doing jobs to which he’s easily adapted. He is not looking to retire.

Naomi Katz Mintz has lived near Boston since attending Harvard Graduate School of Education. She and her husband, Lewis, have been in Acton, MA, since 1990. Their son’s family lives in NYC, with a kindergartener. Retired five years from teaching young kids (primarily kindergarten in public and private schools), Naomi credits Cornell’s Octagon with having propelled her onto the stage—and she’s been a performer and board president of community theater and directed eighth-grade musicals. (Fun fact: being completely in Hebrew added to the challenge and fun.) She’s still teaching Sunday School. (Fun fact: it’s a habit she began at Cornell!) That’s not all. She’s an active watercolorist, singer in the synagogue choir and Threshold Singers, and volunteer at Virginia Thurston Healing Garden. Attention ’71-ers: Naomi is reinventing the role of class historian, inaugurating a project for classmates to share first-person accounts of Cornell experiences. The intent is to transform our class’s experiences into a lasting part of the Cornell archives. Contact her for details or to participate. Naomi stays in close contact with Linda Fairchild Cushman and is in touch with Susan Devins Rubenstein, me, and the other class officers, Sue Smith Korbel, Sue Anderson Geise, Cindy Ross Timmerman, Daiva Tucker Woodworth, Kristin Vandenberg Whitfield, Susan Deitz Milmoe, and Martha Hurd Meredith.

Nearby in Brookline, MA, Thomas Nally (with wife Susan) is happily vaccinated, now able to do more with other people. He continues to work, although he’s finding it harder to keep his organization going as the pandemic ebbs. In addition to work at A Better City (coordinating infrastructure planning on HUGE projects), he enjoys Brookline-based civic work. And from Wayland, MA, Linda Davis Harrar (with husband George) shares her ambition to find ways to work together toward solving big problems like COVID-19 and climate change. She works for Boston’s WGBH (public broadcasting) currently trying to launch a climate solutions program out of NOVA Sciences series. Linda can be reached at lindaharrar@gmail.com.

Gilda Klein Linden (Fair Lawn, NJ; GKL4@cornell.edu) reminds us that “human connections are so important, including lots of hugs and smiles.” Many have benefitted from her gifts—30 years with the Fair Lawn Volunteer Ambulance Corps and as a volunteer at vaccine centers near her hometown! Last year, she and her husband began traveling the country in their camper—19 states as of last summer—and have a plan for getting to the remaining states. She loves time with family and has fun tallying overseas travel, too—six continents as of 2021, with a plan on the horizon to get to the last!

Not far from Gilda, in Ridgewood, NJ, we can find James Pfeiffer (pfeifferjr@aol.com). His big news: a June flight in a P-51 Mustang (with oversight by an instructor) over Kissimmee, FL. (Per Google, that’s a long-range, single-seat, fighter bomber from WWII, the Korean War, etc.) For him, it was good to be back in a cockpit after 45 years and exciting to fly a P-51. He’s active on the ground, too, launching Green Waste Energy with a dedicated team. “GWE uses pyrolysis to process calorific waste into a synthetic gas that can be used as a fuel in engines or further processed into liquid fuel.” In May, on their NYC terrace, he and Gay hosted class officers Martha Coultrap, Mitch Weisberg, Laurie Berke-Weiss, and Dale Cohen for a few hours, overlooking a beautiful city. With the pandemic waning, he and Gay are eager to see their second granddaughter, born last January.

Willard Scott Walton, ME ’72, from Gainesville, VA, reports simply that spending time with grandchildren is his favorite activity. The pandemic has had upsides and downsides for Marilyn Porter Woolfolk (winder@umich.edu), professor and assistant dean emerita, U. of Michigan School of Dentistry. She is loving her ninth retirement year, the “dessert course” after 38 years of the “working entrée.” She’s just co-authored Undaunted Trailblazers: Minority Women Leaders for Oral Health. She and Gerald will soon celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Taking advantage of good health, she plays tennis and golf, bikes, and escapes Ann Arbor for warmer winter climates. Virtual connections link to Cornell classmates, friends, and family. Downsides? No in-person hugs and no live musical performances.

Kenneth Kuscher helps his son run Kush Hospitality’s nine restaurants in Miami. From Boynton Beach, he tempts classmates: “Visit us for a dining experience.” From Pennsylvania: Dan Silverberg (whose wife is Linda) is an Allentown urologist since 1982. David likes working half time—no weekends, no call, no surgery—and takes satisfaction making positive change in patients’ lives.

Also claiming retirement is not for him is Steven Rappaport, a criminal defense lawyer. Zooming to court simplifies travel! Mindful of the satisfaction from waking up healthy each day, he visited two new grandchildren in California last summer. ❖ Elisabeth Kaplan Boas, ekb7@cornell.edu; Cara Nash Iason, cara.nash.iason@gmail.com. Online news form.

1972

We are glad to be reporting news of the Class of ’72 from Cornell’s new online communications hub. Luckily, many classmates have shared their perspectives on the pandemic and key takeaways they gleaned from the experience.

Barry Schepp, ME ’73’s key takeaway: “Enjoy hugs when you get them.” Barry has been enjoying life, biking 25 miles per day, and playing golf three to four times per week. His daughter, Elizabeth Schepp-Berman ’97, MPS ’04, is chief people officer with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils, which Barry’s grandkids love—especially the front-row seats that Elizabeth can arrange.

Ann Freedman Spoont (anniedentist@gmail.com) has been retired for five years and loves every minute of it. “Finally, after getting vaccinated, I am able to live a little. I go into stores but still feel more comfortable wearing a mask.” Ann has four grown children and six grandchildren, all living nearby in Florida. “My grandchildren are the light of my life. I just love playing with them and having sleepovers.” Ann used to take several classes at the Lifelong Learning Center or at Chabad, but now all the classes are on Zoom. She can’t wait to get back to in-person!

Nancy Thompson Soucy (nancythompsonphd@aol.com) says the greatest satisfaction in her life these days is “being with the love of my life.” She and husband Raymond are retired and alternating between their Florida and Rhode Island homes, volunteering at the local hospital and Audubon nature center, and enjoying small homeowner projects. They have not been back in Ithaca for 30 years and are looking forward to our 50th Reunion. Logan Robinson (LoganR@comcast.net) tells us that the greatest satisfaction in his life comes from his four wonderful children, including Lindy ’09 (Hotel) and Lane, DVM ’18.

After more than 30 years in corporate life, Andrew Topus (atopus@smartpricesales.com) became an entrepreneur 20 years ago. His new company, SmartPrice Sales & Marketing, sells to dollar stores and was named for five consecutive years by Inc. as one of the 500 fastest growing private companies in America. His six children from a blended family have produced 11 grandchildren, with a 12th on the way. His greatest satisfaction in life comes from family, financial comfort, work and play balance, long friendships kept up over time, and travel.

James Hotz (jimhotzmd@aol.com) is still clinical services director at Albany Area Primary Health Care, a community health center in Albany, GA. He has been very busy with COVID and managing CDC and NCI grants. His biggest takeaways from the pandemic: “Disasters happen—COVID, several floods, hurricanes, Zika, SARS, HIV. Public health is good business and a critical investment, as is good primary care.”

Patrick Narcisi, BA ’74 (narcisilaw@fyi.net) is an attorney in Avalon, PA, and vice president and safety chair of the borough council. During the pandemic, he writes, “most of the court procedures changed: remote hearings, judicial conciliation by telephone, electronic filing, masks in Johnny’s Hideaway, food delivery, thousands of Amazon drivers crossing the town.” What has been happening in Pat’s life or with his family? “The usual—old friends fall away in death, long-held secrets revealed too late to matter, pop music got bad.” Pat’s outlook for his own future: “As planned, I will work till they come for me.”

Lorenzo Littles (llittles@cslllc.biz) is general counsel of Corliss Stone-Littles LLC in Colleyville, TX. He says: “Working from home is an inconvenience at times, but safety first. Humans are more connected than our politics, economics, and social relationships reflect. We are all in this together, just passing through.”

Please mark your calendars for our 50th Reunion (!), June 9–12, 2022. Our class officers are working diligently to organize a great Reunion for us, and hopefully we will be lucky enough to be able to celebrate our 50th on campus. ❖ Gary Rubin, GLR34@cornell.edu; Alex Barna, alexbarna@comcast.net. Online news form.

1973

Next year we celebrate our 50th Reunion! Thanks for staying connected to our Cornell community.

Jerry Deutsch (jerryd522@gmail.com) now lives in Philadelphia, although he still has a home and his realtor license in Hawaii, where he’s lived the past ten years. He is enjoying the family delights of children and three young grandchildren in Philly! He is a volunteer consultant/advisor for the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, the National Health Assn. (past president), and the Nutritional Research Foundation (senior advisor). He currently is ManKind Project USA’s elder society chairman. Jerry, who founded the Cornell Ski Club in 1970, skis, organizes a fundraising trip for nutritional research every spring, loves golf, and writes that his youngest daughter just started college at Arcadia U.

Sharon “Sherry” Hamill-Huff writes from Flint Hill, VA, that she has a riding stable, where she boards, trains, gives lessons, and repairs horse blankets; she also travels to people’s homes to train and teach. She takes care of a kennel of champion Scottish deerhounds and is a field master for the Old Dominion Hounds, a fox hunt. Sherry also house/pet-sits for a variety of animals and is president of a volunteer fire company that runs fire and rescue calls. Mark Hoza writes from Bozeman, MT, that, although retired, he stays active with outdoor activities, including skiing, hiking, and travel when he can. He and wife Cheryl Eiholzer also volunteer for Nordic ski races in Bozeman. Staying active with outdoor activities, weather permitting, brings him the most satisfaction these days.

Mona Deutsch Miller (monadeutschmiller@gmail.com) has lived in Los Angeles since graduating from Stanford Law School in 1977. She married a fellow law student, Steve. Mona was a litigator until 2020, retiring after a “fun trial” that her firm won. She started writing plays (again) and screenplays after her daughter, Thais, was born in 1988. Fortunately, as an experienced litigator, and with the help of friends such as fellow Cornellian John Kronstadt (at whose firm she was of counsel for seven years, until an offer she “couldn’t refuse came along”), she was able to work part time and continue to write. She has written about 25 ten-minute plays, a few long one-acts, and three full-length plays, as well as some monologues. Ten of her plays have been produced in the L.A. area. Two plays and several monologues are published, and three short stories and an essay were published in the last few years. If any readers are agents or producers, she also has screenplays and an original TV pilot! Mona currently is president of the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights.

Terry Richmond (Ottawa, ON) writes pithily: “The world is a small place where our fates are so interconnected. We in the West, and especially in Canada, are so blessed.” Paul Sarokwash (Landsdale, PA; psarokwashii@gmail.com) writes that his daily life is “getting better all the time! I gave up on binary thinking—about what is ordinary and what is extraordinary. Kind of a simplistic view of the universe, don’t you think?” Paul is thinking more about the trivia of interest to him and head-scratching about other people’s choice of trivia. He is “catching up on approximately 48 years of chores not done, places not seen, and missed sleep, and losing weight.”

Danny Scheraga (Tully, NY; dannypolo@aol.com) has retired as executive director (since 1976) of the Polo Training Foundation (PTF). He plans to work for PTF part time, travel, and continue to host the local polo club and tournaments at its field in nearby Preble. His wife, Janet (Burgess) ’79, MS ’82, retired as a radiologist at the Syracuse V.A. in December 2019. She still plays polo. Their son, Jeff ’08, runs a polo school at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club.

Norm Solomon (Shelton, CT) recently became professor emeritus at Fairfield U. He is “focusing” in his retirement on photography, running, mentoring business schools going for AACSB accreditation, and mentoring runners in the NYC Marathon, at which he also will be a volunteer. He recently “had a delightful lunch with friends David and Abby Joseph Cohen in NYC. It was great to see them after more than a year of pandemic-related lockdowns.” I have not seen my DPhiE sorority sister and roommate Abby (nor David) since our 40th Reunion; I hope we all can gather in person for our upcoming 50th! Norm is enjoying spending more time with friends and family and reading books he has put off for too long. “Every day is a gift—use it well!” After reading Norm’s so-positive submission, I truly look forward to meeting him in Ithaca in 2023.

Abstract expressionist Charles King Steiner (Washington, DC) hosted a virtual studio visit and discussion focusing on the lasting impact of Cornell on his painting for the Cornell Club–New York in mid-October. His work resides in corporate and public collections throughout the US, including New York’s Health + Hospital Corp., the 3M Co. in Minneapolis, the Brooklyn Art Library, and Emprise Bank in Wichita. He has had nine solo shows, most recently in Fort Smith, AR. Send news to: ❖ Pamela Meyers, psmeyers73@gmail.com; Phyllis Haight Grummon, phg3@cornell.edu; or David Ross, dave@daveross.com. Online news form.

1974

Happy New Year! This is being written on the eve of Zinck’s Night 2021, and we look forward to a more promising 2022.

Unofficial class grill master Walter Scott, MPS ’83, reports, “In October 2019 I did a commitment ceremony with a wonderful lady as we began sharing a future after losing our spouses.” Currently, Walter is retired and “just trying to keep up with our grandkids.” His biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “Live for today. Tomorrow may never come.” Florence Higgins, DVM ’81, retired in May of last year “but will continue to work one morning a week as an associate veterinarian through [last] October.” She plans to “travel and also to show my younger border collie in obedience and agility.” She reports that son Zach is getting married and moving to Seattle and son Greg interned for a judge last summer before starting his final year at U. at Buffalo Law School. Biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “People don’t believe in science.”

Robert Fagiola says, “I retired from the active practice of law after 42 years” and established Scout Advisory Services LLC in the commercial real estate industry. “My youngest daughter was married in 2020—in the middle of a pandemic. That was interesting!” Currently Robert is in his sixth year being the mayor of his village on Long Island. “This keeps me in touch with all my neighbors—sometimes more than I would like!” Virginia Neptune Esson was “looking forward to attending my postponed [due to COVID] 50th high school reunion last September.” Since the end of 2015 she’s been providing childcare for her 5.5-year-old grandson Gideon four days a week, and recently added his baby sister, Daphne. Virginia adds, “My younger son, Jim, and his wife, Christine, purchased their first home in March 2020. My older son, Bill, and his girlfriend, Deanna, announced their engagement in November 2020.” Biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “People have to take care of each other worldwide. Viruses know no political boundaries. As people are still suffering, mankind must lose its suspicions about science and vaccines.”

Irene Ovitt Werner offers that she has “more time with grandkids and much more time with hubby” these days, and she stays busy “reviewing Medicare malpractice cases and volunteering at COVID vaccine clinics and at a horse stable with granddaughter.” Biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “Gratitude and joy in everyday living.” Anne Rogan, MS ’77, retired last August and is now chair of the board of Hunger Solutions New York. She is enjoying “a more relaxed schedule, allowing me to visit friends and family.” Biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “Keep your good friends close.”

Raymond Kase Jr. welcomed his third grandchild, Harrison Forrest, into the world in September 2020. Last July, Raymond went to Key West to enter an Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest—but, alas, did not prevail. Dave Dodson, MD ’80, is an internist and infectious disease specialist in West Palm Beach. Biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “I went through the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and subsequent infectious disease outbreaks. The COVID pandemic has compressed all disease, mortality, fear, human behavior, and societal panic into one year.”

Betsy Schilling Card says, “My life is good. Still working part time doing what I love. I’m a diagnostic radiologist in a breast center. I appreciate my family and friends.” Biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “Choose love, choose joy, choose forgiveness.” Vincent Coggiola reports, “My fiancée, Karen, and I own and operate a Pennsylvania auto tag business.” Vincent enjoys “being with family and playing golf. Fortunately our business did very well during 2020.” Laurie Harris “moved to Texas last April to be near family.” She has a 3-year-old grandson and new granddaughter, and stays busy with math tutoring, a singing group, and walking. Sadly, her spouse passed away last January. Biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “We are very adaptable.”

Last May, Mary Berens, our class VP of archives, “traveled out of state for the first time in 15 months: 7,500-plus miles by train and car! We went round-trip by train from Rochester, NY, to Oregon and California, followed immediately by a road trip from Ithaca to Rhode Island and back home via Albany. In addition to visiting family on both coasts, we enjoyed visits with Barb Johnson (Portland), Ellen Isaacs and Tanis Reid (Los Angeles), Chris DePaolo Baumbach (Chicago), and Laurie Musick Wright ’75 (Watervliet, NY).” Biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “The importance—above all else—of spending time with family and friends, and keeping in touch by phone, Zoom, email, and snail mail with loved ones I’m unable to visit.” Richard Livingston is “now working for Novilux, a biotech startup located in Seattle, WA.” What brings him the most satisfaction in his life? “Flying my glider.”

Please stay safe and continue to keep in touch. ❖ Jim Schoonmaker, js378@cornell.edu; Lucy Babcox Morris, lucmor1433@gmail.com; Molly Miller Ettenger, molly.ettenger@gmail.com. Online news form.

1975

This has been my second summer in a row without going in person to Cornell’s Adult University (CAU), and I really miss it. If you’ve never been, it really is fantastic for adults—and for kids as well; I brought my daughters many times so they could enjoy the kids’ camp, from as early as age 3 until they were 16. I also miss spending a week or two every year at Cornell—and, after last year, add our 45th Reunion to the list. Hopefully this is all behind us soon, and the “third one is the charm.”

Robin Wolaner (robin@wolaner.com) reports, “After 43 years in San Francisco, I moved to what feels like the country—Sausalito.” She sits on boards and helps startups, but the “biggest news is that my son, Terry Castleman, a data journalist at the L.A. Times, was a Pulitzer finalist for explanatory reporting. He shared a byline on ‘The Ocean Game’—the first online game to be so honored, and an engaging way to report about climate change.” Robin’s relationship garners some serious air miles; she and her partner divide their time between her home in Sausalito and his in Kennebunkport, ME. Robin’s daughter has graduated from college, so Robin has “written my last tuition check! At least for a while.” At the recent virtual Cornell Campaign launch, Robin was mentioned in the intro of notable Cornellians, as she conceived and developed Parenting magazine!

Joe and Barbara Shumaker Levitt celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary this summer. Events began with the Fourth of July weekend, when they returned to Cornell and stayed at the Statler, nearly 45 years after they spent their wedding night there! “Campus looked terrific,” says Joe. The couple met Barbara’s apartment-mate and her husband for brunch at the Statler and went out together to Taughannock Falls and saw the magnificent views. Joe retired on June 30 from private law practice at Hogan Lovells and, drawing on his 25 years in various leadership roles at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), plans to start his own leadership coaching practice in the fall, having received certification from the Georgetown U. Inst. for Transformational Leadership (2018) and the International Coaching Federation (2020). Joe and Barbara split time between their home in Potomac, MD, and their vacation home just south of Bethany Beach, DE.

Writing from Teaneck, NJ, Gerald Greene (gkgreene@gmail.com) tells us that he retired last year after a 28-year career at a career and technical education high school. At the same time, he had managed a Kumon Math and Reading Center and also dabbled in rental properties in Upstate New York. Along the way, he has become a certified life coach, specializing in stress management for those going through life transitions, such as loss of employment or divorce. Gerald and his significant other have become good cooks during the pandemic! Gerald has also spent more time visiting with his children and grandchildren. His biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “Science should not be politicized.” In the field of leadership, Winsor Jenkins has just published a book, Game of Teams: Discover How to Become a Collaborative Leader. The book is listed on Amazon.

Judy Cox (jcox@jcoxdesign.com) is a founding member of “Wine Cellar Gals United,” which dates back to fall 1971, when five freshmen collided in the halls of Dickson dorm: Margaret Shull Woodruff, Caryn Goldsamt Margolis, Anita Picozzi Moran, Judy Cox, and Barbara Oliver. Assigned to a basement corridor in the otherwise-men’s half of Dickson, the hall was dubbed the wine cellar, and the name stuck. Flash forward to fall 2021—half a century later!—during the pandemic, the same gals connect every Tuesday night via Zoom. Wine continues to factor in. Over the years, they have gathered in person near their various locales: the coast of Maine, the Hudson Valley, Long Island’s beaches, Washington, DC, and Dallas. Luckily, they squeezed in a 2019 reunion to toast their 65-plus mark, and (fingers crossed, with vaccines long ago completed) they were planning to get away to the Caribbean last October to celebrate 50 years as friends. Collectively, “careers have spanned nutrition, hospital management, teaching, architecture, communications design, and real estate investment. Family stats tally 11 children (including a Cornellian) and 12 grandkids, so far.” As for Judy, she is “retired, or nearly. My energies go to political rallies, environmental action, racial justice advocacy, tutoring ESL, and community fundraising, along with pickleball, kickboxing, triathlons, tennis, and chasing after grandkids. To see a picture of us in 2021, visit our class website!”

The daily life of Karen Lafky Stoufer, DVM ’78 (kstoufer@cvm.org) has definitely changed recently. “Moving cross-country in a pandemic is a unique experience! We drove from Seattle, WA, to Harrisburg, PA, and saw extreme regional differences in the attitudes toward masks and social distancing, for sure!” Karen is still working for Christian Veterinary Mission, based in Seattle, although she now works part time and remotely. She serves on the board of directors for ECHO Global Farm, and at a recent board meeting in Florida, Karen was able to get together with classmate Joanne Werntz, now a surgeon in Florida. They lived together in the old “transfer student” house at 109 Triphammer. What is highly rewarding for Karen? “Both my work with those working internationally through faith-based agricultural outreaches to small-scale farmers in developing countries through veterinary medicine and agriculture, and the privilege of having daily time with our two grandchildren.” And add to this her “brand-new hobby of birdwatching.” Be healthy and safe, everybody. ❖ Mitch Frank, mjfgator@gmail.com; Deb Gellman, dsgellman@hotmail.com; Karen DeMarco Boroff, Karen.boroff@shu.edu; Joan Pease, japease1032@aol.com. Online news form.

1976

Happy and, we hope, healthy New Year to you all! Don Fanelli writes, “Running my dental practice during the pandemic has been a challenge and, in a way, a joy! Obviously the restrictions and requirements we employ to protect our patients and staff are somewhat daunting. But, likewise, I’m grateful for my patient loyalty and trust, enabling us to shut down minimally and then hit the ground running—getting us back to pre-pandemic levels of patient care.” Don and his wife, Donna, live in River Edge, NJ. Don adds, “Loving my three grandchildren. Looking forward to cutting down at work as I introduce a new associate.”

Theodore Casper writes, “Still working as a pulmonary physician for NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group/ColumbiaDoctors/Columbia U. Irving Medical Center. Being a pulmonologist during the pandemic was not exactly how I envisioned winding down my career.” His biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “Science rules!” Sadly, Theodore writes, “My beloved wife of 38 years, Linda, passed away in October 2019. My two grown children are married and live near me. I have two adorable granddaughters who are my joy.” These days, he takes most satisfaction from “family time, breaking free from the stranglehold of the pandemic through vaccination, and rediscovering all the joys that NYC and its environs have to offer.” Our condolences to you, Theodore, and our gratitude to all of you healthcare professionals who have given so much during the pandemic.

From Espanola, ON, Dennis Shepitka (dshepitka@gmail.com) writes, “COVID has kept me at home, which for the most part is where I enjoy being the most. It has, however, cramped my traveling, which I love, and visiting our son for two years (he lives in the US). Haven’t worked for pay for 12 years, but I am enjoying giving back to the community/region as a volunteer.” Dennis’s takeaway from the pandemic is to “cherish your family and friends—the most precious to life!” Philip Worrall and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Tucson. Philip says, “We are a good team and have two grandboys, 6 and 8,” and he notes that he’s “busier than ever and waiting for it to slow down.” His greatest satisfaction comes from “my ties with Unity Church, studying the Way of Mastery and the Course in Miracles. Also pruning and planting.” From the pandemic, Philip takes the lesson “that the world will never be the same again.”

Jeri Frank and her husband, Woody Lane, PhD ’84, live in Roseburg, OR. Jeri writes, “My retirement from 43 years of teaching started at the same time as the pandemic, so I’ve stayed home a lot! I live in the country, so I’m able to jog and talk to my neighbors outside with no problem. My days are happily filled with jogging, reading, cooking, and other household tasks. Our main focus has been staying safe and healthy, and it has been fun to have Zoom visits with friends far and wide. Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I’ve started to see friends in person again—yay! Also, my husband and I booked airline tickets to visit family in Denver—first trip since pre-pandemic. Feeling so grateful for my husband’s and my good health, living in a beautiful place, and having wonderful friends and family.” Jeri’s takeaway from the pandemic: “I’ve learned the importance of gratitude. I’ve always felt this, but the pandemic has made it more important in my life and has clarified its crucial role in my happiness.”

From New York City, Susan Feldman Pollet writes, “I have become a published author of four adult books and one children’s book. I paint daily.” A novel, Through Walter’s Lens, and the children’s book, Juliette Rose’s Dream of Becoming, came out in 2020; see more of Susan’s work here. Her greatest satisfaction comes from “writing, art, my partner, my daughters, and my grandchildren.” Recently, Susan says, “I work creatively more intensely.” And the pandemic has taught her to “live every day as if it were your last. Trite but true.” Elen Feinberg has also been creating, as a studio artist in Albuquerque, NM. See her work here.

Last spring, Frank Foehrkolb, ME ’77, wrote, “I retired from a career as an aerospace engineer in 2015, after working for a number of companies (Boeing, Martin Marietta, Lockheed Martin, GE Aircraft Engines). I fell in love with hiking and camping when I lived in Seattle, so upon retirement in Baltimore I bought a camper van and now spend a lot of the year taking trips. I have kept in touch with a few of my classmates (mainly from U-Hall 5) over the years including Marc Popkin, Wayne Muromoto, Phil Goodman, Neil Perry, Roy Nitzberg, and Eric Lee. Several of us rented a house on Cayuga Lake in 2012 and had a great time. Phil, Roy, and I have met several times in Phil’s hometown of Binghamton (where he retired) and took day trips to Cornell. Cornell and Collegetown have changed so much over the years. I’m not sure that it’s all positive, especially with regard to C’town. It lost the grungy charm it had back in the ’70s, along with our favorite watering holes! Since we couldn’t really get together in 2020, Eric hosted a Zoom call from his home in London, with Roy from Queens, myself from Baltimore, and Marc from New Orleans. With respect to the pandemic, I recently read The Epidemic: A Collision of Power, Privilege, and Public Health, describing the typhoid epidemic that swept through Ithaca and Cornell in 1903. There are many similarities to the current situation. It’s an interesting read and involves a number of Cornell connections. I’m currently reading The Wars Among the Paines by John Millar ’66. Somehow, I managed to get back-to-back Cornell-themed books on my list.”

We all love to read about Cornell connections—so please share your news! ❖ Pat Relf Hanavan, patrelf1@gmail.com; Lisa Diamant, Ljdiamant@gmail.com. Online news form.

1977

Jack Speese III writes that “not much has changed recently.” He and wife Sherri celebrated 41 blessed years of marriage last summer. They couldn’t do much for their 40th because of the pandemic. In spite of the precautions, they both “got the damn virus,” and so did their son. Their daughter-in-law, being a health professional, was one of the first group to get vaccinated, so she didn’t get it, but Jack’s son was sickest of all, even though he’s young and healthy. Jack can’t say that he has learned anything from the pandemic; it has been anything but a pleasant experience. He is semi-retired; he still translates but is also on Social Security. “With so many of the businesses, museums, organizations, parks, etc., closing because of the pandemic, the translation business has been hard hit as well. But we’ve made it through so far, thank the Lord for that.” Jack and Sherri have no grandchildren—but Jack says he’s fortunate to have a lovely daughter-in-law and a wonderful son-in-law.

Jack seriously thought about attending the 40th Reunion but didn’t; assuming things are normal by next spring, he might try to make the 45th. He says, “It would be great to see you again, Howie. I see that you are a very successful doctor, as I knew you would be. It would be great to see other folks too. After graduation in ’77, I haven’t been back to campus, and it would be nice. Nostalgia is a great thing. You remember the good times, the good friends, and the good classes that you enjoyed and got a great deal out of—and you forget the academic pressure, exam time, typing papers, Chemistry 207 (ugh!), and, according to my Horticulture professor Ray Sheldrake, PhD ’52, the four seasons of Ithaca: early winter, mid-winter, late winter, and next winter!” In spite of the weather, Ithaca is a beautiful area, but Jack is glad that he lives in North Augusta, SC, right across the Savannah River from Augusta, GA. It’s really nice down there. He hopes that everyone stays safe. Thank you for the kind words, Jack. We hope that your family has had a full recovery from COVID. When I was at Cornell, I was told that Ithaca had two seasons: winter and July (which, of course, most of us didn’t see since we were off campus then).

Gale Reichhart retired after 38 years in operations management with State Farm Insurance. She has a five-acre horse farm in Loxahatchee, FL, and is a part-time working student for her dressage trainer. Hanging out in the barn with the horses is her best chill time. Gale can’t wait to travel more. During the pandemic, she has learned to cook (with the help of two close friends) and eat at home instead of going out.

Bill Grant writes that he is blessed with ten grandkids, with number 11 on the way. He and Cindy just celebrated their 35th anniversary. They live in Ponte Vedra, FL, six miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Bill is the founder of Grant Realty, which is a boutique real estate investment, asset management, and property management firm. He is active in CAAAN and is a Cornell Club of Greater Jacksonville member. He is also a youth and high school basketball coach. Bill concludes: “Life is good—check that, life is GREAT.”

Deborah Rose, an accomplished author and speaker, writes that Cornell was where she learned to swim, and swimming has hugely helped her stay healthy through the pandemic. (We all had to learn to swim to graduate, and Deborah has identified a benefit to the swimming requirement for all of you doubters.) Being in close contact with friends from Cornell ’77—Judith Silverman Camhi, Helane Asnis Kipnees, and Emy Schobloch Franz—has kept her hopeful when things look bleak. During the pandemic, Deborah’s 16th children’s book, Astronauts Zoom! An Astronaut Alphabet, about living and working on the International Space Station, was published. She is now working on a new raptor rescue story with her co-author of the national award-winning book Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle (which includes back stories about bald eagles from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology). She does virtual author visits to schools nationwide and beyond, and Cornell alums who are teachers, school librarians, or principals are welcome to contact her about visits via her website.

After 37 years in Northern California, Deborah now lives in Maryland with her husband, Kenneth Bogen, an environmental health scientist. Her daughter is an AI policy person for Facebook, and her son has had his first roles in TV and a forthcoming independent feature film. Deborah has received numerous awards and plaudits for her children’s books, which are largely science oriented. This is incredibly important to ensure that future generations are science literate and cognizant. We have seen how not following science can get us into trouble. As Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in NYC, has said: “The good thing about science is that it’s true whether you believe in it or not.” Although not a Cornellian, Dr. Tyson was greatly inspired and heavily recruited by former Cornell professor Carl Sagan, who some of you may remember from taking his course on Astronomy—or in my case, from Dr. Sagan’s many appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” ❖ Howie Eisen, heisen@pennstatehealth.psu.edu; Mary Flynn, maryflynn1@me.com. Online news form.

1978

As one might expect at our life stage, we’re starting to receive more news about children and grandchildren than about our classmates themselves! However, we are also hearing about other exciting and rewarding endeavors and are happy to share it all with you.

After 20 years of writing plays and short fiction, Mark Levenson is about to achieve a longtime goal: Level Best Books is publishing his novel, The Hidden Saint, in February. In his description Mark writes, “The novel takes readers to a world they’ve never encountered before: a world in which the vast sweep of Jewish myth and magic is completely real. This is the backdrop for the story of the very human people who live in it. It’s a story about a couple’s quest to save their children, about a marriage’s fall and rise, and about the intersection of free will and fate in a world that yearns for justice.” The best part of writing the book, said Mark, is dedicating it to his deserving family. Mark would be glad to hear from fellow Cornellians in Westchester County, NY.

Jim Gordon had a lot of good news to share. He writes that, despite his share of emotional heartache and career setbacks in life, the pandemic has made him realize how fortunate he is, and for that, he is grateful. Both kids and their families had mild cases of COVID-19. After slogging through a part-time MBA program, Jim entered the financial services industry, ultimately becoming a senior operations manager for a large Boston-based global custodian. He eventually quit back-office operations and started a consulting firm doing program and project management for systems implementations. Jim’s wife of 40-plus years recently retired from teaching eighth-grade history, a career that brought her joy every day. Their older daughter, who, while growing up, “told us she was going to live as far away as possible, now lives across the street with her husband and 10-year-old son!” Their younger daughter, who lives an hour away, is expecting her third daughter. The two things Jim misses most these days are traveling and singing. While at Cornell, he sang in the Glee Club and the Hangovers and did an occasional Savoyards performance (“which might explain my rather lackluster academic career,” he jokes). For the last 20 years he’s been singing with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops chorus. He sends all the best to the Class of ’78 alums!

Nikki Wolfe is living in D.C. and teaching neurosciences at GW. She mentioned that she just came across an old photo from the Cornell Daily Sun of her sleeping in the library during study week. Seeing that photo on the cover came as quite a surprise to Nikki, since no one ever told her they took it! Lori Rothman has spent the pandemic “working, working, working!” She shares the global sensory director’s job at Diageo, UK, and consults in the areas of sensory and consumer science. Lori looks forward to cutting her work hours and resuming her travel passion when it’s safe.

Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld is a professor and associate dean of faculty affairs in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis U. He teaches in one of the world’s leading social impact MBA programs and leads research on agile institutions at a time of accelerating technological change. Joel previously served as dean of the School of Labor and Employment Relations at U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He and his wife are most proud of their two sons: Gabe ’11 is the co-founder and president of Demand Analytics, serving professional baseball and football teams; and Aaron is the Minor League catching coordinator for the New York Yankees.

Life is good, according to Matt Sadinsky, who expanded his international executive search firm PReP Intl to include cities, utilities, and infrastructure. He recently helped the City of San Jose hire a leader to develop a full-scale microgrid with Google, noting: “Smart cities are here!” Matt is also helping to bring career guidance to high school students, and enjoying beach time at Oak Island, NC, in the warmer months. His son is pursuing music and life in the Big Apple and all four daughters are doing well. Matt’s twin grandsons recently turned six, and his nephew Joshua Sadinsky ’19 just finished his MFA at CalArts and is headed to Taiwan on a Fulbright scholarship.

Stephen Kesselman, JD ’81, retired from practicing law in August 2018, precisely 40 years after starting law school. His son Sam ’22 is studying public policy and is completing his term as president of ZBT, their shared fraternity. His son Ross graduated Union College and is working on Wall Street, and his daughter Rose is a junior at GW, studying public health. Pam Marrone retired as CEO of her company, Marrone Bio Innovations (NASDAQ: MBII), in August 2020 and is now busy advising several ag-tech and healthcare startups, six of which were founded by women. She also joined the board of directors of 180 Life Sciences (NASDAQ: ATNF), which has an amazing pipeline of anti-arthritis and anti-inflammatory drugs. Pam says she misses her trips to Ithaca and NYC for Cornell Board of Trustees meetings, having termed out of her alumni-elected trustee role.

Retiring from her longtime position as a state veterinarian was a big change for Pepi Leids, DVM ’82. She is maintaining her veterinary license, keeping up with veterinary medicine, and working with local municipalities doing rabies vaccination clinics. Pepi gains additional satisfaction from her friendships and doing dog agility with her pups. Her biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “It didn’t have to happen. The NIH should have been well-funded. It’s ironic that we have coronavirus vaccines for dogs and cats!” One retirement wasn’t enough for Morris Wallack, who left HP after 34 years in 2015. In 2017 he became VP of global sales operations for 3D Systems based in Rock Hill, SC. Since 2019 he’s been an active mentor and coach to small businesses and startups in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area. Morris and his family moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to North Carolina in 2005, landing in Chapel Hill, and they have called Durham, NC, home since 2016. His two grown daughters, Grace and Eve, have steady jobs in law and communication design, respectively, while his wife, Sue, is a marketing and branding consultant focused on serving nonprofits across the country.

Karen Wilk Rubin is enjoying retirement in the Florida sun and surf. Since COVID restrictions were lifted in that state, she has also been enjoying the local casinos and restaurants—fully armed with the vaccine and masks, of course!

Apologies if we were not able to include your news in this issue; we received such a great response, we had to hold onto some so as not to exceed the allotted word count! There is no deadline for sending items our way, so keep them coming. In addition to the emails or forms that come in the mail, you can now submit news via the online news form on the new, digital-first alumni publication, Cornellians. And while you’re here on the website, take a look at the “Alumni Community” and other interactive features. Cindy and I still love hearing from you, so you can also contact us directly at: ❖ Ilene Shub Lefland, Ilene.lefland@gmail.com; Cindy Fuller, cindy@cindyjfuller.com.

1979

Greetings! Julie DeRose retired in 2019 and has moved to the Lake Las Vegas community in Henderson, NV.

James Tenser (tenser5@comcast.net) and his wife, Valerie Propst, are living in Tucson, AZ. His firm, VSN Strategies, is marking its 20th year. James continues to “ply his craft” as a B2B marketing adviser and “expert storyteller for hire.” James writes, “The work can be technical, but it matches up nicely with my Cornell studies—pre-engineering and English composition. Good copywriting is like poetry; I believe my advisor, the late A.R. Ammons, would agree.” James has been using a home office since 1998, so the pandemic isolation generally didn’t feel all that different to him. Since September 2021 he has been able to return to limited business travel.

In the past few years, James has picked up the hobby of desert gardening and xeriscaping, which he describes as “my island of satisfaction—made more meaningful during COVID.” He has a nursery in the backyard where he propagates agave, prickly pear, saguaro, desert bird of paradise, succulents, and other plants native to the Sonoran Desert. James says that he gets a great deal of satisfaction from his past four years as a volunteer fundraiser for the Tucson chapter of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Lastly, James gets much happiness from his grandchildren!

After many years spent splitting their time between Manhattan and East Hampton, David Steward (davidhsteward@gmail.com) and his husband, Pierre, have purchased a farm in the Hudson Valley. At their new location, David and Pierre are getting seriously into “farm life.” They have been raising beef cattle, alpaca, ducks, Guineafowl, and chickens for both meat and eggs. During 2021, they began raising turkeys as well. They are enjoying the experience and are pleased to note that one of their first customers was David’s good friend Eric Maffei ’80. David is a music lover and missed attending live performances during COVID-19. He is now making up for lost time by going to Tanglewood this past summer and has been traveling during fall 2021 to Bard College for the Orchestra Now performances. Next up: a robust season of music at Carnegie Hall, the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Albany Symphony!

Seth Agata, JD ’82 (sethagata@gmail.com) writes, “I’m thrilled to go back to my ILR roots by returning to Albany and being named executive director and counsel to the Police Benevolent Assn. of New York State, the state employee union that represents police officers employed by the State University of New York, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation, and the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. It is great to work for labor.” Seth’s wife, Gail, has retired from working for the NYS Assembly and is finding joy in Pilates, hiking, and volunteering to read for the vision impaired. Seth and Gail both treasure spending time with their son, Adam ’10, who lives in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Seth writes that watching Adam grow into a fine young man brings him the most satisfaction in his life these days. Seth also shared that his biggest takeaway from the pandemic is “learning to appreciate how good my life is and what a wonderful place I live in—Kinderhook, NY.”

We urge you to share what is happening in your lives. Wishing everyone a healthy and safe 2022. Please send your news to: ❖ Cindy Ahlgren Shea, Cindy.Shea01@gmail.com; Linda Moses, Lindakmoses@gmail.com; Danna Levy, DannaGOA@gmail.com. Online news form.

Back to the top

1980s

1980

Has it gotten weird enough for you? I’ve had my fill, but I’m sure the Vortex of Doom isn’t done with us yet. Plagues, insurrection, fires, floods, locust invasions, earthquakes, cyclones—how much more can there be? Uh-oh. Look outside. Is that an asteroid?

Matthew Adler, a law professor at George Washington U., has written the second edition of Arbitration: Cases, Problems, and Practice, which has been published by Carolina Academic Press. According to a press release announcing the publication, the updated text reflects numerous legal and societal changes in the past five years that are not covered in any other arbitration casebook. These changes include the impact of the #MeToo movement on arbitration clauses in sexual harassment cases; the continued battle over arbitrator diversity, spearheaded by the entertainer Jay Z’s 2018 petition alleging discrimination in the American Arbitration Assn.’s arbitrator rosters; and the new “Prague Rules” in international arbitration, by which Eastern European and Russian lawyers advocate for less discovery and more arbitrator control.

Peter Chametzky writes that he is still a professor of art history at the U. of South Carolina, as is his spouse, Susan Felleman ’81. During their undergrad days they interned at the Johnson Museum of Art, where they worked full time after graduation. The MIT Press just published Peter’s latest book, Turks, Jews, and Other Germans in Contemporary Art, an examination of multicultural visual art in Germany. The book was the runner-up in the art history category for the Hans and Lea Grundig Prize in 2021.

Speaking of the Johnson Museum, when your correspondent (Dik Saalfeld) was a strapping young lad, at the request of a professor he carried a heavy bust up a flight of stairs in Goldwin Smith Hall, straining not to drop it and thereby break his foot and, incidentally, the bust. Years later he came across it again, this time in the Johnson Museum, where he was not allowed to get within three feet of it. Apparently, it is a priceless treasure from antiquity. Also apparently, someone cleaned off the residue from the Moon Pie he had been eating prior to hauling that sucker up four billion steps.

Chiaki Tanuma, MPS ’80 (c-tanuma@siren.ocn.ne.jp) writes from Japan that he is president and CEO of Green House Group, and that they are opening a new hotel in Ginza, Tokyo. He says, “I hope my Cornell friends come to visit at the Hotel Grand Bach Tokyo Ginza.” Chiaki makes a point to take long, daily walks. He’s also an international director for the National Restaurant Assn., as well as executive councilor for the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He served as chairman of the Japan Food Service Assn., a leading association in the restaurant food service industry.

Will Dickerson, PhD ’92 (wwd2@cornell.edu) has a new book to his name, The Fingerprint of God: Reflections on Love and Its Practice. The book is published by Wipf and Stock and is currently available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats at various outlets. Will lives in Budapest.

Dan Simpkins, ME ’81, and his spouse, Irene, are designing their dream home. Groundbreaking was scheduled for the fall. His company, Domusys, is “an advanced AI technology startup developing a unique (and remarkably cool) solution for the smart home.” Dan refers to it as a “stealth startup,” but says it will become much better known when it launches its product later this year. Dan and Irene report that their daughter, Nina ’19, returned to post-pandemic life in New York City, and they miss her. Theo, the Simpkinses’ canine, keeps order in the household. Post-pandemically, Dan wishes that humanity would row in the same direction, where amazing things can happen; if we row willy nilly, we revert to our baser selves.

Priscilla Rellas Scoco shares the sad news of the passing of her husband and best friend, David, who died peacefully in his sleep in March 2021. David was a past president of the National Assn. of Concessionaires and formed his own consultancy, Creative Concession Concepts.

The mayor of the picturesque Town of Leeds, UT, is none other than our own Wayne Peterson (Wayne.D.Peterson@infowest.com). The buzzing metropolis of Leeds, population 893, doesn’t have light rail or a subway, but it has some fine 19th-century homes, which is practically Etruscan in Utah terms. Wayne and his wife, Karen (Schmidt) ’83, enjoy the stunning diversity of Southern Utah, which includes many national and state parks, such as Zion, Bryce Canyon, Quail Creek, and Snow Canyon. The area has the longest growing season in Utah, and produces abundant harvests of fruit and sorghum, among other crops. One of Wayne’s majors at Cornell was math, and he wrote that his post-pandemic epiphany is that math makes more sense than myth.

Nayla Rizk lives with her husband, Bob Tarjan, in the Bay Area of California, where they enjoy the company of their blended family’s wee ones, namely their four grandchildren, all of whom are younger than 3. Nayla got in her share of walking during the pandemic; she also gardened and cooked. Bob kept teaching his Princeton classes via Zoom.

I see that Mickey’s hands are on the 4 and 16, and that once again it’s medication time and I must bid you a fond something or other. Try to make the world a better place, classmates. Pay your dues, get your shots, eat a peach. ❖ Dik Saalfeld, rfs25@cornell.edu; Chas Horvath, chas@horvaths.org; David Durfee, drd225@cornell.edu; Leona Barsky, LLB39@cornell.edu. Online news form.

1981

Well, 2021 has come to a close! I know many of us are excited to ring in a New Year and start fresh. There must be something good that I have learned from this all…. More time with my family (Russ, Ella, and Brayden). Check. Remote work for Hadassah as an annual giving officer and raising record dollars. Check. Doing more Zooms than ever with all. Check. But we all miss seeing one another!

I was fortunate enough to attend a send-off in NYC for one of my roomies, Patti Cohen. She is headed to London as the next global economics correspondent for the New York Times! Gail Einbender Jacobson (Heber City, UT), Sandi Goldstein Karlin (Valatie, NY), Janet Ellison Pearsall (Oceanside, NY), and I (Delray Beach, FL) got together on a beautiful October day. We dined, chatted, walked through Central Park, had dinner, and went to see SIX, the Broadway show. We shared so many laughs and conversations that by the end my head was spinning. Our friendships go back to our freshman year in U-Hall 3! We have weathered all kinds of life events and we were so delighted to be with one another again. It always goes too quickly, but at least now we know that our next reunion will be in London! We did indeed miss Andrea Glick and Audrey Haddad Perrotti. By the way, Audrey is now a grandmother—not just once but twice over! Her son and his wife had twins! Lucky mama.

I also got together with Camille Lepre ’85 in Miami, and we saw the interactive Van Gogh exhibit. How fun it was to draw our own painting and have it projected on a big screen! We topped off our day by going out to Truluck’s and catching up. In Miami, Glad Margarita Diaz, MArch ’82, is working on a project with Joseph Lubeck ’78 and his daughter Rachel ’12. Joseph owns American Landmark Apartments and approved Glad’s proposal to create an artist-in-residence program at his properties. The residents loved the program—it has helped them cope with the isolation of COVID lockdown. Another Floridian, in the north end of the state, Jeff Gottlieb tells us that as a professor at the U. of North Florida, he returned to the classroom this fall after 18 months of online instruction. He is glad to be back teaching, but he’s a little concerned due to the lack of vaccine or mask mandates. Jeff celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary with his wife, Rachelle, in Jacksonville. He is happy that son Alex has followed in his footsteps, becoming a CPA in KPMG’s Jacksonville office.

Kevin Kranen, ME ’83, tells us that he has gone back to work because his wife, Kathryn, is the new CEO of conDati, a data analytics company. Kevin is head of agency alliances for conDati, charged with building business relationships with digital marketing agencies. The couple celebrated their 25th anniversary with a fun gig with 20 people in the Russian River wine country! How fabulous, all around. John Hoffman produced a National Geographic film called Fauci, which is now streaming on Disney+. It was obvious how much time and effort this film took to put together; you can learn more here. Paula Kaplan-Reiss is a psychologist who specializes in infertility. She was recently on an episode of Lifetime’s “Beyond the Headlines”—a documentary series that explores the subject matter of Lifetime original movies—in an episode titled “Switched Before Birth.” Paula also put together a moving program with author Dani Shapiro, who spoke about her latest memoir, Inheritance. I had the privilege of watching it on Zoom and it was terrific. Paula has obviously been quite busy! Hollywood is calling. Speaking of which, Lori Balton was working on a Stephen King adaptation in Connecticut, where she visited with fellow Cornellians Meredith Vanden Handel, Liz Orfan, and Karen Kane, BS ’83. See this recent story about Lori in Cornellians! She is scouting on a new Netflix project directed by Jerry Seinfeld. Congrats on all these great pieces of work!

Ellen Wolaner is empty nesting in Minneapolis and testing the retirement waters. She is looking to relocate somewhere with a more moderate climate within the year. She is busy with nonprofit board work and activism for police reform and racial equity in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the riots. We send our prayers to Laura Anne Walker, who shared the news of the loss of her brother, Lance. Laura is still doing art and has made 40–50 pieces since quarantine began. Claudia Bloom is surfing away and spends her Sundays scouting. She was recently featured in a New York Times article. Jordan Strub spent a month in Sedona this fall. How lucky is he?

Alison Feist Steiner got together with some friends in Skaneateles to celebrate our class Reunion! She works in environmental consulting in L.A. and Miami—still doing the bi-coastal trips! On the college front, Lisa Freeman, MS/DVM ’86, recently received a contract extension to continue serving as president of Northern Illinois U. “She has led NIU through this unprecedented public health crisis and positioned the university to emerge stronger and even more focused on the university’s long-term sustainability,” said the NIU board chair. “The board has full trust and confidence in President Freeman, her vision, and her ability to advance the university’s goals.”

Please stay in touch and send me your news! Don’t forget—I’m always interested in what’s going on with you and yours. Make sure to join our Facebook page. Stay safe and be well. ❖ Betsy Silverfine, bsilverfine@comcast.net. Online news form.

1982

Happy New Year to our classmates and families! Our 40th Reunion is scheduled for June 9–12, and we are happy to have a message from our Reunion co-chairs this month. Thanks to Teri Williams Harvey, Terry Kilmer Oosterom, and Juliet Kolm Gibbs on all of their work for so many years planning our Big Red fun!

“Greetings from your Reunion co-chairs. The class hosted a cautious Homecoming tailgate party in October, complete with masks and distancing. It was great to see some of you in person! Our own Ithaca Fire Chief Tom Parsons stopped by, as well as our class affinity chair, Sharon Lieberman, who is now living in Ithaca. Seeing them and others who were in attendance made us even more excited about seeing all of you in June at our 40th.

“Reunion planning is well underway and it’s going to be fantastic! Our class headquarters will be in Keeton House, a beautiful, new, air-conditioned West Campus dorm. Mark Reunion on your calendars now and be sure that your contact information is updated at CornellConnect so you’ll receive our Reunion communications. Reach out now to your freshman hallmates, friends from Marching Band, athletic teammates, and fraternity brothers and sorority sisters and encourage them to meet you back on the Hill next June! Questions? Email us at CornellClassof1982@gmail.com.” ❖ Nina Kondo, nmk22@cornell.edu; Doug Skalka, dskalka@npmlaw.com; and Mark Fernau, mef29@cornell.edu. Online news form.

1983

Greetings, Class of 1983! Thank you for the super updates this cycle. It’s fun to have our news submissions online, which makes it easy for our classmates to check in. Please keep on sending. And let’s all get geared up for our fabulous next class Reunion, the 40th, in 2023!

Nice to hear from Barb Warner Deane (barb@barbwarnerdeane.com). In May 2021, Barb and husband Christopher moved from their home in the Chicago suburbs to Geneva, NY. Barb was able to retire in October 2021 and Chris continues to work remotely (when he isn’t traveling), so they now live permanently in the Finger Lakes area, closer to family. Barb writes, “I’ve mostly been moving in and getting settled, but am looking forward to writing my next novel, volunteering at the library and with other worthy groups, getting to know Geneva, and visiting friends and family. We’ve already visited Chris’s family on Cape Cod and our youngest daughter in New York City, and we are seeing much more of my sisters, who all live nearby. Our daughters have spent more time with us since the start of COVID, with our oldest buying a vacation home only ten minutes from our new home, on Seneca Lake. She splits her time between Seattle and Romulus, and we love seeing her more often. Our middle daughter’s work continues to be remote, so she is still living with us. She is working on her applications for PhD programs, including one to the Johnson School. Our youngest is also still working remotely, but she’s living on the Upper East Side and enjoying life in NYC.”

Great to receive news from Jane Serling, who is “enjoying the good life in San Diego” with husband Neil. What brings Jane the most satisfaction? “Watching our kids grow up and move on—and being a grandmother! It is wonderful.” Their youngest child has left home and is a freshman at UC San Diego. During the past COVID year, Jane spent much of her time “in a bubble” in Boston with her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchild. It certainly inspired Jane’s new hobby, making quilts for babies!

Sherrie Nachman reports that several years ago she started a new position as the risk management director for KPMG’s deal advisory contracts group. “It is a great way to use my law degree without actually working as a lawyer.” Sherrie is also a Forbes contributor, focusing on travel. Her twin boys just started college and one is attending Cornell. “It was so much fun to go back this summer and hang out on the Quad.”

John Bohenick (jbohenick@mac.com) writes from his home in Tampa, FL, where he resides with his wife, Kimberly. John and Kim split time between Florida and their cottage on Higgins Lake in Michigan. He provides consultancy services through Bohenick LLC, for business development, mergers and acquisitions, etc. John also partners with Hidden Harbor Capital Partners for Cloyes Gear & Products Inc. and works with a medical startup company related to 3D imaging. John and Kim’s three sons are all graduated from college and in the early years of their working careers: John in Texas (R&D/engineering manager for medical devices), Zach in Michigan (head of product strategy for a Ford X startup company), and Ben in Florida (marketing/film media consultancy). John enjoys “staying close, but not too close, to our three boys as their business careers and personal life journeys continue and mature, and staying very close to my wife as we continue our journey through life.” Most satisfying is “seeing all of the family healthy and happy.” Florida has been good to John. He’s “spending more and more time bicycling and playing golf—and getting better at the hobby that does not have a ball!”

Susan Lomega sends greetings to the class. “The first few months of 2020 were a bit complicated as I had just accepted a full-time position with a tourism company and our entire agenda for the rest of the year was canceled. However, I have been able to build up my online teaching activity. I’m kept busy with groups and individual students most days of the week, so things are looking up!”

Great to hear news from John Weir, MBA ’84. John is very proud of spouse Iris Sunshine, who, as executive director of the Children’s Law Center of Central North Carolina, helped lead their recent record fundraising event. The center does the important work of providing top legal advocacy to children on issues of domestic violence, custody cases, and public education. John and Iris both celebrated their recent 60th birthdays with a whirlwind RV adventure out West with kids and significant others. They picked up a 32-ft. RV in Las Vegas and managed to somehow find a campground on the Vegas Strip—really! Highlights included waterskiing on Lake Mead, hiking down the Grand Canyon, a dawn balloon flight over Sedona, and canyoneering with river boots and walking sticks in the Narrows in Zion National Park. Another highlight of the trip was rousing the crew at 4 a.m. for a stellar sunrise at Mather Point in the Grand Canyon.

John also wanted to send a shout-out to those who joined in on the 2021 “Tousey Fest” in Frisco, CO, the hometown of Hotelie George Tousey and wife Lisa, who have run the famous Deli Belly’s restaurant for 25 years. Attendees, in addition to George and John, included Pat Burke, Dan Carlucci, Dick Cornell, Pete Dalldorf, Dave Davis, Neil Donovan, Scott Miller, CJ Berry ’81, Kevin Grandin ’82, and Bill Johnson ’82. No rest for the weary, they spent the weekend biking, hiking, fly fishing, pontoon boating, sailing, playing euchre, and enjoying “adult beverages.”

Lastly, we heard from Scott Miller, who recently retired and is enjoying time with wife Kelley in South Carolina “looking out at the gorgeous mountains.” Kudos to Scott for volunteering to help organize ATO’s Class of ’83 participation at the upcoming Cornell ATO 135th anniversary celebration weekend to be held July 21–24, 2022 in Ithaca. The event was made possible by a substantial gift from the estate of ATO brother Harold MacPhillamy 1932, MS ’33. Scott says he loves and respects all his ATO brothers and can’t wait to see them all at the big bash! ❖ Stewart Glickman, stewartglickman@gmail.com; Tom Helf, tomhelf@aol.com; Jon Felice, jbfelice@jbfelice.com. Online news form.

1984

Ok, folks, here is our latest news. Jim Perkins (japfaa@rit.edu) shares that he was named distinguished professor in the College of Health Sciences and Technology at Rochester Inst. of Technology (RIT). Also, he received RIT’s Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching. Though he received this award in 2020, the official presentation was canceled that year due to the pandemic. The awards were bestowed during a virtual presentation in April 2021, which can be viewed here. Heartfelt congratulations!

Ken Yanagisawa became the new president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO–HNS) and its foundation on October 6, 2021. Ken will serve a one-year term leading the academy’s nearly 13,000 members who specialize in the treatment of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. Ken shares, “Serving as the president of the AAO–HNS is the highlight of my professional career. It is a distinct honor and profound privilege to guide our academy’s dedicated members, physician leadership teams, and staff toward resolutions to the mounting challenges in the medical field including the continued perils of the COVID-19 pandemic and the escalating hurdles that confront medical providers in their mission to provide excellent patient care.” Ken has practiced at Southern New England Ear, Nose, Throat & Facial Plastic Surgery Group since 1993 and has served as the managing partner since 2015. After graduating from Cornell, he received his medical degree from the U. of Connecticut School of Medicine. Ken makes our class very proud!

Beth Isaacs Wonski (bwonski@yahoo.com) recently began a new role at Burlington Stores as SVP of merchandise operations. She is excited to be part of a different area of the business, particularly as Burlington continues its growth trajectory. She also shared that she moved last year during COVID and has been working remotely. She says, “It’s nice to once-in-a-while leave the house from semi-quarantine!” Surely many other remote workers can empathize with her there!

The Class of ’84 was happy to host several other classes in the virtual event “Give My Regards to Dancing” in mid-October 2021. There were over 175 registered for the event and about 90 showed up (that’s about par for the course for our Zoom events). It was an incredible journey down memory lane, and I’m sure that everyone learned something they did not know about Uncle Ezra and the development of Cornell through its dancing traditions. It was a fun and informative session with great pictures—from formal balls to Greek parties to popular dancing establishments like the Haunt and the North Forty, plus memories of dances on campus like Victory Club, the disco-dancing parties at ILC, the Tacky Club, and others. Corey Earle ’07 did a fantastic job. The class thanks Carol Leister and Mark Salzberg for organizing yet another virtual event for our classmates and the other classes of the 1980s that joined us. We also thank our class president, John Toohey, and our class council for helping make this event a reality. Let there be many more!

And thus, our journey continues as we grow wiser through the years. Get psyched for our 40th Reunion in 2024 (already … time flies)! Now that we are publishing online, we must make an extra effort to pay our dues. With Reunion in less than three short years, the event truly depends significantly on your generosity toward the greatest class Cornell has ever seen! We count on you.

We want to hear from you! Remember to send your news to your class correspondent or through the online news form. ❖ José Nieves, jmn12@cornell.edu.

1985

October 2021. It’s Halloween night as I write this. We live in a neighborhood that has 30 houses and only a few have trick-or-treat-aged children—so we buy the candy, but we end up eating it ourselves. I miss taking my son trick-or-treating. It’s a night filled with excitement and pure joy for kids: pretending to be your favorite superhero or a scary monster running from house to house, getting a handful of candy in your bag, bucket, or pillowcase, and taking off to the next one hoping to see your favorite candy bar in full size. A night when you forget what you are, who you are, for a few hours—laughing and joking with your friends and being rewarded with candy. I can’t think of a better way for everyone to spend tonight. We needed this—a day to forget all the stress and frustration, fear, anger, and anxiety and to be carefree. Here’s hoping your holiday season provided some peace and comfort as well.

Curtis Wells “CW” Dewey, DVM ’89, has been given the 2021 NYSVMS Outstanding Service to Veterinary Medicine award. This award honors “an individual who, through his efforts in education, research, practice, or some veterinary related occupation, significantly contributed to the advancement and improvement of veterinary medicine in New York State.” Congratulations, Curtis! Christian Silge has retired early to West Palm Beach, FL! He is “working” on boating, traveling, and nonprofit board work. From the pandemic, Christian’s biggest takeaway is, “Life is short—enjoy what you have today.” Great insight.

Joey Contreras has a new book out, Sunday Morning Coming Down, from Amazon publishing. Shaz Kahng also has a book out. Her second novel in the Ceiling Smashers Series, Smashers Synched, is available on Amazon.com in paperback and e-book formats. It is a “fast-paced novel about women in business struggling to succeed in a man’s world.” I am all about shattering the glass ceiling—will have to check out your book!

Mike Nash (mikenash@mikenash.com) and wife Carolyn have been living in Seattle for over 30 years! Mike writes, “COVID, while insanely tough for all involved, did have the silver lining of allowing me to work from home after spending the previous seven years traveling almost weekly for work.” Mike has enjoyed spending time with his family. His oldest son is a sophomore at Syracuse U., and Mike and his wife are currently focused on getting their high school senior and junior launched to college. Risa Mish, JD ’88 (rmm22@cornell.edu) was deeply honored to be the inaugural co-recipient, with Prof. Dong Lai, PhD ’94, of the Provost Award for Teaching Excellence in Graduate and Professional Degree Programs. See this Cornell Chronicle article for more information. Risa tells us she’s excited to be teaching at our alma mater!

The following info is from our class Facebook page: Robert Mack and Andrew Meltzer each report they are taking better care of their oral health, making sure to floss daily (or maybe they are dancing more … not sure). Tom Kwiat writes, “I’m not dead yet. I feel happy, I feel happy. I think I’ll go for a walk.” We all need to tell ourselves we are happy these days. Keep it up, Tom! Artist Stuart Sheldon has been creating “activist art.” You may have seen some of his billboards for 2018’s For Freedoms: 50 States, 50 Billboards Initiative. You can see an article about him here. Very interesting!

I sincerely hope everyone is doing well these days. I feel that we are taking either baby steps forward, or two steps forward and then one back. We need to keep our heads about us. Be wise with your health. Find something each day that makes you happy and remember it—or something or someone that makes you smile, makes getting out of bed and getting to work (or whatever it is you do during the day) worthwhile. A woman whose father lives where I work ends all her emails with, “May your days be filled with unexpected blessings.” I wish this for all of you, my fellow Cornellians. ❖ Joyce Zelkowitz Cornett, cornett0667@comcast.net. Online news form.

1986

Our classmates are on the move again, literally and figuratively! We heard from some who are finally able to hold long-delayed reunions with friends. Hope Haskell Jones writes that she just hung out with Stephanie Maxwell Pierson, Robin Subsick Robertson, and Theresa Anderson Doherty at the Jets/Patriots game at Gillette Stadium. “I moved from NYC to Martha’s Vineyard and am still baking and the owner of Baking for Good,” says Hope.

Other ’86 classmates to make a post-pandemic move are Clarkson ’85 and Laura Nieboer Hine. They recently left the Windy City behind and relocated to Brooklyn. Clarkson is the SVP of corporate communications and public affairs at Beam Suntory, and Laura is busy with her freelance writing career. This move happily brings them closer to their sons, Sam ’15 and Nick, who are located in NYC, and daughter Emmie, who is in Boston.

We received the news that Steve Getman’s work, on behalf of New York’s Schuyler County, to hold three major drug distributors responsible for contributing to the opioid crisis, was successful. The drug companies will pay the county up to $546,000 to settle the claims. According to Steve, the settlement funds can be used for a variety of purposes, including “supporting police and first responders, treating opioid addiction, and funding social services and similar anti-drug efforts.”

We also heard that Margaret “Peg” Bolce Brivanlou’s good work is being recognized. She was named a finalist for Patent Strategy Attorney of the Year for New York by LMG Life Sciences. Peg is a member of Ballard Spahr’s intellectual property department and its life sciences and technology group, as well as the firm’s patents practice. She is a licensed patent attorney and experienced IP counselor who represents biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and institutions in the full range of patent matters, including patent prosecution and portfolio development and management. She also advises investment funds and other clients on the intellectual property aspects of transactions, including licensing and transfer of technology and other assets and interparty matters. With a doctorate in molecular biology, she focuses her practice on biologics and small molecule therapeutics.

Jeff Biederman (“CJ” to his college friends) recently joined global law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP’s entertainment and media practice in Los Angeles. Jeff works with artists, entrepreneurs, and companies in the areas of music, television, film, digital media, fashion and branding, and advertising.

Julie Bick Weed penned a series of seven work-from-home advice columns for the New York Times business section over the pandemic years and has recently been covering travel topics for the paper. She’s also enjoying serving as the president of the local Cornell alumni club in Seattle and as a peer advisor for other alumni club presidents. She suggests we all check out In Security, Ed Schwarzschild’s new literary novel/thriller. Ed is also the author of The Family Diamond (a story collection) and Responsible Men (a novel), and he directs the creative writing program at the U. at Albany.

Eve Saltman writes from Burlingame, CA, “My husband and I are empty nesters as of September 2021 with our daughter going off to the engineering school at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. I think about her enjoying school in the beautiful central coast of California, and the ability to bike, hike, and swim (in the two beautiful outdoor pools on campus) year-round. Makes me wish I could go back to school! Also, I went to our virtual Reunion this year and was inspired to join the 1986 class council. It’s a great group and I’m already excited for the next Reunion (the big 4-0!), which will be in-person and awesome! I’m still at GoPro, incredibly busy as SVP, corporate and business development, chief legal officer, and secretary—it’s a lot of different hats to wear but it’s fun. I was recently included in San Francisco Business Times’s list of the ‘100 Most Influential Women in Business’ in the Bay Area. It was an honor to be included among an incredible group of women, and the (of course) virtual award ceremony was a pretty cool event that included inspiring short videos from each awardee.”

And, lastly, a word from our new class president, Dina Lewisohn Shaw: “I have been active in class activities as Reunion chair since our 10th Reunion. It has been my great pleasure to serve with my dear friends Lisa Hellinger Manaster and Katie Roth Boyar. This year I took over the role of president of our class. I am working with our class council to reinvigorate our class after COVID. If anyone would like to get involved, please let me know at dinalshaw@gmail.com. We are also planning cocktail parties to be hosted around the country on Thursday, April 28. If you would like to host one in your area, let me know. We will add you to our list.”

What a great way for us to stay connected locally with members of our class! Mark your calendars and watch for more information on an event in your neighborhood as we get closer to the date. ❖ Lori Spydell Wagner, loriwagner86@gmail.com; Michael Wagner, mwagner123@gmail.com; Toby Goldsmith, toby.goldsmith@gmail.com. Online news form.

1987

Heidi Heasley Ford’s son Peter ’20 graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences in December 2020. On Heidi’s father’s side, Peter is a fourth-generation Cornellian, and on her mother’s side, he is fifth-generation. Heidi’s maternal great-grandfather, Charles McGavern, graduated in 1887 (yes, a century before Heidi). Unfortunately, her father, Dave Heasley ’59, passed away two months before Peter’s graduation ceremony.

Veerendra “Veve” Lele, an associate professor of anthropology at Denison U. in Granville, OH, has been appointed to the US Fulbright National Committee for Ireland for a three-year term. Veve was a Fulbright scholar himself and said he is happy to be involved at an official level, helping to select the next group of scholars to Ireland. In September, DKB, an accounting and business-advisory firm based in Rochester, NY, announced that it hired Chris Modesti for the newly created position of executive vice president. Chris will oversee the firm’s operations, administration, and strategy and growth.

Randi Fuhr Carmichael wrote to share the unfortunate news that both of her in-laws passed away in 2020, separated by a few months. They were both Cornell professors. Her mother-in-law, Mary Mueller Carmichael, PhD ’61, taught in the College of Human Ecology, and her father-in-law, Leland “Skip” Carmichael, PhD ’59, taught virology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Randi says they continue to be sorely missed.

Marjorie Kramer wrote to say that she is finally seeing the end to the dystopia of 2019–21. She was diagnosed with lymphoma in the middle of 2019, which she said needed “a LOT of chemo and a stem-cell transplant to beat down.” Unfortunately, all of her treatment “wrapped up just in time for the pandemic to take hold.” She added, “As an early adopter to mask wearing—the treatments killed my immune system—I felt comfort in people understanding the mask requirement.” Marjorie said she would never have gotten through it all without the connections made by Tri Delta sisters Aruna Inalsingh ’86, Heidi Tobler Sakanaka ’85, Linda Hock Hills, Rise LeBlanc Wilson ’85, Cathy Slade Wolfe, and Heidi Ford, as well as other fellow Cornellians. Marjorie said she is looking forward to seeing the sunrises and sunsets that got her through her illness. She was able to go to Captiva Island in November, since Canada had removed the essential-only travel requirement. Marjorie’s daughter, Kay Goffenberg ’24, is enjoying her sophomore year and is a member of AEPhi. Marjorie said she is having fun sharing the same and different experiences Kay is having. Cornell is a different place than it was in 1987.

Amit Batabyal reported that he co-edited a book on rural-urban dichotomies and spatial development in Asia that was published by Springer Nature in July 2021. He is a full-time researcher and teacher in economics at the Rochester Inst. of Technology. Amit says he spends his time reading nonfiction, writing scholarly journal articles, and interacting with his family. ❖ Liz Brown, etb29@cornell.edu; Lisa Burns Griffin, LAG77@cornell.edu; Whitney Weinstein Goodman, wwg5@cornell.edu. Online news form.

1988

Greetings, and more updates from the Class of ’88! Allison Weiser Strout writes that her family has returned to NYC so her younger son can finish high school after spending more than a year in Camden, ME, where her husband grew up. She’s written a middle-grade children’s book, which will be published in 2022. Congratulations! She also reports that after taking time off from school because of COVID, her older son is in his senior year at Yale studying music and her daughter is a junior at Bowdoin studying classics and Romance languages. Sounds like she’s enjoying being back in NYC and spending time with family and friends.

Kevin Wu has channeled his pandemic time into a positive new growth opportunity. He has become a runner, clocking between 11 and 15 miles a week. His son is now a junior in high school and is learning to drive. Last summer, Kevin enjoyed family time after lockdowns and, as a result of the pandemic, notes that he really appreciates his health.

Meanwhile, Mary Barber let us know that she left her psychiatric position three years ago and has just graduated from Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary in NYC. She was ordained as a transitional deacon last March and was ordained as a priest in September. She also provided an update on her family life: her older daughter is at Boston U. Law School and her younger daughter is in college at SUNY Purchase. She says that what gives her the most satisfaction these days is faith and family, learning new things, and writing.

That’s it for this update! Please send us your news using the online news form or write to any of us directly. We look forward to hearing from you! Your class correspondents: ❖ Aliza Stein Angelchik, aangelchik@sonorusbrand.com; Debbie Kaplan Gershenson, dkgershe@gmail.com; and Lynn Berni, smartymc66-cornell@yahoo.com.

1989

Have you paged through our new Cornellians media hub? For starters, please take a peek at the article on our classmate Christopher Nolan, chief landscape architect for Manhattan’s Central Park. He has served there for nearly his whole professional career. His work took on new importance during the pandemic, as the park was vital in helping urban dwellers to cope through essential time in nature. “The park fulfilled its mission,” says Christopher.

Many of us are in the August of our careers and are being recognized. Please let us know; let us celebrate you and your honors on this small platform. As your classmates, many of us have similar paths of service, effort, and innovation in our various sectors and can appreciate all the hard work that goes behind the awards and commendations! Following are several awards earned recently by our classmates.

Modern Healthcare selected our classmate Tejal Gandhi as one of 2021’s Top Diversity Leaders. Her employer very proudly sent us the press release. Tejal graduated with us and went on to earn an MD and MPH at Harvard, where she is also a senior lecturer. Based in Boston, her employer, Press Ganey Assocs., is a national leader in consumer healthcare and workforce engagement. Tejal promotes diversity throughout her industry while also fulfilling her responsibilities as chief safety and transformation officer. “Dr. Gandhi is a renowned executive with an unwavering commitment and dedication to improving patient and workplace safety, developing innovative transformation strategies, and advancing equity throughout the healthcare industry,” says the Press Ganey chairman and CEO. “Her work is driving awareness and improvement throughout the country despite the uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing face of healthcare consumerism.”

In the creative sector, our classmate (and a favorite Sigma Chi fraternity brother of my husband, Mike McGarry) Chuck Wimbley, BS ’91, and the CBS News Team received an Emmy Award most recently for the production of the documentary “Bravery and Hope: 7 Days on the Front Line,” which highlights the sacrifices made by essential workers in early 2020. It is available on YouTube. Chuck’s company, Aerialworks, provides full drone and video services. It combines his entrepreneurial gifts, his penchant for technology, and his first love, aviation. Aerialworks and the CBS News Team also won the Peabody Award, DuPont Award, Walter Cronkite Award, Christopher Award, National Headliner Award, and Gracie Award. Congratulations, Chuck!

After many years of dreaming of it, we hosted Chuck and his family at our home in the Buffalo, NY, area for a weekend. We were engrossed in invigorating conversation about books and ideas with him, his wife, Elizabeth Minaya ’91, and their kids, Charles (a.k.a. “Chas”) and Catherine. The kids had fascinating stories to tell of going to school in New York City during the pandemic. We enjoyed being outdoors and seeing Chuck’s aerial drone photography in action at the football stadium, on the waterfront of Lake Erie, and over downtown Buffalo. The best part of the weekend for me was getting to know Elizabeth as we explored many interesting topics such as racism in America and in the educational system today. Resourceful, Chas got us all free passes to the Buffalo Bills pre-season practice! Since we live so near to the football stadium, it took us longer to walk to our seats than it did to drive and park! We look forward to gathering again, hopefully next year. Isn’t it wonderful to make new Cornell friends from “old ones”? I am gushing, but it is nice to have some happy news for a change.

Deborah Goldman (success1968@hotmail.com) has been making moves! “I recently moved from my position as real estate counsel for the past 11 years at Joshua Stein PLLC to become a partner at the boutique real estate law firm of Belkin Burden Goldman LLP. Real estate has been very busy the past six months or so,” as transactions picked up during the pandemic. Even more thrilling, I think, is the exceptional trip she took her parents on this summer. “Since my daughter and I have Israeli passports, we were lucky enough to be able to travel with my parents to Israel this past summer for the entire month of July. My maternal grandfather’s family of eight brothers and sisters settled in Israel in 1948 after the Holocaust, while he took his family, including my mother, to Montreal.” Deborah brought her parents to see family, she says, “while Israel was in the midst of dealing with the Delta outbreak, and we had authorized third doses of the vaccine while we were there.”

Again, thank you, classmates, for sharing your news. I pray you remain healthy in every way. ❖ Lauren Kidder McGarry, laurenkiddermcgarry@gmail.com; Stephanie Bloom Avidon, savidon1@hotmail.com; Kris Borovicka Gerig, kgerig@columbus.rr.com; Anne Czaplinski Treadwell, ac98@cornell.edu. Online news form.

Back to the top

1990s

1990

Happy 2022, classmates! I trust that everyone is happy and healthy and that you made many great memories with family and friends over the holiday season.

A silver lining to the COVID-19 cloud has been the ability to connect with classmates during the many virtual events that have been held by Cornell and its various alumni groups and organizations. The kindness of fellow classmates in responding to requests for help never ceases to amaze me. Shortly before the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I was asked by the Cornell Latino Alumni Assn. to find a veteran of Asian descent to participate in a Cornell panel. Both Kevin Kozak, a Navy veteran, and Dennis Edwards, an Army veteran, immediately recommended Janice Chen. With only a few days to go before the event, I thought it was a long shot, but I sent Janice a friend request on Facebook, and less than an hour later she blew me away with her enthusiastic response. Janice generously made time in her busy schedule to be a speaker, and I came away with so much respect for the Cornell men and women who have served in the armed forces. Like Dennis, Janice stayed with the Army through her recent retirement. Nowadays, she is in Alabama working on defense missile programs for Raytheon.

Just before Halloween, a number of classmates tuned in for Corey Earle ’07’s “Haunted Cornell” lecture. Spotting former Army ROTC member Sue Moy Bergquist of Santa Fe, NM, among the participants, I sent regards in the chat from her former Collegetown roommate Janice. She replied, “Please tell Janister Canister ‘hi’ back!” Kevin Burke chimed in with “Another Sue Moy sighting!” along with a ghost emoji, to which she replied, “We need to stop meeting like this!”

A Barton Hall photo during Corey’s presentation drew this comment from Allee Peck Hoover: “Took my Wines final in Barton, last final, senior year 1990!” Erin Sheehan tuned in from Albany, and Jack Haringa joined from Worcester, MA. Artsie Monica Roy enjoyed the talk from central Connecticut, as did Elizabeth Von Keyserling Lynch, DVM ’95, who is in Greenwich. Other classmates who were enthralled by Corey’s ghostly tales included Adam and Judy Solomon Gorelick and Anne Covey.

Truly one of the greatest pleasures of serving as class correspondent and class officer since May 1990 has been getting to know classmates that I didn’t have a chance to meet as an undergrad. Last spring, Michelle Mock, MS ’96, was a frequent participant of the Cornell Asian Alumni Assn.’s virtual events. During one of Corey’s “Cornelliana” lectures, she and I got to reminiscing in the direct chat about attending the military ball. She said that Janice fixed her up with Matt White, while I was invited by Mike Peloquin ’89, who was my date to a Chi Omega winter formal happening the same evening.

One cool reason to look forward to our 35th Reunion in 2025 is the new alumni whom we will be able to drink with, including Sean Cavalieri ’25, the son of Jim ’91 and Susie Mrozek Cavalieri. What we knew as Parents’ Weekend has been renamed Family Weekend, and the Cavalieris spent it together watching hockey at Lynah Rink at the end of October. Susie writes, “Just spent the weekend at Cornell visiting Sean. Went to my first hockey game there. Not sure why I never went as a student—so fun!” Sean’s sister Sophia is at Michigan’s Ross Business School. “It is big, but she loves it, especially the sports.”

Speaking of business, Colin Walsh is the founder and CEO of Varo Bank, a consumer financial technology company working to advance the cause of financial inclusion and opportunity for all. Colin was a featured speaker at the 2021 Eclectic Convergence conference on November 12 at Cornell Tech in New York City.

Last autumn, David Neuman co-authored Shoulder Health: Postoperative and Preventive Orthopedic Programs. A board certified orthopedic surgeon, David has also been a TEDx speaker, giving advice about musculoskeletal health as well as information about preventive orthopedics for children.

In closing, a hearty congratulations goes out to Jimmy and Dawn Nolan, who welcomed their surprise seventh child, Adele Eileen, in September. “I am still overseeing day-to-day operations of Nolan Family Insurance in Punta Gorda, FL, and I’m staying busy as an unpaid Uber driver, hauling our children to all of their activities and events. We’re anxiously awaiting my 15-year-old getting his driver’s license in January.” Although he has no time for new hobbies, Jimmy’s greatest satisfaction is watching the children grow up and spending time with family. He looks forward to hearing from classmates at nolanins@hotmail.com.

Did you participate in the Class of 1990’s virtual tasting with Murray’s Cheese? Please write to any of us to tell us how it was! ❖ Rose Tanasugarn, nt28@cornell.edu; Nancy Solomon Weiss, nancyswm@outlook.com; Allan Rousselle, agr2@cornell.edu. Online news form.

1991

Greetings from Susie Curtis Schneider, one of your new class correspondents! As a Cornellian who keeps ping-ponging to and from campus, I am excited at this opportunity to help keep our classmates connected. So, in the spirit of sharing, here is a little about me. As an undergraduate, I was a proud member and two-year captain of Cornell track and field, worked at Olin Library, and lived in Balch Hall and South Baker. I graduated as an unemployed English major, collected an MSJ from Northwestern U., and moved to Atlanta, where I worked for three years as a reporter. I returned to our alma mater in 1995 as an assistant track and field coach. I have worked in various athletics and admissions jobs at Cornell ever since.

I met my husband, Eric, MBA ’99 (Navy ROTC, mechanical engineer, Lambda Chi Alpha) at our 5th Reunion at the Singles Happy Hour, and we were married in 1998 at Sage Chapel, followed by a reception in the Memorial Room at the Straight. Alumni Affairs loves that story! Fast forward to 2022: Eric and I live in Horseheads, NY, about halfway between Ithaca and Corning, NY. I work in admissions at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, mostly working with applicants to the Cornell Nolan School (which we knew as Hotel) and the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management (which we knew as Ag Ec). Eric works for Corning Inc. and has had various manufacturing roles there over the past 20-ish years. We have two sons, one a junior at U. of Colorado, Boulder and the other a junior in high school. As soon as our younger son graduates from high school, we plan to relocate to Ithaca as full-time residents in anticipation of many of our classmates returning to the Hill to retire. Any takers? Please reach out (theschneiders@live.com), even if you are just passing through, as we would love to connect with any classmates. But enough about me!

I’m happy to share news from Lisa Bushlow (LAB244@cornell.edu), who is proudly living in Ithaca with her two teenage sons, Sam and Julian. She works as a senior director for Alumni Affairs at Cornell, overseeing Reunion, classes, Homecoming, and Student and Young Alumni teams. Lisa is thrilled to be returning to the office after working remotely for the past 19 months! She and her partner, Sueane, can’t wait to travel post-pandemic.

Stefanie Nelson is founder and director of Stefanie Nelson Dancegroup (SND), based in NYC, and Dance Italia, a summer dance festival in Lucca, Italy. Classmate Jill Berger Inbar is an original member of the SND board of directors. Stefanie has spent the past year building Motore592, a space in Lucca, Italy, designed to foster artistic innovation and showcase the gamut of art forms in the heart of Tuscany. While the COVID-19 pandemic has made this expansion difficult, Stefanie launched Motore592 this past summer and has big plans for 2022! If anyone is fortunate enough to get to Italy and pass through Lucca, they should visit!

Amy Morris Reade writes, “I graduated from Indiana U. School of Law in 1994 and practiced law in Manhattan for several years, until moving out of the city. We moved to southern New Jersey in 2003. I practiced law briefly in this area but stopped to focus on raising our three kids. I started writing fiction in 2012; my first mystery novel was published in 2014. I’m currently working on books 14 and 15. I learned the art of quilling (paper filigree) during the pandemic, and I love to practice that. I also started to teach myself Greek, but that wasn’t as successful! I love to read, cook, and travel; I don’t get to Ithaca very often, but when I do, I cherish that time.”

Lastly, Wendy Hunnewell Leynse sent this: “I can’t believe it’s my 30th Reunion year! I very much enjoyed catching up (virtually) this spring and summer with classmates from U-Hall 4 and Cornell Abroad (Paris). It was really wonderful to say hello to you all again. My, how time flies! I currently teach cultural anthropology at Queens College, CUNY, and live in New Jersey with my photographer husband, James ’89. Our son, Ben, is a high school junior, and our daughter, Emma ’23, is a junior at Cornell, majoring in English and enjoying working in Arts & Culture at the Cornell Daily Sun, where she is a third-generation Sunnie!”

Thanks to everyone who sent in updates for my first Class Notes column! Do you have news to share? Submit an online news form or contact any of us directly: ❖ Susie Curtis Schneider, theschneiders@live.com; Joe Marraccino, joe.marraccino@wfafinet.com; Wendy Milks Coburn, wmilkscoburn@me.com; Ruby Wang Pizzini, ruby.pizzini@gmail.com; Evelyn Achuck Yue, evelyn_yue@yahoo.com.

1992

Happy New Year, classmates! Happy REUNION year! Our 30th Reunion is June 9–12, 2022! Planning has begun and we are hopeful to have the first in-person Reunion in years (thanks, COVID). We’re aiming to finally have the big 50th-birthday bash we should have had but missed! Our class headquarters will be the brand-new Toni Morrison Hall on North Campus. Please make sure that Cornell has your current contact information and follow the class Facebook page, so you receive all the information. Please plan to join us! Find more information about Reunion here.

Along with Reunion comes our 30th Reunion campaign. This year, Cornell has launched a University-wide campaign “to do the greatest good.” Our class has the opportunity to join together and have a significant impact on the University in honor of our Reunion.

Did you know there’s a new, digital-first alumni publication? It launched in October 2021, and it is called Cornellians. Class Notes is available here now, plus lots of other fun features!

We have news from Wesley Gamble, who lives in Houston, TX. Wesley started a new job as a senior software engineer for a real estate startup called Landing. He’s begun traveling again and is trying to read “real books” more, instead of continuing to look at a screen during his off-hours.

Be like Wesley! Please send us your news! Email us or use the online news form. Be well, and I hope to see you on the Hill in June! ❖ Jean Kintisch, jmk226@cornell.edu; Lois Duffy Castellano, LKD2@cornell.edu.

1993

Is your New Year off to a good start? We sure hope so. In the meantime, take a read on the comings and goings of your classmates in the last few months of 2021.

John Rueppel writes that he is happily ensconced in San Francisco with his wife, Aparna Venkatesan, and two teenage sons. John is a partner at the law firm of Johnston, Kinney & Zulaica LLP, where he handles trusts and estates litigation. He is happy to connect with all Bay Area alums interested in the law of trusts and estates and can be reached at jrueppel@gmail.com.

This past October, Jennifer Barber Joyce met up with Tri Delta sisters from the 1990s in Alexandria. It was so great to see Cristina Moeder Shaul ’91, Ariane Schreiber Horn ’91, JD ’96, Christine Bleyle Frank, Melissa Turner Booth, Lara Thornton Tabola, Kimberly Martin-Epstein ’91, Corinne McKamey ’92, Jocelyn Spielman Turkel, Mary Shelley ’96, Kristi Covert Tsiopanas ’94, ME ’95, Amy Lawrence Flueck ’91, Liz Baum Schnelzer ’91, Eileen McPeake ’90, Katherine Stifel ’87, Jill Fields ’88, and Lisa Stuart ’89. A great time was had by all!

In case you missed it, Oppenheim Architecture founder Chad Oppenheim was featured as World Architecture Community’s new guest architect in its live interview series. Titled “Carving Out the Land,” the live talk focused on the strong relationship between architecture and the land, in which the firm’s design philosophy is rooted. In addition to the design principles of Oppenheim Architecture, Chad discussed how architecture can still be iconic by building with the land and avoiding the flamboyant architecture associated with the notion of verticality.

On the political lecture series front, Basil Smikle Jr., was at the Cornell Club–New York for a discussion with Ed Cox, former chairman of the New York Republican Committee, where they discussed what attracted them to public service, their proudest professional moments, their favorite essay from the Federalist Papers, their work together, and advice to those considering a role in politics and public service. Basil is a nationally recognized expert, a thought leader, and a political strategist. He is a familiar face on MSNBC, CNN, and other media outlets, where he shares insights on the connection between electoral politics and public policy.

Jay Drezner and his family have moved back to Australia after a great four years in Colorado. He shares, “Our children, Nathan, 14, and Alexandra, 12, will be going to high school in Sydney.” His last job was as a fractional CFO for small, growing companies, which he loved, and now he looks forward to taking a breather and spending more time with the family.

And lastly, Peter Hedlund, MLA/MRP ’00, shares that he had a great visit with Chris Wittemann, Matt Staid, and Steve Hissong late last summer in Park City, UT, where they celebrated their 50th birthdays. ❖ Theresa Flores, taf6@cornell.edu; Melissa Hart Moss, melimoss@yahoo.com; and Mia Blackler, miablackler@yahoo.com. Online news form.

1994

Last spring, while strolling along Lake Michigan, I was slammed in the head (twice) by a red-winged blackbird defending its nest. Perhaps if I’d listened to “Bird Sounds Decoded” from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, I could have predicted the attack! For all things avian, including videos and webinars, check out Bird Academy.

Have you ever thought about the classes you wished you’d taken at Cornell? I’m looking at you, Psych 101 (which is apparently called Psych 1101 now). For a taste of “back to school” without the Libe Slope hell-climb, Cornell’s Adult University offers fascinating free webinars on topics as varied as Cuban dance and the war in Afghanistan.

Kaila Colbin dropped us a line from Down Under. “Hi there! I’m still living in New Zealand and loving it here—which is useful since it’s much harder to travel overseas now! In 2018, I co-founded a company called Boma, which does events and professional development to help leaders be more intentional and intelligent about the future. We’re in a few different countries, and it’s really starting to take off here in New Zealand. Not sure when I’ll make it back to Ithaca, but I finally watched ‘The Office’ and got a little Cornell-inspired jolt of dopamine every time Andy Bernard bragged about having gone there.”

Leonardo Etcheto, CEO of Nutriom, reflected on his relocation to Iowa: “I am living in the glorious Midwest now, having become a West Coast refugee (left Washington State to move to Iowa). With three winters under our belt, my family and I are quite acclimated; it does not snow as much here as I remember it snowing in Ithaca, so no worries. Life in the Midwest brings a different kind of beauty than on the coast: gone are the mountains and ocean, but now we can actually see the stars at night and enjoy the wide-open prairie vistas.”

In Fort Lauderdale, FL, Joanna Diamond (weloveourbees@gmail.com) and her husband started a business manufacturing and selling telescoping carbon-fiber shade poles (called Carbiepoles) and stainless-steel mounting bases for boats and residential shade. “We are lucky enough to run it with just the two of us.” Her other passion is running the nonprofit Happy Bee Honey Club, specializing in live bee removals, rescues, and relocations. “I totally fell in love with bees once I learned more about them and want to help save them (they pollinate one-third of all our crops; we’d be in terrible trouble without them). We’re about to live-stream worldwide, showing our observation hive and doing inspections, just trying to educate people any way we can to change their misconception about bees—so many people are unnecessarily afraid of them. All proceeds go toward saving the bees, including our wonderful wildflower honey, made from honey from our hives as well as bee removals (sometimes those wild bee nests have the best, most amazing honey!). So if anyone has questions or wants to learn about honeybees, they can contact me—it’s a great cause! We need them more than they need us!”

Some updates from New York: The third time was the charm for Dana Hagendorf and David Feldman ’89, who got married on July 17, 2021 in Westchester County, NY, after canceling their wedding date twice due to COVID. Wrote Dana, “David and I met at Reunion 2014 and got engaged at Reunion 2019—five years to the day after meeting at Cornell!” There were 17 Cornellians in attendance, including ’94ers Leigh Benevento McHugh, Brian and Sandra Petrevski Anderson, Caryn Angelson, Dina Bryk Pearl, and Jennifer Michailoff Anderson. “It was a wonderful celebration, and we were truly grateful to be surrounded by friends and family.”

Cara Harth, associate professor of neurology at Stony Brook School of Medicine, reported that her older son, Jordan Klein ’24, is a sophomore studying Biology and Society at Cornell (just like his mother), while her younger child is applying to colleges. “We will have an empty nest soon—so we got a puppy to prepare ourselves!” Kirstyn Cassavechia Smith, an empty nester with two sons at college, is loving her new job as fundraising coordinator at South East Area Coalition in Rochester, NY. Attorney Jeffrey Anbinder also had career news: he recently joined the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in NYC. Lisa Wiley, who teaches creative writing at SUNY Erie Community College in Buffalo, NY, announced the publication of her fourth chapbook of poetry. Eat Cake for Breakfast is a tribute to the late designer Kate Spade, available from Dancing Girl Press.

Stay in touch, friends! ❖ Dika Lam, dikaweb@yahoo.com; Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik, dmp5@cornell.edu; Jennifer Rabin Marchant, jar1229@yahoo.com. Online news form.

1995

As you’re reading this, a new year has officially begun, bringing us ever closer to finally getting back on campus for our 30th Reunion in (gasp!) 2025—and hopefully further away from the pandemic that has brought so many changes in our lives over the last two years. As with our previous column, I’ll be sharing some stories from classmates of how they have navigated this time, what they’re doing, and how their perspectives may have changed. I’m thrilled to have received a very large number of submissions, so if your update doesn’t appear below, rest assured that it’s queued up for a future column. And if you haven’t submitted an update, it’s never too late—I always love to hear from classmates and share their news!

So without further ado, kicking us off is Kanwar Singh (kanwar.singh@mac.com), who is an interventional cardiologist at UVA’s medical center and, as of late summer, had started construction on a new home outside of Charlottesville, VA. Writes Kanwar, “The pandemic has brought a different perspective to my life and my work. I find myself closer than ever to my daughter and more thankful for things little and big that I’ve previously taken for granted!” Michelle Johnson-Tidjani (mdjohnsonlaw@hotmail.com) would likely agree, noting that her biggest takeaway from the pandemic has been the importance of friendship. Michelle is the executive vice president/general counsel of the Henry Ford Health System and lives in Troy, MI, with her spouse, Nassirou Tidjani, and their two children: daughter Kennedy, a senior in high school, and son Obafemi, a freshman.

In Maryland, Erika Eason (erika.eason@gmail.com) writes that March 2020 marked “a crazy shift in my life, like most everyone else.” Erika is the director of academic technology at the school where she teaches—which, prior to that month, involved teaching some lower and middle school tech classes and helping teachers integrate technology into their curriculum. She was also finishing up her master’s in education in instructional technology when everything shut down. “Suddenly the work I did at my school went from being a nice-to-have position to being absolutely critical, as we quickly pivoted to teaching and learning exclusively online. Since then, as we’ve slowly come back to face-to-face, in-person learning, my work continues to evolve. We’ll see what this school year brings!”

Nathan Merrill (njmerrill@comcast.net) has been busy running the family dairy farm with his wife, Judy, and has some pretty exciting Cornell legacy news. His younger daughter, Sammy, graduated with the Class of 2021 (BS CALS), and older daughter Hannah ’19 married Cornell classmate Justin Dye ’19 last spring in a scaled-down pandemic-era wedding at the farm.

The pandemic has also resulted in several moves, including Andy Lax’s (andylax@gmail.com) relocation to Madrid this month, and David Anderson’s (dkafs-cornell@yahoo.com) move to Bend, OR, when his job transitioned to 75% remote. David runs Imprint Revolution, a small business that makes custom T-shirts and other branded promotional items for other small businesses, schools, and even some Fortune 500 corporations. The move to Central Oregon has afforded David opportunities for more outdoor activities—among his favorites are going for a hike or bike ride with his kids and wife Beth—and has changed his perspective, allowing him to “question and change things I never thought I could.” David adds, “Happiness may come from giving up something that was once a sacred cow.”

Lastly, Kate Brody Nachman (kb13@cornell.edu) shares that she moved on from her role as the director of Year Course (a gap-year program in Israel for high school graduates), where she has worked for a dozen years, to start a new position with the Society for the Advancement of Education in Jerusalem, where she will be helping to cultivate the first cohort for a new International Baccalaureate Diploma Program for 11th and 12th graders that is opening in Jerusalem in fall 2022. In addition, her family life is bustling! She is married to Ofer Nachman, and their oldest daughter graduated from high school and began her national service at the Office of Intelligence in the fall. Their middle daughter is an 11th grader and activist, and their youngest, also in high school, is cultivating her interest in music with her conservatory choir. Kate shared the following inspiration: “I am more resilient than I ever knew about myself. The amount of uncertainty that has become part of all our daily lives has been both terrifying and liberating. Every new crazy situation that I have handled personally or professionally, coupled with some above-average advice from a fellow Cornellian, has taught me that the only way forward is through, and the proof that we can get through is in all the things we’ve made it through so far.”

I look forward to sharing more news next time. Until then, stay connected and well, classmates. ❖ Alison Torrillo French, amt7@cornell.edu. Class website. Class Facebook page. Online news form.

1996

Dear Class of 1996: Greetings to you all! I hope this message finds you and your family doing well. We are writing to introduce ourselves as your new class correspondents. We are excited to volunteer for our class and we look forward to catching up with friends and getting to know new friends. After all these years, the impact of our education and experiences at Cornell are immeasurable. From time to time we will reach out to you to share news and updates from the school, as well as to ask for your feedback and ideas for connecting.

Below, you will find out more information about us. We are happy to support the class and our beloved alma mater in this way. Please reach out to us with news and updates or suggestions.

Catherine Oh Bonita is a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Hello! I am so excited to be one of your class correspondents! I live in the Philadelphia area with my husband and three teenage girls (!). I have spent the last few years volunteering for the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassadors Network but am super excited to take on this new role as correspondent. Please send news—don’t be shy! You can reach me at: catherine.bonita@gmail.com.”

Marjorie Polycarpe Jean-Paul is the chief community engagement officer at Buckley Country Day School in Roslyn, NY, on Long Island, where she heads up development and alumni relations and chairs the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. During her professional career, she has raised financial support for independent schools, colleges, and universities through major capital and endowment campaigns. Prior to joining Buckley, Marjorie served as the director of development and alumni relations at the Waldorf School of Garden City (NY) for ten years. She is the co-founder of Black Advancement Networking Group (BANG) and she recently published an article sharing her experiences in advancement at independent schools for the National Assn. of Independent Schools. She also obtained a master’s in nonprofit management and organization development from The New School. She enjoys spending her free time with her partner and two children—gardening, hiking, and cooking delicious treats. An avid knitter, during the pandemic Marjorie knitted close to 100 face masks to pass the time! “Please reach out to me at carpo129@hotmail.com with your updates to share, or just to say hello!”

Janine Abrams Rethy is the division chief of community pediatrics at MedStar Georgetown U. Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics, Georgetown U. School of Medicine. In these positions, she focuses on health systems delivery and transformation through a health equity lens. She serves as medical director for the Kids Mobile Medical Clinic and the FITNESS program providing integrated, place-based primary care and wrap-around services. Along with research, she serves as director of medical education for Community Pediatrics and loves training medical students, residents, and fellows. Janine is married to classmate Michael Rethy. They are the parents of three lovely teenagers. Their oldest started at Cornell in the Class of ’25 and is living it up in the awesome new Ganędagǫ Hall—a big step up from Janine’s basement closet dorm in Baker Hall. Collegetown Bagels is a shared favorite, still hitting the spot in its new location across the street on College Avenue. Janine loves being outdoors, hiking, biking, and traveling with family and friends. “Hi, Class of ’96! Looking forward to connecting and hearing your news. Please reach out anytime: janine.rethy@gmail.com.”

And now, news from some of our classmates. Isabel Rivera Marcheselli reports, “I am very excited because I have gotten back together with my band, Isabel and the Whispers, where I’m on piano/guitar and vocals. We are working on releasing singles and a new album of my original pop and jazzy songs. I have also recently received grant support as a musician from various organizations including the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the New England Musicians Relief Fund, and Music Teachers National Assn.” Isabel is also a professional musician and piano teacher. Learn more at her website. Much of her time is spent working on new songs to bring to her band and fans, which brings her the most joy and satisfaction these days. More recently, Isabel shared that she loves to craft (crochet), including a line of new band merch!

Erik Schwiebert shares, “My kids are finally back in school in person, but I am still working from home.” Erik has worked on Office for Apple platforms at Microsoft since he graduated from Cornell, and just completed his 25th year of employment there! Sadly, Erik also shared that his wife, Catherine (Meeks) ’98, passed away from stage IV cancer this past July. Erik reports that he is enjoying family time with his kids. ❖ Marjorie Polycarpe Jean-Paul, carpo129@hotmail.com; Catherine Oh Bonita, catherine.bonita@gmail.com; Janine Abrams Rethy, janine.rethy@gmail.com. Online news form.

1997

Greetings from your class correspondents! You may have noticed our news has been a little light as of late. As we start preparing for our (hopefully) in-person 25th Reunion next June, take a minute to reflect. Send us your updates, your moves, your changes—we want to hear it all! You can also take a moment to submit an entry for our Class of ’97 Faces project, where we aim to profile ’97 classmates prior to our Reunion. To submit, visit our site here. Can’t wait to see everyone June 2022!

Sending news of her work life from Alexandria, VA, is Suzann Gallagher. Suzann is busy as the assistant inspector general for investigations at USAID. As many can attest, travel has greatly slowed for Suzann, but while she is missing seeing the world, she is enjoying more time with her family. Erin Murphy Austin can also relate to less travel and more time with family, as she has stayed closer to home in Freeport, ME, while working as the COO of Smart City Infrastructure Fund. Erin writes that her family is busy “looking for their forever home—or building it!” For her, the pandemic has reinforced the idea of not taking anything, especially time with family and friends, for granted. Well said, Erin!

Whoever said the pandemic was a time to slow down certainly wasn’t talking about Katya Sverdlov, who has been working on not one but TWO businesses! Katya is a lawyer in New York City and also working with a medical device startup company. This company is developing innovative solutions for children with autism and is in Phase 1 clinical trials. She enjoys both of her jobs, as they help her feel like she’s making a difference in people’s lives. Keep up the good work, Katya!

Work looks different these days for Stephanie Gwinner Haswell, as she has taken on a massive remodel of her new family home in Marin County, CA. After taking a step back from work in 2019 to spend more time with her young son—and figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up—COVID led her and her family to make a shift in living and to buy a home! She hopes to be done with her new “job” by 2023. We look forward to seeing some renovation pictures at Reunion!

If you have young kids, you may be familiar with Otis the Tractor from the books by Loren Long. Otis and the Tornado was a favorite in our house for some time when my youngest was in kindergarten. Apple TV has developed a preschool show called “Get Rolling with Otis,” and our own Gina Menzi Blakemore is the farm consultant on the show! When not hobnobbing with a cute, animated tractor, Gina is a dairy farmer in Horseheads, NY, and parent of a current Cornell freshman. Congrats, Gina, on what looks to be a great show!

Don’t forget to send us your updates and submit your profile for our ’97 Faces project! ❖ Sarah Deardorff Carter, sjd5@cornell.edu; Erica Broennle Nelson, ejb4@cornell.edu. Online news form.

1998

You can always come home, and many of us have returned to our beloved campus since graduation—but during these pandemic times, Cornellians have remained connected through both traditional and innovative ways. Have you checked out the new digital publication Cornellians? Did you go to Homecoming or celebrate Zinck’s Night? Share your news with us!

Michelle Vaeth shares that she returned to Ithaca in 2018 to serve as the associate vice president for Alumni Affairs at Cornell, after a nearly two-decade career in crisis management, communications, and marketing at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, OH. An avid community volunteer, Michelle is a past president of the Junior League of Cincinnati and has served on the board of trustees of the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, NY. Michelle, her husband, Pete Thorman, and their three dogs split their time between Ithaca and Tully, NY. Honored to serve Cornell and her fellow alumni, Michelle writes, “Please reach out and say hello—especially if you are returning to the Hill! Go Big Red!”

Byrke Sestok has been elected to the board of directors for the national Financial Planning Assn. His daughter, Samantha, has started middle school and made the summer all-star softball team. With his wife, Jennifer, Byrke enjoys seeing live music again at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. During the pandemic, he began drawing again and also started a cottage business of selling concert and band hatpins and print art. Follow him on Instagram (@byrzerkdesigns).

Returning to seeing live music and performances is definitely a treat! Just ask your classmates: Stephanie Silver Silberstein, a teaching artist at the Paper Mill Playhouse, saw the opening night performance of Songs for a New World, a musical by Jason Robert Brown in October. She received her MFA in acting from the U. of Texas, Austin in 2001 and her master’s in educational theatre and English education from New York U. in 2008. Stephanie is a senior editor and writer at Beauty News NYC and an adjunct theater professor at Fairleigh Dickinson U. Over the summer, Cristina Martinez and Uthica Jinvit Utano both saw Green Day and Weezer perform at the Hella Mega Tour at Citi Field in Queens, NY, albeit separately. It was only the day after the concert that the two friends discovered they had been there for the same Hella Mega performance. Cristina and husband Edson recently toured to San Francisco and the Sonoma wine country. They have a daughter, Reyla, 3, and reside in New Jersey. In September, Uthica also saw Toad the Wet Sprocket perform at City Winery NYC. She shares, “They sounded great! It was just like when they played at Bailey Hall senior year!”

Remember, stay safe and stay connected! Share your news with us! ❖ Uthica Jinvit Utano, udj1@cornell.edu. Online news form.

1999

Erin Houck-Toll is a business and tax attorney at Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt in Fort Myers, FL, where she has worked since 2005. After receiving her BA on the Hill, Erin graduated cum laude from Tulane U. Law School, and then earned her LLM from U. of Florida. Last fall, Naples Illustrated recognized Erin in its “Top Lawyers” list. Congratulations!

Please take a moment to let us know what’s going on in your life. We want to hear from you! ❖ Class of 1999, c/o Alexandra Bond ’12, abb83@cornell.edu. Online news form.

Back to the top

2000s

2000

Here in Ohio, most of my spare time is absorbed by what seems like the endless cleanup of the silver maple tree in front of my house. As messy as it is, it reminds me of fall in Ithaca, and I can’t help the wave of nostalgia that washes over me. The colors on the Cornell campus are amazing.

What makes you nostalgic for the good old days? And what is your fondest fall/winter Cornell memory? Crisp leaves? Hot apple cider? A pumpkin on a clock tower? Frozen gorges or slippery slopes? I’d love to hear about it.

I’d also like to hear about what you’ve been up to in this great big world of ours. Alex Enders (ale5@cornell.edu) has been very busy, doing work for the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria. But on evenings and weekends, he doubles as a science fiction writer. “I’ve been able to publish my third science fiction novel, Nothing Short of Magic,” Alex wrote. It follows the path of Nina Morris, an unlucky graduate student who trades places and times with Benjamin Franklin. Nina must learn to survive as a woman in Philadelphia in 1763, while Benjamin Franklin discovers the wonders of modern society like cars, the internet, and Pop-Tarts. The book is available in print or e-book from Amazon. Check it out! ❖ Denise Williams, ddw7@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2001

Hard to believe it’s already 2022. Where did 2021 go? In case you missed our previous column, I’ll start by re-introducing myself: James Gutow of Manhasset, NY, happy husband of Christobel (Lorie) and proud father to Charlotte Fay, 10 months, Will, 7, and Max, 10. I’m honored to be joining Nicole Neroulias Gupte as one of our class correspondents, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to reconnect with classmates and share your stories.

My freshman roommate in the West Campus Class of 1922 dorms, Nick Snavely, writes in from Austin, TX: “It has been a wild ride since leaving Avon, OH, for Cornell. After Cornell, I was accepted to Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, but deferred for a year and moved to Australia to bartend and learn how to surf. After that I returned to Houston, completed medical school, and was accepted to a dermatology residency at the U. of Virginia. After UVA I moved to Portland, OR, for a fellowship in advanced facial reconstructive skin cancer Mohs surgery at Oregon Health & Science U. for my final year of training. Ten years post-graduation I entered the workforce and settled in Austin, TX, live music capital of the world, where I live downtown and spend my free time jogging along the lake and cooking! I finally settled down and got married a month ago, and I’m hoping to start a family at 43—about time!”

In other Texan news, Bryan and Courtney Pearson Esposito live in Dallas with their daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth. In true Hotelie fashion, they enjoy checking out new restaurants, entertaining friends, and hosting parties. A favorite tradition is an annual summer trip to Vail, CO, where they meet up with classmate Pat Mace, MBA ’09, and his family. This year, stand-up paddleboarding and a picnic were enjoyed by all. A highlight of the pandemic has been daily walks (sound familiar?), making sure to stop anyone wearing Cornell attire. The Espositos are hopeful the new year will bring opportunities to connect and travel with Cornell friends.

Another class couple (Happy Valentine’s Day!) has also shared an update. From Greg and Mara Moscato Thorhaug: “After college, Greg and I hopped, skipped, and jumped across the country and around the world, landing in Idaho, where we’ve been for more than 15 years. Greg has spearheaded the Geographic Information Systems department for the Bureau of Land Management in our region, and I’ve been working on cleaning up lead contaminated sites and assisting health departments with intervention and outreach related to mining contamination. Our true work lately has been raising two little girls who continue to give us the chance to learn about this wonderful world.”

Garrett Lang (garrett@PlateRate.com) writes from Mahwah, NJ, “I’m enjoying raising my twin daughters who are 4 years old. They’re beautiful in mind and spirit, and have the hearts of angels and a great understanding and appreciation for logic considering their young age. I think we underestimate a child’s (and sometimes an adult’s) ability to reason through things. I’ve been spending my spare time creating a polite community, which enables transformational personal and/or professional growth through my nonprofit, FreeThinkerInstitute.org. Would love to see Cornellians join us on Discord or for our Saturday Zoom sessions. I’m also hard at work re-launching PlateRate.com, after what I hope is a successful redesign. PlateRate helps diners not only try the highest-rated menu items but also get 30–60% or more credit in free food for doing so when they order on the platform. We’re in NYC and New Jersey right now. Anyone looking to help grow either organization in their spare time, feel free to reach out. If you use Discord, email me for a link to the Global Cornell online community, which I manage as well. I’d love to invite Cornellians to join, so come and invite all your friends and local Cornell organizations!”

Using Nicole’s journalism “investigative skills” (a.k.a. social media stalking), we’re extending a Big Red congratulations to Christina Bove Ruskin, DVM ’06, on the arrival of baby girl Avery, unlocking a new level of cuteness on Dr. Ruskin’s Facebook feed, in addition to the furry friends she treats as head of cardiology at Four Seasons Veterinary Specialists in Loveland, CO. We also cheered for Jackie Sobota on her first half Ironman—joining Erin Tobin on her third!—further proving that it’s not just the West Campus folks who grew up to have calves of steel.

We hope everyone else out there is doing well—and we’d love to hear what you’re up to these days! To share news and get back in touch with classmates, please email either of us at the addresses below, visit our website, like the Class of 2001 Facebook page, join our Class of 2001 Classmates Facebook group, and/or follow us on Twitter (@Cornell2001). ❖ James Gutow, james.gutow@yahoo.com; Nicole Neroulias Gupte, NicoleMN6@gmail.com. Online news form.

2002

Happy New Year! Please take a moment to let us know what’s going on in your life. We want to hear from you! ❖Carolyn Deckinger Lang, cmd35@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2003

Matthew McRae, who is a plastic surgeon and program director at McMaster U., wrote to tell us, “Family has grown, with baby Natalia joining brother Matthew and sisters Yvonne and Michaela.” Congratulations to Matthew and his wife, Natalie, on the birth of their baby! His biggest takeaway from the pandemic: “Beauty is simplicity, with less in the schedule and more time with family.”

We also learned that Richard Poskanzer was recently appointed general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Nashville. Richard, who began his tenure with Four Seasons as assistant food and beverage manager in Philadelphia, has been with the company for nearly 20 years. Congratulations!

Please let us know how you’re doing—we love to hear from you. Until next time. ❖ Candace Lee Chow, CJL24@cornell.edu; Jon Schoenberg, jrs55@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2004

Hello, Class of 2004 and friends. Jonathan Weston, manager of Panama Rocks, a park and geologic site in New York’s Chautauqua County, received the Cornell New York State Hometown Alumni Award on October 6, in a virtual ceremony. Launched in 2018, the Hometown Alumni Award recognizes Cornell graduates who return to their home counties or regions and are engaged in significant positions of leadership with and for their communities. Jonathan is a College of Arts & Sciences graduate who majored in Government. He manages the privately run scenic park and site, which is also his family’s business. Congratulations to Jonathan as well as his wife, Holly, and daughter Lilia.

We look forward to hearing your news, as well as personal and professional achievements. Please continue to share with us! You may submit an online news form, or write to me directly at: ❖ Jessi Petrosino, jessi.petrosino@ey.com.

2005

Hello, Class of 2005! The news from our class has been plentiful in the last couple of months—which means we collectively as a class must be doing some pretty great things, despite the current state of the global pandemic. Here are a few updates from around the globe!

Justin Redd was recently named a principal of Kramon & Graham, a leading law firm providing litigation, real estate, and transactional services. In addition to his successful representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in a range of high-stakes complex cases at both the trial and the appellate level, he maintains an active pro bono practice and is a leader of the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. Congratulations, Justin!

David Weihs has reached out to update everyone that since the last Reunion, he has welcomed two boys, Clark and Logan, and a baby girl, Marilyn. He is currently running a farm finance and management business in Brazil and can’t believe how much the agricultural landscape has changed over the years! He recently purchased a beach house called Casa Flamengo that is available through Airbnb. He hopes to hear from many of his fellow classmates and can be reached via a new email address: davidweihs@gmail.com.

Congratulations to Karleen Leveille, who has joined the news team as morning anchor at 12 News WBNG in the Binghamton area. She started her career as an intern at ABC for “20/20” and “Primetime” under the tutelage of producers for anchors Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, and Chris Cuomo. Prior to joining WBNG, Karleen was a host at North Shore Television, where she hosted several primetime specials along with four staple programs. Her most recent special was an interview featuring Sandra Lindsay, the first person in the US to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer). As a journalist, Karleen’s articles have been featured in local newspapers. She is an Emmy Award-winning producer. Visit her website to learn more about all the great work Karleen is doing in both the entertainment industry and in her community.

Sara Jeruss recently moved with her wife from New York to Philadelphia, where she started her own executive/leadership and career coaching business. Using her experience as a lawyer, product manager, and chief operating officer, she is able to support the growth and development of individuals and companies. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to reach one of her longtime goals, especially during the pandemic.

Erica Healey-Kagan is currently working as a partner at the Kurland Group, a boutique civil rights law firm in New York City. She recently began serving as president of the Cornell Association of Class Officers (CACO) and is looking forward to working closely with our board and all class officers for the next two years. ❖ Hilary Johnson King, hilaryaking18@gmail.com; Jessica Rosenthal Chod, chodjlr@gmail.com. Online news form.

2006

Hello, Class of 2006! I hope all is well and that you’re starting to see more of the family, friends, and coworkers we couldn’t connect with face to face during so much of the pandemic. As we begin the New Year, we’re excited to share news about classmates.

Betty Ng, BArch ’08, was recently named one of five “Hottest Hong Kong Architects” by CoBo Social, a leading content platform for art enthusiasts and collectors. Betty is the founder of COLLECTIVE, an architectural practice headquartered in Hong Kong, with studios in Madrid and San Francisco. Before founding Collective, she was the design director at OMA Rotterdam. Congratulations, Betty!

Jeremy Nikfarjam, BS ’05, opened a new plastic surgery practice with offices in Manhattan and Great Neck, NY. Jeremy is married with seven children and thinks he’s getting old. (You’re still young to us! Mostly because if you’re old, that means we’re all old, and I’m not conceding yet.) Ever since the pandemic, he’s been spending more time with his family and feeling extremely grateful for that.

Benjamin Kirk, MAT ’07, is a math teacher at Ithaca High School, just down the hill from campus (Go Lil Red!). He has been navigating the challenges and opportunities of teaching from home, making it work effectively for him and his students. Ben has been reading a lot and just trying to stay safe. He writes, “Access to a computer and high-speed internet is a basic utility, one that many young people, even in the Ithaca City School District, don’t have.”

Shamika Pryce, senior VP of production at Paramount, has been finding satisfaction these days gardening and spending time with her family, now that it’s safer to be together. “The pandemic brought some big life changes for everyone, but the things that are important—family, friends, love—are intangible, and it was a good time for me to focus on that.” Well said!

David Chiu, VP for Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is among those being honored on the Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. David was recognized due to the care system he set up to meet challenges posed by COVID-19. As the youngest person to serve as interim chief of the Dept. of Emergency Medicine, David had to determine how to utilize personal protective equipment (PPE), treat COVID patients, and ensure a safe environment. His team embedded new processes and advanced technology to triage patients in remote settings to ensure safety for patients and staff. We’d like to congratulate David on his accomplishments and contributions to the community during this pandemic.

What’s new in your world? We’d love to hear more about you, your career, and your families. Reflections on the past year? Progress on resolutions? Please share your news with us! ❖ Kirk Greenspan, kag62@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2007

Happy New Year, Class of 2007! So glad to be starting this year with you all. This time around, it’s the beginning of our 15th Reunion year! Whoever thought we’d get so old? As we start to look toward all the wonderful things that await us in 2022, I have some fun news from last year to reflect on.

Christine Tuminello recently launched a company called Practical Girl’s Guide, which is aimed at breaking boundaries in women’s career progression. Through it, she offers advice and online courses to help young women navigate the complexities of the business world in order to achieve their potential and fast-track their careers. Her teachings are based on both theoretical business concepts learned during her MBA as well as her nearly 15 years of experience at top Fortune 500s.

Each year, the Center for Climate and Security, the American Security Project, and the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program announce a Climate Security Fellows cohort, and classmate Bert Cramer has joined the ranks this year! He manages threat reduction programming for the Dept. of Defense and enjoys contributing subject matter expertise to department-wide efforts addressing defense risks and threats stemming from climate change.

Out in sunny California, Jennifer D’Amato-Anderson recently got promoted to senior wildlife nutritionist at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. What an exciting job!

Sean Wrona, MPS ’08, has authored a book, Nerds per Minute: A History of Competitive Typing. When he won the inaugural Ultimate Typing Championship in 2010, Sean helped mainstream competitive typing games. In Nerds per Minute, he traces the history of typing, from Christopher Latham Sholes’s invention of the first mass-produced typewriter to the modern internet scene. Want to learn the origin story of the QWERTY keyboard? This is the book for you.

Lastly, in summer 2021, Becca Stievater was admitted to the global field program at Miami U. As part of Becca’s first “Earth Expeditions” course, she traveled to Baja, Mexico, to study desert and marine landscapes through ecological and social field methods.

How did you ring in the New Year? Visit with any Cornellians? Let me know! Looking forward to sharing more exciting stories with everyone! Have any updates to share? Reach out to me or submit online! ❖ Samantha Feibush Wolf, srf29@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2008

Brett Vegas, MBA ’14, is co-founder of BeerMKR, a company that has developed “the world’s first automatic beer-brewing machine that anyone can use,” capable of making over a gallon of craft beer in a week, according to its website. “Our company formed in the ‘Entrepreneurship and Business Ownership’ class at Cornell, under the guidance of the late Prof. David BenDaniel,” says Brett. “We were awarded the Hemmeter Award that semester for the company most likely to form a successful business. We went on to be accepted into eLab in fall 2013 and launched our first successful Kickstarter the morning of eLab Demo Day in April 2014. Over the next seven years, we went on to create multiple new products in the beer brewing space, successfully complete two additional Kickstarters, and begin shipping our latest product, BeerMKR, an automated countertop craft brewing system that anyone can use.”

Stay tuned for news of great upcoming class happenings and events via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ❖ Elana Beale, erb26@cornell.edu; Libby Boymel, LKB24@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2009

Congratulations to Richardson Handjaja (“my name as a Cornell student was Richardson Handjaja Kilis,” he notes), who married Eri Isomura this summer! The wedding was held in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN, and many of Richardson’s Cornellian classmates were in attendance to celebrate. The couple now lives in Minneapolis, where Richardson works as a senior systems administrator at Prime Therapeutics.

Stay safe and stay connected! If you haven’t sent in your news in a while, please take a moment to write to us. If you have any updates to share, you can fill out the online news form or send them to me at: ❖ Jason Georges, jag243@cornell.edu.

Back to the top

2010s

2010

Life continues to go on and Cornellians continue to be up to big things! Jane Park Dua and Michelle Williams ’11 co-founded nunchi, a fine jewelry brand that is sustainable in theory and in practice. They utilize sustainable materials such as recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds, and they implement sustainable business practices of body inclusivity, diverse representation throughout the production pipeline, and equity for people of color. Check out their website! Jane finds her home now in Jersey City; connect with her at jane@livenunchi.com.

Not far away, Erica Santiago and Kenneth Gaye have moved back to the Jersey Shore and are enjoying working remotely from home. They are excited to welcome into the world their new baby boy!

On the other coast, Katherine Karaus and Mickey McDonald found each other again after 12 years apart (having last dated during their sophomore year at Cornell) and are engaged to be married! Katherine is a UX (user experience) writer at Google, and Mickey is a quantum engineer at Atom Computing. They have plans to move to their newly purchased home in Colorado with their three cats.

Barrett Lane married his partner of nearly five years, Aaron Kozuki, in Palm Springs, CA, in the company of family and friends, including several alumni from the Class of 2010. They currently live in Washington, DC. Barrett was recently elected to serve as the vice chair for the American Planning Assn.’s LGBTQ+ and Planning Division council. He would be happy to connect at barrett.lane@gmail.com.

We love hearing from you! Continue to share your updates with us at: ❖ Michelle Sun, michellejsun@gmail.com. Online news form.

2011

Gabby Wild, DVM ’16, has traveled the world to save animals—from pioneering the field of elephant acupuncture to treating Jane Goodall’s chimpanzees in Uganda. She is the author of a new National Geographic Kids’ book, Wild Vet Adventures: Saving Animals Around the World with Dr. Gabby Wild. In June, Gabby conducted a webinar for the Cornell Club–New York, where she discussed wildlife medicine, conservation, public health, and more.

Last May, Whitney Beaman joined the New York Wine & Grape Foundation as its first sustainability program manager! Whitney got her BS in Viticulture and Enology on the Hill, and her MS in sustainability management from Columbia U. She previously served as director of brand strategy at Bedell Cellars, where she gained experience in winemaking and vineyard management.

Please take a moment to let us know what’s going on in your life. We want to hear from you! ❖ Class of 2011, c/o Alexandra Bond ’12, abb83@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2012

Laura Morrison Ginsberg shared that she moved from Miami to Baltimore in mid-June to start her pediatric gastroenterology fellowship at the U. of Maryland Medical Center in July. Robert Zassman joined Gatewood Capital Partners LLC, a premier private equity firm focused on seeding and anchoring emerging managers, as a vice president in September.

Alex and Jennie Drygulski Bielous recently left New York City to pursue their dream of living at the beach full time. They bought a house in Long Beach, NY, just outside the city. After postponing their wedding—which was originally supposed to be at Sage Chapel, but COVID had other plans—they were finally married on September 19, 2021 at Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Ithaca with a reception at the Ithaca Farmers Market. The weather in Ithaca was spectacular that day, and they had an incredible celebration with lots of Big Red touches, like a Purity Ice Cream sundae bar, local Finger Lakes beer and wine, Collegetown Pizza, and even an appearance from Touchdown the Bear.

Tony Chen, ME ’12, has been running a Cornell Global Mixer via Zoom. The mixer is held every other Saturday night and has been a great source of interesting conversation, friendship, and Cornell connections for alums all over. More than 400 Cornellians join each mixer, from classes ranging from 1947 to 2025, and alumni from all continents except Antarctica have been in attendance. To find out more, email globalmixers@cornell.edu. ❖ Peggy Ramin, mar335@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2013

Happy New Year, Class of 2013! I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but at the start of the year, and particularly following the holiday break, I seem to always set the intention to read more. There is something instantly satisfying about putting on multiple layers, getting under a blanket, drinking something warm, and opening a book.

This year, we can all crack open a book written by one of our classmates. Lucia Rafanelli, an assistant professor of political science and international affairs at the George Washington U., recently published a book on the ethics of attempts to promote justice in foreign societies. The title is Promoting Justice Across Borders: The Ethics of Reform Intervention (Oxford University Press). Promoting Justice is one of the first full-length works to examine the panoply of reform intervention. Congratulations, Lucia, on what is sure to be the first of many. If you have news to share, please email me: ❖ Rachael Schuman, RASchuman@gmail.com. Online news form.

2014

Happy New Year! Please take a moment to let us know what’s going on in your life. We want to hear from you! ❖ Samantha Lapehn Young, SRL76@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2015

Our newest update includes a wedding! Isabella Herold married Eli Sciford in Detroit, MI, on July 10, 2021. Three of her bridesmaids were also Cornell Class of ’15 alums: Meredith Moser, Ashley Macomber, and Rei Yamada. They all met during orientation freshman year! Several other Cornellians joined, both in person and virtually, including Megan Lee, DVM ’19, Katti Horng Crakes ’14, Karryssa Fenderson ’14, and Caroline Flax.

In other news, Hanna May is working as a litigation attorney at McLane Middleton PA in Manchester, NH. Do you have a new job? Are you moving? Do you have any other major or minor milestones to share? We would love to hear from you! ❖ Caroline Flax, csf79@cornell.edu; Mateo Acebedo, ma698@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2016

Hello, Class of 2016! Over the summer, we welcomed both new and old members to our class council! Please join me in welcoming our new members, as well as celebrating the council members serving our class for five more years.

Cornell Annual Fund representative Justin Watt, ME ’17, writes that he is a project engineer at Moog. He enjoys playing with his cat and dog and doing home improvement projects.

New council member Amanda Ishikawa gave us a life update, telling us that she is a consultant for WSP USA. She works as a project manager for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). When she isn’t working, she is running and running and running! So much running that Amanda just finished her fourth marathon. She also volunteers for Girls on the Run, a nonprofit that introduces elementary and middle school girls to running. She likes to explore new places and enjoys learning about food! Amanda writes, “While back home in Hawaii for a few months during the pandemic, my mom and I were driving on the North Shore when the truck behind us started honking incessantly. I slowed down and as the truck pulled beside us the driver rolled down his window and shouted ‘Go Big Red!’ before waving and driving off. Don’t underestimate the power of those Cornell license plate frames!”

Another new council member, Kat Duarte, writes that she is a first-year student at Harvard Business School. When not studying, Kat is a trained yoga teacher, avid reader, runner, and biker.

Millicent Kastenbaum writes that she is in her second year at the Fordham law school. She often encounters other Cornellians at Fordham! For fun, Millicent enjoys going to the movies, baking, and going for runs in the park. One of her favorite Cornell memories is getting to host a town hall with Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 and other city officials for the first time in Klarman Hall.

Do you have news you’d like to share with our Cornell community? Please send it in and keep up with classmates and fellow Cornellians from other classes. ❖ Meghan McCormick, mcm324@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2017

Rachid Zidani lives in the D.C. area and reports a new job: “I’ll be working at Gong.io starting November 1, as a sales rep in the tech space. Super glad I landed here.” Rachid has also been “learning about wealth building and actively investing in the market. My newest venture is getting into real estate investing.” He enjoys hanging out with friends, long phone calls, and being active. “Swimming is my new love, and I’ve also been doing cycling classes, yoga, lifting, etc. I recommend the app ClassPass if you want to try a new activity for free and meet new people.”

Please take a moment to let us know what’s going on in your life. We want to hear from you! ❖ Class of 2017, c/o Alexandra Bond ’12, abb83@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2018

Happy 2022, Class of 2018! I hope you all had a restful holiday season. One of our classmates, Brian Balduzzi, MBA ’18, recently passed the Pennsylvania Bar exam, and he was named a Dennis I. Belcher Young Leader by the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). The Young Leaders program supports education in trust and estate matters, and it provides financial support for recent law school graduates to attend ACTEC webinars, section meetings, and events. Brian was also recognized as a 2021–22 Keeper by Leadership Philadelphia, a collection of young Philadelphia leaders “who get things done behind the scenes for the common good, without expecting to receive credit,” according to the program website. Over the next year, he’ll be attending six sessions focused on issues impacting Philadelphia and working with mentors from the program’s alumni network.

Feel free to reach out if you or any of your classmates have stories from last year or exciting plans for this year—and follow us at the Class of 2018 Instagram (@cornell_2018) for more updates. ❖ Stephanie Yan, smy43@cornell.edu. Online news form.

2019

Happy New Year! Please take a moment to let us know what’s going on in your life. We want to hear from you! ❖ Class of 2019, c/o Alexandra Bond ’12, abb83@cornell.edu. Online news form.

Back to the top

2020s

2020

Hi, Class of 2020! I hope those of you who made the long trek to Ithaca in September had a wonderful time reconnecting with classmates and celebrating your achievements. Despite a very belated ceremony (16 months late), the Class of 2020 still got to participate in the time-honored tradition of wearing caps and gowns in Schoellkopf Field. Better late than never, right? The Class of 2020 will always have a special place in Cornell history.

An update on Olympian Taylor Knibb: Taylor was one of five Cornellians represented in the Olympic Games in Tokyo and was the youngest female triathlete in the US. Her Olympic triathlon mixed relay team won a silver medal. Congratulations, Taylor!

In another athletic feat, Erin Ton was featured in the news for her unconventional way of surmounting Colorado mountains—in high heels. “I thought it would be a fun celebration to hike Elbert again, but do it in high heels,” Erin told the Colorado Gazette. “Personally, it’s symbolic of how far I’ve come … from struggling so much that first time to now cruising up it in heels.” Erin, a Colorado native, has now climbed four peaks in high heels, often attracting looks from other passing hikers. “It doesn’t help that I’m blond, I’m female, and I’ve been told that I look like I’m 17 or 18,” she said to the Gazette. Erin began her climbing journey during school breaks while she was at Cornell. “It wasn’t until I went away to college in Upstate New York that I realized I had taken living in Colorado for granted.”

Cornellians are continuing to have an impact on campus. Now the graduate and professional student-elected trustee, Liz Davis-Frost championed a recommendation to dedicate more resources to diversify the public safety workforce at a recent Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA) meeting, according to the Cornell Daily Sun. “We know that bringing diverse backgrounds into a group brings diverse perspectives and experiences. Even though representation isn’t the only answer, it is a crucial first step, especially considering the demographics of our campus,” Liz said.

Andrew Greene has also continued to have a lasting impact on Ithaca beyond graduation. In 2018, Andrew founded Mediocre Melodies, an a cappella group known for being composed of “talentless” singers. “How much of a bummer would it be to be cut from a mediocre melody group? If you showed up, you were basically in,” Andrew said in 2018. However, the club’s popularity has since soared, and this semester it had to reject more than 100 applicants in order to foster close connections between members, according to the Sun.

From Tokyo to Colorado to Ithaca, the Class of 2020 continues to impress! With the exciting launch of the new online publication, Cornellians, I hope you will be encouraged to share your updates and stay connected with the Cornell alumni community. Please share your news by submitting an online news form or sending an email to: ❖ Shruti Juneja, sj453@cornell.edu.

Back to the top

Grad Notes

Agriculture & Life Sciences

Alois Kertz, PhD ’74, has written Dairy Calf and Heifer Feeding and Management: Some Key Concepts and Practices. This technical guide is geared toward veterinarians, nutritionists, dairy scientists, and other specialists in the commercial dairy or calf/heifer operation field. Al has spent 46 years doing calf and heifer research, making on-farm visits and evaluations, conducting dairy training of employees, publishing scientific articles, and reading and studying the scientific literature. Al grew up on a small Missouri dairy farm, then earned BS and MS degrees in dairy husbandry and nutrition from the U. of Missouri before completing two years of US Army active duty as a research nutrition officer, and then managing food supply for military operations in Thailand. At Cornell, his PhD thesis project was on growth and development of cattle. That became a great platform for understanding and working with calves, heifers, dry cows, and lactating cows.

Ronda Hamm, MS ’04, PhD ’08, global academic relations leader at Corteva Agriscience, was featured on the season three premiere of CBS’s “Mission Unstoppable.” You can watch the episode here.

Arts & Sciences

Byron Roe, PhD ’59, and his wife, Alice, have moved from Ann Arbor, MI, to Fremont, CA, to be near children and grandchildren. Byron writes, “Last October, Springer Verlag published the third and last edition of my book, Probability and Statistics in the Physical Sciences. I am still involved with the MiniBooNE experiment, which ran for about 20 years at FermiLab and is showing about a 5-sigma violation of what we expect for neutrino oscillations. Some explanations involve various new particles, perhaps dark matter. My oldest granddaughter is working on her PhD thesis in biology at UC Berkeley.”

Steven Leveen, MA ’79, PhD ’82, recently published America’s Bilingual Century: How Americans are Giving the Gift of Bilingualism to Themselves, Their Loved Ones, and Their Country. It’s based on a decade of research and hundreds of interviews with experts and bilingual people. “No matter your prior experiences in language learning, even if you think you’re inept at languages, even if you had a terrible experience in school, you can adopt a language, become a lifelong bilingual, and experience the joy that comes with entering another world and living a larger life,” Steve says. All proceeds from book sales fund language grants awarded by the America the Bilingual project.

Hotel Administration

Geoffrey Hewitt, MPS ’79, writes, “I am retired now and living in Raleigh, NC. I have twin sons, Eric and Brent, both 33. Brent is finishing his last year as a Duke Daytime MBA student; Eric works for EA (Electronic Arts), where he has developed a video game called Apex Legends, which will bring in $1 billion in revenue this year after only three years.”

Johnson Graduate School of Management

David Weyant, MBA ’14, writes, “Prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic, I was appointed by the Government of Alberta to serve as the board chair for Alberta Health Services, the largest health services organization in Canada, with a budget in excess of $15 billion and over 100,000 employees. With the necessity of responding to the pandemic—including overseeing processes for contact tracing, staffing, and vaccine rollout—in addition to the usual work of the board, this governance leadership role expanded into a full-time role (in addition to my other full-time job!).”

Rob Cantave, MBA ’19, has recently joined the board of directors of UrbanGlass; located in the historic 1918 Strand Theatre in the Brooklyn Cultural District, UrbanGlass is the first and largest artist glass studio in the US, and it’s the New York metropolitan area’s leading glass-blowing facility. Rob has worked as a digital marketing consultant for over ten years for Adobe, Epsilon, and Virtusa, providing services to Fortune 100 clients such as Marriott International, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, and more. Prior to this, he worked for ten years as a web developer and database administrator. He makes dance music under the moniker “Distant Comets” and released his first three singles during summer and fall 2021 with Micro Vision Recordings.

Veterinary Medicine

Darryl Ware, MPH ’19, is running for mayor of Shreveport, LA, where he grew up. “I want Shreveport to be the best city in the US. Currently, the problems that plague the city are not being solved fast enough for us to make that happen,” he says. In 2017, Darryl was named a Forbes Under 30 Scholar. At Cornell, he was the founding president of the Big Red Board of Health, a graduate student organization that exists to improve the health outcomes of the community and increase awareness of the issues that affect the health of animals, humans, and the environment.

To be included in a future Grad Notes section, send your news to cornellians@cornell.edu.

Top image: Jason Koski/Cornell University

Published January 3, 2022