The Latest News from Your Classmates

January / February 2026

1950s

1952

I recently heard the news that our classmate Don Follett died in October. This brought back so many memories of classmates I knew and had fun with, working with the University Council, and honoring Don as class president during our record-breaking 60th Reunion.

Setting an example, like many active alumni, he and his late wife, Mibs Martin Follett ’51, endowed professorships in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology. You can read more about his endeavors here.

Involvement with the University is both gratifying and important. At this time in our lives, recalling old friends and times at Cornell, and our own experiences as we have moved along, is part of the joy of what remains.

So when you can, please send news of what you are doing. Your friends will be interested. ❖ Thomas Cashel, LLB ’56 (email Tom) | Alumni Directory.

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1953

Bob Neff, JD ’56, writes, “Over Thanksgiving weekend I had dinner and spent an evening with former Cornell football coach Tom Harp (1961–65). Tom is now 98 years old; he lives near me in Pinehurst, NC, and plays golf frequently. He is a lexicon of info on Cornell football—players, opponents, scores, trivia, and more. Of course, he remembers Cornell fondly, although he also coached at Duke, West Point, and Indiana State.

“For me, in my mid-90s, it is a pleasure to swap Cornell stories and memories with such a vital nonagenarian. Best wishes to you all!” ❖ Class of 1953 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1954

As we glide—or stumble—into our 90s, nostalgic thoughts of our great days on the Hill in Ithaca creep into our heads. How about sharing yours so we can pass them along to our classmates!?

Jane Barber Smith of Poughkeepsie, NY, writes that she is taking care of her health, friends, and family, especially her daughter and grandkids. She rejoices in their independence and enjoys taking them on Cape Cod vacations.

Virginia Glade Poole of Peachtree City, GA, is still playing the oboe and singing in her church choir. She says she used to find it awkward meeting new people, but now it’s easy to make friends by talking and listening to them. ❖ Bill Waters, MBA ’55 (email Bill) | Ruth Carpenter Bailey (email Ruth) | Class website | Alumni Directory.

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1955

We received a lovely note from Kenneth Sanderson, who reports, “Old age is catching up with me, but I am still here! Memories of Cornell and Cornellians are many. I am still following politics and politicians. I start my days with my newspaper and read every page and watch the evening news. I’m active in subdivision meetings and am still a firebrand speaker.”

Unfortunately, Kenneth shares a sad update: “I lost so much in the last year. My beloved wife, Barbara, died. My last brother also died. I am the last of five children and the son of an English immigrant father and descendent of American revolutionists.

“I miss Barb terribly. She was a driving force that made me! She did not attend college and that drove me to support women totally in my teaching and research. I advised a few foreign students and welcomed the challenge. I loved my students and I considered it an honor to teach. I also love theater. I retired in Sarasota because of the theater. Barb and I ushered at five or more Sarasota theaters for 20+ years. Cornell enhanced my love of the theater.

“I wish I could have attended the class Reunion, but my health ruled that out. I’m having trouble walking. So far, I’ve only fallen once and I certainly cannot do the Charleston like I used to do while in the Charleston Club at Cornell. My last dance was in China, when I was in my 70s and when I was on a trip there. Cornell changed my life and I will never forget that!” ❖ Class of 1955 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1956

“70th Reunion plans continue to expand,” writes Carole Rapp Thompson. “In addition to the usual all-Reunion events like the Savage Club show and the Chorus and Glee Club concert, Friday morning there will be a bus tour of campus for us, followed by a sit-down lunch at Moakley House, which boasts a lovely view of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. And the Olin Lecture is scheduled for Friday afternoon.”

Joan Leopold Muneta, MS ’59, says that family, friends, and nature are her great joys in life. She is chair of the Latah County Human Rights Task Force, and also shares that she has been traveling, recently to the Bahamas, California, Hawaii, and Colorado. Joan says that Cornell broadened her horizons.

“For more than 30 years, I have been rescuing senior Labrador retrievers,” says Barbara Travis Osgood, PhD ’80. “I currently live with my most recent adoptees, my 24th and 25th. Remi is 13 years old. His owners took him to the shelter and said he was ‘too old.’ He is my big, 113-pound teddy bear! Rosie is 8 years old. She was turned in to a rural shelter in West Virginia when her owner died. I call her my West Virginia wild child!

“I have written a book about my Labs, 84 Paws: A Life With Old Labs, that makes money for my rescue. On my 90th birthday I unveiled my second book, Diary of a Cranky Old Feminist. It was recently featured at an intergenerational women’s brunch in Virginia. I’m not sure I have another book in me, but writing has been a fun pastime in my retirement as a senior executive from USDA.

“Of course, my greatest joy is watching my only granddaughter, Dana Osgood, who is a meteorologist on the NBC-TV affiliate in Portland, ME, News Center Maine. It is her first job after graduating from Penn State, and she loves it! And her very proud grandma says she is doing great!” ❖ Class of 1956 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1957

Congrats to all of you who have already celebrated your 90th birthday. Now that 2026 has arrived, we “younger” classmates will catch up with you.

Phyllis Whithed Spielmann tells of her journey since our graduation. She and Warren ’55, BME ’56, tied the knot in Anabel Taylor Hall that very afternoon. They headed for Cleveland, OH, where Warren began working for the Ohio Rubber Company. After a couple of years, the company sent Warren to its Los Angeles, CA, location. Warren and Phyllis made their home in Long Beach, CA, living close enough to the Pacific Ocean to enjoy the ocean breezes.

Phyllis remains in their home after losing Warren in March 2025 after almost 68 years of marriage. They had attended church services on that Sunday and by Friday Warren had succumbed to double pneumonia. Fortunately, their daughter lives nearby. Their son and his family, including great-grandchildren, live in Texas. Phyllis recalls the years she taught courses in child development at Long Beach City College, later becoming the manager of the child study center. She also earned a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling. Now Phyllis keeps busy with church-related activities and with going out with her also-widowed friends. She credits her ability to problem-solve to her Cornell education.

Christine Carr Nickerson writes to us from Seattle, WA, where she lives with her daughter Caroline and son-in-law Thor. She sold her home about two years ago. Chris said she is retired, yet working on her genealogy, reading, knitting, and doing all she can to stay healthy by enjoying walks. She also enjoys her children and grandchildren. Her husband, Harold, is deceased. Among all else learned at Cornell, she found the gift of resilience and the continuing ability to learn and change, even at the age of 89. She adds, “Love and thanks to you all.”

Lifelong friends! One of the many gifts of our Cornell experience. Jacqueline Byrne Lamont and Martha Ballard Lacy met in fall 1953. They were in each other’s weddings when Jackie married George Lamont and when Martha married Richard Lacy. They stayed in touch over the intervening years, so when Jackie left Seattle after living there for 25 years while living near her sister, where do you guess she chose to live? Yes, for two reasons, she is living in the same Manlius, NY, senior housing apartments as Martha, just one floor above.

The other reason is the move brought her much closer to her daughter, Cornell grad Rebecca Lamont ’83, BS ’86, who lives near Marcy, NY. Jackie and George divorced decades ago; Dick Lacy passed a few years ago, leaving Martha in a three-story home, too much for her to want to maintain. Jackie moved to Manlius in June 2025 and is still settling in. She says for fun (and sometimes profit) she makes children’s quilts and teddy bears, often from family clothing. She is grateful for one particular lesson learned at Cornell: to be open to all that life offers—both the good and the difficult.

Jacqueline Byrne Lamont ’57 and Martha Ballard Lacy ’57 met in fall 1953. They are now living in the same senior housing apartments, just one floor apart.

Martha has made herself a new community in Manlius and is very active in her mission of helping others. She helped form a Community of Hope International, had 14 weeks of training, and now meets monthly. Every week she helps with the worship service at Brookdale Senior Living apartments, where she includes in her prayers many people who are dealing with various health issues.

Martha found time to write her first published book, Manlius Mute Swans, selling over 200 copies. A very special dream of hers was, when she turned 90, to visit the completely renovated Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. She and her daughter Karen spent Easter 2025 there on a Road Scholar tour, including lodging and meals. They also visited many museums. Other Cornell gifts she acknowledges were to be flexible and to be thankful. She is especially grateful to be together again with her true lifelong friend Jackie.

Judith Bird passed away in August 2025. She had been living near Brisbane, Australia, next door to her daughter Liz Johnstone. Judy had a very interesting career working for the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. Before that she was a researcher and reporter for “The Huntley-Brinkley Report” television show and did research in Mississippi, Puerto Rico, and Appalachia, among other places. This is documented in Tom Mascaro’s book Into the Fray, which she helped edit. She later moved to Indonesia, where she became an expert in Indonesian matters. After her retirement, she lived in Hawaii and California before moving to Australia. She was a dear friend of Judy Richter Levy, LLB ’59, and of Antonia Pew, who adds, “Judy Bird was always a very interesting woman. A free spirit before that description was even used.”

Condolences to Judy Tischler Rogers, who in June lost her middle son, Ben McKinley, to a virulent form of lymphoma. He was 62 years old, an outdoorsman, family man, coach, and beloved teacher. There were more than 200 people from all over the country who attended his funeral.

The 2025 Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Awards event in October was well attended by more than 200 people. Our own Dori Goudsmit Albert was one of six alumni so honored. Newly inducted Cornell’s 15th president Michael Kotlikoff hosted and emceed the event in the Statler ballroom. Dori had 16 family members were there, including sisters Jacqueline and Frances Goudsmit Tessler ’59. Nan Krauthamer Goldberg and I represented our class. This inspiring evening was capped off when, led by a student a cappella group, we all rose and sang our “Alma Mater.” ❖ Connie Santagato Hosterman (email Connie) | Alumni Directory.

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1958

Lewis Futterman gets a lot of satisfaction from his 39-year marriage to Starla Caldwell, as well as from his daily workouts and bicycle rides. He also enjoys seeing his children and grandchildren move forward with their lives. All is good with them.

Lewis is especially pleased with their youngest daughter, Kale, 32, who has had a great past few years as a screen and television writer. She is known for the Netflix series “Ginny & Georgia” and “Sweet Magnolias” and the Lifetime movie Black Girl Missing. Formerly a record producer and manager from the 1960s through the ’80s, Lewis moved into real estate in 1977 and is still keeping busy building small residential projects. The most impactful thing he learned while at Cornell was to hone his intellectual curiosity.

Muriel King Taylor, MD ’62, derives a lot of satisfaction from her garden, which is cared for by a wonderful friend and gardener and is thriving and full of vibrant color. Muriel has not been able to garden for the past 9–10 months because she has been sitting until her back recovered enough to allow for hip replacement surgery to go forward. That surgery was successfully completed in early June without significant pain. After limping for many years, she has been working with physical therapists to recover a normal gait. To her joy, she shares that she may be able to recover it and have better mobility. She is now looking forward to getting back to daily walking, her Sumi painting group, and getting out and about. Hooray!

Muriel was saddened in February to learn of the death of her freshman Risley corridor-mate, Sonja Kischner Wilkin. She was in touch with Sonja for many years, visiting each other and once attending the class Reunion, where the vibrant Sonja knew and was loved by many classmates, to whom she introduced Muriel. From Cornell professors Brown (ethics), Simon (history), and Nabokov (European literature), Muriel learned how to read carefully and work through complex discussions to logical, meaningful conclusions.

During retirement, Edward Shuster gets the most satisfaction from his volunteer work with SOWERS. He also enjoys traveling. The most impactful thing he learned at Cornell was learning to fly when he joined the ROTC. This achievement led to his career as a pilot for Trans World Airlines.

On January 7, Barbara Avery, MA ’59, and her husband, Courtney Chapman, retired to Wesley Glen in Columbus, OH, which has a swimming pool, exercise classes, and a woodsy ravine on the Olentangy River with resident deer—perfect for walking their cocker spaniel, Annie. Best of all: no cooking! Barb gets satisfaction, first, from reading and discussing books about international issues with her book group, and second, from trying new things, such as archery. She got hooked on archery in February while at a dude ranch in Arizona, where she took free lessons. (Courtney was completing his 95th birthday goal of learning to ride a horse, and then riding a horse in the desert.) Barb now owns a compound bow and a target she uses behind a friend’s patio home.

Barbara Avery ’58, MA ’59, got hooked on archery in February while at a dude ranch in Arizona, where she took free lessons.

Barb was plunged into another new thing—caregiving—when Courtney’s left leg was amputated on May 22, and his right leg on October 8. With excellent physical therapy at the Wesley Glen Health Center, he will eventually move back into their apartment. Barb learned many things at Cornell that she used later. Her government major helped her become a lawyer, a three-term Dublin (OH) city council member, a pro-choice lobbyist, and a signature-gatherer for an initiative that put legalized abortion into the Ohio Constitution. Her MA in English allowed her to teach the subject at the high school and college levels, as well as to second-language learners.

During his retirement, Robert Hendricks, PhD ’64, derives a lot of satisfaction from working full time on his photography. He also enjoys spending time with his daughter’s family. He prepares photo essays on a wide variety of topics, which he shares with the residents of the retirement community where he lives with his wife, Delores. He had a one-month solo exhibit of his photographs of waterdrop splashes in the Carten Gallery of the Marblehead (MA) Abbot Public Library. The most impactful thing he learned at Cornell was a great deal about the physical world in which we live, and what a spectacular, wonderful place it is!

Although not well known to many of his ’58 classmates, perhaps because he was such a busy guy, Jack Bierhorst, who passed away from pneumonia in hospice in September at the age of 89, seemed to be loved by everyone who knew him. Dan Martin writes: “I first met Jack when I worked as a waiter at the SAE house, where Jack wasn’t part of the boisterous cacophony that sometimes enveloped fraternity dinners—he wasn’t a rah-rah sort of person. He was quiet, thoughtful, courteous, and never patronizing. He had a wonderful, wry sense of humor, which served him well in his work with the Cornell Widow magazine. Jack excelled at whatever he tried, which got him elected to both the junior and senior honorary societies, without ever letting it go to his head. He had a very strong sense of himself, and deeply rooted values, which led to his later deep involvement in nature and conservation.

“After graduation we went our separate ways; Jack became an author, cultural anthropologist, researcher, naturalist, and sometime concert pianist (truly a Renaissance man), and I an international businessman with stints abroad in South America and Europe. When I learned of his interest in the Amerindian cultures and truly massive erudition I tried to reach out to him, as I wanted to share some thoughts with him about one of his dozens of books, Black Rainbow: Legends of the Incas and Myths of Ancient Peru (where I was born and raised), but I was too late. I think his understanding of the Native American approach to life and death was reflected in the stoic dignity of his passing. May he rest in peace.”

Many thanks for your thoughts, Dan, and also our thanks to Ron Demer ’59, always on the lookout for news of his brother SAEs and ’58 classmates as well, for alerting us to Jack’s passing. ❖ Barbara Avery, MA ’59 (email Barbara) | Dick Haggard (email Dick) | Alumni Directory.

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1959

The class news of recent months is the October publication of Thomas Pynchon’s Shadow Ticket, his first new work since Bleeding Edge (2013). The new novel, set in 1932, follows Milwaukee private detective Hicks McTaggart, who’s assigned by his boss to bring home the young heiress of a Wisconsin cheese fortune. FBI threats, police shenanigans, a Mickey Finn—and Hicks ends up in Budapest. Add motorcycle gangs, Soviet agents, British spies, the cheese syndicate, and the paranormal to the mix.

Writes a New Yorker reviewer, “As anyone who has ever written about Pynchon knows, his books are all but impossible to summarize, partly because plot, per se, seldom seems like the point and partly because of the sheer quantity of stuff going on.”

“A zany detective story, Raymond Chandler refracted through Busby Berkeley,” notes the Times Literary Supplement reviewer. And from the Chicago Review of Books: “Whether you’re a Pynchon fan-person or a reader who is simply interested in him for cultural relevance’s sake, you’ll find plenty here charming, hilarious, thought-provoking, annoying, disturbing, mystifying, entertaining, and so forth.”

Pynchon’s 1990 novel, Vineland, also made news this past autumn with the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s film One Battle After Another. Reviewers have called it a “thematically rich,” “epic screwball adventure teeming with awe-inspiring action set pieces”—noting it’s loosely adapted from Vineland, yet “on the nose … in bringing Pynchon’s balance of conspiracy and chaos.”

As noted in an email sent to ’59ers from Lauren Coffey, director of class programs in Alumni Affairs and Development, we’re collecting stories and memories of two aspects of our days on the Hill: a “social history” of Willard Straight Hall (those long hours some of us played bridge, while others borrowed trays to sled down Libe Slope) and appearances by big-name entertainers, political leaders, and others, sponsored either by the University or social organizations. We’ll be publishing your tales in an upcoming column. ❖ Jenny Tesar (email Jenny) | Alumni Directory.

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1960s

1960

Carolyn Huntoon Russell greatly enjoys giving back to her community, through active participation in and financial support of local charities. She also values time spent with family. “I live on a lake and we play a lot with our adult grands and great-grands.” Carolyn has gone on many ski trips (“still downhill skiing!”), does watersports (including paddleboard and kayaking) and bicycling, and attends theater and local events. “It’s a great time of life,” she notes. “Keeping an 80+ body going takes time and effort, but is worth everything you put into it.”

At Cornell, Carolyn learned that “diversity in many forms—people, places, and things—is interesting and desirable and makes me a better person. There is always much to learn and appreciate.”

Judith Singer Bercuvitz writes, “After having a small success playing the piano at our 65th Reunion in June—first for friends, then for some professors at the Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards—I decided I should continue to play for people ‘semi-publicly.’ I just played a concert at my home for a senior citizen group. Next week I will play it again for about 25 friends. At 87 and with nine and three quarters fingers, that’s not bad! Have to keep going forward!”

Linda Jarschauer Johnson, MS ’63, was recently featured in a Cornellians story titled “How Hundreds of Letters Home Connect a Cornellian Family.” When she was a student on the Hill, Linda would send long letters home detailing everything from her “swell” room to campus culture to her dating life—and much more. Her parents saved these letters and years later, when Linda’s daughter Suzannah Johnson Creedon ’92 matriculated on the Hill, Linda began sending her these same letters. She typed them up from the handwritten originals and added an intro or postscript to each, reflecting on her experience.

According to the article, “Linda’s stories ultimately reached a third generation—though via phone rather than snail mail. Suzannah’s daughter, Eleanor Creedon ’24, had matriculated into Arts & Sciences in fall 2020, in the midst of the pandemic that so altered the student experience. ‘I would tell my grandmother about doing Orientation, attending classes, and taking part in other traditions via Zoom—a stark contrast to her tenure at Cornell,’ Eleanor recalls. ‘But because of the stories I heard over the years from my mother and grandmother, I was able to visualize what life at Cornell would look like in a non-pandemic world.’” You can read the full story here. ❖ Class of 1960 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1961

Greetings, classmates! First a notice from our Reunion chairs, Pat Laux Richards and Rosanna Romanelli Frank. Classmates have already begun booking rooms at the Statler for our 65th Reunion, June 4–7, and we hope you, too, will be among them. Class functions will be conveniently located near University events. Caterers’ menus, including wines, are being carefully reviewed by our class “foodie.” Every effort is being made to ensure a memorable time for all. You won’t want to miss being with us.

On to classmate notices. May Lee Ling is happy with a “wonderful supportive family with 10 grandchildren.” She is taking classes from a college emeritus program. From Cornell she learned to keep learning. Charles Weinberg feels good getting up and enjoying his grandchildren. COVID kept him from traveling.

Gail Smith McDougall Sullivan enjoys being a grandparent. She writes, “I have joined a widow’s group again, since losing my second husband (of 16 years). I am savoring memories but have decided to sell our winter home in Costa Rica overlooking Lake Arenal, along with property on the Osa Peninsula there.”

Artist Charles Hecht, LLB ’63, apart from enjoying children and grandchildren, is “creating new sculptures in Maspeth, Queens, NY. I’ve been traveling with Leslie, most recently to Egypt and Sicily. I’m working part time as an attorney, working as a sculptor at my studio, and working on a book about living and working with artists in China. Cornell taught me how to budget my time and to focus on doing the best job possible.”

Robert Stamper ’61 is still teaching at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania.

Diane Baillet Meakem writes, “The biggest change in my life has occurred over the last two months. I have had to go on dialysis. After three silent years of kidney disease with no symptoms, my kidneys failed. The dialysis is going well and I’m getting back to my old life (albeit with twice-a-week treatments). Four grandchildren have graduated from Cornell and seven others have finished at other colleges and are out in the world. Five ‘younguns’ are in elementary school (another Cornellian?!).”

Robert Stamper is still teaching at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania. He credits Cornell for opening his mind to different cultures, approaches to problems, and perceptions of the world. Linda Whitman Bors is volunteering at several places in Ithaca. She says, “It’s a good way to stay connected with the community and meet new folks.”

George Sarkus writes, “Being in good health, active in many pursuits, and enjoying continuing friendship with my Cornell contemporaries brings me the most satisfaction.” He is life coaching to many, supports veteran causes, and looks to have new experiences when possible. George has wintered in Naples for 25 years, but spends summer and fall in Upstate New York. Cornell taught him to learn some new thing daily. He was exposed to many views and cultures. The most important learning, he says, was how to think independently.

Gus Kappler, MD ’65, writes, “My sister Helene mailed me 14 letters that I wrote to her from Vietnam when I served as a trauma surgeon at the 85th Evacuation Hospital, Phu Bai, Vietnam, ’70–71. The letters are a road map for my succumbing into a PTSD state. I am in the process of writing a book describing that predictable journey. It will supplement my 2015 book, Welcome Home from Vietnam, Finally: A Vietnam Trauma Surgeon’s Memoir. Hopefully those who read it will realize that no one is immune to PTSD. There is no weakness; there should be no shame. Seek others in the same boat to share common issues without stigmatization.” ❖ Susan Williams Stevens (email Susan) | Doug Fuss (email Doug) | Alumni Directory.

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1962

Assuming that everyone is very busy or nesting this winter would explain why there’s not an outpouring of news. Thank you to the classmates who are out and about and letting us know of their activities. Keep it coming, please.

Alan Flaherty is devoting a lot of his time volunteering with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Cincinnati, a 1,500-member program devoted to providing information and entertainment to anyone over 50. Alan, who lives in Cincinnati, has moderated about 10 classes and 60 sessions since he started with OLLI in 2013. He’s generally focused on technology and related social issues, such as sustainability and electric/autonomous vehicles, but this spring he presented eight sessions on the U.S. Constitution. During the last couple of years, he’s also become part of the OLLI leadership, which is wrestling with the issues associated with drawing new and younger members into a program in which the current average age is 73. For anyone interested, here’s a link to the Cincinnati OLLI website.

Fire in a Wire: Electricity Empowers Human Evolution Beyond Homo Sapiens (Massaemett Media, 2025) by Steven Reed Nelson (Northampton, MA) was published in September. According to Steven, “The biggest-selling nonfiction book of the 21st century is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Written for a general reader and extensively illustrated, Fire in a Wire tells the story that Sapiens missed, about the most important development in recent human history: using electricity and its myriad applications. Just as fire was pivotal in the evolution of archaic humans, so too is electricity pivotal in the ongoing evolution of modern humans. Electricity is the new fire. Fire in a wire.

“The book begins when, as a Cornell undergraduate, I was awarded a grant to spend a summer in the Andes doing anthropological field work as part of the landmark Cornell-Peru Project, living without electricity among descendants of the Incas in the remote community of Vicos at 10,000 feet. But it was not until many years later that I fully grasped the significance of that experience, after a career as an entrepreneur of cutting-edge applications of electricity like broadband Internet, solar energy, computer software, rock concert production, and video/TV. In a flash of insight I realized the connection between electricity and human evolution, which led to my writing this book after a Google search found nothing about the subject.

Alan Flaherty ’62 is volunteering with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and has moderated about 10 classes and 60 sessions since he started in 2013.

“Many species of early humans arose and eventually went extinct, like the Neanderthals. Conventional thinking says that Homo sapiens is the sole surviving species of human. I disagree. A new human species is emerging, not in some imagined future but living among us today: Homo electric. The electrified world is our natural habitat. We use electricity for everything from providing food to medical care to artificial intelligence to sex. We cannot survive without it. It is changing how we live and who we are becoming as human beings in the Electric Age.

“For millions of years we were only able to interact in real time face-to-face, but electricity enables us to communicate remotely, one-to-one or to millions. We are the first species with extended intelligence: the ability to store, access, and process information outside our brains. As I wrote in a letter to the editor in the New York Times (September 12, 2025), ‘Smartphones, computers, and the Internet are central tools in the evolving culture of humans in today’s electrified world.’ We no longer live in a Darwinian state of nature ruled by the ‘survival of the fittest.’ Human actions can override natural selection. Our genes alone do not determine our destiny. We are taking control of our own evolution. We can, and we must, if we are to survive.”

Robert Lieberman, MS ’65, of Ithaca, NY, is an award-winning novelist, film director, and longtime member of the physics faculty at Cornell. He proudly reports that his granddaughter is in her second year at the Cornell Vet college and his grandson transferred from Fordham and is now a sophomore at Cornell! “We are Cornellians to the ninth power!”

Take a moment, please, to send along news and updates (photos, too) of what’s happening with you and your family. And check out our class website for timelier information. Send your entries to: ❖ Judy Prenske Rich (email Judy) | Alumni Directory.

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1963

Although I am writing this in October, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Hope your holidays were special and you had a lot of good family time.

Retta Presby Weaver writes, “I remain in my home with the help of various hired services to handle some of the previous activity I had enjoyed doing. I do enjoy my neighborhood and community support. Last fall I had a 10-day hospitalization for a combination of illnesses. I slowly recovered and was able to travel over the holidays to nephews in Charlotte and the Baltimore area. This year in May I enjoyed a terrific visit here in New Hampshire from Jeanette Wohlers Riesterer and her husband, Karl, from Long Island. She and I were both employed and shared an apartment in Manhattan in the late ’60s. Then in late May I attended a spectacular family wedding on the waterfront in Baltimore.”

Aija Purgailis Thacher lives in Albuquerque, NM. She keeps in contact with family and friends and writes, “I’m keeping up with environmental science, nutrition, health issues, population issues, and thinking outside the box. One granddaughter graduated from UC Davis; other granddaughter is a junior at UC Irvine; both my daughter and son are active in their fields (computers and teaching). I keep learning all the time and want to be concerned about what is going on in the world.”

Fredericka Heinze lives in Thornhurst, PA. She gets the most satisfaction from “my seven cats, books, radio, television, and the outside, especially the deer who come to eat. No car anymore. I use the county share-ride program, which is wonderful, as are the people I meet. The most impactful thing I learned at Cornell was how wonderful international students are! I also enjoyed music—especially Sage Chapel Choir, female chorus, voice lessons with Barbara Troxell, and also taking care of Tom Sokol’s children while the Glee Club was in England.”

This year in May I enjoyed a terrific visit here in New Hampshire from Jeanette Wohlers Riesterer ’63. She and I shared an apartment in Manhattan in the late ’60s.

Retta Presby Weaver ’63

Philip Ziporin, a retired physician from Golden, CO, writes, “I am interactive with two sons and their families. I am retired due to being limited by spinal cord issues and some fusions. My wife is deceased due to Alzheimer’s. I have two very successful sons—one is a vascular surgeon and the other is a partner in a law firm.” Philip’s memory of Cornell is the excellent academics and quality student body.

Patricia Kelly Poggi lives in Poughkeepsie, NY. “I am so very disappointed that the alumni interviews with Cornell applicants through CAAAN had to be canceled. I loved meeting the candidates who were always very impressive. I attended the graduation at Cornell last June of my youngest grandchild. Julia Poggi ’25 graduated with honors from the plant sciences department in CALS. I was very impressed with the department’s ceremony. They had a printed paragraph of each graduate. Then they introduced each student. It was personal and impressive. The research they had done at Cornell, the positions related to the specialties, and the graduate studies they were going to pursue were astounding! What a wonderful sendoff from plant sciences!”

Patricia Sutton Lipsky has just published a book titled Brightening Glance: Art and Life. Louis Menand, contributor to the New Yorker and Pulitzer-Prize winning author, wrote a description of Patricia’s book: “A portrait of the artist as a woman working and living in the heart of the downtown New York art world. Pat Lipsky’s book is a stylish, entertaining, and, above all, honest memoir of a painter’s life and times. If you wondered what it would really have been like to be an artist in the years when art was all about art, this book opens the door.”

I had a nice email from Nancy Cooke McAfee. She was on the way to Boston for the Head of the Charles Regatta in mid-October. She wrote, “My granddaughter is coxing a four-plus for Bowdoin College. Her mother coxed the JV eight for Cornell in this race in ’93.”

Our 65th Reunion will take place in June 2028, which is just a bit more than two years away. Please take time in the new year to send news. I need news to keep the column going! Happy New Year! ❖ Nancy Bierds Icke (email Nancy) | Alumni Directory.

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1964

Once more with feeling: a belated “Happy New Year!” Thank you for all the huzzahs we received; I just hope we can keep it up, which depends on all of you.

We begin with a quickie catch-up from Douglas Mang, a retired lawyer who lives in Santa Rosa Beach, CA, and has two grandchildren. Doug writes that he is into golf and fishing—but he also recently visited Paris and Italy.

Susan Simon writes from home in Washington, DC, that she is “still enjoying healthy retirement.” Susan splits time between Delaware and South Florida, where she spends three winter months every year. She also says she’s “still active doing senior workouts.”

Barbara Jampel briefly messaged: “I am writing my first book, about finding the love of my life in old age.”

Peter Jessel, MS ’66, who lives with wife Rhonda in Bethesda, MD, writes, “I retired from my ‘retirement job’ in July and am now professor of practice emeritus at Cornell. I will continue to teach a course virtually as part of the systems engineering program. In November, I went to Finland to see the northern lights with son Matt ’03, ME ’04, MBA ’05. It was a spectacular experience. I otherwise spend time with my son and my daughter, Rebecca ’05.”

Stephen Abramson, who lives in Hauppauge, NY, writes, “I’m still working as president of a financial services company, treasurer of a synagogue, and board member of a family service league.” He is also into “tennis, reading, and travel.” Stephen’s travel recently included “Viking riverboats in Europe, on the Danube, Main, and Rhine rivers. Budapest to Amsterdam—all excellent!” A voyage on the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis was equally excellent. Stephen has two children and five grandchildren, including a grandson who is a recent Cornell grad.

In November, I went to Finland to see the northern lights with son Matt Jessel ’03, ME ’04, MBA ’05. It was a spectacular experience.

Peter Jessel ’64, MS ’66

Sonia Kosow Guterman, MS ’67, who lives in Belmont, MA, writes, “Total retirement is a goal I hope to accomplish as soon as I transfer a few remaining clients to a Boston attorney. Tufts University’s math department continues the Martin Guterman Lectures my family started. Various chamber music programs are also supported. I am on the board of a wonderful group, the Boston Artists Ensemble. I am still learning violin, and playing flute as neatly as my elderly hands permit. I traveled recently to Nova Scotia with friends, and finally got to see the Joggins Fossil Cliffs UNESCO World Heritage Site. This summer I hope to see all my five grandchildren in Vermont.”

Janet Warren Fatherley, who lives in Bradford, VT, catches us up: “I retired in 2005 after working 20 years at Dartmouth Medical School, where I was the administrative assistant for the endocrinology division. I now teach a conversation course for German weekly at the local library.” Janet has diverse special interests, as she notes: “I like to read Scandinavian thrillers! I am always maintaining my 1849 Vermont farmhouse and vegetable garden.”

Janet continues, diversely: “I spent three days in Boston at the Sheraton with my daughter Marisa and grandchildren Alana and Liam. Alana has her engineering degree from the University of Southern California; she works at the Harvard School of Engineering. Liam just finished his sophomore year at Northeastern University; he also spent a month studying in London through Northeastern.”

Martin Seldman, of Berkeley, CA, writes pointedly, “I’m continuing to work as an executive coach and organizational psychologist, and currently working on my ninth book, Everybody Gets a Coach.”

That’s all for now. But I could always use more of your news! Update me by email, regular mail, our class website, or our class Facebook page. ❖ Bev Johns Lamont (email Bev) | 720 Chestnut St., Deerfield, IL 60015 | Alumni Directory.

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1965

Florence Douglas Bank, MAT ’66 (Bethesda, MD) has spent about 25 years as a docent and volunteer at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, and affirms: “It has been a most enriching experience.” She cherishes her 63 years of marriage to Richard Bank ’63, JD ’66, and the time spent with grandchildren Benjamin, Sidney, and Arabella, ages 17, 15, and 8, respectively.

Florence still travels throughout the world and enjoys family retreats on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. She further states: “It has been a joy to see our two sons, Brian and Jonathan, become husbands and fathers and successful in their careers, one as a diplomat and the other as a businessman.” Her personal Cornell legacy includes “friendships made at Cornell for a lifetime, with memories to treasure forever.”

Jim White (Atlanta, GA) notes he was back at Reunion with the Sherwoods in 2025, singing for our Sunday breakfast. Jim further relates: “I’ve been back every year since 1984, except the COVID years, singing for whatever classes invite us. I’m the last member of our class in the group since Fred Kewley passed after serving as our leader for more than 30 years. I retired from my sixth airline in 2009, when my department was closed, and continued traveling around the world (122 countries and all 50 states), but medical problems have curtailed that lately. We do what we can.”

Nedda Wittels (Simsbury, CT) relates that she is busy as a “telepathic animal consultant specialist, multidimensional energy healer (for humans and animals), spiritual coach, and Akashic records consultant.” She derives most satisfaction these days from “organic spiritual ascension practices, working with clients, my feline companions, and learning new ways to heal humans and animals.” Her greatest lessons from her Cornell years: “Question everything. Question authorities. Make decisions from your heart.”

Michael Steinitz (Antigonish, NS, Canada) is emeritus professor of physics at St. Francis Xavier University, is a past president of the Canadian Association of Physicists, and has run the concert series at the university for 48 years. He and wife Heidi were overwhelmed and overjoyed by the announcement that an endowment was being established by the university, in honor of Michael, to support two subjects close to his heart: the Antigonish Performing Arts Series and an annual lecture in the Department of Physics. The aim is to bring the total of the endowment to 1.5 million Canadian dollars to ensure the future of the concert and lecture programs.

Michael notes: “We have made so very many valuable friends in physics and in music. At a recent concert, the performers, both SFX graduates, pointed out that at 10 concerts per year over about 50 years, we have arranged roughly 500 concerts.” He further relates: “In physics there are so many connections. My father is mentioned in the announcement. He was one of the last Jews to get a PhD in Berlin in 1935. His thesis advisor, Richard Becker, made my existence possible by arranging for him to give a talk in New York City, with the admonition to buy a one-way ticket. He said goodbye to his parents at short notice and never saw them again as they were taken away and murdered in the concentration camp at Theresienstadt. After the war, Becker was also the thesis advisor of the distinguished Canadian physicists Ursula Franklin (University of Toronto) and Anthony Arrott (SFU).”

I retired from my sixth airline in 2009 and continued traveling around the world—122 countries and all 50 states.

Jim White ’65

Currently, Michael is involved with the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics Commission 13, working on the proposal for advanced crystallography and light source research in Africa. With all this activity, Michael still relishes his involvement in running concerts! Michael and Heidi derive great joy from their two children and three grandchildren; all the grandchildren are university graduates or attendees.

As for school days, Michael says: “I found friends that are still the most valuable of my life. The engineering physics program was fantastic, with wonderful professors, and flexible enough to allow me to spend my fourth year of the five-year program in Germany on a Cornell scholarship. I met Heidi there in October 1963 and we were engaged in January 1964.” Michael and Heidi celebrated their 60th anniversary on July 4, 2025.

Marv Edelstein, BS ’67 (Evanston, IL) is busy managing and investing in properties, volunteering with Rotary, and riding his motorcycle, including a recently completed trip from Chicago to Charlotte, NC. He is planning to drive in his RV from Chicago to Alaska in 2026.

Howard Rakov (Yonkers, NY) is still practicing family dentistry. He is proud that his granddaughter Lauren Rakov ’29 was admitted to CALS to follow in the footsteps of numerous Cornell family members starting with Jerome Rakov ’37, BA ’36. Howard fondly remembers rowing crew and learning to live on four hours of sleep nightly in his Cornell days.

Loren Meyer Stephens (Los Angeles, CA) notes that she continues to run her ghostwriting business, Write Wisdom, and through it has met many fascinating author/clients from around the country. She most recently completed Lucky Guy from Squirrel Hill with Stanley Ruskin, which charts his life course from the comfortable neighborhood of Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, and follows Stanley as he contributes to many philanthropic activities and two trips to Russia to help the Refuseniks. He currently lives in Florida with his wife and two dogs. Loren is also finishing a historical novel about Nazi saboteurs infiltrating the U.S. Her son, Josh Stephens, is a journalist and college counselor who recently bought a Craftsman-style house in the West Adams district of Los Angeles. He and Loren collaborate on a number of projects.

Lastly, we invoke the words of class president Jamil Sopher, ME ’66, in a recent email to classmates: “Our class has strengthened its legacy of caring for Cornell students by establishing the Class of 1965 Student Mental Health Fund. This fund launched an important new initiative with Cornell Health, providing wellness coaches to support students through challenges and help them build resilience. One of our key Reunion goals was to raise $250,000 for this fund—and I’m thrilled to share that we surpassed that goal by nearly $100,000! Heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed. The fund will remain active for the foreseeable future, and additional gifts are always welcome.”

Please keep the news coming to us. People love to hear about your doings via our column. ❖ Stephen Appell (email Stephen) | Joan Hens Johnson (email Joan) | Alumni Directory.

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1966

Welcome to 2026—a new year to share news. In several months, we will be gathering in Ithaca for our 60th Reunion! I hope many of you will be attending. Our Reunions are always fun, warm, intimate, and interesting, and offer programs for our class, University programs, and time to just get together and visit or explore the campus on our own.

John Richert had the honor of delivering the 2025 annual Murray B. Bornstein Memorial Lecture at Dartmouth Medical School. He writes, “I continue to consult for biotech, pharma, and venture capital firms. My wife and I divide our time between Chevy Chase, MD, and Pawleys Island, SC.”

Carollee Bengelsdorf had a book published in October 2025, Clandestinas: Women in the Cuban Revolutionary Underground, 1955–1959. The book challenges the silences surrounding women’s participation in the insurrection in Havana during the Cuban Revolution, disputing the official narrative of the revolution that emphasizes virtually exclusively the role of male guerrillas in defeating the Batista dictatorship. Carollee is professor emerita of politics and critical social inquiry at Hampshire College, and is the author of The Problem of Democracy in Cuba: Between Vision and Reality. She is also coeditor of The Selected Writings of Eqbal Ahmad.

Several of our class officers attended the Trustee-Council Annual Meeting in Ithaca in October. The weekend was filled with academic sessions across the spectrum of colleges and included the inauguration of Michael Kotlikoff as the 15th President of Cornell. Our class officers also met with David Cutter ’84, Cornell’s landscape architect, for an overview of the site where our class gift will be, and to plan the design, seatings, and plantings that will create our 60th Reunion class gift: the ’66 Overlook at the top of Libe Slope, next to McGraw Tower. The week included the Class of 1966’s 20th year visiting West Campus, sharing dinner at Becker House, and an after-dinner program with the residents who live in the five residential houses at the bottom of Libe Slope.

Our class officers met with David Cutter ’84, Cornell’s landscape architect, for an overview of the site for our 60th Reunion class gift: the ’66 Overlook at the top of Libe Slope, next to McGraw Tower.

Susan Rockford Bittker is not only one of your class correspondents, she also coordinates a monthly lunch in Westchester County, NY, for Cornell alumni, their spouses, and parents of Cornell students. It is an opportunity to meet people from many different classes and get perspectives on their time at Cornell. We discuss many other topics, depending on who is attending and what they have been doing.

Ken and Karen Kyne Dormer keep active in Claremore, OK. Ken published his final paper last year in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology-Physiology on a nanoparticle/drug that prevents atrial fibrillation. Ken has served on the boards of MedSend and MAP International, and he volunteers at John 3:16, a shelter for homeless men. Ken and Karen started playing pickleball five years ago and play three times a week. They also kayak and go hiking and bicycling together. They did a trip to Greece and Turkey, visiting in the footsteps of the biblical apostle Paul.

A 60th Reunion note from Alice Katz Berglas, Mary Jansen Everett, and Jeanne Brown Sander: “June 4–7, 2026! As you read this, our 60th Reunion weekend schedule and registration information are heading to the printer. They will come to you—as they always have—with our warm, true invitation to find your red T-shirt, access your internal-forever Ithaca GPS map, and set forth on the straightest path that will lead you back and up the Hill to where we will be waiting to greet you. Everything awaits. The gorges, McGraw Tower, the campus, the statues, the view, the Straight, the Chimes. We will also demystify the new buildings and re-open the doors for you to visit again ‘what is old.’ You can complain that there are too many buildings or marvel about it all.

“Importantly: like you, we know we all have new needs at a 60th Reunion (we are 80, not 18 …). There will be buses and signs and all sorts of things to make your (our) time on campus easy. Let us know any personal need or concern (big or small) that you might have. And when you come back: marvel at the 70th and 75th Reunions—the Class of 1955 set a new 70th Reunion attendance record last June! Their presence leads our way. Singing the ‘Alma Mater’ with them is a lesson in pride—and a gift. Cornellians are Cornellians lifelong. Ithaca is home again always. COME!”

Have Reunion Q’s? Email Alice at cornell66reunion@gmail.com. Please send your news to either of your class correspondents: ❖ Susan Rockford Bittker (email Susan) | Pete Salinger, MBA ’68 (email Pete) | Alumni Directory.

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1967

Hazel Dayton Gunn, MRP ’94 (Ithaca, NY) writes: “Christopher Gunn ’66, MBA ’73, PhD ’80, and I have traveled the world, walking many of the long-distance trails, visiting the ‘wonders of the world,’ ancient, modern, and natural. Six years ago, we moved to Kendal at Ithaca, a continuing care retirement community where Cornellians are thick on the ground. Christopher has Parkinson’s and lives in the skilled nursing wing while I am in a cottage, a 10-minute walk away.

“Christopher holds an MBA and PhD in economics from Cornell and taught for 36 years at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva. I was a master weaver and member of Handwork craft coop in Ithaca before getting a master’s in city and regional planning from Cornell in 1994. I was managing editor of an economics journal based at Cornell for 20 years—a dream job. Still active, I walked part of the Camino in Northern Spain this summer and went on an expedition cruise to the Inside Passage of Alaska. My brother Howard Dayton lives in Winter Park, FL; he is retired from heading Compass, an organization he founded that teaches Christian groups how to manage their finances.”

Ted Feldmeier, BS ’71 (Eliot, ME) writes, “I exercise most days of the week (yoga, strength conditioning, aerobic exercise). But my other focus is on helping Mainspring in its varied local endeavors.” Mainspring, in Kittery, ME, is described as “a collaborative social service hub, designed to make it easy for individuals and families to get the support they need.” Notes Ted, “It’s a ‘wraparound’ charity with all its services in one building. It’s great to have the wherewithal to help to make a difference. So many people are in need today.”

He adds that he saw his two grandnieces and his grandnephew “all compete in the Illinois high school state track meet last spring.” As for the impact Cornell had for him, Ted says, “It’s hard to pin down one thing, but what stands out today about my CU experience was the integrity of most of both the professors and students (I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, though).”

Christopher Gunn ’66, MBA ’73, PhD ’80, and I have traveled the world, walking many of the long-distance trails, visiting the ‘wonders of the world,’ ancient, modern, and natural.

Hazel Dayton Gunn ’67, MRP ’94

Dave DeBell (Hot Springs, AR) is “enjoying the beauty of ‘the Natural State’ (Arkansas) and our animals and friends as we have/receive/visit them.” In retirement, he’s “giving back where/when possible: animal rescue, election poll worker, softball officiating, and water sports all the time! Health is still excellent at 80; grandchildren are leading in the next generation, including a second lieutenant (female) who was battalion commander and number-one distinguished military graduate in Army ROTC.” Impact of Cornell: “Opening up one’s mind to all ideas and possibilities—including all/different people and not being the target of unwanted indoctrination!”

Claudia Goldin, the Henry Lee Professor of Economics and the Lee and Ezpeleta Professor of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, has been appointed the Samuel W. Morris University Professor. According to the Harvard Gazette, “As a University Professor, Goldin will explore the expansion of women’s rights, the tensions between traditionalists and feminists, and why rights in the U.S. have increased but caregiving benefits have not kept up.

“In 2023, Goldin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics ‘for having advanced our understanding of women’s labor market outcomes.’ After winning the prize, Goldin explained why she chose her area of study. ‘When I first started working on this subject, I realized that most economic historians were studying child labor, or they were studying the labor of men,’ she said. ‘But they didn’t really know what women were doing. And so that’s what I worked on.’

“Goldin is known for her dedication to her students. The day after her Nobel win, she kept previously scheduled meetings, staying late at the office in Littauer Center with her ‘muses.’ She is currently co-director of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Gender in the Economy group and is a member of various academies and societies, including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the Society of Labor Economists.”

We’d like to hear your news and doings. Take a moment and send us a report. ❖ Richard Hoffman (email Richard) | Alumni Directory.

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1968

More news to share with our classmates for January! We always look forward to receiving news to add to this column, so please let us know where you are and what you are doing or share your reflections on your years at Cornell with our classmates!

Bill Besgen, MBA ’69, retired in 2017 from Hitachi, where he served in numerous capacities including as president, COO, and director of Hitachi Capital America Corp. and president and CEO of Hitachi Capital Canada Corp. Years ago, Bill and I used to commute together to and from Scarsdale, NY, to NYC, until Bill and family moved to Connecticut. Bill and his wife, Cathy, enjoy being part of the growth and development of their 13 grandchildren along with their four married children. They now live in Key Largo, FL, and travel quite a bit, having taken three world cruises and several river cruises! Bill is on the board of his condo, and a vice president of the Malta Human Services Foundation. Bill and Cathy have been members of the Order of Malta for the past 25 years and have participated in over 20 pilgrimages to Lourdes, France, taking terminally ill people in search of spiritual and possible physical health.

Kathryn Miesner Carlson writes from Skaneateles, NY, that what brings her the most satisfaction is “knowing that I made a real difference in children’s lives in my career as a school psychologist and administrator in charge of special education programs. I see them as adults in the community, being their best selves.” Kathryn has had an amazing and active civic life. She has served as president of both the Skaneateles Board of Education and the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Board of Education, and as a member of the Skaneateles Village Board of Trustees. Currently she is a trustee and secretary of the Skaneateles Library board. She also has served as a member and treasurer of SAVES, president of the Holy Trinity Preschool board of directors, and member of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Council, the Skaneateles Drug/Alcohol Task Force, and the Skaneateles Education Foundation!

Kathryn has a cabin in Alaska and loves to spend time there. She feels quite lucky that her son and her three grandchildren live nearby, and she has helped raise the grandkids to become “delightful and competent adults.” Sadly, she lost her daughter, who went to Cornell, to cancer in 2014. At Cornell, Kathryn learned that she had an obligation to learn about what was going on in the world and that she had a voice that she could and should use. She certainly has done that!

Janet Jacobi Grossman ’68 was excited to visit Cornell’s new baseball field with her daughter to watch her grandson Jake ’29, a member of the Big Red varsity team, play.

Janet Jacobi Grossman of Erie, PA, was excited to visit Cornell’s new baseball field with her daughter this past October to watch her grandson Jake ’29, a member of the Big Red varsity team, play. Following the game, they all attended a red and white dinner held at the new baseball complex! She is sorry that her husband, Barry Grossman, who passed away in 2020, was not there to see Jake play at Cornell. Their older grandson, Jackson, played varsity baseball at Dartmouth and graduated this past May. He is now working in NYC.

Barry had an incredibly active life in Erie, where he practiced law, was a professor of political science, was director of pre-law at Mercyhurst University for 20 years, was a lecturer at the Jefferson Educational Society, and owned of a total of nine different businesses, including a radio station where he hosted a talk show, a golf store, and four restaurants. In addition to his many other activities, he also served as the Erie County executive!

Kathleen Maney Fox lives in Cortland, NY, with her husband, Gary, and enjoys spending time with her family, playing cards or games, reading for enjoyment, and satisfying her curiosity about world events. She and Gary spend several months each winter in Venice, FL, where Kathy enjoys walking the beach and doing yoga with friends. She writes that Cornell “engendered a lifetime of learning and curiosity about the world.”

Bob Tuttle, MBA ’72, enjoys working part time overseeing a commercial real estate portfolio. He also serves on several for-profit and nonprofit boards. He and his wife, Lynn, spend their winters on Marco Island, FL, and summers in New Hampshire, and enjoy taking several cruises each year. Among his many endeavors, Bob served as executive vice president of DEKA Research & Development Corp., which provides R&D services for major corporate clients, primarily related to medical products. He also served as the vice chairman of Segway, which developed the well-known personal transporter. Among his nonprofit activities, Bob has been a volunteer for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) for more than 25 years, including serving two stints on a volunteer basis as the interim president.

I look forward to receiving more news and updates from all of you! Please email me about you and your family with news you would like to share with our classmates. ❖ Steve Weinberg, MBA ’70, JD ’71 (email Steve) | Alumni Directory.

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1969

This is Jon Kaplan, MD ’74, writing in mid-October, for publication in early January 2026. Let me be one of the first to wish you and your family and friends a healthy, happy New Year!

Jane Plitt founded the National Center of Women’s Innovations and is now its board chair, as she and colleagues work to hire the organization’s first managing director. She is working on documenting her life and writing a biography of Martha Matilda Harper, the creator of modern franchising.

Dick Clark, PhD ’79, is enjoying the good life in Jackson, WY, including Nordic skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking and fly fishing in the summer. And his eight grandchildren!

Nancy Jenkins Krablin writes that she and husband Larry enjoy the present—riding bicycles, enjoying friends at YMCA Fitness, and participating in local (market-style) sharing of produce June through November. She volunteers at the local polling place for all elections, and actively participates in class activities, including working with Larry as class registrars for our Reunions (which they have done for many years), and writing the class column, which she did for the last (Nov/Dec) edition of Class Notes. And, of course, visiting grandchildren and attending extended family reunions.

Stephanie Weiss Levine sadly lost her spouse recently; she volunteers as a patient advocate, accompanying family members and friends to medical appointments. She gets great satisfaction from listening to music.

Steve Goldberger, in his retirement, is enjoying golf and is proud to announce that he recently shot under his age! He also recently attended two weddings—those of his son and his cousin. At both weddings, he encountered fellow Cornellians; at one, the mother of the bride was classmate Isabel Center Kaplan!

Jane Plitt ’69 founded the National Center of Women’s Innovations and is now its board chair.

Lee Stone and Gary Shaye have each submitted material to the Alumni Affairs project documenting volunteer activities of Cornellians, which can be found here. Lee has spent 15 years transporting (mostly senior) people who cannot drive themselves to and from medical and dental appointments. Gary joined the Peace Corps following graduation and served for two years in Cuzco, Peru. He later began what has now been a 50-year career with Save the Children. He has lived and worked in the Dominican Republic, Nepal, Bolivia, and Haiti and has served as regional director for Latin America and VP of international programs.

Since we are relatively light on contributions this month, I will add a few of my own. In retirement, I continue to care for HIV patients at the Atlanta Veterans Administration Hospital for half a day each week and thus maintain my clinical appointment (internal medicine, infectious diseases) at the Emory University School of Medicine. Both of our daughters are physicians; I try to convince them that I still remember a few things! They (plus two grandchildren) both live out West, so we spend a lot of time visiting them in Utah and Colorado, respectively.

I noted with sadness the passing of classmate Ken Dryden in September ’25—a giant in many ways, including in the goal, defending against the best hockey players at both the college and professional levels. I did not know Ken as an undergraduate, but certainly knew him as the goaltender for the Big Red, which, as you all remember, won the national college championship in the spring of our sophomore year. At his passing, Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, said, “Ken Dryden was Big Canada. And he was Best Canada.” I point this out, not only out of respect for Ken and his amazing accomplishments, but as an example of the great Cornell memories we all have.

So, keep contributing updates and reflections to our class column, enjoy family and friends, and have a great New Year! ❖ Jonathan Kaplan, MD ’74 (email Jon) | Alumni Directory.

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1970s

1970

It is always interesting to know that I am writing something that will not be read for a long time, and that our various environments will have changed, perhaps dramatically! My last column was a joyful celebration of our significant Reunion, our 55th, and a fun milestone for me: my 30th column. I’m writing this column in a much less joyful time, with the federal government shut down due to tremendous differences, our alma mater having to deal with suddenly cut-off funds for various forms of valuable research, and war and famine in several places throughout the world.

In a more positive vein, I have been spending time with local friends who are proud and supportive of their alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, another land-grant institution. Their colors are red and white, and they play pretty good hockey—enough that they are willing this season to drive nearly 100 miles to see a game, and take me with them. Might be fun! We have had great conversations about hockey, the subject coming up due to the recent passing of Ken Dryden ’69, and his marvelous book, The Game, which I then had to reread.

Also in another positive vein, my connections in Ithaca tell me that there is a new project coordinated by Alumni Affairs asking alumni about their volunteer activities of any sort. Some early returns from our classmates will follow near the end of this column.

William Sweatt (Greenville, SC) finds satisfaction in having time to do what he wishes! The list includes reading, gym, pool, and adult classes at nearby Furman University. He also lists “grandchildren” as what else has been happening in his life. His favorite memories of Cornell include talks with new friends in the U-Halls as freshmen, good times at the Straight, excellent professors, and snow.

David Cangialosi (Rochester, NY) is semi-retired, working on launching a new startup company. The most impactful things he learned at Cornell were: 1) to persevere with your objectives; and 2) to constantly work to improve your ability to communicate.

Arthur Rawle ’70 recently returned to campus—55 years after his graduation—for a special visit with his son and granddaughters. It was a meaningful moment that beautifully embodied the Cornell spirit.

Arthur Rawle (Kingston, Jamaica) recently returned to campus—55 years after his graduation—for a special visit with his son and granddaughters. It was a meaningful moment that beautifully embodied the Cornell spirit: the lasting connection between generations and the enduring pride of being part of the Big Red family. It’s a testament to the lifelong impact of a Cornell education and the strong ties that continue to bring alumni and their families back to Ithaca.

Steven Ludsin (East Hampton, NY) created an organization in 1975 called Remembrance of the Holocaust Foundation, and was appointed to the President’s Commission on the Holocaust in 1979. He then served for 10 years on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council in Washington, DC.

Ken Finch speaks of his passion for sharing with his church and friends the tale of modern stem cell research. He shares about how few have heard of the massive explosion in research (pre-current national administration) at Cornell and other major research universities, and the stunning results, summarized by the National Institutes of Health.

Since this is a short column, and my engineering and business educations coerce me to examine the numbers, there is room for me to include some rather interesting yet disappointing data. The current listing of classmates I have access to has nearly 2,400 names (!). The total number of respondents for this column, now at 31 individual columns since January/February of 2021 (my first) is 168 individual responses (approx. 7%), from 115 individuals (approx. 4.8%). So, how about the rest of you? It would be great to hear from all of you!

As always, you may contact me directly (see below) or you may use the University’s standard online news form. ❖ John Cecilia, MBA ’79 (email John) | Alumni Directory.

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1971

Until this year, five classmates were on the list of Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award recipients: Deborah Gerard Adelman, MS ’74, Philip Bartels, Laurie Berke-Weiss, Jay Carter, ME ’72, and Andrew Tisch. After the close of Trustee-Council Annual Meeting weekend in October, Elisabeth Kaplan Boas was added to that list. Awardees from around the worldwide Cornell community celebrated at a splendid dinner at the Statler for Elisabeth and the awardees from five other classes. Your classmate wore red, stood tall, and tried not to blush. “I am humbled to be honored by the University in this way,” she said, over and over.

With the following potpourri, our news basket is empty, friends (hint hint!).

Since retiring from the International Finance Corporation in 2014, Alan Miller continues to be involved in efforts to promote sustainable cooling—methodology so urgently needed to address the planet’s increasingly hot temperatures due to climate change. Most recently, he helped create the first venture fund to invest in early-stage cooling companies in India, CoolPact Capital. He and his wife, Sue O’Hara ’72, BA ’71, live in Rockville, MD.

Leo Fenzel Jr., PhD ’88, was inspired reading about Ken Kupchak ’64, JD ’71, and Jay Bloom ’81 (recently deceased), who started a lacrosse club in Hawaii. When Leo returned to Cornell for his doctorate, he was Jay’s high school lacrosse coach and led a youth lacrosse program with Sam DiSalvo ’69 (also a CU lax alum). While coaching at the Gilman School in Baltimore, Leo took a local area team of students he’d organized on a six-game tour of Australia. He retired from Loyola University last year. He volunteered as a coach for an urban Baltimore middle school team, which he is considering doing again as he is now serving on its board of directors.

From Lehigh County, PA, west of Allentown, Stephanie Bell Hill writes that she’s loving baking, having learned it “after many years of considering myself a ‘non-baker.’” She gets satisfaction writing her own story and enjoying her grandchildren who are attending college (none yet at Cornell, she says; but she still has hope). And she’s challenged by her efforts, “organizing and writing an ‘existential history.’” The most impactful thing she took away from undergraduate days is believing that “Cornell became her lens.”

Until this year, five classmates were on the list of Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award recipients. In October, Elisabeth Kaplan Boas ’71 was added to that list.

From Lititz, PA, we heard from Patricia Wohlsen Epps with sad, sad news. In May, her husband, Ronald, died from primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. She writes, “This progressive, terminal brain disorder needs continued and dedicated research. It is an ugly, unrelenting, often misdiagnosed, disease.” She ends her remarks, however, with another idea—that Cornell changed the trajectory of her life. “It taught me that education means life.”

Scott Shiffner reports a busy start to summer 2025. A cruise around Iceland followed his visit to the Poconos’ Woodloch Resort with his wife, Deborah, children, and grandchildren. He plays golf weekly with the senior tees and is also active in the Orchard Park (NY) Retired Educators and says he is “definitely not a snowbird.”

Evan Ellman, JD ’74, writes from Deerfield Beach, FL. You may remember her from her undergraduate days on campus before she transferred away (and graduated from Yale in 1971) or from Cornell Law School. These days, her greatest satisfaction comes from dance (Latin dancing, Argentine tango, Zumba, and ballroom dancing); from the evening lineup on NewsMax; and from her children and grandchildren. She enjoys going to lectures and stays involved with Republican and pro-Israel organizations. She has given deep thought to the relationship between medieval Moorish poetry and the radical movements of the contemporary Middle East.

Peter Simon gets the prize for most far-away contributor this month. He writes from the U.K., where he moved in 1981 to work as a consultant and market analyst in the commodities field. Not long afterward, he met his wife, Mooi, and settled in to “a quiet domestic life punctuated by strenuous walks in the British and European countryside.” After his retirement in 2015, they’ve remained in their Luton home, which is located in the south of Bedfordshire County, England. Parkinson’s symptoms emerged six years prior and have gradually come to restrict outdoor activities. He does get out of the house most days, including twice a week to do volunteer conservation work for the local borough council.

Please send in your news! ❖ Elisabeth Kaplan Boas (email Elisabeth) | Cara Nash Iason (email Cara) | Alumni Directory.

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1972

Fellow classmates, this is Wes Schulz, ME ’73, one of two class correspondents who produce this column. We appreciate your input.

Last summer my wife, Debbie, and I flew from Texas to visit family and friends in New York and Massachusetts. On the way to Cape Cod, we visited with Charley Rayner, ME ’73, and wife Cindy at their home in Walpole, MA. Charley retired in 2011, two years after Cindy did. He was tired of all the business travel, which included extended stints to Greenland. They now enjoy visiting and hosting their children and grandkids. Daughter Lindsay, her husband, Tom, and their daughter, Charli, live in the neighborhood. Son Erik, his wife, Bridget, and their kids, Henry and Will, live nearby in Needham. Son Brett, his wife, Claire, and their kids, Nevin and Willa, live in D.C.

Among the college-years’ stories told during our visit was one that involved Charley picking me up as I was hitchhiking back to Cornell from Keuka College. Since my memory is hazy about this incident, I will plead the fifth. Another story involved Cindy’s first hockey game. It was during the playoffs in the Boston Garden. A puck came off the ice and landed in our area. It deflected off the head of the woman sitting in front of Cindy. She put the puck under her coat and was attending to the woman in front of her who was not hurt but had her wig displaced. Meanwhile, Charley and I and everyone else were scrambling around scouring the floor looking for the puck. After a short time, Cindy pulls out the puck and shows it off to the rest of us. Note that this was Cindy’s very first game and that Charley and I had been watching Cornell hockey games for five years without ever getting a puck. During the storytelling, Charley served us refreshments on a tray that may or may not have come from Willard Straight Hall. It looked to be in too good a condition to hypothetically ever have been used on Libe Slope.

On the way back from Cape Cod, we visited with Bob Breen, DVM ’75, and wife Ann at their home in East Freetown, MA. Bob had his own animal clinic with Ann as the office manager and bookkeeper for 44 years before selling it and starting full-time retirement in 2024. They have two sons, Michael and Bobby, who are in Chicago, and a daughter, Kate, who is a veterinarian in Vermont. Bob and Ann have each been affected by cancer issues. With the support of their immediate family and extended family and friends, they have maintained a positive attitude during this season they are in.

Elias Savada ’72 is still working as a copyright researcher and has serviced nearly 2,000 clients over the 40+ years since he started this as a side business.

Elias Savada reports that he is still working as a copyright researcher and has serviced nearly 2,000 clients over the 40+ years since he started this as a side business. He has worked out of a home office in Bethesda, MD, since 1991. His biography of film director Tod Browning (Dracula, Freaks), co-written with the late David Skal and originally published in 1995, finally hit the paperback market earlier this year, courtesy of the University of Minnesota Press. He did retire from writing film reviews but still watches lots of films, whether streaming or at an AMC theater (where his son, Daniel, is a manager). In his spare time, he works on his family tree (currently nearing 40,000 people), writes about the craft beer scene, and travels with his wife, Andrea, both abroad and often to New York City, where they stay with their daughter, Shira, a wedding consultant.

Eli found this lithograph in his basement, which may have been from Glad Day Press. He would appreciate any info on its creator. It was stored with the movie posters and related memorabilia he had collected over the last 50 years. This collection of 150 boxes is now headed to the University of Wisconsin, Madison to join its film and television collection.

Gene Weber was reading about the passing of Ken Dryden ’69 and his amazing life. He bets everyone in the Class of 1972 will remember Ken in front of the goal and looking like a giant. Here is Gene’s Ken Dryden story from a few years after graduation (probably 1978): “I was living in L.A. The Canadiens were playing the Kings. The local Cornell Club had purchased a block of seats and was hosting a reception after the game. Ken had graciously agreed to speak briefly at the reception. As it wound down, an officer of the club asked me if I could give Ken a ride to his hotel near the airport. Of course I agreed, but the challenge was fitting him into my 1971 Porsche 911 and also accommodating my girlfriend at the time. She kindly agreed to sit in the compact rear seating space. I moved the passenger seat as far back as I could to accommodate the ‘Big Kid.’ He was still a bit crunched, but he didn’t care. The 20-minute drive was fascinating. We not only discussed all things Cornell but also his games vs. the Soviet National team and my time in the Adirondacks. He couldn’t have been nicer or more engaging—what an athlete and human being and proud Cornellian we have lost.”

Thank you to all who have written in. Keep the news coming! As always, you may contact one of us directly, or use the University’s standard online news form. ❖ Wes Schulz, ME ’73 (email Wes) | Susan Farber Straus (email Susan) | Alumni Directory.

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1973

I write today inspired by the livestream of President Michael Kotlikoff’s State of the University Address delivered to the 75th Trustee-Council Annual Meeting: “How can the University best prepare its students for the future they will inhabit—and build the best future for our nation?” His remarks sought to answer that question by highlighting Cornell’s history, its commitment to academic freedom and access to education, and its impactful research, innovative faculty, and passionate students. On to your news.

David Elenbaas writes that, prior to his Cornell freshman year in 1969, he was on Reach for the Top, a high school quiz show developed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and produced across Canada. His team not only won the regional Toronto championship—moderated by a young man named Alex Trebek—but also the National Championship.

That freshman fall of 1969, CBC decided to have his team compete against schools from Hawaii, filmed and later televised across Canada. “This necessitated my having to take a two-week leave from my studies.” Three years later, David was the goalie on the Big Red men’s hockey team playing at Harvard when he heard a loud clucking sound coming from over his shoulder: a live chicken appeared and landed in his crease—and a tradition was born. “Fast forward a few years later and I am dressed as the back-up goalie to the Cornell great Ken Dryden ’69 on the Montreal Canadiens.”

Greg Kishel and wife Karin, both retired since mid-2016, have found their volunteer home by working with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul since early 2018, when their parish priest announced the formation of a local group. With the generous financial support of fellow parishioners, over the past seven years their group has helped several hundred individuals and families in inner-city neighborhoods in St. Paul, MN, and pockets of poverty in surrounding suburbs.

Greg writes, “Preventing homelessness (curing rent arrears) and assisting those emerging from homelessness is our first priority. We also support those entering recovery from addiction or alcoholism by funding security deposits for sober housing. The core part of our client-centered effort is to let people in need know that they are not alone. We’ve gone far outside our middle-class cocoon. That doubled back to realizing we’re all not that different, really.”

Spouse Gerry Greenberg and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in late August in gratitude by sailing on our first-ever cruise to Alaska.

Pam Meyers ’73

Mike McMahon, former owner of EZ Acres dairy farm in Homer, NY, was featured last summer by a local Syracuse television station in a fascinating video discussion of the importance of migrant workers to his industry. I highly recommend that you watch the video to see his thoughtful input on this subject, including the statistic that 86% of milk and 98% of fruits and vegetables in the U.S. are harvested by migrant hands. Most people working in agriculture are undocumented.

David and Christine Dickieson Pesses write from Gloversville, NY, that they gain great satisfaction these days by volunteering in their community’s various efforts to make their small town a better place to live. David is volunteering as a farmhand on a local organic vegetable farm, “doing everything from helping to construct the high tunnels to protect and control the environment for growing plants to weeding and harvesting vegetables.” Christine volunteers at their local cooperative market, sews quilts for grandchildren, and has gotten back into reading. They have five grandchildren and two bonus grandchildren in a variety of sweet places to visit: Brazil, Chicago, Avon (CT), and Atlanta.

Norm Solomon and wife Kathy have retired and are living in Shelton, CT. They are busy with travel—most recently to Ireland and to the U.K. for a hiking tour of the Cotswolds. Norm continues to volunteer for the New York Road Runners Team for Kids charity and continues his running “career”—most recently the NYC half marathon in March and the Brooklyn half in May. His mantra is, “I don’t go fast but I always finish.” Norm also enjoys his ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out) lunches with fellow ILR grads Alan Brown and David Cohen. Norm, please give my regards to David, whose NYC New Year’s Eve wedding in 1972 to my DPhiE sorority sister Abby Joseph Cohen was my first Cornellian-to-Cornellian wedding.

Spouse Gerry Greenberg and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in late August in gratitude (after a year of severe health challenges that Gerry miraculously survived) by sailing on our first-ever cruise to Alaska. We enjoyed sunny skies each day and gained an informed appreciation of the Indigenous cultures to which we were introduced and the enormous variety of wildlife we observed. A long-anticipated visit to Seattle’s Chihuly Garden and Glass was the icing on our anniversary cake.

Send news to: ❖ Pam Meyers (email Pam) | Dave Ross (email Dave) | Phyllis Haight Grummon (email Phyllis) | Alumni Directory.

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1974

Bonni Schulman Dutcher keeps busy with her grandsons, volunteering, traveling, and dancing several times each week. Her favorite Cornell memory? Skiing at Greek Peak. Mazel tov on your grandson’s bar mitzvah!

Steve Coulombe, ME ’75, splits his time between a new house in Knoxville and a lake house on Douglas Lake, TN. He fractured his spine last year and wants all his male classmates to be tested for osteoporosis. His favorite Cornell memory: working on the early Cornell electric car project and cruising through campus in a bright red Alfa Romeo all-electric replica.

Darlene Cox recently moved to Hershey, PA. She loves her dog and two horses and volunteers for the Steelton-Highspire School District revitalization project to improve its athletic facilities and add services that would aid the entire community. Her favorite memories: cheerleading and time spent at Ujamaa.

Barbara Gales plans to keep practicing medicine for another four years. She is the chief of compensation and pension at a Spokane, WA, medical center that serves veterans in the region by providing various healthcare services. She also volunteers for Save Our Heroes, which supports and advocates for military service members and their families who are facing false allegations, wrongful military judicial action, or wrongful convictions. (Sounds like a great cause!) Barbara enjoyed a Christmas 2024 trip to Disneyland with her family. Favorite memories: having fun and dinners with her two best friends.

Paul Toogood is enjoying travel, friends, family, and swimming. He moved from California to Florida after selling his veterinary practice and winery. Favorite Cornell memories: walking around the beautiful campus and having access to all the libraries.

Barry Raff retired from the private practice of clinical cardiology. He went to Thailand with his grandson and later to Western Canada, including to Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies with stops to see Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, and numerous glaciers and waterfalls. He says that it was truly nature at its most magnificent. Barry also visited his recently married son in Martha’s Vineyard. It was a great time including several ferry rides and beach visits. He’s currently working on his golf game, which needs a lot of improvement.

Lastly, Ithaca has earned the top spot on CNN Travel’s 2025 list of Best Towns in America to Visit. Didn’t we already know that? ❖ Perry Jacobs (email Perry) | Linda Meyers Geyer (email Linda) | Betsy Moore (email Betsy) | Alumni Directory.

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1975

It’s mid-October and New York has enjoyed a wonderful few weeks of beautiful weather, so I am a happy camper! Before I get to class news, I want to honor one of our class correspondents who has decided to retire after writing columns for 40 years!

I found Mitch Frank’s first column in the September ’85 issue of Cornell Alumni News, when it was still in its printed format! As Mitch put it, “It turned into a true labor of love for a very long time … I always felt it was an extremely important goal, keeping our class connected by sharing the nuts and bolts of our lives with each other.” When writing the column, Mitch rarely spoke of himself, so I will.

After Cornell, Mitch received his JD from the University of Florida. He was a law professor at Barry University School of Law in Orlando, FL, for 25 years and served as faculty advisor and often coach to the School of Law’s award-winning trial team program. His two joys in life are his daughters, Briana and Arielle. Arielle received her law degree this year from the University of Miami Law School and Briana will receive her MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell in May 2026. Mitch plans to visit a tree he endowed on the Arts Quad near the Ezra Cornell statue while on campus for her graduation. He has been a regular attendee at Cornell’s Adult University and has always sung its praises. Thank you, Mitch! Your constant support of Cornell and the Class of ’75 is so appreciated.

On to some news of other classmates: At Reunion, I passed around a notebook to get some news. Brian M. O’Sullivan (middle initial included so not to confuse with the lacrosse guy … his notation!) has spent some of the past 10 years getting to know the newest generation of his cousins in Ireland in Cork and Kerry. Brian works as a consulting psychologist in Massachusetts. He is “happy to know our class continues to be up to helping save our world.”

Chris Larson and husband Ed Danoff attended Reunion and helped newly arrived attendees with directions and a welcoming nature! Chris worked for the FDIC, HUD, and U.S. Department of the Interior concentrating on audits and bank liquidations. She has lived mostly in California, with some work diversions to Dallas and Boston, and currently lives in Newport Beach. Anita Picozzi Moran spent 44 years living in Dallas and practicing architecture. She and her husband moved to Portland, OR, in late 2024 to be near their daughter, Elizabeth. “We are finding our new life relaxing with beautiful scenery and great food, touring Oregon’s wineries, desert, mountains, and beaches.” Anita has been exercising, volunteering, and mentoring young architects.

Mitch Frank ’75 plans to visit a tree he endowed on the Arts Quad near the Ezra Cornell statue while on campus for his daughter’s graduation.

I convinced a group of guys trying to catch up at Reunion to share their lives with you all! Rob Weinberg is a retired database consultant who moved back to Ithaca in 2010 from Dallas (after 33 years). He gets back to Dallas frequently to visit grandchildren. Paul Kemp is a former professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, and a principal at G. Paul Kemp & Associates, where he advises clients engaged in restoration of degraded coastal ecosystems and assists government agencies, nonprofits, and private landowners. He is married to Linda Fowler and has two sons. Jeff Kurt retired as senior engineer at General Dynamics and Bell Labs, working mostly in undersea fiber optics. He lives in Hillsborough, NJ, enjoys fishing, and is a father of three!

Mike Tannenbaum retired from a long career in academia as professor, department chair, dean, and provost at Marshall University in West Virginia, Truman State University, Marist College, and (for the last decade) Hartwick College, retiring in 2019. He and wife Karen Deily live in Oneonta, NY; they boast about a daughter who is a public service attorney in L.A. and a son who is a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer. Mike has kept in touch over the years with Pi Lambda Phi brothers Rob, Paul, and Jeff (all above), plus Paul Morris, Mickey Frish, PhD ’81, and Jon Becker, as well as several ’74 PiLams. Mickey passed away in March 2025 and his published obit included: “a brilliant physicist, devoted family man, and beloved friend. … A holder of 11 patents and the author or coauthor of over 80 technical reports and publications, his remarkable contributions to the field of photonics helped shape our understanding of the universe and inspired the next generation of scientists.”

From news and dues reports: Anthony Deusenbery writes from Naples, NY, where he is mostly retired with wife Holly. They have been on an Amazon world cruise. Ann Weige Schleppi writes from Sun City, AZ, where she lives with husband Craig. Her post-retirement days are full, creating plasma art at their community metal shop, tending her vegetable garden, or off-roading in her Jeep with friends. During the summer, they head north with their cats for cooler days in their RV. She remembers her field experiences with the Tompkins County Probation Department when she was at Cornell. Supervising men on probation for drug arrests was eye opening and challenged her beliefs about people.

Please take a few minutes to send us highlights of Reunion, your life after Cornell, college friends you’ve seen, and memorable moments on campus, and we’ll share the news in our upcoming columns. Or share them on our Memory Book or Facebook! We have almost 650 pages created to date on our Memory Book. ❖ Deb Gellman, MBA ’82 (email Deb) | Karen DeMarco Boroff (email Karen) | Joan Pease (email Joan) | Alumni Directory.

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1976

After 43 years on the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, Randy Katz finally retired in July 2025. But it did not last long. As of October 14, he has been recalled to serve as interim executive advisor for research and innovation at the UC Office of the President, on a six-month assignment.

Randy and his wife, Zoi Eliou, who was born in Athens, have an olive grove farm in Eastern Crete, and they plan to return to it after his assignment is completed. They produced their first batch of extra virgin oil this past winter.

I am sending an open invitation to anyone who would like to be a class correspondent! Just let me know if you are interested. Also happening this year is our 50th Reunion! So much time has passed since we were students on campus, but I’m sure that the memories of our time at Cornell are still strong! ❖ Lisa Diamant (email Lisa) | Alumni Directory.

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1977

As we received no news from our classmates, I will now take the class correspondent’s prerogative, which we previously established is a thing, to discuss bucket lists. A random statistic that I heard is that 43% of Americans will travel this year to one of the places on their bucket list. Popular bucket-list destinations included the Grand Canyon, snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, African safaris, and the northern lights.

For me, a top bucket-list destination was the temple complexes at Angkor Wat in Western Cambodia (and no, I do not work for Cambodian tourism). This thousand-year-old temple complex, which was abandoned and “lost” for centuries until re-discovered by the French in the 19th century, has long captured my imagination because of its splendor and history.

In October and November, I took a trip from Hong Kong to Vietnam, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Bangkok, Thailand, culminating in a visit to Angkor Wat. The trip to Vietnam was an opportunity to re-learn a lot about the Vietnam War, which ended when we were sophomores at Cornell and was covered excellently by the Cornell Daily Sun. In Hanoi, the sites included Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (he was the North Vietnamese leader) and the “Hanoi Hilton,” where John McCain and others were imprisoned.

Since history is written by the victors, most of the exhibits there dealt with the imprisonment of Vietnamese rebels by the French. Regarding John McCain, the claim was that he was well-treated (which was not my recollection or his). Interestingly, throughout Vietnam—despite the pictures of Ho Chi Minh and the red flags and hammer and sickles—the abundance of high-end western stores like Pierre Cardin and Louis Vuitton, and the many McDonalds and KFCs, raises the question of who really won the war.

Further south in Vietnam is Hue, which was in the Republic of South Vietnam during the war. Before that, it was the Imperial capital of Vietnam in the 19th century. Why it might sound familiar is that it was seized by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in a surprise attack during the 1968 Tet Offensive. There was house-to-house combat, which largely destroyed the Imperial Palace, which has since been rebuilt.

For me, a top bucket-list destination was the temple complexes at Angkor Wat in Western Cambodia.

Howie Eisen ’77

Next was Ho Chi Minh City, which is still called Saigon by most southerners in Vietnam. It is a graceful city with a lot of French architecture and several hotels that were headquarters for the American military during the war. The site of the end of the war is there, what was called Independence Palace and now Reunification Palace, which was the headquarters of the South Vietnamese government. On April 30, 1975, a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the gates and North Vietnamese troops informed the southern government that they were taking over, ending the war. The tank is still on the lawn of the palace. All of this was well-covered by the Daily Sun.

Outside of the city we saw the Cu Chi Tunnels, which was where the Viet Cong dug tunnels to move troops into the Saigon area and set booby traps for U.S. and South Vietnamese forces (grim). In Saigon is the War Remnants Museum, which details the “crimes of U.S. and allied forces” during the war but does not mention crimes committed by the North and the Viet Cong during the war and in the post-war re-education camps.

Even grimmer was what was next door in Cambodia. When the Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975, taking control of Cambodia, they then marched city dwellers into the countryside and over the course of almost four years, murdered over 2 million people (25% of the population). This was also covered by the Daily Sun.

Phnom Penh has been rebuilt and the Cambodian population has grown significantly. In the city is Tuol Sleng, once a Khmer Rouge torture chamber. I met several survivors of this genocide. The Khmer Rouge destroyed the National Library of Cambodia and murdered its librarians. What is not well known is Cornell’s role in restoring the National Library of Cambodia. After the destruction of the Library, Cornell had the largest collection of Cambodian works in the world. In the 1980s, after the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge, Cornell provided microfilms of the works to Cambodia and trained librarians to re-establish the library.

Finally, the spectacular temples at Angkor Wat. Overall, a very active and informative trip, but sobering—and not a relaxing vacation.

Let us know what is on your bucket list and how you are planning to see or visit your bucket-list destinations. Please keep all your news and views coming in via the online news form. ❖ Howie Eisen (email Howie) | Mary Flynn (email Mary) | Alumni Directory.

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1978

Greetings from monsoon season in Seattle. The inbox was empty for this issue, but I managed to glean some gems from classmates.

Jeanne Arnold Schwetje continues to act in local theater on Long Island. Her latest role was Dr. Stone in the play A Few Good Men. When she’s not acting, she’s tap dancing and being part of her grandchildren’s athletics and other activities. Jeanne says that the most impactful thing she learned at Cornell was “that I can rise to any challenge or goal, step-by-step, with the help and support of others, if I put in the time, focus, and hard work.”

Mary Bowler Jones’s daughter Sophie ’20 married Troy Anderson ’19 on October 12, 2024 at Sage Chapel, with a special chimes concert following the ceremony. Over 60 Cornellians were in attendance, including the bride’s brother Matt ’10, aunt Carol Bowler Jennewein ’81, and many members of the classes of ’19, ’20, ’78, ’79, and ’81. It was a picture-perfect fall weekend in Ithaca—from the welcome reception at Coltivare to the reception and brunch at Inn at Taughannock Falls.

Robert “Wegs” and Diana “Sunshine” Lorenz Weggler attended their youngest child’s wedding in September 2025. They write, “In attendance was our newest grandchild, Celia, born in December 2024. Three of our four kids are now married, and we have a grandson, Wadi, born to our son Ryan Weggler ’06, in January 2024. Bobby is in his 25th year coaching rugby full time at Norwich University and enjoying it more than ever. For the past seven years, Diana has been working part time as a freelance editor. We still have our old farmhouse in Maine and plan to retire there soon. Hope to see you at our 50th!”

That’s it for now. Stay well and send news! ❖ Cindy Fuller, PhD ’92 (email Cindy) | Ilene Shub Lefland (email Ilene) | Alumni Directory.

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1979

“The fall semester has started at CEVRO University in Prague, where I’m currently teaching,” writes William Gallagher. “The class size is about double from when I first started, which is great to see. I tell the students: ‘For those of you who have been to Disneyland (most, but Disneyland Paris), welcome to the second happiest place on earth.’ I’ve found that a little sarcasm (and free coffee and donuts) can go a long way in breaking the ice on the first day.”

William adds, “I had the pleasure of having dinner with Jeff Bloom, MA ’92, and his wife, Anne, during their visit to Prague. We got to reminisce not only about our CU days, but we were both graduates of Ithaca High in 1975.”

Ken Rubin writes, “During my first days on campus in fall 1975, I met four young men who, 50 years later, remain my best friends: Brett Cohen, Wayne Meichner, Dave Halberstadter, and Bruce Rogoff, all Class of 1979.

“In July we met in Chicago, where we took a tour of Wrigley Field, attended a Cubs-Red Sox game, viewed the city from the top of Willis Tower, spent time in Millennium Park, enjoyed an architectural cruise, strolled the Navy Pier, and ate and drank our way through the weekend. We’re already planning our next trip, which will include stops in Cooperstown and Ithaca.” ❖ Cynthia Ahlgren Shea (email Cynthia) | Larry Bunis (email Larry) | Linda Moses (email Linda) | Alumni Directory.

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1980s

1980

Hello, Cornell Class of ’80! I am Karen Vecchio Simons, one of your new class correspondents. For those who don’t know me, I graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering. I recently got married; in fact, I am writing this from our trip to Paris for our nuptials (yes, that is dedication!) and will be using Karen Vecchio DeFusco going forward. We had a lovely private ceremony at the Ritz Paris, where the staff treated us very warmly, helping us create a beautiful memory.

Since my time at Cornell, I have pursued careers in project management, management consulting, luxury women’s clothing, operations management for a boutique developer, and financial planning. The latter was through a return-to-work internship to learn a new skill after a long career break. I attained an MBA from Penn and a certificate in financial planning. I love to travel and enjoy theater, independent and classic films, music, and skiing.

I live in the Washington, DC, area and have three children, one of whom went to Cornell, Lauren Simons ’21. We enjoyed attending Reunion together last year.I have attended all of our Reunions except one and find true joy in celebrating our class each time I come back to campus. Jill Abrams Klein convinced me to take on the correspondent role. If you know her, you know it is hard to say no to her. I look forward to reconnecting with, meeting anew, and communicating with all of you.

I recently got married; in fact, I am writing this from our trip to Paris for our nuptials. We had a lovely private ceremony at the Ritz Paris.

Karen Vecchio DeFusco ’80

For some other news, a summer ball game at Camden Yards between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets brought a group of Cornell friends together from a mix of classes. Those attending were members of ATO fraternity, where I was a little sister back in the day. The group hailed from the D.C. area, Maine, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Jim Saviola was instrumental in organizing the gathering. The bonds were strong among those present including me, Pete Innis, Bobby Barron, ME ’81, Bill Niedrach, Pete Hawley, Russ Bernard, Keith Reitenbach ’78, Reid Bowman ’82, and Dan Adams ’84, ME ’86. John McDonnell ’85 and Dave Moran ’88 were there in spirit, having been detained by work for the Clyde’s Restaurant Group in Washington, DC.

Willard Dickerson III, PhD ’92, who appeared in our last column, shared a memory: “I taught English at Szent László Gimnázium in Budapest, Hungary, from September 1993 through June 2024. Technically, I was not a volunteer; I was paid a Hungarian teacher’s salary. However, an American friend of mine once laughed at me when he heard how much I was making. He called me a fool. However, at this point in my life I believe I am a far richer person than he.”

Please do not hesitate to send your latest updates to us. We look forward to hearing from all of you, near and far. Cheers! ❖ Karen Vecchio DeFusco (email Karen) | Dik Saalfeld (email Dik) | Chas Horvath, ME ’81 (email Chas) | David Durfee (email David) | Alumni Directory.

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1981

Greetings, classmates. As we step into 2026, I send warm wishes to each of you for good health, happiness, and prosperity in the year ahead. It’s hard to believe that our next Reunion is right around the corner—June 4–7, 2026! Please mark your calendars and begin making plans to return to Ithaca for what promises to be a truly special weekend. Reunions are always a highlight, but this one will be particularly meaningful as we come together to celebrate friendships, memories, and the enduring Cornell spirit that connects us all. Whether you’ve attended every Reunion or haven’t been back in years, we hope you’ll join us. It wouldn’t be the same without you!

On a personal note, I recently had the privilege of traveling to Israel with a remarkable group of moms through Momentum and my synagogue, Temple Beth El of Boca Raton. The trip was profoundly meaningful—an experience I will remember for a lifetime. From exploring historic sites to deepening connections with an inspiring group of women, it was a journey filled with reflection, learning, and community. I returned home with renewed perspective, gratitude, and a deeper sense of purpose.

This fall also brought a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with classmates. In October, I visited Karen Whitman in Marblehead, MA. We enjoyed catching up on the past year, reminiscing about our Cornell days, and, of course, sharing our excitement for the upcoming Reunion! It’s always amazing how time melts away when you’re with an old friend who shares your Cornell roots.

As we prepare for the celebration ahead, I encourage all of you to take a few moments to update your contact information in the Alumni Directory. Staying connected has never been easier through CornellConnect, a valuable resource that allows you to update your profile, search for classmates, and stay in touch with the greater Cornell community. Visit CornellConnect to make sure your information is current so that you don’t miss any class updates or Reunion details.

Let’s make 2026 a year to remember—filled with renewed friendships, shared laughter, and cherished memories on the Hill. I can’t wait to see everyone in June and celebrate all that we’ve experienced and accomplished since our days in Ithaca. Let me know your news! Don’t be shy! ❖ Betsy Silverfine (email Betsy) | Alumni Directory.

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1982

Happy New Year! As I write, the leaves are turning in Boston so winter is coming … A harbinger of the changing season was the men’s hockey team’s win over Harvard, 3-1, at “Lynah East.” Another great show of support from Cornellians of all ages!

At the end of September, I attended the reception for President Kotlikoff in Boston and found Rick Eno and Jamie Hintlian, ME ’85, MBA ’86, at the event. I encourage you to hear him speak if he is being hosted in your local community. And if you haven’t read his message about Cornell’s agreement to restore federal research funding, please find it here.

Chris Hanson wrote, “Checking in from Bozeman, MT. I did a bunch of traveling this August and September and caught up with a bunch of our classmates. We went to Tofino on the Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island for a few days in August, catching up with a group of friends that included John Jensen, Bill Wolf, Dave Block, Stephanie Steinberg Sobel, and Steve Hochberg ’81. Then in early September, while riding a shuttle bus in Glacier National Park, I happened to run into Pete Baildon. Finally, I went to the Adirondacks in mid-September for hiking with a group of friends, including Reg Evans.”

Chris adds that he is fully retired as of January 2024 and is enjoying having the time to ski, hike, bike, and do house projects. “Gotta love having a makerspace here that has a great woodworking shop and a 3D printer.”

As our editor says, short columns are far preferable to skipping, so please send news. Thanks! ❖ Nina Kondo (email Nina) | Doug Skalka (email Doug) | Mark Fernau (email Mark) | Alumni Directory.

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1983

It finally feels like fall here in New Jersey as I write this, and the trees are beautiful! Andrew and I spent a lovely summer almost entirely at our beach house in Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island, NJ. We ended it helping our son Will ’20 move from Manhattan to New Haven to begin grad school at Yale School of the Environment. Being on campus there with the incredible architecture and history made me homesick for Ithaca! I will not be stepping into the Yale Bowl anytime soon (hockey is another story).

Here’s some news. Dana Lichtman Molloy moved to Averill Park, NY, which is outside of Albany. She and her husband, Joseph ’82, live in a large log cabin with many chickens on their property and intend to build a small farm. Dana went back to school to get her MSW and Joe, retired from Northwell Health, is now driving a school bus for the local school district. Dana volunteers for hospice and the local Sand Lake Kiwanis Club.

Jeff Gibb writes from Princeton, NJ, that his daughter Cece ’29 is a new freshman in Arts & Sciences looking to study either econ or math. Cece follows in the footsteps of a long line of family alumni as a fifth-generation Cornellian, tracing back to Arthur Gibb 1901, John Gibb 1924, Josephine Starr Gibb 1925, Sally Baker Gibb ’53, MEd ’54, Frank Cummings Gibb ’54, and then Jeff himself from our year. Jeff has always tried to make it back to campus and is a “rabid Big Red lacrosse fan.” He looks forward to seeing old friends at football, hockey, and lacrosse games over the next few years.

Claire de Boer ’83, BS ’85, swim the entire 38-mile length of Cayuga Lake in August 1984 in 20 hours and 30 minutes—a solo record that still stands.

Linda Ruedebusch Marra proudly shares the wonderful news of her eldest daughter’s recent wedding. Monique Isabella Marra wed Cameron Wilson at the OceanCliff Hotel in Newport, RI, on Sunday, August 3. The weather cooperated and it was “an absolutely beautiful affair.” Congratulations!

Lastly, if you haven’t read the incredible story about classmate Claire de Boer, BS ’85, in Cornellians, please don’t skip it. Claire, a native Ithacan and daughter of the late engineering professor Tobias de Boer, swim the entire 38-mile length of Cayuga Lake in August 1984 in 20 hours and 30 minutes—a solo record that still stands. This past summer, she did it again with a friend, 41 years later and 58 minutes faster. Read about this absolutely epic accomplishment and her support of the Sophie Fund at this link.

Happy and healthy New Year to all! ❖ Nancy Korn Freeman (email Nancy) | Jon Felice (email Jon) | Stewart Glickman (email Stewart) | Alyssa Bickler (email Alyssa) | Alumni Directory.

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1984

Greetings, classmates! Apparently it is a slow news period, as we have received an update from just one classmate. But we are always on the lookout for more, so please keep the news coming and don’t be shy! I am hoping classmates will have reported on their attendance at the Cornell vs. Boston University hockey game at Madison Square Garden on November 29, 2025!

Meanwhile, Tom Allon writes to let us know he is collaborating on a book with his son, Jonah, to be published by Abrams Books in September 2026, titled Sez I To Myself: The Collected Essays of Frank and Malachy McCourt. The book’s release will coincide with the 30th anniversary of Frank McCourt’s worldwide bestselling memoir Angela’s Ashes. Tom was an English department colleague of McCourt’s at Stuyvesant High School in the late 1980s. “Frank was my mentor and taught me how to teach,” Tom says. “One of my proudest achievements was creating Frank McCourt High School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan shortly after Frank passed away in 2008.”

If you have any updates to share, please let us know! Your faithful class correspondents: ❖ Charles Oppenheim (email Charles) | Michael Held (email Michael) | Alumni Directory.

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1985

I hope one of your New Year’s resolutions is to write to us! Have you marked a career milestone or taken a trip recently? Do you have a Big Red memory that would make your classmates smile? Share your news here! ❖ Class of 1985 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1986

As I write my columns, I try to imagine my readers perusing them in the comfort of their homes. This time it’s somewhat challenging, when I know you will be reading this sometime in chilly January and it is currently October and nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit in Atlanta.

Rather than seeing a lot of red, green, and silver, I am seeing a lot of pink around town. Pink is the color of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and as a new member of a club I never intended to join, it is on my mind a lot. Approximately 4,000 of us graduated in 1986, 50% of whom were born female at birth, so at least 320 of us will be directly impacted by breast cancer. About three of our classmates assigned male at birth also are at risk of developing breast cancer. If you want to make this class correspondent happy, make sure that you are up to date with your screening—both monthly self-checks and annual mammograms—if appropriate. Michael Wagner, Lori Spydell Wagner, and I only have news to write if you are around for us to share it!

Now on to the news. Elizabeth Coluby. Who is Elizabeth Coluby? She is the same Bette Molloy with whom we graduated in 1986 with a bit of a name change, the result of living in Latin America. After a career leading innovation and digital transformation at major U.S. banks, she transitioned into coaching and consulting. Elizabeth now helps leaders and organizations turn complexity into clarity through growth strategy, fractional leadership, and bold leader coaching at Coluby. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, Manuel, and their two sons. Elizabeth is membership chair for our class and is looking forward to seeing all of you in June.

Many of us are familiar with the protagonist of classmate Margot Tohn’s recently published children’s book, which appears to be a bit autobiographical. Murray Goes to the Playground is the story of Murray (Margot’s oversized, rambunctious, and sensitive Sheepadoodle) and the Lady (that’s Margot) as they visit a NYC dog park. Murray is nervous about making friends, and after approaching a few doggies who don’t want to play with him, all for good reasons, he perseveres and eventually joins a group of doggies having a barking contest. And that’s when Murray learns all about friendship, bravery, and the importance of not giving up. The message—for all of us—is that while not everyone may want to be your friend, there’s always someone out there who does. The fantastic illustrations by award-winning Scot Ritchie and the storyline are perfect for the favorite 3- to 6-year-old in your life, especially that toddler or preschooler who might be having trouble making friends. If you are hosting a party or are interested in bringing Margot and Murray to your next event, the pair is available in Metro-NYC and Saratoga Springs, NY. You can contact them both at her website.

Diana Skelton is another author in our midst. Her tome Joyful Revolution: Poverty, Social Justice, and the Story of Mary Rabagliati traces the protagonist’s lifelong fight against poverty and the unique power of joy in grassroots activism. Mary Rabagliati’s work spanned Europe, the U.S., and Africa, but her legacy remains rooted in relationships—built on dignity, hope, and determination. The book is both a tribute and a toolkit for anyone committed to social change. Diana is living in the U.K. at this time.

Mark Brandt ’86 is volunteering to train urban youth to swim, bike, and run under the auspices of a nonprofit that he initiated, Kids That Tri.

Marc Rubenstein, JD ’89, wrote that he retired after 35 years working as an attorney. He is obviously taking advantage of this time by reading, learning the guitar, golfing, and volunteering in civic and nonprofit organizations. Oh! And he thinks he is catching up on years of sleep deprivation (trust me, it does not work). Not too long ago, Marc and his wife, Jill Hai ’85, enjoyed their weekend at Jill’s 40th Reunion and Marc’s 35th Law School Reunion. Marc and Jill recently enjoyed their son’s wedding and now are anticipating our 40th Reunion!

Upon graduation, K. Louise Hanson left the chill of Ithaca, NY, for the southern warmth of Nashville, TN. I have vague memories of interacting with Louise when I too was a resident at Vanderbilt University. Beginning in 1998, Louise began working in student health at Vanderbilt and served as medical director for over 15 years. Louise is now enjoying her retirement, which includes golfing and spending time with friends and family. She promises to keep us up to date with information about her future plans.

Lutherville, MD, resident Millie Rivera is spending a lot of time giving to others. She is caring for her great nieces and volunteering as a Spanish translator at a local pregnancy center. In addition, she serves as a board member for the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) of Maryland. Not one to sit back and relax, after one year serving as a civil rights attorney, Millie recently enrolled in seminary and is pursuing a master’s in biblical studies. She received a generous scholarship from the NFB to advance her studies. Like many of us, she has fond memories of spending time at the Nines, as well interacting with her sisters at Delta Phi Epsilon.

Another giver in our midst is Mark Brandt, who lives outside Cleveland, OH, with his wife, Kathryn. Mark is volunteering to train urban youth to swim, bike, and run under the auspices of a nonprofit that he initiated, Kids That Tri. When not training others, Mark is competing in Ironman competitions and recently completed his 30th. By the time this hits our inboxes, Mark will have competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Mirabella, Spain!

I hope you all are warm and toasty wherever you are—on a snowy mountaintop or on a sandy beach. While you are there, consider jotting down some news and sharing it with us. And remember: be healthy so you can be at our 40th Reunion in June 2026! ❖ Toby Goldsmith (email Toby) | Lori Spydell Wagner (email Lori) | Michael Wagner (email Michael) | Alumni Directory.

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1987

Pamela Mandell Freedman was featured in a recent story, where she reflected on her unexpected journey from a college floral design class to volunteering at a local hospital. She initially enrolled in Floral Design 101 at Cornell as an easy “gut” course, and enjoyed learning floral arranging alongside the football team. ​She gained skills that she later used for family events and casual arrangements. Later, she began volunteering at the University of Virginia hospital, creating bouquets from donated flowers, and experienced the joy in bringing smiles to patients through her flower arrangements.

Lisa Rathmann Stewart and her husband, Mike, just finished their fourth annual cross-country road trip and have now visited all of the national parks they could drive to (52 out of 63)! For their 2025 trip, they were on the road 55 days in their minivan, covered 9,200 miles across 18 states, and visited six national parks and 22 national park service sites. They camped 29 nights, stayed at hotels 11 nights, and stayed with family and friends for 14 nights. And she got to visit a whole bunch of her Tri Delta sisters too (see below).

Debra Eisenberger Matityahu just “graduated” from her day job as an ob/gyn physician at Kaiser Permanente, and is now on the medical advisory board of a telehealth menopause startup for Latin America called ELLA. Debra adds, “I just trekked over the 17,800-foot pass of the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal—brutally challenging due to some altitude illness, but I survived!”

Lisa Gangarosa shared that in May, after attending an annual gastroenterology meeting in San Diego, she and husband Jim had a great time visiting three national parks in three days: Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Grand Canyon. “We then traveled to Phoenix and were hosted for a lovely Mother’s Day brunch by my Cornell roommate, Karen Lootens Odden, and her husband, George! It was great to catch up.” Lisa is still a practicing gastroenterologist at UNC. In her free time, she loves to participate in circus aerial arts.

Lisa Rathmann Stewart ’87 and her husband, Mike, just finished their fourth annual cross-country road trip and have now visited all of the national parks they could drive to (52 out of 63)!

Steve Long reported, “We had a very exciting year as our son Michael ’23, BS ’25, helped lead the Cornell men’s lacrosse team to its first national championship in 48 years! Michael was a four-year starter on attack and played on a now-legendary attack line that is considered one of the best to have played the game. So many Cornell alums and friends came out to cheer on the team—among them Charlie Muller, Paul Kuehner, Chris Modesti, Marty McCormick, Greg Ripich ’86, Steve Paletta ’86, Joe Lizzio ’88, Mike Destefano ’88, and many more. The Cornell spirit was amazing and the pre- and post-game tailgates were epic. We heard from so many friends from all walks of life during the season! Thanks to all who showed support in so many ways. Go Big Red!”

Anita Bonacci Nygaard related the story of how a group of 15 lifelong Cornell alumnae friends and Tri Delta sorority sisters gathered near Mt. Hood in Oregon to celebrate turning 60 together. “What began decades ago as shared college traditions has grown into a bond that has carried us through careers, families, and countless chapters of our lives. The attendees from the Class of ’87 included our generous host Christine Neimeth Heijenga, as well as Mary Browne Adelman, Karen Loverde Albregts, Liza Pflug Burney, Lisa Hollis Capone, Karen McBride Cleary, Cindy Roberts Dubots, Laura Field, Melissa Hodes Friedenberg, Sue Kizer, Annette Lee, Frances Meredith, Anita Bonacci Nygaard, Lisa Rathmann Stewart, and Diane DeMallie Weidman.”

The 60th birthday celebrations continued across the country (and the world) this fall with celebrations in Panama, the Delmarva area, Westchester County, NY, Ithaca, and Sydney, Australia. These events have been a great way to celebrate and engage regionally beyond our reunions. Stay tuned for upcoming webinars too!

Keep sending your news to either of us! ❖ Whitney Weinstein Goodman (email Whitney) | Liz Brown, JD ’90 (email Liz) | Alumni Directory.

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1988

Happy New Year, everyone! Some of us are enjoying the winter on the slopes while others are basking in the sunshine on the beach. Many of us are turning 60 this year—what a big milestone! Our class council is planning a few regional events to celebrate—stay tuned for more details. How are you going to celebrate? Send me your stories so I can share with our fellow classmates.

Now onto the latest class news. Sandra Young Klindt, DVM ’93, writes in from Dexter, NY. She caught up with John Gustavsson when he was visiting New York. He worked as a radiologist in Portland, OR, and was planning to retire this past summer. Meanwhile, Sandra’s youngest son, Alex, graduated this past May from SUNY Oneonta and is going to start at the Cooperstown Graduate Program for a master’s in museum studies.

Mark Podgainy has just become an empty-nester. His youngest daughter started at Emory this fall—he’s a proud father! Mark has worked at the same firm for 18 years, advising distressed companies, and was recently promoted to senior managing director. He says, “It’s been fun of late, helping grow the business.”

Across the Atlantic, Loren Gerlach has been living in London, England, and retired at the end of 2021. He has spent the past three years backpacking in South America, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa. Now he has decided to do something different, so he signed up with Medical Life Lines Ukraine, a British charity that buys used ambulances, loads them up with medical supplies, and delivers them to Ukraine. You can follow his travels on his blog, Loren’s Wanderlust.

Loren Gerlach ’88 has spent the past three years backpacking in South America, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa.

Melissa Beisheim Benno has lived in Northern New Jersey for over 30 years. She got married at Risley and had her wedding reception at the Straight. After graduation, she got a job in market research with some help from Cornell. Now, she’s using her comm arts degree to write for a local online news publication. Melissa says, “It is such a pleasure to meet decision-makers and newsmakers in my town and write about their passions. I have learned so much from them, and who knows, maybe someday I’ll run for town council.”

From the lights of New York City, Lisa Gross Dayan said that while she was in San Francisco, CA, she visited with Jeff Bosley who, like herself, is an attorney with Davis Wright Tremaine LLC. On her trip, Brett D’Ambrosio cooked an amazing dinner for her at his home in Berkeley, CA.

Lastly, it’s time to pay your class dues so you can support our class initiatives as we gear up for our next Reunion. Save the date: June 8–11, 2028. Here is the link to pay dues, or visit alumni.cornell.edu/classes. Class of ’88 dues are $30 for an individual and $50 for a Class of ’88 couple. Duespayers will receive exclusive discounts via the Big Red Marketplace.

That’s all for now. Please keep sending your news to me. I love hearing from our classmates, both near and far. ❖ Pamela Darer Anderson (email Pam) | Alumni Directory.

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1989

Thank you! You’ve sent in updates for our Class Notes! Writing these columns every few months is a nice little exercise, but the exercise becomes a bit more strenuous when no news has been sent in. Imagine my relief to find that we had several classmates send in their news! It was like finding out while you were still in bed that the gym was closed for the day. I hit my figurative snooze button in your honor.

To start off, we have another published author in our ranks (we have several!). John Ebrahimian has written How Violence Works: An Introduction to René Girard’s Mimetic Theory, published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. From the site: “This book uncovers how violence stems from our desires. It explores why we compete, envy, and sometimes escalate conflicts into war. From wanting material things such as cars or prestigious jobs to seeking power or influence, desire can often lead to violence.

“The book shows how this plays out in major historical events such as 9/11 and the two World Wars. Drawing from literature, pop culture, psychology, mythology, and religion, it explains how desire is always mimetic or imitative. We desire what another person wants. While mimetic desire can be a constructive mechanism, it is also capable of creating violent mechanisms, such as the scapegoat mechanism, which we have seen throughout history. In looking at Jesus Christ’s passion and resurrection, we see how he uncovered the scapegoat mechanism and, along with his teachings, offered a viable path to peace and an end to violence.”

Next, we have word from Mark and Deidre Hubbard Michael ’90, who live in Scarsdale, NY. Mark is head of government-sponsored enterprise capital markets at Bank of America and enjoys spending time with his young-adult kids when the family can get together. Mark also enjoys working on his golf game and spending time with his friends. He writes, “My daughter, Catie ’25, graduated this spring and has started with Morgan Stanley as a human capital management analyst. My son, Colin ’27, is working hard as an IB summer analyst at Morgan Stanley, and Deidre is enjoying her newfound career as a commercial model and actress.”

 We recently celebrated our son’s wedding, and, although neither the bride nor groom were Cornellians, there were many Cornellians in attendance.

Laura Pearlman Kaufman ’89

Amy Susman-Stillman is vice president of evaluation for the Northside Achievement Zone in Minneapolis. NAZ promotes educational and life success of Black students in North Minneapolis. Amy finds the work challenging but rewarding. She also writes, “Two of our children are college grads now, the last one a senior—so we are getting close to being empty nesters!” Amy stays active with yoga and pickleball and seeing family and friends—especially her Cornell friends, most recently via a reunion in New York City.

It sounds like Laura Pearlman Kaufman and husband John are living the best of two worlds. She writes, “Although I miss cozy winter snow days, John loves warm weather (and chose Cornell anyway), so we are now officially snowbirds, spending half the year in Delray Beach, FL, and half the year in Weston, CT. I now have two locations of my coworking business, Office Evolution, one in Westport, CT, and one Boca Raton, FL, so that keeps me very busy!”

Laura continues, “We recently celebrated our son’s wedding, and, although neither the bride nor groom were Cornellians (Adam Kaufman was Washington University ’19 and Alison Fisher was Vanderbilt ’19), there were many Cornellians in attendance, including our younger son, Elliot Kaufman ’23, and his girlfriend, Toby Diamond ’24, as well as family and friends, Jim ’88 and Audrey Berg Longfellow ’88, MBA ’89, and their daughter Haley Longfellow ’25, Jayne Gilbert Peister ’88, Dina Weiss Linfoot, Stephanie Bloom Avidon, Lisa Waldman, Valerie Rosenthal Schanzer ’87, and a brief cameo by Jamie Platt Lyons—along with a couple of others we just met on the other side of the new family, Chelsea Blake Fisher ’12 and Rob Leven ’91. Even the bride’s sister-in-law, Ari Sidoti Fisher, is currently doing her surgical residency at Weill Cornell in NYC! And grandmother of the groom, Jane Fishman, is an annual Cornell’s Adult University student each summer! Tradition has it you’re not supposed to wear red to a wedding, but the Big Red party spirit was there!” Laura, that is a massive mix of intentional and random Cornell energy!

Many thanks again for the updates (she types, as she towels off and begins her cool down). It’s good to stay active, so continue dancing at weddings, playing pickleball and golf, and practicing yoga—but add some Class Notes to your routine so we can all get a nice gentle workout. Just click here to start. ❖ Kris Borovicka Gerig (email Kris) | Lauren Kidder McGarry (email Lauren) | Stephanie Bloom Avidon (email Stephanie) | Anne Czaplinski Treadwell (email Anne) | Alumni Directory.

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1990s

1990

Happy 2026, classmates! We hope this column finds you all well and that you have enjoyed a festive holiday season with your family and friends.

I had to miss our 35th Reunion last June due to a severe ankle sprain, so I am extra grateful to my Chi Omega sister and Reunion co-chair Elinor Langfelder Schwind for bringing some Class of 1990 swag to me in Kobe last July. Her daughter Haylee was doing an internship in Tokyo and they met up and toured western Japan for a few days before heading home to NYC. We spent an afternoon seeing the sights, sampling some Kobe beef, and trying a variety of gourmet cream puffs. Wearing my new 35th Reunion T-shirt the following day, Elinor and I took photos together at Miyajima’s giant torii gate before visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Arigato, Elinor-san!

Sheri Appel Takac and her husband, Rick, were my pre-Reunion visitors in September 2024. We caught up at their hotel in Kyoto for some chilled plum wine and sake. We also had an okonomiyaki dinner in Gion before watching some graceful maiko dances as part of a Japanese cultural show at Gion Kagai Art Museum. Rick was so enchanted by the ceramic shoki guardians decorating the rooftops in Gion that he decided to get one to protect their Texas home from disaster and harm.

Spring training is just around the corner and as Yankee fans in our class may know, Andy Bednar’s son David began to wear number 53 in the famous pinstripes last August. In July 2025, he was the National League’s relief pitcher of the month while still with his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. In December, David was once again named to the 2026 WBC Team USA roster. Best of luck to David for a gold medal to add to the silver medal he won in 2023. Andy’s younger son, Will, won the 2021 College World Series at Mississippi State and was named most outstanding player. He was drafted in the first round by San Francisco in 2021 and remains a top prospect in the Giants’ farm system. We hope he will soon join David in the majors.

Proud dad Andy continues to teach math and coach football and baseball at Mars High School in McKees Rocks, PA. David still supports his hometown by making appearances at fundraisers for the high school baseball team among other activities. I think it is still so cool that Andy lived across the hall in U-hall 4 freshman year when he was both the kicker on the football team and a pitcher for the Big Red baseball team.

Andy’s former Cornell baseball teammate is David Owens, who helped found the New York Grays baseball club in 2006. Harrison Bader of the Phillies and Austin Pope of the Diamondbacks are some of the Major League players that got their start with the Grays. David is the proud papa of two future Cornellians, son Miles and daughter Charlie.

Former Cornell squash team member Samir Somaiya ’90, MS ’92, MBA ’93, is playing a big part in developing future squash players in India.

Former Cornell squash team member Samir Somaiya, MS ’92, MBA ’93, is playing a big part in developing future squash players in India. The Somaiya Sports Academy in Mumbai recently built three squash courts in rural Maharashtra. In addition to developing world-class athletes in various sports, the academy also offers MBAs in sports and exercise science and sports management, as well as programs in coaching and conditioning. Samir is most excited about Somaiya Vidyavihar University being named the venue for the August 2026 International University Sports Federation’s World University squash championship.

Congratulations to my former co-RA in Founders Hall, Chris Graham. He was the winner of the Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award for the Atlanta Area Council of Scouting America. He is a member of the council board and has helped raise significant funding for Atlanta-area scouting. Chris is the deputy general counsel at Koch Inc. and serves on the Georgia Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land. His daughter Maggie made her professional soccer debut last March for the Houston Dash after earning All-American honors her senior year at Duke.

Last October, Angel Orengo and his wife, Rocio Aquino, were honored with five awards from the 2025 International Latino Book Awards including Best Audiobook and Best First Book (Fiction) for their book The Orchid: The Secret Code of Modern Goddesses. Last year, their book received a five-star review from Readers’ Favorite and was named a bestseller by the Los Angeles Tribune. Their daughter Mia ’28 is enjoying her sophomore year on the Hill.

Get well soon wishes to Jane Hyun, who is recovering from foot surgery. I connected Jane to a friend at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and we are hoping that Jane will have a chance to visit and be a speaker at a future diversity and inclusion forum. In August, Jane was awarded the 100 Vision award from the National Association of Asian American Professionals for her leadership and dedication to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Jane also recorded the audiobook version of the Leadership Toolkit for Asians: The Definitive Resource Guide for Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling, which was released on September 23.

Thirty years ago, when I first started writing the class column, it was always exciting to report news of classmate weddings and births of future Cornellians. These days, we are getting news of classmates’ children becoming Cornell alumni, getting married, and starting their own families. We know you are proud parents and grandparents, so don’t be shy—share your happy family news with us! Wishing you and yours all the best for a memorable year. ❖ Rose Tanasugarn (email Rose) | Nancy Solomon Weiss (email Nancy) | Allan Rousselle (email Allan) | Liselle Petzen Esposito (email Liselle) | Class Facebook page | Alumni Directory.

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1991

Hey Class of ’91—Big Red energy is everywhere!

Ithaca is looking gorge-ous and Cornell inaugurated its 15th president, Michael Kotlikoff, at the 75th Trustee-Council Annual Meeting. Classmates spotted reconnecting at TCAM: Lisa Bushlow, Mark DeAngelis, MPA ’92, Nicole Bisagni DelToro, David Einhorn, Jacqueline Flake, Cristos Goodrow, Abbe Goldberg Groffman, Anne Grossman, Paul Hayre, Cathy Merrill, Jeannette Perez-Rosello, Eric Rosario, Andrew Stifel, Ed Tam, MBA ’95, Charles Wu, and Karen Zimmer Paul, MD ’98. 

Save the date for our 35th Reunion! We’re back on campus June 4­–7, 2026—our first in-person Reunion since 2016! Details are coming soon. Don’t miss it.

It was a D.C. mini-reunion for Matthew Sherman and crew—Charles Nemecek, John Trenor, Jeff Rathke, John Byers, and Peter Selian—as they relived freshman year memories from Boldt Hall/Boldt Tower to their senior apartment over museums, restaurants, and a Nationals baseball game. A great time was had by all!

Edward Chai shares that in addition to seeing his Big Red track family at the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championship, he “runs” into Cornellians everywhere: Jeff Weintraub, MD ’95, on the Metro-North, Paul Hayre, Jeannette Perez-Rosello, Wes Newman ’09 in Puerto Rico, and Stuart Friedman ’90 at a lacrosse game in Ohio. As Edward’s wife, Rachel Brody, notes, “you people” are everywhere!

From Cornell’s White Hall to NYU Tisch’s Musical Theatre Writing MFA, Kim Brown Bixler’s TEDx Talk chronicles her journey. Her thesis musical, BARBA: Brazilian Body Percussion Musical, was a hit on stages from Off-Broadway to Costa Rica. Bonus: Kim and Tim Bixler, JD ’93, welcomed grandson (and future Cornellian) Cecil!

José Enrique Medina, BA ’93, released Haunt Me, winner of the 2025 Rattle Chapbook Prize. A collection of poems written after his mother’s passing, it explores legacy, grief, and healing.

Mike Dreitzer was appointed chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. With 25+ years in gaming law and leadership, most recently as CEO of Gaming Arts LLC, he’s ready to raise the bar.

As for me, Ruby Wang Pizzini, I’ve recently retired after 24 years in financial services. Our daughter Grace earned her ChemE degree from Michigan and is now pursuing her master’s in energy systems. Mark and I are loving pickleball, volunteering, traveling with our son Milo to tournaments, and helping him with tennis recruiting over his last two years of high school.

One last reminder: Reunion is on June 4–7, 2026. It’s been too long. And per Robert Marciano, our favorite meteorologist and CBS news weather anchor, only sunny days ahead. Let’s make it happen!

Got news? Send it via the online news form or reach out to one of us directly. ❖ Ruby Wang Pizzini (email Ruby) | Wendy Milks Coburn (email Wendy) | Joe Marraccino (email Joe) | Susie Curtis Schneider (email Susie) | Evelyn Achuck Yue (email Evelyn) | Alumni Directory.

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1992

Hola! So listen—your girl (me!) recently swept through Albania and North Macedonia, and all I can say is wow, wow, wow! The kind of wow that hits you in your lungs first, then in your spirit. The landscapes looked hand-painted. A riverboat ride through Theth Valley felt like cruising through a storybook … and that hike up to snowmelt-fed Grunas Falls? 98 feet high? Worth every step. If you’re afraid of heights, good news—this trail won’t test your soul like that. But take hiking poles and wear hiking shoes. Trust me.

Then came the misty, movie-worthy trek to the Blue Eye, where the air felt enchanted. It rained just as I made it to the gorgeous pool, but that rain did not stop the photo shoot! I wrapped the trip in Ohrid, a cozy little dream of a city with nightlife, lakeside shimmer, and European charm that doesn’t even try hard—it just is. The special sauce of this trip, which included visits to museums, monasteries, and beaches (to name a few) in Tirana and Berat was that the 12-day tour was conducted in Spanish with my travel mates being native Spanish speakers. Way to stretch those language muscles!

And in other news, I traveled to Madrid and I sang on “La Voz” (Spain’s version of “The Voice”) … twice! You can watch, here and here. What a great experience! Life continues to be beautifully unpredictable. I wrapped up my recent travel with a trip to Gijón in northern Spain for a gospel music studio recording and show, then off to London, England, for the International Music Summit, then off to Vienna, Austria, to work UXCon 2025—it’s branded as Europe’s friendliest conference for UX research and design.

I can’t say I rested for long after that trip, because I then headlined the musical portion of the Global Leadership Summit in Terrassa, Spain, before heading to New Jersey for my Divas of Jazz and Soul show. Watch out, Las Vegas, I’m comin’ for ya! But before I wrap my updates, let me tell you that I am now a certified artificial intelligence consultant. Let’s work together! What can I say? I’m always living my dreams! Okay, so let’s hear what some of our other classmates have been up to.

Jennifer Livingston Schwartz’s world is buzzing with both nostalgia and new beginnings. She recently returned to Cornell for the first time in over 25 years while dropping off her son, who is now a freshman at the Nolan School of Hotel Administration. Walking through campus brought back memories—and a few bittersweet feelings, as she noticed how much Collegetown has transformed. Some of her favorite spots had gone away while others remained.

I traveled to Madrid and I sang on ‘La Voz’ (Spain’s version of ‘The Voice’) … twice!

Wilma Ann Thomas Anderson ’92

Jennifer and her husband visited his fraternity house, Pike, currently under a full remodel, then stopped by her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, where they spotted an old composite from her era—cue the ’80s/’90s big-hair flashbacks! She beams, “We are so thrilled to have our son at Cornell now and can’t wait to be spending more time in Ithaca over the next four years.”

After running a beloved restaurant in Hailey, ID, for 29 years, Jennifer and her husband recently closed its doors. In a hopeful reflection she states, “It was bittersweet to see a local institution shuttered, but we look forward to seeing what the new owners will do with the space.” They’re embracing their “retirement” with optimism and wide-open calendars for travel, weekends, and holidays. If you find yourself in the Sun Valley area, she invites fellow Cornellians to look her up—it’s a beautiful place with a surprising number of Big Red alums passing through.

Wittenberg University has appointed Christian Brady as its 16th president as of June 1, 2025. Formerly the T.W. Lewis Dean of the Lewis Honors College at the University of Kentucky, Christian brings two decades of higher education leadership and a deep commitment to student success. The university will benefit from his wealth of experience and his mission of developing the whole person in an experiential residential community. His appointment follows an extensive national search and marks a new chapter of student-centered growth for the university. Congratulations, Christian!

If the Hudson Valley had a soundtrack, Mat Zucker might just be writing it. His award-winning podcast Cidiot—now in its eighth season with over 120 episodes—celebrates the joys and quirks of upstate life. From wineries to wool festivals, the show captures the region’s culture with warmth and humor. It’s been featured on the “Today” show and in Country Living and major local papers, and Hudson Valley Magazine describes it as “like listening to close friends tell an anecdote.” In 2022, Mat even dropped the “Cidiot Anthem” on Apple Music and Spotify, chronicling the hilarious identity shift from city dweller to upstate adventurer.

After weekends spent in Red Hook, Mat and his husband, Brian Fuhr ’93, officially relocated to Hudson, NY. The former English major now documents everything from gardening mishaps to country-living survival tools (generator, orange vest, heaters, humor). Mat balances rural life with his day job as chief marketing officer of Prophet, reminding potential upstate transplants to pursue the adventure—but also keep a plan B in their back pocket. We’ll surely keep listening, Mat!

I am looking forward to being on campus again; that will most probably be in May 2026 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the singing group I founded! Baraka Kwa Wimbo is still going strong and I am looking forward to the annual concert and all the celebration activities with students and alumni. See you soon at a Cornell event? I hope so. Until then, send in your news to any of your correspondents and keep making us proud doing whatever “greatest good” you are doing! Ciao for now. Wishing you joy and wellness. ❖ Wilma Ann Thomas Anderson (email Wilma Ann) | Jean Kintisch (email Jean) | Sarah Ballow Clauss (email Sarah) | Alumni Directory.

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1993

Wishing everyone in the Class of 1993 a joyful and inspiring start to 2026! As we reflect on the paths that have shaped us since our days on the Hill, may this year bring renewed purpose, connection, and gratitude for the Big Red bonds that continue to unite us. Here’s to another year of milestones, memories, and making a difference—together.

Class of ’93 Big Red spirits were high on a beautiful sunny day for Homecoming 2025! Thank you to our quarterback, Eric Beane, who organized a festive “Classes of the ’90s” tailgate, with support from teammates Earl Pinto and his daughter Aisla ’28, Kim Powell Sendelbach, Melissa Hart Moss, JD ’97, and her husband, David, JD ’96.

Suzanne Walsh recently began her second tenure as a university president, now serving at City University of Seattle, an institution with campuses in six countries. She is proud to be the first woman and the first person of color to lead the university.

After more than three decades in Ithaca, Esther Semsei Greenhouse, MS ’03, and her husband, Brooke ’91, have embraced a new chapter in Chapel Hill, NC, where they’re enjoying the sunshine, rolling hills, and slower pace of life. Together they’ve taken to long neighborhood walks, home renovation projects, and building friendships in their new community. Their son, a 2022 Hamilton College graduate, is thriving, working in a field he finds meaningful, making music, and, as Esther proudly shares, “making a positive difference in the world.”

A pioneer in the field of environmental gerontology, Esther credits Cornell, especially her studies in design and environmental analysis and the gerontology certificate program, with shaping her life’s work. Her “Enabling Design Approach,” which promotes physical and financial independence as people age, has influenced innovations nationwide, from the first elder-focused emergency department to age-friendly centers for excellence and national planning guidelines. Esther continues to find deep satisfaction in seeing how thoughtful design can transform lives and shift perspectives on aging and independence.

Attention classmates! We’ve identified more than 700 classmates across 220 affinity groups with outdated or inactive email addresses. If you think we might have the wrong contact info for you—or for someone you know—please reach out to any of us listed below. Or go to Cornell Connect to update your information. We’re aiming to make our 35th Reunion even bigger than our 30th, and we want you to be part of it! ❖ Theresa Flores (email Theresa) | Mia Blackler (email Mia) | Melissa Hart Moss, JD ’97 (email Melissa) | Alumni Directory.

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1994

Happy New Year to everyone in the Class of 1994 cinematic universe! I hope you all managed to find moments of peace with family and friends over the holidays.

In October, Eduardo Peñalver was named the 49th president of Georgetown University! Previously president of Seattle University, Eduardo received an MA in philosophy and theology from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, then earned his JD at Yale in 1999 and clerked for former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. A former dean of Cornell Law School, he has also taught at University of Chicago, Fordham, Harvard, and Yale. Eduardo will begin his new role on July 1, 2026. Congratulations, Eduardo!

In Greensboro, NC, David Levine is a professor at Elon University School of Law, focusing on AI in the workplace. David is proud to report that son Noah ’29 is now at the ILR school!

Jason McMurray is assistant principal at Young Women’s College Prep Charter School in Rochester, NY. Back in 2019, he was chosen to participate in the New York State Master Teacher Program and won a fellowship through the Noyce Foundation via the University of Rochester, both honors connected to the teaching of science. Jason studied animal science at Cornell and received an MS in education at the University of Rochester.

In October, Eduardo Peñalver ’94 was named the 49th president of Georgetown University!

Speaking of Upstate New York, Mara Leff, Dan Wood ’93, and son Aden spent an October weekend on the Hill. It was Mara’s first time back since graduation, and she was surprised to find that Cornell seemed so much smaller than she remembered—despite the fact that there were barely any students around. She was relieved when she realized the eerie campus emptiness was due to fall break and not a zombie apocalypse. The family stopped by the A.D. White Reading Room and enjoyed Collegetown Bagels, but felt that “Collegetown itself has lost all its charm.” They found North Campus’s new Toni Morrison Dining Hall impressive, however.

Allison Hamilton-Rohe and son Jacob also paid a visit to our alma mater: “It was super fun to go on the tour and learn some new things about Cornell—like we have an observatory? And also, somehow I had never been to the Ag Quad? We also went down to the boathouse, which has had a gorgeous renovation. I was blown away by the Morrison Dining Hall. I know we enjoyed excellent food when we were at Cornell, but this is next-level. Sadly, however, the healthy Balch dining hall is no longer. It was a brilliant fall weekend to visit Ithaca, and I highly recommend swinging by if you haven’t been in a long time. Ithaca itself is much, much nicer than when we were there, and the downtown Commons is lovely, bustling, and full of great places to eat.

“As for my own news, I am back to rowing and have joined Capital Rowing Club, racing at both head races and sprints. I have also completely switched career paths and am now working at a nonprofit called First Book, which provides books and resources to educators at Title I schools and eligible programs. I realized after George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s deaths that I needed to use my own privilege for systemic change. It feels especially good to be lifting up literacy in this dark period in American history as we fight for our democracy.” ❖ Dika Lam (email Dika) | Jennifer Rabin Marchant (email Jennifer) | Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik (email Dineen) | Alumni Directory.

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1995

Happy New Year! Steve Miller is enjoying his 24th year living in Germany. What was supposed to be a six-month tour became a permanent stay once he managed to learn the language and adapt to the culture. After eight years living in the center of Munich, he now lives in the suburbs with his wife and children. His girls are both teenagers, and though he hasn’t quite managed to convince them to take up engineering, he hasn’t given up hope either. Of course, he writes, they speak German better than he does, so they have a lot of opportunity in Germany and elsewhere.

Steve is still using his engineering skills on a daily basis as product manager at the MathWorks. He spends most of his days modeling and simulating all kinds of things, from excavators to race cars. He has virtual meetings with engineers out driving tractors and with university researchers testing new materials for suspension components. While he certainly misses the Big Red Marching Band, he has managed to play his trumpet at a couple of Christmas markets over the years, which has been a real highlight. He hopes that his trips back to the U.S. will finally coincide with a class Reunion, but until then he really enjoys Zoom calls with roommates and classmates from Cornell.

From the Five Sisters Farm in Plainfield, NH, comes a fun update from Meg Nalevanko Falcone, DVM ’99: “My husband, Dan ’94, MAT ’96, and I have five daughters. I’m often asked about the farm name. We wouldn’t have this many sheep without daughters involved in 4-H, so it truly is their farm. We raise Shetland sheep, and over time the fleeces piled up beyond our means to use them. I started processing yarn, and things have progressed to the point where we have an online shop and a seasonal farm shop. We hold two large open farm events a year, a spring ‘meet the lambs’ snugglefest, and a ‘fall fiberfest.’”

While Steve Miller ’95 certainly misses the Big Red Marching Band, he has managed to play his trumpet at a couple of Christmas markets over the years.

Meg is also a veterinarian who started out in mixed animal practice in rural New Hampshire/Vermont “in the days before cell phones, with large maps to navigate unpaved back mountain roads. It was an adventure I don’t want to relive, but it was character-building.” She shifted to small animal practice and eventually to shelter medicine. She still keeps her foot in private practice but enjoys the shelter “despite a rollercoaster of ups and downs. It’s also handy having my skillset on the farm, where unexpected events arise regularly.”

Hanna Stevens, director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, shared news that in late August, she and a colleague were awarded a five-year grant for their “networking the parental brain” project! Writes Hanna, “We feel so lucky in the midst of so much research uncertainty these days.”

And at the University of Colorado Law School, Harry Surden has been named the Hatfield Professor in Law. Harry’s research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence and law. Recognized as a leading scholar in this field, he is known for originating the concept of “computable contracts” and for his widely cited articles on topics such as AI Large Language Models such as ChatGPT, AI ethics and loyalty, computable law, machine learning and law, and autonomous systems, as well as related work on patent law, copyright law, and information privacy law.

Keep those updates coming! ❖ Alison Torrillo French (email Alison) | Class website | Class Facebook page | Class Instagram page | Alumni Directory.

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1996

Catherine Simpson Bueker published a new book in September called Beyond White Picket Fences: Evolution of an American Town. “The book examines the changing demographics of Wellesley, MA, over the past 100+ years,” Catherine writes.

“Drawing on interviews, archival data, and participant observations, I examine how Italian, Jewish, and Chinese newcomers influenced and were influenced by the established Wellesley community. I examine the ways in which immigrant and ethnic groups assimilate, retain their cultural backgrounds, and respond to discrimination, sometimes simultaneously, and, in doing so, alter the mainstream.” She adds, “I should note that a few of my Cornell professors made it into the acknowledgments, given their very, very long-term impact.” ❖ Class of 1996 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1997

We are approximately a year and a half out from our 30th Reunion; however, I know that isn’t possible because I am certain we all graduated only 10 years ago! Many of us have made it back to Ithaca many times over the years—I only missed our 10th because my older son was born the day before Reunion started—and many of us have yet to make that trek back.

I encourage you to look at your schedule and see if you can find time to join us on campus in June 2027! Now that we are “older” attendees, we have accommodations in nicer dorms, we can choose to stay up late at the tents (or not!), and we may appreciate some of the lectures and special events planned perhaps more than we did at our 5th or 10th Reunions. Let’s make this Reunion great and reconvene on the Hill one more time to celebrate our accomplishments and our alma mater.

One classmate who I know is aware of the date of Reunion is Samara Friedman. She and her husband, Daniel Turinsky, are hoping to add another Cornellian to their household as their youngest is applying this year. Seeing as their daughter Alexa was born during Reunion a year after our 10th, Samara is hoping that might give her a nice Cornell touch in her admissions application. Does celebrating your birthday every five years in Ithaca help with admissions? Time will only tell—good luck to her!

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for June 10–13, 2027, and meet us back in Ithaca for an amazing time! Look for more information from our class Reunion chairs over the next year. Hope to see you there! In the meantime, drop us a note with any updates. We love to hear from you! ❖ Sarah Deardorff Carter (email Sarah) | Erica Broennle Nelson (email Erica) | Alumni Directory.

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1998

Writer and stand-up comedian Roya Hamadani had her first solo show, MANIC!, debut at the Under St. Marks Theater in NYC in September! According to the show’s description, “After being diagnosed at the age of 33 with bipolar disorder, Roya Hamadani had two manic episodes, lasting three months each, which resulted in two husbands. Accompany her on the manic journey. Often absurd, sometimes shocking, and always entertaining, MANIC! is a hilarious story of strange side effects, mistaken matrimony, and, ultimately, triumph over trauma.”

Roya has performed at the Philly Punchline, the Huntington Theatre, and the Philadelphia Bechdel Test Fest, and had sketches included in the Vermont Comedy Festival and the Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Festival. You can keep up with her on Instagram!

Please take a moment to send in your news. ❖ Class of 1998 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1999

Happy New Year, ’99! Marco Materazzi shares the good news that he has joined the law firm Epstein Becker Green. He will be a member of the firm’s healthcare and life sciences (HCLS) practice, which is ranked nationally among “The Elite” by Chambers USA. Marco is a business lawyer who counsels emerging and established companies on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and complex corporate transactions, with significant experience across the healthcare and life sciences sectors.

“I’m excited to join Epstein Becker Green’s nationally recognized HCLS practice and to collaborate with colleagues across the firm to help entrepreneurs, investors, and operators execute strategic transactions with confidence,” he says. Since 2021, Marco has been recognized by Oregon Super Lawyers for his work in the areas of securities and corporate finance, business and corporate, and mergers and acquisitions.

Eric Boden also shares that he’s recently joined the law firm Duane Morris LLP, after 10+ years as a criminal prosecutor for the Department of Justice. ❖ Class of 1999 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2000s

2000

Greetings, everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, full of fun, family, and love. 2026 is here! I can hardly believe it’s been almost 26 years since we were all together on the Hill. And for each one of us, our lives have changed in so many ways that we could never have predicted. I’d like to know how things are going, so feel free to share what you’ve been up to recently. You can share your news with your fellow alumni by submitting an online news form, or contact me: ❖ Denise Williams (email Denise) | Alumni Directory.

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2001

Happy New Year! Do your resolutions include reconnecting with friends? Trying new things? Getting into better shape? Our 25th Reunion will provide the perfect opportunity for all of that and more, in less than six months! See below and keep an eye on our Facebook group and your email inbox for more details.

Our classmates continue to pop up in our news feeds in fun and interesting ways, including two recent features in Cornellians. Check out the latest from Big Red memorabilia collector Kate Costa Leming (read the story here), and allergen-free baking entrepreneur Kimberle Lau (read the story here).

Speaking of Cornellians making headlines, who else remembers Andrew Ross Sorkin ’99 as our blue-eyed TA in freshman year’s Comm 120? Either way, you may have heard that this multi-hyphenate business journo has a new book out—1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—which I will have presented by now to my business-book-reading hubby Salil Gupte for our family’s recently adopted Christmas Eve tradition of book-gifting.

And how about Jennifer Ng Chow, who studied biology and society back in our day? Her latest mystery novel, Tell-Tale Treats, comes out on January 27. According to her bio, Jennifer is also a past president of Sisters in Crime and an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America.

Still reading? Send me a LinkedIn message with the phrase “How YOU doin’?”

The latest mystery novel by Jennifer Ng Chow ’01, Tell-Tale Treats, comes out on January 27.

What are you most looking forward to doing and seeing at our upcoming Reunion, June 4–7, 2026? Based on our Facebook group’s comments so far from classmates Claire Blais Santarelli, Maureen Sullivan Mauk, Deniz Birinci, and more, we’ve clock(tower)ed excitement for activities such as “show my kids the Cornell campus,” a “singles night,” “wine tasting,” “gorges,” and a “scavenger hunt.” Who and what else?

For those of us who need to make those more complicated travel arrangements, now’s the time to start looking at flights, rental cars, etc. As the 25th Reunion class, we get to stay in one of the new West Campus dorms, although you’re also welcome to go for a hotel or rental off campus. For those of us with teenagers, this trip can also serve as a college visit. (No pressure, kids. If anything, it’s a strength-in-numbers situation—just ask Salil Gupte and Joshua and Melissa Hantman Pheterson about our sons’ paths crossing unexpectedly during some university info sessions last fall!)

Some of you had expressed interest in getting more involved with Cornell leading up to our last Reunion, which unfortunately ended up shifting online due to the pandemic. If you’re still—or newly?—interested, now’s your chance! We rely on interested and engaged alumni to help put together events and other ways to keep us connected to our alma mater and each other. Whether it’s helping plan Reunion activities or other ways to use your skills and experience in a meaningful way, we’d love to have you. Take a look at our class website for descriptions for officer roles including president, vice president, membership chair, communications chair, Cornell Annual Fund representative, Reunion chair, secretary, treasurer, affinity chair, and class council representatives. (Most of these roles can also be shared, if you know a classmate that may want to partner up with you.) Come to our officers meeting during Reunion to learn more too!

And hey, if you actually live within driving distance of Ithaca (thinking of you wistfully, Joshua and Melissa Hantman Pheterson, Jennifer Radi, Jeffrey Harradine, JD ’04, Angela Bourne, MMH ’08, Carrie Andrews, etc., etc.), you’ve got even more options to represent the classy Class of ’01 in person—while allowing the rest of us to live vicariously through your gorgeous photos and colorful accounts of campus visits that you hopefully share online.

See you soon? Got news or memories to share? Email either of us, visit our website, join and participate in our Class of 2001 Classmates Facebook group, and follow our Class of 2001 Instagram (@cornell2001alums). ❖ Nicole Neroulias Gupte (email Nicole) | James Gutow (email James) | Alumni Directory.

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2002

Happy New Year, Class of ’02! We hope you had a happy and restorative holiday season with your loved ones. Please take a moment to send us an online news form to let us know what’s new with you.

We received a brief note from Patricia Blumenauer, who shares the news that she was appointed deputy secretary for workforce development for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ❖ Class of 2002 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2003

We learned Audrey Robertson was confirmed as the assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Audrey’s professional experience is in the oil and gas and energy financing sectors, most recently as the co-founder of Franklin Mountain Energy, which was acquired by Coterra Energy Inc. in October 2024.

During her confirmation hearings, Audrey stressed her qualifications in alternative energies and dedication to “numerous next-generation energy technologies, including small-modular nuclear, next-generation geothermal, and advanced sodium-ion batteries.” Congratulations to Audrey and we wish her well as she helps steer the nation’s energy policy.

We look forward to hearing about the great things our classmates are doing via news and notes submissions. Until then, all the best. ❖ Jon Schoenberg, ME ’03, PhD ’11 (email Jon) | Candace Lee Chow, PhD ’14 (email Candace) | Alumni Directory.

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2004

Happy New Year! Please take a moment to write to us. What have you been up to lately? Is anything new happening with your family or friends? Have you read any good books or seen any good shows lately? We’d love to hear from you. ❖ Class of 2004 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2005

“Hey, everyone! Nipun Nath ’06, BS ’05, here. Hope you are doing well. I just started a company that helps people suffering from opioid addiction. Please feel free to share the website with anyone you feel could be in need of help.”

Ivana Chang writes, “My, how time flies! I currently reside in Los Altos Hills, CA, with my husband, Ted, and our four rambunctious kids: Myles, 11, Bella, 9, Elsa, 6, and Rina, 3. My cup is full between taking care of my family and overseeing compliance and privacy for Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.” When Ivana wrote in, she was looking forward to reconnecting with classmates and rediscovering Ithaca’s charm at Reunion.

Laura Guzman, MBA ’14, was recently interviewed in a USA Today story about her independent bookstore, Book Society. “Founded in 2023 as an independent, woman-owned business dedicated to nurturing the community through books and shared experiences, Book Society operates a retail space and wine lounge in the Historic Elmwood District of Berkeley, CA. In addition to book and gift sales, the store hosts special book-themed events and community gatherings, and offers a membership program and book and wine subscriptions.

​​Amid an increasingly digital, divided world, people are craving offline spaces where they can slow down, be present, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Book Society is our answer to that call.

Laura Guzman ’05, MBA ’14

“​​In the wake of the pandemic and amid an increasingly digital, divided world, people are craving offline spaces where they can slow down, be present, and engage in meaningful dialogue. Book Society is our answer to that call—a thoughtfully designed space where people can browse beautiful books, share a glass of wine, and rediscover the art of conversation. It’s part bookstore, part wine bar, and entirely rooted in the belief that community isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.”

Heather Margrill and her sister, Jessica Margrill ’01, have banded together with a few other rare disease advocates to start a 501(c)(3) nonprofit for RNU4-2/ReNU syndrome, a newly discovered rare neurodevelopmental disorder. Around 100,000 individuals globally are estimated to have ReNU syndrome, stemming from DNA changes in just 13 of the over 3 billion base-pairs of our genetic code. Jessica’s son was diagnosed with ReNU just last year, after a 13-year odyssey searching for the cause for his disabilities.

To date, the nonprofit has launched a website, populated a global map spanning more than 22 countries where patients have been identified thus far, created a rapidly growing online support group for the families, aligned an international advisory board, and planned an upcoming family conference and scientific symposium for families, researchers, clinicians, and other experts in the field to connect with the mission of building community, raising awareness, and advancing research. ❖ Hilary Johnson King (email Hilary) | Jessica Rosenthal Chod (email Jessica) | Alumni Directory.

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2006

Lindsey MacKay Fellows shares, “I’m reminiscing about Cornell days more than usual in this season of life as our oldest child, a senior, tours and applies for college this fall. There is nothing quite like a walk across the Arts Quad or a beautiful quiet study carrel in the A.D. White Reading Room. These days, quiet moments are harder to find in a busy family of five!”

Alex Berke writes, “I recently became a partner at Berke-Weiss Law PLLC! Practicing employment law in New York keeps me in touch with plenty of Cornellians, but I’m also excited to meet more as a new member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women. Looking forward to seeing some of my classmates at our upcoming Reunion.”

Elliott Ruiz is senior vice president of finance and operations at Neurvati Neurosciences, a New York-based biotech company. In this role, he is helping advance an investment model designed to rescue high-potential neurological drugs that have stalled in the “valley of death”—the critical gap between promising clinical data and commercial viability.

For example, Elliott and his team revived a promising drug that was previously abandoned, and in just four years, advanced it from concept to a phase-three study for the treatment of children with a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that causes severe epilepsy, behavioral issues, developmental delays, and other symptoms. This investment model has significant potential to resurrect potentially hundreds of other neurological drugs that are currently stalled or being abandoned.

We hope you had a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones. Please take a moment to send us an update so we can stay connected! ❖ Class of 2006 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2007

Happy New Year, Class of 2007! Looking forward to new beginnings and rekindling old memories. Thanks, once again, for allowing me to be part of your journeys. Is anyone making resolutions this year? Trips back to the Hill? Let me know!

Elyse Mandart Van Nostrand writes, “I am very excited to share that I started a new business to support families, in particular families with children with special needs, called I Can Do This. My website has been in the works for over a year, but the ideas and drive for the website have been brewing for decades. Throughout my time working with children in schools, and then working with young children in early intervention, I kept encountering the same themes again and again: ‘My child screams and I don’t know why,’ ‘My child won’t let me cut her nails,’ etc.

“I encouraged families to talk to their children about what will happen, instead of tricking them or lying to them (I’ve seen it all!). And, since children learn through play, I would give them tools to use to act out what to expect. Over the years, I amassed a collection of toys and books that were helpful for families, and then acquired even more as needed for my own children. This website is a culmination of these resources and supports to help families.

I am very excited to share that I started a new business to support families with children with special needs called I Can Do This.

Elyse Mandart Van Nostrand ’07

“In addition to the topics covered on the website, I am currently working with a doll manufacturer and book publisher to create some custom products, and have additional topics in process. It has been such an exciting journey to bring these resources and tools to life! In order to better understand the challenges of starting a new business, I took an eCornell/Bank of America course focused on women’s entrepreneurship. It was incredibly helpful, and exciting to be a Cornell ‘graduate’ once again!”

Laura Skladzinski married Michael Geiger in June 2025 in Colorado and looks forward to bringing him to our next Cornell Reunion in 2027! The newlyweds recently returned from their honeymoon in Tanzania, where they summited Mount Kilimanjaro. Laura also recently transitioned from a 15-plus-year consulting career to join DaVita Kidney Care as director of digital transformation, leading enterprise initiatives to modernize technology, drive innovation, and leverage AI to streamline revenue operations. Congrats, Laura! Reunion will be here soon enough!

Looking forward to sharing more exciting stories with everyone this year. If you’re enjoying reading updates from our classmates, I’m sure others would love to hear from you as well! Have news to share? Please feel free to reach out to me or submit online! ❖ Samantha Feibush Wolf (email Samantha) | Alumni Directory.

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2008

“Last month I achieved a longtime goal and swam 25 miles across Lake Memphremagog in Vermont,” writes Amanda Smith. “I have always loved being in the water (shout-out to the Cornell club water polo team!). These days I coach high school swimming in the winter and adult triathlon swim clinics in the summer. I have also been training to swim longer distances.

“This was my fourth time swimming in Memphremagog and it was a great day! I started at midnight and swam into the sun. Covering 25 miles took me 14 hours and seven minutes. Hope everyone had a great year!”

Let us know what you’ve been up to! ❖ Class of 2008 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2009

Rolena Richardson took the TEDx Bard College stage in 2025 to explore how rethinking what and how we buy can challenge mass-market capitalism and foster a more sustainable, ethical world. In a talk titled “Choosing Connection over Consumption,” she used storytelling, data, and a critique of current economic systems to demonstrate how mindful consumer choices and human connection can revitalize our future. You can watch it here!

An artist, designer, and nature advocate, Rolena is a co-founder of BIG Innovations Group Cooperative, a worker-owned consultancy cooperative advancing net-positive business practices. She is also a dedicated volunteer for the Ganondagan White Corn Project and serves as president of the Bard MBA Alumni Association Board. ❖ Class of 2009 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2010s

2010

Hello! I’m Jennifer Wholey Lehman, your new 2010 class co-correspondent along with Grace Guichardo Watkins. You’ll be hearing from us for at least the next five years. Please don’t be a stranger! I have never sent any personal news updates to Class Notes before, and therefore see the irony of being a new Class Notes mouthpiece. But I’ve been employed as a marketing writer with Alumni Affairs and Development for almost three years, and I’ve had the distinct pleasure to see Cornellians find lifelong connections with each other and with the University—so I drank the volunteer Kool-Aid.

You don’t need to write in about your new baby or your job change. You can send me a message about the plastic animal collection you still have from the fishbowls at Level B. Tell me about how you ran into a random Cornellian on vacation and trauma-bonded over the semester freshman year we all slid backwards in the snow down the Beebe Lake footbridge from North Campus because the Thurston Avenue bridge was under construction. I love kids and career shifts as much as the next Millennial, but I also want to hear about how Cornell is still present in your life, or how you’d like it to be.

I moved back to the Ithaca area in 2015. I am ashamed to admit that I turned into a townie, but now I can update you on all the terrible weather and you can feel a sense of schadenfreude on my behalf. I returned because I met my husband, Jacob Lehman ’06, here, and, honestly, if a trip to the Ithaca Farmers Market doesn’t make you want to come back and have Ithaca puppies or babies that you hike gorges with and frolic in the autumn leaves with, I don’t know what to say to you. As someone with a 5-year-old and two aging large dogs, there is some frolicking but a good amount of trudging. Through me, I hope you can vicariously experience a tenth of the joy and pain of living in these 10 square miles surrounded by reality.

Andrew Bohl ’10 is the new director of strategy and analytics for the Tennessee Titans!

The Class of 2010 had a great turnout at Homecoming 2025! Just kidding. Not a single member of our class was present. Not even me. (I was away that weekend.) Which is a shame, because it included the first-ever drone and laser light show! I love Homecoming because you can enjoy Ithaca in the fall, so many events are free and family friendly, and the vibe is much less hectic than Reunion sometimes can be. I encourage you to give it more than a passing thought next year.

In real-life classmate news, Andrew Bohl is the new director of strategy and analytics for the Tennessee Titans! He is transitioning from Major League Baseball, where he held roles with both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox. This move to the NFL brings his passion for football full circle and achieves his longtime dream of working in the sport. Andrew was a member of the Cornell varsity football team from 2006–10. Outside of work, he’s enjoying life with his wife, Kelsy, and their 13-month-old son, Powers. Congratulations to Andrew, and thanks so much for sharing! Be more like Andrew.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t plug the AAD all-alumni newsletter, which I help write as part of my job. It’s a weekly newsletter with punny headlines and a questionable use of emojis where you can find out about what’s really going on on campus and hear about Cornellians doing good in the world. We also send out lots of digital goodies, like Zoom backgrounds, planners, games, and crafts to keep a little Big Red fun in your life. To sign up, update your information, find the email preferences tab, and click the checkbox that says “Connect with Cornell weekly.” I can’t wait to grace your trash bin.

We are legitimately excited to share your news! You’ll hear from Grace next in the March/April Class Notes. ❖ Jennifer Wholey Lehman (email Jennifer) | Grace Guichardo Watkins (email Grace) | Alumni Directory.

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2011

In February 2026, John Karin will be made partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide.

Based in New York, John litigates high-stakes cases, including disputes relating to securities, fiduciary duty, mergers and acquisitions, and complex commercial issues. He also advises companies and boards on litigation matters arising from governance and strategic transactions, representing clients across sectors including technology, pharmaceuticals, financial services, telecommunications, and energy. John earned his JD, with high honors, from the University of Chicago Law School. ❖ Class of 2011 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2012

Mouleena Khan recently opened her first restaurant, Cheeni, in Brooklyn, alongside her friend and business partner Aleks Jeune. Cheeni is an all-day cafe and restaurant in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood that serves Indian-inspired dishes, pastries, and drinks. Mouleena previously worked at a healthcare technology company and left her job to fulfill her dream of opening a restaurant. Mouleena and Aleks’s process of opening Cheeni was recently profiled in the New York Times.

According to the article, “[Mouleena has] imagined this move for a long time, but felt daunted by the process and her lack of any experience working in [a restaurant], or even cooking. What she does have is a personality—upbeat, organized, and unshakable—well-suited for the unpredictability of restaurant work. … Mouleena’s vision is the kind of restaurant she’s always wanted in her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood: a casual, all-day cafe serving food inspired by her Bengali heritage, where diners can drop in without a reservation—‘a place that people in the neighborhood go to that is warm and friendly when you don’t want to cook for yourself.’ Naming the restaurant is the easy part. Cheeni means sugar in Bengali and Hindi, and she likes its melodic sound.”

Please take a moment to send in your news! We’d love to hear from you. ❖ Peggy Ramin (email Peggy) | Alumni Directory.

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2013

In October, Carolyn Entelisano Getchell became the nurse practitioner for the Rome City (NY) School District. In her role, Carolyn oversees all health-related activities and provides direct nurse practitioner services to students within the district, including performing health appraisals, medical evaluations, and physical examinations. She also is responsible for identifying and addressing individual healthcare needs within students’ educational programs.

“I’m honored and excited to start this new chapter,” she said. “Since my arrival, I have had the opportunity to work closely with an amazing and dedicated team of nurses to help promote student health and wellness. Growing up here in Rome, I know how important our schools are to the community. I’m proud to be able to give back by supporting our kids’ success, safety, and wellbeing. With the help of parents, teachers, and staff, we can make sure every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive!” ❖ Rachael Schuman Fassler (email Rachael) | Alumni Directory.

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2014

Happy New Year, Class of 2014! I hope that 2026 is off to a great start for you. Please reach out if you have news to include in an upcoming edition of Class Notes. ❖ Samantha Lapehn Young (email Samantha) | Alumni Directory.

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2015

Congratulations to Atticus DeProspo, who was inducted into the Athlete Ally Hall of Fame! He was recognized in a ceremony on October 23 at the organization’s Action Awards. “I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Athlete Ally Hall of Fame,” Atticus says. “Over a decade ago, I founded the Cornell University Chapter of Athlete Ally along with Professor Beth Livingston and several LGBT student-athletes.

“We set out to ensure that LGBT student-athletes for generations to come are welcomed and supported in the Cornell Athletics community as we all worked toward achieving our athletic goals. As a former Division I soccer player and Ivy League champion for the Cornell varsity men’s soccer team, I remain equally as proud of the achievements of our Cornell Athlete Ally Chapter. This is an honor that I share with so many of my friends, mentors, and fellow student-athletes who helped start Cornell Athlete Ally.”

In other successes, Alvaro Alvarez ’14, BArch ’15’s latest project, AbandonmenTissues, was exhibited at Casa de Flor Art Gallery in San Diego, CA, where he is the current artist-in-residence. AbandonmenTissues is a body of sculptural work in which he “addresses the border-built environment in my home of San Diego, CA, and Tijuana, Mexico—specifically in San Ysidro, which is where my architectural art studio is based.”

The project is made entirely of salvaged and upcycled materials. According to Alvaro, “The pieces explore how problems can become opportunities, showing how creativity can flourish even in adversity, and motivating viewers to imagine new possibilities within their own struggles and conflicts—whether environmental like ours, such as the Tijuana River Valley pollution, or even unknown personal difficulties.” You can read more in this Cornellians story. ❖ Caroline Flax (email Caroline) | Alumni Directory.

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2016

Aaron Bhole, MBA ’17, sent a short note to tell us that he’s celebrating his engagement to Allison Whitney! Congrats to the happy couple.

We hope one of your New Year’s resolutions is to write to us! Have you marked a career milestone or taken a trip recently? Do you have a Big Red memory that would make your classmates smile? Share your news here! ❖ Class of 2016 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2017 & 2018

We don’t have any news to share for either of these classes, but we hope that will change soon! If you’re reading this, please take a moment to send us a note. Have you marked a career milestone or taken a trip recently? Do you have a Big Red memory that would make your classmates smile? Share your news here! ❖ Classes of 2017 & 2018 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2019

We recently heard the good news that Callum Poulin and Tia Offner ’20 got engaged! They met each other while living in the Ecology House and share many fond memories of their time in the program house and at Cornell. Congratulations! ❖ Class of 2019 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2020s

2020

After meeting at Cornell in 2016, Tia Offner and Callum Poulin ’19 are now planning a Texas wedding! They met each other while living in the Ecology House and share many fond memories of their time in the program house and at Cornell. Tia writes, “Thank you to Cornell for giving us the opportunity to meet and start a life together!” ❖ Class of 2020 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2021

Hello, Class of ’21! If you are reading this, we would love to hear from you! Please take a moment to fill out a news form. Have you marked a career milestone or taken a trip recently? Do you have a Big Red memory that would make your classmates smile? Share your news here! ❖ Class of 2021 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2022

Congratulations to RCO Law associate attorney Natalie Sullivan Baker, who was sworn in on November 17 at the U.S. Federal Court House in Toledo. Natalie earned her JD at the University of Toledo College of Law in May 2025 and passed the Bar in October.

This significant achievement marks the beginning of Natalie’s career at RCO Law, where she will collaborate with attorneys serving clients in the areas of business, commercial litigation, estate planning, and wealth preservation. ❖Class of 2022 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2023

We’re happy to share the good news that Lea Jih-Vieira has joined the staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), located just outside D.C., as a data science fellow. She’ll be working in the information technology and systems division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center.

IDA is a nonprofit corporation that provides objective, data-driven analysis to the U.S. government on national security and science policy issues. Lea earned her bachelor’s degree in information science from Cornell and earned her master’s degree in systems engineering from the University of Virginia in 2024. ❖ Class of 2023 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2024 & 2025

Happy New Year! Please take a moment to write to us. What have you been up to lately? Is anything new happening with your family or friends? Have you read any good books or seen any good shows lately? We’d love to hear from you. ❖ Classes of 2024 & 2025 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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Grad

Agriculture and Life Sciences

Joe Gilio, MS ’66, started Lake Okeechobee Restoration Initiative Inc., a scientific and educational organization, with the mission of restoring this 730-square-mile lake in Florida. Joe lives in Martin County; the lake borders the county’s western end and has been labelled the “dirtiest large lake in the U.S.” Joe was inspired decades ago by his professor, Jack Vallentyne, when he taught his grad students at his home next to a roaring fireplace. After a decade of college teaching, Joe made a career of aquascaping stormwater retention lakes with the plant species that colonize natural lakes so that the vegetative nutrient uptakes improve water quality naturally.

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Architecture, Art, and Planning

Peter Sparber, MFA ’80, will have his artwork featured in an upcoming exhibition at InLiquid, an arts organization based in Philadelphia, PA. The exhibition, Make-it-Pop!, highlights everything Pop Art—including bold colors, graphic styles, mass-produced artworks, pop culture, and playful designs. Pete paints, draws, and writes about art in Philadelphia, where he lives with his wife. He is also a martial arts black belt and has recently concluded a career as a senior business executive.

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Arts and Sciences

Leslie Sponsel, MA ’73, PhD ’81, wrote a book in collaboration with former students and colleagues of Kenneth A.R. Kennedy, a highly respected and admired humanistic anthropologist at Cornell. Their deepest respect, admiration, and gratitude for Professor Kennedy is affectionately documented in the volume, titled, Kenneth A.R. Kennedy: Humanistic Anthropologist with an Extraordinary Life of Integrity Dedicated to Science, Scholarship, Students and Colleagues. He was recognized nationally and internationally for his creative and meaningful contributions to physical/biological anthropology, paleoanthropology, human osteology, forensic anthropology, and South Asian studies, and the history of those subjects.

Louis Pauly, MA ’85, PhD ’87, has written a book, Insuring States in an Uncertain World: Towards the Collaborative Government of Complex Risks, which examines the history and politics of pragmatic experiments aimed at governing complex global risks. He explores the promise and the challenges of multi-faceted insurance arrangements in arenas ranging from nuclear energy production and international financial intermediation to those focused on environmental change, infectious diseases, and disruptive new technologies. Louis is a professor of political economy at the University of Toronto. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award in International Political Economy from the International Studies Association. His other publications include Opening Financial Markets, Who Elected the Bankers?, The Myth of the Global Corporation, and Complex Sovereignty.

Hilary Jane Holbrow, MA ’14, PhD ’17, has a new book out, The Future Is Foreign: Women and Immigrants in Corporate Japan, that investigates how elite Japanese firms are responding to the unprecedented challenge of Japan’s global population decline. Throughout the book, Hilary discusses how this leads to labor shortages that push firms to hire more immigrants and women—but not all employees are benefitting equally, as women are enduring overrepresentation in low-status clerical roles that reinforce gender biases. The book was published by Cornell University Press. Hilary is an assistant professor of Japanese politics and society at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Joshua Bastian Cole-Kurz, MA ’18, PhD ’22, is a writer, academic, and visiting assistant professor of gender, sexuality, and intersectional justice at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. He has written widely on trans masculinity and trans temporality and will soon publish a book called A Plastic Medium: Speculating Trans Masculinity on Screen. The book is part of the Queer Screens series from Wayne State University Press. In advance of its release, Joshua discussed with the Department of Performing and Media Arts what inspired him to explore trans-masculine resonances through 50 years of speculative and science fiction cinema: “I kept noticing these moments in speculative cinema where a character who is not-quite-human or slightly-more-than-human—what sci-fi often calls ‘transhuman’ (no intentional relation to transgender; it just means ‘transitional human’)—has to learn how to inhabit cis maleness without actually being cis male,” says Joshua. “The actors might be cis, but the characters aren’t, exactly. In other words, these figures are frequently required to perform or approximate cisgender masculinity, despite their ontological difference—they resist easy assimilation into the category of ‘man.’ That tension was the starting point of my dissertation. The book expands that scope, drawing together transhuman science fiction and time-loop narratives.”

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Business

Cathy Alfandre, MBA ’96, MILR ’97, has published a book called Breaking Free from a Malignant Manager: Strategies to Reclaim Your Confidence and Career. As a career coach, Cathy has worked with countless people suffering because of destructive managers. The book shines a light on this pervasive problem and provides concrete strategies to help people survive and move forward. She believes her time at the Johnson and ILR schools provided an important foundation for her work and commitment to bringing this book to fruition. Cathy encourages people to check it out and share their thoughts with her on her website.

Olivier te Boekhorst, MBA ’97, was appointed president, CEO, and director of ImmuCell, a Maine-based animal health company that develops, manufactures, and markets scientifically proven products that focus on maximizing the potential of dairy and beef through disease prevention and reduced dependence on antibiotics.

Dave Weldon, ME ’00, MBA ’06, was named to the TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025 list for his AI Coach by Edthena platform, which uses conversational AI to support teachers. Dave is a cofounder of the education company Edthena. The platform allows teachers to record audio and video from their lessons and upload them to get time-stamped feedback detailing opportunities for improvement.

John Hui, MBA ’15, recently joined the Johnson Dean’s Leadership Circle—a volunteer community for alumni leaders that plays a key role in connecting with loyal and generous alumni and friends.

COO Sara Schmitt, MBA ’19, and her CEO and cofounder Amarildo Gjondrekaj, MBA ’19, finished the acquisition of their fintech startup, Adro, by Snowball & Co. in late October 2025. They are now part of the executive team at the acquiring firm and looking forward to continued expansion.

Jorge Sanchez, MBA ’21, has launched a startup, Insightaga, to help him tackle an $85 billion problem of B2B companies spending hundreds of thousands on consulting firms to understand why they are losing customers. Insightaga combines AI-powered analytics with strategic consulting to deliver continuous customer intelligence at a fraction of traditional costs. The platform predicts revenue impact before companies make strategic decisions. In just eight months since launch, Insightaga has secured two enterprise customers generating $71K in annual recurring revenue and assembled a team of veterans from Blue Yonder, Samsung, Google, and Microsoft. “We’re putting the human back at the center of customer intelligence,” says Jorge. “Cornell taught me to think strategically about complex problems—now we’re giving every B2B company that same strategic advantage.” Jorge is also enjoying being able to work for himself and feeling encouraged to read more.

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Engineering

Rebekah Green, MS ’01, PhD ’05, is an associate professor at Western Washington University’s College of the Environment and chair of the environmental studies department. Her research and expertise focus on disaster risk reduction, comprehensive school safety, and resilience. Rebekah led the recent publication of a global report on school safety that looks at all potential hazards and risks that confront children at school including bullying, pandemics, violence, and natural hazards with the goal of preparing for the inevitable and improving conditions for children.

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Graduate School

Frank Vounasis, MHA ’07, completed a master’s in liberal arts in systems engineering and cybersecurity at Harvard Extension School in May 2025. He continues to stay connected to healthcare by training as a medical first responder with St. John Ambulance in Toronto. Frank and his wife are excited to be in the process of becoming parents through adoption. Ever a lifelong learner, he is exploring doctoral studies focused on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in healthcare. He looks back fondly on his days in the MHA program and remains grateful for the foundation Cornell provided.

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Human Ecology

Anne Fenstermacher, MS ’72, has moved to Cloverwood Senior Living in Pittsford, NY. “I love it here. I have many friends here and the activities are endless—bridge, book club, etc.,” writes Anne. She credits attending Cornell as being one of the best decisions of her life, as her graduate degree set her on a new career path.

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Industrial and Labor Relations

Roxana Bahar Hewertson, MPS ’04, has written her third book, Reinvention Road Map: The Essential Guidebook for Creating Your Post-Career Life, to address what she calls “the Baby Boomer dilemma” of people questioning who they are after work. Roxi’s other two books are for leaders in any walks of life: Hire Right, Fire Right: A Leader’s Guide to Finding and Keeping Your Best People and Lead Like It Matters … Because It Does. Roxi is enjoying executive coaching, consulting with leaders, writing, and painting in watercolor and acrylics. “Getting my master’s degree in ILR while working full time and raising a family was both exhausting and immensely rewarding,” she writes. “I was able to launch my own successful executive leadership coaching and consulting business, Highland Consulting Group Inc., and write books (and have publishers want them!) that actually give people the tools that can help them be better leaders. Being a Cornellian is truly a badge of honor for which I am forever grateful. Go Big Red!”

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Vet School

Linda Rhodes, PhD ’88, has her debut memoir, Breaking the Barnyard Barrier: A Woman Veterinarian Paves the Way, launching in February 2026. In the book, Linda recounts her adventures of being a new large animal veterinarian in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains area where, she says, she had to prove that a woman could do the role that Mormon dairymen thought was only a man’s job. Dr. Katherine Houpt, professor emeritus at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the first woman to achieve tenure in the Vet College, has written a blurb for the book: “Struggling with cold, exhaustion, and the hostility of the farmers was a challenge, but a challenge Dr. Linda Rhodes was up to. By the end of her two years practicing in a Mormon community she had earned the respect of the dairymen. Anyone interested in veterinary medicine or women’s struggles to obtain equality in the health professions will enjoy this well-written book.” Linda is looking forward to a book tour and plans to read at the Vet College in the spring!

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Group

University Chorus & Glee Club

Happy New Year! Big news for alumnae of After Eight (A8) and the original Nothing But Treble (OGNBT) subset of the Chorus. Mark your calendars! 2026 brings with it multiple milestones for both groups, including the 50-year anniversary of OGNBT (1976) and the 35th anniversary of A8 (1991).

We will be celebrating the history of these groups together during Reunion weekend, June 4–7. We plan to host a variety of events, such as a luncheon, a special history tea focused on A8/OGNBT, and time to sing together. If you have any questions or want to help, please reach out to A8 president Katrina Payton ’27 (kmp274@cornell.edu) or Jessica Graus Woo ’93 (Jessica.Woo@cchmc.org).

Additionally, as I write this in October, we are in the throes of planning a February concert in the Washington, DC, area for the current members of After Eight, along with alums who are part of local a cappella groups, including Betsy Murphy Erickson ’80, Liz Mueller ’18, and myself. Hopefully by the next issue, I’ll have a recap to share—and if you are reading this before mid-February, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly for ticket information!

In other news, Jen Dilzell Hare ’13 shared that she started a new position this past fall as senior associate director of fundraising communications at Northwestern University.

Also this fall, on October 25 specifically, Uday Sharad Joshi ’94 co-presented at the 2025 Service-Learning & Civic Engagement conference at Coppin State University about powerful youth-led arts and civic engagement in Baltimore City.

Please keep sending your news—it’s music to my ears! ❖ Alison Torrillo French ’95 (email Alison) | Alumni Directory.

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Top image: Photo by Ryan Young / Cornell University

Published January 1, 2026