September / October 2023

Columns compiled by your class correspondents

CRC

Continuous Reunion Club

It has only been a week since Reunion 2023 as we write, yet preparations for the Continuous Reunion Club’s 2024 version have already begun. Who? The Continuous Reunion Club? Who are they?

These are the questions one gets at Reunion when asked what class you are in, and you answer by pointing out the “CRC” on your badge. Many Reunion-goers did ask, guessing it was the “Cornell—uh—something,” and were amazed to learn that some people come to Reunion every year!

Welcome to the Continuous Reunion Club (CRC), second edition. Like the phoenix, we have risen from the ashes, having to reinvent this unique organization after the 2021 passing of our beloved over-25-year leader Jim Hanchett ’53 and the COVID-required interruptions of our Cornell Reunions. CRC was established in 1906 by several male alumni who agreed that meeting for Reunions every five years just wasn’t often enough. They decided to meet every year, absent from CRC only when their own graduating class met. CRC has continued since then, growing in attendance and pausing only for two years during World War II and the recent pandemic. One notable milestone occurred around 1990, when Cornell women were welcomed into the previously male-only organization. What would those early founders think now that Pat Reilly ’78 and Melinda Dower ’78 now co-chair the organization?

CRC had its own Reunion headquarters this year in Alice Cook Hall, and it provided a home base for those of us who love Cornell and especially love Cornell Reunions. Dot Preisner Valachovic ’71 and Connie Santagato Hosterman ’57 served as our headquarters hospitality co-chairs. This year found attendees ranging in class years from 1957 through 2012. Our continental breakfasts included coffee, tea, juice, muffins, bagels, yogurt, and fresh fruit. Our membership chair, Tony Chen ’12, always enthusiastically recruiting new members, particularly noted our after-hours conversations, the ever-popular later evening gatherings for conversation and wine. John Henrehan ’71, BS ’76, dubbed these late night, often VERY late night, conversations the best part of his CRC experiences. With such a wide span of ages present, the conversations were lively, spontaneous, and such that can be had only at Cornell.

With such a wide span of ages present, the conversations were lively, spontaneous, and such that can be had only at Cornell.

On Friday we had a BBQ dinner at Alice Cook, in their dining room rather than the still-smoky atmosphere outdoors from the Canadian wildfires. Here were six different tables with folks engaged in conversation well after the dessert had been served. New members mixed seamlessly with the long-timers. In our significant free time, we were able to explore new areas, or to return to those that attracted us as students. Some saw the Savage Club (Thursday night) for the first time. Some went to the formal Glee Club and Chorus concert Friday night. Many scattered to their respective colleges Saturday for updates in their chosen fields of study or spent time in the Botanic Gardens (the Plantations renamed) or the Johnson Museum. One intrepid member went an hour before the Bailey Hall box office opened to obtain his ticket for Saturday’s traditional Cornelliana Night. He wound up at the head of a line of hundreds who eventually realized they needed the no-cost tickets (new this year) to attend. Other members took the easier route and enjoyed this streamed nostalgic event seated in the Alice Cook headquarters. (Wine glasses in hand?)

Perhaps the biggest change for CRC this year was the welcoming of so many new members. Historically a relatively small group, 2023 saw an official attendance roster of nearly 50 individuals, perhaps half of them experiencing CRC for the first time. In many ways, Tony Chen was responsible for this. Tony started a Cornell Zoom mixer during COVID, and there he learned about CRC. He was taken with the whole idea and promoted it to all the Cornellians in his vast network. As a bonus, a new exciting aspect of CRC is that it is becoming a home for Cornellians who had spent their undergrad years elsewhere, but did their graduate studies either on the Ithaca campus or in New York City. Welcome all! Tony has agreed to develop a website for CRC, of course including how to join us as a member.

No Reunion for any class or group would be as successful were it not for the intense attention given by the clerks and by the residence hall permanent staff. CRC depended upon our clerk, Lissette Silva ’25, a rising junior in mechanical engineering. Because Alice Cook also provided housing for the sisters of Kappa Delta in their Reunion and for non-Reunion-year attendees, there was a team of clerks present who easily worked together. Many thanks to them and to both the Alice Cook kitchen staff, led by Chef Adam, and to the custodial staff. These folks told us they look forward to seeing the alumni every year—a real change from their daily student-focused tasks. We look forward to enjoying their attentiveness again in 2024!

CRC members and class correspondents: ❖ John Cecilia ’70, MBA ’79 (email John) | Connie Santagato Hosterman ’57 (email Connie) | Alumni Directory.

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1940s

1948

It feels strange writing this before our Reunion, knowing it will not be published until after. News of Reunion will wait until the following issue and will be written by someone who was actually there, while this South Carolina resident remains at home.

Lenore DeKoven is pleased to have received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the League of Professional Theatre Women, and her book, Changing Direction, is in its second edition. Asked about her favorite memory of Cornell, she responds that “all four years were wonderful.”

We received a lovely letter concerning our classmate Margaret Labash Young, who “is still keeping her Cornell ties strong!” As her daughter-in-law reports in the letter, “Marge attended at a time when many male students were off in WWII. She was only able to attend thanks to help from her older brother, Mike, who perished fighting on Saipan. Marge made the best of his gift and went on to a long career as a trained librarian and researcher at a time when most women did not work outside the home.

“After graduating from Cornell, she attended the University of Michigan, where she earned a master’s degree in library science. She later worked as a researcher for Gale Publishing and on a contract basis for accounting firm KPMG—all while raising two children and running her household! One career highlight was in the 1980s, when Marge worked as the librarian at the Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria, supporting the renowned Salzburg Seminar. In the 1990s, she was given an award by the Special Libraries Association for her contributions to the field.

“After retiring, Marge indulged her love of travel and has visited dozens of countries, including China, Denmark, Italy, Pakistan, Mexico, Japan, and many more! Marge turned 97 years old this August and is still very active in her community. She lives at an assisted living facility in Bloomington, MN, but enjoys concerts, happy hour, and especially walking!” ❖ Ray Tuttle (email Ray) | Alumni Directory.

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1949

Hello, Class of ’49! If you are reading this, please take a moment to write to us about what is going on in your life these days. Where are you living now? What is happening with your family or friends? What is your fondest memory of your time at Cornell? We’d love to hear from you. ❖ Class of 1949 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1950s

1950

Given the paucity of news reports, it’s clear that, like we survivors, our class column is gradually slip-sliding from distinction into extinction. Without news reports from you all (and it’s understandable why), it’s a challenge for ye ole reporter to jigger up something of possible interest for our class column in Cornellians. But an idea arose from an email I received from John Dehm reporting that our classmate, his dad Ken Dehm, a bona fide centenarian, was still extant and living in an assisted care home in Batavia, NY.

That prompted the question: Who among us still living is the oldest and who’s the youngest? Evidence on hand is that, at age 104, Ken is the oldest, and Ellen Forbes Andrews (Greenville, SC), age 93, is the youngest. Ellen entered Cornell at age 16 and her Cornell story appeared in our September/October 2022 column. Now, dear readers, it’s up to you send me evidence that Ken is not the oldest and Ellen is not the youngest.

Assuming Ken to be the oldest of our living classmates, I’ll report what I know about his fascinating life story from farmhand to WWII naval service, back to high school at age 26, to Cornell for a BS in agriculture, and on to a successful career in agriculturally related businesses. I have a personal connection to Ken because he married a high school classmate of mine, the effervescent Teresa Tretter. And early in his career we had some sort of business relationship too fuzzy in my mind to now report.

Ken was born 1919 and thus has lived 42% of our country’s history! (Find what percent of our country’s history you have lived by dividing your age by 247.) Ken’s childhood was on a small subsistence farm. He went on to high school, taking vocational courses and graduating in 1936. While working for the Grange League Federation, and while visiting in Ithaca on business, he became acquainted with Cornell—but the possibility of ever going to college, much less Cornell, did not then register in his mind. Then came WWII and a life-changing event: the day after Pearl Harbor, at age 22, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

During the next four years he served in the Mediterranean Sea and the North and South Atlantic oceans on a dangerous seaplane-tender loaded with explosive fuel. During the invasion of North Africa, November 8, 1942, his ship blew up the fort covering Port Layote, which eased the troop landing. Two torpedoes from a nearby enemy U-boat amazingly and luckily passed under his ship, which had a low draft of only 14 feet!

Evidence on hand is that, at age 104, Ken Dehm ’50 is our oldest classmate.

After discharge at age 26, and with the GI Bill available for a college education, with our classmate Don Smith and 11 other veterans, Ken went back to high school in Syracuse to take the courses in English, science, and history required for college entrance. There, given their war service status, and ages similar to some faculty members, they were granted the privilege of using the faculty lounge and lavatory.

In fall 1946, Ken came to the Hill with we younger veterans and recent high school graduates. On campus, like all the veterans, Ken was a serious student, and like many was active in campus life: Sage Men’s Club, Grange Master, Newman Club, Young Coops vice president, and member of Ho-Nun-De-Kah honorary fraternity for students in agriculture.

After graduation, Ken had an accomplished career in ag-related businesses: transportation manager at Jones Chemical, credit and collections manager at J.I. Case Agricultural Implements, and Climax Corporation vice president and controller. Residing in Batavia, he met and married Teresa, with whom he had three children: Marie, John, and Jayne.

From class president Jim Brandt: “As I write this, annual Reunions are occurring on the Hill. Classes ending in 3s and 8s will be honored, which means that the Class of 1948 is nearest to us. As you may recall, the pandemic caused the cancellation of our 70th Reunion in 2020 and instead we had a makeup mini-reunion last year (2022). Turnout was less than we had hoped because the University didn’t give us approval to be included until March of 2022, so notification to classmates was too late to get the response we had hoped for. However, those who did participate had a wonderful time and made up for the loss of our 2020 Reunion.

“We want to get our class members thinking ahead about attending our next sanctioned Reunion in June 2025. I know that is two years off, and at our ages much can happen between now and then, but please think about it. We will have the same monetary contributions from the class as we did last year. The class will cover the registration fee for both you and your guest. It will also cover one night of two, or two nights of three accommodations at either the Statler or the Best Western. Your cost will therefore be for transportation and possibly a third night accommodation. So please keep our 75th Reunion in your thinking and planning; we’d love to see you in Ithaca in 2025.” ❖ Paul Joslin (email Paul) | 13731 Hickman Rd., #4207, Urbandale, IA 50323 | tel., (515) 278-0960 | Alumni Directory.

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1951

Happy autumn, classmates. If you are reading this, please take a moment to write to us about what is going on in your life these days. Where are you living now? What is happening with your family or friends? What is your fondest memory of your time at Cornell? We’d love to hear from you. ❖ Class of 1951 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1952

The recent News & Dues initiative from the University spurred such a response from Class of 1952 members for our Class Notes column in Cornellians that your correspondent’s allocated space cannot contain them all this time around! Those that do not appear here will be spread over later issues.

Eli Manchester Jr. writes that he and his wife, Anne, have moved from Cohasset, MA, to Fox Hill Village outside Boston. He writes, “It is great fun watching many Cornell athletic contests on ESPN+. For me, this is relatively new.” Alison Bliss Graham recalls that her favorite memory of Cornell was as women’s editor of the Sun, where husband Charles “Chad” was editor in 1951 before they married in 1952. They have moved to the Quadrangle, an independent senior living community in Haverford, PA, following the sale of their home in Ardmore, PA, to “a neighbor who appreciates it!” They have four children, five grands, and two great-grands.

Judith Calhoun Schurman has happily moved to the Inn in New Canaan, CT, selling her condo and distributing excess contents to her children, all in three weeks. “If that wasn’t a record,” she jokes, “it sure felt like one!” She enjoys being with family, playing bridge, and taking part in church activities. She notes that the Inn is small, with only 32 residents, and there are lots of interesting things to do. “Best of all, it’s in my hometown of New Canaan.” In response to a friend’s question about surviving the Ithaca weather, she says she remembers the sunny days. “I have many favorite memories; most of them involve my husband, Peter.”

C.V. Noyes, MBA ’55, says that he is “staying alive” in retirement and recalls that his many friends form his favorite memories of Cornell. Anthony Bryant writes from Waukesha, WI, “My young wife and I thoroughly enjoyed my 70th Reunion last June, although we were missing many of my good friends. Andrea and I were married in August 1960. Starting in June 1962, we have never missed my class Reunions at Cornell.” Anthony is active as chairman of his 106-year-old company, founded by his father, Henry Bryant 1904. His grandson is president.

I recall arriving at Cornell a week after my discharge from the U.S. Navy and enjoying the contrast between life on an aircraft carrier and life at Cornell.

Charles Soumas ’52

Toni Wallace Novick’s son, Andrew, has informed us of her passing at age 91. She is survived by her husband, Lawrence, and her four children. Condolences for their loss. Charles Soumas, writing from Cotuit, MA, says that his wife, daughters, two grandsons, and one granddaughter bring him the most satisfaction these days. “My eighth-grade grandson became bored during the pandemic and formed a successful company. My 12th-grade grandson became a successful coder and was sought after and paid generously by high-tech companies.” Charles is writing short stories. The first book, titled Please Don’t Let the Last Boat Leave, was published and is available at Barnes & Noble. “I recall arriving at Cornell a week after my discharge from the U.S. Navy and enjoying the contrast between life on an aircraft carrier and life at Cornell.”

Daniel Divack reports from Great Neck, NY. He recalls the scenery at Cornell as his favorite memory, and shares that both his sons and both his granddaughters are Cornell alumni! Jack Brennan writes from Schenectady, NY: “I met a beautiful woman at a sorority party. She became my wife. We shared 64 years.” Jack enjoys Zoom calls from great-grandchildren and the “occasional” wins by Cornell athletics. He notes that he’s “recovering” in retirement and avoiding hackers and scammers.

Arline Braverman Broida writes from Wayne, NJ, “Being a proud grandparent of two successful and lovable grandchildren gives me a great deal of joy. Granddaughter Teddi Anne is an attorney (like her mom, Lisa Broida Josephson ’80) and grandson David is coaching football at Yale.” Arline retired from teaching in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and she and Irwin moved in 2000 to the Four Seasons Adult Community in Wayne, where she enjoys the people and social activities there. “Sadly, Irwin passed away on September 25, 2022. Irwin and I were engaged at the end of our senior year in 1952 and lived happily ever after for 69 years.” George Kennedy, MBA ’56, writes from Green Valley, AZ, of his favorite memory of Cornell. “As head usher for Bailey Hall concerts, part of my job was to assign the ushers to a different door for each concert. I was able to assign Gayle (Raymond) to a door where I knew there would be two empty seats … for us.”

James Clarke writes from Columbia, SC, that “quiet weekends in the country on our farm in Chester County” bring him the most satisfaction. “The family often gathers there to camp and explore the woodlands.” He manages a tree farm growing loblolly pines, and reports that he recently visited Costa Rica. “Our granddaughter, Alexis Wren, runs the Costa Rica Global Learning Programs, recruiting students to study there—and would welcome Cornellians.” ❖ Thomas Cashel, LLB ’56 (email Tom) | Alumni Directory.

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1953

I’m writing this on a beautiful sunny spring day in June in Atlanta, but you’ll get it in the fall.

Bill Gratz summarizes our 70th Reunion as follows: “According to the alumni office, we had 10 alums and five guests. Present were Bill Bellamy, MBA ’58, JD ’59, Bob Abrams, Herb Neuman, me (Bill Gratz) and husband Jay Bruno, Mort Bunis, JD ’55, with his wife, Anita, and son Lawrence ’79, Bill Huehn and son Dan, MBA ’90, and daughter-in-law Laura, Doug McIlroy, Marilyn Hall Plache, MBA ’54, Bill Bailey, and Janet Steven Rutherford. Unfortunately, Lois Crane Williams, who was planning on attending with her two daughters, had a fall and ended up in the hospital rather than in Ithaca. We were joined by Chick Trayford ’54, MBA ’60, who was checking it out for next year’s Reunion.

“New class officers were elected at lunch on Saturday: president Bill Gratz; VP Mort Bunis; treasurer John Nixon; fund reps Mort Bunis, Barbara Zelfman Gross, and John Nixon; and class correspondents Jack Brophy, Bob Neff, John Nixon, and Caroline Mulford Owens. We all had a great time reminiscing about our days on the Hill and what has happened in the 70 years since. Mort and Anita are packing up in New Jersey for a move to Florida.”

In addition, Bill notes that Herb Neuman was Cornell Hillel’s co-winner of the Tanner Prize, along with daughter Elena Neuman Lefkowitz ’88. This prize, named for visionary philanthropist and communal leader Harold Tanner ’52, is awarded annually by Cornell Hillel to an individual or family, honoring their significant contributions and service to the Jewish people and to Cornell.

We appreciate the work done by Caroline Owens, our retiring class president, who has been very active and helpful during the past five years. Caroline is only our second female class president in 74 years!

Every Friday, several members of the Cayuga’s Waiters meet on Zoom and reminisce about the old days and discuss our current maladies.

John Nixon ’53

We also had a very successful fundraising year with 128 donors so far, including 16 Tower Club members and 16 Cornell Giving Partners. Thanks to all of the donors. If you would like to donate to our Class of 1953 Tradition Fellowship, you can do so here online or you can make out a check to Cornell Class of 1953 Tradition Fellowship and mail it to: Cornell University, Box 37333, Boone, IA 50037-0333.

Bob Neff reports that, after avoiding many of the usual burdens of this decade, he caught up all at once when he took a mighty tumble in the dark and fractured his left femur badly. A surgeon friend performed a battlefield-type operation, in which he drove a spike under his knee and thence inside the femur to the top. It is pre-bored for lateral screws along its length. They are inserted from the sides and catch up the shredded femur. He spent a week in the hospital and two weeks at home maneuvering on a walker with a leg the size of a mature oak tree. After rehabbing on Beaver Island during July and August, he plans to be ready to sail west from Los Angeles to exotic places in January and February.

Every Friday, several members of the Cayuga’s Waiters meet on Zoom and reminisce about the old days and discuss our current maladies. Classmates who usually attend are Jack Brophy, John Nixon, and Al Packer. Unfortunately, one of our regular participants, Charlie Wolf ’55, died in April. He had spent most of his career working at the University of Vermont and retired as its treasurer. He was involved in music all his life and played the slide trombone and the piano. Charlie was the one who brought the Waiters of the ’50s and ’60s together in 2001, and we ended up performing each year after that, including at Reunions for 15 consecutive years ending in 2018. ❖ John Nixon (email John) | Bob Neff, JD ’56 (email Bob) | Caroline Mulford Owens (email Caroline) | Jack Brophy (email Jack) | Alumni Directory.

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1954

As I write this column, Reunion ’23 is in full swing in Ithaca. This means we have only one year before we celebrate our 70th. I hope a good number of our classmates will find their way back to the campus on the hill next June. One who is planning to attend is Howard Adlin of Tampa, FL.

Howard spent his first two years after graduation on active duty as an Army officer at Fort Sill, OK. After discharge, he ended up in the Sears Roebuck training program, which led to a 30-year career there. He spent several more years in a Sears/IBM startup joint venture, which, in turn, became 100% IBM, from which he retired in 1998. Sears headquarters was in Chicago, where Howard and his wife, Anita, lived for 36 years—19 in the suburbs and 17 in a downtown high rise by the lake. Anita spent much of her time as a volunteer at the Art Institute of Chicago and they both enjoyed their subscription to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Howard also devoted many years to his temple as a board member, member of the finance committee, treasurer, and budget director. The Adlins moved to Tampa in 2007 to be near son Warren’s home in Clearwater.

Another frequent Reunion attendee is Clancy Fauntleroy, who left the New England cold weather last year and now lives in Navarre, FL. Clancy made a brief trip north in May to visit his two sons, Jim in Boston and Steve on Cape Cod, plus a number of friends in Connecticut and Massachusetts. As part of his trip, Clancy and I had lunch together watching the Cornell lacrosse team lose to Michigan in overtime in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Championships. A tough loss for Clancy, a former All-American defenseman, to take, but the lunch was good nonetheless.

Linda Stagg Long ’54 and I have known each other for many years; we were classmates at Ithaca High before we both moved up the hill to Cornell.

Bill Waters’54, MBA ’55

Phila Staines Slade of North Andover, MA, writes that “being 90 has its challenges, but I’m still active on the thrift shop board, with the garden club, and with church activities.” Phila’s favorite Cornell memory is the Christmas concert in the Balch courtyard.

Linda Stagg Long of Dublin, OH, and I have known each other for many years. We were classmates at Ithaca High before we both moved up the hill to Cornell. Linda spent many years in real estate in Big Sur, CA, which she regards as “one of the most beautiful places on this earth.” The only reason she left this paradise was to live closer to her grandchildren in Ohio. Linda spends much of her time “reading, reading, reading from my extensive library, much of which is in the field of law.” Linda’s dad was a judge!

Jacob “Jack” Martin, MS ’61, of Worcester, MA, a retired mechanical engineer, writes that he now spends his time traveling, hiking, gardening, skiing, and woodworking. His favorite memory of Cornell is meeting his late wife, Elizabeth, MNS ’59, in their two years of graduate school. Jack’s advice for undergraduates is right on: “Graduate, but do try to have some fun too!” ❖ Bill Waters, MBA ’55 (email Bill) | Ruth Carpenter Bailey (email Ruth) | Class website | Alumni Directory.

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1955

“I love traveling to interesting places twice a year; I just came back from Morocco and France,” says Eva Konig Ray, who hails from Villanova, PA. She also notes that spending time with her children and grandchildren and helping other people with their problems and conflicts brings her great satisfaction. “I am an elected Democratic committeeperson and member of the county and township executive boards. I am also involved with non-partisan groups like the League of Women Voters, where we do studies and write position papers and then lobby to make changes accordingly.”

Eva continues, “I often, as time allows, drive to Maine and Massachusetts or fly to California to visit my four children and six grandchildren, who all live in different parts of the U.S. They are all pursuing interesting, successful careers or going to school and getting degrees to do so. I often go hiking and regularly work out in a gym. I also do Gyrotonics (now on Zoom) and some yoga or Pilates classes in my gym.”

About her time on the Hill, Eva recalls, “Since I was married between my freshman and sophomore years, I was not really involved with my classmates or most campus activities. There were no married dorms and very few married undergraduates. My best times were in my freshman year, when I lived in a dorm where I made friends and was in student council. I had the most fun at my husband’s fraternity during house party weekends. He and I were always chaperones at their parties. Other favorite times were with my professor, with whom I did research as an honors student my junior and senior years.”

Richard Perry has been enjoying relaxing during his retirement. His favorite memory of Cornell? “Football vs. Syracuse University with Jim Brown.”

When Michael Shinagel retired in 2013, he was the longest serving dean in Harvard’s history—and was known as a “transformational dean” for his work over his combined tenure of some 50 years. He writes, “My wife and I are active members of the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, which I founded in 1977 while dean of continuing education. I spent memorable, transitional years at Cornell before getting drafted into the Army and serving in Korea. I returned to college with the G.I. Bill at Oberlin in 1954.”

When Michael Shinagel ’55 retired in 2013, he was the longest serving dean in Harvard’s history.

Doug Brodie greatly enjoys visiting with alums and family and taking trips—several of which were through Cornell—with his wife. He fondly recalls the Cornell friends he met and the knowledge he gained on the Hill.

Ruth McDevitt Carrozza is living near her daughter and son-in-law in York, PA. She recently took a camping trip to Maine to see her granddaughters and their spouses, and also recently welcomed her first great-grandson! “I retired a long time ago,” she writes, “so now I do crafts, read a lot, and, when weather permits, motorcycle with my son-in-law (Harley, of course)—plus camping in our 30-foot trailer with the works.” About her time at Cornell, Ruth says, “I remember in my first two years there was an annual Mum Ball at the Straight, done by the Ag College. It was nice to get dressed up—and also for the dance at Barton Hall with two big bands.”

William Boyle, MBA ’56, is in robust health and, he says, “continuing fond relations with friends of all descriptions.” Sadly, he shares that his wife, Patricia, died in March 2021. William lists many interests: domestic and foreign affairs, farmland conservation, literature, art, music appreciation/study, foreign travel, and architectural restoration. His favorite memory of Cornell? “Comradery with fellow students, leading to lifelong friendships.”

Gordon White is writing a monthly column for a historical magazine—using skills honed during his time working on the Cornell Daily Sun. “I made several lasting friendships there and it set me on a career path to become a Washington newspaper correspondent, which I greatly enjoyed.” Otherwise, Gordon reports “not much change here. For nearly 90, I’m doing pretty well.”

Stay tuned to our column in the next Class Notes section for more news from our classmates! And please send us your news as well. ❖ Class of 1955 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1956

Roberta Freedman Weisburger gets great satisfaction from, as she puts it, “being above ground! I enjoy life with my husband of 68 years. We are living in Florida and enjoying the warm weather. We still go to adult education, travel, and enjoy friends. We have three great-grandchildren and another arriving in June. We get to see them several times a year, which is an unexpected, fabulous bonus in our lives.” Of her time at Cornell, Roberta recalls making great, lifelong friends. “The professors enhanced my curiosity—which is still alive and well!”

We recently heard from Larry Gartner, wife of our classmate Carol Blicker Gartner. Sadly, Larry reports that “Carol is in a memory care center for severe Alzheimer’s disease—now for two years. She had been dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Purdue University, Calumet. We have lived in North San Diego County for 25 years now.”

Lorna Jackson Salzman enjoys watching her granddaughter mature and become an educated adult. She spends her time reading nonfiction about science, listening to classical music, and reading blogs about environmental science. She fondly recalls travels to see birds with her late husband, Eric, all over the world. Her favorite memories of Cornell include working at the Daily Sun and auditing some lectures taught by Vladimir Nabokov.

Leland Mote ’56 reports that he got a 2006 29-foot Fleetwood RV (‘with all the goodies’) for a trip along the coast in California.

Betsy Jennings Rutledge writes, “I am living peacefully with my husband of more than 66 years. We are still adventuring together, trying to avoid COVID by avoiding crowds, and staying in touch with friends.” Of her time on the Hill, Betsy fondly recalls, “Studying in gorgeous, natural surroundings while making lots of new friends with fascinating backgrounds.”

Robert Kelly, BME ’61’s favorite memory of Cornell is making friends from Sigma Nu and working at a Willard Straight desk. Susanne Kalter DeWitt is involved in civic affairs and Jewish organizations, enjoys gardening, and publishes a pro-Israel newsletter. She fondly recalls folk dancing, the Outing Club, and academics on the Hill.

Janet Booth Anderson finds great satisfaction in spending time with family and friends. “I belong to several organizations, do lots of reading, and keep up with friends. I have lots of grandchildren in college—including one currently at Cornell.” Leland Mote reports that he got a 2006 29-foot Fleetwood RV (“with all the goodies”) for a trip along the coast in California.

There will be more news from classmates in our next column! ❖ Class of 1956 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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1957

Lucky were we who attended our 65th Reunion last year. Our weather was absolutely perfect, which only added to our delightful experience. The weather was different for the alumni celebrating their Reunion this year. I belong to the Continuous Reunion Club (CRC), and I attend Reunion every year. In June 2023, not only were we met with the noxious smoke from the Canadian wildfires, but we also had quite chilly temperatures and gusty winds. Layer, layer, layer! The smoke cleared by Friday evening and the sun shone as we packed up on Sunday. Despite all the weather issues, I overheard a younger alumnus say, “My best Reunion ever!” We Cornellians are an adaptable bunch, aren’t we?

Matt Sagal is a perfect example of our ability to adapt. With his chemical engineering degree in hand, he went on to earn a PhD in physical chemistry from MIT. His career spanned 30 years at Bell Labs and at the semiconductor division of the old AT&T. He spent the final 10 years there, traveling around the world negotiating alliances with European and Asian companies. Those experiences prepared him for a second career in alliance consulting, which lasted for another 30 years, halted only by the pandemic.

Sadly, Matt’s wife, Reeva, passed away after 62 years of marriage. Life now finds him with a significant other, a woman who was a pal of Reeva’s and his. Although his tennis-playing days are over, he goes to a gym most days, plays chess, and reads. His companion, a woman who worked in publishing, and Matt enjoy their daily rants about the state of our country. None of his three sons are Cornellians, yet he sees potential in the youngest of his 10 grandchildren. He noted that son Peter is the host of NPR’s comedy quiz show “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.”

One Cornell memory that stays with Matt is the survey course he took with Prof. Vladimir Nabokov, who never revealed to his students that he was an author. The course was in Arts & Sciences, one of many the engineering students of our days added in those five years to make them “better-rounded.” (Today’s Cornell engineering students earn their degrees in four years.) He treasures his lifelong Cornell friendships, although most are no longer among the living. As with so many of our classmates, he never worked in his undergraduate major field, but used what he learned to solve problems in many other settings.

Matt Sagal ’57 noted that son Peter is the host of NPR’s comedy quiz show ‘Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.’

Joan Reinberg Macmillan may have set a volunteer record of 50 years delivering Meals on Wheels. She has many regular recipients who regard her as an angel in disguise. She and classmate Jim, PhD ’65, were introduced by classmates Patricia Roth McIntosh and Jim’s Seal & Serpent mate Barry Tepper. Joan and Jim were married in Anabel Taylor Hall in 1958. Jim earned first a master’s degree from Colgate, then a PhD in philosophy of education from Cornell. He began his professional career in higher education at UCLA, then went to Temple, and then, with two toddlers in tow, found a permanent home in 1970 with Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. The address Joan reported at our 25th Reunion remains her home to this day. Jim passed away in 1998. One of his books, titled A Logical Theory of Teaching: Erotetics and Intentionality, was published in 1988. I now know that erotetics is the logical analysis of questions, of which there are at least 10 types. A quote, likely from his book, is, “To teach someone is to answer that person’s questions about some subject matter.” Jim was highly regarded for his work in his chosen career.

Joan and Jim both enjoyed singing. Jim was in the Cornell Glee Club and Joan sang barbershop harmony with the Sweet Adelines. In Florida, the two plus their daughter were in a local production of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Joan’s love of music continues to this day as she lends her voice to her very proficient church choir. After 20 years working for the Florida legislature, she now stays active with exercise classes, her church café, gardening, and looking forward to her annual trip to the Macmillan family cottage in Ontario. Last May, Joan celebrated the joyful wedding of her only grandchild, an attorney and a career clerk with the Orlando federal judge.

Joan’s Cornell memories include Prof. Edward Fox’s wonderful lectures, especially those about World War I, and a sculpture class she enjoyed from the College of Architecture, Art & Planning. Since graduation, she has taken advantage of several Cornell travels, such as trips to Tuscany, Australia, England, and Ireland.

Kudos to Al Collard for completing his family history book going back 10 generations. This 600-page tome took him 2,000 hours and 20 months to research and complete. He still found time to play nine holes of golf three times a week with a foursome of great friends. He and wife Julia spend May through October on Shelter Island, NY, and the rest of the year enjoying the great weather in Jupiter, FL. He is the proud father of three and grandfather of nine. So far, he counts the following family members as Cornellians: daughter Elizabeth Collard Richter ’91, her husband, Craig ’89, and their two children, Sarah ’21 and Will ’23, both of whom majored in mechanical engineering. He especially remembers his fifth year in electrical engineering, when his toughest courses were behind him. That year is when Al could enjoy going to the parks and being outside more in the surrounding Ithaca area. ❖ Connie Santagato Hosterman (email Connie) | Alumni Directory.

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1958

Highlights from Reunion reported in this column include the class forum and class business; other highlights will be reported in the next column.

Over Reunion weekend, classmates enjoyed a tour of the arboretum at the Botanic Gardens ending at the Dairy Bar, conversations at meals, and the class forum on “Civil Rights and You.” The forum featured three presentations. First, members of Chi Gamma, starting with Dannie Cook DoBell, explained that it became an independent sorority after national Sigma Kappa (SK) suspended its Cornell chapter when it pledged Barbara “Bobbie” Collier Delany, an African American sophomore and fine arts major, in spring 1956. Bobbie had become friends with many SK members during her freshman year when she was living in the same dormitory. She was a finalist for freshman queen in her freshman year and graduated at the top of her class.

During summer 1956, SK sent letters to Cornell and parents of chapter members, saying that the chapter was suspended “for the good of all,” and its name changed to Chi Gamma. Although many people sent letters to SK asking for an explanation—including President Malott, whose letter praised the sorority’s solid financial, academic, and social foundations—when SK responded, it never answered the question: “Why?” With the help of Ithaca alumnae, the sorority, which owned its house, continued as Chi Gamma, functioning like other sororities, although considered a “chapter under suspension.” The 1956 pledges were initiated as Chi Gammas.

Bobbie Delany spoke about her experiences, saying chapter members shielded her from knowing the conflict’s details, but the suspension was widely reported and discussed on campus. Ithaca alumnae hoped to reinstate the chapter at the 1958 SK convention in Biloxi, MS. Two Chi Gammas and Ithaca alumnae who came were shunned. A paper vote, although close, failed, so the chapter was still suspended.

Sixty-four years later, in 2022, Dannie DoBell received an “extremely belated letter of apology” from SK, which had passed a resolution for inclusion in 2020. The Chi Gammas decided an apology was not enough. They asked SK to agree to never establish an SK chapter at Cornell and to donate a significant amount to the Cornell Department of Inclusion and Belonging. SK agreed.

The 1958 Chi Gamma class remained close friends after graduation, attending Reunions regularly and, since COVID, meeting on Zoom bimonthly. The nine members at this Reunion made up 15% of attending class members. During the Q&A, Ann Gaffey Coyne mentioned that in 1956 her roommate had asked the presidents of every sorority if they would pledge Bobbie. Everyone said no, except Sigma Kappa. Members of two other sororities reported they took initial steps to pledge Bobbie but were blocked on local or state levels.

Over Reunion weekend, classmates enjoyed a tour of the arboretum at the Botanic Gardens ending at the Dairy Bar.

Barbara Avery ’58, MA ’59

The second speaker, Pat Bradfield Tillis, moved to South Carolina in 1960 when her husband, William Baasel, was hired by the chemical engineering department of Clemson College (now University). A lawsuit against Clemson’s segregation was on the way to the Supreme Court, and Pat was asked to work with others to prepare for integration. She contacted a “liberal” state senator for help, but he contacted Clemson, which immediately fired her husband. Threatened by the faculty with an academic blackball, Clemson “rehired” him, but warned he would never be advanced. Baasel was then hired by Ohio University, whose open speaker policy delighted Pat, as does watching Clemson’s mostly Black football team take the field now.

The third speaker, Alan Goldman, recounted how he and wife Joyce took two weeks from a cross-country trip in 1965 to work with the NAACP in Seneca, SC. Residing with the NAACP president, they persuaded parents of African American children to enroll in white schools under a new open school policy. Alan thought being a banker gave him credibility with parents, who agreed to transfer 180 of their children. The Goldmans enjoyed integrating the bowling team and the South Carolina NAACP convention.

During the Q&A, Jack Kelly recounted serving on a ship docked in Charleston, SC. He praised the Navy for how well it had integrated the ship, resulting in smooth relationships during a nine-month tour. Another attendee, a doctor, worked in Army hospitals in the South. At a movie theater near one, a hospital group balked when the theater tried to send a Black member to the balcony—and they decided to watch movies at the hospital thereafter. At another hospital, doctors refused to attend a party for doctors intentionally held at a private home to exclude the only Black doctor on staff. Integration of the armed services had been ordered by President Truman after WWII. The forum provided good examples of successful integration, some from the top down, one through grassroots action by friends.

During the class meeting, Dick Haggard gave a tribute to Maddie McAdams Dallas, recently deceased co-representative of the Cornell Annual Fund. Maddie was the first woman president of the Cornell Alumni Association and received many honors.

The slate of officers for the next five years was elected unanimously. President, Meyer Gross; VP of membership, Carol Boeckle Welch; VP of affinity groups, Larry Severino; secretary, Barbara Avery, MA ’59; Cornell Annual Fund representative, Glenn Dallas; class correspondents, Barbara Avery, Dick Haggard; treasurer, Audrey Wildner Sears; Reunion chairs, Connie Case Haggard, Dick Haggard; class historian, Gladys Lunge Stifel; regional representatives, Alan Goldman (NY, PA, New England), Dale Reis Johnson (West Coast), JoAnn Odell Lovell (Southeast), Gladys Stifel (D.C. area), and Arthur Edelstein, MD ’62 (Southwest). The Midwest region position is open.

In his acceptance speech, our new president, Meyer Gross, referred to his recently deceased predecessors, Bill Standen and Chuck Hunt, acknowledging their extremely effective leadership during their years as president of the class.

Facts and figures about Reunion: 110 people registered; 60 were class members. The total amount donated by the class: $9,796,057. Please email us news and memories from Reunion for an upcoming column. ❖ Barbara Avery, MA ’59 (email Barbara) | Dick Haggard (email Dick) | Alumni Directory.

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1959

Jerry Schultz, chair of our 65th Reunion next year, had a grand time hanging out with ’58ers during their 65th in June. “I wasn’t the only member of our class enjoying the comradery: Helen Sugarman Presberg and Joyce Levenson Evans were there with their ’58 husbands. Yes, it was fun, and being on campus is always an invigorating and enlightening experience. But for me it was also a time for learning and planning as we prepare for next year. I checked out the Statler and the Best Western Hotel, which will be our Reunion housing options, communicated with administrators who help with numerous Reunion details, and of course asked ’58ers their thoughts about dos and don’ts. The major don’t: don’t miss Reunion!”

In our previous column, several classmates expressed their continuing pleasure in following Cornell athletics. Add Hank Stark of Ithaca to the list. He’s been attending the women’s hockey home games for 20 years. “Look for me in section M!” Hank has written over 500 restaurant reviews for the Ithaca Times and Ithaca Journal during this time. “There aren’t 500 restaurants in the greater Ithaca area, but many go out of business. You may remember the long-gone College Spa, Normandie, and Ithaca Hotel—I review their replacements and their successors’ replacements. Classmates who would like dining suggestions in the Ithaca area can check out Hank’s reviews at the Ithaca Times website or email him via the Alumni Directory. “I’m always happy to talk with fellow ’59ers about food, dining … and anything else!”

“I too enjoy company and can be reached via the Alumni Directory,” writes Ann Marie Behling, BS ’63, from her mountain home in Fairview, NC. “I wish I were back to tennis after my half-shoulder replacement, but ’til then, bridge games plus potluck-and-pinochle gatherings are going strong. Mysteries, movies, and theater are also high on my activities list. I had my turn at COVID and had to quarantine in Toronto at the end of a cruise of the Great Lakes.”

Al Newhouse’s first email during his cruise of the Great Lakes asked: “Wasn’t there someone at Cornell during our time by the name of Paul Tregurtha?” Al had just seen the freighter M/V Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest ship on the Great Lakes. Yes, indeed, I replied: “Class of ’57; his wife, Lee (Anderson), was in our class.” A couple of days later, another email from Al: “Just saw the M/V Lee A. Tregurtha as it headed up the Detroit River to Lake Huron.” The ships, owned by the Interlake Steamship Co., were named in honor of Interlake’s then-vice chairman of the board and his wife.

Hank Stark ’59 has written over 500 restaurant reviews for the Ithaca Times and Ithaca Journal.

Another trip down memory lane: Ron Demer knew that fellow Ithacan Peggy Flynn Dunlop, MS ’63, was looking for a 1958 Cornellian and recently grabbed one of several copies he found at the SAE house. He opened the yearbook and found that it had belonged to Jim Day, who now lives in Denver. “I brought that ’58 Cornellian to a Reunion to offer it for adoption,” said Jim. “I’m very glad that it has been given to Peggy, who was always one of my favorite ladies at Cornell. She and I were participants in a memorable trip, when we both near froze to death in an unheated car.”

“How well I remember that trip with Bob Bailey ’56, JD ’62, from Ithaca to Westchester for Christmas break during our freshman year,” recalled Peggy. “Not only was the heater in Bob’s convertible not working, but someone had slashed the car’s roof a few days earlier. Temperatures were hovering around zero and the usual six-hour trip took us 10 hours because of frequent stops at places where we could warm up.”

Jim added that Peggy’s husband, Dave, was extremely helpful when he became involved in fundraising in the U.S. for Scotland’s University of Aberdeen. “Until then, I had no idea that Dave was such an important and respected figure in the world of raising money. It really gave me street cred when the Aberdeen folks learned that Dave was a college classmate of mine.”

Hans Lawaetz writes: “I’m still going to work, dealing with our small herd of Senepol cattle, a breed developed here on St. Croix, and our meat market that I built in 1974, providing fresh meats to our population—and now managed and 50% owned by my daughter. For the past two years I have been writing my memoirs.” Hans relates how he accepted Cornell sight unseen, then failed the first test to see if he knew anything about farming. “I was to back up a trailer with a tractor. No way! I was a cowboy—beginning as a kid in the 1940s, I was riding on an oxen cart pulling sugar cane out of the cane fields on St. Croix. After failing that test, I ended up spending my college summers working on ranches in Kansas, Colorado, and Florida, making $50 a week and writing reports in order to graduate.” After Cornell and five years in the U.S. Air Force, Hans returned to St. Croix to help his father manage a ranch with 250 acres of sugar cane and 1,500 head of Senepol cattle on 6,000 acres. He also became heavily involved with local nonprofit organizations. “It has been rewarding, taking me to countries like Kenya and Qatar to attend conferences discussing conservation, peace, and sports.” ❖ Jenny Tesar (email Jenny) | Alumni Directory.

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1960s

1960

William Hoffman, MS ’63, reports from Andover, NH, that he has retired from his longtime career as a landscape architect and is now volunteering for the Andover Historical Society and for committees at his residential community, Ragged Mountain Fish and Game Club; he is also working on property management. William says that he and his wife, Linda, “have an annual Hoffman family hike; this year will be our 42nd.” He also recalls a favorite Cornell memory: “walking through the campus landscape and gardens that were beautiful and peaceful” and enjoying fraternity gatherings. These days he now finds satisfaction with his volunteer work, along with visiting his two children and several grandchildren.

Writing from Blue Bell, PA, Anita Wasserspring Yusem shares, “With my PhD in psychology, I served as a special needs psychologist in the Philadelphia School District. In retirement, I continued my relationship with the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a graduate guide. My husband, Steve ’58, has retired from his law practice and is now a full-time arbitrator; he taught that subject for 16 years at Cornell Law School. We have traveled around the world in our 62-year marriage and now move between our homes in Pennsylvania and Raymond, ME; our architect son, Michael ’88, designed our Maine home, and the grandchildren enjoy visiting. Our daughter, Caren ’86, is a lawyer in Washington, DC, and not long ago we enjoyed a visit to Cornell for the graduation of our granddaughter Clara Drimmer ’22, who graduated magna cum laude.”

William Steenken (Hamilton, OH) says he and his wife, Lee, “experience great satisfaction from watching the development and success of our children and grandchildren, and from working the land on the farm on which we live. I retired from GE Aviation in 2001 and continued to consult with them until March 2020. I also continue to chair the SAE International Committee. My wife and I have been traveling as much as possible, including river cruises in Europe and visits to family members in various states. My favorite memory of Cornell is working on my fifth-year engineering project, which provided a solid basis for my graduate program and career.”

James Hazlitt ’60 gets satisfaction from pruning grape vines and relaxing by his vineyards and Seneca Lake.

Madeline Munstuk Anbinder and her husband, Stephen ’59, divide their time between Palm Beach, FL, and Central Park West in Manhattan. She reports that they “do volunteer work and participate in cultural activities and classes at Florida Atlantic University. We have two children and six grandchildren, and we just welcomed our first great-grandchild. My favorite memory of my time at Cornell was meeting and marrying my husband there; I’ve had 65 years of happiness ever since.” On a different note, Joyce Myron Zohar (Irvine, CA) enjoys her memory of “my roommate (who shall remain unnamed) sneaking out of the dormitory after curfew by removing the screws in the window grate.” Joyce also says she gets satisfaction these days from “playing pickleball in the California weather.” Now in retirement, she has served two one-year stints on the Orange County Grand Jury and is now on the board of Symphony 100; she is pleased that her daughter has also retired and moved from Aspen to Orange City.

John Siegfried, now a retired attorney, reports from Cleveland, OH, that he is writing fiction—in 2022, a novelette about his mother from the Cornell Class of 1924, and historical fiction about her life in Ithaca during World War II. Reporting on his 15 grandchildren, John says, “Three are post-graduates, two are graduating in 2023, four are in college, two are in a preparatory school, one is in high school, and the remaining three young ones are trying to keep up.” John’s preferred memory from Cornell: “A less complicated life!” James Hazlitt (Hector, NY), well known among Reunion classmates for his generous donations of wine from his large vineyards, has five children and 13 grandchildren. Now fully retired from his presidency at Sawmill Creek Vineyards, he says he gets satisfaction from golf, pruning grape vines, and relaxing by his vineyards and Seneca Lake. James’s favorite memory of Cornell is: “Fraternity parties, Jim Carter, MST ’65, inter-fraternity sports, and winning the All-Sports Trophy.”

Nancy Finch Crans (Bigfork, MT) reports that she has “just retired from educational consulting. I’m now coaching leadership skills with Montana school administrators and am spending leisure time reading and exploring new recipes and Internet news on many topics that pique my interest. I’m also enjoying national parks, such as Glacier and Yellowstone, as well as travels to the South Dakota Badlands—there are many great activities here, winter and summer. My favorite Cornell memory? So many different classes to choose from, Beebe Lake fun, and friends to share many experiences with, along with the Chimes to add ambiance.”

With great sorrow, we send heartfelt condolences to those who have lost spouses. Sara Wise Kane (Waban, MA) sadly sent word that her “dear husband of 61 years, Joel, passed away in January 2022 after a valiant battle.” And then Karen MacDougal wrote, “I am sorry to say that my husband of 61 years, Neil MacDougal, passed away in April 2023.” Our warm thoughts go out to you and your families. ❖ Judy Bryant Wittenberg (email Judy) | Alumni Directory.

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1961

Greetings, classmates. I am happy to have heard from some of you. Our other class correspondent, Doug Fuss, is busy moving to Atlanta near family. You all know what a job that is! He will be sharing our news in the next column.

Meanwhile, here is some news. First from Carol Hershey Durell, who writes from Worthington, OH, that she is helping run a 200-year-old building as an art gallery and studio. “I bought it in 2000 and named it High Road Gallery, a nonprofit.” Carol enjoys traveling to Canada and Florida, and shares that she read great books of history while at Cornell—something she still enjoys doing.

Morris “Moe” Mellion is “board chairman of Environment Health Trust, in addition to studying and publishing on the effects of electromagnetic radiation.” He enjoys traveling in the U.S. to visit family and to see other parts of the world. At Cornell, he appreciated personal relations with government and history faculty. “They were role models for achievement,” he says.

Mike Polansky writes, “Bored with retirement, I took a job as a reporter for the Massapequa Post, a weekly newspaper covering the Massapequa community on the south shore of Long Island. I cover the Oyster Bay Town Board, the Village of Massapequa, the Massapequa School District, and the Chamber of Commerce of Massapequa.” He’s got it covered!

Carol Hershey Durell ’61 is helping run a 200-year-old building as an art gallery and studio.

Gerald Schneider shares that his recent book, Progressive Values: Libertarian Solutions, was reviewed as having “realistic and ethical solutions to many problems that invite dialogue. It bridges the gap between progressives and conservatives in a divided America.” Gerald says, “I’m moderating contemporary public issues groups at ‘over-50’ centers. My good fortunes outweigh complaints!” His favorite memory of the Cornell campus? “Enjoying its nature while studying it!”

Diana Frumkes Thompson “enjoys walking with her husband, playing piano, going birding, meeting with friends, and being an advocate for seniors. I represent the Hearing Loss Association of Washington in the Dementia Action Collaborative.” She has two daughters: one is an architect and the other a biologist. Diana and her husband were planning to go to Iceland over the summer. She fondly recalls playing a flute solo with the University orchestra.

Robert Wrede, BA ’66, JD ’69, enjoys “raising our two young children, son Kendrick, 14, and daughter Kendlyn, 12, with wife Ranlyn, staying connected to my older children and grandson, and watching my younger children mature. My grandson, Bastian, 12, is a cross-country skier, Kendrick is preparing for freshman (high school) football, and Kendlyn is dancing and performing. Ranlyn continues to keep us together.” Robert remembers skiing at Greek Peak, he says, “because the mountains and fresh air were exceptional.”

Marco Minasso remembers “interesting students in the Hotel School and my fraternity days.” Robert Gambino checked in from Connecticut!

We have recently learned that our classmate Bart Winokur and his wife, Susan (Sternblitz), have established the Susan and Barton Winokur Distinguished Professorship for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics with a $5M gift. It is the first of its kind and will offer dedicated time and support to enable the holder to focus on public outreach! Steven Strogatz, a distinguished mathematician and award-winning teacher, has been appointed as the inaugural holder of the chair. He is eager to share his enthusiasm for connecting mathematics with real-world questions. Congratulations to Steven and kudos to the Winokurs. ❖ Susan Williams Stevens (email Susan) | Doug Fuss (email Doug) | Alumni Directory.

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1962

Thomas Seaman writes that he does most of the cooking in his home in Jefferson, NC, where he and his wife, Carol, are enjoying beautiful scenery, sunny days, mountain views, and visits with their kids.

Mary Davis Deignan is engaged in gardening, remodeling, and endless unpacking in her new home near Nashville, TN.

Dale Benedict is keeping busy with part-time consulting for forging companies on the design of forged bevel gears and the tooling to make these parts.

Jean Kitts Cadwallader of Homer, NY, occupies herself with traveling, volunteering for charities through Rotary, and her thriving family that includes three children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren!

Kudos to Heath, TX, resident John Curtis, BCE ’64, MS ’65, who, after 35 years in Rotary, including several terms as service chair and two club presidencies, will be the ’23–24 district governor in District 5810, which comprises 62 clubs in Dallas and the many cities in its Metro area.

Sandy Stevenson, also a Rotarian, lives in Hertford, NC, where he is president of the Perquimans County Restoration Association, which maintains the Newbold-White House (circa 1730/National Register).

Michael Ernstoff, MS ’65, reflected on how an AC/DC electrical machine course he took in his final electrical engineering (EE) year helps with understanding research projects being conducted by his son-in-law, a professor of EE, in his laboratory at the Illinois Institute of Technology. As a Cornell EE, Mike and most of his classmates “thought power electronics was old school; semiconductors were the future. Here it is, 60 years later, and electrical motors have become a key part of the U.S.’s efforts to go green. Thanks to my Cornell studies, when walking through his lab, the sound of whirling motors brings backs lots of memories of a long-gone lab in Phillips Hall.”

Houston Stokes has retired after teaching economics for 50 years at the U. of Illinois, Chicago.

After practicing orthodontics for 50 years, Robert Rosenberg is enjoying retirement in Rockport, ME, where his activities include ballroom dancing and biking.

Hal Sieling ’62 was honored with testimonials (and a slideshow) for his 50 years of service by the New York Alpha Chapter of SAE at this year’s Cornell Reunion.

Jacqueline Browne Bugnion and her husband, Jean-Robert, live in La Conversion, Switzerland, where they have established the Fondation de Mire-Mont, which is devoted to promoting education and the environment in poor countries. “Our biggest project,” she writes, “is reforestation in the Sahel Region of Burkina Faso in collaboration with an agricultural school there.”

David Hill, a Basking Ridge, NJ, resident, writes that he sings in his church choir and in a German chorus, rehearsing once a week for their Christmas and spring concerts. His favorite Cornell memory, he writes, is when he and other freshmen would gather in the dorms to learn and sing Cornell songs.

Hal Sieling was honored with testimonials (and a slideshow) for his 50 years of service by the New York Alpha Chapter of SAE at this year’s Cornell Reunion. Hal is a stalwart member of our class council as well, starting with his stint as class vice president (1974–77). Through the years, he has spearheaded several enduring class-funded projects including the Class of 1962 Fund for Photography at the Johnson Museum of Art and the Class of 1962 Baseball Scoreboard at Hoy Field. (This scoreboard, still with the Class of ’62 designation, is now located at Cornell’s new Booth Field.)

Empty nesters at last, Gary Caplan and wife Susan (Schapiro) ’79 celebrated her 65th birthday and retirement with a cruise to Greece, Cyprus, and Israel on which they were joined by their last fledgling.

Marc Gerber has no regrets about retiring as a home builder in Mt. Kisco, NY, to move with Jan, his wife of almost 60 years, to Naples, FL, in 2009. Fantasies of being a part-time home builder and/or athlete were quickly abandoned after the one-time Big Red Marching Band member was invited to play trumpet in a jam session that led to gigs in half a dozen bands playing 8–10 times a week. “My retirement life became the dream life that I never imagined. Now music consumes my life—not only as a musician but also as vice president and treasurer of the Naples Jazz Society.”

Kudos to Judith Shulman Weis, whose nomination of the New York-New Jersey Harbor estuary resulted in it being named one of 151 “Hope Spots” around the world by Mission Blue, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to inspiring action to explore and protect the ocean. Mission Blue also extolled Judith, a professor emerita at Rutgers University and former president of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, as a “champion of hope” in recognition of her work.

Dave Nisbet, a coach of the Let’s Row middle school program and crew league, was honored last spring by Community Rowing Inc., a Boston area group that brings rowing on the Charles River to all, with an emphasis on disadvantaged youth. After a long career in hi-tech, the one-time Cornell rower is now fully retired in Boston with his wife, Regina. “I’m enjoying my ‘new job,’ teaching rowing on the Charles River.”

Another rowing story: When Cornell men’s lightweight rowing earned gold at a major eastern sprint competition this spring, it did so in a shell with the late James Dupcak’s name on it. In his day, Dupcak, MS ’68 (who died in 1994) served as stroke (a key position in the boat) and was a very generous alum, endowing a new boat every five years. In 2017, rowing a new shell dedicated and christened by his wife, Delma (Spellman) ’58, MS ’67, the crew was undefeated, winning all their championship races. This year’s men’s lightweight crew was victorious in that same boat!

Thank you to all who sent personal news. Alas, this Cornellians column has a word limit, which means that entries are used in order of receipt and are edited to fit this space; the overflow will appear in our next Cornellians column. Fortunately, our class website does not have a word limit. Your submissions in their entirety are already posted there. ❖ Judy Prenske Rich (email Judy) | Alumni Directory.

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1963

A message from our new class president, Paula Trested Laholt: “Greetings from Ithaca and our 60th Reunion. As your newly elected class president for the next five years, I am looking forward to working with all our new officers and members of class council. We will keep you informed as to class events and plans for the future. We just completed a wonderful Reunion in Ithaca. I am happy to report that all went well and our final get-together at the Statler for dinner on Saturday evening was especially festive. We are sorry for those who could not join us. Even the intense smoke from the Canadian wildfires did not hamper our activities, although there was more eating inside than had been planned. Approximately 100 classmates and guests attended at least part of the weekend. I would call that a success!”

At Reunion, the new slate of officers was elected: president, Paula Trested Laholt; vice president, Judy Kross; membership chair, Harvey Rothschild; secretary, Retta Presby Weaver; Cornell Annual Fund representative, Ed Butler, MS ’65; treasurer, Vivian Grilli DeSanto; Reunion chair, Nancy Cooke McAfee; nominating chair, Jim Billings, MBA ’64; and, of course, me, Nancy Bierds Icke, your class correspondent for the last 30 years. Paula was given thanks for stepping into Dick Clark’s presidential shoes after he became ill in 2018.

At the breakfasts that were held in Barbara McClintock Hall, I met several classmates. Bill, MS ’65, and Kathy Howard spend their time in both Santa Fe and Phoenix. Robert and Pati Myers enjoy life in Lodi, CA; Bob is in the fishing business. Jim Windhausen was at the Reunion with his daughter Alisha Barnes. He lives in College Park, MD. Jim retired 10 years ago from the computer programming business. Prior to that, he spent 12 years in the Kennedy Space Center working on Apollo missions.

Ed Butler reported on the success of our fundraising. Here is where we stand: There were 342 donors with a goal of 375. We had 45 Tower Club members—just five away from our goal of 50. We had 58 Cornell Giving Partner Members (goal of 70), and we beat our goal to raise $8.7 million. It was announced at the Saturday night dinner that we had indeed reached our goal of $75,000 for the Class of 1963 Fund to Support Mental Health.

Even the intense smoke from the Canadian wildfires did not hamper our Reunion activities, although there was more eating inside than had been planned.

Paula Trested Laholt ’63

Carol Bagdasarian Aslanian was co-chair of our fundraising campaign. She could not attend Reunion since she was in Armenia, given her responsibilities with the American University of Armenia (AUA), where she has been a board member for more than 20 years. From the Internet: “Carol has been a supporter of the AUA since the early years of the founding of the university and was appointed to the board of trustees in 2002. As a champion for the Yes, Armenian Women Can! campaign, she set up the Armenouhi Bagdasarian Endowed Scholarship in memory of her mother (a survivor of the 1915 genocide) to pass the torch of education and to keep inspiring and empowering women studying computer science and engineering at AUA for generations to come.” During her visit, she also attended an appreciation event at a rural 400-student school, which she has also dedicated in the name of her mother.

Mary Falvey was there, as always (she’s the one that originally asked me to be class correspondent at our 30th Reunion!). She sold her house in Calistoga, CA, and is now starting the thankless job of going through all the boxes of “stuff” that are in her San Francisco apartment and in storage.

Nancy Cooke McAfee is now our 65th Reunion chair. When it comes time to plan that big event in five years, I hope we can all lend a hand.

Suzanne Goldsmith Kideckel and Susann Pozefsky Tepperberg, MS ’86, drove up together from New York City, as they usually do for Reunions. Suzanne lives in the Bronx and Susann in downtown NYC. Rosalie Weiss Hemingway and Carol Westenhoefer Anderson were there as well.

Russ Stevenson and his wife, Marge Axtell ’66, were there from Severna Park, MD. On June 15, Russ wrote: “We are celebrating our 51st wedding anniversary today and our two daughters (including Amanda Axtell Greene ’99) and four grandchildren are coming next week to spend two weeks with us. At the end of this month (June), I will step down as chairman of the Chesapeake Legal Alliance, a nonprofit I founded 14 years ago to provide legal services to those working on protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay. It has grown from me and an executive director into a highly regarded organization with a staff of eight and a budget of $1 million. I will still be serving on four nonprofit boards and spending my time sailing, fishing, reading, and trying to learn how to play the piano.”

Mark and Carolyn Press Landis ’65 live in Washington Crossing, PA. Mark just wrote: “We are now in San Francisco visiting seven children, spouses, and grandchildren. Our granddaughter, Taylor ’14, and her husband Brad Wagner ’14, are expecting our first great-grandchild.”

Other Reunion attendees were Jules and Lynn Korda Kroll ’65 and Walt, MBA ’64, LLB ’66, and Susie Lamme Laessig ’64, MAT ’66. At Cornelliana Night, we sat next to, by chance, classmate John Augenstein, MST ’66, and his nephew, who had accompanied him to Reunion. Thanks to all who helped make our 60th Reunion a success. ❖ Nancy Bierds Icke (email Nancy) | 12350 E. Roger Rd., Tucson, AZ 85749 | Alumni Directory.

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School of Nursing Class of 1963

Alumni from the School of Nursing’s Class of ’63 sent this special report on their recent 60th Reunion, a gathering that took place over the summer at Ruth Zeitlin Fischbach’s home in North Salem, NY.

The Nursing School Class of 1963 spent the entire Reunion weekend reminiscing and looking forward to the future and another amazing “get-to-gather.” Some of us hardly knew each other in school, unless we came to Cornell University–New York Hospital School of Nursing (CU–NYHSN) from the same college­—as 13 of our classmates did, from Cornell in Ithaca. Perhaps we lived on the same corridor at 1320 York Avenue, or we were in class together, or we shared a rotation at New York Hospital. It didn’t matter. Every one of the Class of 1963 was accounted for by our secretaries, Shelley Davis Mandelbaum and Lillian Detrick Blood.

Each class member has a list of names, addresses, and email addresses, so we were and still are able to communicate with each other. Our 1963 Zoom mixers, held every other week since December 2020, reacquainted some of us, so we have been able to fill in the blanks from our last class Reunions—which have taken place every five years since we graduated—or from our yearbook, as some attending had never been to one of our Reunions. It is delightful to see a familiar name and attach an updated face to it.

At Reunion, we became real friends. Twenty-two of us attended our 60th Reunion in May 2023. We flew in from all over the country. Some of our classmates drove four to five hours to get there. The Reunion could not have been so successful without our wonderful classmate drivers: Lillian Detrick Blood, Rosie Kudro VanderWyde, Jean Thatcher Shope and husband Tom, MD ’64, Peggy O’Reilly DeStefanis and husband Joe, Susie Strickland Smith, and Joan Berke Tobin. Emmy Rodeffer Gingrich would have been here to help with driving, but Bill was hospitalized at the time, and of course Ruth’s Mira and Eric were invaluable to us.

Ginger Carrieri-Kohlman helped us discover the New York State birds and gave us colorful printouts of birds from all of our areas in the U.S. where we were from. We all downloaded the Cornell Lab of Ornithology app Merlin, so every walk is now an adventure.

Even in retirement, we are all still practicing our ‘Fundamental Principles of Nursing.’

Rochelle “Shelley” Davis Mandelbaum ’63

Our outstanding hostess Ruth Zeitlin Fischbach, along with her husband, Gerald, MD ’65, opened her heart and home to all of us. Her bees, and the interesting lecture by her bee expert, got all of our attention. Her “secret gardens” were a constant memory of our late classmate Lucy Simon Levine, whose music in the Broadway smash The Secret Garden could be enjoyed—and we could still recall Lucy and her sister Carly Simon singing “Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod” to us in the residence. Ruth’s special lunches were delicious.

The entire Reunion was so memorable; we all took hundreds of pictures, and with organizing and editing from Shelley and the skills of our Shutterfly editor, Joy Harwood Rogers ’62, BS Nurs ’63, our pictures have now been published in a Shutterfly Reunion photo book, which is available for purchase here. Vicki Bingham Szadek and her committee cooked dinner for all of us so we could sit around a very large table and socialize. Barb Dodds Morrill ’62, BS Nurs ’63, brought outstanding beverages from New York State wineries. One exceptional farewell dinner was held in a private room at our hostess’s favorite restaurant, and it didn’t disappoint. Our classmates Gerry Miller Jennings ’62, BS Nurs ’63, Mary Kay Porr Pera, Betty Moran Loehr, Ilze Muehlenbachs, Dena Uretsky Baskin, and Blanche Floyd Burnham were always there to help wherever needed.

Elaine Hurney Young and Antoinette “Pat” Macrum Hill created a memorial book, and Linda Orr Dicus led us in a short, moving ceremony for those 18 classmates who are no longer with us. We were all able to contribute by writing memories in the beautiful book, and whenever we are together, we will add written memories to it. We each read a poem from another book written by published author and classmate Marian Willard Blackwell, MS ’66. Nancy Dean Nowak brought it from Nancy Buermann Bassett ’62, BS Nurs ’63 (who was unable to make it to Reunion). We sang our Alma Mater and the Cornell Alma Mater when our Zoom facilitator, Tony Chen ’12, surprised us with his visit.

The message from all attending Reunion was the same: Our School of Nursing was superb, one of the best in our nation. Our education prepared us well, to handle any open position in nursing, to care for patients during the Vietnam War, to better care for and to advise our friends and families seeking medical attention.

Even in retirement, we are all still practicing our “Fundamental Principles of Nursing.” Many classmates helped establish schools in the medical profession and served as their president or taught others in colleges and universities. Many classmates earned higher degrees, including several with PhDs. Several served on state and national boards. Some members of the Class of 1963 and the Class of 1967 are working together to keep our association alive and help it to thrive. ❖ Rochelle “Shelley” Davis Mandelbaum (email Shelley) | Lillian Detrick Blood (email Lillian) | Alumni Directory.

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1964

Autumn is nigh! Depending on where you live, perhaps it’s time to get out warmer clothes. But anywhere you live, it’s time to plan taking in our 60th Reunion next June 6–9. To urge you, here’s the latest from your classmates.

I begin with a classmate appearing in this column for the very first time: James Mitchell writes, “I am semi-active as a lawyer engaged in federal electric utility regulation. My flexible schedule leaves time for other activities. My tennis playing continues.” James lives in Arlington, VA, with wife Jane. Their travel is varied, from touring historic mansions in California to sailing aboard the yacht once owned by Marjorie Merriweather Post. Otherwise, he says, “I spend much time in the warmer months at my apartment in Buffalo, NY, where the weather is delightful, the restaurants are superb, and a renaissance is in full bloom.”

Carol Livoti Topp is here in this column for the first time in 35 years. Carol and husband Richard live in NYC, where she is still working as an ob/gyn physician at the Essen Health Clinic in the South Bronx. She has no other news, except that where travel is concerned, she writes: “Italy—anytime.”

Bob Newman, PhD ’72, was last here 23 years ago. Bob is now retired, but he and wife Sudha still live in Marblehead, MA. Virginia Bottone Burggraf, last here 19 years ago, is now retired, widowed, and living in Radford, VA. She says she no longer travels but does enjoy “six great-grandchildren!”

Nathan Herendeen, MS ’69, remains quite active. He works part time as an agricultural consultant plus is a volunteer Mason and member of the Order of the Eastern Star. He also gives time to “various charitable activities, local and statewide, and local church projects.” Nathan and wife Burniece live in Gasport, NY, where they are active in travel and family activities. Recent travel included Iceland in the winter (!), where they saw the northern lights, a Rhine River cruise in 2022, local visits around New York State, and seeing family in England just last month.

Marty Seldman continues to “coach, consult, and write. I’m staying in touch with Class of ’64 friends George Bornstein, Ken Feldman, DVM ’68, Matt Chait, Morris Shriftman, Steve Fox, Steve Natelson, Mark Colman, and Linda Rasken Iversen.” Marty lives in Berkeley, CA, with wife Kelly.

I spend much time in the warmer months in Buffalo, NY, where the weather is delightful, the restaurants are superb, and a renaissance is in full bloom.

James Mitchell ’64

Douglas Macbeth, last here nine years ago, reminisced about his work: “Throughout my career, I enjoyed serving as assistant school superintendent and college teacher at Penn State University, Albright College, and Alvernia University.” He and wife Phyllis still live in Reading, PA, but spend the winter months in Naples, FL. Their family is widespread: two sons in Hamburg, PA, two daughters in Ester, FL, and grandchildren in both locales.

Joseph Cangi has been quite active since he was last here nine years ago. A year ago, he and wife Ellen moved to North Richland Hills, TX, from Florida to be closer to family and are living in a beautiful senior independent living apartment complex. Joe also “still enjoys playing golf three days a week, cooking, and going out to eat.” He notes he otherwise hasn’t traveled much, “due to health issues.” On the plus side, Joe concludes, “We often get together with our daughter and grandchildren.”

Lastly, a lengthy note from Janet Spencer King: “It’s been a long, long time since I posted, so here is a catch-up. I’m still living in NYC on Roosevelt Island, right across the river from Weill Cornell Medicine and literally just up the street from Cornell Tech. I continue to work full time—as an independent book editor, and now with an exciting new project I started in January. After many years covering health and medical topics as a writer/reporter, I decided to write my own health and wellness weekly newsletter! It’s called Health Wise Friday and is packed with information and tips, much of it especially insightful for older readers.

“A recent edition covers helpful and amusing information about using a Fitbit tracker for counting daily steps. (You might be interested to know that for women over 70, new research shows that 4,400 steps a day is a worthy goal.) I write in a chatty style that readers tell me is engaging.

“Other exciting news—at long last I am a grandmother! I read that many classmates’ grandkids are getting ready to graduate college. We, on the other hand, are currently cheering my beautiful granddaughter for having just mastered sitting up! She was born on October 27, 2022, to my son, James, and his lovely lady who, happily, also live on Roosevelt Island. My daughter, Megan, and her husband live in Oakland, CA, but she makes room for many trips to NYC to visit her new niece.”

That’s it for now. On behalf of our class officers, we hope to see you at our 60th Reunion on Cornell’s campus in early June 2024. I especially wish to thank all of you who heeded my plea for news by responding with a wealth of news forms. Please keep ’em coming! 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

Chris Mabley, Conrad Neufeld, ME ’66, and Bob Matthews, PhD ’74, were joined by Tony Taylor ’63, Craig Underwood ’64, and Jay Abbe ’63, MS ’65, along with Chris’s wife, Jan Langenmayr Mabley, and Conrad’s wife, Andrea Sarnik ’76, at Cornell’s Collyer Boathouse to dedicate a shell in memory of Lew Evans ’63, LLB ’65, who passed away in January 2022. It was the first time the six members of Cornell’s 1963 championship crew had been together since the Royal Henley Regatta in England 60 years ago this summer. Members of other crews from the ’60s impacted by Lew Evans were also in attendance for the dedication. The wonderfully successful event was spearheaded by Chris Williams ’67 and Chris Mabley. Chris and Jan live in Austin, TX.

More rowing news: Jeff Kass writes, “I will be getting a new rowing shell as my birthday gift to myself. Glad I can still row.”

Frank McCreary and his wife, Jacki, were in Southwest Harbor, ME, in early June with children and grandchildren. He comments, “On a beautiful day, my son and I went for the first sail of the summer on our 1947 vintage Luders 16 sailboat.”

For seven weeks of the summer (June 30–August 18), I, Joan Hens Johnson, enrolled in the French Summer Language Immersion Program at Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT. The students take a pledge not to speak or write any English during those seven weeks!

On a beautiful day, my son and I went for the first sail of the summer on our 1947 vintage Luders 16 sailboat.

Frank McCreary ’65

Judy Kellner Rushmore and Dave Koval have completed another trip to Paris, France, with son Stephen ’96 and his family. During their days in the City of Lights they enjoyed a foodie adventure with one of the premier culinary guides of Paris.

Stephen Appell and I are eager for your news! Have you marked a career milestone or taken a trip? Have those of you near Cornell clubs participated in club activities that piqued your interest? We are looking forward to the kick-off this fall of our class gift of resilience wellness coaching in conjunction with the Skorton Center. Our gift will support the area of mental health promotion. Below is a description of the center’s mission:

“Cornell Health’s Skorton Center for Health Initiatives advances student and campus health through institutional leadership, education, research, and public engagement. Skorton Center staff members—public health specialists, health educators, and advocates—work to promote positive culture change as well as to prevent and reduce the harms to individuals and the community in the areas of alcohol and other drugs, anti-racism and bias prevention, hazing prevention, mental health promotion, sexual violence prevention, and suicide prevention.” ❖ Joan Hens Johnson (email Joan) | Stephen Appell (email Stephen) | Alumni Directory.

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1966

We remain a class of those who lead varied and interesting lives. Jerry Bilinski, DVM ’69, continues as an equine veterinarian and owner of Waldorf Farm. In the past, he has been on the Cornell Council and is a former board member. He recently traveled to Rome and shares that his family includes six grandchildren. Jerry mentioned an odd twin adventure: he is a twin, his freshman roommate was a twin, and his brother’s roommate was a twin. There was another set of twins in our class, which was apparently not that common in those days.

Jeff Konvitz is still practicing law and producing movies. His new novel, The Circus of Satan, will be out this fall. It’s historical fiction about the destruction of the Irish mob between 1898 and 1912. Jeff’s youngest daughter is a Cornell senior, an economics major, and a College Scholar.

Martin Schwartz, ME ’67, is happily retired and continues his interest in astronomy, weightlifting, and other activities. He and his wife, Roberta (Bernstein) ’68, traveled to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia last October. They celebrated their 55th anniversary with their sons and their families.

Ralph Bishop noted something he’s doing now that he never imagined doing: “Other than getting old, I’m working on writing an anti-dystopian TV series (on spec). In it, a giant corporation dedicated to sustainable development builds a starship on the moon as a plan B with the help of a teenage math genius and gamer who also happens to be the closeted mutant daughter of an anti-mutant American president.”

Mostly retired, George Stark is active in the Anti-Defamation League, in the Menil Collection museum in Houston, TX, and as a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitrator/expert witness in securities cases. He enjoys fishing, especially wading in the salt water on the Texas coast. Last summer, he and his wife went to Ireland, visiting the home and library of James Joyce. His son and family live in Austin, TX.

Nancy Kurtz writes from Moab, UT. She reports she does astrology and tarot readings and writes a column for a local publication. She plays in a rock and roll band and is a grandmother! She never imagined getting old! She is walking and hiking much more than she did in college. The family has a rental in Taos, NM, where they go every year. Living in a vacation mecca is hard to leave, though they would like to branch out a bit.

Len Coburn ’66 says highlights [of his trip] included seeing and walking among the world’s largest king penguin colony on South Georgia Island.

Paul Weinberg is living the good life in Boca Raton and on Long Island. He is founder of Better Health Corp, which has a patent on a formula for treatment of long-term COVID symptoms. Paul’s son Mark is in private equity and grandson Noah is a student at Northwestern.

Gabriele Gurski Van Lingen is glad to be retired. Living on the eastern shore of Virginia, she is staying peaceful and generally uninvolved—and notes that she would welcome visitors. Travel has been difficult for her since COVID, as she is reluctant to fly, but she plans to travel this year.

Joyce Wilcox Graff, MA ’67, works for Powerful Patient. She was elected to be district governor in 2024­–25 for Rotary District 7910 Central Massachusetts and Metrowest Boston.

Len Coburn and wife Evie (Hunter College 1966) went on two amazing cruises this past year. Last September they embarked on a 65-day cruise from Vancouver, BC, to Sydney, Australia. Along the route, they stopped in Honolulu for a brief but wonderful visit with Len’s Cornell roommate Nate Wong and his family. Then on to French Polynesia, Fiji, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia. Being able to travel again post-COVID was wonderful, as was getting away from the world’s problems. In January/February they traveled to Chile, Antarctica, South Georgia Island, the Falklands, Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Len says highlights included stepping on the Antarctic continent with its amazing landscape, seeing and walking among the world’s largest king penguin colony on South Georgia Island, and the albatross and penguin rookery on New Island in the Falklands. Astonishing adventures require a needed respite!

We learned of classmates who have passed away: Arthur “Lee” Adamson III died in August 2022 in Vero Beach, FL. Lee was a member of SAE; worked at Intel and IBM; and was an avid sailor. From 2005–11, he sailed up and down the Atlantic Coast, Mediterranean, and Caribbean, sharing the experiences with family and friends. Leo Blitz was a professor emeritus of astrophysics at the University of California, Berkeley. AEPi fraternity brother Bruce Bergman shared memories: “This is a guy who went on to be a lauded international astrophysicist and professor—brilliant, at the top of his profession—but he was always unassuming, a true regular person. That he was very smart was obvious; that he would reach the heights his career did would never have been predictable from his modest demeanor. He was actually more than that; he was always smiling, always ready for a good time, a special example of a hale fellow well met. Leo was a particular friend. It is a cliché to say ‘he will be missed,’ but he really will be.”

A fall 2023 note from Alice Katz Berglas and Mary Jansen Everett: “Welcome to a new Cornell year—new freshmen finding their way to classes, taking first prelims, making first friends. Welcome to a new Class of ’66 year too—academic and social—as we plot new ways to gather, learn together, and spend time. After decades of teaching, the late Professor Walter LaFeber once shared, ‘There is still nothing better than each new August—filled with new possibilities, new students to help educate and to learn from, the electricity in the air of what the next new year might bring.’ Join us!” ❖ Susan Rockford Bittker (email Susan) | Pete Salinger, MBA ’68 (email Pete) | Alumni Directory.

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1967

Robert Holmes (Perth Amboy, NJ) retired in June after 26 years as a clinical professor of law at Rutgers Law School. Frank Sprtel (Whitefish Bay, WI) enjoys his four grandchildren, and adds, “I also like to play some golf on good days. I do some consulting work and bird watching with my wife, Mary. We have some medical issues but are working our way through them.” His Cornell memories include “studying econ and zoology—and playing football.”

Robert Thompson writes, “My wife, Karen, and I are still healthy enough to keep traveling. I stay engaged in advocacy for public support for agricultural research, keeping agriculture in the foreign aid agenda, and keeping international agricultural trade as free and open as possible.” His favorite memory of Cornell was “studying in Denmark junior year, where I met my wife of 55 years now. In January, we relocated from Bethany Beach, DE, to the Greenspring Village retirement community south of Washington, DC.”

Catherine “Kitty” Montgomery Miles (Santa Ana, CA) reports: “Having outlived two husbands, I met Jack Miles, Pulitzer Prize winner, MacArthur Fellow, and All-American sweetheart, at church in 2011, and then began the happiest period in my life. We married in 2015 and are looking forward to attending Cornell’s Adult University. My fondest Cornell memory is of the time just after graduation when I worked in Special Collections at the library on the papers of the wonderful New Yorker writer E.B. White 1921. What fun!”

Edward “Ted” Feldmeier, BS ’71 (Eliot, ME) spends time between Maine (summer) and Florida (winter) and “giving to select charities.” He likes “being with friends and seeing people happy, being outdoors on a nice day, and other sundry things!” Ted and wife Joan are, he says, “staying healthy. With aging, that requires activity, more so than when younger. Life is good for us, though; I’m thankful for that.” He remembers the “high quality of so many CU students, classmates, and professors. I didn’t appreciate that in my very young adult life—until I got out into the real world!”

Janetta Rebold Benton (Greenwich, CT), who is a distinguished professor of art history at Pace University, published her 10th book, The History of Western Art (London: Thames & Hudson, in their Art Essentials series). The publisher’s description notes, “This book offers a concise, reader-friendly illustrated survey of Western art and architecture from prehistory to the present day. Focusing on the history in art history, each chapter opens with a question to ponder, followed by a summary of the major historical developments of the period, touching on social structure, political organization, migration, race, religious beliefs, scientific advances, and customs. An exploration of these themes reveals how the visual arts simultaneously shape, reflect, and document the culture of the time and place they were created.”

My fondest Cornell memory is when I worked in Special Collections at the library on the papers of the wonderful E.B. White 1921.

Catherine “Kitty” Montgomery Miles ’67

Peter Buchsbaum (Stockton, NJ) writes: “We celebrated the birth of our first grandson, Reed Frey, on January 19 to parents Rosa Hugo and our son, Aaron Buchsbaum. They live in Rockville, MD. A whole new chapter in our lives. He’s something else. In May, I was elected to the executive board of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. It includes two and a half million Reform and Progressive Jews around the world. Its recent conference in Jerusalem attracted 250 participants from 50 countries, including a delegation from Ukraine, which somehow made it to Jerusalem by train, bus, and whatever worked. We met with the President of Israel and also took part in the protests against the government proposal to curtail the independence of the Israeli courts.”

Gerald Killigrew, BS ’75 (Canandaigua, NY) notes, “Both my wife and I have been retired for 14 years. While still willing and able, we like to travel. We belong to a walking group and help at the local food pantry. We enjoy doing things with our grandsons, whether it be playing games, watching their sports, or finding new adventures. Recently, we’ve moved to a one-story house. We are finishing clearing out the old property and getting it ready for sale.” His favorite memory of Cornell: “Walking across the Suspension Bridge. It offered a wonderful view of the gorge.”

Pauline Watkins Runkle (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) reports: “I am creating art: pastel, watercolor, acrylic, oils. I enjoy my art practice and supporting my local and national art societies.” Also, she reports “lots of birding, walking, and travel.” Cornell memory: “The natural beauty of the Cornell geography—drawing in the Plantations (now called the Botanic Gardens).”

Please note that Class Notes no longer includes email addresses. To find information about a classmate, consult the Alumni Directory. ❖ Richard Hoffman (email Richard) | 2925 28th St. NW, Washington, DC 20008.

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1968

Despite air pollution advisories from the Canadian wildfires—and the notification of many event changes from outdoor to in—for those of us who attended our 55th Reunion, the long weekend of events and get-togethers was simply spectacular, and even the weather cooperated.

Our initial dinner at the new and fabulous Toni Morrison Hall on North Campus (headquarters of the Class of ’68); the panel discussion about student life on campus moderated by Ryan Lombardi, Vice President of Student and Campus Life; the Olin Lecture; the session with President Martha Pollack, current students, and recent alums; the lunchtime BBQ with an accompanying serenade by the Sherwoods; Cornelliana Night in Bailey Hall—it all contributed to a trip not only to Ithaca, but also down memory lane, to when we were all students on the Hill.

There were an impressive 100 or more of our class in attendance, plus close to another 100 spouses and accompanying others—giving us ample opportunity to catch up, re-acquaint, and even meet classmates we did not know back then! Many thanks are due to our highly capable and engaged Reunion chair, Henry Siegel, for his wonderful organization and planning, and for his frequent announcements during the weekend that kept us informed and on track. Thanks too to Henry’s able and dedicated Reunion committee and to our president, Nancy Nystrom Frantz, and her fellow officers for a job well done.

Under the leadership of Jay Waks, JD ’71, and our Reunion campaign committee—consisting of Randy Hallstead Allen, Mark Belnick, Bob Spencer, MBA ’70, and Jane Wallace Vanneman—443 members of our class contributed donations totaling $5.9 million, which beat our goal of $3.25 million and set a record of Reunion giving for the Class of 1968, not including our 50th. Thanks to Jay and his committee for all their hard work and effort, which literally paid off!

During Reunion, we elected the following officers for the next five years: Henry Siegel, president; Susan Mascette Brandt, vice president and membership chair; Mary Hartman Schmidt, secretary; Beth Deabler Corwin, treasurer; Jay Waks, Annual Fund representative; Steven Weinberg, MBA ’70, JD ’71, class correspondent; Corrine Dopslaff Smith, website community manager; and Nancy Nystrom Frantz, immediate past president. The very important position of Reunion chair is not yet filled, so please come forward to volunteer!

Richard Gottfried ’68 was the longest serving legislator in New York State history!

In other-than-Reunion news, we’ve recently heard from many classmates. Tracy Suor Garland and husband Tom have been doing some exciting traveling, with Tracy leading citizen diplomacy trips to Vietnam as part of her travels. Richard Gottfried and wife Louise enjoy spending time with their granddaughters and traveling, with Richard also continuing to pursue his hobbies of Chinese calligraphy and painting. Richard retired from the New York State Assembly in 2022, after 52 years! He was the longest serving legislator in New York State history!

Sue Mascette Brandt and husband Bill have moved from Rochester, NY, to the Boston suburbs to be closer to their children and five grandchildren. Richard Kasdan writes that he lives in Pittsburgh and works full time as a neurologist. Roger Stetter continues to practice law, and he and wife Barbara live in New Orleans. His greatest joy is spending time with son Jack ’09 and grandson Raoul, who just turned 1.

Jeff Gorwit continues his cardiology practice in Escondido, CA, on a part-time basis, and he and his wife, Linda, get great satisfaction spending time with their eight grandkids. More news about our classmates will appear in our next column! Please keep us informed of your happenings and events to share with our class.

In closing, on behalf of our class, I would like to thank Chuck Levitan for his dedication as our class correspondent over the last 10 years. He did a fabulous job. I hope, as your new class correspondent, I can do the same. ❖ Steve Weinberg, MBA ’70, JD ’71 (email Steve) | Alumni Directory.

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1969

Greetings, Class of ’69! This column was written in June by guest columnist Alan Cody, who is always grateful for the chance to help our class stay informed and connected.

Speaking of connection, we begin this column with a special message from our 55th Reunion co-chairs, Cindy Nixon DuBose and Sally Knowlton, who write, “Our Reunion is just a year away: June 6–9, 2024. Save those dates and plan to join your fellow classmates in Ithaca! It will be a great opportunity to enjoy wonderful events and lectures, to explore the beautiful campus and see the changes, and of course, to reconnect with friends and make new ones! We hope you’ll stay in touch, encourage other classmates to attend, and plan to join us to celebrate our 55th.”

Richard Greenberg is still working as a professor of medicine in adult infectious diseases at the University of Kentucky. His research team is completing four COVID-19 vaccine trials that started in 2020, enrolling more than 1,100 subjects. And to think he was considering retiring! Barring another epidemic, he plans to focus on Thoroughbred breeding and racing (three stake wins in 2022), along with traveling with his new wife, Linda—congratulations! Then he will try to wind down his medical activities. He continues to enjoy meeting with his frat brothers, especially at the 50th Reunion in 2019. Another great reason to come to our next Reunion.

For Richard Clark, PhD ’79, grandkids and the great outdoors bring the greatest satisfaction these days. His snowboarding and cross-country skiing in the winters, dining, backpacking, and fly fishing in the summers, and spending time with family in the shoulder seasons are an inspiration for all of us to stay active.

Doug Yoder writes that the occasional smile from his wife through the fog of dementia with which they now live gives him the most satisfaction these days, as well as the memories of their 41 years of well-lived lives. We wish you and Margaret well! Having retired after 50 years of service in Miami-Dade County, Doug continues to volunteer as an advisor to the Water and Sewer Department, and also serves on a city advisory committee. Their great joy is their 4-year-old granddaughter and son and daughter-in-law, who live nearby. Special memories of time at Cornell include friends made and kept for a lifetime, a Sunday evening beer at the Palms, and the student engagement and activism on the issues of the day that defined our generation. A least favorite memory: six 8 a.m. classes as a freshman engineer, something most of us could relate to, especially remembering the legendary and long Ithaca winters.

Ronald Schildge reports that his greatest satisfaction these days is serving as a ruling elder in his church and participating in the charitable activities of the Exchange Club of Kiawah-Seabrook. Playing tennis and learning to play golf are giving him added pleasures in retirement. He loves hosting his eight children and 18 grandchildren (soon to be 19!) on Seabrook Island, SC. Being a member of Sigma Chi and the great friendships formed there was a special part of his time at Cornell.

Ted Hudson ’69 has three and a half chapters to go in writing an American Civil War saga. It is massive—already more than 400,000 words.

Leslie Edward DeGroff, DVM ’69, shares that his grandkids bring him the most satisfaction these days. A little vet work, a little farm work, and enjoying winters in Florida/California, along with just enjoying each day as it comes, make these times special. He remembers Vet College classes, relationships that have lasted a lifetime, and the parties at Alpha Psi as his favorite times at Cornell.

Charles Antinori writes that he is enjoying exercising, fixing things around the house, and his grandkids these days. He semi-retired a few months ago but is still working one to two days a week and should be going to the beach a lot. We are so glad to hear that he just celebrated his mother’s 95th birthday party and wish him a great trip to Australia and New Zealand for the Women’s World Cup in August. Fraternity parties at Chi Psi are a favorite memory of his time at Cornell.

Retirement life and family are giving Raymond Goodman Jr., PhD ’79, the most satisfaction these days, along with golf and travel. Both sons have great jobs. One grandson graduated college with a degree in finance, and another grandson just completed five years in the Marine Corps and will now begin his college career. Two other grandchildren are currently in college. He remembers HEC at the Hotel School as a favorite memory of his time at Cornell.

Robbie Kaufelt reports that he is busy and enjoying writing a musical and raising three teens along with Greenwich Village and farm life these days. His retirement work is music—both an album and theater. He enjoys recalling Cornell memories of closing down the school in the spring of ’69, getting high with pals, and swimming naked in the reservoir.

We are excited to learn that Ted Hudson has three and a half chapters to go in writing an American Civil War saga. It is massive—already more than 400,000 words. With the 202-page chapter on Sherman’s March finished, history majors will know that the story is nearing the conclusion. We look forward to hearing more and congratulate him on joining the many authors in our class. Witnessing the progress of their children, Miranda and Lachlan, gives him and wife Li Ping the most satisfaction these days. Their first grandchild, Alanna Mei, was born on February 22, 2023. Surely George Washington’s birthday is an auspicious day on which to be born. Along with inspiring professors, most of us would agree with Ted that freezing our toes off sitting in Lynah rooting for Ken Dryden and the rest of the Big Red are among our favorite memories. Learning to skate by playing hockey Sunday afternoons on a West Hill pond is also one of his favorite memories.

Hope to see you at our 55th Reunion, June 6–9, 2024! Thanks to everyone who contributed news. Best regards. ❖ Alan Cody (email Alan) | Alumni Directory.

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1970s

1970

Approximately one month ago, my incoming mail included our class dues request, along with a Share Your News form. Some of these forms were filled out and returned by classmates and have already reached me; they are the basis for this column and the next. Yet I will need to continue writing columns, so if you haven’t already, please consider sending class dues, plus any contributions as you see fit, and also PLEASE return your Share Your News form! Include news of where you are, what you have been up to, and what is meaningful for you at this time. That form is the source of most of our columns in Class Notes! And be aware that our next class Reunion, our 55th, is now less than two years away!

Speaking of Reunions, I am writing this exactly two weeks before Reunion 2023 weekend, beginning June 8. I will be in Ithaca as part of the Continuous Reunion Club (all schools, all years) along with a few classmates. So the next column may include some references to Reunion. Along with my great friend Connie Santagato Hosterman ’57, I am co-writing a CRC Reunion column (which appears at the top of this section, September / October 2023) as well as our own Class Notes column.

The actual notes part of this column begins with excerpts from a recent Cornell Chronicle article. “He is the most cited engineer in history. He holds more than 1,400 patents. His pioneering work in biotechnology, drug delivery, and tissue engineering has made him one of the most prolific inventors in medicine, and he has co-founded more than 40 companies, including Moderna.” This is classmate Robert Langer, a chemical engineer as an undergrad, who recently received the Cornell Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award. Provost Michael Kotlikoff noted that Robert is “one of the most creative, brilliant, and influential alumni in Cornell’s history.”

Charles Adelman, JD ’73 (New York, NY) writes as follows. “Debbi (Gerard) ’71, MS ’74, and I are enjoying our retirement, indulging our passion for dance by serving on the boards of several dance organizations, attending performances and rehearsals, and spending time with dancers and choreographers in New York, Miami, and the Berkshires. Son Mark Adelman ’05, BA ’06, and daughter-in-law Amy (Green) ’06 are a doctor and a vet, respectively, in Brooklyn. Daughter Karen (Harvard ’07), after 10 years as an artist and museum educator, is now in CUNY Law School. In January 2023, we organized a Pi Lambda Phi mini-reunion in South Florida, where we reunited with Steve Steinberg, Steve Meyerson, Art Litowitz, Steve Kunkes ’69, and Morrie Sandler ’69. See you all at the 55th Reunion!”

Must be a craving for reunions, as Richard Barron (Chatham, NJ) writes, “It finally happened. Our 1968–72 PhiEp reunion was held at the Cornell Club, and it was indeed a lovefest. Unfortunately, our class did not have a great showing. In attendance were me (Richard “Moon” Barron), Larry Blumenstyk, BA ’73, Gene Resnick, MD ’74, Barry Cass, and Kevin McEnery, MBA ’71. You have no idea how much I enjoyed being called ‘Moon’ again.”

It finally happened. Our 1968–72 PhiEp reunion was held at the Cornell Club, and it was indeed a lovefest.

Richard Barron ’70

Richard continues, “My wife and I visited Ithaca last summer. I just wanted to see it again, especially after COVID thwarted our 50th Reunion plans. Memories seized me at every step around campus—even bad memories didn’t seem so awful, and I thought about them with affection for that time and our youth. My wife told me how lucky I was to have gone to Cornell, and she was right. That is when I vowed to organize a reunion.”

Grace Titsworth Rempel (Kalona, IA) is finding satisfaction and enjoyment through being able to help others in her community, including the elderly, church friends, neighbors, family, and others. She also finds interacting with grandchildren to be especially satisfying. Grace is a volunteer at a local MCC thrift shop. The proceeds from sales go to relief work around the world. In addition, she coordinates an annual benefit event for the local nonprofit nursing home, a rewarding community effort where proceeds are typically $55,000 to $75,000.

Kathy Law Orloski (Allentown, PA) writes: “I retired from my job as a computer programmer in 2013, when my youngest daughter gave birth to twins. I spent the first year of retirement as backup mom to the twins and their older sister. I’ve never looked back. My husband and I had five children; four of them are Cornell grads. I have nine grandchildren. I am supremely lucky that all of them live near me. What brings me the most joy, and occupies the best parts of my time, is spending that time with them all. I look at my grandchildren and wonder how many of them will be lucky enough to follow their parents to Cornell. My husband of 48 years (Richard, JD ’71) died just as the pandemic was beginning, but before his death we spent a lot of time thinking about our years at Cornell and hoping the family tradition could go on and on and on.”

Much of this column has touched on reunions, memories about Cornell, etc. That often takes me to my very favorite Cornell song, written over 100 years ago as a poem to bring graduates back to Reunions. Not one of the well-known, traditional songs, “The Hill,” now sung only by the Chorus, always can bring me to tears: “I wake at night and think I hear remembered chimes, / And mem’ry brings in visions clear, enchanted times. / Beneath green elms with branches bowed, in springtime suns, / Or touching elbows in a crowd of eager ones, / Again, I’m hurry’ng past the tow’rs or with the teams, / Or spending precious idling hours in golden dreams. / O Cornell of the kindly heart, the friendly hand, / My love burns clear for you in distant land! / O fates that shape the lives of men, / Vouchsafe that I, before I die, may tread ‘The Hill’ again!” Words by Albert Smith 1878; music by George Pond 1910.

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

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1971

Cara Nash Iason and I, Elisabeth Kaplan Boas, thank those who have sent Share Your News questionnaires back, and those classmates who have responded to direct inquiries from us. This column is a mixture of material from both sources and staves off any threat to write fiction that, thus far, Cara frowns upon.

Charles Himmelblau reports long service—nearly 40 years!—on his Mountain View, CA, condo association board, where he’s a creative problem solver for residents. In retirement, he’s remained involved in the professional metallurgy society where he’d once been assigned to “a committee involved in materials and processing specifications for aerospace.” As a result of those work assignments, he earned an honorary membership. In retirement he has more time to concentrate on document submissions. In addition, he volunteers on the Metals Handbooks Committee, where his professional skills were a good fit when its first handbook, about machining, was newly up for revision. He made suggestions for updates, new topics, and additional authors.

For some 40 years, Charles has been an art collector, amassing a collection of 4,000+ works that have been praised by artists and curators alike. From it, four Renaissance-era woodcuts have already been donated to the Johnson Museum and two more modern works on paper will go off to Ithaca soon. On another note, Charles was an undergrad member of all the music bands, including the Big Red Marching Band, Pep Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. As a senior, he created the marching band’s halftime shows, a highlight of which was a pollution-themed production. It culminated with the members forming an “oil slick” spreading out to the periphery of the field. Maybe you remember this too.

In May, I noticed a trend of new classmates joining our class Facebook page, including Roger Lazoff, a retired architect from Woodstock, NY, whose material was part of a June 2019 exhibition, “Get on the Bus,” about Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters. (For six years, Roger was one of them.) The exhibition included posters, film, and books by Kesey and others.

Cameron Robert, a Hotelie, now of Crystal Lake, IL, joined the group, as well as Rodo Sofranac, a writer, teacher, and translator from Phoenix who came to the U.S. from Yugoslavia via Austria. (Check out his website.) Rodo’s been an active member of the Cornell Club of Arizona and the Arizona Cornell Hotel Society. Even though he’s not a Hotelie, he is a great foodie and finds that those folks love a psych major at their parties. For decades he’s volunteered with CAAAN, the alumni group that often is a first contact for undergraduate applicants. When one son was a commercial brewer, Rodo helped schedule a Cornell gathering at a brewery that had created a “deeeeeeelicious!” Touchdown the Bear red ale. Rodo has led such community projects as Habitat for Humanity and Helping Hands for Single Moms for local Cornell clubs. “All-in-all,” he notes, “lots of interaction with lots of other Cornellians, especially my Psi U brothers. We may not be on the Hill anymore, but we sure pass around the Big Red spirit. I have been very fortunate!”

The FB page welcomed others this year too, including Judy Adler, MD ’75, John Dubeck, Mark Sussman of Trumansburg, Anne Lichtenstein Cherlow, Janett Edelberg, Hank Mishkoff, Daiva Tucker Woodworth, and Cliff Essman. Check it out.

Philip ’71 and Linda Watson Mangones ’71 have been married since the day before graduation.

Married since the day before graduation, Philip and Linda Watson Mangones have long made their home in Keene, NH. He is a retired judge, and she works part time still at Keene Housing Authority doing grant writing and housing development. They see their five Massachusetts grandchildren frequently, but especially cherish a week each summer all together on Cape Cod. Linda has taken them to visit her hometown of Durango, CO.

Now professor emerita in the department of library public services at Western Kentucky University, Gay Helen Perkins, a Hotelie, has moved to a senior care apartment not far from the condo she sold in Louisville. She enjoys the New York Times daily and uses it as she chooses books to read. Most recently, she chose singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams’s newly released memoir, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You. Gay recalls her favorite memory at Cornell as walking in the gorges in the beautiful scenery.

Only one classmate has mentioned COVID. Steven Rappaport of Framingham, MA, reports that he’d planned to retire but when the pandemic hit, he decided not to, citing boredom. He loves “bluebird” ski days and, of course, when he and Barbara visit their kids and grandchildren.

Now retired as a chaplain at Rochester (NY) General Hospital, Robert Crystal is engaged in a prison/jail ministry. He also enjoys campanology (tower bell ringing). His spouse, Curtis Perry, went to Oberlin. He still has his Columbia T-shirt from Cornell’s win over Columbia at crew back in the day.

Jeffrey Hooper, PhD ’77, stayed on at Cornell long after most of us classmates left. His favorite memory of his days on campus was getting his PhD in June 1977 with his entire family present. Through his LLC in Warren, NJ, he does investing and information technology consulting and enjoys both discussion groups and helping others, including wife Andrea Louise Long, who has serious health challenges. ❖ Elisabeth Kaplan Boas (email Elisabeth) | Cara Nash Iason (email Cara) | Alumni Directory.

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1972

I look up at the calendar on my computer screen and realize that I’m writing this exactly one year since our Reunion in June 2022. I am still in shock that it was our 50th. Even after attending graduate school, establishing a career, raising two daughters, and having four grandchildren, it still feels like yesterday that I was an undergraduate. Is it just me? Time does fly by, and members of the Class of ’72 appear to be making the most of it.

Lenore Tytelman Decovsky writes that spending time with her growing family and doing good in the community give her the most satisfaction these days. She is busier than ever, serving as president of both the local women’s club and Friends of the Library, working on projects of the local historical society, and traveling to see grandchildren as far away as Amsterdam. Lenore travels with Cornell groups and is in constant contact with the lifelong friends she’s made at Cornell, especially those in her sorority.

Peter Fortunato, a poet, teacher, and Buddhist, writes from his home in Ithaca to say that his memoir, Desert Wind: My Life in Qatar, was recently published by Cayuga Lake Books. The book was based on his experience living in Doha, the capital of Qatar, from 2005 to 2009, during which time he taught writing and literature to medical students at the newly opened branch of Weill Cornell Medicine. Peter explains that period was a transformational time for the Muslim nation, as well as for him, personally and professionally. Sounds like a “must-read” and certainly a reason for congratulations!

Miriam Stern Sharick writes that she continues to teach biology part time at SUNY Delhi (New York State, not India, as I just discovered) but still finds the time for fishing, gardening, making jam, taking extended car trips, singing with the Catskill Choral Society, and producing classical chamber music concerts. She takes great satisfaction knowing that her teaching has enriched many lives and that her grandchildren are growing up healthy, well-rounded, and comfortable. In addition to having a son and his family living in central Massachusetts and a daughter happily settled in Alexandria, VA, she maintains a cordial relationship with her former husband. Her favorite memories of her time at Cornell include singing with the Glee Club and women’s Chorus, especially Carmina Burana and the “Messiah.” Two other favorite memories are watching entomology professor George Eickwort act out the firefly mating dance and seeing Ed Marinaro and Ken Dryden ’69 play.

Don Stanton writes that he has recently moved back east to Bethesda, MD, and is looking forward to reconnecting with friends. Welcome back (from your class correspondent, one of many Cornellians living in Maryland)!

William Reinhardt ’72 has a large vegetable garden and composting operation, enabling him to teach his grandkids about organic gardening.

Bruce Hazen, in Portland, OR, finds that his leadership coaching with physicians and nursing leaders brings him the most satisfaction these days. Though he writes that he is “simply messing about in boats,” he obviously has found the time and energy to co-author with Tim Clark his fourth book, Business Model You, second edition, published by Wiley in 2022. Way to go, Bruce!

Mark Davis writes from Texas that he serves as an expert witness for medical/legal cases, workmen’s compensation cases, and personal injury cases. He and his wife, Mary, have four grandchildren. Mark gets the most satisfaction from working out at the gym and enjoys fishing trips to Costa Rica. His favorite Cornell memory is how dogs, including his 180-pound Great Dane, had the run of the campus. Perhaps Mark also remembers when Walter LaFeber had to step aside from lecturing as two dogs mated on the Bailey Hall stage!

Writing in from Tuxedo Park, NY, Gerald Howard states that he is keeping busy working on a biographical study of the great editor/critic Malcolm Cowley. With 400+ manuscript pages and counting, he believes he’s going to finish this year. In addition, Gerald tries to keep up with developments in the book world and discover works, old and new, that feed the inner man. Reading is his primary mental pleasure, while swimming at the local lap pool is his physical one. Gerald writes that his favorite Cornell memories are of his classes taught by Edgar Rosenberg ’49, Scott Elledge, PhD ’41, and Walter LaFeber. Moments from these classes recur to him with keen pleasure quite often. He eloquently voiced his gratitude, saying, “What gifts those great teachers bequeathed to me, and so many lucky others.”

William Reinhardt of Slingerlands, NY, is hard at work promoting sustainability, renewable energy, and the green economy both as an elected progressive Democrat in the Albany County Legislature and as leader of several nonprofit organizations. He writes that having all his kids and grandkids living in the same community gives him the most satisfaction. He and his wife, Gail Landsman, have a large vegetable garden and composting operation, enabling him to teach his grandkids about organic gardening. William’s favorite memories of Cornell include meeting his wife, the political activism of the time, the start of the environmental movement with Earth Day, and his participation in swimming and water polo, from which he learned the power of teamwork.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to write in. Please keep the news coming! ❖ Susan Farber Straus (email Susan) | Alex Barna (email Alex) | Wes Schulz, ME ’73 (email Wes) | Frank Dawson (email Frank) | Alumni Directory.

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1973

The 50th Reunion of the Cornell Class of 1973 is history. For me it was a time travel moment—waking up in a dorm built on the site of my old dorm, except equipped with private showers! Who would even dream of such a thing back in ’73? And thanks to the early Canadian fire season we saw the campus through a haze—not unlike freshman year at the U-Halls.

Patti Miller Ross ’72 and I (Dave Ross) met up with Glee Club friends Bill Welker, MBA ’75, and Bill Cagney at the Friday wine tasting (it’s all about the tannins), then up to rehearsal for the alumni Glee Club at Lincoln. It was just as I remembered at that first rehearsal in 1969—a warmup, then here’s five pieces of music you’ve never seen, so get near someone who knows the part, sit at the edge of the chair and … sing! The biggest shock was realizing that once it’s past 8 a.m., I’m no longer a Bass II.

Following are a few snapshots grabbed at random:

At the first ice cream social, sitting with Bill Chamberlain and Greg Kishel, Greg reminded us of his walk-on role as the hooded executioner in the Savoyards production of The Yeoman of the Guard starring (the late) Dean Fred Kahn. The unexpected punch line: Dean Kahn would go on to deregulate the airlines as a member of the Carter Administration, and Greg, as a federal bankruptcy judge, would go on to clean up the financial mess it created. But the potentially viral shots of the two of them in costume would remain forever hidden because … no Internet.

I overheard some idle chatter to the effect that some of the awe of seeing a spectacular new campus building is tempered when it’s named for that kid you got drunk with.

My former (and brilliant) roommate, Marc Kenton, PhD ’81, reminded me I actually scored higher than he did in Physics 360, which annoyed him because I was an English major. Fortunately, he recovered and went on to play with nuclear reactors, while I used my deep knowledge of Newton’s laws to edit news clips at WTKO and various other media outlets.

I was happy to discover that the irreverent senior verse I wrote in 1973 for the ‘Song of the Classes’ is now considered the ‘safe’ version.

Dave Ross ’73

I like the new tradition of singing the “Evening Song” and “Alma Mater” arm in arm. Sometimes a big mutual embrace is exactly what you need.

I was happy to discover that the irreverent senior verse I wrote in 1973 for the “Song of the Classes” is now considered the “safe” version.

Walking between events I overheard criticism of how crowded the campus seems compared to 50 years ago. I understand the concern, but the way Cornell has approached this is very clever: instead of demolishing old buildings, they just wrap the new ones around them, creating a kind of architectural Tupperware. I like the effect—you see the present building, and the roots that spawned it. A little like looking at the old person in the mirror and still seeing hints of the wild teen of 50 years ago.

And what wild teens we were! At the Risley lunch, Bob Platt, JD ’76, told the story of the theft of the Risley outdoor bulletin board back when you needed physical postings to spread news.

Nancy Roistacher ’72 reminded us of the time Risley hosted Aaron Copeland—and they danced to “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

Carol Worman Nolan revealed she lived on the same floor as Christopher Reeve ’74. Bill Chamberlain remembered that nervous gathering in Risley for the broadcast of what would be the last draft lottery.

Bottom line: it was wonderful seeing so many alums, and I hope to see even more in five years. If the Class of ’48 can still show up, why not us? Have CPAP—will travel.

This is my new alumni verse: “I’m the Old Timer / Who trudged up Libe Slope / It seemed a lot steeper— / Thank God nothing broke. / Of food there was plenty, / I made all the rounds / Gathering mem’ries— / And 10 extra pounds.” ❖ Dave Ross (email Dave) | Phyllis Haight Grummon (email Phyllis) | Pam Meyers (email Pam) | Alumni Directory.

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1974

A new school year begins. Hard to believe we started our senior year exactly 50 years ago (which means we are less than a year away from our 50th Reunion!).

From the mailbox: Linda Meyers Geyer reports that, after the sudden passing of her husband, Gary, she and son Dash left California and moved to Texas, “where I built a beautiful home to be close to relatives. The heat was just too much for us. Wanting to get back to the East Coast, Carol McKenzie Moore talked us into visiting her and hubby Tom ’79 (brother to Betsy Moore) in New Hampshire.” So she did, loved the area, and picked up and “moved with an 8 x 26-ft. camper trailer to a campsite with seven animals!” They are now “in Hampton Falls around the corner and down the street from Carol and Tom.”

From Pamela Ocello Smith comes a true Cornell love story: “June 9, 2023, marked our 50th wedding anniversary. Steve, PhD ’18, and I met on the steps of Bailey Hall during Cornell orientation September 11, 1970. We were married in Anabel Taylor Chapel on June 9, 1973, and then both graduated from Cornell in 1974. Our greatest joy in our retirement is our three wonderful grandsons!”

David Woods has a new gig: “My greatest satisfaction in retirement is playing bass guitar and singing in my band, Heather Rose & Woods. We play folk, blues, country, gospel, and rock and roll. Check out our Facebook page for some videos.”

Walter Grote says he gets satisfaction from “following my children’s careers/disciplines and, where applicable, their children’s activities. My son is a theologian/philosopher and just got his PhD from Drew this spring. I have a daughter who’s an ER doctor and another in her third year of medical school. My youngest daughter is a world class wrestler. I have another son enjoying the Charlotte, NC, area, and a son and daughter who focus on their families while gainfully employed. I have nine grandchildren and I follow their activities; when not doing that, Deb and I are traveling to see them. I make time for a little wrestling coaching (not my daughter!) and fishing. Still work 40 hours a week, so I guess I still enjoy that too.”

Former class correspondent Helen Bendix shares, “Our daughter, Jessica Kronstadt, just became a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. She joins the bench like my husband, John ’73, a federal district court judge, and me, a California appellate justice, both in L.A. Our youngest child, Nicola Kronstadt Natsis ’14, has only one more year to go on her dermatology residency and gave us our first grandson last July. A joyous year. We continue to enjoy our judicial careers and I am still playing in many concerts on viola or violin.”

Steve Smith ’74, PhD ’18, and I met on the steps of Bailey Hall during Cornell orientation in 1970.

Pamela Ocello Smith ’74

Continuing in the musical vein, Harry Chen says he has been “playing violin, cello, and piano and painting watercolor and oil.” But he is also “keeping up with medical license and professional engineering requirements,” as well as “tutoring school-aged children.” He notes that son Abraham has married, and spouse Andrea “continues to do clinical research in healthcare disparity in asthmatics.” His favorite memory at Cornell was “waiting for the computer printout from batch processing late at night with classmates Sivarama Kodukula, ME ’75, and Ronald Fico, ME ’75.” (This writer, too, recalls the “Upson Downs” at 3 a.m.)

Virginia Neptune Esson is busy in Nashua, NH, “keeping in touch with old friends, helping my family when I can, and watching my grandchildren become unique individuals.” She adds, “Their parents, my younger son, Jim and his wife, Christine, also live in Nashua. My older son, Bill, got married last December, and he and his wife, Deanna, live about 40 minutes away in Tewksbury, MA.” Her favorite Cornell memory is “meeting my late husband, Bill ’72, and getting married in Anabel Taylor Chapel in June 1975, the year after I graduated.” She adds, “I visited Cornell again in May 2012. I went to the chapel, walked the Arts Quad, ate lunch at Hal’s Deli (and saw owner Sandy, his wife), walked the Botanic Gardens, went by Barton Hall, etc. Lovely day with lovely memories.”

Michael Rich reports that he has been relaxing and retired for five years, he has three grandkids, and his favorite Cornell memory was “meeting my best friend freshman year.”

John Pieroni is a full-time attorney and derives his satisfaction from seeing his five children “mature into thoughtful and responsible and selfless individuals. Two are married, and so far I have two grandchildren.” He says his favorite Cornell memory is “studying 10–12 hours every Wednesday for the numerous math courses.”

Rodger Engebrethson, ME ’75, submits that he “had fun traveling to Costa Rica for a visit, to Maui to play in the ocean and hike some jungle, and more locally to places in California. With record snowfall, snow skiing and snowshoeing were awesome. The superbloom of flowers was incredible in the Carrizo Plain National Monument mid-state California. Still very active in volunteer work for my church, my former employer retiree club, and many other outside activities. We also enjoy visiting our daughter up in Portland, OR, at least twice a year. Our son and his wife who are more local we see much more often.”

From your humble scribe: In June, the Cornell Club of Washington, DC (CCW), sold a block of 30 tickets “front and center” to our members to the new play from Ken Lin ’00, Exclusion (about the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act), at Arena Stage in D.C. The week prior, Ken (in Los Angeles) was interviewed on Zoom by former CCW president Grace Jean ’00. Both events went well, so, at the end of June, I was comfortable stepping down after seven years as CCW VP of programming, and daughter Annalise ’14, reached her two-year term limit as CCW co-president.

We thank all for their contributions and invite you to continue to send in your news. ❖ Jim Schoonmaker (email Jim) | Molly Miller Ettenger (email Molly) | Alumni Directory.

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1975

It’s the end of May as I write, which reminds me of Cornell graduation, the classes I enjoyed, persevered through, and barely passed, the enduring friendships I made, and the new beginnings these experiences brought 48 years ago. I was visiting with Peter Kaplan ’74 at his home in Bedford, NY, and noticed his extensive library of all books Cornell. I borrowed and read Cayuga’s Daughters: 100 Notable Women of Cornell and was delighted to learn that our Class of ’75 has three “Notables”:

Rhonda Scott Cornum, PhD ’80, received her MD at the Uniformed Services University and served as a doctor in the U.S. Army during the Persian Gulf War. While performing a search-and-rescue mission of a downed Air Force F-16 pilot, her Blackhawk helicopter was shot down and she (and two other survivors) were captured by Iraqi forces and held for eight days as prisoners of war. Upon her release, she became an unofficial spokesperson for expanding combat roles for women in the military. She retired in 2012 as a brigadier general and is director of health strategy for TechWerks.

Irene Blecker Rosenfeld, MS ’77, PhD ’80, began her career in consumer research, becoming chairman/CEO of Frito-Lay in 2004, and CEO of Kraft Foods in 2006, which later split and she led Mondelez until her retirement in 2017. The Wall Street Journal put her sixth on its “50 Women to Watch” list in 2008, and Forbes rated her second among its “10 Most Powerful Women” in 2010. Irene serves on Cornell’s board of trustees, and in 2022 Irene and husband Richard Illgen established the Rosenfeld/Illgen Scholarship to support the University’s efforts to make Cornell even more affordable for students from all backgrounds.

Robin Wolaner started her career at Penthouse Magazine as a copywriter, where she created the one-liner “More than just a pretty face.” She moved to Runner’s World for its national launch and founded Parenting Magazine in 1986. She became president/CEO of Sunset Publishing in 1992 and executive at CNET in 1997. In 2015 she became COO of We Care Solar, a nonprofit providing its solar suitcases to power last-mile health clinics in the developing world.

Kudos to our three ’75 representatives to the Notable Women of Cornell!

Robert “Bullit” Brennan, ME ’76, and his wife, Claire, sold their home of 37 years and moved to a 55+ community a few miles from their house. Retired now, Bob’s days are filled with tennis, pickleball, golf, bocce, their beach/tennis club (the Old Field Club), travel, and visiting friends/family. They welcomed their third grandchild, Winona, in December ’21 and are blessed with frequent visits by her. They also have two grandsons who live nearby. Life is good. Bob mentioned that he and Claire have had dinner with fellow tennis players Ted and Lori Sternlicht Lucki ’77.

Andrew Feigin ’75 has stage managed at Radio City Music Hall, theaters on Broadway, the New York City Opera, and more.

I also heard from Bob’s SAE fraternity brother Bruce Shutts. He tells a memorable COVID story: “My wife, Linda (IC ’74), and I started a 17-day back-to-back cruise to Norway and France in May ’22. I tested positive on day three and was sent to a quarantined cabin for 10 days! I could not leave. The second cruise was canceled, and we sailed back on the Queen Mary 2 to NYC. It was like being in jail, only with good food! DO NOT get COVID on a cruise ship!” Bruce also writes about a visit with Paul Blasioli, ME ’77, and Nick Makes, ME ’76, last year, where they talked about grandkids and reminisced over old times at SAE.

One of my high school classmates, Rory Sadoff, writes from Massapequa, NY. After almost 40 years of having the privilege of delivering hospital-based healthcare to the underserved, he is now following his curiosity and bliss and passionately pursuing whatever life throws his way—much to be grateful for, he says! I am privileged to spend time with Bullit and Rory regularly.

In 2022, the Stage Managers’ Association (SMA) announced its annual Del Hughes Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Art of Stage Management. The group included another high school classmate of mine—corporate, event, and theatrical stage manager Andrew Feigin. Andy’s career has spanned a joyous blend of genres and institutions for 47 years. He has stage managed at Radio City Music Hall, theaters on Broadway, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the New York City Opera, the National Dance Institute, and numerous members of the League of Resident Theatres. As a Directors Guild of America stage manager, his broadcasts include the Tony Awards and Kennedy Center Honors. Since forming AppleFig Productions in 2000, he has stage managed hundreds of corporate events, and he taught stage management at NYU from 2004–15. Andy and wife Mimi Apfel are proud parents of Ben and Hannah and proud grandparents of Olivia.

I finish this column right before Reunion and it reminds me that our 50th is in two years! Since we missed our 45th due to COVID, I hope you will consider returning for the big event, June 5–8, 2025! The 50th is very special, and if you would like to volunteer in any capacity to help make it memorable to you and a group of friends, please contact me or Sue Fulton (email Sue) with suggestions and thoughts. Now that some of you have more time on your hands in retirement and are looking for projects, if you would like to get involved with class leadership for the next five years (2025–30), please send me a note (email Deb). Also, if your email contact information is “dated,” please send me a note and I will have you updated in the University records (or send updates here).

Most of our Reunion updates will be via email (there will be some snail mail), so we would love for your contact info to be up to date! Please take a few minutes to send us highlights of your life after Cornell, college friends you’ve seen, and memorable moments on campus, and we’ll share the news in our upcoming columns. ❖ Deb Gellman, MBA ’82 (email Deb) | Karen DeMarco Boroff (email Karen) | Mitch Frank (email Mitch) | Joan Pease (email Joan) | Alumni Directory.

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1976

Susan Feldman Pollet, who writes as Susan L. Pollet, has published two books this year. Susiku, and More, her 11th book—and first collection of poetry—came out in January. Her third children’s book, Hope May Come at a Snail’s Pace But It Makes Me Happy, which Susan both wrote and illustrated, was published in April. She is an attorney, primarily in the area of family law, in New York City, and she has two grandchildren.

What have you been writing, working on, or enjoying? We’d love to hear! Do send in the latest on your Share Your News form, share online, or email us anytime. ❖ Pat Relf Hanavan (email Pat) | Lisa Diamant (email Lisa) | Alumni Directory.

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1977

Reunion weekend 2023 has just passed and it’s hard to believe that a year has gone by since we celebrated our 45th. Since then, our classmates have continued to be busy with professional and personal activities. Here is some of their news.

Jeff Earickson, MS ’80, writes that he and his wife, Amy, “spent most of April on the high seas and in the lowlands of Europe. On April 5, we caught a bus to NYC and then boarded the SS Rotterdam to sail across the Atlantic to Rotterdam with stops in Plymouth and Dover and a bus trip to London too!” Jeff noted that during their eight days at sea he “saw one albatross and only one other ship the whole time!” The ship made a brief stop at the Titanic sinking site on April 8, on the date when the Titanic left Liverpool 111 years prior, with the captain saying a few words at the stern.

After a day in Rotterdam, Jeff and Amy spent four days in Delft, doing side trips to the Keukenhof Gardens and to see the floats for the Bloemencorso flower parade. Next was four days in Bruges, Belgium, including a day tour to the Ypres Salient/Flanders Field to learn about WWI. Jeff writes, “That was somber—we realized that we spent most of the day walking over a mass grave/battlefield.” We wrapped things up with two days in Brussels, including a visit with relatives near there. Jeff adds, “Belgium is beer paradise, and I did my Cornell best to sample the brews there. I managed to glug down 31 different local brews during my 12 days in the Netherlands and Belgium—keeping track of what I sampled. We also sampled the chocolate and cheese whenever possible.” Sounds like a wonderful trip to me! Well done, Jeff!

Michael Nolan writes, “After 34 years of congestion and an increasingly tiring commute to my New York City office, we left New Jersey for the ‘Main Line’ in Philadelphia over four years ago.” Michael says that he and his wife, Alex, are loving their new location and have had the opportunity to be in touch with classmates Howie Eisen and Michael White. They have also connected with Chuck Samul, who recently retired and also lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Pam.

I managed to glug down 31 different local brews during my 12 days in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Jeff Earickson ’77, MS ’80

Michael adds that last fall, he and four of his team members transitioned from Bear Stearns/JP Morgan to RBC Wealth Management. He noted that it’s reinvigorating to work for a firm that “puts customers first!” Michael and Alex also became grandparents for the fourth time recently with the arrival of little Vivian Elizabeth. Vivian is the first child of Michael and Alex’s second son, Peter, and his wife, Erica, and the first female Nolan baby in three generations! Congratulations to all.

Diane Wood is one of three alums we recently heard about who are working at Nature Forward, the first Audubon organization in the nation to change its name in response to increased scrutiny of John James Audubon’s ties to slavery and racism. In addition to doing great mission work for people and nature in the D.C. region, Nature Forward has attracted an interesting assortment of Cornellians as leaders including Diane, Gerald Schneider ’61, and Lisa Alexander ’83. All came to play pivotal roles at Nature Forward. Gerry was the organization’s first executive director in the 1960s and is a major donor today. Diane is Nature Forward’s board president, and Lisa is currently executive director.

Lisa writes, “When we began comparing notes about our Cornell years, we discovered a wonderful confluence of experiences through the Field Natural History program run by Richard Fischer, PhD ’53. We all credit Cornell’s focus on field studies with influencing our respective careers and leading us to seek out and find a home at Nature Forward. We share student memories about pinching pennies, drinking Tang, and counting cheese slices while working to put ourselves through school. And we share the memorable field laboratory experiences that led us to our converging commitment to people and nature in the D.C. region.”

We enjoy hearing from you and having the opportunity to share your stories with our fellow classmates. Please keep all your news and views coming in via the online news form. ❖ Mary Flynn (email Mary) | Howie Eisen (email Howie) | Alumni Directory.

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1978

More than 250 classmates, spouses, offspring, and friends braved wildfire smoke to attend our 45th Reunion. Who knew that after three years of COVID, we’d be more worried about masking outdoors than indoors? As a result of the smoke, the Thursday night reception and dinner were moved to our headquarters, Keeton House. Fortunately, rain came to dissipate the smoke on Friday so we could have the other events in the original venues. Kudos to Laura Day Ayers, MBA ’86, and Kathy Morris Duggan for putting together the right combination of events, food, and free time. And many thanks to Steve Manket and his committee for raising a class record $24 million for the University. Only the Class of ’73 raised more money for its Reunion campaign.

A note regarding this column: Not everyone who’s mentioned here was at Reunion. I shoehorned in some news items where they seemed to fit with the flow.

Retirees were ever-present on the Hill among classmates. The first thing Dave Millman said to me was, “I just retired!” There was an AT&T/Bell Labs mini-Reunion between Sarah Thole Fischell, ME ’79, Saul Fishman, and Pat Reilly. Jean-Robert Michaud and wife Shirley retired to Sarasota, FL, after he retired from Boeing in the greater Seattle area. As an undergrad, Jean-Robert (who grew up in Haiti) lived in the International Living Center and Ujamaa. Both are active in their local Cornell Club and other charitable pursuits. Also “still enjoying retirement in the Catskills” is Laurie Letvak, MD ’82. During her career at Novartis, she worked on clinical trials for two game-changing drugs: Gleevec for certain leukemias and Entresto for heart failure. Jeff and Suzanne Tougas Snedeker are even more active in retirement than when they were working. They got home to Ithaca the night before Reunion from Boston, where Jeff had an organ recital. The Snedekers “adopt” a Cornell student each year and are active in their congregation. Mary Gallo Tucker was in the final throes of remodeling her house. Randy Hulle has also retired and is living with wife Barbara in Wisconsin.

Several classmates have retooled. After a long career in publishing, Toby Brown Gooley has transitioned into academia. She’s a writing instructor in the supply chain management program at MIT. Diane Chernoff Rosen completed an EdD degree at Teachers College/Columbia University. Her dissertation was on lawyer well-being in big law. She’s currently an executive coach and consultant, specializing in organizational behavior. Her children are both Cornellians, graduating in 2012 (Amanda) and 2017 (Oliver).

Former sprint football (150-lb. football back in our day) player Steve Sullivan directs tours of national parks, New England, Canada, and cities of the Northeast part time. He conducted genealogy research to create family history books for his children and other relatives. Lori Wasserman Karbel and husband Frank ’76 divide their time between Las Vegas and Rochester, NY. Lori has been volunteering for SCORE for the last five years. SCORE is a national organization mentoring small businesses. Lori writes, “It has been a great opportunity to keep my business skills tuned. Combining my business skills with my interest and experience in the food world, I’ve ended up specializing in food trucks.” Henry Farber has expanded his law practice to include arbitration as well as mediation.

Steve Sullivan ’78 directs tours of national parks, New England, Canada, and cities of the Northeast part time.

Classmates in human and animal health were amply represented at Reunion. José Bonelli works as an internist with underserved populations with Adventist Health in Maryland after years in private practice. Linda Volk Derschowitz is a registered dietitian in long-term care. Diana D’Amelio has an interesting specialty as a physician assistant, working with girls and women with polycystic ovary syndrome. In the animal world, Neal Saslow, DVM ’82, runs a small-animal veterinary practice on Long Island. Both of his sons have left the nest, and one has become a pilot.

Back on campus, wherever there was ice cream, there were ’78ers. Nina Silfen and her daughter Sarah made the trek up to the Dairy Bar on Friday for ice cream. I had lunch up there on Friday as well with Vic, MS ’79, and Bernie Garchinsky Janas, PhD ’93, to meet another nutrition grad alum who lives in Ithaca. At Friday night’s ice cream spree in the dorm, I ran into my former roommate and Delta Phi Epsilon sister Nora Burke Klippstein ’77, MBA ’78. She and husband Rick, MBA ’78, live in New Jersey. Another sister, Lorri Lofvers, and husband George Bradley ’76, also partook of ice cream.

Denise Hartman ’77 wrote to notify us of the death of her husband, Tim Kirby, DVM ’83, in February 2022. He was a veterinarian in Greene County, NY, father of three sons, and a Boy Scout leader. Denise recalled playing “more hands of euchre than you can count” with Tim and other vet students at the Equine Center.

Our new class officers for the next five years are as follows: co-presidents, Angela DeSilva and Pat Reilly; vice president, membership, Lori Wasserman Karbel; vice president, social media, Sharon Palatnik Simoncini; co-vice presidents for non-Reunion events, Suzanne Bishop Romain and Mary Bowler; Reunion co-chairs, Laura Day Ayers and Kathy Morris Duggan; secretary, Beth Cooper Kubinec; treasurer, Vicki Hartman; class correspondents, Ilene Shub Lefland and Cindy Fuller; and Cornell Fund representative, Cynthia Kubas. The class council will consist of Roger Anderson, Jeanne Arnold Schwetje, Michael Bernard, Bill Cavanaugh, Kent Sheng, BA ’82, Susanne Solomon, and Libby Waldman-Strugatch.

That’s all the news for now. If you didn’t see your name in bold type above, drop us a line and tell us what you’re up to. Stay well! ❖ Cindy Fuller, PhD ’92 (email Cindy) | Ilene Shub Lefland (email Ilene) | Alumni Directory.

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1979

Happy end of summer from NYC! Classmates have lots going on, and some even mentioned that they are planning to attend our 45th Reunion that starts on June 6, 2024. I have learned from experience that it’s best to arrive at Cornell on the first day of Reunion to maximize time with classmates and enjoy gorgeous Ithaca, although you can participate as much or little as you like.

Bob and Kathy Zappia Gould welcomed their fourth grandchild in April. Kepler joins his sister, Clara, 3, and cousins Beckley, 7, and Rowan, 4. Bob and Kathy are also in the process of moving to Frederick, MD, to be closer to their kids and grandkids. In May, Kathy retired from full-time teaching at Towson University, where she taught nutrition to pre-health professional students; she plans to adjunct in the future. Bob intends to retire later this year.

Bette Kirschstein is also a college professor. She has been an associate professor of English at Pace University in New York for 34 years now. In addition, she has been serving as a senior associate dean of Pace’s Dyson College of Arts & Sciences for the past 10 years. Bette lives with her husband, Jonathan Gellman ’70, in Pleasantville, NY. Last fall, they spent a semester in London, where she taught a cohort of 20 first-year Pace students. It was an amazing experience. Bette has always loved London, and to live there was a dream come true. Not only did they take full advantage of all that London has to offer, but they traveled to Scotland and Ireland. More recently, their twin daughters, who are 25, both finished grad school. Sarah earned an MS in mental health counseling from Pace and is starting a Doctor of Psychology degree at LIU Post this fall. Elizabeth earned an MPA from NYU, where she focused on education policy. She is starting a job at Mathematica, a research and data analytics consultancy driven by a mission to improve wellbeing for people and communities. They are very proud of both daughters! Bette has stayed close to her college roommate, Shelley Goldstein Weiss, with whom she plans to attend our next Reunion. They are looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones at our 45th!

Kathryn Spitzer Kim wrote from California to say that she and her husband, Peter, attended the wedding of Cornell grads Stephanie Lee ’14 and Edi Kapetanovic ’14. Among the MANY Cornell alums in attendance were Jim ’80 and Margaret Lee Graf ’80 and her field hockey teammate Shelley Spooner Cooper.

The cybersecurity novel Darkness is Coming, by Scott Smith ’79, MBA ’80, won ‘Distinguished Favorite’ in the thriller category in the NYC Big Book Award competition.

After practicing employment law in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987, Gary Dulberg retired in May 2023. And like many others, he has had to navigate the murky waters of Medicare enrollment, adjust to no longer receiving a regular paycheck, etc. Even before retiring, he enjoyed a busy calendar of overseas travel. In the past year, he traveled with son Josh to Uzbekistan, visited Laos/Vietnam, and most recently traipsed around the English Lake District. Travels with his girlfriend Connie have taken them to Bali, Singapore, Thailand, and most recently the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans. Please reach out to say hello if your travels take you through the Bay Area.

On May 18, Scott Smith, MBA ’80, and his wife, Heidi, along with Diane Baillet Meakem ’61, hosted an evening at their home in Greenwich honoring Andy Noel, Cornell’s recently retired Director of Athletics. Forty Cornellians from around the country gathered to celebrate Andy’s achievements in his career that spanned almost 50 years. It was a warm, friend-filled event that lasted well into the night. After a 30-year career on Wall Street, Scott retired in 2014 to pursue a lifelong passion to write fiction. His cybersecurity novel, Darkness is Coming, won “Distinguished Favorite” in the thriller category in the NYC Big Book Award competition.

After writing two contemporary thrillers, Scott yearned to go back in time. Scott just published The Spy and the Seamstress, historical fiction set during the Revolutionary War, and he encourages our class to read it. Hamilton, the musical that first hooked him on the Revolution, inadvertently led him to Nathan Hale, the official hero of his adopted home state of Connecticut. Hale and Hamilton were both captains in the Continental Army serving in New York City in 1776. They were the same age, Ivy League graduates, and handsome and popular men. Yet, at the most dire moment in the war, when the Continental Army was surrounded by the full might of the British Empire, and commander-in-chief George Washington put out the call for an officer to go behind enemy lines, Nathan Hale was the only one to raise his hand. The rest is history: Hamilton went on to greatness and Broadway; Hale went to an unmarked grave and a book by Scott. To establish his bona fides as a historian, Scott also wrote several in-depth articles for the prestigious Journal of the American Revolution for inclusion in its annual compendium of best writings.

Please share your Reunion plans, travels, work, and other personal and family news for our class column. Submit your news via the Share Your News form, the online news form, or emails sent directly to any of your class correspondents: ❖ Linda Moses (email Linda) | Danna Levy (email Danna) | Cynthia Ahlgren Shea (email Cynthia) | Alumni Directory.

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1980s

1980

If I did not write this column with the Strunk and White clarity you expect, I blame the smoke from the Canadian wildfires that enveloped the East Coast in the first week of June.

Michael Ouimet is mentoring new entrepreneurs, consulting, and fly fishing. His experience as Touchdown the Bear for two years might help him gather huckleberries in Coeur d’Alene, ID, his new home.

Margo Sue Randall Bittner was honored by the Network of Religious Communities at its annual appreciation awards dinner in Buffalo on June 1.

My hero, Thomas Murphy, writes, “I completed the London Marathon, and between that and the New York City, Boston, and Chicago marathons (all of which I am far too slow to really qualify for), I have raised over $25,000 for charities. If you raise enough money, they allow you to run with those who qualify based on time, but I like to think of it as: if you are fast enough, they allow you to run with the more generous runners.”

Mary-Claire Krebs “retired in 2021 after a career teaching middle school special ed in Medford, MA, and Cambridge, MA, public schools. I returned to the shores of Keuka Lake, where the planned transformation of my family cottage to a year-round home is taking forever. I spend time volunteering at the Finger Lakes Boating Museum (cool place … you should visit!) and as a member of the Southern Tier Library System’s board of trustees. I miss the sixth graders … sometimes.”

Evelyn Wilkens writes that she has had “a career in different parts of the United Nations, and I continue to work at UN Women as a consultant, mainly in donor reporting. I’m also a volunteer at Carl Schurz Park (Manhattan) and am co-chairing the Gracie Square Art Show this year.”

Sharon Key Beals says that she is thinking about reviving and rebranding Feta Feta Blue Cheese (the Greek cheese sorority that she, Katie Uraneck, Judy Neustadter, and Beverly DiTaranti formed freshman year, which was featured in the Daily Sun). “Meanwhile, I’m just happy that the palm trees we replanted after Snowmagedden (move to Texas they said, it will be warm they said … BS says I) are surviving. In real news, I’m still working, still in the food business, and have a tip for getting the kids off the payroll. Leave them in another country. Ours are both in Canada (which was awful when the border was shut down).”

Larry Reichman, JD ’84, was lucky enough to be back in Ithaca on May 8, 2023, for the amazing Dead & Co. show in Barton Hall, which evoked memories of the 5/8/77 Grateful Dead show. “I signed and sold books of my photos of that legendary show and basked in the fans’ appreciation for my work in sharing these images. What a great time! Books and prints are still available.”

I completed the London Marathon, and between that and the New York City, Boston, and Chicago marathons, I have raised over $25,000 for charities.

Thomas Murphy ’80

Lisa Lindgren is the executive director of HandsOn San Diego. “We’re always looking for San Diegans wanting to volunteer and give back to our county. Visiting alumni, hit me up for a fun and rewarding addition to your vacation!”

Roy Apseloff shares, “After a 32-year career with the Defense Intelligence Agency and nearly 10 years providing contractor support, it’s the next generation’s turn. I’ll continue helping part time, but no longer in charge.” He’s semi-retired and doing some consulting to continue to help the mission. Roy also is an eight-time world champion powerlifter, “Masters 198-lb. Class” with a deadlift of 600.8 lb. at age 60, and holds multiple world records from ages 55 to 65, at 198 lb. and 220 lb. weight classes.

Maureen McDonnell Suplee is finding satisfaction in spending time with her three adult children, their spouses/partners, and her two grandchildren. She’s still working in nutrition, now as a consultant only, in assisted living and adult daycare. She loves working with the elderly and making her own schedule. She and her husband, Lorin, have been making improvements to their 1908-built home, including refinishing the original wood floors and using natural materials like wood, brick, marble, and metal whenever possible. Her favorite memory from her time at Cornell was “seeing Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes performing at Bailey and then meeting him outside after the show—and then more importantly, meeting fellow fan and nutrition major Kathy Jaeger ’81, who became a lifelong friend. This is an especially treasured memory since the passing of this dear woman in July 2022.”

Scott Picon is now retired but remains involved as a partner/owner of Diamante Eco Adventure Park in Costa Rica. Traveling and golf bring him the most satisfaction these days. He says that his favorite memories of Cornell are “Libe Slope as a freshman, the Chapter House, hockey and lacrosse games, the Dead Concert, springtime in the gorges, and Cayuga Lake.”

Patrick McGarvey is finding happiness by spending time with family and friends. He remains active in asset management, private equity, and venture capital. His favorite memories are good times with friends during class, in Collegetown, and at fraternity and sorority parties.

Vivian Cok Harmeyer is “traveling and enjoying the Florida lifestyle in our ‘pool-waterfront home,’ staying close with family and friends, and playing and cuddling with our shih tzu pup named Sushi!” She continues to work as a realtor in the Southeast Florida market. She and her husband, Keith, welcomed grandson Kaiden on March 22, 2022; he was born two and a half months prematurely but has fully caught up in all aspects of development. Vivian feels that “freshman year at U-Hall 4 was the best! I met lots of great people.” She also fondly remembers warm chocolate cookies at midnight in Willard Straight Hall and sends her wishes to all classmates for lots of love and happiness in their lives!

David and Nancy Dobkins Medford are finding happiness with their grandkids, golf, and ballroom dancing. Nancy nearly died from a major heart attack in 2019, but David saved her life and she’s “now OK and healthy.” They have three grandkids, and they love it. She’s still working as the administrator for David’s ophthalmology practice. Her favorite memory from college is meeting David at ZBT when she was in Delta Phi Epsilon. They went skating at 2 a.m., when the fraternity rented ice time, and later did “Physics for Poets” together.

Your humble correspondent, David Durfee, has been named to the Board of Accessible Resources for Independence for Howard and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland.

Please write to any of us directly with any news you’d like to share with the Class of ’80. ❖ David Durfee (email David) | Leona Barsky (email Leona) | Dik Saalfeld (email Dik) | Chas Horvath, ME ’81 (email Chas) | Alumni Directory.

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1981

Summer has been flying by—I’m busy packing up my son, Brayden, for sleepaway camp in the Poconos, and then he will be a rising ninth grader. Ella is a rising senior in high school, so I will be dealing with all the college applications this year—oh boy! Professionally, I am busy raising funds for Hadassah Medical Organization, and I am constantly so proud of all the great work that they do.

Also in Florida is Donna Iannotti, with her husband, Doug. Donna teaches chemistry at the local state college, Eastern Florida State College. Their daughter is currently a graduate student at Vanderbilt University getting her PhD in cell biology.

Out west is Tom Christensen, PhD ’85, who retired after 34 years at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He has served the campus as a professor of physics, department chair, provost, and dean of the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. He also co-directed the UCCSTeach program for preparing science and math secondary school teachers, and he played bass guitar with the Physics Rock and Roll Band. His book, Understanding Surface and Thin Film Science, was published by CRC Press.

On the West Coast, Lisa Wisznat Kirsten pursued the career in advertising that she had planned for, starting out at Young & Rubicam in Houston and moving back to the East Coast two years later to work for Dancer Fitzgerald Sample/Saatchi in New York. What was not planned was her subsequent move to San Francisco to be with her husband, Doug, and work again for Y & R. They have lived in the Bay Area for over 30 years and have two grown children who currently also call the Bay Area their home. Lisa retired from advertising many years ago to raise their children and has stayed very busy and involved with volunteering in their local schools and community. They love the Bay Area and look forward to staying right where they are when her husband retires in a few years.

Let’s all give a round of applause to Kimberlé Crenshaw, who is in the National Women’s Hall of Fame! Kimberlé is a pioneering scholar and writer on civil rights; critical race theory; Black feminist legal theory; and race, racism, and the law. She currently holds positions with Columbia Law School and UCLA. 

Kimberlé’s work has been foundational to the field of critical race theory; in 1987, she coined the term “intersectionality” to describe the double bind of simultaneous racial and gender prejudice. Her writing and activism have identified key issues in the perpetuation of inequality, including the “school to prison pipeline” for Black children and the criminalization of behavior among Black teenage girls. After co-founding Columbia Law School’s African American Policy Forum (AAPF), Kimberlé and Andrea Ritchie authored Say Her Name: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women, which drew attention to the killings of Black women and girls by police. The #SayHerName campaign was subsequently launched by Kimberlé and the AAPF in December 2014.

Let’s all give a round of applause to Kimberlé Crenshaw ’81, who is in the National Women’s Hall of Fame!

Her groundbreaking work on intersectionality was influential in the drafting of the equality clause in the South African Constitution. She authored the background paper on race and gender discrimination for the United Nations’ World Conference on Racism in 2001, served as the rapporteur for the conference’s expert group on gender and race discrimination, and coordinated NGO efforts to ensure the inclusion of gender in the Conference Declaration.

On the East Coast, John Hearns is senior vice president, global residential operations at Marriott International. He and his wife, Maureen, have been married for 33 years and have three grown children. They currently live on Cape Cod. They had their first grandchild last year.

Maureen Lam-Chan has been practicing dentistry for more than 30 years. She has two sons and is now enjoying more time for her goals. She ran the New York City Marathon in November 2018 and did some triathlons including in Malibu and on Long Island. Her next path is to the Boston Marathon.

Going north, Theresa Crisafulli Kratschmer is a technical sales manager at IBM. She is living in South Dennis, MA, and grew up in Liverpool, NY. She has two daughters. One received her MBA at HEC Paris and is living in France with her boyfriend. The other is doing her medical GI fellowship at Washington University in St Louis. Theresa has two beautiful grandsons.

Continuing up the coast, David Louis is the Benjamin Castleman Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and pathologist-in-chief at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is living in Boston, MA. He has a wonderful family; has a fun career combining clinical work, research, and administration; and is still playing the same kind of music he did while at Cornell. Life changes and remains the same.

Dave Kosson started a nonprofit foundation to help people who find themselves in relationships (family, romantic, business, etc.) with people who have psychopathic traits. The organization is the Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy Foundation. They try to provide accurate information about psychopathy and help to people recovering from traumatic relationships. Dave shares that he did not really understand much when he got to Cornell, but he learned a lot while he was there, and he made some mistakes. He has learned a lot since then, especially from his wife, Annie, and kids Ben, Jack, and Brinker.

So many wonderful adventures and activities! Please do write and let us know how you are. We want to stay in touch and hear from you! ❖ Betsy Silverfine (email Betsy) | Alumni Directory.

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1982

Another school year is upon us, and it is a great time to reconnect with our days on the Hill. A few of our classmates have reported on recent trips to Ithaca and meetings with old friends. Please take a few minutes and write to us about your recent Cornell connections and news.

From Colorado, Steve Ross reported that after spending more than 35 years with General Electric, he retired as a finance and operations manager in 2021. Since his retirement, Steve has been busy volunteering and spending time with his family. Steve and his wife, Laurie, reside in Wheat Ridge, CO. Steve traveled to Ithaca with his family, which includes six grandchildren, on a trip to Cornell in October 2022. He writes that a “chance meeting with associate athletic director Bernie DePalma was one of the highlights of our visit. We somehow recognized each other since last meeting more than 40 years ago! Bernie was an athletic trainer during my 1980 and 1981 football seasons.” Steve added, “Playing football with my teammates against other Ivy League schools (home and away games) are special memories for me.”

Mike Curtis reported that he visited the Cornell campus in June 2023 with son Austin and wife Sheryl. While in Ithaca, Mike, Sheryl, and Austin got together with fellow classmate Randy Marcus and his wife, Terry. Randy and Terry are longtime Ithaca residents. Mike resides in Albuquerque.

An attorney in our class, Steve Feldman, writes that he has been repeatedly recognized as a Super Lawyer by the annual Super Lawyers publication. Steven has been practicing law as a partner in the firm of Feldman & Feldman as an appellate practitioner in both state and federal courts. He and his wife, Arza (Rayches), reside in Roslyn, NY.

Have a fantastic fall season and take a few minutes to share your news with us. We look forward to hearing from you. Take care. ❖ Doug Skalka (email Doug) | Mark Fernau (email Mark) | Nina Kondo (email Nina) | Alumni Directory.

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1983

It has been approximately three months since we had our 40th Reunion, and I can accurately report that an epic time was had by all. The Class of 1983 set an all-time Cornell record for 40th Reunion attendees with a total of 350 classmates. In addition, our class also outraised all of this year’s other Reunion classes, with a total of $16.1 million in contributions to Cornell from more than 500 classmates. Kudos to our Reunion co-chairs, Lisa Esposito Kok and Tony Giobbi, for their hard work and stellar efforts over the past year. If you are on Facebook, please visit the Cornell University Class of 1983 page to see the dozens of photos our classmates took and posted.

The weekend began with a reception and wine tasting on North Campus, just a stone’s throw from our class headquarters at Court-Kay-Bauer Hall. In attendance were my former U-Hall 4 dormmates Andy Dym, Nancy Schlie, MBA ’89, Leone Young, MBA ’84, Carolyn White McGhee, and Amy Moses.

Friday afternoon’s boat ride on Cayuga Lake was stellar. The 43 classmates who attended literally weathered a storm halfway through but persevered with the help of some delicious libations and treats, including authentic PMP appetizers from Shortstop Deli (which inherited Bob’s Hot Truck recipes). Gourmet sandwiches and salads from Ithaca Bakery were aplenty, along with wine, beer, coolers, cider, and soft drinks. Four brave souls—Mary Bohan, Ed Conti, Stewart Glickman, and John Hansen—jumped at the chance to jump in the lake, incentivized by the free Cornell beach towel for any takers. Among the fearless crew on this three-hour tour were Alyssa Bickler, Janet Insardi ’84, Kathryn Graham Mund, Digit Degidio Murphy, Sherrie Nachman, David Baughman, Ed Catto ’85, BS ’84, Tim Cole, MBA ’84, Andy Comly, and Walter Wafler.

After the boat ride, our class had a ceremony to dedicate a memorial tree that was planted at Wee Stinky Glen (directly across from the Statler), as well as to remember those classmates who have passed away.

Friday night’s reception and barbecue dinner took place under a huge tent near the Nevin Welcome Center at the Cornell Botanic Gardens. Christopher Dunn, the Elizabeth Newman Wilds Executive Director of the gardens, addressed the attendees on the restoration of the Flat Rock Footbridge (including a shout-out to the Engineering College classmates who worked on the bridge back in 1983), and current members of the Hangovers provided a cappella entertainment.

Saturday afternoon’s pre-dinner reception took place on the sunny Founders Terrace and Ho Plaza (outside of Uris Library), where classmates mingled, drank, and ate hors d’oeuvres before congregating for the class picture on the plaza between Willard Straight Hall and the Cornell Store (for a copy, contact the photographer).

At Reunion, Friday afternoon’s boat ride on Cayuga Lake was stellar.

Tom Helf ’83

The class then proceeded to dinner on the Arts Quad, adjacent to Olin Library, accompanied by the sweet sounds of the Big Red Band. Our guests for the class dinner were University President Martha Pollack and VP for Alumni Affairs and Development Fred Van Sickle.

After dinner was the inaugural edition of Redstock, a concert performed by alumni musicians at the 330-seat Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium in Klarman Hall and organized by Tom Helf. The crowd was standing room only, and featured performances by the Hedge (from the Class of 1968), several Cayuga’s Waiters alumni (including Jim Pepper, Roy Szelewski, and Ken Whitacre), and the Class of 1983’s own Bourgeois Blues Band (Rob Smith, Ira Langstein, Mark Censits, and Tom Helf), augmented by vocalists John Gaines, Heather Robbins, Nancy Gilroy, Liz Cogan, Ken Whitacre, and alto saxophonist Faith Krausman, DVM ’83. If you attended Redstock and enjoyed yourselves, please let the administration know so that hopefully this concert will become a new annual Reunion tradition.

Our Reunion weekend concluded with a brunch on the green outside our class headquarters, where we acknowledged the new slate of class officers who will be organizing our various class activities and fundraising over the next few years, as well as our 45th Reunion in 2028: Nancy Gilroy (president); Abbie Bookbinder Meyer, Lynn Leopold, Stewart Glickman, and Yonn Kouh Rasmussen, PhD ’89 (vice presidents); Mark Rhodes (secretary and communications VP); Linda Moore, MBA ’88 (treasurer); Linda Waterhouse and Harlow Russell (social media, web content, and design VPs); Suzanne Townsend Cuccurullo (membership chair); Tony Giobbi and Susan Wasserman Guerin (Reunion co-chairs); Ellen Bobka, Catherine Brokenshire-Scott, Sherrie Nachman, Sylvia Han, Mary Bohan, and Meryl Friedman (class council members); Nancy Korn Freeman, Stewart Glickman, Jon Felice, and Alyssa Bickler (class correspondents); and Seth Plattus (class Reunion campaign chair).

In non-Reunion class news, we heard that Scott Boltwood, who lives in Abingdon, VA, is the chairman of the English department and director of honors programs at Emory & Henry College, enjoys teaching aikido, and is hoping to earn his third-degree black belt before too long. Eric Lee reports from Solvay, NY, that his older daughter, Christina, graduated from Cornell in 2018, and earned a law degree on the Hill in 2021, and that his younger daughter, Victoria, will graduate from Cornell’s Law School in 2024. Lastly, Dawn Vadney Siglin lives in Crossville, TN, where she assists her husband with his home renovation business, and otherwise spends her time playing with her grandson and playing pickleball.

Any news you would like to share? Please submit an online news form or write to any of your correspondents. You may also post news on our class Facebook page. Be well, everybody! ❖ Tom Helf (email Tom) | Jon Felice (email Jon) | Stewart Glickman (email Stewart) | Nancy Korn Freeman (email Nancy) | Alyssa Bickler (email Alyssa) | Alumni Directory.

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1984

José Montes writes that traveling brings him the most satisfaction nowadays. He has been speaking on facial rejuvenation at major scientific events. He also shares that he loves spring and summertime at Cornell because of the beautiful sunsets.

Anita Riddle enjoys snow skiing, hiking, and travel. She volunteers at her daughter’s high school as PTA president. She also serves on the board of directors of Girl Scouts of Utah. She has been studying music and applying engineering skills to new music inventions. Both of her daughters are doing well in college. She also shares that she and her family have been spending time at their homes in Utah and Arizona. Her favorite memory of Cornell is her amazing coach, Andrea Dutcher, MILR ’79, and her volleyball teammates winning and traveling together.

Tim Brown, MBA ’92, is from a big Cornell family, which includes his father-in-law, Dick Grambow ’55, DVM ’57, who was a longtime council member and good friend of Provost Michael Kotlikoff. Tim’s novel, A Bolt from the Blue, is set at Cornell.

William Wong started playing pickleball last year. However, he reports that books on pickleball could have been more impressive. So he collaborated with the father of a top-10 pickleball player on Why I Hate & Love Pickleball and How You Will Too (available on Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble as of June 15, 2023). The book is about becoming a better version of yourself via sports and community. His daughter graduated from the University of Texas, Dallas, and got married. His son is attending Northwestern State University in Illinois. His favorite memory of his time at Cornell is sunbathing at the bottom of the gorge with friends after finals.

Please don’t hesitate to write to your correspondent: ❖ José Nieves (email José) | Alumni Directory.

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1985

Ann Welker is “consumed with running for reelected office at the county level,” specifically in the 2nd Suffolk County Legislative District of New York. She says that giving back to her community gives her great satisfaction! She also fondly recalls being a member of the women’s crew team at Cornell—“It was amazing!” she writes.

Howard Gelb enjoys his hobbies in Coral Springs, FL, as well as spending time with friends, vacations, skiing, spending time with his wife—and the fact that his daughter Rachel ’23 is a Cornell grad! Howard writes, “I remember fall weather and springtime at Cornell. The change of seasons is not seen in Florida. Looking out from the Hill to the lake was peaceful.”

Christine Olson Gusek gets great satisfaction from Bible reading, meditation, prayer, and being with her kids and grandkids. She shares that she’s been caring for her mother, who has dementia. Christine’s fondest memory of Cornell? “Being in the Marching Band.”

Michael Geschwind loves traveling and visiting/exploring the world again, post-COVID. “I’m still a professor of neurology at University of California, San Francisco, doing clinical research on prion disease, rapidly progressive dementia, Huntington’s disease, ataxia, and other rare brain disorders. My twin, Ben Geschwind, is living in South Orange, NJ, and working as a consultant business writer.” When asked what his favorite memories of Cornell are, he wrote, “Facetime at the Straight, running in the woods and swimming in the lake, and pizza at the Nines.”

Elizabeth Mozesky Langston’s daughter Amanda ’24 is entering her senior year at Cornell, as a data science major. Congratulations!

Denis Har, a retired organic chemist, is grateful for good health, prosperity, and peace. “Currently, I’m doing apartment renovations in my building as a hobby. My two boys are in college at UCLA and Cornell, and I’m planning to attend the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024.” Denis fondly recalls time spent in Clark Library and fellowship with friends on the Hill. ❖ Joyce Zelkowitz Cornett (email Joyce) | Alumni Directory.

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1986

This is Ellen Nordberg, writing from Colorado. I’m preparing for charity bike rides this summer and I just finished a stage performance in our local “Listen To Your Mother” show. My twin mechanical engineers are back from college for the summer, and we’re getting ready to head for New Hampshire to see some family. My last column about taking my dad, Nils Nordberg ’55, BS ’56, back to Ithaca for his ATO anniversary party got some nice responses.

Rich Fontaine writes from the New York Metro area, “I was so pleased to read your recent post in the Class Notes about returning to the Hill with your dad. Seeing your name previously as one of our class correspondents, I recalled being connected senior year, but I couldn’t remember from exactly where until reading your post about being a Willard Straight Hall night manager—that’s it!” Very fun to reconnect with Rich. In addition to working together at the Straight, I remember Super Bowl parties there, and attending Coretta Scott King’s talk, which was arranged by the director of the Straight at that time, LeNorman Strong. Rich and his wife, Trina, have two boys: Harrison, 21, who at the time of this publication will have graduated from the University at Albany, and Calvin, 19, who will be completing his sophomore year at Vanderbilt. Rich is a senior marketing executive who has worked for the American Management Association, HomeServe USA, Lindblad Expeditions, and Martha Stewart Living, among many other firms. Rich remains in contact with our fellow night managers Bob Israel ’85 and Rob Ishii ’84, BA ’86, and says his memories of working at the Straight “remain vivid.” I’m right there with you, Rich!

I’m glad I got to visit with Betsy Mead Noel when I was at Cornell last summer since she no longer lives there! “After 20 years in Ithaca, I have relocated to the Boston area,” Betsy says. “Andover is the location of my dental office, Woburn is where I live, and downtown Boston is where my daughter attends college. I’m loving catching up with fellow Cornellians like Jenny Sidell Cornelssen Ellis ’85, Deirdre Maltais Heisler, Patricia Belden, Holly Hart Muson, and Liz Altman ’88.” Betsy adds, “I’m looking forward to exploring open spaces and neighborhoods with my two dogs, the waters with my paddle board, and all the other landmarks that Boston is home to with friends new and old.”

I’m looking forward to exploring the landmarks that Boston is home to with friends new and old.

Betsy Mead Noel ’86

I reached out to Karen Dillon, the classmate I’ve known the longest (we lived down the street from each other in Reading, MA, from preschool on, and her mom taught me how to make a mean macaroni necklace!). Karen’s now a New York Times bestselling author who lives in the greater Boston area and is a mom to two 20-something daughters. “I am still quite close to my friends from Cornell (those ’86 ties run deep!) and last fall we made a point of making up for lost pandemic time with lots of time together,” Karen reports. “Laurie Rosseau Flowers, Laura Southworth O’Keefe, and I traveled to the Azores for a week of hiking and taking in all that spectacular scenery. Highly recommend! Kelly Greig Ten Hagen, Lorrie Cummings, and I met in New York for our annual (even in the pandemic!) getaway. And Kelly and I flew to Hawaii to spend time with our good friend from freshman year in Dickson, Pat Leonhardt. It’s been an awesome season of travel with my closest friends from Cornell—40 years of friendship and counting.” Karen is also celebrating the publication of her fifth book, The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems—and What to Do About It. One of the key ideas in the book is the importance of maintaining your friendships outside of work and family, and she’s been focusing on doing just that with her Cornell buddies. Can’t wait to read it!

Rob Harpel (another classmate in the “I’ve known forever” category as we attended the same high school) writes, “I’ve retired from my first career (senior tech leadership and strategy stuff) and am contemplating my next move. In the meantime, I’m doing lots of biking and summer/Cape Cod kayaking. I married one of our Cornell classmates, Sheryl Cohen, and we live in Short Hills, NJ.” At the time of this newsletter, his daughter would be finishing senior year at Hamilton College, while his son graduated Cornell in ’21.

Such a lovely gift in this correspondent role to connect with longtime friends and classmates. We’d love to hear more news from you! ❖ Ellen Nordberg (email Ellen) | Toby Goldsmith (email Toby) | Lori Spydell Wagner (email Lori) | Michael Wagner (email Michael) | Alumni Directory.

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1987

Hello, Class of ’87 friends. Hope you’ve had an amazing summer with family and friends. I know there were many graduations, weddings, grandchildren, retirements, etc.! Here’s the latest from my inbox.

This just in! Congratulations to Bob and Lindsay Liotta Forness ’84 on the marriage of their daughter Keri ’15 to Jordan Krebs. The wedding was held June 17 in New Hope, PA, and there were Cornellians representing classes from 1961 to 2022, including Keri’s brother Brian ’21 and our classmate Tom Tseng, ME ’94.

Susan Ecker Anderer, of Wynnewood, PA, continues to get satisfaction from spending time with family and friends as well as her work as a psychologist. She is in private practice and specializes in working with young adults who are struggling to transition into adulthood. Her oldest daughter, Arielle Anderer ’18, just received her PhD from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is now an assistant professor of operations, technology, and information management at the SC Johnson School of Management at Cornell. “I guess I’ll be spending a lot more time in Ithaca!”

Craig Standen lives in Wayne, PA, with wife Helen. He enjoys playing guitar in a classic rock cover band that plays in a range of music venues in the greater Philly area. He is a senior healthcare strategist at Vanguard, where he helps develop investment allocation strategies for nonprofit healthcare clients. His daughter Madeline graduated from the University of Michigan with an MS in ecosystem science and management, and Craig hopes she will go forth to save our planet! His favorite memory from Cornell was wading through the crowd at Rulloff’s and hanging with friends at the Phi bar any given night.

Jacqueline Martinez is beginning her second year as Pennsylvania Bar Association secretary. She is the founder of JBM Legal LLC. In addition to her board of governors role, she is the vice chair of the PBA Bylaws Committee and the co-chair of the PBA Immigration Law Committee. The Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence, and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 26,000 lawyers who are members of the association.

Craig Standen ’87 enjoys playing guitar in a classic rock cover band that plays in a range of music venues in the greater Philly area.

As mentioned in the last column, Susan Dinan shared that she is serving as the president of the National Collegiate Honors Council. She is also working as the dean of the Honors College at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. Susan writes, “It is wonderful to watch our daughter come into her own as a college student. I enjoy taking long walks and hikes, yoga, gardening, and reading.” She fondly remembers living in Risley with many fantastic people and spending eight months studying abroad in Germany.

Anthony Kochis lives in Mount Rainier, MD, with spouse Jason Donaldson. He shared that he gets the most satisfaction from a day where he doesn’t have to leave his property and can garden or work in his shop building or repairing something. He’s still running his small remodeling company. His favorite memories of Cornell were spending a lot of time at the gorge and taking in the beauty around him. He loved walking around campus, whether it was snowing or a perfect summer day. He fondly remembers walking over the Suspension Bridge to Seal and Serpent.

Andy Karanas lives in Chesterfield, MO, with his wife, Joan. He practices general surgery/trauma surgery and hopes to retire in 10 years! Their son is starting at St. Louis University School of Law this fall.

John Rosenberg and his wife, Laura, live in Avon, CT. He is a product design engineer at global electrical company Legrand. He loves spending time with his sons; one of them is going to dental school in the fall. Thinking back to his favorite memories of Cornell, he recalls that he loved Fun in the Sun on Libe Slope, where he refereed wrestling.

Amit Batabyal continues to take on new roles in academia. He is a distinguished professor and the Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Recently, he has taken on a new role as the interim head of the sustainability department, a premier center of graduate education in sustainability studies, also at RIT. He splits his time 50-50 between the positions, and writes, “Juggling both my faculty and administrative roles is exciting but also extremely time consuming.”

Keep in touch and continue to share your news by emailing either of us at: ❖ Whitney Weinstein Goodman (email Whitney) | Liz Brown, JD ’90 (email Liz) | Alumni Directory.

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1988

Greetings, Class of ’88! Our 35th Reunion is now in the record books. It was a spectacular sunny weekend on campus according to Laura Bloch, who planned the wonderful event alongside our Reunion committee, Howard Greenstein, Lisa Pasquale Semmes, and Amanda Pilar Smith, MPS ’92. There were about 240 attendees from our class and the word is they partied all day and night! Laura and her husband, Ofer, have a son, Ethan, who will be a senior in high school this year. Their daughter, Ella ’24, just finished a semester in D.C. and will return to Cornell’s campus to complete her senior year. Looks like Laura will be making one more trip to Ithaca to celebrate a Cornell graduation!

Peter Lee celebrated our 35th on the Hill with his junior and senior year apartment-mates Victor Seidel, Steven Santisi, Steven Chartier, and Frank Topolovec, as well as his sophomore roommate, Paul Oldewurtel, BFA ’90. The six of them stayed in one of the townhouses on North Campus. Five were in the Big Red Band together and five of them were also engineers, so they attended the band and engineering receptions in addition to the Class of ’88 dinners. Peter was struck by the North Campus Morrison Dining Hall, saying “it was spectacular!” But probably the coolest experience from Reunion for Peter was running into his former student Jade, whom he taught in middle school and then again as a ninth grader at Mamaroneck High School—Jade was back for her 10th Reunion.

Jennifer Krasnoff wrote in to tell us that these days she is getting satisfaction from exploring and cultivating new interests—gardening, raising chickens, classical music concerts, and playing piano, as well as traveling and connecting with old friends. Currently Jennifer is working as a dermatologist specifically doing medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. She has a private practice with her husband, Eitan Homa, and together they have two full-service dermatology offices with five dermatologists in California. As a side gig, Jennifer created a sun protective sleeve called Dr. Jen’s UVRX and is working to get a garment designed, produced, and sold. “This has been quite a difficult but exciting learning experience.” Cutting back a bit from a more rigorous schedule has allowed Jennifer and her husband to go on touring and active biking vacations. Recently they have traveled to Portugal, Ireland, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Chicago, and Ithaca! They are planning an African safari next year. Jennifer considers her primary job to be raising her three children. Her twin daughter and son are at Colorado College and Cornell, Class of ’25, respectively, and her younger daughter will be in Cornell’s Class of ’27. Jennifer looks forward to future visits to campus over the next four years! Her favorite memories of Cornell are hanging out with friends at the Nines, the Palms, Rulloff’s, and Collegetown Bagels, as well as newscasting at WVBR.

Our 35th Reunion is now in the record books. There were about 240 attendees from our class and the word is they partied all day and night!

Debbie Kaplan Gershenson ’88

Mary Barber is living in Newburgh, NY, with her wife, Alleyne Fraser. Mary reports that in 2018, she left her job as a psychiatrist and went back to school at Union Theological Seminary to become an Episcopal priest, saying, “Living this new life is amazing!” In her “retirement,” Mary is serving two churches in Newburgh and Poughkeepsie. Mary has two daughters: one is a lawyer and the other is teaching English in Thailand. Her favorite memory of Cornell was “the intellectual stimulation and passion through classes and peers that prepared me well for everything that has followed and was so nourishing and energizing.”

Lisa Widmier wrote in from La Jolla, CA, to tell us what brings her the most satisfaction these days is treasuring friends and family. Lisa has started a business called Muzzy Marketing and Sales Inc., which owns and manages vacation rentals in La Jolla and Vail, CO. It also runs corporate events and salesperson incentive trips. Lisa’s favorite memory of her time at Cornell was cycling and hiking through the beautiful area.

We also heard from Jay Dubowsky, whose most enjoyable moments are spent with his family, camping with his sons in Boy Scouts and sailing on Long Island Sound. Jay is working in a busy cardiology practice at Mt. Sinai Doctors of Long Island. When asked what his favorite memory of his time at Cornell was, Jay wrote, “I remember having pizza delivered. I would walk in the halls of Dickson dorm and stop and chat and share pizza with my friends.”

Pamela Darer Anderson wrote in from Toronto, ON, to say that seeing her four daughters accomplish great things in their lives—as they take on new adventures in their academic pursuits, careers, and everyday lives—brings her great joy. Pam and husband Graham, MBA ’88’s third daughter, Sarah, graduated from Connecticut College with a double major in math and environmental science. Their youngest, Katie, will be starting at University of Vermont in the fall of 2023, also studying environmental science. Pam spends her days operating a small baking business, Pamsweets, creating a variety of items for special occasions. She also manages a track club for middle distance runners in Toronto. Her favorite memories of Cornell are walking around campus, admiring the changing colors in the fall season, attending football and basketball games—terrific school spirit!—and supporting Cornell’s athletic teams at different sporting events. She also recalls learning to play squash and cross-country ski in phys ed class and learning how to play new sports in general. ❖ Debbie Kaplan Gershenson (email Debbie) | Lynn Berni (email Lynn) | Aliza Stein Angelchik (email Aliza) | Alumni Directory.

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1989

As I write, Cornell is within hours of receiving the annual onslaught of alums who attend Reunion each year. While the Class of ’89 is a year off from our seventh such gathering, I want to put in a good word for making the trek to Ithaca for the event. As someone who has attended every Class of ’89 Reunion since graduation, I can attest to the ease and frivolity of each weekend. In other words, yes—it is exactly the opposite experience of going to school there. No prelims or finals, you can park just about anywhere, we are served beer openly, and—hand-to-heart—to the best of my recollection, it has never rained. [Drops mic. Walks off page.]

[Sheepishly returns to page upon remembering the task at hand.]

So, look at the calendar and block off June 6–9 next year. No formal commitment needed today—just a suggestion of a possibility. Beautiful Cornell, fabulous food (Collegetown Bagels, etc.), fun activities (tours of the Botanic Gardens and all sorts of other places you never visited when you were a student because you were so frickin’ busy)—all coordinated by the greatest volunteer alums ev-ah! We have an extremely cohesive, creative, and experienced alumni committee. They do a fantastic job each time creating an entertaining and relaxing weekend. You can pick and choose what you want to participate in and can float in and out of events—no one takes attendance. (It’s so freeing.) See what’s changed (each and every one of us) and what, mercifully, has stayed the same (the Chimes!).

To fill the gap between now and next June when you (yes—you) will be catching up with people in person on campus (again, no pressure—just a suggestion of a probability), here are some deets about a few of our fellow classmates.

Mark Macumber, part of my old Lyon/Mennen crowd from freshman year (and someone I would love to see at Reunion next year—pencil it in, Mark!), emailed me a few months ago, so we did some online catching up. Mark lives in Chicago, where he is semi-retired from medical practice and teaching. He and his wife have two sons, an eighth grader and a high school junior. In addition to the family and the medical practice, Mark has filled his decades since graduating with a wealth of experiences, including living in New York City, Ventura, CA, and Chile, and learning Spanish as well as how to surf. I can honestly say, while I would not have predicted any of this (except for the medical career), none of it surprises me. An interesting, good life!

I finally remarried on May 20 in Connecticut. Good thing my broken ankle (soccer) had some recovery time before the big day.

Scott McMahon ’89

From surfing to sailing: Scott McMahon gave a brief update: “24th year teaching in Guilford, CT. I finally remarried on May 20 to Monica in Connecticut. Good thing my broken ankle (soccer) had some recovery time before the big day.” And Scott’s greatest satisfaction lately? “Getting the sailboat ready for the season.”

Tevi Troy reached out from Silver Spring, MD, where he lives with his wife and four children, the oldest of whom is getting married this summer. Tevi writes extensively on the American presidency (I looked him up—publications include the National Review, Politico, and the Washington Examiner). “In addition to writing, I also give leadership training classes for companies based on my expertise on the presidency. And I play a lot of tennis,” he shares. As for his favorite memory of Cornell? “Getting a semester pass to Cornell Cinema and seeing lots of classic—and not so classic—movies with pals like Adam Marcus, Dave Apai ’88, and Beth Stekler. In the days before streaming, it was the only way to see old movies.”

Elana Adleman Feinsmith is living in Sunnyvale, CA, and writes, “I am one of a handful of practitioners in the emerging field of financial therapy with both a Certified Financial Therapist-I and a CFP designation. I have my own business as a financial therapist and coach at Oak Financial Coaching. I help people get to the root of their relationship with money so they can achieve their goals. My clients’ ages range from 26–65, with a variety of situations including starting in their career, running their own businesses but not being able to save, couples whose relationships are stressed around money, and trust and inheritance issues.” Elana reports that her daughter is at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo studying public health and her son is at UC Davis studying civil engineering. “He is very similar to my father, Prof. Marvin Adleman, who taught landscape architecture at Cornell for 36 years prior to passing away in 2017.” And Elana clearly understands the joy of being at Cornell when not a student. “After I graduated in ’89, I had many romantic times with my husband, Jason ’91, without the pressure of studying.”

See? Wonderful things happen at Cornell when you’re no longer a student! When we get together next June (not hard-selling here, just making a suggestion of a likelihood …), it will be an absolute blast hearing updates face-to-face over a good local meal with the ivy gently lapping against the halls, and the bright blue sky serving as the backdrop to McGraw Tower and the Chimes ringing out the “Alma Mater.” Just making a suggestion! ❖ 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

Imagine, if you will, that you’re back on the Hill and listening to WVBR as your faithful correspondent reads to you the news of your classmates near and far at the top of the hour …

Andrew Friedman writes to us from Alexandria, VA, that his daughter is having a great time as a member of the Class of 2025 in Cornell Engineering, and his son is excited to join her as a member of the Class of 2027, also engineering. Not to be outdone, Alex Ruiz’s daughter will also be joining them as a member of the Class of 2027. Andrew also offers his gratitude to Judge Scott Miller, JD ’95, for allowing the use of his basement for summer storage!

Lynn Warner lives in the Seattle area, and her career path has taken a lot of twists and turns since graduating with a degree in plant sciences. “I am now an ADHD coach working with late-diagnosed people. The story kind of tells itself; lots of career changes before finally finding the right match. Classic ADHD.” You can learn all about her approach to helping adults with or without a diagnosis by visiting her website, bluepotato.com. I asked her why she chose the name “Blue Potato,” and she told me a funny story about it, but … wait, is a short attention span a sign of ADHD?

Inspired by Kristen Conrad’s news reported here a couple of columns ago regarding the activities of her ’80s tribute band, and the fact that my own band has started working on recording some original songs, I thought it might be fun to chase down other musically minded Cornellians to see what they’re up to. One of my early memories in the North Campus dorms was meeting Monique Kramer playing Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” on guitar with a bunch of us hanging out on her floor. Sadly, she hasn’t found many people where she lives in Maine to jam with her. But while her musical instruments are taking a rest, she employs medical instruments (see what I did there?) as a veterinarian practicing holistic medicine, and she runs a rescue providing sanctuary to wolfdogs and dogs with medical issues.

Derek Vandivere, former trombone player for the Big Red Marching Band, moved to Amsterdam back in 1994 for a two-year contract, and he’s still there. In fact, he became a Dutch citizen. “I just hit my 10-year anniversary of working for ING (a large Dutch bank), where I seem to have become the global platform architect for process automation. My wife, Abbie (Princeton ’00), and I are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary in August. She’s an art restorer and has become a minor celebrity here in the Netherlands as one of the world experts in the paintings of Vermeer. You can even see her in the documentary Closer to Vermeer, which is currently showing in a few places in the U.S.!”

One of my early memories in the North Campus dorms was meeting Monique Kramer ’90 playing Pink Floyd on guitar with a bunch of us hanging out on her floor.

Allan Rousselle ’90

Regarding whether he still plays, Derek says, “I picked up my trombone again 10 years ago and am now playing in a wind ensemble and a jazz band in Amsterdam, so if you’re here and see a gig from the Amsterdam Tramharmonie or the Bluetone Big Band, stop by. We also made it back to Ithaca last fall for the tri-annual Grand Bonecoming, where Big Red Bones spanning some 36 years assembled!” Oh, and Derek seems to have had purple hair for the last few years.

Unlike the rest of us playing music on the side, former Cayuga’s Waiter Rob Price has made music his day job as CEO of School of Rock, which teaches students nationwide how to sing and play rock instruments. He and his wife, Susan Portman-Price ’90, MRP ’91, are currently living in Nashville as empty nesters. I asked him during a recent call, why Nashville? “It’s easy to fly into and out of—very Midwest, logistically, and I travel a lot. But also, it’s a great place for swimming in the ocean of the music business.” They both travel to the Hill for every Reunion and took even more opportunities to visit while son Sam ’20, BFA ’21, attended Cornell. Rob notes that the student experience seemed to be a lot different for Sam than it was for our generation; separating the freshmen from the other students made a big difference in the experience, and the modern-day presence of screens also changed the dynamic of how students interacted.

Interestingly, as COVID-19 was starting to become an issue nationwide, his brother David ’87 put Rob in touch with Nina Shapiro ’87, a prominent pediatric ear, nose, and throat specialist. Talking with her helped Rob’s team at School of Rock to set up the Zoom rooms and online lessons that kept them up and running throughout the lockdowns of the pandemic. Thanks to this Cornell connection, “We were globally remote by the second week of March 2020.” Even now that the lockdowns have ended, the company still conducts over 5,000 remote lessons per month.

Lastly, I am sad to report that Oliver Radakovitz has passed away. Ollie, a Cascadilla resident his freshman year and brother of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, enjoyed his time at Cornell, where he met many lifetime friends and was known for his bright smile and hearty laugh. A few years ago, he returned to the Hill and got “fired up” to take part in the 150s football alumni game. He shared his comeback with his wife, children, and Cornell friends, who enjoyed a mini-reunion to watch the game. Having earned his MBA in California, he ran his family’s record store business before his passing in August 2022.

Do you have any news about a classmate or yourself that you’d like to share? Please feel free to drop us a line with your news for the class column. ❖ Allan Rousselle (email Allan) | Nancy Solomon Weiss (email Nancy) | Rose Tanasugarn (email Rose) | Alumni Directory.

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1991

Greetings from Ithaca! I, Susie Curtis Schneider, am so happy to be writing this class update from our new home in Ithaca, NY. My husband, Eric, MBA ’99, and I have finally returned for good! Our younger son graduated from high school in June, so we took the opportunity to become residents again. We look forward to hosting many of our friends who return to the area for Reunion, graduation, or campus tours with their own kids! Please reach out at my email address below if you know you will be in town.

I look forward to connecting in person with former track teammate Jennifer Caci, who has also relocated to Upstate New York! Jen writes: “I retired after 29 years as a Medical Service Corps officer in the U.S. Army on September 1, 2020. I completed seven combat deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, so I was looking for some peace in my retirement. I had purchased a 75-acre former dairy farm in New York’s Southern Tier in 2007 in preparation for my eventual retirement, and that farm is where I reside today. My current farming operation includes heritage breed cotton patch geese and Cayuga ducks as well as registered Painted Desert and Corsican sheep and a variety of milk goats. I grow five different types of berries and sell them, along with vegetables and homemade jams, at several area farmer’s markets. I am a Chenango County 4-H volunteer and am using my MS in entomology and applied ecology to lead a 4-H program called the ‘Bug Club,’ which teaches kids about the importance of insects and facilitates the creation of an insect collection for county fair competition. I am still running, but during hay season my training mostly includes getting up and down from big tractors hundreds of times a day. Farming is tough, but it is also very fulfilling. I am just over an hour from Cornell and I do go there to watch sporting events and for 4-H activities whenever I can. It’s a good life.”

Jason Feinsmith sent in a great update with details about his family’s “amazing cross-country road trip from Utah to Wyoming to South Dakota and Chicago, where we went fly fishing, swam in the Mississippi River, stayed on a farm, and fed chickens.” In addition to adjusting to being empty nesters, Jason adds, “this year has been a steady year for me. Work at End-to-End Analytics, now in our second year since acquisition by Accenture, has been going great. I’ve been mostly working from home, doing a mix of machine learning and SQL development for supply chain analytics and operations along with project management and client engagement. I’m biking whenever I can, including a 250-mile ride down the Pacific Coast Highway 1 to San Luis Obispo with my best friend from childhood. And as much as I do miss the kids in college, I have to admit I’m enjoying the simplicity of empty-nester living and being spontaneous with my wife, Elana (Adleman) ’89.”

I’m biking whenever I can, including a 250-mile ride down the Pacific Coast Highway 1 to San Luis Obispo with my best friend from childhood.

Jason Feinsmith ’91

Sara Abbe Taylor sends greetings from Mill Valley, CA, where she is managing a local impact investing fund at the San Francisco Foundation. She is happy to share that she loves her job, spending time in nature, and being with her daughters—one of whom recently toured Cornell! Sara has fond memories of late-night snowstorms on campus and studying in the music room.

Classmate Wendy Hunnewell Leynse and her husband, James ’89, attended daughter Emma ’23’s Cornell graduation this spring. Emma graduated summa cum laude and will be pursuing a career in publishing. Wendy and Jim are also happy to report that son Ben ’27 will be starting at the College of Arts & Sciences this fall, so they plan to continue regular visits back to the Hill. Wendy adds, “Meanwhile, Jim and I are keeping busy with work and volunteering locally near home in New Jersey. Jim works as an architectural photographer, and I enjoy teaching cultural anthropology. We also love keeping up with our Cornell friends.”

Lastly, we are proud to share that Anjali Arondekar recently released a new publication through Duke University Press, Abundance: Sexuality’s History. Anjali is currently a professor of feminist studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and author of For the Record: On Sexuality and the Colonial Archive in India, also published by Duke University Press.

Thanks to everyone who sent in updates for this Class Notes column! Y’all are awesome! Perhaps some other classmates have news to share? Help us out by sending in an online news form! You can also contact any one of us directly: ❖ Susie Curtis Schneider (email Susie) | Ruby Wang Pizzini (email Ruby) | Wendy Milks Coburn (email Wendy) | Joe Marraccino (email Joe) | Evelyn Achuck Yue (email Evelyn) | Alumni Directory.

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1992

You might have seen that Dead & Company, the Grateful Dead spin-off band including original members of the Dead, reprised their famed 1977 Barton Hall concert on the same date as the first, May 8. This concert was a fundraiser for MusiCares and Cornell’s 2030 Project. The concertgoers were a combination of current students, alumni, and Dead fans. I wanted to know which of our classmates were at the show and who watched online. Adam Rosenberg went with Rodney Gleiberman and said it was “the best show of the year!” Janelle Piccone Styles was there with a group of Class of ’91 and ’92 fans. She said, “I have some great pictures and even better memories. It was amazing. I’ve seen dozens of Dead shows over the years, and this was simply epic.” Jake Pultorak watched the show via livestream (me too!) while his Class of ’23 student was there in person (me too!). He said, “It was surreal to watch her information science graduation ceremony in Barton Hall less than three weeks later!”

Not quite as epic as a Dead show, a bunch of Alpha Sigma Phi (Rockledge) brothers from the early 1990s got together in Philadelphia for a weekend of Phillies games and fun. My husband, Todd Kantorczyk, Chris Hove, and Atul Grover ’91 were all there, and the group in total was 15 strong! If your club or organization has mini-reunions or get-togethers, please share them with us!

Nicole Cunitz Laskin is proud to share that her son Alex will be joining the College of Arts and Sciences Class of ’27 in the fall. (So will our youngest daughter!) Alex was so impressed by the Arts Quad and the new dorms on North Campus. Nicole says it’s really wonderful to see that all of the freshmen are now on North Campus. Her favorite semester at Cornell was participating in the Cornell-in-Washington program. “What an incredible experience to live in Dupont Circle, take classes with Cornell professors, and intern at the Department of Justice (DOJ). It sparked my desire to return to D.C. and attend law school at Georgetown.”

Another proud mom is Eileen Rappaport, who is a residential realtor in New York City. She and her daughter have been raising money for rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for nine years with their Cycle for Survival team. Eileen enjoys travel with family and friends and recently visited South Africa, Italy, and France. Her favorite memories on campus are making lifelong friends. “Good times on Slope Day, in the gorges, at fraternity parties, and just being at beautiful Cornell! Walking through the Arts Quad always made me feel such love for our amazing university.”

Walking through the Arts Quad always made me feel such love for our amazing university.

Eileen Rappaport ’92

Brad Ginesin published The Trading Desk, which took six and a half years to write, and says it was an oversight to only mention it now in Class Notes (two years later). The protagonist is a Cornell ’92 grad and it is loosely based on Brad’s Wall Street experiences. “As such,” Brad says, “readers will find it’s self-deprecating, since the protagonist isn’t particularly good at risk-taking nor at his stock trading job. The novel is a mystery that’s heavy on Wall Street historical fiction, financial journalism, scheming corporate execs, and, of course, stock trading. Most readers have found it highly entertaining and reviewers on Amazon have probably been too kind. I’d gladly send a signed copy to anyone who DMs me on Twitter (@polar_cap). Lastly, Reunion was a blast last year—thank you to Ian Kutner and company!”

Another author classmate is Gabrielle Hartley, who published her second book. Titled The Secret to Getting Along (And Why It’s Easier Than You Think), it was recently named the Next Big Idea Club Must-Read. In it, Gabrielle—a co-chair of the American Bar Association Mediation Committee—distills more than two decades of her experience in mediation and conflict resolution into a roadmap for accepting conflict as part of every relationship and using it as a valuable opportunity to grow and achieve balance in your life. Whether you’re fighting with your partner about housework, struggling to set boundaries with a difficult family member, or dealing with a toxic coworker, The Secret to Getting Along is a resource for navigating difficult conversations and situations—and finding the solutions that will help you create a peaceful, less stressful, and more fulfilling life. Gabrielle is a family lawyer, divorce mediator, speaker, and author. Her popular TEDx talk, “The Secret to Getting Along Is Easier Than You Think,” has been viewed more than 60,000 times, and she is a sought-after expert in the positive divorce space across media outlets such as the New York Times, Real Simple, Vice, New York Post, and U.S. News & World Report. She sits on the President’s Council of Cornell Women and offers a weekly newsletter, “The Conflict Code.” In addition to being a divorce mediator for more than two decades, Gabrielle trains companies, unions, and academic institutions on effective team building and how to overcome intractable conflict. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and three sons.

David Chang made the cut for the Boston Globe’s second annual list of the most influential people in the New England tech sector. The leaders spotlighted in the selective Tech Power Players 50 List “have demonstrated innovation and resourcefulness and have contributed to keeping their sector thriving during challenging economic times.” David is one of the region’s most prominent angel investors and tech mentors and was named to the list for broad leadership in the startup, investment, and entrepreneurial communities. In 2022, he became the general manager of the “expert network” at the recruiting startup Hunt Club, growing the company’s database of more than 20,000 industry leaders who are paid to refer top talent to other companies.

Ian Lekus is an LGBTI thematic specialist at Amnesty International USA and policy and communications specialist at the Council for Global Equality. A longtime activist for LGBTQ+ rights, Ian specializes in the issues facing queer refugees in the U.S. Through his work with Amnesty, he has testified in support of asylum seekers from countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, Ghana, Mauritania, Jamaica, and Turkey. Ian is a published author specializing in LGBTQ politics, HIV/AIDS, and social movements and has worked as a lecturer at a number of universities.

Please share your news with us via email or the online news form. Be well and take good care. ❖ Jean Kintisch (email Jean) | Sarah Ballow Clauss (email Sarah) | Wilma Ann Thomas Anderson (email Wilma Ann) | Alumni Directory.

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1993

Cornell’s Reunion is always an eagerly anticipated event that brings together alumni from various graduating classes to celebrate their shared experiences, accomplishments, and connections. This year, the Class of 1993 celebrated its milestone 30th Reunion! We reconnected with former classmates, reminisced about life at Cornell in the early ’90s, and reflected on the impact the University has had on our lives.

There were 388 registered alumni and guests at our 30th Reunion. It was truly GREAT to see all of you! Some special memories were made. “Club 93,” our Reunion hangout spot at headquarters, gave us a great place to gather and socialize. What a cool space and idea—truly unique to ’93. Mike McMahon enjoyed catching up with Bob Ceglowski, DVM ’06. They tried to name every kid that lived on Donlon second floor (it would be fun to do this online somehow). It was also nice to spend opening night with Tom Benson and Saturday night with Tatiana Rosak Birkelund, MBA ’98.

Rehashing Sprint football memories with Mike Moravec, Rifino Valentine, Mike Trepeta, Brian Pessin, Chris LeVine, and Evan Williams, JD ’96, is always great. Beat Army! Enjoying Collegetown Bagels with Mike’s AGR brothers Matt Lindemann, John Fuller, ME ’94, Jamie Beck, Brian Kirby, and Justin Bates was a trip down memory lane. They are a great group of guys, and it was nice to see a few of their wives at Reunion too!

The tent parties on the Arts Quad were epic, as usual. Led by Christina Patterson Moylan, Emily Powell Blackburn, Tricia Tafe Williams, Melissa Hart Moss, JD ’97, Mark Meulenberg, Wally Davis, and Andrea Panico, the Class of ’93 was well represented! You all enjoyed the hard work of two very special people, Jessica Graus Woo and Amy Miller Moore Carter. We’re truly lucky that Amy and Jess put in the effort to help our celebration, and equally lucky to enjoy all of our classmates who made the trip back and celebrated with us.

Reunions at Cornell are typically filled with a diverse range of activities and opportunities for alumni to engage with each other and the University. One of the best activities? Our class version of the Amazing Race. Thanks, Earl Pinto, for leading this effort.

‘Club 93,’ our Reunion hangout spot at headquarters, gave us a great place to gather and socialize.

Theresa Flores ’93

What’s better than the anticipation of knowing who was attending our Reunion? Getting a last-minute surprise visit from Basil Smikle! Many traveled far and wide, including Theresa Flores, who made the trek with her husband and three dogs in a trailer RV from Dallas, TX.

In addition to the class-specific events, Cornell organized campus tours, lectures, workshops, and panel discussions. This gave us the opportunity to engage with current students, faculty, and staff and helped us stay updated on the latest developments at our alma mater.

In keeping with the spirit of giving back, philanthropic initiatives played a significant role at Reunion. Alumni had the opportunity to contribute to various fundraising efforts, supporting scholarships, endowments, and other important causes at Cornell. A special thanks to Loren Rosenzweig-Feingold and Greg Thomas, MBA ’10, and their committee for our record-breaking Reunion gift campaign!

Mike McMahon would like to thank all of our officers, especially those in attendance: Scott Kauff, Loren Rosenzweig Feingold, Michelle Lee, Earl Pinto, Greg Thomas, Eric Beane, Theresa Flores, Melissa Carver Sottile, Jacqueline Francis, Greg Coladonato, Kim Powell Sendelbach, Christine Watters Stuhlmiller, Jason Halio, Pam Fabrizio Barry, Elise Rosenberg, Yael Berkowitz Rosenberg, and Lauren Bailyn Sapira, MBA ’94. What a great group—thank you!

This celebration served as a reminder of the transformative impact of Cornell and the lifelong friendships and connections we formed during our time on campus. ❖ Theresa Flores (email Theresa) | Mia Blackler (email Mia) | Melissa Hart Moss, JD ’97 (email Melissa) | Alumni Directory.

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1994

“I’m thinking about retirement,” says Rachelle Bernacki, “but I’m not sure when yet. I’m still an associate professor at Harvard Medical School—the students, residents, and fellows keep me busy! We moved about a year ago and I love my new house.” When asked to choose her favorite memory from our time at Cornell, Rachelle wrote, “There’s too many! I was thinking about Slope Day in the rain.”

Rebecca Shuford writes, “I am about to begin my fifth year as director of New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell, SUNY, and NOAA. NYSG’s mission is bringing science to the shore through high-quality research, extension, and education. Our work supports sustainability and coastal communities, economies, and environments in New York.”

David Glanstein writes, “Since my nephew/godson enrolled at Cornell last fall (AAP ’26) I have definitely enjoyed reconnecting with the University, as well as multiple visits to campus last year and planned for this year, after a decade-and-a-half interval. I also hope to attend our 30th Reunion next spring, which will be my first since 1999! I also enjoy spending time with family and friends and working with various charities. I am still running my own law firm in New York City.”

Chris Byron, DVM ’98, is associate professor and head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. Chris has recently been named the C.R. Roberts Professor of Clinical Veterinary Medicine by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors! He joined the veterinary college in 2014 after completing an equine surgery residency and becoming board certified in veterinary surgery. He worked in both academia and private practice as an equine surgeon prior to going to Virginia Tech.

I am about to begin my fifth year as director of New York Sea Grant, a cooperative program of Cornell, SUNY, and NOAA.

Rebecca Shuford ’94

Chris’s clinical and research interests include pathobiology and treatment of osteoarthritis in horses as well as multidisciplinary research in the development of cancer treatments and identification of surgeon performance metrics. He has authored or co-authored more than 80 manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters. Chris advises and teaches both graduate and professional students, and he has a strong record of research productivity as seen by serving as principal investigator and co-principal investigator on grants totaling more than $4 million.

Arielle Hecht Schiffman writes, “We were thrilled to attend the graduation of our son, Lucas ’23 (Phi Beta Kappa). Also in attendance were his grandparents Barry ’65 and Bradlea Dorn Hecht ’67 and his sister, Samara ’26. Lucas graduated with a major in economics and minors in business and Jewish studies. He will be working as an investment banking analyst in NYC, and we are excited for him to join us in the ranks of Big Red alumni!”

Kevinn Matthews is the managing attorney for the Cochran Firm in Tulsa, OK, specializing in oil field injury law. His larger aim is to prevent future accidents, injuries, or deaths by advancing oil field safety and creating safer energy industry workplaces. Last fall, the Tulsa County Bar Association (TCBA) awarded Kevinn the Roger R. Scott Community Service Award, and this year he was honored with the Oklahoma Bar Association President’s Award and the TCBA 2nd Quarter Golden Rule Award. ❖ Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik (email Dineen) | Jennifer Rabin Marchant (email Jennifer) | Dika Lam (email Dika) | Alumni Directory.

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1995

Lots of great news this time, so let’s jump right in! Starting with … more Cornell acceptances! Colleen Kelly’s twins graduated from high school earlier this year and her son headed to Cornell Arts & Sciences to study computer science. Colleen, whose favorite Cornell memory was living in the transfer center in Donlon, writes that she is “so excited for him and can’t wait to spend more time in Ithaca over the next few years.” In the meantime, Colleen works in the gastroenterology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and is enjoying her family.

Shari Blumenthal Mintz also enjoys watching her two teenage kids pursue their passions and was excited to report her daughter’s acceptance to the College of Human Ecology Class of 2027. Shari owns a private practice specializing in endocrinology, where she treats diabetes and patients with thyroid and other glandular conditions. One of her favorite Cornell memories is “hanging out on the front porch of our house on Bool Street in Collegetown senior year with all of my roommates, who have remained some of my best friends.”

Leigh Ellen Alford Baca was excited to share news of her adventure this April, participating in Sea Education Association’s (SEA) first alumni symposium. As an undergraduate, she studied oceanography and maritime studies during the land component of this unique study-abroad program. During the sea component in spring 1994, she learned to sail the two-masted SSV Westward while completing her student-designed research on myctophids (lanternfish).

Leigh Ellen Alford Baca ’95 was excited to share news of her adventure this April, participating in Sea Education Association’s first alumni symposium.

This year, as SEA celebrates its 50th anniversary, she returned to the seas aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer for a one-week expedition from South Carolina to New York focused on critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Experts from the New England Aquarium, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries, Center for Coastal Studies, New Bedford Whaling Museum, and Conservation Law Foundation were aboard, each offering a 30-minute lesson to the entire ship’s company. Leigh Ellen and her shipmates were assigned to one of three watches, rotating on a six-hour schedule, spending time at the helm, navigating, logging weather and sea state conditions, performing boat and engine checks, manning lines, trimming sails, and assisting with science deployments. Writes Leigh Ellen, “We saw at least two species of dolphins, basking sharks, ocean sunfish, a fin whale, one right whale (I missed it! I was off watch), and several land and sea birds.” She would love to hear from any other SEA alums and is happy to provide information to anyone interested in learning more. Reach out to me and I will connect you!

Joshua Greenberg sent news that he had a great trip to Cornell with son Noah, who (at the time of this writing) was a junior at Kent high school in Connecticut. According to Josh, Noah loved Cornell and the tour “and especially my ZBT brothers, who gave him an incredible on-campus experience. We stayed at the Statler Hotel and went to a basketball game, where Cornell won in Big Red fashion. Overall, it brought me back to my college days and Noah was very impressed with Cornell!” When not visiting or reminiscing about his alma mater, Josh works at Bank of America in New York City, helping art collectors and sports team owners with their financing and private banking needs. Other big events for him were a trip to Greece in August and celebrating his 50th birthday with friends in Las Vegas in May.

And, of course, as we begin to round out a year in which many of us turned—or will turn—the big 5-0, what’s a more appropriate way to end this column than to share news from Katherine Vega Stultz, who, in May, celebrated 30+ years of friendship (and some 50th birthdays) with seven other amazing Cornell women: Martha-Lisa DeNavea, Pia Pizzolato, Allison Romer, Anne Geiger, Anda Jackson ’96, Ali Conlin ’96, and Lisa Perronne ’96. Writes Katherine, “We realized that our time together at Cornell gave us a foundation of strength and perspective as we navigate life today with adolescent kids, aging parents, spouses, and our careers. We all took different paths, but somehow that bond of our time living in Ithaca together was so formative that its stickiness can be picked up in an instant when together. We are grateful for our friendship and health and knowing strong women are always a phone call away when you need to hear a friendly voice.”

Until next time, stay connected and safe, classmates. ❖ Alison Torrillo French (email Alison) | Class website | Class Facebook page | Class Instagram page | Alumni Directory.

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1996

In 1999, just a few years after we graduated, Jeff Kovel founded Skylab Architecture. The firm has since grown into, as Jeff says, “a leading creative force in the Pacific Northwest and North America. Skylab is known for a range of spectacular residences designed for leading creatives, as well as distinctive music venues, resorts, and other high-profile projects.”

This past summer, Jeff’s book Skylab: The Nature of Buildings was published. According to the book’s description, “The story of Skylab is told by several influential contributors through reflective essays, interviews, conversations, and anecdotes, as well as extensive project photography and illustrations that detail the firm’s design process.” ❖ Marjorie Polycarpe Jean-Paul (email Marjorie) | Catherine Oh Bonita (email Catherine) | Janine Abrams Rethy (email Janine) | Alumni Directory.

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1997

“Greetings from sunny (and hot!) Scottsdale, AZ,” says Donnelly Nariss Maysey. “I just wanted to share that I recently joined Aimbridge Hospitality as vice president, sales, in the full-service division. I’m enjoying life with my husband, Rob, JD ’99, and our two rescue dogs, Skip and Scrabbles.”

How did you spend your summer? Drop us a line if you have any news you’d like to share with the class. ❖ Sarah Deardorff Carter (email Sarah) | Erica Broennle Nelson (email Erica) | Alumni Directory.

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1998

Reunion 2023 came and went, and by all accounts from attendees, it was amazing! Our class celebrated our 25th Reunion in style, complete with Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall as our class headquarters and a full slate of class-specific and university-wide events to enjoy! A Big Red congratulations and thanks go out to Leslie Kirchler-Owen, our Reunion chair, for her tireless leadership and efforts in making this event a memorable one for over 400 registrants of the Class of 1998. Thank you to Robin Schenker, our registration chair, and many other volunteers who worked behind the scenes to organize our activities.

There was a surge of activity on our class Facebook page as Reunion weekend approached. William Robertson ’97, BFA ’98, created a Spotify playlist aptly titled “Cornell ’98” with song suggestions from classmates left in comments to his Facebook post. He is the CEO and founder of Design Build Lab, a full-service real estate development, design, and construction firm. William and his wife, Amanda, have two daughters and live in Santa Monica, CA.

Jaimee Schreiber Loewy was spotted in Reunion photos on Facebook and Cornell’s website, running the Reunion 5K at the Cornell Botanic Gardens. Ever active and always on the go, Jaimee and her husband, Dan ’96, live in New York and have two sons and a daughter: a junior at Duke University and two high schoolers. Also spotted enjoying the tent parties on the Arts Quad and the class dinners: Luis Ormaechea, Jaff Hasan, Rosanna Batista, and Cleo Jacobs Johnson.

Karen Dorman Kipnes, an attorney specializing in collaborative family law and mediation, now has a new title: avid theatergoer! Congratulations to Karen’s daughter Colby on her Broadway debut in Grey House. The play, written by Levi Holloway, premiered at the Lyceum Theatre on May 30, 2023. Described as a thriller, the play also stars Laurie Metcalf and Paul Sparks.

Great things are happening, and we always want to share in your joy. Drop us a note and tell us what you have been up to! We’d love to hear from you! ❖ Uthica Jinvit Utano (email Uthica) | Alumni Directory.

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1999

Erin Houck-Toll was recently elected to Henderson Franklin’s executive committee. Erin says, “This appointment represents a tremendous opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction and continued success of our firm and make a positive impact in the lives of our clients and our community.” She joined Henderson Franklin in July 2005 and serves as the chair of the business, tax, mergers and acquisitions, and healthcare practice areas.

As a Florida Bar Board Certified Health and Tax attorney expert, Erin is among only a select few in the State of Florida to have achieved this certification. She has earned numerous honors and accolades at the local, state, and national levels: she was named one of Gulfshore Business magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” in 2012; Naples Illustrated recognized her as a “Top Lawyer” in both healthcare law and tax law from 2018–22; and Florida Super Lawyers magazine has consistently recognized her excellence in business and corporate law.

If you’re reading this, please take a moment to send us your news! We’d love to hear from you. ❖ Class of 1999 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2000s

2000

I hope everything is well, in whatever part of the world this note finds you. I’ve been spending my time gardening, cycling, and enjoying the weather until the new school year begins. I’m curious what everyone else is up to, so drop me a line or submit an online news form if you have something you’d like to share with the Class of 2000 alumni. ❖ Denise Williams (email Denise) | Alumni Directory.

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2001

Well, summer sure went by fast! As we head into fall, it’s a great time to recount the various trips and memories made over the past couple of months.

How did you spend your summer? Our social media feeds were filled with sun-kissed images of happy classmates sightseeing and concert-going. Driving southwest from Rochester, NY, Melissa Hantman and Josh Pheterson made their daughter’s season with tickets to Taylor Swift’s tour stop in Pittsburgh, a.k.a. “Swiftsburgh.” From their Bay Area base, Justin McCarthy and his family flew northwest to Tokyo; from Las Vegas, Joe Giannelli and his family explored Thailand.

While stopping over in the U.K. between their annual summer migration from Delhi to Seattle in June, Nicole Neroulias Gupte and husband Salil met up with Cornell alum siblings Radha Narayan ’05 and Ram Narayan ’06 in England. Radha is still putting her computer science degree to good use at Google and her creative mind is at work on a new novel; Ram is an M&A and private equity lawyer whose wife (Salil’s sister), Niketa, is entering the homestretch of earning a PhD from Cambridge University. Meanwhile, Nicole and Salil’s kids got a crash course in “Brexit,” current events, and geopolitics after experiencing shortages at fast food chains and grocery stores throughout their time in England.

Speaking of doctorates, big congratulations to Maureen Sullivan Mauk, a newly minted PhD in communication, specifically media and cultural studies, from the University of Wisconsin! (Note from Nicole: “Just in time for the new Barbie movie, which I’ve been meaning to ask her about!”) For her next act, Maureen has shared on LinkedIn that she’s started a new role at Sony-owned anime streamer Crunchyroll as a senior standards and practices analyst, content and research. “I’m looking forward to putting my PhD research on the culture of television, families’ needs, the industry, and its regulation surrounding parental controls, content moderation, and digital streaming into practice!”

Melissa Hantman ’01 and Josh Pheterson ’01 made their daughter’s season with tickets to Taylor Swift’s tour stop in Pittsburgh, a.k.a. ‘Swiftsburgh.’

I recently got together for dinner in New York City with Ari Fontecchio ’02 and Sean King ’02, ME ’04, who are both doing great. Sean’s recovering from a minor injury but remains confident he’ll be ready for another Ironman race this fall. Ari went to the Dead & Company concert at Barton Hall in May with his wife, Meredith (Silverman) ’02. It had been exactly 46 years since the Grateful Dead played their iconic show at Barton Hall. It had only been a few years since Ari and Meredith’s last trip, and they had a great time visiting their favorite spots while on campus.

Over dinner, we caught up and discussed plans for our upcoming trip to Milwaukee for Sven Jensen ’02’s wedding. After the wedding, the newly married couple will be settling in Boca Raton, FL, where Sven recently started a new job.

Hopefully some of you will be heading to Cornell for Homecoming, September 29–30. If you make the trip, please share some pictures/post on our Class of 2001 Classmates Facebook group. We look forward to seeing alumni enjoying the festivities. Also, save the date for Zinck’s Night on Thursday, October 19. Follow the link for a list of locations where Cornellians will be celebrating and post your pictures to our Facebook group as well.

To share news and get back in touch with classmates, please email either of us, visit our website, like the Class of 2001 Facebook page, join our Class of 2001 Classmates Facebook group, and/or follow us on Twitter (@Cornell2001). ❖ James Gutow (email James) | Nicole Neroulias Gupte (email Nicole) | Alumni Directory.

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2002

Craig Gaites recently joined Diverge Health, a value-based care company bringing health management support to primary care providers serving patients on Medicaid. Craig received his Bachelor of Science degree in biological and environmental engineering from Cornell before moving on to obtain an MBA and MS from Carnegie Mellon University. He now serves as senior vice president of market operations at Diverge.

Craig says, “Improving the health of vulnerable populations requires hands-on intervention at the person-to-person level in the community. Diverge’s model of utilizing health workers in communities to help vulnerable patients better manage their care—and better partner with their physicians to improve their health—is grounded on a very sound set of beliefs, where good health is a baseline requirement for individuals to enjoy their lives and to contribute to their families, communities, and employers.” ❖ Class of 2002 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2003

We’ve just returned from celebrating our 20th Reunion back on the Hill and the weekend was filled with much excitement, joy, and laughter. Reminiscing seemed to be a theme percolating around the class headquarters at Mary Donlon Hall, and Reunion organizers Jaimie Hanlon and Rich Chomko set us up with lots of food and plenty to drink. Thank you, Jaimie and Rich!

I found Megan Haley Zurn, Laura Manaker, and Becky Minich waiting in line for tickets to Cornelliana Night and took the time to ask them what they’ve been up to. Megan is living in Atlanta, GA, and is an insurance company lawyer. She came to Reunion to “escape the children and see Ithaca and dear friends,” and when thinking about the changing campus felt she “couldn’t find any of her favorite art” in the Johnson Museum. Laura lives in D.C. and works for the Smithsonian at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Laura noted, “It’s been a decade since I was back on campus and I’m excited to see more of campus and Collegetown.” Becky is living in Pittsburgh and is a financial analyst for a construction company and enjoys the company of her three cats. Megan and Laura convinced Becky to come back for Reunion!

Clint ’02, BS ’03, and Sarah Herskee Wattenberg were spotted at the Cornell Athletics alumni and friends event overlooking Schoellkopf Field, and I chatted with them briefly at the class dinner Friday night. Clint is the director of nutrition for the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Clint and Sarah spent several years in the Ithaca area before relocating to Las Vegas.

Brian Kaufmann was back on campus to celebrate at our 20th Reunion and his mother’s 55th Reunion! Brian lives in Manhattan with a 3-month-old and enjoys being active with golf, running, and cycling out in Dutchess County. Sarah Gallucci was also spotted with Brian and remembered hanging out with him and other friends freshman year. Alissa Tofias has known Brian since they were little kids and Alissa was in from Brooklyn, which just had a “scary week of poor air quality.” Alissa is at Nickelodeon, where she leads the paid media team and loves promoting SpongeBob.

Jina Kwon ’04 returned to the Hill from London, where she recently appeared on SkyTV to talk about solar adoption in the UK. Dmitry and Nina Kryuk Grigoriev were hanging out with Jina under the Reunion tent and were in from Brooklyn, where they have two children, 5 and 10 years old. Nina is in communications at Peterson Center on Healthcare. Dmitry and Nina enjoy spending time at their house in the Poconos, exploring nature, Americana, and historical elements of the area. Nina was looking forward to connecting with staff at the School of Public Policy as part of Reunion.

Lynell Davis, MBA ’22, and her women’s basketball teammate Ify Ossai were spotted with the former team manager Rosaline Pinnock. Rachelle Dubuche was also spotted joining them for dinner and all of them met before classes started in the summer of ’99 in a program called COSEP. They were all reconnecting after 15 years. Together, they decided the highlight of Reunion was laughing and making memories 20 years later.

At Reunion, Meghan Nutting ’03 was reminded of dorm life, and she missed the sounds of AOL Instant Messenger that used to echo around the halls of Donlon.

Meghan Nutting spent time at Reunion to go to the gorges and Treman and Taughannock waterfalls. Meghan was in town from Denver. Her Reunion highlight was staying in the dorms and having a party with Maurice Ducoing and some 2013ers. Meghan was reminded of dorm life, when you could easily stop by and see each other in their dorm rooms, and she missed the sounds of AOL Instant Messenger that used to echo around the halls of Donlon.

Keith Torres, Tyler Maganzin, and Alex Miranda were enjoying a dinner filled with wine on Saturday night. Keith is a wine importer and distributor, and he finds his business most satisfying when he is able “to bring wine buyers to Italy to meet the artisans who produce the wine.” Tyler and Keith met the first day of freshman year, when Keith was blasting Wu-Tang and Beastie Boys. They enjoyed reconnecting and walking down memory lane, although there was some debate about the exact tunes Keith was playing that fateful day 20+ years ago. Alex was in from Miami and met Keith and Tyler through mutual friends.

Delta Chi brothers Adam Morgenlender, Alon Gorodetsky, Derek Chanler-Berat, Phil Davis, Daniel Carr, and Mark Johnson were all enjoying Saturday night dinner together on the Ag Quad and they shared that this was the “first time in nine years all six of them were hanging out together.” The friends visited the Delta Chi house and reminisced about the experiences they had 20 years ago and were happy to be spending time together.

Daniel Luzer is living in Manhattan and came back to Reunion to reconnect with Lauren King, whom he hadn’t seen in 20 years. Beth Herskovits Kutscher was in from San Francisco, where she works for LinkedIn as a healthcare editor, and she said, “I love being involved with Cornell and the Daily Sun Alumni Association, which helps the Daily Sun remain independent from the University.”

Umrai Gill was visiting from Dallas, where he’s with Performance Trust Capital Partners. He enjoyed “reconnecting with classmates and revisiting the beauty of the campus.” Umrai mentioned that he “can’t imagine a better campus and that even non-alumni should come back and visit.”

Katie Nelson Schoenberg, PhD ’10, and I spent some time hanging out with co-correspondent Candace Lee Chow, PhD ’14, and her husband, Clement, who were in town from Utah. Candace and Clement were joined by their children for the weekend in Ithaca, but our kids remained back at our camp in the Adirondacks.

Thanks to all our classmates who came back for Reunion and spent some time chatting with me—I can’t wait for our 25th Reunion in 2028! ❖ Jon Schoenberg, ME ’03, PhD ’11 (email Jon) | Candace Lee Chow, PhD ’14 (email Candace) | Alumni Directory.

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2004

If you’re anything like me, this time of year makes you think of the start of a new semester on the Hill. What are your plans for the fall? Are any of you venturing out of town to travel? Or marking any career milestones? If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write directly to: ❖ Jessi Petrosino (email Jessi) | Alumni Directory.

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2005

Autumn greetings, Class of ’05! Please take a moment to let us know how you spent your summer! If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write directly to either of us at: ❖ Hilary Johnson King (email Hilary) | Jessica Rosenthal Chod (email Jessica) | Alumni Directory.

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2006

Hello, Class of 2006! I hope you and your families are having a wonderful summer, enjoying a little more daylight in your lives and getting out on those beautiful summer nights. We’re pleased to share the latest class news with you.

Victoria Lauterbach recently joined the law firm Foley Hoag LLP as a partner in the energy and climate group. Tory works in the D.C. office, focusing on energy regulatory and policy issues related to the clean energy transition. She’s excited to connect with others working in this space. “There’s a lot of work to do to get to net zero carbon emissions.” Congrats on your new role, Tory! Before joining Foley Hoag, Tory traveled to Belize and Guatemala. Her favorite part was exploring the caves of inland Belize and snorkeling off of Caye Caulker.

Pediatric radiologist Jonathan Zember recently published a children’s book, titled X-rays and Art: Anatomy ABCs. Each page features a cartoon reimagining of a famous artwork and a corresponding X-ray image of a body part. The cartoon images were created using AI art generators. Jonathan is excited to share this book with the alumni community.

What’s new in your world? We’d love to hear more about you, your families, and what you’ve been up to lately. Please share your news with us! ❖ Kirk Greenspan, MBA ’22 (email Kirk) | Alumni Directory.

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2007

Hello, Class of 2007! Many of us attended our 20-year high school reunions this past spring, which can only mean that 20 years ago we began our journey at Cornell! Sometimes it feels like yesterday and sometimes it’s … 20 years ago. Since then, we’ve gone on to so many different educational, career, and personal paths. You’re awesome, 2007!

On the theme of new beginnings, we have an update from one of our classmates, Kristen Aliano Messina! Kristen and her husband, Jude, welcomed their first child, a daughter, Gianna, who was born in early March. On the professional front, she began at a new medical practice in July. She is the first plastic surgeon to be a part of Advanced Dermasurgery Associates in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Additionally, since the end of 2022, she has been a consultant for HairDays, a Cornell Tech startup founded by Tiffany St. Bernard, PhD ’20. The app launched this past spring. Kristen writes educational content for HairDays, including educational insights available in the app and blog articles for the website.

Looking forward to sharing more exciting stories with everyone! Have more updates 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

“I run a high-end residential landscape design business in the San Francisco Bay Area called Teal Studio,” writes Megan Keely, who gets the most satisfaction from “revisiting a past client’s garden and seeing it thrive as a living part of their family’s lives.” She adds, “I am loving being an auntie to my two nieces. I also released my fifth album of original music, called ‘Companion.’ The friends I made at Eco House, the eco annex, JAM, and the landscape architecture department made me who I am today!” ❖ Libby Boymel (email Libby) | Alumni Directory.

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2009

Congratulations to Alec Shannon, who shares the happy news that he and Brittany Moncure were married on April 15 in Charles City, VA! Alec adds, “I am currently a fellow in surgical oncology at the Ohio State University James Comprehensive Cancer Center.” His favorite memory of the Hill? “Scoring a goal in my first Cornell club hockey game my freshman year!”

A veterinary specialist in internal medicine, Dana Cobert Neiman, BS ’08, recently moved from Washington, DC, to Ridgefield, CT. She enjoys watching her daughters play, laugh, and grow together, and Dana shares this memory of Cornell: “Senior week—what a joyous time spent with dear friends enjoying all Cornell, Ithaca, and the Finger Lakes have to offer.”

Robert Gottlieb writes, “After nearly seven years at the Indiana Department of Health, I have recently joined the Pennsylvania Department of Health and moved to the Harrisburg area. I am an epidemiology research associate focusing on addressing public health impacts of climate change. I specialize in geographic information systems (GIS) and health equity metrics. In my new role I’ve already had the opportunity to collaborate with my Cornell advisor, Art DeGaetano, and it’s been fun to reconnect. I’m looking forward to hiking opportunities in the state, and Ithaca isn’t too far away either.”

Jefferson Gblnzuh Krua (formerly known as Jefferson King) came to the U.S. as a Liberian refugee, escaping civil war in his nation. After obtaining a civil engineering degree from Cornell and a master’s in transportation infrastructure and systems engineering at Virginia Tech, Jefferson became a dynamic entrepreneur and transportation engineer, who worked as a systems analyst at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in D.C. Eight years ago, Jefferson wanted to be a part of his country’s development and decided to move back to Liberia. “There are already millions of Jefferson Kruas in America working to solve its problems,” he said. “Liberia needs me way more than America does.”

Now, Jefferson is one of the top candidates in a race to join the Liberian House of Representatives and has embarked on projects to provide access to clean drinking water and solar streetlights across his district. Paul Bropleh, who developed a lifelong friendship with Jefferson during our time at Cornell, says, “Jefferson has always been passionate about Liberia, and I believe he will be a transformative force in Liberian politics for years to come.” ❖ Jason Georges (email Jason) | Alumni Directory.

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2010s

2010

Congrats to James Pothen, who shares, “After deciding to switch careers, I am starting my first job as a journalist. I’ll be working for Industry Dive, a B2B (business-to-business) journalism outlet. My role is to be a reporter for their Payments Industry vertical.” We wish you luck in this new role!

Anyone else started a new job, or some other new venture? Whether it’s a new family member or a new favorite TV show, or something else completely, write to us to share your news. ❖ Michelle Sun (email Michelle) | Alumni Directory.

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2011

Elizabeth Wolfsthal works in public relations, as vice president at Golin Health. Liz welcomed a baby boy, Harry, on 2/2/22, “the best birthday date ever,” she writes! When asked about her favorite memory of Cornell, she said, “It’s hard to pick just one! Cornell will always be a part of my heart—across generations, as both my parents and siblings went there—and I made lasting friendships there.”

Tina Chen, ME ’12, writes, “I am very excited to start the latter half of my urology residency at the University of Virginia. My husband and I also welcomed our first child, Augie, in late 2022. Being parents still feels surreal.”

Ana Florencia wrote French Elastic (December 2021), under the name Florencia Ulloa. She says, “A lot of my novel takes place in Ithaca and I make a lot of mentions of Cornell and my frat and professors.” Congrats on becoming a published author, Ana! ❖ Class of 2011 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2012

Philip Shulman and his wife, Anna Plociak ’13, welcomed their son (and potential future Cornellian) Finley Shulman. The family lives in Montclair, NJ.

Kathryn Abbott Manocchia is working as a pathologists’ assistant and is currently the assistant supervisor of autopsy pathology at Strong Memorial Hospital, URMC, in Rochester, NY. Kathryn and her spouse, Adriano ’97, shared that they are expecting their first child soon. Kathryn’s favorite memory of Cornell was Homecoming 2010. Homecoming is always a big deal for the Big Red Bands, and that year was Kathryn’s first “Grand Bonecoming,” which occurs every three years. The event brings many trombone alumni back to the Hill, and Kathryn had the opportunity to meet lots of great alumni, some of whom remain her close friends today.

Derek Plotkowski lives in Michigan, after roughly nine years living outside the country. In 2022, he moved back stateside to start a new position as the fruit extension educator for Southeast Michigan with Michigan State University Extension. While the work he does has a great deal of meaning to him, he is grateful to not be defined by it, and finds time to do things he enjoys outside of work, like singing, baking, and swimming. Derek fondly remembers his time at Cornell, including years spent organizing a big Easter potluck featuring his own homemade pasta (out of his dorm, no less!).

Drew Weirman married Jacqueline “Beanie” Meadow in Lower Gwynedd, PA, on November 12, 2022. Drew and Beanie celebrated their wedding with friends and family in Chicago on May 27, 2023. They reside in Ann Arbor, MI, where Beanie recently started as an attending neonatologist at the University of Michigan, and Drew celebrated 10 years working at Lockheed Martin in July.

Lauren Glasky ’13, MBA ’19, and Marc Silberman announced the birth of their son (another potential future Cornellian, Class of 2044) Rory Hayes Silberman on May 18. ❖ Peggy Ramin (email Peggy) | Alumni Directory.

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2013

There is much to report this month coming off our 10th Reunion. For those who were able to attend, it sounded like a really wonderful time. And for those who were not able to attend (like myself), well, you are in the right place.

There were 322 classmates from the Class of 2013 at Reunion and 71 guests. And we nearly reached our giving goal of 400 donors and $210,000, helped in part by 107 loyal classmates who have made gifts every year since the 5th Reunion. Thank you to our Reunion campaign co-chairs, Alex Pruce and Lilian Tso, for all of their hard outreach work.

Reunion kicked off on Thursday evening with an ice cream social. On Friday, our classmates participated in a wine tour followed by dinner catered by Dinosaur BBQ and the ever-popular tent parties and late-night eats. For those who called it a night early, Saturday morning featured a 5K run followed by President Martha E. Pollack’s address. The rest of the afternoon could be spent doing “Salsa con Sabor” salsa lessons with the Class of 2018 or the “Fun in the Sun” family festival on the Arts Quad, where Touchdown the Bear and the Big Red Band could be found having a good time. Dinner on Saturday was catered by Taste of Thai, followed by the annual Cornelliana performance by the Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club, and then the tent parties.

Douglas Herz ’73 asked me to give a special thank you to a couple of members of our class (who he dubbed the “Class of 2013 A-Team” because all of their first names begin with an “A”) for adopting him on Cornelliana Night. He said, “Your warmth and camaraderie were most appreciated.” The Reunion would not have been possible without our Reunion chairs, Kelly Wilcox and Kamillah Knight, MPA ’15, MBA ’22; thank you for your immense dedication to our class.

Maggie Remsen Sachvie ’13 created the winning sandwich in the Collegetown Bagels sandwich competition!

Reunion weekend is also when the 2013 alumni council meets to elect its leadership for the next five years, until Reunion 2028. I am pleased to announce the following leaders of our council: co-presidents, Kamillah Knight and Kelly Wilcox; treasurer, Alex Pruce; class correspondent, Rachael Schuman (me! This is my favorite job, and I am honored to do it for another five years); and general council members, Ankur Bajaj, Katherina Balram, Meghan Brown, Kristina Ciampi, Dan Kuhr, Joshua Lakelin, John Mueller, Marissa Perlmutter, Meril Pothen, and Drew Zukosky.

And before I forget, a MAJOR shout out to Maggie Remsen Sachvie, who created the winning sandwich in the Collegetown Bagels sandwich competition: a chicken, bacon, avocado, arugula, Swiss cheese, and chipotle aioli panini pressed on ciabatta—yum!

If you participated in Reunion this year, you may feel a renewed commitment to Cornell and your graduating class and want to find ways you can get involved. If you want to volunteer for the University in any capacity, you can sign up here. Or maybe you want to connect with alumni, which you can do here. You can also just give our Instagram account a follow. These are really easy ways to get and stay involved. And if you want to join our council, which always has room for volunteers and ideas, please email your new presidents (email Kamillah; email Kelly).

As always, if you have news to share, please fill out an online news form or email me at: ❖ Rachael Schuman (email Rachael) | Alumni Directory.

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2014

Hello, Class of 2014! Bianca Herlitz-Ferguson was chosen for the 2023 Law Program of the Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE). The FASPE Law Program provides education on ethical problems faced by lawyers through participation in a two-week program in Poland and Germany, which reflects on the conduct of lawyers in Nazi-occupied Europe to inform understanding of contemporary legal ethics. Outside of her participation in this program, Bianca works as a staff attorney at Children’s Rights. She received her JD from Yale Law School in 2021.

Please send me any news you would like to share with classmates. ❖ Samantha Lapehn Young (email Samantha) | Alumni Directory.

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2015

We have some classmates having big summers! Reid Mergler graduated from her psychiatry residency at Tufts Medical Center and is moving to Philadelphia to start a new job at the University of Pennsylvania in reproductive psychiatry and women’s mental health. She says she is excited to be teaching medical students and residents.

Sara Perelman currently works on the IBM Sports team, where they create, build, and deliver world-class digital fan experiences to millions of sports fans around the world using IBM technology. She will be onsite at Wimbledon (with teammate Jeff Amsterdam ’94) to deliver the digital platforms (apps, websites, and more) for the 2023 Championships. They work year-round with the All England Lawn Tennis Club to deliver this work, as well as for the U.S. Open, the Masters, the Grammys, ESPN Fantasy Football, and more.

Making a move this summer? Starting school? We would love to hear from you! ❖ Caroline Flax (email Caroline) | Mateo Acebedo (email Mateo) | Alumni Directory.

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2016

Happy fall, classmates! Anyone picked up a new hobby recently? Or marked any career or personal milestones? If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write to us at: ❖ Class of 2016 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2017

If you’re anything like us, this time of year makes you think of the start of a new semester on the Hill. What are your plans for the fall? Are any of you venturing out of town to travel? Or marking any career milestones? If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write directly to: ❖ Class of 2017 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2018

Hey, Class of 2018! As I’m writing this column, I’ve just returned from our 5th Reunion. It was amazing to see so many of you, reconnect with old friends, and enjoy Cornell’s beautiful campus again. Thank you to all of you who came, and especially to our 2018 Reunion committee for their work planning our class events.

One of my favorite Reunion events was the Thursday night ice cream social, where I was reunited with Bavarian Raspberry Fudge and caught a glimpse of guest star Cornell President Martha Pollack! Some other highlights: the official 2018 beer pong at “Lawn Games and Chill,” the surprisingly delicious Panera breakfasts, and of course the tent parties (the forbidden thrill of a party on the Arts Quad!).

One of the most exciting things that happened during Reunion was that Kyle Pellegrino ’18 and Katie Kilbourne ’18 got engaged!

Aside from the events, I think my most memorable moments were actually the time I spent hanging out in headquarters with you all, catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in years and making some new ones.

One of the most exciting things that happened during Reunion weekend was that two of our classmates, Kyle Pellegrino and Katie Kilbourne, got engaged! Kyle proposed at Stewart Park on Thursday night, and they both enjoyed the 2018 wine tour the next day. Pro tip: If you propose at Reunion, your class’s planning committee might get so excited that they give you free tickets to the Saturday Cornelliana Night … just in case any of you want to make plans for our 10th.

If you have news from you or a friend (like an engagement maybe?), we want to hear it! Send it to me. ❖ Stephanie Yan (email Stephanie) | Alumni Directory.

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2019

Congratulations to Julia Dunetz, who recently won a Tony Award as co-producer of Parade, starring Ben Platt! From Julia’s website: “I made my Broadway debut as a co-producer on the Tony Award-nominated play Sea Wall / A Life, which was a two-time New York Times critic’s pick production and starred Jake Gyllenhaal. Additionally, I served as the associate producer on the tour of the two-time New York Times critic’s pick production of Hundred Days, following its acclaimed run at New York Theatre Workshop.

“I am currently a producer at Level Forward, the story-driven, impact-minded entertainment company. I guide the company’s theater undertakings, working with producing partners in film and television. I am developing ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ as a musical and am working on numerous other projects, including the recent Broadway production of POTUS.

“While at Cornell, I directed two full-length plays, Bad Jews and Constellations. Additionally, I was the first undergraduate producer of Cornell’s annual 10-Minute Play Festival.” ❖ Class of 2019 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2020s

2020

Michael Scott writes, “Earlier this year, I completed the Prague Half Marathon with alumni Claire Ramirez ’21, Alex Hammond ’18, and Chris Koch ’21.” The Cornellians represented our alma mater by posing for a picture with a Big Red banner after they all crossed the finish line.

Please write to us and let us know what’s new in your lives! ❖ Class of 2020 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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2021–23

Autumn greetings! Please take a moment to let us know how you spent your summer. If you have anything you’d like to share with your classmates, please submit an online news form or write directly to: ❖ Class of 2021–23 (email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12) | Alumni Directory.

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Grad

Agricultural & Life Sciences

Michelle Berry, MPS ’92, writes: “My leadership, coaching, and stress management business for visionary leaders, organizations, and corporations is thriving. I’m going back to school this fall as an Ignatian Scholar at LeMoyne College to pursue a doctoral degree in executive leadership.” Michelle is a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women and was the first recipient of the University’s Town-Gown Award for Career Excellence and Community Service. Her bestselling 2022 self-help book, Keeping Calm in Chaos: How to Work Well, Live Well, and Love Abundantly No Matter What, was launched at a conference sponsored by Virgin Pulse, where she gave the opening keynote address. In 2019, she gave a presentation on practicing mindful self-care at work at the SXSW Festival in Austin, TX. Michelle proudly shares that her son is a first-year engineering student at the same college where his father (her husband) is a professor and department chair.

Arthur Shapiro, PhD ’70, retired in July 2023 after 52 years of service at the University of California, Davis—making him the second-longest-serving faculty member in the university’s nearly 120-year history. The distinguished professor emeritus of evolution and ecology says he intends to stay active with his graduate population biology research program after he retires.

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Arts & Sciences

Marquis Bey, MA ’17, PhD ’19, began a tenure track position in African American studies, English, and gender studies at Northwestern University shortly after he completed graduate school. Marquis shares: “I thought it might be a good thing for my dear graduate alma mater to know that I recently have been tenured and promoted to full professor only four years after graduating. Anecdotally, though I don’t know how I’d confirm this, I have been told by a colleague that I’m probably the youngest full professor in the country at 30 years old.”

Maeve Kane, MA ’10, PhD ’14, an associate professor of history at SUNY Albany, recently published her debut book. In Shirts Powdered Red, released by Cornell University Press, Maeve offers a “sweeping, detailed history of three centuries of Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) women’s labor and their agency to shape their nations’ future,” according to the book’s description. In the book, Maeve examines clothing as ephemeral evidence—starting with a shirt and ending with a handmade dress—to weave a story of how the Haudenosaunee people engaged in global trade from the 16th through the 19th centuries. In presenting this collection of visual, oral, tactile, and documented pieces of history, Maeve builds the case that Haudenosaunee women were instrumental in preserving their nations’ cultural identities in the face of colonial conversion efforts of the late 1800s.

R. Allen Shoaf, MA ’75, PhD ’77, published two volumes of poetry in the last year. In 2022, he released Selected Poems 1968–2021, a collection of 270 poems ranging from his earliest work to more recent pieces. His 2023 chapbook, Call Me Queequeg, Ishmael, responds to Herman Melville’s ubiquitous novel, Moby Dick, through a series of poems that, according to the book’s description, “is sure to one day be a seminal work related to Melville’s work.”

Leslie Sponsel, MA ’73, PhD ’81, recently authored the book Yanomami in the Amazon, which was published in May 2022. All royalties received from the book, in which Leslie examines the changing political ecology of the Yanomami with an emphasis on human rights, will be donated to the nonprofit organization Survival International to support their Yanomami-related initiatives. Nowadays, Leslie gets satisfaction from his continued academic research, as well as publishing classical music. He retired from being a professor at the University of Hawaii in 2010 to spend more time publishing, but still teaches a course there every semester. Leslie’s favorite memories from Cornell? “My superb professors, the library, and the beautiful campus and surroundings.”

Thomas Wiewandt, PhD ’77, garnered several top honors in the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, administered by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group. Thomas’s book Hidden Life of the Desert: And Our Future in the Drying Southwest was a Double-Gold Winner, nabbing two of the top spots among 80 categories. The winners and finalists were honored at a June 2023 gala at the Newberry Library in Chicago, which coincided with the American Library Association’s annual conference at the same location. In May 2023, Thomas’s book also won a Silver Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the largest publishing trade association in the U.S. Part one of Hidden Life of the Desert offers seasonal profiles of animals and plants that live in the American West, which was also the basis of his film Desert Dreams: Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert. Part two, titled “Facing the Future,” challenges readers to “adopt desert thinking for desert living,” which includes more thoughtfully considering the American West’s water supply.

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Graduate School

Dubary Brea, MPA ’12, writes that after being a lifelong New Yorker, he relocated with his wife Yelissa to Alexandria, VA, in January 2023. A few months before the move, Dubary accepted a position with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority as a senior funding and control manager. He previously worked as a deputy grants program director for the NYC Department of Transportation for five years, where he led a team managing NYC’s federal transit funding.

Brian Forster, PhD ’11, a laboratory coordinator at Saint Joseph’s University, said “I do” to Kristen Chorney on May 13, 2023 in the Philadelphia area, where the couple also resides. They tied the knot surrounded by family and friends, including several Cornellians—like Jay Worley, PhD ’13, who was a member of the wedding party. Congratulations, Brian and Kristen!

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Industrial & Labor Relations

Nicholas Balatsos, MILR ’20, has joined the labor and employment law firm of Morgan, Brown & Joy as an associate. According to the Boston firm, Nicholas “will work closely with firm partners to assist Fortune 100 corporations, educational and healthcare institutions, public sector employers, and small businesses across New England with a wide range of labor and employment matters.” Nicholas assists his clients with a range of employer-employee relationship matters—negotiations, contracts, and disciplinary issues, to name a few. He’s previously held both public- and private-sector positions specializing in labor and employment, including as a hearing officer for the Department of Labor Relations within the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

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Johnson Graduate School of Management

Diane Letourneau Ruffo, MBA ’93, wrote in with some exciting news about her husband, Richard Ruffo, MBA ’93: “We attended our Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management 30th Reunion this past weekend. My husband scored a hole-in-one on hole #17 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course! He was thrilled to celebrate with our classmates!” Among the Cornellians to witness this feat were Mark Clauss ’92, MBA ’93, and Tim McGurkin, MBA ’93.

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Top image: Photo by Jason Koski / Cornell University

Published September 1, 2023