Sep/Oct 1999

Thanks to all who continue to send news, via our Web page at www.classof97.cornell.edu or the update postcards, and to those who have supported the class and our alma mater by giving to our class gift and paying class dues.

After finishing her first year at Cornell Law, Melanie A. Chieu, MPA '98, (mac14@cornell.edu) noted that 24-hour access to Myron Taylor Hall's library is not something she views as a blessing now that her undergrad days are done. Also on campus, Alicia Bailon-Plaza (ab40@cornell.edu) is completing graduate work in biomechanical engineering. Sarah E. Kron spent 1998 in Ithaca as an Americorps volunteer working with the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District; she moved to Maine in October 1998 to start a position as a soil scientist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Rachel M. Laveman continues her studies at Fordham law school and provided several updates in late 1998. Nikki E. Arvanites and Kim F. Kilpatrick were living together in New Jersey; Rikki P. Lober was a law student at Vanderbilt; Stu Bagatell was teaching junior high biology in Florida; Sharon M. Flicker was in New Mexico working toward a PhD in psychology; Aviva J. Halpern, who planned to apply to law school, moved in with Robyn G. Altman in NYC.

December grad Ryan Zimmerman, BS Eng '98, (rzimmer3@csc.com) started working for CSC in May 1998 as a technical consultant. As of November 1998, Ryan was living in East Hanover, NJ, and was hoping to move to London for a year before searching for a job in Los Angeles. Ryan kept up with Ari Chopra, Barry Jonas, Bob Nahmias, and Blair Jenness, BS Eng '98. Dave Raksin (draksin@hotmail.com), a health-care investment banking analyst with Prudential Securities in New York City, wrote that Christopher Strebel spent a year in Cape Town, South Africa, and then moved to NYC, where he worked as a paralegal, while Jen W. Soong '98 worked for Redbook magazine. Rajen Shah (rajen.a.shah@ac.com) worked for a couple financial services companies before serving as a process consultant with Andersen; he's worked on projects with Patrick J. "Pat" Newman '96. Amy B. Silino (asilini@LZAGroup.com) moved to New York after a year as a strategic facilities planner for the Hillier Group, an architectural firm in Princeton, NJ. In December 1998, Amy was "fully invigorated" by New York's charms, working for Thorton-Tomasetti/Engineers and living with Rachel I. Resnick and Alison E. Munsell.

Congrats to Darael A. Mahoney, who won a grant from NYC-based Echoing Green Foundation, a philanthropic organization that applies a venture capital approach to grass-roots social change projects. Darael, a HumEc grad, and a colleague will use the $90,000 grant over the next two years to work to foster sustainable access to basic resources for a small, rural community in the Dominican Republic. Zsofia Leranth (Leranth@marriott.hu) continues to enjoy her work in Hungary and has made a lot of good friends. Song Hee Volk's (rai16@hotmail.com) dad wrote that she interned with the vice-minister of Shanghai while a grad student in an international relations program at Ewha U. in Seoul, Korea. Following her May 1999 graduation, she planned to study international law. Meanwhile, Alan Yeung, BA '96, (ay16@cornell.edu) intended to spend fall 1998 on an exchange program with Hong Kong U. to kick off his last year of law school at the U. of British Columbia.

Jose Bravo, BS Ag '98, (jab22@cornell.edu) is a second-year med student and proud to be a Cornell grad. Toby Emo (tse2@cornell.edu) worked in Nunda, NY, for a mixed animal practice veterinarian and prepared for vet school by taking classes and doing research. Ann E. Marimow (amarimow@cmonitor.com) continues to pursue a career in journalism, as she moved from Washington, DC's Congressional Quarterly to the Concord Monitor, a daily newspaper in Concord, NH. Karyn I. Tremper completed a year-long master's program in conservation biology at the U. of Kent in Canterbury, England, in 1998. Deepa S. Isac (disac@emory.edu) has one year of law school under her belt at Emory U.

After working in Cincinnati as a zookeeper, Deborah L. Smith (babyd_97@hotmail.com) moved to Jacksonville, FL, and accepted a position as a zookeeper in the aviculture department of the Jacksonville Zoo. She's happy to be settled for a while and is enjoying the northern Florida weather. After finishing her first year of grad school at the U. of Rochester, Susannah Elwyn (elwyn@arizona.edu) moved to Tucson (as did two of her professors from Rochester and their labs) to continue her PhD studies in evolutionary biology. She wrote that Rob "Gavin" Houtman '98 moved to Phoenix, and they are both enjoying the climate. Kim Mashak Tudahl Messeri, MMH '97 (kmashak@hotmail.com) married Ron Messeri in November 1998. She moved from San Antonio, TX, where she worked as a market analyst at La Quinta Inns Inc. corporate headquarters, to Austin, TX.

Prior to starting as a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch in New York, Michael A. Davis, BS Ag '98, (7mad@email.msn.com) and nearly 60 other fraternity brothers from Pi Kappa Phi chapters nationwide cycled from the Golden Gate Bridge to the steps of the Capitol to raise awareness and funding for the needs of the disabled. Michael was the event's top fundraiser; combined efforts yielded $300,000. Alex Manolopoulos, who works in the financial services industry, said in December 1998 that the '97 Delta Upsilon class hasn't done a great job of keeping in touch. Nonetheless, Alex caught up with Seth Payne and Brian and Brandon Opre for a boating run near Shaquille O'Neal's Orlando home. The friends discussed Seth's transition to celebrity as a Jax Jaquar, which has included "newfound relationships with models and his status as a Jacksonville superstar."

Sandra J. Smith (sjs20@cornell.edu) has traveled to England and Paris since graduating; she's working as a self-employed contract technical recruiter and relocated to Annapolis, MD. Sandra has kept in touch with Joey Oh, Tara L. McCormick, and Jubie Adrienne. Sam Simpson and Marci D. Goldstein are second-year law students at George Washington law school in Washington, DC. Robin H. Yates also attended Homecoming last year and added that she sees a lot of Cornellians as she completes med school at the U. of Buffalo. She's active with the local Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN) chapter and planned to travel to Europe with Jennifer M. Mattucci this summer. Angela S. Ledgerwood (angeledge@yahoo.com) summarized Homecoming '98 best: "At Homecoming I saw half the world it seemed, including Rob Seld '96, C. K. "Tick" Ahearn '96." Living outside of Philadelphia with Brian W. Davis '93 and Eliza S. Barton '96 and working as an environmental scientist for ATC Associates in Burlington, NJ, Angela has seen other alums at local Cornell Club events. She wrote that she " . . . [hasn't] done much since graduation . . . Called off an engagement, moved 1,000 miles, switched career fields, took up martial arts, turned my life upside down."

E-mail addresses from folks who didn't share news: Leslie S. Kim, St. Louis, MO, lsk1@gubmail.wustl.edu; Ben Norwood, NYC, (bnorwood@law.columbia.edu); Felicia R. Stein, NYC, (feliciarstei@earthlink.net); Sarah M. Vareschi, Brighton, MA, (sarah.vareschi@nypro.com); Alice C. Goh, NYC, (alice.goh@gs.com); Ben Funk, Columbia, SC, (funkb@black.cla.sc.edu); Yvette K. Hau, NYC, (yvette_hau@hotmail.com); Jill A. Morganstern, NYC, (jamorgan@mail.med.cornell.edu); Jacob Mohlman, Amherst, NY, (jake1661@prodigy.net).

Bethany A. Murray writes: "I am participating in Team in Training this summer (last summer of freedom before third year of vet school at Tufts U.). This is a program that raises money for the Leukemia Society of America while preparing individuals (like me) to complete a marathon (Dublin Marathon, in my case). I need to raise $3,500 by October 25, which is the day of the race. Anyone wishing to donate, please send a check payable to the Leukemia Society of America to 1807 Wyckwood Ct., Wilmington, DE 19803. Thanks a lot! If you want more information, e-mail me at bmurray@opal.tufts.edu."

I do my best to fill the column with accurate and up-to-date news. If you've got an update or a change to what you find in a column, I encourage you to send it in ASAP. Thanks!--Erica Broennle, 2360 Scottsville Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22902; e-mail, ejb4@cornell.edu.