Notes from the Cornell Class of 1991 - 2004 November/December

Class Notes, 2004 November/December

November/December 2004

First off, I want to thank everyone for getting news to us. The only class activity that is slowing down is marriage announcements, which makes sense since we are all rapidly hurtling toward that magical time known as our 40s. There, I said it. "Face your fears," my doctor says ...

I always like to start with birth announcements since there is never a shortage of those with our class. For my part, I now have three daughters--the Cornell classes of '18, '20, and '22--as my wife Cindy and I welcomed Peyton Grace into our family on Father's Day, June 20, 2004. I thought I was just going to get a tie or some socks. Oldest daughter Carson is thrilled. Middle sister Quinn is unimpressed. Ellen Greenberg Zuniga writes that her family expanded on March 8, 2004 with the birth of Anna Alicia. Ellen remains with Procter and Gamble and recently attended the wedding of Cristy Boccuti in Washington, DC. She tells us that Cristy lived in the room above her in U-Hall 3--no matter what Cornell wants us to call them, they will always be U-Halls to us--and would stomp on the floor to call her to dinner at Noyes.

Heather Atwood Forrest and husband Richard '89 announce the birth of their first child, Haninah Grace. Cavarly Berwick Garrett gave birth on December 21, 2003. She says that second daughter Brynn Brooks is the happiest baby ever. Also, while on her maternity leave, her business unit was sold to Invesco and her family sold their apartment of eight years. She is currently living with in-laws while searching for a new home on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Post-partum, newborn baby, job changes, moving, living with in-laws--no stressors there. Treat yourself to a spa, if you haven't already. You've earned it.

Anna Doyno Tague announces the arrival of baby Nicole on January 5, 2004, joining siblings Caroline, Timothy, and Bridget. Poor Timothy is woefully outnumbered. Amy Spivak Itzla has daughter Emma, who is a little over 1 year old now. Amy says that she has a labor arbitration practice in its third year, proving that there are practical applications to an ILR degree. Lastly, Jennifer Nerissa Davis writes of the birth of her son Berend Klaus in January 2003. She has also changed careers, starting her own chocolate- making business. Sample her creations through www.samakichocolates.com.

In professional news and notes, Steve Kalik, BS '94, PhD '03, finished his PhD in neuroscience. He was invited to the Neuromorphic Engineering Workshop in Telluride, CO, and is now the senior research scientist at the Toyota Basic Research Group. Honestly, I have no idea what neuromorphic engineering is, but I am glad there are people who do. I think. Doug Dubiel is now VP, Wealth Management Advisor, at Merrill Lynch. Wendy Fuhr reports that she and husband Eric Allen were married in June 2002. She is in a medical practice, but her true passion is touring with her band, Full Frontal Folk, whenever time allows. The group recently released its second CD, was featured on WVBR's "Bound for Glory," and is under consideration for an appearance on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion." Just for fun, everyone go to your local music store and say, "I want Full Frontal Folk," and see what happens.

Chris Milazzo and his wife just moved to New Zealand, where Chris will be doing research on cartilage repair to complete work on his PhD. Stephen Schwartz recently became medical director of the Bascom Palmer Eye Inst. of Naples (FL) and assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at the U. of Miami. Rachael Przybyla tells us that she decided to retire from the rigors of private practice as an ob/gyn when her daughter Sloane turned 2. Before retiring, Rachael says she had the honor of delivering Tara, the daughter of fellow Cornellian Traci Nagle '88.

Jeff Lamontagne has moved back to his home state of Colorado after being on the East Coast since his Cornell graduation. He lives in Denver with wife Suzanne McClung, MS '92, and their two children. Jeff had been an environmental consultant/attorney for nine years, but decided to found and become the executive director of a new nonprofit teen suicide prevention program. Jeff says there's nothing like taking a massive pay cut and reducing one's job security to re-awaken the senses. Jeff sees Mindi O'Halloran Weinstein '92 every now and then, and he expects visits from Bill Munze and Pat Chang as well. Christine Anderson Perkins says she is having fun as the director of a small rural public library in the state ofWashington. The DaVinci Code keeps flying off the shelves there and she says she would even recommend it to a 70-year-old Irish Catholic nun. She wants any other Cornellians in the NW Washington area to speak up.

In other news and sightings, Suzanne Schafer Skalski reports that she and her husband try to get together frequently with Denise Law Russell, Ariane Schrieber Horn, JD '96, and Liza Jones Hards. Suzanne and her husband recently bought a house in Morris Plains, NJ, and are enjoying life there with 1-1/2-year-old daughter Sarah. Samir Khanjar and wife Kathy (Duffy) recently held their fourth annual Cornell mini-reunion. In attendance were Mike and Joan Kochan Schade, Stephanie and Russ MacAdam, ME '92, Joe Riordan, ME '92, and his wife Beth Livolsi '92, Lee Hachadoorian and wife Kim Keirnan '92, as well as Drew Galligan and Karen Schmeidler Sagor and their spouses! Also at the reunion were Jen Hillman '92, ME '93, Gary Wojcik, and Paula Burdett Rusu, MBA '94.With children and pets, the final tally was 29 people and three dogs. Samir says that it brought back memories of cramming 16 people into two hotel rooms on all those great hockey road trips.

That's all for now. Remind your classmates to pay class dues and subscribe to the magazine so Nina, Corinne, and I can include as much news as possible. Until next time, take care and keep the news coming. *Dave Smith, docds30@yahoo.com; Corinne Kuchling, kuccori@hotmail.com; Nina Rosen Peek, nsr5@cornell.edu.