Notes from the Cornell Class of 1991 - 2007 January/February

Class Notes, 2007 January/February

January/February 2007

As we bid adieu to the former class officers, we welcome in our new slate as follows: President: Bob Baca; Vice President: Paul Hayre; Membership Chair: Nina Rosen Peek, MRP '00; Treasurer: Zina Spezakis; Secretary: Wendy Milks; Class Correspondents: Ariane Schreiber Horn, JD '96, Kathy Kraus Bolks, and Shar Carter Heslam; Cornell Annual Fund Reps: Meredith Clark Shachoy, Andrew Stifel, Nicole Bisagni Del Toro, and Karen Paul Zimmer, MD '98; Webmaster: David H. Nguyen; Reunion Co-Chairs: Dorine Colabella Scher and Jeff Weintraub, MD '95; and Class Council Members: Jeannette Perez-Rossello, Stephen Lo, and Chuck Taylor.

In June 2006, Joanne Kaufman accepted a position an as assistant professor in the Dept. of Sociology at U. at Albany. Joanne reports that she recently visited Monica Van Every in Lansing, NY. Kathleen Dunn is also at U. at Albany, as an assistant professor of nanoscale science and engineering. When not nanosciencing, Kathleen enjoys playing volleyball, piano, and guitar (though not at the same time). Jim Hanson, PhD '00, writes from Terre Haute, IN, where he is assistant professor of civil engineering at Rose-Hulman Inst. of Technology. Jim recently received two national teaching awards, one from the American Concrete Inst., and the other from the American Society for Engineering Education. Jim and his wife Diane (Ellis) have two children and recently ran "the world's largest mini-marathon."

Jason Chandler writes from Coral Gables, FL, where he lives with wife Susan and their daughters Ava and Eliza. In addition to running his own architecture firm, Chandler and Assoc. Architecture, Jason is an assistant professor at the School of Architecture at Florida Int'l U. David Berman teaches English as a Second Language to sixth through ninth graders at JHS 157, Halsey Middle School in Rego Park, Queens. David's students come from five continents and speak 30 different languages. David and his wife Diane met through their mutual enjoyment of Israeli folk dancing and currently live in Kew Gardens, NY, with their children Ilan and Aaron. Kimberly Mansell Koness is currently a lecturer at the U. of Rhode Island. Kimberly and husband R. James live in Providence, RI, with their 1-year-old daughter.

Debi Epstein Fried writes that she recently married Marc, MBA '94, and had daughter Sasha Chaley on August 20, 2005. The New York Times reported the wedding of Joshua Levine and Jacy Young. Josh is a partner at Dongell Lawrence Finney Claypool, a law firm in Los Angeles. Erika Ackermann Duffy and her husband Matthew reported the birth of their son Jonathan Tuckerman in May 2005. The Duffys live in Reading, MA, where Ericka works as a school social worker. Kimberly Moy and her husband Doug Fambrough announced the arrival of their daughter Ramsey, whom they adopted from China. Olen Honeyman and Carla Heiss announced the birth of their second son, Alex, in July 2005. Alex joins brother Maxwell, 7. Laura Hubbert DiCarlo and husband David, PhD '94, live in Oxford, MS, where Laura is a stay-at-home mom raising three sons. In her free time, Laura volunteers with the local Meals on Wheels program and various other school-related activities. Kate Pierson Lundin and her husband Steve announced the May 2006 birth of their son Gunnar Alexander. The Lundins live in New York City.

Lauren Schmerl writes from NYC, where she is a clinical psychologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital and in private practice. Lia Belanger Book, DVM '95, reports that she and husband Glenn, DVM '95, live in Elizabethtown, PA, where she is a veterinarian/owner of Londonberry Animal Hospital. Lia and Glenn are raising children Miles and Avery and also some sheep. Debra McMahon Williams recently went back to school for a graduate degree in psychology with a concentration in learning and development. Debra and husband Christopher live in New Haven, CT.

Amy Spivak Itzla is working as an arbitrator, mediator, fact-finder, and professional in private practice. Amy and husband Robert live in Briarcliff Manor, NY, and have children Emma and Andrew. Kimberly Epstein is an attorney at Bartlett Hackett Feinberg PC. Kimberly also sits on the board of directors of Women's Lunch Place, a daytime shelter for poor and homeless women. Zina Spezakis is the managing director and COO of Allianz Global Investors in NYC. Susan Lipetz is director of compensation at Siemens Corp. She reported on her recent wedding to Stephen Brown, which took place in Southampton, Bermuda, in June 2006.

News from Howie Stein, who lived in my dorm freshman year! Howie is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati and expects to be ordained in May 2009. Before starting at HUC, Howie spent two years at the Jewish Communal Service program at Brandeis and then lived in Jerusalem for his first year at HUC. Howie married Debbie Swartz in June 2006. Congratulations, Howie! Maj. Jennifer Caci writes from Leavenworth, KS, where she is in the US Army Medical Service Corps. Jennifer was previously a student at Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, and then joined the staff of the 82nd Airborne Division, which was deployed to Afghanistan in June.

I am capping my pen and hereby delivering my last column as your class correspondent. I'm happy to report it's been mostly good news, and it's been a fun ride. To all of you who have shared your news, thank you and good night! *Nina Rosen Peek, nsr5@cornell.edu. New correspondents: Ariane Schreiber Horn, ams14@cornell.edu; Kathy Kraus Bolks, klk22@cornell.edu; and Shar Carter Heslam, sheslam@berkshirepartners.com.