2. Matthew French and Alison Torrillo French

Every few weeks, Cornell '95 Faces features a profile of our class officers. This week, meet the Class President and Vice President. 

Vienna, Virginia · Engineering and Agriculture and Life Sciences

mr.matthew.french@gmail.com
amt7@cornell.edu

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.We currently live in suburban Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC. Our daughter Sarah was born in January 2011 and our son Ben in October 2012. 

After Cornell graduation, Alison lived in NYC for a while doing some hospitality consulting, then moved to DC to work for a nonprofit. After 5 years, she went to work in marketing at American University, got her MBA, got married to Matt (not in that order), and went into consulting. In January 2014, she started up her own consulting company, Alto Solutions, LLC, which helps organizations and their people manage through change, improve their leadership and communications and build strong teams. Being an entrepreneur has truly been a breath of fresh air and has allowed her to do the work she loves while achieving balance and flexibility. When she's not working or spending time with her family, she is privileged to serve as the President of the great Class of 1995! 

By day, Matt is Assistant Director at the University of Southern California’s applied research lab called Information Sciences Institute, which oddly, has a campus in Arlington, Virginia. He has the privilege to lead a great team of researchers in the embedded computing area. By nights and weekends, he's Dad to two high-energy kids. And of course, there’s being a husband to a certain President of the class…

What are your duties as class officer and what have you enjoyed about the job?
Matt:
The Vice President is one of the more malleable roles and has generally been in charge of ‘special projects.’ The special project that I’ve enjoyed the most was to lead the development of our Class Council. While we have a great set of Class Officers, we wanted to expand our outreach to be more comprehensive and representative of the class. The Class Council is a great way for us to not only have extra helpers for the officers, but also serves as a great way to train future officers or retain previous officers as advisors. I have been really impressed with the people that have volunteered for council. They have really extended the class’s capabilities and brought a lot of new energy, enthusiasm, and great ideas.

Alison:
I have served as a class officer since our senior year at Cornell. One of my fond early memories, which helped set my path as a volunteer leader, was getting on a bus at oh-dark-thirty  from Ithaca to New York City for what was then the CACO (Cornell Association of Class Officers, now CALC) annual meeting. Here, our officers were joined at our lunch table by former President Frank H.T. Rhodes, who encouraged us to dream those bigger dreams by giving back through alumni service. After three terms (15 years!) as Class Correspondent, wherein I connected with and learned so much about so many of our classmates, taking on the role of President these past 5 years seemed the logical next step. In this capacity, I lead a phenomenal team of 9 other officers and 14 Council members, supporting all of our class activities, from dues payer recognition to fundraising to managing our budget to communicating via our website, listserv, Facebook page, class column, and this blog to planning for our 20th Reunion. It's been a fantastic journey and I can't wait to see the fruits of these efforts on the Hill in just a few weeks! 

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?

Matt: 
Can I cheat and say The Big Red Marching Band? It was after all a gym class! Seriously though, while the Engineering courses I took were all of excellent level, Band allowed me to meet a ton of great people on Day 1, learn the ropes at Cornell, get advice from upper classmen in my major that I normally wouldn’t have met, and provide opportunities for leadership.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Alison:
It's incredibly difficult to pinpoint just one. A few that come to mind are: performing with the Cornell University Chorus and its a cappella subset, After Eight - in particular, arch sings and the time we serenaded Frank and Rosa Rhodes during Trustee weekend; shooting a Cinderella-meets-the Godfather spoof in multiple parts of campus as part of a Comms video production class; wine touring during senior week; and all the wonderful friends made along the journey.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?

Matt:
 If I were to be starting Cornell today, on the surface my experience would be completely different – they remade West Campus, renovated Phillips and Duffield Hall, heck even the Marching Band has a new building. But what doesn’t change at Cornell is the excellent all-around education they provide – and it’s not just the classes but the opportunities to be involved in so many high quality extracurriculars. Make sure to graduate taking advantage of these and becoming a well rounded person.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
Alison:
While on our honeymoon in Positano, Italy, in July 2003, Matt and I ran into classmate Azfar Hashmi at an ATM! I hadn't seen him since we both lived in Manhattan in the mid-90s. He and his wife were also honeymooning, and it happened to be the one night none of us had plans, so we all had a lovely dinner together and caught up on old times.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Alison:
It's so exciting to me that our 20th Reunion (holy cow, is it really our 20th?!) coincides with Cornell's Sesquicentennial. It makes me feel like we are really part of something big and important. I often think back to how we "graduated" with President Rhodes in 1995, and now our Reunion occurring the year our alma mater turns 150 is another pretty neat milestone. And, of course, I am also looking forward to catching up with old friends...and maybe even making some new ones!

6. Leah Berkery

Several of the alums featured between now and reunion were degree marshals for their respective colleges during our commencement ceremony in May 1995, an honor awarded to the two students in each college with the highest GPA.

Albany, New York · Agriculture and Life Sciences

Leah.Berkery@sphp.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/leah.berkery

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.

I work as a physician at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY.  I am a hospitalist, which means I exclusively take care of patients when they are admitted to the hospital.  It is a relatively new medical specialty, and it has been exciting to be in such a challenging and quickly-changing field.  I am also the President of the Albany Area Chapter of the Society of Hospital Medicine, our national organization.

I decided to take on a new challenge last November by participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  I actually had not written any fiction since high school, but I was able to write a 57,000 word first draft of a novel within a thirty-day period.

I love to travel, and am about to go on my 22nd cruise!  I also enjoy Zumba classes, and I have been licensed as a Zumba instructor for three years.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?

The most useful class I took was one that was outside of my major (Biology), but which has proved essential to my career—Scientific Writing for Public Information.  The course taught me how to take technical scientific jargon and translate it into something that people without a scientific background can understand.  Every day in the hospital, I have to explain complex medical issues to patients with no medical background.  It is vital for me to be able to communicate that information in such a way that they fully comprehend their conditions and their treatment options.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would encourage new students to take some courses in areas outside of their main fields of study—courses which have little bearing on their future career, but which are just interesting or unusual. This is your chance to explore and learn about new things! I was a biology major, but I was also able to take a year of French, a semester of Archeology, and (of course!) a semester on Wines.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
I cannot wait to re-connect with old friends from both Cornell undergrad and Cornell Med in New York City, which I attended for med school—a fair number of my Cornell Med classmates went to Cornell as undergrads as well.  I am looking forward to seeing campus again and doing some sightseeing in the Ithaca area.  I am also hoping I’ll be able to do some shopping at Wegmans!

10. Stephen Przynosch

Toledo, Ohio · Agriculture and Life Sciences

sprzynosch@hotmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
After graduating from Cornell I went to medical school in my

hometown of Buffalo, NY along with several other Cornellians. Residency in Family Medicine took me to Toledo, OH where I also met my wife, Tammy.  We married in 2004 and were blessed with our daughter, Isabella, a few years later. Professionally, I am in a private Family Medicine practice with four other physicians. One day a week I split my time between precepting Family Medicine Residents in their clinic and also working as an Associate Medical Director of our Health System's Health Insurance Company (ProMedica Health System and Paramount HealthCare, respectively). Outside of work, I am active with our church and Isabella's school.  We just enjoyed our annual Father-Daughter Dance!


Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?

Toshiki Matsui - we go way back.  We first met in 2nd grade and have been friends ever since. Even after our time at Cornell, while I was in medical school in Buffalo, he was in grad school in Buffalo and we were roommates until dental school took him to Washington, DC.  I also have kept in touch with Stephen Koster over the years. Both Toshiki and Stephen live in the DC area and I have been able to visit both on various occasions over the years. I also hear from Stephen McKee every once in a while.

    How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?

No doubt about it, Cornell opens doors.  It also helped me grow as a leader. Having been in leadership roles with the Cornell National Scholars and the CALS honor society (Ho-Nun-De-Kah), I felt confident tackling leadership roles in my career as well. I went on to be the Chief Resident at my training program. Later in my practice I became our Lead Physician as we are part of a larger Health System. Most recently, I have served as the Vice Chair of the Family Medicine Department at Toledo Children's Hospital.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
I was active in the Cornell National Scholars. I got involved in its Mentoring program as a Freshman and ultimately came to be the Mentoring chair for a few years. A group of us would head to a local Middle School twice a week in the late afternoon to help at-risk students with homework and also to mentor them so they could reach their full potential...like a "Big Brother/Big Sister program. They loved when we would take them to dinner in the campus dining halls. I worked with the same young man for a few years...truly an eye opening experience.

18. Scott Lajoie

Mashpee, Massachusetts (Cape Cod) · Agriculture and Life Sciences

scottlajoie@hotmail.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ScottMLajoie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.lajoie.1


Tell us about what you're doing with your life.I live and work on Cape Cod with my wife of nearly 10 years, Wendy, and three children, Willow, 7, Miles, 5, and Sawyer, 1. After a career in magazines, in which I worked for publications as disparate as Forbes magazine in the Bay Area during the dot-com boom and Cape Cod Magazine, I now write and edit for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, a global non-profit located here on Cape Cod. I do some freelance articles from time to time for some local publications, from the Boston Globe to the Cape Cod Times, and I tutor local students to prepare for the SATs. I am on the board of the Cornell Club of Cape Cod and the Class of 1995 Council. I have for years participated in CAAAN as well.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with? 
I keep in touch with former roommates Steve Miller, Dean Bowles, Steve Paul, and Jen (Pierson) Logan, as well as Dave Grubman, Mith Niles, and a slew of Big Red Band and Cornell Daily Sun friends.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated? 
Any time I put a lot of effort into an endeavor, I am reminded how it pales in comparison the hard work I put into everything I did at Cornell.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful? 
The Cornell Daily Sun was definitely that for me. I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't had that learning experience. It's as if my career started three years sooner.

21. Stephen Church

San Salvador, El Salvador · Agriculture and Life Sciences

schurch32@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
After graduating from Cornell, I joined the Peace Corps and served as a Volunteer in southern Ecuador. I met my wife Katy there, and we married towards the end of my service. After Peace Corps, we came to the US so I could work on a master's degree in development economics. In 2001, our son Joshua was born, and soon after we moved to Washington, DC, where I worked for an international development organization for two years before heading back to Ecuador. By the time Joshua was in kindergarten, we thought it was time to lay down some roots somewhere in the US, and we settled (at least temporarily) in Tampa, Florida, where I worked in international education for seven years. Eventually the travel itch came back, and we are overseas again with Peace Corps, but this time in El Salvador where I am Director of Programming and Training.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
I have lots of great memories from my time at Cornell, but my favorite comes from the night before graduation. Holland Foote and I were spending one last night with friends at the Royal Palm Tavern, and we had heard that it was tradition to sing the alma mater sometime before closing. Last call came and went but no alma mater, so when the lights came on and the bouncers started herding people out, we began to sing (shout?) the alma mater, and before we got to "waves of blue," the whole place was singing. It still gives me goosebumps!

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
When I arrived in Ecuador for training as a Peace Corps Volunteer, I met Jenny Weisent, a fellow Cornellian from the CALS Class of 1995. Despite studying in the same college for all four years and having quite a few friends in common, we had never met! Sometimes the world can be a strange place...

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
Cornell has always been a part of my life. My parents both went to Cornell, my father spend much of his career there, and my sisters both went there, too. But being an alumnus of Cornell doesn't just give me another connection to my family, it connects me to a much bigger family that has made and continues to make so many positive contributions to the world. Go Big Red!

33. Kevin Yelenik

Stavanger, Norway · Agriculture and Life Sciences

kyelenik@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.yelenik

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am a father of two wonderful boys soon to be 8 and 5. It leaves

me once-in-a-while proud, usually humbled, constantly learning and amazed, but mostly quite tired. I lucked out and found the most beautiful life-partner I could ever have dreamed of. She did drag me to Norway to grow old though, and things are really hard here with the world's highest quality of life. I teach Physics at the International School, and this is very fun. It doesn't have much to do with what I studied at Cornell, but neither have most of my other strange teaching and engineering jobs I've had. In my spare time I enjoy hiking, fishing, camping, skiing of all kinds, snowboarding, traveling, collecting music, and lately attempting to play the guitar again. Nathalia thinks I am having a mid-life crisis with this hobby, but I plan to be a rock star by 50.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Cornell taught me how to work hard, how to start thinking deeply and critically, and certainly how it feels to be humbled. It prepared me well for my MS from another CU - Colorado, Boulder, and thus for my careers in both engineering and teaching. 

Cornell also taught me how to be more independent and more mature. I think I grew up a lot in those years; they left me with a sort of heady, mystical once-in-a-lifetime experience that could never be relived. 

Cornell also taught me how to speed-walk/wheeze/sweat my way up hills when late to classes.  

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Being surrounded by a truly spectacular academic atmosphere, living in the coolest little city ever, hanging out with friends at places like the Chapter House, swimming in the waterfalls, exploring the nature, seeing lots of live music, and chilling out on our terrace on East Seneca St.  

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
It means that I spent a good part of four years wandering around a beautiful campus and town filled with lots of intelligent, interesting, and creative people - and I tried to learn stuff from them.  

36. Carla Bravo

Dallas, Texas · Agriculture and Life Sciences

carlamariabravo@gmail.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carlamariabravo


Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am a wife and mother of two little girls—2 and 3 years old. We live in Dallas, Texas, and I work for Lucchese, bootmakers since 1883, in an operations role. I love my job, love Texas, and plan to make this our permanent home.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Wines! Wasn't that everyone's favorite?

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Friends, spending hours at the cafeteria for dinner, slope days. How tough it was but at the same time rewarding and enriching. Wouldn't change it for the world, Cornell is a place that will always be special to me.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Work and play hard, don't lose perspective of why you're there. You are surrounded by talented people, however don't be intimidated, you are as smart and talented as everyone else. Make the most of this stimulating environment, won't always be like that once you leave Cornell.

38. Njemile Davis and Surayya Diggs

To celebrate the beginning of the school year, this week we're running a special profile of a member of the class of 1995 and her daughter, a member of the class of 2017! 

New York City and Ithaca, New York · Human Ecology and Agriculture and Life Sciences 

njemiledavis@yahoo.com
Twitter:   www.twitter.com/cutiepahtootie
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/njemile.davis

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Njemile:
I'm currently working at a national social justice organization, supporting fair and affordable housing programs in 32 cities across the country. Now that Surayya's at Cornell, I'm finding a little more time to both indulge my interests and explore some new ones including sewing

Tell us about your experience at Cornell
Surayya:
Cornell was definitely tough at first, but now I love it. And actually miss it after only being away for 3 weeks [in June]. Cornell is an amazing place and I am so excited to be attending my mother's alma mater.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Njemile:
I have so many fond memories of my time at Cornell! My favorite is walking through the arts quad for the first time. It was night so hardly anyone was out except my host and I. The trees were beautifully canopied, the lights twinkling and a divine hush had surrounded us. I never considered another school after that! I was head over heels in love.

What has been your favorite class so far?
Surayya:
Definitely my first year writing seminar in the Africana department. The class is titled Terror in Black Memoir and we were able to read and discuss the titles 12 Years a Slave, The Black Notebooks by Toi Derricott, The Fire Next Time, and excerpts from Audre Lorde's work. This class was the first class I had ever had taught by a black female teacher. In my whole life. And it definitely shaped the direction of our discussions. It is probably also one of the most diverse groups of students on campus in terms of race.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Njemile:
I've been able to keep in touch and reconnect with soo many 95'rs thanks to Facebook. I've also been able to spend quality time with Danetria Craig, Hugh LaRoche, Avery Seawright, Kevin Minter, Davenel Denis, Janelle Green, Kentayahnee Murray, Lauren Davidson, Tamara Webb, Thais Jimenez, Denise Anderson, Vicki Meyers, Donna Holder, Roy Clovis, Frantz Cayo, Jabari and Anika Osaze, Jonel Daphnis, Rich Medina and Baye Adolfo Wilson... and more... all of whom I can wholeheartedly say are doing it well! Our network gets bigger and stronger every year, so I'm hoping everyone will come to reunion!

Do you participate in any extracurricular activities or clubs on campus?
Surayya:
Yes. I am the logistics chair of the Women of Color Coalition, where my responsibility is providing direction for the organization and keeping everyone on task. I am also the political chair for Black Students United. For the upcoming year I plan on producing a video PSA on the Africana library and how it is so decentralized from campus. This will be a small step in my bigger goal (or rather dream) of having a new Africana library built in a more central part of campus. I also work for the Public Service Center - last fall I tutored high school students.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Njemile:
It was a privilege to be a founding member of Pamajoa Ni gospel ensemble and I'm thrilled that it continues to this day.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this fall?
Surayya:
Definitely have patience and reflect a lot. And don't hesitate to ask for help (academically or emotionally) when you need it. Also take any and every opportunity that comes your way! You never know where it may lead or what doors it might open. Also apply and starting looking for internships in the beginning of spring semester, don't wait to the last minute. I found my internship in China in March and I am having an amazing experience.

What are you most looking forward to during your sophomore year?
Surayya:
I am most interested in growing more as a student and a community member. I am excited to do great work for the women of color coalition and BSU.

43. Amy Hunt Coslik

Forth Worth, Texas · Agriculture and Life Sciences

Name at Cornell
Amy Suzanne Hunt

acoslik@fortworthzoo.org

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I love spending time with my family... my husband, Erik, two daughters, Lucy, 4, and Mia,1, and our animals.  We have many pets, including 6 horses and a donkey.

I have worked as a Nutritionist/Lab technician at the Fort Worth Zoo for 15 years.  The last five years I have worked part time in order to spend more time with my family.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Animal Nutrition 212 taught by Dr. Alan Bell.  This class is the reason I became interested in zoo nutrition as a field and why I have the career I do today.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Get to know your teachers and the graduate students in your department - there are amazing people learning and working at Cornell!

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
An incredible network of friends and colleagues.  I was Social Director and President of  the Cornell Alumni Association of North Texas for several years and was fortunate to meet and socialize with many, many wonderful people.

44. Sanjoy Biswas

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Agriculture and Life Sciences

sanjoy73@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sanjoy73

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.

Been in Philadelphia since graduation and have worked in various roles at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals since 1997. Currently I'm an internal auditor for the company and am responsible for evaluating risks throughout our R&D organization. One of the perks of the job is being able to globetrot to our many facilities around the world. 

Extracurricular-wise I've been very active in the local music scene promoting North Indian Classical music thru a non-profit that I've run since 2006. Last year I helped organize the Raga Samay Festival showcasing 24 hours of Indian Classical music, which hasn't been done in the past 30-some-odd years in North America.

I've recently become a shutterbug since the birth of my son Anikh, who keeps my wife Mita, and I very busy and always laughing. We're currently getting him to learn how to sing "Eye of the Tiger" before he starts pre-school in the Fall.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Hands down, for me it was Cell Biology Lab. Taught me enough molecular biology skills to hit the ground running as soon as I started graduate school. That in turn translated into my first research job in the Dept. of Microbiology at what was then SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. I continue to be employed by the industry (and hopefully for some time to come!) and have that lab course to thank for getting my foot in the door.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Join a club, organization, or activity on campus that reflects something you're passionate or just want to learn more about. It may very well become an oasis for you when the academic stress is kicking into high gear! You'll form valuable relationships, carry unique experiences, and have something more to show on your resume. And speaking of resumes, start building your professional network...NOW!

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Cornell Concert Commission for sure! Taught me invaluable lessons in teamwork, organization, leadership, etc. I picked up a lot of audio and lighting expertise along the way both in CCC and with Cornell Productions by running shows on and off campus. As a result, that helped me when I came to Philly as a stage hand for concerts in town, as a DJ for private and corporate gigs, and running PA for various shows (including my own wedding!)

52. Meghan Hayes Kirchner

Sacramento, California · Agriculture and Life Sciences

Name at Cornell
Meghan Hayes

meghanhayeskirchner@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am a mother, wife and physician. 

After Cornell, I went to medical school at Syracuse, then internal medicine residency at Travis Air Force Base in California. My husband, Mike, was in my residency class. We were stationed in England for four whirlwind years, and our daughter Brooke was born there. In 2006, we returned to civilian life and pursued fellowship training at Brown. I trained in obstetric medicine, focusing on medical problems in pregnancy. Our son Colin was born in Rhode Island. In 2010, we happily settled in Sacramento, California, doing our best to balance busy practices, family fun and adventure.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Crossing the finish line to win gold at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta in 1995-I was coxswain for women's crew.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
During fellowship training at Brown, it was a little hard to keep the "what's the color of....?" chant out of my mind at certain times.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
It will be my dad's 50th and my 20th reunion! My brother John '98 and sister-in-law Micaela Chadwick Hayes '99 will hopefully join in the celebration weekend so all of our kids will be inspired to attend Cornell.

58. Lynn Ciccarelli

Staten Island, New York · Agriculture and Life Sciences

Name at Cornell

Lynn Finamore

lciccarelli13@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Life is thankfully as busy, and happy, as ever. This year I'll be celebrating 8 years of marriage to my amazing husband. We have a 3 year old son who is our absolute joy, and I am 17 weeks pregnant with baby #2! Professionally, I've been working for HBO now for 17 years. I actually started at HBO back in November of 1995, not long after graduation from Cornell. I am currently VP of affiliate marketing and it is truly my dream job, having been a Communication major. I am very lucky and fortunate to have called HBO my professional home for all these years. And I owe so much of how everything fell into place to my Cornell education.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
There are so many wonderful memories that, despite the years, do not fade. The friends, the classes, the traditions, the beautiful campus, college town, the challenges, etc. I can't say enough about how my time at Cornell started me off on the right path in so many ways. To me, the Cornell degree has always been a badge of honor, something I'm so proud of, and something for which I am so grateful.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Both personally and professionally, I run into felow Cornell grads all the time. And I always feel there is an imemdiate connection, almost a bond between us. It's been an amazing networking asset I've found and sometimes a foot in the door, so to speak.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I wish I took more time to relax and enjoy. Things were always so busy, and I always rushed home on breaks to see family and friends. I wish I took more time to explore the campus and Ithaca, and to more appreciate the moments in between the craziness.

59. David H. Quigley

Brookeville, Maryland · Agriculture and

Life Sciences

dhquig5@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
My wife, Angela ('96), and I spend our days trying to keep up with our two kids, Hannah (9) and Elliot (3). We live in a small town in Maryland about halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and fortunately well within within striking distance of Hershey Park. I am a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where I have practiced environmental law since 1998. My practice covers an array of environmental matters, including transactional, enforcement litigation, regulatory compliance, lobbying and legislative development, so it is never boring.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
The speech and debate team gave me my life, quite literally. I met my wife there. The skill set I picked up there got me into law school and helped build a career. The people who came before (and some after) have become mentors and sounding boards and probably once a month I turn to that network for advice or assistance. Most importantly, I am fortunate to have so many friends (and family) that I owe to that team. I enjoyed so much about my experience at Cornell, but nothing has had the lasting impact that team has had.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Certainly the one I found most useful is Intro to Public Speaking (Comm 101), though not just because my career relies on that particular skill set to a great extent. Through that class, I got involved with the speech and debate team, which is where I met my wife. If you can find a class that prepares you for your career AND your marriage, I would say that is pretty useful. I suppose it should also make it my favorite, as well.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
At a point when my wife and I had started to fall out of contact, we got a visit from Sharon Detzer of the Ag School's alumni affairs/development office. Meeting Sharon really reconnected us with the community, and she has facilitated my being on a panel at an entrepreneurship event, guest lecturing at a Dyson School environmental class, and getting to work with graduating students on career path questions through the development office. It has been amazing to reconnect in that meaningful way, and I love the opportunity to give back to the school that has given me so much.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
I lived at 509 Wyckoff with 11 of my closest friends sophomore year. That year had a number of ups and downs, but that house and the camraderie that lived within it was a big up, despite the fact that you could look through the holes in the walls in some of the rooms, and we had to share the house with a raccoon who lived in our oven, the weather (the walls did not always reach the ceilings), and a mole-man who lived in our basement.

75. Erin Harty

Baltimore, Maryland · Agriculture and Life

Sciences

eharty@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
After working as a staff writer/editor for an equestrian magazine and an online pet magazine, I went freelance in 2002. I've done a mixture of writing, editing, and online community management, mostly for equestrian magazines, but also for a lacrosse magazine here in Baltimore. In 2008, I wrote a book on horse care for the Humane Society of the United States.

Those jobs took me from rural Virginia to Phoenix to Annapolis, then finally to Baltimore, where I bought a decrepit 100-year-old rowhouse that has now been completely gutted and redone. I can see Camden Yards from my house!

I still ride horses, although my current horse, Chief, is older and semi-retired now—his show name, when he was still competing, was Ithaca! I also do a lot of volunteering in animal rescue, and currently have a pit bull and an ever-rotating gang of foster cats.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Through the magic of Facebook, most of U-Hall 3, 4th floor. The folks I actually make a point of visiting with whenever the opportunity arises: my senior year roommates (Thelma Romano Kranyak, Erica Chapman, Aylin Ozmelek Lewallen, James Boglioli), Elana GIlaad, Jennifer Keene, and Concert Commission cronies Tom Lyon, Sanjoy Biswas, and Erika Eason.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
Even though none of us were really "runners" while at Cornell, my senior year roommates (Erica Chapman, Aylin Ozmelek Lewallen, Thelma Romano Kranyak, and James Boglioli '94) and I are all now into long-distance running. In 2012, we all got together for the first time in a decade to run a half marathon, and it's given us a reason to meet up periodically for races. James and Erica also convinced me to run my first full marathon in Baltimore in October, and Thelma and her whole family came to cheer me on!

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Besides the obvious -- catching up with old friends -- I love spending time on campus and in Ithaca. As much as it has changed (and holy cow, has it changed!), it always feels like home.

76. Erik Berkule

Seattle, Washington · Agriculture and Life

Sciences

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Since leaving Cornell, I have been lucky enough to serve in a variety of challenging and unique positions, while getting the chance to live and travel all over. These have included being a roadie for AC/DC and The Rolling Stones, working for Deloitte Consulting, managing a San Francisco art gallery, doing product management at Earthlink and executive search with Korn Ferry and, now, Amazon. I live in Seattle with my wife, Stephanie, my son, Lloyd, and our two dogs, Happy and Travis.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
The Marketing of Fruits, Vegetables and Ornamental Products, especially the filed trip to see the giant pumpkins.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
I would say that the heavy workload at Cornell prepared me well for the working world, which is ever more demanding with its always-on culture. I also have some friends for life that I shared a very formative four years with and they keep me grounded in what is important.

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
Since I left New York almost immediately after graduating and never looked back, having the network of alumni out in the world has served me well. It is a unique connection you can immediately light up with people and I am able to find Cornellians everywhere I live.

77. Matt Fortna and Lisa Powell Fortna

Every few weeks, Cornell '95 Faces features a profile of one of our class officers. This week, meet reunion co-chair Lisa Powell Fortna. And for the first time (but not the last) this week's profile is also of a Class of 1995 couple. 

Fredonia, New York · Arts and Sciences & Agriculture and Life Sciences

Names at Cornell
Matt Fortna & Lisa Powell

lisafortna@yahoo.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
After Matthew finished his orthodontic residency at the University of Pennsylvania and 10 years of living in Philadelphia, we moved back to Western New York near my family. Matthew started and manages his own practice. I work for an independent consulting firm focused on large-scale HR transformation initiatives and teach as an adjunct professor at our local community college. But mostly, we are focused on keeping up with our four children and the increasingly complex schedule of activities of elementary and middle school age kids (who knew?!).

What are your duties as class officer and what have you enjoyed about the job?
Lisa:
I was a co-reunion chair for our 15th and am looking forward to working with Michael Stroud and our reunion committee for our 20th. Believe it or not, the planning process really kicks off more than a year in advance of reunion. We have two main goals – to get as many classmates to return to campus as possible and then to make sure everyone has an awesome time by planning fun events with great food and drinks. I love this blog as one of the ways we hope to increase connections and interest. I’ve been to all of our reunions and love being a part of the process. There is nothing like being on campus with thousands of alumni and connecting with old friends and new ones all tied to the shared experience of Cornell.


What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Matt:
Calculus. Just kidding! Who says that? I enjoyed my Anthropology classes and Comparative Morphology classes the most. I don't think I have put them to good use since the prelims, but the content was very interesting.

Lisa:
Business Communication with Professor Earle was probably one of the most useful classes – even though I might not have known it at the time. The combination of impromptu speeches and the final presentations with his planned technology glitches, lights going off... really was/is a true simulation for my corporate experience. But, then again, Matthew and I met in a freshmen bio lecture, so I guess that class was pretty important even though I never used any bio after that.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Matt:
Hockey games at Lynah Rink were always a treat. We were spoiled while at Cornell. That kind of entertainment is hard to come by these days in the professional sporting world.

Lisa:
So many memories… Matthew and I were married in Sage Chapel with the reception at Willard Straight so that is a pretty special Cornell memory. As an undergrad, seeing Maya Angelou speak, lunching at Trillium, walking up Libe slope in the snow, and the Cornell-in-Washington program definitely make the highlight list.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Matt:
Intramural sports, for sure. Never worked so hard for a bunch of T-shirts and pride. I hope the intramural sports program is still alive and kicking for the current students to enjoy. "Sorry organic chem, just can't study right now, we have a hockey game. It's the championship." My how priorities have changed since then.

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
Lisa:
Being a part of the tradition and legacy that is Cornell is humbling and I am grateful for my experience as an undergrad and my continuing connection as an alumnus. One of the great things about being a Cornell alum is the combination of knowing you are pretty much prepared for whatever gets thrown at you and you get to start with a baseline of credibility – not a bad foundation for wherever the road takes you.