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!

4. Susan Starnes

Oak Park, California · Engineering

Name at Cornell
Susan Minch

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
My husband, 3-year-old daughter, and I recently moved from

Charlotte, NC to Southern California.  We are having fun exploring the West coast and soaking in the beautiful sunshine.  For work, I am leading the Services business for Guitar Center.  I don’t play the guitar, but it is a fun industry with great people.

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

One of the most influential classes for me was the Intro to Chemical Engineering.  It helped confirm for me what my major would be.  And, in taking the class, I found my study buddies that would share many hours with me over the course of the next 4 years.

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

My time at Cornell really helped broaden my horizons.  Meeting so many great people from diverse backgrounds has influenced my perspective for the better.  Great classes like Art History (glad I took it pass / fail!), Philosophy, Business School Classes, and of course Wines were all fantastic learning experiences.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Being part of the sailing team was a great experience for me.  I got to travel with interesting people and compete in regattas.  I also found my love for being out on the water.  I knew I loved sailing when I didn't mind that it started snowing while we were practicing on Lake Cayuga.

13. Steven Strell

San Jose, California · Engineering

strells@mac.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/sllerts
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sstrell

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

I live in Silicon Valley with my wife Rachel and our 3-year-old, Seth.  Besides our own house, we also own a 5-acre walnut farm!  I worked at Apple in the early 2000's, working on iBooks, and then, later, the 12-inch Powerbooks (before they all became MacBooks).  Now, I am a training engineer for Altera, traveling around the country teaching people how to use my company's software.  I do tech support for all of my family's tech; why not do it for my company's customers as well?

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?

After the concert at Bailey during Senior Week, some friends and I went to McGraw Tower.  One of our friends was a chimesmaster and he was doing the concert that night.  It ended up being an extended concert, mostly just for us.  He played songs on his list and our requests for well over an hour.  Next to graduation, it was the perfect ending to 4 amazing years.

·   What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?

I wouldn't call it an extracurricular activity, but the opportunity to work for 3 of my 4 years at Cornell Cinema was a life-changing experience.  I enjoyed movies beforehand, but Cornell Cinema opened my eyes to films I had never even considered would be interesting to me: indies, foreign, documentaries, old classics.  And the friends I made through CC, people who weren't engineers, were just amazing.  I still keep in touch with some of them on Facebook.  I still love the movies, see them every chance I get, and enjoy making them myself (for home or work).

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
It means that for the rest of my life, I am connected to a place that I will never forget, a place that set the course for the rest of my life, a place where I had fun, worked hard, and discovered just who I was.  I don't think I can ever give back to Cornell what Cornell gave to me.

15. Seth Traum

New York, New York · Engineering

sethtraum@hotmail.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/sethtraum
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sethtraum

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am living on the Upper West Side of New York City with my wife Lauren and two sons—Zachary, 11, and Jordan, 8.

I am a partner at a brand and marketing strategy and innovation consultancy called Vivaldi Partners Group. I really enjoy the work, but I make sure I find plenty of time to run around the parks of NYC playing sports with my boys.

After leaving Cornell with an engineering degree, I never practiced it, and instead moved into consulting and then spent many years in finance and banking before transitioning over to the marketing side of the business world.

I now return to campus a few times a year guest lecturing for marketing professors at both the Johnson School and the Hotel School. It is always wonderful to walk the campus, reminisce, and see what's changed.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
My whole last semester on campus was wonderful. I had gotten ahead by a class and had queued up a few of the "easier" classes in my major for the final semester. And so I really enjoyed myself. Saw friends who I hadn't seen enough of, explored Ithaca a bit, went out a lot, and gave myself some fantastic final memories to leave campus on a very positive note.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Cornell taught me how to WORK. I thought I knew how to work hard before I went to college, but Cornell engineering took things to a whole other level. I learned how to have a work ethic while there, and I have always been proud of my ability to outwork everyone else to figure things out and get them done right. I have never abandoned this, and I have carried it proudly into all that I have done.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
I am looking forward to seeing old friends with whom I've done a horrible job staying in touch, but also enjoying the campus and city. I tend to zip in and out quickly when I come to campus to teach, and I never have enough time to take everything in. So I'm most looking forward to having the time I need to truly enjoy the experience.

16. Carlos Falcon

San Juan, Puerto Rico · Engineering

carlos.falcon@yahoo.com

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

As many of us do, I split my time between family, work, and volunteering for Cornell. My wife of 17 years and I have three daughters, ages 13, 11, and 1 (the last one being an unexpected surprise that has transformed our family life for the better!!). At work I am Director of Operations for Puerto Rico Supplies Group, a distribution company for food, health and beauty care, and other household items. For the past few years I have been a volunteer with CAAAN, president of the Cornell Club of Puerto Rico, and a member of the Cornell University Council. I have been in Puerto Rico since graduation, except for two great years spent in Manhattan while completing an MBA at NYU.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Interestingly enough, the class I enjoyed the most was not related to engineering or business. It was a course on the literature of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was great to re-read some of his novels, discover new works, and have it all discussed with a group of classmates with so many different points of view.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
I was involved with the Puerto Rican Students Association, first as Treasurer then President. We had different roles, such as participating in the redefinition of the Latino Studies Program, following the ’93 Day Hall takeover. We also had some fun hosting picnics, volleyball tournaments, happy hours and other events. In February ’95 we held an event at the Statler ballroom in which we presented Puerto Rican art, food and live music to over 400 members of the Cornell community. In addition to flying in 18 musicians, we had guests show up from DC, Boston, NYC, Philadelphia and other nearby cities.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
While studying abroad I remember meeting a group of Cornellians at the Venice Carnival.  A few weeks later we ran into the same group at the Eiffel Tower. Very random and very fun times.  

17. Alie Shaper

New Suffolk, New York · Engineering

ashaper@brooklynoenology.com
Twitter:  @@AlieShaper, @bklynoenology
Facebook: facebook.com/AlieShaper, facebook.com/BrooklynOenology


Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am living my passion and dreams!  I'm the proprietor and winemaker of Brooklyn Oenology (aka BOE), my winery I started in 2006.  BOE is the tree that grew from the seed of taking that Intro to Wines class in senior year.  My love for wine, and specifically for NY wines, started there. BOE's wines are made entirely from grapes grown in New York, and we feature contemporary works by Brooklyn-based artists on their labels. 

I started the company from scratch after working as a manufacturing engineer for 10 years, and part- and full-time in the wine industry for six years while still engineering.  I admit, I spend a lot of time working; so far my winery and staff is my family, the wines my children - but I love it every day.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Of course the Wines class was my very favorite - but one that was incredibly useful and still shapes my thinking today was ORIE 5100, Design of Manufacturing Systems.  Not only did I love my professor, the now retired Jack Muckstadt, but his course is why I became an entrepreneur. It was the foundation of how to consider the build of a consumer-goods based company, and it taught me how to think in order to create an efficient business. It's also a discipline of thinking that I've applied everywhere in my life.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
Hah, hindsight is always 20-20, isn't it?  Well, seven semesters into my engineering degree I considered changing to a Hotelie after taking the Wines class... but then reconsidered when I thought of the repercussions from my folks if I even floated that idea with them. I think I took the exact path I was meant to take, and my engineering degree prepared me well for taking on a manufacturing business. 

The only thing I might have done differently might have been to take more time to graduate, maybe take a semester off to have traveled, or ease the course load.

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
Being a part of a large family, that extends well beyond my graduating class. Anywhere, anytime I meet another Cornellian, there is an instant connection and innate understanding of one another. I think it has to do with the fact that we all went through the same forms of hell: hard work, hard winter, and a lot of walking.

23. Niraj Shah

Boston, Massachusetts · Engineering

Twitter: twitter.com/nshah10

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

I live in Boston with my family (we have two kids, ages 10 and 8) and am one of the co-founders of Wayfair, which is a leading online retailer of home goods. I have been in Boston for about 20 years now and I now think of it as home!

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
The most useful class was the Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise class taught by Professor David BenDaniel in the Johnson School. The reason for this is that it led to Steve Conine and myself starting our first company together right after graduation in 1995. That company, Spinners, was based on the business plan which we wrote for that class as our class project.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
I keep in touch with a few but most closely with Steve Conine and Mike O'Hara, both Engineering '95. Steve, Mike and I have worked together for a long time. Steve and I are the co-founders of Wayfair which we started in 2002 and it is the third company we started together.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would encourage that student to take advantage of all that the college offers—all types of classes, meet all types of people, all types of activities. The broad diversity is an amazing thing and I think students may not often take full advantage.

24. Andrew Tsang

Hong Kong · Engineering

atsang@rocketmail.com

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

My Cornell engineering training allows me to juggle and optimize my time spent in work, family, and leisure. 

I work in an Asia regional management role that requires 2-3 business trips to Southeast Asian countries per month. Luckily each trip lasts 2-3 days and I can still enjoy business class flights until the next cost cut.

I am married to a Cornellian in the same class with 2 boys. My elder son plays violin while the younger one plays cello. I try my very best to coach them properly; otherwise my living room will be filled with screeching noise instead of pacifying music.

Lastly, I must give thanks to God for all of the above. I am a church council member, play clarinet and cello at worship times, and occasionally organize music concerts at church.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
My favorite class at Cornell was Information Theory. It was a graduate class at that time but I took it as an undergraduate student (yet able to get an "A"). Cornell is so famous in the theoretical space, compared to, say, MIT being famous in the practical space, and this class exemplifies this strong area of the university. I enjoyed it a lot, and yes, I did go to MIT for a master's degree in Business Administration. However, I still find Cornell's theoretical strength carries more charm!

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
One of my favorite moments at Cornell was being the President of the Hong Kong Student Association. A major event of the year was to organize a cultural show to promote what Hong Kong was like to the Cornell community. There was singing, dancing, drama, slide shows, and certainly a lot of fun. Most importantly, it highlights the diversity and harmony of sub-cultures within Cornell. An event lasts an hour or two, but cross cultural friendships last forever.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Living in Ithaca to me, someone who grew up in a metropolitan city like Hong Kong, was like living in a different planet. But I liked it! There were many beauties of nature, the Cayuga Lakes, the snow, the small but close community, etc. that cities like New York or Hong Kong could not offer. I learned to appreciate different environments. I learned to be more patient. I learned to enjoy life in more ways.

25. Paul Terranova

Austin, Texas · Engineering

p_terranova@hotmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.terranova.37
http://grandkonaslam2012.wordpress.com/

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

Been living in Austin, Texas with my fantastic wife of 10 years, Meredith, and our 2 German shorthaired pointers, Flyer and Shiloh.  When we are not trail running, cycling, swimming, or traveling to events involving such fun, Meredith is a sports dietician and I'm a consultant helping deliver transportation projects.  I also serve as a CAAAN volunteer for prospective Cornell students in the Austin area!

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Definitely my 4 years as a lightweight rower and Army ROTC.  The discipline, sacrifice, and hard work set the stage for a budding semi-professional career as an ultra trail runner later in life.  No excuses, do the work.  

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Most of my current close Cornell connections are through rowing, Army ROTC, and the best-man at my wedding Kevin Yelenik '95!

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Showing my wife Meredith (a native Texan) around campus for the first time!

26. Abra Perrie

Every few weeks, Cornell '95 Faces features a profile of one of our class officers. This week, meet one of the class correspondents.

North Wales, Pennsylvania · Engineering 

Name at Cornell
Abra Benson

abrabenson@yahoo.com

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

I recently moved back to the Philadelphia area and am a stay-at-home mom to Leah, 4, and Flynn, 2. Prior to children, I worked in the airline industry for 6 years post MS, and later, after a Cornell(!) MBA, in pharmaceutical market research for 6 years. While I do miss aspects of professional life and having days that involve much less cleaning of others, I have never had better bosses.    

What are your duties as class officer and what have you enjoyed about the job?

As one of the Class Correspondents, I am in touch with everyone!  I've written our Class Notes column for almost 15 years, and I love hearing from classmates.  he Class of 1995 is very important to me. It gives me great joy to learn what people are up to as we go through our life journeys together. I feel more connected to my peers and a little more comfortable about what's going on in my on life. You are my touchstone.

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

You are being taught by leaders in their fields, experts in their specialties, and the best professors out there. Pay attention in class.  Pay a lot of attention in class. It will help you learn the material better and make studying for exams much easier. You only have a short time to be in this exceptional environment. Don't chat with your friends, sleep, or stare at your phone. Be present in class. Soak it in and make the most of the lecture.  

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I had a wonderful time at Cornell and was involved in a variety of school activities, but sometimes I wish I had gone down more rabbit holes. I wish I had pushed myself into more college life adventures. I should have volunteered for some of the random psych experiments advertised on Uris boards or posed nude for painting classes. I wish I had tried sorority life and gone to more fraternity parties. I should have participated in Cornell Concert Commission, the Cornell Concert band, and Semester at Sea. I wish I had more time for everything! 

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Everything!!  I can't wait to breathe the Ithaca air, stroll by gorges and lakes, walk uphill everywhere, sleep in a dorm room, eat at Collegetown Bagel, and, of course, be surrounded by my fellow Cornellians, especially those from 1995. Over the course of our past reunions, I've developed a fun group of friends who have basically become my reunion dates. They make my experience extra fun, and I am definitely looking forward to another reunion with them (you know who you are, so you better show up!). Also, I am both looking forward to and dreading seeing the changes to my beloved campus. Change can be hard to take, whether it's good or bad, especially when it happens to a place you love. I already miss you, Ruloff's.

28. Vu Nguyen

Portland, Oregon · Engineering

Name at Cornell
Dominic Vu Nguyen

VUNGUYEN7773@GMAIL.COM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vunguyen7773

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am married to Lee Murashige ('98) since 2004.  We have 2 great

kids, ages 3 and 6.  Since graduating from Cornell I've worked at Intel Corporation in various process integration and yield engineering roles.  More recently I've moved into technical supply chain management.  I'm proud to say I've been part of the microprocessor evolution for the past ~20 years.  When I started at Intel in 1995, we were making Pentium 90 MHz microchips.  Fast forward ~20 years and Intel now is featuring Core I7 3.9 GHz microchips.  Just a little faster, I'd say.

Additionally as a hobby, I have an online Fit Club where I help my friends, family, and colleagues stay healthy and fit.  I hold regular stadium cross-training workouts for my fellow desk jockeys and have gotten into doing obstacle races like Tough Mudder.  Please visit my Health and Fitness Facebook Community Page:  https://www.facebook.com/coachvu4u

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
With Facebook quite a few!  In the past year or so I have seen  John Heitzman ('95), Andy Yang ('95), Anja Preylowski ('95), Mark Notarfrancesco ('95), Jonathon Barber ('96), Brian Montalto ('94), Jennifer Kim Um ('95).  I hope to see more at the Reunion!

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
In my Junior year I started taking Tae Kwon Do as an elective.  I continued that post college to eventually get my 1st and 2nd degree blackbelt.  I made so many friends that I still keep in contact with from this TKD club.  I also learned a lot about balancing school work with staying healthy and active.  

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
I met my wife Lee (Cornell '98) shortly after she graduated from Cornell and started working at Intel.  There was a fire drill and all the employees reported to the Cafe area.  There I was introduced to Lee by my friend Mark Notarfrancesco's (Cornell '95) girlfriend/future wife Kelly.  We found out that we both had the same major and graduated 3 years apart.  The rest is history!

35. Sheryn Baxter

Denver, Colorado · Engineering

sjb2@cornell.edu

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

I am a telecommunications professional, wife and mother.  My mind and heart are full, although my house is a mess.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Spanish - it was a respite from Engineering and now I can talk to my mother-in-law.  Linear Algebra - it was a mental discipline similar to what I do today.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Looking upon the lights of Ithaca (from the Blue Light bus); swimming in the falls; laughing with student and local friends...

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Be kind to yourself and persist in finding what enriches your life and others.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
They say not to take yourself seriously.  I get that now.  I would experience Cornell with a lightness in my mind, heart and soul.

37. Mayank Thanawala

San Jose, California · Engineering

mthanawala@gmail.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mayankthanawala
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mthanawala

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

If you could paint a picture of the American dream, you'd have my life.  I have a wonderful career in software engineering, a beautiful and talented wife, an adorable and rambunctious 10-month-old son, and a charming house around the corner from neighborhood shops and restaurants.

Some highlights:

I met my wife in a running group, and got her attention by inviting her to go flying with me!

I have sung in an a cappella group called Hookslide for the last 15 years.  We've opened for Kool and the Gang, Tower of Power, and, recently, Joan Rivers. Before Hookslide, I had several failed attempts to join groups, including one called Rolls Voyce.

I got my pilot's license in 2005, and am slowly working on becoming an instructor.

I was employee #2 with my current company, HealthLoop - we connect patients to their doctors between visits via a secure web-based app.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
I don't remember the  name of the class, but part of it was programming computers to control lab instruments using Assembly language.  It gave me a foundation to understand the connection between programming and what's happening internally in a computer. As languages become more advanced, that link becomes harder to discern on one's own.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Enjoy the whole experience.  Cornell is not just about the education you receive in the classroom, though that is top-notch.  Cornell offers a chance to pursue just about anything you're interested.  So, join clubs, go hiking, take day trips, take chances.

Also, no matter what anyone tells you, your career is NOT more important than your personal connections.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I wish I could have had a better idea of what my values, likes and dislikes were when I was in college.  Turns out, I love being outdoors, eating organic mostly vegetarian food, and doing the singer-songwriter thing with my guitar. I can't think of a better place to do all that than Ithaca! But I did way too little of it when I was at Cornell.

42. Danielle Gensch

San Francisco, California · Engineering

Name at Cornell
Danielle Sveska

dgensch@nossaman.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I'm a partner at a California-based law firm, am married to a fellow attorney (although he went to Stanford) and have a wonderful one-year old daughter.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
I really enjoyed Prof. Stedinger's class in Risk Assessment.  It was an excellent introduction on how to accurately communicate risk to a non-technical audience, and I use the skills I learned there nearly every day as an attorney.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
While I value the skill set I gained at the College of Engineering, I didn't last long as an engineer.  I might have enjoyed urban and regional planning or history as majors.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Take advantage of as many opportunities outside your college and your major as you can -- you will spend a lot of time in class with people in your major, and it is really helpful for your sanity and for becoming a well-rounded person.

46. Katherine Vega Stultz

Warren, New Jersey · Engineering

Name at Cornell
A. Katherine Vega

vegastultz@yahoo.com

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

Since graduation I have built a career in the pharma/biotech space.  For the past 9 years I have been at Celgene Corporation and focused in cancer drug development.  I've spent time in various commercial roles and for the past year plus as a project leader for one of our solid tumor medicines.   The intellectual horsepower in this field is fascinating and will hopefully advance our quest to tackle cancer one patient at a time.  

My husband, Michael and I, are the very proud parents of 3 energetic and active kids - ages 11, 9 and 4.  We've been in New Jersey for 9 years now after starting our family in Indianapolis.  When not on soccer fields or at cheer competitions,  we enjoy vacationing as a family.  This summer we are headed to Ecuador, including a train ride through the Andes.  

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
Enormous pride.  It is wonderful to share the bond of Cornell with spectacular individuals.  Whenever I meet a Cornell alum, it is so easy to engage quickly in conversation and relate.  I am always fascinated how diverse the Cornell network expands.  It is truly an honor to be associated with such an influential group of people. 

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Cornell and the 'survival' of the engineering program have absolutely prepared me for my professional growth.  Amazing that no matter how big the project or critical the presentation at work, I think the hardest I have ever worked was still my time at Cornell.  It certainly has prepared me professionally to take on challenging assignments and not shy away from hard and complex work.  

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
The time I spent in SWE (society of women engineers) truly shaped some of my very early learnings on leadership.  Being a volunteer in a student group with key goals and a mission had a bigger impact on me than I appreciated while at Cornell.  Although my classes were important, some of my biggest learnings came from the time involved with SWE.  Even though my engineering career lasted a whole 18 months, the leadership skills and the work needed to advance a mission has had a big impact for me.

51. Gilbert and Mara Chan

Rochester, New York · Engineering and College of Human Ecology

Names at Cornell
Gilbert Chan and Mara Cooper

Email: gac2@cornell.edu and mlc10@cornell.edu  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gilbert.chan.9 and https://www.facebook.com/marachan

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
We live in Rochester, NY. We have been married for nearly 17 years. We have two daughters, Julia (11) and Jenna (8). They keep us busy with school and other activities they are involved in.

Gilbert has been working as a mechanical engineer in the plastics industry since graduating Cornell. I work for a company that designs and builds plastic injection molds: "I wear many hats: designer, customer support, IT support and process development of our new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, playing volleyball and baseball (especially following the Baltimore Orioles)."

Mara has been working in fundraising: "I work at a nursing home and am responsible for gift processing. I am fortunate to have found flexibility in my work that allows me to also be with our kids. In my free time, I enjoy scrapbooking and reading."

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Gilbert: My favorite memories of my time at Cornell involved my time in the marching band. There were great memories from night practices, band parties, road trips, and of course, marching on the field during football games. My first date with Mara was during a band semi-formal sophomore year.

Mara: My favorite memory of my time at Cornell was working at Olin Library. The job was locating books for barcoding in the vast stacks. When I started the job sophomore year, Gilbert trained me. We worked together for 2 years.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Our advice for a student starting Cornell this year is to take a break and have fun! Take time to explore all the different things you can do at Cornell, there is something for everyone. Take a walk and explore the campus, find your favorite place. Explore Ithaca, it's a great town and there is so much to do away from campus. Attend a hockey game, especially the big game against Harvard. Order a PMP at the Hot Truck and the fries at Louie's Lunch Truck. Take some classes outside of your comfort zone.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Gilbert: Being in the Big Red Marching Band was the most meaningful activity I was involved in at Cornell. I've made a lot of friends being a member of these groups and met people that I wouldn't have otherwise. This also allowed me to get back into performing music after taking a break from music in high school.

Mara: I spent a semester in Washington, D.C. through the Cornell in Washington program. I liked living and exploring a big city, walking and taking public transportation and going to my internship.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
We are looking forward to reconnecting with our friends and classmates that we don't get to see very often. It will be exciting to be there during the Sesquicentennial Celebration. It will be fun to show our girls some of our favorite places around Cornell, including the re-opened Dairy Bar and the spot where we got engaged. It's too bad the U-Halls are no longer there.

62. Aneesh and Anna Dalvi

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada · Engineering

Names at Cornell
Aneesh Dalvi and Anna Rosen

anna@knitandknag.com and aneeshd@rogers.com

Twitter: @knitandknag
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annadalvi

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
Aneesh is the V.P. of Applied Research at iDirect. He's been working in the satellite communications industry since we moved up to Ottawa in 1998.

Anna designs knitting patterns and has published two books (the third one is due out 2014), teaches classes on knitwear design, and publishes patterns (www.knitandknag.com). And as you think it's quite a shift from engineering to knitting—do consider that everything is math.

We have three children (grades 8, 5, and 3) who keep us busy. Between hockey, jiujitsu, piano, and school there's hardly a quiet moment.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
Aneesh:
It's hard to pick one favourite... the thing I liked best about Cornell was being able to take different classes from different departments even if they weren't directly related to my degree. Freshman Writing Seminars and Wines were fun. Playing with superconductors in intro. chemistry was really cool, although not particularly useful. Signals and Systems in EE was probably the most useful for my career.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Anna: 
Go out and get involved in the special projects Cornell offers outside the required courses. I learned the basic tools in the regular courses, but I had a chance to apply them and expand on them in settings like the Hybrid Electric Vehicle team, or in the Robotics Lab.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Aneesh:
We both worked on the Hybrid Electric Vehicle project, at a time when no one knew what an HEV was. It was a great experience to design and build a car from scratch, and we had a lot of fun while doing it. I suppose it was technically a class, but it really ended up becoming part of your social life as well. Many of us from those teams still keep in touch.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Anna:
At the Cornell Engineering School, we were encouraged to question WHY things worked, not just memorize a formula. It leads to a deeper understanding of things, and encourages further experimentation. My first book (Shaping Shawls) is an exploration of shapes in knitwear, and uses applied math to explain why knit lace shawls are constructed the way they are. It aims to give the reader the tools required to design their own and play with construction, not just blindly follow the steps—similar to what we learned at Cornell.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
Aneesh:
I often wish I had been able to take more advantage of the all things that were going on at Cornell. See more visiting speakers, go to more concerts, try more activities, play more sports, things like that. But I think that no matter how many things you did, there were probably a hundred other things that looked interesting that you would have wanted to do as well.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Anna:
The HEV team - we built a hybrid electric vehicle and took it to CA to compete in the Clean Air Road rally. While it was nominally a class (3 credits), it really consumed most of our waking hours. We made some wonderful friends, and learned to apply the engineering skills learned in class. It taught us to be curious and never leave well enough alone.