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.

80. Jordan Berman

Pennington, New Jersey · Industrial and Labor Relations

jordan@shorn.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I rocked the cradle in 2001 by marrying a Hotelie ’97, Elizabeth Schepp. We have two rambunctious boys (Dean, 9 and Nate, 6) and live right outside Princeton, NJ (there’s a Wegmans…enough said). I’m a former cable TV marketing guy (Showtime, MTV), turned producer, turned entrepreneur, who returned to my ILR roots by launching a start-up, ofc “the office engagement network” (www.ofc.tv). ofc is an interactive video channel and production studio enabling Fortune 1000 companies to engage employees otherwise watching cat videos during their coffee break. In an era when nobody reads and everybody watches, ofc makes HR sexy via amazing workplace video.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
My favorite class was a collective bargaining course taught by Professor Harry Katz, now Dean of the ILR School. The class culminated in a high stakes negotiation pitting teams representing labor and management. I teamed-up with my pals, Rob Friedman and Pete DeBellis. We deployed some crazy psychological tactics to throw our competition off-balance. In addition to wearing ridiculous matching outfits, we found a dead mouse and placed it inside a matchbox that was left in our opponent’s mail cubby. The mouse was accompanied by a note, “When the Katz is away, the mice will die!” A classic moment.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
My favorite Cornell memory is when my band, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, played at The Nines on Slope Day. I played drums, backing-up my bandmates including Alon Barzilay on keyboards, Pat Hunt on guitar, and Eric Semo on bass. All of our closest buddies came to the performance, likely enhanced by the fact that everyone was buzzed from a day on the slope. The Nines is a somewhat mythic place for me, given I ate there with my dad the first time I ever visited Cornell while still in high school. Best damn deep dish I ever had.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
My time at Cornell has influenced me in many ways since graduation. I left with a high degree of confidence that I could hustle and keep up with just about anybody, given the concentration of achievers at Cornell and ILR. In fact, an early career lesson was realizing I might have to sometimes downshift my intensity when operating in a more bureaucratic environment. So, Cornell has always been a reminder to pursue great things with great people, even though the world so often rewards mediocrity.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
The most meaningful activity for me was involvement in the Cornell Tradition and its Student Advisory Council. It provided a great framework around work, service and academics. In fact, I spent 3 of my 4 years holding a part-time job selling shoes at Fontana’s in Collegetown. To this day, I consider Steve Fontana like family. His entrepreneurial spirit and passion have really stuck with me all these years. With that said, winning the intramural softball championship senior year with my buddy, Neil Glass, was a kick-ass moment and I still have that sweat-stained t-shirt to prove it!

93. Juv Marchisio

Haworth, New Jersey · Agriculture and Life Sciences

dansdumbdecision@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juv.marchisio

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
While I always keep busy working as a senior brand manager at B&G Foods and running after my 2 kids, my true passion of late has been the publishing of my first book called Dan's Dumb Decision. It is a fun children's book with a moral to the story ("never run away from home").

I actually wrote the book almost 30 years ago as part of a 5th grade English assignment. Now with my own children Christian and Brooke growing up, it felt like a good time to share it with others.

The book is a true family effort. Original inspiration from my mother, current inspiration from my wife and children, and wonderful illustrations from my father-in-law, Pedro Anlas.

The book is available as an E-book through www.authorhouse.com,www.bn.com, and www.amazon.com ($3.99 currently). Currently considering sharing some of the book profits to help aid local educational programs and initiatives.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Being part of Cornell Entrepreneurs

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
It means taking pride in what you do and having a work ethic that is second to none.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Hanging out with old friends and touring the campus to see all the changes that have taken place over the last 20 years.