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!)

45. Patricia Grant

Arlington, Virginia · Arts and Sciences

Name at Cornell
Patricia Louison

pjl1@cornell.edu
Twitter: @eddrisin

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I'm living life to the fullest, personally and professionally.  Since graduating, I have worked in higher education and enjoyed being at five institutions of various types.  For the last four years, I have worked at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business as the Senior Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs. In addition to my work, I enjoy working on other projects and community service.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
How can I choose just one memory?  For sure, I vividly remember the first time I went to The Plantations.  I thought I was on vacation instead of campus.  It reminded me how awesome and unique the experience was to be a student at Cornell!  It almost made me forget about prelims.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would tell a new Cornell student to break the mold.  Before attending Cornell, I didn't know how to swim and had never been bowling.  Similarly, it is important to meet as many people as you can and take some wacky classes you didn't go to Cornell to take.  You only have four years and it goes by faster than you can imagine. So why not get out there and expand your horizons in all areas of student life- personal, academic, and professional.

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
I can't wait to see everyone I knew and have met since Cornell, as well as make new friends from our class.  I tend to think we are the coolest of the 90's classes.  In June 2015, we will remind everyone else why.

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.

47. James McCloskey

Westborough, Massachusetts · Human Ecology

james.mccloskey3@gmail.com
Twitter: @paddygreenfield
Facebook: jamesmccloskey3

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

I work in the mutual fund industry, interfacing with clients and advisors of multiple mutual fund firms.  I also test computer systems.  In my spare time, I swim, kayak, hike, engage in social media, politics, and charity, maintain close friendships and family relationships, exercise, meditate, pray, and read.  

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Get organized quickly so you don't get overwhelmed.  Maintain interests outside of class.  Exercise a lot.  Be very giving to the people around you.  Develop deep friendships and stay close to your family.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
The political scene.  I went against the grain politically, being the chairman of the College Republicans, and writing op-ed columns for the Cornell American and Cornell Review.  Took a stand on the issues of the day, and met many great people doing so.  

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Reconnecting with (and making new) friends.  Doing as many outdoor activities as possible, like kayaking, canoeing, bungee jumping, and perhaps the 2-mile run.  Hope we score a good band to have a concert with.  Rush would be my first choice!

48. Monique Carrero-Tagle

Valhalla, New York · Arts and Sciences

Name at Cornell
Monique Carrero

mcarrero@aol.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am currently married to a fellow alum, Juan Tagle.  We'll be married 15 years this September and  have two children: Alejandro (age 7) and Sofia (age 5).  We live in Westchester County, in the hamlet of Valhalla.

Professionally, I am Project Director for a research center at NYU that conducts psychosocial research on issues related to health, aging, and the community.  I've worked with the same research team for over 15 years, moving from several research-based institutions to another as a team but have been at NYU for approximately 3 years.

I'm looking forward to being able to travel more in the near future and can't wait to see many of my fellow alums at reunion in 2015.  

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
My all time favorite memory of my time at Cornell goes back to Slope Day of my Sophmore year.  Aside from the drinking, I always remember Slope Day as the day when everyone finally let loose and just had a great time hanging out on the slope with friends and feeling like you were finally free.  We usually had great weather (which seemed rare back in the day) and it was just a fun time.  Slope Day of Sophmore year was most memorable for me because that was the year my husband and I connected.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would tell that student that to a certain extent, your first year is the most important year so make it count.  It's really important to have a strong first semester because it's hard to bounce back.  Having a good GPA and scoring a great summer internship will set the tone for the remainder of your time at Cornell and make things easier in the long run.  Of course, it's always nice to have a good work - life balance, so it's OK to have a little fun along with way.  That's how friendships are built.  

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Cornell has such a beautiful campus and I love to go up and visit Ithaca.  Heading back for reunion always gives me the opportunity to reminisce about our college days with the friends who I created those memories with.  It's a great excuse for all of us to get together and I most look forward to seeing all of them.

49. Harry Surden

Boulder, Colorado · Arts and Sciences

hsurden@colorado.edu
Twitter: @HarrySurden

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

I am a law professor at the University of Colorado Law School.  Prior to studying law, I was a software engineer for several years.  My current teaching and research focuses on the intersection of technology and law.

After stints living in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, I now live in Boulder, Colorado with my wife and daughter.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
I took a few philosophy classes, and those seem to have made a big impression on me. I particularly remember courses in the philosophy of science and the philosophy of the mind fondly.  I also enjoyed Psychology 101 in my freshman year.  Finally, I really appreciated an undergraduate class entitled "The Nature, Functions, and Limits of the Law" at the law school.  That influenced my decision to attend law school and ultimately become a law professor.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would advise an incoming student to take a wide range of classes in a broad array of substantive areas.   It is hard to know what subject areas are going to be of interest, or what topics are going to turn out to be useful later in life. I would also suggest studying abroad.

Finally, I would recommend that students take some time to appreciate the experience of being in college.   It is a comparatively short and rare moment in life to be able to devote one’s time to learning, self-improvement, and fun.  

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
My time at Cornell certainly influenced my career path.   I am currently a professor living in a beautiful university town that is similar, in many respects, to Ithaca.  As a student at Cornell, I truly enjoyed my classes and the setting of a beautiful college campus with a vibrant intellectual atmosphere.   This positive experience influenced my decision to become an academic.

I also studied abroad in France in my junior year and this experience gave me the confidence to subsequently live abroad on two other occasions (in Argentina and Australia) later in life.

50. Joshua Maloney

Richland, Washington · Arts and Sciences

joshua@maloneywine.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I started working as a winemaker in the Finger Lakes shortly after graduation. A couple years later my wife Lisa and I moved to California where I worked in Napa and then Monterey for a number of years. In 2005 I took a winemaking job in Washington (state) and we had two lovely daughters, Fiona and Daphne. While I continue to make wine for others as well as work as a consulting winemaker, this year I am launching a label under my own name—it's very limited production and focuses exclusively on single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. If anyone wants to learn more about the wines, please visit maloneywine.com.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
The obvious answer is "Introduction to Wines," not only because it was a really fun course and a fairly popular one (looking through the other entries on this site), but also because it is directly responsible for setting me on my current path.

Either that or my Freshman writing seminars, because they teached me to write gooder.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I wish I had done more. At the time I remember lots of hard work as well as lots of fun, but now when I think about the time and opportunities I had to learn about and experience new things and it seems like an enormous luxury that I didn't truly appreciate.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Did you know that you can earn a degree in Enology from Cornell? That wasn't an option in 1995. So here's my advice—get that degree and I'll hire you when you graduate and/or offer you a harvest internship.