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Cornell Report

Reflecting on 30 years

By Dee Ann Rexroat ’82

It feels almost like I’m graduating from Cornell again. After 30 years and 83 issues as editor of the Cornell Report, it’s time to say farewell.

It was my job, in part, to keep alumni tied to an important time in our lives with the people and place that shared it. In doing this my life became intertwined with many interesting Cornellians, reaching back to grads of the 1920s and every decade since for 100 years. Think of that.

I have worked with talented designers and colleagues, dedicated Cornell archivists, and eloquent authors to create these issues. We took the magazine from black-and-white interior to full color, and from staples to perfect binding (like a book). We added humor and shared our rich history. Both of those were abundant in Cornelliana, a column by Registrar and Professor of Classics Emeritus Charles Milhauser that ran for 17 years. We won a major award for the 2003 sesquicentennial issue with a fold-out timeline designed by honorary alum Robyn Hepker. In 2021 we received our biggest award yet for the “I See You” issue, guest edited by Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09, for amplifying voices that spark change. And importantly, we told our stories and offered perspective on the Hilltop as it evolved.

I entered Cornell with the Class of ’82 at a watershed moment, the first year of One Course At A Time. I leave as the college has modernized its physical campus and is poised to secure its financial future.

As a student I walked daily through our National Historic Register campus, sensing our history but unaware of the details. Now I’m not only deeply aware, I’m a little part of that history, a link in a long chain back to 1853. Thank you for taking that journey with me.

You Said

Cornell Report

EDITOR

Dee Ann Rexroat ’82 drexroat@cornellcollege.edu

319.895.4241

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jill Hawk

DESIGN

Amy Belice Graphic Design

CLASS NEWS CONTRIBUTORS

Maxwell Love

Rachel Weber

The Cornell Report is published fall and spring for alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the college by the Office of Marketing and Communications, Luce House, Cornell College, Box 1648, 600 First St. SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314-1098

Contact Us

GIFTS TO CORNELL

ADDRESS CHANGE

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319.895.4204 alumni@cornellcollege.edu

REGISTRAR

319.895.4372 registrar@cornellcollege.edu

ATHLETICS

319.895.4230 athletics@cornellcollege.edu

ADMISSION

800.747.1112 admission@cornellcollege.edu

cornellcollege.edu/cornell-report

IN RESPONSE TO CORNELL REPORT-RELATED POSTS ON:

HOW TEAMS GET TO THEIR GAMES—WITH A PHOTO OF A TEAM BOARDING A WINDSTAR LINES BUS

Douglas Mehlan ’72

I remember the Rambler bus … this is an upgrade.

Erik Hansen ’89

We were happy to ride to tennis meets in a 1982 Ford van.

ULYSSES THE MASCOT’S 75TH BIRTHDAY

Allan J. Ruter ’76

In the mid-1970s when we were on campus, Ulysses the mascot was Ulysses an actual ram, cared for by local postmaster and gardener John Moser, husband of the legendary Beverly Moser in the Alumni Office.

Steve Palmquist ’76

I remember him well (Ulysses, not John). He was an avid football fan, watching all games from the end zone. I think he wore some sort of coat/blanket, purple of course.

KRNL: A POWERFUL 13 WATTS

I was looking through the fall report and the article on KRNL caught my eye. It may have broadcast on only 13 watts, but it was a powerful 13 watts. I was home in the early 1970s at my brother’s house outside of Mediapolis, Iowa, and we were able to pick it up. That is about 75 miles away, as the crow flies. The signal was faint, but still quite audible. I am glad to hear that it is streaming now.

Rodney Black ’73

Louisville, Colorado

EXCERPTS FROM RECORDINGS SENT BY TWO KRNL DJS. HEAR THEM IN FULL AT CRNL.CO/KRNL-DJ OR USE THE QR CODE.

“I remember on Friday afternoons I’d put a side of the Allman Brothers on and then run over and throw the frisbee between Dows and Tarr halls. People had their speakers in the windows and everybody was listening to the tunes. Then I’d run back and resume my show.”

Randall W. Parkinson ’79

Melbourne, Florida

The views and opinions expressed in the Cornell Report by

ONLINE-ONLY OPTION

To opt out of the printed magazine and be notified by email when each issue is online, email the editor at cornellreport@ cornellcollege.edu with the subject line Online Only.

“When I was in high school in the mid1970s, I was somehow able to do a radio show at KRNL. My musical tastes were kind of eclectic—I’d play the folk singer Phil Ochs back to back with Pink Floyd … It got me started in what has become a lifelong love of all things to do with radio.”

Dan Bern, RECORDING ARTIST AND SON OF CORNELL PIANO PROFESSOR JULIAN BERN

Silver City, New Mexico

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

We are delighted to publish letters and social media mentions. Tag @cornellcollege to be considered on social media. Email letters to cornellreport@cornellcollege.edu or mail to Cornell Report, Luce House, 600 First St. SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314-1098. Submissions are edited for style, length, and clarity.

ANOTHER GREAT ROOMMATE SELECTION

I arrived at Cornell in the fall of 1973 eager to meet my roommate, Liz Fulton ’77. We had exchanged a few letters and a phone call or two, but we were, at that time, strangers. We quickly realized we had a lot in common and struck up a friendship that continues to this day. We served as resident advisers, enjoyed campus life, taught together on the Urban Education Program in Chicago, traveled across Europe, and shared many important events in our lives. I am so grateful for our friendship and the many Cornell memories we hold near and dear.

Shelley Paulson Carey ’77 Carmel, Indiana

MAGAZINE

SPARKS HOPE

How nice it is to still see editor

Dee Ann Rexroat ’82’s ever-presence in the foundation of Cornell, giving legacy and connection to our wonderful past.

When a spark connects us to memories that layer on to hope and optimism for the world at large, well that’s a special place to find ourselves. The fall Cornell Report was that beacon to a time long ago when I began to discover the contrasts between the ocean and faster life that had been home, to the small town and open air of Cornell. The story of “The Lunch Crew,” lots of photos—people I knew or who feel familiar through shared experience, the “Hopes for 2025,” and the straightforward highlighting of identity made for a feel-good read that was anchoring to my sensibilities.

Thank you for what seemed like a more progressive publication, that was open about who Cornell is, imparting a more vulnerable and intimate connection to its readers.

Dawn Bell Solich ’81 Littleton, Colorado

CORNELLIANS’ HOPES FOR 2025

My wish is that the peace that I experienced at Ink Pond on campus between 1970–1974 permeates in the lives of our elected officials so that civil discourse becomes more civil.

Fleming J. El-Amin ’75

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

My wish for the next quarter-century is that we, each in our own way, do the hard work to help bridge the cavernous cultural and political divide that has shredded our nation’s civic life during the past quarter-century.

Allan J. Ruter ’76 Glenview, Illinois

My wish for Cornell is to hold fast to educational excellence, diversity on campus, and the preparation for students to graduate with the intent to continue lifelong learning and critical thinking in their lives.

Jane Welgos Sidwell ’69 Beaufort, South Carolina

Well Said

The Cornell College Spotify Wrapped [year in review] just dropped. We love looking back on these (completely accurate) statistics!

1,936 Ram Wraps consumed at Zamora’s (OK, we know they’re good but calm down)

Had to explain we aren’t Cornell University 334 times (Nah … we’re the original)

858 total naps taken during Common Afternoon (Using your time wisely, I see)

Students walked across the Ped Mall for a combined total of 1,853,707 miles (Hey … cardio is cardio)

410 events held on the OC (We’re sorry they can’t ALL be Stuff-a-Critter)

The word Ramily was said 15,921 times (It’s corny. But we like it.)

Climbed the Hilltop a combined # of times equal to 1,296,702 flights of stairs (We’re still trying to work out the budget for the ski lift)

Visited downtown Mount Vernon 119 times for festivals and live music events (Wait, why were most of them at Yock’s Landing)

CORNELL FACEBOOK PAGE, DEC. 7, 2024

Hilltop hot sheet

Grammy winner & so much more

The 2025 Technical Grammy Award winner, Leo Beranek ’36, is widely considered the pioneer of modern acoustic technology. But before laying the foundation for noise control and concert hall acoustics, the man called a “genius” in his New York Times obituary put himself through college, in part, by running a radio business. One of his customers was Cornell, who hired him to wire Rood House and install a radio antenna system in Merner Hall. Although those projects no longer exist, his later innovations have become part of everyday life. His research led to international noise standards for public buildings and airports, and his company—Bolt, Beranek & Newman—built Arpanet, the direct precursor to the internet.

Oh, baby

Drone standoff ends peacefully

Got hobbies? We’ve got Makerspace

The future Cornell Ram in your life deserves a Cornell onesie. Check out this and other infant designs at crnl.co/ onesie or use the QR code.

Those who read the nightly Campus Safety reports likely cracked a smile when they came across Director Zach Barrett’s write-up about a recent interaction with a drone stranded on McLennan College Hall roof:

One Notebook At A Time

Although the Cornell Bookstore stocks fiveand threesubject notebooks, they don’t fly off the shelves. “The one-subject notebooks tend to work great for a block’s worth of notes,” says Bookstore Manager Vicki Moore. After all, what else would you need around here?

“Campus Safety officers arrived and attempted to reason with the drone to come down off the roof peacefully. The drone refused. Campus Safety contacted Facilities to remove the drone from the roof forcefully. Drone was removed without incident!”

The drone, belonging to the Office of Marketing & Communications, was forced to land when freezing temperatures zapped its battery. A few days later Facilities received a package of homemade treats sent from the drone with a note that read, “Enjoy a cookie from my overlords.”

The Digital Liberal Arts Makerspace just opened in Cole Library’s Academic Technology Studio. Looking for a laser cutter? A sewing and embroidery machine? Helpful staff? It’s all there and available for students, faculty, and staff. In addition to previously existing 3D printers, a large plotter printer, and a vinyl cutter, they’ve also added numerous tools and supplies for making and crafting. There are knitting needles and crochet hooks for checkout, cross-stitching and weaving supplies, and a multitude of fabrics, markers, and craft paint.

Prince Albert in a wall

We were reminded of an old joke when crews working in King Chapel recently discovered a vintage Prince Albert crimp-cut pocket tobacco tin hidden between the lath and stone of a wall. Do you have Prince Albert in a can?

Well, it turns out we do. And after more than a century, we let him out.

Ask the Expert The meaning of a life well-lived

By Associate Professor of Kinesiology Christi Johnson

Much of my work returns to advice my father offered me decades ago: “Question everything.” In my research I interview older adults about their stories of “living the good life” to explore how we question the meanings of health and thriving.

An interview with Orville comes to mind. He demanded we meet for a 6 a.m. breakfast. Hale and hearty, he flexed his biceps and demanded, “Just punch it and guess how old I am.” After several failed attempts and a few punches, he took pity and told me he was 98.

A rural Midwesterner, Orville lived alone, cooked for himself, and drove “out to the farm” to sling bales to his cattle. He was a regular at coffee with “the boys,” active in church, and drove for Meals on Wheels to “deliver food to old people.” It seemed like he was quite healthy, but he said his doctor told him otherwise: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and a cancer scare

a few decades before. He snorted, “He wants to pump me full of drugs and tell me I’m going to die. But what does he know … he’s barely past 50. I’m going to die anyway, just on my own time.”

Somewhere in the storylines we hear are a set of narratives that define our “normal.” The more we allow those cultural narratives to dominate our own stories, the more we allow ourselves to be controlled by outside actors. Like Orville who questioned what it meant to be old, and even questioned his doctor’s definition of health, the (not-so-) Silent Generation narrated the power of questioning and critique.

Among their messages:

BELIEVE you can do it.

(Agnes, on keeping 2,200 chickens during the Great Depression, was told that women shouldn’t work.)

YOU LOOK beautiful; worry less.

(Gladys, on the invisibility of older women in the media.)

YOU DON’T need to rest; you need to keep moving.

(Don, on older people “slowing down.”)

EAT MORE vegetables, not that boxed crap they sell you.

(Martha, gardener.)

FIGURE OUT what’s right or make it right; don’t dwell on what’s wrong.

(Conrad, World War II veteran.)

SPORTS CAN teach you more about working together than they can about competing, if you do it right.

(Marie, on Iowa girls’ 6-on-6 basketball.)

SPEND YOUR DAYS doing meaningful work, even in retirement. And, whatever you do, don’t stop growing and changing, just because you get old.

(Ken, on retiring.)

Orville’s deeper message was that self-definition—the ability to question everything—is a precious gift. He reminds us to look within, rather than outward (even to a well-meaning, but too young, physician) when considering the meaning of health and a life well-lived.

KRNL Fun Facts

It began in 1948 as “The Smallest Voice in Iowa Radio,” became “The KeRNeL of Corn Country,” and has for years broadcast as “The Foster Home of Rock ’n’ Roll.”

At age 77, KRNL radio station has evolved dramatically, yet remains the voice of Cornell College students.

550

ORIGINAL LOCATION ON THE AM DIAL IN 1948

89.7

NEW LOCATION ON THE FM DIAL BEGINNING IN 1963 1985

YEAR KRNL BEGAN STEREO BROADCASTS 10

ORIGINAL WATTAGE 0

TURNTABLES AND TRANSMITTERS 1/10th

APPROXIMATE SIZE, COST, AND WEIGHT OF THE NEW DIGITAL CONSOLE COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS BROADCASTING CONSOLE 6,000

CDS IN THE STATION’S COLLECTION

1951

YEAR CARL SANDBURG REFUSED TO BE RECORDED BY KRNL, ONLY TO ACQUIESCE AFTER AN ENGLISH PROFESSOR INTERVENED 4

PERCENT OF LISTENERS IN CANADA 16

STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THE STATION 1

WORN SOFA IN THE STUDIOS (A TRADITION) 24/365

HOURS IN A DAY AND DAYS IN A YEAR KRNL IS STREAMING 19

YEARS ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST MATT ZHORNE HAS BEEN KRNL ADVISOR

LISTEN AT CRNL.CO/KRNL OR USE THE QR CODE.

Cornell’s community in verse

By Eliza Carlson ’25

Cornell College has always supported a vibrant, creative community, offering numerous opportunities to immerse ourselves in specialized educational experiences each block. For this issue of the Cornell Report, we decided to do something we haven’t done before: feature our community’s creative voices in a new way! We opened a call for 10-line poems inspired by reflections through the lens of immersion. Students, staff, and alumni from almost every decade between the 1970s to the present responded.

Each poem carries its own unique reflection, but something magical occurs when they are read together. The poems become part of an overarching story that parallels the journey of immersing oneself in life through college and beyond. It begins with curiosity and a desire to learn, then turns to highlight aspects of the Cornell experience, before moving outward to confront questions of life and finding one’s place in the world.

We hope you enjoy this poetic journey!

Eliza Carlson ’25 curated this poetry collection. She is a double major in English: creative writing and art history with a studio art minor. She released her debut album, Ghost Town, in 2023. Carlson is the business manager and writes for The Cornellian, and two of her poems were published in Open Field in 2024. She is writing her second album, her first novel, and her first poetry collection.

No Need to Come Looking for Me; I am Down the Rabbit Hole I was curious. I was intrigued. Now I’m down the rabbit hole. Now I’m in too deep. I blame my innocent questions. That led to my three-week immersion. That led to my month-long excursion. That fed my lifelong obsession. All because I was curious. I was intrigued. Now I’m down the rabbit hole. Now I’m in too deep.

Nina Morris ’17

I ntense concentration

M aximum use of time M eeting others, shared goals

Exposure to myriad of information R etainment attained S pecialization!

Internalizing in order to externalize O pportunities abound; N urtured to be successful!

Bill Thomsen ’76

IMMERSIONS

Freshman days immersed in the know, Lots of changes, helping us grow.

Soon you’re a Sophomore with lots of Ram friends, Immersed in your classes, borrowing books that they lend. Next, you’re a Junior immersed with life on The Hill, Making lifelong decisions and gaining upperclass skill.

And when you’re a Senior and you’ve mastered the Block Plan, Cornell’s immersions have prepared you for ALL THAT YOU CAN!

Betsy Wagner ’94

Through the Fray

I’ve often stood on the sidelines just to see, too mesmerized to interrupt them. A family, a scurry through the leaves in fall as they chase each other’s tails in tandem. And, perhaps, if I am patient enough and shake the nuts in my pocket, they’ll listen on unsteady but curious paws, bushy tails waving like blades of grass in the wind.

Sciuridae: squirrels. Squirrels in the ground, squirrels that fly, squirrels in the trees far above our heads munching on acorns between their chewing, chittering teeth. What separates the chunkies we know from those that fly or burrow is merely their home; in between crisscrossing branches, one peek reveals a dray huddled together for warmth.

Sometimes, there is nothing more I want to do than stand among them, letting them frolic around me in circles until I know nothing else than what they must see in the fray.

Ken Roden ’24

Return Mine

Penny for your thoughts?

In the closed eyes of the open flesh lie dimes. In the mouthful of my self-inflicted grandiose rests I. In a strike of lighting, the eye of desire comes alive.

Resting easy?

In my crackbrained dreams, my ring shines bright (sealing him to the same fate as in real life).

Prometheus doesn’t return home, Instead, with a nonsensical tongue he says: “Come home; return mine.”

And even in an open casket, I fear that he never died.

Claudia I. Collazo Ramos ’27

redwood

they say time,itisaficklething forever, only fool’s daydream but somewhere in the midst of these towering highs I do begin to believe that they lied— for time stands with us, still, impossibly small and the thrall of the forest sets in ferns curl over shoulders, heartbeat footfall fragile bodies and roots entwined therein and I listen.

Eliza Carlson ’25

Two years later, Culture shock finally fades. I’ll never be a native, But fluent, at least. Immersion changed me.

Like a stone underwater, I reflect the current’s shape.

Jessi Bee,

associate director of residence life

Living Life

Live with grace

In grace

As grace

Live with joy

In joy

As joy

Live with love

In love

As love

Live with grace, in joy, as love

Julie L. Bryant ’88

Ram Report

The voice of the Rams

By Jill Hawk

You might say Jack Carlson ’26 was destined to become the voice of the Rams. Before he even enrolled at Cornell College he contacted the Athletics Department about sports broadcasting.

“I started getting emails from Jack during the fall of his senior year in high school,” said Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications Kerry Kahl. “He reached out and expressed an interest in sports information. Honestly, it’s probably the first time I’ve had a student reach out to me that far in advance.”

Carlson met with Kahl on day one of New Student Orientation and made a plan to work for athletics and eventually start a podcast. He also eagerly signed up for the Block 2 Sports Journalism class with Associate Professor of Kinesiology Justus Hallam, a class in which he was thrilled to get a podcasting assignment.

“I think this class helped him get his foot in the door with the Academic Technology Studio and make connections to jumpstart this podcast,” Hallam said. “It’s neat to see students expand upon class projects. I’ve had a few here and there, but he’s really taking it to another level.”

Carlson now works more hours than any other work-study student in athletics. He does play-by-play for the Rams on the live stream for as many home games as possible. In his second year alone, he broadcast 70 games.

“It has been a phenomenal experience,” Carlson said. “I’ve ended up

broadcasting so many different sports that, before I came to Cornell, I never thought I would be doing. I have really grown with this opportunity.”

Plus, he spends his free time developing and coordinating the Hilltop Sports Report podcast. He released the first one after winter break of his first year and says he enjoys sharing all the untold stories of the Rams.

“No two individuals are ever the same,” Carlson said. “There’s always something new to be uncovered.”

The Hilltop Sports Report is Cornell’s first athletics podcast, and Carlson is the mastermind behind the whole thing.

Jumpin’ Jack Carlson

Many athletes and coaches know Carlson as Jumpin’ Jack Carlson.

It’s a name he’s had since he was 12.

“He’s so motivated. Athletics is very fast-paced, and I feel like I run a fast-paced day-to-day operation with what I do. But Jack is even ahead of me. He’s outsprinting me, and he never slows down.”

Kerry Kahl Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications

It came from West Virginia playby-play Announcer Tony Caridi, who invited him to be on his show after Carlson’s mother emailed Caridi to ask if her 12-year-old son could attend a sports broadcasting seminar for college students. While he didn’t go to the seminar, he did go to the studio.

“Tony interviewed me about how I was broadcasting my games in my backyard, and that’s when my nickname was born,” Carlson said. “He could tell I was a little bit nervous, and he said, ‘Joining us on the

program is Jumpin’ Jack Carlson!’ and that stuck with me.”

After he introduces himself as Jumpin’ Jack Carlson on The Hilltop Sports Report, listeners will hear a jingle. Fun fact—he created that too. It features his parents and sister saying, “Let’s go Rams.” He plans his interview questions and interviews coaches or student-athletes for about 15 to 30 minutes in a conference room at the SAW. Once everything is recorded, he combines and edits the final version.

“He’s so motivated,” Kahl said. “Athletics is very fastpaced, and I feel like I run a fast-paced day-to-day operation with what I do. But Jack is even ahead of me. He’s outsprinting me, and he never slows down. He’s looking at the big picture—his career—and is really taking it on himself.”

Jumpin’ Jack did nine podcast episodes in his first year and 17 episodes his sophomore year. Carlson is on track to complete 18 this year. Plus, with a donation to Ram Athletics from his grandparents, Carlson helped purchase new podcasting equipment for the college to further professionalize his podcasts and support future podcasters.

“Coming into my junior year, I wanted to step up my game,” Carlson said. “Nationally, video is all the rage with

podcasts. I knew I wanted to get involved in that. Not only do we have audio on the website now, but we have video of me interviewing—and terrific photos edited over the video on the Cornell Athletics YouTube page.”

Carlson’s future

Carlson is on track to get a B.S.S. with an individualized major in sports journalism.

“For Jack, I think the B.S.S. is perfect,” Hallam said. “Because at Cornell you have dedicated faculty who want to help students pursue their interests. We can do that because we have such small numbers and personal relationships, so we can help students tailor coursework to their career of choice.”

Carlson’s dream job is to become a professional sports broadcaster. Kahl says with the amount of research Carlson does before each game and his ability to tackle whatever he sets his mind on, he’ll go far.

But for now–Jumpin’ Jack Carlson is enjoying every experience and cheering on the Rams with each broadcast.

“I can’t imagine being anywhere else,” Carlson said. “I think what we have on the Hilltop is very special.”

Carlson interviews Tony Gomez ’25, running back for the Rams football team, during one of his podcasts.

CATHERINE TIEN-LUN SUN ’73

An international force for personal growth

Cornell College “instilled in me the values of openness and inclusivity. It made me a better person.”

As a 17-year-old living in Hong Kong, Catherine Tien-lun Sun ’73 made a mistake that changed her life. She applied to Cornell College thinking it was Cornell University. When the college offered a scholarship, she decided to give it a try anyway. Thus Cornell provided Sun an early step on the path to becoming one of Asia’s leading advocates for psychological counseling.

Although there were only a few Asians at Cornell, Sun (pronounced “soon”) quickly made friends. Appalled by a dish the college food service called “chop suey,” she obtained authentic ingredients from a sister in Chicago and cooked real Chinese food for her American dormmates.

“Everyone was extra nice to me,” she says.

Her distance from home taught her independence, and the college “instilled in me the values of openness and inclusivity. It made me a better person.”

Sun was attracted to psychology as a teenager.

“I had a crush on a boy named Andrew, who loved psychology, so I feigned an interest in the subject. Andrew did not return my feelings, but I fell in love with Sigmund Freud.”

She majored in psychology and sociology at Cornell, then pursued those interests on returning to Hong Kong. She worked as a training officer in correctional services, taught college classes, led seminars, earned a master’s and doctorate at Hong Kong University, and opened her own consulting practice.

The focus of her work was self-fulfillment, but the overwhelming public reaction to psychological counseling was “frigid,” Sun says, partly because it was associated with mental illness. The field was largely ignored by major universities in China and throughout Asia.

Sun decided to change all that. Since the late 1980s she has written more than 30 pocket-sized books on personal growth (“Living Your Full Potential”; “About Love”; “Overcoming Shyness”). Some became best-sellers, prompting news coverage, talk show appearances, and speaking opportunities.

In 2008 she was founding president of the Asia Pacific Rim Confederation of Counsellors, which now has members from 59 countries. She helped create the association’s journal and has written three textbooks and many articles, both in English and Chinese, for academic journals.

She led the establishment of a second professional association, the Asian Professional Counseling and Psychology Association, serving members in Hong Kong and China.

Sun is often approached by younger psychologists who thank her for inspiring their career choices. Universities in Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia now have outstanding psychology departments, Sun says.

A long association with Shue Yan College in Hong Kong turned into a full-time position in 2000 and Sun has since served as head of the psychology department, then academic vice president, and, currently, senior vice president involved largely in strategic planning. During that period, enrollment doubled to 4,000 students and the college became a university.

“Through psychology,” Sun says, “I hope to help others become more self-aware, improve their quality of life, and enjoy more fulfilling lives. Psychotherapy relieves anxiety, instills hope, and gives you faith that you can set achievable goals. If you persist in that faith, you will succeed.”

—DAN KELLAMS ’58

Cornellian immigrant stories

Join us as we follow the global journeys of six Cornellians.

One arrived as a student with just $14. One came to Iowa with two bags, mostly packed with books. Another attended her citizenship ceremony on the way to campus for move-in day.

Their stories highlight the contributions immigrants bring to society and the opportunity that a Cornell College education provides, whether for students or those who teach on the Hilltop.

By Dee Ann Rexroat ’82

Shakespearean expert finds hope in America

As a new university instructor in Bulgaria, Cornell College Professor of English KIRILKA “KATY” STAVREVA endured food shortages, lack of heating, and impoverishment during the country’s transition from communism. Once she realized her academic career was unsustainable there, she applied for U.S. graduate programs. In 1991 she arrived at the University of Iowa on a full scholarship, carrying two bags and $800. Ten years later she began teaching at Cornell, where she co-founded the Foxden Press and was honored as a Richard and Norma Small Distinguished Professor. Stavreva is the author of “Words Like Daggers: Violent Female Speech in Early Modern England,” a 2014 book challenging the myth of the silent, obedient woman of the era, and co-author of “The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare in Performance)” (2023). She is married to historian Doug Baynton, with whom she has a grown daughter.

How were you affected by the fall of communism in Bulgaria?

That first hungry winter (1989-90), I was living on political elation, coffee, and grilled cheese sandwiches from the faculty cafe at Sofia University, where I worked. We were rallying in the squares, but grocery stores were empty because inflation was going up while food prices remained regulated. Bulgaria had allegedly become a market economy overnight, yet most everyone was state-employed, and salaries were effectively shrinking as rent and the prices of available staples skyrocketed.

I was teaching at the country’s flagship university, but that winter I had to take on a second job at a newspaper, translating and developing a summary in English of Parliament news. The constitution was being amended to pave the way for the first democratic elections since World War II, the press was finally free, and people couldn’t get enough of the news because history was unfolding rapidly. We were learning active citizenship and political courage, for which we had few models.

The protests were a little dangerous, but because the university was right next to the Parliament, students and faculty were constant participants. In any case, the heat was off due to power shortages, so it was warmer and more exciting to be in the square. At some point the Prime Minister got worried about a breach of the Parliament building and mumbled that the tanks should be brought in; this was caught on camera, aired on TV, and triggered a student occupation strike of the university. Nobody knew if the police would break in,

in spite of the nominal autonomy of Sofia University. We lived in hope and fear.

Free elections took place in the spring. Unbelievably for us—the winter-long protesters in the nation’s capital—the communists were voted back into power, albeit with a new name.

Why did you decide to leave Bulgaria?

I would have needed a third job to survive. By that point, I had a well-developed identity as an academic and started writing on Renaissance poetry. But it was impossible to be an academic while working three jobs. A friend suggested that I could apply for Ph.D. programs in English in the U.S., where scholarships were available. In the pre-internet era, I took a shot in the dark.

In the meantime Bowling Green State University in Ohio launched a program in applied philosophy, designed to train the future political leaders of the new European democracies, and I was recruited for it. I was torn. I ended up applying for both English and applied philosophy Ph.D. programs. I got in, with offers of tuition fellowships and small research assistantships, but didn’t know it for weeks, because the letters (letters!) had arrived while I was at a conference in magical Dubrovnik, in then Yugoslavia.

Coming back I found out that the newspaper I had been working for was about to close. Its founder had published a discrediting article about backdoor Parliamentary negotiations and was pressured to disclose his source. He upheld his professional ethics and was forced to resign. That’s when I realized that political ruthlessness was not something I could stomach or navigate. I accepted the offer of the University of Iowa English Ph.D. program and arrived in Iowa in August of 1991 with $800 for insurance and two bags, mostly full of books.

What were your hopes or expectations for life in the U.S.?

For a long time I really didn’t dare hope for anything. In Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” the archangel Raphael tells Adam to “dream not of other worlds”—a line that has always rankled me. But looking back at my path, it seems that I may have been wary of dreaming. So instead, I would start doing the things I deemed were “me.”

What was your path to citizenship?

I came to the U.S. on a student visa; three years later I won the green card lottery. It was the first time that East Europeans could participate. I applied, along with several friends from Sofia University who were also enrolled in Ph.D. programs here—all high-achieving, unattached women in their 20s. I’m not sure how accidental the draw was, but we all “won.” There was confusing and copious paperwork to complete afterward, and I could not afford a lawyer. So the law school library came to the rescue, where I teased out the immigration code.

What things do you like best about living in the U.S.?

My loving American family who has embraced cultural hybridity, my students who never fail to surprise and delight, and a network of friendships— from Eastern Iowa to the coasts—with people of kindness, talent, intellect, and courage. And yet, my closest scholarly allies right now are an energetic and diverse group of East-Central European Shakespeareans. Working with them from here has opened up a perspective that inhabiting a single culture restricts. Just like with professional life at Cornell, I’m an insider-outsider, which allows me to see things more clearly. I often talk about this duality, and how to embrace it while resisting feelings of alienation, with Cornell international students.

Cornell College Professor of English Kirilka “Katy” Stavreva sits at her South Hall office desk before a poster portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, an admirer of Shakespeare’s work.

Immigrant attorney fights for American dream

It took over a decade for the family of RAY FELIZ ’15 to emigrate and reunite in the United States—an odyssey that originated in the Dominican Republic and brought him to northern Virginia at age 3 with his mother. At 18 Feliz took a chance and moved to the Midwest to study and wrestle at Cornell College, where he found a mentor who encouraged him to apply to the University of Wisconsin Law School. Working as a law student volunteer in Madison, Feliz noticed a need for Latino immigration attorneys and made plans to open a law firm there with a classmate. Seven years later they have six offices in four states. Feliz’s community work recently resulted in a pro bono award from the Wisconsin State Bar, and the impact of his clients has positively affected communities throughout the nation.

What stands out about your Cornell experience?

Unique experiences from One Course At A Time to frozen sidewalks! It was a good time and fostered personal growth. I majored in economics and business with minors in Spanish and philosophy, and I had good professors. Professor of Economics and Business Santhi Hejeebu was my mentor. She’s a very tough professor, but she helped guide me. She recommended the University of Wisconsin Law School, which was in the top 25 law schools in the country. I took a chance and applied, and despite not wanting to remain in the Midwest, Madison and successful financial aid negotiations kept me around.

Why did you become an immigration attorney?

In short, I am a first-generation immigrant who achieved the American dream and became an immigration lawyer to help those in search of that dream. At UW Law School I was vice president of the Latino Law Student Association and I took part in the Community Immigration Law Center. We did intakes and answered questions about immigration law. And that’s where I saw the list of immigration attorneys in the area—the three who could speak Spanish and one Hispanic attorney. And I was like, supply and demand—I studied this at Cornell! I know what I’ve got to do here, so I started making

some connections and partnered with Jairo Hernandez, a classmate. In my second-year tax class I approached him and informed him of the need for Latino attorneys in the area: “You want to be my right hand and expand globally?” By the time we graduated, I already had scheduled an initial consultation for our first day, which paid the bills for that month. We started in an office-sharing space downtown and have expanded to a main office in Madison, plus offices in various locations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Houston, Texas; Orlando, Florida; Miami, Florida; and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Do you have patriotic feelings about the U.S.?

Of course. That’s why I want to try to help other people become Americans, benefit from the privileges, and be able to add to the community, which is something my clients do substantially. At this point I’m reaching 4,000 cases, so we have made a significant impact in the community throughout the United States. I have many clients who are entrepreneurs, professionals, and families who have been successful with their petitions. We understand the system and process. We’ve been through it ourselves. Our connection to the community and the experiences we have lived through allow us to better connect with clients and get the results they need. That success has been able to grow communities and patriotic sentiment as people petition their families to come to the U.S., be able to obtain an education, become U.S. citizens, and start successful businesses in order to obtain the American dream.

In what ways are you involved in your community?

I’ve been vice president of the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce. This organization has programs to educate entrepreneurs, and as a part of that, I teach a course on Legal Considerations to Start a Business. I have also taught a course called Here for Business for the Wisconsin State Bar. In addition, I assist in legal intake clinics once a month with Centro Hispano, a large organization here in Madison. I also host a regular weekly show on Instagram, where I answer immigration and other legal questions posed by viewers.

What’s ahead for you?

For now I am focused on continuing to make the American dream possible for my clients, as well as taking care of my growing family and enjoying life as a snowbird. I hope to continue to help the Latino community grow, surpass the challenges to come with the new administration, and inspire others to step up and wrestle for that American dream. It’s still achievable and worth the sacrifices.

Instagram page offers immigration

sessions every Tuesday. See crnl.co/felizIG

Ray Feliz ’15 is an immigration attorney with offices in four states.

WEB EXTRA: Feliz’s

Q&A

Zaw Naing Win ’13 (left) and Dzung Dang ’13 hold their son, Kai, at home.

Opportunity, love, and building a life in the U.S.

ZAW NAING WIN ’13 and DZUNG DANG ’13 grew up in educational systems focused on memorization and accepting information without questioning. They arrived on the Hilltop in 2009, Win coming from Myanmar and Dang from Vietnam. While Win aspired to immigrate, Dang initially had no plans to stay in the U.S. Cornell changed the trajectory of their lives, intertwining opportunity, love, and success. Now married, the couple resides in the Boston area. Win (an economics and computer science major) earned his dual degree Emerging Leaders MBA and M.S. in IT and now works as a lead data engineer at Capital One. Dang (an economics and business major and studio art minor) completed her MBA and is a senior manager in supply chain management at Medtronic. Both recently became U.S. citizens, and they welcomed their son, Kai, in August 2024.

Why did you come to the U.S.?

WIN: Myanmar is a politically unstable country, so opportunities are hard to come by unless you have connections with high-ranking officials or the military. The idea of the American dream—where hard work pays off—was inspiring. My expectation was to experience college in the U.S., broaden my horizons, and explore my diverse interests.

DANG: For me it really was about wanting to get an education abroad in the U.S. I had a lot of influence by watching American movies and wanted to experience a totally different environment—not necessarily trying to get away, but just wanting a different environment and a top education. Being selected to go to Cornell to study was certainly a life-changing moment.

What was your life like before immigrating?

WIN: I come from a small town in Myanmar ruled by the military at that time. Everything was closed off. Exposure to the internet came only after high school, and education emphasized mindless memorization over critical thinking. Studying in the U.S. was life-changing—it completely reshaped my mindset. At Cornell, I developed soft skills like critical thinking and presentation, which have been invaluable in my engineering career and really set me apart from other engineers.

DANG: Similarly, education in Vietnam placed a lot of emphasis on memorization and following a certain way of thinking. Coming to the U.S. was a big change in terms of being able to see from different points of view—seeing how someone can think so differently from you and trying to see from that perspective and how people can be so vocal with their opinions and freely express themselves. That was very refreshing. That shaped my mind as a young adult and helped me grow into who I am today.

What was life like upon arrival at Cornell?

DANG: Being from a really busy, bustling place in Asia where it’s crowded with people and lots of noises all the time—coming to Mount Vernon was just so quiet. It took some time to get used to. But then the air is so clean. So fresh. And the people were very nice as well, and that was kind of a surprise. So the experience of coming to Mount Vernon was shocking, but in a good way.

Has becoming a U.S. citizen changed you?

DANG: I’ve certainly changed a lot. In the U.S., I learned to question and analyze rather than accept information at face value.

WIN: A lot has changed for me too. When we visit Myanmar, we now experience reverse culture shock because of the differences in how things are done.

Is the American dream real?

WIN: Absolutely. For me, the American dream’s about having a stable job and a good quality of life, compared to countries like Myanmar, where people are living day-to-day or just cannot really express themselves. Here, hard work truly leads to achievement.

Do you have patriotic feelings about the U.S.?

DANG: I couldn’t wait to vote. And I was very excited to get the U.S. passport. You feel a certain patriotism to the country that you are now a citizen of, but it doesn’t diminish our love for our previous country.

What things do you like best about living in the U.S.?

WIN: The one thing I really like is how diverse this country is. You have so many different cultures here that you don’t really feel like you are alone. You can find your place in this country as long as you put in time and effort. The sense that “anything is possible” is empowering.

DANG: Diversity is a big thing. You can find so many cuisines, make friends, and learn about things you might not necessarily have exposure to in other parts of the world. And then there’s the access to nature. It’s a short distance to mountains or to the beach. It depends on where you live, but even in Iowa, there are public spaces and playgrounds, and the access to nature is awesome. The U.S. is so big, each state almost feels like a different culture.

Zimbabwean finds freedom, opportunity in America

FADZAI “FADZI” FUNGURA ’10 left her home and family in Zimbabwe to attend Cornell College in 2006 with just $14 in cash. She didn’t realize her Cornell scholarship was for tuition only, but after her host mother, now-retired Director of Student Health Services Nancy Reasland, helped her buy her first textbook, Fungura found a work-study job and soon was able to support herself on campus and send money home. Fungura majored in math and physics and made friends she still sees today. She went on to earn a doctorate in physics from Iowa State University, to become a quality process engineer at Intel Corporation in Phoenix, and to help pay for a new house for her mother in Zimbabwe. She received a green card in 2019 and is in the process of becoming a citizen.

Why did you leave Zimbabwe?

I came from a very poor family. Both my parents were teachers, but my dad had another family—polygamy is allowed there, it’s normal—so he couldn’t take care of us. The five of us were on my mom’s salary. Then the economy started to decline. If I hadn’t come to the U.S., it would have been very challenging for me.

Why did you come to Cornell?

I met an American woman who worked at the U.S. embassy. She saw a lot of potential in the students in Zimbabwe, and she started an organization (United States Achievers Program) to help. I was fortunate enough to get into the program, which provided study books for the SAT and paid for the exam. I saw a Cornell brochure in her office and I thought because I was very quiet and very shy, it might be best if I started off at a smaller college. I got a scholarship from Cornell. I’m very thankful for Cornell College, and for the scholarship, because it changed my life.

What was your journey to the U.S. like?

Before social media, all we saw of America back home was New York, L.A., and Chicago, and I thought everywhere in America was one big city. I was still a kid, right? As I was flying I started seeing cornfields, and I thought, wait, this

is America? Why am I flying into farms? I was fortunate that Ray and Nancy [Reasland] were there to pick me up. I stayed at their house for five days and was very happy and comfortable there. I was so nervous having to go to campus because everybody was young, excited, and talked so fast. I couldn’t understand everything. It took me about a year to fully integrate into the culture.

How has becoming a U.S. citizen changed you?

Back home there was a certain path that people expected you to take. Here there are so many things you can do. So it has given me freedom, especially as a woman. In my culture women were expected to grow up, get married, and have children. And that’s it. It also made me grow up faster, as I was supporting my family back home. And it made me work harder. I had to make sure my grades were above a certain GPA to keep my scholarship. I was always afraid that if something happened, no one could be there for me. So I had to make sure I was fine financially.

What things do you like best about living in the U.S.?

The culture I came from had very hard expectations. I was going to be a math and physics major, and I expected that if I declared a major, my advisor would say take this class, that class, and that class, and instead he [Professor Jim Freeman] said, what do you want? Nobody had ever asked me that question.

If you are a hard-working individual, opportunity will find you, and if you can prove yourself, you keep going up. I like the opportunities to make money–to become successful in my career choice. In Zimbabwe the economy became so bad even well-educated people have a hard time finding opportunities.

And then you are friends with people from many different cultures, and people make food for you. I’ve tasted food from everywhere and I love it. Entertainment has a bigger variety too. I like to dance, I like to work out, and to try different things like cross fit, yoga, cycling, and barre classes.

A woman of color in your job is unusual. How does that impact you?

For Intel in the U.S. I believe 5% of the engineers are Black, much less for women. It is good for me. It puts me in a space where other people can see me and aspire to follow that path. I felt imposter syndrome in the beginning. You gravitate to people you feel comfortable with, but there aren’t that many of us.

Is the American Dream real?

Having freedom has worked for me, especially, as a woman. The only challenge with the American dream that I see is that America encourages people to be in debt. I’m not in debt.

Do you ever regret coming to the U.S.?

No. Never. Now staying here is a choice.

From her impoverished childhood in Zimbabwe, Fadzai “Fadzi” Fungura ’10 rose to become a successful engineer at Intel.

Finding a place, fighting for rights

ALONDRA GRANADOS ’20 was too young to remember crossing the U.S. border from Juarez, Mexico, with her teenage mother. Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as an undocumented immigrant, she quickly learned to navigate a world shaped by fear and uncertainty. Early on, Granados learned how to navigate challenges posed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. As she grew older, her commitment to social justice deepened, though she often worked behind the scenes to protect herself from the risk of deportation. Granados and her mother became U.S. citizens the day they drove to Iowa for her to attend Cornell College on a full scholarship. After graduating at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with a degree in sociology and anthropology and a minor in civic engagement, Granados moved to Arizona to work as a paralegal. A year later, she returned home to attend the University of New Mexico School of Law. Today she works for a nonprofit immigration firm and another law firm.

What was your path to citizenship?

I came to the U.S. with my mom. I was young. My grandfather, a lawful permanent resident, eventually applied for a family petition for my mom and me. After several years, we were called in for an interview.

What was it like growing up undocumented?

My first experience with racial discrimination happened in kindergarten when I was called a derogatory name. I asked my mom what it meant, and she explained my immigration status, how to stay under the radar, and the importance of being cautious. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be involved in social justice work, but I kept my efforts behind the scenes for fear of being arrested or putting my status at risk. Growing up, I was constantly reminded to avoid speaking Spanish at school and to not draw attention to myself. Albuquerque was rife with ICE raids at the time, so it was also about learning to stay alert and knowing my rights if I or someone I knew was confronted by ICE.

Why did you become an attorney?

Becoming an attorney and doing social justice work was my goal from the start. Growing up in a community impacted by ICE raids and police interactions, especially in a low-income neighborhood, I became involved in advocacy early on. I helped organize Know Your Rights presentations, worked with clinics that assisted with work authorization and DACA applications, and became deeply familiar with the complex-

ities of the immigration system. Having lived through these experiences, I felt a strong drive to help others in my community navigate the system and fight for their rights.

How do you use your law degree?

I work under contract with a nonprofit law firm in the unaccompanied minors division, and I’m also contracted with another law firm. My work primarily involves helping children and their families apply for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. I handle most of the state court representation for these clients, which I find incredibly rewarding.

Tell me about your Cornell experience.

At Cornell, I was on the lacrosse team and participated in mock trial. I also worked a lot. While Mount Vernon was a bit isolated for me, since I had grown up in a city, I ultimately had a good experience. I met some wonderful people who remain friends to this day. Though I didn’t actively seek out opportunities, I found that people remembered the things I said, and when opportunities came up, they thought of me and let me know how to apply.

How has becoming a U.S. citizen changed you?

Becoming a U.S. citizen has made me more vocal, but it hasn’t changed who I am or what I want to do. I still feel deeply connected to my community and committed to social justice.

Is the American dream real?

I want to believe in the American dream, but I don’t. As an immigrant, you will always feel like an outsider to some people, especially those who don’t accept or understand your background. Despite all that, I continue to push forward, knowing that my journey is unique, and that I can still make a difference.

What advice do you have for immigrant students?

You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to be the smartest. You know yourself best—you know how to study and how to navigate challenges in ways that others may not. Never underestimate your own journey, because your experience is different from those who had American-born parents with higher education. Trust your instincts and continue listening to yourself.

Alondra Granados ’20, who grew up in New Mexico as an undocumented child, now serves as an immigration attorney for others seeking citizenship.

LIFE AFTER CORNELL

DAN BRENNAN ’81

Transplant innovator

“I have a dream that one day Iowa farms will be raising genetically modified pigs for all human organs so that no immunosuppression will be required. And then I’ll be out of a job.”

Dan Brennan ’81, a Cornell honors graduate in chemistry, hated medical school during his second year at the University of Iowa. It seemed to be the mindless pursuit of an A.

Then, in a psychiatry class, he encountered a songwriter who was hospitalized for what seemed to be schizophrenia. When the professor asked the songwriter what advice he had for the students, he answered, “You got to learn it, you got to learn it for us, man.”

“His words hit me like a thunderbolt,” Brennan said. “I wasn’t studying for a grade; I was learning how to help patients.”

Today he is medical director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He oversees more than 100 surgeons, physicians, and support staff who last year performed 430 transplants of kidneys, livers, hearts, and lungs.

Brennan was drawn to transplantation as an 8-year-old when he learned of the first successful heart transplant. When he was studying at Iowa, the kidney was still the only organ that could be transplanted with reasonable success—failure rate was about 50%.

Brennan, a kidney specialist whose expertise includes preventing infections that cause organ rejection, has been at the forefront of massive changes that have improved the success rate of kidney transplantation and led to advancements in transplanting other organs.

During his career—including a previous leadership position at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis—Brennan has taught future physicians and nurses, contributed to more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, written chapters for 29 books, given more than 200 talks to national and international audiences, edited professional journals, and helped prepare grant proposals that have raised $60 million for research.

“I work 60 to 80 hours a week,” he said. “Also, I’ve been at this a long time.”

But his major personal rewards, he said, come from teaching and treating patients.

While Brennan was at Iowa, he and his college sweetheart, Susan Kozal Brennan ’82, were married. She earned a doctoral degree in philosophy at Iowa and began a career as a college professor by teaching at Cornell during the 1986-87 academic year. She took 14 years off to raise the couple’s four children, but resumed teaching and is now a professor of ethics and philosophy at a community college in Baltimore.

Cornell was the source of lasting friendships for the couple, and they recently endowed a fund to support students studying abroad.

Brennan grew up in Lombard, Illinois.

“I went to Cornell,” he said, “because I was told I could do both pre-med and theater. Northwestern said I had to choose.”

Looking ahead, Brennan said that AI will improve diagnostic techniques and the processes of organ allocation, while gene editing over the next 10 years will greatly improve transplant tolerance and lead to the use of animal tissues or organs in humans.

“I have a dream that one day Iowa farms will be raising genetically modified pigs for all human organs so that no immunosuppression will be required. And then I’ll be out of a job.”

—DAN KELLAMS ’58

Dan Brennan ‘81 and Susan Kozal Brennan ‘82

A gift to the future

A gift to Cornell in 1994 made it possible for Olivia Cotton ’26 to attend Cornell, where her experience has been life-changing. One hundred years from now that same gift will continue to make life-changing experiences possible, though we can only guess what such an experience will be in 2125.

Such is the power of the endowment.

In the following pages you will see other examples of the endowment at work on the Hilltop, stories on the launch of women’s wrestling, and the support of faculty and students in their academic endeavors.

Cornell’s endowment is an essential part of who we are now and who we are in the future. It’s the single most important indicator of institutional strength.

In 2024 Cornell’s endowment reached the $100 million mark. This is an exciting milestone, and yet, it is smaller than most U.S. college endowments. We continue to build ours in order to provide the best possible experience for our current and future students.

This article is a condensed version of the February 2025 white paper “Putting

the Important—Cornell’s Endowment—before the Urgent.”

By Jonathan Brand President

and Kelly Flege Vice President and Chief Operating and Financial Officer

Most people have heard us say that Cornell’s endowment is an essential financial bedrock, it is the financial foundation for our institution and its future, as it may be for any school. It is intuitive that institutions with large endowments—large investment accounts, so to speak—have a greater ability to support students and programs, as well as to financially weather significant ups and downs.

While many of our alumni and friends have heard that the endowment is an important financial resource, they still have questions about it. What is it precisely? What does it really do? Is it really that important? (Yes! Really.) These are all great questions and reveal how complex endowments are.

Everything begins with our students

Everything we do begins with our students and their needs. As one example, 36% of our students are Pell-eligible, which means that they come to Cornell with exceptional financial need. All of these students receive Cornell scholarships (in addition to the federal Pell Grant and state aid they might qualify for), and without this support, these students would not be able to attend Cornell. It is really that simple.

As we often say—Cornell can transform a student’s life, but not if that student can’t afford to attend Cornell in the first place. Access is the gateway to opportunity and upward financial mobility for our students. It thus follows that our total financial aid budget for fiscal year 2025 is almost $37 million, representing 47% of Cornell’s entire budget. Thanks to many alumni and friends, Cornell has hundreds of endowed scholarships that support a part of the financial aid budget. Without those funds, far fewer students would be able to attend Cornell.

What is an endowment?

Think of an endowment as a pool of funds, donated by people to an organization, that does not get spent by that organization. Instead, it is invested and grows in value over time. The organization only uses a small percentage annually. Endowed funds can be grouped into two main categories. First, there are restricted endowments, which can only be used for the intent of the donor. Such endowments include those that fund specific initiatives, programs, and services, such as a scholarship, an internship, off-campus study, a faculty position (a chair), and even the maintenance of our campus.

Fund provided ‘life-changing’ opportunity

As his junior year came to an end, Jake Vuolo ’25 was excited to stay on campus and be part of the Cornell Summer Research Institute. He was determined to make the most of his final year on the Hilltop, preparing for his future work life and spending time with his Cornell friends.

With funding from the Stark Endowed Fellowship—established in 2016 to fund experiential learning—Vuolo spent eight weeks investigating social media analytics alongside Professor of Economics and Business Santhi Hejeebu.

“I would love to say a massive thank you to the donors who funded my Cornell Summer Research Institute experience,” says Vuolo, a business analytics major and applied statistics minor from Colorado. “It was life-changing, and I now feel more confident going into the workforce and determining what my life will look like after college.”

Life-changing is exactly the impact the late Jon M. Stark ’52 and his wife, Terry, had in mind when they set up the fund.

“I hope our gift will do for students what it did for Jon and what it did for our son Eric [Stark ’89],” Terry told the Cornell Report in 2016. “In both instances, coming to Cornell was really a life-changing experience.”

Over the summer Vuolo extended his classroom learning with Professor Hejeebu by mastering software tools that unravel online trends. Their goal was to see which set of tools produced the best outcome for collecting and understanding their data, so those tools could be used in upcoming courses.

—DEE ANN REXROAT ’82

“My research experience was incredibly impactful. It was very different from what I had experienced in a classroom setting, as I had to be more independent and forge my path,” says Vuolo, who is part of Phi Kappa Nu, KRNL radio, and vice president of Greek Council. “Outside of researching, the Institute was incredible because I was with my friends. Going into my senior year of college, I had been nervous about only having one year left with my friends, so when we weren’t researching, we’d do movie nights and make dinner together, and those nights were the nights when I felt like I was home.”

Jake Vuolo ’25 delved into social media analytics during the 2024 Cornell Summer Research Institute with Professor of Economics and Business Santhi Hejeebu.

PHOTOS BY MEGAN AMR

Scholarship opens a new world to Olivia Cotton

One Course At A Time is what drew Olivia Cotton ’26 to Cornell College from Colorado. The Charles J. & Evelyn R. Spletter Scholarship is what made it possible.

“The scholarship is the reason I’m here,” says Cotton, who has studied for a semester in Indonesia, competed on the Rams’ first women’s wrestling team, and discovered an appreciation for the liberal arts.

Charles Spletter ’41 and Evelyn Steinway Spletter ’43 set up the fund in 1994 to provide scholarships. It is one of hundreds of endowed scholarships that exist in perpetuity, providing the benefits of a Cornell education for generations.

Now a junior, Cotton says One Course turned out to be a great fit, allowing her to fully commit to every subject she studies. What she didn’t expect was to develop a love of the liberal arts. Her favorite classes have been Costume Design, Jazz Studio (a dance class), and Logic and Critical Thinking, a staple of the philosophy department. None are required for her self-designed major, international sales and marketing.

Cotton joined the women’s wrestling team in her first year and the first year for the program.

“It’s been amazing to see wrestling grow from the very beginning and to watch it have such an impact on recruiting and bringing women to the sport. It’s so nice to be a leader,” says Cotton, who also competes in track and field. “It’s a small school so the people on my teams are very close, almost like my family.”

A Gilman Scholarship allowed her to travel internationally for the first time, spending the fall 2024 semester in Indonesia with the School for International Training’s Art, Religion, and Social Change program. Over the four months, she says, she learned a new language, culture, and philosophical ideals.

None of this would be possible without the Spletters and their endowed scholarship.

“I am so appreciative to the donors who funded my scholarship,” she says. “I don’t know where I would be without Cornell, and I truly feel like I can go down my chosen path, not just for my career but for life.”

—DEE ANN REXROAT ’82

Olivia Cotton ’26 enjoys a smoothie after hiking in the mountains of Bali. She traveled there while studying in Indonesia last fall.

Second, unrestricted endowments are the result of a gift to the endowment without a specific intent from the donor and, thus, are not restricted to a specific purpose. As a result, these endowed funds can be used to support the changing priorities of Cornell and the changing needs of our students, as we determine them, as those needs and priorities change over time.

And, here is what is important: many alumni and friends create these sorts of endowed funds at Cornell—both restricted and unrestricted—and these different endowed funds, together, are THE endowment. In fact, we have over 700 distinct endowed funds which, collectively, comprise the endowment.

Why is an endowment so important?

Cornell’s endowment funds every aspect of the college, from general support of Cornell’s every day operating expenses to restricted programming such as scholarships for students, and academic and co-curricular programs like internships or academic research undertaken by students.

Cornell College pays its bills from funds that largely come from three sources: student revenue (tuition, housing, and food), gifts from alumni and friends, and the endowment. Generally, net tuition (tuition, less scholarships and financial aid), housing, and food represent the largest portion of revenue. Approved spending from the endowment and gifts comprise the other material sources of revenue. Per Cornell’s 2023-2024 financial statements, student revenue represented 72%, gifts were 11%, and the endowment contributed 13% of the college’s $38,292 million revenue. Other auxiliary revenue generated the remaining 4%.

Within this context, the general purpose of an endowment is to generate income and growth to meet the short-term spending needs of an institution while also ensuring that that institution is viable in perpetuity. After all, the goal for the principal of an endowment, as opposed to its growth over time, is that it is not to be touched. This financial stability is particularly vital for colleges and universities because our horizon is so distant, and a predictable ongoing stream of income is essential.

In any given year a college can have a drop in student enrollment, which means an immediate reduction in available revenue. The same can happen with annual gifts. When there is such a drop, a college can be forced to make cuts. Here, the endowment provides an additional source of revenue—and

The general purpose of an endowment is to generate income and growth to meet the short-term spending needs of an institution while also ensuring that that institution is viable in perpetuity.

Achieving a healthy balance between the needs of today and the anticipated needs of the future advances the goal of intergenerational equity of the endowment.

ideally an increasing source of revenue—that can provide support for the school and offset some of the other revenue reductions.

How much can we spend and how is it managed?

Endowments are intended to be long term and to be spent like your retirement fund once you have retired—a small percentage is drawn annually so that it lasts as long as needed.

For endowments colleges establish spending rates, typically between 4.5% and 5% annually, to govern endowment spending. Spending in that range is intended to meet the current needs of an institution while also growing its endowment, above inflation, to protect that institution’s long-term financial strength.

It falls to a board of trustees to decide what spending amount makes the most sense in light of the circumstances surrounding a given institution. When the Cornell College Board of Trustees supports an increase to the financial aid budget for students or to salaries for faculty and staff, it pays attention to maintaining a proper balance between Cornell’s current short-term spending needs and its long-term financial strength (the growth of the endowment). Achieving a healthy balance between the needs of today and the anticipated needs of the future advances the goal of intergenerational equity of the endowment.

At Cornell we spend 5% of the three-year average of the endowment’s value on an annual basis. The Board of Trustees can deviate from this plan, as needed, when external factors affect tuition revenue or costs.

The stewardship of the endowment falls to the Board of Trustees, which it delegates, in part, to its Finance Committee. The Board sets investment policies, and the Finance Committee reviews the endowment’s performance and the work of the college’s investment advisor/manager (BOK Financial) to ensure that it is following the Board’s policies and reaching performance targets.

What

is

the size of our endowment,

and how does it compare to our peers?

As of June 30, 2024, Cornell’s endowment eclipsed $100 million for the first time in our history and is at $100,874,800. Bravo! Let’s keep building it!

Professor thrives with added support

When faculty benefit from enhanced funding, their students benefit too.

Associate Professor of Finance Huan Cai is one of many Cornell College professors who participate in the Cornell Summer Research Institute because of endowment funding through the Thayer-Delahooke Faculty Fund, established in 2008 by the late Keith Thayer ’51 and his wife Nancy Delahooke Thayer ’52 Keith Thayer was a Cornell Trustee and longtime University of Iowa dental school professor.

Because of her Thayer-Delahooke award, Cai was able to work with two students and a colleague during the 2024 Cornell Summer Research Institute. Their timely project addressed “The Impact of AI Within the Workforce.”

Moreover, it will benefit future students in her classes.

“These projects also help me rethink the content I cover in class, revising them from time to time to include the most updated technology and professional skills that help students remain competitive in the job market,” says Cai. She and her students will continue researching AI’s implications on equity valuations in the finance industry during the Cornell Summer Research Institute.

Cai considers it a luxury, she says, to conduct student-faculty collaborative research in the summer, something the Thayer-Delahooke Faculty Fund allowed her to do.

She maintains an active professional life, submitting and presenting research and engaging in professional development. All of it enhances her teaching.

Cai joined Cornell as a visiting assistant professor in 2013. After returning to China for a few years to teach and develop her field of research on behavioral finance, she came back to the Hilltop in 2022. She says she missed Cornell’s liberal arts environment and its students.

“What I like about Cornell students is their integrity, collaborative engagement, consistent attendance, and remarkable openness to learning,” she says.—DEE ANN REXROAT ’82

Associate Professor of Finance Huan Cai stands in the doorway of her McLennan College Hall office. Support from the endowment has helped her pursue student-faculty research.

Endowment for the pin: Launching women’s wrestling

Just a decade ago few envisioned a women’s wrestling team competing for the Rams. But as the sport exploded at high schools across the nation, our Strategic Planning Committee set it as a priority program.

Cornell became one of the first 29 Division III colleges to add women’s wrestling when we announced our launch on Dec. 1, 2021. The timing was perfect: today girls wrestling is the fastest-growing high school sport. Because we moved quickly, Cornell is in a good position to attract wrestlers who want to continue the sport in college.

We couldn’t have made that choice without Cornell’s endowment.

Although a budget for the program did not exist, the flexibility of unrestricted endowment funds allowed Cornell to pivot and launch the program.

“We were able to move quickly and now we’re in a great position to recruit women wrestlers,” says Vice President for Enrollment Management Wendy Beckemeyer. “We’re at the leading edge of this exciting sport, offering women new athletic opportunities, and our enrollment is growing because of this program. It’s a win-win.”

Cornell’s young team landed two place-winners at the Rams’ first-ever women’s wrestling tournament— the Cliff Keen-Mike Duroe Invitational—in January. The team has a roster of 15 women in its second year of competition and shares facilities with the men’s team in the renovated and expanded Richard and Norma Small Athletic and Wellness Center—the SAW.

When Cornell announced the launch, then-Athletic Director Seth Wing called it “a giant step for the college as we continue to enhance the student-athlete experience” that would build on Cornell’s “rich and storied” wrestling program, which includes the 1947 national championship team.

Thanks to the flexibility of unrestricted endowment funds to serve the college’s highest priorities, Cornell women’s wrestling provides opportunities for the representation and success of even more Ram female athletes. —DEE ANN REXROAT ’82

ALEXA CORONA ’ 28

KERRY

KAHL

KERRY

KAHL

Wrestlers Sydney Newberg ’26 (top), Averi Burke ’28 (center), and Cheyenne Mulford ’26 (bottom) compete for the Rams.

The endowment is a snapshot of Cornell’s history and individuals’ hopes for its future. It reflects the love and commitment that Cornellians have for our special corner of the world.

In 2023, 688 colleges and universities participated in a National Association of College and University Business Officers endowment survey. According to the survey, the average market value for all participating institutions was $1.2 billion, while the median value was $209.1 million. We fall below that median, as well as below nearly all of the endowments of other colleges in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM). These data only point to the importance of our focus on the growth of our endowment.

What role does philanthropy play?

An endowment gift is fundamentally different from other gifts because it provides alumni and friends the opportunity to support something now AND in a manner that will ensure the endeavor can exist forever because the gift is placed in a permanent endowment fund.

In Cornell’s case endowment giving reflects a belief that Cornell will exist forever and that future generations of Cornellians should enjoy the same quality or better opportunities and experiences as the current one. Further, many alumni make endowment gifts to Cornell because they wish to “pay forward” the support they received.

It is philanthropy that is at the heart of the endowment. The enduring and deep affection that Cornellians have for Cornell is represented in the over 700 different endowment funds that we maintain. The names of the funds reflect that Cornellians over the decades have invested in Cornell’s future through their endowment gifts. There are funds named for classes going back to 1907, funds named in honor of beloved faculty members (Professors Deskin, Kollman, and Lane, to name just a few), and funds named in memory of classmates, spouses, parents, and grandparents. The endowment is a snapshot of Cornell’s history and individuals’ hopes for its

future. It reflects the love and commitment that Cornellians have for our special corner of the world.

Does our endowment really need to grow?

Yes! As we now begin to feel the impact of the “demographic cliff,” a roughly 15% drop in the number of high school graduates nationwide over the next 15 years, we know that enrollment (and student revenue) will not resolve our financial pressures. Nor is it realistic, practical, or feasible to expect or ask our alumni and friends to give more every year to make up the difference via the Cornell Fund.

This means that we need to focus on building the endowment. As our endowment grows, so does the actual dollar amount of allowable annual spending from it, which can offset the reduction in student revenue. As they say, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today. The time to grow the endowment is now so that we can realize the benefits sooner.

We are focusing on the important

Both in good times and in challenging times, the endowment helps to ensure steady financial backing for the college’s superior and expensive level of education. The key to progress is focus. And, that is what we are doing—taking strong steps to build the endowment.

We are in an enviable position with our distinctive and dynamic academic program, our unique focus on students, our updated campus facilities, and our low debt load. Because of this we are now able to focus on the important: the endowment and the promise and commitment that it holds for our future students.

Reflecting on 30 years

Cornellians tell it like it is

Looking back over 30 years of Cornell Reports in preparation for this issue, I came across many favorite things—letters, stories, designs, even entire issues. But what most captured my interest were quotes we highlighted over the years. The thoughts Cornellians shared were poignant, perceptive, and quite often witty. They capture the spirit and culture of Cornell and connect us across generations. Their thoughts, along with images from those three decades, are what I leave with you in my final issue.

Dee Ann Rexroat ’82 Editor, 1995–2025

My memories of Cornell are still vivid. It is a place where I learned to think, reason, write, and communicate effectively.”

Sal DiFonzo Jr. ’89 a first-generation graduate (SPRING 2015)

“A liberal arts education, with its variety and commitment to connection among the facets of learning, gives us equipment to design this life and understand it, and live it, and repair it.”

Professor of Education

Dick Peters (SPRING 1999)

“Thanks to everyone who is powering this institutional dive into how to become an anti-racist institution. This takes courage; it takes brutal honesty from speakers of the truth and listeners to the truth alike. I have never been prouder of Cornell College than I am at this moment.”

Marcia Radosevich ’74 regarding the “I See You” issue, guest edited by Heather ‘Byrd’ Roberts ’09 (FALL 2021)

I think of myself as perfectly normal. Other people see me as fairly flamboyant.”

Art Professor Hugh Lifson (Fall 1998)

“I remember thinking I would never fit in and quickly realized Cornell embraces everyone and that being yourself is how you truly fit in.”

Johanna Carlisle ’89 (SUMMER 1998)

It is important for artists to support one another. Keep doing good art work.”

Yoko Ono to Art Professor Tony Plaut ’78, when she called his “Yoko Phono” in his campus exhibit on Jan. 13, 2008 (SPRING 2008)

Clint Parry ’09 LEGO master (FALL 2016)

“He wrote that ‘making “being gay all right” will be my most important legacy to the college.’ He was the most ethical person I know, because his morality came not from beyond, but from within, from his sense of kinship with others, and from plunging exuberantly into the human condition.”

—Professor of French Diane Crowder on the death of Professor of English Stephen Lacey ’65 (Summer 2000)

IT WAS NEW, IT WAS STRANGE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU: IT WAS WONDERFUL. WITHIN TWO DAYS, I WAS HAD. I OFFICIALLY BECAME ONE OF THOSE SMILEY, RIDICULOUSLY FRIENDLY PEOPLE.”

Melissa Wood ’82, on the impact of living in Iowa (SPRING 2012)

“SPORTS ARE THE PERFECT MIRROR OF LIFE. YOU REALIZE THAT YOU DEPEND ON OTHERS FOR THE SUCCESS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION.”

Barry Boyer ’84 (SPRING 2013)

“Life will never be as convenient or as full of opportunities as it is right now. You are living, studying, socializing, dining, and learning with people from all over the world. There are incredible events right here on the Hilltop, and everyone on this campus wants you to succeed.”

John Harp as vice president for student affairs

(FALL 2015)

“I thought, ‘Wow, this is a school with the kind of past, the kind of location, the kind of values that really speak to me. That’s why I’m coming here. To join an institution that has always been forwardlooking and focused on excellence and social improvement above all else.”

President Jonathan Brand (SPRING 2011)

YOU CAN PROCRASTINATE ON THE BLOCK PLAN, BUT NOT FOR VERY LONG.”

Dennis Damon Moore, dean of the college (FALL 1996)

“One simple idea—take one class, every day, for a month and then move on to the next one—has transformed into a culture, a way of life and education, and a communitywide way of approaching liberal arts education.”

Blake Rasmussen ’05 in his article on the 30th anniversary of One Course (FALL 2008) The block plan stops for no mere act of God.”

Politics Professor David Yamanishi when three students turned in papers during a tornado warning (SUMMER 2014)

“Before One Course At A Time it took longer to show ‘Gone With the Wind’ than it did to fight the war.”

Professor of History Philip Lucas, who screened the film in the morning and discussed it in the afternoon during Civil War and Reconstruction (FALL 1999)

“If I could go back and repeat my four years at Cornell, I think the one thing I would do differently is sleep more.”

FALL2015

SPRING 2016

Cornell provided education for life, friends for a lifetime.”

John Urheim ’62 (Summer 1998)

“Thanks for giving people like me the opportunity to look for a better life. I couldn’t express with words the gratitude I feel toward you, and it is for that reason that I choose to express it with actions, being active, keeping a good GPA, working hard after school, and keeping my aspirations high. May God bless you and your family for even though you may not realize it, you are angels fallen from the sky.”

Diego Verdugo ’12 to the donors of his scholarship. He was the Young Alumni Award recipient in 2024. (FALL 2010)

“LATER, A LITTLE COLONY OF PROCRASTINATORS WOULD GATHER IN THE LOUNGE, PULLING ALLNIGHTERS TO CRAM FOR AN EXAM OR TO FINISH (OR START) A PAPER DUE THE NEXT DAY.”

Susan Schwab Donovan ’66 regarding the women in Pfeiffer Hall after 9:15 p.m. curfew (SUMMER 2000; REPRINTED SPRING 2023)

2015

“Today the Hilltop is unimaginable without its trees, but in 1853 it was a prairie. President Fellows used to send students into the woods to bring back trees to plant on campus.”

Peter Hoehnle ’96 in his cover article for the Sesquicentennial issue (FALL 2003)

“Diversity promotes critical thinking. We expand our knowledge base when presented with differing viewpoints.”

Professor of Sociology Tori Barnes-Brus ’97 (FALL 2011)

You wouldn’t recognize [The Cornellian]. For instance, there’s a fairly large ad for pregnancy testing! Sex hadn’t been invented when we were at Cornell.”

Dorothy Dodge Rote, Class of 1929 (SUMMER 1997)

“What I learned: the necessity to know how to work well with people, and that all people have worth and are important.”

Ben McAdams ’50 (SUMMER 1998)

“This boulder, weighing 5,000 pounds, is a symbol of solidarity, permanence, and indestructibility. Like Cornell College, despite rough handling and harsh times, the Rock survives and inspires new generations of Cornellians.”

Registrar and Classics Professor Emeritus Charles Milhauser in Cornelliana (WINTER 1995)

“My favorite thing about the block plan is that it is the last day of school every 3½ weeks.”

Rich Russo ’99 (Fall 1998)

“MERNER HALL IS BEING TORN APART. THAT’S NOT NEW—IT’S BEEN HAPPENING FOR 60 YEARS. THE DIFFERENCE IS IT’S PLANNED AND IS BEING DONE BY PROFESSIONALS.”

President Les Garner on the renovation in 2001 (SPRING 2001)

“Several years ago we were changing planes at DallasFort Worth. I saw a young man in a purplish jacket that said Cornell Baseball. I immediately knew from the color he wasn’t from that upstart school in New York. I introduced myself. He had just graduated, roughly 50+ years after I had. I told him I had been a catcher for the team. He was a pitcher. A perfect match.”

Jim

Bloom ’60 (SUMMER 2019)

“The Cornell classroom taught me how to think and to create. Life outside the classroom taught me how to become a better person. Many students, if not most, come away learning more than they expected. The value of such an education cannot be measured in a price.”

Eric Van Danen ’89 (SUMMER 1998)

It’s been as hard as anything we have had to do at Cornell, and yet it hasn’t been hard because we’ve done it together.”

President Jonathan Brand regarding the COVID-19 pandemic (SPRING 2021)

“As we look forward, we are pioneers like our founders. We too think education is crucial to civilized society, and we are continually working to improve the Cornell experience. In the spirit of George Bowman, we believe that this college has made and will make a difference in the world.”

President Les Garner in the Sesquicentennial issue (FALL 2003)

“Half a century ago, Cornell’s scrappy and talented wrestling squad did what has never been done before or since—win a Division I NCAA title for a private school.”

[CEDAR RAPIDS] GAZETTE SPORTS EDITOR AND FOUR-TIME NATIONAL WRESTLING WRITER OF THE YEAR MIKE CHAPMAN, IN HIS STORY ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1947 CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TEAM . (SUMMER 1997)

“LIKE ANY SELF-RESPECTING ALUM, I TURNED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CLASS NEWS AND UNDER THE CLASS OF ’83 I SAW A LISTING ABOUT KIM. AFTER READING THROUGH IT SEVERAL TIMES, TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF MY CORNELL EDUCATION, I PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER AND DETERMINED THAT KIM WAS NO LONGER MARRIED.”

Larry Jacobs ’80, who then wrote to his old friend and they were married 10 months later. He and Kim Miller Jacobs ’83 celebrate their 30th anniversary this year.

(WINTER 1996)

That’s the unique thing about a small college—you make those lifelong friends. Life after Cornell, is Cornell.’’

Alumni Director Ruth Keefe Miller ’66 (FALL 2018)

“The Cornell College campus has, since 1853, provided the vista, the beauty, and the extremes of seasons. In 1980 it deepened its commitment and showed its respect for the historic setting and buildings by becoming the first campus to be named in its entirety as a National Register District.”

Professor Emeritus of History the Rev. Richard Thomas (FALL 2012))

CHRIS DAVIDS ’10

Friends first, career second

Chris Davids ’10 is a psychology professor, a licensed psychologist, and a friend.

In his 10th year of teaching psychology full-time at a liberal arts college, he has reached a point where he can set aside two days a week for his private practice, in addition to traveling extensively with friends.

In fact, it’s friends who have taken priority in his life.

“What I found is that work wasn’t going to be what sustained me,” said Davids, a Colorado native who landed in Salt Lake City, Utah, on a clinical internship as a doctoral student. He had no connections there but built close friendships and decided to stay, taking a faculty position at Westminster University.

Divesting from his career as his top priority was a hard lesson, he said. His family values were focused on work and it was natural for him to seek satisfaction there.

“Now my goals are to be a really good teacher and a really effective therapist. I supplement the desire for achievement through the volunteer work that I do—setting high goals and pushing myself to see those through and feel like they’re making a direct impact,” Davids said.

Davids’ career path coalesced at Cornell around his psychology and Spanish majors, his social justice and student life-related work, and international study, he said. For three years he conducted research with former Psychology Professor Melinda Green, publishing five papers together. He spent a semester studying in Chile. He helped run Cornell’s Relay for Life fundraiser for two years and worked alongside former college chaplain Catherine Quehl-Engel ’89 to help migrant laborers after Iowa’s 2008 flood.

“Cornell amplified my desire for doing service work and civic engagement work. It has played out doing a lot of national service,” he said.

Davids chaired the annual fundraising dinner for the Utah chapter of the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Human Rights Campaign last year, raising $200,000. He served on the board of the Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity and was treasurer for the Society for Counseling Psychology’s section on LGBTQ+ issues.

In his practice he primarily sees LGBTQ+ clients. That practice complements his teaching—and vice versa. What he loves about both jobs are the relationships.

“I’m at a liberal arts institution similar to Cornell. I can leverage relationships to push students to go beyond what they believe they can do,” he says. “And it’s the same in therapy, where the foundational aspect of us doing that work is having a strong therapeutic relationship where I can help guide them and push them to make the change that they want.”

His sweet spot, though, is relationships with friends. That is where Davids puts his free time, including traveling internationally with different friend groups two to three times a year and domestically once a month.

“When I think about what I’m proud of,” he said, “it’s the friendships I have and that I spend time with—and show up for—the people in my life.”

—DEE

ANN REXROAT ’82

“Cornell amplified my desire for doing service work and civic engagement work. It has played out doing a lot of national service.”

Alumni News

Colorado.

Five 1970s Rood House residents met for a reunion and hiked in Estes Park,

One was wearing a Cornell shirt that caught the attention of Mark Weston ’74, who was there with his wife. They stopped and got acquainted before taking this photo. From left: Priscilla Russell ’77, Mark Weston ’74, Marianne Fischer ’79, Linda Deuth ’79, Rachel Cottier Noon ’77, and Debbie Deuth ’77.

1950s

Janet Miller Stacy ’57, Kirkwood, Missouri, reports the passing of her husband of 66 years, Ronald “Ron” Stacy ’58 , on Oct. 29, 2024. Ron played football and basketball at Cornell.

1960s

Jim Bloom ’60, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and Judy took a Viking tour of Paris and cruised down the Seine to Normandy and the D-Day beaches. “It was wonderful to see all the families out and enjoying this infamous landing spot. This is the whole reason for the invasion: freedom. Now it’s our turn to protect our own freedoms at home.”

Judy Hesler Jorgensen ’60 and Gary Jorgensen ’60 : “We are healthy enough to enjoy friends, family, theatre, and, for Gary, golf! We live in two areas of the country: Milwaukee during the summer, where we can see lots of family and friends we’ve had for 50 years. We live in a senior living facility and have a lovely apartment with a fabulous view of Lake Michigan. The rest of the year we live in Naples, Florida, in a condo on the Gulf of Mexico beach. We have been living in Florida part-time for the past 20 years. One of my goals, when I retired, was to never have to drive or walk in ice and snow again. So far, so good! The Cornell Board often has its February meeting in Naples, so I see board members and staff annually. I miss serving on the Board, but this suffices! Gary retired from the church choir this spring but is hoping to resume that part of his life. He has sung in church choirs for 70+ years. He plays golf frequently and frets about

his score, which is higher than it used to be. I am still active on nonprofit boards. It’s been a long time since we were students at Cornell. The love we have for the college has not abated. I am very proud of President Brand and his team who continue to strive for further excellence.”

Dennis O’Brien ’60, West Des Moines, Iowa: “ Sandra “Sandy” Brown O’Brien ’60 retired in 2003 after a successful career as a classroom teacher and elementary school principal. I retired in 2000 after 32 years teaching geology at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. We have two sons and six grandchildren. Both boys live in the Des Moines area; the grandkids, except for one, are scattered around the country. After retirement we traveled quite a bit. Several river cruises, two ocean cruises, and several guided bus tours. We moved to a retirement community in West Des Moines in 2015. Sandy now lives in long-term care, while I continue in independent living. We spend time together every day. Cornellians continue to be a part of our lives. I see Bill Keck ’60, Chuck Pletke ’58 , and Harold Templeman ’58 every Monday morning for coffee. Phyllis Hogle Newton ’57 is a fellow resident. Barb Nelson Keck ’60 and Joyce Winegarden Templeman ’60 are regular visitors. I have frequent FaceTime contact with Don Utroska ’60 and Dave Conaway ’60. One final Cornell memory: I spoke at Dr. Herb Hendriks ’40 ’s memorial ceremony as one of his former students.”

Tim Frazer ’63 , Concord, New Hampshire: “I lost my wife, June, on Sept. 25. It was not a sudden death. It was a long ordeal with hospice nurses and

live-in, 24-hour help. She had a wonderful mind, but dementia robbed her of that little by little over the last few years. She is still a powerful presence around me. I continue an active life and 12-step recovery programs and also in the centering prayer movement. I meet via Zoom once a week with a group who are learning New Testament Greek and reading through John’s gospel (which is the easiest to read in Greek). On my reading list for the coming year is to get the last volume of Carole Baskerville Carson ’63 ’s memoir-novel.”

Bill Horn ’64 , Clermont, Florida, writes that he and his wife Judi are both relatively healthy, with knees giving him problems–but years of football and track will do that. They do some traveling, especially to visit family.

Phoebe Green Meyer ’64 , Pottsboro, Texas, and her husband, Charles, traveled within Texas and then to Colorado to visit family. Their usual cruise and international travel has been curtailed as Charles, a retired minister, stepped up to take a larger role at their church when their pastor was in a serious accident.

Robert Blake ’66 and Janet Reynolds Blake ’66 , Sawyer, Michigan, celebrated their 60th anniversary on June 24, 2024.

Kristin Zum Bahlen Richardson ’66 , Lincolnwood, Illinois, has become the president of the Lincolnwood Place Residents’ Association. Lincolnwood Place is a retirement residence. “I am looking forward to meeting with several classmates in Chicago,” she writes.

Beverly Van Winkle

Jacobsen ’67, Yorba Linda, California, along with daughter Laura and her husband Matt; grandkids Parker, Sloane, and Paige; and Matt’s dad, John, went on a trip to Niagara Falls from their home in Ohio and had beautiful fall scenery and weather. They saw both falls, took a boat tour and a cave tour, rode a cable car, experienced a whirlpool viewing, and stopped by the restaurant in Buffalo, New York, where buffalo chicken wings originated.

Paul Lubenkov III ’67, La Grange, Illinois: “My wife, Terry Anne, and I attended a memorable performance of the opera ‘Così fan tutte.’ Mozart is irrefutable proof that there is a divine force in the universe. We also attended a concert by the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra. The extended violin solo that accompanied Mendelssohn’s Concerto was performed on a 1708 Stradivarius. Breathtaking. I participated in an open mic reading at the La Grange

library, my recent poetry was accepted for publication by The Journal of Undiscovered Poets, and my fiction was published in a volume of ‘Cutthroat: A Journal Of The Arts.’”

Carol Monson Reinhard ’67, St. Louis, Missouri: “In September 2024, Tom Reinhard ’65 and I were able to return to Turkey for the first time in 12 years. We joined a small group on a culinary tour organized by our friend Yildiz Yagci, director of Anatolian Artisans, a nonprofit arts-andcrafts organization empowering women in rural Turkey. We ate spectacular food, learned more history of this phenomenal place between two worlds, and made new friends.”

Joe Gebhardt ’68 , Bethesda, Maryland: “My wife, Suzy, and I officially ‘retired’ 10 years ago, but, fortunately, we have stayed healthy and are able to work part-time in our fields. I do employment and civil rights cases, and Suzy does substitute teaching. The community has honored my work—most notable were

Contribute

the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association in 2024 and the Top Washington Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2022. I also became active in local politics in a support role in 2017. That has led to the position I now have as senior advisor to the Maryland Secretary of State. This executive position enables me to help Gov. Wes Moore and Lt. Governor Aruna Miller as well as Secretary of State Susan Lee, a friend and former law firm colleague. Our two adult ‘kids’ and two grandsons live nearby. Son Dan is an employment lawyer like his dad, and daughter Sara is a proposal manager and writer for government contracting firms. Suzy and I stay healthy mainly through regular exercise. This summer, I swam 66 miles outdoors while Suzy did better, swimming 100 miles. In the fall, we took a fabulous bus trip from Paris to Monaco to Barcelona, seeing many beautiful sites and works of art. Last but not least, I find it rewarding to be an active supporter of Cornell College; in particular, I

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We include news submitted from class agents (unless the alum requests that it only appear in their class letter). Since that news runs first in the class agent letter, some items here may be several months old.

enjoy my regular updating visits with Lisa White.”

Keith Collins ’69, Cedar Rapids, Iowa: “In September 2024 I traveled to the WWII battlefield site near Château-Thierry, France, where my great uncle Cpl. Lee Roy Collins died in the Battle of the Ourcq River on July 28, 1918. He was an artilleryman in the Rainbow Division of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) which, on the day he died, was on the attack after the last great German offensive on the Western Front had stalled at the Marne River 50 miles from Paris. Ironically, he was blown off a horse while delivering a message to another part of his battery that the unit should move because of heavy German artillery fire. With the aid of a French guide, I located the approximate place on a forested road where he died, the French hospital his body was taken to, and the French military cemetery where he was first

buried, as well as two American WWI military cemeteries and monuments to the fallen in the immediate area. My father, the Rev. Lee Roy Collins ’56 , was named after this uncle and graduated from Cornell College when I was 9.”

Bruce Day ’69, Roach, Missouri: “I am retired to the Lake of the Ozarks, retired from the Air Force as a bomber pilot, and still flying as a flight instructor.”

Kevin McPherrin ’69, Boca Raton, Florida, took fourth place in the 100-meter freestyle (75-79) at the 2024 Masters World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February. In May, at the YMCA National Championships, he took first in the 50-yard breaststroke and second in both the 50-yard backstroke and butterfly. On the 400-yard freestyle relay, his 75-79 team from the Palm Beach Y won first place and swam the fastest time ever recorded.

1970s

Tim Pearson ’72 and Sara Light Pearson ’72 , Urbandale, Iowa, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 26 by going on a Mediterranean cruise with their children and spouses, then to Santa Barbara, California, with friends. Tim first met Sara in The Commons at “the rail” on Sept. 18, 1968, after picking her out from the freshman book for a date. Sara retired after serving 35 years as director of the Urbandale Public Library. Tim retired from his private law practice and now serves as a mediator and expert witness in family law-related cases.

Patty Alper ’75 , Chevy Chase, Maryland: “Excited to share that the college mentor program I’ve launched is now in schools across the country— Florida, D.C., California, Boston—where schools are bringing project-based mentors from varieties of fields to help students get real-world experience and know-how from mentors at their side. As described in my book, ‘Teach to Work: How a Mentor, a Mentee, and a Project Can Close the Skills Gap in America,’ I have just completed a video training program with the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship, such that mentors can be trained to work with youth. If you’d like more information, check out www.teachtowork. com. On a personal front, I’m the proud step-grandparent of three fabulous kids—Mason, 8, Madelyn, 6, and Charlotte, 4.”

John Guthmann ’76 , St. Paul, Minnesota: “On Aug. 7 the Minnesota Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates held its annual awards dinner at which I received the organization’s Lifetime Judicial Excellence Award. Although I retired in October, I will be continuing to work as a senior judge in the State of Minnesota and as a private mediator and arbitrator.”

Author David Welter ’76 , Cedar Falls, Iowa, added to his Reflections from the Home Team book series with a fourth book released in December 2024 titled “Reflections from the Home Team … Nearing Home!” More on the books and their purpose is on his website, reflectionsfromthehometeam. com. David spent much of his life teaching social studies and coaching baseball, and uses many baseball analogies as teaching mechanisms in his writing. In his fourth book, he continues in that vein by encouraging readers to learn from their successes and failures and to expect life’s fastballs while being ready for the curves that may come our way. He encourages all of us to seek out others with a kind word and a listening ear. David has been inducted into the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame and the Cornell College Athletics Hall of Fame, as well as being named Iowa’s Middle-Level Principal of the Year. He continues to scout for the Atlanta Braves, works as an education consultant, drives medical transports for Western Home Communities, farms, and enjoys time with his grandchildren.

Sara Brummitt Gilbert ’77, Loveland, Colorado: “Recently passed six years since retiring. Loving traveling and volunteering. I’m a raptor monitor for two different organizations and enjoy singing in a large senior choir. Recently drove by the Cornell campus on our way home to Colorado. Campus looked great!”

1980s

Michelle Baird ’80, Knoxville, Tennessee: “I have been ‘homeless,’ with the exception of Airbnb and short-term rentals, for over two years. I have had a love of travel and a determination to see the world since I was a kid. After two years stuck at home during COVID, I decided that if I was to accomplish my bucket list of places and people to see, I had best get on it! I sold my home along with part of my belongings, put the rest in storage, and started my journey. I haven’t looked back! I have enjoyed many new places, met wonderful new people, and spent memorable times visiting with old friends, including a very enjoyable few days in California wine country with Woody and Peg Laird Mosgers ’80. Notes on becoming a minimalist: It’s my third pack-up-and-move-on in less than three years. One has no idea the stuff one accumulates until they start packing. I find I am constantly asking myself: Do you need this? Do you use this? When’s the last time you wore this? Do your kids really want to be left with this? I served in the Marine Corps for four years active duty and two years reserve. Though I had some less than desirable interactions at my last active duty station, Cherry Point in North Carolina, which led to my decision to not stay in, I still hold pride in having served my country.”

Ann Jones Coleman ’80, St. Louis, Missouri: “I still live in St. Louis, where I moved after graduating from Cornell. My husband, Dave Coleman ’77, is semi-retired and both of us enjoy spending time with our three grandchildren who live nearby. I volunteer at the Humane Society of Missouri three days a week, walking shelter dogs, training new volunteers, and helping with fundraising events. I also write a blog, www. muddlingthroughmymiddleage. com. We love to travel in our spare time and particularly enjoy European riverboat

cruises. I do hope to make it back for a Cornell reunion one of these days, as it would be great to see ‘old’ classmates again.”

Louesa Runge Fine ’80, Columbia, Missouri: “ Darlene Harbuziuk Melton ’80 and I enjoyed a long weekend in April 2024 with Karen Smith Sumner ’81 , Chris Stahl Rebora ’81 , and Lori Zippe Ford ’81 , at Lori’s home near Georgetown, Texas. An evening boat excursion to see the infamous downtown Austin bats was part of the itinerary, as was a tour of Austin from the rooftop of a bus. Lori’s brother, Kirk Zippe ’80, stopped by to say hello since he lives near her.”

Larry Jacobs ’80 and Kim Miller Jacobs ’83 , Waukee, Iowa, have stayed mostly close to home for vacations this year (Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado) involving bicycling, skiing, and/or hiking. Larry writes: “We are planning a Rhine River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam in 2025 so would appreciate any advice or comments from those who have cruised the Rhine. Grandchild No. 2 (Cameron Elizabeth Kleine) was born in March 2024, and we somehow survived an overnight with Cam and her brother, Philly, the following May while their parents went to a concert in Ames. We finally traded off our 18-year-old Tucson and bought an electric car, a Chevy Bolt EUV. Figured in my lifetime I’ve driven pretty close to 1,000,000 miles, so we are trying to do our part for the ozone.”

Carol Moser ’80, Des Moines, Iowa, writes of herself: “Between fending off inquiries of when she is going to retire, she continues to work for the City of Des Moines as chief deputy city attorney working with all departments on employment, litigation, and other municipal matters. If there is time left, she is traveling; most recently to Portugal, Norway, and around the UK. Local pursuits include playing in three golf leagues,

catering to her golden retriever, pulling weeds, and attending other people’s retirement parties. It was great fun to visit with our esteemed class editor when he was in Des Moines!”

Peg Laird Mosgers ’80, Santa Rosa, California: “ Michelle Baird ’80 and I enjoyed a wine tasting at J. Rickards Winery in Sonoma County, California. My husband, Woody, and I moved out here after 30 years in Chicago. Pretty happy to be here.”

Eric Sellen ’80, Phoenix, Arizona, was featured on the “Pop In: A Writer’s Oasis” podcast. He discussed his lifelong love for writing and language, and read aloud an essay that he wrote for the Cornell Report about the evolving English language. He writes: “I retired in 2021 after nearly three decades as program book editor for The Cleveland Orchestra, the last half-dozen years as managing editor. The pandemic delayed my retirement by a year and, ever since, my husband, Ron, and I have been making up for lost travel time, visiting all seven continents–and a five-month world cruise. In 2024 we drove cross-country in Britain and Wales, biked across Provence, and circumnavigated Japan. In a troubled world, we feel extraordinarily fortunate to have both the means and curiosity to travel and meet people around the globe. I’ve been re-aiming my interest and talents for writing, such as they are, toward a novel and a number of short stories. I’ve also become enmeshed with the Phoenix chapter of Shut Up & Write. In addition, I’ve found myself leading workshops and discussions about narrative techniques, editing, and more. Which, come to think of it, wasn’t storytelling what I’ve been doing all my life, including in my efforts in theater and music as a Cornell undergraduate?”

Scott Shattuck ’80 and Terri Rosinski Shattuck ’83 , Ankeny, Iowa: “Along with many in our class who are retired, we are at the travel stage of our lives. Terri and I visited Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna in 2019 and greatly enjoyed it. We went to Italy last October and visited Venice, Florence, and Rome (among other smaller cities). It was quite a trip seeing awesome sites in world history. We were able to take a gondola ride through the canals of Venice for an iconic experience. The question now is where to go next. Other than travel, our lives include enjoying our six grandchildren and their families here in central Iowa.”

Edgar Thornton III ’80, Corydon, Indiana: “After long careers working overseas in Asia, Africa, and Jamaica with the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, my wife, Deborah, and I retired last year from the federal government. We sold the Iowa home and relocated to her ancestral small rural Indiana community outside of Corydon (pop, 3,000), the state’s first capital. We own 64 acres of farmland and are living a peaceful life here on Green Acres. Omar Canty ’80 and his wife recently traveled with my family on an Alaska cruise. Omar lives in central Washington State.”

Tom Yates ’80, Oak Park, Illinois, and his wife, Diane Ratekin, rendezvoused with Al Burgener ’80 to attend a performance by well-regarded folk singer Dan Bern in Berwyn, Illinois. Bern is a Mount Vernon, Iowa, native (Mount Vernon High School class of 1977) and the son of Julian Bern, longtime Cornell piano professor, and Marianne Bern, who also worked at Cornell. “Based in Hollywood for much of his professional life as a singer, songwriter, and balladeer, Dan has developed a broad following across the country and world, across all age groups, and puts on a great show,” Tom writes. [See a memory by Dan Bern of his days as a high school KRNL DJ, on page 2.]

Work by Brian Lee Knopp ’83 , Asheville, North Carolina, continues to be published. His personal essay, “The Toughest Texan,” was published in the March 2024 issue of Hippocampus Magazine. A collection of his essays, “Dreams I’m Never Gonna See: The Takeover of WDIZ Rock 100/FM and Other Essays,” is scheduled for publication Sept. 16 by Cosmic Pigbite Press. The title piece relates the Aug. 6, 1981, takeover of central Florida’s hottest rock radio station by the Ida Lupino Liberation Organization, of which Knopp was a proud member.

Mark Voyce ’84 , Brownsdale, Minnesota, is scheduled to be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Minnesota Chapter on April 26, 2025. Mark coached the Hayfield, Minnesota, wrestling team to three state wrestling tournaments. After 10 years at the helm, he became a wrestling official and was selected to work the state tournament finals on three separate occasions.

Since 2007 Dana Eness ’86 has served as the executive director of the Urban Conservancy in New Orleans, Louisiana, a nonprofit that strengthens the urban environment and local economy through equitable practices, policies, and programs. Dana received her master’s degree from Tulane University and has worked in nonprofit administration, community programming, and project development in New Orleans for 25 years. She became involved with the Urban Conservancy in 2003 as a founding board member of StayLocal, the Conservancy’s initiative to create a strong network of local independent businesses. She has served in leadership positions with the American Independent Business Alliance, Lafitte Greenway Steering Advisory Committee, and Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans.

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Dave Turnball ’73, Gary Mick ’73, and John McGrane ’73 (from left) attended funeral services in Waverly, Iowa, for their former high school English teacher, Carl E. Dillon ’54. Dillon, who spent two years on campus, was instrumental in encouraging them to attend Cornell.

Justin Futrell ’16 and Ellie Scripps ’16, of Denver, Colorado, enjoy a dance at their Aug. 30, 2024, wedding.

Morgan Barnard ’20 married Brett Davis on Nov. 2, 2024, with Cornellian friends in attendance. From left are Maya Peske ’20, Erin Hosto ’21, Zach Stoll ’18, Morgan Barnard ’20, Marissa Czapla ’20, Shay Rule ’18, Paul Zemba ’20, and Brady Tobin ’19.

Two generations of Cornellians in Falmouth, Massachusetts: Father Donald Rhoads ’60 (at center) and sons Mark Rhoads ’86 (left) and Douglas Rhoads ’89 (right).

Scott Bacon ’89, Thornton, Colorado, has retired from his software career to enjoy the last few years before his kids head off to college. He serves on the board of directors for Nature First, a conservation nonprofit, and continues to provide software product mentoring and coaching, which he says is incredibly rewarding. In this next chapter of life, Scott spends most of his time on personal passions—extended travel with Kim, his wife of 25 years, connecting to family history through genealogy, learning about the archeology of the Southwest, dabbling in auto mechanics, and continuing a lifelong hobby of nature photography (scottbaconphotography.com).

Beth Knickerbocker ’89, Alexandria, Virginia, and her husband, Dale Carson, attended the Paris Olympic Games. Beth reports that they saw the women’s gymnastics all-around competition where they cheered on Simone Biles to the gold and Suni Lee to the bronze. They also watched men’s trampoline, women’s beam and floor exercise, and men’s parallel bars and high bar. They cheered the U.S. women’s field hockey team to a victory against South Africa and the U.S. women’s volleyball team to a victory against France, as well as some track events in the Olympic Stadium. After some hiking in the Alps, they stopped at the international Olympic Museum in Switzerland.

1990s

Kristin Schuchart Whitaker ’90, Wausau, Wisconsin, retired on Sept. 1, 2023, from a 29-year career in family medicine and has transitioned to teaching and supervising family medicine residents. “For fun I renewed my lifeguarding certificate and lifeguard at the YMCA a few times a month,” Kristin writes.

Ryan Grauberger ’91 , Cedar Rapids, Iowa: “The last few years have been a challenge as I have been dealing with a progressive neuromuscular

illness. Walking and fine motor skills have become a challenge, but through physical and occupational therapy I have rebounded somewhat—I was using a wheelchair for a while, but am back to walking with a cane or walker, at least for now. You’d never know that I was once a dancer to look at me now! But, I am keeping my spirits up, and while I am unable to hold a ‘regular’ job, I have been volunteering as a leader of support groups, as a music leader at church events, and at several community ecumenical retreats or gatherings, and with community theaters. I directed a show about a year ago, did behind-the-scenes work in other shows, and am writing scripts with the hope of them being performed someday.”

Shane Konsella ’91 , Star, Idaho, has been promoted to the position of distinguished technologist at HP Inc. Shane, with his wife, Alicia Dawson Konsella ’91 , will set R&D strategies, lead software development, and mentor emerging talent for HP’s Enterprise Printer and Workforce Services businesses. This promotion recognizes Shane’s more than 31 years of innovation and leadership at HP.

Deirdre Walsh Oss ’93 , Denver, Colorado: “After a collective 14 years with the City of Denver and 25 years in public sector planning, where I worked with the best of the best colleagues and a wonderful development community, I am thrilled to share that I’ve accepted a wonderful position as senior land use advisor at Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher. I look forward to this new chapter in my career, embracing the opportunity to advise development teams across the state as they work to achieve outcomes that support our economy and our communities. We are also exceptionally proud of our two grown humans, Isabelle and Jordan, as they navigate the world.”

Scott Gehler ’98 , Bettendorf, Iowa, was promoted to full professor of biology at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Scott and Trisha Weydert Gehler ’98 have two teenage boys, one of whom will be starting college in the fall of 2025. Trisha works as a physical therapist with a specialty in vestibular rehabilitation.

RJ Holmes-Leopold ’99, St. Paul, Minnesota, is focusing his efforts toward finishing his EdD in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. During the fall he worked part-time career coaching at St. Olaf College to help with some staffing shortages. He will be a Law School Admissions Seasonal Reader for The College of William and Mary Law School through the spring. His husband, Marvin Holmes-Leopold ’11 , started a new role at Marvin Windows and Doors as Accounting Program Manager for Compliance in November. Both of their four-legged kids crossed the rainbow bridge in 2024—Tazz in April and Carlee in November.

2000s

BIRTH

Ayla Grace Loper, Aug. 26, 2024, to Joey Crowley ’09 and Brady Loper

Bobbi Buckner Bentz ’01 was sworn in as the mayor of Ankeny, Iowa, in December 2024, and will serve the remainder of her predecessor’s term, which runs through Dec. 31, 2025. Bobbi served on the Ankeny City Council for 12 years and was appointed mayor pro tem in December 2021. In her time on the council, she represented Ankeny on the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Metro Advisory Council, and the School/City Committee. She has also served on the Bravo Greater Des Moines board of directors, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the

Ankeny Comprehensive 2040 Plan steering committee. She works as associate director of evidence and outcomes for Eli Lily & Co. She holds two master’s degrees from the University of Iowa, in health administration and public health, and a doctorate from the University of Iowa.

Joe Hecht ’02 , Madison, Wisconsin: “I left a quality manager position at Epic (healthcare software) in March 2024 to become the single women’s housing coordinator at the YWCA in Madison, Wisconsin. There have been many difficult and taxing days since I started, but I love our community and feel like I’m exactly where I belong.”

Anna Norstedt ’02 , St. Paul, Minnesota: “I am now living separately from my partner since permanent work from home was not what I had in mind. We are maybe six blocks away from each other and he has the cats. I visit six times a week, and Fridays are reserved for Dungeons and Dragons.”

In October 2024 Chase Whitney ’02 was named vice president of power supply for Guzman Energy, a wholesale power provider in Denver, Colorado. Chase has 20 years of experience in the development and management of utility-scale power supplies and previously served in business development, transaction, origination, and supply roles at Avangrid Renewables, Community Energy, Invenergy, and most recently Triple Oak Power where he served as vice president of business development.

Melissa Althoff ’03 , Rochester, Minnesota: “I’m currently living in Rochester with my partner, Matt, and his two children. I’ve been working in disability services for the past few years and started with the State of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development as a vocational rehabilitation counselor earlier this year. I’m excited to finally put my master’s degree to use and love helping people reach their goals.”

Eric Sudol ’03 , Frisco, Texas, joined Tepper Sports & Entertainment (TSE) in January 2025 as chief revenue officer. He will oversee all revenue-producing departments for the organization, including the Carolina Panthers (NFL), Charlotte FC (MLS), and Bank of America Stadium. Eric joins TSE from the Dallas Cowboys, where he was senior vice president of corporate partnership sales and services. He holds an MBA and a master of sports administration from Ohio University.

Joe Foley ’06 , Powder Springs, Georgia: “I’ve been a successful stuntman and actor in the film industry since 2010. Most recently I finished producing my first movie starring Tom Berenger, Mark Dacascos, and Milo Gibson.”

Erin Casey ’09, Iowa City, Iowa: “The writing nonprofit organization I founded, The Writers’ Rooms, recently launched its sixth anthology, ‘Iowa [W]rites of Winter.’ We’re very excited about the launch and will be opening submissions for our next anthology soon. Each book contains short stories, poetry, art, and photography, celebrating the creativity of our literary community. You can learn more at thewritersrooms.org. Our writing sessions are held in the Iowa Creative Corridor, and one is also hosted online. If you’re looking for a fun group of writers, this is the organization to join!”

Emma Reicks ’09, Grand Junction, Colorado, founded a Montessori school, Cactus Bloom Community School, in her hometown. The microschool—a smaller school with very small classrooms—is part of the Wildflower Montessori Public Schools of Colorado network. It opened Aug. 13, 2024, and serves pre-kindergarten through third grade. “One of our teacher leaders, Emma Reicks, is from the Grand Junction area and has many years of teaching experience, in and outside of Colorado. She really wanted to bring back to her hometown her passion for education and Montessori, and to open a public Montessori,” Wildflower Executive Director Kelly Gomes told The (Grand Junction, Colorado) Daily Sentinel. “She was really behind the movement of making Cactus Bloom Community School come to fruition in Grand Junction.”

2010s

WEDDINGS

Grace Barker ’15 to Cody Johnson, Oct. 21, 2023

Justin Futrell ’16 to Ellie Scripps ’16 , Aug. 30, 2024

Nicholas “Nick” Bieno ’18 to Sara Renaud ’18 , Oct. 19, 2024

Hannah Robertson ’18 to Paul Draig, Jan. 15, 2024

BIRTHS

Madison “Maddie” McKenna Patzke, Oct. 5, 2024, to Andrew Patzke ’11 and Jiaqi Huang

Claire Wherry, Jan. 7, 2025, to Emily Selindh Wherry ’12 and Daniel Wherry ’12

Kalliopi Jane Mattern, Oct. 10, 2024, to Buddy Mattern ’16 and Ella Peitz Mattern ’16

Shire Feingold ’11 , New Hartford, Connecticut, recently took on the role of leadership gifts officer at Kent School, a small boarding school nestled in the hills of Connecticut. Shire will spearhead efforts to secure major gifts, playing a critical role in the school’s ambitious capital campaign. The close-knit community and picturesque landscape at Kent remind her of the camaraderie and beauty she cherished most at Cornell. Shire is excited about the opportunity to make a meaningful impact at Kent School and hopes to inspire a few students to consider Cornell College for their own educational journeys.

Julia Morrison ’11 , Springfield, Illinois: “I’m about to start my third year as counsel to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and just finished training to be a foster parent. Barring paperwork complications I’ll hope to have a kiddo or kiddos by this summer.”

Andrew Patzke ’11 , Vancouver, BC, Canada: “My wife, Jiaqi, and I welcomed our second child, a daughter, on Oct. 5, 2024—Madison “Maddie” McKenna Patzke. I also started a new role as senior director for clinical operations at WELL Health Technologies.

Katelyn Hillmeyer ’13 , Durango, Colorado, started a position with SWCA Environmental Consultants as a project geospatial scientist and archaeologist.

James Hoeffgen ’13 moved to Caribou, Maine, with his wife and infant daughter to work as a public defender at the newly opened Aroostook County Public Defenders.

Daniel Pawlak ’13 , Grand Canyon, Arizona: “I work for Grand Canyon National Park and run the park’s Cultural Demonstration Program. I was asked to be part of a Colorado River trip set up by our nonprofit partner, Grand Canyon Conservancy, to represent the National Park Service and demonstration program. My purpose on the trip was to meet new prospective donors and share how the conservancy funds parkwide programs like the one I run. While hiking into the canyon for an overnight trip with friends, I ran into James Uqualla. James works with the park on many projects to increase Indigenous representation and is the spiritual leader for the Havasupai people who still live in the canyon.”

Stephon Mikell Jr. ’15 , Tampa, Florida, joined the Tampa theatre community over the past year, acting in several shows. He also joined the executive board of a local swing dance organization and has been traveling internationally to dance and compete.

Nolan Schillerstrom ’15 , Charleston, South Carolina: “My wife had a baby on Nov. 25, 2024! This is our first child. The sleep deprivation reminds me of the end of a hard block. I didn’t think Cornell was training us to be parents, too, but here we are.”

Madeleine “Mads” Ball ’16 , Richmond, Virginia, earned their master of science in library science with a concentration in law librarianship and legal informatics (MSLS) at the University of North Texas, having previously received their J.D. from William & Mary Law School in 2020. They are joining the University of Richmond School of Law as their research and student services librarian. In this role, they will teach firstyear Legal Research, provide reference consultations, and generally facilitate law student success through library services and resources. Before pursuing law librarianship, they practiced patent litigation with Latham and Watkins LLP.

Sarah Bertschy ’16 , Sunbury, Ohio: “After working full-time and going to school in the evening for the last three years, I have finished my coursework for my Juris Doctor degree from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, as of December 2024. I will sit for the February 2025 bar exam.”

Justin Futrell ’16 and Ellie Scripps ’16 , Denver, Colorado: “We got married in August! Our officiant was Andrew Joseph ’17, and many other Cornellians filled the wedding party.”

Nicholas “Nick” Bieno ’18 and Sara Renaud ’18 , Charlotte, North Carolina, were married on Oct. 19, 2024, in a small ceremony on a farm in North Carolina surrounded by their closest family and friends, and officiated by their good friend Erinne Smith ’17

Oriana Henney Camilleri ’18 , Medford, Oregon: “I recently accepted a position with the ITS Clinical Informatics Training Department as the EPIC principal trainer for ambulatory services at Asante Health Systems. My husband is committed to his job as a first responder on a local ambulance and is looking for roles within fire departments. Our oldest daughter recently joined the color guard team and our younger daughter cannot wait to follow in her sister’s footsteps, using everything we own as a color guard flag.”

Hannah Robertson Draig ’18 , Cardiff, Wales, married Paul Draig on Jan. 15, 2024, in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.

2020s

WEDDING

Morgan Barnard ’20 to Brett Davis, Nov. 2, 2024

Ollie Gielas ’20, Peyton, Colorado: “I am finishing my first year working with the Millibo Art Theatre.”

Devin Callahan ’21 , Boston, Massachusetts: “I passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination and am one step closer to taking the bar exam in July 2025.”

Maura Quinn ’21 , Miyazaki, Japan: “I started a new job last fall teaching English in Japan through the JET Program. I am now teaching English in a high school in Miyazaki Prefecture.”

Kate Ratliff ’21 , Wellington, New Zealand: “I’m studying for my master’s degree of conservation biology at Victoria University of Wellington.”

Cleo Sullivan ’21 , Cedar Rapids, Iowa: “I started a new job as a TRIO student support services advisor at Coe College.”

Marlo Webster ’23 , Minneapolis, Minnesota: “I have moved to Minneapolis and am working hard. My cat is still evil and still stinky.”

Julissa Rivera ’24 , Houston, Texas: “I’m working at Houston Independent School District as a college and career advisor primarily with low-income minority students.”

Losses

Wendell Weart ’53

Wendell Weart ’53, a pioneer in nuclear waste management, died on Sept. 26, 2024, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Weart grew up in Brandon, Iowa, and attended Cornell, following several family members, including his mother, Mary Jamieson Weart (1916 graduate of the Cornell Academy), and siblings, Marjorie Weart Stephens ’42 and Richard Weart ’43. He majored in geology and mathematics, graduating as valedictorian and as a Phi Beta Kappa member. He then received his doctorate of philosophy in geophysics from the University of Wisconsin.

While working at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (1957-1959), Weart was introduced to the Nevada Nuclear Test Site where he worked on measuring the effects of underground nuclear tests. He joined Sandia National Laboratories in 1959 and for 15 years studied the seismic effects of underground nuclear detonations. For 20 years he was also the chairman of the Department of Energy’s Seismic Evaluation Committee, responsible for predicting the effect of nuclear-test-created, seismic waves on structures surrounding the Nevada Test Site.

In 1975 he became manager of the Sandia effort to select a site and direct the design of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, which became the first U.S. geologic repository for the disposal of defense-related transuranic waste. Once it was operational, Weart retired in 2000 with 41 years of service.

Weart is survived by his wife, Leanne, three children (Craig Weart ’83, Brian Weart ’78, and Kathleen Williams), two stepchildren, and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

James “Jim” Joseph Alberts ’65

James “Jim” Joseph Alberts ’65, an award-winning marine scientist, died on Oct. 25, 2024, in Athens, Georgia.

His lifelong passion for oceanography began with a degree in biology and chemistry from Cornell, where he played football and was a member of Alpha Theta Alpha. He received his master’s in organic chemistry from Dartmouth College and his doctorate in chemical oceanography from Florida State University in 1970.

He began his research career at the University of Georgia (UGA) in the zoology department. Later he worked at the Argonne National Laboratory and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. In 1984 Alberts became the director of the UGA Marine Institute at Sapelo Island, serving for 16 years. He retired from the UGA’s School of Marine Program in 2003. During his career he authored more than 100 articles in professional journals. He was the recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Senior U.S. Scientist Award and the Fulbright Research Scholar Award.

Both professionally and in retirement he was a world traveler. Since retirement he was able to pursue his interest in history, especially World War II. He was a board member of The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UGA and a frequent presenter. Friends will remember him through his sense of humor and the daily cartoons he shared.

Survivors include his wife, Monika Takacs, and daughter Jill Alberts.

Dean Riesen ’79

Dean Riesen ’79, a real estate and business developer whose nonprofit Tanzania Water Fund brought clean water to more than 200,000 people, died Nov. 22, 2024, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Riesen grew up in Iowa small towns as a minister’s son. Driven to succeed and broaden his horizons, he became an Eagle Scout and a Rotary exchange student in Australia. He majored in economics and business and politics at Cornell, where he met his wife, Bambi Hull Riesen ’82, and made lifelong friends in Beta Omicron. His liberal arts education propelled him as a lifelong learner who rose early every morning to read and study. He later became a Cornell Trustee and taught two Cornell economics classes.

He and Bambi married in 1982 just before his position with Ramada Inns took them to Dusseldorf, Germany. They moved in 1984 to Minnesota, where Riesen held multiple senior positions for Carlson Group. Later they relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, where Riesen ran a commercial real estate firm and private equity investment company. After traveling to several African countries, Riesen founded the Tanzania Water Fund. In addition, he served in numerous founder and leadership capacities across business, politics, and philanthropy.

He is survived by his wife, mother, sister, three children and their spouses, and three grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m., June 7, 2025, at Metropolitan Ballroom & Clubroom, Golden Valley, Minnesota.

Thomas M. Shaw III librarian emeritus

College Librarian Emeritus Thomas M. Shaw III, credited with reorganizing and rebuilding Russell D. Cole Library’s collection, died Jan. 26, 2025, in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Shaw directed Cole Library for 17 years— from 1982 to 1999—and helped redesign the building for its major 1995 renovation. Although his training was in academic librarianship, Shaw wholeheartedly embraced Cole Library’s role in housing the Mount Vernon Public Library, culminating in a successful referendum of tax revenue support for the public library.

Shaw also taught women’s studies courses at Cornell on the goddess tradition and on the works of Willa Cather and Virginia Woolf.

As a person who was proud of his Choctaw heritage, he was a scholar of Native American history and served a sabbatical at the Navajo Community College in Arizona. After retiring from Cornell he taught humanities courses at The University of New Mexico-Taos for 19 years. In 2010 he earned his Ph.D. in humanities from the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Prior to Cornell, Shaw was in charge of acquisition at the University of Northern Iowa library for 13 years, following library positions with the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C., Georgetown University, and Arlington County, Virginia. He held a master of library science degree from the University of Oklahoma, master’s degrees in history and literature from the University of Northern Iowa, and a bachelor’s degree in history and English from the University of Alabama.

He is survived by his wife, Stephanie Shaw; two daughters; seven sons; and seven grandchildren.

Benjamin Houden ’48, Burlingame, California, Aug. 27, 2022

Betty Musso Moles-Specker ’48, Kansas City, Missouri, Oct. 28, 2024

Eileen Phillips Nielsen ’48, Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 17, 2024

Grace McNeal Walsh ’49, West Des Moines, Iowa, Sept. 27, 2024

Betty Cain Boysen ’50, Tampa, Florida, Oct. 18, 2024

Virginia Anderson King ’50, Ashland, Oregon, Oct. 21, 2024

Jean Douglass Lauderdale ’50, Pasadena, California, Aug. 5, 2024

James Swanson ’50, Monument, Colorado, Jan. 17, 2025

Marilyn Ellis Bury ’51 , Flossmoor, Illinois, Nov. 25, 2024

Patricia Parsons Farley ’52 , Traverse City, Michigan, Nov. 21, 2024

Kenneth Bjorkquist ’53, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, July 25, 2024

Carl Dillon ’54, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Nov. 23, 2024

William Frei ’54, Olympia, Washington, Feb. 6, 2025

Robert J. Anderson ’55, Bryan, Texas, Oct. 8, 2024

Marilynn James Etzel ’56, Marion, Iowa, Feb. 12, 2025

Galen Peckham ’56, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Oct. 1, 2024

John Hausman ’57, Waukon, Iowa, Sept. 22, 2024

Patricia “Patsy” Junge Peters Rinz ’57, Gladbrook, Iowa, Jan. 6, 2025

John “Jack” Wendt ’57, West Dundee, Illinois, Nov. 15, 2024

Richard Paul ’58, Oswego, Illinois, Oct. 6, 2024

Ronald Stacy ’58, Kirkwood, Missouri, Oct. 29, 2024

Nancy Tyson Mikus ’59, Denver, Colorado, Oct. 31, 2024

Mervel Miller ’59, Waterford, Wisconsin, Nov. 15, 2024

Martha Baker Phelps ’59, Vero Beach, Florida, Dec. 20, 2024

William Lehnhardt ’61 , Mt. Zion, Illinois, Jan. 15, 2025

June Lieu Phillips ’61, Lilburn, Georgia, Feb. 12, 2025

Gail Schaefer Stapert ’61 , Goode, Virginia, Oct. 5, 2024

Carolyn Melvedt Duncan ’62 , South Lyon, Michigan, Aug. 24, 2024

Janet Deppey Mitchell ’63, Maquoketa, Iowa, Jan. 8, 2025

Janet Hartwell Bonzer ’65, Charles City, Iowa, March 18, 2024

Cynthia “Jill” Cherny ’65, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jan. 14, 2025

John Staley ’66, Iowa City, Iowa, Sept. 30, 2024

Jean Freeman Echterhoff ’67, Shreveport, Louisiana, Dec. 29, 2024

Leslie Carlson Hanson ’68, Wayzata, Minnesota, Dec. 19, 2024

Richard Gast ’70, Bettendorf, Iowa, Dec. 13, 2024

Susanne Roche Sonik ’71 , Palos Hills, Illinois, Sept. 16, 2023

Cynthia Seman Hessin ’73, Denver, Colorado, Nov. 22, 2024

James “Jamie” Thomas ’75, Lincoln, Nebraska, Nov. 5, 2024

Annie Barnes Braland ’76, Earlham, Iowa, Oct. 28, 2024

Edith “Edie” Brown ’76, Traverse City, Michigan, Dec. 11, 2024

Clanton C.W. Dawson ’76, Columbia, Missouri, Nov. 24, 2024

Mary Carr Cotton ’77, Palm Coast, Florida, Dec. 14, 2024

Kurt Packingham ’77, Center Point, Iowa, Nov. 5, 2024

Kenneth Springer ’77, Huntersville, North Carolina, Jan. 5, 2025

Kent Geffe ’79, Marshalltown, Iowa, Jan. 16, 2025

Fawn Davidson ’83, Des Moines, Iowa, Nov. 17, 2024

Scott Pameticky ‘84, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Feb. 17, 2025

Cynthia Ranzau Johnson ’93, St. Paul, Minnesota, Dec. 4, 2024

Lois Stein , faculty in Spanish and literature (1973–1984), Phoenix, Arizona, Dec. 5, 2024

A full obituary will appear in the fall issue.

Celia “CeCe” Lynch Van Metre, honorary alumna, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Dec. 15, 2024

QUEST FRIENDS! is an award-winning podcast about friendship, family, and apocalyptic spiders. Or it used to be, before its second season. Now we’ve moved on to ghosts.

Podcast features Cornellians at play

By Hallie Koontz ’14

When Kyle Decker ’15 proposed starting a podcast in 2017, it was largely an excuse to make a creative project out of something our Cornell friend group was already doing. One of the ways the five of us—Kyle, Emily Strawn Decker ’17, Ariadne Peñalva Tena ’15, Thomas Pitkin ’14, and I—kept in touch after graduation was through online tabletop role-playing games (RPGs). Kyle, in particular, loved the stories we told together. So he pitched recording those games and releasing them as episodes, edited for time and pacing.

With an RPG, players make their own character, and the game master (GM) designs the setting and all the non-player characters (NPCs) who inhabit that world. The GM then presents the players with a problem or a call to adventure, and the players decide how their characters react—what they say, what they do, and how they talk to each other. Because the players don’t know what the GM has planned and the GM isn’t sure what course of action the player characters will take, RPGs involve a lot of improv and surprises. Kyle planned to run a complete adventure in one session, and he created a whole town with five separate locations we could investigate as part of the mystery.

That whole first adventure took four sessions, and we visited one location.

All in all, the entirety of season 1—“Flashback

Future”—took 82 episodes, not counting the 30-ish bonus episodes we recorded, to complete. But the story’s not over, which is why there are ghosts now.

We played that first season using Monte Cook’s Numenera, an RPG system near to my heart because it’s the first RPG I ever played (in a blocks-long campaign run by Thomas back in our Cornell days). For the second season, “Hereafter,” we created our own RPG system: Under the Neighborhood, which is meant to emulate tropes and archetypes common in Saturday morning cartoons. We agreed that we wanted season 2 to be more mundane, down-to-earth, and slice-oflife focused, which is how we ended up in a world where ghosts, zombies, and skeletal Pokémon knock-offs called Necromon live alongside some spunky Necromon duelists, a skeleton of indeterminate age with the ability to con so effectively he can change the fabric of reality, and a reporter recovering from a midlife crisis who can summon not just one but two mascot suits at will.

Seven years into the podcast and 10 years into these friendships I am beyond fortunate to have made, I can’t imagine where I’d be if I hadn’t met these people at Cornell. At the risk of schilling my own podcast, give Quest Friends! a listen—it’s long-lasting college friendships at work (and play).

Hallie Koontz ’14 is a writer and editor based in the Chicagoland area. She likes mystery novels, pineapple on pizza, and tabletop role-playing.

Find the Quest Friends! podcast at questfriendspodcast.com or by using the QR code.

The Quest Friends!, from left: Thomas Pitkin ’14, Hallie Koontz ’14, Ariadne Peñalva Tena ’15, Emily Strawn Decker ’17, and Kyle Decker ’15

Find out how to join the Presidents Society at crnl.co/givingcircles or use the QR code

Lead the way

By becoming a member of the Presidents Society, Cornell’s leadership-level giving society, you contribute to the success of every student.

“Parents and alumni before me helped pay for my Cornell education. It is truly my joy to continue this tradition by giving each year to help further the dreams of Cornellians who come after me.”

—Jamie Beranek ’70

“I try to steer students toward their own bliss.”

POLITICS

See what defines us as Cornellians with more quotes and images from the past 30 years of this magazine, beginning on page 34.

PROFESSOR CRAIG ALLIN ON ADVISING (SPRING 2015)