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T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E B R O O K LY N T E C H A L U M N I F O U N D AT I O N
S HIGH
S N O I P M A H C OF L O O CH
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
So-called Education “Reform”
FOR MORE THAN five years, opponents of the specialized high schools have railed against the use of the test to determine admissions. The latest version of a bill to gut the test called for a system guaranteeing admission to the top 7 percent of each middle school, based on grades and state minimum competency exam scores. Independent observers pointed out three glaring deficiencies with the bill: It discriminated against Catholic, Jewish and secular private middle school students, mostly white (they were not included in the pool for guaranteed admission). Second, it guaranteed admission for about 500 students below grade level in math or reading because not all middle schools do a good job of educating the top 7 percent of their students. (Almost every student admitted via the test performs above grade level, and most have already passed the ninth grade Algebra exam). Third, the 7 percent solution acted as a cap on admission in high achieving middle schools, mostly Asian, where many more than 7 percent of the students take and pass the test. The Foundation believes that the test is an important mechanism to ensure that the best prepared are admitted by eliminating all forms of favoritism and bias. In a study the city paid for but suppressed for five years, an independent body concluded that the test is a strong predictor of performance in ninth and tenth grade. At the same time, the Foundation has advocated for a major expansion of gifted & talented programs in elementary and middle schools serving the Black and Latino communities, to better prepare these students for academic success. These programs once existed in these communities, and for nearly 20 years Tech’s student body was mostly Black and Latino. Unfortunately, these programs were eliminated and Black and Latino enrollment significantly declined. The test-haters have now doubled down. The Mayor’s Diversity Advisory Panel predictably recommended eliminating all gifted and talented programs. While current participation in these programs is indeed skewed towards Asian and white students, the recommendation ignores that these programs are not located in schools serving the Black and Latino communities. In the name of eliminating segregation they would destroy every child’s opportunity to get the education they deserve. We disagree. We believe that the goals of improving diversity and improving educational outcomes are not in conflict. Indeed, they should go hand in hand. The debate is no longer limited to whether a test should be used to select students for specialized high schools. It has become a debate about whether a school system with over a million students has a place for enhanced learning opportunities for talented students of all races in all neighborhoods. New York’s school system fails too many students. Large numbers graduate unprepared for college level coursework; 75 percent of students admitted to CUNY’s community colleges must take remedial courses. Much work needs to be done to improve the quality of our schools. Instead, we are now on the brink of having a school system devoid of any objective standard. While the city is looking to get rid of any enhanced coursework, CUNY is now moving toward eliminating any requirement for remedial coursework. Moreover, the NYS Board of Regents is considering eliminating Regents Exams, which require students to show they learned the subject matter of their classes. Much is at stake in this debate including the future of Brooklyn Tech. The outcome will profoundly determine the future of our city’s children for at least a generation. Larry Cary ‘70 President Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation TEC HTI M E S
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TechTimes The Magazine of The Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation THIS ISSUE: Spotlight on Student Photography, Art and Writing
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Why Sports Matters Polymath Students Disruptor Alums Tech’s Astronaut Foundation Annual Report
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“All of ballet is physics.”
“The arts and science: they bring out different parts and make you a better whole.” Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The Mark of Responsible Forestry.
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LETTERS
Letters to the Editor DEAR EDITOR: › I CAME FROM a troubled home, was totally dyslexic (which was not a known diagnosis in the 60’s) and didn’t/couldn’t read a book until 10th or 11th grade. I compensated by being good at math, music, art, and hands-on mechanical aptitude. Then I was offered “The Test.” Tech was an all-boys school at that time. No female distractions. I excelled in math and physics, pattern making, foundry, machine shop, and mechanical drawing while pursuing the ‘College Prep’ curriculum. If it were not for Tech, I would likely have continued my disruptive ways and been lost in the NYC education system. As a result of my Tech education, I was admitted to a great college and then to graduate school, and am now retired after a successful and rewarding professional career in technical clinical medicine. Andrew Langsam ’66 DEAR EDITOR: › MY FOND MEMORIES of the day I took “The Test” in the most beautiful auditorium I’ve ever seen, the friendships that I formed, the outstanding teachers and our fabulous shop classes, come back to me in vivid detail as I devour each copy of our TechTimes magazine. Thanks to Stan Glickstein’s letter and his photo of the tap wrench he made. It inspired me to do some digging in my box of memorabilia and I found my tap wrench, which never turned a single tap in all the years, and my name plate used as a die for foundry class. How about that! I still have them to remind me of some of the best years of my youth. Les Cutler ’72 DEAR EDITOR: › BEING PART OF the Tech orchestra was the best decision I’ve made. We were all one big family. Many of my peers were able to go to China in 2016, and performed at Brooklyn College in 2017. I don’t think I would’ve made it that far if not for Mrs. Lapierre. She convinced me to stay in orchestra in the first day of freshman year after I broke my left wrist a few days before. She believed in my abilities and supported my journey through all four years. Jeremy Tu ’17 DEAR EDITOR: › I RE-READ Principal William Pabst’s letter to the graduating seniors in my yearbook. He starts with an analogy between that year’s theme, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” and our growth during our years at Tech. He concludes with this valediction: “May you have the perseverance of the “tree that grows in Brooklyn,” the strength and character of the oak, and the longevity of the giant redwood. May the rewards of your life be commensurate with the services you render to God, your country, your community, and your home.” Although I never had Principal Pabst as a teacher, I do remember him as a tall and imposing gentleman who always commended our respect then, and especially now as I reminisce. What a privilege to be part of “The Greatest Generation.” Dennis Paoletti ’62
F RO M T H E P R I N CI PA L U.S. NEWS and World Report has ranked Brooklyn Tech the 82nd best high school in the nation. Among schools with a population of over 50% free lunch, we were second in the nation for the second consecutive year. We have the largest Advanced Placement (AP) program in the world, and all 1441 sophomores took the AP Computer Science Principles course– with 96.5% passing. We hope to build on our incredible banner 2018-19 athletics year of winning nine PSAL city championships. We will unveil the newly renovated football field this spring. Our up-and-coming chess team is making waves throughout the city, and our mock trial and moot court teams have both won city championships two years in a row. We have a new major: LIU Advanced Health Professions, which upon completion guarantees students admission into advanced degree programs through Long Island University. In a true partnership with the Alumni Foundation, we received a $750,000 grant from the Brooklyn Borough President for a modern technology forensic science laboratory/classroom, a real-world work environment that taps into how students learn today. This is our largest grant ever from any government agency. The new Strength and Materials Lab/Classroom is open and in use for the Civil Engineering major. These facilities enable learning in the modern world; I cannot wait for you to see them! Educational leaders come from afar to see why we are at the forefront of New York City education. We have hosted delegations from South Korea, China, Ghana, and India which included the secretary of education himself. I have been invited to speak in India, England, and Kenya. The world is fascinated about what we do and how we do it! We opened this year with perhaps the largest student population ever: 6,166 students. This year 22 students are National Merit Semi-Finalists, more than double from the prior year. We are focusing on social- emotional skills and helping freshmen acclimate to Tech with popular initiatives such as Advisory classes. I look forward to showing you all that we have been doing of late, sharing my plans as we move toward the 2022 Centennial, and seeing everyone at Titans of Tech, Recent Alumni Day, and Homecoming. David Newman Principal
ATTENTION ALUMS: We Want to Hear From You! Send Email to ➜ neds@mediaimpact.biz FALL
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NOTE
Editor’s Note
TechTimes The Magazine of The Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation Fall 2019
FOR A DECADE NOW, TechTimes has reconnected alumni with their alma mater – both the Brooklyn Tech they experienced and remember, and the school as it is today.
Today’s Technites, like those of past eras, are strivers rising to greet promising futures. These pages since 2009 have served as small windows into their worlds. We have told you and shown you samples of their promise and achievement. This issue marks a milestone. Here, the students step forward: they display their talents and skills directly. Tech – then and now – is full of extraordinarily gifted designers, artists and photographers. We have largely turned this issue’s visuals over to them. For the first time, virtually every photo and illustration is the work of a young Technite. Several articles bear their bylines. This is breathtakingly good work, and work with a deeper significance: it reminds us how good Technites are in their chosen areas of interest. The teachers and staff assure me that what these young artists achieve with camera and pen, their classmates are achieving in mathematics, engineering, physics, architecture and so on. And not surprisingly, many of these contributors are themselves pursuing science and engineering paths in class. Meet them in the columns below, and be prepared to be as impressed as I was. Ned Steele ’68 Editor in Chief Student Contributors KEON JEFFERS ALLEYNE ’19 Graphics
Former layout editor for Tech’s Horizons magazine, Keon is interested in photography, digital illustration, and graphic design. He is now a freshman at Baruch College. NIA BLANKSON ’20
Nia is an industrial design major and member of Tech’s advanced orchestra, National Honors Society, Tri-M, Student Athlete Leadership Team, and varsity soccer team. She plays piano and wishes to pursue music in college and in the future. TEC HTI M E S
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Jing, creator of the “Her Tech Man” artwork (p.19) and other illustrations, is a biological sciences major whose interests include photography, writing, baking, crocheting, and handcrafts. She hopes upon graduation to attend New York University. KYLE HAN ’20
Photography
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JING GU ’21 Story Illustration
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Photography, Intern
A mechatronics and robotics major, Kyle is an executive in the aerospace, student media, and photography clubs, and a National Honor Society member. He hopes to attend NYU Tandon or Cooper Union.
Editor In Chief and Chief Writer Art Director Creative Consultant; Student Interviews Editorial Direction
Ned Steele ’68 Nicholas E. Torello Chelsea Erin Vaughan Elizabeth A. Sciabarra
Student Liaisons Jiayun Chen ’19, Youssef El Mosalami ’20 Benjamin Everett-Lane ’19, Yasmin Haredy ’20 Dea Kurti ’19, Madelaine Lebetkin ’19, Vicky Li ‘19, Nicholas Riccio ’20, Leah Ross ’19, Divya Tulsiani ‘19 ©2019 Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation, Inc. Published annually. Articles may be reprinted with permission.
Alums: Send your personal or professional update for publication in Class Notes to: neds@mediaimpact.biz In This Issue Whether on the field of athletic competition, in the classroom, or in the community, Brooklyn Tech students are recognized and respected as champions. Cover Photos (l and r) Jasper Waldman, (c) Kyle Han
ERICA SHUM ‘20 Intern
An aerospace engineering major, Erica took part “behind the scenes” in the Tech musical. She has run for and managed the track team, and served as intern coordinator for a political campaign. She hopes to attend California Tech or UCLA. AYMAN SIAM ’19 Photography
A mechatronics and robotics major and Weston Research Scholar, Ayman is now a freshman at NYU Tandon engineering school. He was executive of the photography club, a national Scholastic Silver Medalist, and had four art exhibitions outside of school.
WALTER VILLA ’19 Photography
A civil engineering major at Tech, Walter is now a freshman at Olin College of Engineering. He was Rookie of the Year in his freshman year for the varsity swim team, and his current interests are filmmaking and cinema art. JASPER WALDMAN ’20 Principal Photography
An aerospace engineering major, Jasper plays in the jazz band and orchestra. He sails for the Nova Scotia Sailing Team, with hopes of competing in the Olympics and becoming an engineer. ■ WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
TOP, RON GLASSMAN. BOTTOM, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DENISE RODRIGUEZ, JING GU, DIANA YUAN, WALTER VILLA, PETER HURLEY, MAYISHA DELWAR, JASPER WALDMAN, NICOLA BLANKSON
EDITOR’S
Tech Taught Me….
They studied multivariable calculus, advanced physics, and robotics engineering. We asked current and just-graduated seniors what else they learned.
“Fun can happen even while learning.”
“We have the power to change the world, even if it’s for a little bit, as young leaders.”
– Frederick Peetz, Pharmacy
– Ayan Rahman, Chemical Engineering
“That the best solutions come from groups and group work.” – Leah Ross, Law & Society
“The value and educational “It’s possible to take any moment, whether amazing benefits of attending a or painful, and turn it school that pulls students from all corners of the city.” into a lesson.” – Allison Huang, – Runnie Exuma, Social Science Research
“If you don’t like something, you’re not going to put 100% into it.”
“How to join a community and thrive.”
– Joy Huang, Architecture
“What research is, how it is done, and how I could get the chance to do it.” – Oluwafunke Kolawole, Gateway to Medicine
– Genevieve Herron, Chemistry
“How to manage my time between my team, family, friends, and schoolwork.”
– Sean Shaheed, Mechatronics & Robotics
“Introspection.” “…It is OK to have multiple interests*” – Ahmad Abdulwadood, Law & Society
– Dani Heba, Law & Society
– David Witdorchic, Physics
“You should be confident in your skin, your looks, and your style.” – Fiona Kong, Finance
*Thanks Ahmad, for setting us up for the Polymaths feature on page 13! FALL
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PHOTOS: JASPER WALDMAN
“I can fly if I am persistent and determined enough.”
Environmental Science
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“Major” News IF YOU GRADUATED 25 years ago, there’s a one in three chance that your major, or your best bud’s, no longer exists at Tech. That’s because when the world changes, so does Brooklyn Tech. “As the professional landscape and student career aspirations continually evolve,” notes Principal David Newman, “a Tech education evolves to keep ahead of the curve.” Gone: mechanical engineering and college prep, now subdivided into several distinct nonengineering majors. In: finance, heavily rooted in mathematics; software engineering; pharmacy, “which our students are studying in abundance in college,” Newman says. One truth remains unchanged: the majors system is unique, and (pardon the pun) a major reason middle school parents and students choose Tech. The current majors are: Aerospace Engineering
Industrial Design
Applied Mathematics
Law and Society
Architecture
LIU Advanced Health
Biological Sciences
LIU Pharmacy
Chemical Engineering
Mechatronics and Robotics
Civil Engineering
Media
Electrical Engineering
Physics
Environmental Engineering
Social Science Research
Finance
Software Engineering
THREE NEWEST MAJORS:
THREE MOST POPULAR MAJORS:
LIU Advanced Health Professions
Biological Sciences
LIU Pharmacy
Law and Society
Finance
Finance
Readers: Wondering what happened to your major, or have a question about a current major? Send it to info@bthsalumni.org and Principal David Newman will answer questions in the next issue. 4
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Liam Dertinger ’20 at the famed Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris, and two of his creations.
King of the Kitchen This kid lives in the kitchen. Liam Dertinger ’20 has been a famous chef since age 13, when he won the TV show Chopped, Junior competition. He is the youngest student ever at the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, which he attends every summer. He has 30,000 Instagram followers. Liam began cooking at age seven (meatballs, pasta, pancakes), learning from his parents and from YouTube.
Alumni Foundation ‘s Mathew Mandery (left) and National Grid’s Andrew Prophete (right) help Ange Louis (left) and Ella Torres (right) prepare to graduate.
Filling the Pipeline SEVEN YEARS AGO, the Alumni Foundation launched a program to increase student diversity by exciting middle schoolers from underserved communities about technology and engineering, and encouraging and supporting them to pass the admissions test and become Technites. Graduation Day was last June. WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
TOP: ILLUSTRATION, JING GU, PHOTO, HANNE ZAK BOTTOM: ICONS, KEON JEFFERS-ALLEYNE; PHOTO, AYMAN SIAM
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ABOVE; WILLIAM DERTINGER, WALTER VILLA. ILLUSTRATION: JING GU
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He has since moved on to the likes of wagyu coulottes and wild mushroom duxelles. But when he cooks for himself? “I’m a basic steak and potatoes guy. Or a bowl of pasta.” Earlier this year Liam did a pop-up dinner for 50 in a local restaurant. TechTimes asked Achilles Perry ’58, coowner of Manhattan’s highly regarded Pylos restaurant, to review the seven course meal: “Chef Liam’s dinner was ambitious, creative, and delicious. The range of ingredients and preparation techniques were wide ranging and impressive. Each course was carefully arranged to be as visually pleasing as it was tasty. Chef Liam prepared common and exotic ingredients, including pomelo, sea urchin and wagyu beef, using traditional and newer techniques such as sous vide. His command of these techniques was impressive. All the dishes were wonderful. One favorite was the steak course: four different types of beef, each with a distinct flavor and texture accompanied by a purée of butternut and acorn squash, Brussels sprouts and candied beets. Another was dessert: an orange parsnip cake. Chef Liam explained that he prefers parsnips to the traditional carrot cake. They have a more nuanced flavor, and are sweeter. I have never been a fan of carrot cake; this was delicious.” ■ The first cohort of the STEM Pipeline program, supported by National Grid, proudly joined 1,500 classmates at the 2019 commencement to receive their diplomas. This group of 14 students scored an impressive combined weighted average of 96.4%. Sixty percent of the program’s participants to date have passed the specialized high school admissions test – a significantly higher rate than the overall middle school population. Ella Torres ’19, now an electrical engineering major at UCLA, said: “Before the program, I had no idea what engineering was or that it was a career option for me.” Dr. Mathew Mandery, Alumni Foundation chief educational officer, said the program is one of several to strengthen ties to middle schools that have not traditionally fed into Tech: “We are opening the STEM world to students who might not have seen it. They are coming to Tech better prepared and ready to succeed.” ■
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Con Edison provided funding for Tech’s new greenhouse; students like April Su ‘19 helped bring it to life.
Blue and White…. And Green AS A TODDLER IN TAIWAN, April Su developed an affinity for plant life by helping tend her family’s garden. Years later as a New Yorker and Tech student, she observed the absence of greenery in the school hallways and resolved to do something. April became president of a student club that helped bring to life a new Con Edison grant to the Alumni Foundation: a rooftop greenhouse. Over four growing cycles, students grew more lettuce, kale, tomatoes, and cucumbers than anyone could eat, so they gave it all away. Then April helped with grant applications to create a green “living wall” for Tech, modeled after environmentally-friendly “green roofs.” A once darkened and forgotten display case on a third floor corridor has now been converted into a green living wall brightening the vista and the spirits of all who pass it. Indoor greenery has well-documented physical and mental health benefits. And the students’ work is educational: “The students are learning pH maintenance, water chemistry, the care of flowering plants, and the science of planting and harvesting,” science teacher Elisa Margarita notes. Now a Williams College freshman, April plans to major in environmental studies, earn a law degree, and then become an advocate for environmental policy. “It is our obligation as citizens of this planet to help alleviate the global warming effects of our actions,” she said. ■ FALL
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Wait, What ? Tech students far more intelligent than your TechTimes editorial team discuss their current research work. Tech’s adult experts then come to the rescue and explain to the rest of us. Ritesh Vivek Pandohie ’19, physics major
Development of a Complex Lattice Metamaterial for Applications in Solar Thermophotovoltaics The purpose of this experiment was to explore the development and potential applications of a simulated Complex Lattice Metamaterial Absorber, which consists of the traditional metal layer and dielectric layer, but with an array of nanodisks of differing radii to achieve plasmon resonance at multiple wavelengths across the Sun’s spectrum.
Gordon Baym ’52, professor of physics, University of Illinois
The ultimate goal of this project is to increase the efficiency of electricityproducing solar cells. Ritesh is designing a light-absorbing material that would advance cells well beyond their current 25% efficiency rate. An array of differentlysized, microscopically small (nano), disks, made of manmade materials, would absorb sunlight across a broad range of light colors, depending on their radius. This is a wonderful idea that could lead to a major breakthrough in harvesting solar energy. ■
PARENT POWER
WHEN CINDY BIRD-KUE ’86 first became a Tech parent in 2012, Tech’s Parents Association was not a major fundraising force. The first meetings she attended were sparsely populated. The mother of three Technite sons, Cindy has been with the PA since then. Under a series of leaders in recent years, including her and her current co-president Laura Hamilton, the PA is now a dynamo that raises more than $200,000 annually. Its events are attended by hundreds. “We are here to build a community,” says Ms. Kue. “I had a great experience here as a student and we want to give today’s students a great experience.” An important part of that community-building has been strengthening inclusiveness among the richly diverse Tech family. The PA formed a Diversity and Community Engagement Committee, and launched a series of events highlighted by a lively, colorful Lunar New Year fundraiser. The PA’s signature event, a benefit auction co-sponsored by the Alumni Foundation, raised more than $100,000 for academic enrichment grants, extracurricular activities and athletics. Other PA funding has strengthened college guidance, staffed afterschool study halls, put printers for students in the cafeteria, and rewired classrooms for the 21st century. “Every student at Tech benefits,” The PA’s annual benefit auction Ms. Hamilton is win-win: a fun, social evening that raises $100,000 for Tech. notes. ■
We asked Technites to name a book that has influenced them.
Feed
Little Women
Sean Shaheed, Mechatronics and Robotics major A sci-fi critical look at where technology is taking us
Deborah Hoyte, Law and Society “Girls trying to find themselves.”
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The American Yawp
Being and Nothingness
Royta Iftakher, Industrial Design A “massively collaborative open U.S. history textbook”
Michele Kallo, Social Science Research The Sartre classic
1984 Dani Heba, Law & Society The Orwell classic
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LEFT: (T) NED STEELE, (B) COURTESY OF GORDON BAYM. RIGHT: ALUMNI FOUNDATION
What They’re Reading
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YES THEY CAN YOU’RE 15, a future computer engineer with a vision to empower technology-disenfranchised people globally. But you’re a girl in a male-dominated field, and the world is a big place… Or, you’re a teenage coding enthusiast with a cool idea: create a 24-hour programming “hackathon” for high schoolers citywide. But it would take serious money, and you’re also 15, so… Oh, you’re Technites. No problem. As a sophomore, Karina Popovich ’19 formed Connect With Tech, a student organization to expose underrepresented communities to STEM through coding and tech events. At first they focused on activities at Tech and locally. Then Karina went global. Connect With Tech connected with the remote village of Moshi, Tanzania with a plan to teach 30 schoolchildren the fundamentals of computer science, through Skype. First problem: the village teacher had never taught programing. Solution: Karina trained him. And… the school lacked computers. So Karina rounded up Tech students to build five fully functional laptops from scratch, and ship them to Tanzania, for a crowd-funded
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$500. The students at Hope International School are now “learning in leaps and bounds,” said teacher Robert Sabwami. Sophomore Matthew Bilik ’21 knew his hackathon plan might be tough to pull off alone with no money. So he teamed with Karina and Gavin Zheng ’19 to form TechHacks, an officially-registered a nonprofit entity to run the hackathon and to “democratize computer science education in NYC.” That no-money problem? The students searched their young LinkedIn networks for anyone who knew someone who had money. “It took a while,” Matthew recalls. That would be three weeks. After which they had raised nearly $15,000, mostly from corporate sponsors like BNY Mellon, Microsoft and Google. Gavin handled the finances; he was the only one legally old enough to run a bank account. The hackathon was held in April. Karina Popovich, Matthew Bilik, A huge success attracting 100 budGavin Zheng (L to R) ding coders from 15 schools, it will be repeated next year. “Students are utilizing their computer science knowledge, organizational skills, and social networking prowess to create bridges on global scales, and we are thrilled that Tech is able to help foster their growth,” said Rosabeth Eddy, assistant principal for computer science and engineering. ■
What They’re Thinking “I want a college that is…:”
“Me and Social Media:”
TOP: AYMAN SIAM, INFOGRAPHICS: N. E. TORELLO
Trying to cut back 31%
Larger than Tech:
Smaller than Tech:
About the same size
68% 18% 14%
More Co-ed School Sports, or Not? Expand Co-ed sports 55% Decrease Co-ed sports 5%
Time is about right 48% Don’t do it at all 5% Wish I could do more 5%
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STUDENT REFLECTIONS
DEMOCRACY STARTS HERE
Go…. Engineers?
BY DIVYA TULSIANI ’19
Divya is now a freshman at the University at Albany, transferring next year to Cornell.
Listen Up BIOLOGY MAJOR BENJAMIN EVERETT - LANE ’19*, winner of the prestigious All Tech Award, resolved to get to know as many classmates as possible, and to learn something from each. By Commencement Day he had met 866. Below, a sampling of what he reports learning from them:
• What it takes to be an astronaut • What’s it like to be in the Israeli military
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BY THEODORA ATHANITIS ’19
AN ENGINEER? Is that really the best we could do? Think about our sports competitors: Bronx Science Wolverines, Staten Island Tech Seagulls, Stuyvesant Peglegs, Fort Hamilton Tigers. While other mascots are symbols teams can rally behind, the Tech Engineer goes one step further. Unconventional and enigmatic, it carries much more weight. It encompasses the entire student body. We enter Tech as awkwardly shaped puzzle pieces: the ones you leave aside and hope their places become obvious by the end. On the surface, Tech seems suited only for those headed for technical and engineering professions. But we find our places: some as accomplished debate speakers, athletes, inventors, and artists. Others as future actors, doctors, lawyers, and businesspeople. Tech shows us awkwardly shaped puzzle pieces where we can fit as we are. And, with slight shifts in perspective and reflection, places we never imagined. And then Tech takes a step back. We become curious and open minded. We become logical thinkers. We learn to pay close attention to detail, to turn the complex into the manageable. Many of us will not become engineers. But Tech instilled in us skills that would make an excellent engineer. No other school equips its students with all the skills for success, regardless of career choice. We are engineered for life. ■
Adapted from the 2019 Commencement valedictory address. Theodora is a now a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania.
Their school days populated by an amazingly wide diversity of cultures, knowledge, and thought, Tech students learn from each other. • How working in politics is like acting • How to succeed in the stock market • Why the philosophy of numbers is important • How to become Pope • The political and social difference between Ukrainians and Russians • The significance of Ramadan and how it works • How to become a Navy Seal • The immigration process
• How the elevator, intake, and other parts of a robot work together • The life of Azerbaijani • How the different kinds of camera lenses are different • Bits of Korean, Russian, Bengali, Arabic, Spanish, French, and Italian. • The history of Grand Central Station • The pros and cons of arranged marriages * Now a freshman at Yale University
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TOP: (L) JASPER WALDMAN, (R) COURTESY OF THE BTHS BLUEPRINT. BOTTOM: AYMAN SIAM
IN 1965 during the Vietnam War, two middle school students in Des Moines, Iowa who wore black armbands in protest showed the country–and in 1968 the Supreme Court–that young people really are meant to participate in government, as early as 13 years old. This lesson was so powerful and important that it endured for more than half a century for me to learn it too. Civil liberties and constitutional guarantees are cornerstones of a functional society. As a Tech sophomore, I noticed a disconnect between the “liberty-or-death” attitude championed by the Founders and that of my generation: few understood how to exercise their Constitutionally guaranteed rights. I was impassioned to help educate those around me on their rights, and advocate for those liberties in the school context. I started the Legal Outreach Council to host assemblies and guest speaker events, and to do policy work. As students in a STEM-focused school, I found, my peers needed reminding that civic engagement is essential regardless of career path. At the high school level, learning about and practicing our civil liberties is my generation’s way of participating in government, even before we have control over the ballot. Being in high school is almost an incubator for us to learn about what it takes to participate in our democracy once we turn 18. If we as a community are to preserve our democracy so all future generations can partake in it just as we have, we must start by emphasizing civic engagement among all young people. Brooklyn Tech is working to do just that. ■
Why Sports Matters ➜
PHOTO: AYMAN SIAM
POSING FOR THIS PHOTO (by student photographer Ayman Siam) might have been the longest Carly Morris ’19 ever sat still at Tech. The just-graduated, two-sport athlete says playing lacrosse and soccer gave her “a go-go mentality.” “Go-go” to Carly (now a freshman at the University of Edinburgh) means more than running fast: it is a mindset overflowing from the playing field to the classroom, propelling her to academic success. “Super-high energy and super goal orientation,” she calls it.
CARLY’S SELF-OBSERVATIONS reflect one stripe in a theme painted by her classmates, alums of all ages, and experts in education, psychology and business: playing scholastic sports yields benefits, in academic and life skills, that reach far beyond the field and last a lifetime. “Scholastic sports sets the template for college and beyond. It sets you up for success.” notes Tech principal David Newman, (who ran high school track at, ahem, Bronx Science) . Jim Di Benedetto ’71 coached Tech’s football team for 21 years, and was Athletic Director for a decade: “We talk to student athletes about goal-setting, practicing and preparing. Being responsible and on time. Fair play, respect, and honesty. Think, don’t react. Make smart moves. Accept the outcomes of your decisions. “They come back ten years later and they say, ‘All those things you told us – they’re all true.’” Ex-footballer Brian Delle Donne ’76, a longtime applicant interviewer for his alma mater Brown University, believes sports prowess alone does not explain why athletes are admitted disproportionately to competitive colleges: “Schools clearly favor students who understand commitment, dedication, and competitive drive.” [continued next page]
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YEHIA ELLIS ’19 Fencing Pharmacy Major
LEILA FILIEN ’19 Stunt* Chemical Engineering
› Now a freshman at N.J. Institute of Technology › His medals (L to R): PSAL individual gold, PSAL team citywide champions, BTHS fencing MVP, PSAL team silver, PSAL individual bronze › “Fencing is three minutes of shutting out everything else. If you don’t focus, you get hit. I apply that to standardized test taking. It’s easier for me to stay on track.”
› Now a full-scholarship freshman at Penn State › “This can be a dangerous sport. I am responsible for making sure the ‘flyers’ land properly from their jumps without getting injured.” › “You watch their hips – that’s how you can tell if they’re having trouble. You catch them in any way possible.” › “This is the first time in my life I have been that responsible for another person’s safety. It is a learning experience.” * similar to cheerleading but more structured and a competitive PSAL sport
WE ASKED SOME OF TECH’S nearly
1,000 student athletes, and some alums. We consulted experts. The broadness and depth of lifelong non-athletic benefits they attributed to high school sports surprised us. Here’s what we learned: › High School athletes tend to get better jobs that pay more, a Cornell University
research study found. › Scholastic sports teach students to collaborate, perform individually within a group, and manage time effectively – three essential life skills, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). › Student athletes outperform nonathletes in grade average, NFHS found. › Women have benefited in the Title IX era of gender parity in scholastic sports.
A study found that 55 percent of top female business executives played sports in college and presumably high school, compared with 39 percent of lower-level female managers. › The benefits last a lifetime. The Cornell study found that ex-scholastic athletes in their 80s and 90s “possessed greater prosocial behavior” and donated more time and money to volunteerism and charitable causes. “At t he time,” says Brookly n Tech’s own Clyde Doughty ’76 ( ba sketba ll), now v ice president of athletics at Bowie State University, “you don’t realize what it means – you’re just having fun. But high school sports is more than games.” ■ Jim DiBenedetto ’71 and Susan Mayham ’76 contributed significantly to the development of this story.
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TOP: (L) AYMAN SIAM, (R) JASPER WALDMAN. BOTTOM:& OPPOSITE PAGE, BTHS BLUEPRINT
[continued from page 9]
CARLY MORRIS ’19 Lacrosse (Captain), Soccer Social Science Research
NICHOLAS RICCIO ’20 Baseball Law & Society
› Now a freshman at University of Edinburgh › “Sometimes you have to go out in the cold and play. You don’t want to, but people are counting on you.” › “Playing two sports made me more productive academically. It comes with the mental structure.” › “Because of sports I am super high-energy and super goal-oriented. Being able to put all else aside and focus on one goal is useful when you have to write a long paper.”
› “I’ve noticed that I do better on tests after practice days. Playing alleviates my stress about schoolwork so I can focus more on studying.” › “Baseball makes you think faster and trust yourself. I apply that to testing. If two answers look right on the SAT, I trust myself to go with my gut instinct.” › “I write faster, and I become more thoughtful more quickly, since I started playing.” › Consistently on Honor Roll since freshman year, grade average jumped six points after joining baseball team.
ALUMS REFLECT:
TOP: (L) AYMAN SIAM, (R) RONALD GLASSMAN
BRIAN DELLE DONNE ’76 Football President, Talent Tech Labs › “It seemed like a normal pursuit to set a high goal and not quit until you achieved it. High school sports set me on a track of goal orientation and perseverance.” BETH SHAPIRO ’89 Basketball Language Pathologist › Her coach, Jay Russinoff, was instrumental in her applying to and attending NYU, where she played basketball. “He helped me see NYU was the best combination of academics and sports for me.” › “Having success on the court at Tech brought me happiness, comfort, and stability at an unstable time of my life.”
SHARON MUNROE ’76 Track Walmart Executive › Learned two life lessons from track: How to “constantly examine your performance for incremental improvement,” and how to take constructive criticism: “Your coach (boss) will deconstruct your performance (job) and may not give you the praise (promotion) you think you deserve. Shake it off. Get your head back in the game.” HERVÉ DAMAS, MD ’90 Football Doctor, Ex-NFL Player › “I literally took my football training schedule and applied it to medical school: I stayed for extra reps after class like it was practice. I went to the lab for extra reps like I used to at the gym. I studied with others and asked them to push me: ‘Ask me difficult questions; make me better.’ Just as I had done with football.” FALL
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› “When you get more experienced at Kung Fu, you get an opportunity to teach and coach others. I volunteer helping elementary school kids thanks to that opportunity”. › “I think that is something that will transfer into the rest of my life.”
SIDNEY MILDEN ’77 Track Longtime Track Coach, Retired MTA Supervisor › Learned from Tech Track how to keep “composed and focused in difficult situations.” › Drew on the experience years later, as commander in a subway derailment: “My ability to act under pressure enabled me to communicate [and] evacuate everyone on the train in a calm manner.” TYRELL ESCOFFERY ’06 Football Sponsorship Executive › Heads Run 31 Foundation, inspired by memory of teammate, the late Brandon Cherington-Desir, to develop and support student athletes. › “Football was the first time in my life I learned to visualize an end goal, and use that in my daily motivation to be the best student and athlete I could be.” 12
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AMINATOU DIALLO ’20 Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball (Captain) Biological Sciences Major › Commutes to class and practices from The Bronx: “I do homework on the train.” › “As captain I am sometimes a buffer between my teammates and the coaches when we have issues to resolve. That develops my skills in leadership, conflict resolution, problem solving, and communication.”
KARI SKAR HARVAT ’76 Swim Intensive Care Unit Nurse › Lost her dad at age three and her mom as a Tech freshman: “Swim team gave me confidence and support at a time I really needed it. Will always be grateful.” › Served in a Saudi hospital ICU during theGulf War missile attacks; drew on a swim team life lesson: “You learn how to do it the way it has to be done.” VY VIVIAN VU ’15 Wrestling Computer Science Student/ First NYC Female Wrestling Referee › “After Tech, I got a Facebook internship that had a 10% acceptance rate. It led to a job there. I would not have done it without the work ethic that wrestling drilled into me, and the guts to apply when my chances were so slim.” › “Without wrestling I never would have believed I was good enough to accomplish anything. I would never have stepped out of my comfort zone.” WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
TOP: (L) JASPER WALDMAN, (R) AYMAN SIAM BOTTOM: (R) SCOTT PILUTIK
EDWARD LI ’22 Kung Fu
STUDENTS
Polymaths ➜ Polymath [ pol-ee-math ], noun: a person of great learning in several fields of study
ROBOTICS AND POETRY. Dance and physics. Environmental science and law. In a year of asking Tech students about their interests and passions, we learned one thing: they can’t be easily typecast into any single category. Tech teems with polymaths: young people exploring and developing seemingly incongruent interests and paths of
JOANNA WACTOR ’19
FREDERICK PEETZ ’20
GAVIN ZHENG ’19
Business/Performing Arts Major: Finance College: Pennsylvania State
Music/Science Major: Pharmacy Weston Research Scholar
Finance/Technology Major: Finance College: Harvard
› Won Tech’s Talent Show
› Performed on violin at Geffen Hall
› Attended ten different schools,
› Career Ambition: professional
LEFT: AYMAN SIAM, CENTER: JASPER WALDMAN, RIGHT: NIA BLANKSON
study. Traditional limitations of convention seem not to apply. The students may be on to something. Careers, definitions of success and personal fulfillment: all are changing rapidly, everywhere. These kids seem primed to thrive in a future world unlike ours in ways we can’t fathom. They may even be the ones to invent that world. They may already have begun to.
singer. Backup plan: study math and accounting. “Singing is my passion but I can also make a career with math.” › “Math and music have always been part of my childhood. I practiced my multiplication tables to music in the background.” › “I used my voice at Tech to empower other women. Not just through singing but in public speaking and giving advice.”
at age 12 › “I’ve known for a few years that I want to be an oncologist, and I have a laser focus on that. When the research gets intense, I turn to my music as a de-stresser. Music and science balance each other out. It works.”
several in China, before Tech: “I caught up through late nights and no vacations.” › “Business, technology, and science are converging. We need leaders with the vision to bridge the gap between those fields and create value for humanity on an unprecedented scale.” › Interned at Microsoft and Morgan Stanley: “Business is a powerful force for change. My background was low income; I got a lot of help along the way. I want to give back.”
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NAFIZA MEHER ’20
MARK DAWES ’20
Science/Art Major: Pharmacy Weston Research Scholar
Science/Step* Performance Major: Biology
› QuestBridge STEM excellence
award recipient › Emigrated to U.S. at age seven › “My parents sacrificed financially and left their comfort zones to create educational opportunities for their children. I want to make them proud: At Tech I have pushed my own boundaries out of my comfort zone.” › “At first I didn’t know I could go farther than where I was… that I could design my own research project and work in a lab.” › “Art is therapeutic. I do landscapes and skyscapes. It’s something I do for me me.” .”
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› Career ambition: Medical school;
then become a cardiac surgeon, stem cell researcher, or biomedical engineer › “Everyone knew from when I was young that I’d be a STEM kid. Science is my academic passion.” › Tutors children in his former elementary school › Captain of Tech’s champion Step team: “You put everything you have into every stomp and clap. You exert all your emotions. It’s who I am.” › Hidden talent: sings *A competitive “call and response” group dance emphasizing synchronized footwork
YOUSSEF EL MOSALAMI ’20 Biology/Theatre Major: Pharmacy Weston Research Scholar › Emigrated to U.S. at age four › Self-taught himself anatomy in
middle school; now on two Tech science teams › Auditioned for Uncle Fester in the 2019 BTHS musical Addams Family, never having performed Family before. Got the part: “It was a leap of faith, but the Tech environment gave me the confidence to try” › “The arts are expressing yourself. Science is thinking and understanding. They bring out different parts and make you a better whole.” › College plan: major in pre-med, minor in theatre
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LEFT AND CENTER: JASPER WALDMAN, RIGHT: AYMAN SIAM. INSET: MICHAEL POTASH ‘21
STUDENTS
LEFT AND RIGHT: JASPER WALDMAN, CENTER: KYLE HAN
STUDENTS
APRIL SU ’19
ROMY ARAN ’19
Environmental Science/Law Major: Law and Society College: Williams
Astrophysics/Sculpture Major: Applied Mathematics Weston Research Scholar College: Harvard
› Started, ran, and helped obtain
funding for several student environmental initiatives (see page 5) › Favorite class at Tech: Advanced Placement U.S. Government › Career plan: major in environmental science, earn a law degree, become an environmental lawyer › “You need the science knowledge to be an effective policy advocate.” › Tech Taught Me: “Don’t be afraid to try something new and completely fail at it!”
› Researches black hole physics
with Harvard scientists; enjoys sculpting. › Noting similarities between fractals and Arab mosaic geometric forms, he developed an interest in Arab culture. › First thing I’ll do at college: “Take a philosophy course.” › Tech Taught Me: “At Tech my interests were shown to be interrelated. Interests aren’t singular. They are connections to innumerable wonderful doors to open and explore.”
MARIEROSS NAVARRO ’20 Robotics/Poetry Major: Chemical Engineering › Headed design group of award-
winning robotics team. It fabricated a robotic elevator device from scratch. › Won third place in a citywide poetry reading contest. Also writes poetry: “At first I kept it hidden. But I realized it is a way I express myself. You can be the best engineer, but what good is it if you can’t express yourself?” › “Robotics is art coming to life. The aluminum sheets are a canvas we turn into shapes; then electronics and programming make them come alive.”
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VICKY LI ’19
JULIA LOTTMAN ’19
AYAN RAHMAN ’20
Finance/Writing Major: Finance College: Carnegie Mellon
Physics/Dance Major: Gateway to Medicine College: University of Pennsylvania
Chemical Engineering/Service Major: Chemical Engineering
› Came to U.S. age 12 knowing no
› Started dancing at age 2 Ð › Studied at Joffrey Ballet school;
choreographed three dances for BTHS musicals. › Grew interested in science in eighth grade: “Physics is a big part of my life.” › “I started seeing force diagrams in my head when I danced. All of ballet is physics. My balance improved after three weeks of physics at Tech” › Tech taught me: “It’s okay to be nerdy and have passions.”
Award winner › Head of award-winning BTHS chapter of Key Club, an international high school service program. He leads more than 500 Technites in service, fundraising and advocacy for health, homelessness, children’s, and other issues. › Hooked on science since watching the Neil deGrasse TV show “Cosmos.” › “I love both areas of my life – service and science. They may not intersect, but they make me who I am.”
Fn
English › Five years later: Editor in chief, BTHS yearbook Blueprint; sports editor, Survey › Top scorer in citywide and national mathematics competitions › “Finance and writing both involve articulating one’s thoughts and one’s logic to make a convincing piece. They are about expressing myself and interacting with others.” › My wildest dream: “Become CEO of a corporation.”
› QuestBridge STEM Scholars
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PHOTOS: JASPER WALDMAN
STUDENTS
CHAMPIONS
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REFLECTIONS
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Fifty years later, the co-captain of a legendary Tech team reflects on what it meant BY MICHAEL WOJCZUK ’68
How could I deprive my own kids of the opportunity I had?
Renaissance Man Michael Wojczuk ’68 played Division I football, was a Beat poet, taught elementary school art, and still writes poetry and fiction.
BY SAM KOEPPEL ’47
Legendary coach Adam Cirillo also taught Aero.
IN MY TIME AT TECH, Aero Design was taught by Adam Cirillo, who also happened to be coach of our football team, then a New York City powerhouse. Tech was a football monarchy in the autumn, and Cirillo was King. The student body, 6,000plus males, consistently assured roaring vocal support at all games. BUT CIRILLO’S DESIGN class on Mondays offered more than just learning how to create flying machines. It gave us an inside, thorough analysis of Saturday’s game against Madison, Tilden, Boys High, or whatever school Tech had tangled with. Cirillo answered our questions, explained strategy, and briefed us on the upcoming game. The class also met Wednesday and Friday, but football discussions then were offlimits, and in the off-season Monday design classes took on a more scholastic personality. I STILL LOVE FOOTBALL, but not even a Super Bowl can make the sport any more exciting than having your renowned high school coach debrief you on a game played two days earlier. ■ FALL
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CLOCKWISE FROM MONTAGE: BTHS BLUEPRINT, COURTESY OF MICHAEL WOJCZUK, SAM KOEPPEL
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SPORTS TEAMS, IN MY ESTIMATION, create a milieu that fosters for a lifetime the same feelings I felt when we competed “in the trenches” together: physical training, mental rigor in learning, perseverance after making mistakes, overcoming or living with pain, the exuberant heart of laughing and rejoicing. My personal story, home life, and background led me to the field of competition with something to prove, somewhere to be, and something to strive for. When I became a parent my own kids had to play a sport: How could I deprive them of their opportunity to prove, be, and strive? Returning to Tech for my 50th class reunion and the reunion of the 1967 Division Championship football team, two things stood out: the unmatched and never-equaled camaraderie we felt, and the sad loss we suf fered in our la st game: the one for the City Championship. O h h ow we s u f f e r e d when we lost in the rain and mud, by a humiliating score. Many of us, including me, cried after the loss that seemed to taint all of our accomplishments. After graduation the team went its own way, some of us to play Division I college football, others to change sports, some to take up personal training. As the years went by we started to remember what we had accomplished. Even in the loss we decided that, hey, they were good – and certainly better than us that day. We would not be defined by the loss but by our “team-ness,” our heart, our friendship, our certainty. At our reunion, the feeling and belief was that what we had had was never equaled again with any team at any time. So what am I to think? Were we special? Was it special? Or was it our ability and need to be introspective and examine our past in a profound way? Did our shared experience demand this of us? High School football – and so much more. ■
WHEN FOOTBALL WAS KING
ALUMS UNDER 30
BACK IN SCHOOL, DISRUPTORS WERE TROUBLEMAKERS. Today, in business, they are technology-based innovators who can upend entire industries. Brooklyn Tech is becoming an incubator for disruptors. Meet four of them:
AWAD SAYEED ’08 AND KYLE WONG ’08 AWAD SAYEED and Kyle Wong were first featured in TechTimes in 2009 as student entrepreneurs. They went on to form a Silicon Valley business, Pixlee, which landed them on a Forbes Magazine “30 under 30” list. Back at Tech, their game was a web-based college selection tool. Today, their game is social media marketing. Pixlee helps major consumer companies like Carnival Cruises and Old Navy reinvent their online marketing. Out: conventional “Madison Avenue” style advertising. In: ads using (with permission) photos and comments originally created by actual consumers and posted on their social media. Pixlee’s insight: play to the millennial generation’s preference for peer product recommendations (think “influencers”) over traditional marketing. “Old school marketing was 18
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le y K top-down,” says Kyle. “The Creative Director, the big fancy ad. But Don Draper doesn’t exist anymore.” Pixlee uses software and artificial intelligence to curate consumer-generated content for major brands, searching through 10,000 or more images to deliver the right ones to their clients, and analyzing the marketing results. One in four Americans has seen a Pixlee-generated ad. The company has offices in four countries and a valuation estimated north of $10 million. Awad and Kyle met at Tech – on the junior varsity basketball team. They didn’t have time to go for varsity: “Business was calling,” explains Awad. AKTARER ZAMAN ’10 MILLIONS OF bargain-seeking air travelers share an open secret called the “hidden-city” fare strategy. Only one person, Aktarer Zaman ’10, has built a business around it, and earned
Ak
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national recognition as an airline industry Robin Hood. Aktarer started his company, Skiplagged, at age 22 and quickly gained national attention. The travel site uses algorithms to identify and sell seats with what’s known as hidden-city fares. These are deals for non-stop flights that capitalize on price breaks airlines build into some multistop trips. Essentially, flying from New York to Denver is sometimes cheaper if you get a ticket to Los Angeles with a stop in Denver, and deplane there. The strategy works for about 25% of web searches. Aktarer invented Skiplagged after stumbling onto hidden city fares while searching for his own ticket to San Francisco. He has since expanded Skiplagged overseas and into hotels and other bargain fares. One airlines blogger named Skiplagged 2019’s “best flight search engine for cheap economy tickets.”
e g r o Ge United Airlines tried and failed in court to stop Aktarer’s business. Some in the industry criticize the strategy as cheating, and it is technically forbidden in some ticket contracts. The New York Times ethicist addressed the matter in 2014, writing, “Purchasing something doesn’t mean you’re obligated to consume it in totality… If you buy a loaf of bread, you don’t have to eat every slice.” What if your flight is one of the 75% that don’t offer a hidden city fare? Aktarer says airline pricing is so byzantine and dynamic there’s no one best time of day, week or year to buy air travel: “The best time is when you’re comfortable with the price.” GEORGE AVETISOV ’08 EVERY WEEK seems to bring fresh news of another massive consumer data breach hack. George Avetisov ’08 has a plan and a business to end that. WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
(L TO R): HALEY FRASER, COURTESY OF AKTARER ZAMAN, COURTESY OF GEORGE AVETISOV
ad w A
Her ‘ ech Man’ IN 2001 while serving as a dermatologist at the US Navy Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, I had an unforgettable Brooklyn Tech-related experience. One day during clinic I treated Betty, a frail white woman in her mid 70’s with an unmistakable New York accent. It turned out she was originally from Flatbush. When I shared that I too was a New Yorker and a Brooklyn Tech graduate, she instantly became silent. Tears welled in her eyes; she almost lost her breath. One could almost feel the air leave the room. She proceeded to unfold an old faded picture from her purse and tell me a story she had carried with her for 60 years. In 1942, she was 17 and dating a Brooklyn Tech senior. In those days, she told me, a young woman who “caught” a “Brooklyn Tech man” was the envy of all her girlfriends. She felt that she had the world in her hands. Unfortunately, her vision ended abruptly when America
ILLUSTRATION BY JING GU
Continued from previous page Another Forbes “30 under 30,” George created HYPR, a company that does away with passwords and shared secrets to create a more secure system. HYPR’s innovation is to enable true passwordless security, by moving the authentication process to an individual customer’s personal device, where it is harder and less productive for hackers to crack. Mastercard and Samsung invested HYPR in 2017, and its customer base includes Rakuten, Aetna CVS Health, T-Mobile, and others. George got the idea for HYPR after graduating Tech, while running an e-commerce site that dealt in high-price jewelry and diamonds. One day, he discovered $250,000 in receivables had been hacked. “It made me ask myself, ‘Why isn’t the user identity problem solved yet? It can’t be unsolvable.’” HYPR grew 400% last year and expects to do the same this year. Industry analysts consider it a credible challenger to giant cybersecurity companies like Symantec. A computer science major at Tech, George admits to having been a “not attentive” student who nonetheless was transformed by the experience: “It made me want to go into the technology field.” He began selling his father’s antiques on eBay. The rest is a classic Tech story. ■
BY MITCHELL STASHOWER ’83, MD
entered World War II. Her boyfriend bravely enlisted in the Navy before graduation, and went to fight for his country in the Pacific. Before he left for war, they promised to love each other forever and that she would wait for him. Sadly, just four months later, she received the tragic news that he had been killed in action. He would never graduate. Her dreams of a life with her “Brooklyn Tech man” were destroyed. Some years later, she married another Navy man and went on to live as an expat in Japan. Even so, she never forgot her “Brooklyn Tech man” – the true love of her life. She had kept his picture all those years. On the other side of the earth, 6,766 miles from Brooklyn, my day had been touched by the power and magic of the Brooklyn Tech legacy. May her Brooklyn Tech sailor rest in peace, knowing that his girlfriend still keeps his picture in her purse and in her heart. ■
True Confessions
A feature in which alums, the statute of limitations having run out, ‘fess up to stunts and minor misdeeds they pulled off during their student days – and got away with.
“MY ACT WAS done not as a prank, but out of innate scientific curiosity… After cleaning up the chemistry lab table from a successful experiment to mix two chemicals and feel the heat of reaction, I was overcome by curiosity. I conducted an experiment to see what would happen when 10 to 12 magnesium pellets were inserted into a beaker of sulfuric acid. The fi reworks were truly awesome - and earned me the honor of five two-hour sessions of detention in which I had to compose a safety report (with examples of Do Nots) on the dangers of mixing chemicals without proper supervision. Little did I know that six years later I would command a platoon of US Army demolitions specialists in the Korean War, defusing unexploded artillery shells and mines from the patrol paths for the safety of our Infantry comrades. I applied those personal safety lessons earned from my chem lab fiasco very well.” -- Herb Hutchinson ’49 Attention all alumni: Was there a similar prank, irreverence or stunt which you should not have committed during your Tech days that you nonetheless did – and got away with? Tell us and we will publish the best. Please note: no stories of offenses against the law or official regulations, please.
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Ask... An Astronaut Madelaine Lebetkin: Did Brooklyn Tech help launch your career path? Karol “Bo” Bobko: Tech gave me the background to succeed at the Air Force Academy, which was a big step in becoming an Air Force pilot, a test pilot, and then an astronaut. In my early astronaut days it was interesting to hear about space shuttle parts being cast, and have some knowledge of the process from my Tech days. ML: What is the most important mission on NASA’s future agenda? KB: The Orion and Gateway programs, designed to take people back to the Moon, into deep space and on to Mars. ML: What new technology will enhance the next round of space travel? KB: The U.S. has had people in orbit continuously on the International Space Station (ISS) for 16 years: a number of critical new technologies have been developed. As an exam20
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Karol “Bo” Bobko
ple, the recycling of water. I don’t think we can go to Mars without recycled water.
ML: What else is needed to reach Mars? KB: Consider the amount of food that must be carried and remain edible throughout a two year Martian mission. Consider spare parts. 3D printing may have arrived on the technical scene at just the right time.
ML: Which technological limitations do you expect humans to overcome in the next decade? KB: Two are propulsion and radiation. If we can increase the efficiency of propulsion systems, we can cut the time it takes to go from Earth orbit to Mars. If we decrease travel time, just about everything else required for the trip decreases as well. Another important item is that radiation exposure is lowered with a shorter mission. Once you go beyond the Van Allen radiation belts, you have to deal with much greater radiation exposure.
Madelaine Lebetkin
ML: How do you feel about the level of NASA’s funding? KB: NASA’s budget is about $21.5 billion That is a lot of money, but only about .49% of the national budget, and it covers quite a few areas including: deep space exploration systems, low earth orbit and spaceflight operations, exploration research and technology, science, WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
BOTTOM: (L) COURTESY OF KAROL “BO” BOBKO, (R) AYMAN SIAM
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IN THIS LUNAR LANDING 50th anniversary year, we assigned a new Tech alum – aspiring aerospace space engineer Madelaine Lebetkin ’19 – to interview Tech Hall of Fame astronaut Karol “Bo” Bobko ’55, commander of three space shuttle missions and an aerospace engineer.
ALUMNI
aeronautics, education, safety, security and mission services, construction of facilities, environmental compliance, and restoration. I hope the nation will continue to support space exploration at an appropriate level and we can go back to the Moon and on to Mars.
TOP: COURTESY OF KAROL “BO” BOBKO. BOTTOM: (L) PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KEON JEFFERS-ALLEYNE, (R) COURTESY OF THE LAST FAMILY
ML: Will there ever be a colony on Mars? KB: Eventually, we will have people living on Mars and on the Moon. ML: Which other countries’ space programs will be the most successful? KB: The Russians have been our partners on the International Space Station (ISS), and since 2011 their rockets and spacecraft have been the only way to get American astronauts to it. My understanding is they are just about ready to add another module to the ISS. [Many U.S. space programs] were partnerships with other countries [including] the European Space Agency-(ESA), the Canadian Space Agency, JAXA (the Japanese Space Agency), and the Russian Space Agency. This experience has allowed the Europeans to partner with the US in the building of Orion. A new development is that commercial companies like Space X have been able to send cargo to the ISS using their own rockets and are planning to send people shortly. Not to be ignored are the Chinese. Since 2003, 11 Chinese astronauts have been in space, and they are planning for more.
UNLIKELY ENCOUNTERS A TechTimes feature in which Technites reveal the strangest place they ever bumped into a fellow alum.
Astronaut Bobko and mission emblem
When the Chinese present [scientific] papers, I have found them very willing to share information about their program. You get the impression they will be in the space program for a long time. I would not be surprised if they joined all the other countries on the Martian exploration. Each of these organizations has tremendous potential. The most important factor may be the political determination to see a program through. Unfortunately, these programs require a long-term political commitment extending across multiple administrations. ■ (Interview edited for style and to fit space) Attention alums: Do you have expertise in a subject area that your fellow alums would be fascinated to learn about? Email the editor: neds@mediaimpact.biz
ALL IN THE FAMILY
This year’s winning entry is: “I was admiring the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was a Tech classmate friend.” – Pietro Costa ’18 Readers: Got a story as good as this? Send it to neds@ mediaimpact.biz and we’ll publish the best ones next time.
Howard ‘62, Michael ‘64, and Stephen Last ‘66. Once a family of Brooklynites, they are currently residing in three different western states.
THE LAST BROTHERS:
LEFT : Dad Irving ’29, as featured in the January 1929 Blueprint. ■
Attention alums: Some of us are three-generation Technites; some of us were five sibling-Tech Blue. Who out there has the biggest Technite family? Cousins? Grandchildren? Aunts and uncles? Send your BTHS “All in the Family” story to the editor: Neds@mediaimpact.biz . We’ll publish the biggest and best.
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NEWS
D R O P T E C H T I M E S A N O T E A B O U T YO U R N E W S O R U P DAT E … S E E B O T T O M P. 2 3 SNEAKERHEAD LAWMAKER Zellnor Myrie ’04 was a newly graduated Tech civil engineering major, attending Fordham University as a communications major. Law, serving the public, and speaking out for tenant and voter rights did not yet seem on the horizon. “Oops,” we thought while preparing to interview nowState Senator Myrie. “Doesn’t sound like much Tech influence on this rising political star’s career path.” “But wait,” an inner voice reassured us. “It’s always there.” And sure enough, when we met up Sen. Myrie laid it out: “Civil engineering is a lot like politics,” he explained deadpan: “Mistakes can have large consequences.” With that Sen. Myrie, elected last year in a central Brooklyn district that snakes oddly and tortuously from Sunset Park through Park Slope to Brownsville and Crown Heights, sat back to talk about high school, sneakers and social justice. Born in Costa Rica to an immigrant mother who came here with nothing, Myrie formed his world view largely at Tech. His dad is a teacher, and Myrie recalls “two Tech teachers who sparked my intellectual curiosity: Mr. Kahn in History and Mr. Baldwin in English.” A renowned “sneakerhead” – he has owned as many as 100 pairs at once, and he claims expertise in identifying counterfeit Jordans – he launched his collection at Tech: “I had two pairs as a freshman and 15 by graduation – bought with my own money, from working at Old Navy.” After college Myrie worked for a City Councilman, engaged in community activism and criminal justice reform, earned a law degree at Cornell, and as a lawyer volunteered time to help immigrants and others marginalized or denied justice. As fate would have it, two of his core issues – tenant rights and election reform – occupied the legislative spotlight right after he took office, and he has already won notice for his work in those areas. He chairs the elections committee. One achievement deferred: no sneakers yet on the Senate floor. He checked into it: “It’s pretty formal there,” he told us. ■ FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
MARK GOLTZ ’68 spent several months in Ulaanbataar. Mongolia on a Fulbright grant to teach and conduct research on groundwater contamination there. He is shown here with wife Misuk, a retired mental health counselor. Temperatures rose from the minus 30s when they arrived in January to a balmy springtime in the single digits. ■
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RAY BECKETT ’82, an officer of Tech’s Long Island alumni group, was Fan of the Game at a New York Knicks game. He is saluted here on the famed Madison Square Garden floor, with daughter Nicole, by Knicks great John Starks. ■
ON BOARD The Alumni Foundation elected three new Directors in June: TOMAS HERNANDEZ
is Founder & CEO of DBC Technologies, Inc., which oversees infor-mation technology networks for construct-ion and other profess-ional service firms. ‘73
VALMIRA POPINARA ’18 is a Fordham
University sophomore. The Alumni board’s first ever college aged director, she says: “I’m excited to bring the voices of my generation to the table.” A lifelong entrepreneur, DEEPTI SHARMA ’04 is CEO and Founder of FoodtoEat, a community-minded catering concierge service. It connects immigrants, women, and minority-owned food vendors to growth opportunities. ■
TANYA KENNEDY ’85 delivered the 2019 commencement address for the Pennsylvania State University law school. A New York Supreme Court Justice, she is former supervising judge of Civil Court in Manhattan, and was inducted last year to the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Hall of Fame. ■
WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: NYS SENATE PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE; COURTESY OF T. HERNANDEZ, V. POPINARA, D. SHARMA; STEVE TRESSLER/PENN STATE; COURTESY OF MADISON SQUARE GARDEN; COURTESY OF MARK GOLTZ
ALUM
HIT A HIGH NOTE Verb: To produce or attain an especially satisfactory degree of achievement or fulfilment As an alum you can give back with your time, your talent, or a financial donation. Tech’s 6,000 students will be better because you did. In alumni giving, you hit the highest note when you join The Blueprint Society – a valued group of Technites who have provided for Tech in their wills or other forms of planned giving. It isn’t complicated, and there may be tax advantages for you. The Alumni Foundation can help you get it done.
Hit that high note. The Blueprint Society. Call 718-797-2285 to learn more or email info@bthsalum.org
CLASS NOTES retired, is a docent at the Apollo exhibit in the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. SAM KOEPPEL ’47,
SAL RESTIVO ’58, a BTHS Hall of Fame member, is the author of Sociology, Science, and the End of Philosophy: How Society Shapes God, Brains, Maths, and Logics. His newest book is 2019’s Einstein’s Brain: Genius, Culture, and Society.
TOP PHOTO: CONNIE TANG ‘21
CARLOS LOPEZ ’69 started X-Ray Connection in 1993, a company that sells used X-Ray systems and parts. ALAN ESNER ’69 was an editor at ABC News for 26 years and also served as a video consultant in Nepal for the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
OSWALDO “OZZY” CARDONA
has been named Director of Brass Studies at the Long Island Conservatory of Music. He tours with The Miami Sound Machine and performs in Broadway shows. ’82
is a senior Airbus Captain at United Airlines. JOSEPH A. HOLMES ’82
RICHIE NARVAEZ ’82 is an adjunct assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. His first book won the Spinetingler Award and his debut novel, Hipster Death Battle, was published in March.
is an agent with the United States Secret Service. ADRIAN WILLIAMS ’98
is the new head coach of LIU’s women’s fencing program. He is also IVAN LEE ’99
a member of the US Fencing Hall of Fame and a former Olympian. REBECCA BLEIER ’01 is a DNA expert who works at the DNA lab in the NYC Medical Examiner’s office.
JULIA GOLDSTEIN
received a merit scholarship for STEM research at the University of Chicago. ’17
SAMANTHA WONG ’17
is assistant commissioner for the NYC Commission on Human Rights.
conducts research in a geospatial sciences lab at Binghamton University.
PETER NGUYEN
’17 is a United
FRANCK D. JOSEPH II ’08
NAYANA SHIREFF
works at the New York State Assembly.
’14
States Navy Sailor Nuclear Operator. JIN HONG CHEN ’18
ANDRIANA BURGESS ’15
is a Marine Corps radio technician.
graduated from Howard University and is now working at Capital One.
AKHILESH KHAKHAR ’18
SIMONE YHAP ’15 graduated from Howard University and is now at Northeastern University School of Law.
attends the Wharton School. His college was incorrectly identified in the 2018 TechTimes. ■
Alums: send us your professional or personal news update. Send to editor Ned Steele ’68: neds@mediaimpact.biz FALL
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Accomplishments of Distinction We asked members of the 50th anniversary class, the class of 1969, to tell us one amazing, ridiculous, special or memorable thing they had accomplished. • Commanded an Army emergency response squad at Ground Zero after 9/11 – Doug Chung
• Ran more than 50 marathons – Fred Abramowitz
• Interpreted for President Clinton on a European state visit – Sheldon Austin
• “Ran” the wiring for 27 NY Marathons as chief electrician –Andrew Caesar
• Rode a Harley Davidson into a Harvard Business School classroom – Richard Turnbull
• Provided “Thai sticks” to Bob Marley at a Madison Square Garden concert –Steven Gross
• In a 50 yearfencing career, won two world championships – Wang Yung
• Helped Tech introduce computer aided design (CAD) in the 1980s – Jeffrey Goldberg
On Page 3, today’s generation told us what they learned at Tech. What more does a few decades of perspective reveal? We asked these alums.
TOMMY ONG ’70 • First generation college student; son of immigrants • Career trajectory: SOS lieutenant at Tech, Military Police officer, NYPD detective, private investigator
“My SOS training at Tech taught me not to be intimidated by fast-talking smart people trying to bend the rules. One day at the gate of Fort
CHERYL WILLIAMS ’94 • Practicing civil attorney working in public policy and administrative trial court administration.
I entered the doors of Brooklyn Tech a twelve-year-old freshman, the eldest child of Jamaican immigrant parents. I came from a small, private, all Black, Christian school. A young girl, the first in her immediate family to experience high school in the United States – and Tech, of all schools!
Hamilton as an MP reservist, I challenged a suit-wearing lawyer seeking entry but lacking the proper credentials for access. He was impressed that I did that, and he got me a job where he worked. It was the DA’s office, and it was the start of my police career. As a detective I was often the first responder to homicides, arriving before the crime scene unit. I always knew how far from the wall the body was. I counted the floor tiles. The bosses said the crime diagrams I drew looked as good as the ones the crime scene specialists did. I told them it was because I went to Brooklyn Tech.” new situation loses self-esteem, succumbs to pressure from society and media, becomes more cautious, and less likely to believe in herself and her voice. In my first Tech semester, in Global History taught by the amazing Barbara Mark Ross, a white Jewish woman, I was nurtured and encouraged to develop my voice, to lean in, and think on the things that mattered to me, a young Black girl from Flatbush. To express those feelings, and act on them. Throughout my time at Tech I was nurtured and encouraged to keep on the pathway to growing my voice by many other teachers and faculty – male and female, and of various racial identities. Not only did the encouragement to develop my voice come from the adults in the building, but also from my peers – both friends and those who weren’t necessarily my friends.
For the most part confident of who I was in relation to a small group of family, friends, and school peers, I was now By the time I graduated from Tech and started college, I was thrown into a humongous environment with people of differwell aware of the “sound’ or the impression of my voice, and ent races, ethnicities, faith beliefs, sexual orientations, you the impact that I believed it could have on the world. name it. It is often in situations like these that a girl entering a What did YOU learn at Tech? Send a short email to the editor: neds@mediaimpact.biz
COMING IN 2022:
The Brooklyn Tech Centennial 24
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WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
TOP: NED STEELE BOTTOM: JASPER WALDMAN
Tech Taught Them. . .
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Annual Report
Partnerships Enhancing Educational Experiences for Brooklyn Tech Students • Con Edison – A Con Edison grant enabled us to build a greenhouse as an extension to the environmental science lab. In addition, Con Edison continues to support a summer internship program for rising Tech seniors and sponsor our Robotics Team. • Leon Root MD Motion Analysis LabHospital of Special Services – This new partnership provides research opportunities for Weston Research students and visits to the lab by Tech students. • Long Island University – The partnership with LIU’s School of Pharmacology provides research opportunities for Weston Research Scholars. LIU also sponsors two Brooklyn Tech majors – the first is an accelerated program leading to a PhD in Pharmacology and Physical Therapy and the second is in Advanced Health Professions. • ACE Mentor Program – Through our partnership with ACE we have been able to expand the number of internship experiences available to Brooklyn Tech students. • National Grid – Our partnership with National Grid continues into its seventh year sponsoring the Middle School STEM Pipeline Program.
• Stevens Institute of Technology – Our partnership with Stevens provides internships for Weston Scholars and supports dialogue between Stevens’ and Brooklyn Tech faculty. • Turner Construction – We continue to work with Turner Construction to maintain our connection with the Turner Youth Force 2020 Program. • Urban Glass/ St. Francis College – A grant from Thomas Volpe ‘ 53 is enabling us to develop a partnership with Brooklyn Tech, Urban Glass and St. Francis College fostering a unique collaboration of education, imagination, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Initial efforts have focused on Brooklyn Tech students in the Industrial Design major participating in demonstrations and workshops at Urban Glass. The focus has been the science and design of glass and entrepreneurship activities with St. Francis College. • Zwanger- Pesiri Radiology – This partnership has enabled us to update the computers in the Environmental Science Lab.
Electrical, Mechatronics & Robotics, Physics and Math majors. What is also noteworthy is that more and more Tech alum who attend Homecoming and Career Day are looking for ways to provide internship opportunities. Weston Research Scholars Program Josh ’46 and Judy Weston sponsor this three-year research program that pairs Brooklyn Tech students with a Brooklyn Tech mentor and an external mentor at a college or research institution. It begins in the sophomore year with a research class for selected students and continues during the summers and junior and senior years. The program culminates with a special recognition program that recognizes sophomores, juniors and seniors for their achievements in such competitions as the NYC Science and Engineering Fair and the Regeneron Science Talent Search. Newly selected freshmen attend the ceremony and are welcomed to the program. A journal documenting the work of the seniors who have completed the program is distributed. A special “white coat” ceremony is a highlight of the event. Middle School STEM Pipeline Program
• NYU Tandon School of Engineering – Continues to provide research internships, access to the ARISE Program, ties to the ACE Mentor Program and the Dynamic Systems Lab.
Leandro P. Rizzuto Internship ProgramDuring the 2018-2019 school year over 400 students participated in Leandro P. Rizzuto Internship Program in conjunction with the Brooklyn Tech’s Career & Technical Education Program. These internships covered a wide variety of career fields including Architecture, Arts & Humanities, Business & Marketing, Communications & Media, Engineering, Environmental, Film, Information Technology & Computer Science, Legal Studies, Political Science, Research, Sciences & Mathematics.
Brooklyn Technical High School in collaboration with the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation and National Grid launched the STEM Pipeline program in July 2013 to introduce Middle School students to the exciting world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The program is designed to develop the next generation of STEM leaders by opening the world of science and technology to middle school students and prepare them for the challenges facing them in high school, college and careers. We draw our participants from Brooklyn middle schools that are under-represented in the specialized high schools
• Picattiny Arsenal – Picattiny Arsenal has provided a mentor and financial support for our Robotics Team.
Our “flagship” internship, the BTHS Con Edison Summer Internship Program, provided internships for 18 students in the
Students in this two-year program participate in a variety of project-based learning experiences including design and model-
• New York Institute of Technology – NYIT continues to provide support to make the course management software Moodle available to Brooklyn Tech on a schoolwide basis. They are also working with us to develop ties between NYIT and our media major. PHOTO BANNER: PHYLLIS WITTE
• Rutgers University – The Civil Engineering Department of Rutgers School of Engineering is providing professional advice in the development of our Materials Testing Lab.
Programs
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• Jeffrey Haitkin ’62 Faculty Grants Program- supports faculty, student activities and curriculum enhancements. The grant program enables teachers to attend professional conferences, earn additional professional credentials, receive training to stay at the cutting edge of their craft, bring teaching tools to the classroom that otherwise would not be available, and expand instructional opportunities for students. The grants also support a full range of extra-curricular activities and interscholastic sports. The Foundation collaborates with the Parents Association to maximize the amount of money disbursed for these grants. • Scholarships – Annually, the Foundation Office manages $17,000 in scholarships annually started by alums in memoriam or for subject area recognition. Our office obtains the names of the nominees, makes certain that each meets the selection criteria, presents letters at Senior Awards night and makes disbursements before the end of the school year.
EVENTS/ ACTIVITIES/ INITIATIVES • Career Day – We had 145 speakers who covered over 200 classes across grade levels. Speakers discussed their careers and their experiences after Brooklyn Tech. Student Board members sponsored workshops on resume writing, and interviewing. • Recent Alumni Day – We invited back students who graduated within the last five years. Alumni participation was very high; we had well over 500 alums speak to classes. They shared their college experiences as well as pertinent information about their schools. • Founders’ Day – For the first time ever, 26
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the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation sponsored Founders Day. It was designated as our march to the 100th Anniversary of Brooklyn Tech. The day consisted of a historical overview of Brooklyn Tech – its founding, its purpose and its evolution. A carnival was held to celebrate the 96-year history as well as a gallery walk through, where artifacts and signs of each decade were on display. Paraphernalia and food were plentiful. • Homecoming – A two-day event. Friday, we showcased the school by hosting a panel discussion in the auditorium and sponsored guided tours. The day culminated with a luncheon at Junior’s Restaurant. Saturday began with a processional of the 50th anniversary class followed by an auditorium presentation. Classrooms were open for alumni visits. Class pictures were taken. Internship/Volunteer Information Forum - The Foundation provides opportunities for mostly freshmen and sophomores to learn about volunteer opportunities for the summer and how to prepare for internships during the summer of the junior to senior year. We invite organizations that already host our students; these organizations discuss the expectations for student participation and what students can hope to learn as a result of their participation. • Ruby Engineers – Leadership and self-esteem building group for young women, founded by Sue Mayham ’76. We hosted several speakers this year and had a culminating event “Women in STEM Careers” at which six women who graduated from Tech shared their experiences and answered questions from the audience. The Ruby Luncheon celebrated 175 Tech seniors for their outstanding work. • Auction – in collaboration with the Parents Association. Proceeds from this event help support the Faculty Grants Program.
• Mentoring – The program, now in its third year, had 38 mentors and 46 mentees. The group meets monthly at Tech in addition to mentors and mentees meeting outside of school. • School Culture Advisory – Group of alumni who meet as needed to discuss school pride, spirit and diversity. • Middle School Outreach – Group of alumni and guidance counselors who speak at various events about the SHSAT, Brooklyn Tech and the specialized high schools. Last year, forums, workshops and events brought in 17,000 parents to Brooklyn Tech. This group also represents the school at HS Fairs.
ALUMNI RECOGNITION • Titans of Tech – This dinner recognizes the achievements of Technites and their philanthropy. • Tech Celebration – We recognize former faculty, alumni who have graduated within the last 25 years, alumni who have had sports careers seeded in Tech, distinguished alumni and friends of Tech who have provided superior service. • Hall of Fame – The induction ceremony is held in June. Alumni are honored for their extremely successful careers and their outstanding contributions to society.
ALUMNI GROUPS • Long Island Chapter -Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation -Hosts an annual breakfast and presents two awards. This year, Anthony Schirripa ’67 received the Vincent DeSanti Distinguished Alumnus Award; Lawrence Marshall ’62 was recognized with the Carl Lange Distinguished Service Award. • New Jersey Group - continues to work on the project celebrating the Notables of Brooklyn Tech. The goal is to issue a publication at the time of the Centennial. WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
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ing, automation and robotics, energy and the environment, and the science of technology. The classes are taught by Brooklyn Tech faculty and current Brooklyn Tech students serve as assistants. Incorporated into the program is test preparation for the Specialized High School Admission Test.
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Students and high-tech equipment at work in the Alumni Foundation-funded Ike Heller Center for Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Robotics
INVESTMENT ASSET ALLOCATION
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
% Allocation Cash Alternatives
October 19 Founders’ Day
5.46%
Fixed Income
42.52%
Equities
28.66%
Alternative Investments
11.43%
Real Assets
11.93%
Miscellaneous
October 27 Long Island Breakfast November 20 Titans of Tech Dinner
0.00%
Total Assets
January 2020 Kick-off, Centennial Conversations: Lectures/Presentations by Alumni
100%
Account Value
$14,019,873
Percentages may not be exact due to rounding. Amounts less than .50 are not displayed on graphs. As of June 30, 2018
January 7 Recent Alumni Day
PHOTOS: MICHAEL POTASH ‘21
ACCOUNT STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHARGES IN NET ASSETS Unrestricted
Temp Restricted
Perm Restricted
Total 2018
Total 2017
Support
654,752
250,935
905,687
1,152,175
Revenue
1,456,607
9,557
1,466,164
1,498,289
Net Assets Released from Restrictions
369,843
(-396,843)
Total Support and Revenue
2,481,202
(-109,351)
2,371,851
2,650,415
2,122,250
2,035,437
249,601
615,028
Expenses
2,122,250
Changes in Net Assets
358,952
(-109,351)
Net Assets beginning of Year
4,632,304
1,320,756
7,817,212
13,770,272
13,155,244
Net Assets end of Year
4,991,256
1,211,405
7,817,212
14,019,873
13,770,272
Parentheses indicates a negative number
February 27 Internship Forum March 7 Ruby Brunch March 27- 28 Homecoming May 29 Weston Research Scholars: White Coat Celebration June 4 Hall of Fame Induction FALL
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Lifetime Giving $1 million + Alumni Isaac Heller ‘43 Norman K. Keller ‘54 Leonard Riggio ‘58 Leandro P. Rizzuto ‘56 Charles B. Wang ‘62 Josh S. Weston ‘46 $500,000 + Alumni Fred M. Grafton ‘44 Floyd Warkol ‘65 $250,000 + Alumni John A. Catsimatidis ‘66 James Fantaci ‘64 Victor Insetta ‘57 Erik Klokholm ‘40 Achilles Perry ‘58 $100,000 + Alumni Harold Antler ‘46 Charles A. DeBenedittis ‘48 Howard Fluhr ‘59 & The Segal Company Jeffrey M. Haitkin ‘62 Herbert L. Henkel ‘66 Alfred Lerner ‘51 Frederick C. Meyer ‘40 Michael F. Parlamis ‘58 Lee James Principe ‘56 Richard H. Schnoor ‘49 & Mary Jane Schnoor Louis H. Siracusano Sr. ‘60 Thomas J. Volpe ‘53 Michael A. Weiss ‘57 Friends of Tech Richard Mack Stephen C. Mack $50,000 + Alumni David Abraham ‘48 Martin V. Alonzo ‘48 Willard N. Archie ‘61 Anthony J. Armini ‘55 Larry Birenbaum ‘65 Peter J. Cobos ‘72 Robert F. Davey ‘58 Jacob Feinstein ‘60 Peter A. Ferentinos ‘55 Joseph J. Jacobs ‘34 Joseph J. Kaminski ‘56 Stuart Kessler ‘47 Richard M. Kulak ‘56 Rande H. Lazar ‘69 William L. Mack ‘57 Michael Minikes ‘61 Carmine A. Morano ‘72 Margaret Murphy ‘83 Robert C. Ochs ‘59 Sherman Rigby ‘46 Alan M. Silberstein ‘65 Friends of Tech Susanne D. Ellis $25,000 + Alumni Anonymous ‘67 Lawrence A. Baker ‘61 Douglas Besharov ‘62 Larry L. Cary ‘70 Joseph M. Colucci ‘54 Kenneth D. Daly ‘84 John di Domenico ‘69 James DiBenedetto ‘71 Andras Frankl ‘67 Lawrence Harte ‘49 Eric Kaltman ‘60
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Penelope Kokkinides ‘87 Mathew M. Mandery ‘61 Robert Marchisotto ‘47 Arnold J. Melloy ‘40 Murray H. Neidorf ‘45 Bert Reitman ‘63 John B. Rofrano ‘61 Patrick Romano ‘43 George E. Safiol ‘50 Anthony P. Schirripa ‘67 William Sheluck Jr. ‘58 John C. Siltanen ‘31 Ned Steele ‘68 Chester Wong ‘94 Friends of Tech Martin V. Alonzo Jr. & Marlene Alonzo & Sabrina Alonzo John Arfman Dorcey Chernick Jason Haitkin Penny Haitkin Family of Alice C. Hartley Betty J. Mayer $10,000 + Alumni Frederick H. Ajootian ‘41 Joseph Angelone ‘63 Mark Arzoomanian ‘83 Tony Bartolomeo ‘70 Cindy L. Bird-Kue ‘86 Robert H. Buggeln ‘57 LeRoy N. Callender ‘50 Wilton Cedeno ‘82 Nicholas Y. Chu ‘77 John V. Cioffi ‘67 William A. Davis Jr. ‘59 Thomas C. DeCanio ‘63 Al D’Elia ‘67 Murray Dropkin ‘62 Leonard Edelstein ‘55 Keith Forman ‘76 Bernard R. Gifford ‘61 Jeffrey L. Goldberg ‘69 Domingo Gonzalez ‘72 Eugene J. Gottesman ‘47 George Graf ‘70 William H. Henry ‘57 K. Steven Horlitz ‘64 Edward H. Kadushin ‘57 Charles Kyrie Kallas ‘37 Leslie P. Kalmus ‘56 Steve H. Kaplan ‘63 Eliza Kwong ‘93 Edward T. LaGrassa ‘65 Richard E. LaMotta ‘60 Franklin F. Lee ‘77 Salvatore Lentini ‘79 Michael Levine ‘61 Glenn Y. Louie ‘59 Stephen J. Lovell ‘57 Lawrence C. Lynnworth ‘54 John M. Lyons ‘66 Sidney A. Mayer ‘46 Susan Mayham ‘76 Victor Montana ‘60 & Patricia Vasbinder George W. Moran ‘61 John Moy ‘58 John R. Murphy ‘61 Michael D. Nadler ‘52 Alan S. Natter ‘69 Floyd R. Orr ‘55 Michael G. Reiff ‘72 Daniel K. Roberts ‘43 Robert M. Rosen ‘51 Edward R. Rothenberg ‘61 William J. Rouhana Jr. ‘69 FALL
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Edward P. Salzano ‘64 Harry Scheuer ‘48 Alfred Schroeder ‘46 Irwin Shapiro ‘47 Roy B. Simpson ‘41 Lawrence Sirovich ‘51 Barry Sohnen ‘70 Ronald P. Stanton ‘46 George Suffal ‘53 Joseph N. Sweeney ‘48 Michael Tannenbaum ‘58 Wesley E Truesdell ‘46 Armand J. Valenzi ‘44 George L. Van Amson ‘70 Salvatore J. Vitale Jr. ‘56 Ralph B. Wagner ‘51 Louis Walkover ‘37 Stephen Weinryb ‘75 Steven Wishnia ‘66 William H. Wong ‘64 Douglas Yagilowich ‘76 Friends of Tech Emanuel Becker Jacob Goldfield Elizabeth Korevaar Lauren Soloff Ellen Mazur Thomson Shana Mummert Moshe Siegel Daniel Stahl Jonnie Stahl Stuart Subotnick Daniel Tomai Anre Williams Randi Zinn $5,000 + Alumni Ron S. Adler ‘68 Louis G. Adolfsen ‘67 Kenneth S. Albano ‘68 Michael A. Antino ‘60 Joseph F. Azara Jr. ‘64 Donald Bady ‘48 Rudolph Bahr Jr. ‘41 Eric D. Barthell ‘75 Harry H. Birkenruth ‘49 Anthony Borra ‘58 Marty Borruso ‘71 Robert B. Bruns ‘55 Dominic N. Castellano ‘45 Joseph A. Cavallo ‘58 Samuel D. Cheris ‘63 Robert J. Ciemian ‘59 Leonard B. Comberiate ‘69 Deirdre D. Cooke ‘80 Kenneth D’Alessandro ‘66 James E. Dalton ‘49 Fred M. Del Gaudio ‘71 Frederick DeMatteis ‘40 Edward Diamond ‘63 Robert C. DiChiara ‘63 Robert H. Digby ‘61 Robert J. Domanoski ‘47 Jonathan D. Dubin ‘74 Barry D. Epstein ‘58 Domenick J. Esposito ‘65 Murray Farash ‘52 Arthur A. Feder ‘45 Charles D. Federico ‘47 Robert Femenella ‘72 Richard R. Ferrara ‘59 Keith Franklin ‘78 David L. Fung ‘81 Arnold Goldman ‘73 Adrienne D. Gonzalez ‘94 Herbert A. Granath ‘48 Kenyatta M. Green ‘89
Michael Greenstein ‘65 Robert Gresl ‘46 Arnold A Gruber ‘59 Mario Guerrero ‘86 Steven A. Hallem ‘72 Gordon H. Hensley ‘47 Christopher Hong ‘09 Joy H. Hsiao ‘87 Allan C. Johnson ‘28 Michelle Y. JohnsonLewis ‘79 Gerard Justvig ‘75 Peter Kakoyiannis ‘65 Sheldon Katz ‘52 Arthur H. Kettenbeil ‘67 Carl H. Kiesewetter ‘55 Eugene V. Kosso ‘42 Bert Krauss ‘50 Joel F. Lehrer ‘48 Marvin J. Levine ‘65 Nathan Lipke ‘92 John Liu ‘98 Raymond M. Loew ‘58 Joel O. Lubenau ‘56 Frank R. Luszcz ‘61 Taahira Maynard ‘99 Edward D. Miller ‘56 Francis C. Moon ‘57 Alfred J. Mulvey ‘67 Hau Yee Ng-Lo ‘80 Kaeisha T. O’Neal ‘99 Robert J. Pavan ‘47 Eugene Picone ‘76 Lee H. Pomeroy ‘50 Valentine P. Povinelli Jr. ‘59 Bertram Quelch ‘45 Edward Roffman ‘68 Charles J. Rose ‘70 Edward M. Rosensteel ‘74 Lawrence G. Rubin ‘43 Dan M. Ruesterholz ‘56 Seth Ruzi ‘76 Erwin L. Schaub ‘46 Roger E. Schechter ‘70 Ernest R. Schultz ‘25 Michael Simpson ‘90 Irwin Smiley ‘46 Richard E. Sorensen ‘60 Robert J. Stalzer ‘59 Mitchell E. Stashower ‘83 Peter M. Taras ‘77 David W. Wallace ‘42 Denice C. Ware ‘83 Elizabeth M. Wieckowski ‘79 Grayling G. Williams ‘76 Russell P. Wong ‘79 William C. Wurst ‘67 Lloyd Zeitman ‘69 Barry Zemel ‘64 Erwin Zeuschner ‘53 Friends of Tech Randell Barclay Theodore Bier Syd Blatt Charles Cahn Jr. Sylvia Cember Brian Cosgrove Joseph Cuzzocrea Sr. Lucia DeSanti Ronald T. Diamond James Dimon Mary-Jean Eastman Al Ferrara William L. Haines John Hensley John Jarrard Kiseon Ko Carol Loewenson Thomas Lowry Stephen Mazur Michele Meyer
Regina M. Pitaro Jeff Porrello Joan Riegel Jonathan Riegel David Rios Randi Rossignol Phyllis Scroggie Robert C. Stewart Robert Sumanis John Thonet Mike Trovini Corporate & Organization Sponsors BTHS Parent Association, Inc Con Edison Goldman Sachs Gives Annual Giving Fund National Grid BTHS Alumni Long Island Chapter C. R. Bard Foundation Charles B. Wang International Foundation Ingersoll Rand Jaros Baum & Bolles American Express Foundation Math For America, Inc National Basketball Association Related Construction Holdings, LLC Ridgewood Foundation Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP The Durst Organization The Lotos Foundation Verizon Foundation, Inc Zwanger-Pesiri Radiology Group, LLP Turner Construction B T Alex Brown BDO Seidman, LLP Care2 Cary Kane LLP Charles B. Wang Associates, Inc Chase Manhattan Bank Computer Associates International, Inc Cowles Media Foundation Eastern Metalworks of NY, Inc FIRST GameStop Corporation Gatorade Company GIBC Digital Goldman Sachs Matching Gifts Program Heritage Mechanical Services, Inc Ice Air, LLC InnoCare Services Company, LLC John Wiley & Sons, Inc JPB Foundation KSW Mechanical, LLC Mancini Duffy Marathon Bank MBS Textbook Exchange Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation Metromedia Company National Society of Black Engineers NYStaffsearch Octagon Raytheon Company Ridgewood Savings Bank
SIAC SRS Enterprises, Inc Structure Tone, Inc T.E.C. Systems, Inc TD Bank The Benevity Community Impact Fund The Hyde Agency The New York Community Trust Time Warner Warner Brothers Television Wasserman Foundation Air Products Bonanza Productions, Inc Brooklyn Nets Burson-Marsteller Cellini Fine Jewelry Ceramax Co. Chicago Bridge & Iron Company Cirocco & Ozzimo, Inc Construction Resources Corp of New York Credit Suisse Securities Daikin Applied Deutsche Bank Duggal Color Projects, Inc El Paso Energy Foundation Gateway Institute for Pre-College Education GE Foundation Haights Cross Operating Company Hines Interests LP IBM Itron ITW Foundation Laura Berdon Foundation Liberty Science Center Lucent Technologies M & I Electric Industries, Inc Miller Proctor Nickolas, Inc Morgan Stanley Cybergrants National Hockey League Foundation New York City Urban Debate League P.J. Mechanical Corp Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison Pennoni Associates, Inc Pension Review Pfizer, Inc Piper Jaffrey Polytechnic University Robinson Silverman Pearce Aronsohn & Berman LLP Simatelex Manufacturing Company SPX Cooling Technologies Starlite Printers Sterling Project Development Group Textron Charitable Trust The Jay Chiat Foundation, Inc The Kahn Family Charitable Foundation The McGraw-Hill Companies Truist Comprehensive Zoppas WWW.BTHSALUMNI.ORG
PHOTO BANNER: PHYLLIS WITTE
The list reflects total lifetime giving through June 30, 2019 above $5,000. Many thanks to all the contributors who have not yet reached that level but whose contributions are making a difference at Brooklyn Tech.
BROOKLYN TECH ALUMNI FOUNDATION Officers President Larry L. Cary ‘70 Vice Presidents Horace H. Davis ‘84 Susan Mayham ‘76 Anthony P. Schirripa ‘67 Treasurer Donovan Wickline ‘88 Secretary Ned Steele ‘68 Directors John Albert ‘90 Wilton Cedeno ‘82 James DiBenedetto ‘71 Tomas Hernandez ‘73 Norman K. Keller ‘54 Penelope Kokkinides ‘87 Edward T. LaGrassa ‘65 David Lee ‘78 Salvatore Lentini ‘79 Margaret Murphy ‘83 Bola Oyedijo ‘92 Achilles Perry ‘58 Valmira Popinara ‘18 Anthony P. Schirripa ‘67 Deepti Sharma ‘04 Denice Ware ‘83 Michael A. Weiss ‘57 Honorary Director Leonard Riggio ‘58 Student Representatives Yasmin Haredy ‘20 Andrew Zhou ‘20
Message From Executive Director Elizabeth A. Sciabarra IF POLYMATHS are students with multiple skills/passions/ talents, then Brooklyn Tech is the garden where the seeds were planted and these students began to grow. Early on, students come to Tech knowing various things about themselves. By the time they graduate, they have learned much more about who they are, and where they fit. Once they leave Tech, they put their skills, passions and talents to good use in their college classes, and such post-secondary work-based learning experiences as internships, work study, practicums, and more. As alums they come back to us in their age of exploration, and we have the wonderful opportunity to see where their Brooklyn Tech education has taken them. Witness Recent Alumni Day, Homecoming, Ruby luncheon – events that bring our Technites back, special opportunities where our polymaths get to showcase who they are, what they’ve been doing and discussing, and where they have landed or intend to land. The Brooklyn Tech they left might be slightly different now, but each knows that the future was cultivated in the four years they spent here. The Alumni Foundation is proud of its graduates and extends best wishes to our most recent grads – the class of 2019. This class proved that polymaths are alive and well. This class proved that they are champions in the academic arena by completing one of the most difficult academic programs in New York public schools. This class demonstrated the power to overcome obstacles and reach personal as well as “professional” goals. To all the polymaths who have passed through our doors: we thank you for your continued support of the Foundation’s work. We hope that your abilities and skills will lead to greater growth of the Foundation and by extension, Brooklyn Tech. ■
Staff Executve Director Elizabeth A. Sciabarra Chief Education Officer Mathew M. Mandery ‘61 Director of Major Giving Craig Pinto Office Manager Ina Cloonen Graphic Designer Suzanne Hausman Special Assistant Vance Toure ‘06 Associates Research and Finance Rikhia Chowdhury
PHOTO: SHADAB TAJWAR ’20
Social Media Lisa Trollback BROOKLYN TECH ALUMNI FOUNDATION 29 Fort Greene Place Brooklyn, NY 11217 718-797-2285 www.bthsalumni.org info@bthsalum.org
Score One for the Home Team… … With a donation to the school that helped you launch your own success path. Your gift enables academic, extracurricular, and real-life learning enhancements that public funding could never provide.
BROOKLYN TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL David Newman, Principal FALL
2019
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Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation, Inc. 29 Fort Greene Place • Brooklyn NY 11217 www.bthsalumni.org
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Education Facts Brooklyn Technical High School Students Enrolled Advanced Placement Students Advanced Placement (AP) Exams Taken Worldwide Rank, AP Exams Taken PSAL Championships Won, 2018-19
6,166
4.086
8,742 1
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