Class Notes for Technology Review 1983
Read the notes for the entire year, or click to jump to the desired column.
January 1983
February / March 1983
April 1983
May / June 1983Up until about four days ago, there were only a total of three notes from classmates to put in this column, and your secretary was beginning to wonder if it would be worthwhile to write a coljumn at all. Fortunately, my husband, Mark Crane '76, returned from a business/social trip back east with lots of news, and one person sent a nice long letter with lots of news. The letter arrived today, on the deadline, which is a little close for comfort. We really need to do better on getting news to your class secretary, so that there will be a column to read when you open your copy of the Review.
Eileen Schaffer Vergino met her (now) husband Michael at Livermore Lab in California. They were married August 22, 1981. Alumni attending the wedding included: Pat Fennessy, '78, who is now at Stanford working on her Ph.D; Wendy Goodman, '75, who is now a practicing pediatrician in Forest Hills, N.Y.; Diane and Rick Stadterman, '75, Holli Jones, '75, and her fiancee (now husband,) Major White. Eileen and Michael now have a daughter, Melissa Ruth, whom they boy enjoy very much. Eileen is still working as a seismologist at Livermore Lab, and has started running again, although no marathons. She has also taken scuba lessons, and ran into Pat Peters, '79, in her class. Eileen's future plans include another child and getting her teaching credentials, with an emphasis on high school math and science.
Alan D. Siggia has now "made the big move to the country," from Arlington to Acton, Mass. Alan plans to finish his master's degree by December 1982 and then embark on consulting, radar meteorology, and house fix-up activities.... Bryan N. Ison received his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1980 and has recently been appointed assistant investment officer of Travelers Investment Management Co. Bryan joined Travelers in 1980 as a financial analyst, and lives in Rocky Hill, Conn.
Samuel Gasster is still working toward his Ph.D. U.C./Berkeley--"a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way." Samuel spent three enjoyable weeks last November touring the People's Republic of China.... Lieutenant Steven P. Gaskin is now a second-year master's student at Sloan, taking most of his courses at Wellesley.
My husband Mark attended the wedding of Dan Jablonski, '76, to Jan Trimble, on October 2, 1982 in Bethesda, MD. Dan is doing basic research and development for the U.S. Navy, and will have received his Ph.D. from Cambridge in November. His wife Jan is from Georgia and works for an econometrics firm in Washington, D.C. Also present to celebrate the wedding were: Cynthia Cole, presently at Comsat in Washington, D.C.; Dan Leighton, who is working at DBM in New Jersey; Linda Lampron, who has completed her military tour of duty; Jim Moody '75, now an attorney working to defend General Westmoreland in the Westmoreland vs. CBS News case; Karen Altman, '78, now married and living in D.C.; Caren Penso, '78; Jeff Halis, '76, who is living in New York City and working for Merrill Lynch; and Ken Hall, Course VI graduate.... While in Boston, Mark also saw Cheryl Marceau, '76, who is now a personnel manager for Sylvania Technical Institute in Massachusetts, and Cathy Lu, '76. Cathy is in the process of changing careers from urban planning to computer science, presently studying at M.I.T. Her husband, Keith Nishihara, '79, was away in London giving a paper.
(Editor's note: If it appeared that your secretary forgot to sign off last issue (January), it was not her error but rather a gremlin at the production table who, during the holiday excitement, accidentally cut the last paragraph off the '77 column.)
Hurray! I'm finally getting a bit more mail and will not have to struggle so hard to write more than a two-paragraph column.
David Dobos writes, "For the 50 plus '77ers who braved the unusually blustery mid-June Boston elements, returning to M.I.T. for the class reunion festivities was well worth the effort. Friendships were both renewed and begun. Learning of classmates' experiences and achievements, seeing the Institute in a new light, and observing the enthusiasm exhibited by more-veteran alumni rekindled a special pride and affection for a place that has so profoundly influenced its 60,000 graduates.
"We will remember the visit of Paul and Priscilla Gray to our Saturday noon barbecue as well as the collective recognition we received at the announcement during the Technology Day luncheon of a first-ever (for M.I.T.) five-year class reunion gift. Although the itinerary of concerts, programs, receptions, and meals afforded opportunities to catch up on five years' events, the lasting memories from our 5th Reunion will be of the spontaneous activities undertaken in addition to those scheduled.
"Fourteen crazy classmates traipsed through downtown Boston to a late showing of Star Trek II (The Wrath of Kahn) and critiqued the movie at a nearby watering hole afterward. At the Sunday morning Endicott House brunch, a copy of the complete (24 verses) 'M.I.T. Drinking Song' (you remember--'We are, we are, we are, we are, we are the Engineers...') was discovered, then distributed to and sung by aroused classmates. The event which will longest be recorded (literally) was a late night excursion to the Harvard Bridge by a rather resourceful quintet. Weathering cold, wind, and the MDC police, the fivesome restored to prominence the painted '77 Smoot mark. Once a fading green, our class year now shines forth a brilliant fire engine red, awaiting similar action at our next quinquennial event.
"Those that were there enjoyed the reunion immensely and anticipate an even bigger celebration in 1987."
Dan Fairweather and his wife Mary welcomed son Joseph Daniel to their family on August 6, 1982. They, along with daughter Rebecca, are living near Lapeer, Mich. Dan is working in the research department of AC Spark Plug in Flint.... Harish Dadoo has left investment banking to start his own company specializing in real estate portfolio management, financial consulting, and venture capital, along with some former Harvard and Stanford classmates. His company, Callistar S.A. is in Mexico City.... Joel Weingarten's firm, ARTEK, specializing in energy-efficient architecture and construction, has just been awarded an open-ended design contract with the U.S. Navy.
Dawna L. Paton has been named assistan product manager for "TK!Solver," a software product of Software Arts, Inc., after working for Environmental Research and Technology, Inc.... Deborah Stutman notes, "Nothing new. Maybe one year to go." Please tell us more--I'm curious if no one else is, Deborah.
A long letter from Thomas C. Mills, M.D. brings all sorts of news about many alumni. Thomas moved to San Francisco to start a psychiatry residency at the University of California after graduating from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and spends most of his free time active with the Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights. Thomas shares an apartment with Steve Roy, '73, who is finishing up his Ph.D. in environmental geology. Other persons in his program at UCSF include Alan Freeland, '74, who is now chief resident, and Andrew Pauli, '75. Also at UCSF are Mary Lou Selbrig, '75, a neurology resident, and medical students Laura Rees, '79, and Al Czerwinski, '76. Outside of medicine, Thomas has run into Scott Chase, '78, Eric Black, Jim Orban, '75, who is in training for the San Francisco police force, Naomi Pless, '78, Peter Berke, '78, and Myu Campbell, '76, who has received her health physicist certification, and is moving up the governmental ladder at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Philadelphia.
Finally, Class of 1978 would like to invite recent classes who have friends in '78 to please feel free to attend their reunion this coming spring. If you are interested, please contact Rita L. Russell, '78, at 86 Brooks St., Medford, MA 02155, or call (617) 395-6859.
That's all the news for this month; thank you for writing to your class secretary. --Barbara Wilson Crane, 6431 Galway Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Jeffrey Casper wrote with the sad news that his best friend of 17 years, Cary P. Silverston, died this past September. "We will miss him, his kindness, and his mastery of the piano." ...Jeff Casper also wrote that he has found somthing that costs more than an M.I.T. degree--his first house in California. He noted that Bill Parkinson, another California homeowner, has entered the world of politics.... Joe Schneider and Nancy Bell, '75, proudly announce the birth of their first child, Katrina Danielle Schneider, on May 14, 1982.... Hamid R. Moghadam joined John McMahan Associates, a real estate investment advisory firm in San Francisco, following his graduation from Stanford Business School in 1980. Hamid would like to know if anyone knows where he can contact Bryan Ison, '78.... Patricia E. Clark is currently in the second year of medical school at MCV in Virginia. She finds that Richmond has a great deal of charm, and much history, but at times wishes she were back in Boston.
Michael Sonnenfeldt and partner David Fromer have recently formed Waterfront Assoc., a real estate development company. They have recently acquired "Harborside," which is situated directly across from the World Trade Center in New York City, and is currently undergoing renovation to offices, condos, and boat marinas.... Jonathan B. Green is now in the final stages of his Ph.D. in applied physics at Stanford and will soon return to work at Lincoln Laboratory.... Jeffrey Young is now in his third year at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Construction and is looking forward to being involved in the effort to improve the MBTA. (Good Luck!) Jeffrey says "Hello to the buckaroos from NRSA."
Don Rediker received his M.D. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1981, got married in Rhode Island, and is now in his second year of internal medicine residency at Stanford.... Constantine Photopoulos worked for General Electric's international division for three years, then started his own business as a consultant in data and electronic communjications.... William Baum married Libby Bidwell, (M.B.A., Penn State) in September 1981. They met while working at Ford Motor Co., but are now both working for Eastman Kodak in Rochester, N.Y.
Katherine Joseph is now general manager of the portfolio analysis section at PruCapital, a subsidiary of Prudential Insurance in Cambridge. Katherine is getting married this April to Tom Murray, controller for Sentry Protective Services.... Todd Glickman is still working as a radio meteorologist for Weather Services Corp. of Bedford, Mass., and can now be heard as far west as KFWB in Los Angeles. He is also developing new products and services for WSI Corp. the home of the world's largest time-sharing meteorological database in the private sector.... In December, Jeremy Nussbaum married Gwyneth Irwin, a computer programmer who hails from Memphis, Tenn.... Jerry M. Landau has purchased 80 acres just outside of Warren, Pa., where he lives, and will be building an underground house in the next year. (Secretary's question: Do you mean "underground" or "earth-sheltered"?)
Phuong D. Trinh has received his M.D. degree from the University of Maryland and is now finishing an internal medicine residency at the Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. Last year, Phuong married Kim Thu, who is completing an M.B.A. at Drexel University. Next year Phuong will be starting a fellowship in Washington, D.C.... Nina Gale Cahan is completing her family practice residency at the Southside Hospital in Bayshore, N.Y.... Loren Shure has completed a doctorate in geophysics at Scripps and has gone back to the East Coast to work at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
David L. DeBruin is now in his second year of working as a law clerk in Milwaukee, Wis., and is now searching for a law practice to join this summer. David is now married to Lynne Defebaugh, and they are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl, born just one week before David's Wisconsin bar exam.... Carlos Acevedo is still with Digital Equipment in San German, Puerto Rico, and is now manager of quality services for modules. Carlos has bought a house in the mountains on the southwest side of the island, and has taken up windsurfing.... Thanks so much for all the news. --Barbara Wilson Crane, Secretary, 6431 Galway Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Being in print regularly also demands that one make corrections occasionally. I do apologize for any embarrassment that errors may have caused, but please remember that I usually can't verify the fact before this column goes to press. Therefore, I now quote from a recent letter from Caren Penso, who was incorrectly listed as a member of the class of '78. "Karen Altman, '78, is not married and living in D.C. She is still quite single and lives in Boston. Sue Hanson, '78, is now married and living in the D.C. area." Karen Altman went to the University of Nebraska for an M.S. in physical education and now coaches the Harvard women's volleyball team. Since graduation, Caren has worked for the CIA as an economist, modeling economies of Brazil, Italy, Philippines, and the Soviet Union, and also participated in efforts to develop world models. Caren still plays softball and volleyball, and officiates at volleyball and basketball games. She's enjoying all sports more since she finally got her knee operated on. Caren wrote about quite a few alumni as well.... Lisa Jablonski is living in Princeton, N.J.... Jesse Abraham is teaching in Princeton, and hopes to complete his Ph.D. this June.
Werner R. Haag has just started his second and final year as a chemistry postdoc in Switzerland with a pleasant ski-week with relatives and friends in Zermatt, skiing in the shadow of the Matterhorn. In November, a fellow fourth-wester from East Campus, Leslie Leow, visited while playing for the Singapore Team at the World Team Chess Championships in Lucerne. They did some rather exciting hiking in the Alps, but managed to survive to tour Zurich, where Werner lives, take in a play, and play some bridge.... John E. Jamerson has shifted his focus from corporate finance to corporate real estate investment banking. John is a senior vice-president of Dean Witter Realty in San Francisco and is enjoying West Coast living.... Walter Goodwin is in his second year in law school in Detroit.... Leigh Watlington is also in Detroit, doing an Ob/Gyn internship at Wayne State's hospital network, after completing her M.D. at Harvard Medical School.... Renee Carter is working for 3M in St. Paul, Minn.
Matthew L. Sherman married Janet Cohen in June 1981, and is finishing his residency at Georgetown University Medical Center. Matthew is presently interviewing for medical oncology fellowship research programs.... Stu Kreloff is working for John Brown in Delft, the Netherlands (P.O. Box 5254, 2701 GG Zoetermeer), and spends his free time bicycling, rowing, and doing photography.... Brian Hughes is now senior vice-president of the U.S. Aviation Underwriters, responsible for satellite underwriting. Brian has the insurance on SBS-3, the first spacecraft to be deployed from the space shuttle.... Dan Rice is an attorney associated with the firm of Tunstead, Schecter, and Torre.... That's all the news for now. Do write soon! --Barbara Wilson Crane, Secretary, 6431 Galway Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80907
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Updated Saturday, 02 March 2002
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