Take also the examples of Martin Mbaya and Danielle Adams. Martin was featured on the MIT alum website a year ago. In the four short years since Martin graduated, he has volunteered in a number of capacities including serving as a member of the Alumni Associations Young Alumni Advisory Committee, an officer of the Chicago Alumni Club, serving on the steering committee of the Chicago Chapter of BAMIT (Black Alumni of MIT), and was recently elected to the BAMIT National Board for a two year term. Danielle Adams, a fourth year medical student at Dartmouth Medical School, was recently selected as a Rolf C. Syvertsen Scholar. Annually, six fourth-year students are awarded this honor based on academic achievement, leadership qualities, personal attributes and community involvement. Outside her studies, Danielle has participated in a variety of extracurricular activities on campus and in the local community. She participated in the Partners in Health program, speaking to local New Hampshire and Vermont fourth- and fifth-graders about health and prevention. Also selected to Alpha Omega Alpha, a medical honor society, she was one of only two students in her class of 80 to receive all honors during the first two years of medical school. Aspiring to a career in surgery, Danielle looks forward “to being excited about my work, to seeing the results of what I do, and to the dynamic patient partner relationships that are to come.”

Since Travis Furrer has graduated, he has been working as a circuit design engineer for Intel in Portland, Oregon. He has done a lot of work on the Pentium 4 and also for future products. In his spare time, Travis has enjoyed running, hiking, biking, various community service activities, and learning to play the harp of all things. Travis was married on August 10, 2003, on a beautiful day outdoors in Carlton, Oregon. Travis says that “Ryan Pierce ’99 did an excellent job as my best man (wow, what a bachelor party!).” Jen and Calvin Lin ’98 also attended the wedding. Travis looks forward to visiting campus again someday to see some old pals and some new buildings. Joshua Koppelman ’94, and Katie Shiels got engaged in November of 2003. Joshua and Katie were in London walking along the Thames, when he got down on one knee. Home for the newly-engaged couple is Austin, TX. Yiu Tak Leung wrote her first-ever class note to say that she got married on August 30th, 2003. Since graduation, Yiu Tak has been doing a PhD at Cambridge University in the UK, where she met her new husband Chris Ainsley. Their wedding was held in London and “it was wonderful to have so many friends there!” Puishan Lam, Priscilla Lee, Helen Lee and Jennifer Liu were all bridesmaids in Yiu Tak’s bridal party. Devika Gupta, Rumina Zaman, Oludotun Fashoyin and Kenneth Kwok went to London for the wedding as well. Chris and Yiu Tak honeymooned in the Seychelles and Mauritius islands in the Indian Ocean, described as “absolute paradise!” Ophelia Goatson James, on the other hand, got married, twice. But it’s not what you think. Ophelia had two weddings but married the same person, Jason James. They had a beautiful Navajo wedding in September 2002 in Kaibeto, AZ, under the stars and among the juniper trees. Everyone said they loved the food. The second wedding was in June 2003 in Atwater, CA. Ophelia’s bridesmaids were her sister Oralee, Olivia Scott ’97 and Marlene Platero ’98. “It was a small but lovely ceremony and reception.” Ophelia wished that more of her friends attended “but you know how busy lives go.” Ophelia and Jason currently live in Prescott, AZ. She still works for the Prescott National Forest as a civil engineer and going on two and a half years with the Forest Service. Her work mostly involves contract administration and facility maintenance but occasionally she gets to enjoy the outdoors while working in the field. Jason works for M.E. Evans and Associates in Chino Valley, AZ. They keep him busy but he loves the work. There’s no kids yet, but Ophelia begs “please don’t ask us when because we get asked that enough times already.” However, they do have a cute and cuddly cat named Callie. Ophelia also attended MIT Club of Phoenix’s annual party with Olivia Scott. She had a great time chatting and having dinner with fellow alums and also enjoyed the presentation by Dr. Shiela Widnall, an MIT Professor in Course 16. Dr. Widnall was a member on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board and presented about findings of the investigation of the Columbia space shuttle accident. Berta Liao had a great time at the Pi Reunion, where, among many other people, she bumped into Nicole Justis and Bunnie Wong. They mentioned that they would probably go to Taiwan by the end of the year. About two weeks after Berta returned to Taiwan, they wrote to say they were coming at the end of that week! They met up at had Din Tai Fung’s famous xiao long bao (stuffed dumplings that Nikki describes as “bundles of joy”) for lunch. Berta’s Hong Kong colleague also came into town for business and Berta was excited to find out he was a fellow engineer. Alex Mou ’93 and Berta were able to engage in a little nerd speak, i.e., “what course were you?” Berta, if that was the extent of the nerd speak, you’re doing well for yourself. Until next time!

Yiu Tak Leung Wedding Party

Yiu Tak Leung Bridal Party

Mimi Yang, secretary
284 Beverly St., Laguna Beach, CA 92651
e-mail: galaxie@alum.mit.edu