Class Notes
1953
Bernard Friedland (EE) ’52CC, BS’53, PhD’57 writes: The recent story about how a computer bug crashing many of the world’s computers reminds me of the time we turned off the lights at Columbia.
Columbia then (ca. 1952) generated its own DC electrical power in a powerhouse located under the old University Hall. This DC provided power for Columbia’s electric lights and some other things. Among these things were the DC motors in the electrical machinery lab in the basement of the old Engineering Hall (now Mathematics Hall). My lab partner and I proposed an experiment the goal of which was to implement a feedback system to control the speed of an AC generator driven by a DC motor. The speed of the motor, proportional to the output voltage of some sort of tachometer, was to be compared with a reference voltage and the difference fed back to regulate the excitation of the motor.
We wired up the system and turned it on. Almost immediately the lights went out. Not only in our lab, but all over Columbia. Not knowing much about control theory, we apparently caused an unstable oscillation which drew excessive current, but somehow failed to trip the laboratory circuit breaker. Instead, it tripped the main breaker at the powerhouse, and all things supplied by it went down. The fault we created was soon discovered and the lights again went on. And we passed the course.
In the years following, I learned a lot about feedback control theory: enough to earn a PhD under Professor John R. Ragazzini, to teach about it for 50-odd years, and to write two books about it. My lab partner went to law school and became a judge.
1955
Gordon Silverman (EE) ’55CC, BS’56, MS’57 writes: NSF reviewer for several years. (Taught my first AI course in 2000!!) Coauthor of "Cognitive Science: An Introduction to Study of Mind" - 4 editions) A company (JoGo Health) has honored me by including the "Go" - my first name - as part of their name. Recently they reported having treated twenty thousand(!) patients using Reinforcing Learning that I introduced in the late 1970s.
1957
Robert Paaswell (CEEM) ’56CC, BS’57 writes: Retired as Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering at CCNY, but still very active on projects and civic issues. The big item in our lives is a great-grandson!
1960
Matthew Sobel (IEOR) ’59CC, BS’60, ’64GSAS writes: 2024 has been a good year personally so far. Two grandchildren graduated college, and my wife (Susan Slotnick, Columbia Ph.D. Linguistics) and I remain reasonably healthy. My research activities continue, and two papers have been accepted this year. We remain athletically active primarily in road bicycling because for several years Northeast Ohio has rarely had enough snow for cross-country skiing.
In the bicycling competition at the 2024 Ohio Senior Olympics, I competed in the 10 K time trial. I won gold because I was the only competitor in my age bracket (85-89). Of course, that means that I also came in last in my age bracket!
Richard Lacoss (EE) ’59CC, BS’60(Electrical Engineering) writes: It’s been a long time, 64 years. I went from Columbia to UC Berkeley where I earned my PhD in electrical engineering in 1965. Next stop was the MIT Lincoln Laboratory where I first worked on seismic methods for underground nuclear test monitoring. I think I was the first person to use seismic array data to characterize the nature of ambient seismic noise and to clearly demonstrate a link to distant ocean storms. Over the years I was promoted from Technical Staff to Associate Group Leader to Group Leader. At the same time, after 15 years working in nuclear test monitoring, I worked on and managed a wide spectrum of other research projects. I ended my career as a Senior Staff and Consultant working on passive sonar. COVID-19 finally brought an end to my working life.
In my private life I married right after graduation and stayed married for 22 years until my divorce in 1982. In 1984 I married my current wife Cynthia Oldham in Charlotte Amalie in the Virgin Islands. While flying back to Boston the plane was hijacked and flown to Cuba. Quite an adventure.
We adopted our two children, Zelda and Remi, as infants when I was 52 and 53 years old, a rather late start. Once they were old enough, we started a tradition of taking a big trip together once each year, and we are still doing it. By now we have visited all seven continents, including Antártica. Next is Baja California in January 2025.
1964
Neil Marmor (EE) BS’64, MS’67, PhD’69 writes: As most elderly people will admit, time went by in a blink. But 60 years? That is quite a blink. I am proud of my education at Columbia. It has served me well. I continue to pay my bills, find my car wherever I parked it [yes, I still drive], and enjoy health that is better than most, but of course not what it once was. I used to be able to run a 10k and feel fine the next day. My recovery time is now rather longer, though I can still jog faster than the old guy with a cane walking his arthritic dog.
I have been fortunate to lead a life that far exceeded my expectations as a kid from the streets of Jackson Heights, Queens, NY. But if it were to end today, I’d reach for a glass of brut champagne and think, “Non, je ne regrette rien” [No, I regret nothing]. For the most part, I did what was right and tried to do no harm. It has been a great trip and I wish the same for all of Columbia’s grads.
1965
Seymour (Sy) Goodman (CEEM) BS’65, MS’66 writes: I retired as Regents Professor at Georgia Tech, ending 64 years as a student or faculty member at R1 universities. Dee (Diane Samuel Goodman, ’66E) and I celebrated with a return trip to Antarctica (last time 1989), South Georgia, the Falklands, and the Chilean fjords.
1967
Bill Quirk (APAM) BS’67, ’70GSAS writes: Finally retired from the California Legislature. I am now president of the resident council at my retirement community, Acacia Creek in Union City. Can’t resist volunteering.
1968
Steve Nahmias (IEOR) BS’68 writes: It's been well over 56 years since I graduated from Columbia's engineering school. From there, I went on to earn a PhD in Operations Research at Northwestern. My entire career was spent in academia, starting with Pitt's Industrial Engineering Department, a year at Stanford's engineering school, and 43 years in the business school at Santa Clara University. During that time, I published approximately 50 technical publications, and 8 editions of a textbook, Production and Operations Analysis. I am now fully retired and living in the Bay Area. I am an active musician, playing trumpet in 7 bands, and also enjoy playing golf.
Ronald Goldman (MechE) BS’69 writes: After receiving a PhD in Psychology decades ago, I have been working on raising awareness of various issues. My new book, "The Empathy Evolution," explains why over 20 countries report higher levels of citizen happiness and quality of life than the U.S., and why problems like violence, racism, political corruption, and mental illness persist in this country. By learning about the overlooked origins of our problems, we can discover innovative solutions to break their repeating cycles, increase compassion for others and ourselves, and improve our future quality of life. For more information, you may visit my website at ronaldgoldmanphd.com.
1971
Alan Greenglass (MechE) BS’71 writes: After Columbia, Alan graduated from Brown Medical School. He practiced medicine as a primary care internist and was a health system executive in Connecticut and Delaware. Recently he's been focusing on public policy on Climate and Health issues. He's also the author of Curing Physician Managment: Why Physician Managers Fail, a book about some of the unique challenges of managing, and being managed, in healthcare.
1977
Perry Green (CEEM) BS’77 writes:For a fairly long time after graduation there were two yearly events that became a tradition. The first was a trip to Las Vegas the weekend after paying our taxes and the second was a gathering of friends and classmates at Bob Furlong’s home in Arlington, VA to reunite, remember, and proclaim the highs and lows of life and Vegas. As I recall, it was like seeing old friends that you had just talked to “yesterday.” Always a great time, but then life got in the way for many – marriage, kids, divorce, remarriage, more kids and now even grandkids so the gatherings got spread out further and further as the year’s passed – until this year. How great it was to see almost everyone from the 2004 group, now 20 years later. What a great time we had. Plans are underway to meet up again in 2025.
1978
Albert McGovern (MechE) BS’78 writes: As of July 31, 2021, I have retired from my 44+ year career as a product design engineer and Director of Mechanical Engineering. Mary Jo and I have settled into a 55+ community in Aurora, CO, where we are close to 2 of our married children and 4 of our grandchildren, and closer to our 3rd married child and grandson who reside in San Diego, CA. I am very active in the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Product Design and Development Division (PD3), and on the Board of the SPE Foundation promoting STEM activities and scholarships across the US. Mary Jo and I are Mimi and Papa to our 5 grandchildren and are enjoying our new friendships in this active retirement community.
1979
Shane Sammon (EE) BS’79 writes: All is well for me in Southern California. I've recently retired after 43 years in the workforce (2 with Raytheon and 41 with Litton/Northrop Grumman). I finished my career in the roles of Director of Engineer and Technical Fellow in the area of Navigation System technology for various aircraft. Happily married (7/3/2021) to Maria—a great blessing after my first wife passed away in 2014.
My Columbia experience was positive—although the combination of engineering classes, crew team for 4 years and a healthy serving of the humanities—didn't leave a lot of room for exploring the city. I finally got the full city experience as a tourist for my 40th reunion trip in 2019. Key interests in retirement are international travels, wine tasting excursions, concerts, plays, golf, and the never ending home repair/improvement list.
1981
Paxton Louis (EE) BS’81 writes: Just completed my doctorate in Computer Science from Pace University's Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. This was part of my bucket list. Suffered through a lot of good-natured industry mocking for going for the degree. It was worth it. Looking forward to next steps in my life. Definitely thinking of returning to private equity and even completing the research I began at Pace. Looking forward to enjoying semi-retirement with my wife and kids (and hopefully grandchildren - fingers crossed).
1984
BOOK: From sending the first tweet in space to appearing in the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory, former NASA astronaut and current professor of professional practice Mike Massimino BS’84 has built a career of achieving the impossible.
In his memoir “Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut’s Guide to Achieving the Impossible,” Massimino shares valuable life lessons he learned on his journey to becoming a NASA astronaut. Throughout his journey, readers learn how to handle tough situations such as facing long odds, dealing with failure, and deciding when to change course.
1986
Christopher Dorn (CS) BS’86, MS’88, ’91LAW writes: I completed my Embassy Baghdad tour in 2023 and spent the past year back in Washington DC working on Middle East counterterrorism policy. This fall after 21 years, I decided to retire from the U.S. Foreign Service and make a career pivot based on my Columbia B.S. and M.S. computer science degrees. I was accepted into a Post Graduate Program in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. As I write this I am going through a Python bootcamp. Trust me, it's like riding a bike. It's all coming back.
1988
Tom Cocotos (EE) BS’88 writes: I am working as a fine artist, specializing in large-scale, figurative collage on linen, using various found materials, from billboard posters, to candy wrapper foils, to neon price stickers. My works explore the ambiguity of power structures in human nature, through reworking and combining classical imagery… from Caravaggio, to Velazquez, to Bellini. I is always happy to host fellow Columbia graduates for visits to my Chelsea NYC studio and can be contacted through his website. You can find out more about my artwork at my website www.cocotos.com and my Instagram profile @tcocotos.
1989
Darrell Farlough (MechE) BS’89 writes: This year, 2024, marks the 30th consecutive year of my annual financial gifts to Fu SEAS. Twenty-nine of those gifts were matched 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 by my employers. My Columbia education changed the trajectory of my life, and I am glad that I have been able to give back to the university that gave so much to me.
1993
BOOK: How has data shaped our personal and political lives? To answer this question Chris Wiggins ’93CC, associate professor of Applied Math and Physics, and history professor Matthew Jones explored the history of how data has developed in their book, “How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms.”
Wiggins and Jones challenge the notion that data is an unbiased tool, using history to illustrate how data has been used to shape our perception of absolute truth. The book encourages readers to unlearn the belief that data is objective and to think critically about how data is embedded in power dynamics that affect our daily lives.
1997
Alo Mukerji (IEOR) BS’97 writes: Very proud to say my daughter, Ariana, just started her first year at Barnard in the class of 2028!!! Love that I’ll be able to attend another Columbia graduation!!
2000
Daisy Chow (EE) BS’00 writes: I've been baking professionally since 2004 (sorry, engineering), opened Breadboard Bakery in Arlington MA, in November 2019 (thanks, COVID), and recently won first for Best Baguette at Le Gran Prix Elmendorf du Pain in Cambridge MA.
2003
Rasheq Zarif (MechE) BS’03 writes: I recently launched 'Mercedes-Benz Places in Miami' along with business partner Richard Chera of Crown Acquisitions. The team joined forces with Michael Stern of JDS Development Group, prominent developer of NYC landmarks, and Ryan Serhant of Serhant, which is famous from the Bravo show, Million Dollar Listings New York. Foundation has already been poured at the Brickell location of One Southside Park, with a grand opening planned for 2027.
Ayesha Sattar (BME) BS’03 writes: After graduating, finishing medical school and residency in NY, my husband and I moved to California in 2011 for my fellowship at Stanford and I stayed on as faculty until my husband was offered an opportunity to move to Cairo and then Basel, Switzerland, where we now reside with our 3 children.
2005
Brett Newswanger (ChemE) BS’05 writes: I joined the biotechnology company ClostraBio, Inc. in 2021 as COO. ClostraBio is a University of Chicago spinout focused on creating new dietary supplements and therapeutics for gut health, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and food allergy. The Company's lead product is CLB-101, a next-generation probiotic comprising a naturally occurring strain that was shown to be in low abundance in people with food allergy. ClostraBio is currently raising capital to launch CLB-101 as a direct-to-consumer product in early 2025.
2010
Austin Brauser (MechE) BS’10 writes: In spring 2024 I ran my first half marathon at Lake Garda in 1 hour 52 minutes. After the race I proposed to my fiancée Victoria, and we plan to get married in April 2025!
2012
Jane Zellar (CEEM) BS’12 writes: David Coplon and I (both BS'12, Civil Engineering) were married at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Colorado in May 2024. Among the wedding guests were more than 20 Columbia & Barnard alumni, a mix of SEAS classmates and Columbia Ski Team friends.
2013
Anthony Ruda (APAM) BS’13 writes: I enrolled in MPhil course at Oxford University, studying Sanskrit.
2014
Shannon Sullivan (BME) BS’14 writes: I’m in my last year of Diagnostic Radiology residency, serving as Chief Resident, and I just matched into Neuroradiology fellowship at NYU. I’m looking forward to returning to New York City and attending more local Columbia alumni events — and of course reuniting with my best friends from Columbia who still live in the city!
2021
Mark Torres (IEOR) BS’21, ’22CC writes: This past summer I competed in my second powerlifting competition. I placed 3rd out of 5 in my weight category lifting a combined total of over 1,000lbs! As always, I attribute my discipline and big goals to Columbia. It taught me to persist during the hardest times and to push myself to accomplish greater endeavors!
2022
Liang Hu (CS) BS’22, MS’24 writes: I am currently working as a Tech Analyst in the governance team at Barclays. My academic journey at Columbia University, where I earned both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science, provided a robust foundation in data science, machine learning, and financial systems.
At Barclays, I apply these skills to develop innovative and secure financial technology solutions. It’s a privilege to be part of a team at the forefront of financial innovation. I’m always happy to connect with fellow Columbia alumni and professionals in the tech and finance sectors. Feel free to reach out!
2023
Yvonne Naa Ardua Anang (BME) BS’23 writes: It’s been a spiral of events since I graduated from Columbia last year, 2023. I moved to Boston to begin work as a Research Associate / Assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, with a joint appointment at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I work primarily in the Santagata and Sorger Labs, part of the Laboratory for Systems Pharmacology in the Harvard Program in Therapeutics Science, studying cancer disease inception and progression using spatial imaging techniques (immunofluorescent imaging), coupled with concepts from immunology, and it’s been so much fun taking cool pictures of different tissue samples.
I couldn’t get enough of Columbia while I was here (lol), so I came back in 2024 to participate in the Patient Safety, Hacking Health hackathon hosted by Columbia Biomedical Engineering Society, and my team, PharMany, placed second out of approximately 20 teams. Shout out to my amazing teammates Audrey Acken, Kevin Xu and Emma Chen!
Summertime 2024 saw me singing with members of other university acapella groups, who were in the Boston area, in a joint summer acapella group called Cross-Linked (hosted by MIT Cross-Products). We had a fun time connecting through music (and many selfies) and ended the summer with a mini-performance at the Boston Commons! Speaking of singing, I also reunited with my fellow Jubies (from Columbia Jubilation!, also an acapella group) to celebrate the wedding of one of our own! It was such a beautiful experience reliving our shared cherished memories while making new ones together!
It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, learning about adult life and work, adjusting to the adult life routine, but I’ve had a lovely time in quaint and cute Boston (amid multiple trips back to NYC lol), and made lots of friends and reconnected with old ones, virtually and in-person! Can’t wait to see what comes next!
2024
Tycho Bogdanowitsch (MechE) BS’24 writes: After graduating in May 2024, I look forward to continuing my education as a Master's student in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at Stanford. My time at Columbia was defined by my heavy involvement with the Columbia Space Initiative, where my passion for rocketry and the commercial space industry flourished. At Stanford I hope to explore the intersection of Guidance, Navigation, and Control for spacecraft and early-stage space startups who are looking to have direct and meaningful impact on the world. I would love to connect with anyone who is also excited about similar topics!
Frieda Farias (CS) BS’24 writes: I started a jewelry company called "Tocayo Jewelry" during my time at Columbia and moved back home to Texas after graduation to work on it full-time. I just released my first fall collection, and am working on releasing Halloween and Holiday collections soon. I am also planning to expand by offering jewelry from other brands on the site as well. If you want to see what I'm working on, check us out at https://tocayojewelry.com/ or follow us on Instagram at @tocayojewelry!
Department Abbreviations
| Department | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Applied Physics And Mathematics | APAM |
| Biomedical Engineering | BME |
| Chemical Engineering | CHEME |
| Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics | CEEM |
| Computer Science | CS |
| Earth And Environmental Engineering | EEE |
| Electrical Engineering | EE |
| Industrial Engineering And Operations Research | IEOR |
| Mechanical Engineering | MECHE |