THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF NYU-POLY Summer 2009

Summer 2009 Vol. 36 No. 3 

THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF NYU-POLY 

i 2 e Ignites 

NYU-Poly 

Inaugural 

Commencement 

Jubilant members of the Class 

of 2009 wave fiber optic wands 

in celebration of their academic 

achievement.

Jerry MacArthur Hultin 

President 

Dawn Duncan 

Vice President 

Development and University Relations 

Meera Kumar 

Vice President 

Communications and Marketing 

Michelle Kerr 

Director of Communications 

Cable Editor 

Erin Newton 

Zahra Patterson 

Contributing Writers 

Michael Esguerra 

Graphic Designer 

Marian Goldman 

Elena Olivo 

Jim Pona 

Principal Photography 

Elena Olivo 

Cover photography 

Polytechnic Institute of NYU is an equal 

opportunity/affirmaive action institution. 

Address editorial 

correspondence to: 

Michelle Kerr 

Cable Editor 

Office of Marketing 

and Communications 

Polytechnic Institute of NYU 

Six MetroTech Center 

Brooklyn, NY 11201 

E-mail mkerr@poly.edu 

or call (718) 260-3491. 

Change of address: 

Office of Alumni Relations 

Polytechnic Institute of NYU 



E-mail alumni@poly.edu, 

or call (718) 260-3885. 

Polytechnic website: 

www.poly.edu 

On the Cover 

NYU-Poly Inaugural Commencement..........................................4 

PolyNews 

NYU-Poly Celebrates 21 Years of Promise...................................7 

NYU-ePoly Launches Eight New Programs..................................8 

Changing the Future of Science.................................................10 

Teagle Foundation Commits $240K to STEM.............................11 

Students Awarded NACME and National Grid Grants...............12 

PolyThinking 

40th Anniversary of Apollo Space Mission.................................13 

Faculty Notes....................................................... 14 

Annual Service Awards...............................................................15 

Campus Buzz...................................................... 16 

PolyGiving 

Donor Snapshot......................................................................... 18 

Tee Time......................................................................................18 

AlumniNews 

Letter from the Alumni President................................................19 

Class Notes................................................................................20 

In Memoriam...............................................................................21 

Obituaries...................................................................................22 

Remembering Two Sports Greats..............................................23 

50 Years ...and Counting............................................................24 

Upcoming Events.......................................................................24 

Produced by Polytechnic Offices of Development and University Relations, Alumni Relations and 

Marketing and Communications. 

NYU-Poly is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer 

Polytechnic Institute of NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed 

to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and to all applicants for employment 

regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital 

status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, or any other status protected by 

federal, state or local law. 

Polytechnic Institute of New York University is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization. 

2 cable summer 2009 

cable summer 2009 

3

Below, Mae C. Jemison, MD, the first African American 

woman to travel in space, delivers her keynote address. 

Opposite page, from left to right: President Hultin, Ralph 

Alexander, managing director, Riverstone Holdings LLC 

and chairman, NYU-Poly Board of Trustees, with honorary 

degree recipients Craig Matthews, vice chairman and 

COO (retired), KeySpan and immediate past chairman, 

NYU-Poly Board of Trustees, Mae C. Jemison, president, 

The Jemison Group, Andrew James Viterbi, creator of 

the Viterbi Algorithm and co-founder of QUALCOMM, and 

President John Sexton, New York University. 

i 2 e Ignites NYU-Poly 

Inaugural Commencement 

STORY 

Polytechnic Institute of NYU graduated its first class 

as an affiliate of New York University on June 1 st at 

Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall where Congressman 

Anthony Weiner surprised the graduates. 

“The way we measure progress in the 

great American diaspora is that we always 

hope that one generation exceeds the 

expectations of the previous [one], and you 

are doing it,” said the congressman from 

New York’s 9th District. 

“Every graduating class is special in 

their own right,” said NYU-Poly President 

Jerry Hultin at the 154th commencement 

exercises, “but today we are particularly 

proud of the Class of 2009, the very first 

graduates of the Polytechnic Institute of 

New York University.” 

As he began his congratulatory remarks, 

President Hultin held up the June 8, 2009 

edition of Business Week magazine featuring 

Ursula Burns ’80ME, president of Xerox 

Corp., and the first African American 

woman to lead a Fortune 100 corporation. 

Burns’ success is an historic triumph and 

a testament to the power of a NYU-Poly 

education. However, President Hultin didn’t 

shy from addressing the sobering realities the 

graduates of 2009 face: a severely troubled 

economy, high unemployment, climate and 

environmental concerns, and ever-rising 

population growth. 

“I am convinced you will adapt to 

these new challenges and changes,” said 

President Hultin who quoted an excerpt 

from President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 

Yale University commencement address. 

“In President Kennedy’s words, you will 

‘disenthrall yourself from the truisms and 

stereotypes of the past.’ And to paraphrase 

President Obama: ‘Yes, you can!’ 

“I am sure you will join us to 

invent and innovate in Polytechnic’s 

spirit of i 2 e [invention, innovation, and 

entrepreneurship].” 

New York University President 

John Sexton echoed President Hultin’s 

sentiments about the challenges of the 21 st 

century, specifically how we will create a 

“community of humankind” as immigrants 

from hundreds of different nations with 

countless cultural traditions and religions 

live side-by-side in global cities and towns. 

“In addition to the technical skills you’ve 

[gained], it’s the human skill that you’ve 

mastered at this great university, now NYU- 

Poly,” President Sexton told the Class of 2009. 

“As you go forth into the world, innovate, 

change, make a better tomorrow, and make it 

a more human community for all of us.” 

Mae C. Jemison, MD, Craig G. 

Matthews ’71MG, and Andrew James Viterbi, 


cable summer 2009 5

i 2 e Ignites NYU-Poly Inaugural Commencement 

received Honorary Doctor of Engineering 

degrees. Each shared hard-earned, valuable 

career advice. 

Jemison, president of The Jemison 

Group and the first African American 

woman to travel to space, emphasized the 

need for graduates to be conscious of how 

their technical skills and achievements will 

be used by the organizations that employ 

them or the companies they create. 

“What do we want science and 

technology to accomplish?” she asked. 

“Should minerals be used to set off 

fireworks displays, or to launch missiles? 

Should nuclear technology be used for 

nuclear medical treatments, or to create 


weapons?” Jemison told the graduates 

to decide for themselves what their 

contributions to science and technology 

should accomplish. 

Matthews, immediate past chairman 

of NYU-Poly’s Board of Trustees and vice 

chairman & COO (retired) of KeySpan 

(now part of National Grid, the second 

largest utility company in the U.S.), said, 

“There’s a whole world out there…don’t 

be narrow in your vision…If you don’t like 

what you’re doing or you think you’re not 

good at it, try something new. Believe in 

yourself…” 

Viterbi, creator of the Viterbi 

Algorithm, which is used in most digital 

Top, left: President Hultin with valedictorian 

Richeng Zheng. 

Top, right: Lamia Iftekhar, left,winner of 

the Outstanding Graduate Award with 

Christine Ianuzzi ’87EE ’94ISE, president 

of the Polytechnic Alumni and senior vice 

president,engineering and operations, 

broadcast technology, Citadel Broadcasting/ 

ABC Radio Networks. 

Bottom: NYU Pipes and Drums enter Avery 

Fisher Hall. 

cellular phones and digital satellite receivers, 

and co-founder of QUALCOMM, the 

technology market leader of mobile cellular 

communication, gave business advice to the 

audience’s future inventors, innovators, and 

entrepreneurs. 

“Remember that the coolest, most 

elegant technology goes nowhere without 

a market who needs it,” he said. He also 

stressed flexibility. “Your product may turn 

out quite different than what you were 

striving to invent; your initial business 

plan may need major revisions before you 

achieve success.” 

Provost Dianne Rekow and President 

Hultin conferred 246 Bachelor of Science, 

831 Master of Science, and 30 PhD 

degrees at the late afternoon ceremony. 

Honors and awards were also given to 

members of the NYU-Poly community of 

students and faculty. 

Rastislav Levicky, professor of chemistry 

and biological engineering, received the 

annual Distinguished Teacher Award. José 

Garcia, who earned a BS in computer 

engineering, received the First Runner- 

Up Outstanding Graduate Award. Lamia 

Iftekhar, who earned a BS/MS in electrical 

engineering and minors in mathematics and 

psychology, was declared the winner of the 

Outstanding Graduate Award. 

Richeng Zheng, who earned a BS/MS 

degree in electrical and computer engineering 

and a minor in mathematics, represented the 

Class of 2009 as its valedictorian with a grade 

point average of 3.98. 

NYU-Poly Celebrates 

21 Years of Promise 

At the Promise Scholarship Fund Reception on May 21 st , 

Polytechnic Institute of NYU celebrated one of its greatest 

legacies: its commitment to provide financial support 

to QUALIFIED students so they can receive a world-class 

engineering, science, and technology education. 

President Hultin and 

Promise Scholar 

Jeffrey Burdier '12EE. 

Trusteees William 

Kramer, partner, SJ 

Realty Associates LLC, 

and Ruth Fattori, chief 

administrative officer, 

MetLife. 

NYU-Poly alumni, students, individual 

and corporate donors, faculty, and 

staff gathered at Manhattan’s Jumeirah 

Essex House to commemorate the 21st 

anniversary of the Promise Scholarship 

Fund, NYU-Poly’s signature scholarship 

program. 

President Jerry Hultin thanked 

everyone who has contributed to the 

fund and pointed to the continued strides 

Promise Scholars are able to make in their 

individual lives and for the larger world 

because of donors’ generosity. 

“NYU-Poly’s future is bright and it is 

only getting brighter with the students 

who enter our halls and will be the 

world’s leading innovators, inventors, and 

entrepreneurs,” President Hultin said. 

“On behalf of all the faculty, staff, 

administrators, and students, I want 

to extend my warmest thanks for all 

you have done to allow us to keep our 

Promise. You are not only PolyThinkers, 

you are also PolyDoers, and together, we 

will continue our rich legacy of scientific 

research and innovative creations that 

help better the world.” 

Since Clifford Goldsmith, a longtime 

friend and supporter of the Institution, 

founded the Promise Scholarship Fund 

in 1998, it has raised over $18 million 

dollars, giving over 2,000 deserving 

students who would not otherwise be able 

to attend college, the means to earn NYU- 

Poly degrees. 

Most of those students, like Promise 

Scholar Jeffrey Burdier, who spoke at 

the reception, have been the first in their 

families to attend college; more than 

half have been women, a traditionally 

underrepresented population in 

engineering and science. 

This year, named Promise 

Scholarships were established to 

recognize corporate donations of $10,000 

and higher. National Grid, Verizon, and 

Lackmann Culinary Services are the first 

of these named Promise Scholarships. 

The kickoff of the 2010 Promise Fund 

campaign will be October 20, 2009. 


7

Launches Eight New Programs 

Learning. “ePoly gives our alumni an 

opportunity to expand their horizons and 

knowledge for professional growth.” 

Online learning began at Polytechnic 

in 2004 as ePoly. Since then, hundreds of 

students have earned their master’s degrees, 

some entirely online. NYU-ePoly courses 

are delivered by the same faculty who teach 

on campus using the same syllabus found in 

the classroom. 

“ePoly gives our alumni 

an opportunity to 

expand their horizons 

and knowledge for 

professional growth.” 

The Power of PolyThinking is just 

a click away in your home or 

office. 

NYU-Poly will more than double its 

online high-tech graduate degrees this fall 

adding eight new programs to the seven 

currently online in its newly launched 

e-learning unit, NYU-ePoly. Twenty online 

programs will be offered by the Office 

of Enterprise Learning including new 

executive programs in sustainability, clean 

energy, technical communications, and 

technical leadership. 

Stepping up virtual classes dramatically, 

Robert Ubell 

NYU-ePoly will offer new online master’s 

degrees in computer engineering, 

cyber security, wireless innovation, 

manufacturing and industrial engineering. 

New online graduate certificates in 

bioinformatics, power systems and 

computer engineering are also being added. 

Online master’s degrees in bioinformatics, 

electrical engineering, telecommunications 

and organizational behavior will continue 

in the fall. “Current ePoly students or 

graduate alumni in mid-career can extend 

their expertise into new fields,” said 

Robert Ubell, vice president for Enterprise 

“Students all over the world who are 

eager to enter exciting growth fields,” 

remarked Provost Dianne Rekow, “will 

now have access to in-demand and ondemand 

management, technology, and 

engineering programs taught online by our 

talented faculty.” 

Monica Gonzalez ’08OB lives in Costa 

Rica and was able to earn her master’s 

degree from NYU-Poly completely online. 

“It was an awesome experience,” she 

exclaimed. “I was just one click away from 

my professors, the material they offered, 

and the wide variety of materials that the 

e-library offers. This degree has opened a 

lot of doors for me to develop my career in 

human resources.” 

For more information, please visit www. 

poly.edu/epoly and www.poly.edu/enterprise. 



Jin Montclare 

Changing 

the Future 

of Science: 

NYU-Poly Collaboration 

Levels the Playing Field 

in the Sciences 

Students at the Urban Assembly 

Institute with their student mentors 

Wendy Hom, lower left, and Yan Mei 

Chan, upper left, and their science 

teacher, Adrienne Ballard, lower right. 

Excelling in the sciences is no longer a gender specific 

pursuit. Statistics have shown a gender imbalance between 

talented minorities and females who choose occupations in 

the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 

and their male counterparts. 

To temper these inequities, Jin Montclare, 

assistant professor, Chemical and Biological 

Sciences, proposed a solution to empower 

middle school young women to think 

differently about competing in the scientific 

arena—whether in the classroom or as a 

practicing professional. That idea came to 

fruition in the embodiment of The Urban 

Assembly Institute of Math and Science 

for Young Women, a collaboration among 

The Urban Assembly (UA), NYC Board 

of Education, and Polytechnic Institute of 

NYU. The Urban Assembly Institute’s goal 

is to encourage girls from grades 6-12 to 

explore STEM opportunities. 

In 2006, the Urban Assembly President, 

Richard Kahan, contacted Noel Kriftcher, 

executive director of NYU-Poly’s David 

Packard Center for Technology and 

Educational Alliances, to discuss the 

possibilities of forming a partnership. 

“Polytechnic became involved in every 

phase of the school’s development and has 

been a visible presence at the UA, bringing 

their students onto our campus,” said 

Kriftcher. From the onset, the Board of 

Education required that a well-structured, 

educational planning committee, along 

with a community partner and parental 

involvement share in the responsibility of 

creating this new school. 

Montclare began a mentorship program 

between UA Institute and Polytechnic to 

strengthen the interest and knowledge of 

science and math to underrepresented girls. 

The idea of implementing an outreach 

program started after high school students 

sponsored by the Youth in Engineering 

and Science (YES Program) worked in 

her lab at NYU-Poly. After discussing the 

program expansion with Noel Kriftcher, she 

submitted an initial proposal and received 

$50K from the Dreyfus Foundation. The 

program now reaches over 75 seventhgrade 

students and is expected to grow as 

enrollment increases. 

“I wanted to excite the girls and 

bring modern, interdisciplinary concepts 

of chemistry and biology by infusing 

technology, in order to make science fun. 

That was the mindset behind my plan to 

motivate young girls about new STEM 

careers. I intentionally wanted these girls to 

see a multi-tier of women mentors,” explains 

Montclare, “and remind them that they have 

a place in the science professions, which is 

still dominated by males.” 

The technological approach Montclare 

devised consists of a three-tiered module 

system which integrates chemistry with 

biology, introduces students to the basics of 

biological molecules viewed in 3D structures, 

and allows students to manipulate DNA using 

enzymes to perform chemical reactions. These 

interactive modules infuse technology into 

existing curriculum, allowing students use 

of the Chemsketch software and molecular 

models. Students perform laboratory 

experiments, write lab reports, and design a 

3D model of their scientific findings. This 

unique program provides underrepresented 

girls with modern technology to conduct 

hands-on experiments, increasing their 

interest in math and science. 

The key component of the program 

offers middle school girls in-class 

supplemental math and science education 

to accelerate college readiness. To measure 

the program’s effectiveness, students, 

mentors, and their science teacher are given 

performance evaluations. The NYU-Poly 

student mentors worked closely with 

teachers on curriculum development to 

assess the problem areas and find adequate 

solutions for underperforming students. 

This outreach program gives a three-fold 

solution to a national problem—it helps 

students reach their academic potential; it 

assists science teachers in the classroom; and 

it encourages student mentors to become 

educators in the science field. 

The Urban Assembly’s goal is to ensure 

that every student graduates from a fouryear 

university program. This spring, the 

Teagle Foundation selected Poly-NYU/ 

UAI partnership for one of their initial 12 

grants in this new program. They made 

a three-year pledge of $240,000 under 

their College-Community Connections 

Partnership program (CPR for STEM 

education), to help advance the UA Institute 

girls for readiness in higher education. The 

additional support provides students with 

summer coursework, in-class presentations 

by Polytechnic students and faculty, and 

introduction to math and science-related 

clubs and teams. In July, the program began 

mentoring 20 female students in rigorous 

math and science courses. 

“The Teagle Foundation’s overall 

commitment is to educational achievement 

and school completion for high school 

students. This supplementary funding 

enhances the effectiveness of the program led 

by Dr. Montclare,” said Kriftcher. 

Teagle 

Foundation 

Commits 

$240K 

to STEM 

The Teagle 

Foundation’s financial 

support will give 

ninth grade students 

access to collegeready 

courses, introduction 

to robotics and engineering 

professionals, Polytechnic faculty 

and university facilities. The 

program is called College Prep 

and Readiness (CPR) for STEM 

Education, which begins July 

2009. New York University has 

been awarded two of the twelve 

grants under this new program. 

One was awarded to the NYU- 

Poly and another to the Steinhardt 

School. As the Teagle Foundation 

is interested in the longitudinal 

success of Urban Assembly 

Institute of Math and Science for 

Young Women, program directors 

will track and measure student’s 

progress throughout their high 

school years. 



11

THINKING 

The Eagle Has Landed 

NYU-Poly 

Students 

Awarded NACME 

and National 

Grid Grants 

The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. 

(NACME) recently awarded engineering scholarships to four 

Polytechnic Institute of NYU students through a $10,000 grant 

from the National Grid Foundation. 

The scholarship program’s goal is to 

help support underrepresented minority 

students as they earn engineering degrees. 

Scholarships were awarded to the 

following students: 

• Carlos Bautista, a graduating senior 

majoring in computer engineering. 

He has accepted a position at L3 

Communications. 

• Kevin Bishop, a sophomore majoring 

in electrical engineering and currently 

interviewing for summer internships. 

• Juan Borja, a graduating senior 

majoring in chemical abd biological 

engineering, will begin a doctoral 

program in chemical engineering at 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

• Kevin Davis, a junior majoring in 

electrical engineering. He is interested 

in research and considering summer 

intern opportunities. 

Robert Keller, executive director of the 

National Grid Foundation, challenged the 

students to become leaders in their fields 

and help regain the ground the U.S. has 

lost in engineering and technology. 

Keller remarked: “Over the past 10 

years, the National Grid Foundation 

has worked to create opportunities for 

solutions to education and environmental 

issues. By supporting NACME Scholars, 

the foundation is helping to address 

what NACME calls ‘the new’ American 

dilemma: the relative absence of 

underrepresented minorities in careers 

related to science and engineering.” 

“This is an 

opportune time 

to mobilize 

the hidden 

talent pool of 

underrepresented 

minorities.” 

John Lubbe, NACME’s vice president 

for institutional advancement agreed. 

“Our nation is facing a quiet crisis,” he 

said, referring to a speech by Dr. Shirley 

Left to right: Beverly Johnson, NYU-Poly’s associate 

dean of undergraduate admissions and executive director 

of YES Center; Robert Keller, executive director of 

National Grid Foundation; Kevin Bishop; Carlos Bautista; 

John Lubbe, NACME’s vice president of institutional 

advancement; Kevin Davis; Juan Borja; Cathy Levy, 

NACME’s senior director of institutional advancement. 

Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer 

Polytechnic Institute, on looming gaps in 

the science, technology, and engineering 

workforce and reduced support for basic 

research. 

“This is an opportune time to mobilize 

the hidden talent pool of underrepresented 

minorities,” said Lubbe. “NACME is 

standing shoulder-to-shoulder with 

National Grid Foundation and NYU-Poly 

in responding to this crisis with aggressive 

action and support of underrepresented 

students of engineering.” 

Beverly Johnson, who serves as the 

liaison for NACME Scholars at NYU-Poly, 

and plays a critical role in their success, 

gave high praise to the students. 

“I am so very proud of the 

accomplishments of the four NACME 

Scholars, and I know that great things are 

in store for them all,” said Ms. Johnson. 

“Each of these young men are hard 

working individuals from modest means 

and understand that to whom much is 

given, much is required.” 

The students were especially thankful 

and motivated to “keep going above and 

beyond” their own expectations. 

“I feel that it is important to represent 

a different aspect of life for [minority 

students] coming after me, so they don’t 

think that the opportunities are limited,” 

said Kevin Bishop. “Outside of professions 

like sports and music, we can go into 

careers that will revolutionize the world.” 

Five Alumni Mark Historic 40th Anniversary of Apollo Space Mission 

Four decades ago, the eyes of the world were transfixed on 

fuzzy television images as one of the greatest technological 

achievements of the 20th century unfolded. On July 20, 

1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 

on the surface of the moon in the lunar module, Eagle. 

Over 235,000 miles away, sitting on the floor of his 

bedroom with his family in Babylon, NY, Frederick Zito ’68MG 

’03TC breathed a sigh of relief followed by a jubilant cheer as the 

Eagle landed on The Sea of Tranquility as the moon’s surface 

came to be known. “This was a very dangerous mission,” he 

recalled, “and had never been done before.” Zito, a guidance 

and navigation engineer, and four other NYU-Poly alumni, 

Robert Zuckerman ’70OR, a structures and dynamics engineer; 

Anthony Liccardi ’52ME ’56EE, assistant operations manager; 

Walter Gaylor ’53ME, chief engineer; and Robert Newlander ’70 

OR ME, lunar module project engineer worked for the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and had crucial 

roles in the design and construction of the lunar module. 

The five Polytechnic alumni worked closely at NASA’s 

Resident Apollo Spacecraft Program Office at the Grumman 

Aerospace Corporation in Bethpage, NY. According to Zito, 

Grumman was selected for this project because of the fine 

work the aerospace manufacturer did during WWII, building 

thousands of war planes for the U.S. Navy flying in the Pacific. 

The five designed, constructed and tested lunar modules—the 

vehicles astronauts used to travel from the spacecraft’s command 

module in the moon’s orbit to the surface and back. The hours 

were grueling and the engineering challenges enormous. They 

included reliability studies on the dozens of electronic systems on 

the lunar module and making sure the weight of the module was 

“One small step for man, 

one giant leap for mankind.” 

—Neil Armstrong 

Apollo 11 Mission Commander 

First man to set foot on the moon 

as light as possible for maximum fuel efficiency. All five credit their 

Polytechnic education for their success as aerospace engineers. 

“The analytical and managerial education I received at Poly 

greatly assisted me in reviewing the technical issues and using 

the necessary tools to design, develop, build and test the lunar 

module,” said Zuckerman. 

The five Poly engineers are now retired, but there is no doubt 

their engineering feats will live on in history. “America’s moon landing 

program,” declared Walter Gaylor, “made space exploration possible 

for future generations and Poly helped us make it possible.” 

Astronaut and inventor Charles Camarda ’74AE, NYU-Poly 

Distinguished Engineer in Residence, recalls watching the moon 

landing with his family in Queens, NY. “Like many other children 

across the country I wanted to be an astronaut, and was thrilled 

to see Neil Armstrong walk on the moon,” Camarda remembers. 

“Who would have guessed that two years later I would be enrolled 

in the aerospace engineering program at Poly… and in 1996 I 

would become an astronaut and get to fly NASA’s Return-to-Flight 

mission following the Columbia tragedy,” Camarda said. “The 

Poly engineers and all the men and women who made Apollo 11 

successful paved the way for future space exploration.” 



13

Stephen Arnold, the Thomas Potts 

Professor of Physics, was mentioned 

in the April 2009 issue of Nature for 

his work on whispering gallery modes 

(WGM)—light trapped inside the mi- 

Allan Goldstein, instructor, Humanities and Social Sciences, 

published essays in two anthologies which can 

be accessed by visiting these links http://www.amazon. 

com/Lost-Found-Stories-New-York/dp/0393331911 and 

http://astore.amazon.com/thesibsuppro-20/search?nod 

IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, “Plasma-assisted 

Ignition in Scramjets” in the Journal of Propulsion and 

Power, and “VLF Wave Generation by Amplitude-modulated 

HF Heater Waves at Gakona, Alaska” in Geophysical 

Research Letters. 

crosphere by reflection circling endlessly. 

This results in a short-range 

electrical field outside the sphere that attracts nanoparticles 

bringing them to the sensor approximately 100 times 

faster than diffusion. The trapped nanoparticles orbit the 

e=7&keywords=thicker+than+water+essays+by&x= 

9&y=8&preview=. 

David Goodman, professor, Electrical 

and Computer Engineering, made 

Jin Kim Montclare, assistant professor, Chemical and 

Biological Sciences, was the recipient of the ACS/PROG- 

RESS Lectureship Award as the invited lecturer at other 

universities. 

field producing a shift in the resonant frequency in the 

WGM, which permits estimation of size and mass of the 

nanoparticle. 

George Bugliarello, president emeritus 

and university professor, gave the 

keynote address, “Reflections on Morality, 

Ethics and Bio-ethics Decisions” 

at the Fifth International Conference 

on Ethical Issues in Biomedical Engineering 

at Polytechnic on April 4. 

Lorcan Folan ’83 ’87PH, associate professor and head, 

Physics, and Vladimir Tsifrinovich, lecturer, Physics, published 

an article in Physical Review Letters in 1995, which 

supported the hypothesis that the radioactive lifetimes of 

certain hydrogen-like ions are strongly dependent on the 

hyperfine state of the ions. The phenomenon was recently 

confirmed by a team of international scientists at the GSI 

heavy ion accelerator in Darmstadt, Germany. 

Folan, Valery Sheverev, industry associate professor, 

Physics and George Vradis, associate professor and head, 

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, were awarded a 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Phase 1 grant to establish 

an undergraduate interdisciplinary concentration in 

nuclear sciences and engineering. The concentration will 

allow interested undergraduates to develop expertise in 

the basic science and technology issues relevant to the 

nuclear industry. Courses include Fundamentals of Applied 

Nuclear Physics, Introduction to Radiation Physics 

and Introduction to Nuclear Engineering. 

Bruce Garetz, professor and head, 

Chemical and Biological Sciences, 

authored a paper titled “Non-photochemical 

Laser-induced Nucleation 

of Nematic Phase and Alignment of 

Nematic Director from a Super-cooled 

Thermotropic Liquid Crystal” which 

will be published in Physical Review-E. 

one of the keynote presentations at 

Sensing the Future: the 19th Annual 

IEEE International Symposium on 

Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio 

Communications in Cannes, France. 

Fletcher “Bud” Griffis, professor and director, Center for 

Construction Management Technology, Civil Engineering, 

has been named the Class of 1953’s Endowed Chair in 

Civil Engineering at West Point. 

Richard Gross ’86Chem, the Herman 

F. Mark Professor of Polymer Science 

and director of the NSF Center on Biocatalysis 

and Bioprocessing of Macromolecules, 

Chemical and Biological 

Sciences, presented a lecture, “New 

Cell-free Enzyme-catalyzed Polymer 

Technology Platforms: Polyol-polyesters, Polyethylenelike 

Materials from Fatty Acids and Powerful Hydrolases 

for Polyester Degradation,” at the Aquitaine Conference 

on Polymers 2009. 

Mel Horwitch, professor and head, Technology Management, 

is featured in a documentary on the web, The People 

vs. the SST at www.classicplanestv.com. His insights 

are based on his earlier history of the American Supersonic 

Transport Project, Chipped Wings. 

Kalle Levon, professor, Chemical and Biological Sciences, 

will join the Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry at Abo 

Akademi University in Turku as part of FiDiPro projects 

funded by Tekes. The purpose of the project is to develop 

a novel, easy-to-use and cost-effective device for genetic 

diagnostics. 

Spencer Kuo ’77EL, professor, Electrical 

and Computer Engineering, 

co-authored the following articles 

“Lateral Distribution of Atomic Oxygen 

Flux Produced by an Array of 

Three Fan-shaped Plasma Torches” in 

Eli Pearce ’58Chem, university research 

professor, Chemical and Biological 

Engineering, has been named 

to the editorial board of the Polymers 

Research Journal. He was also elected 

to the 2009 inaugural group of Fellow 

of the American Chemical Society. 

Keith Ross, the Leonard J. Shustek 

Distinguished Professor of Computer 

Science, Di Wu, post-doctoral student, 

and Yong Liu, assistant professor, 

Electrical and Computer Engineering, 

received the Best Paper Award 

at the IEEE Conference on Computer 

Communications (INFOCOM) 2009 for “Queuing Network 

Models for Multi-channel P2P Live Streaming Systems.” 

In the paper, the authors developed novel models to study 

the performance of peer-to-peer video streaming systems 

that offer multiple live video channels. A new P2P streaming 

design, View-upload Decoupling, is proposed to significantly 

improve the streaming quality of existing P2P 

streaming solutions. 

“The Way We Are” by Blair Williams, 

industry professor, Mechanical and 

Aerospace Engineering, was published 

last September by CTR Inc. 

Publishing. The book, Williams’ fifth 

volume on Anglo-Indian culture, was 

published to coincide with the 10th 

anniversary of CTR, the charity he founded to help poor 

Anglo-Indians still living in India. The charity provides pensions 

to seniors and funds education for poor children. 

Charles Tapiero, Distinguished Professor 

of Financial Engineering and Technology 

Management and chair, Finance 

and Risk Engineering, was quoted in 

American Banker magazine regarding 

the inefficiency of counterparty riskregulation. 

NYU-Poly Annual Service Awards 

NYU-Poly recognized dedicated employee service at its Annual Service 

Awards Ceremony on April 23. Vice President for Academic Affairs 

Richard Thorsen, left, and Heather Walters, university archivist, right,— 

each with 45 years of service—were among the 59 employees who 

received certificates, gifts and a hearty congratulations from President 

Jerry Hultin. 

15 Years Barry Blecherman, industry associate professor, Financial 

Risk and Engineering; David Chang, chancellor; Jean Gallagher, 

associate professor, Humanities and Social Sciences; Genevieve Schaeffer, 

administrative assistant, Civil Engineering; Valery Sheverev, industry 

professor, Physics; Kate Smith, executive assistant to the president, Office 

of the President; Abraham Ulman, professor,The Weizmann Institute 

(Israel); and Yisong Yang, professor, Mathematics. 

20 Years Yolanda Cartegena, administrative assistant, Registrar; 

Nedenia Decasta, administrative customer service, Registrar; Rose 

Emma, executive assistant, President Emeritus; Iraj Kalkhoran, dean 

of undergraduate academics; Kalle Levon, professor, Chemical and 

Biological Sciences; Barbara Springer, administrative assistant, Computer 

Science and Engineering; and Carmen Villafane, administrative assistant, 

Chemical and Biological Engineering. 

25 Years Lea Bowie, executive assistant, Academic Affairs; Jacqueline 

Camara, administrative assistant, Mathematics; Ann-Marie Dwarica, 

administrative assistant, Student Accounts; and Elena Prassas, associate 

professor, Civil Engineering. 

30 Years Edward Miller, professor, Mathematics, and José Ulerio, 

industry associate professor, Civil Engineering. 

40 Years Roger Roess, professor and head, Civil Engineering. 

45 Years Richard Thorsen, vice president, Academic Affairs and 

Heather Walters, university archivist, Library Services. 



15

BUZZ 

Symposium Honors Erich Kunhardt 

Colleagues and friends attended a symposium and 

reception to honor former Provost and University 

Professor Erich Kunhardt on June 9. Kunhardt received 

a bound copy of a special issue of the journal, 

Transaction on Plasma Science, which was dedicated to 

his work and edited by friend and colleague Kurt Becker, 

associate provost for research and technology initiatives 

and dean of arts and sciences. 

NYU-Poly’s Got Talent 

Eighteen contestants brought their “A” game to the 

NYU-Poly’s Got Talent showcase, but when the last 

note sounded only five fierce competitors—Yesenia 

Espinal, David Fan, Stanislav Roslyakov, Kurt Williams 

and Terrance Woods—got the chance to take it to the 

grand finale on May 1st vying for $1,000 and the title of 

“Poly’s Most Talented.” When all was said and done, 

Yesenia Espinal nailed the competition and brought the 

crowd to their feet with her powerful vocals. A devotee of 

multi-Grammy winner, Alicia Keys, Yesenia will use her 

winnings to further her musical career. 

Corporate Execs Judge Student 

Business Plans for the “Greening” 

of Westchester and Profitability 

IT executives from FUJIFILM of America, the 

Westchester Medical Center and Hudson Valley 

Bank—to name a few—converged on the Westchester 

campus for the Executive Management of Technology 

Capstone Day, “Tomorrow’s Corporate Superstars 

Present Business Plans to ‘Green’ Data Centers 

of Major Westchester Companies.” Participating 

students wrote and defended individual business 

plans using technology to maximize profits. 

Participants are, from left to right, back row, Homer 

Howell, Vijay Jayaraman, Fabian Cristian; third row: 

Iwu Kingsley, Professor Armand Keim, Varghese 

Thomas, Philip Procker; second row: Jason Rosoff 

and Dexter Newton; Carl Baker (in front of Rosoff); 

and Romulo Qujije. 

Celebrating the Class of 2009 

On May 12 th , the NYU-Poly community toasted the 

graduating class and celebrated their upcoming 

commencement on June 1 st . Students took photos, 

danced and enjoyed the lively atmosphere, which 

included a visit from NYU-Poly’s mascot, The Fighting 

Bluejay. Toast will be an annual event for future 

graduates and the entire Poly community. 

Beverly Johnson Honored at City Hall 

Beverly Johnson, associate dean of undergraduate 

admissions and executive director of the Center 

for Youth in Engineering and Science, received a 

proclamation from City Council member Charles Barron 

recognizing her work for NYU-Poly. The presentation 

was made during the Juneteenth celebration at City Hall 

on June 19 th honoring excellence in science, technology 

and mathematics. 



17

GIVING 

NEWS 

donor 

Dear Fellow Alumni, 

Tee Time 

Over 40 students, staff, faculty and 

their families teed off at the 13th Annual 

Polytechnic Classic Golf Tournament on 

Sunday, June 7. The event was sposored 

by the athletics department. Capturing first 

place was a team of NYU-Poly students, Devin 

Kittle, Carlos Ruiz and Jon Paul Anatra. Other 

winning categories included the Staff and 

Family team (shown here, right to left) of Noel 

Kriftcher, executive director, David Packard 

Center for Technology and Educational 

Alliances, his grandsons Ryan and Zach and 

Elisa Linsky, instructor, Humanities and Social 

Sciences; Alumni Team of Christine Ianuzzi 

’87EE ’94ISE, president of the Polytechnic 

Alumni, Jim Ousanni ’77ME, president, 

Staplex Inc., Johnny Lai, and Charles Hinkaty 

’70 ’70MA, president and CEO (retired), 

Dell Laboratories Inc.; Closest to the Pin: 

Zach Kriftcher; Longest Drive (men), Rob 

O’Connell; and Longest Drive (women) 

Maureen Braziel, director, Athletics. 

James Oussani Jr.’77BSME 

President, Staplex Co. 

Polytechnic International Board of Directors 

Former President Polytechnic Alumni and Advisory Trustee 

Supported the Polytechnic Fund and the Promise Fund 

“Because of the foresight of Polytechnic administrators and alumni benefactors, I was 

able to attend a well-regarded engineering school. The culture of a dedicated faculty 

and the camaraderie among fellow students continues today. Also, I have chosen 

to give back by volunteering to work with alumni, students and faculty, helping to 

strengthen the bonds between the technical societies and our alma mater, and by 

helping to reinstate the PE exam as part of a senior exit strategy. 

These and other measures will help our future engineers and scientists become 

problem solvers in the global economy. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction and value 

than networking with fellow Polytechnic alumni, who are in every field imaginable. 

With this treasure chest of knowledge to draw from, we adapt to change, free ourselves 

from obsolete ideas, and renew ourselves in mind and body. For me, this represents the 

progressive and energizing spirit of Polytechnic that serves as a portal to the future.” 

LETTER FROM THE 

ALUMNI 

PRESIDENT 

On behalf of the Polytechnic Alumni Association (PAA) leadership, I would like to thank 

my fellow Executive Officers, the International Board of Directors, and the Executive 

Council for their hard work over the past year in support of the PAA and Polytechnic. I 

hope you share my enthusiasm and appreciation for the PAA leadership’s continued dedication 

and the hard work they perform on behalf of our association, our alumni and our alma mater. 

Our collective accomplishments thus far in 2009 include: 

• Supporting Polytechnic activities and funds such as the Polytechnic Fund, the Promise 

Scholarship Fund, the Athletic Fund, and the ASCE Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge 

competitions. (NYU-Poly won the concrete canoe event for the fourth year in a row.) 

• Assisting in fundraising and identifying 1,120 new donors (FY ’08 and ’09) that raised 

$2,478,617. Alumni efforts also led to several high-level gifts. 

• Launching new digital communications outreach, including a Facebook page, a Twitter 

account, LinkedIn alumni groups, a newly designed website and the Six Degrees of 

Polytechnic Campaign. 

• Implementing enhanced NYU benefits for alumni, including library access, a travel program, 

and attendance at NYU alumni events. 

• Sponsoring, judging and awarding Outstanding Graduate Awards to four very deserving 

graduates—now our fellow alumni—as part of our prominent role in the 2009 commencement 

ceremony. 

• Participating in events such as the Golden Jubilee Reunion and Back-to-School Day where 

several of our PAA leaders invited renewable energy companies to aid in raising awareness of 

this vital issue among our alumni and students. 

• Working to strengthen and organize our association’s standing and ad hoc committees. 

Going forward, our organization’s focus remains clear: 

• Continue our participation in events that encourage fundraising, enhance student enrollment 

and retention, and promote a positive image for Polytechnic. 

• Embrace Polytechnic’s mission of i 2 e (invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship) and 

establish a mentor-student program. 

• Work to pursue a new international chapter in Mumbai, India. 

• Increase our efforts to engage our alumni and encourage their involvement. 

• Work with the students, the administration, and the Board of Trustees to strengthen our visibility. 

• Build a strong working relationship with the newly formed Student Alumni Association. 

For more information about the PAA, I hope you will visit our alumni website at www.polytechalumni.com. 

Also, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at polytechalumni@gmail.com. 

I want to thank the PAA leadership and all alumni once again for the dedicated service and 

continued support of Polytechnic. 

Best regards, 

Christine Ianuzzi, ’87EE ’94ISE 



19

NEWS 

NEWS 

ClassNotes 

Class years are determined by the year the Office of the Registrar certifies 

the granting of the degree. Alumni receiving multiple degrees from NYU-Poly 

are listed under the first graduating degree only. 

30s 

Anthony DeBiase ’38CE has been happily 

retired from the Port Authority of NY & NJ since 

1972 and just celebrated his 96th birthday. 

40s 

Mortimer D. Gross ’42Chem served his country 

during World War II as a chemical engineer 

for the burgeoning field of synthetic rubber. 

After his service, he attended the University of 

Chicago’s College of Medicine and has been 

practicing psychiatry since 1955. 

Jess J. Kanarek ’49EE recently celebrated 

his 53rd wedding anniversary and his 10th from 

retirement. He is enjoying volunteering with the 

Stanford Medical Blood Bank. 

soldiers who worked to return artwork to museums, 

churches, and cultural institutions. 

Philip Hodge ’67IE is sharing retirement with 

his wife, Bunny, by raising Morgan horses, competing 

in combined driving events, and putting 

up 10,000 bales of hay yearly. 

Steven H. Billis ’68 ’72EE is chairman and 

professor in the Department of Computer 

Science at the New York Institute of Technology. 

Steven Freedman ’77Chem is a literary novelist 

and author of fictionalized memoirs, who is 

looking for a publisher. 

Pio Masone ’79CE joined Jacobs Facilities, 

a subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering, in May 

2006 as a deputy project manager for the U.S. 

Department of Transportation Headquarters 

construction site. He is currently the construction 

project manager for the U.S. Department of 

Interior Modernization Program in Washington, 

DC. He is a licensed engineer and a brother of 

Gregory Gamble ’95MA’98OM has been 

named director of economic development at 

Rutgers University–Camden. 

Larry I. Leib ’96 MOT is senior advisor at 

CresaPartners, where he represents the real 

estate needs of corporate clients. 

Meg Layton ’97TCM is senior manager 

of development for the security information 

manager team at Symantec Corporation. 

IN MEMORIAM 

James Vincent Gruttadauria ’38 

George J. Wunderlin ’39 

Alfred R. Globus ’41 

Enno F. Harger ’45 

Seymour D. Kirsch ’46 

Michael Tarricone ’47 ’48 

Francis G. Hinchey ’48 ’50 

Martin Schechtman ’41Chem after retirement 

and moving to Oregon to be closer to his 

daughter, Martin is going “back to school” and 

enjoying taking free classes at Oregon State 

University. 

Frank Odasz ’44ChE retired from his career in 

chemical engineering and is enjoying time with 

his grandchildren. 

Major Codes 

Refers to the academic discipline listed next to alumni’s 

class year. A full key to major abbreviations is available at 

www.poly.edu/alumni/cable. 

AE 

BE 

CE 

ChE 

Chem 

CM 

EE 

ES 

Hon 

IE 

ISE 

MA 

ME 

MG 

MOT 

Aerospace Engineering 

Bio Engineering 

Civil Engineering 

Chemical Engineering 

Chemistry 

Construction Management 

Electrical Engineering 

Environmental Science 

Honorary 

Industrial Engineering 

Information Systems Engineering 

Mathematics 

Mechanical Engineering 

Management 

Management of Technology 

50s 

Raphael Ortasse ’53AE is active with the Kol 

Sephardic Choir, the only choir in the world that 

specializes in Romanceros, a 15th- century Spanish 

narrative poem written in lines of 16 sylllables 

which adheres to a single assonance. Their first 

professional CD will be available this year. 

Charles Ortloff ’59 ’61AE, a research associate 

in anthropology at the University of Chicago, 

authored a book, “Water Engineering in the 

Ancient World: Archaeological and Climate 

Perspectives on Ancient Societies in South 

America, the Middle East and South East Asia,” 

published by Oxford Press. 

James White ’59ChemE, the Morton Professor 

of Polymer Engineering at the University of 

Akron, is the recipient of the ACS Rubber Division’s 

Charles Goodyear Medal. 

60s 

Murray Robbins ’62Chem was on the ballot 

for the June 2nd primary in New Jersey seek- 

Michael A. Yates ’68EE ’72BI is a semi-retired 

gentleman farmer with a new barn and two 

Morgan horses, one of which will start training 

for carriage driving in the spring. 

70s 

John Chino ’71ME is vice president of programs, 

quality and engineering at Northrop 

Grumman Corp. In his new role, he will lead the 

company’s activities associated with program 

management, engineering and technology 

including conducting special program reviews 

and efforts to continually enhance the quality 

management systems across the enterprise. He 

will also lead engineering collaboration efforts 

throughout the company, serve as focal point 

for technology development efforts, lead the intellectual 

asset management team and provide 

technical interface for the company’s university 

relations efforts. 

Gregory Gurican ’73EE ’76NE spent 25 years 

in the nuclear safety and licensing field before 

becoming a registered nurse. He now oversees 

QA/QC performance improvement activities for 

25 nursing units. 

Polytechnic’s Kappa Beta chapter of Alpha Phi 

Omega. 

80s 

Thomas DiMatteo ’82EE married Hayley 

Nelson in September. Tom is a sales consultant 

for the Morrell Instrument Company. 

Robert E. Ryan ’85EL is the chief scientist of 

the Geosystems Research Institute small satellite 

program at Mississippi State University and 

earned nine U.S. patents with four pending in 

the fields of optics and sensors. He was elected 

assistant division director of the primary data 

acquisition division of the American Society for 

Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. 

Michele Nierenberg ’88ME is director of 

systems integration engineering at Gulfstream 

Aerospace where she is responsible for ensuring 

the successful integration of safe, humancentric 

aircraft system designs. 

90s 

Robert Shullich’98 TN is certified in the governance 

of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) by the Information 

Systems Audit and Control Association and 

was inducted into the Alpha Phi Sigma criminal 

justice honor society at John Jay CUNY. 

00s 

Danny Cardenas ’00CompE ’04EE is president 

of the New York City Professional Chapter 

of the Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHPE). 

Austin Poyerd ’02MA is engaged to Jennifer 

Morana of Bay Terrace and will marry in August. 

Jay Yass ’03MA is currently the vice president 

of network services at Intelsat. 

Dennis Ramos ’03IS is a tenured, full-time 

professor of computer science at Westchester 

Community College. 

Stuart Lewis ’05CE is working as a project 

engineer for Ocean and Coast Consultants. 

Nikolay Zalutskly ’08CE EE founded the 

Dream Act Portal website while in college. The 

site is the largest community for undocumented 

Charles S. Block ’49 

Philip C. Pozner ’49 ’66 

James W. Wadlow Jr. ’49 

Albert Spiel ’49 

Walter J. Krimsky ’50 

Paul W. Maurer ’50 

Edgar N. Svendsen ’51 

Peter J. Kennedy ’52 

Marjorie Navidi ’53 

William R. Brophy Jr. ’54 

Alan C. Skoglind ’54 

Lionel Luttinger ’54 

Robert X. Caldwell ’56 

Stanislaw R. Gordon ’57 

Paul R. Liegey ’59 

Joseph Koval ’60 

Joseph E. Knoll ’60 ’68 

Joseph M. Cunetta ’62 

Paul J. Levitz ’68 

David Baranowitz ’68 

Stephen E. Eiseman ’70 

Elliot Veinerman ’70 

MT 

NE 

PH 

SS 

SE 

TN 

Metallurgical Engineering 

Nuclear Engineering 

Physics 

Social Sciences 

Systems Engineering 

Telecommunications Network 

ing a seat on the Berkeley Heights Township 

Council. 

Harry Ettlinger ’66ME has been recognized 

for his work during WWII as one of the “Monu- 

Salvatore Lauro ’74AE is chief of the United 

State Parks Police, managing a force of more 

than 600 officers and providing law enforcement 

services to areas within the national parks 

service, primarily in Washington, New York, and 

Gregory G. Daly ’91TCM is the chief 

technology officer at Aircraft Technical 

Publishers, Inc., which serves the general 

aviation industry with maintenance, regulatory, 

compliance, and safety information products. 

immigrant students in the United States. 

Quentin’09EE and Oliver Williams ’09EE, two 

brothers in a set of triplets with an avid interest 

in robotics, received degrees from NYU-Poly on 

Harry Hochstadt – Faculty 

Ephraim Katzir—Faculty 

Wheeler Mueller—Faculty 

ment Men,” a highly specialized group of 345 

San Francisco. 

June 1. 


cable spring 2009 21

NEWS 

Harry Hochstadt, 83, an internationally reknowned 

applied mathematician and former chair of the mathematics 

department, died on May 4, 2009. 

After a brief career as a research engineer, Hochstadt 

joined the Polytechnic faculty in 1957 and was appointed 

head of the math department from 1963 to 1990. He was 

also dean of arts and sciences for one year and director of 

institute relations from 1976 to 1980. From 1968 to 1973, he 

played a leading role in successfully lobbying the New York 

State Legislature to provide millions of dollars of financial 

subsidies to the school during a period of fiscal hardship. 

Born in Vienna, Austria in 1925, Hochstadt came to America in 1938. He served 

overseas in the U.S. Infantry during World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star 

and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge. After the war, he attended Cooper Union and 

received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1949 and his master’s and 

doctorate in mathematics from the Courant Institute of New York University in 1950 

and 1956, respectively. 

He was a prolific author and researcher publishing over 100 articles and reviews 

as well as four books: Special Functions of Mathematical Physics (1961); Differential 

Equations, A Modern Approach (1964); The Functions of Mathematical Physics (1971), 

later translated into French and Japanese; and Integral Equations (1973). He was also 

the translation editor for Linear Equations of Mathematical Physics by S. G. Mikhlin and 

an advisory editor to the Wiley Interscience Series on Pure and Applied Mathematics. 

He was a member of the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association 

of America, the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Tau Beta Pi and Sigma 

Xi and was listed in Who’s Who in America, American Men and Women in Science, and 

Outstanding Educators in America. 

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Pearl; two children, Julia Sweet and Jesse; 

and two grandchildren, Nathaniel and Amalia Sweet. 

Enno F. Harger ’45ME, who played an integral role in the mass production of 

penicillin, died on June 24 at the age of 94. 

Born in Berlin, Harger’s family immigrated to the United States in 1924 and attended 

Lynbrook High School. During this time, he joined his high school band and fulfilled his 

dream to perform at Carnegie Hall. His aspirations of becoming a classical musician 

were sidelined when in the early 1920s Harger decided to pursue a career in mechanical 

engineering. He worked at Charles Pfizer and Co., in 1936 as a clerk and enrolled in 

night courses. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1945. Later, he was transferred to the 

engineering department as a draftsman. 

Throughout his 43-year career, Harger played a key roll in many of Pfizer’s medical 

breakthroughs including the discovery of Terramycin and the mass production of 

penicillin during World War II and the polio vaccine. He assumed positions of increasing 

responsibility to become vice president of corporate engineering, with responsibility 

for the design and construction of company plant worldwide. After retiring in 1980, he 

served as a consultant to the company until 1993. 

Harger was a long-time supporter of the Polytechnic and Promise Scholarship Fund. 

He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Jean, his daughters, Sherry and Elizabeth, 16 

grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. 

Remembering 

Two Sports Greats 

By Samuel S. Koeppel, ’51AE 

As a former sports editor of the Polytechnic Reporter, I would be remiss if I allowed to 

pass without comment two death notices in the Spring 2009 edition of Cable. Albert C. 

Cereghino ’48ChE and Harmon F. Hoffman ’54ChE were outstanding basketball stars. 

In 1947, when I was a freshman, I saw Cereghino in his final season at Poly. He had 

already established himself, along with Larry Gould, as half of an exciting backcourt duo 

known as the “Gold Dust Twins.” Poly had a winning record that year and even got to 

play Pratt Institute in the old Madison Square Garden on 8th Avenue. Cereghino and 

Gould were instrumental in Poly’s victory over their old arch rival. I wish I had seen more 

of both these men. 

Harmon Hoffman has to be considered the greatest player who ever laced up Poly 

basketball sneakers. He wasn’t tall and big by today’s standards for a primary forward, but 

he was a true super star by any measure. He could run and jump like a gazelle, suspend 

himself in mid-air, and score with deadly accuracy from anywhere on the court. He was 

strong and deceptive, and could drive with power and speed to the basket. He totaled 

well over 1,000 points, and I suspect that no Poly basketball player has since approached, 

let alone exceeded that record. (Had there been a 3-point basket rule during Hoffman’s 

college career, there’s no telling what his totals would have been.) 

During the ’50-’51 season, he led the team to a winning record and was among the 

highest small college scorers in the nation, holding first place for a time and finishing 

third. Early in 1951, Poly played higher-ranked Iona College at the Garden. The game 

showcased Hoffman and Iona’s star, Richie Guerin, who later became a New York 

Knickerbocker star. Poly didn’t win that game, but Hoffman dazzled the Garden crowd, 

scoring 27 points. 

In their time, both of these men—Cereghino and Hoffman—also dazzled Poly 

basketball fans lucky enough to see them play. 

Did you 

KNOW 

G.I. Jobs magazine has named 

NYU-Poly a Military Friendly 

School for 2010, placing our 

Institution among the top 15 

percent of all colleges, universities 

and trade schools nationwide. A 

complete listing will be published 

in the Guide to Military Friendly 

Schools in September 2009. 

Downtown Brooklyn has become a 

thriving center for higher education, 

according to the Brooklyn News 

Network. More than 57,000 students 

are enrolled in colleges and 

universities in the area. NYU-Poly 

leads the list which included NYC 

College of Technology, Brooklyn 

Law School, Long Island University, 

St. Francis College, Empire State 

College, St. Joseph's College 

and Pratt Institute. Students 

cited accessibility, reputation and 

resources as the top reasons for 

attending schools in the area. 



50 Years... and Counting 

On May 31, 2009 members of the Golden Jubilee Society, returned to “Brooklyn Poly” in 

celebration of their 50th reunion. Members of the society reconnected with friends and 

classmates and enjoyed a student-led campus tour. A special dedication was made to the 

Class of ‘59, the newest class to be inducted to the Jubilee society, during a luncheon with 

President Jerry Hultin and Christine Ianuzzi, president of the Polytechnic Alumni. 

Convocation 

September 1, 2009 

Undergraduate 

Convocation: 11 a.m. 

Graduate Convocation: 4 p.m 

Gymnasium 

Jacobs Academic Building 

MetroTech Campus 

NYU-Poly Alumni Day 

Saturday, 

October 3, 2009 

NYU Campus 

Fall Career Fair 

Wednesday, 


10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Gymnasium 

Jacobs Academic Building 

MetroTech Campus 

Promise Fund 2010 

Kickoff and Donor 

Recognition Event 

Tuesday, 


6:30 p.m. 

For more information on 

these and other events, visit 

www.poly.edu. 



Address service requested 

NONPROFIT ORG. 

U.S.POSTAGE 

PAID 

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PLAINFIELD, NJ

THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF NYU-POLY Summer 2009

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