Extraordinary Women in Science Extraordinary Women in Science

Spring 2007 Vol. 35 No. 3
The Alumni Magazine of Polytechnic University
Extraordinary
Women
in Science
On the Frontier of Green Chemistry | New Associate Provost and Dean of Arts and Sciences | Poly Alum Heads Xerox

contents
LETTER FROM THE ALUMNI PRESIDENT
cable
Jerry MacArthur Hultin
President
Susan Lestingi
Vice President, Marketing
and Communications
John F. Kelly
Managing Director of Communications
and Media Relations
Donald Ivanoff
Director of Alumni Relations
Michelle Kerr
Director of Communications
Cable Editor
Sarah Knepp
Contributing Writer
Michael Esguerra
Graphic Designer
Marian Goldman
Donald Ivanoff
John F. Kelly
Elena Olivo
Pricipal Photography
Polytechnic University is
an equal opportunity/affirmaive
action institution.
Cover photography:
Marian Goldman
Address editorial
correspondence to:
Michelle Kerr
Cable Editor
Office of Marketing and
Communications
Polytechnic University
Six MetroTech center
Brooklyn, NY 11201
or call (718) 260-3400.
Change of address:
Office of Alumni Relations
Polytechnic University
Six MetroTech center
Brooklyn, NY 11201
e-mail alumni@poly.edu,
or call (718) 260-3885.
Polytechnic website:
www.poly.edu
Letter from the
Alumni President...................................3
On the Cover
Debunking the Myth:
Poly’s Extraordinary Women in Science....................4
PolyThinking
Poly Professor Awarded $2,3 Million
DARPA Grant to Develop New Source
of Sustainable Energy ....................................................10
PolyNews
World-renowned Scholar Named
AssociateProvost................................................................ 11
Faculty Notes .....................................................................12
Poly in the News ............................................................. 13
CampusBuzz ................................................ 14
PolyGiving
Donor Snapshots .............................................................. 16
AlumniNews
Ursula Burns Named President of Xerox ................17
Donald M. Alstadt Dies ...................................................17
Class Notes......................................................................... 18
In Memoriam....................................................................... 19
Upcoming Events.............................................................20
Produced by Polytechnic Offices of Development, Alumni Relations
and Marketing and Communications.
Polytechnic does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed,
age, color, national origin, sex, disablity or marital status in the
administration of its educational policies, admissions policies,
scholarship or loan programs and athletic and other schooladministered
programs. Polytechnic University is a 501(c) (3)
charitable organization.
I
enjoyed serving as your president during
the last year and I am pleased to report
that the alumni staff and volunteers had a
number of noteworthy accomplishments
during the year.
First, the online communities of practice
went “live” in May. Many thanks to our alumni
relations staff who worked so diligently.
Alumni—whether national or international—
are now able to join one or more online
communities of practice where they discuss
topics of interest with fellow alums. The online
communities of practice provide an excellent
forum to establish business relationships and
to assist each other in solving engineering
problems. While the number of communities
might be small right now, there is no limit to the
number of specialized communities that we will
be able to support. Registration is simple. Visit
http://community.poly.edu and click the Log
In/Register button on the upper right. Once
you register, you can update your profile, sign
up for the alumni e-mail forwarding service,
learn about upcoming events and much more.
Take some time to explore the site and learn
about the many things you can do.
This year, we surpassed the amount raised
for our Polytechnic Fund in 2006 and increased
the number of first-time donors to the fund.
We also enlisted some of our alumni who are
accredited PDH providers to offer PDH courses
at discounted rates to Polytechnic alumni. We
will continue to offer these courses and inform
alums who hold a Professional Engineers (PE)
license of additional PDH courses as they
become available.
We are especially proud of the Polytechnic
Alumni Student Life Grant Program, which
provides the alumni association the ability to
directly support events, services and programs
of interest to students and to strengthen the
bonds between students and the association.
Some of the events that received support from
the program include the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) chapter’s planned participation
in The Formula SAE® competition in 2008.
The association also supported Poly’s chapter
of the American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE) in its quest to design and build a
concrete canoe for participation in ASCE’s
National Concrete Canoe Competition in June
2008, and to design and build a steel structure
for participation in the ASCE/AISC National
Student Steel Bridge Competition in May 2008.
The financial support and guidance offered
to these Polytechnic teams by our experienced
and knowledgeable alumni will provide them
with a competitive edge and the confidence
to succeed and make the entire Polytechnic
community proud of their achievements.
Three of our own received our association’s
highest award, the Distinguished Alumnus
Award. The recipients were New York State
Senator and Vice President Pro Tempore
Frank Padavan ’55EE; Michael R. Corey ’70IE,
managing director (retired), J.P. Morgan
Investment Management Inc.; and Astronaut
Charles Camarda ’74AE, who flew on NASA’s
first space flight, STS-114, following the loss of
Space Shuttle Columbia.
Finally, the Executive Council unanimously
voted to recognize the dedication and
contributions to our alma mater by Richard
Thorsen ’63 ’67ME, vice president for academic
affairs, by awarding him the association’s
Dedicated Alumnus Award. Richard has
attended numerous alumni meetings and events
throughout his long distinguished career at
Polytechnic, informing our members of the
successes realized at Poly and the strategic plans
in moving forward. His diligence and devotion to
the success of Polytechnic during his tenure as
professor and administrator have elevated our
alma mater’s status to new heights and brought
much-needed funds to our institution.
I thank you again for allowing me to serve
as your president and look forward to another
exciting year.
George Likourezos ’92 ’92
President, POLYTECHNI ALUMNI
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Debunking the Myth:
Poly’s Extraordinary Women Scientists
Professor Sofou and
her students in her
lab at Poly.
The assumption still seems to
linger in society that science
is a male-dominated field.
That is certainly not evident at
Polytechnic University, where
about half of the students in the
chemical engineering program
are women. The three women profiled here—a
professor conducting research on drug delivery
optimization, an alumna analyzing medical devices
for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
and an undergraduate studying and enhancing
biosensors—are all passionate about science, and
making great strides in their chosen fields. These
three women will likely inspire a whole new
generation of pioneering women scientists.
Stavroula Sofou, an assistant professor in
the Department of Chemical and Biological
Engineering, teaches and conducts research to
develop drug delivery vehicles for targeted cancer
therapy with students at the undergraduate,
graduate and post-graduate levels. “We’re looking
for a way to kill the tumor, not the patient,” she
says, noting that currently, cancer drugs kill good
cells as well as bad. Sofou and her students are
looking to improve a patient’s quality of life by
better targeting the cancer cells. In the lab, they
conduct all phases of research from design to preclinical
animal testing. In 2006, she received the
James D. Watson Investigator Award, a $200,000
grant to develop novel tunable liposomes for
improved delivery of chemotherapeutic agents.
The award funds part of her research, where
novel liposomes are tested on animals and her
mentoring program for high school students from
the School for Democracy and Leadership and
the Harlem Children Society. Students in the
program conduct research with Sofou for eight
weeks during the summer. This year, a teacher
will accompany the students, and also attend
Sofou’s drug delivery course in the fall, giving the
program a wider reach.
Sofou is currently Poly’s representative in the
Science Alliance, a partnership between New
York Academy of Sciences and various institutes
in the New York metropolitan area that sponsors
the academy membership for graduate and postgraduate
students.
One of her most recent achievements was
helping to establish the Center for Drug Delivery,
a collaborative effort between Poly and SUNY
Downstate Medical Center. The purpose of the
center, the first of its kind, is to bring together
experts in different scientific and medical
disciplines from all of the various institutes in New
York City.
When it comes to class time, Sofou is all about
getting out of the classroom and introducing lab
exercises to her students. She enjoys watching
young scientists apply their knowledge and make
connections that she had never thought of before.
“I think they are doing a lot more work, but they
By Molly K. McLaughlin
These three women will likely
inspire a whole new generation
of pioneering women scientists.
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Katherine Vorvolakos
don’t notice it, because they are actually having
fun,” she says. She especially loves the freedom that
an academic environment offers: taking an idea or
theory and immediately testing it out in the lab.
A native of Greece, she completed her
undergraduate degree in chemical engineering
at the National Technical University of Athens
in 1994. She continued her studies at Columbia
University and was subsequently a postdoctoral
fellow at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center. In 2006, she was one of only 23 researchers
in North America to be awarded the W. H. Coulter
Foundation, Early Career Award in Translational
Research, a $200,000 grant for assistant professors
in biomedical engineering departments.
After Katherine Vorvolakos ’95 earned her
undergraduate degree in chemical engineering
from Poly, she went on to earn a PhD in the
same discipline at Lehigh University. Her
dissertation focused on the adhesion and friction
of polymeric interfaces, the science which applies
to everything from contact lenses to automotive
tires. Katherine’s interest in science was fostered
early; her mother was a science teacher in the
NYC public school system, and she is a graduate
of Brooklyn Technical High School with a
concentration in chemistry.
After defending her thesis in 2003, Vorvolakos
taught chemistry and calculus at CUNY’s College
of Technology and LaGuardia College, respectively.
She was offered appointments at both schools, but
left to return to the laboratory, having accepted a
position with the Food and Drug Administration’s
Center for Devices and Radiological Health (FDA-
CDRH). The center is responsible for regulating
the marketing of medical devices, including, but
Debunking
the Myth
Katherine’s interest
in science was
fostered early;
her mother was a
science teacher
in the NYC public
school system, and
she is a graduate of
Brooklyn Technical
High School with
a concentration in
chemistry.
not limited to, pacemakers, dialysis machines,
prosthetic joints, breast implants, artificial
intraocular lenses, optical medical equipment and
contraceptive devices. Within CDRH, she holds
a dual appointment: in the Office of Device
Evaluation, she regulates medical devices by
critically reviewing safety and effectiveness data
provided by industry; in the Office of Science and
Engineering Laboratories, her regulatory work is
supported by laboratory science which attempts
to address individual and industry-wide medical
device issues. Her focus area is hydrogels and
elastomeric materials, both of which abound in
medical devices.
“I enjoy the broad industrial perspective I’m
offered at FDA, as opposed to working for a
single commercial company. Watching laboratory
science, clinical trial design, law, ethics and the
Cherry
Chen’s Long
Journey
to Academic
Success
It’s decision time for Cherry
Chen ’07 CBE!
Growing up in Tianjin, China,
Cherry Chen never dreamed
it would come down to this: a
Cherry Chen choice between Johns Hopkins
and Columbia University to
continue her postgraduate
education—an enviable position for a young lady who just a few years ago
spoke little English and had no idea where she would be attending college.
But college was a long way off when Chen, just 16-years-old, left her mother
in China and traveled halfway around the world to Queens, New York, in
search of an education. Living with her grandmother, Chen studied at John
Bowne High School, enrolled in after-school English classes and immersed
herself in a new culture. It was at Bowne that Chen had her first exposure
to Poly. “I met an admissions representative from Poly at an open house,”
she remembers. “I always knew I wanted to study engineering, so Poly was
of interest to me.” Learning that Poly was about to introduce a new degree
program in chemical and biological engineering, Chen did her homework
on the school and was convinced the University was right for her. In June,
she became a member of the first graduating class of Poly’s chemical and
biological engineering program.
Mary Cowman, director of Poly’s Othmer Institute for Interdisciplinary
Studies and associate professor of biochemistry, marvels at Chen’s
courage and stamina. “I predict Cherry will be a leader in her field,” she
says. “She is one of the top five to 10 students I have seen in 25 years at
Polytechnic. She has the brilliance we find in the very best students, but
also the fire of intellectual curiosity and a wonderful work ethic.” Jovan
Mijovic, head of the department, calls Chen a rare jewel. “She is very
bright, very energetic, enthusiastic and responsible,” Mijovic says. “She
has proven to be equally adept at experimental and computational work
and has been on the Dean’s List throughout her studies.”
Chen, a Promise Fund scholar, works in a local doctor’s office to
support herself and as a research assistant in the Department of Chemical
and Biological Engineering. This experience has her thinking about a
career in academia or pharmaceutical research. But for now it’s decision
time and Chen has decided to stay in New York City and pursue a joint
master’s/PhD program in chemical engineering at Columbia University.
“Poly gave me a solid foundation in chemical and biological engineering,”
Chen noted. “What I learned here will be invaluable as I move on to
graduate school and my professional life.
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“Working with
scientists
in different
disciplines...
really helped
prepare me
for future
collaborative
endeavors.”
human element come together to formulate critical
questions is very gratifying – I know my work
is worthwhile.” In 2005, she and her team, half
of whom are women, won the FDA Award for
Excellence in Review Science.
Jelena Culic-Viskota ’07, a chemical and
biological engineering major with a minor in
chemistry, participate in an interdisciplinary
research group at the MicroParticle Photo-Physics
Lab (MP3L). Led by Professor Stephen Arnold,
professor of physics and Professor Iwao Teraoka,
chemistry, the students—all from different
disciplines—are working on a whispering gallery
mode biosensor. Jelena is interested in the kinetics
study of adsorption and desorption of proteins on
the biosensor surface. Her project, the enhancement
of sensitivity of the optical sensor, had the overall
goal of making the sensor capable of detecting a
single viral particle. This would also make it the
most sensitive label-free biosensor. The students
completed the project in August and demonstrated
700 percent enhancement of sensitivity. Their paper
was subsequently published in the November issue
of Applied Physics Letters. “Working with scientists
Jelena Culic-Viskota
in different disciplines, such as physics and electrical
engineering, really helped prepare me for future
collaborative endeavors,” she says.
Culic-Viskota grew up in Croatia where she
frequently participated in science competitions.
She came to the U.S. after graduating high
school to attend Poly; she chose this school for
its small size, good reputation and, in particular,
its location. Her sister was already living in
New York City; Culic-Viskota just couldn’t pass
up the opportunities and experiences that this
cultural epicenter can offer. Besides her academic
achievements—she has made the Dean’s List
every year at Poly—Jelena was heavily involved in
extracurricular activities. In addition to founding
the International Student Organization, she
was vice president of academics for the Student
Council, co-captain of the volleyball team and
president of the National Engineering Society, Tau
Beta Pi, Rho chapter, and a member of the honor
society. In the fall, she plans to attend Caltech for
her PhD in Chemical Engineering and continue
her study of biosensors.
Carolyn King: It’s All in the Numbers
For Carolyn King, mathematics is the root of all engineering and computer science.
King, a lecturer of mathematics, is a trained engineer who earned a bachelor’s
in operations research from Columbia University’s School of Engineering and
Applied Science.
“My philosophy of teaching is to motivate students and instill confidence and
respect,” says King, who has taught at Poly for eight years. “I love young people,” she
adds, “they are creative, interesting and I see their genius.” Her students are obviously
enamored of King. She has been awarded two student activities Dedicated Faculty
Awards in 2002 and 2006. “I’ve created a student-centered learning environment in
which I serve as facilitator,” says King. “I learn a lot from my students.”
For the past five years, King has worked with Beverly Johnson, assistant dean of
undergraduate admissions and executive director of Poly’s Center for Youth in Engineering
and Science (YES Center) to develop the Summer Math Institute for high school students.
The growth in the program has been phenomenal; from six students in 2003 to 40 last year.
“There has been so much enthusiasm and interest in the program,” King notes, “that we are
planning to include a course for middle school students this summer.”
Carolyn King
At the end of the day, King is fond of saying, “I ask my students have you done your
best? That is what is expected. Poly is training you to be professionals.”
Debunking the Myth
Jin Kim Montclare
Jin Kim Montclare:
Researcher, Teacher, Mentor
By any standard, Jin Kim Montclare is a rising star in
the field of protein engineering and enjoys a unique
rapport with her students. Montclare, assistant
professor, chemical and biological sciences, has been at
Poly only two years, but has already made a major impact
on the University. Natalya Voloshchuk, a post-doctoral
student, lauds Montclare’s enthusiasm and love of her work.
“Professor Montclare inspires me to continue my scientific
work,” she says. “She is an excellent teacher.”
Montclare recently returned from Japan where she was
an invited speaker at the 2007 International Young Scientists
Seminar at Nagoya Institute of Technology. Earlier this year
she received a $300,000 grant from The Air Force Office of
Scientific Research. The award is part of the Air Force’s new
Young Investigator Research Program. In addition, she was the 2006 recipient of the Wechsler Award for Excellence. The award is
given every two years to recognize and support excellence in research among Poly faculty in the early stages of their career.
Montclare, who holds a master’s and PhD in bioorganic chemistry from Yale University, organized with the support of the
New York Academy of Sciences the recent Advances in Biomolecular Engineering: Protein Design Symposium. The event drew
researchers from across the country to Poly’s MetroTech campus.
“We are extremely fortunate to attract Jin to Poly,” says Bruce Garetz, head of the Department of Chemical and Biological Science.
“We are all impressed with her amazing energy and deep commitment to her students.”
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PolyThinking
PolyNews
Poly Professor on the Frontier of Green
Chemistry; Awarded $2.3 Million DARPA Grant
to Develop New Source of Sustainable Energy
World-renowned Scholar Named Associate
Provost for Research and Technology
Initiatives and Dean of Sciences and Arts
Professor
Richard Gross
Standing on the vanguard of the green
chemistry movement, Professor Richard
Gross ’86Chem, a pioneer in the
development of biodegradable polymers,
has bioengineered a revolutionary fuel-latent plastic
that can be converted into biodiesel. The Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
has awarded Gross and the research team $2.34
million to advance this innovative technology and
transfer it to industry. The commercialization of
the technology will lead to a new source of green
energy for households worldwide.
Gross, the Herman F. Mark Professor of
Polymer Science and the director of Poly’s National
Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Biocatalysis
and Bioprocessing of Macromolecules, developed
the new bioplastic using vegetable oils. He
also partnered with DNA 2.0, a biotechnology
company specializing in gene synthesis, to develop
enzymes that can both synthesize and breakdown
the fuel-latent plastic into biodiesel after its used.
“We showed DARPA that we could make a
new plastic from plant oils that has remarkable
properties, which includes being tougher and more
durable than typical polyethylenes,” Gross said. In
addition, the bioplastic can be placed in a simple
container where it is safely broken down to liquid
fuel. “One day, I believe our plastic will be used
in a variety of household product applications and
then put out with recyclables in a bin called plastic
fuel,” Gross explained. “ It will then be brought to
a central facility for simple conversion to biodiesel.
This will be a bio-friendly second use for plastics
derived from vegetable oils.”
“Poly has a long history of innovation, and
we are confident Professor Gross’ research will
revolutionize how we produce and consume
biofuels,” noted President Jerry M. Hultin.
“Gassing up at the pump could be part of the past
thanks to the possibility of this research.”
The process of converting biogengineered
fuel-latent plastics into biodiesel is of interest
to DARPA since the U.S. military can use this
technology on the frontlines. “Military units
generate substantial quantities of packaging waste
when engaging in stationary field operations. If we
can turn this waste into fuel, we will see a double
benefit — we will reduce the amount of waste
that we have to remove, and we will reduce the
amount of new fuel that we must deliver to the
units,” explained Khine Latt, program manager for
DARPA’s Mobile Integrated Sustainable Energy
Recovery program.
The next phase of the research will entail
developing a more efficient low-cost process for
both manufacturing the bioplastic and converting
it into biodiesel. The generation of biodiesel from
waste-plastic is an important step in developing
green technologies and reducing waste.
As society struggles to find a balance between
maintaining a high quality of life and protecting
the world’s fragile ecology, Gross, a winner of the
Presidential Green Chemistry Award, is devising
new methods for exploring chemical routes that
are safe and based on natural processes. “Polymers
have become a necessary and intrinsic part of the
modern world, he says. “And yet there have been
serious environmental costs and drawbacks. Our
goal is to help achieve a ‘green’ revolution in the
production and use of polymer materials.”
Kurt Becker, a world-renowned scholar in
atomic, molecular and plasma physics,
has joined Poly as associate provost
for research and technology initiatives
and dean of sciences and arts. Born and educated
in Germany, Becker is a fellow of the American
Physical Society and has worked extensively on
experimental and theoretical studies of electrondriven
processes and low-temperature plasmas. He
has published more than 180 peer-reviewed articles
and edited or co-edited seven books.
“I am pleased to join Poly and again have the
opportunity to work with (President) Jerry Hultin
and (Provost) Erich Kunhardt with whom I have
collaborated closely over the past 10 years,” said
Becker. “We share a common vision of what a
small technological university in the 21st century
should look like as well as the conviction that Poly
is the ideal place to put this model into practice.”
Becker has held tenured faculty positions
at Lehigh University, The City College of New
York and, most recently, Stevens Institute of
Technology where he was head of the Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics and also
associate director of the Center of Environmental
Systems, a joint center between the schools of
engineering and science.
“I hope to make key contributions to the
transformation of Poly from an ‘engineering school’
to a leading technological university,” noted Becker,
“by assisting the faculty in developing a research
focus that supports the three pillars of the University’s
strategic plan.” His goal is to help the faculty
form communities of researchers with collective
interests that cut across traditional department lines
and boundaries between science, engineering and
management and to identify and tap into new sources
of research funding that will help support the work of
the Poly faculty and students.
Becker’s research has been funded by the
National Science Foundation, the Department
of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency among others, and he
has served on numerous review panels for federal
funding agencies. He holds seven patents on the
generation and maintenance of atmosphericpressure
plasmas and their application; six of the
patents are joint patents with Kunhardt. In 2001,
Becker and Kunhardt were co-recipients of the
Thomas A. Edison Patent Award of the Research
and Development Council of New Jersey. He was
recently awarded the title Honorary Professor
at the Leopold-Franzens University (LFU) in
Innsbruck, Austria. LFU Innsbruck is one of the
top three universities in Austria and was recently
ranked among the top 200 universities worldwide.
Becker is convinced that the “quantum leap”
that is necessary to create a distinctive educational
environment that nurtures all expression of
creativity by the members of the various university
constituencies can best be achieved in a small
private institution that already values the creation
of technologies and has a rich history of producing
technological breakthroughs. “That’s Poly,” he
declares.
“I hope to make
key contributions to
the transformation
of Poly from
an ‘engineering
school’ to a leading
technological
university.”
Dr. Becker, second from the left, was awarded
the title of honorary professor at the Leopold-
Franzens University in Innsbruck, Austria.
Joining Becker, from left are, Vice-Rector
Tilmann Mark, Vice-Rector Martin Wieser,
Rector Manfried Gantner, Vice-Rector
Margret Friedrich, Dr. Gioachino Fraenkel-
Haeberle and Professor Olof Echt.
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PolyNews
PolyNews
Faculty
Notes
Poly in theNews
Polytechnic University was featured in more than 500 media outlets and 600 press
placements during January through May. This includes local, national and international
newspapers and magazines, local and national radio, television and the Internet.
Photos above: from left,
George Bugliarello, Keith
Ross, Eli Pearce
George Bugliarello, president emeritus and
university professor, delivered the keynote address,
“Urban Sustainability: the Engineering Challenges,”
at the Florida A&M University-Florida State
University Industry Day. He has also been reelected
foreign secretary of the National Academy
of Engineering for a second four-year term.
Elza Erkip, associate professor, electrical and
computer engineering, received an NSF grant to
research Joint Source and Channel Coding for
Wireless Networks.
Monika Ludwig, professor, mathematics, published
“Intersection Bodies and Valuations” in American
Journal of Mathematics; “A Characterization of Lp
Intersection Bodies” with C. Haberl, in International
Mathematical Research Notices; “Elementary Moves
on Triangulations, Discrete and Computational
Geometry” with M. Reitzner; “Valuations in Affine
Geometry of Convex Bodies”; “Proccedings of the
Conference on Integral Geometry and Convexity,”
World Scientific; “Approximation of the Euclidean
Ball by Polytopes” with C. Schutt and E. Wener in
Studia Mathematica.
Erwin Lutwak ’68 ’72 ’74MA, department
head and professor, mathematics, Deane Yang,
professor of mathematics and Gaoyong Zhang,
professor of mathematics, co-authored “Optimal
Sobolev Norms and Lp Minkowski Problem” in
International Mathematical Research Notices.
Eli Pearce ’58Chem, university research professor,
was voted an honorary member of the Accademia
Gioenia di Catania.
Keith Ross, the Leonard J. Shustek Chair in
Computer Science, has been named an IEEE
fellow.
Torsten Suel associate professor, computer
and information science, will be the principal
investigator for the Center for Technology in
Telecommunications for a year-long Mater
Relationship Agreement with JMP Global Inc.
to provide engineering services and research in
the areas of search engines, data and information
extraction and natural language processing. These
technologies will support the BarterQuest website,
which facilitates the cashless exchange of goods
between individuals.
Deane Yang, professor, mathematics, critiqued
the article “Manifest Destiny,” which recounted
recent events surrounding proof of the Poincare
conjecture, in a letter published in The New Yorker.
He also delivered a lecture on “Optimal Sobolev
Norms” at Indiana University at Bloomington and
the University of Pennsylvania.
Yisong Yang, professor, mathematics, published
“Energy Splitting, Substantial Inequality and
Minimization for the Faddeev Model and Skyrme
Model” with F. H. Lin, and “Moduli Space of
BPS Walls in Supersymmetric Gauge Theories”
with N. Sakai in Communications in Mathematical
Physics; and “Static Knot Energy, Hopf Charge
and Universal Growth Law” with F.H. Lin in
Nuclear Physics.
Richard Gross ’86Chem, the Herman F. Mark
Professor of Polymer Science and the director of Poly’s
National Science Foundation Center for Biocatalysis
and Bioprocessing of Macromolecules, was featured
in top national and international print publications
and top ranked radio stations, including The New
York Times, International Herald Tribune, The
Boston Globe, the front page of the Brooklyn Daily
Eagle, Bloomberg Radio and Public Radio International
regarding his research and $2.3 million grant from
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA) to develop a new source of sustainable
energy. See page 10 for the complete story.
John C. Falcocchio ’60 ’72CE, executive director
of Poly’s Urban Intelligent Transportation Systems
Center, authored an Op-Ed article in The New
York Sun, one of New York City’s major dailies,
discussing proposals for “congestion pricing” in
Manhattan to reduce traffic.
United Press International reported on the National
Science Foundation funded research of José
Pinto, associate professor of chemical and biological
engineering, and his research partners in developing
a simple water purification technique that can
eliminate 100 percent of the microbes in New
Orleans water samples left from Hurricane Katrina.
NY 1 Television News interviewed Nina Ziv,
academic director of Poly’s Institute for Technology
and Enterprise, at the conference Silicon Alley 2.0:
Its Emerging Shape, Impact and Future Directions.
The conference was sponsored by The Partnership
for New York City and Polytechnic University.
The report was syndicated to Time Warner stations
across the country. NY 1 also reported on the
Future City Competition sponsored by Poly.
The appointment of Erich Kunhardt ’76EL as
provost and chief academic officer was reported in
The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Long Island-based Canvas Magazine featured
Polytechnic’s e-learning programs in a story
about how eco-friendly e-learning makes the
grade in academia.
Polytechnic was featured in more
than 500 media outlets and 600 press
placements during January through
July. Visit www.poly. edu/press to
learn more.
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn’s only major
daily newspaper, reported on the new Starbucks’
opening on Poly’s MetroTech campus. The
paper also noted the Poly student art contest that
highlighted the innovation and creative energy
of Polytechnic. The winning art work hangs in
Starbucks.
Online Degrees Magazine featured JeanCarlo
Bonilla ’04EE, director of graduate studies, in an
article about compensation and job growth over
the past three years. The article was featured on
more than 30 Internet sites, including MSN and
EyewitnessNewstv.com.
12 cable spring 2007 cable spring 2007 13

CampusBuzz
Levy Receives
Honorary Degree
Stephen Levy received
an honorary Doctor of
Engineering during an
alumni reception in La Jolla
Calif. Levy attended Poly
in the 1940s, but left to
pursue work opportunities.
His stellar career has seen
him move through the
executive ranks at Motorola
to become a senior vice
president and a member of
the company’s board.
(Top left) Johnson Is Extraordinary!
Beverly Johnson, assistant dean of undergraduate
admissions and executive director of Poly’s YES
Center, was named one of Brooklyn’s “Extraordinary
Women” by Kings County District Attorney Charles
J. Hynes. Brooklyn’s extraordinary unsung heroes
were showcased with the unveiling of a huge calendar
featuring their pictures in the lobby of the district
attorney’s office celebrating Women’s History Month
in March.
(Top right) First Lego League Competition
Two youngsters enjoy the activities of the First Lego
League, a table-top robotics competition for middle
school students. Poly students and alums served as
referees, judges and mentors for this annual event.
Each year, Polytechnic University collaborates
with FIRST to organize and conduct a citywide
competition which now brings together several
hundred middle schoolers. The 2007 New York City
FIRST Lego League Tournaments are a product of
New York City/New Jersey FIRST, based at the David
Packard Center of Polytechnic University and at the
New Jersey Institute of Technology.
(Middle right) Promise Fund Induction
Cherry Chen ’07, Jaclyn LoBello ’07 and Pavel
Borodulin ’07 were among the Promise Fund
scholars who pledged their commitment to
academic excellence at a special Promise Fund
Induction Ceremony in the Pfizer Auditorium.
(Bottom right) Henry Bertoni Dedicates
A Room in Othmer Hall
Henry Bertoni’62EE ’68EL, former head of
the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, and his wife, Helene Ebenstein
dedicated a room in their name in the Othmer
Residence Hall.
(Right) VA Tech Vigil
Members of the Poly community,
including President Jerry
Hultin attended a candlelight
vigil in front of Wunsch Hall on
April 23 to remember those
who died on the Virginia Tech
campus earlier in the week.
(Top) Starbucks Comes to MetroTech
President Hultin serves up a piping hot cup o’ joe to Ardis Kadiu,
the first place winner in the “Innovation Meets Art” contest, at
the grand opening of Starbucks on the MetroTech campus.
(Left) Silicon Alley
President Hultin joined by industry experts, government
officials, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and representatives
from large and small technology firms at a special forum, Silicon
Alley 2.0: Emerging Shape, Impact and Future Directions. The
forum, sponsored by Poly and the Partnership for New York
City focused on issues confronting the New York technology
community. Joining the president, from left, is Robert Lieber,
president, New York City Economic Development Corporation;
Kathryn S. Wylde, president and CEO. Partnership for New York
City; Victor F. Ganzi, president and CEO, Hearst Corporation;
and Lloyd P. Trufelman, president and CEO, Trylon SMR.
14 cable spring 2007
cable spring 2007
15

PolyGiving
AlumniNews
$100 Poly Fund
$200 Gymnasium Fund
$300 Matching Gift
Bequests in 2007
David Dibner
Ruth Finley Ramus
Adeline S. Hinden
Camillo A. Orso ’47
Karen E. Peck
Jenny R. Proskauer
Norma Rancken Cossey ’48
Bernard Salzberg ’29 ’33 ’41
New Members of the
Samuel B. Duryea Society
Semon P. Vincent ’51
Robert A. Bennett ’55
Erwin L. Schaub ’56
Donor and Scholar Snapshots
Claudia (Tom) Matteo ’99CS
Project Manager
IBM Global Technology Services
“I was awarded a full
scholarship by the
Polytechnic Board of
Trustees. I felt obligated to
return the favor. I remained
active by helping to
establish a women’s athletics
program and by serving on
the International Alumni
Board of Directors. I realized that I would not be
where I am if it were not for the generosity of the
University and it alumni. That realization evoked
a desire to give not only financially, but through
service as well. I have adopted the concept of
altruism and hope that my contributions will help
generations of future students.”
Andrew Jarcho ’08CS
Lemelson Scholarship
“Without the generous
support of the scholarship
established by Mrs.
Dorothy Lemelson in
honor of her late husband
Jerome, I could not have
attended Polytechnic
University. At Poly I
have received the tools
to make a better life for myself and my family,
and perhaps to contribute in some small way to
making the world a better place. I am determined
to make the investment Mrs. Lemelson and Poly
have made in me pay the kind of dividends I feel
both deserve.”
Bequests to Poly Top the Million-Dollar Mark
During 2007 fiscal year, Polytechnic received
bequests from alumni and friends of the
University totaling $1,056,057. We honor their
memory and recognize those who generously
supported Poly in their estate plans.
There are many ways to include Poly in your
will and estate planning. Some prefer to name a
specific dollar amount for their bequest which can
be used as an unrestricted gift that can be applied
to meet the University’s highest priority at the time
the gift is received. However, others may prefer
to specify a purpose for the gift. (In the case of
the endowed scholarship, we ask for a minimum
of $100,000.) Before you decide on the kind of
bequest you will make—unrestricted or restricted—
please contact Thomas Daly, director of planned
giving and development operations, to discuss your
intentions and ensure that your purpose is reflected
in your gift. His e-mail address and telephone
number appear at the end of this article.
Your bequest is a personal statement that
expresses your commitment to loved ones as well
as worthy charitable institutions. Please be sure to
seek the counsel of a competent estate attorney.
According to federal law, gifts to qualified
charitable organizations are tax deductible. In
the case of married couples, both individuals
should have a will. In order to be eligible for the
unlimited marital deduction, trusts should be used
within a will to maximize the transfer of assets and
minimize tax liability.
If additional assets remain in your estate
after naming family and friends, you may want
to consider supporting a charitable organization
with a residual bequest. Another option is to
specify that a percentage of your estate be given
to a charitable organization. This is particularly
useful when the donor is unsure of the growth of
the estate over time.
Several individuals have informed the
University of their intended bequest to Poly and
are the newest members of the Samuel B. Duryea
Society. We thank them for their generosity.
If you would like to join the Samuel B. Duryea
Society or have questions about your bequest,
please give Thomas Daly, director of planned
giving/development operations a call at (718) 260-
3364 or e-mail him at tdaly@poly.edu.
Ursula Burns Named President
of Xerox Corporation
Poly alumna Ursula Burns ’80ME began her
career at Xerox in 1980 as a mechanical
engineering summer intern. Now, 27 years
later, she is president of the $16 billion company.
She succeeds current Xerox Chairman and CEO
Anne M. Mulcahy, who praised Burns and
attributed her unprecedented rise in the executive
ranks to her ability as a visionary strategist.
“Xerox today offers the broadest portfolio of
document management systems and software in
our industry and in our history,” said Mulcahy.
“That progress happened on Ursula’s watch as she
drove a technology strategy that launched more
than 100 products in the last three years. “
Burns grew up on Manhattan’s lower East Side
with her mother and two siblings. After being
accepted to seven universities, including Poly,
Princeton and Columbia, she chose Polytechnic
because of the full-tuition scholarship offered
through the New York State-funded Higher
Education Opportunity Program (HEOP.)
About her time at Poly, Burns says,
“Polytechnic was academically tough but
nurturing. Classes were small and taught by
professors who were always there to help. It was
the ideal environment for me.” She secured her
internship at Xerox while a senior at Poly, and after
graduating with a master’s degree in mechanical
engineering from Columbia, she went to work for
Xerox full time.
Burns began her career at Xerox in engineering
operations and quickly moved up the ladder to
senior management. For the past five years, she has
been president of Business Group Operations, in
charge of global research, engineering, marketing
and manufacturing of Xerox technology and
supplies. Her meteoric rise caught the attention of
Fortune magazine, who last year named her one of
its 12 rising stars, and the Wall Street Journal, who
put her at No. 16 on its list of 50 women to watch.
Burns serves on several professional and
community boards, including American Express
and Boston Scientific Corp., and she is an advisory
trustee for Polytechnic University.
Donald Martin Alstadt, Noted Chemist, Inventor
and Industrialist Dies
Donald M. Alstadt, former trustee of the University and noted chemist, inventor, and industrialist
died on February 24, 2007. Alstadt made tremendous contributions to science and to the many
organizations and institutions he served. He is survived by his wife, Judith and daughter, Karen.
Alstadt graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1947 with a degree in physics and held
honorary degrees from Thiel College and Allegheny College. In 2000, he retired as chairman of the
Lord Corporation, after spending almost 40 years with the company.
Throughout his career, he contributed numerous articles to professional journals and won
several awards, including the University Medal from Pennsylvania State University, the Distinguished
Service Award from the School of Engineering at Duke University, and the Herman F. Mark
Technology Award from Polytechnic University.
He was a fellow at the American Institute of Chemists and a member of the American Physical Society, American Chemical
Society, Faraday Society of Engineers, Electrochemical Society, Chemists Club New York, New York Academy of Sciences,
Institute of Management Science, American Security Council and the Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering.
He served on the boards of many institutions, including Polytechnic University, Kolff Foundation, Hamot Medical Center and
Rose Polytechnic Institute. He served on the advisory boards at the Center for Advanced Engineering Study at MIT, the Mellon
Institute of Research and the Case Western Reserve University School of Management. He was also a director of the Lord
Foundation. In 2005, he and his wife established the Donald and Judith Alstadt Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Research
at Mercyhurst College.
16 cable spring 2007 cable spring 2007 17

AlumniNews
AlumniNews
Class Notes
40s
50s
Charles Ledwith ’44EE enjoys retirement
in Burlingame, Calif.
Jack C. Greene ’47 ’50EE authored a
book of haiku titled, “The Open Gate.”
John P. Schaefer ’55Chem was
awarded the University of Arizona’s Lifetime
Achievement Award. He was president of
the university from 1971 to 1982.
Ronald H. Berlind ’57CE retired from
Amoco Oil. He owns tour operator company,
High Alpine Adventours, specializing
in group excursions in the Swiss Alps.
60s
Arthur C. Martinez ’60ME is lead
director of ABN Amro and has been featured
in the press regarding the company’s
merger discussions.
Richard E. Sorensen ’64EE, the dean
of Virginia Tech’s Paplin College of Business,
has been appointed to the advisory
panel of the Government Accountability
Office (GOA).
Arthur J. Epstein ’66PH was awarded
the James C. McGroddy Prize for New
Materials by the American Physical Society
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
ChemE
Chem
CE
CpE
CS
EE
ME
MG
MT
OR
PH
SS
TIM
TrM
Aerospace Engineering
Bio-Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Computer
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Management
Metallurgical Engineering
Operations Research
Physics
Social Sciences
Telecommunications & Information
Management
Transportation Management
Class years are determined by the year the Office of the Registrar certifies
the granting of the degree. Alumni receiving multiple degrees from
Polytechnic are listed under the first graduating degree only.
for his discovery and pioneering work on
organic-based magnets.
John M. Trani ’66AE ’69MG ’70OR has
been elected to the board of directors of Allied
Waste Industries.
Mel Weinzimer ’67EE retired after 38
years with the Raytheon Company. He and
his wife, Barbara, just became grandparents.
Carl Pilcher ’68Chem is director of the
NASA Astrobiology Institute, based at the
Ames Research Center. He is credited with
discovering weather on Neptune and is a
recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Achievement
Medal.
Elliot Y. Merkin ’68EE founded Computer
Advisory Services Inc. in Union NJ
28 years ago. The company is a value-added
reseller dealing with small businesses and
specializing in alpha software databases.
Joseph A. Salgado ’68SS retired from
American Airlines where he was senior analyst
for capacity planning.
Robert Franco ’69MT is a technical
advisor in materials and corrosion engineering
at ExxonMobil Production Co. and has
worked in Alaska, Kazakhstan, Indonesia
and Africa.
70s 80s
Bernard DeMarinis ’71EE was awarded
the Bronze Order of Merit from the Signal
Corps Regimental Association.
Anthony Ingraffea’71CE, the Dwight
C. Baum Professor of Engineering and
director of the Cornell Fracture Group at
Cornell University, won the ATSM International
George R. Irwin Medal. The award.
is given by the ASTM Committee E08 on
Fatigue and Fracture, honors Ingraffea’s
outstanding, pioneering contributions to
the advanced computational simulation of
fatigue and fracture processes and the resulting
improved understanding necessary for
practical applications of fracture mechanics
to the assessment of engineering structures.
Joseph B. Milstein ’71Chem is a patent
attorney for Hiscock & Barclay LLP in
the Boston area. He was formerly an associate
professor of electrical engineering at
UMass–Lowell.
Bruce Brandt ’72CE retired from Key-
Span Energy after 26 years where he served
as director of facilities design and construction.
He is currently principal engineer at
Emerald Power Corp., a renewable energy
project developer.
Vito Angelo Guido’72CE, professor of
civil engineering at The Cooper Union for
the Advancement of Science and Art, has
been named a fellow of the ASCE.
Harry A. Capers Jr. ’74 ’77CE was
honored by the Professional Engineers
Society of Mercer County, NJ as the
Engineer of the Year. He is a corporate
bridge engineer for Arora and Associates.
Wen C. Ko ’74EL retired after working
in the semiconductor industry for over 30
years, including founding and selling two
small startups. He is enjoying reading, writing,
golfing and investing. He would like
to contact and chat with classmates
wen_c_ko@yahoo.com.
Michael H. Schwartz ’76 ’76ChemE is
senior vice president at Duke Energy Generation
Systems.
Robert Radske ’77 ’83CE is a senior
associate at Mueser Rutledge Consulting
Engineers where he specializes in foundation
waterproofing and leakage problems.
Curtis Brunson ’80CS is senior vice
president for corporate strategy and development
for L-3 Communications.
Thomas Fredricks ’81CE is an associate
at Dewberry in New York. He is assistant
director for transportation projects.
Richard Hackman ’83EE has been
named the chief technology development
officer for the New York Power Authority.
Ketan Trivedi ’85CE is a senior
associate at Mueser Rutledge Consulting
Engineers where he specializes in the design
and securing of agency approvals for earth
retaining systems.
Robert Gohn ’87EE joined the Ember
Corp. as vice president for marketing.
Eileen Kraemer ’87CS is a professor
of computer science at the University of
Georgia.
Arthur A. Reyes ’87AE is a senior
lecturer and undergraduate advisor with
the Department of Computer Science and
Engineering at University of Texas at Arlington,
where he has worked since 1999. He
is an advisor for the Autonomous Vehicles
Laboratory. He is married to Colette Nicolas
Reyes ’89ChemE and the have two
daughters, Naomi and Gabrielle.
Virginia P. Ruesterholz ’88TIM was
elected to the board of trustees of the Stevens
Institute of Technology. She is president
of Verizon Telecom.
John F. Vodopia ’88EE/CpE has joined
00s
Vincent Kemler ’00 ’05EE is working
90s
Paul E. Haering ’92EE is the assistant vice
the law firm of Scully, Scott, Murphy and
Presser PC as an associate. He has his JD
degree from the New York Law School.
president of engineering and environmental
services for the Central Hudson Gas & Electric
Corp. He was the firm’s 2006 Manager of
the Year for championing electric infrastructure
investments, vegetation management and
other electric service improvements.
Robert C. Fitton ’93EE is employed by
Motorola and runs a technical sales operations
team. He and his wife, Concetta, had
a second child in February.
In Memoriam
Jack Holzman ’33
W. Fred Schurig ’33 ’46
Jerry J. Sherwood ’36
Samuel Aidlin ’37
Robert R. White ’37
Frederick A. Menes ’38
Herman W. Ernst ’39
Paul Becher ’40 ’42 ’49
Martin Kane ’40
David Aronson ’44
Robert Henry Witt ’46 ‘48
George E. Gyongya ’47
Camillo A. Orso ’47
Jacob I. Bregman ’48 ’51
Nathan Weston ’48 ’49
Ralph Husack ’49
Charles N. La Rosa ’49
John W. Margosian ’49
Arnold O. Moelk ’49
Robert G. Fraser ’50
Henry C. Gunst ’50
Frederick W. Schneider ’50
Lawrence Paley ’51
Arthur Narins ’52
Norman H. Mehr ’54 ’70
James M. Field ’56 ’59
Jan L. Leviton ’56
Marvin L. Mausner ’56
Meyer Meyers ’56
Francis T. Boesch ’57 ’60 ’63
Kiriakos Kiriakidis ’93 ’96ME has
been named Professor of Weapons and System
Engineering at the United States Naval
Academy in Annapolis, MD.
Charles C. Palmer ’94CS is the director
of Dartmouth University’s Institute for Information
Infrastructure Protection.
Oded Horodniceanu ’95 ’98CE married
Katherine Orff in March. He is vice
president for construction services at the
Urbitran Group in Manhattan.
for Qualcomm in San Diego, Calif., as an
engineering in corporate research and development.
Nicholas Di Domenico ’01ME ’05MG
is a pharmaceutical engineer at Roche in
Nutley, NJ.
Yonah Wolf ’01CS is assistant director
for IT application development for the
United Jewish Communities.
Julio A. Williams ’02CE is an engineer
at Bohler Engineering in Ronkonkoma, NY.
Harriett M. Lewis ’03TrM is a transportation
analyst for the New York State
Department of Transportation.
Puneet Karnawat ’05CpE is a software
engineer for Source Media Inc.
Eric G.A. Eriksson ’57
Morris N. Fialkow ’57
Allan E. Kornbluth ’57
John Z. Szulczynski ’58
Gerhart Weiss ’58
Martin L. Amsl ’59
Nicholas M. D’Aiello ’59
Harold Jacobson ’59
Jaroslav “Jerry” Soukup ’60
Richard Sasiela ’61 ’62 ’67
Dimitri Kirichok ’62
Rita Toby Dym ‘64
Victor Bobetsky—Faculty
Bruce C. Gilman ’60AE was
named president of the Marine
Technology Society (MTS)
on January 1. Gilman is a consultant
to the offshore industry, providing
technical and business management
services. For 45 years, Gilman has
worked in the marine and offshore
industries with particular emphasis on
engineering, operations and business
management.
After earning a degree in
aeronautical engineering from
Polytechnic University he began
his career as a diving officer
in the U.S. Army and later as a
commanding officer of a U.S. Army
Port Construction Unit. He has held
senior executive positions in the
offshore industry, including president
of Ocean Systems Inc., Perry
Offshore Inc., Sonat Subsea Services
Inc., which he founded, and Sonsub
Inc., where he served as president,
CEO and director.
In addition to being a fellow of
the MTS, Gilman is a director on the
board of the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Institute and serves as chairman of the
board of Deep Marine Technology Inc.
The MTS is an international,
professional organization comprised
of ocean technologists, engineers,
scientists, business leaders and
educators.
18 cable spring 2007 cable spring 2007 19

Art and Innovation: PolyThinking on the Right Side of the Brain
The winners of the “Innovation Meets Art “ contest are joined by President Hultin, second from the right, and store
manager Jeff Ferdinand, right, at the grand opening of theStarbucks on MetroTech campus. Winners received cash
prizes and a Starbucks gift card. Winners, from left, are Siris Singh, Ardis Kadiu, Lan Xu and Schivilla Laland.
Upcoming
Events
Northern California Alumni Picnic
Saturday, August 4, 2007
12 - 3 p.m.
Los Altos Hills, CA
Big Apple Summer Social
Thursday, August 8, 2007
6 - 8 p.m.
New York, NY
For information on events listed here, visit www.poly.edu/alumni “Events.”
Six MetroTech Center
Broolyn, NY 11201
Adress service requested
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S.POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 172
PLAINFIELD, NJ