Table of Contents
Nominees for Alumni Trustee
Meet The Candidates Night
Alumni News
In Memoriam
Upcoming Events
CUAA Development Meeting
Cooper Union’s Harvest Feast
Photo-Poetics: An Anthology
Closing Party for OPEN CITY: EXISTENTIAL URBANITY
Turkey Trot & Turkey Roast
CUAA Holiday Party
Reunion Weekend
Pioneer Stories
Nominees for Alumni Trustee
Click on alumni picture for biographical information and statement
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Anders Abraham AR’91
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Cristina Aguirre-Ross AR’81
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Cristina Aguirre-Ross is a graduate of the Architecture school, practicing architect and published author that has servedon many not for profit boards, municipal commissions and committees, and has extensive fundraising experience. She is committed to th e highest levels of professional excellence and personal integrity.
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She is the founder and CEO of Corporate Facilities Consultants, an architectural firm. Cristina is a team leader, results oriented and an entrepreneurial strategic planner with robust management – organizational skills and fundraising proficiency.
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Cristina lives in New Canaan, Connecticut with her husband Martin Ross (EE’79) and their three daughters.
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Susan Berman AR’80
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I am a strategist and big-picture thinker
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I like to find unconventional, creative solutions to problems
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I am passionate about Cooper Union’s rich history and unique place in higher education
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Ling-Wei Chang EE’82
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Astute business executive who finds ways to overcome challenges and get things done
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Focus on accomplishing missions that matter
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Open-minded, adaptive, and persevering
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Dr. George L. De Feis CE’82
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Balanced Demeanor: I will weigh all sides to determine to best way forward for Cooper, knowing Cooper’s ultimate wish (tuition-free);
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Personal Integrity: I value integrity in people the utmost, and they will find integrity in me;
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Never Arrogant: Someone once said: “With malice toward none, and charity for all” (Lincoln 1865).
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Jack Freeman AR’69
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Over 30 years of professional experience providing a wide range of services including economic development, business planning, finance and project management.
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Extensive experience with non-profit organizations including Board and Committee level relationships.
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I welcome the opportunity to return the benefits that Cooper has enabled me to obtain.
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Mina Greenstein A’56
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I consider myself to be a realistic yet independent person who can work in and with committees for a desired goal.
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Dr. James Haywood Rolling Jr. A’88
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I am committed to both the principles and efficacy of collaborative, creative problem-solving.
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I am a swift learner, an attentive listener, and a transparent, succinct communicator.
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I am indebted to The Cooper Union for shaping my career path, and I am eager to pay it forward
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Aftab Hussain ME’97
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I love Cooper and want to help make it free again – and I want to bring our community back together around this shared vision.
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I have unique experience guiding large companies and universities (including Rutgers) through these types of challenges
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I promise to bring my expertise, energy and commitment to open communication and transparency
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Adrian Jovanovic BSE’89
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Co-founder and President of Committee to Save Cooper Union; in-depth understanding of current situation.
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Strong advocate for a Cooper Union living within its means and a vigorous effort to return to free tuition.
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Former manager at Microsoft Corp., Founder and President of eMedia Music Corp., for 20 years a leading music education software publisher and national distributor of music software and related products.
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Jennifer Lee AR’97
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Jennifer Lee is a licensed architect, Principal & Co-founder of OBRA Architects, with work in Asia, Latin America, Europe and the US. With her practice and teaching she has an expanded professional and academic global network.
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AR ’97, she is an Urban Visionaries Emerging Talent, CUA Hall of Fame inductee, MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program Winner, Architectural League Emerging Voices, and recipient of 6 AIA NY Design Awards.
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Her experience as both student and educator spans Cooper’s recent history, from early years under Hejduk to teaching under Vidler. She has taught in the US, Korea and Argentina and prior to Cooper she graduated cum laude from Harvard College.
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Scott Lerman A’81
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Business leader and brand consultant. Has led world-class brand and identity firms and advised dozens of great organizations as they have pursued ambitious futures.
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Endorsed by the CSCU for alumni trustee. Strategic and communications advisor to the Committee to Save Cooper Union. Part of the CSCU negotiating team. Deep understanding of the current situation.
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Believes in Peter Coopers vision and Cooper Union’s mission. Cooper Union must find a way to be free again.
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Elaine Maldonado A’68
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Experienced educational administrator with substantial understanding of university management. Directed academic support programs at CUNY’s senior technical college for multiple programs in engineering and architecture; currently direct all aspects of faculty development at FIT, an internationally recognized design school.
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Authored, secured and directed over $1,000,000 in educational research grants, including awards from the National Science Foundation, Fund for the Improvement of Post-secondary Education and the National Education Association.
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Recently named one of the 100 most inspirational women in STEM by Insight into Diversity Magazine for promoting STEM opportunities for women through science and art collaborations
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Margaret Matz AR’83
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I am a strong advocate for free education.
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I am a longstanding CUAA Executive Committee member.
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I operate in a very transparent way.
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Robert Marano EE’93
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Served Cooper Union as a student, an educator, an active alumnus, and an employer of our students and alumni
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Believe in continuing Peter’s Legacy as re-establishing the means to ensure that legacy for generations to come
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Dedicated professional who collaborates with all parties for the greater good of our Cooper Union
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Bill Morrison A’89
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An artist and filmmaker with strong connections to the downtown artistic community
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Currently resides and has resided in the East Village continuously for the last 30 years.
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Will fight for free tuition for all.
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Edward Nilsson AR’70
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Proud to be a Cooper Union graduate
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Experienced academic trustee
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Property management and business experience
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Eduardo Palacio EE’75
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Executive with a record of accomplishment in difficult environments
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Consensus builder with strong Organizational, Management and Financial expertise
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Passionate about bringing back the Cooper Union that made me what I am today.
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Victoria Sobel A’13
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Co-organizer of “Nonstop Cooper: Community Residency,” 2015; Recipient of CUAA Young Art Alumni of the Year Award, 2014; Art Alumni Representative, Working Group, 2013; Cooper Union Service to the School Award, 2013; Recipient of Yip Harburg Foundation scholarship for political art, 2012-13; Participant in Institute for Social Ecology two-week intensive, 2012; Participant in Manifest Change leadership and capacity building program with Dr. Monica Sharma, 2011-13.
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Edward Trackman ME’66
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I am a concerned Cooper alumnus who believes that a return to a tuition-free budget is possible
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I am an experienced nonprofit executive who believes in the value and importance of a mission
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I am ready to commit my time, experience and focused effort to securing Cooper Union’s future
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Mark A. Vasquez ME’88
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I believe returning to Peter Cooper’s vision should serve as the context for all discussions on matters that would impact or be impacted by that vision…and the level of progress on returning to that vision should not hijack our opportunities to continue evolving.
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I care strongly about working together, openly sharing and debating ideas, actively listening, and, ultimately, respecting one another.
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I’m no “politician.” I’m just a guy who cares deeply about his beloved alma mater and believes his experience and ability to listen and process things in the context of the big picture can be of help.
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Richard Velazquez ME’94
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Prime example of the power and necessity of Peter Cooper’s legacy – born in the projects in Brooklyn in a large, low-income family with no money for education transformed by Cooper Union’s scholarship and training into a Fortune 50 Executive.
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Embraces the responsibility to empower others to realize their full potential through volunteerism, including non-profit leadership for organizations serving underprivileged populations, mentorship, and partnering with academia.
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Current supporter of Cooper Union through internships for students (leading to several full-time offers from PepsiCo) & the upcoming sponsorship of the Starr research foundation at Cooper.
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Carol Wolf A’84
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Successful businesswoman with over 30 years experience in brand management, creating and building brands for global clients in a wide range of industries.
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Has built broad connections and trust across the Cooper Union community.
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Demonstrated active commitment in support of Peter Cooper’s Mission of free education for all enrolled students.
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Meet The Candidate Night
19 of the Alumni Trustee candidates participated in this event on Monday, 11/09/15, which was moderated by Wes Rozen, AR’05. More than 70 Alumni and friends attended in person while another 125 attended on-line Learn More
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| Still Need to Vote?
Electronic Voting
To vote on-line, you need to be registered at www.cooperalumni.org/register
If you voted in the Spring 2015 election, you are already registered. If you have been receiving emails (like the Newsletter) from contact@cooperalumni.org, then you are on the list, too.
To register, fill out this form: https://cooperalumni.wpengine.com/register/ and please give it a week. This is a manual process run by volunteers, so ballots for new registrations will go out by the following weekend. Ballots can not be guaranteed if you register after 11/16/2015.
If you are receiving other emails from us but have not received a ballot:
- Please Check your spam folder for October 27 – 28
- Opt-in to SurveyMonkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/optin.aspx
- Please email us at contact@cooperalumni.org with any questions by 11/16/2015
You may vote and also change your vote at any time, until the end of the election. |
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Still Need to Vote?
Paper Ballot
Contact the Alumni Affairs Office at The Cooper Union and request a ballot. The office can be reached at 212 – 353- 4164 or alumni@cooper.edu
Ballot must be mailed returned by 11/18/15
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Message from the Chairman of The Cooper Union Board of Trustees
Today, the Board of Trustees adopted amendments to the bylaws of The Cooper Union and related resolutions. These amendments and resolutions are intended to strengthen the governance of the institution and to establish a formal means to evaluate the feasibility of returning Cooper Union to a full-tuition scholarship model. They reflect and implement the changes provided for in the consent decree that was agreed with the New York State Attorney General and the Committee to Save Cooper Union in September. Despite the delay in the approval of the consent decree by the Supreme Court of the State of New York, we are proceeding with these changes now, in the spirit of moving forward together into this new chapter for Cooper Union.
Specifically, under the amended bylaws, student representation will increase to two voting members; alumni-elected trustees will number between five and nine (depending on the size of the board at any given time); and each of the four permanent faculties, as well as the part-time faculty and the staff, will elect a non-voting observer to the board. These additional elected alumni and student trustees on the board, together with the new faculty and staff observers, will bring fresh ideas, add resources and open up new and beneficial channels of communication with the larger Cooper Union community.
The bylaws also establish a Free Education Committee of the board, which will be charged with examining whether Cooper Union can return to a sustainable, full-tuition scholarship model that maintains Cooper Union’s strong reputation for academic quality. The committee will be required to develop and propose to the board a strategic plan aimed at achieving this objective. The committee is to present its strategic plan in January 2018, with annual progress reports and interim recommendations in January 2016 and 2017.
With the board’s action, we are prepared to embark on the important next steps to establish a strong financial plan for the future, and these changes provide a practical basis for collaboration among all stakeholders in this important endeavor. We must all work hard to rebuild trust and heal the fissures that have divided the community in the past, and we are appreciative of the constructive efforts of the leadership of the CUAA to facilitate engagement by alumni in this regard.
The financial challenges we face remain daunting, but we are confident that, working together with Cooper Union’s extended community, we will be able to surmount them and set the future course for this institution we care so much about. This is undertaken with, and for, the students, faculty, staff and alumni who make Cooper Union the great college we are proud of.
Richard S. Lincer
Chairman, The Cooper Union Board of Trustees
Message from Co-Chair of the Special Election
Dear Fellow Alumnus/a:
When I was asked to serve as Co-Chair of the Special Election for Alumni Trustees, I knew it would be a difficult task to conduct the election with 25 candidates in a three week time frame from October 28 – November 18. I accepted this role because of the importance of this election, the opportunity to increase our participation on the Board of Trustees and the need to seat the very best people to guide our beloved Cooper Union at this critical time. I
am very impressed by the outstanding quality of the alumni candidates.
READ MORE
Alumni News
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In Memoriam
See who we have lost during 2015.
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Upcoming Events
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CUAA Development Meeting
November 17th, 5:30- 7:00 PM
Room 201 / 201 A, 41 Cooper Square
On Nov. 17th Cooper Union’s VP of Development Chris Cloud will meet with alumni to discuss fundraising. This will be a wide ranging conversation in which we’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, explore ways to work cooperatively, and present ideas on how fundraising can help move Cooper Union back towards a full tuition scholarship for all students.
More Information |
Cooper Union’s Harvest Feast
November 17th, 6:00- 9:00 PM
Frankie’s Kitchen, 41 Cooper Square
Join Cooper Union’s Harvest Feast 2015 – Call for donations and for volunteers!! The CUAA has teamed with student affairs in helping serve over 200+ students
next Tuesday, November 17th at their Harvest Feast. The CUAA has volunteered to donate the sweets for the meal and to assist the students with setup, serving,
and cleanup. Please offer your time or a small donation to show your support to the students this Thanksgiving season.
Make a donation
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Photo-Poetics: An Anthology
November 20th 6:00- 8:00 PM
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street)
The Cooper Union Office of Alumni Affairs & Development has a limited number of pairs of tickets to offer CUAA members to the Opening Reception for Photo-Poetics: An Anthology. Works by Claudia Angelmaier, Erica Baum, Anne Collier, Moyra Davey, Leslie Hewitt, Elad Lassry, Lisa Oppenheim, Erin Shirreff, Kathrin Sonntag, Sara VanDerBeek. This group show has work created by Cooper Alumnae Leslie Hewitt A’00 and Sara VanDerBeek A’98.
Ten pairs of tickets will be made available on a first response basis by emailing Alexis at alenza@gmail.com.
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Closing Party for OPEN CITY: EXISTENTIAL URBANITY 
Novmeber 21st
CUAA is hosting the closing party for a weekend symposium celebrating a compendium of student work and faculty essays from the Architecture Studio on the art of
the city, conducted by Cooper Union Professor and alumna Diane Lewis and a team of notable architects at the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture from 2001 to 2014.
Tickets starting at $75. Click here to purchase tickets. We will be collecting donations and sponsorships for the event here to help defray the cost of the event. These donations are separate from ticket purchases.
Any questions? Contact: urbiscivitas@gmail.com andmatzmargaret@gmail.com.
Learn More |
11/28/2015 Turkey Trot and Turkey Roast @ Ringwood State Park
November 28th
Ringwood State Park
Join fellow alumni, and host Don Wade, EE ‘63, for a turkey roasted over an open fire and all the trimmings at Ringwood State Park, the grounds of Ringwood Manor, past home of Peter Cooper’s son in law, Abram Hewitt. Cost $17.00 plus dish to pass.
Learn More |
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Reunion Weekend
June 3rd through 5th, 2016
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 All editions of The Pioneer can be read on-line.
http://pioneer.cooper.edu
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