history of food research paper

• Original article
• Open access
• Published: 28 April 2022

Evolution of Indian cuisine: a socio-historical review

• Vishu Antani 1 , 2 &
• Santosh Mahapatra   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0077-2882 3  

Journal of Ethnic Foods volume  9 , Article number:  15 ( 2022 ) Cite this article

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This paper aims to present a socio-historical review of Indian cuisine and its evolution. Based on a thorough analysis of a wide range of documents, the investigation focuses on four eras, each having a significant and lasting effect on Indian cuisine. Parallels have been drawn to modern Indian cuisine wherever possible. This study follows the advances in Indian cuisine through the prehistoric era, into the Vedic era, where religious scriptures, especially the Hindu scriptures, affected what was cooked during the time, followed by the invasion of the subcontinent by the Mughals. Finally, the effects of European colonization on Indian cuisine are critically analysed and an attempt is made to examine threads, if any, connecting culinary preferences of people across these phases. The results of the analysis indicate the intriguing impact of intricate connections among several sociocultural factors on the evolution of Indian cuisine. At the end of the paper, a few areas are identified for future exploration.

Introduction

This paper tries to trace the history of Indian cuisine, a topic that remains surprisingly underexplored in the gastronomy literature. Unique in its standing and mysterious in many ways, as claimed by the famous novelist E. M. Forster [ 20 ], India remains a curious case of interest. Among other things, its food culture has a vibrant history filled with tasty twists and turns, which is in agreement with the claim that Indian culture can be explored through its foods. In fact, across many cultures, one can historically trace sociocultural reasons behind culinary choices [ 1 ]. Tracing the history of food in India is pivotal to understanding Indian cuisine. For a very long time, each of India’s conglomeration of kingdoms had a royal court tended by chefs and innovations in food took place in these kitchens; new dishes were created, and old dishes were recreated. In the kitchens of commoners, cooks or housewives would try to recreate those dishes using ingredients at their disposal. Modern Indian cuisine is the result of the flavourful adventure India has been through, and in this adventure, one can socio-historically trace the interaction between personal and social choices, the divine and the mundane obligations [ 8 ], and the karma and its repercussions. The beginnings of India’s food history, especially during Vedic times, were driven by the attributive property of Guṇa , a Hindu philosophical concept referring to quality or peculiarity. Sattva , rajas , and tamas , the three Guṇas , were believed to have manifestations in the form of ‘vegetarian, spicy and carnivorous’ [ 6 , 43 ]. Even the philosophy of ahimsa shaped the food choices of people in ancient Hindu civilizations [ 42 ]. This philosophical tradition underwent a series of changes, challenged by the geopolitical and sociocultural changes that came to India with the Mughal invasion and European colonization. In this paper, we have presented a brief historical review of Indian cuisine that covers a period starting with the prehistoric era and ending with European colonization and have demonstrated how the evolution of food in India is deeply enmeshed in various factors like culture, religion, ethnicity, financial background, social class, and availability of and access to raw materials.

Methodology

We collected data for the study through thorough document analysis. We surveyed ancient religious scriptures from archives, newspapers, memoirs, travelogues, research articles, poems, history books and books written on food cultures, and made comprehensive notes. All the notes were verified through information collected from more than one source. Then, we searched for patterns in the data and organized the details under the four most frequently found patterns in food culture: Prehistoric, Vedic, Mughal, and European colonization. For each era, we arranged the information in a systematic manner which mainly focused on discussions on the evolution of food through a close interplay between sociocultural factors and the availability of raw materials required for the preparation of food.

Results and discussion

Prehistoric era.

Prehistoric food habits in India still remain partly shrouded in uncertainties [ 33 ]. Like literature, cuisines from a different era have proved difficult to understand. Written recipes may be one of the sources of determining the type of food eaten by the people then, but language still remains a barrier [ 11 , 16 , 32 ], which is especially true in the case of prehistoric India. What we know about people’s food habits is an episodic story of survival and a transition to becoming an agrarian community [ 33 ]. The information is obtained through anthropological evidence and cave paintings found in various parts of Indian states such as Rajasthan, Gujrat and Punjab [ 1 ].

Bones of cattle, goats, sheep, buffalo, and pigs have been found at Harappan excavation sites. While cattle, goats, and sheep may have been domesticated, it is also possible that they were hunted or raised for their flesh. Cattle farming was mainly restricted to the Zebu cattle, native to the Indus Valley region (see Fig.  1 ) [ 21 ]. Bones of wild animals like boar, deer, and gharial have also been found. Along with these, the remains of fish and fowl were also discovered. Grilling was the preferred way to cook meat. The animal would be roasted whole on an open fire or cut into bite-size chunks [ 33 , 35 , 36 ]. These chunks were pierced onto a skewer and roasted, like modern-day tikkas . The animal was lodged onto a stick, which could be rotated, and placed over the fire. Pottery from prehistoric times has revealed the presence of bowls with wide mouths, which indicates the use of boiling as another method of preparation [ 24 ].

Source : Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indus_Valley_Civilization,_Mature_Phase_(2600-1900_BCE).png

A map of the Indus Valley Civilization dating back to 2600–1900 BCE. It was a Bronze Age civilization and one of the most widespread civilizations in Asia, spanning modern-day north and north-western India, most of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pulses and grains were consumed by the people of the Indus Valley [ 23 ]. Various pulses like chickpeas, red lentil, and green peas were introduced from Western Asia to the Indus Valley in around 4000 B.C. Barley and wheat were also found along with the pulses at archaeological sites. Their use carried over into the Vedic era, when barley was one of the primary grains. Rice was consumed much later.

Several stone tools of varying sizes have been discovered at excavation sites. Large saddle querns have been found, probably used for grinding grains to make flour. Two types of stones may have been used with the querns: a small one for rolling, like a rolling pin, and a larger, heavier one to pound on materials. Curry stones would have been used to grind spices. However, it remains unclear whether the spices were grown within the region or obtained through trade or barter.

Many important texts on medicine, yoga, literature, religion, etc., from the Vedic era, such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Caraka’s Caraka-Saṃhitā, and  the Upanishads, have discussed foods and their impact on the human body. The Vedas have emphasized the connection between spirituality and the choice of food without relinquishing the need for taste and health [ 27 ]. Recent research throws light on linguistic similarities of food items consumed across cultures making it slightly easier to connect the finer dots of Indian cuisine from the Vedic era [ 1 ]. The decline of the Indus Valley Civilization was followed by the Vedic period. During this period, the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent was occupied by Indo-Aryans. Most of the Aryans then were pastoralists. Milk provided for their food and other products like butter and curd.

The Aryans considered food to be a gift from God and a source of strength. In the four Vedas , Rigveda , Samaveda , Yajurveda , and Atharvaveda, there are various mentions of the grains used during those times [ 38 ]. Initially, barley was a staple food of most Aryans . Cultivation of other crops such as wheat, sugarcane, and millets followed. Lentils, mainly red, green, and black, were also grown. Later, the Aryans added rice and other cereals to their diet [ 13 ].

Sweetcakes called apupa have been mentioned multiple times in the Vedas . Apupa or Malpua (see Fig.  2 ), as it is called today, was made with barley flour. The batter would be flattened into cakes and fried in ghee. Before serving, the fried cake was dipped in honey. Many variations have developed over time, and malpua is now paired with various condiments. Today, the batter is made with refined wheat flour or semolina flour and milk. Like the Vedic version, the batter is spread into flat cakes and fried in ghee. Instead of honey, the cakes are soaked in sugar syrup flavoured with saffron or jaggery (cane sugar) syrup. They are topped with chopped almonds and pistachios and paired with rabri , a sweet made by boiling milk at low heat with sugar and spices.

Malpua and Rabri: Malpua is an Indian sweet fried pancake, made from a batter of wheat or barley flour. It is fried in ghee and then placed in sugar syrup. Souce : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/malpua-traditional-indian-sweet-pancake-coated-1035620161

Fried barley called dhana was not just eaten as food but was also offered to the gods. Pulverized barley seeds, called saktu , have been mentioned in the Vedas. Sattu , a flour made from ground pulses, is used in many kitchens today, and it may have roots in saktu . A porridge called odana was made by boiling barley in milk. Yet another preparation called karambha had yogurt mixed with barley, and it is still popular in parts of Gujarat.

Animal meat was presumably used by Hindus in what is now Punjab. Cows, goats, buffalo, and bulls were killed for their meat, and slaughterhouses have been mentioned in the texts. The practice of eating horse flesh was introduced by the Aryans, but its consumption did not seem to settle well with the natives. However, there have been accounts of slaughter of cows and bulls for their meat [ 24 ]. Meats were mostly roasted in clay ovens or on spits over charcoal. The consumption of meat as a survival strategy can be contrasted with the current debates about meat eating and its consequences [ 46 ].

Sesame seeds were important as both food and in rituals. As food, they would be cooked with vegetables, added to bread, or crushed to extract oil. Turmeric, pepper, and mustard seeds were used as flavourings. Various fruits and vegetables are mentioned in the Vedas including the bael fruit (Aegle marmelos), mangoes, dates, lotus stalks and roots, gourds, jujubes, and water chestnuts. These are not very different from the ingredients used in Indian kitchens today.

Alcoholic beverages existed in Vedic times, as suggested by the mention of sura in the Rigveda but disapproved for consumption. The drink has been mentioned only in a few places, and at times, in conjunction with soma . Soma was considered the drink of Gods and an elixir. The plant from which the drink was made has remained a mystery, but historians have speculated candidate plants [ 34 ]. It could be a type of millet, called ragi . Ragi is still used to make marua , an intoxicating drink in the Eastern Himalayas. Cannabis could also be the plant referred to in the texts which was used for preparing the soma drink [ 4 ]. Yet another suggestion is the fly agaric mushroom, because of its intoxicating effect when consumed [ 51 ]. Soma was prepared and offered to gods by Brahmans [ 17 ]. It is unclear as to whether or when fermentation took place [ 19 ]. There is debate surrounding the effects of soma [ 7 ]. While one branch of research views the description of the drink in the Vedas as intoxicating, other researchers argue that it was simply exhilarating, not intoxicating [ 44 ].

An important aspect of the social system in India that determined food culture and consumption among Indo-Aryans was the caste system [ 40 ] which can be traced back to around 1000 BC. The structural embodiments of the caste system, a legitimised practice of inequity believed to be inherited through one’s parentage and occupation, engendered a sense of purity in the culinary and consumption habits of people. Brahmins, the upper caste priests, often adhered to vegetarian food habits led by the philosophy of sattva . In contrast, Shudras, the lowest group in the caste ladder, engaged in eating animal meat and other kinds of tamasic habits. The possibility of upper caste politics to portray certain kinds of food habits as superior to others could be indeed the case. It is possible that the caste system was strengthened with the help of systemic food demonisation. Unfortunately, the caste system continues to shape food habits even in present times [ 39 ].

The descriptions about the culinary culture around 500 BC are not separately dealt with in any treatises as such. Rather, one can find these details in the memoirs of foreign writers and philosophers who visited India during those times. Megasthenes, an ambassador of Alexander and Chinese visitors such as Fa-Hsien and I-Ching, and Xuan Zang, a learned monk from China, have vividly described sociocultural practices including food and drinks [ 1 ].

Muslim rulers who were based in Sind (currently in Pakistan) started invading India after 700 AD with a desire to have access to the material riches the country possessed. In the consecutive millennia, continual attempts were made by several warlords such as Mahmud of Ghazni, Muhammad of Ghor, Bakhtiyar Khalji, and so on. However, no Muslim empire could flourish and sustain till Mughals came to India in the sixteenth century [ 22 ]. With Mughals came a flood of culinary inspirations and innovations that remain highly influential in the culinary practices of India [ 29 ]. Indian food culture, much like architecture, art, music, and language, would be unthinkable without considering the Mughal influence [ 10 ]. The predecessors of the Mughals, the Afghans, had brought with them a lot of culinary wealth. Afghan flatbreads, called naan, are now common in most Indian households and restaurants. These breads may bear some influence of Egyptian and Mesopotamian breads [ 12 , 15 , 30 ]. Koftas in Afghanistan are meatballs of minced beef flavoured with onions and other spices. Indian koftas are very similar to their Afghan counterparts, but beef is often replaced with other meat. In the southern and eastern regions of India, koftas are made from fish and shrimps. The meatballs are then served in gravy made of broth, milk, and cashew paste. A vegetarian version of the dish replaces the meat with grated vegetables or paneer. Jalebi (see the details in Fig.  3 ) is an Afghan dessert that has placed itself so well in Indian cuisine, that most people often forget its origin. Jalebi is made by frying a batter of refined flour in ghee or oil and then soaking it in sugar syrup, which is often infused with saffron giving jalebi its colour and fragrance. It is served simply with rose petals or alongside rabri . Phirni is one of the recent additions of an Afghan dish into Indian cuisine and is made by boiling soaked rice in milk along with nuts and khoa .

Jalebi is a dessert made by deep frying flour batter in concentric shapes and later dipping in sugar syrup infused with saffron. It is enjoyed across the Indian subcontinent and is known by different names in different places. Souce : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/jelebi-cafe-458778184

Mughlai cuisine, with its rich and spicy curries, and fascination with meat has been influential in shaping modern Indian cuisine. It is important to note that most of the ingredients present in the dishes which masquerade themselves as Mughlai dishes, such as chillies, tomatoes, and potatoes, were unknown to kitchens in India until the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century [ 28 ]. This is the effect of modernization and innovation in the culinary world. Memoirs of rulers, like the Baburnama and the Akbarnama , hold a lot of information about food and eating habits [ 48 ]. Manuscripts of what seem to be recipe books written in Persian have also been found.

Since the Mughals practised Islam, pork was forbidden in royal courts and to other Muslims. Similarly, Hindus frowned upon the consumption of beef and refrained from eating it. The meat of a buffalo seemed the appropriate replacement for beef. Mutton and goat meat were widely consumed, mutton being more common than the latter. Various fowls such as chicken, quail, and ducks were also consumed [ 50 ]. Even today, mutton and fowl meat are the most common meats eaten in India along with seafood like fish and shrimp though politics has not left food alone. In Mughal times, Akbar, the most powerful and influential among Mughal emperors, avoided repeating the mistake of using cows as food which his father Humayun did. Humayun’s men ate beef and that incited Rajputs, the Hindu royal class. Akbar went to the extent of becoming a virtual vegetarian [ 40 ] to please Hindus and maintain his supremacy. However, the emperors that succeeded Akbar could not play the politics of food as wisely as Akbar did.

Mughlai food has a distinct bouquet associated with it. This aromatic aspect of food is brought about by the spices used. Spices were traded between Mughals and other rulers in India. Cumin and coriander were and still are common across India and were probably grown locally. Saffron, a very expensive spice, known for its sweet floral scent was imported from Kashmir. Other spices that added heat like cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, and ginger were brought from Southern India near the Malabar Coast. Turmeric was also brought from there. Interestingly, these regions still maintain a very high quality in producing the spices.

One of the earliest accounts of Mughal cuisine is recorded in the Ni’matnama (the Book of Delights). It was a cookbook compiled by Ghiyath Shah, the Sultan of Malwa, in the fifteenth century. The manuscript is believed to have found its way into the Mughal kitchens in 1562, when Akbar conquered the Malwa Sultanate. The book has detailed recipes, accompanied by miniature illustrations where the king is the central figure of the drawings and notes following dishes, classifying them as being worthy to be served to a king, a poor man’s food, or a king’s favourite. In the Ni’matnama , there are recipes for a variety of sambusas . Sambusas are made with a pastry of refined flour, then filled with a savoury, spicy filling, and finally fried. The filling of sambusas was made from venison [ 49 ]. In samosas (see Fig.  4 ), a modern-day favourite, the filling is made up mainly of potatoes, peas, and onions. Samosas continue to be a crowd-favourite tea snack in modern India.

Souce : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/samosa-sambusa-triangle-fried-baked-dish-1145803784

Sambusas or Samosas are snacks made by frying pastry filled with a savoury filling such as potato, peas, onions, chicken, or lentils. They are one of the most popular tea time snacks in India.

Karhi is a preparation of chickpea flour with yogurt and sour milk which has been mentioned in the Ni’matnama and is still made in a lot of Indian houses. It is served with fried vegetable fritters, called pakoras . The Guajarati variation of karhi is sweetened by adding sugar or jaggery.

A number of dishes mentioned in the Ni’matnama point to Central Asian influence in the food. Sambusa is an example of that. Other such dishes include sikh , kabab , yakhni , shurba , and kufta . Sikh is a cylinder of spiced minced meat on a skewer which is roasted on a tandoor . Yakhni is broth made with spiced meat, while shurba is soup.

Several dishes mentioned in the Ni’matnama , sambusa , sikh , kabab , yakhni , shurba , and kufta (refer to Fig.  5 a) , point to Central Asian influence. Sikh (refer to Fig.  5 b) is a cylinder of spiced minced meat on a skewer which is roasted on a tandoor (refer to Fig.  5 d). Yakhni is broth made with spiced meat, while shurba (refer to Fig.  5 c) is soup. Apart from the common spices, a variety of exotic aromatics were used, such as musk (nutmeg), camphor, rosewater, and ambergris. The use of exotic produce was not limited to aromatics [ 49 ]. Recipes included in the book called for the use of a variety of unique meats, like partridges, rabbits, goats, mountain sheep, pigeons, and quails. Some of these meats are not common in modern Indian kitchens. The use of nutmeg is still prominent in Indian cuisine, but ambergris is obsolete.

a Malai Kofta is a dish made by adding fried balls of potatoes or meat in a rich spiced tomato gravy, topped with fresh cream. Souce : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/malai-kofta-mughlai-speciality-dish-served-1248493381 b Sikh kebab is an Asian preparation where ground lamb or beef meat is wrapped around skewers and roasted on an open flame. Souce : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/seekh-kabab4-154602104 c Shurpa or Shorba is a soup made with meat, vegetables, and spices in broth. Souce : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/shurpa-shorpa-soup-rich-lamb-vegetables-1875768625 d Tandoor is a traditional Indian oven, used to cook naan and tikkas. Souce : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tandoor-oven-tikka-masala-chicken-naan-1854698554

Rice became more popular than wheat during Mughal times. Khichri is one of the many preparations of rice mentioned the Ni’matnama [ 49 ]. It is a salty porridge made from rice and lentils, usually without spices. The preparation and ingredients used in khichri vary with region, and a lot of varieties of khichri can be found in homes all over India. Since it is nutritious and easy to digest, it is often fed to the ill. The Ni’matnama was not the first historical account of khichri . Selecus, when he was the infantry general to Alexander the Great, revealed that rice with pulses was extensively prepared in India, around 300 B.C.E. Further, it is also mentioned by Ibn Battuta as kishri from his stay in India in approximately 1350. In his description, kishri was a rice dish with mung beans (green gram). Afanasy Nikitin, a Russian merchant and one of the earliest Europeans to travel to India, has described khichri in his narrative— Khozheniye za tri moray (The Journey Beyond Three Seas). Khichri (refer to Fig.  6 a) was popular during the Mughal period, especially under Jahangir [ 47 ]. Ain-i-Akbari , by Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, mentions seven variations for khichri . There is also mention of the dish along with biryani in the letters of Aurangzeb to his son, Bahadur Shah I.

a Khichdi is a savoury rice porridge with the addition of lentils, vegetables, and spices. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/famous-indian-food-khichdi-ready-serve-1629680485 b Paneer do pyaza is a made of Indian cottage cheese and rich onion-based gravy. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/paneer-do-pyaza-popular-punjabi-vegetarian-1263154453 c Mutton do pyaza is made of lamb meat and seasoned with lots of onions. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mutton-do-pyaza-two-onions-1226282581

Nushka-i-Shahjahani or Nushka u Namak is another cookbook that has recorded the recipes prepared in the kitchens of the emperor Shah Jahan—from breads and stews to sweetmeats. The ten chapters on food describe the varieties of breads, pottages, meat dishes, and other rice preparations like pulao and zerbiryans . Among the breads, there are recipes for naan (leavened oven-baked flatbread) and roti (round flatbread made from wholemeal flour), but no mention of paratha , a flatbread made of layers of cooked dough (hence, paratha was a later addition to Indian breads). Meat dishes were of two categories: qaliyas and do pyazas . Do pyazas (refer to Fig.  6 b and 6c) got their name from the preparation, where piyaz (onion) is added twice ( do ) in the process. Kebabs, porridges, and omelettes are also mentioned. The end of the collection features preserves like jams and pickles, fried breads, sweets, and puddings. Finally, a few basic techniques for making yogurt and cheese curds are included. Paneer (or Panir ) is an example of a cheese that is extensively used in Indian cooking, especially in vegetarian dishes as a protein source. The cheese curd for Paneer is made by curdling milk with a fruit- or vegetable-based acid (like lime juice).

Khulasat-i Makulat u Mashrubat or Alwan-i Ni’mat or Khwan-i Alwan-i Ni’mat is a cookbook from the times of Aurangzeb’s reign. It has forty chapters, each describing a category of a course, including nan-ha (breads), qaliya and do pyaza (meat curries), sag (greens, refer to Fig.  7 a), bharta (mashes, see Fig.  7 b), dal (pulses and lentils), zerbiryan (layered rice dish), khandawi (savoury cakes made from pulses or gram flour, refer to Fig.  7 d), salan-ha-i hindi (sauced-based dishes of India), khichri , shola (dish with rice, meat, pulses and vegetables), kulthi (sweet sticky rice), thuli (sweet thick preparation with milk and flour), tahiri (rice and meat dish), halim (meaty stew made with wheat and barley, refer to Fig.  8 a), kashk (gruel with wheat and meat), ash (pottages), bara (fried cakes), jughrat wa sikharn (yogurt based dishes), shirbirinj (rice pudding of Iranian origin, refer to Fig.  8 b), firni , faluda (a cold dessert made with milk, rose syrup, vermicelli and basil seeds, refer to Fig.  8 c), panbhatta (a dessert made from fried soaked rice in sherbet), sambusa , puri (fried bread), gulgula and khajur (sweet dumplings), malida (sweet powdery mixture made of dough), shirni (sweetmeats), murabba (jams), and achar (pickles). In addition, there are chapters on basic activities, like shelling coriander. A lot of the dishes are drawn from the earlier cookbooks, notably the breads, meat curries, rice dishes, khichri , and jams and pickles. From the unique preparations mentioned in this book, sag , khandawi , salan , shirbirinj , and phirni are common preparations in Indian kitchens today. Dal has become a staple, especially in vegetarian households as a protein source. Salan , specifically mirchi ka salan (a curry of chillies in peanut gravy, refer to Fig.  7 c), is served with biryani. Faluda has also been popularized and is made on special occasions. It is usually topped with ice cream, and a particular variation calls for the addition of jelly cubes in the sherbet.

a Sarson ka sag with makki ki roti is a special preparation in the north of India, eaten during winters. The curry is made of mustard greens with sauteed onion and garlic. Makki ki roti is basically a flatbread made with ground corn. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/makki-ki-roti-sarson-ka-sag-774826045 b Baingan ka bharta is mashed roasted eggplant that is then sauteed with onions, chilli and spices. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/baingan-bharta-roasted-mashed-eggplant-black-1837782358 c Mirchi ka salan was a popular dish in the Mughal kitchens, eaten with rice preparations. Even today, mirchi ka salan is served with biryani across the country. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hyderabadi-mirchi-ka-salan-green-chilly-1494080111 d Khandavi is a snack from Maharashtra and Gujarat made by rolling sheets of steamed batter of gram flour and yogurt into bite-sized pieces. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/khandvi-gujarati-patuli-dahivadi-suralichi-vadi-1460691638

a Halim is a slow-cooked stew made up of grains, meat and lentils. It is eaten to break fasts during the month of Ramadan owing to its high nutritional value. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/haleem-spices-herbs-1488278681 b Sher Birinj is a dessert originating in central Asia. It is a rice pudding flavoured with rose water, almonds, cinnamon and cardamom. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pudding-shir-berenj-afghan-delicious-dessert-1956784180 c Falooda is an Indian dessert made with rose syrup, milk, vermicelli noodles and sweet basil seeds, topped with ice cream. It is commonly sold on the streets by vendors in India. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pink-sweet-strawberry-falooda-1779708683

Today, cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Hyderabad boast the best Biryanis . There are a lot of similarities in its preparations across the country—the use of nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves for aroma, adding saffron to colour the rice, and the flavour developed by cooking meat and vegetables with rice. Despite similarities, the differences are evident. The Hyderabadi Biryan i is a spicy preparation, made with Basmati rice, which adds to the aroma, and the flavours of saffron and coconut dominate. It is served with brinjal (eggplant) gravy. The Kolkata Biryani also uses Basmati rice and saffron, but it is the use of meat and ghee (clarified butter) that defines the taste. Potatoes and boiled eggs are also added. The Lucknowi Biryani does not use Basmati rice and uses a paste made from curd and cashew nut along with the aromatics like star anise and nutmeg. The flavour of saffron is not as pronounced, and the Lucknowi Biryani is served with meat gravy.

Mughals ruled the majority of Northern and Northwestern India, but their dominion was not as powerful in Southern India. However, this did not affect their cuisine from spreading into the south. Nobles from courts of Nawabs and other rulers of Southern India travelled to cities under the Mughal rule as diplomats and brought back with them accounts of food eaten and, sometimes, the recipes. The Mughal dishes made in Southern India often had a different set of ingredients or different methods of preparation.

Modern Indian cuisine has incorporated many dishes from Mughal kitchens. With the Mughal invasion, there was an increase in the consumption of rice, which has led to a decrease in dependency on wheat. As a result, rice has become the staple crop in India and Indian cuisine lacks identity without it. Mughals also introduced a wide variety of desserts and sweetmeats. India boasts a wide range of milk-based sweets and desserts, and most of these dishes originated in the Mughal times. Hence, the Mughal era was arguably the time that shaped Indian cuisine as it is today.

European colonization

When Mughals were reigning most of India, the Portuguese slowly started building their colonial empire. Unlike Mughals who intended to own the land and live here, the Portuguese wanted to send profits to their homeland. Spices were one of the main reasons that the Europeans sought a sea route to the Indian subcontinent. It was a powerful product in the trade market, and establishing trade with India was deemed necessary. However, the opulence and wealth of kings and the royal class changed their intentions and colonisation became a priority over trade [ 9 ].

In 1498, Vasco da Gama reached the Malabar Coast of Calicut, a bustling port where the trade of spices, cloth, and a variety of extravagant goods took place between Hindu, Arab, and Chinese merchants [ 12 ]. As the Portuguese Empire expanded, trade of plants, animals, and ideas became common at ports. This was called the Columbian Exchange and was paramount in shaping the cuisine of various regions [ 5 ]. In 1510, after seizing Goa, they made it their capital of Estado de India (State of India). Soon after, spices were grown all along the Malabar Coast for trade. A lot of customs and traditions of Hinduism and Islam were questioned and eradicated [ 31 ]. Those that could not be eliminated were banned. They questioned the refusal of eating pork and beef and introduced a variety of dishes cooked with those meats. They also did away with the Hindu tradition of cooking rice without salt. Growing tulsi (holy basil) was banned.

Cheese was introduced to India by the Portuguese. Bandel cheese is a smoked semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a dry, crumbly texture and is one of the very few Western-style cheeses indigenous to India. Another creation of the Portuguese in India is the cheese curd called chhana [ 26 ]. However, it has been argued that the practice of curdling milk had been practised earlier. There is little doubt that a Portuguese cheese similar to chhana was the inspiration for a variety of Bengali sweets like rasgulla and Sandesh (refer to Fig.  9 a and b) [ 41 , 42 ]. Rasgulla is a ball-shaped dumpling made of semolina dough and chhana , which is boiled in light sugar syrup till the syrup steeps into the dumpling. They are then stored in sugar syrup, often flavoured with saffron strands or rosewater [ 45 ]. Rasgulla is known as Rasagola in Odisha, another state in the eastern part of India, and recent research also indicates that Rasagola was prepared in Jagannath Temple in Odisha in the thirteenth century AD. Sandesh , a sweet dish, has been mentioned in medieval Bengali literature, including Krittibas’ Ramayana , but the original dish was most likely very different from the current version. The modern-day Sandesh is presumably made with chhana cheese, but there are other preparations of sandesh without chhana , with just milk and sugar. Normally, sandesh is made by tossing chhana in sugar over low heat. In some cases, use of khejur gur [ 3 ] as a sweeter has been mentioned.

a Rasgulla is a Bengali/Odia sweet made of dumplings of chhena and semolina flour and cooked in sugar syrup. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bowl-full-rasgulla-pistachios-food-table-1338243359 b Sandesh is a Bengali sweet made by moulding chhena and sugar in different shapes. It can be flavoured with saffron and cardamom and topped with chopped almonds. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/assortment-sandesh-traditional-bengali-sweets-prepared-279675779

The greatest gift to Indian cuisine by the Portuguese was perhaps the Columbian Trade which introduced crops like potatoes, okra, chillies, pineapples, papaya, cashew, peanuts, maize, guava, custard apples, and sapodilla. Tomatoes were not native to India and are believed to have been brought in through trade with other Asian empires, who in turn acquired them through trade with Spain. Most gravies in Indian curries today are tomato-based. Potatoes have been integrated into modern Indian cuisine as if it were a native plant [ 5 ]. India was the third largest producer of potato in 2007 at 26,280,000 tonnes and the third largest consumer at 17,380,730 tonnes in 2005, according to FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [ 18 ]. Maize has also been adopted in Indian cuisine. Corn roasted on the cob is a popular street food seasoned with lime, salt, and red chilli powder. Certain west-Indian dishes call for kernels of corn in the recipes and cornflour is used to make a flatbread called makki ki roti (refer to Fig.  7 a) in Punjab.

There is a strong Portuguese influence in Goan cuisine, and many preparations are adaptations of Portuguese dishes. The dish carne de vina d’alhos transformed to vindaloo (refer to Fig.  10 a), which is a sweet and sour, but very spicy pork curry. Unlike the Portuguese preparation, vindaloo was made dry, so that it could be carried on long journeys. Caldo Verde , a Portuguese soup of potato and kale, is made in Goa with the same name, but is spicier, with the addition of ginger and black pepper. Also, kale is replaced by spinach in the soup. Xacuti Chicken (refer to Fig.  10 b) is a Goan curry made with a paste of crushed peanuts, grated coconut, and a complex spice mix. A similar Portuguese dish is Chacuti de Galinha . The Portuguese also introduced a few types of breads, for example, the pau (oven-baked bread rolls). Many street foods across the country use pau today, like the vada pau (fried balls of mashed potato and spices served with different relishes in a bread roll, see Fig.  11 a) and bhaji pau (tomato and potato-based tangy spicy curry served with bread roll roasted in butter, see Fig.  11 b). Bibinca is a Portuguese baked dessert, where seven layers of cake made with flour, sugar, ghee, egg yolk, and coconut milk are stacked over each other to make a pudding. It is Goan tradition to make Bibinca at Christmas [ 42 ].

a Chicken Vindaloo is a spicy, aromatic Goan curry adapted from the Portuguese Carne de vinha d'alhos. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/chicken-vindaloo-spinach-black-bowl-on-1933658453 b Chicken Xacuti is another Goan curry made with chicken, poppy seeds, toasted coconut shredding, black pepper, chilli, and other spices. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/chicken-xacuti-classic-dish-goa-region-1639569403

a Vada Pau is a famous Maharashtrian snack. It is a fried ball of spiced mash of boiled potatoes served in a bread roll with green chilli chutney, garlic chutney and fried green chilli. It is often eaten alongside chai (tea). Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/masala-cutting-chai-bombay-vada-paav-1909642918 b Bhaji Pau is another Maharashtrian street food made up of a spiced tomato and potato curry, served with bread rolls toasted on a pan with butter. Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pav-bhaji-fast-food-dish-india-396513787

Coloquios dos simples e drogas da India by Garcia de Orta, who served as the physician to the Portuguese viceroy to India, describes a lot of ingredients used in India. There are notes on pepper, banana, galangal, turmeric, betel, bhaang (preparation of cannabis, see Fig.  12 ), camphor, and asafoetida. He describes the excess use of asafoetida in India, especially in Hindu kitchens, and notes the extremely pungent smell of the dried latex of a Ferula herb [ 2 ]. The preparation of bananas involved roasting them and then serving them with wine and cinnamon. In another dish, bananas were cut in half, fried in sugar, and served with cinnamon sprinkled on top. The widespread use of bhaang was also noted adequately.

Source : Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hindu-priests-prepare-bhang-milk-on-653747197

Bhaang being prepared by Hindu priests for consumption during the festival of Holi. It is prepared by crushing cannabis leaves with sweetened milk.

Following the Dutch entry into the trade market of the East Indies, the French established trade with India [ 50 ] and made Pondicherry their capital. Their legacy is visible in the local cuisine there. Ragout (a stew flavoured heavily with garlic and aromatics) and rum-soaked Christmas fruitcake are some of the French dishes incorporated in the cuisine of Pondicherry. Meen puyabaisse is a local preparation of the French dish Fish Bouillabaisse .

Like the previous colonisers, the British also started with trade intentions. They first docked at the port of Surat and this became their first trading establishment in India. This trade mainly involved the export of silk, sugar, salt, opium, and tea and the import of English products like ham, cheese, beer, and wine to supply the English population in India. After the decisive Battle of Plassey in 1757, the British managed to drive the French away from Bengal and laid a strong foundation for their future supremacy [ 14 ]. The British also overthrew the Dutch from Bengal in the mid-eighteenth century, and the thriving Dutch trade under Mughal patronisation came to an end [ 37 ].

The most notable effect of the British on Indian cuisine is found in the field of brewing. Taverns opened by the British served wine, beer, rum, and other British spirits. Punch was a popular drink served at such places. It was made by mixing five ingredients – arrack, rosewater, citron juice, sugar, and spices, resulting in the name paanch (means five in Hindi).

Beer, especially ale, was a popular beverage among the British in India. Later, the antimalarial properties of quinine were discovered and it was added to soda water, giving birth to tonic. It was paired with gin and served as gin and tonic at clubs. There are speculations that gimlet (gin with lime juice) was first made in India. The first brewery in India was established in the Solan District of Himachal Pradesh in 1830 and twelve breweries were established in India in the following fifty years.

The British were fond of tea and most of it was exported to England from the plantations in China. The British discovered tea growing as a wild plant in Northeastern parts of India where the locals used it in pickling and infused it in dishes. Tea plantations were then set up by the British in Assam, which spread to Darjeeling in the Himalayas, Nilgiri Hills in Southern India, and even to Sri Lanka. However, the drink was not common among the Indian population. It was only after the forced departure of the British that officials realized the surplus in fields that were previously farmed to export to Britain [ 19 ]. The Indians took their tea with milk and spices, which is now consumed today under the name chai . A similar story follows the cultivation of coffee in Southern India, but its growth was not as pronounced as that of tea, because coffee was mainly planted to meet the needs of locals.

The British also grew crops like oranges, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, and cabbage, which have found their way into Indian kitchens. Omelettes became famous as breakfasts served in clubs, where they would be made with minced onions and chillies.

As time passed and the British ruled over the country, Christian missionaries found a true mission in converting the Hindu population to Christianity. Several internal problems like the caste system, practices of untouchability, oppression of certain sections of the population, lack of access to health care, and so on opened the doors for conversion to Christianity. Along with educational and health care facilities, the converted Christians also started imitating English food habits. On the other hand, there evolved a community of Anglo-Indians who adopted most of the English practices and cultures. They have been attributed a distinct cuisine that involved preparing English ingredients in Indian ways [ 9 ]. Roasted beef, meat and potato curry, pepper water or rasam (spicy beef broth), jalfrezi (meat or fish stir-fried in a dry sauce along with vegetables), and dry fry (beef cooked with onions, tomatoes, and spices in very little oil) are some common dishes of the Anglo-Indian cuisine. Rasam and jalfrezi are popular in India even today. They also cooked Portuguese inspired Goan dishes like the vindaloo , balchow (meat or seafood cooked in spicy tomato chilli sauce), and foogath (vegetables sautéed with onion, garlic and mustard seeds) and celebrated Christmas with roast turkey or duck and plum pudding. In certain ways, Anglo-Indian cuisine was an introduction to pan-Indian cuisine.

The paper attempted to present a historical review of the diversity of food cooked in India. The paper is a small attempt at bringing together several scattered historical pieces of information related to how food evolved in India. While the pressure of not adequately providing ‘gastrosemantics’ [ 25 ], i.e. how a culture orchestrates the centralisation of food through a well-organized attempt to bring together the philosophy, consumption, beauty and transmission of food cultures, cannot be undermined, the satisfaction of making a shot at it is nevertheless immense. Not many mainstream journal articles are available on Indian Cuisine, and this study is by no means an exhaustive study of the History of Indian Cuisine. It is a fine line between risking oversimplification and focusing only on a certain era or a region, but that has been overcome here by focusing on a few decisive aspects of every era while keeping a note of developments elsewhere in the subcontinent. A few historical and philosophical aspects of the cultures associated with the history are highlighted to explain some of the culinary preferences and food habits. Future researchers can investigate some of the areas this paper has opened. As languages of the past begin being understood, it will be worth closely looking at manuscripts from the Vedic eras for culinary culture. From the understanding that religious practices often had a culinary aspect, studying the religion would inevitably teach us about the food and the ingredients available to the population. It would also be helpful to break the subcontinent down to meaningful regions and confine the study of the development of cuisine to particular regions. Lastly, since food politics in India has recently gained some research interest, it will be worth exploring how historically food politics has been played out in the country.

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Antani, V., Mahapatra, S. Evolution of Indian cuisine: a socio-historical review. J. Ethn. Food 9 , 15 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42779-022-00129-4

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Evolution of Food Fermentation Processes and the Use of Multi-Omics in Deciphering the Roles of the Microbiota

Mohamed mannaa.

1 Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea; ge.ude.uc@aannam (M.M.); rk.ca.nasup@enoorc (G.H.)

2 Department of Plant Pathology, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt

Young-Su Seo

Inmyoung park.

3 School of Culinary Arts, Youngsan University, Busan 48015, Korea

Food fermentation has been practised since ancient times to improve sensory properties and food preservation. This review discusses the process of fermentation, which has undergone remarkable improvement over the years, from relying on natural microbes and spontaneous fermentation to back-slopping and the use of starter cultures. Modern biotechnological approaches, including genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9, have been investigated and hold promise for improving the fermentation process. The invention of next-generation sequencing techniques and the rise of meta-omics tools have advanced our knowledge on the characterisation of microbiomes involved in food fermentation and their functional roles. The contribution and potential advantages of meta-omics technologies in understanding the process of fermentation and examples of recent studies utilising multi-omics approaches for studying food-fermentation microbiomes are reviewed. Recent technological advances in studying food fermentation have provided insights into the ancient wisdom in the practice of food fermentation, such as the choice of substrates and fermentation conditions leading to desirable properties. This review aims to stimulate research on the process of fermentation and the associated microbiomes to produce fermented food efficiently and sustainably. Prospects and the usefulness of recent advances in molecular tools and integrated multi-omics approaches are highlighted.

1. Introduction

The art of fermentation is as old as the human civilisation on earth, as it was traditionally developed by ancient societies for food preservation during harsh seasons, for ritual feasts, and to enhance the sensory quality of food [ 1 ]. Historical records reveal that fermentation of several substrates, including milk and cereal, is indigenous to many parts of the world. The earliest form of fermentation was discovered by analysing the stone mortars from the Natufian burial sites of a semi-sedentary foraging population, providing archaeological evidence for beer brewing from cereals dating back 13,000 years [ 2 ]. In ancient Egypt, dairy products, fermented bread, and beer were dietary staples [ 3 ]. In China, chemical analysis of ancient pottery jars indicate the existence of fermented products of rice, honey, and fruits as early as the seventh millennium B.C. [ 4 ].

Fermentation was an integral part of other ancient civilisations; examples include beer brewing in Babylonia, soy sauce production in East Asia, and fruit fermentation in Greece (Greeks attributed ‘Dionysos’ as the god of fruit fermentation) [ 5 ]. The most ubiquitous type of fermented food is yoghurt (made from milk), which was produced and consumed throughout the Middle East and Europe and has become a major component of the human diet worldwide [ 6 ]. In East Asia, a series of fermented food products, mainly based on rice, soybean, vegetables, and fish, have been developed and are still produced and consumed on a daily basis; examples of such products include Korean kimchi and Japanese natto, which have gained popularity worldwide owing to their unique taste and proven health benefits [ 7 ].

Fermentation continues to be practised due to the evidence of extended shelf life and improved organoleptic properties of fermented foods. There is a wide variation in fermented foods and drinks prepared and consumed worldwide, although we lack detailed knowledge of the microbial properties underlying such variation [ 5 ]. In the past, fermentation was based on naturally occurring microbes in the food substrate that were affected largely by the surrounding condition and environment, leading to the characteristics of the fermented products according to their geographical location. With the growing global attention and the increasing demand for fermented products, merged with the increased awareness of food safety aspects, standardisation of the process was necessary, which led to industrial control of the production procedures, such as the use of starter cultures and the control of fermentation protocols on an industrial scale [ 8 ].

The first model for understanding microbial roles in food fermentation was created when the role of the fungus Aspergillus oryzae in the preparation of koji was discovered by the German scientist Korschelt in 1878 [ 9 ]. This discovery was followed by the identification of various additional fermentation microbes and starter cultures, reaching the recent advancement in molecular biology techniques, next-generation sequencing (NGS), multi-omics and bioinformatics tools, and advanced statistical approaches. These advancements have revealed the microbiome composition of fermented foods and the complete genome sequence of biotechnologically important microbes. These findings have enabled a thorough understanding of the fermentation process and microbial diversity, roles, and metabolic pathways and outcomes, leading to great development in the fermentation industry [ 9 ].

Human gut microbiome research has revealed the link between the gut microbiome and different aspects of human health and diseases. This finding has necessitated studies on fermented foods and their roles in enhancing the microbiome. This review aims to discuss the evolution of the fermentation process and the contribution of modern biotechnological tools in improving the process of food fermentation. Furthermore, the modern advancements in multi-omics approaches are reviewed along with their application in studying the fermentation-associated microbiome, microbial interactions within the fermented food ecosystem, and microbial roles in imparting fermented foods and beverages with unique properties. Finally, the future perspectives on food fermentation considering modern innovative approaches are highlighted.

2. Classification of Major Types of Fermented Foods and Beverages

Fermentation involves the action of enzymes and catalysts derived from microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and moulds for the chemical transformation of the complex organic compounds in the substrate into simpler, bioactive, functional, and nutritious compounds [ 10 ]. There are several classification methods for fermented foods and beverages, mainly based on the substrate category used, such as fermented milk, cereal, legumes, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and herbs [ 11 ]. The various combinations of different types of food substrates and the involved fermentation microbiota give rise to thousands of fermented products worldwide; the main examples of common fermented foods and beverages and the main fermenting microbes are summarised in Figure 1 .

Common fermentation substrates and produced fermented foods and beverages.

Fermentation can also be categorised, according to the main biochemical pathway, into four basic categories: alcoholic, lactic, acetic, and alkali fermentation ( Table 1 ) [ 12 ]. In alcoholic fermentation, the sugars in the substrate are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide; examples of such fermentation include the production of bread, beer, and wine. Yeast is the predominant microbe responsible for this type of fermentation. In lactic fermentation, sugars are converted into lactic acid, as in the case of yoghurt, kimchi, and fermented cereals. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are mainly responsible for this type of fermentation [ 13 ]. In acetic fermentation, organic compounds such as alcohols and sugars in the substrate are converted into acetic acid by bacteria mainly belonging to the genus Acetobacter , as in the case of production of water kefir, kombucha, cocoa, acidic beer, and vinegar [ 14 ]. Organic acids that are microbially produced during the fermentation of several fermented foods and beverages play key roles in determining the quality and safety aspects of the products. For example, propionic acid, produced by Propionibacterium , and glucuronic acid, produced mainly by Gluconacetobacter , impart kombucha with antioxidant properties and strong antimicrobial activity against harmful microbes [ 15 ]. The lactic acid bacteria could also be classified into two main physiological groups depending on the fermentation pathway, the homofermentative and heterofermentative. The distinction is in the main product of the fermentation of sugars being primarily lactic acid in the homofermentative and lactic acid, CO 2 , acetic acid and/or ethanol in the heterofermentative group [ 16 ].

Classification of the major types of fermentation related to food production.

In alkali fermentation, the proteins in the substate are hydrolysed into amino acids and peptides, releasing ammonia, which elevates the pH (8–9), inhibiting spoilage-associated microbes. Ammonia produced during alkaline fermentation (involved in the preparation of Japanese nattu and African fermented legumes and eggs) is responsible for a strong umami flavour and aroma. Microbes responsible for alkaline fermentation mainly belong to Bacillus spp. and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus , which can produce extracellular proteinase for protein hydrolysis [ 17 , 18 ]. Unlike fermented products that depend on a specific group of microbes for fermentation, there are fermented foods and beverages, such as Korean doenjang and kombucha, that pass through different stages of fermentation, in which different types of microbes are responsible for the multi-step fermentation process [ 19 ].

Steinkraus [ 20 ] proposed a seven-category classification of fermented foods and beverages that predicts the involved microorganisms and the changes (chemical, physical, and nutritive) occurring during fermentation. In this classification, textured vegetable-protein meat substitutes such as Indonesian tempe, high salt/meat-flavoured amino acid/peptide sauces, fermented paste such as fish sauce and miso, and leavened and sourdough breads were added as separate categories to the previously described general classification [ 20 ].

3. Evolution of the Process of Fermentation over the Years

3.1. spontaneous fermentation and back-slopping.

Fermented foods and beverages have traditionally been produced by relying on the microbiota naturally occurring on the food substrate. Spontaneous fermentation dependent on autochthonous microbes was the main method for producing fermented food and beverages throughout history, and it remains a mainstay method in domestic, small-scale, and household settings [ 21 ]. In this type of fermentation, the conditions are adjusted to allow for the growth of desirable fermentation microbes that impart unique sensory properties to the product and prevent the growth of spoilage-associated microbes [ 22 ]. Fermentation conditions often need to be adjusted—for example, creating anaerobic conditions is necessary for the production of pickles; the composition of ingredients may also need to be adjusted (e.g., by adding salt or vinegar during fermentation) to suppress competing undesirable microflora [ 23 ]. Many types of fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kimchi, are still produced using spontaneous approaches without the use of starter cultures, especially in small-scale settings and in developing countries, as the process depends completely on enhancing the growth of microbes available on the substrate raw materials [ 12 ].

The start of the fermentation process may involve transferring a small amount of a previously successful fermented batch into fresh ingredients as an inoculum to facilitate the initial phase of fermentation of the next batch, even without the knowledge of the types of active microbes; this process is called back-slopping [ 24 ]. In spontaneous fermentation, a successful process is achieved when the desirable microbes can outcompete and dominate harmful and spoilage-associated microbes because of their adaptability to the substrate and the prevailing fermentation condition. Back-slopping reduces the risk of failure and facilitates the competitive ability of fermentation microbes; repeating the process provides further selection of useful microbes that are best adapted to the food substrate and the fermentation condition, providing the currently available starter cultures [ 22 ].

3.2. Starter Cultures

With progress in the microbiological techniques of isolation, identification, and microbial preservation, specific starter cultures have been isolated and characterised from fermented foods. These cultures are currently used, especially on the industrial scale, to ensure that the process is controlled and the fermentation outcome is stable for quality and properties. The use of well-defined starter cultures was first adopted to produce beer, alcohol, vinegar, and bread, followed by dairy and meat products [ 25 ]. The main role of starter cultures is to accelerate the fermentation process and to convert carbohydrates in the substrate into alcohols and organic acids which act as natural preservatives that restrict the growth of harmful microbes and impart distinct and desirable organoleptic properties to the product. Minimising the risk of foodborne diseases has been confirmed previously in natural conditions and in artificial inoculation with pathogens [ 26 , 27 ]. The release of carbon dioxide by the action of starter cultures is important for the process of fermentation, as it contributes to rising the dough during breadmaking, making the foam of beer and buttermilk, and the formation of eyes in cheese [ 25 ].

The starter cultures that are mostly used to produce fermented foods and beverages, particularly acidic fermented products, belong to LAB [ 25 ]. Such bacteria include members of Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc , Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Oenococcus , and Pediococcus , and some of them may exert direct beneficial effects on health as live probiotic microbes [ 28 ]. Additionally, non-LAB bacteria, such as those belonging to Bacillus , Micrococcaceae , Bifidobacterium , Propionibacterium , and Brachybacterium , act as a secondary group of microorganisms in the fermentation process [ 29 ]. Along with bacteria, yeast and moulds, including several species of Debaryomyces, Kluyveromyces, Saccharomyces, Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillium, and Rhizopus species, represent an important part of starter cultures in a variety of fermented foods and beverages, such as cheese and coffee, in which the microbiota significantly affects the appearance and organoleptic properties [ 30 , 31 ]. For wine making, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae is traditionally used in the fermentation process. In addition, there is an increasing awareness about the enological characteristics of other non- Saccharomyces yeast in imparting the wine with particular flavour and aroma [ 32 ].

3.3. Starter Cultures of Multiple Strains and Adaptation for Co-Existence

Starter cultures do not always contain a single strain; in many cases, a consortium of different organisms and strains is involved. The model example for the fermented beverages to be covered in this review is kombucha, with a starter culture consortium of multiple species that are well-adapted to co-existence. In the case of kombucha, a fermented, sweetened, black tea-derived beverage, which originated in China thousands of years ago and is currently gaining popularity worldwide for its health-promoting and therapeutic effects, a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) is used to initiate fermentation [ 33 ]. Kombucha fermentation comprises three main types of fermentation (i.e., alcoholic, lactic, and acetic) due to the presence of different types of bacteria and yeast co-existing in the medium and responsible for different stages of fermentation; the process is initiated by osmotolerant microbes, and acid-tolerant bacteria prevail and dominate [ 34 ].

In this case, the microbes are well-adapted to the substrate and co-exist with other microbes constituting the SCOBY. They act in harmony; the substrate contains sucrose that is first broken down by the action of yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) into fructose and glucose, which are then used for the growth of bacteria in the consortium (e.g., Acetobacter and Gluconobacter spp.) producing various organic acids, such as acetic, gluconic, and glucuronic acids [ 35 ]. Yeast in kombucha ferments the sugar into ethanol and CO 2 ; ethanol is subsequently oxidised into acetic acid by acetic acid bacteria. These organic acids, along with the alcohols produced by the yeast, act as antimicrobial agents that inhibit the growth of undesirable microbes in kombucha [ 35 ]. The levels of polyphenols and flavonoids originally found in black tea increase progressively with fermentation, most likely due to the role of yeast in enzymatically degrading the polyphenols into smaller molecules, increasing the antioxidant activity of kombucha and stimulating the production of bacterial cellulose [ 36 , 37 ].

The microbial cellulose produced by Komagataeibacter xylinus (formerly Gluconacetobacter xylinus ) is the base for forming the floating biofilm as the solid phase of kombucha. Formation of this biofilm enhances the association between bacteria and yeast and plays a role in adjusting the fermentation condition to support the survival of important microbial groups by retaining bacteria and yeast on the surface of the liquid to ensure adequate oxygen supply and nutrient diffusion (by forming reticulation) to inhabiting bacteria [ 38 ]. The roles of the microbial agents within the kombucha ecosystem are not limited to their biological activity; even after the death of the involved yeast cells, they release vitamins and nutrients, stimulating the growth of important bacteria [ 34 ]. This phenomenal co-existence of different interacting microbes constituting the consortium of kombucha fermentation represents a model for fermentation microbiota co-evolution, powerful symbiosis, and ecological system stability; this consortium can tolerate simulated Mars-like environmental conditions and restore their biological activity after exposure [ 34 , 39 ]. Figure 2 illustrates the metabolic interplay and functional compatibility of the kombucha fermentation microbes, indicating their adaptation and strong symbiosis.

An illustration of the metabolic interplay and functional compatibility of kombucha fermentation microbiota, representing a model for the adaptation and symbiosis of the microbiota in the fermentation ecosystem.

3.4. Genetic Improvement of Starter Cultures

The fermentation process has further evolved as the use of starter cultures has undergone significant improvement with the advancement of molecular biology techniques. Previously, the selection of starter cultures was based on the screening of many isolates, and those that performed well in fermentation on an industrial scale, yielding end products with acceptable organoleptic characteristics, were selected [ 40 ]. Recently, advanced tools allowing for high-throughput screening for specific targeting of genes and metabolic pathways have resulted in the selection of better performing and well-adapted starter cultures for improved fermentation and facilitated the selection of mutants and genetic engineering for superior starter cultures with desired properties [ 25 ].

The successful plasmid transformation of Lactococcus lactis (formerly Streptococcus lactis ), an important microorganism for dairy fermentation, using recombinant DNA techniques in 1982, was considered a turning point for using genetic engineering to improve starter cultures for preparing fermented food [ 41 ]. Following this advancement, several industrially important LAB, such as Streptococcus thermophilus and members of the Leuconostoc genus, have been genetic modified to improve traits linked to metabolism, efficiency of proteolysis, and defence against bacteriophages [ 42 ]. Infection of starter cultures with bacteriophages is a major concern for dairy fermentation, as this causes significant economic losses due to the rapid accumulation of bacteriophages, leading to the complete termination of acidification and consequent spoilage [ 43 ]. Progress in molecular biology has led to the characterisation of bacteriophages coupled with sequencing of the whole genome of L. lactis , facilitating understanding of the process of bacteriophage infection and bacterial defence mechanisms. This discovery was translated into constructing strains with bacteriophage components that inhibited phage proliferation and offered significant protection to L. lactis [ 44 ]. Moreover, genetic and metabolic engineering of LAB opens the way for further utilisation of milk lactose during fermentation with the possibility of generating new useful products (both simple and complex) along with lactic acid, with various beneficial applications [ 45 ].

Starter cultures have been generated using recombinant DNA technology for decades and may provide improved fermentation processes and offer better-quality products with desired properties. Despite such potential, none of the developed strains are being used in the industry due to strict governmental regulations and the lack of consumer acceptance of genetically modified food ingredients [ 46 ]. Therefore, strain improvement methods without the use of recombinant DNA technology, such as random mutagenesis, directed or adaptive evolution, and dominant selection, together with natural mechanisms such as bacteriophage transduction, natural competence, and conjugation, are widely used in the food industry [ 47 ]. Random mutagenesis induced by classical methods (e.g., UV treatment) and subsequent selection of useful variants have been successfully used to generate starter cultures with desired properties [ 48 , 49 ]. However, this method has the disadvantage of causing unintended mutations that might impair the applicability of strains and affect their performance, as evidenced by bacterial whole genome studies [ 47 ]. Improved strains qualify as ‘generally regarded as safe’ by the U.S. FDA if they have genetic stability, no foreign DNA, no antibiotic-resistance-marker genes, and no global changes from the parental strain; such improved strains have been generated and registered for use [ 50 ]. One example of a registered improved strain as starter culture is the metabolically engineered urea-degrading Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain generated to reduce the content of ethyl carbamate, a potent carcinogen in wine; the strain reduces ethyl carbamate in wine by 89.1% and was patented and registered for producing alcoholic beverages [ 51 ].

3.5. CRISPR/Cas9 Technology for Genetic Improvement of Starter Cultures

The revolutionary novel technology, CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9), is an extremely precise method of gene editing; it has taken genetic engineering to another level with a wide range of biotechnological applications in many fields, and its discoverers were selected for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 [ 52 , 53 ]. Briefly, CRISPR/Cas9 is based on the mechanism of ‘adaptive immunity’, which is naturally found in bacteria and archaea, and comprises two components: the chimeric guide RNA (gRNA) and the RNA-guided DNA endonuclease (e.g., Cas9); the CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox can be used for precise genome editing of any organism [ 54 ]. The applications of the toolbox in the food industry are numerous, and it has been applied to improve the strains of starter cultures by producing marker-less, genetically stable strains with improved properties [ 50 ].

The technology was first applied in 2013 for genome engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an industrially important yeast and starter strain for several fermented products [ 55 ]. Since then, several applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox to improve the applicability of S. cerevisiae have followed. Recently, engineering yeast for the reduction of production of urea, the precursor of ethyl carbamate, and the modulation of glycerol production in wine have been successfully implemented [ 56 , 57 , 58 ]. The application of the CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox has been explored for improving fermented food and beverage starter microbes along with yeast. Kimchi-associated Leuconostoc citreum was engineered using the CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox for elimination of cryptic plasmids and this process was suggested as a food-grade method to develop a safe lactic acid bacterial strain without residual antibiotic markers [ 59 ]. Katayama et al. [ 60 ] utilised the CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox to develop a functional and versatile genome editing method for efficiently targeting mutagenesis in A. oryzae , which is an industrially important filamentous fungus used in Japanese and Korean traditional fermentation [ 60 ].

The novel CRISPR technology for gene editing is promising for food-grade applications; it is highly precise, stable, and should be considered outside the scope of genetically modified organisms (GMO) as the modification occurs in nature [ 50 ]. However, it still falls into the definition of GMO according to the European Union court, as it concerns organisms made through in vitro mutagenesis [ 61 ]. The scientific community is putting effort into the reconsideration of such regulations and the acceptance of the technology in the food industry [ 62 ]. Nevertheless, research on improving the properties of starter cultures of fermented food and beverages is critical to improve the quality of products and reduce the potential hazards posed by undesired microbes or their metabolites.

3.6. CRISPR-Mediated Microbiome Engineering and Fermentation

Microbial activity in fermented foods and beverages is the main factor responsible for product quality and safety. Hence, the manipulation of the microbial composition, particularly at the initiation of fermentation, is key for controlling the process and shaping the properties of the product. Recent advances in biotechnological tools and the rise of CRISPR-based technologies may not only be involved in genetic improvement of specific strains in starter cultures, as explained earlier, but the technology also has great potential in microbiome engineering [ 63 ]. This superior method can target specific groups of undesirable microbes within the fermented food ecosystem and control the microbiota assembly to enhance desirable fermentation microbes, leading to the optimisation of fermented food products [ 64 ].

CRISPR-mediated microbiome manipulation has been investigated in several recent studies. The main priority for fermented food and beverage microbiome manipulation is to selectively control the undesirable spoilage-associated microbes or microbes competing with fermentation-desirable microbes to enhance product quality and extend shelf life [ 64 ]. Specific targeting of specific individual microbial strains within microbial consortia was previously carried out using the CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox in Escherichia coli as a model microbe by targeting specific sequences [ 65 ].

Such specific targeting of individual strains in mixed cultures and the differentiation between pathogenic and beneficial microbes was nearly impossible using tailored growth conditions or traditional antibiotics; such targeting allows for further applications by selectively clearing contaminating microorganisms and quantitively controlling the environmental or industrial microbial community composition [ 65 ]. The specific DNA sequences responsible for undesirable features that are unique to pathogenic or spoilage microbes, such as virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, or toxin production, can be targeted for elimination [ 64 , 66 , 67 ]. Although most studies utilising innovative CRISPR-based selective antimicrobial approaches focus on pathogenic microbes, involving selective manipulation of the food-fermentation microbiome by targeting the genotype of spoilage microbes. The different applications and contributions of CRISPR-based technologies in improving food fermentation by targeted gene editing for improvement of starter culture microbiome engineering are shown in Figure 3 .

CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing and its possible applications in food fermentation. The precise gene editing can be utilised for improving of the starter culture by deletion of undesirable traits or insertion of desirable traits. CRISPR-Cas9 technology could be utilised for microbiome engineering by targeting unique sequences and selectively eliminate spoilage and undesirable microbes from the community.

CRISPR-based microbiome engineering represents the most recent advancement in the evolution of the food fermentation process, starting with traditional spontaneous fermentation through the use of starter cultures and genetic engineering. The evolution of the food fermentation process is summarised in Figure 4 .

Evolution of the process of fermentation throughout the history, starting from relying on the natural indigenous microbes reaching to the innovative approach of microbiome engineering using advanced technological tools.

4. Multi-Omics and Microbiota Dynamics of Food Fermentation

The continuously interacting microbiota of food fermentation ecosystems, encompassing different types of bacteria, yeast, and fungi, plays a major role in shaping the quality and safety of fermented foods and beverages [ 68 ]. Previous studies investigating the microbial composition of fermented products were based on the culture-based traditional plate cultivation method, which failed to provide accurate information about the microbial profiles mainly because of the vast majority of uncultivatable microbes and the presence of viable but not culturable microbes, especially in fermented food ecosystems [ 21 , 69 ]. The recent advancement of the NGS technology, incorporating the collective studies of microbial genomes and metagenomics, meta-transcriptomics, meta-proteomics, and metabolomics to study microbial communities, has enabled accurate identification of the microbial composition of different ecosystems, including fermented food, and the detailed study of the microbe-microbe and microbe-environment interactions within food fermentation ecosystems, involving microbial gene expression, activities, and metabolomic interplay [ 70 ]. These nucleic acid and protein-based next-generation approaches have replaced traditional culture-based methods for microbial community profiling and are the cornerstone for understanding the fermentation process in detail and providing opportunities to interfere and manipulate the community composition for improved fermentation processes for safer and better-quality products with desired properties and extended shelf life [ 71 ]. Integrated multi-omics analyses and their roles in studying the fermentation microbial ecosystem are summarised in Figure 5 .

The different tools of the multi-omics analysis and their roles in understanding the food fermentation process, microbiome structure and functional activity profiling.

One of the most extensively applied techniques in recent studies to profile the microbiota within food fermentation is the use of high-throughput sequencing (HTS)-based metabarcoding, by analysing the collective genomic markers by employing universal primers, such as the 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions for bacteria and fungi, respectively [ 71 ]. The limitation of this method is that it might fail to identify the microbes involved at the species level, although in many cases the species could be inferred due to the limited number of identified species within many food fermentation genera [ 71 ]. Furthermore, this method can only provide qualitative and pseudo-quantitative assessment of the present microbiota that would be expressed as ‘relative abundance’ and this limitation could be overcome by integrating targeted molecular cell enumeration techniques to provide an absolute abundance assessment [ 72 ]. Relying on the amplification from DNA templates may limit evaluating the actual active microbial groups, which could be avoided by using RNA-based approaches, including the reverse-transcription of mixed RNA followed by amplification of cDNA that can profile active microbial populations and quantitative PCR for microbial enumeration [ 73 ].

A more comprehensive approach to study the fermented food microbiome is the application of metagenomic shotgun DNA-seq, which provides more accurate taxonomic information on the microbial communities of high-complexity samples, allowing for profiling the functional potential by detection of the global gene content and identification of unknown species [ 74 ]. The applications of the shotgun DNA-seq approach in studying food matrices include the detection of foodborne pathogens and monitoring changes in the gene content during the fermentation process [ 71 , 75 , 76 , 77 ]. Nevertheless, the HTS-based metabarcoding method provides a powerful tool to profile the microbiota of food fermentation and has been successfully applied to investigate different types of food fermentation products and to monitor the microbial dynamics and possible alterations in the microbiota by adjusting the external perturbations such as fermentation conditions, ingredients, and sampling points [ 78 ]. A comprehensive review of studies utilising amplicon based HTS was reviewed by Ferrocino and Cocolin, 2017 [ 71 ]. Among the applications of the HTS-based metabarcoding approach, the microbiota involved in the process of fermentation and the influence of manipulating the fermentation ingredients on the microbial community structure have been investigated.

4.1. Examples on the Use of Meta-Omics to Study Microbial Dynamics of Food Fermentation in Recent Studies

Among the model examples for studies involving HTS-based metabarcoding approach to profile the microbial community structure and evaluate the influence of fermentation ingredients on the microbial community composition and functional potential that will be covered in this review are kimchi, fermented soy products, and kombucha. Kimchi is the most famous Korean fermented food that has gained worldwide popularity owing to its health-promoting properties [ 79 ]. Several studies have investigated the origins of the microbial community and their dynamics in kimchi, as well as the identity of main microbes involved in the fermentation process [ 80 , 81 ]. The main microbes of kimchi fermentation are LAB that initiate fermentation by metabolising vegetable sugars into lactic acid, which reduces the pH and limits the growth of most microbes [ 82 ]. The dominant microbes in kimchi are members of the Leuconostoc , Lactobacillus , and Weissella genera. During the initial fermentation stage, Leuconostoc mesenteroides usually dominates the microbial community, and Lactobacillus sakei and Weissella koreensis begin to dominate at the optimum-ripening and over-ripening fermentation stages; although the latter are important for kimchi fermentation, their rapid growth and activity promote acidic deterioration, decrease the fresh flavour, and reduce the shelf life [ 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ].

Mannaa et al. [ 85 ] utilised HTS-based metabarcoding to investigate the influence of incorporating gizzard shad fish ( Konosirus punctatus ) during kimchi fermentation on the microbial and chemical composition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a practice that is traditionally adopted in the coastal cities of Korea, where fish is added during kimchi fermentation, and this type of kimchi has a refreshing taste and a relatively extended shelf life [ 86 , 87 ]. This study revealed that adding gizzard shad fish during kimchi fermentation had a positive effect on the composition of chemicals and the microbiota by reducing the growth of Lactobacillus sakei, which is linked to the rapid acidic deterioration of kimchi, and by promoting the growth of Leuconostoc rapi, which is known for its health-promoting and taste-improving properties owing to the production of the antioxidant mannitol, contributing to the refreshing flavour and desirable characteristics of kimchi [ 85 , 88 , 89 ]. These results shed light on the inherited wisdom in preparing traditional fermented foods by combining specific substrates that provide and enhance the growth of desirable microbes and suppress spoilage. The formulated ingredients in kimchi act as a source of specific microbes and may exert a selective action on the desired microbes by their potential antibiotic effect (e.g., garlic and red pepper powder) against certain microbial species and by adjusting the physicochemical conditions of the fermentation ecosystem [ 90 , 91 , 92 ]. Understanding the fermentation process and adjusting the optimum conditions require investigating the roles of fermentation ingredients in shaping the fermentation microbiome.

In other common Korean fermented products, Korean fermented soy paste (doenjang) and soy sauce (gangjang), manipulating the ingredients during fermentation can cause significant changes in the microbial composition and lead to changes in the properties of the product. Fermentation of doenjang and gangjang is based on two steps, starting with meju, whereby dried soybean blocks are fermented spontaneously using naturally occurring populations of fungi and bacteria. The fermented dry mouldy blocks are then subjected to a second long-term fermentation to produce the solid paste, doenjang, and liquid gangjang [ 93 ]. The process of fermentation is mostly spontaneous and carried out under non-sterile conditions based on natural microbes from the substrates used. Therefore, there is wide variation in the microbial composition of the product, and the substrates play a major role in controlling the taste, safety, and quality aspects [ 94 ].

Mannaa et al. [ 95 ] investigated the influence of incorporating fresh coriander during fermentation to produce gangjang using an HTS-based 16S rRNA metabarcoding and reported significant shifts in the microbial composition compared to the control group. Adding coriander resulted in a significant reduction (~45% reduction) in the relative abundance of Chromohalobacter beijerinckii , which dominated the microbial community in the control group. Reduction in C. beijerinckii is considered beneficial for gangjang as it is responsible for the increase in the levels of biogenic amines, such as histamine, putrescine, and tyramine, which are considered potential health risk factors in fermented salty products and should be minimised. This study combined the metabolomic analysis using 1 H-NMR to evaluate the content of biogenic amines produced in the gangjang, which revealed a significant reduction in the levels of these biogenic amines. This study demonstrates the advantage of integrating multi-omics tools to evaluate the effect of ingredients on the fermentation process and the end product, by suggesting that adding coriander during fermentation has a positive influence on the quality and health of the product.

Similarly, the effect of adding different types of herbs during fermentation for the production of doenjang was investigated using HTS-based 16S rRNA metabarcoding and metabolomic studies [ 96 , 97 ]. The results indicated that the incorporation of herbs, especially peppermint and Korean mint, during doenjang fermentation had a positive effect on the microbial community structure as the levels of undesirable microbes, such as Sphingobacterium and Pantoea , were significantly reduced, while potentially beneficial bioactive metabolite-producing microbes, such as Saccharopolyspora and Buttiauxella , were present at significantly higher levels [ 97 ]. These results were further confirmed and were consistent with those of a recent study that utilised primary and secondary metabolome analyses to evaluate the effect of adding herbs on doenjang properties. The results indicated that adding herbs caused significant shifts in the metabolic composition of both the primary and secondary metabolites, with a more profound positive effect on the secondary metabolites, particularly with peppermint and Korean mint treatments; the levels of isoflavones, soyasaponins, and lysophospholipids were significantly increased along with significantly higher antioxidant capacity compared to doenjang made without herbs [ 96 ].

Metagenomic approaches have been applied to study the microbial composition of kombucha by combining whole metagenome sequencing, 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer-1 amplicon analysis. The results indicated that Komagataeibacter and Zygosaccharomyces were dominant at different fermentation times. Moreover, functional complementarity was observed between both microbial groups which explains the sustainability of the kombucha ecosystem by ensuring microbial metabolic cross talks [ 98 ]. Such mutualistic metabolic interplay (briefly described above) between the microbial groups comprising of the kombucha consortia may explain their stability and ability to tolerate harsh environments. The ecological resilience of the kombucha microbiota to long-term exposure to the extremely harsh conditions of the Mars-like conditions in a low Earth orbit was confirmed by shotgun metagenomic analysis as the core microbial structure was maintained, and there were no significant changes in the community functions, such as the ability to produce cellulose-based pellicles, allowing for the survival of the microbial community under extra-terrestrial conditions [ 99 ].

4.2. Functional Activity of the Food Fermentation Microbiome

Several studies have combined meta-transcriptomic analysis, which targets actively expressed genes under specific conditions, with meta-barcoding to decipher the core functions of the detected microbiota that are associated with metabolomic changes affecting the quality properties of fermented foods [ 100 ]. The two approaches were combined to study the structure and function of the core microbiota in Chinese soy sauce aroma type liquor production and facilitate understanding of the flavour development in the product as a two-stage process involving yeast initially for the production of ethanol, followed by a functional shift for the production of organic acids by the action of Lactobacillus [ 101 ]. De Filippis et al. [ 102 ] used a combinatorial approach involving meta-transcriptomic analysis to facilitate understanding of the ripening process of Italian cheese and possibilities for ripening acceleration. The obtained results indicated the roles of non-starter LAB in ripening-related activities and the temperature increase-related modulations on the microbiota structure and function during maturation for optimisation of production efficiency and product quality.

Although meta-transcriptomic analysis can provide valuable knowledge about the gene expression and potential functional activity, it might fail to establish direct associations between the microbiota and the environment, since the mRNA expression might not be directly associated with protein expression, and cell activity regulation occurs at the protein level. Therefore, the direct analysis of the proteins are essential as a complementary approach along with meta-transcriptomics to study the functional activity of the microbial community [ 103 ]. The meta-proteomic approach, which provides a large-scale study of the entire proteins expressed by a microbial community in an environmental sample, is useful for the identification and quantification of microbial activity at the post-translational level and could be the link between metagenomics studies and biological functions for understanding complex substrate-microbiome interactions [ 104 , 105 ]. Compared to other meta-omics approaches, meta-proteomic analysis is barely explored for studying food fermentation because of limitations, including the high cost, complexity of microbial samples, and the high similarity between many protein sequence reads [ 106 , 107 ]. Yang et al. provided a comprehensive review of the applications of proteomics in the study of fermented food and beverages [ 104 ].

5. Future Perspectives

The fermentation process has undergone significant improvement over the years. With technological advancement, it has become possible to manipulate the fermentation starter culture and the associated microbiome to standardise the product stability, improve sensory properties of the food, and ensure safety. Genome editing and microbiome engineering tools based on the CRISPR technology are evolving rapidly and are becoming highly efficient in improving microbial functionality. This modern technology is mostly applied in human cell research, and CRISPR/Cas9-based gene therapy has clinical potential. However, this technology still holds great promise for a wide range of applications, including in the food fermentation industry. The industry of fermented food and beverages may benefit significantly from the application of the revolutionary tools of CRISPR-based genome editing and microbiome manipulation, leading to improved control of the process and the properties of the end product by promoting the desired features linked to the sensory aspects, quality, shelf life, nutritional content, and safety of fermented food. This improvement would be coupled with increasing consumer acceptance and fewer governmental restrictions on the use of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in microbe manipulation, especially when no insertion of foreign DNA is involved. Scientific research is continuously proving the safety and precision of modern genomic manipulation tools, with no use of resistance markers and genetic stability of generated strains, thereby becoming accepted as a food-grade process.

However, it is important to highlight the worldwide popularity and acceptance of fermented food and its natural and artisanal nature. Therefore, spontaneous and traditional methods of preparation will continue to be a major part of the practice. Hence, the precise characterisation of the whole process and hygienic aspects are important to understand traditional fermentation and ensure the safety of consumption of fermented food. The available tools based on NGS technology and the rise of pioneering integrated multi-omics approaches have allowed deep understanding and high-resolution analysis of the fermentation process with many novel insight into the fermented-food microbiome and the role in the physicochemical and sensory properties of fermented food.

The advancement in tools available to study the fermentation process has revealed the inherited wisdom of ancient societies. The selection of suitable fermentation substrates to combine and set up the conditions of traditional fermentation led to the preparation of healthy products with improved sensory properties. The combined multi-omics approaches have provided cutting-edge discoveries in different microbiological research fields, while their application in studying fermentation is limited. Most studies use a single approach to study a particular aspect, especially because of the high cost of combining different omics approaches and the need for sophisticated bioinformatics and biostatistics skills for the analysis of such large datasets. A combined multi-omics approach would facilitate understanding the process, provide new systems-biology perspectives, and decipher the interaction among the fermentation microbiota, the substrate, and the environment. Overall, the near future will bring a greater range of applications of multi-omics in studying food fermentation, leading to detailed characterisation and efficient and sustainable production of fermented food and beverages.

Author Contributions

Conceptualisation, M.M. and Y.-S.S.; methodology, M.M. and G.H.; software, M.M. and G.H.; investigation, M.M. and I.P.; data curation, M.M., G.H. and Y.-S.S.; writing—original draft preparation, M.M. and G.H.; writing—review and editing, I.P. and Y.-S.S.; visualisation, M.M.; supervision, I.P. and Y.-S.S.; project administration, Y.-S.S.; funding acquisition, I.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (NRF-2018R1D1A1B07041112) and was supported by the BK21 Four Program of Pusan National University.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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• A Research Guide
• Research Paper Topics

120 Food Research Paper Topics

How to choose a topic for food research paper:, fast food research paper topics:.

• The impact of fast food consumption on obesity rates in children
• The influence of fast food advertising on consumer behavior
• The correlation between fast food consumption and cardiovascular diseases
• The role of fast food in the development of type 2 diabetes
• The effects of fast food on mental health and well-being
• The environmental impact of fast food packaging and waste
• Fast food and its contribution to food deserts in urban areas
• The economic implications of the fast food industry on local communities
• Fast food and its association with food addiction and cravings
• The nutritional value and quality of ingredients used in fast food
• The influence of fast food on dietary patterns and nutritional deficiencies
• The role of fast food in the globalization of food culture
• The ethical concerns surrounding fast food production and animal welfare
• The impact of fast food consumption on academic performance in students
• Fast food and its relationship to food insecurity and poverty

Food Insecurity Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of food insecurity on child development
• Food insecurity and its relationship to mental health
• Exploring the causes of food insecurity in urban areas
• The role of food banks in addressing food insecurity
• Food insecurity among college students: prevalence and consequences
• The effects of food insecurity on maternal and infant health
• Food insecurity and its implications for rural communities
• The relationship between food insecurity and obesity
• Food insecurity and its impact on academic performance in children
• The role of government policies in addressing food insecurity
• Food insecurity and its connection to chronic diseases
• The effects of food insecurity on older adults’ health and well-being
• Food insecurity and its influence on food choices and dietary quality
• The role of community gardens in reducing food insecurity
• Food insecurity and its impact on social inequalities and disparities

Organic Food Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of organic farming on soil health and fertility
• The nutritional differences between organic and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables
• The effects of organic farming practices on water quality and conservation
• The potential health benefits of consuming organic dairy products
• The role of organic agriculture in reducing pesticide exposure and its associated health risks
• The economic viability and market trends of organic food production
• The impact of organic farming on biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Consumer perceptions and attitudes towards organic food: A global perspective
• The effectiveness of organic farming in mitigating climate change
• The role of organic farming in promoting sustainable food systems
• Organic versus conventional meat production: A comparison of animal welfare standards
• The impact of organic food consumption on human health and disease prevention
• The challenges and opportunities of organic food certification and labeling
• The role of organic farming in reducing food waste and promoting food security
• The potential environmental and health risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in organic food production

Food Technology Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of food processing techniques on nutritional value
• The role of food technology in reducing food waste
• The development of sustainable packaging materials for food products
• The use of nanotechnology in food processing and preservation
• The application of artificial intelligence in food quality control
• The potential of 3D printing in personalized nutrition
• The impact of food technology on the sensory properties of food products
• The role of food technology in improving food safety and reducing foodborne illnesses
• The development of novel food ingredients using biotechnology
• The use of blockchain technology in ensuring traceability and transparency in the food supply chain
• The impact of food technology on the shelf life and stability of food products
• The role of food technology in addressing food allergies and intolerances
• The application of robotics in food processing and manufacturing
• The development of functional foods for specific health conditions
• The use of genetic engineering in enhancing crop productivity and nutritional content

Food Safety Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of foodborne illnesses on public health
• The role of government regulations in ensuring food safety
• Food safety practices in the restaurant industry
• The effectiveness of food safety training programs for food handlers
• Food safety risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• The role of food packaging in maintaining food safety
• Food safety concerns in the global food supply chain
• The impact of climate change on food safety and security
• Food safety risks associated with food delivery services
• The role of consumer behavior in ensuring food safety
• Food safety practices in home kitchens
• The impact of food additives and preservatives on food safety
• Food safety risks associated with food allergies and intolerances
• The role of technology in enhancing food safety measures
• Food safety challenges in developing countries

Food History Research Paper Topics:

• The Evolution of Food Preservation Techniques
• The Impact of the Columbian Exchange on Global Cuisine
• The Role of Food in Ancient Egyptian Society
• The Origins and Development of Chocolate as a Culinary Delight
• The Influence of French Cuisine on Modern Gastronomy
• The Cultural Significance of Spices in Medieval Europe
• The History of Food and Nutrition in World War II
• The Impact of Industrialization on Food Production and Consumption
• The Role of Food in Ancient Greek and Roman Rituals and Festivals
• The History of Street Food and its Socioeconomic Impact
• The Origins and Evolution of Sushi in Japanese Cuisine
• The Influence of Immigration on American Food Culture
• The History of Food and Medicine: From Ancient Remedies to Modern Nutraceuticals
• The Role of Food in Colonialism and Cultural Assimilation
• The Evolution of Fast Food and its Impact on Global Health

Food Marketing Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of social media on consumer behavior in the food industry
• The effectiveness of celebrity endorsements in food marketing campaigns
• The influence of packaging design on consumer perception and purchasing decisions
• The role of sensory marketing in food product development and promotion
• The effects of nutritional labeling on consumer choices and health outcomes
• The use of virtual reality and augmented reality in food marketing strategies
• The impact of food advertising on children’s food preferences and consumption patterns
• The role of cultural factors in shaping food marketing strategies and consumer behavior
• The effectiveness of personalized marketing approaches in the food industry
• The influence of food branding and brand loyalty on consumer purchasing behavior
• The role of sustainability and ethical considerations in food marketing practices
• The effects of food pricing strategies on consumer choices and market competition
• The impact of online food delivery platforms on consumer behavior and market dynamics
• The role of food labeling claims and certifications in consumer trust and decision-making
• The effects of food marketing on public health and policy implications

Food Chemistry Research Paper Topics:

• Analysis of food additives and their effects on human health
• Investigating the role of antioxidants in preventing food spoilage
• The chemistry behind flavor development in fermented foods
• Analyzing the chemical composition of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food
• Understanding the chemical reactions involved in food browning and Maillard reaction
• Investigating the chemistry of food preservation methods, such as canning and freezing
• Analyzing the chemical changes in food during cooking and their impact on nutritional value
• The role of enzymes in food processing and their effects on food quality
• Investigating the chemistry of food allergies and intolerances
• Analyzing the chemical composition and health benefits of functional foods
• Understanding the chemistry of food packaging materials and their impact on food safety
• Investigating the chemical changes in food during storage and their effects on shelf life
• Analyzing the chemical composition and nutritional value of organic versus conventionally grown foods
• Investigating the chemistry of food contaminants, such as heavy metals and pesticides

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Food Research Paper

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Food as Medicine

Domestication of plants and animals, how domestication occurred, domestication of plants, domestication of animals, the present, future directions.

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More Food Research Papers:

• Food Ethics Research Paper
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Introduction

By 2009 the world population has reached 6.7 billion people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (2009). In 1900, there were “only” 1.65 billion people on earth, 2.5 billion by 1950, with a projected 9 billion by 2050. While a number of factors have affected this exponential increase, not the least of which is reallocation of resources and labor (Boone, 2002), the abundance and distribution of food has played a major role, spurring technology to increase production and distribution. The result is the food crisis emerging in this early part of the 21st century.

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Leading to this crisis, there are four major “events” in the history of food use. The first is cooking—the act of using heat to transform a substance from one state to another. This is an emergent behavior, as no other primate does anything like it. The second event, equally as dramatic, is the domestication of plants and animals; the outcome has been increasing control of resources (plants, animals) to the point of manufacture. This manufacture has included husbandry procedures, breeding, sterilization, and the like—and most recently, genetic engineering. The third event, directly related to manufacture, is the dispersion of foods throughout the world, which is a continuous process beginning at the time of domestication and continuing today, albeit now in the form of globalization. The “typical” diets of China, Italy, France, or anywhere are the result of diffusion and dispersion of these domesticated plants or animals, known as domesticates (Sokolov, 1991). The fourth event is the industrialization of food. This is an ongoing event beginning in the latter part of the 18th century with the invention of canning (Graham, 1981) and continuing today in the form of frozen meals, new packaging materials, ways of reconstituting foods, and, in the near future, creating animal “meat” by tissue engineering (Edelman, McFarland, Mironov, & Matheny, 2005). The purpose of this research paper is to describe the events concerning the human use of food in the past (prehistory to the 1700s) and present, and speculate on the trends for the future.

We are primates, descended from a long line that began around 80 million years ago (Ackermann & Cheverud, 2004). As a group, primates are omnivores and consume nuts, seeds, leaves, stalks, pith, underground roots and storage organs, flowers, insects, lizards, birds, eggs, and mammals. The source of nutrients, or its emphasis, varies from group to group so that it is possible to classify primates by food intake. Table 1 illustrates these groups.

Prosimians, or lower primates, tend to be insect eaters while certain types of these primates prefer lizards or small invertebrates; monkeys—both Old and New World—rely on fruits with a significant input from insects or small vertebrates. Apes eat from a variety of larders (food supplies) depending on type: orangutans eat fruit, gorillas eat stalks and pith, and chimps eat fruit and hunt for mammals—but none eat one type to the exclusion of all else. Physical specializations to extract nutrients from the source vary greatly. Some primates ferment their food; others reingest it.

The shape of teeth and jaws, and the length of gut and digestive tract, also affect different emphases of diet. Fruit eaters, for example, are equipped with molars that are not shaped for crushing or grinding, but are small in relation to their body size (Kay, 2005). Some leaf eaters, like colobines or howler monkeys, have sacculated stomachs containing bacteria that aid in digestion. One type of lemur is probably coprophagous; that is, like rabbits, it ingests its own waste pellets to extract semidigested nutrients. The length of the gut in primates that eat any kind of animal is 4 to 6 times its body length, while that of a leaf eater is 10 to 30 times its body length (Milton, 1993).

Primates, unlike some other mammals, require certain vitamins. The most important substances, vitamins B 12 and C, must be obtained from outside sources. In the case of B 12 , it must be extracted from animals including insects (Wakayama, Dillwith, Howard, & Blomquist, 1984), and for vitamin C, from fruits and a little from muscle meat. Genes controlling the manufacture of these substances were reassigned ( exapted ), as it were, to other functions when the anthropoid group of monkeys, apes, and humans split from prosimians. The genetic information is affirmed by the fact that some prosimian relatives of the earliest primates are still able to synthesize these substances (Milton, 1993).

The model for human evolution derives from the behavior and physiology of African apes, particularly the two kinds of chimpanzees: the bonobo and the common chimpanzee. These primates are more active than either gorillas or orangutans and a good deal more sociable than the orangutan, also known as the red giant of Asia. Their choice of diet is considered an important factor in their activity, as larger primates tend to rely on leaves and foliage, as do gorillas, who have a range of only around 300 meters per day. Fruit eaters are not only more active than foliage eaters, they are more eclectic in their diet, including nuts, seeds, berries, and especially insects of some sort because fruits are an inadequate source of protein (Rothman, Van Soest, & Pell, 2006). They are also considered to be more “intelligent,” as witnessed by recent studies of New World capuchin monkeys, and Old World macaques and chimpanzees. Chimps can take in as much as 500 grams of animal protein a week (Goodall, 1986; Milton, 1993).

Animal protein is considered high-quality food, and the importance of high-quality protein to the evolution of the human brain cannot be underestimated (Leonard, 2002). From only 85 grams (3.5 ounces) of animal protein, 200 kilocalories are obtained. In comparison, this amount of fruit would provide about 100 kilocalories, and leaves would provide considerably less—about 20 kilocalories. The daily range of chimpanzees can extend to about 4 kilometers per day, and their societies are highly complex social groups. It is this complexity that enables them to conduct their hunts, coordinating members as they approach their prey using glances, piloerection, and pointing. Since primates evolved from insectivores at a time when fruits and flowers were also evolving, their ability to exploit this new resource demonstrates the most important characteristic of primates: flexibility.

Primates can readily adapt to extreme conditions like drought. Under harsh conditions, primates will seek (as indeed, humans do) what are called fallback foods. These are foods like bark, or even figs, that are less desirable because they lack ingredients such as fats or sweet carbohydrates (Knott, 2005). Primates have a remarkable repertoire of methods to deal with changes in food availability: They can change their diets; they can change their location; they change their behavior according to the energy they take in (Brockman, 2005).

This flexibility in adapting behavior to changing circumstances was a decisive advantage for the primates, as they implemented the underlying knowledge about resources with the ability to remember locations of specific foods. Equally as important is the ability to evaluate the probability of encountering predators in these locations. The ability to adapt to environmental and social changes depends not only on genetic evolution but, as Hans Kummer (1971) noted, on cultural processes arrived at through group living. The behavioral mode responds more quickly to dynamic situations than does physical evolution.

Gathering, Hunting, and the Beginnings of Food Control

The ancestors of humans continued the food-gathering techniques of their primate predecessors, gathering invertebrates and small vertebrates, as well as plant materials, in the trees, on the ground, and below ground. As prey gets larger, the techniques shift from one individual working to a concerted, group effort. The former is seen in the behavior of capuchin monkeys and baboons, and the more sophisticated planning and coordination is well documented among chimpanzees. With greater reliance on meat, there are more changes in the primate body—the more reliance on protein, the more prevalence of the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin is active in promoting the organism to eat, and therefore causes an increase in body mass and the conservation of body fat (Cummings, Foster-Schubert, & Overduin, 2005).

The secretion of ghrelin stimulates the growth hormone as it increases body mass. Human brains require huge amounts of energy—as much as 25% of our total energy needs. Most mammals, in contrast, require up to about 5%, and our close relatives, the other nonhuman primates, need about 10% at the most (Leonard, 2002; Leonard & Robertson, 1992, 1994; Paabo, 2003). The brains of our other close relatives, the australopiths, were apelike, measuring about 400 cubic centimeters (cc) at 4 mya. Our ancestor, Homo, experienced rapid brain expansion from 600 cc in Homo habilis at 2.5 mya, to 900 cc in Homo erectus in only a half-million years. This value is just below the lowest human value of 950 cc.

Somewhere near this period of time, Homo erectus began using fire to cook. While the association with fire may have been long-standing (Burton, 2009), its use in transforming plants and animals from one form to a more digestible one appears to have begun after 2 mya, and according to some, the date of reckoning is 1.9 mya (Platek, Gallup, & Fryer, 2002).

Tubers are underground storage organs (USOs) of plants. They became more abundant after about 8.2 mya, when the impact of an asteroid cooled the earth creating an environment favoring the evolution of C4 plants over C3 ones (trees and some grasses). The USOs are often so hard or so large that they cannot easily be eaten, and contain toxic substances. Heat from a fire softens the USO, making cell contents accessible, and it also renders the toxic compounds harmless.

For some years, Richard Wrangham and coworkers (Wrangham & Conklin-Brittain, 2003; Wrangham, 2001; Wrangham, McGrew, de Waal, & Heltne, 1994) have been proposing that cooking was the major influence in human evolution. As explained, the application of heat made USOs more nutritively accessible. Recently, in an experiment to test this hypothesis, captive chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans were offered cooked and uncooked carrots, and sweet and white potatoes. Apparently there was a strong tendency for the great apes to prefer softer items (Wobber, Hare, & Wrangham, 2008). While monkeys dig for corms and the like (Burton, 1972), the finding that chimpanzees use tools to dig up USOs (Hernandez-Aguilar, Moore, & Pickering, 2007) underscores the appeal of this hypothesis. In addition, there is evidence that Homo had already been using tools for over a half-million years when cooking probably began. The inclusion of “meat” in cooking had to have begun by 1.8 mya because there is substantial evidence of big-game hunting by this date. Equally important to Wrangham and colleagues is the consideration that the jaws and teeth of these members of Homo could not have dealt with the fibrousness and toughness of mammalian meat (Wrangham & Conklin-Brittain, 2003). This is despite the fact that apes and monkeys regularly partake of raw flesh; all primates eat insects, and many eat small vertebrates like lizards.

Insects are not termed meat, although their nutritive value is comparable. Certainly the early Homo was eating mammals. Recent evidence from Homo ergaster shows that this hominin was infested with tapeworms by 1.7 mya and that these parasites came from mammals (Hoberg, Alkire, de Queiroz, & Jones, 2001). The remains suggest that either the cooking time at this site was too short, or the temperature was not high enough to kill the parasitic larvae, but also that these hominins were utilizing fire as an instrument of control in their environment. The knowledge base of our ancestors was extensive: It had to be for them to prosper, and it included knowledge of medicinal qualities of plants in their habitat.

It is now well attested that animals self-medicate (Engel, 2002; Huffman, 1997). Plants are used externally as, for example, insect repellent or poultices on wounds, and internally against parasites and gastrointestinal upsets. They may also regulate fertility, as recent evidence suggests that the higher the fats versus protein or carbohydrate, the more males are born (Rosenfeld et al., 2003), and the higher the omega-6 versus omega-3, the more females are born (Fountain et al., 2007; Green et al., 2008). The fact that the animals seem to know the toxic limits of the substances they use and consume is also significant (Engel, 2002).

As knowledge is passed from generation to generation, it crosses lines of species. Homo erectus became Homo sapiens, and their knowledge base was a compendium of all that had gone before that could be remembered. Hence, the knowledge base included the breeding habits of plants and animals, their annual cycles, and where and when to find them, as well as what dangers were associated with them.

Somewhere between the advent of Homo sapiens, at the earliest around 250,000 years ago, and first evidence around 15 kya, this knowledge became translated into domestication. The process of domestication was first delineated by Zeuner (1963). Foreshortening of the muzzle, lightening of the fur, and crowding of the teeth are characteristic of this condition. There are even changes in the part of the brain relating to fear, as there is a relaxation toward the fearful stimulus—in this case with humans— under domestication (Hare & Tomasello, 2005). Because human care is extended to the domesticate, a relaxation of natural selection occurs as nonadaptive traits are supported. This process is seen in sheep, and laboratory and pet mice, as well as dogs, and whatever other animal has been domesticated.

Evidence of diets having components of domestication is attested to by microwear patterns, detected with an electron microscope. These can be found on teeth; isotope analysis of the ratio of C3 to C4 plants, since the latter include more domesticated plants; biomechanics; and anatomical characteristics, such as tooth size or length of shearing crests on molars. Researchers also experiment with various kinds of abrasion and compare these to the “unknown”—the fossil. Biomechanics, an engineering type of study, analyzes forces and examines tooth and bone under the conditions of different diets.

While earlier in our history, only about 30% of the dietary intake would have come from eating organisms that ate C4 plants, under domestication, the number of animals as well as C4 plants increased. This is known from isotope analysis, which evaluates how CO 2 is taken up by plants, and which can estimate the proportion of C3 to C4 plants in the diet. What’s more, the nature of the diet itself can be understood.

Descriptions of domestication follow different theoretical models. Terms like center, zone, or even homeland relate to a view of process and dispersion. How many separate areas of independent domestication there were relative to subareas that received the domesticate or knowledge on how to domesticate also depends on the scholar. A general consensus is that there were seven separate areas where domestication took place: the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Mesoamerica, South America, eastern North America, and from the Near East to Europe, with firm evidence dating from between 12,000 and 10,000 BCE in the Fertile Crescent of west Asia. The time of transition between hunting and gathering and cultivation of plants and animals is well documented at a number of sites. One, in the Levant, at Ohalo II near Haifa, has evidence for the earliest brush dwellings (Nadel, 2003) and is fairly typical of this transition period. It is dated radiometrically to 19,500 BP (or radiocarbon years before present, RCYBP), which gives a calibrated date of between 22,500 and 23,500 BP (Nadel, 2003). In this Upper Paleolithic, or Epipaleolithic site, evidence from dentition suggests an abrasive diet emphasizing food based on cereals, fish, and a variety of local animals, especially gazelle. In addition to wild barley, wheat, and fruits, small-grained grasses were well represented in the remains (Weiss, Wetterstrom, Nadel, & Bar-Yosef, 2004). The Ohalo II people occupied the site for at least two seasons, likely spring and autumn (Kislev, Nadel, & Carmic, 1992) and perhaps throughout the year (Bar-Yosef, 1998) in brush huts along the lakeshore. These sites at the end of the Upper Paleolithic along the Mediterranean, and in Europe during the Mesolithic, indicate that plants were relied on as dietary objects and may well have been cared for around campsites to ensure their growth.

The specifics of how domestication occurred in each region differ (Bar-Yosef, 1998). Classical theories seeking to analyze the how and why of domestication focus on the environment, population growth, the organization and management of small-scale societies, trade, and changes in the daily schedule (Sutton & Anderson, 2004) . Extending in time from the 18th century, the discussion of these is too complex and lengthy to be included here. More recently, Boone (2002) invoked an energy-budget model, consonant with contemporary notions of evolutionary demography and ecology. A scenario then emerged based on archaeological evidence that the climate was becoming increasingly unpredictable. These dramatic changes in climate, some of them a result of asteroids (Firestone et al., 2007), caused big game to decrease. The subsistence base changed to accommodate the lessened availability, requiring the diet to become more diverse. Fishing became important as groups moved to rich coastal areas, especially along the Mediterranean (e.g., the Levant and Turkey). Activities changed as a consequence, since traditional jobs were now replaced and the need to “follow the herds” was replaced with sedentism, itself a complex phenomenon defined by activities at a given locale as well as infrastructure developed there (Bar-Yosef, 1998).

While populations over most of prehistory had overall zero growth, the cultural processes that emerged with hominines affected mortality and population increase (Boone, 2002), culturally “buffering” local climatic and environmental changes. Brush huts and other shelters are emblematic of this. Larger groups encouraged specializations to emerge. A concomitant to climate change was the decrease in big game. These had provided substantial amounts of protein, and some, because of their size, had little or no predator response, making them particularly easy for small people with limited technology to overcome (Surovell, Waguespack, & Brantingham, 2005). So proficient had the hominines become that these efforts apparently caused massive extinctions of megafauna worldwide, in particular, proboscideans (Alroy, 2001; Surovell et al., 2005).

The actual effect humans have had on megafauna elsewhere, however, remains controversial (Brook & Bowman, 2002), and the demise of big game may indeed owe more to an extraterrestrial impact around 12 kya and its concomitant effect on climate (Firestone et al., 2007). At the same time, humans were obliged to include in their larder a wide variety of foods that either were not as palatable or required a great deal more effort for the caloric return— rather like the choices of fallback foods that nonhuman primates make under poor environmental conditions. The heads of cereals (wheat or barley, for example) need to be gathered, dried, ground, and boiled to make satisfactory “bread.” They can be, and are, eaten whole, with the consequence of heavy dental abrasion (Mahoney, 2007). The circular process of exploiting new or different resources required techniques and technology to extract nutrients, and in turn, the new methods provided access to new food sources (Boone, 2002): Between the 7th and the 5th millennia, for example, milk was being consumed by farmers in southeastern Europe, Anatolia, and the Levant. The evidence comes from comparing the residue left on pottery sherds—that of fat from fatty acid from milk to carcass fats (Evershed et al., 2008).

In his discussions of the San, Richard Lee (1979) noted that the cultural practice of reciprocal food sharing, as complex as it was, functioned as storage in a climate where there was no other means: As perishable meat was given away, it ensured the giver a return portion some days later. Had the giver kept the entire kill, undoubtedly most of it would have spoiled. Stiner (2001) references Binford’s suggestion that the development of storage systems was one of the technological “inventions” that must have accompanied the broadening of the diet so that the new variety of seeds and grain could be kept for some days. While hunter-gatherers, even until the end of the old ways (until 1965), would gather grain heads as they walked from one camping site to another— an observation documented in the Australian government’s films on the Arunta—the development of implements to break open the grain heads, removing the chaff and pulverizing the germ, perhaps preceded domestication. As grains and grasses became more important in the diet, the gathering of those that failed to explode and release their seed grain became the staple domesticates. The advent of domestication has been dated at the various areas illustrated in Table 2.

Early domestication developed in different ways in different areas, as local people responded to local exigencies in different conditions and with different cultural standards (Evershed et al., 2008). Gathering and colonization were how plants and animals came to be domesticated, with some evidence that people practiced cultivation in naturally growing areas of desirable plants. By removing competitors, distributing water, or protecting from predators, the people were able to enhance the growth of the desired plant. Because plants were gathered and brought back to home base, some seeds took root nearby. Awareness of the relationship of these seeds to the burgeoning plant spurred the next stage. Those plants that were gathered often had less efficient dispersal mechanisms. Their seed heads did not break off, and their seeds did not blow away. This was the case for flax, peas, beans, and many others, facilitating their cultivation. It seems a natural progression to the next step, outright sowing.

Gathering of seeds, and keeping them for the next season, was the final and significant step in the process of domestication, but it requires surplus as well as foresight and storage facilities. The seeds that would become the next season’s crop were selected for some attribute they possessed: The plant had produced more, the seeds were less volatile, less able to disperse, or predators had been kept from taking them. Forms of plants that were more suitable were selected, probably initially unconsciously, and later intentionally—skewing the genetic mix in favor of domestication.

The supposition about animal domestication includes various ideas: Perhaps the cubs of hunted mothers were brought home and raised; some kinds of animals “followed” people home where making a living was easier; animals were kept in corrals or tethered to allow captive ones to mate with the wild until the population grew substantially so that taking them was easier; or animals showing traits such as aggression not favorable to people were eliminated from the gene pool. The “big five” of domesticated animals—pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, and goats—were domesticated in different regions, independently from one another (Diamond, 2002), whereas domestication of plants seems to have diffused through areas. The animals that became domesticated were those that had behavioral traits that permitted it: They were gregarious and lived in herds where following the leader was part of the repertoire. Diamond (2002) suggests that it is the geographic range in which domesticates were found that influenced whether there were single or multiple areas of origin. The range of the big five is so great in each case that they were independently domesticated throughout, whereas the plants had a more limited range and so both domesticates and process diffused.

A population boom is clearly recorded at the centers of domestication (e.g., the city of Jericho in the Near East had up to 3,000 people living in it by 8500 BCE, according to the original researcher, Kathleen Kenyon, although that number has been revised downward [as cited in Bar-Yosef, 1986]). In these centers, there were an impressive number of people supporting themselves on a variety of domesticated plants such as einkorn, emmer wheat, and barley. The city of Teotihuacan in what is now Mexico had a population of 200,000 just before the Spaniards arrived (Hendon & Joyce, 2003). The abundance of food has its repercussions in population size with a concomitant development of trade specializations.

Over time, however, the benefits of agriculture become somewhat overshadowed. Zoonoses from association with farm animals increased. Tapeworms were known from 1.7 mya along with hookworm and forms of dysentery. Because settlements were often near bodies of still water such as marshes or streams, malaria became endemic. The development of agriculture and its concomitant population increase encouraged a variety of contagious diseases in the human population. In addition, noninfectious diseases became increasingly apparent: arthritis; repetitive strain injury; caries; osteoporosis; rickets; bacterial infections; birthing problems; and crowded teeth, anemia, and other forms of nutritional stress, especially in weanlings who were weaned from mother’s milk to grain mush. Caries and periodontal disease accompanied softer food and increased dependence on carbohydrates (Swedlund & Armelagos, 1990). Lung diseases caused by association with campfires, often maintained within a dwelling without proper ventilation, plagued humanity as well (Huttner, Beyer, & Bargon, 2007). Warfare also makes its appearance as state societies fight over irrigation, territory, and resources, and have and have-not groups vie for their privileges (Gat, 2006). Hunter-gatherers were generally not only healthier, but taller. The decrease in height is probably a result of less calcium or vitamin D, and insufficient essential amino acids, because meat became more prized and was only distributed to the wealthy. Women suffered differentially, as males typically received the best cuts and more, especially when meat was not abundant (Cohen & Armelagos, 1984).

The more mouths to feed, the greater the incentive to develop farming techniques to increase supporting output. Implements changed, human labor gave way to animal labor, metal replaced wood, carts and their wheels became more sophisticated, but above all, selection of seed and breed animals became more trait specific as knowledge grew. The associated decrement in variety began early and has continued to the present.

The changes that have taken place in the use of plants and animals are momentous. The idea of change promoted the advances that mark the 18th century. As has too often been the case, warfare encouraged new technology. Napoleon’s dictum that armies run on their stomachs inspired competition to find a way to preserve food for his campaigns. Metal, rather than glass, was soon introduced to preserve food in a vacuum (Graham, 1981). It did not always work: Botulism and lead poisoning from solder used to seal the tin played havoc with health. (Currently, the bisphenol in the solder is also a concern.) Nevertheless, the technique was not abandoned, especially as it meant that food could be eaten out of season. “Exotic” foods from elsewhere could now be introduced from one country to another. The ingredients of Italian spaghetti are an obvious case in point: noodles from China, tomatoes from Mesoamerica, and beef originally from the Fertile Crescent combined in one place at different dates. For very different historical reasons, the Conquistadors brought much of it back to Europe after Columbus’s momentous voyage. Diffusion of crops and techniques had occurred since they were first developed, evident in the “Muslim agricultural revolution” at the height of Islam from 700 CE to the 12th century (DeYoung, 1984; Kaba, 1984; Watson, 1983). During this period, China received soybeans, which arrived in c. 1000 CE, and peanut oil—both staples in the modern Chinese diet. Millet had been more important in China than rice (just as in contemporary west Africa, corn is replacing the more proteinaceous millet), and tea was a novelty until the Tang dynasty.

In “the present,” the kind of foodstuffs that could be dispersed elaborated the inventory. The Industrial Revolution, with its harnessing of fossil fuel (coal) to produce energy (steam), further encouraged the process as travel time diminished. Food could be eaten—fresh—out of season and brought from thousands of miles away. The refrigerator truck could take food from its source, usually unripe, and deliver it thousands of miles away. With this new mechanism, the food value in the produce is diminished, but the extravagance of eating produce out of season remains.

Rivaling the distribution of foodstuffs in its impact on human history is the continued control of breeding. Indeed, Darwin’s great work proposed “natural” selection in contrast to husbandry, or “artificial” selection. Before the gene was known and named—properly a 20th-century achievement— “inheritance” in humans was sufficiently understood in the form of eugenics (with its dubious history) as put forth by Galton in the late 1880s. When Mendel’s findings were recovered in 1900, Bateson named the gene (1905–1906), and Morgan discovered the chromosome (1910), genetics got seriously under way, and culminated, in the context of this research paper, in the Green Revolution.

By the 1960s, famine had become a major world issue, with increasing frequency and severity: the Bengal famine of 1942 to 1945; the famine in China between 1958 and 1961, which killed 30 million people; and the famines in Africa, especially Ethiopia and the west African Sahel in the early 1970s (Sen, 1981) rivaled the famines recorded in ancient history and throughout modern history, especially in the late 19th century. Although the causes of famine are usually environmental, for example drought or pests, the underlying causes are often economic and political (Sen, 1981). In the United States, the President’s Science Advisory Committee (1967) issued a report noting that the problem of famine, worldwide, was severe, and could be predicted to continue unless and until an unprecedented effort to bring about new policies was inaugurated (Hazell, n.d.).

In an attempt to bypass the underlying issues by producing more food for starving millions, the Rockefeller and Ford Foundations initiated what was named the Green Revolution. This was a dramatic change in farming techniques introduced to have-not countries of the time: India, China, and nations throughout Asia and Central America.

Mexico had initiated this decades earlier, in the early 1940s, when Norman Borlaug (1997) developed highyielding, dwarf varieties of plants. Production increased exponentially, and seed and technology from the “experiment” in Mexico was soon exported to India and Pakistan. At the occasion of his Nobel Prize being awarded in 1970, Borlaug noted that wheat production had risen substantially in India and Pakistan: From 1964 to 1965, a record harvest of 4.6 million tons of wheat was produced in Pakistan. The harvest increased to 6.7 million tons in 1968, by which time West Pakistan had become self-sufficient. Similarly, India became self-sufficient by the late 1960s, producing record harvests of 12.3 million tons, which increased to 20 million tons in the 1970s (Borlaug, 1997).

To sustain these harvests, however, petrochemicals had to be employed, and land had to be acquired. The new genetic seeds were bred for traits requiring fertilizers, pesticides, and water. Since the mid-1990s, the enthusiasm for the Green Revolution has waned as the numbers of the hungry have increased worldwide, and production has decreased. According to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (2008), the global rice yields have risen by less than 1% per year in the past several decades.

The explanations for the decrease vary, but among the most important is the fact that soil degradation results from intensity of farming, and petrochemicals that do not “feed” the soil itself. Depletion in soil nutrients requires stronger fertilizers; pesticides select for resistant pests and diseases, which in turn require stronger pesticides. Poorly trained farmers overuse the petrochemicals, exacerbating the situation. Irrigation itself causes a serious problem: The evaporation of water leaves a salt residue that accumulates in the soil. There is a concomitant loss of fertility estimated as 25 million acres per year, that is, nearly 40% of irrigated land worldwide (Rauch, 2003). In addition, new genetic breeds have not addressed social factors: Water supplies are regional, and irrigation requires financial resources; and farmers with greater income buy up smaller holdings and can afford to purchase industrial equipment. Access to food was not enhanced by the Green Revolution, especially in Africa (Dyson, 1999), where imports are approximately one third of the world’s rice (IRRI, 2008). It is access to food, more than abundance or pest resistance, that mitigates famine, dramatically demonstrated by Sen (1981). Determining access falls into the hands of government— implementing social security programs, maintaining political stability, and legislating property rights. The small farmers then move to cities, which become overcrowded, and lack employment.

While access has improved in some areas, the increase in population—often occurring exponentially—requires yet greater production. The response has been what, at the end of the 1990s, some have termed frankenfood (Thelwall & Price, 2006), or genetically engineered seed. This combines traits from very different species to enhance the plant. Thus, cold-water genes from fish are put into wheat to enable it to grow in regions not hospitable to the plant, or plants are engineered to resist a herbicide that would otherwise kill it as it destroys competitors. Transgenic genes might allow insemination for a variety of plants into soil that has become infertile due to salinization, and thereby extend productivity to regions where production has long ago ceased (Rauch, 2003).

Genetically modified (GM) plants are spreading throughout the world, even as some countries refuse them entry. The powerful corporations and governments that endorse their use see them as a panacea: New varieties for new climate issues, which themselves, like global warming, have arisen as a result of human activity, not the least of which is the industrialization of food. In addition, farmers are restricted from using seed from engineered plants, even if they blow into their fields, as the seeds are, in effect, copyrighted and the use of them has caused expensive legal challenges (“In Depth,” 2004). While GM crops are less damaging to the environment than typical introduced species, as the numbers and distribution of these increase, the probabilities of them spreading, evolving, and mixing with local varieties increases (Peterson et al., 2000). Early “evidence” at the beginning of the century that transgenes had entered the genomes of local plants in Oaxaca, Mexico, was based on two distinctive gene markers. The studies were corroborated by government agencies but further controlled, and a peer-reviewed study of a huge sample of farms and corn plants did not find transgenes in this region (Ortiz-García et al., 2005). The question therefore remains moot, at least in Mexico, but the issue gave rise to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (1999–2000), which regulates the movement of living modified organisms—plant and animal—whether for direct release or for food (Clapp, 2006). A number of countries in Europe and Africa have refused modified seed, although pressure on them to accept the seed continues. The Food and Agriculture Association’s (FAO) Swaminathan (2003) has urged India not to permit a “genetic divide” to exclude it from equality with other developing nations. Anxious that there not be a genetic divide between those countries that pursue transgenic organisms and those that do not, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has echoed this concern (WHO/EURO, 2000).

Over time, selection for certain desired traits and hybridization of stock to develop specific traits (resistance to disease, etc.) has meant the loss of biodiversity in agriculture. Conservation of seed, by agencies like the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and seed banks, like IRRI in the Philippines, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, have been established in order to retain plant biodiversity. Their purpose is to have available strains that can reinvigorate domesticated species with genes from the “wild type.” Because domestication reduces variation, these “banks” become increasingly important (AcostaGallegos, Kelly, & Gepts, 2007).

Certainly there will be more technological advances as the pressure for food continues and the area available for cultivation diminishes. The growth of genetic modification over the past decade has been exponential and is a harbinger of the future. The food crisis in the mid-1970s caused by oil prices, and the world summit on finding solutions, both had little permanent effect. The food crisis in the first decade of the 21st century has multiple causes, not the least of which is climate change. But that is not the cause: It is a concomitant, as Sen (1981) has argued. Newspapers and magazines detail the economic and political actions that seem paramount, and then a climate disaster hits and the crisis becomes full-blown. Australia, for example, has been suffering drought for over a decade, especially in its wheat-growing areas, but its economy can support basic food imports; Canada’s prairies were overwhelmed by a heat wave due to climate change, which reduced its 5-year production of wheat by over 3 million tons. Ironically, one of the major factors is that due to the Green Revolution, the health and diet of billions of people, in China and India in particular, has improved, but this has led to obesity (Popkin, 2008). Their demand for meat, which traditionally was an ingredient in a vegetable-based gravy over a staple, has escalated, and with it a shift from land producing for people to land producing for, especially, cattle. And, world over, the amount of arable land left has decreased from 0.42 hectares per person in 1961 to just about half this figure by the beginning of this century (as cited in Swaminathan, 2003).

Over the past two decades, the rise in the price of oil has caused an escalation of food prices, since transportation by ship, plane, or truck requires energy and global food markets require foodstuffs that once were kept local. Clearly another form of energy needed to be found, and the answer lay in the conversion of biomass to energy. The demand for biofuel, initially created from corn, kept acres out of food production and relegated them to energy manufacture. Currently the move is to find other sources of biomass— like algae, for example—to relieve the pressure on foodstuffs, and ultimately to use waste to create fuel. Then too, agglomeration of land into huge holdings has helped to make farming a business enterprise, subsidized by government and reflected in the market fluctuations in the prices of commodities, where 60% of the wheat trade, for example, is controlled by large investment corporations. The consequence has been that small farmers cannot compete with imports that are cheaper than what they can produce; production cannot compete with demand (IRRI, 2008). An even further result is scarcity in precisely those countries where the crops are grown, resulting in hoarding not only by individuals, but also by governments, for example, the ban on rice in India and Vietnam (IRRI, 2008).

Global organizations such as the G8 and the World Trade Organization (WTO), together with nongovernmental agencies, individual governments, think tanks, and institutes, are “closing the barn door after the horse has escaped” with a variety of stop-gap measures. At the same time, there are clear and significant countertrends occurring. Not the least of these, and perhaps the best established, is the organic movement, whose origins followed the introduction of vast petrochemical use in the 1940s. Since then, the movement has grown out of the “fringe” to become “established.” In the mid-1980s, supermarkets’ recognition of a substantial market for certified-organic produce and meat broadcast the knowledge of the health implications of additives (from MSG to nitrites).

Of course, advances in technology and science focus on ensuring that there will be sufficient food for future populations. Livestock require vast amounts of land to produce the food they eat. By the early 1970s, the calculation was that conversion of cow feed to meat produced amounts to only 15% (Whittaker, 1972), and cows eat prodigious amounts of food. The agriculture department of Colorado State University, for example, reckons a cow eats up to 25 pounds of grain, 30 pounds of hay, and 40 to 60 pounds of silage— per day. One way around this is the virtual “creation” of meat. The future will see the industrial manufacture of meat through tissue engineering (Edelman et al., 2005). Using principles currently devised for medical purposes, cultured meat may actually reduce environmental degradation (less livestock, less soil pollution) and ensure human health through control of kinds and amounts of fat, as well as bacteria. Given the growth of the world’s population, in order to maintain health levels, the current trend of creating, nurturing, and breeding neutraceuticals will be expanded. The Consultative Group on Agriculture Research’s (CGIAR) Harvest Plus Challenge Program is breeding vitamin and mineral dense staples: wheat, rice, maize, and cassava for the developing world (HarvestPlus, 2009). Similarly, the inclusion of zinc, iron, and vitamin A into plant foods is under way in breeding and GM projects. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) terms its efforts Agrosalud as it seeks to increase the food value of beans, especially with regard to iron and calcium content (AcostaGallegos et al., 2007).

There is a distinct interest in returning to victory gardens —those small, even tiny plots of land in urban environments that produced huge quantities of food in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada during World War II. By 1943, there were 20 million gardens using every available space: roofs of apartment buildings, vacant lots, and of course backyards. Together they produced 8 million tons of food (Levenstein, 2003). The beginnings of this movement are seen in the community gardens hosted in many cities, and in blogs and Web sites all over the Internet. Cities will also see the development of vertical farms —towering buildings growing all sorts of produce and even livestock. This idea, first promulgated by Dickson Despommier, a professor of microbiology at Columbia University, has quickly found adherents (Venkataraman, 2008). One project, proposed for completion by 2010, is a 30-story building in Las Vegas that will use hydroponic technology to grow a variety of produce. The idea of small plots, some buildings, and some arable land—in effect, a distribution of spaces to grow in—is consonant with the return to “small” and local: the hallmarks of the slow movement.

The future may see a return to local produce grown by small farmers, independent of the industrialized superfarms, utilizing nonhybridized crops from which seed can be stored. The small and local is part of the slow movement, which originated in Italy in the mid-1980s as a protest against fast food and what is associated with it. Its credo is to preserve a local ecoregion: its seeds, animals, and food plants, and thereby its cuisine (Petrini, 2003). It has grown into hundreds of chapters worldwide with a membership approaching 100,000 and has achieved this in only two decades. In concert with this movement is a new respect for, and cultivation of, traditional knowledge. The World Bank, for example, hosts a Web site on indigenous knowledge (Indigenous Knowledge Program, 2009) providing information ranging from traditional medicine, to farming techniques (e.g., composting, terracing, irrigating), to information technology and rural development.

The best example of small, local, and slow, along with exemplary restoration of indigenous knowledge, comes from Cuba. When the United States closed its doors to Cuba in the late 1950s, the Soviet Union became the chief supporter of Cuba, providing trade, material, and financial support. With the fall of communism, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Cuba could no longer rely on the imports of petrochemicals that had been traded for citrus and sugar and upon which agribusiness depended. Large-scale state farms therefore were broken into local cooperatives; industrial employees were encouraged to work on farms, or to produce gardens in the cities much like victory gardens. A change in the economic system, permitting small-scale farmers to sell their surplus, encouraged market gardening and financial independence. Oxen replaced tractors, and new “old” techniques of interplanting, crop rotation, and composting replaced petrochemicals. Universities found practitioners and taught traditional medicine and farming techniques. It may not be feasible for small and local to exist everywhere, yet the future will see some of each as expedience requires.

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• Wrangham, R. W. (2001). Out of the pan, into the fire: How our ancestors’ evolution depended on what they ate. In F. B. M. de Waal (Ed.), Tree of origin: What primate behavior can tell us about human social evolution (pp. 119–143). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• Wrangham, R. W., McGrew, C. W., de Waal, F. B. M., & Heltne, P. (Eds.). (1994). Chimpanzee cultures. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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Research Paper On History Of Japanese Food

Type of paper: Research Paper

Topic: Cooking , Politics , Culture , Food , Religion , China , Japan , Life

Words: 1800

Published: 12/05/2019

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Introduction

Japanese food commonly referred to as Japanese cuisine has radically changed over the last centuries. The centuries were distinctly marked by eras where each had its own characteristic food being eaten at the time. The four eras that mark changes in Japanese cuisine are: Jomon, Heina, Kamakura, and Modern periods all of which experienced great social and political changes. Before, 300 BCE which is referred to as the Jomon era, Japan’s culture was influenced by its neighbors such as China and Korea. Food was also one of the aspects that were influenced, which ultimately made Japan unique in its food offering in the global scene. Therefore, this research discusses the history of Japanese food through analyzing the changes in the listed eras of Japanese history. A conclusion will then be highlighted showing the position of Japan’s cuisine globally.

The period is the pre-history of Japan ranging between the years 14000 BCE and 300 BCE (Ishige 6). The early inhabitants (Jomon people) of the island were hunter, gatherers, and fishermen whose lifestyle was controlled by where food was at the time. Several years later in 1000 BCE, the Yayoi people from China are thought to introduce rice farming to the ancient Japanese people. The Yayoi people used horses, grew rice, and introduced better fishing techniques, which influenced the natives’ lifestyle. Before, the Yayoi people came, population in Japan was scares. The introduction of rice farming and fishing resulted into a semi-sedentary life style that resulted in an increase in population. The reason of the increased popularity of a sedentary life style is that the Yayoi people increased their population and lived longer compared to their nomadic neighbors (Ishige 12). This pressurized the natives to adapt to the lifestyle of Yayoi culture.

Heian Period

The era began in 300 BCE and is characterized by the society being strictly agricultural (Rath 7). Rice was common in many arable fields having been introduced from China. In the period, rice was cooked through boiling. Boiled rice was called meshi or gohan and was a common staple for inhabitants in Japan. In mountainous regions, the people mixed rice with millet because rice was not thriving well in the region. The term meshi was synonymous with meal, which meant that rice was seen as a core component in food at the time. At around 480 BCE, the era called Kofun followed marked by introduction of Chinese culture from the Korean headland. Because of that, Buddhism religion became a major influence on Japanese culture through the Tang dynasty. In the dynasty meat was prohibited. Emperor Temmu in 600 AD passed a decree that animals—cattle, chicken, horses, dogs, and monkeys—not to be eaten. Breaking of the law resulted into an automatic death sentence. Before the ban monkeys were eaten for medicinal purposes in a ritualistic way. In the case of chickens, they were mainly domesticated as pets, while horses and cattle were rare foods eaten at special occasions (Rath 19). Horses and cows were eaten as a sacrifice during the first harvest of paddy rice, a culture introduced by the Chinese. The only meat that was not banned at the time was veal from deer, and wild Hogs’ meat. In the 8th Century, emperors continued their trend in limiting meat consumption. For instance, in 680 AD empress Kemu decreed that fishing was illegal (Tsui 63). She however promised that enough rice would be supplied to fishermen to supplement their livelihoods. Furthermore, in 920 AD the noble class was banned from eating meat by being declared unclean for three days. Being unclean meant that they would not participate in observances of Shinto at the imperial court. Also at the time chopsticks were introduced by the Chinese, which were used by the noble in banquets only and not as daily household utensils. The normal people used hands to eat while the noble used metal spoons beginning the 8th Century (Tsui 64). At this period dining tables were also introduced. The noble used a Zen—lacquered table—while the commoners used an Oshiki—a table without legs. Multiple tables were used at banquets having noble people, and each table had its own set of dishes. When the Tang dynasty failed in 9th century, the country embarked on a strategy of creating its own identity in cuisine and culture. Using metallic spoons was scrapped with commoners adopting chopsticks. This decision was aimed at distinguishing Korea from Japan, with the former using spoons to eat. Influence from other countries ceased until the 19th Century. In the 11th Century, Japan advanced its skills in cooking and decorum that was associated with Heian nobility (Rath 27). According to Rath “cuisines eaten after the 11th Century were Nikogori boiled with seasonings (Jellyfish), Yakimono (meat and grilled fish), Nimono (boiled food), Tsukemono (marinated vegetables), Mushimono (steamed food), chopped vegetable food, Atsumono (meat or fish), Namasau (sliced raw fish served with vinegar sauce), and Aemono (vegetable seaweed)” (67). Also at the time, oil and fat were avoided in cooking with Sesame oil being rarely used. Records from Heian Empire recorded that wild fowl and fish were also commonly eaten together with vegetables. Setting of the meal entailed a bowl of soup and rice that had chopsticks, spoons, and three seasonings (Yamasa Student Network). The three seasonings were vinegar, salt and hishio. A fourth empty plate was served to mix the three flavours to the desired taste. Four food types during meal time were Kashi (Pudding), Kubotsuki (food fermented), Himono (dry food), and Namamono (fresh food). Fish and fowl that were dried were finely sliced with shell fish, fish, and fowl that are fresh sliced raw in vinegar sauce. Kubotsuki entailed balls of treated sea squirts, fish, and jellyfish. Desserts were cakes from China, and various nuts and fruits. The meal would then be served with rice wine (Sake).

Kamakura Era

In this period, there was a radical change in the political system of Japan. In this era, the countryside was ruled by peasant Samurais whose work prior to the Kamakura era was to guard domains of the noble. In 1192 a military government was formulated by the Samurais hence the court meals changed (Tsui 74). Cuisines that insisted on flavor and nutrition shifted to become official and ceremonial. Samurais who followed past cuisine systems were punished and the banquet henceforth was referred to as the Oban (Shogun banquet). The meal was attended by military leaders from all provinces, with the menu consisting of aemono, sea snails, fruits (ume), vinegar and salt, and rice. Samurai cuisine was rooted on peasant traditions because meals prepared insisted on simplicity and ampleness. The meals did not require alterations, formality, and luxury. Furthermore, all Chinese traditions were shed off. An example was switching from wearing Chinese attires to simple ones which evolved to the Kimono in the middle-ages (DeSilva and Yamao 69). Religious traditions of Buddhists were enhanced in the era and vegetarianism was picked up also more so among peasants. People who dealt with animal products were discriminated as they were seen to oppose Buddhism teachings that required preservation of life. Discrimination resulted to the formation of a caste called the barakumin—ritually unclean.

Japanese food consists of blending staples with soup and Okazu—servings of tofu, vegetables, and meat. The soup and Okazu are aimed at adding flavor to the staples which are majorly rice or noodles. Flavors have higher salt concentrations with low fat content. A normal meal has three Okazu’s all of which have been cooked with different techniques. The techniques may be deep frying, boiled, grilled, dressed with vinegar, or steamed. This strategy is evident in current Japanese recipe book where the focus is on cooking methodologies as opposed to ingredients to be used (DeSilva and Yamao 72). Other categories in the recipe book may be on rice, soups, sweets, noodles, and sushi. The five food categories show the focus of Japanese cuisines in the modern era. Meals are controlled by Buddhism religious philosophies. Furthermore, Japan is an island hence a lot of the food is from the sea. Eating meat was rare until recently all because of religious restrictions. Consequently, strict vegetarianism is uncommon because of Tuna flavors, but Buddhist monks have their own vegetarian meals (Ishige 45). An alternative of rice their staple food is noodles. Types of Noodles cooked in Japan are Soba and Udon, which are hot or cold, served with soy-dashi essences. Over the last century Chinese noodles having ramen have gained popularity. “Furthermore, consumption of vegetables has declined while processed foods become popular mainly because of high cost of foodstuffs” (Ishige 64).

Today, Japanese food is considered unique mainly because of its focus on building its identity rather than adopting foreign cultures. The three staple foods in present Japan are: Rice, Noodles, and Bread. Rice (gohan or moshi) varieties used are two; unpolished, and mochi rice that is sticky. The different ways to use moshi are: okayu, sushi, donburi, wagashi, senbei, and sake. Noodles are the alternative of rice and they are flavored with numerous seasonings. Bread was not traditionally used but was introduced by the Portuguese in the 19th Century. The main dishes that are the face of Japanese cuisine are: stewed servings, steamed food, deep-fried food, pan-fried servings, and soups coupled with flavored or dressed foods. The common drinks are sake—rice wine—and Shochu—potato wine. Furthermore, there are dishes for special occasions. They are: Botamochi that is served in spring, Soba on New Year’s Eve, Osechi on New Year, Hamo eaten at Gion festival, and Sekihan served during celebrations. In Japan other cuisines are also served but in their original form. The common foreign foods served are Chinese, Korean barbecue, and Italian pasta. Furthermore, fast foods such as MacDonald’s, Burger King, and First Kitchen among others have incorporated Japanese identity and culture in their serving and cooking. Therefore, it is important to note that Japan has managed to maintain its uniqueness and identity in a world where cultures are eroding.

Works Cited

De Silva, Devarahandhi, and Masahiro Yamao. "A Yen For Sushi: An Analysis Of Demographic And Behavioural Patterns Of Sushi Consumption In Japan." Journal Of Foodservice 17.2 (2006): 63-76. Hospitality & Tourism Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. Ishige, Naomichi. The history and culture of Japanese food. Osaka: Kegan Paul. 2001. Print. : 4+ Rath, Eric C.. Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan. London: University of California Press. 2010. Print. : 3-109 Tsu, Timothy Yun Hui. "Fat, Spices, Culture And More: Chinese Food In Postwar Japanese Gastronomic Writings." Asian Studies Review34.1 (2010): 63-81. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. Yamasa Student Network. Things Japanese: A history of Japanese Cuisine. Available at: http://www.yamasa.org/acjs/network/english/newsletter/things_japanese_29.html

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457 Food Essay Topics & Research Questions to Write about

Are you looking for good topics about food? Luckily, there are so many food topics you can research! You can focus on food safety, the link between nutrition and health, food insecurity, national cuisines, food waste in supply chains, food processing technologies, and many more. Check this list of the most exciting food research questions and titles!

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• Food Truck Market Analysis Example Food truck business has high chances of becoming popular because food industry is one of the kinds of businesses that never go out of fashion.
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• Causes and Effects of Fast-Food Addiction Studies show that those who frequently eat fast food have an increased risk of progressing from simple consumption to addiction.
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• The Food Prices Issue and Its Impacts on the Industry The challenge of increasing food prices is relevant to the culinary, hospitality, and food industries because it significantly affects food availability and quality.
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• Food Safety Issues in Modern Agriculture According to the United Nations Asian and Pacific Center for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery, an upsurge in international trade on agricultural products has made food safety a major concern.
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• Food and Drink Industry’s Innovation and Barriers The paper provides the reasons that influence the need to innovate in the industry and the barriers that stop innovation from taking place.
• Indian Culture Examined Through Street Food A fondness of India’s rich culture, combined with a desire to innovate and adapt with the times are all present in the Curry Up Now restaurant and Indian street food as a whole.
• Food Additives There are three types of food additives, cosmetic food additives, preservatives and the processing aids of food.
• Food Security: The Impact of Climate Change Since climate change affects the natural world, it is evident that it poses particular challenges for food security in the future.
• Food Science: How to Make Butter Fresh milk is made up of a combination of milk and cream; since the cream is less thick than the milk, it separates and rises to the top, where it may be scrapped.
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• Aspects of Muslim Food Culture Islam has many rules related to food. One of the most significant rules in Islam is the restriction on the consumption of pork.
• McDonald’s: How Strategic Choices Shape Fast Food Supremacy This paper will focus on McDonald’s corporation’s business and corporate-level strategies, competitive environment, and market cycles.
• McDonalds Fast Food Company Organizational Change This paper attempts to explicitly review the successful implementation of the proposed change that involves improving the performance of the McDonalds Company and enhancing its customer focus.
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• Wendy’s Fast Food Franchise in the Chinese Market Because of the strong presence that KFC and McDonald’s already have in the Chinese market, firms such as Wendy’s have to design a unique product.
• The Environmental Impacts of the Food and Hospitality Industry The food wastage issue in the food and hospitality industry in Australia remains to be consciously considered as it may adversely affect the environment.
• Food Safety and Hazards Manufacturers are obligated to maintain safe control measures to ensure products are fit for human consumption.
• Right to Food as a Fundamental Right Right to food is an important human right issue today. Advocates for the right to food use the phrase “Food first” to show the importance of availability to food above other priorities.
• Role of Food in Marquez’ “One Hundred Years of Solitude“ and Esquivel’s “Like Water for Chocolate” Laura Esquivel was born and raised in Mexico and may have written this novel with the hope of portraying to her readers some Spanish background and history.
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• Researching Food Service in Hospital Combining medical and gustatory qualities in hospital food is one of the most common difficulties in the healthcare sector worldwide.
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• The Food Chain: Groups and Functions Producers, consumers, and decomposers are the three groups of organisms that comprise a food chain in an ecosystem.
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• What Are Issues on Food Around the World?
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• How Can We Solve Food Supply Problems?
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• How Does Whole Food Build Human and Social Capital?
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• Should Fast Food Advertising Be Banned?
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• McDonald’s Company: The Flawed Fast Food Tax McDonalds is one of the world’s leading fast food restaurants serving more than 57 million customers daily with branches all over the major cities.
• Food Donation and Food Safety: Environmental Health Food safety is often taken for granted, with most people relying on basic practices and following essential hygiene standards without giving a second thought.
• Taiwanese Culture, Foods, and Tourism This paper provides a brief overview of Taiwan, including its location, culture, food, and tourism industry and its significant economic impact on the country.
• Effects of Climate Variability on Water Resources, Food Security, and Human Health Evaluating the effects of climate variability on water, food, and health will help identify the areas for improvement and offer solutions to current environmental challenges.
• The Issue of Food and Water Security The global issue for the analysis is food and water security. This is a topical problem nowadays, especially in light of climate change and population growth.
• Nutrients in Different Food Groups The essay explains the variety of nutrients in different food groups, the reasons for these variations, and the health benefits associated with the nutrients.
• McDonald’s: The Most Popular Fast-Food Restaurant McDonald’s is one of the most popular fast-food restaurants, and its success is defined by compliance with the needs of the present-day business world.
• Feasibility Plan for E-Commerce of Food Delivery The use of cell phone innovation can be viewed as one of the creative approaches to assist organizations in improving their business execution in the global market.
• Fast Food Chain Locations, Non-Chain Restaurants and Bars As discussed in prior sections of the report, the competition for Moma Monaz can be distinguished into three categories: fast food chain locations, non-chain restaurants, and bars.
• Food Safety Sanitation Requirements for a Child’s Health To maintain optimal diet and nutrition for a child’s health and welfare, emphasis must be made on sanitary criteria for food safety, storage, preparation, and food presentation.
• Hospitality Management: Food and Beverage Management A person is preparing for their last high school exam and looking forward to a career in hospitality management, which is currently one of the best in the field.
• The Six Major Elements of a Food Safety Plan (FSP) A Food Safety Plan (FSP) is a way that identifies and prevents safety hazards from occurring during and after food production, this paper is going to discuss FSP’s major elements.
• “Chinese Restaurant Food” : The Article Review The article ‘Chinese Restaurant Food’ educates the general public about the hidden dangers and harm of eating too much Chinese food.
• Proposal for Providing Healthier Food Choices for Elementary Students This paper describes the necessity of having a properly balanced diet, and execute healthy exercising patterns in our routines, along with our children.
• UK Business Sourcing Extensive Food Materials from Greece The ability of a firm to achieve success in the current competitive business environment depends on the effectiveness of its procurement and supplier relationship strategies.
• Food Culture: Doughnut’s History, Marketing and Sociology A doughnut, or as it is often called donut, is a kind of fried dough baked or pastry meal. The doughnut has become well-known and beloved in numerous countries and cooked in an assorted model.
• The Food Choices Movie Analysis The main thesis of the movie, ‘Food Choices,’ is that a plant-based diet is the most nutritious, and people should not consume animal products.
• Availability of Healthy Food Food security and accessibility are now seen as ensuring that all members of society have physical and economic access to food that is safe.
• Technical Description of a Food Processor A food processor seems like one of those kitchen gadgets that, once owned, makes a person wonder how they ever survived without it.
• Proper Food Rotation Overview This paper will focus on the benefits of proper rotation and the consequences of effectively rotating foods, including its health implications.
• How Do Fried Foods Affect Nutrition for Young Adults? An annotated bibliography on the topic how fried foods affect nutrition for young adults, the effect of television, the effect of dietary patterns on young adults’ health.
• Junk Food and Children’s Obesity Eating junk foods on a regular basis causes weight gain and for one in five Americans, obesity, is a major health concern though no one seems to be sounding the alarm.
• TQM, Six Sigma and Product Liability in Perishable Food Industry This paper will examine on how economic, safety, legal and social responsibility, and how quality control system can be utilized to achieve the company goals.
• Food in Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” The readers of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” cannot overlook the fact that the motif of food consumption does resurface throughout the play’s entirety.
• Advertising Promoting Organic Food and Beverages To turn the world more organic, one has to resort to using organic supplies. Creating ads on the way people can improve environmental conditions will change the position.
• Food Additives: Dangers and Health Impact Research shows that synthetic food additives have a negative human health and consumer dissatisfaction effect which calls for stricter regulation of their use in products.
• Alaska Natives Diet: Traditional Food Habits and Adaptation of American Foodstuffs The Alaska Natives have retained their culture up-to-date in spite of their interactions with the wider American society.
• What the Slow Food Movement Is Doing to Help the World With Food Insecurities The paper enlightens people on the origins of the Slow Food movement and how it has affected modern food, health care, and environmental sustainability.
• The Meat Inspection and Food Safety Issues The safety of the food that people consume must be carefully checked before it hits the shelves. However, the inspection only checks some pieces of meat that enter the stores.
• Food Sustainability Assessment Food sustainability is the ability to produce enough food to meet the current population’s needs without damaging the resources that future generations will need to survive.

If you need a good idea for your argumentative essay, check out some food related topics to debate:

• Should fast food be regulated?
• Should GMO labeling be mandatory?
• Is there a need for stricter regulation of food advertising?
• The link between processed food and obesity.
• The role of meat consumption in climate change.
• The pros and cons in functional foods.
• Can cities become self-sufficient in food production?
• Why should we promote Meatless Mondays?
• Are food additives and preservatives evil?
• The impact of food packaging on plastic pollution.
• The Food Truck Business Models Development This paper examines the following models for the food truck business: operating model, value model, service model, experience model, cost model, and revenue model.
• Food Behaviors Among Mexicans and South Americans People from diverse backgrounds eat different foods influenced by factors such as geographical location, religion, family values, and beliefs about health.
• The “Food Inc.” Documentary by Robert Kenner In his film “Food Inc.”, documentary film producer Robert Kenner explores how massive businesses have monopolized every part of the food supply chain in the United States.
• The Indigenous Food Sovereignty Concept The indigenous food sovereignty concept is broad in essence, and it perceives food as integrating all aspects of existence – mental, spiritual, cultural, and intellectual.
• Solutions for Food and Water Security Issue With many nations encountering food and water security problems, the consequences of such events have become global, giving rise to multiple outcomes this insecurity.
• Fast Food Popularity in America: Cause and Effect The popularity of fast food affects Americans in many ways, but the threats of obesity, chronic diseases, and unstable immunity remain critical effects.
• Agriculture and Food in Ancient Greece The paper states that agricultural practices and goods from Greece extended to neighboring countries in the Mediterranean as the dominance increased.
• Human Geography: Food Insecurity The problem of food insecurity is a significant bother of humankind. Various international organizations were created to address the matter.
• Food Voice of the Bangladeshi Rice forms the core of the Bangladeshi eating patterns. It is consumed in large quantities across the country, being the base for many traditional dishes.
• Comfort Food as a Quarantine Trend Comfort food is a coping mechanism for many people in stressful situations, especially as serious as a global pandemic.
• The Use of Low Fat Food This short essay will demonstrate that many of the foods we are eating today are in reality not that low in fat as they claim.
• Food and Family in the Hispanic Culture The notion of family is crucial to the Hispanic culture due to its encouraging idea of interdependence and belonging. The food became an integral part of family gatherings.
• First in Show Pet Foods: Case Analysis First in Show Pet Foods is among the newest frozen dog food companies, which can be considered to be a first-mover in the given market.
• Behavior-Based Safety in the Food Industry: DO IT Method The so-called DO IT method is useful when applied to jobs in the restaurant industry, leading to an improvement in the work behavior of employees.
• Working in a Food Pantry Hunger is a highly pervasive social problem around the globe. It is required that authorities all over design and implement policies that will solve the problem.
• How the Fast Food Industry Has Changed the Environment and the Health of American Society? More and more Americans eat fast food and since it is relatively inexpensive, tastes good and can be ordered and consumed quickly, fast food has become the national diet.
• Food and Drug Administration History The paper provides a brief introduction, background, and history of the FDA and the ways in which it operates, and the practices implemented.
• Eric Schlosser’s “Fast Food Nation” In the past 40 years, the world of fast food has penetrated even the remote areas of the American society. It was an industry, which had been started by a few hamburgers
• “Fast Food Nation” the Book by Eric Schlosser In his book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser argues that fast food has greatly influenced American society and culture.
• Fast Foods Lead to Fast Death: Informative Speech The fast-food industry has expanded at a rapid pace during the past half-century. The consequence has been the rapid expansion of the nation’s collective waistline.
• Obesity Caused by Fast-Food as a Nursing Practice Issue The proposed intervention will emphasize the necessity to increase the intake of fruit and vegetables as a method of reducing the consumption of fast food.
• Chick-fil-A Fast-Food Network Brand Analysis Based on customer demographic data, the paper analyzes the Chick-fil-A fast-food network and compares some data to compile an accurate picture of people’s preferences.
• Australian Consumers Strategies to Reduce Food Waste It is estimated that Australians discard food over $5 billion annually. Thus, government efforts to reduce food waste would result in significant financial savings.
• Indian Culture and Food in the Raaga Restaurant Before visiting Raaga, a restaurant of Indian cuisine, I tried to consider what I knew about this culture and whether I would eat what I would be served.
• Chick-fil-A Inc.’s Entry into Qatari Food Industry The report presents three elements (political, economic, and legal) of PESTEL for Chick-fil-A to use in its decision to expand in the Qatari fast food industry.
• Local Food Venture and Its Operations Management Building a small business enterprise is a complex task. This case study examines a model of expanding a local food venture to a permanent location and franchise.
• Fast Food Nation: Annotated Bibliography Zepeda’s Bad Choices in Our Food System book explores how the food system, including relevant policies in the US, influences consumer food choices.
• Food Habits and Acculturation of Immigrants With immigration waves and globalization, people from foreign countries integrate within the host culture, which is a process called acculturation.
• Scientific Approach to Food Safety at Home The paper states that a scientific approach to handling, preparing, and storing food that explains how to prevent sickness is known as food safety.
• The Food Quality Impact on Economy and Health The problem of food quality and its impact on the economy and health of not only one country but the whole world cannot be overemphasized.
• Food Insecurity’s Causes and Implications Food insecurity is a complex problem that affects the economy, demography, ecology, and many other areas of development of states and their societies.
• Food Insecurity in the United States Food insecurity is one of the most pressing global problems that is also relevant for the United States today.
• Fast-Food Expansion Strategy for Indian Market With the increasing globalization of the world economy and the fast-food industry, in particular, major fast-food chains continuously seek new markets to expand their operations.
• Discussion of Freedman’s Article “How Junk Food Can End Obesity” David Freedman, in article “How Junk Food Can End Obesity”, talks about various misconceptions regarding healthy food that are common in society.
• A Qualitative Study of Independent Fast-Food Vendors Near Secondary Schools “A qualitative study of independent fast-food vendors near secondary schools” primarily sought to explore and navigate the barriers toward offering healthier menu options.
• Firefly Burger Fast Food Marketing Plan The project aims to examine the internal and external environments that affect the success of Firefly restaurant and the need for changing its marketing strategy.
• Nitrates and Nitrites in Food Nitrates are nontoxic compounds however when converted to nitrites in human bodies they can cause cyanosis, weakness, and a rapid pulse, coma, and cancer.
• Healthy Fast Foods: Sector Analysis Health consciousness is fast becoming an important trend in the fast-food restaurant industry. The paper concerns sector analysis on profitability in the said marketplace.
• The Process of Food Poisoning in General This article focuses on food poisoning: briefly discusses pathogens and symptoms, referring to the article “Encyclopedia of Health – Diseases and Conditions”.
• Time and Food: Chrononutrition & Night Eating This paper examines the relationship between time and nutrition, involving chrono-nutrition and night shift eating, as well as the health outcomes of metabolic and public health.

Do you want to write a paper on the latest advancements in food science and technology? Here are some current food-related research topics to discuss:

• Potential health benefits of plant-based diets.
• Nanotechnology in food packaging.
• The application of 3D printing in the food industry.
• The benefits of bioprocessing of food waste.
• The impact of fermented foods on gut health.
• Current techniques for clean meat production.
• Food traceability: why does it matter?
• Alternative sweeteners as a sugar reduction strategy.
• Emerging trends in food packaging materials.
• The use of robotics in the food industry.
• Genetically Modified Food Safety and Benefits Today’s world faces a problem of the shortage of food supplies to feed its growing population. The adoption of GM foods can solve the problem of food shortage in several ways.
• Global Food Supplies, Overpopulation and Pollution The essay explores the problem of the threats to global food supplies and presents solutions and a critique of their effectiveness in alleviating this challenge.
• The Currency Devaluation Concept in the Food Industry Finances and exchange rates play a substantial role in the functioning of the international market while ensuring the circulations of goods and services.
• Evolution of Food Photography: From Daguerreotypes to Digital Storytelling Photos of food have been taken, shared, and appreciated for decades, from ambrosia salads in the 1970s to the current trend of upside-down acai bowls and elaborate latte art.
• The Age of “Nutritionism”: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan Michael Pollan, an investigative journalist, wrote the book In Defense of Food to educate on what humans should consume to be healthy.
• Food Processing: Principles and Controversies Food processing is a currently applied trend to turn fresh food into different food products through such methods as washing, pasteurizing, freezing, cooking, or packaging.
• Code of Ethics in Food Tracks Business A transformation in the way that food is prepared and enjoyed can be seen in the vast development in the prominence of food trucks.
• Cause and Effect of Genetically Modified Food The paper states that better testing should be done on GMOs. It would lead to avoiding catastrophic health issues caused by these foods.
• Food and Agriculture of Ancient Greece The concepts of agriculture and cuisine both have a deep connection to Greek history, culture, development, and social trends.
• Foreign Market Entry of Electronic Food Delivery Service in Nigeria The purpose of this report is to discuss and analyze the establishment of an electronic, online-based food delivery service in Nigeria.
• Trade Peculiarities in Food and Agriculture Food trading is a peculiar area, as food is the basis for surviving the population. The one who controls food production and trading routes, also controls all populations.
• Discussion of Food Safety Issues The paper discusses food tampering and bioterrorism are those issues that can result in fundamental problems in food safety area.
• Sustainable Agriculture Against Food Insecurity The paper argues sustainable agriculture is one way to reduce food insecurity without harming the planet because the number of resources is currently decreasing.
• The Importance of Nutritional Labeling on Packaged Food It is essential to embrace nutritional labeling on packaged food, as they are meant to educate consumers about the products and their content.
• A Typical American Dinner Plate: Origins of Food A plate with tater tots (fried potatoes), chicken wings, spinach soup, and a piece of watermelon for dessert would qualify as ideal in any American household.
• Food, Health and Environment Relations This essay briefly explores the role played by EHPs in ensuring food safety and quality, the regulatory framework in place as well as risk and proportionality in food quality.
• Food and Wine Pairing Menu Considering the amount of sugars, acids, or tannins in wine might help to achieve a specific taste or sensation via its unique combination with food.
• Food Waste Reduction Strategy The Strategy aims to raise society’s awareness and bring the food value back to reduce the volume of food waste generated.
• Climate Change and Its Potential Impact on Agriculture and Food Supply The global food supply chain has been greatly affected by the impact of global climate change. There are, however, benefits as well as drawbacks to crop production.
• Product Design in Food Industry: A McDonald’s Case Article Critique In “Product Design in Food Industry – A McDonald’s Case,” authors consider McDonald’s recent launch of new products along with some of the aspects of its production process and innovativeness.
• The Trends of Natural and Organic Foods Organic food is primarily intended to appeal to financially well-off people who can afford to spend more money on food in exchange for its perceived superior quality.
• The Importance of Sustainable Development in the Food Retail Sector The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are discussed from the perspective of their relevance to the Canadian business in general and the food retail sector in particular.
• Food Company Managing Business Activities The company’s primary output consists of numerous dishes and drinks. The firm has a set of requirements that are used to determine if products meet the standards.
• Eco-Friendly Packaging Design for Food and Drinks The paper will focus on the issues of eco-friendly packaging. The topic will be narrowed to the food industry, i.e. food and beverage production.
• Food Policy Action and Food Security Legislation Food Policy Action was created from efforts of the US food policy leaders for holding legislators accountable for those votes that have a direct impact on the food industry.
• Pet Food Product Marketing Strategy This paper outlines the marketing strategies that will be used for launching my pet food product: SWOT analysis, target market, market needs, and other market strategies.
• Fast Food Harmful Effects on Children This paper states that the exposure of children to fast food early on has an adverse effect on them, resulting in the need to prevent the sale of fast food in schools.
• Food Diversion as a Type-2 Diabetes Treatment This research paper examines its potential use for the treatment of type-2 diabetes in patients within the previously stipulated BMI range.
• Pizza as One of the Most Famous Food in London The most revolutionary thing about pizza is that it combines three key ingredients to become one of the tastiest foods to date. This dish utilizes our London-made bread.
• Supply Chain Management in the Food Industry Designing a proper supply chain in the environment of the global economy is a challenging task for a number of reasons; the numerous risks that need to be dealt with being the key one.
• The Food Insecurity Action Center The Food Insecurity Action Center is a non-profit organization that aims to address the problem of food insecurity among students with negative school lunch balances.
• Sustainable Food Production: Cooking Chicken Breast Chicken breast is a versatile and nutritious cut of meat that can be cooked using dry heat methods such as roasting, grilling, or sautéing.
• Ecological Consumption in Terms of Food The paper focuses on food and its relation to ecology, precisely, how eating types of food can harm the ecosystem while others can help sustain the ecosystem’s health.
• Global Trade: Food Price Indexes and Data Collection Global trade is a rather beneficial aspect of the economy. It provides people with extra job opportunities and exposes people to previously unknown brands.
• Food Waste Management Importance The world is gradually losing its beauty and is constantly coming under pressure from different problems every other day.
• Canada’s Food Guide Discussion Food recommendations are more important than ever, as customers struggle with varying levels of effectiveness in making nutritional judgments in today’s internet-based environment.
• The American Diet Influenced by Fast Food Ads McDonald’s is the largest provider of food services worldwide. It is one of the most well-known and reputable companies in the world, with a multi-level marketing campaign.
• Food Deserts’ Impact on Children Food deserts are an alarming issue of concern, especially for school-going children. This is because a lack of healthy food affects children both physically and mentally.
• Food Deserts Control in the United States Food access is a major contributor to food deserts and is viewed as a consequence of several factors such as physical closeness to food supplies.
• The Salmonella Bacterium as a Food Borne Illness Pathogen This paper will explore these aspects of the salmonella bacterium, which can negatively affect the human body.

If you’re looking for persuasive topics about food to talk about, here are some suggestions for you:

• The benefits of eating organic foods.
• Fast food advertising to children should be banned.
• Food waste reduction is everyone’s responsibility.
• The importance of clear and informative food labels.
• The need for stricter regulation of junk food sales in schools.
• Why should the government impose a soda tax?
• The role of food companies in addressing childhood obesity.
• The impact of social media on eating behaviors.
• Home cooking is essential for health and family bonding.
• The role of food companies in addressing food allergies.
• The Omnivore’s Dilemma Regarding Sources of Food
• Improper Food Handling Practices in Kansas City Restaurant
• The Food Insecurity Issue and Methods of Solving
• Food Ingredients: Molecular Reactions
• Food Preparation in Upper Paleolithic Ohalo II
• Agriculture, Water, and Food Security in Tanzania
• Food, Inc., Produced by Kenner Review
• Jewish Dietary Patterns: Kosher Food and New Meat
• Improper Food Handling Practices in Kansas City
• Factors Influencing Food Choices and Their Impact on Health
• The Lack of Food Safety in Kansas City, Missouri
• Food Poisoning Caused by Staphylococcus Aureus
• Effects of Food-Medication Interplay on Recovery
• The Reaction to the “Food, Inc.” Documentary
• Food Insecurity Health Issue: How to Mitigate It
• Hazard Analysis in Food Safety
• The Challenges in Food Supply Chain During COVID-19
• Nike, Whole Foods, and Mcdonald’s: The Use of Information Systems
• Food Industry: The Safety Issues
• Food-Borne Salmonella Epidemiologic Triad
• Food Insecurity in New York City
• Agriculture-Led Food Crops and Cash Crops in Tanzania
• Food Security: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine
• Indian Culture and Food Supply
• Buffalo Skies Aki Forest Food Sovereignty Pilot Project
• Amazon and Whole Foods Merger
• Protecting Ourselves from Food Article by Sherman & Flaxman
• Food Deserts and Related Challenges
• The Baby Food Shortage: Public Service Announcement
• Examining Solutions for Mitigating the Food and Water Security Issue
• Junk Food Taxation in the United States
• Restricting the Volume of Sale of Fast Foods and Genetically Modified Foods
• Agriculture and Food Safety in the United States
• Expanding Access to Food Interview Plan
• The Consumer Attitude Towards Buying Organic Food in Hong Kong
• Liability of Death from Food Poisoning
• Food Labeling Affecting Sustainable Food Choices
• Behavioral Reasoning Perspectives on Organic Food Purchase
• Analysis of Freeman’s Promotion of Junk Food
• Morals and Using Animals for Food
• Food and Cultural Appropriation Article by Cheung
• Fast Food Addiction: Comparison of Articles
• Evaluation of Articles on Food and Water Security
• Food Administration on Sustainable Palm Oil
• Food Cost Issues in the Hospital
• Issues of Obesity and Food Addiction
• Global Societal Issue: Food and Water Security
• Addressing Food Insecurity in Wyandotte County
• Chinese Food in the United States
• Fortified and Aromatic Wines and Accompanying Food
• “Can You Be Addicted to Food?”: A New Problem Faced by North Americans
• The Connection Between Food Allergies and Gut Microbiome
• Food Facility Design: Sustainable Kitchen for Delight Restaurant
• Successful Institutional Food Management & Delivery Systems
• Food and Water Security as Globalization Issues
• Digitization in Improving the Food Supply Chain
• The Discrepancies in Unhealthy Food Advertising: Hispanic and Black Consumers
• The Biofuel and Food Industry Connection
• Climate Change and Food Production Cycle
• “Societal Control” Over Food and Weight Gain
• Food Deprivation in the United States
• “Fast Food Nation”: The Development of the Food Industry in the USA
• The Connection Between Food Choices, Identity, and Nationalism
• Healthy Food for Learning Achievements in School
• Introduction to Food: Macromolecules Analysis
• Discussion of Food Foraging History
• Aspects of Food Insecurity
• Botulism Prevention and Food Security Approaches
• Should Food Manufacturers Label All GMOs?
• “Food Stamped” and Its Main Shortcomings
• Discussion of Food Security Technologies
• Whole Foods Company’s Product Marketing in France
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Globalization
• Food Allergies and Eating Disorders
• Supply Chain Strategy for the Foods and Drinks Sector
• Organic Food Purchases Among Customers of Different Ages
• Indian Cuisine: Food and Socio-Cultural Aspects of Eating
• Food Deserts and Their Impact on Local Communities
• Introduction and Politics of Food Discussion
• Food Security: Global Health Issue Comparison
• Are Food Manufactures Killing Us?
• A Community Mobile Food Truck to Serve Disadvantaged Children’s Needs
• Whole Foods: An Organizational Needs Analysis
• White-Collar Crimes: Unsafe Food
• The Class About Nutrition to Real Life Situations When Making Food Choices
• Food and Beverage Plan: The COVID-19 Pandemic Influence
• Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food
• Food Supplements in Preventing Long-Term Illnesses
• Healthier Cookie Version: The Challenges to the Food Industry
• Personal Response About the Documentary “Food Inc.”
• A Plan for Receiving and Handling of Food Products Based on HACCP
• Logistics Network of the Food and Beverage Production Industry
• Quality of Food Served to Children
• Fast Food Restaurants in the US
• Fast-Food Marketing and Children’s Fast-Food Consumption
• Genetically Modified Foods: How Safe are they?
• The Home Food Environment and Obesity-Promoting Eating Behaviours
• Fast Food and Health Relations
• The Effects of Food on ADHD
• Genetically Modified Organisms in Human Food
• Eating Fast Food and Obesity Correlation Analysis
• Nursing: Issue of Obesity, Impact of Food
• When Food Costs More Than It Is Supposed To
• Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Amendment
• American Food Industry in the “Food, Inc.” Movie
• Ban on Genetically Modified Foods
• Obesity Treatment – More Than Food
• Fast-Food Industry’s Influences on Children
• Nurse-Led Program on Food Safety Problem
• Halal Food in Other Religions
• Neighborhood Deprivation and Exposure to Fast Food in a Large Rural Area
• Bacteria That Cause Food Toxicity
• “The Food Matters” by James Colquhoun
• “The Future of Food” produced by Catherine Lynn Butler
• A 3-Day Diet Analysis With the USDA Food Pyramid
• Food Consumption: Enjoyment and Ethics
• Reducing Food Packaging Litter in Ireland
• Food Insecurity Assessment in Miami
• Food Labeling and Concordia University’s Food Sphere
• The Downtown Rideau Area: Food Segway Tours
• The History of Soul Food Cuisine in the United States
• The Words on Your Plate: Analysis of the Food Words
• Expanding Ultima Foods in China
• The Actual and Budgeted Food Costs
• Escherichia Coli Infection: Preventing Food Borne Illness
• National Food Policy Guaranteeing Healthy Food Marketing
• Impact of COVID-19 on People’s Livelihoods, Their Health and Our Food Systems
• Food Festival Event for Westboro Residents
• Analysis of Nutrition and Food Studies
• Modeling Sustainable Food Systems
• Soul Food: An Original American Art Form
• Macronutrients Consumption: The Best Food Sources
• Statistics on Food Disorders in the US and Puerto Rico
• The Impact of Food Choices on the Economy and Environment
• Teens ‘Especially Vulnerable’ to Junk Food Advertising
• The Importance of Variability in the Food Industry
• “Women, Food, and Learning” by Claudia Setzer
• Food Additives Use in Agriculture in the United States
• Schieffelin: Rainforest Environment and the Kaluli Food Production
• Advantages of Using Genetically Modified Foods
• The Origins of the Soul Food and Barbeque in the USA
• Food and Sustainable Environmental Issues in Campus
• 2019 Brooklyn Crush Wine & Artisanal Food Festival
• America Express Charity Food Overview
• Visual Communication. Natural Food Packaging Colors
• Food, Body, and Weight Issues Exploration and Family Dynamics in Ireland
• Is Fast Food Really Harmful and Can It Be Healthy?
• The Current American Food Situation Influenced by the Immigrant Farmers
• Traditional Lakota Food: Buffalo
• Organic Foods Issue of “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan
• Negative Impact of Soil Erosion on the World`s Food Supply
• Food Safety in the Commercial Industry
• Testing Food Service Employees: Policy Assessment
• How Tesco a Leading Food Retailer Globally
• Competition in the Australian Food Industry: Case Analysis
• Food Safety Issues and Standards
• Genetic Engineering in Food and Freshwater Issues
• Food Habits and Dietary Practices: Honey as Food
• White Thinking Hat Fast Food: Overview
• Genetically Modified Food as a Current Issue
• The Fast Food Restaurants History in the United States
• Fast Food Nation: Business Analysis
• Delectability of Foods Within the Context of Children
• Concerns Regarding Genetically Modified Food
• Food and Drug Administration – Regulatory Agency
• Do Marketers Condition Us to Buy More Junk Food?
• Bologna-Surface Bacterial Analysis: Bacterial Contamination on Two Food Contact Surfaces
• The Case of Salesforce and Wegmans Food Market
• Food Insecurity Intervention and Its Effectiveness
• Business Within Society: Food Truck
• Proposal for Lowering the Intake of High-Calorie Food
• Food Innovation: Ayran Yogurt in the Scandinavian Market
• Organizational Design Factors in the Food Industry
• Granite City Food & Brewery Company’s Analysis
• Global Food Security: UN Speech
• Sociology of Food and Eating
• Food & Beverage Companies’ Input to Global Food Consumption
• McDonald’s Fast-Food Restaurant’s Analysis
• “The Future of Food” Documentary
• Fast-Food Restaurant’s Capacity Increasing Options
• Healthy Food Access for Poor People
• Waste, Food and Transportation: Sustainable Development
• Food Stamps: Rationale for Tightened Conditions
• Granite City Food & Brewery Company’s Environment
• Granite City Food & Brewery Company’s Market Capitalization
• Food Labeling Changes in the United States
• Biofoam: The Snack Food That’s Packing America
• Start Up Company: Genetically Modified Foods in China
• Costly Healthy Food and State Policies
• Granite City Food & Brewery Company’s Value Chain
• Nature’s Best Pet Food Brand’s Target Market
• Food Choices in Food Deserts: Sociological Analysis
• Healthy and Nutritious Food for Young Children
• Food Chain: Ricotta Cheese Production
• Food in Reducing Risks and Improving Health
• Childhood Obesity Causes: Junk Food and Video Games
• Food and Drug Administration Fast-Track Approval
• Dietary Laws and Food Products for Health
• Fast Food as a Cause of Obesity in the US and World
• How Canadian Government Could Improve Food Safety?
• Labeling Food With Genetically Modified Organisms
• Ethical Eating in Daily Food Practices
• Healthy Food in U.S. Schools
• Drug-Drug and Food-Drug Interactions
• Food Producing Company and Its Key Processes
• Saddle Creek Corporation: Food Company Analysis
• IES Lean Systems Ltd. in the Food Industry
• Food Ads Ban for Childhood Obesity Prevention
• World Hunger and Food Distribution as Global Issue
• Whole Foods Market’s Strategic Position and Goals
• Packaging in Marketing, Food Safety, Environment
• Food: National Identity and Cultural Difference
• Slow Food Movement in USA
• Food for the Working-class Americans
• Fast Food and Obesity Link – Nutrition
• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
• Nutrition: Causes and Effects of Fast Food
• Food Science and Technology of Genetic Modification
• Food Across Cultures: Asida (Jamza) Meal Project
• Food in the 20th Centure
• Food Safety and Information Bulletin
• Nutrition, Healthy Food Choice, and Nutritional Value of Fast Foods
• Nutrition and Food Security within the Aboriginal and Remote Communities of Australia
• Food Allergies and Obesity
• Genetically Modified Foods and Their Impact on Human Health
• Nutrition: Foods Containing Calories

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StudyCorgi . 2021. "457 Food Essay Topics & Research Questions to Write about." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/food-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Food were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on June 22, 2024 .

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Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: llava-chef: a multi-modal generative model for food recipes.

Abstract: In the rapidly evolving landscape of online recipe sharing within a globalized context, there has been a notable surge in research towards comprehending and generating food recipes. Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) like GPT-2 and LLaVA have paved the way for Natural Language Processing (NLP) approaches to delve deeper into various facets of food-related tasks, encompassing ingredient recognition and comprehensive recipe generation. Despite impressive performance and multi-modal adaptability of LLMs, domain-specific training remains paramount for their effective application. This work evaluates existing LLMs for recipe generation and proposes LLaVA-Chef, a novel model trained on a curated dataset of diverse recipe prompts in a multi-stage approach. First, we refine the mapping of visual food image embeddings to the language space. Second, we adapt LLaVA to the food domain by fine-tuning it on relevant recipe data. Third, we utilize diverse prompts to enhance the model's recipe comprehension. Finally, we improve the linguistic quality of generated recipes by penalizing the model with a custom loss function. LLaVA-Chef demonstrates impressive improvements over pretrained LLMs and prior works. A detailed qualitative analysis reveals that LLaVA-Chef generates more detailed recipes with precise ingredient mentions, compared to existing approaches.

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• As Ozempic’s Popularity Soars, Here’s What to Know About Semaglutide and Weight Loss JAMA Medical News & Perspectives May 16, 2023 This Medical News article discusses chronic weight management with semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. Melissa Suran, PhD, MSJ
• Patents and Regulatory Exclusivities on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists JAMA Special Communication August 15, 2023 This Special Communication used data from the US Food and Drug Administration to analyze how manufacturers of brand-name glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have used patent and regulatory systems to extend periods of market exclusivity. Rasha Alhiary, PharmD; Aaron S. Kesselheim, MD, JD, MPH; Sarah Gabriele, LLM, MBE; Reed F. Beall, PhD; S. Sean Tu, JD, PhD; William B. Feldman, MD, DPhil, MPH
• What to Know About Wegovy’s Rare but Serious Adverse Effects JAMA Medical News & Perspectives December 12, 2023 This Medical News article discusses Wegovy, Ozempic, and other GLP-1 receptor agonists used for weight management and type 2 diabetes. Kate Ruder, MSJ
• GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Gastrointestinal Adverse Events—Reply JAMA Comment & Response March 12, 2024 Ramin Rezaeianzadeh, BSc; Mohit Sodhi, MSc; Mahyar Etminan, PharmD, MSc
• GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Gastrointestinal Adverse Events JAMA Comment & Response March 12, 2024 Karine Suissa, PhD; Sara J. Cromer, MD; Elisabetta Patorno, MD, DrPH
• GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use and Risk of Postoperative Complications JAMA Research Letter May 21, 2024 This cohort study evaluates the risk of postoperative respiratory complications among patients with diabetes undergoing surgery who had vs those who had not a prescription fill for glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists. Anjali A. Dixit, MD, MPH; Brian T. Bateman, MD, MS; Mary T. Hawn, MD, MPH; Michelle C. Odden, PhD; Eric C. Sun, MD, PhD
• Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Use and Risk of Gallbladder and Biliary Diseases JAMA Internal Medicine Original Investigation May 1, 2022 This systematic review and meta-analysis of 76 randomized clinical trials examines the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist use on the risk of gallbladder and biliary diseases. Liyun He, MM; Jialu Wang, MM; Fan Ping, MD; Na Yang, MM; Jingyue Huang, MM; Yuxiu Li, MD; Lingling Xu, MD; Wei Li, MD; Huabing Zhang, MD
• Cholecystitis Associated With the Use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists JAMA Internal Medicine Research Letter October 1, 2022 This case series identifies cases reported in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System of acute cholecystitis associated with use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists that did not have gallbladder disease warnings in their labeling. Daniel Woronow, MD; Christine Chamberlain, PharmD; Ali Niak, MD; Mark Avigan, MDCM; Monika Houstoun, PharmD, MPH; Cindy Kortepeter, PharmD

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Sodhi M , Rezaeianzadeh R , Kezouh A , Etminan M. Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss. JAMA. 2023;330(18):1795–1797. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.19574

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Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss

• 1 Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• 2 StatExpert Ltd, Laval, Quebec, Canada
• 3 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• Medical News & Perspectives As Ozempic’s Popularity Soars, Here’s What to Know About Semaglutide and Weight Loss Melissa Suran, PhD, MSJ JAMA
• Special Communication Patents and Regulatory Exclusivities on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Rasha Alhiary, PharmD; Aaron S. Kesselheim, MD, JD, MPH; Sarah Gabriele, LLM, MBE; Reed F. Beall, PhD; S. Sean Tu, JD, PhD; William B. Feldman, MD, DPhil, MPH JAMA
• Medical News & Perspectives What to Know About Wegovy’s Rare but Serious Adverse Effects Kate Ruder, MSJ JAMA
• Comment & Response GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Gastrointestinal Adverse Events—Reply Ramin Rezaeianzadeh, BSc; Mohit Sodhi, MSc; Mahyar Etminan, PharmD, MSc JAMA
• Comment & Response GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Karine Suissa, PhD; Sara J. Cromer, MD; Elisabetta Patorno, MD, DrPH JAMA
• Research Letter GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use and Risk of Postoperative Complications Anjali A. Dixit, MD, MPH; Brian T. Bateman, MD, MS; Mary T. Hawn, MD, MPH; Michelle C. Odden, PhD; Eric C. Sun, MD, PhD JAMA
• Original Investigation Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Use and Risk of Gallbladder and Biliary Diseases Liyun He, MM; Jialu Wang, MM; Fan Ping, MD; Na Yang, MM; Jingyue Huang, MM; Yuxiu Li, MD; Lingling Xu, MD; Wei Li, MD; Huabing Zhang, MD JAMA Internal Medicine
• Research Letter Cholecystitis Associated With the Use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists Daniel Woronow, MD; Christine Chamberlain, PharmD; Ali Niak, MD; Mark Avigan, MDCM; Monika Houstoun, PharmD, MPH; Cindy Kortepeter, PharmD JAMA Internal Medicine

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists are medications approved for treatment of diabetes that recently have also been used off label for weight loss. 1 Studies have found increased risks of gastrointestinal adverse events (biliary disease, 2 pancreatitis, 3 bowel obstruction, 4 and gastroparesis 5 ) in patients with diabetes. 2 - 5 Because such patients have higher baseline risk for gastrointestinal adverse events, risk in patients taking these drugs for other indications may differ. Randomized trials examining efficacy of GLP-1 agonists for weight loss were not designed to capture these events 2 due to small sample sizes and short follow-up. We examined gastrointestinal adverse events associated with GLP-1 agonists used for weight loss in a clinical setting.

We used a random sample of 16 million patients (2006-2020) from the PharMetrics Plus for Academics database (IQVIA), a large health claims database that captures 93% of all outpatient prescriptions and physician diagnoses in the US through the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) or ICD-10. In our cohort study, we included new users of semaglutide or liraglutide, 2 main GLP-1 agonists, and the active comparator bupropion-naltrexone, a weight loss agent unrelated to GLP-1 agonists. Because semaglutide was marketed for weight loss after the study period (2021), we ensured all GLP-1 agonist and bupropion-naltrexone users had an obesity code in the 90 days prior or up to 30 days after cohort entry, excluding those with a diabetes or antidiabetic drug code.

Patients were observed from first prescription of a study drug to first mutually exclusive incidence (defined as first ICD-9 or ICD-10 code) of biliary disease (including cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, and choledocholithiasis), pancreatitis (including gallstone pancreatitis), bowel obstruction, or gastroparesis (defined as use of a code or a promotility agent). They were followed up to the end of the study period (June 2020) or censored during a switch. Hazard ratios (HRs) from a Cox model were adjusted for age, sex, alcohol use, smoking, hyperlipidemia, abdominal surgery in the previous 30 days, and geographic location, which were identified as common cause variables or risk factors. 6 Two sensitivity analyses were undertaken, one excluding hyperlipidemia (because more semaglutide users had hyperlipidemia) and another including patients without diabetes regardless of having an obesity code. Due to absence of data on body mass index (BMI), the E-value was used to examine how strong unmeasured confounding would need to be to negate observed results, with E-value HRs of at least 2 indicating BMI is unlikely to change study results. Statistical significance was defined as 2-sided 95% CI that did not cross 1. Analyses were performed using SAS version 9.4. Ethics approval was obtained by the University of British Columbia’s clinical research ethics board with a waiver of informed consent.

Our cohort included 4144 liraglutide, 613 semaglutide, and 654 bupropion-naltrexone users. Incidence rates for the 4 outcomes were elevated among GLP-1 agonists compared with bupropion-naltrexone users ( Table 1 ). For example, incidence of biliary disease (per 1000 person-years) was 11.7 for semaglutide, 18.6 for liraglutide, and 12.6 for bupropion-naltrexone and 4.6, 7.9, and 1.0, respectively, for pancreatitis.

Use of GLP-1 agonists compared with bupropion-naltrexone was associated with increased risk of pancreatitis (adjusted HR, 9.09 [95% CI, 1.25-66.00]), bowel obstruction (HR, 4.22 [95% CI, 1.02-17.40]), and gastroparesis (HR, 3.67 [95% CI, 1.15-11.90) but not biliary disease (HR, 1.50 [95% CI, 0.89-2.53]). Exclusion of hyperlipidemia from the analysis did not change the results ( Table 2 ). Inclusion of GLP-1 agonists regardless of history of obesity reduced HRs and narrowed CIs but did not change the significance of the results ( Table 2 ). E-value HRs did not suggest potential confounding by BMI.

This study found that use of GLP-1 agonists for weight loss compared with use of bupropion-naltrexone was associated with increased risk of pancreatitis, gastroparesis, and bowel obstruction but not biliary disease.

Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients who are contemplating using the drugs for weight loss because the risk-benefit calculus for this group might differ from that of those who use them for diabetes. Limitations include that although all GLP-1 agonist users had a record for obesity without diabetes, whether GLP-1 agonists were all used for weight loss is uncertain.

Accepted for Publication: September 11, 2023.

Published Online: October 5, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.19574

Correction: This article was corrected on December 21, 2023, to update the full name of the database used.

Corresponding Author: Mahyar Etminan, PharmD, MSc, Faculty of Medicine, Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Medicine, The Eye Care Center, University of British Columbia, 2550 Willow St, Room 323, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3N9, Canada ( [email protected] ).

Author Contributions: Dr Etminan had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Concept and design: Sodhi, Rezaeianzadeh, Etminan.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: All authors.

Drafting of the manuscript: Sodhi, Rezaeianzadeh, Etminan.

Critical review of the manuscript for important intellectual content: All authors.

Statistical analysis: Kezouh.

Obtained funding: Etminan.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Sodhi.

Supervision: Etminan.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Funding/Support: This study was funded by internal research funds from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia.

Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Data Sharing Statement: See Supplement .

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FDA Approves and Authorizes Updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines to Better Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants

FDA News Release

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 formula) to include a monovalent (single) component that corresponds to the Omicron variant KP.2 strain of SARS-CoV-2. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been updated with this formula to more closely target currently circulating variants and provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. Today’s actions relate to updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by ModernaTX Inc. and Pfizer Inc.

In early June, the FDA advised manufacturers of licensed and authorized COVID-19 vaccines that the COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 formula) should be monovalent JN.1 vaccines. Based on the further evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and a rise in cases of COVID-19, the agency subsequently determined and advised manufacturers that the preferred JN.1-lineage for the COVID-19 vaccines (2024-2025 formula) is the KP.2 strain, if feasible.

“Vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of COVID-19 prevention,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “These updated vaccines meet the agency’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. Given waning immunity of the population from previous exposure to the virus and from prior vaccination, we strongly encourage those who are eligible to consider receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine to provide better protection against currently circulating variants.”

The updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccines include Comirnaty and Spikevax, both of which are approved for individuals 12 years of age and older, and the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, both of which are authorized for emergency use for individuals 6 months through 11 years of age.

What You Need to Know

• Unvaccinated individuals 6 months through 4 years of age are eligible to receive three doses of the updated, authorized Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.
• Individuals 6 months through 4 years of age who have previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 are eligible to receive one or two doses of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).
• Individuals 5 years through 11 years of age regardless of previous vaccination are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated, authorized Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines; if previously vaccinated, the dose is administered at least 2 months after the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
• Individuals 12 years of age and older are eligible to receive a single dose of the updated, approved Comirnaty or the updated, approved Spikevax; if previously vaccinated, the dose is administered at least 2 months since the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.
• Additional doses are authorized for certain immunocompromised individuals ages 6 months through 11 years of age as described in the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine fact sheets.

Individuals who receive an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may experience similar side effects as those reported by individuals who previously received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and as described in the respective prescribing information or fact sheets. The updated vaccines are expected to provide protection against COVID-19 caused by the currently circulating variants. Barring the emergence of a markedly more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2, the FDA anticipates that the composition of COVID-19 vaccines will need to be assessed annually, as occurs for seasonal influenza vaccines.

For today’s approvals and authorizations of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, the FDA assessed manufacturing and nonclinical data to support the change to include the 2024-2025 formula in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The updated mRNA vaccines are manufactured using a similar process as previous formulas of these vaccines. The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to hundreds of millions of people in the U.S., and the benefits of these vaccines continue to outweigh their risks.

On an ongoing basis, the FDA will review any additional COVID-19 vaccine applications submitted to the agency and take appropriate regulatory action.

The approval of Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) (2024-2025 Formula) was granted to BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH. The EUA amendment for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula) was issued to Pfizer Inc.

The approval of Spikevax (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) (2024-2025 Formula) was granted to ModernaTX Inc. and the EUA amendment for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula) was issued to ModernaTX Inc.

Related Information

• Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) (2024-2025 Formula)
• Spikevax (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) (2024-2025 Formula)
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula)
• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (2024-2025 Formula)
• FDA Resources for the Fall Respiratory Illness Season
• Updated COVID-19 Vaccines for Use in the United States Beginning in Fall 2024
• June 5, 2024, Meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee

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Skowhegan Craft Brew Festival set for Saturday

The celebration of local beer and other products is expected to draw people from around the country to sample beverages from 24 Maine producers.

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A crowd gathers Sept. 2, 2023, along the Kennebec River, behind Water Street businesses, for the Skowhegan Craft Brew Festival in downtown Skowhegan. Morning Sentinel file

SKOWHEGAN — Beer lovers from around the country are expected to head to Skowhegan on Saturday for the town’s annual Labor Day weekend brew festival.

The Skowhegan Craft Brew Festival is set to feature more than 100 Maine-made craft beers, wines, ciders and spirits from 24 beverage producers, along with local food vendors and four musical acts, according to an announcement from the event’s organizer, the nonprofit organization Main Street Skowhegan.

The festival, which began in 2016, is expected to draw people from Maine, 13 other states and Canada, according to the announcement. So far, people from as far away from Texas, Arizona and Nevada have bought tickets, the organization said.

“We’re thrilled to draw people from near and far to Skowhegan for our annual brew festival,” Kristina Cannon, president and CEO of Main Street Skowhegan, said in the statement. “Not only do events showcase our growing community and all that we have to offer visitors, but they also bring people to town who spend money at our locally owned businesses. Brew fest, in particular, brings people back again and again to our community.”

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Tickets are required to attend the brew festival, and can be purchased online at skowhegancraftbrewfest.com . A $50 general admission ticket includes unlimited beverage samples from 3 to 7 p.m. and a souvenir tasting glass. “Designated driver” tickets for those who do not wish to drink alcohol are $10.

Ticket prices increase by $5 the day of the festival, so organizers suggest buying tickets by 6 p.m. Friday. Advertisement

A “VIP hour” at 2 p.m., featuring free food samples, other goodies and live entertainment, is sold out.

The brew festival is to be held along the Kennebec River in downtown Skowhegan, where the event moved last year from its previous location on Water Street .

Skowhegan Craft Brew Festival draws hundreds of beer drinkers to new location

Organizers said last year that the move was intended to help promote ongoing economic revitalization efforts along the town’s waterfront, including the planned River Park. Other events, such as the annual River Fest in August , are intended to achieve that goal, too.

With a contractor on board and the permitting process in its final stages, construction of the in-river whitewater park portion of the overall development is expected to begin in spring 2025 , Cannon said recently.

Construction of Skowhegan whitewater River Park delayed until 2025

Main Street Skowhegan uses proceeds from the brew festival to support its ongoing economic development efforts, according to organizers. The event is sponsored by more than a dozen local businesses and organizations.

The festival is expected to take place no matter the weather. As of Thursday, the National Weather Service was predicting mostly cloudy skies in Skowhegan on Saturday, with high temperatures in the mid-70s, and a 50% chance of rain showers after 2 p.m.

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Money blog: State pension could rise by more than £400

Today's Money blog includes a report suggesting the state pension will rise £400 next year and the Czech Republic clamping down on sites like Airbnb. We'll have personal finance and consumer news and tips through the day - leave a comment on anything we're covering below.

Wednesday 4 September 2024 09:40, UK

• State pension 'could rise by more than £400' next year
• European country cracks down on holiday rentals
• High-street bank trumps rivals with cheapest mortgage

Essential reads

• 'They have 22-inch pizzas - hello!': Israeli-born chef picks budget eats
• How your pension could be taxed
• Basically... Free school meals
• Big Issue seller reveals how it works financially and his technique
• Best of the Money blog

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• Cheapest holidays dates before Christmas
• Money Problem : 'My dog died but insurance still wants a year's payment'
• How else to eat Greggs on cheap as O2 Priority scraps freebies

Ask a question or make a comment

State pensions could rise by more than £400 next year, according to reports.

The triple lock means pensions rise each April by whatever is highest out of inflation, average wage growth and 2.5%

This year that looks set to be wage growth, with figures set to be released next week.

The Treasury's internal working calculations, seen by the BBC, show this would lead to a £400 increase for anyone on the full state pension.

That would take the full state pension to around £12,000.

Pre-2016 retirees who may be eligible for the secondary state pension could see a £300 per year increase.

None of this has yet been confirmed. Any decision on a pension increase will be made by Pensions Minister Liz Kendall ahead of October's budget.

Yesterday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves reiterated the government's backing of the triple lock.

The Treasury has been contacted for comment.

By James Sillars , business news reporter

A US-led stock market sell-off is hitting values on this side of the Atlantic for a second day.

The main worry, which was first seen a month ago, continues to be the performance of the world's largest economy.

Weaker than expected US manufacturing data sparked drops in oil and commodity costs, which bled into share prices.

The big losers, however, were tech shares.

Analysts said a decline of almost 10% in AI chipmaker Nvidia's stock was down to some profit-taking on fears the best news for the company's outlook was in the rearview mirror.

Brent crude dropped almost 5% to $73 a barrel.

The FTSE 100 largely mirrored Tuesday's declines at Wednesday's open, falling 0.8%.

Energy and mining stocks were among those worst affected again.

Every Wednesday we ask top chefs to pick their favourite Cheap Eats where they live and when they cook at home. This week we speak to Israeli-born Eran Tibi, executive chef at Michelin-recommended Bala Baya, and Kapara, in London.

Hi Eran, can you tell us your favourite places in London where you can get a meal for two for less than £40?

One of my favourite place has to be Voodoo Rays  (Dalston, London Fields and Peckham) - it serves New York-style pizza which you can't get anywhere. They have 22-inch pizzas - hello! 

You're able to go in, pick slices of whatever pizza you want; they also do a great negroni. It's great value and the quality is fantastic and consistent, so it's a no brainer.

I also love Afghan Kitchen in Angel  -   it's cheap, cheerful, delicious and authentic. It's unique as not many people are familiar with Afghan cuisine; all the dishes are great value and it's a fantastic place to explore new dishes. 

What is your go-to cheap eat to cook at home when you have a night in?

If I'm making something at home, I go to Ridley Road Market in Dalston to pick up my ingredients. Here you'll find the best produce for the most reasonable price.

The go-to for a cheap home cooked eat is roast beef with roasted seasonal vegetables and a slow braised bulgur wheat, covered with some dips (either fresh or from what's left in the fridge).

With dishes like this, the key is to always have a good pantry and look to the freezer; throughout the year, freeze seasonal vegetables and ingredients so when you need an easy and cheap dinner (even out of season), simply take them out and get cooking! 

We've spoken to lots of top chefs - check out their cheap eats from around the country here...

We've seen Spain do it, along with France and the Netherlands, and now the Czech Republic has announced plans to crack down on holiday lets.

The Czech government has proposed new regulations that could limit the amount of Airbnb-style rentals available in popular cities such as Prague. 

The proposals could cap the number of days a property can be rented out each year and require a minimum amount of space per guest. 

Authorities could also be allowed to place more local taxes on the rentals. 

Owners would be required to register their accommodation and guest details via an online platform. 

They will then be given a registration number, which would have to be displayed on their listings. 

The new system, if given the green light, will aim to bring down the cost of living for locals by freeing up accommodation and increasing tax revenues. 

EuroNews said officials estimate that between 40% to 70% of online bookings are not reported, which could equate to €32m in unpaid taxes each year. 

Labour is facing a drop-off in confidence among business leaders amid plans for tax rises and improvements to workers' rights, according to a survey.

The Institute of Directors noted a leap in optimism in July among its membership as the new government came to power.

But its latest economic confidence index showed a slump from a three-year-high, falling into negative territory in August.

Read more below...

The number of hospitality establishments across the UK has grown for the first time in two years - a sign of recovery for the industry.

Between March and June there were 462 new openings of pubs, restaurants, bars and hotels in the UK - an average of five per day - according to the Nationwide Caterers Association.

The organisation said casual dining establishments in particular have experienced growth in numbers for the first time since COVID.

"While there is still a way to go for the sector to return to pre-COVID heights, tangible growth in hospitality premises is clearly a positive development and hopefully a sign of more growth to come," the association said.

Aldi is in talks with the government over planning reform in a bid to speed up the opening of new stores.

The discount supermarket is offering investment to tackle "under-resourcing" across local authorities, which is currently leading the planning application process to take more than a year, Aldi UK's national real estate director George Brown wrote in LinkedIn.

Mr Brown said to "unlock" significant investment in the UK economy, the retail sector should be given more weight in the decision-making process to reflect the number of jobs it delivers.

Aldi said in February that it plans to open 500 more stores in 2024, which would also lead to the creation of 5,500 new jobs.

An "urgent review" into dynamic pricing has been launched as the backlash from the price of Oasis concert tickets continues. 

The Competition and Markets Authority said it was looking into the ticketing market to make sure consumers were being treated fairly. 

Oasis fans were disappointed at the weekend when tickets for their reunion tour more than doubled while on sale due to dynamic pricing systems. 

Tickets shot up from £148 to £355 on Ticketmaster within hours of their release - and while fans were stuck in long online queues.

Dynamic pricing is common within industries beyond music - it's used frequently in the travel industry, with hotel rooms and airline tickets.

"The CMA is urgently reviewing recent developments in the ticketing market, including the way dynamic pricing is being used in the primary market," a CMA spokesperson said. 

They noted that consumer protection law requires businesses to be fair and transparent in their dealings with consumers. 

They are also required to give clear and accurate information about the price people have to pay. 

"The CMA wants fans to get a fair deal when they buy tickets," they added. 

"We have already acted against major resale websites on the secondary market to ensure consumer law is being followed. 

"But we think more protections are needed for consumers here, and made recommendations to the previous government in 2021 about the changes that are needed." 

The government has promised to look into dynamic ticket pricing, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy saying it would be reviewed in an upcoming consultation. 

Female founders have been dealt a "blow" after Innovate UK delivered just half the number of grants pledged in a funding competition for women business owners.

The Women in Innovation programme was aimed at encouraging women leading small to medium-sized businesses to apply for grants of up to £75,000 each.

The government-backed agency said it would be offering the grants to 50 female founders when it launched the competition earlier this year - but subsequently changed the wording to say "up to 50". 

Only 25 ended up being chosen to receive funding, out of 1,452 applicants.

Dearbump and Femtech founder Emma Jarvis said in a LinkedIn post that the situation will have left many female entrepreneurs "pretty disheartened"

The post  has been shared more than 100 times and has garnered nearly 830 reactions.

"Innovate UK's decision is a blow not just to existing female founders but future ones," Ms Jarvis said. "It's really disappointing to hear that the number of awards was cut in half and that the wording was changed after the results were announced."

She said the "only way forward" was for Innovate UK to honour its original commitment of 50 awards.

Meanwhile, Patricia McGirr, Repossession Rescue founder , said female founders "deserve more than lip service". 

She said Innovate UK's decision "isn't just trimming fat, it's cutting opportunity and ambition".

"This broken promise to the women fuelling our future is a step backward for innovation and a slap in the face to countless women who dare to lead."

And Debbie Porter, managing director at Destination Digital Marketing , said the move was "hard to believe".

"Innovate UK ought to go back over those 1,427 other applications as a matter of priority to fix this situation," she said. 

In a statement to the Money blog, Innovate UK apologised and said its decision was a "mistake". It also said it would honour its original commitment to award 50 applicants with funding.

The added: "We recognise the impact this has had on the many applicants and on the community as a whole, and we apologise wholeheartedly.

"We confirm we will be funding a total of 50 awards."

Our Money blog reporter Jess Sharp spoke to women who are  leading figures in their respective fields for our eight-part Women in Business series earlier this year. You can read some of their stories here...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has refused to rule out heavier taxation on pensions in the October budget. 

"I'm not going to speculate on what will be in the budget, but I'm absolutely determined to ensure that working people are better off," she told MPs in the House of Commons. 

"This budget will be a budget to fix the foundations of the economy after the mess left by the previous government."

How could your pension be taxed further? Let's have a look at some of the possibilities...

Leading left-wing thinktank The Fabian Society said the government could raise at least £10bn a year by reducing pension tax relief for high earners. 

At the moment, pension tax relief depends on an individual's tax band. 

But Ms Reeves could create a single flat rate of tax relief for all tax bands, the society said.

"First, the rate of income tax relief should be equalised for people on all tax bands - for example at 30% of gross earnings, midway between the 20p and 40p rates of tax," the thinktank said in a report. 

Ms Reeves could also reduce the maximum tax-free lump sum  you can get on retirement from £268,275 to £100,000 or 25% of pension wealth. 

"The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that this might eventually save over £2bn per year, which would be targeted entirely at people with high lifetime earnings or assets," the report added. 

Another suggestion was to charge national insurance on private pension incomes . 

The organisation said it would lead to today's affluent pensioners making a higher tax contribution.

Other possibilities could be to levy income tax on all inherited pensions. 

It said pension pots could also be liable to inheritance tax in the same way as other assets. 

What else did the chancellor say today?

Away from refusing to rule out pension tax changes, Ms Reeves also confirmed a cap on corporation tax.

Speaking during Treasury questions, she said the tax would be capped at its current level of 25% to "give business the confidence to grow". 

Corporation tax applies to the annual profits of UK resident companies and branches of overseas companies.

The 25% main rate is payable by companies with taxable profits above £250,000.

A small profits rate applies for companies with profits of £50,000 or below, meaning they will pay 19%.

Up until April 2023, the previous corporation tax main rate was 19%.

After the revival of popular Cadbury's chocolate bar Top Deck earlier this year, we asked you which discontinued treat you would like to see brought back - and we got so many responses that we've decided to make a weekly feature of it called  Bring It Back . 

Every Tuesday, we'll pick one from our comments box and look at why it was so beloved and, crucially, find out whether the companies in question might consider reintroducing them.

This week we're looking at a chocolate bar that became a staple of lunch boxes in the 1980s and '90s - and spawned a TV advert that is among the most fondly remembered of the era: McVitie's Trio.

Sold in multipacks of six, each bar included three segments made up of a caramel layer over biscuit, all covered with milk chocolate.

The product became synonymous with a memorable commercial that featured an animation by artist Bob Godfrey and a play on the traditional Jamaican folk song "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)".

Its lyrics, which will be familiar to almost anyone who grew up in the 1980s, included the bar's tagline: "I want a Trio and I want one now."

Having discontinued the product in 2003, it briefly returned to shop shelves in 2016 following a Facebook campaign, before vanishing from sale again shortly after.

Hordes of Sky News readers have called for the chocolate bar's revival.

Kellie said: "I'd love to have Trios back! They were yummy. McVitie's really need to start selling them again."

Derek told us: "What a chocolate bar the Trio was! I could eat an entire multipack in one sitting now if given the chance. And that old advert... instantly transported back to childhood just thinking about it."

Samantha said: "I can hear the jingle in my head now! Trios were just delicious chocolate bars... and we want one now!"

When asked by Sky News, a McVitie's spokesperson conspicuously declined to rule out a return for the iconic chocolate treat, saying the company was "constantly listening to what audiences want".

"This helps us to keep innovating and adapting to changing tastes, meaning more biscuits and snacks you love for generations to come," they said.

"For those who miss the caramel taste of Trio, one of our newest and most exciting innovations, McVitie's Gold Billions Wafer, will be your new favourite for on-the-go chocolate moments."

And, tantalisingly for fans of the bar, they added: "Watch this space for more to come..."

Along with the legions of Trio diehards, the Money blog will certainly be doing that - and hope to bring you news of further developments in the crusade in the near future.

Got a craving for any of the products below? Click the links to find out if they've got any chance at making a comeback... 

NatWest has launched the cheapest five-year fixed mortgage deal on the market. 

The 3.71% rate comes with a £1,495 product fee and is available to customers who have a 40% deposit. 

Other lenders have also announced cuts this week, including Barclays and Halifax. 

Yesterday, Barclays reduced its five-year fixed 60% LTV remortgage deal from 4.06% to 3.93%. 

It also announced cuts across its purchase product range, with a five-year fixed 75% LTV deal coming with a 3.95% rate and a £899 product fee. 

Halifax also launched a 3.81% five-year deal to new borrowers yesterday. 

Brokers have welcomed the cuts as "hugely positive" news, and suggested more lenders could follow suit. 

"NatWest's latest rate cut is another clear signal that mortgage lenders are pulling out all the stops to reignite the housing market," Ranald Mitchell, director of Charwin Mortgages, told Newspage.

"This flurry of rate reductions is a positive step towards finding that sweet spot where consumer confidence rebounds, and the property market gets back on track. 

"It's an exciting time for potential buyers, affordability is improving, and the window of opportunity is wide open." 

Justin Moy, the managing director at EHF Mortgages, said: "Lenders are looking to grab some market share by the end of the year.

"Other lenders will likely want to make a similar move over the coming days to remain competitive." 

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• Class Notes

The Latest News from Your Classmates

Find out what your fellow alums are up to—new jobs, marriages, and more—in the September / October 2024 Class Notes!

The Continuous Reunion Club column appears below!

Check out the CRC column —and columns from other Cornell groups—in the Group Notes. Want to see your group represented in future sections? Email us for information!

No news from you all, so you’ll have to tolerate what’s mulling about in my aging, addled mind: Iowa’s many rural towns and their small-town newspapers.

My interest in this arises from my early life. For my first 21 years I lived on a small subsistence farm. After Cornell and marriage, for the next 17 years I lived in the nearby rural village of Elba, NY, population 700, where I was the science teacher in the K-12 school. While living there I earned a doctoral degree at the University of Rochester. Preferring to maintain some connection to rural life, I moved about 1,000 miles west to Des Moines, IA, for a faculty position at Drake University. For a love of Iowa, I stayed for 57 years. In my waning years I now consider more highly my travels in all Iowa’s counties and county seats than my travels in all U.S. states, all the provinces of Canada, half the states of Mexico, and world travel in 32 other countries on five continents.

Iowa is a state of small, county-seat cities, and villages serving the social and business needs of their areas. Some small, rural towns are holding on with their weekly newspapers. In south-central Iowa is the village of Afton, population 1,000, which, against the national trend of dying newspapers, still has its 119-year-old, 60-cent, weekly Afton Star Enterprise. The Afton paper also serves the communities around it, providing each with local news that, in some mysterious way, serves to enrich and bind each community together.

For a love of Iowa, I stayed for 57 years. Paul Joslin ’50

I regularly read the Afton newspaper, which I receive from a friend and former resident of Afton. It’s a six-page publication and includes a variety of local news and three regular columns. Of great interest to me is a regular, 450-word column by a local retired farmer and gifted writer and illustrator who has the enviable ability to write entertainingly about what otherwise would be trivial events. His name is Rick Friday and fittingly his column is called “It’s Friday.”

I quote (paraphrasing a bit) from a recent column of his titled “Folks Tales,” which triggered similarities to my Depression-era upbringing, and perhaps yours as well: “During a child’s upbringing, parents use a variety of folktale strategies that are simply not true. My mom claimed she had eyes in the back of her head. When I broke my arm, the doc never asked if I was wearing clean underwear. My nose never grew after I told a fib. A watermelon seed I swallowed didn’t grow in my stomach. I handled a lot of toads and never got warts. And the moon is not made of cheese. I didn’t need glasses because I sat too close to the TV. A passing car never cut my hand off when I put it out the car window. It always hurt when they said it wouldn’t.” ❖ Paul Joslin ( email Paul ) | 13731 Hickman Rd., #4207, Urbandale, IA 50323 | tel., (515) 278-0960 | Alumni Directory .

“At 95, I’m aging—but rather gracefully,” writes Calvin Gage , who is also “inching toward the 66th anniversary with my wife, Marge. A year ago, we moved to a life care community, Lake Forest Place in Lake Forest, IL. We settled into an apartment where Marge is developing a beautiful patio garden. Among the 400+ residents, I’ve discovered a few with Cornell connections. One was a grad student whose dissertation was about Cornell’s first president, Andrew Dickson White. This chap went on to become president of Lake Forest College. Another resident’s daughter graduated from the Hotel School and, we’re told, had a very successful career in that business. There are other Cornellians here that I have yet to meet.”

Calvin adds, “In this community, where all of us are in our 80s, 90s, and, yes, 100s, it is refreshing to observe the vitality all around me. Yes, there are walkers and rollators and canes and electric scooters—and some can no longer stand tall—but mentally they are with it. That is very satisfying.” ❖ Class of 1951 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Carol Singer Greenhaus writes from Rye, NY, that seeing her three daughters, six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren gives her the most satisfaction these days—and, as her father used to say, “not a lemon in the bunch.” She feels that Cornell made her travel more interesting and made her interest in geology grow. “Like a kid, I collect rocks.”

Eli Manchester writes from Westwood, MA, that he and his wife are living in Fox Hill Village, a wonderful retirement community. He enjoys watching Cornell athletics on ESPN. He is lucky that his daughters and family live close by so that they see them often. His younger daughter graduated from Cornell Law School. He feels that his five years in Cornell engineering was a wonderful preparation for his professional life.

Harriette Scannell Morgan writes from Adamstown, MD, that waking up gives her the most satisfaction these days. Cornell changed the trajectory of her life; she met her husband, Monte , there and they had 61 years of marriage and two sons. Over the years they lived in the U.S., Canada, South America, and Europe, traveled to all the states, and were huge volunteers.

Bernard Patten writes from Athens, GA, that attending Cornell set the stage for his academic life and how to pursue it. Great satisfaction comes from “research and writing a revisionary kind of ecology, a three-volume work called Holoecology . My subject is a systems ecology topic I have been pursuing since I arrived in UGA Ecology in 1968.” He also has established a flagship quartet, TSS Adirondika Pro Musica. He has two grandsons that his daughter is raising in Atlanta.

Marion Lotz Rutan writes from Haines City, FL, that she has celebrated the 70th anniversary of her wedding with her husband. She enjoys Zoom calls with family and books available through the Library of Congress.

Ann Coffeen Turner writes from Keene, NH, that she enjoys tutoring and reading, having published her teaching materials on the Internet (Teachers Pay Teachers). ❖ Thomas Cashel, LLB ’56 ( email Tom ) | Alumni Directory .

William Ash , PhD ’60, reports that he and his late wife, Gertrude (Kehm) , were lucky to raise four responsible children to adulthood “without any problems whatsoever. They love the USA!” With two grandsons and two great-grandsons, “the family grows into the future with pride, but with hopes that the world will allow them to reach their potential.” William has been writing short monthly newsletter articles for the Cape Lookout Sail and Power Squadron in Trent Woods, NC. “I’ve now written close to 300 articles, each 1–2 pages, with the purpose of making our boating waters safe.”

Virginia “Jinny” Jackson Browning is pleased to still be healthy in mind and body at age 92. Her favorite activities at home in Kentucky are reading and spending time with her children, grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren. “The numbers of great-grandchildren are increasing!” she reports.

Dottie Clark Free writes that she enjoys the volunteer activities at the retirement home where she lives in Palo Alto. Her family continues to grow. “In 1966 I married four people: a widower with three children. We now number 18.” Did attending Cornell change the trajectory of her life? “Tremendously! It gave me more confidence and broadened my outlook.”

Cornelius Jones (Monrovia, CA) shares that his wife of 67 years, Ruth, died in 2020. In studying the Jones family’s ancestry, Cornelius has learned that they were some of the first settlers of Staten Island, NY. Early in his career, Cornelius drastically changed his professional life from being a farm agent in New York to being a missionary with the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society.

Herb Neuman is thoroughly enjoying his first great-grandchildren—boy and girl twins. He is still working in real estate development in New York, Maryland, and Florida, training young members of the family firm as they take on responsibilities. In 2023 Herb was co-winner of the Tanner Prize in recognition of being active in the new Hillel building project at Cornell and engaged in strengthening the Jewish Studies Program.

I’ve now written close to 300 articles, each 1–2 pages, with the purpose of making our boating waters safe. William Ash ’53, PhD ’60

Bertram Pitt writes that, although he no longer sees patients, he continues to be active in clinical research. Recent papers relate to heart failure, hypertension, and renal (kidney) disease. “Currently I am working on therapies to reduce dementia in patients with hypertension,” he reports. On the calendar is a trip to Australia from his home in Ann Arbor, MI.

Louis Pradt and his wife, Sandra, still live in the Wisconsin house they moved into 51 years ago. “I like to fill it with music: playing, hearing, and seeing.” Louis spends time dealing with family affairs and gets a lot of satisfaction from the children in the family. He was disappointed to miss our 70th Reunion and sends his greetings to Cornell friends.

Alan Raynor and wife Mary enjoy life in Port Charlotte, FL. He especially likes having time to pursue special interests and is even finding time to write a movie.

Susan Finn Smith , with her husband, Donald (Iowa State), lives a busy life at a retirement community in Middleton, WI. “We have many activities and events,” she says, “but especially enjoy connecting with friends or family, reading, writing essays, streaming movies, going to concerts, and reading the New York Times or Washington Post .” Their son lives nearby and visits often, but their two daughters live and work far away, she reports. “Our second great-grandchild arrived earlier this year.” Susan transferred to Cornell from Iowa State as a junior and completed her BS degree at Cornell. “I grew to love Upstate New York,” she recalls. “I also made Eastern friends and came to love classical music and writing.”

Joyce Wisbaum Underberg , BS ’52, reports that she is still able to keep up with the news “and with the few friends I have left!” In her professional life, Joyce served as director of government affairs for Schlegel Corporation at its headquarters in Rochester, NY, and she remains active in a few organizations that welcome “old war horses” as board members. “I’m very content,” reports Joyce, “with all four children gainfully employed and in happy relationships that have produced nine grandchildren. Life is good—I’m lucky!” Joyce credits Cornell with helping her mature from a somewhat sheltered teenager to an adult “who is still trying to push the envelope for change that I think matters!” Keep us posted on your progress, Joyce.

Lois Crane Williams , MEd ’60, continues to write about local and family history. She lives in assisted living at a retirement complex in Lancaster County, VA, and says, “Marrying a Cornell engineer (the late Peter Williams ) was one of the really good events in my life!” ❖ Caroline Mulford Owens ( email Caroline ) | Bob Neff , JD ’56 ( email Bob ) | John Nixon ( email John ) | Alumni Directory .

Reunion 2024! What a terrific weekend it was! A bit cool and cloudy, but warm spirits throughout the campus. Eight thousand Cornellians returned to the Hill. More than 400 events, programs, and concerts were offered. We were busy. Time flew by. And now we cherish wonderful memories of a glorious weekend.

Dave , PhD ’60, and Mary Gentry Call , as Reunion co-chairs, planned with consideration of our age and limitations. We were cared for with Statler accommodations, good meals, transportation, and time to visit with old friends and also to rest. A special note: at Saturday dinner, held at Kendal where a few of our class including the Calls live, we were delighted that Mary was able to join us. A big thank you to Mary and Dave, who held steady and made it happen for us in spite of their significant health challenges.

Chick Trayford , MBA ’60, our class president, was kept at home because of physical limitations resulting from his treatment in recent months. However, he worked tirelessly to encourage classmates to return for Reunion. The results of his efforts are reported below.

Here are a few highlights of the schedule. Thursday: excitement as we arrived at the registration area; dinner at the Statler; the traditional and wonderful Savage Club’s Reunion Show. Friday: “Democratic Resilience Globally” presentation by the Class of 1979 and the Brooks School of Public Policy (retired ambassador Dwight Bush ’79 shared that, to foster a global worldview, he and his wife give each child one plane ticket a year to anywhere outside of the U.S.); lunch at Moakley House on the golf course; Olin Lecture at Bailey Hall with Andrew Ross Sorkin ’99 , award-winning journalist and author, CNBC “Squawk Box” co-anchor, and co-creator of Showtime series “Billions”; Statler dinner with the Sherwoods (men’s singing) and Corey Earle ’07 discussing “Then and Now”; Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club at Bailey.

Saturday: State of the University Address by President Martha Pollack; Al Eckhardt took a few of us to visit the Merrill Family Sailing Center, where he, a lifelong competitive sailor and skipper of the winning 1954 crew, proudly showed us the new facility and the Class of 1954 FJ22 sailboat he gave to Cornell (a story new to me: as teenagers, for several summers Al and Chick raced sailboats on Long Island Sound. In August 1950, they wished one another well and said goodbye. Soon after, completely by surprise, they found each other on the Cornell campus!); reception and dinner at Kendal; Cornelliana Night with much Big Red spirit and the old songs we love to sing. Sunday: Packing and hugs and good wishes to all.

Here are the officers who will tend to class business: president, Chick Trayford; VP and treasurer, Dave Call; Annual Fund representative, Warren “Breck” Breckenridge ; nominations chair, Al Eckhardt; webmaster, Jan Jakes Kunz ; co-correspondents, Ruth Carpenter Bailey and Bill Waters , MBA ’55.

We cherish wonderful memories of a glorious [Reunion] weekend. Ruth Carpenter Bailey ’54

And here are the results of the work they and others performed on behalf of the class: The Class of 1954 now holds the record for attendance at a 70th Reunion! The University has confirmed that we had 29 classmates in Ithaca! Last year the Class of 1953 had 11; the previous record was 26. We had a total of 55 people including spouses, children, and guests. Dollars raised for Cornell by our class totaled $14.2 million! (“A huge number,” says Cornell, but not the record, which is $17.0 million, held by the Class of 1948.) We thank all who gave to enable us to reach this amount.

Random thoughts: Corey Earle presented a delightful program with photos about Cornell history and changes on campus. We are fortunate to have him as the informal historian of the University. I recommend that you listen to him on Zoom whenever you have the chance. President Pollack gave her final Reunion speech. I swelled with pride to hear of the enormous breadth and depth of Cornell’s impact around the globe. A new book, Beyond Borders: Exploring the History of Cornell’s Global Dimensions , now available and co-edited by Corey, tells in some detail about this important work. Interestingly her talk was interrupted by protestors. Security was prepared: they were given a few minutes to shout and disrupt on behalf of Gaza; the audience drowned them out; then quietly and professionally the security people calmly ushered them out of Bailey. On a happy note, the Cornell Band, not in uniform, played enthusiastically as we entered and departed from Bailey on a couple of occasions. A fun addition.

The University holds a Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving. I must confess I was taken aback when I saw the length of the list of classmates who have died. One we lost very early was Fred Wood . Jane Barber Wood Smith came this year with their daughter, Barbara Wood ’82 . To the staff of Alumni Affairs, Jane wrote, “Thank you so much for your part in making our 70th Reunion such a joyous and comfortable occasion. I am just so happy and grateful to have been there to renew with old friends and see the old campus surviving amidst the new.

“It was especially poignant for my daughter and me to retrace some family memories from 1963 when she was 3, we lived on Wait Avenue, and her father, my first husband, Fred, worked as acting Episcopal chaplain at CURW. He was later class correspondent and he and I were to be Reunion chairs in ’69; by then he was battling leukemia and died in 1970 when he was chaplain and associate professor at Vassar College.

“Barbara and I were able to track down the chandelier in the Founders Room at Anabel Taylor that was contributed upon request by my father-in-law Frederic Wood 1924 (a former Cornell trustee), along with the plaque indicating that it was in memory of his son. Since no one in the family had ever seen this, we took pictures and emailed and phoned my sister-in-law Meredith Wood Einaudi ’61 in Palo Alto, CA. She was delighted.”

Those of us who attended Reunion were grateful to be there. We remembered those unable to be there. I hope reading these comments gives you a bit of the flavor of a happy weekend. ❖ Ruth Carpenter Bailey ( email Ruth ) | Bill Waters , MBA ’55 ( email Bill ) | Class website | Alumni Directory .

Richard Shriver was honored by the Connecticut River Conservancy with the Bud Foster Award. CRC gives this award each year to someone who has shown outstanding devotion, service, and accomplishment in the Connecticut River watershed. Bud Foster was the first executive director of what is now the CRC. As its website notes, “In those pre-Clean Water Act days when CRC was first established, the challenge facing our rivers was significant. That meant the dedication of those looking to make a difference was also extraordinary. This award shines a light on those who work hard for the benefit of our rivers.”

In its announcement, CRC noted Dick’s contributions: “Dick has been supportive of the Connecticut River Conservancy at every turn. He has been an early morning boat captain for the Unified Water Study, has published articles about restoration stories with great depth and detail, has hosted murmuration bird paddles for local community members, and offered his home as a celebratory reception place. He has been a convener, connector, and friend who brings others together with open arms to unite our efforts for greater collective impact. Thanks to Dick’s leadership, $1 million was recently granted by the Endeavor Foundation to support conservation priorities throughout the watershed. All this in a relatively short time, after a successful career. Dick is an impressive example of how much one person can accomplish when inspired and committed. And now his efforts inspire more of us to appreciate and steward this amazing resource.”

Samuel “Skip” Salus derives great satisfaction from “being able to move around without pain.” He spends his days reading, playing bocce, attending lectures or events, and keeping in touch with old friends. Sadly, Skip shares, “I lost my wife to a strange disease.” He adds that he enjoys “seeing my sons in their jobs competing successfully. I have 13 grandchildren and five are in college—one just graduated and one is at Ithaca College.”

Ruth McDevitt Carrozza (York, PA) greatly enjoys keeping in contact with her far-flung family in Florida, California, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Maine, and camping with her daughter and son-in-law. She’s also enjoying her new friends in her community and participating in community activities such as crafts and bus trips. “I celebrated my 90th birthday with a great family party on April 1. We are waiting for my fourth great-grandchild.” When asked if Cornell changed the trajectory of her life, she wrote, “Although I was a landscape design student, I was able to become a science teacher because of my science classes at Cornell.”

Although I was a landscape design student, I was able to become a science teacher because of my science classes at Cornell. Ruth McDevitt Carrozza ’55

Hans Duerr writes from his new home in Orchard Park, NY, where he moved to be closer to his sons after his life partner, Jeanne, died in 2020. He is happy to be alive and healthy. George Morson derives great satisfaction from family, his health, volunteering, and tennis. He happily reports that his grandson is a pilot.

Dick Kurtz , BS ’58, appreciates his “good health, happy wife, and family. I enjoy seeing the growth of our 4-year-old identical male quadruplet great-grandchildren—and supporting their parents.” Dick participates in his church choir, plays bridge, volunteers in church affairs, walks the dog, and travels in the U.S. He notes that the University “supported my love of Latin American friends, travels, and countries.”

Shirley Sanford Dudley writes, “I studied psychology at Cornell and became (after an advanced degree) a counselor, registrar, and assistant dean in a seminary. I loved, loved, loved working with students. They have been some of my best friends for life. Also, as a minister’s wife, the variety of students at Cornell enabled me to open up to a wider group of people of all sorts in the cities where we lived.” Now, Shirley is occupied with leadership roles in her senior center, choirs there and at church, 10-minute plays, letter writing, exercising, walking, and reading good books.

These days, Kenneth Sanderson greatly enjoys meeting new people, volunteering at polling places and as an usher at theaters, gardening, and attending plays. “2024 has been the worst year of my life,” he shares. “My wife, Barbara, died, and my brother Don died. I’m glad that I got to bring Barb to visit Cornell once.” When asked if Cornell changed the trajectory of his life, he wrote, “Absolutely. It gave me a goal for life: always excel! And it provided the professors and classmates that served as role models. I only attended Cornell for two years for a BS degree, but I have always felt that I was part of a family. Cornellians opened many doors for me throughout my career.”

Stay tuned for more news from our classmates in the next column! ❖ Class of 1955 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Diana Motycka Day has been participating in church activities as a deacon, gardening around her home, and socializing with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. “I met Bob Day the first day of freshman year at orientation! We fell in love, but Bob’s national scholarship kept him studying too much so I dated Tom Herbert ’54 , MBA ’55, and married him! That marriage ended. Bob and I both went to our 45th Reunion in 2001 and decided immediately to get married right away in 2002. That was an idyllic marriage for 15 years, until Bob died.”

Virginia Seelig Lenz has five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She is a tour docent at Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson’s retreat home, and a facilitator for a book club at her local library.

Gail Berkson Malloy-Brown is retired from teaching at Adelphi University but still working part time as a psychotherapist. She notes that she’s still recovering from Dick Brown ’48 ’s death four years ago. “Cornell sent me on a ‘trip’ from hospital nurse to public health nurse to teacher and academic administrator of nursing, to psychoanalyst and psychotherapist in private practice, and from BS to MA to PhD.”

Pat Brodie gets the greatest satisfaction in life from spending time with her children and grandchildren. Now retired, she’s writing a memoir. “I’m living in Brookhaven in Lexington, MA, now. Everyone here is over 65. It reminds me of living in the dorm at Cornell.”

I’m living in Brookhaven in Lexington, MA, now. Everyone here is over 65. It reminds me of living in the dorm at Cornell. Pat Brodie ’56

Robert Ridgley writes, “I’m still happily married to Marilyn (Hester) ’57 after 66 years! We just welcomed our first great-grandchild!” Robert retired as CEO of Northwest Natural Gas and continues with numerous activities for the community of Portland, OR, including the Cornell Club. “Economics and history studies at Cornell led me to Harvard Law School, 23 years of legal practice, and then a second career in management of a public utility.”

Carol Skidmore Cuddeback writes, “My 90th birthday party had 53 relatives attending! Great occasion for our large family! I was surprised! Wish my dear husband could have been there.”

Theodora Litner Weihe enjoys “being able to dance and play golf with my younger friends, being able to eat out when I don’t feel like cooking, and being able to drive! I love having a loving husband in good health. We go to grandchildren’s graduations when we can, but otherwise aren’t traveling much. Attending Cornell allowed me to feel confident in many new settings—socially and professionally.”

There will be more news from classmates in our next Class Notes column! ❖ Class of 1956 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Those hills of Cornell drew me back again for the 2024 Reunion. The founders of the Continuous Reunion Club declared that attending Reunions only every five years just isn’t enough. I joined CRC in 2000, so I have enjoyed the Reunions every year since then except for the two years of the pandemic.

This year I was able to meet Nan Krauthamer Goldberg and Judy Richter Levy , LLB ’59, for dinner at the Statler’s Taverna Banfi fine dining restaurant. Judy arrived from Manhattan to enjoy her Law School Reunion. She and one other female classmate double registered our senior year. Judy announced that she is about to retire from her practice of personal injury law, which she pursued for at least 50 years with her late husband. She had an interesting and rewarding career helping victims receive compensation due to other people’s negligence. She may occasionally assist her daughter, also an attorney, with her cases. Judy has been our class’s go-to person in NYC to arrange luncheons and dinners whenever Cornell events took place there. Many classmates who enjoy the Cornell hockey games in Madison Square Garden have attended those dinners.

Nan is one who was fortunate to remain in the Ithaca area as three weeks after graduation she and Stan ’55 were married. Stan was a retailer in an Ithaca home improvement business that later grew and diversified, and he became a real estate developer. Nan and Stan had four children in the next 10 years, which kept Nan busy using skills learned in her child development classes. Nan later had her own business, Learning Foundation of Ithaca. Over the years, Nan has helped hundreds of high school students in test preparation and goal-setting. To this day she continues to help local students and also Rotary exchange students. Her family now includes 11 grandchildren, four of whom are Cornellians. Although Stan passed away in 2015, Nan continues to live in their fine modern home on the west shore of Cayuga Lake, across the road from Taughannock Falls State Park.

Naturally, our dinner conversation included news about many of our distaff side classmates. We especially recalled the recent passing of two very active women, Sue DeRosay Henninger and Vanne Shelley Cowie . Both served as leaders during our undergrad years and since we became alumni. Sue was our president early in our alumni days. Vanne’s decorations in Balch Hall for our 40th Reunion are still memorable. Sue was a patroness of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, while Vanne was a patroness of the Cornell Botanic Gardens (formerly the Cornell Plantations).

Judy Richter Levy ’57 , LLB ’59, is about to retire from her practice of personal injury law, which she pursued for at least 50 years with her late husband.

Their spouses, Joe Henninger ’56 , MBA ’58, and former trustee Bob Cowie ’55 , MBA ’57, survive them. Both couples were recipients of the prestigious Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award. Vanne and Bob were honored in 2003 and Sue and Joe were honored in 2009. (And, both couples were members of the Continuous Reunion Club!) Our other honored recipients of the Frank H.T. Rhodes Award are: Art Gensler , 1998; Tony Cashen , MBA ’58, 2001; Steve Weiss , 2008; Steve Laden , 2009; and Bob Staley , MBA ’59, with his wife, Elizabeth (Chapman) ’60 , 2012.

Our class is recognized as having a great number of our alumni involved in Cornell and class activities. In our class leadership and Reunion committees alone, we approach 100 individuals. Could any other class even come close to that? There is a pattern prevalent in the classes of the 1950s. Many male students had plans to continue their education in professions such as medicine, law, advanced business degrees, and further academic studies. Not so for the women. Only about 10 of us ’57 women went right into law or medical schools. In fact, we were not encouraged to continue our education. A corridor-mate, a ’56 co-ed, went to a vet school for an interview. She was told outright that she would not be admitted because she would be “taking the place of a man.”

Graduation found many of us married or soon to be married, then becoming mothers, homemakers, and community volunteers. Only later did some pursue advanced degrees. Barbara “Bobbie” Redden Leamer is a perfect example. She and Dick ’56 were married in the Anabel Taylor chapel the day before our graduation. Defying all who bet against it, she, as our women’s class council president, along with her counterpart, Jim Drennan , MD ’61, was in place the next morning to lead us to our Barton Hall graduation ceremony. Bobbie and Dick were quickly on their way to Jackson, MI, for Dick’s job with Mobil Oil. Dick’s entire career was with Mobil Oil and entailed move after move, 11 of them by our 25th Reunion.

With their three children born in ’59, ’61, and ’63, Bobbie became a Girl Scout leader, a library volunteer, a PTA leader, a Sunday School teacher, and involved with various newcomer groups, sports booster clubs, and many, many more. Her interest in library work led her to earn a master’s in library and information sciences in 1979 from the University of North Texas. Their last move was to Fairfax, VA, in 1989, where they remain. She continues to volunteer at public libraries in the Fairfax area and in Saranac Lake, NY, where they have a summer home. Their family has expanded to include nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. ❖ Connie Santagato Hosterman ( email Connie ) | Alumni Directory .

Albert Caines , the only vector control specialist and entomologist in Oswego County, NY, and the area, collected over one million mosquitos in his work. He lives in Phoenix, NY, and enjoys fishing, watching high school sports, Cornell football and lacrosse, two great-grandchildren, and dining out with his girlfriend.

Debbie Fanto Czegledy , who majored in fine arts, had a wonderful career at the United Nations, using her arts skills. Her role in the last 12 of her 20 years at the U.N. was as head of the department that informed people about the work of the agency that gave grants to women in developing countries, through booklets, exhibits, events, and speeches. She also traveled to European countries to fundraise and to developing countries to encourage project recipients. After she retired, she became a professional portrait artist. Now living in Plandome, NY, on Long Island, she still enjoys painting and participates in a French conversation group, many church activities, swimming, and entertaining in her garden with her many friends.

Dean Danzer worked as a chemical engineer for 38 years at Monsanto, then traveled all over the world after retiring. He suffers from amyloidosis and is confined to a wheelchair. He lives in St. Louis, MO, with his wife, Virginia, who graduated in 1961 from Washington University. She is still in good health and is able to drive. He enjoys reading, investing, church activities, and spending time with his family.

Gerald Freedman started out as a mechanical engineer but took multiple other courses, including one on how the body works with Prof. Singer in home economics, which changed his life. He then went to medical school and retired as a radiologist. He lives in Hillsboro Beach, FL, with his wife, Karen, who is a joy! His health is stable, but he has pain in multiple joints. He enjoys sculpting clay, watching TV, reading magazines, spending time with friends, and talking on his cell phone with his kids, who are doing great!

Albert Caines ’58 , the only vector control specialist and entomologist in Oswego County, NY, and the area, collected over one million mosquitos in his work.

Arthur Horowitz says Cornell provided him with the opportunity to learn, limited only by his lack of brain power! He practiced as an ob/gyn until 21 years ago, and since then has helped his wife in her fine art business. They live in Hopkins, MN, and travel a lot—2 million miles to 100+ destinations. Their three children graduated from Barnard, Cornell, and Wesleyan in the 1980s and have since provided them with seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Arthur’s greatest satisfaction is waking up in the morning!

Susan Swanson Hueber says Cornell pressed her “curiosity button”! She lives in Ridgecrest, CA, and is a widow, which means she has no more horses to care for. She finds satisfaction in getting up every morning, learning (by non-digital means), enjoying music and art, cooking for fun and friends, activities with her dog, and friends and family. She also volunteers at a small local natural history museum.

Almeda “A.C.” Church Riley says Cornell changed her life by providing two good marriages to Cornell graduates, Bill Dake ’57 (1959–84) and John Riley ’55 (1995–2021). In between, A.C. gave 10 years of public service to her community. She lives in Woodlawn Commons, an independent living community in Saratoga Springs, NY, and is on its residents’ association board. She is a member of the United Methodist Church and the League of Women Voters, regularly plays bridge and mahjongg, plans to play frequent golf this summer, and enjoys spending time with her children and their families.

Audrey Wildner Sears says Cornell changed the trajectory of her life when she met Ray ’57 , her spouse of 66 years, and set off on an adventure! She derives great satisfaction from still being active in her community in Grantham, NH. She enjoys volunteering at Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, VT.

Cynthia Rau Sears is very excited because she recently became a great-grandmother to Nolan Michael! She and husband Raymond, who live in Wayne, NJ, find it hard to believe! ❖ Barbara Avery, MA ’59 ( email Barbara ) | Dick Haggard ( email Dick ) | Alumni Directory .

“ Oh, I want to go back to the old days … Hard to believe we are celebrating our 65th Reunion,” says Marty Lehman . “The event triggers a flood of memories—long bus/train rides from my home in Portsmouth, OH, to Ithaca, lifetime friendships with my brothers from Tau Delta Phi, late nights spent in the architectural drafting rooms ( Work like a jerk till your eyes ache like hell! ), the unforgettable Beaux Arts Ball on the top floor of White Hall, George Healy’s brilliant lectures in British lit, Kingston Trio for Spring Weekend, trudging through the snow on the Quad on Dragon Day, custodial residence at the Heller House on Eddy Street with my architecture classmate Bill Woods , early morning ‘bridge’ parties (milk punch for breakfast) overlooking Beebe Lake, graduation party in the ‘secret garden’ behind the Heller House … Always returning to my old Cornell .”

“Great Reunion!” says Carole Kenyon . Says Phyllis Corwin Rogers , “The best part of Reunion is the trip down memory lane.” Says Harry Petchesky , “Like most of our classmates, I came for the camaraderie and the programs offered by Cornell, all of which got high marks from their attendees.” Says Judy Brotman Cochran , “This was another of the Class of ’59s wonderful Reunions and why many of us keep coming back.” Particularly heartwarming were the rousing cheers given to retiring President Martha Pollack after her State of the University Address, and the performance by the Cornell Alumni Chorus and Glee Club at Cornelliana Night.

Memories of people, places, and events: “Climbing the stairs to Rockefeller Hall and sitting in the auditorium for a physics demonstration reminded me of Professor Herbert Newhall , PhD ’42 ’s introductory physics course in 1955; it was as invigorating now as it was then,” said Phil Yarnell . At our Saturday evening dinner, Corey Earle ’07 gave a fabulous talk contrasting Cornell in the late 1950s with the Cornell of today. Gerry Schultz followed Corey’s presentation with a slideshow featuring Hans Bethe, Phillip Morrison, Dexter Perkins, Michell Sienko ’43 , and other professors who inspired us during our days on the Hill. Svein Arber spoke eloquently about Clinton Rossiter ’39 and Milton Konvitz , PhD ’33 . Sadder remembrances were expressed at Anabel Taylor Hall on Friday morning, when Ron Demer , Bill Kingston , Ellie Applewhaite , and Bill Day read the names of 181 classmates who had passed away since our 2019 Reunion. Ron notes that our class began with 2,262 people, including those who earned degrees and those who did not; 720 have died, which is 32% of those who initially started.

Sixty-eight ’59ers were at Reunion, many accompanied by spouses and friends. Among us was Marsha Gratz Perry , attending her very first Reunion (hooray!). In contrast, Reuners such as Ellie Applewhaite and Harry Petchesky have attended every Reunion, beginning with our 5th back in 1964. One classmate unable to attend but still represented was George Ladas , whose charming book, The Amazing Adventures of Karnival Kat and Eight Musical Mice , was featured at the Cornell Store’s book signing on Saturday morning. Another attendee-in-spirit was Carl Leubsdorf , whose article about becoming a political columnist, “I Really Owe It All to The Sun,” appeared in the Reunion edition of the Cornell Daily Sun .

At least one of us was seen dancin’ to the beat at the evening tent parties. But let’s admit it: most of us had ‘retired’ by that hour. Jenny Tesar ’59

Some statistics: Our class was among those given special recognition at Cornelliana Night, for raising a record amount of money during a 65th Reunion year: $49,797,404. Over 8,000 people registered for Reunion, representing 47 states, the District of Columbia, and 23 countries. More than 450 events were on the schedule: tours, exhibits, lectures, workshops, open houses, receptions, and even canoeing on Beebe Lake. Two ’59ers shared a mid-afternoon snack of BBQ with electricians setting up events on the Arts Quad. And at least one of us was seen dancin’ to the beat at the evening tent parties. But let’s admit it: most of us had “retired” by that hour.

A new-for-’59ers event: Reunion kicked off on Thursday afternoon with the Spirit of ’31: Passing It Forward ceremony, during which the three oldest Reuning classes, celebrating their 75th, 70th, and 65th reunions, presented the Class of 2019, attending their first Reunion, with their official class banner. Events receiving ’59ers’ acclaim included a guided tour of the Mann Library exhibit “Introducing Vladimir Nabokov, Lepidopterist.” We all remember Nabokov’s teaching and his worldwide fame as a writer, but this exhibit illustrated his lifelong involvement (beginning at age 5!) with questions of butterfly evolution and diversity. FYI: The University’s Insect Collection has over seven million insect specimens, including hundreds of butterflies collected by Nabokov.

At the reception celebrating women in engineering—where it was noted that women now comprise nearly 50% of Cornell’s engineering students— Al Newhouse had a good discussion with a female manager from Shell Oil about the impact of EVs on our electric grid. Professor Ross Brann’s talk, “Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Racism Revisited,” received high marks from Stefanie Lipsit Tashkovich , MEd ’64 (“wonderful”) and Carole Parnes . Carole also commended the presenters at the annual Liberty Hyde Bailey Lecture, this year on synthetic biology and the transdisciplinary, team-based approach being used to solve complex medical, agricultural, and other problems.

The old, the new: All ’59ers and their guests received coupons for a two-dip ice cream cone or cup at the Dairy Bar (Itha-Kahlua Fudge—yum!). A bus full of classmates took a bus tour of the campus with the informative, witty tour guide pointing out new buildings, places being renovated and expanded, the relocation of the baseball field, etc. A stop at the Botanic Gardens (formerly Cornell Plantations) provided a brief respite from the day’s hustle and bustle. On another day, several of us were given a bird’s-eye view of the construction of Cornell Bowers CIS, named after the late Ann Schmeltz Bowers , the college’s primary donor. ❖ Jenny Tesar ( email Jenny ) | Alumni Directory .

Elaine Moody Pardoe has sadly reported from Columbia, MD, “My husband, David, died on March 28. We had a wonderful 62 years of marriage, which are giving me cherished memories to help me through this difficult time. I now live in a retirement community, where I have compatible fellow residents who have experienced the same heartbreak. Dave and I considered moving here one of the wisest decisions ever made. We have three children, who are my greatest source of comfort; we share undying love for their father.”

John Ramsey , who lives in Perry, IA, with his spouse, Lois Lee Huck, says, “I’m happily retired from my ichthyology career at the University of Puerto Rico, Auburn University, and Iowa State. My wife and I enjoy the amenities of our retirement community.”

Merrill Burr Hille reports from Seattle, WA, that she still enjoys hiking and the pleasures of her four grandchildren, who are ages 4–26. Cornell influenced her life, says Merrill. She enjoyed doing research in the Department of Chemistry, which got her to graduate school and eventually to her professorship in biology at the University of Washington; there she managed to publish significant cell biology manuscripts in 2002.

Raoul Andrews-Sudre sent word from Pompano Beach, FL, that he is “playing golf and cooking for my friends. I also give lectures on energy medicines and consult on spa design and management. I continue to travel the world and visit my daughter and grandchildren in Paris.”

Bradford Brown lives comfortably with his wife, Mable, in Johnston, RI. Asked what brings him the most satisfaction, Bradford says, “Our family, including my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I’ve been writing memoirs on topics like anti-racism.”

Meantime, Donald Dewey , BA ’65, is still in New Rochelle, NY, where he says he is comfortable with his wife, Sandy. “I also find satisfaction watching the Boston Celtics and not working.” Queried on whether Cornell changed the trajectory of his life, Don drolly says, “I think so; my daughter Elizabeth Dewey Efe ’98 , MBA ’06, also attended Cornell.” Send your news to ❖ Judy Bryant Wittenberg ( email Judy ) | Alumni Directory .

Read the news from your classmates here! Dorcas McDonald founded and is the executive director of the Learning for Living Institute in Boulder, CO. She appreciates Cornell for getting her started to find what she wanted to do.

Longtime tennis photographer Ed Goldman is a new member of the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame. He has photographed the U.S. Open since 1976. Congratulations, Ed!

Stan Marks is still working and judging in Arizona. A nice Q&A article with his photo appeared in the Town of Paradise Valley Independent , describing his volunteer work for the Paradise Valley, AZ, court.

From Yonkers, NY, Marco Minasso has one grandchild at Cornell. Of his days on the Hill, he recalls, “I felt a part of a large family discovering new ideas every day.”

Mike Polansky writes, “Since retirement doesn’t really work for me, I started a new career as a reporter for a string of local newspapers, Massapequa Post and others, where I cover local board and chamber meetings with matters relating to Massapequa, NY.”

David Marks , MS ’64, is “living in the country with deer and turkeys in the backyard. A big change from Cambridge, MA, but we enjoyed both. After 43 years at MIT as a professor of civil engineering, we are taking it easy in the country. My daughter and granddaughters went to Cornell. Cornell took me as a small-town rural kid and showed me the world.”

Joel Blatt writes, “I’m still teaching European history at the Stamford campus of the University of Connecticut. I was inspired to teach history by Edward Fox and Walter LaFeber.”

I was inspired to teach history by Edward Fox and Walter LaFeber. Joel Blatt ’61

From James Belden , DVM ’64, in Florida: “After 31 years practicing equine sports medicine on the racetrack and another 28 years with sport horses, we have semi-retired to a new farm in Williston, FL. Our focus presently is special-case equine rehabilitation, and we are enjoying the peaceful lifestyle being away from mainstream competition. We continue to show reining horses but only on a regional basis. The new farm affords us more opportunity to visit the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The tempo of life in North Florida is relaxed compared to South Florida.”

In sad news, Alan Schmitt ’s son wrote that his father died in December 2023 at age 83, and Stephen Wilson ’s son informed us of Stephen’s death and indicated that he wishes to continue carrying on his father’s Cornell support.

Before his death in March, classmate Gary Busch sent in a lengthy news form. He wrote, “I have closed our two African cargo lines and ended the charter of our planes. I have closed my shipping line and sold the last two vessels. I have sold my house in London and down-sized twice to a small apartment. I sold my house in Venice, Italy, and closed my shared apartment in Vanino, Russia. I still have my country house in Somerset. I have largely stopped traveling on a regular basis and sold my car. I continue my daily news blog and my occasional political consulting. All in all, I am leading a normal life after all these years, now surrounded by children and grandchildren. I look forward to a less exciting schedule and hope to settle into a more placid period of gradual decline.” These classmates will be missed. ❖ Susan Williams Stevens ( email Susan ) | Doug Fuss ( email Doug ) | Alumni Directory .

Cornellians is thrilled to share news from Anne Kaczmarczyk Evans , who graduated from the Nursing School in NYC in 1962. (Though the school has been closed for 45 years, Cornell formerly combined three years of education, hospital training, and hands-on experience at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine—as the institutions are now known—on top of two years of prior academic study, granting a bachelor’s degree in nursing.)

These days, Anne spends her time dancing, sitting on the beach enjoying the sun and water, attending church services, and volunteering at the local historical office and local Medicare office. She writes, “I spent a delightful lunch in NYC with two classmates in March at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” When asked if attending Cornell changed the trajectory of her life, Anne said, “I earned a professional degree, which lead to a lifetime of work.”

Thanks for writing, Anne! Cornellians is always happy to receive news from Nursing school alumni and celebrate their distinct Big Red experience. They’re welcome to fill out an online news form or write directly to Alexandra Bond ( email Alex ).

Here’s the news that’s come over the transom since our last column. If you’ve missed this one, you can atone by sending news for the next one.

From Ewing, NJ, Patricia Carlin White , MEd ’63, writes that now that she has retired from teaching high school home economics (“culinary arts”), she is keeping busy as a textile artist making handwoven clothing and with traveling—most recently to Japan and to Lisbon a few times a year to visit her son and his family.

After 30 years working with Penn State student counselors, Betty Lefkowitz Moore is enjoying retirement by being with friends, volunteering at the library, providing medical assistance for those without funding, serving as director of the Jewish Community Center, and being a great-grandmom.

Linda Zucchelli Martinelli of Rexford, NY, proudly reports that her two grandsons at Cornell are both on the Dean’s List!

Beverley Mochel Wilson lives in Lawrence, KS, where she volunteers four days a week recording and live broadcasting for sight-impaired individuals. “We are the second largest service in the country with 250 volunteers and 1,000 listeners!”

Author Jack Foley lives in Oakland, CA, where he is a prolific writer, poet, and critic. Since 1988, he has presented poetry on the Berkeley, CA, radio station KPFA. In 2021, Academica Press published The Light of Evening: A Brief Life of Jack Foley , and the companion volume, A Backward Glance O’er Travel’d Roads . Last year’s output included Creative Death (Igneus Press), Bridget (Stoneybrook Editions), and, coming up, Ekphrazz (Igneus Press) and Collisions (Academica Press).

Bob Simpson , a retired automotive engineer for the Chrysler Corporation now living in Fenton, MI, keeps himself busy completing projects and/or repairing or fixing things. David Harrald writes that he is enjoying retirement in Sun Lakes, AZ.

From Veneta, OR, John Abele sends word that these days, in addition to enjoying the company of his family, he gets the most satisfaction from watching Fox programs and “supporting the Conservatives.” Liz Belsky Stiel writes that she and husband Lester ’60 are settled in La Jolla, CA, where they “plan to continue to age in place.”

From La Conversion, Switzerland, Jacqueline Browne Bugnion ’62 writes that in retirement she has been financing an agricultural school.

Originally from St. Paul, MN, Jean Kitts Cadwallader serves on several boards in Homer, NY, where she set up home after graduation with her late husband, William , DVM ’62 , a Cornell veterinarian, and raised her family, which now includes 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and two more “in the oven.”

From La Conversion, Switzerland, where she has lived for almost six decades, Jacqueline Browne Bugnion writes that in retirement she has been financing an agricultural school that is linked to the “Great Green Wall,” a major reforestation project in Burkina Faso whose purpose is to promote peace, restore 100 million hectares of land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon, and create 10 million jobs. The project is providing food and water security, habitats for wild plants and animals, and a reason for residents to stay in a region beset by drought and poverty.

After 30 years of part-time teaching as an anatomy and physiology instructor at Frederick Community College, Betty Kopsco Bennett , now retired in Middletown, MD, keeps busy with family, church, and volunteer work.

In retirement, Ray Hutch , a Penfield, NY, resident, serves on several boards including the YMCA, Rochester Area Community Foundation, Lollypop Farm (Humane Society), United Way, and Synergy IT Solutions, the company he founded.

Abbie Jobe ’26 , a CALS agricultural engineering major, is the Class of 1962 Rhodes Tradition Fellow (2022–24). Abbie reports that, thanks to this award, she was able to take advantage of some great experiences this past school year. She was selected to join the SMART (Student Multidisciplinary Applied Research Teams) Program on the E&E Green Farms at Cornell with which she was able to travel to Rwanda in January to help a female seed processor and distributor build a website from HTML. This past summer she traveled to the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland), where she spent five weeks as a project manager for Cornell Engineers in Action, helping her team of six engineers build a water distribution system for the Matutini primary school.

Want to know what’s happening at Cornell every day? Read the Cornell Daily Sun online via this link . You can also sign up on the site for a free daily newsletter.

Check out our class website for timelier information. Please send along news and updates (photos, too, which we can display on our class website) about what’s happening with you and your family. Send your entries to: ❖ Judy Prenske Rich ( email Judy ) | Alumni Directory .

The exciting news from the Class of 1963 is that our president, Paula Trested Laholt , was honored with the William “Bill” Vanneman ’31 Outstanding Class Leader Award. From the announcement: “This prestigious award is given to class officers who have provided long-term exemplary service to their class, in honor of Bill’s 75 years of superlative service. Paula has been indispensable to her Class of 1963 for decades, first volunteering for her 25th Reunion. She is the current class president and a member of the class council. Paula was recognized during Reunion on Saturday, June 8, as part of Cornelliana Night in Bailey Hall.” Lauren Coffey, director of Class Programs wrote: “Having worked closely with Paula, I can say that she is so deserving of this award and embodies the spirit of Bill Vanneman ’31 . I’m so thrilled for Paula, as I’m sure you will all be as well!” Our class is very proud of Paula and grateful to her for always saying yes and jumping in to help out when necessary through the years. Congratulations, Paula!

A fun story in Cornellians in June was about physical education memories, and a comment from classmate Nancy Cooke McAfee was highlighted: “I almost didn’t graduate because I could not pass golf. I was inept—the teacher finally said, ‘OK, I will pass you, but please, don’t ever come back!’ P.S.: I never picked up another golf club!” Check out the story and add your own memories to the comment section!

Whin , ME ’68, and Joan Melville still live in Pittsford, NY. Whin writes: “I am busy volunteering for my fraternity and church and traveling. We have 11 grandkids from the ages of 23 months to 21 years. Cornell gave me good analytical skills and good background from Milton Konvitz , PhD ’33 . He taught development of American ideals, good economics, and business law—all so valuable in my career.”

David and Trisha Sheaff are enjoying family, traveling, and volunteering when they can. They are enjoying life in Harpswell, ME. When asked if Cornell changed the trajectory of his life, David said: “Absolutely! My years at Cornell opened many doors and friendships.”

Judy Branton Wilkins writes from Penn Valley, CA, “My husband, Paul, passed away in June 2022. My son Brian got married for the first time at 48 to Kristina (from Lithuania), who had two boys, and they now have a daughter. I keep busy with book clubs, genealogy, and mahjongg.” Did attending Cornell change the trajectory of her life? “Yes. I entered as a music major and left with a double major in music and economics. I thought I would forever be a piano teacher, but I was an economist with HUD and a production coordinator of housing. Then, with the birth of our first child, I became a piano teacher including advanced pupils. I feel in both areas I have made a contribution. More importantly, Cornell gave me an inquisitive mind and a lifelong love of learning.”

Our president, Paula Trested Laholt ’63 , was honored with the William ‘Bill’ Vanneman ’31 Outstanding Class Leader Award.

John Herslow writes that he and his wife, Janis, are “enjoying family and owning new property in Springtown, PA. Gardening and taking winter cruises keeps us busy.” He admits that Cornell taught him to learn to compete.

Sandra Hackman Barkan is “busy with her children and two grandsons, travel, grassroots political activity, and reading. My husband, Joel Barkan , passed away in 2014. I met him the first week of freshman year; we got married just before the beginning of our senior year. He was supported by faculty to become an Africanist (he was a political scientist). I graduated with a degree in French and ended up an Africanist with a PhD in comparative literature. That and African literature were key to my research and teaching.”

Bob and Shoshana Agnew are living in Palm Coast, FL. “I retired last year after a business analytics career, continuing applied math research. Family, including a new granddaughter, brings us satisfaction as does exercise, reading, and Internet communication. We are concerned about events in the Middle East. Shoshana’s whole family lives in Israel. Although mechanical engineering was fairly dull (and lengthy at five years), Cornell launched me into Air Force ROTC, grad school, and a satisfying career.”

Bob Ulrich enjoys seeing his twin grandchildren, Tyler Sprague ’27 and Lili Sprague ’27 , who both finished their freshman year at Cornell—Tyler in engineering and Lili in Human Ecology. Their parents, Mark and Corey Ulrich Sprague , are Class of ’93 .

Marion Travalini Rodd is in Ventura, CA. “I am enjoying children, family, and friends and my grandnephew and great-grandnephew. I am working hard to stay healthy and playing flute in the Ventura County Concert Band. I have three grandchildren in or entering college: Cameron, University of Michigan ’25; Camille, Haverford College ’27; and Ethan, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, ’28. Cornell opened up a whole world of friendships and opportunities for me.”

Mark and Carolyn Press Landis ’65 welcomed their first great-grandchild in 2023. Taylor Landis-Miller ’14 and Brad Wagner ’14 are the parents, and they live in Berkeley, CA. That’s all for now. Please send news! ❖ Nancy Bierds Icke ( email Nancy ) | 12350 E. Roger Rd., Tucson, AZ 85749 | Alumni Directory .

I’ve a different approach to this month’s column: instead of classmates’ recollections, I’m passing along Susan Mair Holden ’s detailed account of our 60th Reunion, beginning with the very next paragraph.

This note is for all whom we missed at Reunion. We understand that a 60th in Ithaca is not easy for most of us; the phrase “Well, I’m here” was heard several times in answer to “How are you doing?”

The phrase “A grand time was had by all” is an appropriate description of our delightful four days and three nights on the Hill, June 6–9. Our Reunion was beautifully planned and executed by Carolyn Stewart Whitman . There were enough class activities for us to enjoy being together, and just enough free time to take advantage of the lectures, open houses, and experiences that Cornell planned for anyone who cared to attend.

Thursday afternoon was registration and check-in at one of Cornell’s new dorms: Barbara McClintock Hall, located east of Balch and Clara Dickson. McClintock is adjacent to the North Campus Appel Commons, where our Thursday evening cold buffet dinner was held. Following dinner, there was an ice cream social back at headquarters, where a selection of Cornell Dairy’s famous ice creams were enjoyed by all.

The continental breakfasts on Friday and Saturday and the brunch on Sunday that preceded our class meeting engendered many compliments for Cornell catering. They served a lovely dinner at Duffield Hall on Friday evening, which was our first sit-down dinner with nearly all our 118 attendees. Many of us attended the traditional Chorus and Glee Club concert that night in Bailey Hall.

This year, we reached the magic Reunion plateau for us to have our banquet in the Statler Hotel Ballroom on Saturday night. Again, it was a terrific meal with great spirit and nostalgia as the Sherwoods sang, joked, and serenaded Cynthia Wolloch , the outgoing chairman of our JFK Memorial Award.

Cindy organized a very special event for our class: the JFK Award Forum, which many university administrators and deans attended to congratulate and hear from this year’s award winner, Sarah McMorrow ’24 . They also got to learn more about the work done by our officers to ensure the award continues in perpetuity.

It was a passing of the mantle for Katie Dealy ’00 , our JFK Award winner in 2000. As she accepted the first chairmanship of the newly organized JFK alumni board, she said that the award “changed my life.” She explained movingly that the award allowed her to accept and live on a public policy salary, which directly led to her career in public service.

Ken Kupchak ’64 , JD ’71, gave many class officers beautifully carved cheese boards handmade from a koaia tree that had to be removed from their yard.

Two of our classmates who have been application readers for years, Judie Pink Gorra and Stan Morgenstein , will also sit on this board. Cindy and Ken Kupchak , JD ’71, worked tirelessly with the University to ensure our award is legally protected and will continue to be funded and awarded each year.

The JFK Forum featured four conversations, each between one classmate and one award-winning alum. Eileen Corwin Mason , Mike Smith , PhD ’73, Bill Lacy , and Stan Morgenstein, all of whom have pursued careers in public service, spoke with four of our award-winning alumni.

An event just for our class, planned by Carolyn, was a movie, exhibit, and guided tour of Cornell’s collection of Blaschka Invertebrate Models, which are gorgeous crystal works of art that are such accurate models of invertebrates, they are used for research.

Notable events the University hosted were the yearly Olin Lecture, especially enjoyed by CNBC viewers, with Andrew Ross Sorkin ’99 ; and Cornelliana Night on Saturday, which was a wonderfully spirited evening—but this year especially for ’64s. Ours was the only class recognized for our class project and gift to the University! There was a beautiful collage of photos from the day’s JFK Forum, highlighted on the jumbotron by the University, while the Alumni Affairs speaker/cheerleader shared the story of our award with the assembled classes. Such pride we felt, and gratitude to Cindy and Ken!

Back at class headquarters on Sunday morning, for brunch and our class meeting, we were able to check on the progress of the huge jigsaw puzzle that Bob , PhD ’69, and Alice Dannett Friedenson , MA ’71, created for our Reunion. Over the years, Bob has taken countless photos of our Reunions; Alice was able to assemble them into a wonderful collage from which she produced a huge puzzle. Thank you to both of them.

Our class meeting included our election of officers. Congratulations to Elliot Gordon , our new class president! Having worked closely with him for four years, I heartily approve his election. There is no more patient, talented, and pleasant man on Earth.

We’re delighted that Carolyn and her 60th Reunion committee member, Linda Cohen Meltzer , will be our 65th Reunion co-chairs. This will be the third Reunion that each of them will have chaired … so far! They work seamlessly together, as this Reunion surely showed. Ken announced that the other officers will remain the same, including our outstanding Cornell Fund representatives, Phyllis Rivkin Goldman , MS ’67, and Michael Troner , who did a stellar job garnering Tower Club members for our class.

Ken said farewell as our president, giving many of his key officers beautifully carved cheese boards handmade from a koaia tree that had to be removed from their yard; he carried these boards all the way from Hawaii. And we also had a representative from the other non-contiguous state, Alaska: Mike “Tree” Smith with his wife, Linda (Dryer) , MPS ’04 . Also from afar: Rodrigo Ong , MS ’64 , came from the Philippines with his grandson. It truly was a memorable event. Do try to make our 65th!

That’s all for Reunion news. As for your news, just please keep it coming! Update me by email, regular mail, our class website , or our class Facebook page . ❖ Bev Johns Lamont ( email Bev ) | 720 Chestnut St., Deerfield, IL 60015 | Alumni Directory .

There is one more year until our wonderful 60th Reunion happens, June 5–8, 2025, in Ithaca. It promises to be a terrific event! Our classmates Myron Jacobson , Liz Gordon , Bill Vanneman , and Chuck Andola shadowed the Class of ’64 Reunion to see what works and doesn’t work for our own Reunion. Myron states they found a new dinner venue, and the University now offers guided bus tours throughout the weekend. Good news!

Liz commented, “Chuck and I spent some time meeting with Skorton Center director Julie Edwards, who is spearheading the extremely effective resilience coaching for students, which is the basis for our 60th Reunion gift to the University.”

Jeff Kass , our gift committee chairman, further describes the gift: “Our Class of 1965 Student Well-Being Fund Legacy Gift supports the work of the Skorton Center, which is the University’s health center. Our Legacy Gift has helped finance a two-semester pilot program to provide coaching from specially trained Cornell staff that provides emotional well-being support for students facing stress. The pilot has yielded significant outcomes for participants and garnered positive feedback. Cornell is adding more coaches in anticipation of increased demand for the fall 2024 semester. Jamil Sopher , ME ’66, our class president, will soon share further information on progress and plans for the Legacy Gift and Student Well-Being coaching program.”

Loren Meyer Stephens writes that her latest novel, All Sorrows Can Be Borne , is the story of Noriko Ito, a Japanese woman faced with unimaginable circumstances, and is set in Hiroshima, Osaka, and the Badlands of eastern Montana. The story spans the start of WWII to 1982.

The Cornell Club of Boston sponsored an enjoyable June walk through the Mount Auburn Cemetery and lecture by Christopher Dunn, director of Cornell’s Botanic Gardens. Mount Auburn is the first garden cemetery in the U.S. and is notable for the many prominent Bostonians who are buried there. It is a joy to walk peacefully throughout paths of the extraordinary landscape featuring ponds and sculptural elements.

Put the dates of June 5–8, 2025, on your calendar! See you there! Please send your news to: ❖ Joan Hens Johnson ( email Joan ) | Stephen Appell ( email Stephen ) | Alumni Directory .

Hope your summer went well! Ralph Schwartz writes from St. Paul, MN, that he taught chemistry for 38 years and retired 16 years ago. He now enjoys fly fishing, bird watching, and travel. He became a cross-country skier and raced in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Italy. Training was a year-round event. He admits he was a total couch potato at Cornell! Ralph and his wife enjoy river cruising and have several more trips scheduled. Their children and grandchildren live in the Twin Cities area.

Jeff Collins continues to enjoy retirement as well as life in the Forest at Duke, a continuing care retirement community. He is heavily involved in social justice areas, particularly voting rights and reproductive rights. Retirement has allowed Jeff and wife Rose Mills to enjoy their love of travel. In 2023 they went to the Crested Butte, CO, Wildflower Festival, and visited friends in Santa Barbara, CA. Then they went to the U.K. Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey), the Isles of Scilly, and South West England (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset). The 2024–25 trips planned are to Morocco, to Italy, and a cruise on the Magdalena River in Colombia. They continue to enjoy the many cultural activities offered in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, including theater, music, film, and fine dining.

Marcia Tondel Davis has lived in England for over 50 years. She currently lives in Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village with many opportunities for music, art, sport, volunteering, and walks in the countryside with her dog. She has taken courses at Oxford, including philosophy and art. She enjoys visiting the southwest coast of England and has traveled to Seville, Iceland, Ibiza (where one daughter and two grandchildren live), and Lake Garda, Italy. Her other daughter, son-in-law, and one grandchild live near her in Brill.

Barbara Ann Lawrence recently moved to a new senior retirement complex in Fort Lauderdale, FL, having sold her townhome located next to the largest park in Broward County. She has attended a Finger Lakes wine-tasting event and went to a polo event in Wellington, FL. In 1993, Barbara went to New Zealand for a month with a friend from there. This gave the trip an interesting perspective. She never thought in ’66 that she would learn to paint or draw, make sculpture, or do strength training. Barbara would like to meet Cornellians from the mid-’60s classes who live in Southeast Florida.

Marcia Tondel Davis ’66 lives in Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village with many opportunities for music, art, sport, volunteering, and walks in the countryside with her dog.

Kathleen Earle Fox writes from Tenants Harbor, ME, that she is currently working as an artist in watercolors. In July she had a show at the Granite Gallery in Tenants Harbor. She also sings in a Congregational Church choir. A few years ago, she learned to play the fiddle and now plays regularly. She never imagined in ’66 that she would be combining her art with artificial intelligence to produce exciting new art! Her husband, Stan, and their children Seann Colgan ’91 , Thomas Fabisiak ’03 , and Susie Fox and their partners attended a Formula One race in Montreal this past June.

Jeff Konvitz writes from Beverly Hills, CA, that he keeps busy in several ways. He is practicing entertainment finance and trial law, producing motion pictures, and writing. His new historical novel, The Circus of Satan , will be out this fall. Writing best-selling novels is something he never imagined in ’66. Among his favorite travels were his 25th wedding anniversary in Palm Beach, FL, and a World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas. Jeff’s youngest daughter graduated from Arts and Sciences magna cum laude in economics this past May.

Ronni Barrett Lacroute continues to live in McMinnville, OR, where she is involved in full-time philanthropy. Her activities include educational programs and nonprofits, supporting programs and operations. She participates in strategic planning and programming. Her Cornell programs include the Johnson Museum, the Lab of Ornithology, Cornell Wind Symphony tours, and the College of Arts and Sciences. Ronnie enjoys gardening, bird watching, and poetry reading. In ’66 she never imagined living in Oregon. She has not traveled since the beginning of the pandemic, which resulted in health issues for her and her daughter. She does visit her daughter and grandson weekly, as they live nearby.

Bonnie Lazarus Wallace was an elementary school teacher for 44 years; 30 of them teaching fourth grade and 14 as a substitute teacher. She now interviews students from her hometown of Cheshire, CT, who have applied to Cornell. Bonnie goes to the gym every morning and takes walks when the weather is nice. Her husband travels the world teaching dentists to do implants. Her daughter lives on Martha’s Vineyard, MA, and her son in Santa Barbara, CA. Bonnie and her husband travel to see family, including six grandchildren.

Now, a fall 2024 note from Mary Jansen Everett and Alice Katz Berglas : “A new Cornell year is in full swing, and freshmen are figuring it out. Dorms, quads, Collegetown, downtown Ithaca. Where to eat, where to study, where to party, when to sleep. Life on the Hill moves quickly, changes constantly (like the weather). Constant is the learning: stumbles and successes, friendships made, knowledge gained (all sorts), finding a way to make Cornell one’s own. And collecting the memories that stick. It is a new Cornell Class of 1966 year, too. All sorts of new possibilities for Cornellians of every age and stage. Stay connected with us! We will do the same along this 2024–25 year and on. Our best to each/all. For your calendar: Cornell 60th Reunion! June 4–7, 2026 (more memories that will stick!).” ❖ Susan Rockford Bittker ( email Susan ) | Pete Salinger , MBA ’68 ( email Pete ) | Alumni Directory .

How did Cornell change the trajectory of your life? This was a question on this year’s news form; we’re starting each classmate’s report with their answer.

“My tenure as sorority treasurer and house president gave me the leadership opportunities that led to my owning my own business,” writes Pauline “Polly” Watkins Runkle (Ft. Lauderdale, FL). Now, she enjoys “art class and painting, living on the ocean, travel, summers in Stonington, ME, church friendships, community, walking in our state parks, watching for birds, and the love of friends and family.” She adds that she’s active in the art community in South Florida and Cape Ann, MA, and loves going to concerts.

“Attending made my life wider, better, fuller. Thank you, Cornell! And both our kids went to Cornell, too,” observes Joanne Edelson Honigman (Brooklyn, NY). Joanne likes “making art, helping my husband with his institute, and being with my five grandchildren.”

“Cornell gave me confidence in my developing career, friends and contacts, and the opportunity to work on a NASA grant to design an unmanned Lunar Roving Vehicle,” observes Robert Pitkin , ME ’68 (Buda, TX). He’s now retired and spends time with “Kingdom Racing, church service, and a men’s group.” He enjoys “friends, golf, retirement, and sharing life with my wife of 54 years.”

Cliff Straehley , located in Fair Oaks, a suburb of Sacramento, CA, says Cornell changed his life trajectory “very much. Found lifelong friends. Continued my love of wrestling. I’ve never forgotten ‘freedom with responsibility.’ Furthered my path to my MD and my career.”

“At Cornell, I learned the importance of study, of balancing study and play, of diversity and difference, and of standing on my own feet. Cornell engendered a love of learning that I continue to enjoy,” answers Judith Edelstein Kelman (New York, NY). “Sixteen years ago, I founded Visible Ink, a writing program at Memorial Sloan Kettering that offers interested patients the opportunity to write on any topic in any form with the individual support of a volunteer writing mentor,” Judith writes. “Over 3,000 participants have joined. The program is free of charge to patients, supported by grants and donations. I feel privileged to be part of an extraordinary community. We have three grandkids on the cusp of high school graduation and two entering their senior year of college (one at Cornell),” she adds. “We’ve taken each of the nine grandkids on a special trip. Since we live in NYC, we get to host many of them and their friends in our home.”

Cornell gave me the opportunity to work on a NASA grant to design an unmanned Lunar Roving Vehicle. Robert Pitkin ’67, ME ’68

“Cornell opened my mind to new ideas and ways of looking at various issues (political, social, environmental, economic); I try to see all sides of an issue, even when it’s hard to do,” responds Ted Feldmeier , BS ’71 (Eliot, ME). “I’m just working at staying healthy, as I have been doing for a long time, enjoying nature, going dancing and partying with friends on Saturday night, giving and helping select charitable causes, and my wonderful wife, Joan. Life is good!” He adds that he’s “been participating in local Democratic politics involving the upcoming November ’24 presidential election.”

John Alden (East Providence, RI) is treasurer of his homeowners association and has “several consulting gigs for private secondary schools on finance and administration.”

Tom Moore , ME ’68 (Gig Harbor, WA, and Portland, OR) writes: “After 20 years in our retirement home we built on the coast of Maine, we have relocated to the Pacific Northwest. Our new second home is in Gig Harbor, WA, with water access and views that are just as great as in Maine. We still split our time between here and Portland, OR. Our two oldest grandkids (grade 11) are looking at colleges. I took them both back to Ithaca last summer for a good Cornell immersion experience. Will see if it takes. Both of my own kids turned down their Cornell acceptances for other colleges.”

William Wohlsen (Philadelphia, PA) says that “foreign language study—German, French, Dutch—and bicycle riding” bring him the most satisfaction these days.

This was not a ’67 Reunion year, but at least six of us returned to Cornell this June. I was there with my wife, Eileen Barkas Hoffman ’69 , at her class’s 55th. As is typical of our experience attending her Reunions, it only rained twice and we were inside both times.

Although we received a number of news forms recently, please do write to let the class know what you’re doing and your thoughts about your time at Cornell. ❖ Richard Hoffman ( email Richard ) | 2925 28th St. NW, Washington, DC 20008 | Alumni Directory .

More news to share with our classmates, as the summer starts to come to an end! We need more news and updates from you, so please let us know where you are and what you are doing—or share your reflections on your years at Cornell with our classmates!

Steven Steinhardt reports that he lives in Albany, NY, and when in Florida this past winter he visited with his AEP fraternity brother Art Bernstein . He is of counsel to the Albany law firm Nolan Heller Kauffman LLP, where he has practiced primarily in the field of healthcare regulation. Earlier in his career he was an attorney with the New York State Department of Health and served as associate general counsel.

David Weisbrod and his wife, Margaret Simon ’66 , an architect and artist, continue to live in Greenwich, CT, where David, after a career at JP Morgan Chase and then as the CEO of a financial derivatives clearinghouse, is an elected member of the town’s Board of Estimate and Taxation. He is currently serving his fourth consecutive term. My wife, Sharon Lawner Weinberg , PhD ’71, and I, along with Cheryl Katz Kaufmann and her husband, Nick ’67 , recently had dinner with David and Margaret. David credits Cornell with broadening his outlook on life and expanding his horizons.

Mary Hartman Schmidt and her husband, William, continue to live in Massachusetts and enjoy spending time with their family, including their five grandchildren, all of whom live in Massachusetts. Summers include family time at their vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard. Mary continues to practice trusts and estates and matrimonial law in Boston. Mary writes that her years at Cornell opened possibilities for her for friendships and her legal career.

Ithaca remains on our radar, now that our oldest granddaughter rows for Ithaca College. Candi Dabi Vene ’68 & Bruce O’Pray ’68

Candi Dabi Vene and her husband, Bruce O’Pray , continue to live in Park Ridge, NJ, and write that their grandkids bring them the most satisfaction these days, followed by community involvement and, for Candi, cooking! “Our blended family of four adult children have blessed us with 10 grandchildren who range in age from 19 to 5-year-old twin boys. Bruce continues to work full time consulting with small businesses. He finds it very satisfying to watch them prosper under his tutelage. Candi handles a small amount of real estate, is active in community affairs, and enjoys spending as much time as possible with nearby grandchildren.”

Candi and Bruce add, “Our connections to Cornell have stayed very much alive. One son graduated from Cornell in 1997. We have remained close friends with Candi’s Pi Phi sister, Tove Helland Hammer ’69 , and her husband, Dave , PhD ’69 . Tove recently retired from teaching in the ILR School after a wonderful 40-year career, while Dave continues to do research and teach in the College of Engineering. Ithaca remains on our radar, now that our oldest granddaughter rows for Ithaca College. Our ‘Ithaca Connection’ is filled with special memories spanning decades! We have attended a few northern New Jersey alumni events, which were fun. We’re still hoping to meet some classmates we know at these events!” They write that Cornell enriched both of their lives and was a big factor in forming their identities. “It encouraged independence and our ability to problem solve and to be curious and always interested in learning.”

I look forward to receiving more news and updates from all of you! Please email me about you and your family with news you want to share with our classmates. ❖ Steve Weinberg, MBA ’70, JD ’71 ( email Steve ) | Alumni Directory .

Greetings, Class of ’69! This column was written in June by guest columnist Alan Cody .

121 classmates attended our 55th Reunion, and Robert Tallo , one of our class co-presidents during the past five years, writes: “The Class of ’69 was treated to Ithaca weather at our Reunion, June 6–9. Cloudy, then rain, then sunshine, then windy, etc. A reminder of our days on the Hill! Fortunately, the weather cooperated with regard to events, with minimal inconveniences and a great finale Saturday evening on the terrace of Martha Van.

“After a great five years of Greg Baum ’s leadership during ‘interesting’ times, Cindy Nixon DuBose and Sally Knowlton put together a fantastic program of events. We enjoyed an impressive presentation on ‘Cornell, the First American University’ by Corey Earle ’07 , Friday night entertainment by class musicians, tasty food at the HQ and Morrison Dining Hall (quite a step up from the Barf Bar), numerous campus-wide events, the Sherwoods, delicious meals, and plenty of ice cream and great conversations with old and new friends.

“A shout-out also goes to the student clerks, Omani, Emma, John, Dennis, and Yuri! From walking out in the pouring rain to place directional signs to HQ to managing to connect the big-screen TV in the multipurpose room for the first game of the NBA finals, they were fantastic from start to finish.

“It’s going to be hard, but I fully expect that Sally and Cindy will top this year’s performance at our 60th in 2029. Make sure to put it on your calendar to experience a great weekend and reunite with the Class of ’69. Go Big Red!”

Greg Baum, one of our class co-presidents during the past five years writes: “Serving the past five years as co-president was personally very rewarding. It offered me an opportunity to get to know a large number of classmates that I would not have otherwise encountered. Arranging for the periodic leadership group Zoom calls was sometimes challenging, but the speakers taught us so much about a variety of topics. We learned about the University’s legal department, its libraries, the vastness of its facilities, and the new Brooks School of Public Policy. Classmates shared their career expertise on COVID and other infectious diseases, vaccine development and implementation, ornithology, battery technology, the world’s energy supply, mystery writing, a female franchising pioneer, opera lighting, and U.S. foreign policy challenges with China and Russia. The Class of 1969 includes so many truly remarkable individuals, and I am very grateful to have been able to be a part of showcasing them.”

Sally Knowlton writes, “The Heights (our Reunion caterer) was secured last fall and finalized in January. Shadowing the Class of 1968 certainly helped put us in a position to secure the best food purveyors. By being involved and attending Reunion, Cindy and I feel grateful to have met so many interesting and great people we never knew before!”

Jon Kaplan , MD ’74, class affinity group networking coordinator, writes that he had a great time recruiting and communicating with affinity group leaders (representing Greek organizations, sports teams, residence units, etc.) in preparation for Reunion. “These ‘AGLs’ (30 of them) volunteered to reach out to classmates in their affinity groups to encourage them to come to Reunion. Based on word-of-mouth and the turnout at Reunion, the effort was a success!”

Special thanks to our Reunion campaign chair, Lee Pillsbury . Under his leadership, our class raised $24,852,986 (a class best!) from 532 donors on our honor roll, including 32 Tower Club members and 82 Cornell Giving partners. Lee writes to all who contributed, “Thank you for all that you do. I am so proud to be a part of the great Class of 1969.”

And none of this would have been possible without our dedicated Reunion registration chairs, Larry and Nancy Jenkins Krablin , who write: “Krablins have played cooperative and interacting roles. When Nancy chaired our 20th in 1989 (the rugby shirts with the origin of the intertwined 6/9 class logo created by Ken Lin ’70 , a colleague of Larry’s at Burroughs), all registrations were on paper, Larry created a primitive electronic form to collate data, and payment was by paper check to Cornell Class of 1969, for which he opened a unique bank account. For the seven Reunions that followed, the process has evolved with technology! The highlight of the month of June (and the several weeks before) was our 55th Reunion. As Reunion co-registrars, we get to interact with everyone who comes, and with many who are thinking about it but ultimately can’t travel to Ithaca. Reunion itself was a lot of fun and very well planned by our outstanding Reunion chairs Cindy Nixon DuBose and Sally Knowlton. As always, we came away with new friends and a heightened appreciation of what Cornell is and does.”

Walking through my old dorms and classrooms [during Reunion weekend] kindled poignant memories. Phyllis Levine Evan ’69

Thanks also to Kate Freyer, our class engagement officer who always guides us to a great Reunion.

At our class meeting on Saturday night during Reunion weekend, we elected new class officers for the next five years. Congratulations to the new officers, with thanks for their enthusiasm in stepping up to lead our class. The new officer slate is: co-presidents Adam Sieminski , MPA ’71, Bill Bruno , ME ’71, and Steve LaRocca ; secretary and treasurer Stephen and Ingrid Dieterle Tyler ; membership chair Robert Tallo; Reunion co-chairs Cindy DuBose and Sally Knowlton; registration chairs, Nancy and Larry Krablin; affinity group chair Jon Kaplan; VP communications and webmaster John Wilkens , ME ’71.

Phyllis Levine Evan writes, “I wasn’t sure about coming to Reunion; I wasn’t sure I would know anybody. I am so glad I did! There were so many fun and interesting activities, it was hard to choose. I was always busy. People were friendly and inclusive. I made new friends and reconnected with old.

“Walking through my old dorms and classrooms kindled poignant memories. Happy times as well as things I wish I had done differently—if only I had the wisdom then that I have now. The Chimes, the bridge over the gorge, Beebe Lake, the Arts Quad … all the good old stuff. New dorms (so many), incredible additions to Goldwin Smith and the architecture building—an excellent job of maintaining classic old buildings while adding new airy spaces. Thank you to our Reunion organizers for doing a great job. If in doubt, come!”

Congratulations to our classmate Doug Antczak , who is retiring as the Dorothy Havemeyer McConville Professor of Equine Medicine. We wish Doug and Wendy well in retirement with thanks for all your contributions to the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.

Gary Shaye reports that he continues his long career with Save the Children as associate vice president, trustee relations. His time in the Peace Corps inspired him to join Save the Children and their work to provide support for children in countries throughout the world including the U.S. It was a pleasure talking with Gary about his work for this wonderful organization during Reunion.

Chris Degnen recounted for several of us, at Friday Reunion dinner, his walk and bike trip along the Camino de Santiago, a nearly 500-mile walk on a legendary pilgrimage route through the Galicia region of northwestern Spain rich in medieval culture.

Tom Allen reports that he and his wife, Gayle, are happily retired in the San Diego area. Tom has been volunteering with the San Diego Police Department and enjoys coming to the aid of citizens with health crises, stranded vehicles, and more.

I wish I had the space to share all the wonderful conversations I had during Reunion. Please share yours by emailing your thoughts about Reunion and other news to Cornellians associate editor Alexandra Bond ’12 ( email Alex ) or by submitting an online news form .

There will be even more interesting experiences to share at our next Reunion, so mark your calendars for our 60th, June 7–10, 2029, and be there! Best regards: ❖ Alan Cody ( email Alan ) | Class website | Alumni Directory .

I’m writing this the second week of July, in the spare bedroom of a dear friend who is putting me up (or putting up with me), while my kitchen is demolished and rebuilt as the final piece in a home refurbishing. Amazing how one cannot really exist without a kitchen!

I was recently in Ithaca for what proved to be a rainy Reunion. After returning home, I thought I might not have enough responses from classmates for this Class of 1970 column. How wrong I was!

First, a bit about Reunion. This year was the 45th Reunion of my Johnson School MBA program. Being retired, and not being a practicing corporado anymore, very few of the Johnson activities were of much interest. In fact, prior to arriving in Ithaca, I had planned only to be at the class picture-taking session for individual Johnson classes. In addition, only three individual classmates, including me, attended! One of the others was an old acquaintance, and an undergrad from another university, and had little knowledge of the breadth of activities a Cornell Reunion offers. So we joined forces, and off we went.

One very interesting advantage was the fact that Larry ’69 and Nancy Jenkins Krablin ’69 were the registrars for their class Reunion. Larry was a roommate of mine many years ago and gave me some leeway to attend some of their events and experience their headquarters in very new facilities on North Campus. Others from our class were there as the official “shadows” in preparation for our own 55th Reunion next year, so they will have a full plate of activities for us!

Be aware that our class Reunion is now less than a year away. If you have any thoughts or ideas, and wish to be involved or to volunteer, contact Sally Anne Levine , JD ’73, our class president. Find her contacts (and others’) through the Alumni Directory . Hope to see many of you in 2025!

Fred Piscop ’70 is a renowned crossword puzzle creator and the inheritor of the legacy of Split Decision Puzzles.

Fred Piscop (Bellmore, NY), renowned crossword puzzle creator and the inheritor of the legacy of Split Decision Puzzles from his schoolteacher George Bredehorn, was recently a guest on an Australian podcast, Wide Open Air Exchange . Fred noted that he never knew anyone down there had heard of him!

Howard Rosenof (Newton, MA) is another engineer responding to my continuing question about classmates staying in engineering. The following is an outline of his varied experiences. “I’ve enjoyed forays into management, teaching, marketing, and consulting, but never strayed too far or too long from hands-on engineering. After Cornell I got an MSEE from Northeastern and I went to work designing electrical control systems for nuclear power plants. Pressures from environmental groups and cheap oil led me to conclude that I didn’t have much of a future in nuclear, so I moved on to design controls for chemical plants. (Some environmentalists have since acknowledged that nuclear power can help mitigate climate change, and interest in the field seems to be increasing.)

“I developed a particular interest in one type of chemical plant that had a reputation for being difficult to control, leading to numerous articles and speaking engagements, teaching opportunities in the U.S. and Europe, co-authorship of the first published book on the subject, and an international award. After that, about halfway through my career, I switched to artificial intelligence and its applications to process control, working for two companies prominent in the field, and again traveling a lot. In retirement, I wrote my second book, Engineering, Your Career , published in 2022. It combines insights I gathered over more than 40 years, with extensive research. There’s only one review on Amazon, but I’ve gotten a great deal of positive feedback privately.”

And lastly, I need to mention yet again one of our most amazing classmates (and yet another engineer), Robert Langer (Newton, MA). He was recently awarded the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience given by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. His award was for improving drug delivery through nanoparticles, which translated into applications that developed mRNA vaccines for COVID-19. Read his entire story here .

As always, you may contact me directly (see below) or you may use the University’s standard online news form . ❖ John Cecilia, MBA ’79 ( email John ) | Alumni Directory .

Nina Gordon Schwartz was delighted to have a painting in the June Art League Landscape Exhibit , a juried exhibition at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA’s Old Town. Professionally, Nina owns Impulse Graphics, where she’s a graphic designer and art director. Her work has been in advertising, book design, and direct mail design—including corporate branding and collateral materials that express each company’s mission and philosophy.

We are grateful for Marcia Wities Orange ’s Reunion report. She loves the Continuous Reunion Club (CRC) and encourages others to join. For her, this year’s highlight was seeing the New York Times ’ Andrew Ross Sorkin ’99 and to discover him to be a fellow communication arts major. She adds that it was fun to catch up with classmates Dot Preisner Valachovic , Holly Person Flynn , Arthur Mintz , and John Henrehan , BS ’76.

In April, Marcia enjoyed Cornell’s Adult University’s theater weekend in Manhattan, along with Elisabeth Kaplan Boas and Art Spitzer . Marcia will return to CAU in Ithaca in July for a weeklong CAU class that Elisabeth will also attend.

The online news form has been useful to a growing number of us. Do consider using it for your own news, please.

Mike Kubin and his wife, Nancy Chemtob, continue to live in Manhattan. There, a bunch of friends met in his apartment when Cliff Essman visited from Baltimore. Cliff’s wife, Sue, was at the party, too, as were Jerry and Aimee Goldstein Ostrov ’72 , Ted , JD ’74, and Michelle Grossman , Stu and Hilary Oran , and Danny Bernstein ’70 . Amazingly, this group of friends met on the Hill some 56 years ago. These days, Mike enjoys traveling, writing, playing bass guitar, and hanging out with his grandkids. He’s still working at Invidi, the world’s leading provider of addressable television technology. They sold it to AT&T in 2018 and are looking to buy it back.

Howard Jacobson and Jona live in Rochester and enjoy traveling when he isn’t working. He works part time advising entrepreneurs as well as startup and early-stage businesses. He believes his undergraduate opportunities to explore are, in part, what allowed his curiosity to expand—and thus his entrepreneurial spirit to grow.

Thomas Nally remains among the ranks of those who plan never to retire. He continues to serve as senior advisor for A Better City, going into the office five days a week. He and wife Susan Brownlee make Brookline, MA, home, where he’s president of his neighborhood association and active in other civic roles. Reflecting on how Cornell affected his life trajectory, he adds that Cornell reinforced and supported its shape from before—and ever since—undergraduate days.

Nina Gordon Schwartz ’71 was delighted to have a painting in the June Art League Landscape Exhibit.

Also a consultant active in his field, Alan Miller writes from Rockville, MD, where he lives with his wife, Sue O’Hara ’72 , BA ’71. Al consults for the International Finance Corp. and is founder of a new venture fund. Both aim to promote sustainable cooling solutions. His book manuscript, based on his career in climate change and ozone depletion, is currently out for review by the University of Virginia Press.

After a successful career mostly in management consulting (including Deloitte, KPMG, EDS, and SAS), Gary Cokins is partly retired, he writes from Cary, NC. He gives training webinar courses mostly to accountants. He and his wife, Patricia Monseaux Tower ’67 , have two grandsons, 20 and 22. He asks, how cool is it that the 22-year-old just started with Boeing in Houston with the International Space Station on preventive maintenance? Taking stock, he believes his operations research and industrial engineering bachelor’s taught him how to think systematically. He’s written 10 books; you can learn more at his website .

Still another classmate who is not retired: Jeff Punim works three days a week from Long Beach, CA, where he and Donna make their home. He has time for golf, tennis, cycling, and travel to Southeast Asia and France.

Margaret “Molly” Mead is on the faculty at Amherst College. She and her wife, Carole Bull, have been married more than 20 years and enjoy taking long walks (which they call forest bathing). How has attending Cornell changed her life course? Molly shares that after the student takeover of Willard Straight Hall, when she joined others to surround the building, she went the next year (her junior year) to a small town in Pennsylvania to talk about the Vietnam War.

Jim Newman , MD ’75, lives in Wynnewood, PA. His enjoyment derives from three disparate things: writing, ice hockey, and his four grandchildren. He loved his first and second careers. Then, retired, divorced, and with grandchildren on the way, he was hit hard by the pandemic’s isolation and illness. He gave his soul over to writing and loves it. He’s written an unpublished medical satire and a self-published memoir. After that, even more: a genre-bending fiction trilogy is soon to have a fourth in the series. All are identifiable by the protagonist, Gabriel. In retirement, he adds, he is working on writing—and the wash, dishes, grocery shopping, filling out questionnaires, and answering wrong numbers. He says he would never have been as intuitive, empathetic, funny, engaged in the world, and fascinated by everything had he not gone to Cornell.

Dianne Holmes , MS ’74 (Vancouver, WA) retired last September. She enjoys gardening, travel, and hanging out with her friends. Credentials from an Ivy League school, including the scientific master’s, opened many doors for her.

Regarding your 75th birthday: Most of us will have seen this milestone—or will soon see it—and the class is having a virtual get-together and toast Saturday, September 21. Remember, there will be swag for ’71-ers who register in time . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email including login details for our Zoom celebration. Questions? Please email: 1971AtCornell@gmail.com . ❖ Elisabeth Kaplan Boas ( email Elisabeth ) | Cara Nash Iason ( email Cara ) | Alumni Directory .

Fellow classmates, this is Wes Schulz , ME ’73, one of three class correspondents who produce this column. We appreciate your input. Our senior class correspondent, Alex Barna , is stepping down from his scribe position—taking a “permanent sabbatical,” he says. Alex has faithfully served the Class of 1972 for many, many years. We appreciate his efforts and offer him a deeply felt thank you.

From Trumbull, CT, Richard Girouard reports that after 52 years, he is still doing (and still thoroughly enjoying) his restaurant consulting projects. However, the COVID years were tough. He started serving on the Trumbull Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission in 2000 and has been its chairman for the last 20 years. He also is a justice of the peace. Attending Cornell changed his life’s trajectory from the original plan to be a cinematographer. His girlfriend’s father (who graduated from Cornell under Dean Robert Beck ’42 , PhD ’54) thought the restaurant business would be a better profession, since Richard had grown up in it. “My girlfriend’s father gave me good advice.”

Clifford Hendry reports from Pittsburgh, PA, that he and wife Jean have three children and nine grandchildren who all live nearby and are doing well. He keeps busy with daily exercise classes and attending the various sports activities of the grandchildren. Cliff’s other activities include tutoring first graders to improve their reading skills. He also has a fun job delivering flowers for a friend’s business—and business is booming these days.

Reflecting on his time on the Hill, Cliff wrote, “I had an incredible Cornell experience. I played quarterback on the 1971 Ivy championship team. I was second string, but our awesome first-string quarterback, Mark Allen ’74 , got hurt early in the game against Penn at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. It was our last game. We had to win to get our first Ivy championship. I came off the bench and had the best game of my career. We won 41-13. I was presented with the game ball afterwards in the locker room. The lesson is: don’t quit because you are not playing. Have perseverance. Ed Marinaro broke the NCAA rushing record and was my good friend and still is today.”

Jim Vaughn and wife Julie are in Hilton Head Island, SC. He is a third-generation Cornellian. What brings him the most satisfaction these days? “Being able to embrace life on my terms and in my time with family and friends.” He is monitoring the Cornell Free Speech Alliance and says he agrees with their efforts. Jim serves on a public service board that is a leader in reclaimed water and sound water practice.

From their longtime home in Walpole, MA, Charley Rayner , ME ’73, and wife Cindy are enjoying the retirement life. He was a season ticket holder for hockey as a student and still keeps up with the Cornell hockey news. Charley retired in 2011 partly because he got tired of all the business travel during his civil engineering career. His three children are all married with houses and kids. Erik works in wealth management and lives close by in Needham, MA, with wife Bridget and sons Henry and Will. Brett and wife Claire and their kids Nevin and Willa are in Washington, DC. Lindsay and husband Tom live in the same Walpole neighborhood as Charley. Their daughter Charlotte is the youngest grandchild and is called Charli. I am guessing that she might be getting some extra attention from her grandfather.

Irwin Rosenfeld writes that he is still active in theater. He has performed in 20 plays or musicals since 2019. He has also been singing in a choir since he retired in 2016. He enjoys spending time with his six grandchildren who live near Seattle and Nashville. He related that attending Cornell converted him from being a math major to going pre-med, which eventually led to a successful career in psychiatry.

I played quarterback on the 1971 Ivy championship team. I was second string—I came off the bench and had the best game of my career. We won 41-13. Clifford Hendry ’72

Here is a request from two of our classmates. Charles Tetrault and Jerry Schulz started a project of trying to remember everyone on their freshman floor, including their room numbers and hometowns. While they have made significant progress, if you lived in U-Hall 4, second floor, in 1968–69, please drop them a note ( email Charles and Jerry ).

When they sent this request to me, I wrote back with the following: “I have a memory from my Cornell engineering days of taking ‘Mechanical Drawing.’ I sat at a drafting table next to someone else named ‘Schulz.’ This person would complete the drawing assignment effortlessly in 35 minutes. I would spend two hours scribbling and erasing furiously. I am sure this other person got an A grade, whereas I just barely passed. Skip forward a few years to when I was working for an engineering firm in Boston. The draftsmen were on strike. Management had some of the younger engineers go work on the drawing boards to keep production going. I did not want to do this, so I kept my transcript handy. It showed a grade of D+ for me in ‘Mechanical Drawing.’ Fortunately for all concerned, I was not called upon to work on the drafting table.”

Jerry replied to complete the story: “Yes, I was the one who was in the class with you. I had not thought of this class in decades. I remember that I was pretty good at the class, which was back in the era of T-squares and triangles. Except I had an unfair advantage, which is that at the urging of my grandfather I had taken a mechanical drawing class in high school, so I had a big head start. I did get an A, which was one of only two in four years of college.

“My only other A was in ‘Computers and Programming,’ which is a bit freaky—I never realized this until now. I switched from engineering to Arts and Sciences as a government major. Upon graduation, I forgot about engineering and computers and went to work for six years as an elementary school teacher. But then I made a career change and went into computer work in government and nonprofits, which I did for the rest of my career. And this has occasionally involved some graphics work which I continue to enjoy. (Thanks, Grandpa!) So, as they say, no experience or learning is irrelevant.”

Thank you to all who have written in. Keep the news coming! As always, you may contact one of us directly, or use the University’s online news form . ❖ Wes Schulz , ME ’73 ( email Wes ) | Frank Dawson ( email Frank ) | Susan Farber Straus ( email Susan ) | Alumni Directory .

So many retirement stories—I’m feeling left out. Michael Ciaraldi lives in Shrewsbury, MA, and is five years into retirement, pursuing his avocation as author and playwright. (You can find his plays on this site , which requires a membership.) He and wife Angelina spend time with family and, of course, their chihuahua. Medical issues forced him to skip the 50th Reunion, but on his Share Your News form he wrote that his time at Cornell “affects every aspect of my life,” so he intends to make it to the 55th in 2028. As do we all!

George Mitchell II lives in North Rose, NY, working as a part-time farmer, coaching track, and spending time with kids, grandkids, and his dad, now 97, a graduate of the Cornell Class of ’50!

Terry Richmond lives in a cottage in Ottawa with husband Doug and family, part of a gang of close friends who go for long walks in the countryside. They welcomed a group of Syrian refugees to Ottawa last May. One of her sons is curator of the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, ON, which stewards the world’s largest collection of paddled watercraft—and we’re all invited to visit! Terry reports spending a “frightening amount of time” reading the news and fretting over it. I feel the same way—the news from Cornell and other campuses over the past few months brought flashbacks of freshman year—but it sounds like she’s also helping where she can. She credits Cornell with widening her world to include different cultures and causes.

Nancy Dworkin Miller is now retired and lives in Jersey City with husband Jerry. She finally has time for visits with her family, which now includes seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Between visits there’s time for reading, jazz concerts, festivals, acoustic guitar lessons, and even a little paid consulting. Did attending Cornell change her life’s trajectory? “Absolutely,” she says, “by emphasizing critical thinking and communication skills.”

Charles Camisa continues to practice dermatology part time in Naples, FL; between patients he spends time reading, writing, taking CAU courses, and traveling. His youngest daughter, Kristen, was married last April. As for Cornell’s influence on his life, it was where he realized that his dream of being a vet was not to be—upon entering the barn and finding he was allergic to the animals. But like any good Cornellian, he adapted and switched to pre-med. I had a similar epiphany, discovering after my first few stair-climbs as a chimesmaster that I was more suited to the Glee Club.

Cornell was where dermatologist Charles Camisa ’73 realized that his dream of being a vet was not to be—upon entering the barn and finding he was allergic to the animals.

Donald Partridge lives with his wife, Pat, in Batavia, NY, raising and exhibiting their famous Brown Swiss cows with help from their six grandkids. He also makes hay, sells sweet corn at their roadside stand, and has traveled to every state in the lower 48, adding Alaska in June.

Here in Seattle, Bill McAleer , MBA ’75, is still a partner with Voyager Capital. Voyager incubates the tech companies that have turned this city from a hub for lumber and airplanes into the digital cerebellum of the American economy. He has a knack for helping entrepreneurs through their ups and downs, and fortunately the ups have outnumbered the downs. He reports that the companies they’ve backed over the past 25 years are now worth about $10 billion. He and Colleen (McGinn) ’74 have three grandkids who I’m guessing will learn that when Grandpa talks, they would do well to listen.

Louis “Dusty” Profumo , MBA ’74, lives in Atlanta with wife Anita. He retired last year at age 71 after 25+ years in the restaurant business, and joined the board of American Franchise Capital, which operates 89 Taco Bell and 45 Applebee’s franchises. I’m guessing his five grandkids always have a place to meet Grandpa for lunch! He also has a 19-year-old son at Georgia Tech looking to be a “helluva engineer.” Dusty credits Cornell for changing the direction of his life and providing lifelong friends.

I plan to retire from radio at the end of the year. That would mark 55 years since my first paid job at WVIP (RIP) in Mount Kisco, NY. To prepare myself, I’ve moved to a four-day week, which leaves more time to fix things at our beach house and to practice my book-reading skills. Unlike my fellow English majors, I was never good at long-form reading—in the early ’70s you could often find me hopelessly asleep in the Uris stacks, but I’m getting better at it and can proudly report that I’ve hacked and slashed through 473 pages of the complete works of Charles Dickens on my Kindle. I should finish around the time our light-rail system is completed. ❖ Dave Ross ( email Dave ) | Phyllis Haight Grummon ( email Phyllis ) | Pam Meyers ( email Pam ) | Alumni Directory .

This edition is being written in the aftermath of our 50th Reunion, which was another record-breaker for our Notable Class. Since then, you’ve undoubtably read the follow-up emails detailing all that transpired. My personal highlight (prior to the Saturday night dinner—see below) was the mini-reunion of some of my WVBR colleagues from our class, reliving our DJ days when we went back on the air live on WVBR 93.5 FM (and streamed worldwide on wvbr.com ) from our class headquarters at Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall Friday night, playing the favorite songs that you sent in. It was great to again hear Angel Harper (Sounds of Blackness), Larry Kleinman (weekday mornings), Dan Boyle , MRP ’77 (overnights), and Zack Mosner (Salt Creek), along with me (Saturday mornings). (You may have seen my recap post on our class Facebook page or the “DJ Telescoped” audio recording .) So I asked them to tell us what they have been doing since 1974 and received the following:

Angel Harper, a former elementary school teacher and standup comic with a brown belt in karate, is a vested member of SAG-AFTRA and has been very busy in the Los Angeles area as an actress, voice-over talent, and studio teacher on many productions. For example, she has worked with Brat Studios, American Experience’s “Fly With Me,” AFI’s “Hole in the Wall” and “Echoes of Greatness,” among others.

Larry Kleinman replied that he did “eight more years of radio, including six as the morning man at WLIR-FM on Long Island, and stints at WIOQ in Philadelphia and WNEW-FM in New York and 30+ years owning (and eventually selling) a small software development/IT consulting firm. Along with my wife of 42 years, Sally, we raised two wonderful daughters, one of whom gave us our first grandchild in 2023. For the past seven years, I’ve been a docent at the USS Intrepid , still floating in NY harbor (the ship, not me). For the past 11 years I’ve been an EMT crew chief, where I spend a lot of time on an ambulance taking people older than me to the hospital, and occasionally actually saving someone’s life.”

Dan Boyle offered this summary: “1976: skipped the last semester of grad school (City Planning in Sibley Hall) for a fellowship with the NYS Assembly; talked my way into weekend work at WQBK-FM. 1977: just about ran out of money when a full-time position opened; did overnights for a year (the best!); moved to late night and eventually to midday. 1980: couldn’t see myself taking requests for ‘Free Bird’ when I was 30, so got a real job using my degree at NYS Department of Transportation; my mom was happy! 1987: moved to the NYC area to work at the city’s transit authority in operations planning. 2000: after various twists and turns in Tampa and San Diego, I started my own transit consulting firm. Cornell taught me how to think, but WVBR taught me how to talk, and that was the most useful skill in my career.”

Cornell taught me how to think, but WVBR taught me how to talk. Dan Boyle ’74, MRP ’77

Zack Mosner said, “I gave up on big city living after about 45 years in the Seattle area and moved to beautiful Anacortes, in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. Retired in 2017 after almost 25 years with the Washington State Attorney General, having created a Bankruptcy and Collections Unit. A highlight? Winning a test case at the U.S. Supreme Court. With wife Patty for over 19 years, we have six kids between us and seven grandkids—so far!”

Speaking of Reunion stories, my fellow correspondent, Molly Miller Ettenger , reports, “ Walter Grote was an alternate on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team in ’76, then won the U.S. National Freestyle Championship in ’78. His daughter Skylar Grote was at the U.S. Olympic trials for wrestling while we were at Reunion! Walter and Skylar are the only father and daughter to have both won the U.S. National Freestyle Championships!” Congratulations to both!

Perry Jacobs sent in three Reunion-related links for your consideration: A Cornell (thank) U podcast episode with Peter Kaplan ; a Cornell video recording titled “Walter LaFeber: A Half-Century of Friends, Foreign Policy, and Great Losers (2006)”, where he talks about how he ended up at Cornell and other personal matters prior to the lecture; and an Ithaca Voice article titled “Gallery: See what’s under construction near Cornell this spring.”

Finally, this will be my last Class Notes column. Back when Dale Lazar , JD ’77, became class president 10 years ago, Jack Jay Wind and Elizabeth “Betsy” Moore were stepping down as class correspondents. So I was recruited, on behalf of our class, by Steve Piekarec , who, along with Dale, were past presidents of the Cornell Club of Washington, of which I have been a longtime member. Also recruited was Lucy Babcox Morris , and we joined Helen Bendix , BA ’73, who was continuing as a correspondent. We three worked together until Helen retired in early 2018, at which time Lucy and I split the assignment. When Shelley Cosgrove DeFord became class president five years ago, she asked us if we could recommend someone for the third slot, and Lucy suggested Molly Ettenger, who accepted. We three then worked together until Lucy stepped down at the end of 2022. Since then, Molly and I have been splitting these columns. However, at our class dinner Saturday night at Reunion, I was honored to be introduced as our new class president. So, going forward, I will be communicating with you from that position. Stay tuned for Molly’s next column with further details about our new class correspondents.

We thank all for their contributions and invite you to continue to send in your news. ❖ Jim Schoonmaker ( email Jim ) | Molly Miller Ettenger ( email Molly ) | Alumni Directory .

Another cool summer’s day in Orlando as I write this. At least inside it is! Here is the news. Elizabeth Grover is still enjoying (and excelling at) tennis—and looking forward to #50 next year. (Can anyone reading this believe it?) She was one of nine Pi Phi’s—along with Nancy Hargrove Meislahn , Gwenn Tannenbaum Canfield , Ann Goodrich Edgerton , Ellen Roche , Joanne Meder , Leslie Hudson , Elaine Johnson Ayres , and Ann Van Valkenburg Hammer —who got together in Savannah (“a bit steamy”).

Rodney Brooks has published The Rise and Fall of the Freedman’s Savings Bank : And Its Lasting Socio-Economic Impact On Black America (Spiramus Press, March 12, 2024). The book tells the story of the bank created just after the end of the Civil War to provide an opportunity for formerly enslaved and Black war veterans to save and gain financial knowledge. Sometimes known as the nation’s first “Black bank,” the bank was created by the U.S. Congress with little oversight and controlled by a board composed of 50 white men. The bank failed just nine years later, done in by incompetence, corruption, and a worldwide depression. With that failure came the loss of the savings of its most vulnerable customers—the newly freed slaves who had trusted the Freedman’s Bank with their life savings. It was crippling; it left 61,144 depositors with losses of nearly $3 million (more than $80 million today). Rodney is retired deputy managing editor, money, at USA Today .

Celebrating 70th birthdays: Kim Solworth Merlino and her husband celebrated her 70th by traveling from their home in New Jersey to San Francisco, where one of their sons lives with his family. Their other son and his wife also flew across the country to meet them for a long weekend. “We had a lovely birthday meal at a restaurant my husband and I had taken them to when our boys were seven and 10 years old.”

Ruth Zafren Ruskin threw herself a 70th birthday party/celebration of “beating cancer a third time”—a wine, cheese, and dessert party, which about 100 family members, friends, and colleagues attended. “We had Ruth-themed Broadway entertainment by daughter Diana’s musical theater group, Shenandoah Cabaret, and I was awarded the ‘Granny’ Lifetime Achievement Award in Living! My award looked a lot like a bobble-head figure of Hillary Clinton remade to look like me.” The party was a fundraiser for JSSA, a nonprofit health and welfare organization that serves the greater Washington, DC, area, of which Ruth is president of the board.

Geoffrey Gyrisco reports, “For my 70th birthday, in below-freezing early-January Wisconsin, I celebrated by bringing big fresh-baked muffins and chocolate cookies to my favorite outdoor airsoft field, for whoever showed up that day. My shots, hitting a far more skilled player, were the final shots of the day.”

Ruth Zafren Ruskin ’75 threw herself a celebration of ‘beating cancer a third time’—which about 100 family members, friends, and colleagues attended.

David Fischell , PhD ’80, describes himself as “an inventor and an engineer at heart.” This is undoubtedly an understatement. He has started 14 medical technology startups, where he served 25 years as CEO, with 15 of his medical products receiving FDA approvals, and he led a 1986 Bell Labs Intrapreneurship Venture creating the forerunner to GoTo Meeting and Zoom. He also holds 198 U.S. patents as of late 2023 and was instrumental in supporting the creation of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell, now the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering (BME).

In another understatement, David reports, “I get bored, so I need to have projects that keep me engaged in creating new technologies, especially when they involve learning.” He created the technology and design of what became the world’s first drug-eluting stent (for Johnson & Johnson); the responsive neurostimulator (RNS) system, which is implanted cranially to identify and treat epileptic seizures; and the Guardian, an implantable cardiac monitor that can warn high-risk heart attack survivors about future heart attacks. All are FDA-approved. David, thank you. You have saved a lot of lives.

And I do want to quote David here on what I think is excellent advice for current students: “Pick something you like and follow it until something better comes up. Once you are at your first job, begin by knocking it out of the park to establish your reputation. As you continue, learn as much as you can about what is going on in your organization, and when you find a problem that is important and interests you, ask your boss if you can take it on. Once this happens, you will rarely ever be given work, and instead, you will lead the direction of your future. Always be looking for something important where you can make a difference.”

On a personal note, I am thrilled (and so moved) to report that my daughter Briana and her boyfriend, Evan, were accepted by the Johnson School at Cornell and will be pursuing their MBAs starting this August. And my younger daughter, Arielle, just finished her second year at University of Miami Law School. She is showing serious skills both in pre-trial litigation and on her feet in mock trials. ❖ Mitch Frank ( email Mitch ) | Joan Pease ( email Joan ) | Deb Gellman , MBA ’82 ( email Deb ) | Karen DeMarco Boroff ( email Karen ) | Alumni Directory .

It was great to hear from Lynda Gavigan Halttunen in Carlsbad, CA. She writes, “This year I have re-connected with Steven Leigh ’73 , BS ’75. He lives in Florida, and I live in California. After nearly 50 years we still have so much to be thankful for. There IS life after 70 and grand adventures in this new chapter. I’m happy, healthy, and grateful.” She adds that she has been “traveling from California to Florida, New York, Ireland, and Iceland (so far this year).”

Bill Hanavan and I have also had an exciting year so far. In March, we took a Road Scholar trip to the Grand Canyon so that Bill could see it for the first time. Here in Cleveland, we were in the path of totality for the solar eclipse and, within a month, also had a rare and fabulous view of the Northern Lights. Both were firsts for me, and they were stunning! Bill spent the spring planting trees with his gang at Heights Tree People (now a proper nonprofit), and we went up to Nova Scotia to see spring choir and drama performances by our 10-year-old granddaughter, Hilda. We’re planning an all-family get-together in Michigan in August to celebrate this year when Bill and I turn a combined 140.

How are you celebrating your landmark birthday? We’d love to hear all your news that’s fit to print! ❖ Pat Relf Hanavan ( email Pat ) | Lisa Diamant ( email Lisa ) | Alumni Directory .

I hope everyone enjoyed the summer. We’ve received little news from all of you in recent months, so no doubt life is keeping everyone busy. As a result, this column will be brief—but I hope you’ll soon be writing to share what, and how, you’ve been doing.

I spent May traveling with friends in Europe, visiting some new destinations as well as old favorites in Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Poland. The trip was centered around cities filled with history, amazing architecture, great restaurants, and lots of classical music. And we did see plenty of beautiful scenery along the way. I’m happy to say that I finally made it to Prague, which has long been on my bucket list, and was not disappointed. Next up is a trip to Peru in October with Cornell Alumni Travel. This will be my second trip with the Alumni Travel group. My first experience was a safari trip to South Africa in 2017, which was outstanding. Traveling with fellow alums of all ages and backgrounds added a special connection to the adventure and created lifetime memories. I’m hoping the Peru experience will be as wonderful.

Sheryl Checkman is keeping busy in New York City. She writes that she is semi-retired but still takes on the occasional design project and sells her photography online . In addition, Sheryl has been doing background acting for the last six years and joined SAG in 2021. Since the pandemic, Sheryl has become a bird photographer. She notes, “We call ourselves ‘pandemic birders.’” Photography and nature have brought her much satisfaction and joy.

We enjoy hearing from you and having the opportunity to share your stories with our fellow classmates. Please keep all of your news and views coming in via the online news form . ❖ Mary Flynn ( email Mary ) | Howie Eisen ( email Howie ) | Alumni Directory .

Greetings, classmates! Some ’78ers had so much fun at last year’s Reunion that they attended this year’s as well. Pat Reilly , Angela DeSilva , Mary Bowler , Melinda Dower , and Debbie Downes , MD ’82, attended through the Continuous Reunion Club (CRC). Cynthia Kubas accompanied Paul Varga ’79 to his 45th Reunion. In all, 20 classmates were in attendance, either through CRC, other classes, or affinity groups.

Beth Cooper Kubinec and husband John , JD ’73 , attended the Chesterton House NYC Conference at Cornell Tech the weekend after Reunion. Their youngest son, Jack ’23 , lived there for three years. For those who are not familiar with this residence, Chesterton House is a center for Christian studies at Cornell. The men live in the former Delta Phi Epsilon house on the Knoll and the women live next door in what used to be the Treman residence. (Disclosure: I was a member of D Phi E and lived in the house for two years.) Beth writes, “We have noticed that just when your kids get old enough to be civilized and actually interesting to be around, they move away and someone else gets to enjoy the results of all your hard work.” Steve Kesselman , JD ’81, attended a moving ceremony in Ithaca in April, where Zeta Beta Tau—the fraternity he shared with his late son, Samuel ’23 , BS ’22—dedicated its Chapter Room in memory of Sam, its former president, who passed away a year earlier as a result of vehicular homicide.

More travel of the non-Cornell variety: Gary Holcomb and wife Julie took a week-long vacation to Northern California. “We spent the first half of the trip in San Francisco, seeing the Japanese Tea Garden, Coit Tower, museums, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Giants and A’s baseball games, plus the Oakland Zoo and obligatory cable car rides. We went to Napa Valley for the balance of the trip, complete with wine tastings and great food.”

I saw the official last concert of David Bromberg, whose fantastic blues I first heard in Ithaca. Stephanie Mitchell ’78, JD ’80

Stephanie Mitchell , JD ’80, writes from the Orkney Islands, “I’ve now been living in Orkney for six months, sneaking up on but never quite reaching retirement. I am heading the international trade policy team for the chief veterinary officer in the Scottish Government, which means trying to make the new post-E.U. exit borders work in the interests of Scotland’s agrifood sector. It’s my third civil service after U.S. and E.U. and I’m thoroughly enjoying being grumpy in the service of Scotland. In 2023 I was fortunate to be able to visit the U.S. just long enough to catch up in person with Annie Wong ’77 and the family of Paul Rohrlich , two of my closest friends from the Hill. I also saw the official last concert of David Bromberg, whose fantastic blues I first heard in Ithaca at the summer program between my junior and senior years of high school. I’ve also been glad to hear from Cliff Cockerham and Peter Halamek ’77 , ME ’79, fellow survivors of Clara Dickson and ILC, respectively.”

Rick Schwartz writes: “After 38 years with the strategic value advisory practice at Kroll, a global financial and risk advisory firm, I transitioned to senior advisor, supporting projects of my choosing out of our Silicon Valley location. I continue to pursue my passion for triathlons (40+ races since 2008) and co-lead one of California’s largest and most active triathlon clubs. On long, hard workouts I’m reminded of how I’d push myself through late-night endurance runs on snowy paths during Cornell winters.”

David Doupe and wife Beth moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2020 from Los Angeles to be closer to grandchildren. “When we arrived, we had two granddaughters from our son Andrew and his wife, Julie, and just recently our son Tom ’12 and his wife, Annie, had a baby boy! So we are two very happy grandparents!” David continues: “After 46 years in commercial real estate, I am retiring this summer. Given that the majority of my career has been on the road, I’ve had to assure my bride of 44 years that I will have plenty to keep me active! Which I will, between honing my golf skills and staying engaged via a few board seats.”

That’s it for this column. Keep those updates coming! ❖ Cindy Fuller , PhD ’92 ( email Cindy ) | Ilene Shub Lefland ( email Ilene ) | Alumni Directory .

We are thrilled to feature this Reunion report, written by guest columnist and class president Mary Maxon Grainger , MPS ’87:

I’m glowing after an enjoyable 45th Reunion, and I was feeling particularly grateful for all the Class of ’79 volunteers when I agreed to write this column!

We had 200 classmates together in Ithaca and another 60 guests participating in class, college and unit, affinity group, and university activities. This is the size gathering that was anticipated for the 45th, so Reunion co-chairs Larry Stone and Cindy Green hit the mark with pricing, budgeting, venue size, souvenir ordering, etc.! (FYI it’s anticipated that we’ll double that for our 50th in June 2029.)

Larry, Cindy, and registration chair Larry Bunis are amazing volunteers who led the planning and production of this outstanding quinquennial celebration of our time as undergraduate students. Many other classmates pitched in to help decorate headquarters, greet at events, and cover other roles as needed; thanks to Marjory Appel , Jennifer Grabow Brito , Debra Doncov , Jeff Ford , Rich Friedman , Matt Frisch , Bob , MS ’80, and Stacy Buchler Holstein , Lon and Lisa Barsanti Hoyt , Sue Stein Klubock , Steve Magacs , Karen Mineo , Clarence Reed , Janet Goldin Rubin , Deb Seidman , Ginger So , and Nancy Sverdlik . Kudos go to Mike Curran and Margie Wang , who organized optional Friday midday activities, including winetasting with lunch at a local winery. Brad Grainger cheerfully assisted me, Mary Maxon Grainger, at several points during the weekend, and in advance.

’79ers were especially visible at several university events. Serving to introduce programs were Jeff Weiss at our Democratic Resilience Globally program, Scott Zelov , MBA ’81, at a College of Arts and Sciences talk, and Ginger So at the Olin Lecture in Bailey Hall and via livestream. Ambassador Dwight Bush discussed Democratic Resilience Globally with two faculty members of the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy with support from Stephanie Jacqueney . Provost Michael Kotlikoff (who will be interim president by the time this column is published) visited our dinner on Thursday and conversed with attendees.

Our 45th Reunion class photo was taken during Friday’s reception and dinner at the Newman Arena (in Bartels Hall, where basketball and volleyball are played). Since there’s a jumbotron there, the class meeting was presented via a brief video with membership news from Margie Wang, a fundraising update from Mark Wilson , MBA ’80, nomination of the 2024–29 officers by Jeff Weiss, and recognition of the Reunion leadership and retiring class officers by me. It can be viewed here and the updated leadership is listed here . Retiring class officers and the Reunion leaders were thanked aloud and on signs on the dinner tables. (In addition to Larry, Cindy, and Larry, thanks go out to Steve Bronfenbrenner , Carol French Ducommun , MBA ’85, Danna Levy , Tom Rissman , Janet Rubin, and Cynthia Williams .) If you’re interested in getting involved with the class, please let me know!

At the Ithaca Farmers Market, Carolyn Clark ’79 regularly writes poetry for shoppers.

On Saturday evening, musical classmates performed during the “Redstock” concert, a relatively new Reunion tradition. Gary Dunn , Gregg Garfin , Casey Koulman , and Cathy “Cats” DeMarinis Mueller have been together in the band Your Mother starting in college. Lon Hoyt was the keyboardist for an outstanding jazz quintet. In Bailey Hall, Cornelliana Night featured traditional Cornell songs sung by alumni and students both on stage and seated, and Reunion successes were announced including our record-breaking donation campaign.

The Hangovers entertained us earlier at our Saturday reception. There were Hangovers alumni and Cayuga’s Waiters alumni singing at some of the university concerts and in sing-off style late Saturday in the Goldwin Smith Hall foyer. We don’t have a list of ’79ers who sang, but we know some like Mark Bauer cheered them on. We also don’t have a list of women’s crew members who rowed at the annual gathering on the Cayuga Lake inlet, but these men’s crew members were present: Jeff Bloom , MA ’92, Dave Boor , Craig Buckhout , MBA ’80, Dan “YT” Cheung , Ian Murray , Greg Strub , and William Winand . The Reunion 5K was held again on Saturday morning featuring Judy Ashby , Liz de Cognets Champagne , Dave Chisholm , Debra Duncov, Steve Kusmer , Cindy Lehrer , Gary Munk , and Henry Peck .

Wine was served at class receptions that was donated by our classmates with Finger Lakes wineries. Thanks very much to Fred Frank of Dr. Konstantin Frank and Dave Peterson of Swedish Hill.

Classmate Carolyn Clark is an Ithaca native who has returned to the community. After she signed copies of her poetry books at the Cornell Store on Saturday morning, she went to the Ithaca Farmers Market, where she regularly writes poetry for shoppers.

It’s also interesting to note where attendees traveled from. Tom Riley came the furthest from Honolulu, and Hilda Fritze-Vomvoris was second from Switzerland. Both traveled more than 4,000 miles. There were 51 from New York, 20 from New Jersey, 18 from Pennsylvania, 17 from Massachusetts, 11 each from California and Connecticut, and nine each from Florida and Maryland. In addition, two came from Canada, and there were 19 other states represented.

Our next columns will be composed by the class correspondents Larry Bunis , Linda Moses , and Cindy Ahlgren Shea . Please send them your news, including how you celebrated 45 years since graduation! ❖ Mary Maxon Grainger ( email Mary ) | Linda Moses ( email Linda ) | Cynthia Ahlgren Shea ( email Cynthia ) | Larry Bunis ( email Larry ) | Alumni Directory .

Send us some news. Anything! Our 45th Reunion is next year—let us publish some news beforehand to spark conversations. I’ve cajoled, I’ve begged, I’ve showered and changed my shirt, but nothing works. I have many memories of college days, but too many of my reminiscences involve painful recriminations and flashing blue lights, so maybe you should chime in. Sure, I could write only about myself, but nobody wants to see that.

Speaking of Reunion, you should mark your calendars and clear your schedule; it’s never too early. We are quickly approaching our Geritol and rubber pants years; our Reunion nametags will be in 300-point font and those dang kids working the front desk with their tattoos and hippity hop music will forget to brew the decaf, so gather ye rosebuds while ye may! Reunion is July 5–8, 2025.

Today’s guest columnist is Brian “Sandy” Curtis , who writes from Texas: “ Jill (Lonati) and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary last September. We met in seventh grade, attended Cornell together, and have lived happily ever after. In 2022, we were blessed with our first grandchild, and have another due later this year. I retired from Chevron two years ago after a wonderful time leading their environmental law group. We finished up that phase of our lives being expats in Singapore and Jakarta, and thoroughly enjoyed that part of the world. Since then, we have been enjoying some great travel experiences with family and friends. We are living in Houston, which we have called home for more than 30 years. We remain connected to Cornell, and I have recently caught up with some of my tennis teammates spread out around the U.S. Jill and I are always looking to reconnect with classmates, so please let us know if you are in the Houston area!”

Jill Lonati Curtis ’80 and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary last September. We met in seventh grade, attended Cornell together, and have lived happily ever after. Brian “Sandy” Curtis ’80

They met in seventh grade! They’re living happily ever after! Jeepers, people, they can’t be the only classmates with fascinating stories to share. Singapore and Jakarta! Maybe you’ve been there. Tell us about it. Tell us about the time you went to kill-a-keg at the Creeker and got lost walking home, even though it was only three blocks. Tell us about the hallucinations you had during a prelim because you stayed up three nights in a row. Heck, I can’t be the only one.

Okay, more about me. I’m Dik Saalfeld , married father of none, and I live in the stunning paradise of Vermont, where I spend my days observing critters and plants and wondering at the glory of it all. There’s a pond in the backyard and a lake across the street and the only activity our “security” cameras pick up is foxes raiding turtle nests, deer eating the daisies, bobcats chasing dinner, and the lady who delivers for Amazon. In April we had to travel almost 20 miles to a wildlife preserve to observe the eclipse within the zone of totality, and the weather was perfect—and it changed us forever.

Now it’s your turn. ❖ Dik Saalfeld ( email Dik ) | Chas Horvath, ME ’81 ( email Chas ) | David Durfee ( email David ) | Leona Barsky, MS ’81 ( email Leona ) | Alumni Directory .

Who can believe summer has passed and it is already fall? Doesn’t the time just go faster and faster? I spent the summer working, vacationing in Marblehead, MA, and getting my daughter ready and sent off to University of Florida for her freshman year! My son has transferred high schools and is attending Dreyfoos High School of the Arts for theater tech. And you? What is going on?

Emily Gross Eider tells us that, after raising their two children in Bethlehem, PA, she and her husband spent six years living near the Delaware beaches. They moved to Odenton, MD, to be closer to their daughters and grandson. Stephen Silvia grew up in Buffalo, NY, but now lives in Bethesda, MD, and teaches at American University. He told us that his freshman year he lived in U-Hall 5. While on campus he was involved with the Cornell Daily Sun and Phi Sigma Kappa. He also loved hanging out at Lynah Rink.

And on to the Big Apple, Timothy Matson , MBA ’87, is married to Deborah (Sopher) ’82 , MBA ’87. He is the chief investment officer at National Guardian Life Insurance Company. He grew up in Randolph, NY. Freshman year he lived in U-Hall 4. He was involved in Sage Chapel Choir and ZBT fraternity. We’ve come a long way!

Going south to Ocean Springs, MS, we find Richard Furr , project manager at Mississippi Power Company. He lived in Donlon Hall his freshman year and was involved with the sailing team. His areas of expertise are energy, electricity markets, renewable energy, solar, engineering, and electrical engineering. When he wasn’t in class, you could find him at the Stewart Avenue Co-op or the Nines. His favorite Big Red memories? “A 10-day hike in the Adirondacks as part of freshman orientation, a snowball fight late into the night after the first hard snow, and taking snow skiing as a PE class.”

And in the middle of the country, Alison Sherman Arkin and her husband, Mike ’80 , BS ’78, ME ’80, live in Beachwood, OH. Alison is senior vice president, leadership development at Ratliff & Taylor. She grew up in Elmira, NY, and lived in Donlon Hall her freshman year. She was involved with Human Ecology clubs.

Further west, Gary Tabor is an ecologist and wildlife veterinarian based in Bozeman, MT. He is the founder and president of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation , a support organization for large-scale conservation efforts. Gary is also chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas’ Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group, which connects 1,300 scientists across 130 countries.

Gary Tabor ’81 has worked on behalf of large landscape conservation internationally for over 40 years, on every continent without emperor penguins.

Gary has worked on behalf of large landscape conservation internationally for over 40 years, on every continent without emperor penguins. Gary’s conservation achievements include the establishment of Kibale National Park in Uganda; the establishment of the World Bank’s Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund in Uganda; co-founding the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; pioneering the field of Conservation Medicine/One Health; co-founding Patagonia Company’s Freedom to Roam wildlife corridor campaign; and co-founding the Network for Landscape Conservation.

Gary is a recipient of the Australian American Fulbright Scholar award on Climate Change and the Henry Luce Scholar Award. He has academic affiliations with Cornell, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the Salazar Center for North American Conservation at Colorado State University, and the University of Queensland, Australia. He is a member of the Conservation Committee of the National Aquarium in Baltimore. He was involved with the Cornell Outing Club while at school! It certainly helped him for where he is today!

Across the pond, we find Elise Kuebelbeck Johnson in London. Elise is an acupuncturist who grew up in Massapequa, NY. Her areas of expertise are healthcare, acupuncture, and shiatsu. When she wasn’t in class you could find her at Rulloff’s, Cabbagetown Café, and the gorges in the summer. She has enjoyed slowing down a bit with work, though she’s still practicing acupuncture and shiatsu and doing Zoom qigong teaching, which began during the pandemic. She enjoys time with her five children, who mainly live in London, and her wonderful barrister husband, Roddy.

And onto another continent, Jotaro Fujii is living in Tokyo, Japan, and is CEO of Fujii Consulting. His first year on campus he lived in Cascadilla Hall. He was involved in restaurant planning on campus. His areas of expertise are business, leadership, management consulting, and marketing. When he wasn’t in class, you could find him driving around Cayuga Lake!

Please do reach out to me and let me know how you are! I love to hear from my classmates, so drop a line. Stay healthy, enjoy life, and I hope to see you soon! ❖ Betsy Silverfine ( email Betsy ) | Alumni Directory .

Welcome to a wonderful fall season, a great time of year in Ithaca and a great time to reconnect with classmates. Hopefully, you enjoyed the summer and you had an opportunity to share some news and stories with us. We are an excellent vehicle for sharing information about you, your family, and your accomplishments. Please take advantage of this information distribution space and contact us as frequently as you can.

We received some uplifting and exciting news from one of our classmates in Virginia. Linda Harris Crovella has been busy with her legal career but also spends time with her growing family. Linda writes, “Since late September 2022, I have been an administrative law judge with the Federal Maritime Commission in Washington, DC, which I am enjoying so much that my retirement plans are on hold. One thing that may prompt me to retire is the birth of my first grandchild in February, Jackson, to my oldest son, Ben Crovella ’07 , and daughter-in-law Cassie, who live in Boston. I’ve visited several times since his birth and absolutely love snuggling with that little guy! Luckily, there are many flights between D.C. and Boston.”

In addition, Linda has been able to stay in touch with classmates. “Recently, I had lunch with my freshman-year roommate, Ingrid Hall Johnson . We try to get together every six months or so and have even traveled together to past Reunions. I also keep in touch with Ginny Pados Beutnagel , who still makes me laugh as much as she did in college!”

One of the most prolific writers in our class,  Henry Herz , reports that he has recently published his 12th picture book, titled  I Am Gravity . Henry notes the following about his latest publication: “What reaches everywhere and never tires? Pulling on feathers and galaxies alike? Holding the mighty Milky Way together? Gravity, of course! Told in lyrical, riddling, first-person narrative, gravity boasts of its essential role in life as we know it—from the pulling of the ocean’s tides to the vastness of the stars in the sky.” Best of luck, Henry, with your latest publication.

Please enjoy the fall season and keep in touch with your classmates. Stay well. ❖ Doug Skalka ( email Doug ) | Mark Fernau ( email Mark ) | Nina Kondo ( email Nina ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello, classmates! I hope we have all recovered from a HOT summer! Always looking for news from all of you. Here is what some of our classmates have been up to.

On May 12, three Cornell alums and pilots flew in the National Celebration of General Aviation D.C. Flyover—a parade of nearly 60 general aviation aircraft flying over D.C. for the first time in years. They are Eric Blinderman , Justine Harrison ’96 , and Jim Hauslein ’81 , MBA ’84, all Cornell grads and pilots. Sounds like an amazing sight, and since D.C. airspace has been restricted since 9/11, it was a unique opportunity for the pilots.

One of our class officers, Lynn Leopold , recently came back from an exciting trip to Portugal and Spain. Hiking El Camino de Santiago was a highlight.

Paul Beedle reports from Little Rock, AR, where he is celebrating his 25th year as a parish minister, currently serving at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Music is a throughline, since his early compositions were performed live at Risley Residential College, and he is still composing. In addition, he is learning the hammered dulcimer. That sounds like a great addition to our class band for next Reunion!

We heard from Tom Keegan , who is enjoying retirement in Montana, and spending his time maintaining wildlife habitats, hunting, and birding.

Marti Reisman Sheldon is enjoying friends and loved ones at home in Huntington Beach, CA, with her husband of 37 years, Mark , MS ’85 . The Engineering Co-op program at Cornell led to her successful 42-years-and-counting career with Boeing!

I, Alyssa Bickler , am still in Venice, FL, with my fiancé, Mike Consentino. We love to travel when we can get away, and we enjoy live music events and dining with friends! I recently bought into the recruiting firm where I have worked for the last 10 years and am very excited for the future here! In addition, I am still riding my Harley-Davidson Street Glide with a great group called the Diva Angels. ❖ Alyssa Bickler ( email Alyssa ) | Nancy Korn Freeman ( email Nancy ) | Jon Felice ( email Jon ) | Stewart Glickman ( email Stewart ) | Alumni Directory .

Greetings, classmates! My name is Charles “Chuck” Oppenheim . Mike Held and I are your new class correspondents. I am able to take on this responsibility—as an outlet for my enthusiasm for Cornell and staying touch with classmates—because I have shifted to working part time in my role as a lawyer advising hospitals and other healthcare providers on transactions and regulatory compliance. I live in Los Angeles with my wife, Lydia, and our two sons.

I attended our 40th Reunion and had so much fun (thanks, co-chairs Catherine “Kitty” Cantwell and Janet Insardi ) that I can hardly wait until the 45th! A few classmates and I (because we attend Reunions faithfully every five years, we call ourselves the “Reunion friends”) gathered early, organized by Kathy Witkowsky , and spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights at a rented mansion she found online, which was once home to the president of Ithaca College but is located in Collegetown.

Kathy and I were joined at the mansion by classmates and fellow “Reunion friends” Dave Momot , Karen Reynard Regenauer , Laurie Sheffield , Stuart Wamsley , and Tom Kraemer . We spent the time hiking, cooking, eating and drinking, and playing music by firelight in the back yard. Dave and Tom were on guitar and Kathy played the fiddle, while her husband, Jay (not a Cornellian, but still a great guy) also played guitar. We all moved to the dorm assigned to the Class of 1984 (Ganędagǫ: Hall), and during the Reunion Kathy led yoga one morning and Laurie led printmaking one afternoon with Diane Matyas ’83 , MFA ’89.

Once ensconced in the dorm I had a chance to catch up with numerous classmates, including Felise Milan and Sharon Camhi . Sharon is enjoying her retirement after having practiced as a pulmonologist with the V.A., while Felise stays busy as a professor of medicine, assistant dean for Learner Assessment and Clinical Competencies and director of the Ruth L. Gottesman Clinical Skills Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. (You may recognize the name Ruth Gottesman; she was in the news a few months ago because she donated an enormous sum to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine that will allow this medical school to forgo charging tuition from now on.)

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday [before Reunion] at a rented mansion, which was once home to the president of Ithaca College but is located in Collegetown. Charles “Chuck” Oppenheim ’84

Felise lives with her husband in Irvington, NY. Her daughter is a rabbi in Cherry Hill, NJ; one son is a computer engineer and data analyst for Hinge, making sure no one who wants a date goes without; and her younger son is a working actor, dancer, and singer based in NYC and currently performing at the Arizona Broadway Theater. She had a blast at Reunion reconnecting with old friends, and even made new friends with David Grayson and the “Reunion friends.” Felise and David closed down the tent parties, as they enjoyed craft beer, great music, and great dancing!

Naturally, I spent time catching up with many of my fraternity brothers, including Darren Miller , Larry Lazar , Matt Siegal (with wife Laura Weiner Siegal ’85 ), Steve Nachman (with wife Donna Better ’85 ), Phil George , and Tom Allon , who sold his media company, City & State, in 2021 but stayed on to lead its expansion into Pennsylvania and Florida. Tom also founded a NYC policy think tank in 2022 called the 5Boro Institute, and splits time between Brooklyn and eastern Long Island with his wife, Rebecca, four grown children, and two cats.

I also had a chance to catch up with Marcia Stairman Wagner , founder of the Wagner Law Group, a boutique law firm specializing in ERISA and other employment-related legal issues, who reports she has no plans to retire, as she’s just “hitting her stride.”

If you attended Reunion and have war stories to share—and whether or not you attended, if you have any other updates to share—please let us know! ❖ Charles Oppenheim ( email Charles ) | Michael Held ( email Michael ) | Alumni Directory .

Dave Votypka writes, “My college roommate and our buds have been celebrating our 60th birthdays—yikes! Scott Chapman and I missed Byron De La Navarre ’86 , DVM ’90’s 60th in Chi-town. Scott and I went skiing at Stowe a couple years ago and are planning another trip this winter. I’d like to hook up with fellow Cornellian Jeff Dunlap ’86 for some concerts this summer. Also, fellow Cornellian Neil Hoyt ’86 just celebrated his daughter’s wedding recently. WAK!

“What I get the most satisfaction from is family, followed by my job. Farming and owning an ag business has built many relationships over the years. I enjoy these tremendously. Besides work, I love to snow ski, golf, vacation, and ride our UTV around the farm (especially during happy hour).

“I’m slowly retiring out of full-time farming. This will be my 43rd year of farming, including college. I’m renting half of my acreage and will slowly stop growing. My son has an excellent job as an electrical engineer and will not return to the farm. We plan on running our grower business only, called Springwater Ag Products, after all the land is rented, which will give us more time with activities!

“My son Austin just got married to his lovely wife, Lindsay, last fall. I couldn’t be happier! My two grandsons, Teddy and Brooks, are a ray of sunshine in our lives. My stepdaughter is about to have our next granddaughter. Life is full of joy!”

Dave closes out his message by saying, “Making lifetime friends and memories were the best things about Cornell! Oh, and jumping off the gorge and the parties on Libe Slope!”

Most days, I know my Cornell roommates better now than I did then. Melissa Reitkopp ’85

Melissa Reitkopp shares that during COVID, her college roommates began having weekly virtual calls that have continued. “Most days, I know my Cornell roommates better now than I did then. We are having some great adventures all around the world. We called ourselves the 509ers because we lived at 509 Wyckoff Road for our last two years at Cornell. It was a huge old house on North Campus, and we had a floor with seven permanent residents and three ‘honorary’ ones.

“In March 2024, we gathered on the west side of Seneca Lake for the 35th anniversary of Lakewood Vineyards, owned by the Stamp family, including Chris ’83 and Liz Myer Stamp (four generations). Their adult children, Ben Stamp ’11 and Abby Stamp Wilkins ’13 , also work in the family business. Ben worked that evening for the event dinner, and both of them (with their families) joined us for brunch on Sunday with the latest additions (Wesley and Logan—Cornell Class of 2042?!).

“Pre-event, we visited Susan Herlands Holland , who heads Historic Ithaca and its companion store, Significant Elements, and sampled ice cream at the Cornell Dairy Store with Brian Garrett and Erin O’Connor . It is such fun to see students on campus again. We celebrated Linda Woo Kao ’s brother Henry Woo ’86 , BS ’88, and Gail Fink ’s birthdays at the neighboring Lakeside Resort and 3812 Bistro. They are two of our honorary 509ers. A divine lemon curd cheesecake from a Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe was enjoyed by all.

“The weekend was a wonderful whirlwind of events. We all had fantastic wine pairings with our dinner at Lakewood and were joined by my husband, Jeff Peters, and Susan’s husband, Ron Preville. Linda’s ‘snow leopard’ husband, David, couldn’t join us. The ‘bacon on bacon’ small plate was a huge hit, and I fell in love with Lakewood’s Dry Riesling.” ❖ Joyce Zelkowitz Cornett ( email Joyce ) | Alumni Directory .

Happy summer. As I put this column together, many in the lower 48 are experiencing extreme weather. Earlier this week our classmates in southern Florida were inundated with nearly two feet of rain, and about a third of the country will be dealing with temperatures approaching 100 ˚F for the next week. Wherever you are, we hope you are safe and comfortable. If precipitation or temperatures are keeping you indoors, it is a great time to send news updates to your Class of ’86 correspondents.

Laura Pitta Peter has relocated from California to Charlotte, NC. (Depending on where in the Golden State she previously resided, she may not be experiencing a much more temperate climate.) Laura is accustomed to change. She previously worked in industry and for the federal government. She is now in academia as the executive director, research commercialization and development, at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Julie Bick Weed is still freelancing for the New York Times travel section. Her favorite topics focus on new travel technology like facial recognition or AI, so please send her any article ideas! She volunteers at Garfield High School, helping low-income students with writing projects. When she is lucky enough to catch up in person with a Cornell pal like Adrienne Silverstein Iglehart , Aruna Inalsingh , Rob Harpel , or Shera Raisen , “it feels like no time has passed, and the hysterical laughter returns!”

Julie Bick Weed ’85 is still freelancing for the New York Times travel section.

Rich Matteson and his wife, Kimberly, report that they’ve seen both of their sons obtain their college degrees and move on to independent lives and homes. As a result, Rich and Kimberly are free to enjoy their retirement, which includes visiting their sons in Florida and Nebraska. Rich is the CAAAN committee chair for North Texas and works with alumni in the vicinity to enlighten local high school applicants about Cornell. In addition, Rich volunteers with the Cornell Regional Campaign Committee to reconnect with alumni and raise annual funds. After many years of hearing about Cornell, Kimberly was shown Ithaca and the University last August. When at home, Rich is also teaching math as a substitute teacher in the middle and high schools that his sons attended. He finds the experience challenging some days but does feel as if he is making a difference where it counts for some of today’s teens. Regarding the impact that Cornell had on his life, Rich shared, “Cornell opened my eyes to the world, gave me a great education, and taught me that I could accomplish anything that I set my mind to. I am grateful and proud to be a Cornellian.”

That is all I have to share this month. But if you, like Rich, recognize how life and times at Cornell impacted your life and brought you to a life worth sharing, please take a few moments and share those thoughts with us. ❖ Toby Goldsmith ( email Toby ) | Lori Spydell Wagner ( email Lori ) | Michael Wagner ( email Michael ) | Alumni Directory .

By the time you read this, fall semester will be starting again. Hope you’ve had a chance to take some well-deserved time off and enjoy yourself. Let us know where you went, what you did, and who you did it with. In the meantime, I’ll continue to stalk classmates for news. Here’s the latest from my inbox:

My husband, Andy, and I had the great honor of attending the wedding of Bill and Carol Meyers ’s daughter, Sarah, to Justin in Greenwich, CT. Cornellians (and especially U-Hall 3 alums) in attendance were Tim Sullivan , Toni and Jody Monkovic , Shawn Fagen ’86 , Tom Tung ’86 , ME ’87, and Anne Yablonski Suissa ’88 .

Cheryl Berger Israeloff and husband Larry are expecting their first grandchild. Cheryl practices neuro visual medicine and the treatment of the visual aspects of the dizzy patient. Fun fact: I was one of Cheryl’s early test patients back when she was an optometry student! Cheryl mentioned that one Cornell event that changed the trajectory of her life was becoming friends with Janis Cohen Schlerf ’86 , who introduced her to Larry.

Brenda Wilkinson Melvin returned to campus for the Cornell Black Alumni Association’s recent Reunion, which featured panel discussions, a celebration of the life of Africana studies pioneer Professor James Turner, a Sneaker Ball, brunches, parties, winery tours, golf outings, and more. She enjoyed reconnecting with ’87 classmates Darrell Butler , Jacquelyn Browne , Allison Fennell , DVM ’91, Onjalique Clark , Marcia Bobb , and Gligor Tashkovich , MBA ’91, and she also bumped into Scott Pesner at a bus stop on her way back to North Campus! With no time for rest, the day after she returned home from Reunion she started a new job as internal communications director at AARP.

Josh Lesnick gathered with fellow Phi Psis John Webster and Michael Moore and their kids at the Saratoga Race Course to see the running of the Belmont Stakes!

With no time for rest, the day after Brenda Wilkinson Melvin ’87 returned home from Reunion she started a new job at AARP.

Anne Meinig Smalling was just named the incoming chair of the executive committee of the Cornell Board of Trustees as the search begins for a new provost, while Michael Kotlikoff was preparing to become interim president in the wake of Martha Pollack’s retirement.

Tony Spring was named the new CEO of Macy’s Inc. back in February. He’s been with Bloomingdale’s for 36 years in multiple roles, including most recently as the CEO.

Sanmoy Bose continues to enjoy retirement—lots of travel, yoga, tennis, squash, and walks with their two puppies. Sanmoy also does a little consulting with private equity companies and insurance companies as an operations, delivery, and customer subject matter expert. He retired from Duck Creek Technologies in 2022 as their chief customer and delivery officer. Previously he was a senior partner with Accenture.

Joshua Abelson , MA ’89, wrote that during the recent New York Presidential primary, he went to vote in NYC and was greeted by the site chief, Gligor Tashkovich! Gligor has been monitoring polls at elections for many years (and not just in NYC).

Speaking of Gligor—he wrote that he recently went to Athens for the 40th anniversary of the team that helped build the Western European Internet. He had a role in that project while attending Cornell. He caught up with many of the folks he worked with on the project and also had coffee with the Greek Prime Minister! He also traveled to Ravello, Italy, to celebrate his mom’s 86th birthday, followed by a trip to Porto, Portugal.

Please keep in touch and continue to share your news with us by emailing us at: ❖ Whitney Weinstein Goodman ( email Whitney ) | Liz Brown, JD ’90 ( email Liz ) | Alumni Directory .

Greetings, Class of ’88! The autumn air will soon be crisp and the leaves changing colors before our eyes. Take a moment and enjoy the fall foliage, just like we did when we were strolling around campus.

Congratulations to Robert Rosenberg , a former class president, who has been honored with the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award. This award recognizes “alumni who have given extraordinary service to Cornell through long-term volunteer activities.”

Meanwhile, a group of classmates— Howard Greenstein , Linda Gadsby , Jacques Boubli , Dan Frommer , Doug Ringel , Rob Rosenberg, Laura Bloch , and Bob Attardo —attended the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference in Baltimore, MD, earlier this year. They met up with Henry “Huck” O’Connor for dinner. Alumni volunteer leaders heard updates about how to use AI in your workplace and other current topics.

Speaking of volunteering for Cornell and other community outreach projects, I participated in the U.S. College Expo in Toronto, ON, where I answered lots of questions about campus life, University courses, SAT testing, and much more from many Canadian prospective high school students.

Alison Minton ’s pet parrot was featured on Geico’s social media (Instagram & TikTok feeds) for March Madness. Perhaps the parrot should become our newest class mascot, alongside our Cornell bear.

In other class news, Laura Bloch, our class membership chair, who resides in San Francisco, CA, was back on campus to celebrate her daughter Ella Yitzhaki ’24 ’s graduation from the College of Arts & Sciences. Ella is starting a position in health policy in Washington, DC. Her son is in his freshman year at the University of Oregon after he returned from studying abroad in London, England, during the summer. Laura is busy finishing up her second year as the president of the Cornell Northern California Alumni Association, where they put on events to connect Cornell alumni with one another.

Alison Minton ’88 ’s pet parrot was featured on Geico’s social media for March Madness.

Aileen Cleary Cohen chimes in from Palo Alto, CA, that she just retired as the vice president of clinical development at BeiGene, where she “helped bring approval of a cancer drug across five indications.” She’s happy spending time in her cabin in the Sierra Nevada while she cheers on the San Francisco Giants and the New York Knicks.

Her daughter, Emily, is starting her master’s in environment and society at Columbia University while her son, Erik, is at Seton Hall, studying media studies. Her stepdaughter, Rebecca, teaches high school in San Jose, CA. Aileen commented that she made “lifelong friends at Cornell and enjoyed her time on the Hill. Some of the best years!”

Further North, Charles Frischer lives in Seattle, WA, with his wife, Abigail, and kids. “We are enjoying watching them grow into young adults.” Charles runs an investment business, which is a daily challenge. He tries to “work as little as possible each day.” He finds it rewarding to be on the board of his kids’ private school and other corporate boards. The family recently traveled to Cambodia and Vietnam and are hoping to visit India and Laos as their next family adventure.

Karen Kao is semi-retired but still finds time to host small dinner parties and piano singalongs in her new condo in White Plains, NY. She still teaches piano and also volunteers at the local food bank, performing arts center, and arts center, where she is “an art teacher to classes of 25 wriggling elementary school children.”

News flash: This past January, Stephen Aschettino of Oyster Bay, NY, joined the financial innovation and regulation practice at global law firm Steptoe LLP as a partner. His practice focuses on fintech, payments, and digital assets commercial and regulatory matters. He lives on Long Island with his wife and three children.

That’s all for now. Please keep sending your news to me. I love hearing from our classmates, both near and far. ❖ Pamela Darer Anderson ( email Pam ) | Alumni Directory .

Cornell Reunion 2024 brought a record achievement for our class: most classmates ever attending a 35th Reunion! Our Reunion committee treated us to nostalgia like Straight Cookies, Hot Truck wares, and a cappella groups! The Hangovers welcomed us Friday evening during our happy hour. Entertainment during dinner Friday was a live big band, and we ate dinner on the North Campus residential quad. Men who sang during the ’80s and ’90s in the a cappella favorite Cayuga’s Waiters re-grouped for Reunion and brought a wonderfully rowdy serenade to dinner on Saturday night. After dinner, our classmate and musical talent extraordinaire Fil Straughan sang for us and spun tunes from our college years for dancing.

Our class headquartered at the townhouses on North Campus. Thursday we arrived to a red-and-white-festooned campus, golden hour sunshine, and a yummy “Hot Truck”-catered meal. My husband, Mike McGarry , and I sat down outside and promptly made a new friend, Laurie Bechhofer , who came in from Michigan. She knows the lovely Liese, wife of my favorite CHE professor, Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner ’38 . Laurie also was a “townie,” as her dad was a professor here: Robert Bechhofer taught in the engineering college in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. Laurie drives through our area of Buffalo, NY, regularly en route to visit family and we hope she stops by! Both Laurie and Mike are passionate about helping kids in public schools. I enjoyed listening to them discuss solutions for problems shared in Michigan and New York State. Both volunteer their time to that end. (I am proud to report that Mike just wrapped up nine years of caring, diligent service on our local Hamburg school board and we learned that fellow class correspondent Kris Borovicka Gerig ’s husband also serves on their local school board in Ohio. Thank you to both.

After dinner, we lingered at the tables. Deb Shames and I visited and talked of Cornell memories, our families, and their fondness for sports, especially the Boston Celtics; Deb and her son are huge fans and he was at the Celtics playoff game that night! Deb’s work and passion is for helping students from a wide variety of backgrounds make a good college fit. She has made it her business: Personal Best College Coaching. Deb pairs students with their ideal college and helps them through the application process, reducing the stress for them and their families. She also finds great joy in her volunteer efforts using those skills helping those who are the first in their family to attend college. Helping them get in is one step, but then she stays with them to help them graduate.

Lingering in headquarters, we plopped down on the sofa and made more friends. I loved meeting another lovely Laurie to whom I will now apologize for inadvertently clumsily rejecting the friend request sent to me (please would you try again?). This method now feels as unreliable for me as jotting it on a piece of paper and losing that. Clearly a me problem. On those cozy couches, we also enjoyed meeting Lauren Hoeflich , Evelyn and James Masson , ME ’90, and another classmate John, a pediatrician from Seattle. I’m embarrassed: I should have pulled out my notes app and jotted down John’s details.

Our Reunion committee treated us to nostalgia like Straight Cookies, Hot Truck wares, and a cappella groups! Lauren Kidder McGarry ’89

Rain intermittently baptized our festivities; it seemed appropriate given how often we experienced it during our time on the Hill. Have you heard the term for it? “Ithacating!” While we did enjoy some mini-monsoons, we also reveled in sunshine and warmth. Our visit to Libe Slope had sunshine and another conversation with Cornell Johnson School alumni and Reunion attendees who offered to take our photo. We were trying to re-stage a photo taken of us as newlyweds during the Dragon Day festivities of our senior year. Our volunteer photographer wanted to get it just right, and so we got to know her during the creative process. After the picture we kept chatting, such that their friends left for a museum tour and returned to us four still chatting away! We exchanged contacts with our new B-school alumni friends and hope next year to meet up for a Red Sox game.

I attended the Reunion this time using a cane again; I am hobbled by a dodgy left knee, awaiting replacement midsummer. It helped me appreciate the many accommodations made around campus for students with ambulatory issues. Elevators, smooth pathways, ramps, good lighting, and benches smartly situated made it simpler to move around and rest often. Those with happier knees enjoyed birdwatching walks at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology grounds, or cycling in the surrounding hills, or running (and perhaps walking a bit) the lush Reunion 5K through the Cornell Botanic Gardens.

Finally, the most impactful part of the Reunion for me took place during the Remembrance Service at Sage Chapel. In October 2020, Michael and I never got to attend the Texas funeral of our classmate Alisa Lynn Schmitz Evans because we were following my doctors’ counsel as I’m on two immunosuppressive therapies. Our grieving felt incomplete. Writing her name on the list drew out tears of frustration and sadness. Listening to the poems, verses, and Savage Club choral group helped us reflect and grieve. We were given and took the opportunity to speak her name, share brief words of her life, and light a candle in her remembrance. Afterwards, we and other mourners and rememberers wept to the pipe organ belting out beautifully. When you have a loss, and have need of this reflective service, please pause and go, even amid the fun of Reunion. I felt it added to the real purpose of coming back to campus for us. ❖ Lauren Kidder McGarry ( email Lauren ) | Stephanie Bloom Avidon ( email Stephanie ) | Kris Borovicka Gerig ( email Kris ) | Anne Czaplinski Treadwell ( email Anne ) | Alumni Directory .

As the fall semester gets underway, the Class of ’90 continues to work its magic on the Hill. Casey Jones returns to the campus this semester as associate head coach for the Cornell men’s hockey program. He rejoins the Big Red after 13 seasons at Clarkson, where he coached his teams there to a combined 234-185-56 record, including two trips to the NCAA tournament and five finishes in the top three of their conference. This season is the last for head coach Mike Schafer ’86 , who has announced that he’ll be retiring afterward and handing the reins of the team over to Casey. Schafer himself took over as head coach from another former Cornell hockey player, Brian McCutcheon ’71 , who had been the coach during Casey’s years as a player.

Meanwhile, the Cornell Asian Alumni Association this summer held an event at the Cornell Club in New York City celebrating leadership strategist and bestselling author Jane Hyun . Her new book, Leadership Toolkit for Asians : The Definitive Resource Guide for Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling , went on sale at the end of April and several weeks later landed on Business Insider ’s list of recommended summer reading. “Never thought my book would be considered a ‘summer beach read,’” Jane posted on Facebook, “but I just made the Wall Street top 35 recommended beach must-read list on Business Insider ! I’ll take it.”

Deborah Klein Glasser writes to us about life just north of the border, where she’s been “soaking up all the maple syrup and poutine Toronto has to offer” since 2020. As her son starts his senior year in high school, she’s been dropping “not-so-subtle hints about the wonders of Cornell.” We’ll be sure to check in with her sometime around April or May to see if her subtlety has paid off.

Deborah misses her friends and family in NYC and beyond, so she spent several months this year on a mini-reunion tour, visiting with Rob and Sue Portman Price , MRP ’91, in Nashville—be sure to read all about what he’s been up to in a recent column—as well as class correspondent Nancy Solomon Weiss in New Jersey, plus Howie ’89 and Karen Saul Miller , Vivian Althaus Harrow , and Ilissa Sternlicht ’89 in New York, and Jonah Klein in Toronto.

“Also, while at a neighborhood party, I bumped into Joe Milner ’89 , vice dean and professor at Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.”

This season is the last for men’s hockey head coach Mike Schafer ’86 , who has announced that he’ll be retiring afterward and handing the reins over to Casey Jones ’90 .

Deborah loves staying connected to Cornell through her involvement with the President’s Council of Cornell Women (PCCW) and by volunteering with the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network, conducting interviews with high school students who have applied to Cornell. She reports that “PCCW’s symposium earlier this year in Baltimore was incredible, listening to fabulous Cornell speakers, reconnecting with old U-Hall 1 pals Linda Choong and Amy Bodek , and meeting plenty of new and inspiring Big Red women.”

Inspired by the challenges she had faced finding a job when she graduated from Cornell, Deborah has taken leave from her 27 years in marketing in order to build her own business as a job search and career management coach for young professionals. “I am here to help Gen Z clients develop the job search tools needed to secure a summer internship or full-time position.” She notes that she’s happy to offer the kids of fellow classmates a “Big Red discount.” You can check out her website for more information.

Before signing off, please allow your humble correspondent (or, at the very least, me) to remind you that planning for our upcoming 35th Reunion is in full swing. We lost out on having a Reunion in person in 2020, so reconnecting with each other and the campus in general will be doubly special this time around. I have truly enjoyed every Reunion I’ve managed to attend on the Hill; it’s a great chance to not only spend some quality time with a few of the folks you knew way-back-when, but also connect with classmates you didn’t necessarily know at the time, but nonetheless have so much in common with to this day. The best way I can describe the experience is to say it’s like meeting old friends for the first time.

So, save the date! June 5–8, 2025. And if you’d like to help out in any way, please do. The more volunteers we have to help plan and make those plans a reality, the lighter the workload and the more amazing the experience. It’s not too late to reach out to our Reunion committee and other class officers via e-mail at cornellclass90@gmail.com .

Here’s to the start of another academic year, and here’s to seeing each other again in person at its close.

Do you have any news about a classmate or yourself that you’d like to share? Please feel free to drop us a line with your news for the class column. ❖ Allan Rousselle ( email Allan ) | Rose Tanasugarn ( email Rose ) | Nancy Solomon Weiss ( email Nancy ) | Class Facebook page | Alumni Directory .

With our daughter’s graduation from Ithaca College falling on the same day as my birthday, I figured I should invite anyone and everyone who might be in or around Ithaca to celebrate. And why not?

I am glad that Eric Schneider , MBA ’99, a freshman-year dorm-mate and current Ithaca dweller, made his way to the festivities. I remember Eric usually had a smile on his face and always had something witty to say. As a former ROTC member, I knew exactly how he would appear when he strolled into the backyard; familiar face and grin with a touch of gray hair, tailor-fit khakis, and a button-down shirt.

We caught up a bit on his work with Corning Inc. and his children. “Our older son is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and our younger son a rising sophomore at the University of Vermont.” At one point Eric paused, looked past me, and shared, “I apologize for being so tightly wound back then. Still a work in progress.” His wife, Susie (Curtis) , a fellow Class Notes ’91 correspondent, chuckled with me. I did not disagree with the overachieving mechanical engineer BS, Cornell Johnson School MBA, and U.S. Navy lieutenant. But it got me thinking, is being tightly wound so bad?

Chris Reynolds , also a U-Hall 2 dorm-mate, said, “I am pretty sure I could make that admission as well,” when I told him about my exchange with Eric. Chris, a political science and econ major and lacrosse player, towered over all of us back then with a nice way about him. “I live in Cold Spring Harbor, NY, with my wife of 25 years and am a partner at RCV Frontline, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage food and beverage brands.” Chris also earned an MBA from Columbia University.

Chris likes to unwind with his busy family. “We have four children: oldest son plays lacrosse and football at Army; second son attended International Yacht Restoration (trade) School and works in North Carolina for Fibreworks, supporting projects for the Department of Defense and NASCAR, among others; daughter, a junior in high school, committed to play lacrosse and attend the University of Maryland; and youngest son is in eighth grade, a four-sport athlete, and an aviation fanatic.” Whew!

Cathy Merrill Williams ’91 , who resides on the other hill, Washington, DC, wrote, ‘I have two sons attending Cornell!’

My daughter, Abby Marraccino, overcame a major setback in her first two weeks of college, cut from the only sport and team she knew and loved: gymnastics. It lit a fire under her, and she sprung from there, reinventing herself as a diver, a sport she had never tried before. Abby went on to be team captain for part of five league championships and earned four national all-American honors. How? I still ask myself.

I did not know Cathy Merrill Williams back on the Hill. A government and history major who earned a master’s in public administration from the London School of Economics, she is now CEO of Washingtonian Magazine . Cathy, who resides on the other hill, Washington, DC, wrote, “I have two sons attending Cornell! My older son just completed his freshman year and is studying math, sailing, and, well, partying. My younger son will soon join the Hotel School as a freshman.”

Of course I wondered, so I flat out asked Cathy, “Were you tightly wound back then?” Cathy responded affirmatively. “College was fun. I did, however, keep a journal and, looking back, I’m surprised how much I stressed about classes and grades. Now with children and a company to run and the many issues facing the world, it seems a little crazy to have had that be a major worry. Yet, I see it in my own son too, so perhaps it is just the circle of life.” Perhaps it is.

Circling back to our daughter: for her next act, professional or otherwise, she coined the mantra, “Nothing is more powerful than a smile.” Though behind her clenched teeth and those of these classmates are determined beings winding and unwinding as they leap through life. And that’s not such a bad thing at all.

Also not a bad thing: our 35th Reunion is almost here! Please save the date of June 4–7, 2026. Jeff Weintraub , MD ’95, one of our chairs, and Eric Rosario , a member of the planning team and Annual Fund rep, met up on campus for this year’s Reunion to scope things out. After a pandemic interrupted Reunion in 2021, our 35th Reunion promises to be a blockbuster!

Got news to share? Use the online news form or feel free to contact one of us directly: ❖ Joe Marraccino ( email Joe ) | Evelyn Achuck Yue ( email Evelyn ) | Susie Curtis Schneider ( email Susie ) | Ruby Wang Pizzini ( email Ruby ) | Wendy Milks Coburn ( email Wendy ) | Alumni Directory .

My husband, Todd Kantorczyk , recently enjoyed a weekend of baseball in Baltimore, MD, with 14 of his Alpha Sigma Phi (Rockledge) fraternity brothers including classmates Chris Hove , Harvey Beldner , and Brian Nowicki .

Todd’s freshman roommate, Michael Cimini , and my sorority sister Angela Cheng-Cimini celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in Sardinia, Italy. They were joined by son and daughter-in-law Matthew ’19 and Sarah Dickerman ’19 , daughter Christina, and fellow alumni Santo Barravecchio ’89 , Matthew Rubins ’90 , and Samantha Hardaway ’93 . Angela says, “It was wonderful to reminisce about our days on the Hill!” Congratulations on 30 years!

Lizzy Klein lives in New York City and started a fine jewelry business in 2019 and a second jewelry business in 2024. Mazi New York offers minimalist fine jewelry handmade in NYC and Mazi+Zo is a licensed sorority jewelry line. Lizzy says, “I love spending so much time with college students—they are inspiring!” Lizzy has donated 30% of the sales of her Star of David collection to Hillel to support Jewish college students.

Eileen Rappaport also lives in NYC and is keeping very busy with her residential real estate business and raising her 14-year-old daughter. She is a competitive tennis player and loves yoga, live music, and travel with family and friends. She recently traveled to France and South Africa. Eileen is very involved in fundraising for Memorial Sloan Kettering via Cycle for Survival. Her daughter is starting high school, and they enjoy NYC’s flowers and gorgeous parks. Eileen feels that Cornell changed the trajectory of her life by giving her “the very best friends, a lifetime of memories and lessons, and the best four years spent in beautiful Ithaca. All the opportunities I was afforded at Cornell confirmed that I can always change my path in life and pursue so many different interests at once!”

John Overton Jr. lives in New Hampshire with his wife, Christine Hand-Overton . Their older son, Josh, will begin his first year of medical school at the University of New England. Their younger son, Jacob, completed his sophomore year at the University of New Hampshire.

Rick and Meghan DeGolyer Hauser enjoy seeing the revitalization of their small town in Western New York. Meghan writes that lots of Cornell entrepreneurs are part of the turnaround. (Tell us more!) Their oldest offspring works at Cornell, their middle child just graduated from the University at Buffalo, and their youngest is a rising junior at Cornell.

Please share your news with us via email or use the online news form . Be well and take good care. ❖ Jean Kintisch ( email Jean ) | Sarah Ballow Clauss ( email Sarah ) | Wilma Ann Thomas Anderson ( email Wilma Ann ) | Alumni Directory .

Whit Watson is transitioning from a full-time position at Golf Channel to a freelance role, and still working with Westwood One Sports at golf’s major championships this year. “While working for Golf Channel in Stamford, CT, in May, I had the chance to meet up with my former Sheldon Court roommate Stuart Roth , MBA ’00, MILR ’01, and his wife, Dana, to watch some of the Knicks-Pacers series. My son Zachary is a PhD candidate in political science at the University of Virginia, and daughter Ellie just finished her junior year at Boston University, where she is a film/TV major. I was also honored to recently join the board of directors at the Cornell Media Guild, parent of WVBR-FM, the place that started my career. Would love to hear from anyone in the industry, or anyone from our class!”

Atul Aggarwal greatly enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, running, and meeting up with friends. “I am working as a radiologist. My daughter graduated from Cornell in 2023, and my son will be starting as a freshman at Cornell in the Class of 2028.” Brian Fuhr proudly reports that he recently ran a marathon in three hours and 30 minutes, with “kids half my age,” no less! He is celebrating 25 years with Mat Zucker ’92 .

Adrian Sexton joined a global firm focused on AI, where he leads strategic business growth across sports, media and entertainment, and technology. Clients include the NBA, the NFL, MLB, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, and Universal Pictures/Comcast. “In addition, I have been working on an AI startup, Cohuman.AI, which focuses on responsible, human-centric AI.” Adrian notes that he gets the most satisfaction from family, especially seeing his kids grow and soon apply to universities. “For fun and fitness, I enjoy saunas, HIIT classes, beach volleyball, and Spartan races. To accelerate an early retirement (!), I’m working with a capital group, a global athletes fund, and a major investment bank to acquire a major sports league in the U.S. in connection with the World Rugby Cup.”

Cornell gave us both the confidence and knowledge to be independent entrepreneurs. Mark ’93 and Julie Oratovsky Lonski ’93

Henry Most writes, “I recently taught for the first time the famous ‘Interpersonal Dynamics’ course (aka ‘Touchy-Feely’) at Stanford Graduate School of Business. I’m a lecturer in management at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and an executive coach. At Stanford I’m in the experiential learning arena, focusing on interpersonal and leadership skills. I traveled around the world with one of my Cornell friends, Adam Gensler , in 1998 and moved out to San Francisco soon thereafter, where he and another Cornell friend, Dave Levitt , lived. Both of them had a significant impact on my life and who I am as a person.”

Mark and Julie Oratovsky Lonski greatly enjoy watching their 11th-grade son grow, thrive, and dream about his college future. “We own and operate our family landscape design-build firm. Cornell gave us both the confidence and knowledge to be independent entrepreneurs, and it taught us to use critical thinking skills every single day.”

John Fuller , ME ’94, writes, “I operate a civil engineering consulting business in my hometown of Port Jervis, NY. We have been in practice for more than 20 years.” John enjoys coaching travel baseball, spending time with his family, and participating in CrossFit at a competitive level. When asked about his time at Cornell, John said, “It helped shape who I am today.” ❖ Mia Blackler ( email Mia ) | Melissa Hart Moss, JD ’97 ( email Melissa ) | Theresa Flores ( email Theresa ) | Alumni Directory .

Daniel Chernin writes, “I am senior vice president and associate general counsel at Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. My daughter, Marina, is at Georgetown and my son, Joshua, will be applying to Cornell in two years. I loved my time at Cornell and always remember it fondly. My closest friends are still my friends from Cornell.”

Kristen Crockett Tsarnas has been building her professional organizing and interior decorating business, Home Wellness Consulting . From her website: “Feeling and doing your best, true wellness, is only attainable when you have a healthy environment supporting you. Research suggests that your home is the foundation of security and contentment in your family life. As your launching pad into the world, it is also the foundation of your success outside the home. My mission is to help you build a beautiful, colorful, welcoming home that promotes ease, creativity, and contentment for you and each member of your family. I work with clients at every life stage, including moms and dads, young adults in their first apartment, and seniors moving to assisted living. I am passionate about sustained wellness and health for all members of our society and know that we, as a community, can live better.”

Scott Noren has been greatly enjoying working in his garden and the woodlot on his property. He writes, “My house, a cabin in the woods, was constructed during the first year of COVID. I am about to complete my 25th year as a high school science teacher—seven more to go before full retirement. I have taught a wildlife ecology and management class for 23 years; this was my major at Cornell (Natural Resources). Thank you to my professors.”

Rudro Dé , BS ’98, works at JP Morgan in investment banking in NYC. Ingrid Kist-Leader has been traveling internationally a lot—Iceland twice, Greece, Italy, and Ireland. “I’m developing my photography skills a ton! And helping my son apply to colleges, which is bittersweet.” Indeed, Ingrid says that spending quality time with her teenage son brings her the most satisfaction these days. She adds, “I’m a history teacher—can’t wait to retire!”

I have taught a wildlife ecology and management class for 23 years; this was my major at Cornell. Scott Noren ’94

Elizabeth Kaufmann Hale writes, “I have stayed an active member of the Cornell community, as my two sons are currently undergraduate students up in Ithaca. Dylan ’24 is in Dyson and is on the football team. Ryan ’27 is a freshman who is on the premed track. In addition to running a busy dermatology practice with my sister (also a dermatologist), I stay very active by running marathons and half-marathons. This summer, I will be joining AAD’s ‘Skin Cancer, Take a Hike!’ and hiking in the Canadian Rockies!”

Andres Pinter recently made the leap from investor to entrepreneur. “Pursuing a passion to accelerate electric vehicle (EV) adoption, I left a senior role at Ares Management and launched Bullet EV Charging Solutions, an installer and maintenance provider for EV chargers. While analyzing the EV sector at Ares, I recognized that the country’s lack of reliable EV charging infrastructure was one of the biggest impediments to EV adoption. Bullet EV is expanding this year from Texas into California, Colorado, and Arizona. The company installs EV chargers for Tesla, ChargePoint, ABB, and all other major manufacturers. Among other accolades, Bullet EV was recently awarded a grant from Columbia University’s Tamer Fund for Social Ventures. I’m learning it takes nerves of steel to launch a business, and I welcome any insight or advice from fellow alumni.”

Pryor Cashman LLP announced the arrival of counsel Praveena Nallainathan to the firm’s immigration group in New York, where her practice will focus on corporate immigration, nationality, and consular law matters. Most recently, Praveena was of counsel at Am Law 200 law firm Quarles & Brady; prior to that, she served as global director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Dechert and was associate general counsel of immigration and head of talent mobility for IHS Markit, a publicly traded information services company. While at IHS Markit, Praveena designed and managed the company’s first in-house immigration compliance program. Born in Sri Lanka, Praveena also has deep experience with immigration humanitarian relief programs, including asylum and special immigration juvenile petitions. She received her JD from Rutgers University School of Law in 2006. ❖ Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik ( email Dineen ) | Jennifer Rabin Marchant ( email Jennifer ) | Dika Lam ( email Dika ) | Alumni Directory .

I write this column as many of my Class of ’94 friends—along with some of you, classmates!—are returning from yet another amazing Reunion weekend on the Hill. Abra Benson Perrie , MBA ’04, who attended as a returning alum of the business school, provided a fantastic recap of campus on our Class Facebook page .

Some of my favorite observations of the new and old include: “Toni Morrison Dining (on North Campus) … is nicer than many restaurants I’ve gone to, and the water machine was fancy! Fancy is the word here. Fancy!” And: “Fortunately, some places are pretty much just like we remember them. The Straight will make you smile at its stalwart way—inside and out. There are some things that don’t change much … at least not yet.” Want to read more? Join our Facebook page .

If you couldn’t tell, we are already gearing up for our 30th Reunion, June 5–8, 2025—since we all missed the 25th due to COVID (boooo), this one is going to be BIG! 30 is the new 25! Reunion chairs Patricia Louison Grant and Lisa Powell Fortna will be on campus in early October to get the planning in full swing. And keep an eye open for our new “30 for 30” project coming out in November!

Now on to the news. On April 13, David Jakubowicz became president-elect of the Medical Society of the State of New York. When he takes office in 2025, he will be the first president from Bronx County Medical Society in more than 50 years. A board-certified physician, he is director of otolaryngology and allergy at Essen Health and a clinical assistant professor of otorhinolaryngology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore. David also shared that his daughter, Cornellian Halle ’27 , recently joined AXO sorority, which resides in David’s old fraternity house (Sammy). I hope for Halle’s sake that the floors are a little less sticky than they were in the early ’90s!

Vernetta Kinchen sent in happy news that her son, Tony ’24 , graduated in May from CALS and was accepted into Cornell’s PhD program in systems engineering. She also recently had the chance to be back on campus and joined about 40 Hotelies for lunch at the Pines. Thanks to Ted Teng ’79 for organizing the event!

David Jakubowicz ’95 shared that his daughter, Cornellian Halle ’27 , recently joined AXO sorority, which resides in David’s old fraternity house (Sammy).

Also in May, the Boston Globe released its third annual list of the most influential people in the New England tech sector. The leaders spotlighted in the selective Globe Tech Power Players 50 List have demonstrated innovation and resourcefulness and have contributed heartily to keeping their sector thriving during challenging economic times. Featured prominently are our classmates Niraj Shah and Steven Conine , founders of Wayfair, both of whom I hope we will see on the Hill next June!

Last, but definitely not least, one of our fantastic class authors, Henry Neff , sent word that his seventh novel—but his first that’s strictly for older teens and adults—arrived in June via Blackstone Publishing. It’s called The Witchstone , and Henry shares, “If you enjoy dark comedy and curses, martini-swilling demons, and tennis-playing priests, this book is for you.” Henry has been writing full time for 15 years and also enjoys spending time with his sons (ages 12 and 10).

The Neff family also rescued their second pup, Nox, in December of 2023: “Doggie DNA says she’s part cattle dog, beagle, pit bull, and Lab. Her appearance and behavior suggest there’s some piglet and Tasmanian devil in there too.” When asked if attending Cornell changed the trajectory of his life, Henry responded, “Unquestionably. It’s where I sharpened my mind, expanded my horizons, and met some of my closest friends.” With that ringing endorsement, it only makes sense to put June 6–8 in your calendar right now and make a plan to meet back on the Hill!

Until next time … stay connected and safe, classmates. ❖ Alison Torrillo French ( email Alison ) | Class website | Class Facebook page | Class Instagram page | Alumni Directory .

Autumn greetings, Class of ’96! Please take a moment to let us know how you spent your summer! If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write directly to any of us: ❖ Catherine Oh Bonita ( email Catherine ) | Janine Abrams Rethy ( email Janine ) | Marjorie Polycarpe Jean-Paul ( email Marjorie ) | Alumni Directory .

If you’re anything like me, this time of year makes you think of the start of a new semester on the Hill. What are your plans for the fall? Are any of you venturing out of town to travel? Or marking any career milestones? If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write directly to: ❖ Class of 1997 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Class of 1998: Have you kept in contact with your Cornell family? We celebrated our 25th Reunion last year and, although I could not make it to Reunion, the music of that Spotify playlist cultivated by William Robertson ’97 , BFA ’98, and fellow classmates continues to transport me back to that time and place, high above Cayuga’s waters.

Since then, I have learned about other classmates who have impacted our lives and the lives of others. In two different articles from the Cornell Chronicle , Dan Cane and Tim Chi were profiled for their passion for entrepreneurship and technology, and their shared Cornell experience as undergraduates. Along with Stephen Gilfus ’97 , Lee Wang ’97 , MS ’98, Stephano Kim , John Yang , and John Knight , Dan and Tim co-founded, during their Big Red years, an online learning platform and education technology solution, CourseInfo LLC, which would become Blackboard Inc.

The article stated, “The idea to digitize [Dan’s] class materials inspired the business that would quickly turn his housemates into colleagues and his career path into a wildly successful entrepreneurship. In 2011, Blackboard Inc. sold for $1.6 billion.” Currently the founder and CEO of Modernizing Medicine, a medical technology and management company, Dan shared in the March 2024 article, “I use lessons learned from my time at Cornell daily. More than just the quality of the education, the quality of the experience changed me. Most importantly, the people I met and continue to meet at Cornell are cut from a different cloth.” Giving back to his alma mater, Dan has established the Cane Entrepreneurship Scholars program that encourages the growth and development of young entrepreneurs with financial support, mentoring, and experiential learning.

Dan Cane ’98 and Tim Chi ’98 co-founded, during their Big Red years, an online learning platform that would become Blackboard Inc.

Tim continues to inspire connections through the Entrepreneurship at Cornell Advisory Council. From an April 2024 Cornell Chronicle article : “Looking back on that experience, what is remarkable to me was just how fortunate we were to have a bunch of like-minded Cornellians, from different disciplines, who loved to work together—but more importantly, hang out together. For me, this was the embodiment of why culture in companies is important today.” With his co-founders, “We had product, engineering, finance, sales, and marketing and it was an exhilarating time to be on campus, building something special.”

It was in 2005 when Tim, then in the throes of wedding planning, saw the need to create and build a solution. He shared: “I noticed that ‘online vertical marketplaces’ were springing up everywhere as a purpose-built antidote to broad horizontal search platforms. This led to the proverbial ‘light bulb’ moment—a purpose-built online vertical marketplace, powered by user-generated reviews from newlyweds, for weddings. From this, WeddingWire was born.” With a few co-founders including Lee Wang, Tim “designed a first-of-its-kind two-sided marketplace for the wedding industry to bring both sides of the industry—couples and vendors—together to create a more seamless experience, focused on finding the perfect wedding vendors for any couple’s big day.” In 2019, WeddingWire merged with XO Group, the parent company of the Knot, to become the Knot Worldwide.

Connections, entrepreneurship, friendship, family, and Big Red grit and spirit are just some of the many attributes that we, the Class of 1998, have added to what it means to be a Cornellian. What have you been up to? We want to hear from you! Fill out our online news form or email: ❖ Uthica Jinvit Utano ( email Uthica ) | Alumni Directory .

Meredith Glah Coors writes, “With my oldest son’s diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in 2014 at age 11, I became involved with JDRF (a leading organization funding type 1 diabetes research), working to raise funds for research and a cure. I served on the Mountain West Board in Colorado for six years and joined JDRF’s Global Mission Board in 2022. I chaired our annual fundraiser in 2017 and have worked as an auction chair for the event each year since. During the pandemic, I created a mask fundraiser that raised $36,000; my kids and I sewed masks in exchange for donations to JDRF. Locally I also serve on the board of the Denver Zoo and volunteer at Children’s Hospital Colorado.”

Courtney Armbruster writes, “As an animal lover, I am fortunate that I found the Central New York Cat Coalition, an all-volunteer group that rescues homeless cats and adopts them into loving homes. We also run the largest subsidized spay/neuter program in all of CNY, getting more than 2,500 cats fixed a year for low-income owners and rescuers. Since starting as a volunteer with the organization more than 15 years ago, I continued to take on more responsibility and became the president of the board nearly nine years ago. I stepped back to vice president in 2023 and continue to work hard daily to help this organization improve the lives of animals in our community.”

I foster nearly 100 cats every year and get them adopted into forever homes. Courtney Armbruster ’99

Courtney adds, “I personally foster nearly 100 cats every year and get them adopted into forever homes. I volunteer at our adoption center, write our grant applications, manage our social media and website, coordinate our donations and supplies, and handle correspondence. Cats in my care come from all kinds of backgrounds, including strays, surrenders, and abandoned pets. We help animals with serious medical conditions like ruptured eyes, dental disease, broken bones, and more, and it can be a real challenge. We’re always trying to fundraise to help cats in need, and the supply of animals needing help never ends. It’s a ton of work, but so incredibly rewarding!”

We would love to hear from any classmates who attended our 25th Reunion in Ithaca in June! What did you think of the Olin Lecture, which was given by our very own Andrew Ross Sorkin ? (That event can be viewed here !) Did you make it to the tent parties? Did you check out your favorite spots on campus, and see all that’s changed since our days on the Hill? Hopefully you had plenty of time to spend with friends old and new.

Please drop us a line to let us know about your Reunion experience, so we can share it with the class! Those who weren’t able to attend would love to live vicariously through you. ❖ Class of 1999 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Greetings from a warm and peaceful Cleveland, OH! Wishing you all well, wherever you are, and encouraging you to drop me a line whenever you get a chance. I’d love to hear from you. ❖ Denise Williams ( email Denise ) | Alumni Directory .

Did everyone have a good summer? Remember, we’re now less than two years away from our big 25th Reunion—and those Ithaca summers are truly gorges! Plus, we can party—I mean, um, network?—twice as hard to make up for our 20th Reunion going virtual due to the pandemic, so please do save the date: June 4–7, 2026. Whether the temperatures run hot or cold for the occasion, there’s sure to be the perfect Dairy Bar flavor to match each of our high, nostalgic spirits.

Speaking of excellent frozen treats, Salil Gupte and I kicked summer off by taking our kids around Italy (Rome, Naples, Pompei, Sorrento, Capri) and eating gelato daily (sometimes more than once), then headed to Seattle for our usual “home leave” (with Salil also going back and forth to D.C. and Delhi for Boeing business). This may have been my last long summer break for a while, as I’m slated to start working at the U.S. Embassy in Delhi, pending security clearances and budgets not getting frozen. Don’t want to jinx myself by elaborating further but will share to our class Facebook group when/if it happens. In the meantime, I’m geeking out by working on my MLIS degree through San Jose State University. Being a student again is hard; how did we do it the first time? Oh, that’s right—younger, spongier brains!

You don’t become a Cornell alum without having an unapologetic love of learning, right? (Take that, everyone who called us nerds once upon a time—it’s now called having a “growth mindset!”) Jeremy Werner , class officer at large, attended a May 7 Cornell Silicon Valley event hosted by the Cornell Alumni Association of Northern California on “How Chip Innovation Is Shaping the Future of AI,” with panelists including Cornell professor of electrical and computer engineering Chris Batten, Quanergy founder Tianyue Yu , PhD ’03 , and former CEO of Xilinx Victor Peng , ME ’82 . During the event, the CHIPS and Science Act was discussed, including the $6.1B grant to Micron, where Jeremy leads the storage business, along with Micron’s announced investment of over $100B in a new DRAM fab complex in Upstate New York. Professor Batten also talked about Cornell Custom Silicon Systems , an exciting student-led group at Cornell working on semiconductors.

I’m geeking out by working on my MLIS degree. Being a student again is hard; how did we do it the first time? Nicole Neroulias Gupte ’01

At the event, Jeremy met up with fellow classmates Ilyas Elkin , a distinguished engineer at NVIDIA designing the Tensor datapath for the world’s leading AI GPUs, and Brian Silverstein , whose latest startup MirrorTab is delivering cybersecurity for banks and other high value sites to communicate securely with their customers. (The last startup Brian founded was the web browser shopping plug-in Honey, which was bought in 2020 by PayPal for $4B.)

Over in Colorado, Christina Bové , DVM ’06, is now teaming up with MOVES (Mobile Veterinary Specialists) to offer cardiology services to veterinary clinics in and around Denver. When she’s not working, she can be found hiking or running with her husband, toddler, and dog—her cat prefers to stay on the couch. (I can relate!) Also from her bio, “Dr. Bove is passionate about veterinary wellness and is a wellness/nutrition coach and certified personal trainer. She is also addicted to Jane Austen, specifically Pride & Prejudice !”

Still reading? Send me a message via our class Facebook group or on my LinkedIn (I’m not hard to find) or email (see this column’s closing paragraph) with the phrase “Zero to Three!” Bonus points if you can remember what that references.

Kudos to a classmate who responded after I embedded a phrase in my last Class Notes: Ryan McCarthy writes that he is “loving Austin with my two kids (ages 5 and 7). I stay busy biking, reading, and playing pickleball, and will hopefully start taking advantage of Lake Austin and sailing. I have been working as head of real estate at Soul Community Planet Hotels since 2018 with the vision of making the world a better place by serving those that value personal wellness, kindness, and sustainability. We currently have 10 hotels and are growing. I started training for a sailing race in June 2025 called WA360, which is in the Pacific Northwest and is a 360-mile race with one rule: no motor. The goal is to then do Race to Alaska in 2026—750 miles with one rule: no motor. Should be challenging and fun!”

To share news or a memory and get back in touch with classmates, please email either of us, visit our website , like the Class of 2001 Facebook page , join our Class of 2001 Classmates Facebook group , and/or follow us on X ( @Cornell2001 ). ❖ Nicole Neroulias Gupte ( email Nicole ) | James Gutow ( email James ) | Alumni Directory .

2002 & 2003

Autumn greetings! We don’t have any news to share from either of these classes this round. Please take a moment to let us know how you spent your summer! If you have anything you’d like to share with your class, please submit an online news form . ❖ Class of 2002 & 2003 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

We would love to hear from any classmates who attended our 20th Reunion in Ithaca in June!

What did you think of our class tour of the Cornell Veterinary Biobank? Did you make it to the cocktail hour at the Nevin Welcome Center? Did you check out your favorite spots on campus and see all that’s changed since our days on the Hill? Hopefully you had plenty of time to spend with friends old and new.

Please drop us a line to let us know about your Reunion experience, so we can share it with the class! Those who weren’t able to attend would love to live vicariously through you. ❖ Class of 2004 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

If you’re anything like me, this time of year makes you think of the start of a new semester on the Hill. What are your plans for the fall? Are any of you venturing out of town to travel? Or marking any career milestones? If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write directly to: ❖ Hilary Johnson King ( email Hilary ) | Jessica Rosenthal Chod ( email Jessica ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello, Class of 2006! Summer is in full gear as I write, bringing with it warmth, sunshine, and a lively spirit. Now, as the days grow shorter again, we hope you have soaked up the vibrant energy of the season. Amidst your professional and personal adventures, we’re excited to share the latest news with you from the class.

Shanah Segal and her husband, Amotz, are proud to be raising their two boys in New York City, “exploring new playgrounds, going to museums, and immersing ourselves in the various new popups.” Shanah has recently joined the New York Board of Directors for Postpartum Support International, where she has a platform to raise awareness around issues she helps support in her private practice as a clinical psychologist, such as mental health issues during perinatal and childbearing years. Shanah continues to volunteer for Cornell across a number of areas and hopes to visit Ithaca this year. We can’t wait for you to come back to the Big Red!

Whether you’re embarking on exciting new projects or destinations, cultivating newfound passions, or cherishing moments and milestones with loved ones, please keep the updates coming and share with the class! We’d love to hear about your favorite memories at Cornell, and what you’ve been up to lately. ❖ Kirk Greenspan, MBA ’22 ( email Kirk ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello, Class of 2007! Below are some awesome updates on our classmates’ professional developments. I am so happy to be able to share them with you all. As always, my contact information is listed at the end; I love hearing from you and look forward to future updates!

Justin Dorman , a classmate of ours from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, recently created, authored, graphically designed, and self-published 58 children’s picture books. The books’ wide-ranging topics include animals, nature, national parks, landmarks, and monuments. Fifty-two paperback and six hardcover books in all. He even features Ithaca in his  Artistic World Famous Waterfalls  book. Justin has fond memories of a backpacking trip in Arizona with Cornell Outdoor Education during spring break of junior year. Thanks for sharing, Justin! I look forward to sharing these with my little ones!

Carolyn Satenberg-Stewart shares that she is the chief people officer at a tech AI startup. She and wife Madelyn live in Sebastopol, CA. She shares that her time at Cornell has definitely had an impact on the trajectory of her life. Wishing you both the best!

Finally, Nicky Rho Rooz has joined international law firm Withers as partner. The firm has expanded its international family law team by establishing a practice in New York, which she will lead. Nicky joins Withers from Salzano Ettinger Lampert & Wilson LLP, and previously worked in the family and matrimonial law group at Blank Rome LLP for nearly a decade beforehand.

She advises on all aspects of family law, including cohabitation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, divorce and separation, paternity actions, complex financial issues, child and spousal support, high-conflict custody disputes, and domestic violence restraining orders/orders of protection. Her clients include high-net worth and high-profile individuals, including tech sector entrepreneurs and investors.

Congrats to everyone on your accomplishments! Have more updates to share? Please feel free to reach out to me or submit online! ❖ Samantha Feibush Wolf ( email Samantha ) | Alumni Directory .

Autumn greetings! We don’t have any news to share this round. Please take a moment to let us know how you spent your summer! If you have anything you’d like to share with your class, please submit an online news form . ❖ Class of 2008 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

This June was our 15th Reunion! So much has changed on campus and in the world in the last 15 years, but it is always fun to return to “Old Cornell” and enjoy all that Ithaca has to offer. This Reunion our class had 249 alumni, partners, and children come back to the Hill to get together, reminisce, and explore all the new parts of campus. We had 163 alumni and children ranging in age from infant to 17. We stayed on West Campus, in Alice Cook House, which was nicely decorated with well over 1,000 red and white balloons! Our alumni came back from all over the U.S., and from as far as London!

Some of us were able to try the “new RPU” at Morrison Hall, and visit CTB at its new location, with ample outdoor space. We enjoyed an ice cream social, wine tour, dinner at Weill Hall and at the Johnson Museum, family Fun in the Sun, multiple tent parties, and, of course, late night Wings Over Ithaca.

We loved seeing everyone there who made it and can’t wait for our next Reunion in five short years, to see everyone again! See you then, ’09! ❖ Sara Kaleya ( email Sara ) | Alumni Directory .

Alexander Eason spends his time “reading, making money, working out, and learning piano and foreign languages.” Sadly, he shares, “our dogs, Chance and Sully, passed away, so we are remembering them and coping with those difficult emotions.” Of his time at Cornell, Alexander writes, “I was inspired being around so many overachievers and it made me want to strive hard to complete my academic/personal goals.” ❖ Michelle Sun ( email Michelle ) | Alumni Directory .

Steven True writes, “We are moving from Arizona—to England! My wife, Alice, is English, and we are moving to her childhood village with our 15-month-old son, Noah.” Congratulations and good luck, Steven! ❖ Class of 2011 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

If you’re anything like me, this time of year makes you think of the start of a new semester on the Hill. What are your plans for the fall? Are any of you venturing out of town to travel? Or marking any career milestones? If you have anything you’d like to share with our class, please submit an online news form or write directly to: ❖ Peggy Ramin ( email Peggy ) | Alumni Directory .

Veronica Yambrovich Landau shares that she married Matthew in Key West in December 2023! They are enjoying life in Central Florida and are looking forward to meeting their first child. Congratulations!

As always, if you have news to share, please email me! ❖ Rachael Schuman Fassler ( email Rachael ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello, Class of 2014! I hope that many of you had fun at our 10th Reunion this past June. Although I was unable to attend, the following message was passed on to me by other class council members:

“It was so wonderful to see so many of you back on the Hill for our 10th Reunion! Almost 600 classmates attended the weekend, where we reconnected over Dinosaur BBQ, late night Wings Over, and, of course, dancing in the tents. 357 classmates made a gift in honor of our Reunion to almost 200 different areas of Cornell, totaling a class best of $252,285! We appreciate your support of our Reunion campaign and of our alma mater.

“Thank you to Reunion chairs Ashley Black and Krystal Sze for their hard work organizing the weekend, Kelly Parness Hawthorne and Dana Lerner for spearheading our Reunion campaign, and to class president Julia Buffinton for making sure the weekend was a total success!

“Save the date! Our next Reunion is June 7–10, 2029. If you’d like to get involved with planning, please contact Julia ( email Julia ).”

Outside of Reunion news, Tyler Beck and his brother, Austin Beck ’18 , BS ’17, were recently featured in a new Roku documentary series, “Dairy Diaries,” that premiered this April. This series features actress Vanessa Bayer visiting Beck Farms, where she participates in the daily life of a dairy farmer over the course of one week and five episodes. You can read more about the series in this article in Cornellians .

Please send me your news. ❖ Samantha Lapehn Young ( email Samantha ) | Alumni Directory .

Congratulations to Connor Buczek , MBA ’17, who has become head coach for the Big Red lacrosse team. Connor was a three-time All-American while an undergrad, and after graduating pursued his MBA at the Johnson School, at the same time volunteering as an assistant coach. Despite receiving an offer from a Wall Street firm, Connor decided to stay on the Hill for a full-time coaching position. He has since earned Ivy League Coach of the Year twice. Best of luck, Connor!

Rizpah Bellard has founded a company called Nova Farming, which “seeks to empower individuals with valuable knowledge about sustainable agriculture, farm and ranch management, and animal husbandry.” After seeing the widening gap between people and their food systems, Rizpah wanted to bring people into the experience of farming through educational programs and workshops. She was awarded a Fulbright in 2020 and this year was named to COWGIRL Magazine ’s 30 Under 30 list.

Congratulations are also due to  Kushagra Aniket , who published a book called  Krishna-Niti : Timeless Strategic Wisdom , which offers 11 lessons in strategy from the Indian epic the  Mahabharata . According to the book’s blurb, “The authors draw upon their extensive research into the  Mahabharata  to present this unique perspective on strategy, leadership, and crisis management, distilled from the magnificent epic of India.” ❖  Caroline Flax  ( email Caroline ) |  Mateo Acebedo  ( email Mateo ) |  Alumni Directory .

Kristin Stinavage writes, “I am excited to share my achievement of becoming a certified postpartum doula from DONA International and Relief Parenting Respite and Resource Center LLC. This certification is not just a professional milestone but a synthesis of my diverse educational and experiential journey.

“The role of a doula, deeply rooted in the ancient Greek tradition of ‘a woman who serves,’ has always resonated with me. It aligns perfectly with my hospitality background, where the essence is to provide care, comfort, and a memorable experience. This alignment has been instrumental in shaping my approach to supporting families during the transformative postpartum period.

“My education at Cornell and the Culinary Institute of America has been pivotal in my understanding of service excellence—and what hospitality means when serving a family at this point in their lives. It has instilled in me a profound appreciation for the art of showing up for others, especially in moments as intimate and life-changing as the postpartum period. This understanding has been a guiding force in my journey, allowing me to create a unique blend of emotional support, nutritional guidance, and holistic care.

“The postpartum period is more than a phase; it’s a significant transition that deserves the utmost care and attention. My skills, honed through a blend of culinary expertise and hospitality acumen, enable me to offer a level of support that transcends traditional caregiving. I view each meal as a therapeutic tool, not just for physical nourishment but as a medium for emotional healing and family bonding.

“This journey has also led me to reflect deeply on our society’s current perspectives on healthcare. It has highlighted the need for a more inclusive, nurturing approach, particularly in postpartum care. In a world where the healthcare industry is often critiqued for its clinical detachment, I see my role as a doula to bring back the human touch, empathy, and personalized care that every family deserves during such a critical time.

“As I step into this role, I carry with me the understanding that postpartum is a passage—an intimate, transformative experience that merits a communal embrace. My aim is to ensure that this journey is marked by nurturing, growth, and profound bonding for every family I support.

“With continuous learning and skill refinement, I am committed to contributing positively to the evolution of postpartum care, inspired by the wisdom of those who walked this path before me.” Thanks for sharing this fantastic news, Kristin. Classmates, it’s your turn next! ❖ Class of 2016 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Volunteering is a passion for our classmate Connor Donnelly . He writes, “In high school, I was a tutor. In undergrad at Cornell, I was an orientation leader, a Peer Advisor, a tutor through REACH Tutoring, and on the Finance Committee for GlobeMed.

“After completing undergrad, I was an AmeriCorps member for City Year Los Angeles. The following year, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda, where I served as the national director for DEAR Day, a technical trainer, and a fifth-grade teacher.

“More recently, as a graduate student at the University of Michigan, I was a nonprofit board fellow (a non-voting board member) on the Metro Detroit Salvation Army Advisory Board. I was also a student consultant for the food waste nonprofit ReFED, and the energy poverty startup in Brazil, PopLuz. I was also an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellow for the nonprofit Sustainable Jersey.”

Thanks for all you do, Connor! Classmates, what are you up to these days? We’d love to hear from you! ❖ Class of 2017 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Rhia Jarvis writes, “I got engaged to Adam Wegman! We rotated in the same lab for our PhDs and struck it off just as the pandemic started. It’s nice to think that good things also came of COVID!”

Osei Boateng , MHA ’20, writes, “I serve as the founder of the OKB Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to delivering free healthcare services to remote and underserved communities scattered across Ghana. Through our pioneering mobile medical unit, we bring one-on-one consultations, essential medications, and diagnostic services directly to the doorsteps of those who need it most. Since introducing our health van, we’ve touched the lives of over 5,000 individuals spanning 55 rural communities.

“Beyond our medical services, we are actively engaged in mental health education and support initiatives within high schools across Ghana through the Wohohiame Wellness Initiative. Since the inception of this program, we’ve extended mental health assistance to more than 3,000 students across six high schools.

“Our impactful work has garnered recognition from distinguished platforms such as the CNN Heroes program and the Global Health Solutions Initiative. These accolades stand as a testament to the relentless efforts of our team and the positive strides we’ve made in enhancing healthcare accessibility and mental health awareness throughout Ghana.” ❖ Class of 2018 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello, Class of 2019! I hope you have had a wonderful summer so far. Thank you to all of you who joined us at Reunion this past June! It was wonderful to get back in touch with so many old friends and get to know so many new ones. For those of you who didn’t join us, we look forward to seeing you at the 10th in 2029!

In the meantime, your class council has been at work to start planning some 2019 events! Keep an eye out, especially as we head toward the Frozen Apple hockey game this November. As always, if you have any news to share with the class, please submit it through our online form! ❖ Troy Anderson ( email Troy ) | Alumni Directory .

Peter de Lande Long writes, “My expertise lies at the intersection of design and wellbeing, with research demonstrating how well-designed spaces can significantly reduce anxiety and depression, enhance focus and concentration, and cultivate a strong community sense. This foundation led to the creation of DormAlgo, an initiative focused on reimagining student housing.

“DormAlgo is designed to provide scalable, cost-effective solutions to improve student living environments. Our approach transcends aesthetics; we are dedicated to enhancing students’ lifestyles and wellbeing, creating spaces that are not just functional, but also personalized and comforting—a true home away from home.” ❖ Class of 2020 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Autumn greetings! We don’t have any news to share from these classes this round. Please take a moment to let us know how you spent your summer! If you have anything you’d like to share with your class, please submit an online news form . ❖ Class of 2021–23 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Agriculture and Life Sciences

Jim Eckblad , PhD ’71 , writes, “I volunteer through the Decorah (IA) Lions Club to sort and read eyeglass prescriptions on donated eyeglasses. The glasses are then available to travel with mission groups to developing nations, where they are made available to individuals who wouldn’t be able to afford the cost of prescription glasses.”

Lee Basevin Kass ,  PhD ’75 , is an adjunct professor in the plant breeding and genetics section at Cornell and an adjunct professor at West Virginia University in Morgantown. Lee has completed a new biography of Cornellian and Nobel laureate  Barbara McClintock 1923 ,  PhD 1927 . The book is titled  From Chromosomes to Mobile Genetic Elements : The Life and Work of Nobel Laureate Barbara McClintock . It is published by CRC/Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Mariella Fourli , MS ’97 , writes, “In 2008 I created an NGO called Microsfere, whose purpose is to promote biodiversity conservation and rural development in communities in West Africa. We have an ongoing project in Ghana, in collaboration with rural communities around Kakum National Park. The involved communities have benefited from initiatives such as microfinance, capacity-building, promotion of micro-enterprises compatible with biodiversity conservation, and children’s libraries; our main focus in the last few years has been on supporting energy-efficient cooking stoves, which have clear benefits in terms of CO2 emissions, deforestation, and women’s health. Overall, more than 600 families have been participating in our projects.”

Timothy Shaffer , PhD ’14 , writes, “I’m leading a civil discourse effort at the University of Delaware’s Biden School called the SNF Ithaca Initiative. As the director and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Chair of Civil Discourse, I have the opportunity to introduce students to more constructive ways of engaging across difference through classes, workshops, and other experiential learning opportunities. Annually, we invite about 100 students from around the country to the SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue.”

Kirsten Kurtz , MS ’21 ’s artwork was featured at an art show that was held in Ithaca by the Community Arts Partnership and Tompkins Food Future. Kirsten is the manager of Cornell Soil Health Laboratory in the School of Integrated Plant Science. The art show also featured the works of several other artists from CALS within the theme of “Picturing a Resilient, Equitable, and Healthy Food Future.” The artwork was displayed throughout the month of June.

Architecture, Art, and Planning

Tom Stack , MArch ’98 , was recently promoted to studio director for the private sector architecture group at H2M Architects + Engineers, headquartered in Melville, NY. The group is currently engaged with real estate development companies designing mixed-use and multi-family projects. Tom and his wife reside on the North Shore of Long Island, NY, and enjoy spending time with their children. They recently welcomed the addition of their fourth grandchild.

Caitlin McCarthy , MArch ’20 , and Jordan Young , MArch ’20 , had their proposal for BUILDFest 2024 selected to be built as one of three permanent, large-scale art installations at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, where the grounds of the 1969 Woodstock festival was. Construction will begin this summer. BUILDFest is a five-day festival where accepted participants work with student teams to install their designs on-site. Once completed, the installations will be enjoyed during the Catbird Music Festival.

Arts and Sciences

Garth Drozin , GR ’78–81 , retired in March 2023 from a career as a trial attorney and judge in Los Angeles to return to his beloved music composition . Garth lectured on composition to doctoral composition students and professors at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, in April 2024. While in Beijing, he received a commission to compose a piece for a professional Chinese orchestra, and he completed that piece in June 2024; it will premiere in Beijing later this year. On October 8, 2024, the Singing Statesmen will perform his men’s choral piece “Loveliest of Trees” at Arkansas State University. His big band jazz piece “Sutch As It Is” will be performed by the Cerritos College Jazz Band in their fall 2024 concert. In October 2023, Garth conducted and sang with the Voice of Love Chorus Los Angeles, an all-Chinese-American chorus of 60 voices, in concert.

Susan Brewer , PhD ’91 , wrote a book titled The Best Land : Four Hundred Years of Love and Betrayal on Oneida Territory that will be published on October 15, 2024. In it, she recounts the story of the parcel of Central New York land on which she grew up. Susan and her family had worked and lived on this land for generations when the Oneida Indian Nation claimed that it rightfully belonged to them. From here she tells the land’s story through the lens of two families—her own European settler family and the Oneida/Mohawk family of Polly Denny—who called the land home. The Brewer and Denny families took part in imperial wars, the American Revolution, broken treaties, the building of the Erie Canal, Native removal, the rise and decline of family farms, bitter land claims controversies, and the revival of the Oneida Indian Nation. As she makes clear in The Best Land , through centuries of violence, bravery, greed, generosity, racism, and love, the lives of the Brewer and Denny families were profoundly intertwined.

Trenton Cladouhos , PhD ’93 , has been a geologist for around 35 years. For the last 16 years, he has been working on geothermal energy, a clean renewable that could “transform the U.S. energy landscape,” according to the Department of Energy. Trenton was featured in a video by TLS Geothermics describing his field of work and gave a talk earlier this year at the 49th Stanford Geothermal Workshop about what is needed to advance the field.

Scott Rosenzweig , MBA ’91 , is running for office in the Montana State House of Representatives, House District 57, to represent Bozeman, Gallatin, and Park counties. Scott’s previous career was working in satellite communications before he was inspired to run for state office.

Ronald Smith , MBA ’94 , writes, “My wife and I founded Friends of St. Kizito Rubuguri Primary School , a nonprofit organization, after visiting St. Kizito Rubuguri Primary School in Rubuguri, Uganda, twice within a three-month span, starting in October 2022. We decided to create a nonprofit to raise awareness and support for the school.”

Nikita Gossain , MBA ’20 , writes, “I began my career at KPMG, where I found fulfillment in the work but sought a deeper impact. Inspired by this drive, I ventured into entrepreneurship after my time at Cornell. Now, as the owner of my three businesses and in the early stages of building a private equity firm, I’ve committed to allocating 50% of all earnings to impactful charities such as Malaria Consortium, Helen Keller International, and New Incentives. While my primary focus is on leveraging my skills in mergers and acquisitions to accumulate financial resources for impactful giving, I am deeply involved in volunteering and community engagement. I actively participate in the Effective Altruism movement, advocating for evidence-based solutions and contributing policy change submissions. Additionally, I mentor girls from my high school, aiming to empower more women to enter the business world. I dedicate time to volunteering at orphanages in India, recognizing the importance of direct action in making a difference. I am also currently working on a project similar to the Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel, utilizing storytelling to shed light on important societal issues. I believe in the power of blending business acumen with a strong sense of social responsibility. As I continue to build my private equity firm, I am driven by the vision of creating lasting, positive change, both through business success and meaningful contributions to the community.”

Pearl Phillips , MBA ’21 , writes, “I chaired this year’s event committee for the Susan G. Komen Impact Luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street on March 13. I reached out to my fellow alumni and current students in the executive MBA/MS in healthcare and I am humbled to say many answered the call. Our committee is now exclusively composed of EMBA/MS students, including a couple of us who are breast cancer survivors. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Susan G. Komen organization and help to drive advancements in breast cancer care and research.”

Jacob Tannenbaum , MPS ’21 , founded the nonprofit Life After Life Foundation to bring parks to the communities and environments that need help most. The foundation is working to close on their first abandoned brownfield property to begin its remediation and rehabilitation into biodiverse green space for nature-deprived communities.

Pedro Escobar , MBA ’23 , writes, “My engagement with the Student DREAMers Alliance, a vibrant segment of the Hispanic Alliance of South Carolina, is more than a volunteer effort—it is a commitment to the future. I mentor a high school student named Edwin, whose ambition is to get into college, master the English language, and carve a niche for himself in the STEM industry. In a candid video , I delve into the value of education, the significance of breaking down barriers, and how my experiences at Cornell have shaped my approach to mentorship and service. The intersection of my academic background and the mission of the Hispanic Alliance of South Carolina has fueled my passion for this cause. Contributing to a world where educational equity is not just a dream but a reality is essential. By supporting Edwin, I am helping to lay down the stepping stones for his success, just as my path was paved by the transformative education I received. Together, we are not just dreaming of a brighter future—we are actively constructing it. Our journey is chronicled on the Hispanic Alliance’s website , which showcases the unique bond we have developed and the mutual growth we have experienced.”

Engineering

Anima Anandkumar ,  MS ’08 ,  PhD ’09 , gave a TED Talk on “ AI that connects the digital and physical worlds ” in April 2024. “While language models may help generate new ideas, they cannot attack the hard part of science, which is simulating the necessary physics,” says Anima. She explains how her team developed neural operators that are AI trained on fine details to bridge this gap. Anima shares some of her recent projects that have stemmed from her developments, including improved weather forecasting and medical device designs. Anima is the Bren Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Caltech.

Human Ecology

Kristine DeLuca , MA ’19 , writes, “I spent my entire career working in the nonprofit sector—mostly in student development in higher education, with a brief stint as a director for a county department dedicated to providing services for underemployed and unemployed residents of that county. My expertise in providing career services centered around careers in nonprofits, government, and teaching, and I now run programs that provide funding to students committed to providing servant leadership, service, and research for the betterment of communities. I also have volunteered for many nonprofit boards. Currently, I serve as president of the board of directors for the Learning Web, an agency that provides a continuum of care to Tompkins County youth—providing apprenticeships and mentorships for all, as well as supportive services for unhoused youth up to age 24. I’ve served on this board for the past eight years, seven as president.”

Cindy Rodríguez , MPA ’19 , is excited to share that she is Vermont Public’s new senior vice president of people and culture. Vermont Public is an independent, community-supported media organization created in 2021 from the merger of Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS. It provides news, music, and educational programming through various platforms and is funded primarily by member donations. Outside of work, Cindy has been enjoying travel and spending time with her family and friends. She recently checked a place off her bucket list—Berlin, Germany—and also traveled to Sydney, Australia.

Samantha Corkern , MPA ’23 , co-founded the Walisha Foundation in an effort to reduce food insecurity in East Africa. From the organization’s website: “Our journey began with a clear vision: to empower smallholder farmers and young graduates, catalyzing a shift toward sustainable agricultural practices. We recognize the pivotal role of wheat and maize in securing food sources across Africa, and our mission is to empower farmers to achieve a hunger-free Africa.”

Jeff Mausner , JD ’76 , has been volunteering in various aspects of animal welfare since his retirement from practicing law in 2012. Jeff has received recognition for his work several times, including receiving a Special Commendation from the California Legislature in 2024, the Guardian of the Animals Award from In Defense of Animals in 2023, and the “best of” award from the Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils in 2017 for his volunteer work saving the lives of thousands of dogs, cats, and other animals and improving animal shelter conditions.

Dan Emery , JD ’80 , writes, “I am cutting back my law practice, but continue doing public benefits work and some pro bono work, and participate in and support nonprofits. I have been on the board of Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Maine’s civil legal aid group, for almost 10 years, and spent the past three as board chair. This is very rewarding work, and I trace my interest to two years in the Law School’s Legal Aid Clinic. I am also a water reporter for Friends of Casco Bay, providing photo evidence of phenomena like algae blooms, erosion, and sea level rise. I took some environmental law at the Law School and have retained that interest. I am grateful for the education I received at the Law School, which has allowed me to pursue a rewarding career and other interests including the above.”

Russell Yankwitt , JD ’96 , celebrated his law firm’s 15th anniversary. Started in his kitchen at a folding table with one employee, Yankwitt LLP has turned into a 20-plus-employee boutique law firm in Westchester County, NY. This year, Russell was honored with Pace University’s Westchester Changemakers Award, which pays tribute to outstanding individuals who have contributed significantly to the advancement of Westchester County. He has also been selected by Super Lawyers as a Top 10 attorney in New York this year, which will be formally announced in October. Russell also has the only Westchester-based law firm ranked in Chambers and Partners, one of the most respected resources in the legal industry. He is also the honoree of this year’s Legal Services of the Hudson Valley Equal Access to Justice Awards Dinner and serves on the Federal Bar Council Executive Committee as treasurer.

Lou Guard ,  JD ’12 , co-wrote a book titled  All the Campus Lawyers : Litigation, Regulation, and the New Era of Higher Education  that made the  New Yorker  “Best Books of 2024” list. The book traces the legal controversies affecting college and university campuses, including issues of free speech, affirmative action, and Title IX on college campuses. Lou is currently an adjunct professor of law on the Hill. A signed copy of the book was added to the Cornelliana collection in the University Library.

Welcome to our newest offering: Group Notes! Like Class Notes, these columns are written by alumni, but they comprise news about members of Cornell groups—including campus activities, alumni organizations, and more—across generations. If you would like to see your group represented here, email us for more information!

Continuous Reunion Club

We Continuous Reunion Club members experience our Reunions in many varied ways. Happily, two of our members wrote reports of the weekend’s events for us to enjoy.

First, we have a report from Connie Santagato Hosterman ’57 : Reunion 2024 brought the Continuous Reunion Club members back to the sky lounge of High Rise 5 for their headquarters. We made great use of the lounge for our continental breakfasts and our interesting late-night discussions. Dot Preisner Valachovic ’71 and I arrived early on Wednesday to assist our CRC clerk, grad student Irene Xu , JD ’22 , and the three non-Reunion year (NRY) clerks, Suha, Chloe, and Elana, in the transformation of the bland sixth-floor lobby into a bright, decorated, lively spot. The four clerks quickly bonded and enhanced the initial welcome of all who came to register.

Did we CRC members entice some of the NRY attendees to join us? Of course! By noon on Thursday our CRC president, Melinda Dower ’78 , and vice president Pat Reilly ’78 , accompanied by her husband, had arrived. Soon the ice was in place, so out from the locked “booze room” came beverages and munchies. Let the fun begin!

The highlight for CRC members this year was a visit to William “Buck” Briggs ’76 ’s singular treasure of Cornell and Ithaca memorabilia. There was the bar from the Royal Palm, complete with barstools! There was the lit neon sign from Joe’s! There were lit neon signs from The Rose! There were pieces of bowling lanes from a long defunct Ithaca bowling arena where a band could perch! A large sign obtained from Sam Gould’s Collegetown Store hung from the ceiling. Every way we turned, we saw more and more artifacts from bygone years.

Buck admitted to often being at the right place at the right time and even dumpster-diving at demolition sites to find these treasures. He knows “guys” who help him retrieve and restore his many, many items. There were significant photos, paintings, and old prints as well. Seeing Buck’s amazing collections was truly a nostalgic trip through time.

Dinosaur BBQ catered our Saturday night supper under a tent, perfect for this year’s changeable weather. We had plenty of time to head to Bailey Hall for Cornelliana Night and then to the tents. The evening wrapped up with great camaraderie in our sky lounge headquarters. The next morning, we scattered to our homes, leaving with these heartfelt words: “See you next year!”

And now, a report from John Cecilia ’70 , MBA ’79: One of the great advantages of CRC is the freedom to do many varied things at Reunion, as the group plans only a few special CRC events. This leaves time for exploration of all the various presentations, breakfasts, and more done by schools and organizations in the broad university. But with that freedom to explore the plethora of activities comes the possibility of trying to do too many things at Reunion, and not having enough time or energy. This year I may have overwhelmed myself with too much!

One of the great advantages of CRC is the freedom to do many varied things at Reunion. John Cecilia ’70, MBA ’79

2024 was the 45th Reunion of my Johnson School MBA program. Being retired, and not being a practicing corporado anymore, very few of the Johnson activities were of much interest. In fact, prior to arriving in Ithaca, I had planned only to be at the class picture-taking session for individual Johnson classes. In addition, only three individual classmates, including me, attended! One of the others was an old acquaintance, and an undergrad from another university, and had little knowledge of the breadth of activities a Cornell Reunion offers. So she and I joined forces, and off we went.

One very interesting advantage was the fact that an old undergrad roommate and his Cornellian wife were the registrars for their Class of ’69 Reunion and gave me some leeway to attend some of their events. OMG, more choices to make! So what transpired was a collection of events that had us running around the campus, from the bottom of the hill at West Campus to the far reaches of North Campus and beyond, and missing some special CRC events.

But we did a lot, some of which is mentioned here! A wine tasting with retired Johnson professor Joe Thomas. A quiet late meal at the Statler. A sumptuous breakfast and interesting talks (and stuff) with the Sibley School (mechanical engineering) at its 150th birthday. Being at President Martha Pollack’s last State of the University address and being witnesses to the mini-protest and her very smooth handling of same during her talk. Attending CRC member Andrea Strongwater ’70 ’s Nabokov butterfly event with children. Standing in line to purchase mementos at the Cornell Store. A marvelous stroll through the Botanic Gardens. Cornelliana Night (up close!). The tents. And an impromptu farewell breakfast at the Ithaca Bakery before we began our individual journeys home.

For my graduate school companion, I believe it was an eye-opening weekend, experiencing the breadth and depth of alumni activity available at Cornell Reunions, along with the impossibility of seeing and doing everything! She does intend to join the Continuous Reunion Club, so we can do this every year!

Thanks to our two roving reporters for their accounts! ❖ Connie Santagato Hosterman ’57 ( email Connie ) | John Cecilia ’70, MBA ’79 ( email John ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello, fellow Cornell fencers, and welcome to Group Notes! I’m excited to introduce this new column to share our alumni’s journeys, both personal and professional, while highlighting the latest on the team.

If we haven’t met, I’m Adam Kirsch ’15 , MBA ’16. Like many of you, Cornell fencing was an integral part of my college experience. While I spend most of my time now working as a consultant advising companies on mergers and acquisitions, I still enjoy breaking out the blades when I can and look forward to returning to the competitive fencing scene in fall 2024. I recently returned from a vacation to the United Kingdom, where my family and I worked with local archivists to trace our heritage to a small town in the English countryside, finding the pub operated by my ancestors still standing!

It seems like just yesterday we were all enjoying each other’s company in Ithaca at our annual Alumni Weekend and Spring Awards Dinner! There was a lot to celebrate—including the men’s team’s club national championship (for more, see the Cornell Chronicle story here , which features Gabriel Montalvo-Zotter ’24 , Riley Xian ’25 , and Max Dolmetsch ’25 ). It made the banquet even more special to recognize this team while commemorating the 2004 national champions—represented in Ithaca by Matt Herndon ’04 , Mike Klinger ’06 , Frank Castelli ’05 , PhD ’17, Jason Lin ’04 , and James Morris ’05 .

Matt now resides in State College, PA, and serves on the Borough Council, where he focuses on safer streets, housing affordability, sustainability, and inclusion. Mike traveled to sunny Ithaca from Honolulu, HI, where he works as a civil rights attorney and has recently declined two requests to play bass in a Toad the Wet Sprocket cover band. Dr. Castelli, a longtime Ithaca resident, left the familiar grounds of East Hill to take a new role at Atlanta’s Georgia State University.

I still enjoy breaking out the blades when I can and look forward to returning to the competitive fencing scene in fall 2024. Adam Kirsch ’15, MBA ’16

Also recognized were a number of scholar-athletes: the Graeme Jennings Award went to Molly Veerkamp ’24 and Gabe Montalvo-Zotter ’24; the Scholar Athlete of the Year for the third year in a row was Emma Ni ’25 ; the Georges Cointe Award went to two athletes with endless spirit and energy, Lucas Lutar ’25 and Isabela Carvalho ’27 ; with Patrick’s parents both in attendance, the Patrick DeNeale Award went to Riley Xian ’25 and Sterre Hoogendoorn ’24 ; and the Outstanding Athlete of the Year Awards went to Ketki Ketkar ’26 in epee and Langston Johnson ’27 in sabre.

Notably, Ketki won the NCAA Regional this season in commanding fashion. She earned bronze at NCAA Nationals and closed out the season as an All-American! Ketki is the first fencer to accomplish this feat since Victoria Wines ’17 . Since graduating from Boston College Law School in 2022, Vicki has served as the U.S. compliance lead at McGill and Partners.

Alan Petroff ’74 joined us from Huntsville, AL—bringing with him a wide selection of Yellowhammer beers from his home state! Alan’s Heroes Project, an effort to capture the stories and signatures of the greatest fencers in Cornell’s history, has brought many alumni back into the fold while paying tribute to the rich past of our fencing program.

Doug Herz ’73 coordinated a well-attended alumni meetup in Boston. We’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in organizing an alumni meetup in your home city.

Let us know what you’re up to! To be featured in Group Notes, email your update to: ❖ Adam Kirsch ’15 , MBA ’16 ( email Adam ) | Alumni Directory .

University Chorus & Glee Club

’Tis the summer of reuniting our favorite Cornell singers, from Reunion itself to meetups and joint trips elsewhere around the globe.

From what I heard about Reunion, the weather wasn’t the best, but the camaraderie was wonderful. Adam Juran ’94 , BA ’21, wrote, “It was so much fun making music again after 30 years! Don’t think we should wait so long before doing that again.” Chuck Walter ’99 posted a lovely video of the Chorus singing “The Hill” on the Glee Club Facebook page , to which TP Enders ’90 , ME ’96, commented, “I was thinking as this was going on, that sitting on the Bailey stage, surrounded by ‘The Hill’ being sung in earnest, and looking out over a dimly lit, spellbound audience, must surely be the very pinnacle of the Reunion experience. I’m glad you captured this exquisite moment. Nice to see you, Chuck, and the rest of you 4 and 9 hooligans. Looking forward to a proper 0 and 5 event next year after 2020’s was derailed.” I, too, am looking forward to my much-delayed 25th (aka my 30th) next year (June 5–8, 2025—save the date!) and hope to see many of my Chorus and Glee Club friends in attendance!

It was so much fun making music again after 30 years! Don’t think we should wait so long before doing that again. Adam Juran ’94, BA ’21

In mid-June, after our kids finished school, Esther Cohen Bezborodko ’94 and I took our families to a beautiful Airbnb adjacent to a lovely beach on the Chesapeake Bay right outside of Virginia Beach. It was a glorious four days with three adults, five kids, and a puppy, and everyone had a blast. Esther’s son had his bar mitzvah in May, and her youngest daughter will have hers in November. The family recently moved to North Riverdale (from South Riverdale) and love it there. Performance wise, Esther is now studying with Erik Nelson Werner, and she and her children recently performed in a gala benefit for their local theater featuring lots of Broadway luminaries—a great experience all around, she said.

Steve Engelbrecht ’01 spent the summer in Geneva, Switzerland, with his family. His kids (Alex, 8, Nora, 7, and Steven, 4) were enrolled in a bilingual summer camp and he and his wife were taking French lessons. They had posted some pictures on Facebook and got a reply from Michael Banino ’94 , BA ’95, who lives in Jakarta with his wife, Morgan, and son Finch, 5, but his sister lives in Geneva and they visit every summer. Steve writes, “We were able to work out a get-together at a local place for some delicious local cuisine, a stroll through the Vieille Ville, and a ride on the Ferris wheel in this beautiful city!”

Your updates are music to my ears—please keep them coming! Until we meet again. ❖ Alison Torrillo French ’95 ( email Alison ) | Alumni Directory .

Top image: Photo by Noël Heaney / Cornell University

Published September 1, 2024