Cornell College E-Newsletter

The Cornell Alumni Association is dedicated to fostering a mutually beneficial and enduring relationship between Cornell College and all of its nearly 12,000 alumni. Your comments and suggestions are welcome at enews@cornellcollege.edu. To unsubscribe, click the link at the end of this e-newsletter.

MCWETHY GIFT LAUNCHES BERRY CENTER
James McWethy ’65 donated $5 million to endow a program that will prepare future leaders in business and public policy, as a tribute to his grandfather, Lester Berry, who rose from meager beginnings to run one of the most successful businesses distributing industrial bearings. Cornell officially launched the Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy with a lecture Oct. 13 by Robert Solow, winner of the 1987 Nobel Prize in economics.

STUDENT’S PLAY PREMIERES
Look for the name Holli Gipson on a Broadway marquee someday. The senior English and theater major from Fort Worth, Texas, penned her first play, Peach Blood, and watched it premiere at Cornell this month. “It is most unusual for a first playwriting effort by an undergraduate student to receive this level of production at any institution,” said director Mark Hunter. Holli is also a letterwinner on the women’s basketball team.

FROM PROFESSOR TO POLICY MAKER
Dave Loebsack’s students and colleagues marked his graduation from college professor to congressman with a reception at which he delivered regards from fellow freshman congressman and political science professor Chris Carney ’81 of Pennsylvania. Loebsack, whose career President Les Garner called “an American success story,” retired Nov. 30 as an active faculty member in the politics department, his home since 1982. Cornell has invited him to return to the classroom as time allows during and after his congressional appointment.

EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES FOR CORNELL FELLOWS
The 2006 fall semester Cornell Fellows completed work at an array of organizations, including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix, the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the office of U.S. Rep. Jim Leach in Washington, D.C., the Fifteen in 5 initiatives in Cedar Rapids, and Marquette Bank in Minneapolis. These ambitious students were recognized at a campus reception earlier this month.

FALL ATHLETES HONORED BY IOWA CONFERENCE The Rams are well into the winter sports season, but honors have been rolling in yet for the fall athletes. Named to All-Iowa Conference teams were football players Travion Hardman and Chris Gustafson, men’s soccer player Patrick Carry, and women’s soccer players Sara Bleeker and Brianna Wallace. Also earning all-IIAC honors were Rachelle Hawkins and Patricia Gonzalves of the women’s cross country team, and tennis players Pavla Brachova, Emily Loewen, Jess Horn, Jenna Morris, and Becky Birkhofer.

FACULTY AWARDED RESIDENCIES
Hugh Lifson, emeritus professor of art, and Don Chamberlain, associate professor of music, were awarded residencies at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, Neb. Lifson did his residency this fall; Chamberlain will take his in May. Cornell and the center agreed to establish residencies of approximately a month for faculty in art, theater, music, or creative writing. The residencies provide a quiet, dedicated retreat and a like-minded community of practicing artists, composers, and writers.

GRANT SENDS GEOLOGY PROFESSOR DOWN UNDER Professor of geology Ben Greenstein has been awarded a grant by the University of Queensland for international collaborative research. The grant will allow him to work with a Queensland colleague in March and April to investigate the influence of climate change on reef coral community structure in coastal Western Australia. More faculty/staff news...

2 EARN FORTY UNDER 40 AWARDS
RJ Holmes ’99, director of the Engagement Program in the Division of Student Affairs, was named by the Corridor Business Journal of Iowa City/Cedar Rapids as a Forty Under 40 Award honoree for 2006. The awards are given annually to recognize and thank leaders under the age of 40 who have made a significant impact in their business or community or both early in their careers. Also named was Kristine Chiafos, coordinator of Cornell’s Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy.

HEARD ON CAMPUS
Ralph “Chris” Christoffersen ’59, a partner in a venture capital firm focused on biotechnology, spoke on “Biotechnology as the Next U.S. Economic Driver” during a November trip to campus for the Beta Omicron Distinguished Alumni Visitors Program. During his stay he also visited a class on capital markets and met with chemistry, biology, and economics and business students and faculty, plus members of the Cornell Financial Group.

MIDTERM ELECTIONS
Science magazine dubbed Cornell a “political powerhouse” after congressional victories by Democrats Dave Loebsack, politics professor, and Chris Carney ’81. Loebsack’s campaign against 15-term incumbent Jim Leach generated interest from media across the country. The Los Angeles Times called it “the most unlikely campaign in the 2006 midterm election cycle” due to each candidate’s refusal to go negative.

CORNELL REPORT IN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN PUBLICATION
The Cornell Report will be included in Creativity 36, a 400-page annual of outstanding design from 2006. Creativity 36 is the culmination of the Creativity Annual Awards which, this year, had entries from 38 states and 29 countries. Editors called this year’s quality “unprecedented.” Benson & Hepker Design in Iowa City has designed the Cornell Report since 1994; Joan Benson and Robyn Hepker were named honorary alumnae at the Alumni Board meeting in October.

ALUMNA HEADS SOUTH FOR WINTER
Annie Aggens ’92 embarks on her first South Pole expedition Dec. 31, a 10-14-day trip she hopes will draw attention to the effects of global climate change and the dangers of the melting polar icecap. As director of polar operations for adventure tour operator The Northwest Passage, she is a veteran of North Pole expeditions. “The challenge with the South Pole is the altitude (9,300 feet above sea level), the very strong winds and temperatures dropping to minus 30,” she says.

‘TIS THE SEASON … FOR GIVING
As 2006 comes to a close, please consider making your year-end gift to Cornell to take advantage of maximum tax benefits. To be eligible for a 2006 tax deduction, your gift must be postmarked no later than Dec. 31. Consider making your gift today by visiting our secure online giving site. We are grateful for the thousands of alumni and friends who support this great college each year.

THE CHALLENGE IS ON!
Attention alumni from 1997-2006: Cornell currently trails Coe in the 2nd Annual Coe-Cornell Young Alumni Challenge as Coe seeks to avenge their loss in last year’s challenge. This competition is based on the participation of our young alumni, not the amount given. We need the support of every young alum to BEAT COE AGAIN! Please make your gift today! View current standings online.

LUCE GALLERY READIES FOR ‘CONVECTION’
The Peter Paul Luce Gallery will host Leighton Pierce’s latest installation, “Convection,” Jan. 14 – Feb. 11. “Convection” consists of six separate video loops projected onto five 3-D objects arranged like a large jewel in the center of the Peter Paul Luce Gallery in McWethy Hall. Viewers circle the clustered projections as four channels of sound expand and refocus the imagery. The work encourages a different kind of viewing and listening, where listening and looking inward matters as much as looking outward.

MUSIC MONDAYS RESUMES
After a brief intermission following two early fall concerts, the Music Mondays series resumes Feb. 19 with the Mozart Piano Quartet from Berlin, whose recordings have won critical acclaim and whose performances have been called “altogether dazzling.”

RAM ATHLETICS IN A CITY NEAR YOU
Cornell alumni can cheer for the women's and men's basketball teams in the Chicago area in December. After the games, meet the players and coaches. For game details and after-game information, go online. Other teams traveling during the winter months include baseball (Tampa and St. Louis) and wrestling (Ft. Lauderdale). See the athletics homepage for more schedule information.

CORNELLIANS ON THE SLOPES
Like to ski? Join the Cornell College Club of Colorado, "The Mountain Toppers," at their annual ski day at Copper Mountain on Saturday, Feb. 24. Don't ski? Join the group for après ski festivities.

BELTWAY BASH
Washington, D.C., area alumni and friends will gather for a reception with President Les and Katrina Garner at the National Restaurant Association Building on Feb. 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Steve Anderson ’75, Cornell Board of Trustees member and President of the National Restaurant Association, will be the host that evening.


December 2006		The Cornell Alumni Association is dedicated to fostering a mutually beneficial and enduring relationship between Cornell College and all of its nearly 12,000 alumni. Your comments and suggestions are welcome at enews@cornellcollege.edu. To unsubscribe, click the link at the end of this e-newsletter. For a complete listing of Cornell news and events visit our News Center. MCWETHY GIFT LAUNCHES BERRY CENTER James McWethy ’65 donated $5 million to endow a program that will prepare future leaders in business and public policy, as a tribute to his grandfather, Lester Berry, who rose from meager beginnings to run one of the most successful businesses distributing industrial bearings. Cornell officially launched the Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy with a lecture Oct. 13 by Robert Solow, winner of the 1987 Nobel Prize in economics. STUDENT’S PLAY PREMIERES Look for the name Holli Gipson on a Broadway marquee someday. The senior English and theater major from Fort Worth, Texas, penned her first play, *Peach Blood, and watched it premiere at Cornell this month. “It is most unusual for a first playwriting effort by an undergraduate student to receive this level of production at any institution,” said director Mark Hunter. Holli is also a letterwinner on the women’s basketball team. FROM PROFESSOR TO POLICY MAKER* Dave Loebsack’s students and colleagues marked his graduation from college professor to congressman with a reception at which he delivered regards from fellow freshman congressman and political science professor Chris Carney ’81 of Pennsylvania. Loebsack, whose career President Les Garner called “an American success story,” retired Nov. 30 as an active faculty member in the politics department, his home since 1982. Cornell has invited him to return to the classroom as time allows during and after his congressional appointment. EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES FOR CORNELL FELLOWS The 2006 fall semester Cornell Fellows completed work at an array of organizations, including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix, the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the office of U.S. Rep. Jim Leach in Washington, D.C., the Fifteen in 5 initiatives in Cedar Rapids, and Marquette Bank in Minneapolis. These ambitious students were recognized at a campus reception earlier this month. FALL ATHLETES HONORED BY IOWA CONFERENCE The Rams are well into the winter sports season, but honors have been rolling in yet for the fall athletes. Named to All-Iowa Conference teams were football players Travion Hardman and Chris Gustafson, men’s soccer player Patrick Carry, and women’s soccer players Sara Bleeker and Brianna Wallace. Also earning all-IIAC honors were Rachelle Hawkins and Patricia Gonzalves of the women’s cross country team, and tennis players Pavla Brachova, Emily Loewen, Jess Horn, Jenna Morris, and Becky Birkhofer. FACULTY AWARDED RESIDENCIES Hugh Lifson, emeritus professor of art, and Don Chamberlain, associate professor of music, were awarded residencies at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, Neb. Lifson did his residency this fall; Chamberlain will take his in May. Cornell and the center agreed to establish residencies of approximately a month for faculty in art, theater, music, or creative writing. The residencies provide a quiet, dedicated retreat and a like-minded community of practicing artists, composers, and writers. GRANT SENDS GEOLOGY PROFESSOR DOWN UNDER Professor of geology Ben Greenstein has been awarded a grant by the University of Queensland for international collaborative research. The grant will allow him to work with a Queensland colleague in March and April to investigate the influence of climate change on reef coral community structure in coastal Western Australia. More faculty/staff news... 2 EARN FORTY UNDER 40 AWARDS RJ Holmes ’99, director of the Engagement Program in the Division of Student Affairs, was named by the Corridor Business Journal of Iowa City/Cedar Rapids as a Forty Under 40 Award honoree for 2006. The awards are given annually to recognize and thank leaders under the age of 40 who have made a significant impact in their business or community or both early in their careers. Also named was Kristine Chiafos, coordinator of Cornell’s Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy. HEARD ON CAMPUS Ralph “Chris” Christoffersen ’59, a partner in a venture capital firm focused on biotechnology, spoke on “Biotechnology as the Next U.S. Economic Driver” during a November trip to campus for the Beta Omicron Distinguished Alumni Visitors Program. During his stay he also visited a class on capital markets and met with chemistry, biology, and economics and business students and faculty, plus members of the Cornell Financial Group. MIDTERM ELECTIONS Science magazine dubbed Cornell a “political powerhouse” after congressional victories by Democrats Dave Loebsack, politics professor, and Chris Carney ’81. Loebsack’s campaign against 15-term incumbent Jim Leach generated interest from media across the country. The Los Angeles Times called it “the most unlikely campaign in the 2006 midterm election cycle” due to each candidate’s refusal to go negative. *CORNELL REPORT* IN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN PUBLICATION The Cornell Report will be included in Creativity 36, a 400-page annual of outstanding design from 2006. Creativity 36 is the culmination of the Creativity Annual Awards which, this year, had entries from 38 states and 29 countries. Editors called this year’s quality “unprecedented.” Benson & Hepker Design in Iowa City has designed the Cornell Report since 1994; Joan Benson and Robyn Hepker were named honorary alumnae at the Alumni Board meeting in October. ALUMNA HEADS SOUTH FOR WINTER Annie Aggens ’92 embarks on her first South Pole expedition Dec. 31, a 10-14-day trip she hopes will draw attention to the effects of global climate change and the dangers of the melting polar icecap. As director of polar operations for adventure tour operator The Northwest Passage, she is a veteran of North Pole expeditions. “The challenge with the South Pole is the altitude (9,300 feet above sea level), the very strong winds and temperatures dropping to minus 30,” she says. ‘TIS THE SEASON … FOR GIVING As 2006 comes to a close, please consider making your year-end gift to Cornell to take advantage of maximum tax benefits. To be eligible for a 2006 tax deduction, your gift must be postmarked no later than Dec. 31. Consider making your gift today by visiting our secure online giving site. We are grateful for the thousands of alumni and friends who support this great college each year. THE CHALLENGE IS ON! Attention alumni from 1997-2006: Cornell currently trails Coe in the 2nd Annual Coe-Cornell Young Alumni Challenge as Coe seeks to avenge their loss in last year’s challenge. This competition is based on the participation of our young alumni, not the amount given. We need the support of every young alum to BEAT COE AGAIN! Please make your gift today! View current standings online. LUCE GALLERY READIES FOR ‘CONVECTION’ The Peter Paul Luce Gallery will host Leighton Pierce’s latest installation, “Convection,” Jan. 14 – Feb. 11. “Convection” consists of six separate video loops projected onto five 3-D objects arranged like a large jewel in the center of the Peter Paul Luce Gallery in McWethy Hall. Viewers circle the clustered projections as four channels of sound expand and refocus the imagery. The work encourages a different kind of viewing and listening, where listening and looking inward matters as much as looking outward. MUSIC MONDAYS RESUMES After a brief intermission following two early fall concerts, the Music Mondays series resumes Feb. 19 with the Mozart Piano Quartet from Berlin, whose recordings have won critical acclaim and whose performances have been called “altogether dazzling.” RAM ATHLETICS IN A CITY NEAR YOU Cornell alumni can cheer for the women's and men's basketball teams in the Chicago area in December. After the games, meet the players and coaches. For game details and after-game information, go online. Other teams traveling during the winter months include baseball (Tampa and St. Louis) and wrestling (Ft. Lauderdale). See the athletics homepage for more schedule information. CORNELLIANS ON THE SLOPES Like to ski? Join the Cornell College Club of Colorado, "The Mountain Toppers," at their annual ski day at Copper Mountain on Saturday, Feb. 24. Don't ski? Join the group for après ski festivities. BELTWAY BASH Washington, D.C., area alumni and friends will gather for a reception with President Les and Katrina Garner at the National Restaurant Association Building on Feb. 8 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Steve Anderson ’75, Cornell Board of Trustees member and President of the National Restaurant Association, will be the host that evening. ©2006 Cornell College; All Rights Reserved