[Editor’s Note: These updates appeared in the Fall 2016 issue of Explorations, the magazine for alumni, donors, and friends.]
Herbert L. Ramo AG’50, Chatham, NJ, stays active with Rutgers as a member of the Oral History Archives. He will be celebrating his 60th anniversary with his wife Diana, according to Class of 1950 correspondent Allen “Doc” Simonson RC’50, NLAW’53 of East Orange, NJ.
Catching up with Don Burdick AG’56, GSNB’58: Don is now retired and lives in Hartwell, GA, after a long career with the USDA and the Army. He had joined the New Brunswick National Guard right after graduation and started on his master’s degree in the biochemistry department at the College of Agriculture, receiving the degree in 1958. He then went to Penn State for a doctorate in biochemistry. He married in 1959 and received his degree in 1962.
Don received a federal appointment as a research scientist with the USDA Regional Laboratory in Wyndmoor, PA, went on active duty in the U.S. Army, and after service returned to the USDA at its laboratory at the University of Kentucky. Later, he was offered the position of chief of the field crops laboratory at the new USDA Russell Research Center at the University of Georgia.
In a parallel career in the military, he was promoted in 1979 to colonel in the National Guard. In 1981, he was Georgia’s assistant adjutant general (Army) in the Georgia National Guard. He was federally recognized and promoted to brigadier general and took a leave of absence from his university position. After a few years, the Army asked him to report for active duty as director of the U.S. Army National Guard in the Pentagon. One of his responsibilities was to mobilize Army National Guard units throughout the 54 states and territories for Desert Storm. After his active duty in Washington, he was promoted to lieutenant in the Georgia National Guard. In retirement, he stays active in community service.
Bruce Wellnitz AG’58 served four years with the U.S. government as a soldier, agricultural economist, and statistician. Active in church work, he is a deacon at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Harwich Port, MA, and sings in the church choir. He has sung with two Welsh Male Voice Choirs—Saengerfest in Boston and We Are The Men on the Cape. He sang in London with 1,000 men at Royal Albert Hall. He also sang at Carnegie Hall.
Barry Clark AG’61, a resident of East Windsor, NJ, since 1973, received the Sylvia Weiss Senior Citizen Award for Outstanding Service as a Volunteer. He is a retired municipal administrator, having served a career in state, county, and municipal government positions, according to Class of 1961 correspondent Tom Siegel RC’61 of Dallas, TX.
Jon Rodiek AG’65 and his wife are continuing to work in their respective positions in a university setting, but they mention that colleagues are retiring and that they are considering that option, Class of 1965 correspondent Chuck Hennings RC’65 of Orlando, FL, reports.
Class of 1971 correspondent Ken Common RC’71 of Auburn, WA, reports that he attended the Rutgers vs. Ohio State football game in October and was able to connect with Pete Alexandro AG’72, GSNB’78, a fraternity brother who he hadn’t seen in 40 years.
Class of 1974 correspondent Rick Stier AG’74 reports that he was in Austria before Christmas on Krampusnacht and St. Nicholas Day. “One has to see Krampus to believe it. They would definitely win any and all costume contests at our Halloween.” He also asks his class to start thinking about 2019 and its 45th reunion. “The Class of 1974 was one of the top fundraisers during the 2014 reunion year. Maybe we can do better in 2019.”
Kathleen Gimpel Rosenfeld CC’81 relocated to Southern California in September 2015 and is a senior auditor with Price Paige & Company. Her daughter, Jessica, is working toward a doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Denver; her son, Joshua, is at the University of California-Irvine working toward a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Her husband, Jeffrey, is a professor of neurology at Loma Linda University.
Nicolas Delli Veneri CC’82 was recently promoted to vice president of Lend Lease (U.S.) Construction LMB, Inc., a construction management firm in New York City. He has been working in the construction management field for the last 32 years in high-rise construction in the metropolitan area. Also, Nicolas and his wife, Arianne VanVliet, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in September 2015. This report comes from Class of 1982 correspondent Norm Schleiffer RC’82.
Paul Orbe CC’94 was recently awarded the 2016 Urban Science Educator Development Award from the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and Shell. Previously, Paul was awarded the NSTA-Bayer Fellowship. Since 2013, he has conducted biopharmaceutical research and has participated in the Research Experience for Teachers program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is a science teacher at the Academy for Enrichment and Advancement in Union City, NJ, where he focuses on biology, chemistry, and scientific research. Prior to teaching, he was an accomplished professional in health administration. His fondness for science prompted him to become an educator. Paul’s teaching philosophy centers on making students life-long learners.
In the summer of 2015, Jennifer Robertson CC’97 participated in the Miami University’s Earth Expeditions global field course in Baja California. Jennifer, a zookeeper at the Philadelphia Zoo, took the course in pursuit of her master’s degree from Miami University’s Global Field Program.
Megan Malaska CC’04 studied model community-based efforts to preserve Bornean species along the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, East Malaysia, in the summer of 2015. Megan, the manager of education at the Wildlife Conservation Society in Brooklyn, NY, is pursuing her master’s degree from Miami University’s Global Field Program.
Luke Dougherty SEBS’14 is attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School and will graduate in 2017.
