Tell us about what you're doing with your life
My wife, Anne (Westa ’85), and I are enjoying living in Orleans on Cape Cod. We’re still both working and very much enjoy what we do. Anne owns and operates an interior design firm both here on the Cape and in Sanibel, FL, and I run a software development company that outsources to Ukrainian designers and developers. We primarily design and build websites and mobile apps for small to medium-sized companies. I began my career as a firmware engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation and then joined as a principal at a small networking startup in early 1998. After the company was acquired in ‘99, I left the corporate world and ventured out on my own.
We raised our two sons, Jamie (Cornell ’14, ’15) and Brian (Cornell ’16), in Westford MA and then ‘retired’ to the Cape after they left the nest. Both now live close to Boston and have long-time girlfriends that we absolutely adore. Anne and I enjoy family time, the outdoors, traveling, dining out, birdwatching, gardening and more. We’re looking forward to attending Reunion and reconnecting with everyone!
What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
There were many, but I especially enjoyed Frank Drake’s ‘Life in the Universe’. The class explored the Drake Equation which attempted to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way. Fascinating! Incidentally, the answers calculated by Frank’s colleagues ranged from 1 using extremely conservative estimates to hundreds of thousands! Carl Sagan was a guest lecturer, but Frank was my main man. Loved his class!
What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Too many to count, but I’ll mention quite a few. Hanging out with friends. Cornell Hockey season tix all four years and the ECAC Finals at Boston Garden freshman year! The Gorge and beautiful parks nearby. Frisbee on the Arts quad (and in Barton Hall)! Cross Country Gourmet and Sunday brunches at Noyes. Strolling across campus in Spring time or during a snow flurry. Traying on Libe Slope ‘til sunrise. Major league snowball fights on the Quad. Studying and hanging in the Music Room at the Straight. Being part of the Merry Pranksters of U-Hall 2 freshman year.
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Don’t get together or check in with my classmates as much as I’d like, but still keeping up with Brad Martin, Deval (Shah) Canning, Rana and Amy (Brooks) Kayal, Dan Davis, and Steve and Susan (Seligsohn, ’86) Howell.
What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Get your tray early, before the staff starts keeping an eye on them.
What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
Attending every home hockey game was tops for me. Go Big Red! I still follow ECAC hockey and attend Cornell games when I get the chance.
If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I wish I’d explored more of the campus and Ithaca in general while there as a student. We’ve been fortunate to have returned to Cornell many times over the years (especially with Jamie and Brian there on campus). Each time, we’ve made it a point to explore new parts of campus and surrounding areas that we’d never experienced previously.
What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
I think of my time at Cornell very often; some of the best years of my life! I learned so much, both in and outside of the classroom, and had so many great experiences, including meeting Anne. We’re both extremely proud that we’re Cornell alumni.
I make a point of introducing myself to fellow Cornellians, e.g. when I see a Cornell sticker on a car or an unfamiliar person wearing Big Red clothing. We often have so much to talk about and it’s fun to reminisce.
We’ve attended some of the Cornell Club of Cape Cod events (fun!) and plan to do more.
What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2024?
It’s been quite a few years since we’ve been back to Ithaca. I’m very much looking forward to seeing old friends and perhaps making new ones.