Eugene Sorets
College of Arts & Sciences
Tell us about what you're doing with your life
After Cornell I continued studying math in grad school and then zigzagged for a number of years between industry and academia, ending up in finance for the last couple of decades. For the last few years I have also been teaching part-time at BU business school and, having just retired from industry, plan to continue in academia and see if I can do something useful for healthcare.
I have a son, age 26 (Eng’ 19, so we are in sync for Reunions!) and a daughter, age 25 (who didn’t even apply to Cornell, the nerve!), both pursuing careers in healthcare like their mom, my wife Merit. So proud of them!
What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found most useful?
I loved most of my math classes, especially Complex Analysis with Birgit Speh, but one that made a great impression was not in my major: Western Civ---a truly amazing course for the kid who had up to then learned history in the Soviet Union!
I owe so much to L. Pierce Williams: He extended my horizons, stretched me intellectually, and taught me perseverance.
What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Going on multi-hour walks through Botanical Gardens talking to friends as we tried to figure out ourselves and our place in the world.
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Mary Theodore ‘84, Matt Cirino ‘83, Vernon Church ‘83, Denise Fried ‘85, Tejal Topiwala ‘82, Marta Ruedas ‘85, Peter Everett ‘83
What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was most meaningful?
Tae Kwon Do Club: I started at the beginning of sophomore year and continued for many years after, getting to third-degree black belt, and maintaining many friendships from Cornell days.
If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
Not a thing!
What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell?
Cornell has such a vast breadth of intellectual diversity (it has 8 schools!).
Try to take, or at least sit in on, courses well outside your major
just to get an idea how big the world is.
What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2024?
Bumping into people I have not kept in touch with and marveling at all the different paths we have taken