Dr. John Seeley (FOH Ph.D. 1948)  Dr. Seeley passed away on May 9, 2007 in Ithaca NY.  Dr. Seeley received his B.S. in Horticulture in 1937 and his MS in 1940 at Rutgers University. He completed his Ph.D. at Cornell in 1948. His teaching, research and extension work ranged from research assistant at Rutgers to associate professor and Chair of Floriculture at Penn State, and head of Department of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture at Cornell. Dr. Seeley was author of several scientific bulletins and many technical and scientific articles for florist trade papers and magazines. He served for a number of years as Secretary to the International Horticulture Society and in 1986, was elected President of the American Horticulture Society. Since 1986, he has been honored by the annual "Seeley Conference," a gathering of professional growers at Cornell to promote floriculture. He received the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award, the highest honor of American Horticulture Society, in 1998. Dr. Seeley was active in Rotary for many years, having served as President of the Ithaca Chapter and subsequently District Governor of Rotary District Club #717 in New York. After retirement, he continued participation in floriculture affairs as the President of the Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation which makes small grants to floriculture researchers.

Lee Altier (VEG Ph.D. 1992)  (1927 Manzanita Ave., Chaco, CA 95926 – laltier@cscuhico.edu)

Daniel Borchert (POM BS 1992) Since graduating in 1992 Dan married Kristen Prosser (CU '93), obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology from North Carolina State University,  Daniel is currently working as a Risk Analyst with USDA -APHIS in Raleigh NC and has a daughter (Elizabeth 3 yr) and son (Tyler 7 mo). 

Katrina (Greenly) Binkewicz (FOH MS 1993) Katrina is married to Matthew Binkewicz a hospice chaplain.  Their son Tony Greenly is in 6th grade at Lansing Central Schools.   Katrina teaches at BOCES – Tompkins/Seneca/Tioga high school science for the Turning Point Program dealing with special needs children. (485 Ridge Road, Lansing, NY 14882 – katrinamcbiak@netscape.net)

Robert (Bob) Brown II (POM BS 1977) Bob says he is proud to have his son Bobby ’06 back on the farm with them and daughter Sarah is now class of ’09. (1282 Oak Orchard River Road, Waterport, NY 14571 – rbrownii@rochester.rr.com - http://www.brownsberrypatch.com/history_farm.html)

William Brozowski (VEG BS 1962)  Bill traveled to Peru, Chile, G. Caymans, C. Rica, Hawaii, Alaska, all Europe, England, N. Zealand, Australia, Tasmania, etc. as well as the U.S. and much of Canada and all Mexico.  Getting ready for Africa, Egypt, etc. He is still selling veggies to foreign countries and wholesale Christmas trees in Texas.  Bill has 3 children and 4 grandchildren all in Texas. (3601 Date Palm, McAllen, Tx 78501 – 956-686-4790.)

Rev. Donald Cario (POM BS 1952) Rev. Cario will not be with us on June 9, as much as he would enjoy it.  They will be in South Africa in May and June, where he will be teaching in the black Seminary in Pretoria.  Since retirement Rev. Cario has been traveling to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan where he has been teaching in the Lutheran Seminary.  (4436 Canal Road, Spencerport, NY 14559)

Ernesto Casseres (VEG Ph.D. 1952) Ernesto lives in uptown Santiago.  Retired from any active daily hort duty, but spends two or three days every other week in country home within an avocado orchard (where they also grown an assortment of vegetable and fruit crops for home use, plus some ornamentals (La Pastora 181, Santigao Chile – netocass@mi.cl)

Norman Childers ( VEG Ph.D. 1937) Norman retired from the University of Florida April 2006 after completing a book on strawberries and blueberries, and teaching courses on: Growing Fruits for Fun and Profit; Subtropical Fruits; and Deciduous Fruit Growing. (3906 NW 31 Place, Gainesville, Florida 32606 – Norm1029@aol.com)

James Clarke (FOH BS 1987) Shortly after graduation James began a Landscape Construction Company serving the Syracuse New York area.  Somehow James says he convinced his Cornell sweetheart to marry him and they now have two wonderful sons.  James would love to hear from any of his classmates. (384 Rockwell Road, Marcellus, NY 13108)

Jamie Critelli (FOH BS 1998) – What a busy year!  Jamie moved to Switzerland last November after getting out of Iraq.  Started on MBA program in Zurich in March, finally got a discharge from the army in August and got married in September.  Jamie’s wife is German and her name is Antje.  They live in Basel Switzerland at the moment where Antje is preparing for her Swiss COA licensing exam.  Anybody in this area this winter, please feel free to stop by!  Thank you for the newsletter.  It’s good to see the department getting new buildings and facilities at Cornell.  Long overdue!  (Basel Mattweg 42 3123 Allschwil Switzerland – Jamie_critelli@gmx.ch)

Charles Doty (VC Ph.D. 1973) Three former colleagues and Chuck operate a company called SynTech Research, Inc., which they started in 2000.  They do contract research with all types of products for various companies in the agricultural industry.  They do GLP studies to provide data to clients for product registrations, and also efficacy studies with pesticides, plant growth regulators, nutrients and any other products that clients may wish to evaluate.  They have a 100 acre farm near Sanger, CA where most of their work is done, but also do trials as far north as the rice growing area in Northern California as well as some Southern California locations.  Their website, syntechresearch.com, gives an overview of the types of research that they provide.
Chuck enjoys receiving the Department Newsletter and hopes to get back to Cornell one of these days for a visit.   (1104 Coulter Court Fairfield, CA 94533 ckdoty@sbcglobal.net)

Yanxin (Star) Gao (HORT Ph.D. 2004) Congratulations to Star and Kevin Packard they are the proud parents of new daughter Anya Gao Packard.  Star is currently a Postdoc Research Associate in the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech.

 Joanne Giggey (Public Garden Mgmt. MPS 2003) – Joanne is working as a science teacher at The Town School, which is an independent school in Manhattan. She greatly enjoys this position and working with curious youth all day!  Joanne will attend a 3 week research workshop in the Peruvian Amazon this summer.  (601 W. 115St. Apt. 110 New York, NY – giggeyj@yahoo.com).

Carla Hetzel (MPS 2001/02) Carla spent the last 3 years as the Plant Curator at the Tyler Arboretum now moving to a garden design/install/maintain company in search of more creative freedom.  Carla is happily living near her hometown of Philadelphia, PA. (210 Fairlamb, Havertown, PA 19083)

Larry Hiller (VEG Ph.D. 1974) A quick reply for now to thank you for the HortShorts!!! Good luck in keeping it going, and thanks for keeping me "on the list"!! I am a Dr. Wm C Kelly product from the Veg Crops department era of 1973. Fond memories and a firm basis was established at Cornell and especially with Dr. Kelly!!!

George A. Johannessen (Ph.D. 1950) George is currently an Agricultural Consultant, and Institute Director Emeritus of California Tomato Research, Inc.  From the Cornell Faculty (1950-53 he went to American Can Co-Pacific Division Agronomists (1953-1960.  From 1960 – 1965) he was the Pineapple Research Institute and member of the Graduate Faculty, University of Hawaii.  In 1965 (to 1968) he was Director of the Raw Product Research, California Canners and Growers.  In 1968 (to 1990) he was Director, California Tomato Research Institute in Livermore California. His foreign assignments over the years have been: survey Mexican processing tomato industry potential, Taiwan, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Spain, Peru, Main Land China, and France. He sends his kindest regards to a wonderful group of Cornellians. (333 Hartford Rd., Danville, CA 94525)

Irene Kadzere (POM Ph.D. 2006)   Greetings from Zimbabwe!! Irene thought she should drop a line to say hello. She hopes that everyone is doing well in Ithaca and that the weather is still favorable. She is doing quite well and her family in South Africa is ok.  Her job with ICRAF is ok and very challenging with new challenges coming up each day!

Brian A. Kahn (VEG MS 1979; PhD 1982)  Brian and his wife Jo went on a 7-day Alaskan cruise in September.  They enjoyed the beautiful scenery, including a ride into the rain forest at the Glacier Gardens botanical garden in Juneau.  Brian will mark his 25th anniversary of employment with Oklahoma State University on May 1, 2007. Brian says he will have to make an effort to visit the campus the next time he is back in the northeast.  They have had an interesting development in Oklahoma; virtually all of their plant-science-related agricultural experiment stations were taken out from departmental control and put under the direction of a new Field and Research Services Unit (a part of the Divisions administration).  So far, most of the changes Brian has seen have been positive.  They actually received some money to put into their Vegetable Research Station south of Tulsa, where he does virtually all his research (90 miles from campus).  Also, they are finally back to two full-time station-based employees (count your blessings, you who do research at Freeville!). 
 
Tom Kaplun (FOH BS 2002) Tom is working as an Assistant Superintendent at the Huntington Crescent Club in Huntington, NY.  (2326 Fowler Street, Bellmore, NY 11710).

Ku-Tan Li (POM PhD 2003) Dr. Kuo-Tan Li recently left Dr. Jim Syvertsens program at the Univ. of Florida Citrus REC in Lake Alfred, FL, to take a faculty position in Fruit Science in the Department of Horticulture at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan.  Kuo-Tan had a very strong background in whole-tree physiology of apples form his PhD work at Cornell and became a postdoc at CREC 2003.  Kuo-Tan was the group leader on a project dealing with effects mechanical harvesting and abscission chemicals on citrus tree health. While there, he independently developed methods to assess light absorption in citrus tree canopies and subterranean methods to monitor root growth in situ. His hard work will be missed.

Claes Linden (VEG Ph.D. 1977) Dear Friends, Somebody recently handed me a copy of the Horticulture alumni and Friends Newsletter where he had found my name under Missing addresses.  I thought I was long since forgotten, and I am glad to see that wasn’t so.  After my Ph.D. at Cornell I became DG of the College of Agriculture Yangambi, then Zaire. I became aware of the systematic destruction of the African rainforest and decided to do something about it.  I founded the Live Planet Foundation to at least try to get protection for the world’s rainforest and their fauna. (Fundacio Planeta Vivo Vivero Tropical, Lista de Correos, E-11368 Estacion De San Roque (Cadiz) Spain)

Jim Lorenzen (VEG Ph.D. 1988)  Jim will be leaving his faculty position in potato genetics at the U. of Idaho to accept a position with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture as a breeder of highland cooking bananas for East and Southern Africa.  He will be located in Kampala, Uganda.  (IITA-Uganda c/o Lambourn Ltd., Carolyn House, 26 Dingwall Road, Croydon CR9 EEE, United Kingdom).

Ernest Marshall (VC Ph.D. 1951)   Ernie reports he is still “kickin!”  (10 Paso Hondo, Carmel Valley, CA 93924 )

Katherine Palm (FOH BS 1997) (8684 Walutes Circle, Alexandria, VA 22309 – kpalm@aoc.gov)

Anthony Pappas (VEG MS 2002) Anthony would like to share with the Department of Horticulture that he has been selected as a participant in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program to Japan for October, 2007 (a fully funded 3 week program in Tokyo [www.iie.org]).  It took three years of planning, revising, and editing his vision statement and its implementation before admittance to the program.  Anthony reports he is very excited about this opportunity to advance professionally and to contribute to the Bronx learning community which he has dedicated himself to for the last five years as a 5th grade teacher at P.S. 86 and as a prospective educational administrator. (2124 23rd Street, #2R, Astoria, NY 11105, ap38@cornell.edu)

Kenneth E. Pollard (BS 1958) Kenneth was a student and worked closely with Art Pratt while at Cornell. After graduation, he worked closely with many of the staff members of the Department.  Kenneth was with the N.Y. Cherry Growers Ass'n and the Western New York Apple Growers Ass'n for over 30 years.  Kenneth and his wife of 51 years live in their new home overlooking Cayuga Lake.  He remains active in various organizations including the Daniel Parrish Witter Agricultural Museum, Shriners Hospital for Children at Springfield, MA, the Auburn Shrine Club and the Cayuga County Scat Van.  He still oversees the family farm.  Kenneth wishes continued success to all the staff at the Dept. of Horticulture.  (5173 Plaster Point, Cayuga, NY 13034, 315-889-5053, kbpol@rochester.rr.com)

Lloyd Putnam (POM BS 1944) (3624 Oak Forest Dr. the Villages, FL 32162- sputnam01@comcast.net)

Stanley Ries (FOH PHD 1953) Stanley is still working ½ days, but spends much time on Pere Marquell River hunting and fishing. (1529 Cahill, East Lansing, MI 48823 – sries@msu.edu)
 
Marcia Perry Rodriquez (FOH BS 1993) Marcia has been a stay at home mom for 6 years.  She has 3 girls and enjoys bringing them down to Cornell in the summer.  Marcia says she can’t believe all the changes! (5326 Thompson Road, Clarence, NY 14031 – marciaray@adelphia.net)

Brent Rowell (VC Ph.D. 1984)    Brent is now working in SE Asia, this time in Myanmar (Burma) for an NGO called IDE (International Development Enterprises)(www.ideorg.org) based in Colorado. He will be introducing drip irrigation for vegetable crops and to help improve the overall level of vegetable crop management including IPM, nutrient management, plant disease and insect diagnoses, etc. Andie (now 13!) is in 8th grade at the International School at Yangon (ISY) which she enjoys and where she quickly made new friends. Al and Brent are studying the language three days a week but he will have to drop out soon with the dry season starting.  (browell@yangon.net.mm).

John Sereduke, Jr. (VEG BS 1982) (6 Center St., Glen Cove, NY 11542)

Raymond Sheldrake (VEG MS 1950; Ph.D. 1952) Raymond reports he is healthy and happy at an assisted living facility in Florida.  His son Greg handles his affairs and will forward personal mail to him. (718 Elmira Road, Ithaca, NY 14850).

Cecilia Shipley (FOH BS 1981) Cecilia’s company, Landscape Solutions, specializes in pruning, design and installation. Her 3 children are ages 18, 15, and 13.  The oldest, Nick is a freshman at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University studying Aerospace Engineering.  They traveled to Ithaca in July to visit with former classmate Kent Diebolt and his family.  Cecilia also stayed in the touch with Dr. Leonard Perry, who’s still at UVM.  (8 Cleveland Street, Norfolk, MA 02056 – cshipleyrun@verizon.net)

Ann Stoud (VEG 1979 MS, 1982 Ph.D) On behalf of Ann (Stroud), Roger Kirby let us know  that Ann has been quite seriously ill with brain cancer for the past nearly 2 years. “She has been fighting hard and doing well all things considered, although right now it seems to be getting the better of her. Obviously she gave up her job, although co-authored publications are continuing to appear! “  Ann is with Roger and their son Andrew in Uganda - their daughter Katie graduated last year as Valedictorian at the International School of Uganda and is currently on a gap year exploring other parts of the world besides the Africa she has known all her life, and will be starting at the University of Sussex in October. (r.kirkby@cgiar.org)

Helen Thompson (FOH MS 1997) (4318 Sunridge Drive, Loveland, CO 80538 – hthompson1234@hotmail.com)

Bill Wickham (POM BS 1951) Bill is still raising cherries, peaches and grapes over the hill in Hector, New York.  Son Lindsay graduated from ALS in 1985 and granddaughter Katie graduated from ALS in 2005. (PO Box 55, Hector, NY 14841)

Dale Young (VC MPS 1977) Dale is currently employed as a “Product Development Specialist” at Stokes Seeds (on a part-time basis) with specific interest in onions. (7 Pine View Lane, Hannibal, NY 13074 – dyoung@stokeseeds.com).