Alumni News

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Kenn Arning writes: Greetings, I graduated in 1971, majored in Geography; special interests then/now : cultural / political geography. Dr. Peter Wacker was my best teacher, so much of what I learned in his course has stayed with me these past 32 years. I have traveled to about 40 countries since I graduated from Rutgers; mostly off-the-beaten track third world counties. My favorite holidays were in Madagascar, the Comoros Islands, Zanzibar & Pemba, the Galapagos and Cuba. My passion for geography has never waned. I have lived in Seattle the past 23 years.
Thank you Rutgers Geography Dept.

Anthony Brazel writes: I'm a full professor at Arizona State University, served as chair for seven years, associate dean in our graduate college for a year. I'm currently the following (take your pick): Long-Term Ecological Research climate representative for CAPLTER (Central Arizona and Phoenix LTER); University representative to ARCUS - Arctic Research Consortium of the United States; American Geographical Society's representative to AAAS; Member of UCAR membership committee - University Corporation for Atmospheric Research; PI in a synergy grant involving the university, City of Tempe, Salt River Project, and McKemy Middle School on studying Tempe Town Lake's evaporation rate and the effect of the lake on the citizens of Tempe. Going on sabbatical fall 2001 to Beer Sheba, Israel to study urban climate.

Soomee Cha writes: For the past two years, I attended Northern Illinois University where I worked on my master's at geography department with an emphasis on urban/economic geography and GIS/cartography. I graduated last August with a master of science. During the summer of 1999, I started my internship at the Election Department of Cook County located in downtown Chicago. As an intern, I analyzed and precinct maps with other political districts. I also adjusted census tract boundaries for Census 2000, created and managed spatial database to analyze and to map different electoral and taxing districts within Cook County, utilizing software such as ArcView and ArcInfo.
Last June, I was hired as a GIS analyst at the map department within tax division of the Cook County where we are trying to convert 1.8 million parcel on the mylar into GIS system, a historical project for the county using ESRI's new ArcInfo version 8.

James DeFilippis writes: I'm adjusting to life in academics in the UK. I'm doing a bunch of tutorials (the system by which we hold the hands of privileged Anglo-Saxon students who are scared by the big bad world of university life). I'm also working on turning the dissertation into a book, but progress has been uneven on that count. Also, as far as work goes, I'm beginning a big collaborative project with Mia Gray (who people might remember was a former Ph.D. student of Ann Markusen, and is now at Cambridge). Other than that, I did go to Prague for the protests last month (big unpleasant mess that depresses me when I think about it), and have traveled a bit around the UK, but not too much yet.
See you all in New York.

Joy Dingle ('92) writes: I am a first-year daytime student at Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island. And I am surviving! I have not decided officially which area of law I may pursue yet.
I have nothing against political science majors, but having a geography background gives me a unique perspective on a lot of issues. If I could go back to undergraduate school, I would not change a thing!
Geography is a terrific discipline.
I wish more people realized that.

Erin Egan writes: I enjoy the newsletter and I wish I could read about what some of my old classmates are doing. Maybe if they see a familiar name they will write also. Currently I am using my PC design skills as a Web Developer in the Corporate IS Department of Meridian Health System, a multi-hospital system in central NJ. Although I do not work as a Cartographer, the skills I developed in my Cartography classes have proved extremely useful in my current position.

Allan Frei writes: I am leaving my full time research position at the University of Colorado's National Snow and Ice Data Center, which is part of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, where I have been for over three years. I have accepted a faculty position at Hunter College, which is part of the City University of New York, beginning in the spring 2001 semester, where I will be responsible for teaching the introductory weather and climate course, as well as other courses to be developed. I look forward to being at Hunter, in the big apple, and closer to my friends at Rutgers!
OK, I admit it, I will miss the Colorado mountains and weather just a little bit.

Elaine (Butterhof) Frick ('88) writes: I am still a lawyer down here in South Jersey. My office is in Pleasantville and I primarily practice Civil Litigation, Family Law, and Municipal Court. I am also the local municipal court prosecutor for Egg Harbor City. I've been married for five years to my husband, George and we live in Egg Harbor City.
I really miss my geography "roots". I do get to use some of my old drafting skills. I work with the local marching band at Oakcrest High School. I am the "drill designer" which means I plot out on graph paper where each band and band front member moves during the music. There are computer programs that can assist with the drafting but I prefer the manual way of doing things. I still use my old flexible curve and French curves.
Not bad for some ten years later!

Rich Harding ('92) writes: I'm working as a Principal Scientist for the Louis Berger Group's environmental engineering division in Florham Park, N.J. I've been with the firm since graduation from RU in 1992. Job involves coordination and management of environmental remedial investigation projects throughout NJ for both public and private clients. The broad-based skills and knowledge gained from RU's Geography program have proven to be invaluable tools which facilitate my interactions with the multidisciplinary teams of professionals needed to complete these types of environmental studies: geographers, geologists, engineers, chemists, surveyors, etc. Thank you Geography Department faculty for providing a good, solid, and well-rounded program.

Jay Lynch (RC '60) writes: I recently retired from a 40 year city planning career, most of which was in a consulting practice with Bill Queale (RC '59). Practice was limited to New Jersey. Continue to live in Yardley, PA where I have lived with my wife Ruth for the past 38 years. Have three children and four grandchildren, health is good, and enjoy traveling, golf (when I'm playing well), and writing. Geography provided a great foundation not only for city planning, but for a heightened enjoyment and appreciation of our man-made and natural environment.

Elise Bremer-Nei writes: I just started a new job this week, working for the New Jersey Department of Transportation's Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs in Trenton I am very excited about the possibilities here. Previously, I had worked for Urbitran Associates, a transportation consulting firm in Edison and before that, the Monmouth County Planning Board. I am up in the New Brunswick area regularly for various meetings since I am the Southern Area Representative of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association (NJAPA) and a member of the Statewide Pedestrian Task Force, both of which meet at the Bloustein School. I received my Professional Planner's license from New Jersey this past summer and just became a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
On top of all this, my husband Michael and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in September. We currently live just outside of Mount Holly and are looking for a house in Burlington County, where Mike works as a traffic engineer.
So... life is good! I look forward to receiving my newsletter and hearing from other geography grads, like Dave Harris (another 1993 BA), who I ran into at a meeting last night where he was representing the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. By the way, my new boss is Bill Feldman, who received his masters in geography from Rutgers a few years back.

Mark Shimshak (M.A. in Geography '70) writes:
I am currently working for the Social Security Administration in Baltimore. My wife teaches Geography at Towson University. We have two daughters, ages 18 and 22. I still love to travel. Trips within the last two years have taken me to Kansas City, New Orleans, London, Israel, Egypt, and Anguilla.

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