Category Archives: Engineering

Brad Piatt

Current Home City: Allentown, PA

Your College: Engineering

Email Address: bradpiatt@gmail.com

Twitter Handle: @PiattBrad

Tell us what you’re doing with your life:
I was panicked as the term ended because I knew I could never pay back my student loans. Fortunately I found a job at the Tidewater refinery in Delaware. I made enough money pay off the loans and to marry my HS GF in two years. Moved to PA in 1980 to work for PPL a utility. We had my son Jeffrey in 1986 and my daughter Morgan in 1991. I moved through the ranks at PPL then Talen to ultimately to manage a fleet of power plants. I always focused on work. Realized far too late that my marriage was a mistake and there was more to life than work. I divorced in 2012 and married my current Creole lady. I retired at the end of 2016 when I finally realizing the only thing you cannot replace is time.

In what year did you last set foot on the Ithaca campus, and what was the purpose of your visit?
1977 at graduation. I have never been back.

List your favorite class(es) while at Cornell.
Thermo
psychology 101
Wine and Spirits of course

Which piece of information or advice did you pick up while a student at Cornell that has been useful in the past 40 years?
Learn what you enjoy

Provide your favorite memory of your time at Cornell.
Sitting in the coffee house near the law school realizing I just might make it.

What advice would you give to a member of the Class of 2019?
The only thing you cannot replace is time.

 

Joseph Reina

carol-and-joeCurrent Home City: Bridgewater, NJ

Your College: Engineering

Email Address: jtreina@yahoo.com

Tell us what you’re doing with your life:
Worked with a few classmates on a computer start up, owned a business and then in IT at ADP. Earned an MBA at Rutgers and now working as a Project Manager with past assignments at Blue Cross, Madison Square Garden, AIG, J&J, Novartis and currently BMS. Married Carol last year and we have four children between us. They are in New Jersey, New Hampshire and Florida so I see lots of travelling in my future!

In what year did you last set foot on the Ithaca campus, and what was the purpose of your visit?
June 2012 for our 35th Reunion. I have been our Class President for the past 10 years and was Reunion Chair for our 10th, 15th and 25th Reunions. I really enjoy the Reunion experience, meeting old friends and making new friends. It has been wonderful to see the University evolve, especially the engineering quad, over the years. I will see you all for our 40th.

List your favorite class(es) while at Cornell.
Astronomy
Sociology
Wine tasting
EE Intro to Circuits

Which piece of information or advice did you pick up while a student at Cornell that has been useful in the past 40 years?
Keep asking questions. Don’t give up until you find the solution to the problem.

frisbee-team

Ultimate Frisbee Team

Provide your favorite memory of your time at Cornell.
There are many. The coffee houses- Zeus at Goldwyn Smith, Green Dragon at Sibley and Bound for Glory at Anabel Taylor. Chapter House beer, Dancing at the Nines, Frisbee in the dust bowl, Joni Mitchell concert, MBC and PMP from the hot truck, on line all night for hockey tickets, road trips with the Frisbee team and the list goes on.

Tell us about the most interesting things you’ve done since 1977.
Playing in an Ultimate Frisbee championship game. Scuba diving in the Caribbean. Performing in many NJ local theater musicals, dramas and comedies. Wine tasting in Sonoma county. Beer tasting in Europe. Kayaking in NJ lakes. Road racing in 5k and 10k races.

Share any random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians since you left.
Finding out that Drew Nieporant owns a concession at Madison Square Garden. Ultimate Frisbee Team Reunion in 2013 attended by members from past to present. Meeting the head of Princeton dining at a Cornell-Princeton football game.

What advice would you give to a member of the Class of 2019?
Life is a journey, so enjoy every moment

Do you have a favorite memory from a Class of 1977 reunion?
Showing campus to my daughter and son-in-law, niece and cousins. Frisbee toss with Bill Nye. My speech at the 35th reunion. Sunning at Flatrock. Seeing the stars at the Observatory.

What are you looking forward to at our 40th reunion in June, 2017?
Reconnecting with old friends and new. I heard that my freshman roommate, Rich Sheroff is going! Dancing in the arts quad tents, walking on campus, seeing the stars at the Observatory, chatting with Bill Nye, climbing a gorge.