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Alumni Association

About the Association

Started by Liberty Hyde Bailey himself, the CALS Alumni Association (CALSAA) promotes fellowship and leadership among alumni, students, and faculty and advances the teaching, research, and extension functions of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.

CALSAA focuses on providing lifelong learning, networking, and engagement activities for alumni, students, and friends of CALS. Additional foci include highlighting alumni success stories, showcasing CALS academic priorities, and recruiting the best and brightest prospective students.

There are many opportunities to be more involved with the CALS Alumni Association, CALS, and Cornell. The involvement opportunities chart contains more detailed information and ideas on how to become more engaged in the Cornell community.

The Alumni Association has a long history, and its success depends on the dedicated, thoughtful volunteers that carry on a legacy of excellence.

There are many ways to get involved with the CALS Alumni Association whether it's serving on a committee (see below) or being a director. We have several open positions. Please check our listings on CUVolunteer.

CALSAA Committees

The CALS Alumni Association Constitution and Bylaws allows for the creation of committees, under the direction of the Board of Directors, in order to carry out the goals and strategies of the association. The following boards are currently active:

  • Executive Committee
    Oversees the business of the Association and conducts necessary business between meetings of the Board of Directors.
  • Alumni Engagement Committee
    Identifies needs, effective programs, and other activities to cultivate alumni engagement and works to develop campus and regional events and celebrations to move alumni into roles of partnership and advocacy with the College.
  • Nominations Committee
    Recommends Association members for appointment to the Board of Directors, a slate of officers for the Board of Directors, revised District boundaries, and builds a strong base of alumni volunteers.
  • Planning and Marketing Committee
    Develops, for Board approval, the Association’s goals and strategies outlined within its Strategic Plan and tracks progress toward achieving these goals. Deals with other issues related to marketing, policy, structure and governance.
  • Recognition Committee
    Selects and recognizes outstanding alumni, faculty, and volunteers through awards and public recognition.
  • Student Leadership Committee
    Encourages stronger relationships between current students, potential students, the Association, and the College.
  • Young Alumni Committee
    Mobilizes the opinions and advice of young alumni (those who graduated 10 years or less from CALS) for guiding Association activities, seeking to motivate them to become engaged as partners and advocates of the CALS mission.

President
Matt Ranieri06, MS 09, PhD 13
New York City        

Immediate Past President
Eliese Fisher 88
Southeast                                

President-Elect and Vice President of Planning and Marketing
Katie Schoenberg 03, PhD 10             
Mid-West                           

Vice President of Recognition
Shane Dunn07     
Boston                                 

Vice President of Alumni Engagement
Lisa Berg 93                                         
New York City

Treasurer
Mark Frucht ’87                
Long Island                                

Grants Review Committee
Grace Tucker 17                   

Washington, DC    

Senior Student Representative
Leila Gomez ’23

At-Large Senior Student Representative
Maguire Turner ’23

Junior Student Representative
Rocco DeLorenzo24

At-Large Junior Student Representative
Christina Wile ’24

Graduate Student Representative
Karl Kunze 17
 

Boston
Tanya Merrill ’15                                  

Buffalo
Jack McGowan 80                                

Capital District
Chris Jennings 01, MAT 02                

International
Robert Forness 87                                             

Miami
Alejandro Colindres 94                                    

Midwest
Auriole Corel Fassinou '22                    

New Jersey
Raymond Ortiz II 04                            

New York City
Elyse Richardson ’06                                            

New York City
Mahmudur Rahman17                                       

Northern California
Linda Lam ’14                                                     

Northern California
Jennifer Leeds ’91                                               

Pacific Northwest
Deborah Feld 10                                   

Rochester
Rudy Espinoza ’07                                              

Rocky Mountain
Victoria Hathaway ’16                                       

Syracuse
Kevin Ellis ’96                                                    

Washington, D.C.
Zeya Hu ’19                                                         

Westchester County
Dana Hagendorf Feldman’94                               

At-Large Representative - Agriculture
Laura Pedersen MPS 81