Putting college within reach

Although Lennox Middle School — located beneath the landing path of Los Angeles International Airport — is just a mile away from the Pacific Ocean, many of its students have never been to the beach. This hard-to-believe, yet telling, truth is what most struck Dr. Glenn Langer ’50 when he got to know the students of the school through a volunteer program established by UCLA. Having grown up during the Great Depression, Langer “immediately identified” with the poverty-stricken students, most of whom come from immigrant families. He decided to do something to help.   
    Langer was director of UCLA’s Cardiovascular Research Laboratory as well as a professor of medicine and physiology when he started volunteering at Lennox’s science fairs and career days back in 1995. “It was only 20 minutes from the UCLA campus, but it was another world,” he said of the school district, which is only 1.3 square miles but is troubled by 16 active gangs. “A lot of these children have never been out of that district in their lives. This gives you a rough idea of the disadvantage that they have.”
    So, with his wife, Marianne, Langer founded The Partnership Scholars Program, an initiative that extends students’ learning and experiences outside of the classroom in order to pave the way for college. An inaugural War Memorial Scholar at Colgate and a scholarship recipient at Columbia Medical School, Langer knows the value of a helping hand.
    After consulting Lennox’s principal and faculty, the Langers formulated three criteria for the program: a GPA of at least 3.0, the motivation for continuing education, and the support of a family member or guardian. They also decided to start the program with seventh-graders, “before they became gang associated,” explained Langer. Dipping into their retirement savings, the Langers launched the program with seven chosen scholars in 1996. Volunteer mentors — primarily Lennox teachers — were paired up with the students whose education they committed to fostering for the next six years. Mentors were given an annual stipend of $1,400 for “what a middle class family would provide for their college-bound child”: extra books, calculators/computers, SAT prep, summer-enrichment programs, college campus visits, museum trips, concerts, and plays.
    Milagro Romero, now 26, is just one success story from that first class of scholars. Romero came from El Salvador with her parents at age 9, never having attended school and unable to read or write. With the program’s help, she graduated from Loyola Marymount University and earned a graduate degree from the University of Southern California. Today, Romero has come full circle: she is chair of the math department at Lennox and a mentor.  
    With the program now in its 16th year, 246 participants have graduated from high school, 93 percent of whom have been accepted to, are attending, or have graduated from a four-year university. The students have received more than $21 million in scholarships/financial aid — more than seven times the total investment by contributors to the program.
    Fundraising and overseeing The Partnership Scholars Program has become a full-time job for Langer, who retired from UCLA in 1997. Under the administration of the nonprofit, the program has been expanded to nine school districts and 24 schools, where 265 scholars are currently preparing for college.
    Competing for funds with 30,000 other nonprofits in Los Angeles County can be frustrating. “We just inducted our six hundredth child,” Langer said. “And that’s great, but there are eight times that who really need the program.” Currently limited to Los Angeles and Mendocino Counties, the program is replicable at any public school in the country, Langer said, with the caveat that the funds need to be raised and mentors found.
    The Langers have personally invested about a million dollars in the program, he estimated. In 2010, at his 60th Reunion, Langer received Colgate’s Humanitarian Award.
    The program’s impact is clear in the letters Langer receives from scholars like Maryell Hernandez, who wrote in 2007 on her way to Harvard with a $190,000 scholarship: “You give people hope that they can achieve more than what is expected of them — in most cases, nothing. You have not only given me hope, but also a sense of duty to do as much as I can to pay you back, not monetarily, but through my actions.” Keeping good on her promise, Hernandez is now in her second year with Teach for America. Langer said, “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

— Aleta Mayne


Getting his patients back on track


(photo courtesy of Uli Seit/The New York Times/Redux)

Every day at 11 a.m., Dr. Frederic Cogan ’66 walks out of his pristine home medical office in the suburb of Floral Park, N.Y., and enters a different realm — one with hay on the waiting room floor and a faint smell of horses. It’s the beginning of his midday stint as the official doctor for the backstretch workers of Belmont Racetrack, where he tends to the various ailments of the racetrack’s roughly 1,500 (human) inhabitants.
    Just one mile apart as the crow flies, Cogan’s general family practice and the backstretch clinic, which is operated by a nonprofit funded by the New York Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association and the New York Racing Association, are starkly different: “In my private practice, you’ll see mahogany, granite, and ironed blouses,” mused Cogan, whose office is located in his immaculate brick colonial home. At the racetrack, he noted, things are far less pristine.
    The racetrack, located in Elmont, N.Y., is a hot, dusty, and dangerous workplace. Cogan sees medical conditions there that he would never see in his private practice: injuries from horses’ kicking hooves and swinging heads, horse bites, and even rodent bites. His patient base is also different. “The backstretch employees — from the grooms to the hot walkers to the assistant trainers — are essentially migrant workers from all over the world, particularly Central and Latin America, who are unseen and often unacknowledged.”
    It is the juxtaposition between his two practices that Cogan finds satisfying and that propels him to work the four-hour racetrack shift sandwiched between morning and afternoon hours at his home office — a 12-hour workday in all.
    “Both my practices are rewarding. I charge a discounted fee [at the track], but honestly, it’s so interesting and enjoyable, I would work for free,” Cogan enthused.
    It wasn’t the horses that originally drew Cogan to the backstretch, but rather, a sense of curiosity about the racetrack and the world within. After moving to Floral Park 20 years ago and opening his home office, Cogan tried to nurture a professional relationship with the racetrack. “I would run into these workers in town and wonder, ‘Who takes care of all these people?’”
    For years, he made offers to partner with the track, but they only referred patients with more serious cases to him. Ironically, two years ago, just as he had decided to scale back his work hours to spend more time with family, he was approached with the offer to become the track’s official doctor. Although the timing was less than ideal for Cogan, he could not resist the challenge and accepted the post.
    Cogan tries to see any patient in need immediately, preferably with a same-day visit — a rare thing these days. He prides himself on knowing his patients at both practices on a first-name basis, and finds genuine satisfaction in helping the underserved track workers.
    “Many of these workers have never seen a doctor and some have very advanced issues,” explained Cogan. “They are very humble and feel out of place. My sympathies go to them.”
    Now 68, Cogan says his friends tell him he should be semi-retired. He disagrees: “I can’t see giving it up. I’m energized by it. I’m not religious, but I’m always wondering how a higher authority would judge me and what I’m doing,” he said. “I think he might slap me on my back and say, ‘You’re doing good, don’t give it up.’ And that’s the most you can ask for.”

— Phoebe Outerbridge ’88


His quest for a notorious criminal


(photo courtesy of Leise Jones Photography)

It was a cold day in December 1994, just a few days before Christmas, and John Gamel ’67 was hunting for James “Whitey” Bulger. Gamel, the FBI’s lead investigator on the Bulger case from 1990 to 1996, and other law enforcement personnel had spent countless hours conducting surveillance, developing informants, and working the case from every imaginable angle. Finally, they’d collected enough evidence for the Justice Department to give the go-ahead to make a move. Armed with an information (a type of criminal charge), the FBI, State Police, Drug Enforcement Agency, and other agencies moved in to arrest Bulger and his right-­hand man, Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi. It didn’t take long to find Flemmi and take him into custody. But Bulger was … nowhere to be found.
    At first, Gamel didn’t worry about it. “We figured, well it’s just a matter of another day or two and you’ll find him. You’re always visualizing success,” said Gamel. “You’re visualizing success for 15 years.”
    It took just over a decade for Gamel to go from joining the FBI to chasing Boston’s most notorious criminal. A former TV reporter, he said he joined the FBI after covering a shooting. Gamel started off chasing fugitives, then moved on to investigating corrupt public officials. After that, he helped train local police departments. Finally, in 1987, the department moved him to counterterrorism. “My specialty was neo-Nazis and skinheads,” he said.
    In the 1980s, the Boston crime landscape was shifting. Bulger left a bloody trail as he rose to power, but he insulated himself well and became harder for law enforcement to touch. As Gamel would soon find out, one of the reasons Bulger was so hard to bring down was his status as a high­-level FBI informant.
    A series of things happened in 1989 that helped spark Gamel’s Bulger investigation. For one, John Connolly, Bulger’s corrupt FBI handler, retired. Around the same time, Tim Connolly, an unrelated criminal who owned a bar in South Boston that was frequented by Bulger and his associates, became a cooperating witness for the FBI. Gamel’s superiors made him Connolly’s handler because they wanted somebody outside of the FBI’s organized crime unit to run the sensitive investigation.
    Gamel spent the next two years building a case against Bulger. In 1992, Gamel’s superiors decided to meld the FBI’s investigation with the State Police, who were also investigating Bulger. Eventually, the organizations gathered enough evidence and prepared to arrest Bulger. But word leaked and reached John Connolly’s ears. He passed it onto Bulger, who skipped town. Gamel didn’t know it at the time, but Bulger was driving back to Boston when he heard about Flemmi’s arrest. He turned around and disappeared into the wind. He was gone for 17 years.
    Gamel said Bulger’s escape was frustrating, but the case quickly morphed into a fugitive case. He spent two more years as lead investigator before he was promoted to run the organized crime unit. In 2001, he retired from the FBI.
    Now he’s back to the trade, working as a private investigator.
    Until recently, you might have expected Gamel to lay awake at night wondering where Bulger was or chase down leads on his free time. It hasn’t played out that way. “I’m not Ahab,” he said. “I moved on with my life.”
    Not that he wasn’t paying attention: Over the years, his skill at sound bites made him the go-to person for media outlets looking for comment on supposed Bulger sightings, or new rewards for his capture. When Gamel’s phone rang at 1:20 a.m. one morning last June, he knew what the call was about. The funny thing was how anticlimactic the arrest was. Gamel said he was happy, but it wasn’t what you might think for somebody who spent years trying to arrest Bulger. He said, “It’s nice he’s caught, but I’m not the one who needs closure.”

— Teddy Applebaum, Brookline Tab (Mass.), reprinted with permission


Concentration in comedy: no laughing matter
Funnyman Barnet Kellman ’69 spent his summer vacation in the Hamptons doing homework. Of course, a comedian’s version of homework includes assignments like watching The Hangover. The Emmy-winning director/producer/writer, who is perhaps best known for TV hits like Murphy Brown and Mad About You, has been hard at work designing courses that teach the next generation how to make people laugh.

(photo by Michael Brannigan)
    Kellman, who is also a professor at the University of Southern California (USC), has been creating an entire program for its School of Cinematic Arts (SCA), called Comedy@SCA. “We call it a pathway; it’s like a concentration in comedy,” he explained.
    At Colgate, Kellman’s professors — including Donald Berry and Atlee Sproul — encouraged him to become a theater professional, and also to become an academic. Kellman was nominated for and earned his PhD through the Danforth Graduate Fellowship Program, a national scholarship for students who were considering becoming college teachers. Although he went on to build his career in theater and then in television, Kellman’s inner professor was always waiting in the wings. So, in 2008, when the writers’ strike was hampering a number of television shows, Kellman approached USC and the American Film Institute about the possibility of teaching.
    Both schools hired him to teach directing on an adjunct basis. Kellman became so invigorated in his new role that he decided to teach full time at USC, and he began working his directing schedule around his teaching. Then, Kellman proposed his grand plan: to create a comedy program at USC. He told the dean: “There’s no place where somebody who has a particular interest in and wants to prepare for a career in comedy could specifically study that.
    “Comedy doesn’t get the kind of attention and respect in the academic community that other forms get,” Kellman explained. “It’s actually a problem. In film school, everybody thinks they need to be very serious, so everybody’s trying to do the most heavy material that they can, and those who want to work in the comic vein are often discouraged.”
    After getting the green light and teaming up with several other USC faculty members who also have had successful TV careers, Kellman launched Comedy@SCA. Involving a roster of famous USC alumni and their connections has given star power to the program. A three-day festival kicked off the initiative last fall, with appearances by notables such as Steve Carell, Ivan Reitman, Peter Segal, and Paul Feig.
    Enthusiasm about the festival was so great that all of the events had to be moved to a larger venue. And the program itself has grown to the point where there is now an endowed chair in comedy as well as a number of comedy scholarships for students.     
    “Our intention was to roll out the program slowly, with a course or two a year, but the interest and student demand is forcing us to step up the pace,” Kellman said. “It feels like we’ve opened up a floodgate.”
    This fall, Kellman is teaching two of the program’s courses: Directing Comedy and The Foundations of Comedy — both of which filled up in less than 24 hours. Although his classroom duties take priority, Kellman is still making his mark on the small screen, having most recently directed episodes of The Middle and Men at Work.
    Basking in the glow of the Comedy@SCA’s success, Kellman reflected on how teaching has enabled him to “step back and become, in a way, my younger self, a student again. In
my classes, I divorce the business end of it. So it’s just pure fun — the discipline, the actual making of comedy, the things that I love.”

— Aleta Mayne


Finding, and throwing, his voice



To relieve stress, some people practice yoga or go for a run. Joe Gandelman ’72 picked up ventriloquism — and then the avocation became his vocation.
    It was the late 1980s, and Gandelman was a hard-hitting journalist for the San Diego Union. He was covering the Mexican border and immigration reform, working excess overtime, and feeling apprehensive about the direction of the newspaper industry. Earlier in his career, when working for the Wichita Eagle in Kansas, he had bought a dummy and a book on ventriloquism from a magic shop. Gandelman found that it was a stress reliever, so he picked it back up.
    “I needed something that was one hundred percent detached from newspapers,” said Gandelman. When he learned about the Maher Ventriloquist Studios, he sent $100 for a set of booklets and tests to attain a diploma in ventriloquism. “Some very famous ventriloquists used that course initially,” he explained. “I tackled it like I was going for a doctorate — I wanted to get my mind off reporting.” In what free time Gandelman had outside of the newspaper, he practiced his craft in the local children’s hospital.
    In 1989, Gandelman reached out to his childhood hero, ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson, who was famous for his Nestle’s Quick commercials in the ’50s and ’60s. Gandelman sent Nelson some of his demo tapes, and Nelson gave him positive reviews, encouraging Gandelman to go pro.  
    Still, puppeteering was just a hobby until some life-changing events caused Gandelman to reconsider how he was spending the majority of his waking hours. First, he got into a near-death car accident of which his only knowledge is from other people’s accounts. Then, a colleague dropped dead of a heart attack in her 50s. “I thought, by God, life really is short and very abrupt,” Gandelman recalled.
    Having always had a fascination with show biz, he decided to take a leap of faith. Gandelman gave his editor notice and quit his longtime journalism career that had spanned three continents. Spending almost every penny he had on advertising, he found that it was slow going at first. “Some years were good, some years were bad — even hideous — and at one point, I thought about getting out of it,” Gandelman said. But he traveled to trade shows and fairs across the country until agents and entertainers began to know his name.
    Gandelman has appeared on Navy ships, at Camp Pendleton before a speech by former President Ronald Reagan, and on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. Most recently, he finished a yearlong tour of 260 schools, organized through the Bureau of Lectures and Concert Artists. Using characters including an elephant that squirts water from his trunk and a dragon that blows smoke out of his nose, Gandelman provides educational messages about issues like anti-bullying in an entertaining way. In addition, he’s kept busy with gigs at libraries, campgrounds, and birthday parties.  
    In 2003, the journalist in Gandelman resurfaced when he started a political blog called The Moderate Voice. Wanting to provide a “thoughtful and detailed discussion of the issues, events, and personalities” in the news, Gandelman features bloggers from all political viewpoints. He also writes a weekly political column that is syndicated nationally by Cagle Cartoons.
    Between entertaining crowds with his puppets and fostering thought-provoking political discussions, Gandelman has found two different, yet satisfying, ways to project his voice.

— Aleta Mayne


A principal’s principle


(photo by C.S. Muncy)

Herminia “Minnie” Roman ’86 knew her authoritative personality would be best suited for one of two career fields she was interested in — law enforcement or education. She’s now the principal of Blessed Sacrament elementary school in South Bronx, N.Y., where she has been keeping order in the hallways for the past three years.
    “I always had a passion for working with children, especially the underdogs,” Roman said to explain one of her reasons for veering away from a crime-fighting career. She is now using her fair and just variety of disciplinarianism to guide her students on the path to success — a road she also had difficulty navigating.
    As a dyslexic elementary school student who struggled academically while growing up in the North Bronx, Roman understands the challenges her students face. Roman found support in her teachers who pushed her to be tenacious and ambitious — traits she took with her to Colgate, where she rose to leadership positions in the clubs within the Hispanic and African-American communities. In returning to the Bronx to become a principal and mentor for her students, Roman now strives to honor the teachers and community who influenced her academic growth. Roman recounted, “I decided at a young age that I wanted to give back.”
    Once a significant hurdle, Roman overcame her dyslexia, going on to earn her master’s in reading recovery at New York University in 1998, then returning to the Bronx to use her degree in specialized teaching methods to tutor struggling students in reading and writing comprehension. She continued to enrich the learning experiences of children who have the odds stacked against them when she became a middle school literature teacher, imparting upon her students the advantages of being an engaged reader. After earning a master’s in education administration at Mercy College in 2003, Roman served as an assistant principal at Blessed Sacrament before becoming principal in 2009. As principal, Roman makes her students her priority by promoting an open dialogue. “I encourage my students to feel comfortable to come speak with me — I have an open-door policy,” Roman said. In so doing, Roman is able to mentor her students, emphasizing how they are capable of overcoming any obstacle on the path to fulfilling their dreams.
    In June 2010, a prominent alumna of Blessed Sacrament, Sonia Sotomayor, Class of 1968, returned as a living example of this message. The first Hispanic Justice appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sotomayor visited her alma mater at Roman’s invitation. She joined students in prayer, answered their questions, and told them that she was once in their shoes, filled with the same big dreams. Sotomayor also spoke about her journey, from a child growing up in the Bronx to serving on the nation’s highest court. Her message about perseverance dovetailed with Roman’s heartfelt refrain, “Don’t allow anyone to shoot down your dreams.”
    Roman endeavors to motivate her students the way she said her Colgate academic adviser, sociology professor Rhonda Levine, once motivated her. “She took me under her wing, and I owe a lot of my teaching [ability] to her,” Roman said. “Rhonda gave me the extra push that I needed to succeed at Colgate.” Paralleling her relationship with Levine, Roman strives to fill the role of friend and mentor to her students by giving them that little extra push.  
    As a teacher and, later, a principal, Roman has conveyed many lessons to her young students; yet, she believes that the learning experience is mutual. She says her students have taught her that “Everyone is an individual, and no matter where you fall on the spectrum of learning, we all have the ability to learn and touch each other’s lives in a special way.” Roman added, “Every day is a lesson.”

— Natalie Sportelli ’15
 

In the know
Joyful living: lessons from improv comedy

Nancy Howland Walker ’87 , a professional improvisational comedian for 23 years, is the executive director of Chicago Improv Associates, which offers improv-based entertainment and corporate training. Nancy also travels the world, spreading the gospel and joy of improv comedy for Celebrity Cruise Lines, and is co-host of the Zenprov podcast. Her first book, Instant Songwriting: Musical Improv from Dunce to Diva, was recently released. She tells us, “I live joyfully and happily, largely thanks to the lessons of improv (spontaneous) comedy. By applying improv techniques to your relationships and your life, you, too, can live a more mindful, peaceful, and fun life!”

Say “Yes!” Improvisers are trained early to say “Yes, and…” This simply means that they accept whatever is said or done on stage as reality, and then add to it in some way. If someone starts a scene by saying “Let’s build a robot,” and I say “No,” then boom — the scene stops dead. Improv only works well when people say “Yes” to what’s happening. That unstoppable, creative energy works the same in real life.
    “Yes” is about accepting what IS. Not what you think SHOULD be. “Yes” means that you are open to the reality of it, not that you necessarily condone or agree with what’s happening or being said.
    The power of “yes” is that it’s constructive, inclusive, long term, and joyful, while “No” carries destructive and stress-filled energy. Companies that foster a “yes” culture are much more creative and successful. And people who have a “yes” mentality are more fun to be around!

Be present. If I’m in a scene but worried about what I just did (“Dang, I should’ve said ‘pancreas’ instead of ‘spleen!’”), or planning what I’m going to do next (“If he drops the glass, I’ll indicate my head exploding in slow motion!”), the scene will suffer because I’m missing what’s going on. Like Zen Buddhism (all about relieving suffering), improv is about being fully present.
    Just as people are in the habit of saying “no” instead of “yes,” many spend most of their consciousness in the past or future. It’s scientifically proven that being mindful in the present moment makes you more observant, able to respond appropriately, and less tossed around by your emotions.

Trust that everything is a gift. Anything someone says or does in an improv scene is a wonderful gift. Even the worst mistake can take you in amazing directions, and even the most tragic things in life are opportunities to grow and become better. You can view the universe as cruel, or you can trust it. Trust doesn’t mean you’re a passive blob. When you trust, you’re not fighting for control.

Lighten up — go with the flow! Having fun opens you up mentally and relaxes you physically. Being in a scene with an actor who is really serious and having no fun is … well, no fun! It’s the same in real life. If you’re feeling stuck, chances are that you’re putting too much weight and importance on one or more things. If you lighten up, things will most likely have room to start flowing.

What do you know? If you’re an expert in your field or avocation and would like to share your sage advice, e-mail scene@colgate.edu or write to the Colgate Scene, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346.


Catalyst for peace


Qamar-ul Huda ’90 leading a teacher’s training course on conflict resolution in Mindanao, Philippines, 2011

When the desecration of the Qur’an by U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan last February caused violent unrest, Qamar-ul Huda ’90 found himself in the midst of international efforts to de-escalate the situation. About six days after the news broke, he moderated a closed-door session between officials from the White House, U.S. Defense and State Departments, policy makers, and USAID, as well as leading Islamic religious leaders, scholars, and practitioners.
    “During the riots in the streets, the first conversations weren’t based on peace-building or resolving the conflict, but on how we save face, how we do damage control effectively,” said Huda, the senior program officer and scholar of Islam in the Religion and Peacemaking Center at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). The USIP, created by Congress as an independent, nonpartisan entity, works to prevent, mitigate, and resolve international conflict through nonviolent means.
    “In the heat of the moment, people do not always consider what we really need to think about: What is at stake here? What are the roots of the problem? How do we improve relationships?” said Huda. “So when the Qur’an is burned at Bagram air base, our government is viewed negatively globally. We at USIP provide a third space to discuss these issues from a fresh perspective, so that key stakeholders can better understand the issues and move forward to resolve the conflict.”
    Operating in the heat of the moment is a relatively recent shift for Huda, who started out as a scholar of medieval Islamic studies, teaching at Boston College, Holy Cross, and Brandeis. He was introduced to his field when he spent his junior year in Egypt at American University in Cairo.
    It was after 9/11 that a sense of personal conflict led Huda to leave academia for peace-building. Growing up, he said, he knew he had “all these hyphenated identities: Pakistani-Muslim, Muslim-American, Pakistani-American. My dad was with the Pakistani Foreign Service. Living in New York City, where people are from everywhere, particularly in the UN community, I always had the feeling that I fit in many different spaces.”
    After 9/11, Huda felt that his place in academia — and society at large — had been transformed. As he mused in a 2004 Los Angeles Times op-ed, “My work used to be considered somewhat arcane. Now, colleagues tell me I am in a ‘hot field.’ I can tell you it sometimes feels more like a ‘hot seat.’ People now tend to conflate everything relating to Islam, Muslims, and the Middle East reductively… It is assumed I can comment (in neat sound bites) on terrorism, on every sect within modern Islam, and the complexities of war in Iraq.” He bemoaned the assumptions and prejudices that he encountered in his classroom and during speaking engagements, and shared the personal trauma of being interrogated and fingerprinted at an airport. Joining USIP in 2005 gave Huda the chance to actively build understanding about the Muslim world.
    Peace-building, Huda said, “is a defined, strategic discipline with clear paths on how to mitigate violence, repair wounded relationships, and transform communities.” He does that work in about nine countries “where conflict is experienced daily,” from Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to Nigeria and the Philippines. Partnering with key religious leaders and civil society groups including human rights workers, teachers, women’s groups, and the media, he conducts workshops and education training programs to help them think critically about their roles in managing as well as transforming conflict.
    Contributing to the body of knowledge of religion and violence and nonviolence, the book that Huda edited, Crescent and Dove: Peace and Conflict Resolution in Islam (2010), was called a “must read for policy makers, scholars, and students of international affairs” by John Esposito, a leading expert on Islam. His research and fieldwork speak about engaging violent extremists in order to transform their learned ideological extremism into a more grounded reality where nonviolent options are feasible.
    “It’s satisfying to know that my small contribution is helping someone, somewhere, to be an agent of change for their community,” said Huda. “I’m just the catalyst.”

  — Rebecca Costello


Treating stroke — an app for that

Stroke specialist Dr. Amy Guzik ’01 and her colleagues have a saying — Time is Brain! — meaning that the key to minimizing brain damage after a stroke is early treatment to restore blood flow. Guzik is designing cutting-edge smartphone apps that will get patients treated faster by transmitting critical information to the ‘stroke team’ of neurologists who will provide treatment — before patients even get to the hospital.
    Each year, 750,000 Americans suffer from a stroke, a condition in which blood flow to the brain is interrupted, usually by a blocked artery. When a stroke occurs, brain cells quickly begin to die — nearly two million per minute — and the abilities such as speech and movement that those cells control are compromised, sometimes permanently. In fact, stroke is the number-one cause of long-term disability and the third-leading cause of death in the United States.
    But getting treated quickly can drastically improve a stroke victim’s outcome, and that’s where Guzik and her apps come in. As a clinical instructor in neurology and part of the stroke team at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), Guzik is using her medical experience to mastermind two different smartphone apps — one for ambulance personnel and the other for family members — to provide a “directed stream of information,” she said. Both apps, which she’s developing in conjunction with a UCSD engineering group, will allow users to input the most salient details, such as symptoms, which will then be transmitted to the stroke team.
    The apps will also give the stroke team a heads-up. Currently, the team is usually notified only after a patient is assessed in the emergency room (ER). Patients typically arrive by ambulance, often with limited language capabilities and with their loved ones still en route to the hospital. Verbal transmittal of a patient’s details can be “like playing a game of telephone,” explained Guzik, with the team relying on information from the family relayed through the ambulance personnel and then the ER physician. “One of the things I like to do in my research and my clinical practice is improve communication between patients and providers,” she said. By allowing direct communication with the stroke team, Guzik’s apps will improve the accuracy of the transmitted information. Pinpointing when a stroke started is especially critical, because the best treatment for most strokes, a clot-busting drug known as tPA, must be administered within 4.5 hours of stroke onset; after that, it can do more harm than good.
    Guzik is no rookie app developer. During her residency in neurology at the University of Virginia, she and fellow physician Dr. Ivan Login were one day lamenting the impracticality of carrying around the many tools required to perform specialty exams. Like something out of an Apple commercial, her colleague asked, “Wouldn’t it be neat if there was an app for that?” The two wrote up a proposal to have their app idea developed by students of the university’s engineering program, and over the next year, they supervised its creation. Their neuro-ophthalmology app, used to diagnose visual problems, has now been downloaded more than 10,000 times.
    Although her stroke apps are still in the final stages of development (and so, the exact details are under wraps), the goal, she said, is to decrease the time between onset and treatment and hopefully improve outcome. “There’s so much potential in smartphones to facilitate the practice of medicine,” she said. For Guzik, these apps may just be the beginning.

— Allison A. Curley ’04


Reinventing the farm


Gotham Greens co-founder Viraj Puri ’03 with Jennifer Nelkin, director of the Brooklyn-based rooftop greenhouse (photo by Randy Duchaine)

During New York City winters, grocers have traditionally had to stock their shelves with produce from as far away as Paraguay. Today, they need to look no farther than a rooftop on Humboldt Street in Brooklyn. Thanks to Gotham Greens — the commercial-scale rooftop greenhouse co-founded by Viraj Puri ’03 and Eric Haley — New Yorkers can now enjoy sustainably grown local produce year-round.
    Puri’s qualifications as an entrepreneur in sustainable business are undeniable — he’s a LEED Accredited Professional and a TED fellow. He has founded green start-ups in India and Malawi, and has contributed written work to several books and publications on sustainability — but it’s not a path he had anticipated. “I wasn’t the kid who was coming up with businesses in my front yard when I was 12,” he noted.
    Nevertheless, after learning much about the sustainability field from his business experiences in India and Malawi, Puri recognized an opportunity. Much of the discussion is focused on clean energy and green buildings; however, Puri “found that the food system is a huge consumer of natural resources, and food production as we know it today is quite unsustainable.” He realized that if done right, a real business case could be made for sustainable produce in his hometown of New York, by capitalizing on the city’s large population and rich food culture.
    Gotham Greens began raising capital to build a state-of-the-art greenhouse in 2009, and by early 2011, they were growing a variety of produce — from basil to baby butterhead lettuce — for several restaurants and grocery stores. Just over a year later, the business now employs 20 people and is one of the leading producers of greenhouse-grown lettuces and herbs in New York State, growing more than 100 tons annually. Their produce supplies several branches of Whole Foods Markets, as well as several top-tier restaurants. Chef Michael Anthony, of the Michelin Star–rated Gramercy Tavern, has even developed a salad for his menu specifically highlighting Gotham Greens produce.
    “We came up with a compelling business plan,” Puri said, explaining the company’s fast start. “We’re using a combination of horticultural and engineering techniques known as controlled environment agriculture.” This approach to growing utilizes a hydroponic system in which the water is recycled, solar panels to offset energy usage, and climate control to allow for year-round production. And, of course, the greenhouse is located on a New York City rooftop.
    “Cities don’t have a lot of arable land,” Puri explained, “but one vastly underutilized resource is rooftop space.” Gotham Greens’ proximity to its market is also key. Puri observed that, particularly during winter months, traditionally grown produce is “often shipped long distances. This not only affects flavor, nutrition, and quality, but also creates all of the associated carbon emissions and pollution that come with long-distance food transport.” By growing produce just down the street from where it will be consumed, Puri can sell high-value produce that is fresher, more nutritious, and more sustainable than much of the competition.
    Gotham Greens is already raising capital to expand to two new locations in Queens and Brooklyn, and the business has been featured by nearly every major news outlet, from CNN to Fox News. Puri reflected: “What we’re most proud of as a small start-up company is that demand for our product far exceeds the supply.”

— Jason Kammerdiener ’10



Road taken



Allison Good ’94
Partner, Fourth Wall Restaurants
New York, N.Y.

As senior year drew to a close, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my degrees in English and French literature. So, after graduation, I went home to Rhode Island. One day, I was sent on an errand to a nearby farm. I came back with the produce my mother requested and a job working in the blueberry fields. One season quickly turned into three: I harvested pumpkins, drove tractors, made Christmas wreaths, and tied trees to cars. However, when I had to have my wisdom teeth removed, the bill arrived and I had an epiphany that a job that provided insurance would be wise.

I moved to San Francisco and got a job doing corporate and crisis PR for a large firm. I spent my free time pursuing my interest in food and wine.

After a few years, I moved to Boston, where I worked in technology PR. There, I learned that you should never take a job because you need the money.

I soon moved to New York. As I was constantly reading about chefs and restaurants, it dawned on me that they must have publicists. Coincidentally, around that time, my college roommate Ashley Chapman ’94 sent me a job listing for a boutique PR agency specializing in chefs, restaurants, and wine and spirits. I began working at Baltz & Company, where I worked with a roster of talented chefs, publicized restaurant openings, and kept established restaurants in the news.  

In 2004, I began managing PR for The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group. The role grew to include investor relations, marketing, advertising, and community relations. In 2007, the public company was sold, and the New York restaurants were purchased back to form Fourth Wall Restaurants. I was asked to be a partner. Every day brings much laughter and headaches — although what I love the most is that I am still learning.

Maroon'd...
in Hong Kong


Cindy Miller Stephens ’89 has lived in Hong Kong for 15 years with her husband, Chris Stephens ’81, and their three daughters. Cindy has produced two best-selling guidebooks based on her experience, including Hong Kong for Kids: A Parent’s Guide — currently enjoying a run at #1 on the Hong Kong nonfiction bestsellers list. Here are her tips.

Victoria Peak… is Hong Kong’s top tourist draw. Its views of Victoria Harbor and the South China Sea, fabulous eateries, and funky shops make it a “not-to-miss” spot. Hop on the Peak Tram, one of the world’s steepest and oldest funicular railways, for stunning views.

Star Ferry… This green-and-white iconic ferry has been doing the 10-minute “journey” across busy Victoria Harbor since the 1880s. It’s a great way to see the majesty of Hong Kong’s skyscrapers with the backdrop of the mountains. If you take your journey at exactly 8 p.m., you can see the free nightly Symphony of Lights show — the world’s largest permanent light and sound exhibition.

Dim Sum… YUM! My favorite spot to take visitors is Maxim’s City Hall. This cavernous eatery overlooks the harbor, and the dishes are paraded around in trolleys for you to select, one small morsel at a time. Fabulous!

South Side Beaches… The south side of Hong Kong Island faces the South China Sea and offers lovely beaches. Seaside choices abound: Repulse Bay Beach (the largest), South Bay Beach (quiet and secluded), Shek O Beach (old fishing village with faraway feel), and more.

Take a Hike… There are hiking trails all around the city — many of which are paved and lead to breathtaking vistas. For details, visit www.gov.hk/en/residents/culture/trail/.

Have tips for travelers who might be maroon’d in your town? Write to us at scene@colgate.edu and put Maroon’d in the subject line.




Colgate seen

The spirit of alumni sporting their Colgate gear is seen here, there, and everywhere around the globe. Where was your latest spotting? On a Machu Picchu trek? At a mini-reunion in Pocatello? An election polling site in Houston? We’re collecting photos of Colgate sightings around the world. Send them to scene@colgate.edu.



David Wohl ’74 of Tucson donned his Colgate bike jersey while on a ride into Madera Canyon in southern Arizona. 



“As two Colgate geoheads, Iceland was the perfect choice for our anniversary!” wrote Jim ’84 and Susan Corkran Hutton ’83, who celebrated 25 years as husband and wife in May. “We hiked on glaciers, peered into volcanoes, saw spectacular geology, and stood on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.”