Free Education Committee Update
The Free Education Committee (“FEC”) of The Cooper Union Board of Trustees held its first meeting on January 12, 2016. This January, the committee completed it’s first year of service. It also produced a progress report for The Cooper Union Board, Financial Monitor, and the Attorney General’s office. The report was published January 15, 2017 and is available on the Cooper.edu Website. Down load Report
During the past year the FEC met 18 times and engaged in extensive fact-finding efforts which are described in the report.
The FEC is fully committed to developing and proposing a strategic plan aimed at returning The Cooper Union “to a sustainable, full tuition scholarship model that maintains Cooper Union’s strong reputation for academic quality within its Art, Architecture and Engineering programs at their historical levels of enrollment.” Link to the Committee web-page
CUAA February Council Meeting will be February 28, 2017
Cooper Union President, Laura Sparks will be our guest at the next CUAA Council meeting. We anticipate a large turnout to meet the new president. The Nominating Committee will present the ballot for the 2017 election at this meeting.
Would You Like to Help With Your Class reunion?
From the 1967 Cable
Reunion Weekend will be the first weekend in June. Members of the class of 1967 will be celebrating their Golden Legion. Several other classes will be marking milestones. Milestone class years are:’57, ’62, ’67, ’72, ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’97, ’02, ’07, ’12. Reunion Weekend events are open to all alumni. Reunion Weekend includes some events that are tailored to specific milestone class years. You can learn more about Reunion Weekend here. Learn More Registration will open on March 1st.
It takes many volunteers to organize a memorable reunion. Are you interested in helping. Use this form to let the Cooper Union Alumni Affairs and Development Office know. Link to Form
Annual Fund Update
The CUAA encourages support of the Annual Fund as the top choice for alumni, parents and friends looking to make donations to Cooper Union. An Annual Fund donation is unrestricted, making it a flexible and instantly available source of student funding that can be used when and where it is needed the most. Please click here to make your tax-deductible donation to the Annual Fund.
Gifts to this year’s Annual Fund may be made through June 30, 2017. Watch for news from the CUAA about upcoming fundraising activities and how you can get involved.
Mock Interview Night
February 23, 2017 is Mock Interview Night. This year the event is a collaboration with all three schools participating. The event is organized by The Office of Alumni Affairs and the Center for Career Development with participation by the CUAA. During the fall of 2016, this bi-annual event was expanded to include architecture students. Now it has been expanded to also include art students. This means we need more alumni than in the past years to perform the mock interviews. We are seeking art, architecture and engineering alumni to volunteer. You will help Cooper students practice their interviewing skills for internships, employment and graduate school. We seek alumni from all generations and all backgrounds. The event includes dinner and networking. You will be given sample interview questions and other helpful materials. Please register in advance. The Career Development Office tries to match alumni and students with similar interests. That becomes difficult when a major is under-represented by the alumni volunteers. With that in mind, we are making a strong plea to art and architecture alumni. The event is new for artists and architects, and we anticipate that a large number of students from those majors will be participating, in addition to the regular large number of engineering students. Sign up
From The Lab
The Albert Nerken School of Engineering will be holding its third From The Lab event on Tuesday February 28, from 6 to 8 PM. The location will be at 41 Cooper Square.
From the Lab is a series that showcases work performed by faculty and students in the Albert Nerken School of Engineering. This event will showcase projects that focus on energy, environment and fuel.
The schedule for the evening includes:
- Presentation in the Rose Auditorium
- Private tours of research labs
- followed by a Cocktail reception with Engineering faculty and students.
The Albert Nerken School of Engineering hosted its first “From the Lab,” event in February 2016 with an event that showcased the research being done in the school in bio-engineering. The second in the series was held on 2016 and it showcased research being done in sustainability.
Are You Registered to Vote? Are your Alumni Friends?
The CUAA Annual Spring Election is a little more than a month away
If you have voted in either of the last two elections, you are registered. If you need to register on www.cooperalumni.org, you can do so here: Register
Alumni Directory is On-Line
Use it to find your classmates. This feature is found by selecting the Alumni Tab on the cooper.edu website. Next select, Find Your Classmates in the column on the left side of the page. You will need to log in as an alumnus. If you remember your password from the prior school website, that works. If you need to create a login or get a new password, follow the instructions on the screen for doing so.
Alumni Profiles
Albert L. Nerken ChE 1933,
Albert L. Nerken ChE 1933, attended The Cooper Union during the Great Depression. He dropped out of school for a while, but returned to graduate in 1933 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He was one of only 7 graduates that year with this degree. During World War II Albert worked on the Manhattan Project, working on instrumentation that detects leaks in pipes for the diffusion plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He was employed as a civilian engineer for a company called Kellex. After the war he and Frank Raible started the Vacuum Electronic Engineering Company (VEECO) to manufacture helium leak detectors, mass spectrometer leak detectors, high-vacuum laboratory equipment, and other laboratory equipment. In 1965 VEECO acquired Lambda Electronics, a maker of devices to convert alternating current to direct current. Albert Nerken helped guide VEECO’s growth into an international company. Albert Nerken was a Cooper Union Trustee. Albert Nerken was awarded a Cooper Union Presidential Citation in 1984, and an Honorary Fellowship by the Technion Institute of Israel in 1987. Learn More
Simon Bernard Zelnik A 1924
Simon Bernard Zelnik A 1924 graduated from The Cooper Union art school in 1924, from the Beaux Arts Institute of Design in 1930, and from New York University in 1931. The degree from NYU was in architecture. He designed multiple office and apartment buildings in New York City. He also designed stores, theaters and synagogues. Simon Zelnik designed the Congregational Family of Riverdale Temple, located at 3700 Independence Avenue. Simon Zelnik was also a member of and a trustee of this temple. Another temple that he designed in the Bronx opened in 1962. The Temple of Young Israel is located on the Grand Concourse at 165th Street. He designed multiple movie theaters in New York City. One of those survives. Originally it was the Elgin Theater and it is located at. 175 Eighth Avenue. Learn More
Adolph Weinman A 1891
Adolph Weinman A 1891 began his studies at The Cooper Union Night School when he was just 15. While in school, he was working during the day as an apprentice to a sculptor. In 1896, Augustus Saint-Gaudens invited Adolph Weinman to become an assistant in his studio. Adolph Weinman was also an assistant to German-American sculptor Charles Henry Niehaus. Adolph Weinman’s work can be seen on buildings around the country. In New York, his works include the pediments for the Municipal Building, friezes for the exterior of the Morgan Library, and the bronze doors for the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. The Museum of the City of New York has his statues of Alexander Hamilton and DeWitt Clinton. Adolph Weinman is also known for his designs on the United States dime and half-dollar issued in 1916. They are known as the “Mercury” dime and the Walking Liberty half dollar. Learn More
In Memoriam
See who we have lost during 2016
ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni accomplishments featured prominently on our website… Please take a look!
Share your accomplishments by posting them on The Official CUAA FaceBook page and LinkedIn Group
UPCOMING EVENTS
Exhibitions:
2017 Menschel Fellowship Exhibition will be from January 31 to February 16. This annual exhibition presents works related to the Benjamin Menschel Fellowships granted to selected Cooper Union students to further work on projects related to art, architecture, design and engineering. The following students and alumni have work in the exhibit: Yu Kiu Chan AR’17, Kelsey Lee AR’17, Piao Liu AR’17, Jenny Hsiao AR’17, Hui Rong Liu AR’17, Maja Griffin A’17, Sarah Schmitt A’17, Anamika Singh A’17, and Daniil Ashtaev A’17. Learn More
Cooper Union Rhoda Lubalin Fellows Exhibition, titled Type High. will be from February 7th through 16th in the 41Cooper Square Gallery. Recent graduates, Michael Prisco A’16 and Helen Sywalski A’16 will have a group exhibition that includes the designs, typography, and large, physical letterforms that they have been researching and developing.
The opening reception is on Feb 7th from 6-8 PM. Learn More
2/07/2017 Founder’s Day Wreath Laying in Cooper Square Park
Photo by R. Cetera
This year’s wreath laying event will be hosted by President Laura Sparks. CUAA president, Nils Folke Anderson, and the full school body will participate in a salute to our founder outside the Foundation Building, commemorating his birthday. After some brief remarks, a wreath with flowers in the school colors will be placed on the statue of Peter Cooper in Cooper Square Park. This year, Peter Cooper’s true birthday falls on the weekend. The wreath laying will occur at noon on Tuesday, February, 7th. Refreshments will follow. This event is open to everyone in the Cooper Union community.
12PM -12:30 PM Wreath Laying Ceremony in Cooper Square Park and
12:30–1:30 PM Refreshments in the lobby of the Foundation Building.
6:30 – 9:30 PM Alumni gathering at Phebes, hosted by President Laura Sparks at 361 Bowery, New York, 10003
2/7 – 2/13/17 CooperTogether
CooperTogether is a week-long celebration of the birth of our founder, Peter Cooper. We are asking alumni to do three things during this week.
- Attend an event (NYC or other regional). Consider hosting an event if there is not one near you.
- Share photos and stories on social media about the CooperTogether event, about Peter Cooper, or about why you support The Cooper Union, using hashtag #Coopertogether
- Give to The Cooper Union, in honor of Peter Cooper and further his legacy. Learn More
2/8/17 Cooper to Seattle
6:30–8:30 PM The Seattle event will be hosted by Alumni Trustee Adrian Burton Jovanovic BSE’89 and will be held at The Sitting Room, 108 West Roy St., Seattle, WA 98119 Register >>
2/9/17 Cooper to Houston
6:30–8:30 PM The Houston event will be hosted by President Laura Sparks and will be held at Hunky Dory, 1801 N. Shepherd Dr., Houston, TX 77008 Purchase tickets >>
2/9/17 Cooper to New Orleans,
6:30–8:30 PM The New Orleans event will be hosted by TRUE A’96 and will be held at The Country Club, 634 Louisa St., New Orleans, LA 70117 Register >>
2/9/17 Cooper to San Francisco Bay Area
6:00–9:00 PM The San Francisco event will be Hosted by Hsu-Wei Shueh EE’90. The location to be announced. Register >>
2/10/17 Cooper to Washington, DC
6:30–8:30 PM The Washington DC area event will be hosted by Jesse Aronson EE’84 and Chris Panebianco ChE’16. It will be held at Boqueria, 1837 M St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036 Register >>
2/10/17 Cooper to Chicago
6:30–8:30 PM The Chicago area event will be hosted by Jim Liubicich ChE’83 and Zev Salomon AR’01. Location to be announced Register >>
2/11/17 Cooper to Detroit
6:30–8:30 PM The Detroit area event will be hosted by Joe Fedullo ME’98 and Hether Fedullo and will be held at Traffic Jam & Snug, 511 West Canfield St., Detroit, MI 48201 Register >>
2/12/17 Florida Chapter Founder’s Day
12:00–4:00 PM The Cooper Union and Florida Chapter of the CUAA invite alumni, parents and friends to join us for a celebratory luncheon commemorating Peter Cooper’s 226th birthday. Cooper to Boca Raton will be hosted by President Laura Sparks and will be held at the Waterstone Resort & Marina, 999 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432 Purchase tickets >>
2/13/17 Founder’s Day NYC
6:30–8:30 PM Celebrate at McSorley’s. This traditional event is hosted by the CUAA. 15 E. 7th St., New York, NY 10003 Register >>
2/23/17 Mock Interview Night
6:00–9:00 PM The CUAA and the Center for Career Development invite alumni to help current Cooper architecture, art, and engineering students practice their interviewing skills. The event requires many alumni and alumni from all three schools. Architecture, art, and engineering students will have the opportunity to network with alumni and to participate in 3 practice interviews. Food and refreshments will be served. Sign up
2/28/2017 From The Lab
6:00-8:00 PM The Nerken School of Engineering From the Lab Series will be held at 41 Cooper Square. The event will begin in Rose Auditorium. The evening includes presentations, laboratory tours, and refreshments.
2/28/17 February CUAA Council Meeting
CUAA Council Meetings are held in the school. This meeting will be held in the double sized classroom on the second floor of the 41 Cooper Square Building. This meeting will include the presentation of the ballot for the CUAA Spring Election and an address by CU President Laura Sparks. Registration is required. (Seating is limited by the room size.)
Spring Volunteer Phonathon
3/13 – 3/15/17 Please mark your calendar for this year’s volunteer Phonathon March 13-15. This is a great opportunity to meet other alumni, parents, and students while supporting The Cooper Union.
6/2/17 Reunion Weekend Afternoon Social
This event marks the beginning of Reunion weekend. Check in, meet your classmates, and see the annual student end of year show, EYOS2017.
6/2/17 Hall of Fame Award Presentations
6:30—8:00 p.m. The Gano Dunn, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, John Q. Hejduk, and Peter Cooper Public Service Awards will be presented and the awardees will be inducted into The Cooper Union Hall of Fame. The Alumnus of the Year and The Young Alumnus of the Year Award will also be awarded. Alumni, Students, Parents and Friends are all invited. This year, the ceremony will be held in the Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square.
6/3/17 Reunion Weekend Continues with a Full Day of Activities
This fun filled day begins with a continental breakfast in the rebuilt Cooper Square Park and ends with a cruise departing from Chelsea Piers.
See the full schedule of events. Learn More
6/4/17 Reunion Farewell Brunch
To conclude the weekend, have brunch with friends new and old before headed back home.
Pioneer Stories
All editions of the CU Student Newspaper, The Pioneer, can be read on-line. http://pioneer.cooper.edu
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