Class Notes

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Two alumns pose under giant polar bear ice sculpture

The 1950s and ’60s featured a Winter Weekend hosted by the junior class, which included all sorts of winter fun.

1972

Hector Mayol says he really loved reading last spring’s 1972 Class Notes. “I can relate to Dave Halwig’s failure at retirement as I went to law school at 55 and started a law career at 60. Ken Adamo, congrats on your achievements; my practice has led me to be counsel to the retirees of the government of Puerto Rico in the largest municipal bankruptcy on record.” Posted 2021-02-26
Engineering David Halwig writes: “Having completely flunked both retirement and semi-retirement, I am a co-founder of IntelliVen Inc., a company which provides strategic and operational consulting to mid-sized businesses who find themselves at inflection points, and I sit on the board of directors or advisory boards for several companies in the Washington, D.C., area. In addition, I sit on the board of trustees for St. George’s School in Newport, R.I., and the Langley School in McLean, Va., chairing the audit and risk management committees for each. I was recently appointed to the Chief Risk Officer’s Council at George Mason University and joined their adjunct faculty. In the past few years, I was a part of an interdisciplinary group at RPI to help develop the Challenge Studio concept, which I hope will grow to fruition in the near future. I also remain a big advocate for the Archer Center for Student Leadership Development, where I feel privileged to lead a couple of graduate-level sessions a year.” Posted 2020-05-19
Engineering Kenneth Adamo was listed in The Best Lawyers in America. He is a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He specializes in all areas of intellectual property law, particularly patent, copyright, unfair competition, trade secrets, and related antitrust matters. Kenneth holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from RPI, an LLM from The John Marshall Law School, and a JD from Albany Law School. Posted 2020-05-19
Peter Adamiak
Engineering   Peter Adamiak has been named by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers as a 2019 SMPTE Fellow. Peter helped found the firm National TeleConsultants (NTC), one of the most respected media technology consulting, design, and systems integration companies in the world. Peter has spearheaded major projects, including the ground-up development of ESPN’s broadcasting headquarters in Bristol, Conn., and Telepictures’ TMZ facility, the first tapeless facility capable of going direct to air from a server. Other major projects he has overseen for NTC include groundbreaking facilities for ABC, Warner Brothers, and Viacom. Peter has a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from RPI. Posted 2020-05-19
Science Jim Moe writes: I am a new class correspondent and look forward to hearing from any members of the Class of ’72. As for me, after graduating with an M.S. degree in computer science from RPI, I had a career in IT consulting and management, retiring in 2015. My wife and I live in Pittsford, N.Y., and have three kids and three grandchildren so far. We still enjoy downhill skiing, cycling, and travel. My hobby of model railroading has taken me all over the country to conventions and I look forward to seeing the new RPI club layout. Posted 2020-05-19
Many thanks to Bob Dvorak, who has served as class correspondent, sharing your news in this space, since 1990! Due to medical considerations, Bob has decided it is time to step down and let someone else take on the role. If you are interested in serving as class correspondent for the Class of ’72, contact alum.mag@rpi.edu. Posted 2019-10-01
Werner Kohler, professor of mathematics in the Virginia Tech College of Science, has been named professor emeritus. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1973, he made significant contributions to the mathematics of wave propagation in research projects funded by numerous federal research agencies, and co-authored a widely used textbook on differential equations. Posted 2019-03-10
I’m sorry to report that William “Ziggy” Bernfeld passed away on February 26, after a long struggle with lung disease. Ziggy graduated from the Lally School and received a commission from Army ROTC in 1972. He earned an MBA from the University at Albany and an M.S. in accounting from Pace University. He retired from the Army in 2002 after 30 years of service. He maintained a practice as a certified public accountant from 1986 until his retirement in 2010. He is survived by his wife Catherine, his children, Rebecca MacMillan ’99Jennifer ’01 & ’02(Greg) Miller, and Adam (Brittney) Bernfeld, and his four grandchildren. Posted 2018-10-10
Betty Sanders is a Lifetime Master Gardener and a nationally accredited flower show judge. Betty, who has studied gardening everywhere from the Arnold Arboretum to the New York Botanical Garden, has lectured at many garden shows and civic organizations in the Northeast. Posted 2018-03-15
Ted Hoff ’58, inventor of the microprocesor, and Steve Sasson, inventor of the digital camera, were two of the 11 National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee judges selected for the Collegiate Inventors Competition. Posted 2018-03-15