Carnegie Mellon

Alumni Profiles

The alumni below have graciously provided information about their current whereabouts and their 5th year experience.

Matthew Q Adler (1993-1994)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
My fifth year made my CMU experience better for lots of obvious reasons—more school, which is generally good, and an opportunity to get more involved with campus activities than I had been (or could possibly have been, I suppose), which was also rewarding. And, as ironic as it sounds, I was significantly more ready to leave CMU after five years than four. I felt like I had much better closure on that period of my life—college, living in Pittsburgh, etc.

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
Staying for an extra year was unquestionably the right decision. I loved going to school at CMU so getting an extra year was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—a no-brainer, really. Also worth mentioning (but not in any way to diminish the first thing) is that the girl I was pretty serious about at the time was still there finishing high school. Just kidding - she was another fifth year scholar. Plus, what was I going to do instead, go work??

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
After CMU I worked for three years in California doing engineering stuff for Intel Corp. before going back to grad school for another four. It's been almost two years since grad school so this question is starting to make me feel old...

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
Since graduating, I think I've gone back for Carnival every year except two. I was pretty involved with Sweepstakes when I was there and I guess I was never able to get buggy fully out of my system (in previous years, thoughts of buggy used to start in late February, but I don't think I've been plagued by any this year). One of my buddies from undergrad went back to GSIA and then settled in the 'Burgh, so I hang out with him (and his wife!). As far as the current Sweepstakes Committee is concerned, he and I have officially become annoying alumni - the kind that used to bug us when we were on the Committee.

5. What are you doing now?
I'm a lawyer and I work for a big ol' firm here in NYC. Work has been a little slow lately so I'm not concentrating as much wealth into the hands of a select few as I could be. Hmm, perhaps I've become a little cynical since undergrad.

David Bauer (1996-1997)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
As a fifth year scholar, I was also able to pursue some great projects with Student Life at CMU and with Shadyside Presbyterian Church. The extra year allowed me to work with wonderful people in both places, some of whom I still keep in contact with.
One other benefit that I had not anticipated while applying for the scholarship was getting to know the other scholars. All the scholars are such talented individuals, so any time spent with them was really challenging and fun.

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
The Fifth Year was definitely the right decision. I got all the benefits mentioned above. There was really no downside to staying for the fifth year. It didn't hamper any job opportunities--in fact I would say that it enhanced my prospects because it made me a much more well-rounded person which is always a plus in the job market. Not to mention the pleasure of further developing relationships with some really great people at and around CMU.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
After leaving CMU, I went to work. As I said, I think it enhanced my future work by adding other experiences to the already great technical training (ECE/Math) I had received at CMU so far. It also gave me another summer to do an internship.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
As for keeping gin touch with CMU, I have not quite as much as I thought I would. I seem to get busy with whatever is immediately around me (see next question). Many of the people in Student Life that I had close contact with have left (there seems to be a lot of turnover there), but I keep in touch with those people (Kimberly Didonato, for instance). We try to visit at Carnival and see people that we know.

5. What are you doing now?
Now, I'm living the exotic life of an embedded software engineer at Compunetix in Monroeville. I live in Churchill (just through the Squirrel Hill tunnels) with my wife Linda (Ertel) Bauer (CMU ChemE '96) and our two daughters Emily (2 years) and Julia (6 months). We're having a great time and are pretty busy! When I went to CMU there was no Embedded Software degree, but I'm glad I landed in the field because it combines a knowledge of ECE and Computer Science. It's truly a lot of fun. My boss is a good person (also a CMU grad) and I work with many talented people mostly from Pitt, CMU, and Penn State. We're very involved in our church (Redeemer Congregational) in Plum and involved in our community (Blackridge...in fact Eric Grotzinger [sp?] and his family live a couple blocks away from us). We're very blessed.

Jenni Bourque (1992-1993)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
I had a somewhat unusual undergraduate experience as I spent my senior year in a study abroad program at Keio University in Japan. The fifth year, then, gave me the opportunity to return to CMU and take classes in international business and international law, as well as participate in an ESL program for CMU faculty. I also created my own internship at the Japan-American Society of Pittsburgh. In many ways, the fifth year was a capstone year and solidified my interest in education and Asia.

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
Staying at CMU for an extra year was definitely a good decision as it gave me time after my year abroad to really figure out what kind of career I wanted to pursue. I spent the summer after my fifth year at a Japanese-language immersion program at Indiana University and that fall began a job administering a Japanese fellowship program for the Social Science Research Council in NYC. I have been in NYC since then in a variety of positions: I have worked at a Japanese trading company, a market research firm, and a dotcom.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
About five years ago I decided to pursue an MBA; I graduated from New York University's Stern School in 2000. I am currently working at NYU Stern in the development office - I do fundraising, primarily working with corporations and foundations. In addition, I teach and tutor GMAT in the evenings and have found that I enjoy teaching so much that I am considering working on a Masters of Education part-time.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
I am still in good touch with a number of CMU friends and friends from my sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta; I went back to campus last spring for my 10th year reunion at Carnival. The campus has definitely changed! It looks great - wish we had had such a nice student center when I was a student there. I've also stayed in touch with CMU by interviewing prospective CMU students in the NY-area for the Admissions Office - it's been fun to contribute to the school that way.

5. What are you doing now?
What else? I played tennis on CMU's varsity team and I still play a great deal now. I've also become a runner - ran the NYC marathon in November (my first marathon) in 4:19.

Nicole Brockmann (1992-1993)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
Design professor Karen Moyer won me a space in a senior project group for the spring semester, a tremendous learning experience that I won't soon forget.

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
I do think that staying at CMU for an extra year was the right decision for me. The fifth year was precious to me because of its emphasis that learning is its own reward.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
After some serious thinking on the value of interdisciplinary study (sparked by my fifth year at CMU), I opted to enroll at Yale for graduate school rather than at a music conservatory. I chose Yale because I wanted a school with a stellar music program within an equally outstanding university where I could indulge my insatiable curiosity. This May, I will finally (!) receive my doctorate in music from Yale, but along the way I also did extensive coursework in art history, architecture, literature, and religious studies. My life has been immeasurably enriched by cross-disciplinary work, which I continue to pursue and present to my students as part of my own teaching.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with Carnegie Mellon?
I am still in contact with friends among the music faculty at Carnegie Mellon, but sadly have no remaining contact with anyone from the design department.

5. What are you doing now?
I served on the faculty of the Yale School of Music for a year before moving to New York to pursue a career with the Lumina String Quartet. When I discovered how much I missed college teaching, I returned to Connecticut to obtain my doctorate. I currently hold a tenure-track position at Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, CT, where I teach music and interdisciplinary humanities (music, visual art, dance, literature, and film) for both regular and honors students. I also have an active performing life that includes travel all over the U.S. and abroad.

Jacquelyn Cuccaro (1992-1993)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience? and 2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
Fabulously and Yes. I was able to do an amazing internship through Georgetown in DC in the summer as a writer during the Bush Clinton election campaign. In the fall I took as many classes as I could, with a focus on entrepreneurship. I ended-up writing a business plan and starting a lingerie company with a classmate who was a first year at GSIA whom I met in one of classes. We won several awards, and I ended up with a GSIA MBA in 6 years. The degree propelled me to numerous experiences not otherwise obtainable to me.
On a side note, I can still remember the day Dean Murphy stopped me on the Cut and asked me if I would be interested in being a part of something he was starting called the Dean's Leadership Institute which was the summer before my senior year (a bit later I believe, I was chosen to be a 5th year scholar). He expressed his opinion that I had leadership influence among my peers. Overall, I think the 5th Year program served me well by boosting my awareness of my abilities tremendously. Because I had such solid support at such a young age, I have been able to accomplish a significant amount in my life over the past 10 years.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
Sort of, I went to work after GSIA which was technically year 6. In 2000, I completed a second masters in Luxury Brand Management from ESSEC, a French Grand Ecole in Paris. Funny name, but the degree is focused on creative design, product developement and communications management for high-end prestige brands (such as LVMH, Rolls Royce, etc.).

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with Carnegie Mellon?
I have been somewhat in contact. Through happy hours or bumping into fellow alums here in NYC (where I am living). Actually, I ran into an alum Ron Leach in Soho yesterday afternoon (he's a very gifted artist). Hadn't seen him since leaving CMU. Prompted me to get this note to you.

5. What are you doing now?
I have my own business - which is a boutique business development firm. I am currently the CEO/President of Vincent Longo, Inc, a client. It's a small $5M+ cosmetics brand. I work with other firms as well. Besides that, I am looking forward to less travel and for Spring to arrive here in NYC.

Stacey Jenkins (1999-2000)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
If it hadn't been for the Fifth Year Scholar Program I would not have had the opportunity to explore new academic areas or take on new community responsibilities. With the extra year I was able to take classes outside my major, focusing on Business Communications, which is one of the reasons I am in my current job post-CMU. Additionally, I was able to expand my involvement in the Greek community, serving in a leadership role in Delta Gamma and as Community Advisor for the Greek Community as a whole. Finally, I think whenever someone is having a great time in college (like I did) it is tough to leave and move into the "real world" so I'm glad I had a chance to put it off for another year!

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
It was definitely the right decision for me. I didn't feel ready to face the real world yet and it also gave me the chance to work on projects that I wouldn't normally have had the opportunity to do.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school? And
4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
I left CMU in May of 200 and went right into work. The economy was still good then.... Over the past few months I have been involved with the Boston Clan so I've had the opportunity to connect with other alums. I also serve at the Class Correspondent for the Class of 1999 so I get to hear from fellow alums on weddings, babies, new jobs and moves. It's a great way to stay in touch with people. The Alumni Relations Office is going to build a Young Alumni Clan in Boston so if any alums in the past ten years up in Boston are interested in helping out, that would be great.

5. What are you doing now?
I'm living in Boston and work at Forrester Research. I've been working at Forrester since I left CMU. In my spare time, I have been taking night classes and thinking about heading back to school for my MBA.

Amanda Kraus (2000-2001)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
Tremendous! I absolutely loved my time at CMU and having the 5th year gave me an opportunity to work intensely on my project, be a Community Advisor and finish up two minors. I would recommend a 5th year to anyone (and now that I work in Student Affairs, I share my experience with students all the time).

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
My 5th year gave me time to become invovled in more things on campus and I felt it was in my last year that I truly crystallized my career plans and develop my interests and passions.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
I went "back" to school--am currently finishing my Masters at the University of Arizona because it has an amazing center forthe study of higher education. My 5th Year Scholar project is directly related to the work I currently do and the department I am in.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
I keep in touch with my friends and past supervisors and professors. I also came back for Carnival.

5. What are you doing now?
Finishing up my Masters at U of A. Looking for jobs in Student Affairs--Residence Life, Leadership/Diversity Education or Student Activities. I have presented my 5th year Scholar project at least 5 times since I graduated and every time people love it!

Laura Larson (maiden name Ahr) (1993-1994)

1. How did your fifth year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
I spent a lot of time during my fifth year taking courses well outside of my major field, which was mathematics. In addition to exposing me to the humanities and arts that I had missed during my first four years, my fifth year introduced me to a huge variety of people, probably a larger number during that final year than in my previous four years combined.

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
I believe the extra year was the right decision. As trite as it sounds, though, I wish I had appreciated the opportunity a little more at the time. I was honored to have been selected and thrilled for the chance to explore other parts of the university, but I was too eager, especially toward the end, to be finished with school and to get out on my own.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
I immediately started working after leaving CMU. Four years or so after that, I enrolled in a part-time graduate teaching program.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
My husband is also an alumnus, which helps, but I have kept in touch with a few friends and some faculty, and we've kept our alumni information up-to-date. We're not terribly active, but we have maintained contact.

5. What are you doing now?
At the moment I am in family mode :). We have a thirteen-month-old little girl with another child on the way in September. I left the work force when our daughter was born last year, and I haven't returned yet, but my plan for the next couple of years is to finish my teaching certification and hopefully find a job as a mathematics teacher at the middle school level.

Russell Lehrer(1992-1993)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
Immeasurably. By my junior year I knew I no longer planned on pursuing biomedical chemical engineering after graduation. Receiving the fifth year of study to remain and focus on theatrical arts management was the final touch of my education, the practical information I would need to apply my engineering skills in an arts arena.

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
As alluded to in my previous answer, staying an extra year was crucial to my future career path. More in my next responses.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
Upon graduation, I came straight to New York City and began a career in professional theatrical management which has taken me places I never dreamed possible.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
I grew very close to some of my professors, both in engineering and in arts management. I have kept in touch with those professors who understood the path I was choosing, as well as maintaining some connection through the fifth year scholar updates.

5. What are you doing now?
Upon graduating, I came to New York and began as an assistant Company Manager for an off-Broadway theatrical producer. From there I got a job as general contractor on the renovation of the historic Virginia Theatre, restoring it to the beauty of its original 1920s construction. For the next seven years, I was an assistant director and dramaturg to Tony Award winning director Jerry Zaks for plays and musicals on and off-Broadway, television projects, as well as the Oscar-nominated film MARVIN'S ROOM. For the past eighteen months I have been a contract negotiator and Business Representative for Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. I handle the contracts for actors and stage managers touring the country under our flagship agreement, the Production Contract. My partner, David, and I have just finished a renovation (much of which we did ourselves) of our 1860s brownstown in Jersey City. To celebrate the end of this lengthy project, we're off to Paris for a week's well-earned vacation.

Marcus Louie (2001-2002)

1. How did your fifth year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
My classes and research during my fifth year were overwhelmingly influential in my shift in academic interests. In the Spring of my senior year I became acquainted with Professor Kathleen Carley in the Institute for Software Research International. Throughout my fifth year and the summer before it, Dr. Carley worked with me to develop my interests in using computational models to theorize about organizations and other complex systems.
I ultimately decided to apply to graduate departments where people were using computational models in a number of different ways. The departments I applied to ranged broadly from interdisciplinary programs such as the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon and the School of Information at the University of Michigan to more traditional programs in political science. If anything, the fifth year has completely changed my professional direction.

2. Was staying at Carnegie Mellon an extra year the right decision for you?
I decided to stay at Carnegie Mellon more than just one time. During my fifth year, I decided to stay at Carnegie Mellon for a few more years. I just started my first year as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP), and will be here for another 4-5 years. With respect to deciding to stay for a fifth year, I think that was the right decision for me. I am very happy as a student in EPP and never regret my decision to shift gears academically. As for staying at Carnegie Mellon for my graduate studies, I think I would have been happy if I'd gone elsewhere as well. It was a difficult decision knowing that I have already gained a lot from this school -- principally, being familiar with the style of questions we tend to ask and the approaches we tend to take in answering them. Ultimately, though, I knew Carnegie Mellon would be the best place for me to pursue my specific research interests, especially ones that are inherently interdisciplinary in nature. I'll break away eventually though. Trust me.

3. After (finally) leaving Carnegie Mellon, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
Yeah, very funny.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with Carnegie Mellon?
How can I not? Really though -- I still try to be involved in the Carnegie Mellon community. I volunteer time with the Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh Alumni Clan, helping to plan events for CMU alumni in the Pittsburgh area. I'm also still active in the Student Alumni Relations Council of which I was a member during my undergraduate.

5. What are you doing now?
Working on my qualifiers? Seriously though, still being in Pittsburgh, I'd be happy to meet or host any alumni visiting in the area.

Larry Mathers, MD (1995-1996)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
I would say my fifth year completed my Carnegie Mellon experience. In my first four years, I had explored several interests outside of my major, most notably Spanish and residence life. Spending a fifth year at CMU enabled me to complete a Spanish major and be involved in residence life in a unique way by looking critically at the issue of roommate matching.

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
Staying a fifth year was certainly the right decision for me. As a physician, I now find myself utilizing my knowledge of Hispanic culture and the Spanish language daily. I appreciate what the fifth year added to my background.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
After my fifth year, I continued with schooling, just down the road at U. Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
Since my fifth year, I've maintained little contact with CMU, strictly because of time constraints & distance (I live in Wisconsin presently).

5. What are you doing now?
I'm finishing my final year of residency in family medicine. My wife (a nurse practitioner) and I are looking forward to joining a rural practice we located in the beautiful Smokey Mountains of Tennessee later this summer.

Chris Noser (2001-2002)

1. How did your fifth year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
My fifth year took an already perfect undergraduate career, and made it even more perfect. The fifth year experience allowed me to pursue further studies in areas of engineering and the humanities that I had little time to pursue before, and allowed me to continue creative inquiry into environmental chemistry. A capstone of my research was an undergraduate laboratory experiment designed to expose freshman from many disciplines to the basics of environmental science.

2. Was staying at Carnegie Mellon an extra year the right decision for you?
Staying at CMU was the best decision I could've made. Without understanding the impact of the fifth year scholars program, and without the foresight to see how it would affect my life, I was faced with the tough choice between staying at CMU for a fifth year or pursuing graduate work in engineering. The extra year helped me realize that graduate work in engineering was not something I wanted to pursue right away, and prevented me from committing years to graduate study. I also spent time investing in younger students both as a teaching assistant, and through participation in campus organizations. And as is so often the case, I ended up learning and growing in ways I never expected.

3. After (finally) leaving Carnegie Mellon, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
I went into the real world, as an officer in the US Navy.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with Carnegie Mellon?
I have kept in touch with a large number of students still at Carnegie Mellon, however my formal contact with CMU has been limited. I have been keeping up-to-date on alumni events in my area, and intend on participating once I get a bit more settled in.

5. What are you doing now?
I am working as an engineer for the Navy, and thoroughly enjoy my job. I am thankful for the ways in which I have grown through college, and recognize and appreciate Carnegie Mellon's role in that.

Robert O’Toole(1991-1992)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
My 5th year impacted my CMU experience and my life in a very positive manner. From a less important practical matter, it allowed me to take some classes that gave me an opportunity to go to medical school. Additionally it allowed me to continue on an unusual research project (helping to make a robot to work on the shuttle).

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
Most importantly it allowed me, a mechanical engineer, to take modern art and modern thinking classes from Professor Schoenwald. Dr. Schoenwald, who has unfortunately since died, had, and continues to have, a profound effect upon my life. The 2 classes I took with him were the most significant I took at CMU.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school? And
4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
After CMU, I received a Masters at Stanford in Mech Eng., returned to pittsburgh and worked for CMU and Shadyside Hospital on medical robotics with a CMU grad Tony DiGioia.

5. What are you doing now?
And then, I attended Harvard Medical School where I am now in the middle of a Harvard Orthopedics Residency. I still use my engineering/design background in research/entrepreneurial activities.

Rhonda Struminger (1993-1994)

1. How did your fifth year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
My fifth year at Carnegie Mellon gave me more time to be a student of the things I was curious about but couldn’t explore while concentrating on my major. From the drama to graphic design classes I took, I was able to broaden my educational experiences and appreciate the diversity of the quality learning that was going on at the school. The fifth year gave me a freedom to try classes I knew I might not excel in and learned to take risks that I still value.

2. Was staying at Carnegie Mellon an extra year the right decision for you?
The extra year at Carnegie Mellon was absolutely the right decision for me. It gave me more time to plan my next steps, to learn new skills, and to prepare myself for the responsibilities post-college.

3. After (finally) leaving Carnegie Mellon, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
I went to work at National Geographic Television in Washington, D.C. as a researcher. I worked at NGT and then at National Geographic Online before going back to graduate school. I earned a Masters degree in Technology in Education at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with Carnegie Mellon?
Periodically. I went back last year for carnival but could not get there this year. I am still in touch with some classmates.

5. What are you doing now?
I live in Cambridge, MA and work at Classwell Learning Group, a division of Houghton Mifflin. I manage projects that integrate textbooks and other educational materials with technology for interactive online use by students and teachers.

Jean M. Vettel (2000-2001)

1. How did your 5th year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
I think the 5th year gave me the opportunity to see Carnegie Mellon as an institution. During the undergrad years, most of my time was spent focused on a particular snippet of the Carnegie Mellon experience: finishing a particular homework assignment, organizing a short-lived campus event, or enjoying a show at the Kresge Theatre. All of these are important lessons in what it means to do things at Carnegie Mellon, but I don't see them as adequate markers of what it means to be Carnegie Mellon. My scholar year allowed me to step back from the daily grind and gain an appreciation for the common Carnegie Mellon philosophy and passion that runs through the diverse departments and eclectic campus community. My scholar year helped me to understand that special Carnegie Mellon spark!

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
I would to it again in a heartbeat. The scholar year was well suited to my need to intellectually explore and figure out the next step in my life journey. Unlike the stereotypical CMU undergrad, I did not enroll to fulfill a lifelong dream of being a great engineer, an engaging actress, or a successful historian. I spent most of my undergrad, and scholar year!, jumping from discipline to discipline, searching for some common thread that would link my diverse interests. I think the scholar year, with the combination of my coursework and project on multidisciplinary education, was a perfect match to my need to explore. In addition, I became incredibly close with my advisor, Indira Nair, and several computer science professors, Jim Roberts and Don Slater, for whom I TA-ed during my scholar year. Lessons I learned from these individuals will stay with me for a lifetime.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
I think I can make the "or" in your question into an "and": I am currently working at a university! I accepted a full-time research position with a cognitive neuroscience lab at Washington University in St. Louis (MO). Under the stellar guidance of my supervisor, Jeff Zacks, we here in the Dynamic Cognition lab are interested in how our brain adapts to the dynamic nature of our everyday activities, whether it is using a map to figure out how to find a new restaurant (spatial transformations) or understanding the movements of a person performing a particular task (understanding temporal structure and its role in understanding events). We combine behavioral experiments with functional MRI in an attempt to understand what neural processing subserves particular cognitive tasks. You can check out the lab website, which, in CMU fashion, I redesigned when I arrived!! If you want more info: iac.wustl.edu/~dclweb

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
I certainly try to keep up on Carnegie Mellon happenings, and I attempt to be involved with alumni activities. I work with CMAC, the program headed up in the Admissions Office where alums like myself interview applicants who cannot make it to CMU for an on-campus interview. I have contacted the Carnegie Mellon alumni clan here in St. Louis, but the current group is not too active at the moment. I certainly read (or at least skim!) the Alumni email newsletters as well as the Carnegie Mellon magazine. Thus, I certainly strive to remain connected to Carnegie Mellon, but I am also trying to build some new roots with other organizations to be involved with the local community and world at large.... trying not to wear those Carnegie Mellon blinders that have been known to make me forget that life outside of Carnegie Mellon projects and deadlines is actually possible!! :)

5. What are you doing now?
I am currently investigating graduate school. I do believe that I've found my intellectual home with cognitive neuroscience, as it is multidisciplinary in its essence. However, I am still exploring what research area within the field lights my fire. I certainly enjoy the research we do in our lab, but I want to be careful that I don't attach myself to a line that is enjoyable because it if familiar rather than one that really gets at the heart of my interest in the field. In any event, if I am able to sort those details out, the plan would be to apply to graduate school this fall (2003). I will remain in this position until late spring of 2004. Who knows where I will be planning to move a year from now!

In addition to pondering my life path once again, I am enjoying my time here in St. Louis. I volunteer at the Fabulous Fox, an enormous theatre downtown (seats over 4000!!). On the western edge of St. Louis, we have an awesome park, Forest Park, that is home to some of my favorite trails for rollerblading and running, as well as the MUNY, an outdoor theatre that has a seven-show season each summer. I have also been keeping busy teaching some aerobics classes at a few athletic clubs and making use of my free tuition for any Washington University class. I don't think I've lost that Carnegie Mellon trait of overextension....

Derek Wahila (1995-1996)

1. How did your fifth year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
It’s all one big blur, but it was a big boost to my self-confidence to receive the fifth year.

2. Was staying at CMU an extra year the right decision for you?
Yes. I was able to complete a second degree and gain valuable experience.

3. After (finally) leaving CMU, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
I went on to work.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with CMU?
Not in any formal way…I keep in touch with staff and alumni.

5. What are you doing now?
I am self-employed as a web designer/programmer.

Julie Wilson (1999-2000)

1. How did your fifth year impact your Carnegie Mellon experience?
I have the fondest memories of my time at Carnegie Mellon, and remaining there for an additional year only served to add to those memories. I continued to remain active in various organizations during my fifth year, and as stated below, I took some great classes. I also had the chance to work with wonderful people at the Alumni House (my project).

2. Was staying at Carnegie Mellon an extra year the right decision for you?
I had an extremely positive experience at Carnegie Mellon, as evidenced by the fact that I applied to stay there another year! I have no regrets about remaining an extra year. In fact, I had the opportunity to take courses in areas that I have found to be quite beneficial to my graduate degrees.
My undergraduate experience is a bit unique as I graduated with three majors: Political Science, Social History, and Spanish. In order to satisfy the requirements associated with all three degrees, I did not have time to take “fun” classes. Thus, my fifth year afforded me the opportunity to broaden my coursework and expand into fields that I would not have had the chance to experience.

3. After (finally) leaving Carnegie Mellon, did you go on to work or did you go "back" to school?
Following my fifth year, I entered the JD/MA International Affairs joint degree program at American University, Washington, D.C. I plan to graduate from law school this May, and I will finish my MA degree in the fall of 2003. My specialization is in international labor and employment law, and I plan to remain in the D.C. area practicing in this field.

4. Since your fifth year, have you maintained contact with Carnegie Mellon?
I continue to be actively involved with Carnegie Mellon while an alumna. I am a member of the DC Alumni Clan, and I have attended several of its functions. In fact, I have managed to use a DC Carnegie Mellon event to my advantage! I am currently the Senior Special Projects Editor for the American University Law Review, and as such, I am responsible for organizing and running our annual symposium. The topic this fall was “The Evolving Legal and Ethical Role of the Corporate Attorney after the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.” In hopes of educating myself about the ramifications of the Act, I attended a Carnegie Mellon function on issues surrounding corporate governance. There, I met Dr. Jim Peters who is affiliated with the Heinz School and now teachers at the University of Maryland. Not only was I able to learn something that night, but I invited Dr. Peters to participate in the law school symposium. He agreed, and consequently, our November symposium had a Carnegie Mellon representative on the panel!
I represent Carnegie Mellon at job fairs. I should point out that such functions are a perfect opportunity to get some additional use out of our darn blazers. You all would be proud? For the last two years, I have held alumni interviews for potential students. Also, I have attended several Alumni Association events in the area, including the recent event at the Cosmos Club.

5. What are you doing now?
I will be taking the Maryland State Bar Exam this summer. Not exactly something that I’m looking forward to, but…? At this moment, I have several options regarding future employment, so I can’t say where I will be working. I expect that I will remain in the DC area or go overseas. I’ll have to get back to you.