Development Fellow, Retired, Corning Incorporated | Elmira, NY

Caltech Connections: Ricketts House librarian, Caltech Fencing, The California Tech

As a new board member, Abbott is looking for opportunities to listen, learn, and help. “The CAA board needs to keep the interests of fellow alumni foremost, work collaboratively to build on the strengths that make Caltech unique, and continually improve our Association,” he says. One example, according to Abbott, is strengthening the Association’s finances to enhance programs that connect alumni regionally and encourage them to return to campus. Recalling his time as an undergraduate, Abbott shares a favorite memory of renting camping equipment from the Caltech Y and taking a weekend study break with a classmate friend on Henninger Flats near Mt. Wilson.

Principal at Lewis-Burke Associates LLC | Bethesda, Maryland

Caltech Connections: SURF, Caltech Y Executive Committee, Student Activism Speaker Series Steering Committee, Caltech Women’s Swimming and Diving team

A key priority for Adler Miserendino is to collaborate with the Association staff and fellow board members to enrich the experience of the entire Caltech community, including fostering connections with current students. “I envision creating more opportunity for Caltech alumni to engage with one another while increasing the visibility and awareness of what is happening on campus,” she says. These opportunities could include more in-person networking events, increasing awareness of alumni achievements, and enhancing the use of online platforms to communicate. As an undergrad, you might have encountered Adler Miserendino and friends in the steam tunnels with professional-grade climbing gear headed to an undisclosed campus location for a late-night adventure.

Caltech Connections: SURF, MURF (now WAVE), Resident Associate, Ricketts House, Caltech Surf and Windsurf Club

Garcia Berrios would like to increase a sense of connection for alumni through the sharing of stories and experiences. “When I was on campus last June, I felt that sense of community that we can bring back through stories and photos to alumni,” he says. He recalls as a student caller for the Caltech Fund that alumni would ask about his student experience and request campus updates. As an alumnus, he also re-engaged with the Institute after reading a Caltech story that featured a friend with whom he had lost touch. Garcia Berrios also counts interaction with leading faculty, such as Harry B. Gray, as some of his favorite student memories. “You read about these people in textbooks and then all of a sudden you see them on campus and they know you.”

CEO of Gatsby Labs | Austin, TX 

Caltech Connections: ASCIT president, Avery House president, Caltech Chess Club, Frisbee team

“Caltech has been a cornerstone of my life, and my commitment to its community runs deep,” says Rivkin. One of his top priorities is to “seismically increase” alumni connectivity with each other and Caltech. In addition to serving on the CAA board, he also serves on the board for the Caltech Associates. Rivkin envisions helping to increase alumni engagement by fostering quality friendships among Techers and encouraging alumni to share their wisdom with the next generation. While there are too many favorite “only-at-Caltech” student memories to choose from, Rivkin points to meeting epic people as an undergraduate—whether it was faculty, trustees, or introducing President Rosenbaum at a campus event in his role at ASCIT president.

Manager at Southern California Edison | Los Angeles, CA

Caltech Connections: Intramural sports, student house officer

Turner returns to the board after temporarily serving as a member in late 2022 and early 2023. One of his key priorities will be to improve the board election process and seek areas to reduce expenses. In addition, as one of the hosts for the inaugural Table for Techers, he is thinking of additional ways to encourage alumni engagement. “I think the Association can continue to expand efforts to support local alumni chapters for both in-person and virtual networking events,” he says. Turner also suggests exploring opportunities to involve alumni in campus events such as Ditch Day, which he counts among some of his favorite Caltech memories.

Caltech has provided us with opportunities as well as rigorous training. I worked with Caltech graduates throughout my career at Corning and see the role of Caltech in a lot of successes at Corning and other companies. The CAA board needs to keep the interests of fellow alumni foremost, work collaboratively to build on the strengths that make Caltech unique, and continually improve our association. I have nine years of experience on a school board and know how effective a board acting together in consensus can be. The CAA board asks nominees for opinions on priorities and issues facing CAA, ideas for technical activities, and suggestions for development initiatives or strategic partnerships. The CAA board needs to become much more transparent with membership, and prudent regarding finance and program offerings. Engaging alumni is important; regionally organized events complement on-campus events and connect to a broader Techer community. Centrally organized events like the Tables for Techers add additional potential. CAA could consider joint technical or social events with other strong technical schools like Stanford/MIT/Carnegie-Mellon to further increase networking and CAA/Caltech goals. CAA can utilize alumni volunteers as event organizers to reduce costs, increase engagement, and support broader Caltech goals. We need to return to a strong Seminar Day program aligned with class reunions. Thank you for your support!

As the CAA seeks new leadership, we should take advantage of this opportunity to find somebody who has experience with a similar environment (e.g. strong academic reputation, small school, quirky alumni base, and a proven track record of leading a team and working with a board to significantly enhance the relationship between the Institute and its present and future alumni. We should lean in on current programs that are working well (e.g. Tables for Techers) and test new programs to see if we can positively impact our mission while attempting to be more data-driven (to the extent that is possible).

I recently visited Caltech (March 2024) because my children requested it. They wanted to have live images of the Laboratories, the Campus, etc., so they could make a connection between my stories and views of the physical locations. During this visit, I realized that Caltech continues to develop new stories, and moves on once students graduate. I felt nostalgia, so I thought about how alumni can, even though Caltech continues to move on, share and experience the positive feelings about their unique Caltech academic career. I believe that one of the key aspects for the Caltech Alumni is their journey to and after Caltech. We should develop avenues for alumni to share their unique stories, whether it is a magazine page, a video link, or a forum. Some alumni met their significant other at Caltech, and some even welcomed new life while at Caltech. Other important stories might include groups of alumni, such as summer research mentors, or post-doc and students working together, the surfing club, Caltech-Y adventures, TV and movies recorded on Campus, interviews from Stephen Hawking or Keanu Reeves, etc. I believe that for Caltech alumni to stay engaged with their alma mater, and establish business and strategic partnerships, CAA should prioritize the alumni stories, their accomplishments and even their struggles.

I have stayed close to Caltech ever since graduation (2011, PhD, Biology), both in proximity (I live in Pasadena) and zeal! Professionally, I oversee safety in medical devices which includes touch points with compliance and even finance. I also act as a Director on a few local nonprofit Boards.

During my CAA Director tenureship and as the Vice Chair of Governance, I implemented a more open process for Director nomination to the Board, created new policies for Board oversight, saw the hiring of a new CEO, and connected with an array of alumni across many key events. My fellow Directors commended me for running organized meetings, and driving consensus on difficult decisions. I would be honored to serve again and that the CAA Board nominated me to serve as the Vice Chair of Finance. I would oversee the financial sustainability of the organization and move the CAA towards the use of more metrics to understand the most meaningful impacts and the untapped opportunities. Some in our community incorrectly see the role of the CAA Board as a day-to-day operational position. In actuality, the Board drives the strategic framework and organizational oversight to promote the longevity of the CAA and the greater good of Caltech.

I am hopeful for the future given we put in place proficient leaders able to drive consensus, work effectively with the CAA staff, make sound judgements, and operate with the greater good of Caltech as the impetus for creating a community of connected and engaged alumni.

Principal at Lewis-Burke Associates LLC | Washington, DC

As a first-time member of the CAA Board of Directors, I anticipate using my role to advance the interests of Caltech Alumni and to improve the experience of current students. Some specific ideas I have are:

1. Creating more opportunity for Caltech alumni to engage with one another, including through event planning and coordination;
2. Increasing the visibility and awareness of CAA activities and needs (financing/fundraising), as well as alumni accomplishments/life events;
3. Supporting important initiatives on the Caltech campus, including those focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, campus sustainability and science policy

The CAA needs to improve its ability to provide services to alumni that are meaningful to their personal and professional lives. Limitations on staff size and budget are a challenge for any alumni association to deliver these services, but the remarkably small Techer alumni population makes it especially challenging. The key to success is mobilizing and leveraging alumni volunteers. During my first term on the Board, I believe I was instrumental in moving the Board towards action in this regard as this was my primary goal. If I were to return to Board service, my goal would be to continue this effort to create active local alumni communities by finding and nurturing volunteers who share a commitment to helping alums in the ways they want to be helped, whether it be through social, career, educational, financial, or self-improvement programs. And, looking further down the road, the way to overcome the limitations of Caltech’s small size is to partner with other schools in order to make networking more meaningful to Techers. In turn, the other schools get a premier science/engineering partner with which to plan events. Of course, the key is finding the right partners and crafting the right events. Having already done this more than once within the MIT alumni club system and through Ivy+ organizations, I believe I am well-qualified to move this effort forward at the CAA.

CEO of Gatsby Labs | Austin, TX 

Caltech has been a cornerstone of my life, and my commitment to its community runs deep. Having supported the university through financial contributions, strategic advice, and active involvement, I am excited about the opportunity to serve on the CAA Board.

1. My primary goal is to steer the CAA towards initiatives that provide the greatest benefit to our diverse alumni community. If elected, I will focus on two key priorities:
2. Fostering Alumni Connections: Many alumni seek meaningful ways to reconnect with their peers. I aim to enhance networking opportunities and create platforms that facilitate these connections, allowing alumni to engage with one another more effectively.
3. Enhancing the CAA’s Technology Infrastructure: As the top technology university, Caltech deserves a tech stack that reflects our expertise. I advocate for modernizing our digital tools to better serve our community, improving both efficiency and user experience.

While I will seek broad consensus for such changes, at minimum I can commit to continuously improving the CAA’s operations and supporting our members in finding valuable career opportunities. With experience serving on multiple boards, including the Caltech Associates, I understand what it takes for a board to function effectively. Additionally, I have engaged with a wide range of stakeholders — Caltech presidents, trustees, donors, professors, staff, and, crucially, alumni. This input equips me to develop actionable, strategic plans that reflect our collective needs and aspirations.

I look forward to your support to advance the CAA’s mission and enhance the value it provides to Caltech alumni everywhere. Thank you.

Hardware System Engineer, Reality Labs, Meta | Portland, OR

Three years ago, I ran for CAA Board on a platform of improving communication between CAA and alums. Although not all details of my platform were implemented, I believe CAA has become much more transparent and open to feedback during my term. There is now a published, annual process for all alums interested in joining the Board. The Bylaws and Annual Meeting materials are public. The Facebook group has a Board-approved set of rules and an active team of moderators. I regularly surface individual alums’ requests and concerns to the Board, and while the result is not always what the alum hopes for, CAA has acted on some of this feedback. I realize CAA’s transparency and responsiveness are not yet perfect, and I will continue to push for improvements. However, if re-elected, I will primarily focus on CAA’s budget. As our public tax documents show, CAA’s endowment is sufficient to maintain our flagship events indefinitely – but many alums greatly appreciate our other, smaller programs, and the combined cost of all possible CAA activities easily exceeds our annual revenue. We need to set a budget that strikes a balance between keeping CAA sustainable and relevant to our members. This will require increased reliance on alum volunteers, more detailed understanding of what current alums want from CAA, and close collaboration with the incoming Executive Director and the Caltech administration. I believe I now have the knowledge and skills to positively influence this process. I appreciate your vote, and I always welcome feedback.

1. Increase communication and transparency with our membership (as has been the recent trajectory); and
2. Assist the new VP/President of the CAA with transition, as well as staff, and ensure that transition is as seamless as possible.

For CAA itself, I hope that smaller regional activities come back with greater frequency. While I understand there are always budget and staff concerns, increasing our volunteer ranks (as we have been working toward) would help quite a bit. I remember when I was a more recent alum how much I appreciated Silicon Valley and SF based happy hours, where alumni would pay for their own drinks and mingle with alumni ranging in age from recent graduate to retiree. I would love to see more things like that return.

Manager at Southern California Edison | Los Angeles, CA

The Caltech Alumni Association (CAA) is presently grappling with two substantial hurdles: engaging our time-strapped alumni and budget management. To effectively address these issues, I propose a three-pronged strategy:

1. Amplify Virtual Engagement Opportunities: we should broaden our virtual engagement options, enabling alumni to participate in CAA activities at their convenience, regardless of their location. This tactic is likely to escalate participation levels and drastically curtail expenses associated with events.
2. Cultivate Stronger Campus Partnerships: we should strengthen collaborations with various campus entities, including academic departments, athletics and student organizations. Alumni feedback consistently highlights the positive impact these aspects of the Caltech experience had on their lives. By leveraging this goodwill, we can engage alumni in ways that resonate with their experiences and interests.
3. Explore Tailored Fundraising Initiatives: we should investigate the potential for fundraising campaigns that are tailored to the interests and passions of our alumni. By pinpointing key projects and causes that resonate with our alumni, we can inspire more significant contributions. This strategy not only aids in offsetting operational costs, but also engenders a sense of pride and ownership among alumni.

By fostering these meaningful connections, we can strengthen the ties within our alumni community and further the CAA’s mission. This approach ensures that our initiatives address immediate challenges while simultaneously cultivating a sustainable and engaged alumni network.

During my time as a member of the Caltech community, I have served in a number of roles. As an undergraduate, I was a member of the women’s fencing team, active in the Glee Club, and four ASCIT Musicals. I also served as the secretary in Ruddock (now Venerable) House. After graduation I was asked to join the Gnome Club, and served a term as president of that organization. I also served for several years on the CAA committee organizing Seminar Day, including one year as the Chair. To me, the essence of Caltech is the feeling of community. I remember, at Seminar Day, introducing undergraduate and graduate students to present their research to attentive and interested alums. I value the connection to Techers of different ages. Ray Feeney, Richard Gruner, Dave Peisner, and I are seeking election to the CAA Board of Directors to promote activities including:

1. Increasing alumni connections and involvement in both live and virtual activities.
2. Surveying alumni to determine the reasons for reduced involvement and disaffection with campus in-person events and formulating solutions.
3. Monitoring student experiences at Caltech and increasing alumni involvement to ensure these experiences remain supportive and distinctive.
4. Improving campus in-person events including considering restoring all Class Reunions and a multitrack Seminar Day to the third weekend in May.

I am a previous Alumni Association Board member. I was solicited to join the Board during a time of crisis for Caltech that resulted from the economic meltdown that began in 2008. I was approached because of my significant background in entrepreneurial projects. My Board focus was on ramping the level of student/alumni engagement. I highly applaud the efforts to make the Institute (and CAA) activities more accessible online and worldwide. But one of the unintended consequences (compounded by Covid) is that the in-person on-campus activities have become much less compelling. This has had an impact on reunions, Seminar Day, student/alumni activities, etc. I believe this is addressable and that some of the lessons learned during my previous stint on the Board can be helpful towards revitalizing in-person events – while still preserving the advancements that have been made for those individuals attending remotely. Marie Beall, Richard Gruner, Dave Peisner, and I are seeking election to the Caltech Alumni Association (CAA) Board of Directors to promote activities including:

1. Increasing alumni connections and involvement in both live and virtual activities.
2. Surveying alumni to determine the reasons for reduced involvement and disaffection with campus in-person events and formulating solutions.
3. Monitoring student experiences at Caltech and increasing alumni involvement to ensure these experiences remain supportive and distinctive.
4. Improving campus in-person events including considering restoring all Class Reunions and a multitrack Seminar Day to the third weekend in May.

I have held numerous offices in my Caltech career. As an undergraduate, I was treasurer of ASCIT and manager of the California Tech, Big T, little t and Glee Club. Following graduation, I have been chairman of the reunion committee for the class of 1974 for every reunion since graduation and recently led the highly successful record setting half century reunion in May of this year. I have also been a leader for the previous Alumni Fund, an undergraduate admissions representative and mentor to local students. Marie Beall, Ray Feeney, Richard Gruner, and I are seeking election to the Caltech Alumni Association (CAA) Board of Directors to promote activities including:

1. Increasing alumni connections and involvement in both live and virtual activities.
2. Surveying alumni to determine the reasons for reduced involvement and disaffection with campus in-person events and formulating solutions.
3. Monitoring student experiences at Caltech and increasing alumni involvement to ensure these experiences remain supportive and distinctive.
4. Improving campus in-person events including considering restoring all Class Reunions and a multitrack Seminar Day to the third weekend in May.

I have stayed close to Caltech ever since graduation (2011, PhD, Biology), both in proximity (I live in Pasadena) and zeal! Professionally, I oversee safety in medical devices which includes touch points with compliance and even finance. I also act as a Director on a few local nonprofit Boards.

During my CAA Director tenureship and as the Vice Chair of Governance, I implemented a more open process for Director nomination to the Board, created new policies for Board oversight, saw the hiring of a new CEO, and connected with an array of alumni across many key events. My fellow Directors commended me for running organized meetings, and driving consensus on difficult decisions. I would be honored to serve again and that the CAA Board nominated me to serve as the Vice Chair of Finance. I would oversee the financial sustainability of the organization and move the CAA towards the use of more metrics to understand the most meaningful impacts and the untapped opportunities. Some in our community incorrectly see the role of the CAA Board as a day-to-day operational position. In actuality, the Board drives the strategic framework and organizational oversight to promote the longevity of the CAA and the greater good of Caltech.

I am hopeful for the future given we put in place proficient leaders able to drive consensus, work effectively with the CAA staff, make sound judgements, and operate with the greater good of Caltech as the impetus for creating a community of connected and engaged alumni.

The CAA needs to improve its ability to provide services to alumni that are meaningful to their personal and professional lives. Limitations on staff size and budget are a challenge for any alumni association to deliver these services, but the remarkably small Techer alumni population makes it especially challenging. The key to success is mobilizing and leveraging alumni volunteers. During my first term on the Board, I believe I was instrumental in moving the Board towards action in this regard as this was my primary goal. If I were to return to Board service, my goal would be to continue this effort to create active local alumni communities by finding and nurturing volunteers who share a commitment to helping alums in the ways they want to be helped, whether it be through social, career, educational, financial, or self-improvement programs. And, looking further down the road, the way to overcome the limitations of Caltech’s small size is to partner with other schools in order to make networking more meaningful to Techers. In turn, the other schools get a premier science/engineering partner with which to plan events. Of course, the key is finding the right partners and crafting the right events. Having already done this more than once within the MIT alumni club system and through Ivy+ organizations, I believe I am well-qualified to move this effort forward at the CAA.

As the CAA seeks new leadership, we should take advantage of this opportunity to find somebody who has experience with a similar environment (e.g. strong academic reputation, small school, quirky alumni base) and a proven track record of leading a team and working with a board to significantly enhance the relationship between the Institute and its present and future alumni.  We should lean in on current programs that are working well (e.g. Tables for Techers) and test new programs to see if we can positively impact our mission while attempting to be more data-driven (to the extent that is possible).

Hardware System Engineer, Reality Labs, Meta | Portland, OR

Three years ago, I ran for CAA Board on a platform of improving communication between CAA and alums. Although not all details of my platform were implemented, I believe CAA has become much more transparent and open to feedback during my term. There is now a published, annual process for all alums interested in joining the Board. The Bylaws and Annual Meeting materials are public. The Facebook group has a Board-approved set of rules and an active team of moderators. I regularly surface individual alums’ requests and concerns to the Board, and while the result is not always what the alum hopes for, CAA has acted on some of this feedback. I realize CAA’s transparency and responsiveness are not yet perfect, and I will continue to push for improvements. However, if re-elected, I will primarily focus on CAA’s budget. As our public tax documents show, CAA’s endowment is sufficient to maintain our flagship events indefinitely – but many alums greatly appreciate our other, smaller programs, and the combined cost of all possible CAA activities easily exceeds our annual revenue. We need to set a budget that strikes a balance between keeping CAA sustainable and relevant to our members. This will require increased reliance on alum volunteers, more detailed understanding of what current alums want from CAA, and close collaboration with the incoming Executive Director and the Caltech administration. I believe I now have the knowledge and skills to positively influence this process. I appreciate your vote, and I always welcome feedback.

I joined the CAA Board two years ago to increase Caltech Alumni engagement through transparency and enabling alum-to-alum connections. During my two years on the Outreach Committee, we’ve improved the quality of the Facebook discussion group by clarifying expectations. We’ve pushed for the resumption of alumni-led local events with Techers Together, and I am thrilled to have found my local alumni through Tables For Techers. I believe leveraging the power and enthusiasm of the Alumni community allows the CAA to do more with the resources we have. As a young alum (BS 2018), I haven’t always felt like there’s an alumni event for me. I haven’t necessarily been in a position to donate; previously I returned to campus to help with Ditch Day, but there weren’t alumni events. The split of Reunion Weekend and Seminar Day caught me off guard, and I admit I missed my own class’s 5th reunion. I no longer live in a city served by Caltech In…. We need to do better at providing a variety of events, and communicating the full spread of ways to give back. The Vice Chair, Leadership and Outreach leads the Board’s Outreach Committee, and if elected, I will also use my role on the Executive Committee to strengthen communication and transparency around governance (such as election timelines, bylaws changes), finance (clarity on how the CAA gets funded), and all-Board meetings (making Minutes available and searchable). Most of all, I want every alum to feel a part of the alumni community.