CLASS NOTES

Reiser & Umemoto

Jesse Reiser AR'81 and Nanako Umemoto AR'83 have designed a stunning cruise ship terminal in Taiwan that redefines the waterfront. Their architecture firm, RUR Architecture, created a sinuous and dynamic structure that serves as a gateway to the city, blending modern design with functionality. The terminal's innovative design has garnered attention for its unique approach to waterfront architecture, showcasing the talent and creativity of these Cooper Union alumni.

Read more about the Kaoshiung Port Terminal here.

Cristina Ross AR'81

Join the authors of Midcentury Houses Today, Cristina A. Ross A'81 and Jeffrey R. Matz, for a book talk that explores the expanded and updated edition of this 2014 classic, followed by a book signing.

Midcentury Houses Today focuses on the concentration of houses in New Canaan, Connecticut, built by noted architects, including Marcel Breuer, Eliot Noyes, Philip Johnson, John Black Lee, and Edward Durell Stone. This new and updated edition of an out-of-print classic addresses the issue of preservation and adaptive reuse as a sustainable architectural strategy. A representative group of 17 houses reveals an evolving legacy, now adapting to contemporary life. Each is examined in detail, with plans, timelines, and archival and new photography, capturing the clean, minimalist look of the initial construction and re-imagining by significant architects of our time.

Xenia Diente A'99

Xenia Diente A'99 is a lead artist in "Little Manila Queens : Mabuhay!" exhibition at MoMA PS1. The exhibit opens May 16, 2023 during AANHPI month and closes October 21, 2024 during Filipino American history month.   

The exhibit will be a part of PS1 MOMA's Homeroom Program.

Xenia is a founder of Little Manila Queens Bayanihan Arts (LMQBA, est. 2020), a grassroots collective of artists and cultural workers who celebrate the diasporic Filipino communities in Woodside, Queens, and throughout New York.

Donald Stern AR'52

Donald Stern AR'52, a veteran WWII aviator, who flew 32 combat missions in Italy as a bombardier in a B17 Flying Fortress, will celebrate his 101st birthday April 25 during ceremonies at Central Jersey Airport before taking off to fly around the Statue of Liberty.

To learn more about Donald and the upcoming ceremony, please click here.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.