Barry C. Schneider '64, who has served as a judge on the Superior Court of Maricopa in Phoenix for 16 years, was one of three recipients of the President's Award, an honor bestowed by the president of the Arizona state bar. Awardees were cited for "contributing enormous efforts toward the furtherance of the president's goals and priorities during his or her year as president" at the annual Arizona State Bar Convention in Tucson in June. Barry was especially recognized for his contributions to the improvement of the profession and protection of the public regarding the unauthorized practice of law.

Barry is one of three judges who are alumni of Harpur College. The other two are Edward O. Burke '63 and Robert L. Gottsfield '56. All three were featured in the fall 1999 issue of Binghamton Alumni Journal. Barry has lived in Arizona for 31 years.

Sherrie Shamoon Schneider '80 will publish The Rules for Online Dating: Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right in Cyberspace (Pocket Books, 2002) July 30, along with her best friend and business partner, Ellen Fein. This is the fourth in a highly successful series of books about dating co-written by the pair. Their first book, The Rules: Time Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right (Warner Books, Inc., 1995), was so popular that the authors founded The Rules Consultation Corp., a company that offers phone and e-mail consultations, support groups and other services. Find out more by visiting their website at http://www.therulesbook.com.

Christopher Jones '88, MA '89 was named one of the top undergraduate teaching professors at Northern Illinois University (NIU).

Jones immerses himself in his teaching. He requires his students to become active participants in the classroom, encourages their interruptions during lectures and leads thought-provoking discussions that often leave students wanting more. His office is easy enough to find; it's the one that often has students lined up outside. In addition, students send him e-mails and linger after class.

"He's very interested in making sure that his students really come away with a solid core knowledge and an interest in the subject matter," said Debra Olson, a senior political science major at NIU. She has had one independent study with Jones and three of his courses.

"Every opportunity I get, I will take him," she said. "Dr. Jones sets high standards for his students, then makes it his priority to help his students achieve those goals. He has a teaching style and enthusiasm for the subject matter that inspires learning and a desire to delve even deeper into the topic."

Jones received his PhD in political science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He is completing his sixth year at NIU. An expert in American defense and foreign policy, Jones is the author of 10 publications on the politics of U.S. foreign policy-making and is frequently quoted in national and local media. At NIU, his courses include American Foreign Policy, National Security Policy and Middle East Politics. He also teaches a graduate-level seminar and regularly advises master's- and PhD-level students.

"I try to challenge my students intellectually and hold them to high standards," Jones said. "At the same time, I do everything in my power to create an open, engaging and respectful learning environment where students feel comfortable participating and are afforded every opportunity to succeed."

Political Science Chair Daniel Kempton said student evaluations of Jones are "likely the best that we have ever had in the department." Students describe him as highly organized and motivated, but Jones said it is the students who provide the inspiration.

"I am fortunate to be in a department where I encounter many engaged, interesting and bright students," he said, adding that the interest level in political science has risen since Sept. 11. "I am also fortunate to be in a department that values undergraduate teaching and has a reputation for excellence in this area. I am surrounded by wonderful role models."

Jones adds that he is honored to be recognized by students, but "it feels odd receiving an award for something that I love to do."

Debra Orringer '95 of Cocoa Beach, Fla., was featured in "The Right Stuff," an article in the March 2002 issue of Shape magazine, and also in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in May 2002. By changing her diet and engaging in regular exercise, Orringer went from a size 18 to a size 8. She also became a person who loves physical activity -- swimming, scuba diving, rollerblading, running, skiing, kickboxing, rock climbing, karate -- you name it, Orringer does it. "I can't imagine not exercising now," she said in the interview in the Sun-Sentinel. "It's a mental release for me, especially after a hard day's work."

Orringer's change in lifestyle also resulted in a new career interest. She went back to school and received her MS in clinical exercise physiology from the University of Florida at Gainesville in 2001. In the summer of 2001, she did an internship at NASA Kennedy Space Center's biomedical laboratory -- an experience that was "just amazing," as she put it. There, she conducted research and analysis of heat stress data relating to the use of personal protective equipment on shuttle fire-rescue personnel and rocket propellant handlers. She also evaluated remedies for heat stress, biomechanical and kinesiological movement in protective suits, and treatment of physiological responses to specific environmental conditions.

Orringer teaches aerobics and works as a bartender full time while she seeks a position as a clinical exercise physiologist.

Jennifer Wu '96, a resident at Montefiore Medical Center, was one of four medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx who created OrgoCards (Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 2002) a study aid for students of organic chemistry and future medical students who must prepare for standardized tests like the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

Over the course of three and a half years, Wu and her fellow medical students compiled material for the set of very detailed, yet concise, set of index cards they named OrgoCards.

"Organic chemistry requires a great deal of rote memorization of intricate formulas, plus by the time you prepare for the MCAT, it has been several years since you've taken the course," said Steven Wang, one of the four students who created OrgoCards. "Our goal in creating OrgoCards was to stress understanding over memorization," he added. "So we included a lot of detail focused on organic reactions."

Orgocards consist of 176 5 1/2" x 7" cards packaged in a slipcase.

NOAA Ensign Katherine Peet '97 is one of seven women and seven men who graduated May 8 from the Basic Officer Training Class of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps. The NOAA Corps, a part of the U.S. Commerce Departments' NOAA, is one of the nation's seven uniformed services.

Peet's May 8 graduation was the culmination of three months of intense training at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. She will soon begin her first assignment aboard the NOAA ship McArthur, a 175-ft. multi-purpose vessel that conducts oceanographic research and living marine resource assessments off the U.S. Pacific Coast and the eastern tropical Pacific.

Peet earned her bachelor's degree in biology from Binghamton University and earned her master's degree in ecological conservation and management from Duke University in 2001. She studied loggerhead sea turtle nesting habits in southwest Florida for her master's project, and worked as an instructor for the Newfound Harbor Marine Institute in the Florida Keys and as an environmental scientist for a consulting company before accepting a commission into the NOAA Corps. Her hobbies include working out, snorkeling/diving, rock climbing, hiking and camping. Peet hopes to pursue a career that will include the protection of marine megafaunal populations and the management of protected ecosystems in the southeastern United States.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of America's coastal and marine resources.

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