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COVER STORY
As of press time, Columbia College Today had learned of eight College alumni killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, all at the World Trade Center in New York City. With the rest of the Columbia family, we mourn their loss and send our sympathies to their families and loved ones. We also extend our condolences to all members of the Columbia family who lost relatives and friends in the tragedy. Richard Aronow '75 Richard Aronow, 46, was deputy chief of the Leases Division of the Law Department at the Port Authority. Aronow, a graduate of the University of Texas law school, was the PA's expert in telecommunications and public utilities. He was the lead lawyer for the $1 billion privatization of Terminal 4 at JFK Airport, the largest such deal in U.S. history. His wife, Laura Weinberg, says Aronow — who colleagues called sensei (Japanese for teacher) because he was always "happy to share his knowledge" — was always capable of "finding the best in everything," whether at work or at home. Aronow, who lived in Mahwah, N.J., was a devoted and involved father, participating in the medical care of his son, Willie, who suffers from apraxia and autism. Other survivors include a brother, Gil '83. Robert Murach '78 Robert Murach, 45, was a senior vice president at Cantor Fitzgerald. Previously, Murach, who had studied economics at the College and earned an M.B.A. from Pace, had been a vice president at Lehman Brothers. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Murach lived in Montclair, N.J., with his wife, Laurie, and their two daughters, Madison Zoe, 9, and Hayle Noelle, 6. Murach excelled in track in high school and at Columbia and remained friends with six high school classmates who were on the track team that won the 1974 city championship; the group took a rafting trip in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of that triumph. In addition to his wife and daughters, he is survived by his parents, a grandmother, a brother and a sister. John Benedict Fiorito '82 John B. Fiorito, 40, was a bond broker for Cantor Fitzgerald. A native of New York, Fiorito previously worked at RMJ Securities, where he met his wife, the former Karen Lovacco. The couple recently moved from Old Bridge, N.J., to Stamford, Conn., where their son, John (age 6), is receiving treatment for acute myelocytic leukemia under the care of his uncle, Dr. Joseph Fiorito '79, P&S '83. Joseph said that John, galvanized by his son's condition, had begun to fund-raise for the local Leukemia Society and the Make A Wish Foundation. Other survivors include his mother. Seilai Khoo '86 Seilai Khoo, 36, was executive vice president and portfolio manager at Fred Alger Management, where she was in charge of the American Asset Growth Fund. Khoo, who had majored in computer science with a minor in economics at the College, had worked for the company since 1989, first as an analyst responsible for coverage of the computer software, telecommunications, paper and steel industries, then becoming an associate portfolio manager in 1994. Khoo, who lived in New York, was promoted to full portfolio manager one year later. Previously, she had worked as a securities analyst for RHO Management in New York.
Joseph Della Pietra '99 Since his graduation two years ago, Joseph Della Pietra, 24, worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, most recently as a corporate bond broker. At the College, Della Pietra majored in economics and political science, played on the varsity basketball team, and was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He lived in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn, N.Y. Survivors include his mother and a brother, Christopher '89.
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Brian P.
Williams '94 Brian P. Williams, 29, was a securities broker at
Cantor Fitzgerald. A native of Edgewood, Ky., where his family
still lives, Williams played football at Covington Catholic H.S. in
Park Hills, Ky. At Columbia, he majored in economics, played
varsity football and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.
A classmate remembers Williams as "a fun, sweet person who loved
his friends." Williams lived in the Park Slope neighborhood of
Brooklyn, N.Y., and had worked at Cantor since his graduation, but
frequently had talked about going back to Kentucky to settle down
and perhaps coach football at his high school alma mater. Survivors
include his parents, Ken and Kate Williams of Edgewood,
Ky.
Brooke
Alexandra Jackman '00 Academics were very important to Brooke
Jackman, 23, and she committed herself fully to them. At the
College, she majored in history with a concentration in women's
studies. Her family and friends, however, always were most
important. The youngest in her Oyster Bay, Long Island, family, she
quickly learned how to stand up for herself at the frequent large
family gatherings. Although small in stature, she always spoke her
mind, and what she had to say always contained wisdom and
sensitivity. Jackman worked as a trading assistant at Cantor
Fitzgerald but was in the process of pursuing a master's degree in
social work, which would have fulfilled her life-long commitment to
all living things. Jackman, who lived in Manhattan, is survived by
her parents, Robert and Barbara Jackman, and her older sisters,
Erin and Ross. (Submitted by Marissa Hurwitz '00.)
Tyler Ugolyn '01
Tyler Ugolyn, 23, was a gifted athlete, a generous, caring and
deeply spiritual young man known for his sense of humor and his
joyfulness. In high school, Ugolyn was selected an honorable
mention All American basketball player and was ranked among the
country's top 250 high school players by one national magazine. He
played guard on the Columbia basketball team for two seasons before
tendinitis in both knees cut short his involvement. He helped found
Columbia Catholic Athletes, a group that met weekly for discussion
and performed volunteer work. Ugolyn, who lived with his parents
and a younger brother in Ridgefield, Conn., was a research
associate for Fred Alger Management.
