the ampersand

On an animated journey

One of the many skilled artisans behind the enchanting visuals in Pixar movies is alumnus Chris Bernardi. On the Oscar Award–winning “Coco,” Bernardi served as set supervisor, leading a team of designers who beautifully bring to life a boy’s dream against the backdrop of Mexico’s Day of the Dead.

Practicing generosity

Alumna Jane Hardesty Poole learned from her physician-father the importance of giving. Today, she continues to support the university in honor of his lifetime of service.

Battling cancer on two wheels

With a PhD in business, you might not expect Chris Boerner, AB ’93, to be fighting cancer. Yet as head of international markets at Bristol-Myers Squibb, he works to bring life-saving immuno-oncology cancer drugs to international markets. In his free time, Boerner participates in two bike rides that raise more than $1 million annually for cancer research.

A Start for Startups

In Chicago, Steven Collens, AB ’93, was instrumental in starting 1871 and MATTER, co-working spaces for tech and health-care startups, respectively.

The Real Deal

Paul Pariser, AB ’76, is reshaping Manhattan with his real estate development and investment firm, Taconic Investment Partners.

Breakfast with Ovid

John and Penelope Biggs met in Latin class. Six decades later, their love for classics is still going strong. In April, leading scholars from around the country will present their work as part of the Biggs Family Residency Reunion.

Food Culture Along the Silk Road

Like passionate foodies who know the best places to eat in every town, Silk Road nomads may have been the gastronomic elites of the Medieval Ages, enjoying diets much more diverse than their sedentary urban counterparts, suggests a new study in Scientific Reports.

Creating a new generation of educators

Bearing witness

After years of reluctance — and with the help of his journalist daughter, alumna Debbie Bornstein Holinstat — Michael Bornstein shares his remarkable story of surviving Auschwitz in “Survivors Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz.”