Annual Magazine

Boston Dynamics

Peter is realizing his dream that he first had in our Williams halls, working at the world’s premier robotics company, Boston Dynamics. He works as a production planner and supply chain manager, helping the company grow from a purely research & development firm to the world’s leading contract manufacturer of advanced general purpose robots.

In addition to his normal job, Peter is also spending time trying to nurture the next generation of robotics enthusiasts. Between in person presentations with Spot (BD’s robot dog), and raising awareness of Boston Dynamics’ Anti-Weaponization Open Letter, he’s confident robots will be able to integrate with and improve our lives in the very near future. He is looking forward to sharing new advancements and upgrades with the Williams Community as soon as he can!

Faculty Professional Development Abroad

“For the Fulbright Hays Seminars Abroad Program in Argentina and Brazil, I traveled with 15 other secondary school educators to both countries to explore the social, political, and economic factors that contribute to the national identities of both countries. We explored the impact that public policy and education have on indigenous communities and immigrant communities, both historical and modern, and the impact that these communities have on public policy and education. Through touring cities and regions of both countries, visiting academic and civic institutions, and meeting with educators and policy makers, we promoted intercultural exchange and understanding between the United States, Argentina, and Brazil. I will now reflect on these experiences to expand and improve on my current teaching abilities and curriculum related to the historical, cultural, and contemporary issues of these two South American countries. I am looking forward to incorporating everything that I learned on this program into various classes at different age levels, as well as sharing resources with my peers. It was so great to visit a part of the world that I love and be able to connect that with the Williams Community.”

Composer living in Italy

“I’m co-owner of The Villa Studios – www.thevillastudios.com – a film music production studio on the Tyrrhenian coast in Italy, where I’ve composed and produced over 50 scores for TV and cinema.
My partner and I are working on a few projects at the moment including a classical work commissioned by the Solisti Aquilani, 2 movies, and an augmented reality/interdisciplinary art project with 10 other international artists which is funded by the European Union. One of the movies is an American romantic comedy starring Luis Fonsi and a wonderful cast of Latino actors, and my co-composer and I are writing the original score.

In the next two weeks I’ll be in the busiest phase of orchestrating all the music, and then I’m off to Rome to conduct a 40-piece orchestra at the scoring sessions. After the recording, the music mix will take place in Berlin and the film mix will be in Mexico City.”

Faculty Professional Development in Stage Combat

“This summer I had the privilege of training with the Society of American Fight Directors at the National Stage Combat Workshop in Ruston, Louisiana. Over the three week workshop, I learned how to safely perform techniques for unarmed, rapier and dagger, and broadsword stage combat. Elements of stage combat we covered ranged from how to fake a slap to where best to pretend to impale someone with your sword. The instructors brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to their classes, and came from a range of backgrounds including acting, martial arts, and fight choreography. The workshop culminated with a Skills Proficiency Test, where I learned and performed a fight after in each of the three disciplines. The goal of the tests is to assess whether the student can perform the techniques safely while still conveying a strong sense of character and story. I’m excited to bring everything I learned from the workshop back to Williams!”

Carbon Capture Technology in Kenya

“The challenging academics at Williams gave me the tools I needed to succeed in college and graduate school, but more importantly, the small class sizes, caring and passionate faculty, staff, and coaches, and the strong sense of community gave me the confidence to push myself beyond my comfort zone, and take my career to a level I never thought possible. Today, I am the co-founder and Chief Science Officer of a climate technology start-up, Cella, where we are commercializing a new technology to remove and sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. I also work at Columbia University as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist and at Carbon Direct, a leading carbon management company, as a Scientific Advisor.”

Cybersecurity Automation Engineer

Christine is a Cybersecurity Automation Engineer currently working at Pfizer. She was interested in technology and learning how things work since I was a teen. In high school, my college counselor suggested engineering, so I enrolled at Lehigh University as an undeclared engineer. I discovered my interest in software development after taking an introductory computer science course. After I graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering, I worked for a year and a half as a software developer at an insurance software company in Hartford called Insurity. Then I took a position with Pfizer because I wanted a career at a company that provides a variety of opportunities to grow in my field. Here, I discovered a passion for cybersecurity. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, playing video games, and listening to live music.