Épisodes

  • Pete Lalor Brings a Coach’s Mindset to Surgery and Parenting

    Pete Lalor Brings a Coach’s Mindset to Surgery and Parenting
    Jul 24 2025
    Pete Lalor, a bariatric surgeon and medical director in Ohio, launched from Amherst College to Ireland to the hockey rinks of Holland—but today we find him leading a surgical weight loss program. A former student-athlete, Pete shares how his performance mentality evolved from athletics into medicine, and why he remains a student of psychology even decades after majoring in it at Amherst. Pete opens up about parenting five kids, the future of medicine (including the hype and limitations of GLP-1 weight loss drugs), and how youth sports today have left him feeling torn about their value and trade-offs. He also reflects on how emotional intelligence is a critical skill, whether you're in the operating room or the living room. Highlights include: His enduring interest in psychology helps him be a more empathetic physician and parent. Pete's perspective on GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic is nuanced: they can help, but they're no magic bullet for obesity. The values he absorbed at Amherst and in sports—grit, teamwork, performance—still shape his life today. How he's envisioning the next 20 years, including how he might apply his extensive experience and curiosities in a new direction. The two Amherst classmates he wants me to interview next. To get in touch with Pete, email him at petelalor@hotmail.com and learn more about his practice at  http://www.woodcountyhospital.org.
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    48 min
  • Jane Rohde Bowers Excels In Public Health By Meeting People Where They Are

    Jane Rohde Bowers Excels In Public Health By Meeting People Where They Are
    Jul 17 2025
    Jane Rohde Bowers grew up both overseas and in the Pioneer Valley, with parents who graduated from Amherst College and Mount Holyoke. She also had a front-row seat to international public health via her father’s career. A self-described “beach gal” who dreamed of marine biology, she instead found herself pulled into anthropology at Amherst and later, public health herself. Today, Jane is a Health Program Manager in Los Angeles County, where she champions equitable access to HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) care, especially for vulnerable populations. In this conversation, Jane reflects on how her international upbringing shaped her ability to relate to others, how she found her footing in public health after a post-college journey that included backpacking and tour guiding, and how she now strives to mentor the next generation of practitioners. Throughout it all, she affirms her belief that health is a human right—and that connection, trust, and persistence are the keys to making real change. Key Takeaways: Jane shares how growing up abroad as the child of a global public health leader gave her a deep appreciation for diversity and a recognition of health disparities. She talks about how her early jobs—backpacking through Mexico, working as a camping tour guide, and volunteering in San Diego—helped clarify her professional path. Why meeting people where they are is central to Jane’s work today. Jane opens up about how she builds trust with vulnerable populations. The Amherst College classmate she wants me to interview next. You can email Jane at janebowers100@gmail.com.
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    54 min
  • Adam Bonin Champions Democracy One Ballot at a Time

    Adam Bonin Champions Democracy One Ballot at a Time
    Jul 10 2025
    Adam Bonin’s voice, passion for politics, and Philadelphia sports devotion certainly will sound familiar to his Amherst classmates, but his post-college path has been anything but predictable. Adam takes us through his early certainty that law was his calling, the disillusionment he experienced practicing corporate law, and the path he carved into political law and election work. We hear how a career pivot allowed him to integrate his passion for politics with his legal skills, how he’s become the go-to expert in high-stakes election battles—and how his journey reflects a broader lesson in finding professional purpose. Highlights include: Adam's role in shaping election law and voter protection in Pennsylvania. How his Amherst experience—academically and socially—laid the groundwork for his intellectual agility and passion for public service. He's still a pop culture maven. From “The Simpsons” to wrestling, Adam’s enduring passions serve as both respite and connection points to his younger self. The Amherst classmates he wants me to interview next. To get in touch with Adam, email him at adam@boninlaw.com and find him on BlueSky.
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    53 min
  • Toby King Made His Own Path—From Geology To Bluegrass To Academia

    Toby King Made His Own Path—From Geology To Bluegrass To Academia
    Jul 3 2025
    When I think of people who’ve allowed life’s serendipities to shape their course, Toby King comes immediately to mind. In this episode, he walks me through a zigzagging journey that began with a keg behind the geology building before his freshman year at Amherst College even started and took him to UNC Asheville, where he's Associate Professor and Chair of Music and, starting this fall, the chair of the UNC Faculty Assembly. Toby’s story is a reminder that we don’t always have to know where we’re going—as long as we stay open to what moves us. Highlights include: How Toby chose geology at Amherst after bonding with faculty during a pre-orientation outing—and a well-timed beer Why he walked away from a geology career after a frank conversation with a mentor during an oil company internship Why he taught himself how to play the banjo, and how he leveraged his passion for music into a spot at Columbia's graduate program and a teaching role at Sarah Lawrence The importance of prioritizing connections over content in teaching, and how the Amherst College geology department has influenced his approach to at UNC Asheville The Amherst College classmates he wants me to interview next To get in touch with Toby, check out his page on the UNC Asheville website: https://www.unca.edu/person/jonathan-king/.
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    54 min
  • Ana-Claire Meyer Finds Meaning in Medicine By Going Where The Problems Are

    Ana-Claire Meyer Finds Meaning in Medicine By Going Where The Problems Are
    Jun 26 2025
    Early on in this project, a close friend told me that he hoped I'd interview Ana-Claire Meyer. Now I know why. Take a listen, and you will, too. AC's professional and personal journeys are marked by curiosity, humility, and an eagerness to tackle big problems. After graduating from Amherst College, she held a variety of different jobs, but HIV test counseling piqued her interest enough to propel her to medical school. She studied neuroinfectious diseases, earned a Fulbright scholarship that took her to Kenya, and then joined the U.S. Army as an army civilian, becoming a senior clinical advisor for medical research and material command. It was in that role that she helped shape the Army's Covid-19 pandemic response. Today, she's senior medical director for Denali Therapeutics, a company that's focused on defeating neurodegenerative diseases. In this episode, we talk about: How testing patients for HIV in the mid-'90s led AC to pursue medicine What she learned while helping lead medical preparedness and innovation at the U.S. Army during Covid-19 Why she still hasn’t found her destination professionally, and why that’s not a bad thing The role Amherst played in shaping her journey—and the faculty members who showed up for her at just the right time The classmates she hopes I’ll interview next To get in touch with Ana-Claire, find her on Link
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    58 min
  • Maki Uchiyama Realized Everything Would Be Okay

    Maki Uchiyama Realized Everything Would Be Okay
    Jun 20 2025
    Maki Uchiyama grew up as an only child in upstate New York, where her family’s Japanese restaurant functioned as both a business and a fourth member of the household. The experience left her with a certain set of skills—versatility, the ability to multitask, customer diplomacy, and, of course, how to cook. After graduating from Amherst College in 1994 with a degree in political science, Maki joined the Japan Foundation, eventually pivoting to law school and a fulfilling career in real estate law. Today, she serves as general counsel for Advenir Azora Development, while also navigating the busy, blended rhythms of life as a stepmother to four children, wife, and grandmother. In this episode Maki reflects on: Her professional path The influence of her Amherst education A family-first mindset she’s cultivated over time Advice she wishes she could give the younger version of herself: No matter the bumps, pivots, or surprises—it will all work out The Amherst College Class of '94 classmates she wants to hear from next To get in touch with Maki, email at smuchiyama@gmail.com or find her on LinkedIn.
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    45 min
  • Sean Gibbon Is A Storytelling Talking Ball Machine

    Sean Gibbon Is A Storytelling Talking Ball Machine
    Jun 5 2025
    Sean Gibbon lives a dual life. He has one foot planted firmly on the squash court, where he teaches the game, and the other in the imaginative realm of fiction writing. In this episode, we explore Sean’s journey from Amherst to professional squash coach, or what he playfully refers to as a talking ball machine. By that, he means the way he coaches towards experiencing the game fully versus preparing for elite competition. That vocation has given him the freedom and fuel to pursue a deep, deliberate writing practice. Sean reflects on how he integrates personal conflict into the characters he creates, the discipline of writing every day, and why he views both coaching and writing as acts of connection and observation. If you've ever considered a creative second act—or simply want to hear how someone balances a creative passion with a profession—Sean's story will inspire you. In this episode, you'll learn: How a chance visit to a squash club became a new career Why Sean fiercely protects at least one hour every day to write The role that the fiction he creates plays in processing real-life conflict Sean’s pick for which classmate should appear on the podcast next To get in touch with Sean, email spgibbon2@gmail.com, or call or text him at 917.684.6840. Check out his book on Phish, too: https://a.co/d/bfJCrKO
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    43 min
  • Dr. Bob “Buck” Tashjian Makes His Mark In Medicine, Mentorship, And Art

    Dr. Bob “Buck” Tashjian Makes His Mark In Medicine, Mentorship, And Art
    May 29 2025
    It's time to catch up with Dr. Bob “Buck” Tashjian, a leading orthopedic surgeon and researcher specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery at the University of Utah. Buck’s journey to medicine was anything but linear. Despite achieving academic and athletic excellence at Amherst College, he faced a major setback when he was initially rejected from all the medical schools he applied to. What followed was a year of physical labor, soul-searching, and a well-earned admission to Tufts School of Medicine. He has proved all those other schools wrong ever since. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about disappointment, growth, humility, and reconnecting with parts of yourself you may have left behind. Key Takeaways: Resilience through rejection: Buck’s path to medicine began with a painful setback, but he used that time to reassess and reapproach his goals with new perspective and humility. Mentorship matters: Buck emphasizes that personal and professional growth is rooted in leaning on others and helping those who follow. Pursuing long-held passions: Later in life, Buck returned to the visual arts, proving it’s never too late to explore creativity. (Check out the full blog post at mattcollinsblog.com for examples of his work.) Shoulder health tips for our 50s: Stretching, low weights with high reps, and attention to mental health all play a role in managing joint pain. Plus, Buck nominates two classmates he hopes to hear from next. To get in touch with Buck, email him at Robert.Tashjian@hsc.utah.edu.
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    1 h et 8 min