Jo Park Shows How Observation Becomes A Way of Seeing Ourselves

Jo Park Shows How Observation Becomes A Way of Seeing Ourselves

From the forest pansy redbud she studies each morning to the students she teaches at Penn, Jo Park talks about the power of observation as both a discipline and a source of meaning. She reflects on how gardening during Covid sharpened her ability to see patterns and small transformations, and how that same attentiveness informs her scholarship on Asian American literature and the frameworks that shape identity. We also explore Jo’s research into the creative work produced by Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II, including the rock gardens whose arrangements reveal how people create beauty even under duress. Across gardening, teaching, and historical study, Jo makes a strong case for the power of the humanities and developing our understanding of what it means to be human. Show note: William Carlos Williams' poem, To Elsie: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46485/to-elsie

Edward Lees Built A Life Balancing Markets, Nature, Poetry, And Self‑Discovery

Edward Lees, like many Amherst College graduates, has generally gravitated toward breadth. That first manifested in his academic journey from physics to neuroscience to European studies, and later in a career that has taken him through biotech hedge funds and today into environmental investing from his home in London. To complement that arc, he’s carved out space for the outdoors and for poetry, two practices that ground him and give him outlets for inspiration. Edward also reflects on a more personal dimension of the last several years: understanding autism within his family and recognizing some of those traits in himself. That realization has reframed how he remembers his Amherst years, including why small groups felt easier than large ones and why some friendships have lasted his adult life. Edward's experience sheds light on how we can come to understand ourselves over time and how the pieces of our lives can reveal a clear and intentional design, even if we haven't always been aware of it.

Matt “Rudy” Ronfeldt Reminds Us That Clarity Begins With Space To Listen

Matt “Rudy” Ronfeldt grew up possessing a deep curiosity and passion for physics and Buddhism, but graduating from Amherst College having majored in physics left him with a gnawing doubt: whether he wanted to pursue physics professionally. He then did something some of us may only daydream about: he stepped off the grid and into the Himalayas. Months of trekking, six weeks of silence in a Buddhist monastery, and a vow to make compassion his North Star reshaped everything that came after. That included walking away from the foundation that physics had provided and pursuing a career in education and educational research devoted to identifying the qualities and inputs that are associated with better teachers. In this conversation, Rudy reflects on navigating uncertainty and the unexpected ways that purpose can emerge when we slow down enough to hear it. Contact Rudy via email: ronfeldt@umich.edu.

Peter Tothy Treats People, Not Cancer

Dr. Peter Tothy (hematology/oncology) has spent nearly two decades guiding patients through some of life's hardest moments, including navigating terminal cancer diagnoses. In this episode, he reflects on the experiences that have shaped him and made him such a compassionate caregiver and advisor. From attending and working at a rustic Adirondack summer camp to being a student and resident counselor at Amherst College to his clinic in northern Indiana, he has learned how to treat people with honesty and deep empathy. Or, as he puts so emphatically in the context of his life's calling, Peter treats people, not cancer. We also explore the role of clinical medical ethics in meeting patients where they are and the ways he helps some patients process and navigate devastating news toward an outcome that at first might seem like a contradiction in terms: a good death. To contact Peter, email him at ptothy@yahoo.com.

Bill Bares Redefines Success For The Second Half Of Life

Bill Bares has lived a life that unfolded almost exactly as he planned it in his early twenties, when he completed a Tony Robbins-branded one‑year, five‑year, and 25‑year plan. That plan resulted in a career as a jazz pianist, scholar, and now Distinguished Professor of Humanities at UNC Asheville. These days, Bill finds his interests shifting to unlearning the habits that made him successful and designing a more relational, community‑centered future — much the way he sits at the center of jazz ensembles as a pianist. In this conversation, Bill talks candidly about the psychological forces that drove his early ambition, the joy he finds in leading from the middle, and the shift he’s making toward serving others. In the process, we explore how midlife invites a different kind of planning. That includes what it means to loosen the grip of individual achievement and how to build a second life phase dedicated to connection and generosity. You can learn more about Bill or get in touch with him via URSA Asheville (ursaasheville.com), Bill’s music site ( billbaresmusic.com), and email: wbares@unca.edu.