No trees were harmed in the making of this issue

As the editor of a print magazine, I have a somewhat complicated relationship with all things digital. There’s a tiny, analog part of me that will always be a little wary of the internet. Haven’t we’ve all read the headlines about the web killing books, magazines and even libraries? 

But a much bigger, wiser part of me knows that digital technology is a friend, not a foe. Screens have the power not only to connect us but to enable collaboration and creation, as the pandemic won’t stop reminding us. After the last year and a half, I’m looking at my computer with a little more love and a lot more appreciation of its amazing possibilities.

And just like the alumni, students and faculty we spotlight, we at Pitt Magazine love to embrace possibilities: This summer, we’re publishing our first-ever fully digital edition. This online-only issue is an innovative move for Pitt Magazine, so it makes sense that many of our stories are about pushing boundaries, reinventing and trying new things. 

Throughout the season on Pitt Magazine’s website, keep an eye out for videos, an interactive photo essay and engaging audio elements about Pitt’s alumni and campus communities. For example, have a listen to Bugs Bunny — er, Jeff Bergman (A&S ’83), an impressionist extraordinaire voicing beloved characters in this summer’s blockbuster, “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”          

Among the articles we’ve already shared is one about the computer science students who created a one-stop website this spring to help people see when and where the COVID-19 vaccine would be available in their area, another on a beloved history instructor whose leap-of-faith trip to Ireland in the 1970s changed his outlook and fuels his passion to help young people see the world, and another about an anthropologist who studies the ways we invent systems to help neighbors in crisis.

Still to come: a feature on the Pitt people involved in NASA’s groundbreaking exploration on Mars using the Perseverance rover; an excerpt in text and American Sign Language from Katie Booth’s (A&S ’13G) new book, “The Invention of Miracles;” the story of how a young man in Uganda turned music into a pathway to Pittsburgh and a greater understanding of humanity; an interactive gallery of photos showing just how much the Pittsburgh campus has transformed over the years and so much more.

And, out today — a fascinating mini documentary created exclusively for Pitt Magazine by a team of students who discovered through a film studies class that the lead role of one of horror cinema’s most famous films was played by none other than a Pitt alumnus. (Here’s a hint: He killed zombies before it was cool.)

Worry not, fellow print-lovers. Pitt Magazine’s next issue will be back online and in hardcopy, just like old times. (Not subscribed? Fix that here.) Until then, check social media and our website regularly throughout the summer for the newest Pitt Magazine stories.

Whether on paper or on your screen, we’re excited to share the story of Pitt’s amazing people with you.