Fall 2021 TU Magazine captures golden moments with alum

December 14, 2021

Patrick Smith ’09 shares his unconventional journey covering the 2020 Olympic Games as a photojournalist for Getty Images in the fall 2021 edition of “TU Magazine.”

In the cover story, “Shooting for Gold,” Smith recounts how nothing in his 15-year career compares to chronicling a pandemic version of the Olympics. He took roughly 102,000 photos, covering sports that ranged from skateboarding to track and field. All of it included empty stands as a result of safety protocols. 

“There is not one person, not one family member, not one spouse cheering the athletes on. I can’t imagine what it felt like for them. These are the most historic games we will ever cover,” Smith says in the story. “It was cool to document it. As sad as it was, it’s an incredible opportunity.”   

In “Reading the Story in Red Soil,” follow Mike Thorpe ’12, a sedimentary geochemist contracted to NASA, as he seeks to discover the history of Mars.

“Understanding the ancient environments on Mars is going to provide us clues to the history of water and maybe why Earth is so unique,” he says in this issue. “I study Earth to get a better reference on what we’re seeing on Mars. But I’m also studying Mars to understand early Earth.”

Next, Leslie Isler’s ’13 lifelong curiosity about professional football has come full circle in her role as a foundation manager with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Foundation, a nonprofit that “supports, inspires and strengthens former NFL players and their families in unique and meaningful ways.” Read more about it in “Leslie, Squared.”

See more alumni stories, news and events and learn about some of the activities the Office of Alumni Relations has planned for 2022, in person and online, in the latest edition of TU Magazine.