Editor’s Note

When I was in third grade, I wrote a science report in which I referred to “human beans.” My mom, an English teacher, proofread my report and gently told me that we are beings, not beans.

All these years later, I remain thankful for the official (and unofficial) copy editors in my life. (To wit, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any “human beans” in this issue of Expression!) Producing a magazine takes a lot of work from a lot of people, and I am grateful for the many smart, creative, talented colleagues with whom
I get to collaborate.

Truly, Emerson is an incredible place full of incredible people–alumni, staff, faculty, and students–who make our world a better place. This issue of Expression offers just a sampling of their stories. We talk to Emersonians who are helping bring people together by facilitating productive conversations. We feature Nate
Walker ’98, who is exploring our moral and ethical responsibilities related to artificial intelligence. And we celebrate Emerson Los Angeles on the 10th anniversary of the creation of our stunning campus on Sunset Boulevard.

Thank you for the honor and privilege of sharing these stories with you. And thanks for reading.

Charna Mamlok Westervelt
Editor