Photo: Courtesy British Embassy WashingtonKNIGHT'S TALE
Businessman and philanthropist Mark Pigott was made an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) in recognition of his exceptional service to the nation. Pigott, '76, MBA '84, is the chairman and CEO of PACCAR, the world's second largest manufacturer of trucks. After living and working in England in the 1980s, Pigott "has provided invaluable support to British heritage, arts, education and scientific research over many years," said Ambassador to the United States Sir Peter Westmacott (right) in presenting the award on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen. Honorary knighthood is the highest honor conferred on a non-British national.
Photo: Courtesy San Francisco SymphonySTRIKE ACCORD
In December, Sakurako Fisher was elected president of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, succeeding John Goldman, MBA '75, who had held the post for 11 years. Fisher, '82, has been a member of the symphony's governing board since 1992, including serving as vice president and chairing the development steering committee. One of her first challenges as president was to see the symphony through the orchestra musicians' strike early this spring. Under Fisher's leadership, the symphony reached an agreement with the collective bargaining unit for the musicians that ended the 18-day work stoppage.
Photo: Courtesy Notre DameDEPAUL PROVOST
The board of trustees of Chicago's DePaul University has selected Donald Pope-Davis as the school's new provost, effective in July. For the past six years, Pope-Davis, PhD '89, has served as vice president and associate provost at the University of Notre Dame, where he joined the faculty as a professor of psychology in 2000. "We think highly of Dr. Pope-Davis's intellectual work as well as his broad service to his academic colleagues," said DePaul president the Rev. Denis Holtschneider. "Unanimously, everyone at DePaul was moved by his obvious love for students, especially those who are the first to attend college in their families."
"Kidnapping is always a threat in this life of reporting on men hurting one another because of religion and politics. . . . I knew that many of the shabiha gunmen would assume we were spies anyway—conspiracy theories are a weed in this part of the world." —NBC News correspondent Richard Engel, '96, recounting his kidnapping by Syrian militia in Vanity Fair.
