A Campus Etched in Time

Dario Mastroianni, IT Manager at the Institute for Advanced Study, shares personal memories that entwine his family history with the Institute’s legacy. He recounts childhood experiences of exploring the Institute Woods with his father, who worked at IAS for 30 years, and discovering a secret mushroom foraging spot shared by Enrico Bombieri, Professor Emeritus in the School of Mathematics.

Institute Instances is a collection of 1–2 minute video snapshots of scholars, administrators, and visitors to the Institute for Advanced Study answering a question (or two) about their work at IAS. Viewed individually, these clips allow audiences to get to know the people who are, in the words of founding IAS Director Abraham Flexner, "pushing beyond the present limits of human knowledge" through advancements in science and the humanities. Taken together, these "instances" of Institute life are designed to show how everyone can play a role in actualizing discovery, and to celebrate a community devoted to excellence in scholarship.