Mark Peiser describes how his background in science and engineering eventually led to his interest in glass. Oral history interview with Mark Peiser by Catherine Whalen, February 25, 2020, Bard Graduate Center. Clip length: 02:00.

Mark Peiser: It was always assumed I would have a career in science and engineering. I always assumed it, too. And I always, I felt—still feel—I have an affinity for that. And so I—in high school, I was kind of the, I think I put it down as the math and science guy, you know, who played piano. And—but then I got to—when I went—it just seemed natural. I’d done a lot of electrical stuff. And I signed up for electrical engineering, I went to Purdue [Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana] in that. And after a couple of years, I started to get, get lost in the theory of it. It got—there was a moment when there was about fifteen foot of blackboard covered with some equation, and the professor says, ‘Now if we substitute four-foot-long equation for that.’ And I said, you know, ‘Well, why?’ And he thought awhile and he says, ‘Well, if we do it’ll all work out.’ And I—that was the last time I went to that class. I mean, I liked the guy, but you know, I just lost it. Anyway, I ended up going to the Institute of Design, IIT [Chicago, Illinois], in design, and—which was really a much better fit for me. I did—well, I did well. But then, that—well, like I said, that kind of led to the model business, and then I kind of led—kind of dissolved into the glass thing. [laughs]