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Beyond Borders: A Lecture and Reception in Memory of Andrew Rendeiro

Â鶹ֱ²¥ Center for Global Health

On Monday, October 5, 2026, the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Center for Global Health welcomed faculty, students, alumni, and friends for "Beyond Borders: The Human Purpose of Global Health," a lecture and reception in memory of Andrew Rendeiro. The lecture was delivered by his Â鶹ֱ²¥ undergraduate classmate and closest friend of more than forty years - José Luis Castro.

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Andrew S. Rendeiro was a proud alum from Â鶹ֱ²¥'s Class of 1987 and a respected criminal defense attorney. He was an active student leader and was elected President of the Student Government. Â鶹ֱ²¥ remained important to him throughout his life, and he later returned with José Luis as a faculty member teaching international relations.

In 2004, the two co-founded the World Lung Foundation, which grew into Vital Strategies, where Andy served as Senior Vice President for Strategy and Vice Chair of the Board. In 2025, they established the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Center for Global Health, and Andy helped launch its international journalist training workshops on chronic respiratory disease in Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia, and Cape Town - South Africa, immersing himself in the logistics, partnerships, and strategy behind them.

The Lecture

In his lecture, José reflected on what he and Andy discovered together as students:

borders are real, but they are not the limits of our responsibility.

Drawing on the fight against COPD, asthma, and other chronic respiratory diseases, he spoke of global health's true purpose as a human one: whether a child can breathe, and whether a community has the institutions to protect its people.

He closed with a challenge to the students in the room: to cross borders of every kind and to build institutions rather than criticize them from a distance, a conviction he said Andy understood instinctively.

A Reception in His Memory

Following the lecture, guests gathered for a reception honoring Andrew's memory — an afternoon of reflection, connection, and gratitude for the lasting impact he had on this community.