On Thursday, October 12, the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery hosted its annual Russell M. Nelson, MD, PhD Educational Endowment Lectureship of Cardiac Surgery. This event honors Dr. Nelson who is an internationally recognized pioneer in open-heart surgery. Not only was he involved in the development of heart-lung machines that supported the first human open-heart surgeries in the 1950s, he also performed the first cardiac surgery at the University of Utah. Utah has remained a leader in cardiac care, cardiac surgical research, and education of cardiothoracic surgeons, largely due to Dr. Nelson’s influence. As such, the Lectureship celebrates continued advancements in and dedication to cardiac care and research, inviting distinguished scholars to speak about their work. This year’s keynote address was given by Thoralf M. Sundt, III, MD, who is Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, and who serves as the President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. His address, “If I Were an Octopus I Would Not Need Any of You,” discussed his internationally renowned work on aortic diseases, as well as the necessity of teamwork in cardiac care.