Thursday, August 6, 2009

In memory of Dr. Reed

I still cannot believe that Dr. Reed left us. When I told him I was grieving for the loss of my best friend last year, I did not know that I was going to lose him the next year. If I did, I would tell him again how great and lovable a teacher he was, and how much I am grateful to him. He was one of the best things I have encountered in my journey of pursuing a PhD in the US. He was definitely one of the greatest teachers that I have met in my life, and a wonderful mentor that I can never forget. When I was in a low mood during my earlier academic life at NYU, he encouraged and inspired me. He set a great example of what a good teacher should be like, and his attitude toward students, work, and research really touched me.

As Dr. Reed wrote in the dedication section of his doctoral dissertation, his adviser “has given unselfishly of his time and energy and, when I‘ve not felt totally confident, has had total confidence in me….Much of what I leave here with is what he has passed on to me.” He passed on all those good things to me as well as to many other students. In memory of Dr. Reed, I will also pass on all the good things that I learned from him to my students. In my grateful heart there will always be a space to remember him.

1 comment:

Christine said...

Wow, that is a beautiful quote. Thanks Hsin. I know exactly what you mean. I am still in shock and so deeply saddened. The sadness does not go away. Like for you, Dr. Reed gave me great stability and strength. I am missing him so much.