Thank You, Professor Rakowski

 

 

 

 

 

This photo was taken on August 10, 1973, printed in September 1973 (see the right edge).    Don't know whether you'd recognize who it is.  Well, that's me, Betty Chu.   I accepted my PhD diploma from my dissertation advisor Professor James J. Rakowski on that day.     University of Notre Dame has two graduation ceremonies during the summer, a more formal one in May and then one less formal in August.   My degree was conferred in August 1973.    Professor Rakowski was instrumental in my successfully completing my PhD in Economics at Notre Dame in Indiana.  When I arrived at Notre Dame in 1969, I was a foreign student with limited English fluency, without family and without friend, scared and unsure of what my future was.  I was lucky to have made friends, met my dear husband and received unwavering support from Professor Rakowski, I completed my Master's and PhD degrees in Economics in 4 years.

  

I visited Professor Rakowski and his family in 1976 when I took extra courses at University of Chicago but had not seen him since then.  We are in contact every year in December when he has his birthday and during Christmas.    It was on my wish list to see him again.   After 41 years my wish was fulfilled at the ARBA convention in Indiana this October.   Professor Rakowski and wife Dr. Cathy Rakowski came to visit me at the showroom.  

In 1973 he was in early stage of his teaching career at University of Notre Dame and I had yet to start my teaching career at San Jose State University.    In 2017, both of us are now retired from our teaching careers.   How time flies.

Today is Professor Rakowski's birthday, Happy Birthday and thank you, Professor James J. Rakowski.