OnbehalfofthegraduatingmastersanddoctoralstudentsofWashingtonUniversity'sSchoolofEngineeringandAppliedScience,Iwouldliketothankalltheparents,spouses,families,andfriendswhoencouragedandsupportedusasweworkedtowardsourgraduatedegrees.Iwouldespeciallyliketothankmyownfamily,eightmembersofwhichareintheaudiencetoday.Iwouldalsoliketothankallofthedepartmentsecretariesandotherengineeringschoolstaffmemberswhoalwaysseemedtobetherewhenconfusedgraduatestudentsneededhelp.AndfinallyIwouldliketothanktheWashingtonUniversityfacultymemberswhoservedasourinstructors,mentors,andfriends.

　　AsIthinkbackontheseven-and-a-halfyearsIspentatWashingtonUniversity,mymindisfilledwithmemories,happy,sad,frustrating,andevenhumorous.

　　TonightIwouldliketosharewithyousomeofthememoriesthatItakewithmeasIleaveWashingtonUniversity.

　　ItakewithmethememoryofmyofficeonthefourthfloorofLopataHall-theroomattheendofthehallwaythatwastoohotinsummer,toocoldinwinter,andalwaystoofarawayfromthewomen'srestroom.Thewindowwasmyoffice'sbestfeature.Wereitnotforthephysicsbuildingacrosstheway,itwouldhaveaffordedmeaclearviewofthearch.ButinsteadIgotaviewoftheroofofthephysicsbuilding.IalsohadaviewofonecorneroftheroofofUrbauerHall,whichseemedtobeafavoriteperchforvariousspeciesofbirdswhoalternatelywonperchingrightsforseveralweeksatatime.AndIhadaniceviewofthephysicscourtyard,noteworthyasagoodplaceforwatchingpeopleruntheirdogs.It'samazinghowfascinatingtheseviewsbecamethelongerIworkedonmydissertation.Butmyfavoriteviewwasofanearbyoaktree.Frommyfourth-floorvantagepointIhadaratherintimateviewofthetreeandthevariousbirdsandsquirrelsthatinhabitit.Occasionallyabirdwouldlandonmywindowsill,whichusuallyhadtheeffectofstartlingbothofus.

　　ItakewithmethememoryoftwoyoungprofessorswhopassedawaywhileIwasagraduatestudent.AnneJohnstone,theonlyfemaleprofessorfromwhomItookacourseintheengineeringschool,andBobDurr,apoliticalscienceprofessorandamemberofmydissertationcommittee,bothlostbravebattleswithcancer.Irememberthemfondly.

　　ItakewithmethememoryoffailingthefirstexaminoneofthefirstengineeringcoursesItookasanundergraduate.IrememberthinkingthecoursewasjusttoohardformeandthatIwouldneverbeabletopassit.SoIwenttotalktotheprofessor,readytodroptheclass.Andhetoldmenottogiveup,hetoldmeIcouldsucceedinhisclass.Forreasonsthatseemedcompletelyludicrousatthetime,hesaidhehadfaithinme.Andafterthatmygradesintheclassslowlyimproved,andIendedthesemesterwithanAonthefinalexam.Irememberhowmotivationalitwastoknowthatsomeonebelievedinme.

　　ItakewithmememoriesofthemidwesternfriendlinessthatsosurprisedmewhenIarrivedinSt.Louis8yearsago.SincemovingtoNewJersey,Iamsadtosay,nobodyhasaskedmewhereIwenttohighschool.

　　Itakewithmethememoryoftheshort-livedcomputersciencegraduatestudentsocialcommitteelunches.TheideawasthatgroupsofCSgradstudentsweresupposedtotaketurnscookingamonthlylunch.ButafteronegradstudentpreparedapotofchickenthatpoisonedalmosttheentireCSgradstudentpopulationandoneunluckyfacultymemberinonefellswoop,ther