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Good morning, everyone.
I want to congratulate the AFA leadership for the new Vanguard (a very interesting and engaging read), and give a special thanks to Christine Kallinger- Allen for the tribute she wrote about my dear colleague and friend, Louis Buda.
One aspect that was not covered in her detailed narrative about Louis' numerous accomplishments was that he was a dedicated mentor and role model to new faculty members, generous with his time and wisdom. I was very fortunate to have Louis as a mentor from my first day at NCC. We then became friends. He is an exceptional human being with a most interesting background and rich life experience.
Louis cared very much about our students, and showed me how to motivate them. He observed me in the classroom through my series of promotion years, and always gave me wise and practical recommendations. I learned a great deal about teaching from Louis in the 18 years we worked together as full-timers and adjuncts in the Economics & Finance Department.
His students loved him for his stories, his masterful knowledge of economics, his caring teaching methods and also for his sense of humor. If I ever asked one of his former students, sitting in a Microeconomics class with me, who did you have for Macro? The standard answer I would get was, "Buda, I loved him. He is great." That was a hard act to follow. All of us, faculty and students, are going to miss having him around.
Again, many thanks for your tribute, and best wishes to Professor Buda in his well-deserved retirement!
Regards,
Ethel
Ethel Weeks
Economics/Finance