A great teacher.

Don's first assignment to me (well, all of us in that History of Russia class) was to "get my shit together."  And then he left the room. I turned to a friend in the classroom and remarked that it would be an interesting semester.

And it WAS.  I had Don as a professor for multiple classes because he was, simply put, an outstanding teacher. I learned from him theories and perspectives and creative curse-word combinations that I had never heard before -- I couldn't get enough.  His classes had this creative, witty, stream-of-consciousness that often left him wondering aloud, "how did I get on THAT?" but serious students craving more -- we knew we were in the presence of a great mind.

His death is a loss for the university and a travesty for the educational community.  I ask my fellow future teachers to honor the man by passing on what Don taught us in our classrooms.

-- Jacob