I knew Bob when I started working as a CM in Kaneko last year. At the time, I also took a politics class with him.. Bob loved to lecture and he had a lot of insight into not just political theory but a lot of history which made his lectures very exciting and educational to listen to.
I took other politics classes with him, being that it was my major. He was always the type of professor who asked how you were doing and tried to accommodate your personal needs with your academic commitment. There were times were he moved deadlines for students to accommodate life. He wasn't just a professor, he was a mentor, a friend and he had a lot of kindness and compassion for the people he was around.

I continued working with him this past year as a Kaneko Commons Reslife Intern. That position allowed me to continue working with him as a mentor and as my politics major adviser. I was very fortunate to have had him as my advisor. As a senior, I often sought his advice, opinion and help for cover letters, resumes, graduate programs, and sometimes even life advice. I feel very blessed and fortunate to have known him as not just a professor and a advisor but also as a person. We definitely shared many moments and a lot of laughter- I often would tease him about his addiction to coffee and he would tease me about my taste in Pepsi (not Coke). Sometimes, I would find him eating candy in the Kaneko Office and would have to remind him that he has diabetes.

The last time I saw him was last Tuesday and he looked a bit tired but not more than usual. We were also emailing back and forth about my post-graduate program in Chicago that he had been arranging and fundraising for me since February. He had put so much effort, time and commitment into making that happen for me because he wanted me to pursue my passion in social justice and activism work. The last email that he sent me was on Friday at 6:30pm, letting me know that fundraising for my post-grad program had been complete.

I'm sad that Bob has left us but at the same time I have nothing but good memories to remember him with. He was a kind man, a gentle friend, and an inspiring professor. He gave Willamette a lot and he definitely set the bar high as a professor, as a Dean and as a Kaneko Faculty Mentor.  I am thankful and feel blessed to have gotten to know him over these past two years- because without him my WU experience would not have been the same. 

Shahed Kadem
Class of 2011