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Emeriti notes
ABHIJIT BASU
The Student Years
He was naïve and be-
Well before classes started in late August, he became
lieved the
engaged in a verbal teasing-spar with Professor Robert
educational branch of
Ruhe who treated him with great respect since then.

the State Department
Professor Charles Wier eased him into being a graduate
told him about gradu-
student in a foreign country and gave him a summer job
ate schools in the US.

for support. Professor Charles Vitaliano saw to it that
Graduate courses are
he would be placed in appropriate courses in geology
extremely hard. You are
and let him co-teach a course with Professor David Tow-
restarting as a student
ell. Professor Thomas Hendricks unilaterally declared
after a hiatus of 10 years – begin with undergraduate
English as his foreign language. Professor John Hayes
courses. Only GPA is considered for the award and contin-
taught him to appreciate precision and accuracy in all
uation of financial aid. Your fellow students would be far
analyses. Professor Warren Meinschein opened the vista
advanced in their knowledge of geology and world affairs.

of studying lunar regolith as samplers of solar particles.

They will be extremely competitive and not likely to share
Professor Lee Suttner kindly accepted him as his Ph.D.

their notes with you. The professors there do not care if
student and inspired him to inquire about provenance
you have time to study and complete projects assigned
sensu latu for the next 40+ years!
everything by others. He came to Indiana University with panic in his
heart. took its toll. He had become used to living in a tent in
Within 20 minutes of his arrival in Bloomington on July
deep forests, some nights with a loaded gun to fend off
30, 1971, Fulbright counselors whisked him over to Nick’s
wild animals. He forgot his college physics and college
where the legendary Ruth served him a Stroh’s. Finishing
chemistry. Plate tectonics bypassed him completely.

Ph.D. students Dick Alexander and Bob Schwartz treat-
Mathematical treatment and statistical analysis of geo-
ed him as an absolute equal in discussing science and
logical data were beyond his grasp. He lacked scientific
the Ph.D. program in the Department. Larry Cook gave a
depth in his conversations and presentations.

typewriter to him to submit clean copies of assignment
papers. Tom Kalan loaned his Bug for him to get a driver’s
license. Dave DesMarais and Bill Cordua put some Moon
dust under a microscope for him to examine. Steve Young
essentially adopted him as a brother, taking him to his
parents’ home to stay, and was as loud as he could be in
arguing all the time in their shared office. The two were
inseparable. 56 | hgr
The ten-year gap (1961-1971) in studentship, however,
The State Department was dead wrong about American
students and American Professors, but perfect in as-
sessing the mediocrity of a foreign student.