In 1994, I started my first year at Ithaca College. Coming from Phoenix, Arizona, I already felt a bit out of place in Ithaca, but I had no idea what was in store when I walked in to my very first college course – Global Studies, taught by Dr. Asma Barlas. Right off the bat, Asma pushed you. I remember her speech at the beginning of the first class delivered a warning that went something like, “You come to class prepared and you have to participate or you are welcome to leave”. And Asma continued to push me and the rest of her students to consider other viewpoints, perspectives, and to think critically. It was indeed this “change in perspective” in Global Studies and all of the subsequent Politics courses I took with Asma that had a deep and enduring impact on me. When I look back I’ve always felt that having Asma as a teacher and mentor in college played a big part in molding me into the adult that I am today. I am truly grateful to have been taught by her and wish her all the best in retirement.
—Josh Rowe
