Asma has had a profound impact on me. She opened my eyes to the politics of the North and South. She was so kind and inspiring that her class, Third World Politics (1993-94), is still one of my favorite classes at Ithaca College. Much of my worldview and what I do now is shaped by what she taught in that class. I went on to get an MPA (Masters in Public Administration) at Columbia University, then worked at the World Bank, and now am working on US electoral reform at FairVote (https://www.fairvote.org/).
Asma was one of those professors who entertained all kinds of questions in class: there were no good or stupid questions in her class. This created a genuine atmosphere for learning.
In a college with so few International students, I was one of the few students from Nepal, and having her as a professor was fantastic.
I am grateful for her caring, kind way of teaching, and for generating a level of curiosity in me to pursue further education and a career where I feel I’m making a difference.
I also recall going to her house for dinner, which was so wonderful, and the entire evening was a very warm experience.
These few sentences are a small way for me to thank her for the profound impact she’s had on me, my future education and my career as a whole. Thank you so much!! And I hope you get to enjoy your well-deserved retirement.
—Sangita
