A musical number dedicated to Lindsay, especially all of the new students that she has welcomed to the department and all of the old grads that she has listened to at Friday breakfast.

– From the CSE Grads

You always had thoughtful advice, you were incredibly knowledgeable about any grad school topic, and most importantly, you clearly cared about us as individuals (as well as the CSE culture).  Thank you so much for making CSE a great home for so many of us, and enjoy whatever you choose next!

Much love, Charlie

As I sit here collecting my thoughts on what to convey, it’s very obvious that you’ve inspired and touched the lives of many in CSE and beyond. You’ve been like a big sister to me, listening attentively and giving advice when needed. The respect I have for you overwhelms me at times. I consider myself extremely lucky to have crossed paths with you… I thank CSE for that. It’s been a great pleasure to have worked with you, Lindsay, and I look forward to our continued friendship for many years to come.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you all the best on the start of your new venture.

A hui hou,
Carol

But how’s this for an alignment of the stars: It turns out that you are retiring the day I turn 65. I’ll take that as a sign!

Love, Carl

Megan pointed out in her post that you are a lifelong learner and that is something I love about you, too. I want to echo the sentiment that you make the person you are talking to feel like they are the fascinating topic you are learning about. When I read that, I thought, “Yes! That’s exactly how I feel when talking to Lindsay!” You are genuinely interested in knowing people better and that makes each of us feel special.

I am excited about watching you embark on this new stage of your journey. I can only imagine what interesting and creative endeavors you might come up with, and I can’t wait to hear about them!

I am honored to be counted among your friends. Thank you for the many hours of conversation – I know there are many more awaiting us.

You will be missed! Having you as an advisor and more importantly as a friend has been a blessing. The first couple years of a Ph.D. can sometimes be a bumpy ride, and you’ve been incredibly supportive and encouraging in the most difficult times. I’ve sought advice from you many times, from administrative issues regarding scholarships all the way to personal hardships, and you’ve always been attentive, compassionate, and willing to help. I admire your dedication and hard work in making this entire department function so seamlessly as a cohesive community. Lindsay, thank you, thank you for always being there for us. You are a role model and an inspiration to many of us and above all an amazing human being.

I wish you the best in this exciting new chapter in you life.

Thierry

Lindsay has an outstanding work ethic. She is conscientious, detail-oriented, and thorough. Most importantly, though, she is always 100% interested and engaged with her students. She possesses the rare quality of being a genuine Listener. When you sit down to talk with her, she is completely there, listening intently and asking thoughtful questions to gain better understanding. Many of you probably know that Lindsay is a true lifelong learner in a bunch of different topics (film, jazz, art, opera, gardening, literature, history, etc.). In her presence, she makes you feel like YOU are the fascinating topic she is learning about. I always think the CSE graduate students are incredibly lucky to have such a great advisor. She’s one of a kind, as I learned from my own (non-CSE) graduate school experience when I ended up running to her countless times for advice.

In my world, Lindsay isn’t just a mentor, she is a close friend, a great dinner companion, a fun travel buddy (two trips to Paris!), and an excellent wedding guest (plus official wedding photographer with her partner Jim). I deeply admire her intelligence and the way she makes learning central to her life. She grabs opportunities to expand her knowledge, and it’s fun to get to share in that with her. She is always a caring and loyal friend who has consistently given me tremendous support in my personal, professional, and educational pursuits. For lack of better words, I know she’s always got my back. I’m so happy that she is part of my life, and I hope to one day be a fraction of the person that she is.

My dear friend, it is an incredible honor to be present for the beginning of this new chapter in your life. I wish you a very happy retirement. Kudos to you on a wonderful career, and here’s to everything that comes next!

You don’t know how important you are in my life. No, you won’t know, because it simply can’t be expressed by words. You’re the one helped me in AND out of this great department, You’re the one gave me a hug, when I was crying like a little boy experiencing the very hard time personally. You’re the one answering countless questions from a “trouble maker”. You’re the one always leave the door open physically and mentally to me and to my fellow CSE grads. You’re the one I will always appreciate and never forget in my life.

Although the time comes so sudden that we will say goodbye in a few days, that means you could take some break after many many years of hard work. I sincerely wish you all the best and enjoy your retired life. You will be missed! Take care!

You are the reason I’m here. You are the reason I am a grad student. I have never though of being one, ever in my life. It was a prompt decision. I was and will probably be the worst applicant in CSE history who made it through. I don’t know if you remember any of these – I applied weeks after the deadline, I had no clue how grad applications worked, had probably asked you a zillion stupid question, woke you up in middle of night (India is PST+12 hours). You were patient and my only hope. I don’t think I have told this to you before – for quite some time, while I was conversing with you over emails from India, I though you were a guy

You are a mother figure to me/us(I know I am speaking on behalf of many) in this alien land – introduced me/us to the CSE family, made space for me/us in this family, decorated our rooms in the home we call CSE and most importantly – you made me/us feel welcomed. On the other hand, I was (and still am) the spoiled brat running around the house, picking food and stealing candy from your MnM bowls

Thank your for everything you have done to keep this family together, functional and productive. Many of us wont be here if it wasn’t for you. The first thing you told me when I came to see you in your office was – “Your batch will probably be the last one I’ll fully advise”. I don’t know if you moved on earlier or we got delayed. The point is – we still need you. I’m still going to come to you for advise. Promise us that we will see you on all department gatherings and parties. We can use a hug or two every now and then

You’re the best <PERIOD>