In some strange way, PK changed the trajectory of my life. He was my mentor and Professor at Chapman in 1985. I was his Graduate Assistant and he taught me the in’s and outs of the consulting business.
Mild mannered with a soft spoken, low key disposition, PK had a way of always getting through to me. He never told me when I was wrong. He would gently nudge me in the right direction. He often led me to the path, with quiet wisdom, so that the decision and the victory was mine.
Most importantly, PK showed me the beauty and fulfillment in the academic life. For that, I will be eternally grateful. Through his personal journey, he led me into the professorial life. He is smart as a tack with impeccable credentials. There are no easy PhD’s handed out at UCLA.
It was good to reconnect with PK after more than three decades. It was refreshing to going back to being the student for a change. The gift he gave to me as a teacher, is the gift I try and pass on to my students. The student is now the teacher. The gratitude I feel towards him, is eternal.
About Hemant Rustogi