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Thank you, Dr. Baker. Truly, thank you. You are one of the most influential professors I ever had the pleasure to learn under and I count my lucky stars that I had the privilege! For everything thing you’ve done for me on conference trips to helping me with papers to simply just sitting in your office and talking, I value them all greatly. I hope that you enjoy retirement, I know that you deserve it. I hope to be able to get a drink with you if I ever pass through Virginia again! Thank you once again for being such a great influence.

Best,
Gage Pennington

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Thank you for your fierce advocacy for ethics and integrity that you have motivated us to emulate. I will always be grateful for your mentoring and friendship, from thesis advisor to program chair. Women's studies and RU will be diminished by your retirement, but the outside world will only grow larger and better. Congratulations and enjoy your freedom from academia! Lots of love and appreciation for you, dear Moira.

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Sincere thanks and best wishes, Moira!
-Erik Taylor

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Dear Moira, be sure to have the happiest of retirements!

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Dear Moira, be sure to have the happiest of retirements!

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Thanks for being a person of integrity and seriousness for so many young (and some not so young) people to learn from.
Matt Laferty

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Dr. Baker,
I just want to say congratulations on your retirement, even though I fully expect to still see you around doing something (we all know you don't rest for long!) I am honored to have been your student, and am so happy that I got to be in your last ENGL 680. I have learned so much from you and you have truly become one of my favorite professors. Thank you for always caring about what you teach and for caring about us. We love you, Dr. Baker!

Assigned female at birth,
Hannah "HanK" Kennedy

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Happy Retirement, Moira!
We love you! Thank you for being the professor that we needed! We hope you enjoy your new position as the Grove St Groundhog Relocation Specialist. ❤️

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We will miss you!!!!

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Congratulations, Moira! From our discussion of Toni Morrison's works and farewell dinners at BT's, we shared some wonderful moments. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you not only as a professor and mentor, but beloved colleague. I wish you all the best! --Jessica Mattox

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Moira Baker taught me that you’re never too busy to actually read student work. The work, also, is never too long for you to actually read it! If you assign it, then you ought to read it. For some reason, this was an epiphany for me. When I took my first graduate course, I remember thinking “I have to write this much?? How can she read all these?” But sure enough, I always got feedback from Moira Baker on every single page. She is amazing and spunky and full of life. I’m so saddened that RU students won’t be able to get credit for learning from her, but I know she won’t stop teaching. That’s who she is! Congratulations Dr. Baker! You’re an inspiration to me and many others! ❤️ Julianna Jones

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MAN CONFERENCE and other lovely memories <3

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MAN CONFERENCE and other lovely memories <3

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Dear Dr. Baker,

I know you you have asked me to call you Moira, but that Arab tradition of revering our teachers and educators and maintaining titles never died in me😁!

I came to this land as a stranger seeking knowledge and you were one of the most influential figures in my life from that point on! You taught me a lot in the classroom and outside of it! Your words and actions helped shape the way my way of thinking evolved and for that so much more I say thank you.

Thank you for guiding me and respecting me for who I was, an Arab Muslim young man taking on a new world 🌎!

I am very emotional now to be honest and I wish I could hold you but social and actual distancing are at play 😁!!

I wish you all the best and please feel free to be in touch!

Congratulations 🎉🎊  and thank you for being such an inspiration!

P.S. my mom still includes you and me in her prayers!

Mohammad Al Hamdani

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What will we do without you, Moira? Best wishes on a wonderful retirement!
Amanda

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You have been a wonder and an inspiration to so many. I hope you enjoy your well earned retirement.  Neither  the profession nor Radford will be the same without you.

Leah Kirell

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Thanks Dr. Baker for encouraging us to dig deep and ask harder questions so that we may become better scholars.

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Moira. I can't believe that you are retiring. What a career. Back in 1995, you were a revelation to someone like me. It was refreshing to have a teacher who pulled no punches, and everyone around you knew it. You were and are the truth teller. I wish you well.

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Moira. I can't believe that you are retiring. What a career. Back in 1995, you were a revelation to someone like me. It was refreshing to have a teacher who pulled no punches, and everyone around you knew it. You were and are the truth teller. I wish you well.

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Toni Cox

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Congratulations Moira!

I learned so much from you through your classes. I also want to thank you for loaning me sources for a paper and guiding me through a research project. Your enthusiasm is contagious and inspiring to me. When I think of you, I think of the energy that you put forth towards learning and teaching.
Thank you so much,
Judy Mann

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I am not allowed enough video space to list all the things that you have taught me; I do want to mention the most important ones, though:

1) you were the first instructor I ever had who asked me to pay attention to issues of gender, race, and class. You made me consider things in 1990 that many folks my age are just getting around to thinking about.

2) you taught me how to write a killer recommendation letter (my students also owe you a thank you for that).

3) you taught me to speak up and speak out about what’s right, even if it makes me uncomfortable or puts me at some material risk.

Thanks for all of these lessons and more; I hope you have a joyful, relaxing, and chucklehead-free retirement!

With love,
Michele

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Congratulations on your retirement, Moira! I'm sure you have many exciting projects on the horizon. Thank you for inspiring me to be a stronger educator and scholar when I first met you in 1997. Your class in my master's program was one of the most memorable and transformational.
With warm good wishes,
Theresa

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Moira,

I am so sad to see you go! Your classes this year changed my life and my academic trajectory forever. I cannot express my gratitude for all you have done for me. You are not only an amazing teacher, but also an amazing person. Your kindness, wit, and love for scholarship made a horrible year so much better. You helped me stay above water in the most difficult time of my life. You helped me truly believe in myself and my work, and I know other students feel the same. I love you so very much! You have given so much to this department, and your profound impact will never be forgotten. I hope you have a wonderful well-deserved retirement!

Peace and love,

Hannah Hale (Double H)

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First of all, thanks for letting me crash at your pad when I moved to town. And for the discussions about books and pedagogy--you were very welcoming, and obviously dedicated, as these posts attest. Thanks for working as hard as you have and for training students to be grad students, better writers, more insightful thinkers. Best wishes in retirement. Back to Croatia?

Rick

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I must not have an account. Even though I'm anonymous, I'm Laurie. I hope you get to do all the things you like best!

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Moira,

The whole English Department has benefited from your academic generosity and your advocacy.  I am lucky to have had you as a colleague, and I can't wait to see what new adventures you'll tackle next.

All best wishes,

Sean

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Moira,

Thank you for being such an empathetic, welcoming, and passionate colleague. I thoroughly enjoyed being your office neighbor and the many hallway chats we had! You are much respected, much loved, and will be much missed in the department.

All my best! And congratulations!
Jamie

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Dr. Baker,
I cannot fully express to you the ways that your courses have impacted me. With each course I took with you I felt myself grow as not only a scholar, but more importantly as a person. Your classes are categorized by lively discussion where we delve deep into the topics that matter most. You unapologetically challenge your students to think critically and meaningfully. I can’t thank you enough. We will miss you! Please come by the department from time to time, and enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

-Karrah Davidson

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Congratulations on your retirement! You've been such an inspiration to so many of us over the years, from your passion in the classroom to your support of us as we found our way as scholars -- and as people. I still draw on the lessons you taught us and still look to your example to this day. Thank you for being such a powerhouse to us all (and for coming with me on some of those weirder papers I wrote in your classes).

What a career yours has been, and what a light you are in this world. Enjoy your well-deserved new adventure!

Tosha Taylor

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In the words of you old pal, Cesar, "Real education should consist of drawing the goodness and the best out of our own students." This you have embodied throughout your career here, and your students have been the lucky recipients. Your colleagues, too. Thank you for stirring things up to draw out the goodness and the best out of us all.

David Beach

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Dr. Baker,
Thank you for years of hard work and dedication to the graduate students who looked up and admired you in so many ways. Thank you for having the hard conversations with us.  Thank you for inspiring us to be social justice advocates and to have courage in a dark, dark world. Thank you for all the subtle nudges in the right direction. You were the one who encouraged me to pursue a PhD in comp/rhet, and because of you I am in the right place. You deserve all the happiness the world can bring, and I mean that with my entire heart.

I was going to say that you can rest and pass the torch to your students who you have inspired over the years, but I know you will still continue to give the world hell, as you should! Just know so many of your students fight alongside you, and we love you so much!  You have impacted the world in more ways than you know.

Marti Williams

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All the very best wishes for your retirement.  You have been a splendid teacher, a mentor to countless students, a fierce advocate for an inclusive curriculum, and an outspoken member of the Senate.  I have fond memories of some of those historic battles--and of playing your lovely piano.
Once things return to something like normal, we will have lunch.
Mary Atwell

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Thank you for sheltering me and Chica under your roof some 34 years ago when when no roof could be had in Radford at the time I arrived here, green and awe-struck by my new job. Chica took to your lap the way she never took to mine. She is not the only one.
And thank you for being my sounding board when I needed it. Best of luck in your retirement endeavors and adventures - it's a beginning of the next chapter and I wish you all the best -
Jola

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Moira,

I remember walking into your class too many decades ago as an insecure grad student and leaving a changed young woman! You made me realize I possessed the ability to facilitate positive change... and not to settle for shit just because that's all that is currently on the menu.

You changed the direction of my life in ways you will never comprehend. Your legacy is one that will be difficult for a mortal to fill, but you leave behind a legacy of BAPS by many different names and I hope you feel the love and appreciation held by so many that you have influenced. Thank you for being awesome. Thank you for being inspiring. Thank you for speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves. Thank you for giving me the confidence to do the same. Thank you for being you, Moira.

-B.J. Nicklin

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Moira,
Thank you for the many "hallway moments" in which you encouraged me, gave me a new perspective to ponder, or just made me laugh when I needed it.

Have a wonderful summer and pour one out for us this August as we gear up for ALL THE THINGS.

Horst

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Dr. Baker,

Congratulations and thank you so much for the wonderful semesters ENGL 600 and ENGL 680 that I was fortunate to have you as a professor! Both were extremely insightful and helpful for me, in ways I had not expected. Your ENGL 600 really helped me transition back into the mindset of being a student after having been out of academics for a few years. I hope I can someday have the opportunity to take what I learned from you and pass it on to someone myself.

I hope you have a wonderful time in retirement !

-Colton Heitzman-Breen

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Moira,

Thank you for your profound impact on me as an educator. You were always engaged, you cared, you read our work even when it was probably crap, you invited us into your home, you introduced us to new literature and ways to think about it--you did SO MUCH for me in only the two years I was there for my degree. Thank you for stretching my mind and encouraging me to consider different avenues when examining texts. Thank you for teaching me, and for doing so in such a phenomenal manner. I hope your retirement is full of leisure, wine, and good books.

All the best,
Marissa Wilder

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Dr. Baker,

Congratulations on your retirement! You will certainly be missed.

Thank you for being a wonderful professor and thesis chairperson. You pushed me to think about literature in new ways and encouraged me to go after my PhD. I'm grateful for our conversations that always broadened my horizons and allowed me to think in new ways. Thank you for pushing us to apply for conferences, and for driving us all the way to New Orleans during my first year of grad school! It was a memorable trip and first conference.

Thank you for being the wonderful person that you are!

Best wishes,
Beth Murphy

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Dr. Baker! Thank you so much for everything you’ve taught me. I continue to look back on my WGST 400 portfolio & reflect - as well as use it for writing samples for jobs! I wish you an amazing time in retirement and thank you so much for the positive impact you had on my life.

Shayna

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Thank you. I’m grateful for all the time you spent teaching theories I never thought I could understand. And for explaining how to keep going forward with an idea even if I doubted my own abilities in writing. -  Kirston Smith

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Thank you for all that you have done! I consider myself very lucky to have been in a few of your classes... I wish you all the best for your retirement! — Jessica Fox

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Dr. Baker,

I cannot put into words how thankful I am to have had you as a professor and thesis director during my time at Radford University. You challenged me academically and personally. Working with you was both one of the most challenging academic experiences in my life and the most rewarding. I will forever be thankful for the wisdom that you bestowed upon me. Thank you for all that you have done. Have a happy retirement. You deserve it.

Christina LaFon

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Moira, You've been an inspiration to me for years. I loved working with you to the Women's Studies Program off the ground -- all those strategy discussions and celebratory potluck dinners as we made progress. And I admired your vision, persistence, and humor as you guided the program for so many years. You have been a wonderful colleague. Without you, so many of us would have had a poorer experience at the university.
Congratulations on this milestone, and I hope your retirement will give you the scope to do all the things you want to do next.

Hilary Lips

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I am so incredibly grateful to have been lucky enough to be taught by you during my master’s program. I think back on so many of your lessons regarding intersectionality and injustice, and feel simultaneously proud to have been your student and happy that you exist. I hope your retirement is a beautiful adventure for you ❤️ From, Rebecca Lynch

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Moira! You finally said enough of the ol codgers, eh? Congrats in a big way on retirement--it's a grand and deserved gift for you to now have time to spend reading what you desire--and of course, practicing that trombone! Thanks for all the years of friendship and fireball humor and feisty insights. Our world--and my life--have been enlarged and enriched in so many ways b/c of you. All good wishes to you, Jim Minick

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Moira! You finally said enough of the ol codgers, eh? Congrats in a big way on retirement--it's a grand and deserved gift for you to now have time to spend reading what you desire--and of course, practicing that trombone! Thanks for all the years of friendship and fireball humor and feisty insights. Our world--and my life--have been enlarged and enriched in so many ways b/c of you. All good wishes to you, Jim Minick

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I am so immensely happy for you while at the same time, so deeply sad for us.  I can't help but think of how much our future students will miss by not having you to teach them.

You shaped me as a scholar, but even more importantly, as a thinker.  I've grown and changed so much since I sat in your scholarship class many years ago.  Not only did I learn how to expand my own learning and thought processes, but now I (hopefully) teach my students to do the same.

Please visit campus and the department often. I'll miss our hallway talks so please come by and chat.  We'll miss you!

All the best,
Nancy

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You have made all the difference. Thank you.

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Dr. Baker,

Thank you for your dedication to a career of educating the masses! You challenged me more intellectually than anyone, and for that I will be forever grateful. I’ll also never forget the patience and understanding you gave when I struggled to get everything done. You are a treasure to the education community and will be missed deeply at RU. I look forward to following your next adventures!

Congratulations and keep making good trouble; this world needs it so!

Cheers,
Carolyn Hash

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I was your student over 15 years ago and have never forgotten how you taught us to "look hard and up close" at literature, culture, and ourselves. You made me a better writer because you took time to offer helpful comments on our work and genuinely engaged with our commentary. I remember a wonderful dinner at your house on the cusp of graduation, being awestruck in Toni Morrison's presence in Richmond, your efforts to help me and several of my classmates be the first Womens Studies minors at RU, and feeling so proud to be asked to present my paper at a conference. You made all of your students feel seen and heard. Thank you. Enjoy what you richly deserve in retirement! - Jenny (Brown) Pennington

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Your retirement is definitely bittersweet, but you've earned it ten times over. I'll never forget our first graduate class together (LGBT) in 2006. I learned so much about our community's history and literature. And I can't thank you enough for encouraging me to pursue my own academic interests in 600, especially when the ivory tower continues to dominate how we examine the world around us. Although you'll no longer haunt the halls of RU, your presence will always be felt by those of us touched by your intelligence, humor, wisdom, and firebrand approach to life.

Terry Lovern

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Have a great retirement from RU! I hope the next leg of your journey will lead to fun and even better adventures. I am grateful for you, and I wish you the best in the future. You helped me feel less like an imposter at RU. I'm sure many first-generation college students feel like that, especially when they are different. Not all of them find supportive role models. I lived in two worlds when I was there, and I was an outsider in both. With or without a mask, I spent my time trying to be invisible. When I needed it most, you helped me feel included and empowered. I hope that I can have as much of an impact on my students. I know the seeds you have planted at Radford and beyond will be growing for eternity and making the world a better place. Thank you, Moira!

Always,
Michael King

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I wish you all the enjoyment and rest and reading-for-pleasure you can handle in your retirement. Thank you for the years you gave us students and the life-changing lessons you taught us. Thank you for believing in us and cheering us on. My life and my world view are bigger and brighter because of you. I’m forever grateful for your introduction to Toni Morrison and to a world that was so much broader and more diverse than the one I grew up with.

Enjoy all that these next years bring you!! I hope our paths cross again.

All the Best,

Elizabeth Willbur

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Moira,

There aren't words for how much you gave me.  Growing up in Southwestern VA, I never thought I would leave, I never thought I could date another woman, and I never thought that I could get a Ph.D.

You showed me that my life didn't have to be contained--in fact that it couldn't be contained.

I model my Intro to Graduate Studies course for the MFA program I run heavily after your English 600 course--you kicked my ass that semester, but you pushed me to be a better scholar.

I am who I am because I got to know you, and I hope that I can give the next generation something similar and continue your legacy.

Thank you for being the amazing fireball that you are.

Love always,
Jessy Hylton

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Thank you for being an amazing professor and colleague for more than 30 years. Your wisdom and compassion always provide an inclusive environment for me and others.You have a gift of creating community in so many circles. Your legacy is an inspiration that will have a ripple effect for generations of Highlanders. Thank you for being a shining example of a role model and friend.

Laura Turk

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Congratulations on your retirement!  It is well deserved.  I hope that you have lots of really awesome adventures, as I am sure you will, in the coming years.  You were an extremely influential professor for me, and this is something I don't think I've ever gotten a chance to share with you before.  I was, and always have been a very shy, self-conscious person, especially in college.  I marveled at your example of being a smart, fearless, intellectual, and realized that I wanted the same for myself.  You made me want to do the same for other young people as a teacher, and I can only hope that I halfway get there in my very small town community college faculty job.  Haha!

I wish you the best, and thank you for your incredible example!

Janet Little

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Part of the reason I'm now a professor is the time and care you showed me as an undergrad in your classes and during my Master's Degree.  You were always kind but firm. You challenged me in the best possible ways to be the best I could be. It was clear that you believed in me, and your faith was fundamental to my believing in myself. I can never repay you directly for all that, but I want you to know that I do my best every day to channel you as I engage with my own students now.  That's the legacy you've built, and I hope as you look back over your career, you see how many scholars and teachers you set off in the world who will do their best to continue what you started in their lives.  I hope retirement is as good to you as you've been to all of us over the years.  And most of all, please stay sassy!

April Herndon

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Dear Dr. Baker,
Thank you so much for being who you are. I am so grateful that I was able to take one of your courses during my college career. Was it one of my toughest semesters? Yes, but it was worth it. You made me realize that I my ideas and writing aren’t as bad as I think they are. You helped make my writing better. I will always remember you. I hope you enjoy and make the most of this episode in your life. Happy retirement!

-Ari

P.S.
Remember to take your walks!

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Hi Moira! Congrats on your retirement. What an amazing career you've had and the impact you've made on so many lives has been huge! Thank you for being an amazing teacher and a great neighbor who would check on me when I was going through some tough times. I think of you often and all we read and discussed in your classes.

Congrats!
Leah Bachmann

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I’m super grateful I had you as a professor in grad school. I really loved your Toni Morrison class! I wish you well on your retirement!  RU won’t be the same without you!

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Dear Dr. Baker,

Thank you so much for having been the best mentor that I could ever hope for. I’m so thankful I got to have you as a professor. Congratulations on everything you accomplished and on your retirement! It is well deserved and I’m sure you’ll know what to do next.

Best wishes,

Marie lys

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Moira,
I have such fond memories of my time in your classes at Radford. I remember your wisdom and humor and how much fun I had each night in class. Thank you for all the treaters and celebratory dinners out and at your home. Your generosity, kindness, support, and encouragement were a highlight of my grad school experience. Best wishes to you!

Jenny (Hobson) Denen

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Thank you for your hard work over the years. Your passion for teaching and students shows in your work. I will miss seeing you on campus and working with you but am so happy for you as you embark on the next chapter. I wish you wonderful adventures.

Best Wishes,
Alison Armstrong

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Dr. Baker,

Congratulations on your retirement! RU will miss your passion and intellect! When I look back on my academic career, your English 600 class (and the Morrison class) stand out as classes that challenged and enlarged my nascent sense of self, that taught me how to succeed as a scholar and how to think more deeply about what it means to be human. You helped teach me how to take my own voice seriously, to trust myself--no small thing for a boy who grew up moving from single wide trailer to single wide trailer in Southwest VA. I'll always appreciate that. I wish you the best for this new chapter of your life!

Mark Burnette

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Dr. Baker,

Thank you so much for all the dedication you have put into your classes. I so very wish you could teach ALL of my classes, but I'm thankful and honored to have been in your last English 600! You will forever be one of my MOST memorable professors in my entire academic career.  (And I mean that in the BEST way possible!)

I wish you luck in any of your future endeavors (as I know you likely won't spend your retirement resting) and I hope to still see you out and about!