I have always looked at someone in the US as a father figure and that person is and was none other than Dr. Kizza. I interacted with Dr. Kizza as his graduate student and as a colleague in the Soil and Water Sciences Department. I will always treasure the fact that it was Dr. Kizza who reached out to me about 16 years ago regarding a potential PhD program. We exchanged emails for a while until I finally got admitted to the Soil and Water Science program at the time. I still vividly remember the fact that he provided me with all the necessary 'tips and advice' of surviving in the state of Florida, and the US, in general before I even set a foot at UF. Now, in hindsight, I still treasure those tips for making it in this country. I will forever gratefully remember that he was there at the Gainesville Regional Airport around midnight of August 11, 2008 to pick me up. Not many professors put their schedules aside to help new students settle down, let alone pick them up from the airport. He was very influential in helping me learn how to craft compelling research proposals and manuscripts and reviewed my work even on weekends and afterhours. Thus, Dr. Kizza was such a unique and immensely humble person I encountered in the US and I aspire to emulate his perfect example on how I treat my students and workmates.
Dr. Kizza helped me even more with my personal life decisions. While I continued to thank him in our past conversations, now more importantly, I credit and thank him for advising me to have a good work/life balance and having time for family and myself. I and my family will always reminisce and treasure the wonderful memories we had with him and will forever be grateful to his influence on our story in the US. I pray that 'Eternal rest grant unto Dr. Peter Nkedi-Kizza, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul rest in eternal peace.'
