New
May 7
May 7
Dr. Fouss was my friend, counselor, co-adviser, mentor, guide, and encourager when I was taking my Doctor of Philosophy at Louisiana State University 1989 to 1992. I was so privileged to have an office next to his. I have so many fond memories observing his work ethics. He is firm, amiable, open, and relational. I admired a LOT his engineering contributions to drainage and wetlands management. Oh the story of the corrugated pipes and laser controlled grading that he invented. And those shallow water-table management research he was at that time doing. Stories Jim told me of how Dr. Schwab, the author of the Soil and Water Engineering book I used in two courses I took for my undergraduate in the Philippines, was his advisor, and he was his adviser when Dr. Schwab was writing the book. How young he and Judy got married, and the ‘live’ story of the ‘love till death’ commitment he and Judy had that I witnessed everyday when I meet him. You can see his glow and his love for Judy … oh what an example I treasured for my future on how I should love my wife Lorna. The stories he tells me about his driving very long distances to be with his family in Texas (those vacations he takes with them) and to be with his friends in Ohio or in South Carolina.
When I was doing my Ph.D. research and dissertation, he was an inspiration; always telling me stories that encouraged me to excel in my research. And he checked my dissertation so well providing constructive comments albeit giving me complete freedom to express my solutions to the problem I was seeking to solve. I left Baton Rouge, with very special memories of Jim’s love, kindness, concern and felt his obvious deliberate actions to do GOOD to me and my family.
He invited me for a meal with him, my wife, my son and of course with Judy when we had an ASABE meeting in Disney World Florida, oh that was such a special treat (knowing that my budget was so tight then that I will not be able to take my family to a sit-down restaurant in Orlando). He also taught me frugality, relating he buys his car cash and saves to buy again for his next car. At that time he bought a brand new Honda Accord :). Dr. Fouss is not a ‘show-off’ but lives a simple lifestyle.
I will never forget how he continuously mentored me, even when I was a new and young faculty at North Carolina A&T State University. He always responds to my email and guided me on how to navigate my professional development knowing that I was a foreigner and needs to learn how to be an effective professor in a U.S. university. And then there is my application for a green card. He wrote a letter of recommendation that I believed significantly Influenced the approval of my application. He is a senior scientist of a federal institution of the USDA and he took his time to write a letter so I may succeed in my application. I got my green card in three weeks after I submitted my application. Oh that was an unspeakable day, and now as I write this tribute to Jim, I clearly recall how much he selflessly assisted me in that application. Not only that, Dr. Jim Fouss during the climax and peak of his career at the USDA, visited me at North Carolina A&T State University showing how committed he is in building my professional career, interacting with my supervisor, Dr. Gayle, and giving advice on the field experiment I was starting as a new faculty. He does not have to do that but did it because he is the caring Dr. Jim Fouss. We continued to communicate and meet during the ASABE conferences. When he retired, I followed him and Judy in social media. The depth of his love for Judy continued in his FB posting, and when Judy passed away ….. I am close to tears now because the adviser I loved got really really really hurt …. I followed him and each post emanates his love for Judy.
I am so glad my wife, Lorna, my two children, Micah and Zach, and I (Manny) was able to be with Jim October 22, 2021 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/HsEnRGHmhFijYwWC6 ). My family for the last time was able to experience the wit, the deep intelligence, the passion, the entertaining stories interspersed with science and engineering, the joy and the love of my mentor, example, and professional idol, Dr. Jim Fouss. JIM, maraming, maraming, maraming salamat (THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH).
When I was doing my Ph.D. research and dissertation, he was an inspiration; always telling me stories that encouraged me to excel in my research. And he checked my dissertation so well providing constructive comments albeit giving me complete freedom to express my solutions to the problem I was seeking to solve. I left Baton Rouge, with very special memories of Jim’s love, kindness, concern and felt his obvious deliberate actions to do GOOD to me and my family.
He invited me for a meal with him, my wife, my son and of course with Judy when we had an ASABE meeting in Disney World Florida, oh that was such a special treat (knowing that my budget was so tight then that I will not be able to take my family to a sit-down restaurant in Orlando). He also taught me frugality, relating he buys his car cash and saves to buy again for his next car. At that time he bought a brand new Honda Accord :). Dr. Fouss is not a ‘show-off’ but lives a simple lifestyle.
I will never forget how he continuously mentored me, even when I was a new and young faculty at North Carolina A&T State University. He always responds to my email and guided me on how to navigate my professional development knowing that I was a foreigner and needs to learn how to be an effective professor in a U.S. university. And then there is my application for a green card. He wrote a letter of recommendation that I believed significantly Influenced the approval of my application. He is a senior scientist of a federal institution of the USDA and he took his time to write a letter so I may succeed in my application. I got my green card in three weeks after I submitted my application. Oh that was an unspeakable day, and now as I write this tribute to Jim, I clearly recall how much he selflessly assisted me in that application. Not only that, Dr. Jim Fouss during the climax and peak of his career at the USDA, visited me at North Carolina A&T State University showing how committed he is in building my professional career, interacting with my supervisor, Dr. Gayle, and giving advice on the field experiment I was starting as a new faculty. He does not have to do that but did it because he is the caring Dr. Jim Fouss. We continued to communicate and meet during the ASABE conferences. When he retired, I followed him and Judy in social media. The depth of his love for Judy continued in his FB posting, and when Judy passed away ….. I am close to tears now because the adviser I loved got really really really hurt …. I followed him and each post emanates his love for Judy.
I am so glad my wife, Lorna, my two children, Micah and Zach, and I (Manny) was able to be with Jim October 22, 2021 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/HsEnRGHmhFijYwWC6 ). My family for the last time was able to experience the wit, the deep intelligence, the passion, the entertaining stories interspersed with science and engineering, the joy and the love of my mentor, example, and professional idol, Dr. Jim Fouss. JIM, maraming, maraming, maraming salamat (THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH).