Grant Allard
Professor Cook will always be one of the most influential teachers and men whom I encountered during my life. I am one Professor Cook's students from the Clemson MPA program. I am filled with sorrow that we lost Professor Cook. His loss stirs my emotions so much that it is hard to find words. However, it is critical to find the words and share the way he positively inflected our world through the Clemson MPA program so that this part of his life can be celebrated. I know that teaching us was only the very tip of a very large proverbial ice berg when it comes to his contributions to our country and world.
While we have lost Professor Cook, his teachings will continue to live on through his students. I want to share the three most important things I learned from him as examples of the way he impacted me.
First, Professor Cook helped me discover an entire world of critical thinking skills of which I had no knowledge. Critical thinking is the process of thinking about something while simultaneously improving our thinking about it. We learned this skill in the context of intelligence analysis, but mastery of this skill liberates one's being from the chains of preconception and frees our mind to experience reality independent of any judgment. There is no greater gift that one man can give another than to see the world just as it is.
Second, Professor Cook taught me how to be an incredible teacher, especially in the cyber domain. Ironic as it is, my heart aches and feels the pain of loss even though I have never actually been in the same room or geographic location as Professor Cook. He was able to forge deep relationships with his students through his humor, humility, and approachability. It speaks to his magnanimity that his humanity transcended cyber space and was able to make each of us better as professionals and as people.
Third, Professor Cook taught me that humility and humor are the greatest skills we can have for leading people. Many of us in the Clemson MPA classes are Type A personalities. As an instructor myself, I can tell you that it can be a handful to have so many go-getters in a class learning important skills and discussing controversial topics. Yet, Professor Cook always built a sense of camaraderie and team. I took four classes with Professor Cook and in each one we became like a family. There are still many people with whom I keep in touch. How did he accomplish this? Because he was humble enough to allow us as students learn at our own pace (while he continued to guide us toward where we needed to be) while using humor to allow us to see the humanity in each other. (I still borrow from his puns when I am teaching about analytic bias!). He brought out--and to those who knew him still brings out--the best in people. Our world would be better if we had more Professor Cooks!
It hurts me to know that we lost Professor Cook. It is too soon for such an amazing person. I know that he has been called to his next mission and that we are all better for the time in which he joined us walking on this Earth. He is an exemplar for us all and I am so honored to have been able to spend a year of my life learning from him. Perhaps the best way to convey his impact on our lives is to carry on his memory through teaching our students the skills he taught us.
My heart breaks for his family, colleagues, and my fellow students. God speed, Professor Cook.
