Adebola A. Isaiah
Dear Prof. Pulleyblank, I wish your retirement years are even more pleasant than we all wish for you! I was first introduced to Prof. Pulleyblank (feels ‘somehow’ to type Doug, Douglas or Pulleyblank! Yeah, the ‘Yorubaness’) in 2013 or 2014 at the University of Ibadan during the LAN/WALS conference. It was a brief meeting but […]
Victor Pulleyblank
Being my dad, we got to see a side that your students may not have known. A regular day entails you reading and marking papers till way past midnight and then back at it before sunrise. This has been a normal thing through your career. Marking papers, marking papers, marking papers. And if you’re travelling…. […]
Deborah Pulleyblank
Congratulations, Doug, on a long, successful and illustrious career! As you embark upon this new chapter, I hope you will look back fondly on the many years spent in teaching, research and writing and recognize what a special contribution you have made. So many bike rides and great travels ahead! Let’s start planning!! Deborah
Andrei Anghelescu
Dear Doug, It was a privilege to learn about how to do science from you. At a very basic level, you helped me see that a simple approach, along with endless persistence, would yield an interesting result. The real lesson here was that this pattern was fully generalizable. Thank you for every countless hour you […]
Samuel Kayode Akinbo
I am so excited to write this! Words cannot fully capture the impact that Douglas Pulleyblank has had on the field of linguistics, on research into African languages, and on my life, as well as the lives of those around me and the field more broadly. While I cannot fully capture everything with words, I […]
José Ignacio Hualde
Dear Doug, Just a short note of appreciation to thank you for everything you have done for me. Our paths have not crossed very often in recent years, but you left a profound impression on me, as my teacher and thesis director. You showed me what to strive for as a teacher, as a scholar […]
Nkechi Mgbodichinma Ukaegbu
I met you (Pulleyblank) at the airport when I arrived for the African Linguistics Summer School (ALS5) at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. And while I was so ecstatic being with my phonology legend on a drive to campus, I saw you had that air of, "What's so great about meeting me?" I had a […]
Sharon Rose
Doug, I wish you all the best for your retirement! I’ve admired your work and your approach to phonology since I was a graduate student. Although we would see each other at conferences, the African Linguistics School was where I got to spend the most time with you: sharing meals and outings, debating phonology, and […]
Yvan Rose
I first met Doug as an undergraduate student, busy exploring whether and why I’d want to become a phonologist. I had decided to attend a conference, to get to see more about the field, the people. It was the early 1990s. OT was a very new proposal; ideas were flying high, and some hard feelings […]
Ebitare Obikudo
I met Professor Doug Pulleyblank at the African Linguistics School (ALS 4) in 2016, held at the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire in 2016. His simplicity, willingness to impart knowledge at all times (even when walking on the way), and friendliness won my admiration. I really enjoyed the emergent approach to […]
Mayowa Emmanuel Oyinloye, PhD
I'm highly honoured to have been tutored by Douglas Pulleyblank in various dimensions, the chief of which was at ALS5 (South Africa) in 2019. Additionally, reading his materials on Optimality Theory has enhanced my understanding of the theory over the years. I'm also impressed by his gigantic contributions to the development of African Linguistics, both […]
Alexander Angsongna
Dear Doug, It is truly difficult to find the right words to express my heartfelt gratitude and best wishes to you on your retirement. Your unwavering support, advice, and constant encouragement have been nothing short of extraordinary. From my arrival at UBC in September 2017 until now, your kindness, understanding, and positive influence have stood […]