Professor Ratigan

"My first semester passed by incredibly quickly. I had grown much attached to the University environment, and identified strongly with the ideal of freedom in science and the questioning of every piece of information one is presented with. Further, I was glad that I didn't have to interact with those I'd rather not want to; and I enjoyed studying with other talented people, occasionally exchanging ideas and debating for the sake of comparing opinions and acquiring more knowledge, seeing things from different perspectives and such. Yet, I still was a loner, and never made close friends with anyone. People were always something my mind was simply unable to comprehend, and their behaviour was often inscrutable to me. I was more apt at understanding the complexities of inanimate objects and concepts – as that had always been my forte. I am well aware that most might argue that real beauty is found only in our own kind; however, in my opinion, true beauty exists even more frequently in the workings of the mysterious inanimate realm and in all sublime creations of Nature itself, indisputably the greatest artist there ever was and will be.

"It was at my second semester at Oxford that I happened to get to know one Professor Padraic Ratigan. He used to work as a lecturer and University assistant at Trinity College Dublin until he was appointed to a vacant chair here at Oxford. By far the youngest professor at our Department – he was only fifteen years my senior – and the most gifted, he immediately caught my attention, for I had read several of his publications and greatly admired his extraordinary research, which was more innovative and detailed than anything I had ever come across before, and I had in fact read a good deal of academic publications. Fortunately, in my third term, I was able to register for one of the classes he taught, and my high expectations were met. He was truly a brilliant and unique scientist who stood out from the rest – besides the obvious fact that he was, well, a rat, in contrast to his colleagues and students, who were without exception, all mice. His intelligence quotient must have been higher than any of the other lecturers I knew, for the way he would describe his methods during classes, demonstrating his incredible ability to immediately recognize the abstract concepts and patterns behind small and seemingly unconnected details, was absolutely amazing. It vexed me somewhat that the majority of my fellow students failed to appreciate his ingenuity, but I ascribed this to their limited ability to actually recognize genius when it stood right before their eyes. What is more, it seemed to me that even some of the other lecturers were a little prejudiced against the Professor, for it was not every day that a rat was given the opportunity to obtain the position he had.

"As during my chemistry lessons at school, I enthusiastically participated in Ratigan's classes, and excelled at the assignments and occasional tests we had to take. I read every single book on our recommended list of further reading, and did my best to regularly impress the Professor, who had become my academic idol. Though I enjoyed all my lessons, I looked forward to his courses most, and was always one of the first to arrive at his classes, 15 minutes prior to their beginning which was generally cum tempore; for every minute I might have missed would have been a grave disappointment to me.

"In my fourth term, and my second one of knowing Professor Ratigan, came that fateful February day when he approached me after a lesson and praised me for my superb achievements and commitment. Though I tried to keep calm, I was exceedingly nervous on the inside, and could feel my face crimson at his compliments. He told me I was an outstanding student and exceptionally intellectually gifted… and – this is how it all started – he asked me whether I would like to work for him as a research assistant for some of his larger projects. As you can imagine, I was thrilled beyond words, and without further reflection, immediately consented.

"And only a week later, after signing an employment contract that would expire after two years, I was already assisting Ratigan with his lab research. There couldn't have been a more appropriate way of spending my time outside lectures! My passion for chemistry almost developed into a kind of obsession. I fancied becoming a Professor myself some day, so I could earn a living constantly discovering new things and learning more about how the world functioned. Pure bliss, so I thought. On one occasion – I was in Ratigan's office, handing in some project reports – he said that he used to be just like me as a student, and saw so much of himself in me. That gave my ego quite a boost. He advised me to pursue an academic career, for I was made for one, and, so he said, possessed all the necessary presuppositions to succeed and make a name for myself as a scientist in the field. Ratigan became my mentor, my inspiration to pursue my dream. And this is why I kept a portrait of him where I would always see it. I aspired to be like him one day. His genius and capital work ethic were my primary source of motivation.