“I walked among the titans, and she was the biggest of them”

My mentor Dr. Margrit Betke

Margrit at the UniLu block party in 2022. Photo by Chris Pollari.

Source: University Lutheran Church

A Remarkable Mentor

Margrit was one of the kindest, most caring, and smartest people I have ever had the privilege to know. She was there during the lowest points of my life as a struggling student, and one of the few people who truly understood me and genuinely cared about my well-being. I had the honor of knowing her for the better part of two years, and I am so thankful that she was the person under whom I got to work. I would not trade that time for anything else.

She was a person full of heart, grace, ambition, intelligence, and faith. She understood the world for what it is and had mastered the art of navigating it with wisdom. She always had great plans and ambitious visions for the future. My career is what it is today because I met her, and I will make sure to carry on the legacy she left with me. She will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I shared many significant milestones of my career with her: my first advisor, my first research paper, my first research project, and she was the first person who had a concrete plan for my career and truly cared about my success.

The world lost a precious soul, and I lost a mentor and a motherly figure in my life. I truly believe she is now among the best of people with the lord. I will miss her deeply, and I genuinely hope I will be able to give her a big hug when it is my turn to join her.

Our Journey Together

I studied under Margrit as a master’s student from 2021 to 2023. I initially started as a project volunteer in 2021, working on one of her research projects with Dr. Michael Hasselmo. By early 2022, I had begun working as a research assistant with her on groundbreaking research using machine learning to predict the severity of aphasia.

During our collaboration, I was able to make two publications under her guidance: one abstract at the Conference of Medical Imaging and Understanding Analysis, and another at a CVPR workshop called “CVAMD.” We experienced many ups and downs in our work together, but she remained nothing but kind and understanding toward me throughout.

Moments That Changed Everything

There are a few profound moments from my time with her that I will treasure forever.

Summer 2022 marked a turning point in my life. I had just published my first abstract—a significant milestone in my career that filled her with pride for my achievement. At the time, I was a struggling master’s student, finding it difficult to afford rent and health insurance.

After my publication, she immediately called me to discuss my goals, dreams, and the kind of career I envisioned for myself. Understanding my financial struggles, she provided me with a research assistantship for the summer, supported by Dr. Swathi Kiran at the Center for Brain Recovery in Sargent College.

During that conversation, she shared intimate details about her own journey as a master’s student, explaining how profound research had been in her life and what it would take if I chose to pursue a similar career path. She then presented me with a thoughtful plan to overcome my financial struggles and offered me a PhD position under her supervision.

There are no words adequate to express how this gesture felt to me, or the regret I carry for not accepting her generous offer. Being the naive, shortsighted master’s student that I was, I told her I preferred to finish my master’s with a thesis instead.

Even when I was working on my first full research paper, she spent an entire night with me on a Zoom call, meticulously editing and revising the manuscript until it was as close to perfection as possible. Few professors would go to such lengths for a naive master’s student, sacrificing their time at midnight, during the day, and even on weekends. She truly cared about me, and I will forever cherish these precious memories.

Her Lasting Legacy

She remains my moral compass in determining the kind of research work I want to pursue and how I want to live my life. I will forever remember all her scoldings, guidance, cheers, celebrations and her heartfelt appreciation and hopefully carry forward the short meaningful legacy she left with me.

Dr. Margrit Betke was not just an advisor; she was a mentor, a guide, and a beacon of hope during my most challenging times. Her impact on my life extends far beyond academia, and her memory will continue to inspire me throughout my career and beyond.

References and Memorial Links

• Wikipedia - Margrit Betke
• University Lutheran Church - Memorial Service Information
• Obituary - Bello & Dea Funeral Home
• Boston University Hariri Institute - Remembering Professor Margrit Betke
• BU Faculty of Computing and Data Science - In Memory of BU Professor Margrit Betke
• BU Today - Margrit Betke Obituary