My only regret in sending a message of congratulations to Art on the occasion of his festscrift is that I am not there to deliver it in person and to share in the celebration. And while I am delighted to send the congratulations and appreciation of Brandeis University for Art’s many accomplishments and contributions to Psychology, the field of language and aging, and to his department and university, the message that I really want to send is one of personal appreciation for his friendship, humor, and guidance over the past 20 years. Brandeis is a remarkable institution that has an impact beyond what could be expected for our size and our resources. We are only successful because of our remarkable collaborative culture and because of the faculty who created that culture and have built careers and defined entire fields here at Brandeis. Art’s ability to ask the key questions and fold new ideas and relationships into his work speaks to his stature as a scientist. His recognition that the success of his students and his colleagues is both critical and worthy of his energy defines his greatness as a mentor and a colleague. Art’s calmness and insight breaks down barriers and has been a key element in building a Neuroscience program in which psychologists, biologists, and computational modelers work together to solve core problems. His style and approach have given me a model for how to balance diverse views and approaches at both the scientific and administrative level and I could not be more grateful. Congratulations Art!