Trying to sum up how Mike Hochberg was such a vibrant, important part of our campus’ fabric in a brief contribution is difficult–kind of like having a ‘short’ conversation with Mike was! If Mike caught your eye in the hallway, you would realize pretty quickly that you’d have to dedicate a little time to explore the ideas and insights that would emerge in the discussion. This was not always easy for me to appreciate, especially once I became a working parent trying to cram in as much activity as I could while on campus–but on balance, Mike’s dedication to making the conversation mutually beneficial and beyond was clear. It was clear that he loved sharing insights and making discoveries with colleagues, and he loved sharing them with students in ways that enriched their educational experiences holistically. And when inviting you to trade news about your own life, family, friends, and activities, Mike’s love for his family, friends, and activities was also clear, as was the fact that these can be intertwined with appreciation of research, teaching, and learning in important ways. Mike’s example of constant warmth, dedication, and care as a biologist, colleague, dean, hiking and skiing companion (I regret not taking up more of Mike’s invitations to join in on such activities as much as I do not talking microbiology and history with him more often), and his being part of a strong web of family and friends, will always inspire me. Despite messaging otherwise from the high-pressure culture of hyper-focused and hyper-individualistic success, Mike consistently demonstrated that showing love for others and love for what you do are things worth taking time for, and worth sharing with others in a way that encourages them to do the same. I will miss working with Mike deeply, and, among other ways to commemorate him, renew my intent to follow his example.