Saying Goodbye to Professor Harvey

“I have some bad news and some good news.”

This is how Professor Harvey often starts his lectures. “The bad news is that this is my last semester at AUBG”, he said on March 20th during the Personality Theory class. The whole class went silent. Shocked, confused, and caught off guard, nobody really knew what to say. A couple of awkward seconds passed, and we all congratulated Professor Harvey on his upcoming journey to Vietnam in the Fall semester. But there was a feeling that more was supposed to be said: to him, for him, about him.

Nobody remembered the good news that he shared right after the announcement.

Professor Harvey has a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from DePaul University in Chicago. In 2016, he started his journey in Bulgaria as a Fulbright Scholar. He was doing research on the topic of drug addiction, and how people struggling with addiction can find a way to be reintegrated back into their communities. In April 2016, he visited AUBG and had a conversation with the president of AUBG about the university’s Psychology program. In fact, it was the absence of a Psychology program at AUBG that actually led to this conversation.

Professor Harvey has been teaching at AUBG ever since and has managed to make a lot of students fall in love with the subject of Psychology.

Daryna Kolos, a junior at AUBG, shared her impressions of Professor Harvey. “Open-minded, funny, witty, passionate, friendly, and supportive,” was how she described him. She said Professor Harvey is the reason why so many students decide to pursue the Psychology (PSY) major. “He breaks down complex and fancy concepts into easy-to-understand ideas and makes you understand what the human psyche is all about,” she said.

Daryna could not come up with one specific memory of Professor Harvey. She explained that all his lectures are unique in a certain way. “I also appreciate how you can go up to him and share things which bother you. He always finds words of support,” Daryna said.

Daryna said that she still could not accept the fact that she would not be able to take any more classes with him. “American sense of humor combined with a beautiful personality and a great style of teaching. This is what makes Professor Harvey stand out,” she added.

“People are meaning-making machines,” Daryna said that this is the most memorable phrase by Professor Harvey.

Zlatara Chakarova, a sophomore at AUBG, described Harvey: “Funny, a little bit closed off, which makes him mysterious.”

She said she often used to bump into Professor Harvey while walking on the riverside. “He was always with his headphones on and I usually listen to music too. We would wave at each other and exchange a smile,” she said. Zlatara thinks that this is probably the warmest interaction. 

In her opinion, Professor Harvey does not fully realize his impact on the AUBG community. “More and more people want to study Psychology.” Last year, he actually had to teach two sections of Research Methods due to high demand.

“He is just a weirdo with a big smile on his face. That makes him stand out,” Zlatara said at the end.

Mia Haydushka has never taken a class with Professor Harvey, but she spent some time with him at a Thanksgiving dinner in AUBG. “I was, and will forever be, really thankful that he wanted to be on our table,” Mia said.

“Caring, very welcoming, and with a very big heart,” Mia shared about Professor Harvey.

She thinks that his impact on AUBG is significant. “All of the students love him, and I was really looking forward to taking a course with him,” she added.

Mia said, “I believe everyone can agree that Professor Harvey is an absolute treasure in AUBG.”

Anastasia Cherbadzhi, a junior at AUBG, shared that nearly every interaction with Professor Harvey was memorable and eventful. “Be it sharing some sort of stories about the crazy stuff that Americans or Bulgarians do; the random facts or sitting together after lectures to hear his advice.”

Anastasia mentioned how Professor Harvey likes to thank his students for making the PSY program what it is now. “But in reality, it was all him,” she said. Anastasia also highlighted how many students sign up for his classes out of curiosity, but Professor Harvey manages to “make the students keep coming back.”

Delanie Lankford, a sophomore from the USA, said, “Harvey was and still is one of the best professors I have had.”

She added, “He is beyond caring and I really appreciate him as a human!”

Delanie described Harvey as compassionate and shared that he was the professor who saw her when she was feeling troubled.

Another student, who preferred to stay anonymous, described Harvey as funny, considerate, and interesting. “He is just an amazing professor. He is always honest and transparent with us, and shares his personal stories and struggles,” they said.

They remembered how they had their first lecture with him on Zoom. “He had Christmas lights on, and I remember really liking that,” they said.

They admire how Harvey can be authentic, and engaging, and always admits his faults and mistakes. “He is very self-aware and I admire him for that,” they added.

Professor Harvey is truly a special one. He goes above and beyond to build a connection with his students and teach them all that actually matters. His enthusiasm, dedication, and passion do not stay unnoticed. Listening to him is pure pleasure, so I decided to include some of my favorite words by him, which I wrote down during his lectures.

I asked the students to say a couple of words to Professor Harvey as a goodbye.

“None of us want you to leave, but we cannot stop you from making Vietnamese students fall in love with Psychology.” - Daryna Kolos

“Thank you for being here and doing so much for us. You are deeply appreciated! We wish you to keep on trying new stuff and putting yourself out there, be it by forming a band with fellow professors or embracing new cultures. P.S Don’t forget us…” - Anastasia Cherbadzhi

“I hope that you know how special you made our first Thanksgiving, and hope that you will remember it forever just like we will.” - Mia Haydushka

“I hope you bring light to others as you did to us (me).” - Delanie Lankford

“Your passion for Psychology and your dedication to your students have left an incredible mark on me. I will never forget what an amazing professor you were! And I want you to know that you will be forever remembered and respected from the bottom of my heart.” - Davit Phutkaradze 

“Do not feel sad for leaving because you never know what is waiting for you if you do not try. Take a leap of faith. You did that, and we admire you for it!” - Anonymous

“Professor Harvey, you are the reason why I am in this university, and I will be forever thankful to you for that!” - Elizara Georgieva 

“Professor Harvey, I hope that you have taken this choice from a place of love and peace. I hope you are excited for the new chapter in your life. As you have told us, it is not that difficult to answer the question when all you have to do is think about yourself. I wish that whenever you are in a difficult situation, you just dig deep in yourself and are not afraid of what you will find there. Thank you for everything that you have done!” - Zlatara Chakarova

“I still remember how you complimented my painting at the exhibition last year. It took me so long to create the piece, and your words definitely stayed in my heart. I did not know you personally, but it lit up my day, and your kind words stayed with me.” - Ekaterine Jamaspishvili

Thank you for everything, Professor Harvey. I cannot describe how much you mean to me, to us, and to AUBG. It is rare to find a professor who is so wholeheartedly dedicated to his job and puts his all into contributing to the community. Your lectures are not just lectures and trust us, you will forever be a part of AUBG, whether you’re here in Bulgaria, in the USA, or in Vietnam.

Thank you for who you are, Professor Harvey. And thank you for teaching us how to be unapologetically ourselves.