Prof. Mack combined a deep moral commitment to the practice of anthropology as a potentially liberatory and anti-racist venture, with a passion for teaching that influenced all those who sat under him in class. Biological Anthropology, which he taught at Howard for many years, was one of my favorite classes during my tenure at Howard, and it influenced me to pursue a minor in Anthropology. I remember how he challenged us in straightforward academic ways--the depth and intricacy of the material he taught was one reason I loved the class so much--and in more complex ways, such as encouraging us to develop epistemological rigorous models for thinking about human difference non-racially. The Mark Mack I will always remember is the one I encountered in a smaller seminar, called Biology and Culture, which he encouraged me to take after Biological Anthropology. In that seminar style course, we learned about race, biology, culture and social theory through seminal texts such as Steven Jay Gould's Mismeasure of Man. I'm sure many students have similar memories of the ways in which Prof. Mack challenged them to think outside of the box. I left that seminar with valuable tools, equipped to understand race and culture in sophisticated ways. I remember him explaining to students why he became an anthropologist one day in class. In fact his teaching was filled with these personal anecdotes, which he used to illuminate particular problems or issues in anthropology. I remember his story of being an orphan, of not knowing his biological father, and the way in which it fired a passion for knowledge, because it inspired me that one could pursue anthropology, or indeed any academic calling, out of a personal quest and individual calling. In addition to passion, Prof. Mark combined critical rigor and a laser sharp analytical framework. It this combination of great teaching, high standards, and personability that myself, and all those who came into contact with Prof. Mack will truly miss. Nate Mathews