Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

Professor Sabat's goal is to help as many people as possible understand AD. (Photo: Roland Dimaya)

What is your idea of happiness?

Doing what I can to improve the lives of others so that the world is better than it might have been had I not been born.

Who or what was the greatest influence in your life that led to your career?

My parents, who unfailingly encouraged me to find my own path, define my own good, and to give to others; my aunt, whose tragic illness and death at a young age inspired in me to do what I could to help people with brain damage; the excellent teachers I encountered from kindergarten through graduate school, who brought their subject matter to life and who gave me the best they had to offer; and the worst teachers I ever had, who taught me that if they could obtain an advanced degree and find a job teaching at the university level, then I surely could do so as well.

What do you enjoy about teaching?

Giving the people in my classes information that can improve their lives; seeing their faces light up with thought and appreciation; sharing with them aspects of the mystery and the beauty of human life; showing them that the joy of learning can last a lifetime; learning from them so that I can be a better teacher; feeling the great energy of possibility in the classroom, being completely exhausted at the end of the day, having expended tremendous energy in the classroom and in office hours with students, knowing that if I do my job to the best of my ability, I can have a positive effect on others’ lives long after I am gone.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

I would eradicate ignorance.

What is your favorite word?

Supercalifragilistickexpialidocious. Otherwise, it would be Halcyon.

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