Dr. Elaine Bukowski, Professor Emerita

Dr. Bukowski’s parents, Edward and Melanja Bukowski, spent 64 years together. They were dedicated to each other and to their children and did everything possible to insure their education. Along the way they taught them the value of service and giving back to one’s community. They were always the first to volunteer at their local church, at the boy scouts and at their children’s schools. Even in their retirement years, they continued to do the same, including coming to one of Dr. Bukowski’s classes with the second-year physical therapy students at Stockton. Every year they were happy to let students have hands-on experiences and ask questions about how they dealt with their physical disabilities. They also taught the students about the importance of listening and what it takes to persevere and never give up, the types of things you do not learn from a textbook. Due to the role models Dr. Bukowski had in her parents, she too has always valued service and giving back. She came to Stockton looking for a job and left 29 years later with a second family. She always enjoyed seeing “the light bulbs go on” when students had those “aha moments” and knew they had grasped the materials. For many years Dr. Bukowski had wanted to honor her parents (her first family) for all they did for her and for her students in the DPT Program at Stockton (her second family). Along the way, Dr. Bukowski came to the conclusion that the best way we can assure our future is to invest in our students today. She always remembers the professors she had who made sure she had her “aha moments” and grasped the materials.