Ms. R. was my administrative assistant and secretary from 1987 through 2011 at the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Angela's work entailed considerable secretarial and managerial skills, preparation of grant applications, manuscripts, reports to funding agencies, keeping track of the progress of studies, and, before the appearance of the Internet, much library work. I found Angela to be a very quick worker, efficient, trustworthy, exceptionally conscientious and committed to the successful completion of the studies. She would do whatever was required to push the work forward including staying late and arriving early without hesitation or implied complaint when deadlines had to be met. She was a pleasure to work with and a wonderful assistant. I therefore had no hesitation when I assumed the chairmanship of the Department in 1989 to make Angela the departmental secretary. I continued as chair of the department until 1999, when I resigned the position to return to full-time research. During these 10 years from 1989 through 1999, Angela continued to help with the research projects I was involved in, as well as carrying out the many tasks required to help me run the department. She carried out all the departmental tasks required of her with the same dedication and efficiency as she had brought to my research studies. As I expected of her, she also demonstrated the essential ability to keep all the confidential matters of the department completely confidential. On my returning to full-time research in 1999, Angela left the position of departmental secretary as the new chair brought his own administrative staff with him, and resumed her full-time role assisting me and my colleagues with our research programs. This was the situation until 2011 by which time I had severely cut back on my research program at USC and taken a position at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Throughout this time Ms. R. continued to be an ideal assistant: quick, efficient, trustworthy, exceptionally conscientious, and committed to our research program. Angela is a pleasure to work with. I recommend her to any prospective employer without hesitation and with the greatest enthusiasm. Sincerely yours, Malcolm C. P.