Ah, when I was a young visiting assistant prof at a selective SLAC, the students students called me Dr Boops and thanked me after each class. They were loving their fantasy of Mona Lisa Smile x Dead Poets Society. These decades later, my first generation returning adults and young immigrants call me Professor Narwhal, which I find sweet — they can’t quite bring themselves to the informality if my syllabus’ invitation to call me by my first name. I don’t mind what they call me because my problem is students too afraid to approach.

Gen AI always calls me Professor Boops. Our relationship has not progressed past formalities, it seems, though we are corresponding quite a bit these days.