Dr. Jacek Tyminski was all alone in 1979, having traveled more than 5,000 miles from Elblag, Poland, to Stillwater. He was a refugee, coming to OSU to pursue his Ph.D. because of deteriorating conditions in his home country. Arriving at Oklahoma State University, he felt completely disoriented, with no connections and no direction. But thanks to the kindness of physics professor Dr. Richard Powell, Tyminski soon found a family.