From Justin Ritchie, current BYUH political science student:
"The other day I received an email from my brother serving a mission and he asked the question: Other than reading the scriptures and praying, when have you felt God's love in your life? This is the response that I gave.
"God's love. There has been several moments when I have seen his love manifest through other channels outside of prayer and scripture study. One happened a while ago while I was sitting in a classroom here at BYUH. Our Professor Dr. Robertson was the guest lecturer in this class and he was speaking on the culture and heritage of Laie. This particular week had been a rather rough one and I was feeling like I did not belong here at BYUH and that I should just pack up and go home. I cannot remember all the details, but I remembering feeling like I had made a mistake when I came to school here. It was during this class and Dr. Robertson's lecture that I felt the spirit manifest to me that I was in the right place and that I had been sent here for a reason. No doubt there has been tough times since, but I have held onto this experience as a reminder to me that God is aware and that he is involved in the details of my life. Thanks to Professors/People who listen to the whisperings of the spirit.”
From Ryan Martz, current BYUH political science student:
"I first met Dr. Robertson giving a lecture at the Honors Colloquium approximately two and a half years ago; little did I know that one day I would end up taking a political science class from him, and boy was I in for a ride. As the class went on through out the semester I found myself eager to attend his lectures and laugh at his sophisticated humor. His whit and wisdom will be greatly missed."
From Jon Lang, current BYUH political science student:
"He is a professor that generally I had a love/hate relationship with - not that I hated him sometimes and other times loved, more that I loved to hate him and hated to love him. Now let's explain that harsh sounding statement, because it is not harsh at all - you love to hate him: well he encourages you to question him, the establishment, and all ideas around you until you decide for yourself what is truth, what is right, and how you should think. You hate to love him, because once you let your guard down then he's got you. You must be on your toes and know why you think the way that you think otherwise he may throw you a curveball, you'll agree with it without even knowing it and he's got you, he'll point out the flaws in your thinking and argument.
"In another cliché - when the going gets tough, the tough get going - I think that when things get tough for any student he has stewardship over, as long as they are in the right, he'll get going behind you. What I mean is that in many ways Dr. Robertson looks out for the well being of students, not always solving and taking away problems, but getting behind them and supporting them."
From Stephen Cordon, current BYUH political science student:
"One of Dr. Robertson's best qualities as a teacher was his ability to get students excited about what they were learning. He was always willing to spend extra time out of his schedule to ensure that students with a desire to learn would be able to grasp difficult concepts. His ruthless sense of humor was always something that I could count on looking forward to in every class period. I appreciate him as one of the better teachers that I have ever had, and thank him for what he has taught me."
From Daniel Long, current BYUH political science student:
"In a school and a society where there is a definite overemphasis on being polite and sugarcoating inefficiencies, Dr. Robertson is a proverbial breath of fresh air. I remember the first (but most certainly not the last) instance where he told me I was wrong. It wasn't the typical "well, okay, I see your point, nice thought..." response that has become almost uniform amongst teachers at BYUH Hawaii. Instead, he cut me off mid comment, look directly at me, and said "you're wrong". I was appalled in the best way possible. Since then, I have delighted in being told how wrong I am; as a result, i have learned a great deal more from Dr. Robertson than I ever have from any other sensitive, tactful soul that has been my professor. His style of teaching has branded many facts into my brain that I did not necessarily want, but nonetheless will likely be useful to me when I move beyond my post-secondary education. He is irreplaceable as both a teacher and a role model in the BYUH Political Science Department."
From Sondra Kahawaii, 2005 BYUH political science alumna:
"To say that Dr. Robertson inspired me would be an understatement...because through me he has truly inspired generations to come. He will be missed, but his influence will never be forgotten. As Henry Brooks Adams once stated "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." This epitomizes the depth and breadth of Dr. Robertson on me and many of his other students...anyone he has every come into contact with will never be the same, they will be better."
From Alisi Langi, 2005 BYUH political science alumna:
"It is hard to imagine BYU-Hawaii's Political Science department without Dr. Robertson. He was such an important and vibrant part of my education at BYU-Hawaii. His encouragement, witty humor, and his willingness to do more than what might be considered 'part of his job description' was an inspiration to me as a student. I am very grateful I had the opportunity to learn from such a wonderful professor, person, and friend."