番茄社区

Loren Edward Acker, cherished husband, father, grandfather, and 番茄社区 Professor of Psychology, passed away from natural causes on August 16, 2024.

Loren, affectionately known as Poppy, was known for his brilliant intellect, dedication to critical thinking and the scientific method.  Still, he had a silly side, expressing a great sense of humour, often seen through his “duck quacking” with his grandchildren and outrageous fun.  He was stubborn and opinionated by nature, but had an enormous heart, delivering bone-crushing hugs and infinite “I love yous” to express his affection. He was happiest when holding his loved ones tight, he could always find the good in anyone, and he held strongly to the mantra of “be kind”. He was an artist, singer, harmonica player, fisher, and a socialist with a long history of political activism and social justice.

Loren was raised in Los Angeles, California, where he earned a PhD in Psychology from UCLA. He completed post-doctoral work in the UK before joining the faculty of the University of Calgary, and later the 番茄社区. At UVic Loren was a popular professor and well-published behavioural psychologist, including a lauded book, "Aids-Proofing Your Kids" in 1992. He carried out primary research in child psychology, often using his daughters as subjects.

Loren retired in 1996, devoting the remainder of his life to his three passions, sailing, research, and his beloved wife. He spent months at a time with Sandy aboard his 30-foot Fisher Ketch, Seaweed, cruising the Salish Sea, with a special fondness for Princess Louisa Inlet on the Sunshine Coast of B.C.  Classical music, freshly caught seafood, special friends, and off-the-grid adventures abounded. 

Loren was predeceased by his parents, Ida Ethel Acker (nee Nuchims) and James Julius Acker.  He is survived by his wife, Sandra Acker, and six daughters, Kelly, Kasey, Lorien, Shevon, Lori, and Becky. He was also a loving grandfather to eleven grandchildren, Wyatt, Sydney, Dylan, Aaron, Emma, Abigail, Caliyah, Cayde, Rafael and Rodrigo. Sadly, Loren was predeceased by his grandchild, Jonah Hart. Loren also took great joy in the family pets, past and present.

Loren’s favourite charity was Médecins Sans Frontières.  Please consider a donation on his behalf directly to MSF.  A celebration of Loren’s life will be planned for 2025.

Ron Arthur Hoppe died on April 6, 2023, at the age of 91. Ron was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy as a . Following his military service, he completed a BA at the University of Michigan, and then an MA and PhD in social psychology at Michigan State University, with Milton Rokeach as his supervisor. During the last year of his PhD he was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Group dynamics, which saw the group as something more than an individual, represented the Zeitgeist in social psychology during the late fifties, but Ron’s work examined small group behaviour with the individual as the unit of analysis.

Ron described the years (1961-1968) spent at Miami as eventful in several ways. North American universities grew tremendously in the sixties, the Vietnam War escalated into a major debacle, and the civil rights movement was increasingly active. The period marked the beginning of Ron’s life-long social activism and commitment to social justice. At Miami University, he and departmental colleague Pat Capretta organized a teach-in of student-faculty protest against the war. In 1968 the President of Miami University wrote a Cincinnati paper and

described the University’s policy toward black students as one of equality. Ron and three of his colleagues wrote a rebuttal letter in which they described the actual policy as patronizing and discriminatory. Ron noted that their letter garnered a negative response and caused some colleagues as well as the administration and to see them as “disloyal.” During this time, Ron met Lex Milton who left UVic in 1966 to become Chair of Psychology at Miami University. Partly because of the negative reaction to the letter, Ron described himself as “leaping at the chance” to come to UVic when Lex suggested it.

Ron, his wife Jo Ann, and children, Michael age 14, and Elizabeth age 8, arrived in Victoria in July of 1968, after travelling in a tiny trailer across the continent from Ohio. A one- year Visiting Associate Professorship as a social psychologist in the Department of Psychology turned out to be the start of a 26-year career at UVic.

Ron wrote, as part of the history of the Department of Psychology, that he was deeply moved at that time he arrived by the ongoing events in the United States – the recent assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, race riots in major U.S. cities, and the police crackdowns on people protesting the Vietnam War. Ron found Canada welcoming and “in a different mood,” with the country celebrating its first centennial, acquiring a new flag and celebrating the appointment of Pierre Trudeau as Prime Minister.

Ron taught Introductory Psychology; a second-year course in General-Experimental Psychology; a third-year Social Psychology course, and Psycholinguistics at both the third-year and graduate levels. In what Ron described as “a terrific stroke of luck,” he met Joe Kess, a faculty member in the Department of Linguistics in 1969, with whom he co-taught the

psycholinguistic courses. The Kess-Hoppe collaboration was very rich and continued both in teaching and research for the next 25 years. Over that period, psycholinguistics was undergoing a paradigm shift from the behaviourism of psychology and the compatible structuralism of linguistics to emergent theories of cognitive psychology and Chomsky-influenced linguistics. He published on ambiguity in natural language, and how the mind processes multiple paths on the lexical, structural and discourse levels of languages as different as English and Japanese. Joe described Ron as “the kindest colleague” you could have, always giving his full attention, and always thoughtful in his advice, “making things happen for your benefit and not his.”

Ron was known to be generous in his service to the department. He served as Chair in the 1980’s and as the Undergraduate Advisor in the 1990’s. He is recalled as thinking compassionately and creatively in working with students, curiously thoughtful about their future goals, while helping them to meet their degree program requirements. He was also sympathetic to and supportive of an increased role for students in hiring practices and matters of curriculum and evaluation. Liz Brimacombe, whom Ron mentored as a new social hire and as undergraduate advisor, describes him as warm, kind, and thoughtful, committed to helping students find their way forward. “He was a lovely colleague, always smiling and eager to share a question that would lead the conversation to a sunny place.”

Ron also served on the departmental equity committee in the 1990’s. Claire Porac recalls him being deeply disturbed by the inequalities in the treatment of women faculty and the degree to which women faculty were ignored during faculty searches. Ron also served the larger university on the Arts and Science Curriculum Committee and the Dean's Advisory Committee.

Ron’s passion for social justice was wind and rudder to his professional career. In the early 1970’s, concern for the rights of First Nations people and other minorities inspired demonstrations on some Canadian campuses. Separatism and the rights of Quebecers were also prominent issues. In his memoir, Ron recalled hearing Rene Levesque speak on separatism and sovereignty association in the Old Gym, and the leader of the FLQ speak on campus the next day. Following the kidnap and murder of Pierre Laporte, Quebec's Labour Minister in the Liberal government, Pierre Truedeau invoked the drastic War Measures Act suspending many civil liberties. Both Ron and Lorne Rosenblood discussed the militant and threatening nature of the Act in their social psychology classes.

Outside of work, Ron loved living by the beach, kayaking, walking his dog, biking to work, storytelling and jokes. He enjoyed many hobbies, especially his passion for birds and bird photography, books, jazz music, camping and college sports. Jo Ann, his wife of 47 years predeceased him. His two children, Michael and Elizabeth, and two grandchildren and two great grandchildren are moving forward in life, blessed with memories of their dad/grandfather. Ron was a wonderful colleague. He radiated gentle good humour, a kind and cheerful (if somewhat wry) outlook, and a passion for social justice.

This memorium was prepared by Catherine (Katy) Mateer with input from Elizabeth Brimacombe, Joseph Kess, Steve Lindsay, and Clare Porac, as well as the words of Ron himself from the “History of the Psychology Department at Victoria College and the 番茄社区: Volume 3: 1970-1990” and , which was prepared by Elizabeth Hoppe (from which the photo of Ron at the top of this remembrance was copied). Friends of Ron can leave a remembrance or message to the family on that site.

Pam Duncan was a foundational member of the UVic Psychology department from 1967 to 1997. Before coming to Victoria, she completed her MA in Psychology from the University of Chicago, and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin. When she arrived in Victoria, UVic was a young university and the psychology department had just seven faculty members.  Pam was the first woman faculty member and one of only two clinical psychologists in the psychology department at that time; thus, she was a trailblazer in many ways. During her 30 years in the department, Pam was a devoted teacher, a superb clinician, a strong administrator, and a much admired and valued colleague. Her contributions to the department were many yet her greatest influence is evident in the development of the Clinical Psychology program and the Psychology Clinic.

Pam was central to the development and launching of the Clinical Psychology training program and ensuring it was both embraced by the broader department and set up to succeed in its bid for APA/CPA accreditation. She was instrumental in bringing in several other clinical faculty to the program and into the clinic to enhance clinical teaching and on-site clinical training. Her initiatives led to the establishment of a contract with the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) that continues to provide clinical students the opportunity to develop their skills through supervised clinical assessments with children and youth. Pam’s vision for connecting the clinic to the community and providing opportunities for students shone through in this endeavor.

In her early research, Pam studied children’s learning strategies, parent-child relationships (with children with emotional difficulties), psychotherapy efficacy, and sex offenders and violent crimes. She was an applied researcher long before it became popular in academic settings; her research and knowledge provided support to diverse community groups such as the RCMP and police as well as parents, families, and child-care workers.  Pam’s interest in the community beyond the university was evident through her voluntary service in the community.  She was a consultant to Seven Oaks Children’s Centre, was involved in the early development of the NEED crisis line, and provided consultation to Victoria and Saanich Police and RCMP (including participating in “ride alongs” in police cars, police debriefings, stress management, and assessment of danger). She was a founding board member for the Vancouver Island Services and Treatment Association (VISTA), a service agency that supported families and children in the foster care system.

Pam was devoted to teaching and to her students. She often said that students made her work worthwhile. She taught undergraduate courses such as psych100, Abnormal Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and graduate classes in clinical assessment and psychotherapy. She was most proud of having developed a system of community volunteer opportunities for undergraduate students taking the Abnormal Psychology course. By her own estimate, over her career, Pam taught close to 4000 students and around 130 classes, and conducted countless hours of clinical and research supervision.

As an administrator, Pam served as the Acting Chair and Chair of the Psychology department in the mid-1990’s. She was a long-standing Graduate Student Advisor in the department (in the 1970’s and 80’s), and the Director of Clinical Training (DCT) in the early 1990’s. She was respected as a strong problem-solver with an empathic and compassionate approach; it was these qualities that led to her being approached to Chair the Department of Sociology during a difficult time, which she did very successfully. As the chair of the Campus Security Committee at UVic in 1989-91, she was instrumental in the development and revision of policies for preventing and responding to sexualized violence, aggression, and threats toward faculty and students.

Pam will be remembered for her kindness and authenticity, her sense of vision for the clinical program, her devotion to students, her mentoring of junior faculty, her humility, her collegiality and ability to work with just about anyone, her hearty laugh and delightfully wicked sense of humour, and her utter  unpretentiousness. She has left a substantial mark on the department and the clinical program yet was never one to seek the limelight. Outside of the university, Pam delighted in the company of good friends, sharing her life with her devoted partner Mary, and doting on her successive border collies. She surrounded herself with books, was an avid photographer, enjoyed country music, built her own log cabin, and lived a life of adventure and travel (exemplified by her regular road trips in her VW van throughout the southern US and on her way to her winter refuge in Florida). Her hilarious stories about her travel adventures never failed to entertain.

Pam will be greatly missed by her many friends, family members and colleagues.  She left a legacy of caring and compassion and commitment to the betterment of children and youth in Victoria.

Prepared by Marsha Runtz with input from Katy Mateer and Kim Kerns.

Please also visit the Dignity Memorial site where you can leave your condolences for the family:

 

 

Janet Beavin Bavelas was an experimental social psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the 番茄社区 from 1970 to 2005. She was an alumnus of Stanford University, where she earned her Bachelors degree in Psychology (1961), a Masters in Communication Research (1968), and a PhD in Psychology (1970). In 1967, while working at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, California, she co-authored Pragmatics of human communication, with Paul Watzlawick and Don Jackson. Cited over 12,000 times, this seminal book was hugely influential in the field of communication, particularly family and systems therapy. At the 番茄社区, Jan’s research explored basic processes of face-to-face dialogue, including the integration of speech with visible communicative actions such as hand and facial gestures. In establishing the Human Interaction Lab at UVic, she created a research space that supported video-recorded studies of communication that advanced understanding of the conversational underpinnings of intersubjectivity and the social components of emotional alignment.

Jan was fervently dedicated to teaching research methods and was an effective and supportive mentor to graduate and undergraduate students. She had a tremendous work ethic and could be quite forceful in argument and she had an unpretentious down-to-earthiness. In the 1990s she would sometimes bring her two Newfoundland dogs to the Cornett building on hot summer days; they would sprawl peacefully on the cool floor tiles of the hall outside her office.

Jan was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, as well as of the Canadian Psychological Association and the International Communication Association, and in 2000 received the UVic Faculty of Social Sciences Award for Teaching Excellence. She secured many research grants (notably from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council). Along with many journal articles, Jan authored or coauthored four books. After retirement in 2005, she continued her work, maintaining research collaborations, teaching workshops internationally, publishing numerous articles, and mentoring PhD students and colleagues from around the world. Her last book, Face-to-face dialogue: Theory, research, and applications, was published by Oxford University Press in 2022. Her work has been influential, with many of her articles attracting hundreds of citations. More locally, Jan had quite profound and lasting effects on the UVic Department of Psychology, particularly as a champion of gender equity.

Drafted by Steve Lindsay with input from Jennifer Gerwing, Sara Healing, and Liz Brimacombe.

It is with sadness we announce the passing of Dr. Laurain Mills on January 25, 2022 in Victoria, BC on the occasion of her 76th birthday. She was born on January 25, 1946 in Edmonton, AB.

Predeceased by her father Fredrick Leslie Trevor King in 1976; her mother Ruth Louise May King in 2010, and brother Trevor Denis King in 1972.

Survived by her loving children; Jeremy, Jonathan, Andrew and Amy, and her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Laurain was distinguished as a lifelong disciple of Christ, a brilliant and accomplished professor in the field of Psychology, a loving mother and a successful entrepreneur. Having graduated from the 番茄社区 in 1967 with a Bachelors’ of Arts (Honors) in Psychology she moved to London, ON where she completed her MA (1970) and PhD (1979) at the University of Western Ontario. Laurain settled in Victoria, BC, was married to William A. Mills on December 31st, 1972 and raised her family while teaching as a professor within the UVIC and Thompson Rivers Departments of Psychology.

Upon retiring in 2017, she enjoyed her time in her forest acreage within the Highlands community of Victoria. Her greatest pleasure was in being surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

Bram Goldwater was a faculty member in our department from 1969 to 2008. He died suddenly on 2 September 2021. He was a gentle man, thoughtful and simpatico. A positive force.

Bram earned a BA in Psychology at McGill in 1964. He then earned a MA at Cornell in 1967, with a thesis on perceptual defense, then followed his supervisor to Bowling Green, where he completed his PhD in 1969. And then straight to UVic for almost 40 years.

With fellow UVic PSYC prof Loren Acker and student Judy Agnew, Bram developed “Sidney Slug: A Computer Simulation for Teaching Shaping without an Animal Laboratory,” as reported in a . Also with Loren, Bram coauthored a book for parents in response to the HIV-AIDS pandemic, “,” that encouraged parents to not only talk to their children about sex but to encourage and reward them for practicing safer sex practices.  These examples illustrate Bram’s pro-social, humanist approach to psychology. He also worked with the Men’s Trauma Centre from its founding in 2003 to 2016 (see ). 

Bram was often a voice of calm and compassion, soothing contentious departmental meetings. His sincerity and kindness were compelling. An especially good person. And a warmly loving husband to Susan-Rose Slatkoff for 56 years.

There is an that includes a link to a recording of his memorial service, which was held on 8 September and will remain available until 4 October 2021.

 

 Photo of Bram from

Dr. Anthony A. J. Marley

 

Anthony (Tony) A. J. Marley, Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the 番茄社区, and Emeritus Professor of Psychology at McGill University, died suddenly at his home in Victoria, British Columbia, on 14 June 2021. He was 81 years old. From humble beginnings in Devonshire, England, Tony went on to Birmingham University on a Devon County scholarship to study mathematics. He earned a first-class honours B.Sc. in 1961, and he went on to complete his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania in 1965, supported by a Fulbright grant and a Woodrow Wilson fellowship. He then was a research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the University of Alberta, before taking up a post in 1969 as Assistant Professor of Psychology at McGill University. During his time at McGill, Tony rose through the academic ranks, establishing himself as an international leader in the field of mathematical psychology and collaborating with colleagues in North America, Europe, and Australia. He published work with such luminaries as R. Duncan Luce and Hans Colonius and served the field as Editor of the leading journal in the area, the Journal of Mathematical Psychology. Much of his research involved mathematical modeling of human decision making, with particular relevance to important societal issues such as voting behavior and consumer preferences. His research was supported by granting agencies in Canada, Australia, and the United States. He was elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science in 2004. Tony was Chair of the Department of Psychology at McGill University from 1992 to 2001. In 2002, Tony retired from McGill and moved to Victoria where he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Psychology. In addition to this position, Tony was also an Adjunct Research Professor at the Institute for Choice, University of South Australia, and External Adjunct at the Centre for Choice Modelling at the University of Leeds. Tony was a highly valued member of the Department of Psychology at UVic and regularly attended the weekly Cognition and Brain Science Seminar (except during those months of the year when he decamped to Australia). He was a dapper dresser and owned a dazzling collection of bow ties. Tony continued his research and his warm, collegial interactions right up until his death. Tony is survived by his wife, Carol, his daughter, Anna, and his grandson, Gabriel. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all for his keen wit, sharp insight, and gentle sense of humour.

Please visit the online memorial page:

 

Dr. Louis Costa died in Arizona on March 12 at the age of 80. Costa came to the Department of Psychology in 1978 from City College in New York where he had trained and had been chair of the Psychology Department.

That same year, he and Byron Rourke of the University of Windsor established the Journal of Clinical Neuropsychology that later was renamed the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology when it became the official journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. Also, in 1978, Costa became the executive secretary of the International Neuropsychological Society and worked with many other neuropsychologists to establish the Division of Clinical Neuropsychology (Division 40) in the American Psychological Association. He and Donald Stuss (Rotman Institute) took leadership in establishing a Section on Clinical Neuropsychology within the Canadian Psychological Association.

In 1980, Costa became the chair of the Department of Psychology at UVic and the following year became the associate dean of Social Sciences. At that time, the Faculty of Arts and Science was reorganized into a three-dean system, and he served as dean of Social Sciences for the balance of that decade.

During his engagement in administration at UVic, he promoted and facilitated considerable expansion of programs, faculty and other resources in the departments of the social sciences. For example, he was instrumental in the establishment of a program in Developmental Psychology and Aging (Lifespan program) within the Department of Psychology and the Centre on Aging, a university-wide, multidisciplinary centre designed to facilitate research and teaching within the field of aging. Through his time at UVic, he was a strong advocate for the development of a graduate training program in clinical psychology (Clinical Psychology Training Program).

Research and graduate research supervision were also important contributions Costa made to the Department of Psychology. While serving as chair and dean, he provided mentorship and guidance to many graduate students (MSC and PhD) and continued to contribute to their professional development long after “hooding” them at convocation.

In 1994, Costa, David Hultsch and Byron Rourke collaborated as the founding editors of Aging and Cognition: A Journal on Normal and Dysfunctional Development. Costa served as co-editor of this journal and the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology until 1996 when he retired from UVic. In 2008, Costa was honoured for his many foundational contributions to the International Neuropsychological Society at the 36th annual meeting held in Hawaii.

Following his retirement, Lou and his wife Brenda traveled extensively to various destinations in Europe and Asia. He is survived by Brenda and their son Andrew. The leadership Costa provided to influence UVic as it is today will be felt for many more years to come.

Submitted by Dr. Holly Tuokko, Director, Centre on Aging; Professor, Department of Psychology

Dr. May died in Spokane, WA on August 23, 2017 after a decade-long struggle with white-matter brain disease.  The neuropsychological research and tests developed by his UVic colleagues made his diagnosis possible.

Dr. May was born on December 20, 1938 in Seattle, WA, the only child of Ruby June Simmons and Louie Beard May, Jr.  His family moved to Edmonds, WA where he attended grades 1-12. He earned his BA from Whitman College in 1961, then received his MA in 1963 and PhD in psychology in 1966 from Claremont Graduate School.

Dr. May was hired by the newly established 番茄社区 in 1966 as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology. He published numerous articles on developmental, cognitive, and quantitative psychology, and was the senior author of an innovative textbook on statistical methods that included software for data analysis. Dr. May retired in 1996 as Chair and Professor Emeritus, Psychology. He and Marjorie (nee Stevenson), his wife of 55 years, chose Spokane, Washington, to spend their final years together. Dr. May is survived by his wife, sons Robert and Richard, and seven grandchildren.

The family thanks neuropsychologist Dr. Brian Campbell and also Dr. Sanjit Dutta for his care and concern over the past year. Dr. May’s brain was donated to the Brain Science Project.

In memory of Dr. May, a donation may be made to the R. B. May Scholarship Fund, c/o The Development Office, 番茄社区, P. O. Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, or to the Brain Science Project.

Otfried Spreen, professor emeritus of psychology (neuropsychology) at the 番茄社区, passed away in Vancouver, B.C. on November 29, 2015 at the age of 89 years. Otfried was a native-born German who held a PhD in Psychology from Frieberg University (1952) and received early training in psychiatry, psychotherapy, and neurology; he remained widely-read, balanced and worldly in his approach to issues throughout his life. On a whim, he applied for and received a Fulbright postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis (1957-1958). During that time he was invited to join Arthur Benton at the Neurosensory Center at the University of Iowa, where he worked until he left to join the faculty of the 番茄社区 (UVic) in 1966. He remained at UVic for the rest of his career, including time as chairman of the Department of Psychology from 1971-1973. He continued to collaborate closely with Benton for over 40 years, often inviting Benton to Victoria to share additional expertise with the UVic students. Otfried worked in many areas of psychology and neuropsychology during his own long and distinguished career. He considered himself a “full range” neuropsychologist (as he stated in his only published autobiography: p. 261, “Pathways and reflections”, in A. Stringer, E. Cooley, & A.-L. Christensen [Eds.], Pathways to Prominence in Neuropsychology: Reflections of Twentieth-Century Pioneers, Psychology Press). He had an impressive impact in neuropsychology throughout the lifespan, in both strictly clinical and experimental work, as he studied a variety of topics from head injuries to the aphasias to child learning disabilities and many more.

Among his many important accomplishments, Otfried played a leading role in establishing the graduate training program in Neuropsychology and in running the Psychology Clinic within the Department of Psychology at UVic. He also made stellar contributions to the field of neuropsychology more broadly, including authorship of many scholarly articles and now-classic textbooks (among them the highly lauded A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests [3 editions, with E. Strauss and E. Sherman as co-authors], Contributions to Neuropsychological Assessment: A Clinical Manual [2 editions, with A. Benton, A. Sivan, K. Hamsher and N. Varney as co-authors] and Developmental Neuropsychology [2 editions, with A. Risser, D. Edgell, D. Tupper and H. Tuokko as co-authors], all published by Oxford University Press). He served on editorial boards for a variety of journals, and actively participated in a number of professional organizations. He was well known internationally and served as part of an early nucleus of colleagues that helped organize the International Neuropsychological Society (INS), and was one of the early diplomates and supporters of ABCN. Among his accolades, he was elected president of INS in 1988, he was honored with the Arthur Benton Lectureship Award from APA Division 40 in 1999, he was named an honorary member of the German Gesellschaft Fuer Neuropsychologie in 1999, and he received the INS Distinguished Career Award in 2008.

Otfried was a modest and unassuming man, who showed a wonderful combination of supportive nature, confidence and humility, and who provided encouragement and knowledge to not only his own children but to a number of students and colleagues over the years. Following his retirement, Otfried lived with his wife Georgia (predeceased him in 2006) in Victoria before moving to metropolitan Vancouver, B.C. to be closer to his family (4 children and 8 grand-children). His contributions to neuropsychology will be appreciated for many years to come.

Submitted by Holly Tuokko, 番茄社区 and David E. Tupper, Hennepin County Medical Center and University of Minnesota Medical School. It also appeared in the INS Newsletter in February 2016.

Dr. Esther Strauss of the Department of Psychology passed away on June 17, 2009 at the Palliative Care Unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital after a three and a half year battle with ovarian cancer. Esther obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree at McGill University in 1969 where she majored in psychology and sociology. She then earned Masters degrees in sociology from Northeastern University (1971) and in special education from Boston University (1972).

Between 1973 and 1976 she worked at the Aphasia Research Center in the Boston Veterans Administration Hospital where she developed her longstanding commitment to neuropsychological research. She completed her doctorate in psychology under Professor Morris Moscovitch in 1980 at the University of Toronto. Esther then took up a position as Assistant Professor of Psychology at the 番茄社区. She attained the rank of Full Professor in 1991. Among her numerous accomplishments, Esther co-authored (with Professor Otfried Spreen and Dr. Elizabeth Sherman) the standard reference text on neuropsychological tests widely used for clinical diagnosis and evaluation.

Very shortly after arriving at the 番茄社区, she entered into a long-standing and very productive collaboration with Professor Juhn Wada of the University of British Columbia medical school. Together, they published important articles on brain organization based on neurological evidence. More recently, Esther forged a highly successful collaboration (Project MIND) with Professors David Hultsch and Michael Hunter in which they investigated how short-term fluctuations in a person's reaction time predict later mental decline.

As part of her productive program of research, she mentored numerous graduate students who have gone on to successful careers in both academic and clinical settings. These are the objective achievements of an outstanding career. Although impressive, they do not convey the full measure of Esther's impact on students, colleagues, and the university. Simply put, Esther was a treasure of a person. She was smart, warm, funny, and committed to her students, colleagues, department and university. To illustrate the latter: two weeks before her death she participated in a dissertation defense for one of her students.

Even with all her professional accomplishments, Esther always said her greatest achievement was her kids Ze'ev, Avital. and Tamar. She was one of those people who did it all and did it well. We deeply mourn her passing.

Submitted by Dr. David Hultsch, Department of Psychology