|
|
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE VICE CHANCELLOR
OFFICE OF THE DEAN – DIVISION OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
OFFICE OF THE CHAIR – DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
January 21, 2021
| | |
ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UC SAN DIEGO
| |
Passing of Professor Emeritus of Psychology Mark Appelbaum
| |
It is with great sadness that we share with you that Mark Appelbaum – professor emeritus of psychology and UC San Diego’s first associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education – died Dec. 21, 2020. He was 79.
Appelbaum is remembered not only as a distinguished scholar and effective administrator, but also, in the words of a longtime colleague, as one of the most “pro-person” people you might hope to meet. Though he retired in 2011, he continued to be selfless in his service and widely engaged with campus life, mentoring both students and younger faculty nearly to his last days. We profoundly miss his enthusiasm, his clarity and his generosity.
Born in Canton, Ohio, on December 17, 1941, Appelbaum first thought he might pursue a career in chemistry. He created a lab in the basement of his family home in Canton and, to the delight of one of his brothers, conducted experiments with what today might be considered dangerous chemicals there before going on to college at Carnegie Mellon University and falling in love with psychology. He earned his Ph.D. in quantitative psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne in 1968.
After serving on the faculties of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University, where he also held leadership roles, Appelbaum joined the UC San Diego Department of Psychology in 1996.
Appelbaum’s research focused on the application of quantitative and data analytic methods to a wide variety of problems in psychology, medicine and education, especially as these relate to human development. He was involved in major studies of non-maternal childcare, studies of health and human behavior (including the importance of getting mammograms), studies relating architecture of brain and mind, HIV transmission in at-risk populations, and numerous studies of educational polices and outcomes.
He was a member of the SAT Committee of the College Board, and worked on national longitudinal studies of child development, including the Head Start Program. He also tackled complex methodological questions, such as whether there is a causal link between playing video games and aggression in children, as chair of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Task Force on Violent Media.
Founding editor of Psychological Methods and an editor of the Psychological Bulletin, two of the APA’s high impact journals, Appelbaum was a recipient of several prestigious awards. In 2010, he was honored by the APA for Distinguished Service to Psychological Science.
As the first AVC-Undergraduate Education at UC San Diego, from 2001 to 2007, Appelbaum defined the position and made major contributions to UC San Diego’s educational mission. A strong advocate for undergraduate education, he oversaw the successful implementation and expansion of the freshman, transfer and senior seminar programs. He also created and chaired the Council on Undergraduate Education. In support of the undergraduate experience, he worked to ensure that transfer students experience a smooth transition from community colleges and sought to increase undergraduate student participation in the university’s research enterprise.
In the UC San Diego Department of Psychology, Appelbaum made a deep imprint on a generation of psychology students as a teacher of statistical methods, known both for his academic rigor and for his affability and warmth. He was a natural mentor to junior faculty, too, before that was understood to be an important tool for success. He also promoted the careers of women, when it was still uncommon for women to be leaders in psychology, and was an early champion for equity, diversity and inclusion.
When he retired from his academic position, Appelbaum continued contributing to the university by serving with the Emeriti Association, serving on hiring committees for teaching professors and mentoring first-generation college students in the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Scholars Program. He also served on the board of the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, tutored international students in English and volunteered his time as a court-appointed special advocate for kids in the foster care system.
When he wasn’t helping others, Appelbaum was picking up new hobbies. He took up acting at the age of 70, joined an acting troupe, and starred in a one-man play.
A devoted father and grandfather, who played the games his grandchildren wanted to play, he was also a devoted husband. He and his wife of 56 years looked forward to their annual trips to the North Carolina beaches with dear friends, where Appelbaum served as head chef and meal planner. They also loved to play bridge together and to cruise around the world.
Appelbaum was the son of Sam and Evelyn Appelbaum. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Wizenberg Appelbaum, brothers Frederick and Jeffrey, sons Greg and Jonathan, daughters-in-law Mai Nguyen and Andrea Doonan, and grandchildren Layla and Moxy.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests honoring Appelbaum by making a contribution to one of his favorite special causes, the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Scholars Program. To do so, please visit https://giveto.ucsd.edu/giving/home/add-gift and enter “E7017” in the search bar and then select “Mark Appelbaum, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Memorial Fund” from the drop-down menu, to help fund in his memory undergraduate scholarships for first-generation college students.
| |
Elizabeth H. Simmons
Executive Vice Chancellor
Carol Padden
Dean, Division of Social Sciences
Michael Gorman
Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology
| | |
|
|
|
