(June 13, 2019) -- Psychology professor Robert W. Fuhrman, Ph.D., passed away June 9, 2019, following a two-year battle with cancer.
Fuhrman joined UTSA in 1989. During his time at UTSA, he was an active faculty member who served in a number of leadership roles, including 12 years as chair of the Department of Psychology.
Above all, Fuhrman was a brilliant teacher and mentor, consistently working to educate undergraduates and expand graduate opportunities through classroom teaching, mentoring students in his laboratory, advising student organizations in Psychology, helping grow UTSA's Psychology’s master's program from its fledgling state to maturity, and securing and launching a new doctoral program.
His courses were famous for being challenging but students loved them. He was also known as a challenging advisor, but students valued the challenge and sought him out to direct or serve on their thesis and dissertation committees. At the time of his passing, he had directed and served on more master's theses and doctoral dissertations than any other member of the department.
In addition to earning several teaching awards, a recent post announcing Fuhrman's retirement garnered nearly two dozen video messages (in just two days) from students who wished to thank him for his involvement in their education. He spent his career propelling students to success, and future students will continue to benefit from the curriculum and programs he worked to build.
Fuhrman was a mentor and a friend to his coworkers as well. He made time to help colleagues think through their projects and career choices. He had a knack for cutting to the heart of an issue and suggesting alternate ways of looking at the world, making him a great (if frustrating) person to test ideas on. He fought tirelessly to support faculty and advance the department under challenging circumstances. Through it all, he maintained a subtle, wry sense of humor and joy in discovery and debate that his students and colleagues loved and will sorely miss.
Watch tributes about Robert Fuhrman.
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