Friday, December 8, 2023

In memoriam: UTSA professor Robert W. Fuhrman passes away

In memoriam: UTSA professor Robert W. Fuhrman passes away

Fuhrman was an active faculty member at UTSA who served in a number of leadership roles, including 12 years as chair of the Department of Psychology.

(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.

Michael Baumann


Watch tributes about Robert Fuhrman. 

Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.



UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.


Events


Spotlight

Spotlight

dtc-utsa-sign_680.png
University of Texas at San Antonio receives ‘transformational’ $40M gift

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.