Eric Freedman, psychology professor at UM-Flint, passed away
on Dec. 10, 2014 after facing a year-long battle with a brain tumor.
Photo Credit: Media Submitted.
According to his obituary, Freedman received his BA from
Brandeis University and his Ph.D. from the University of Maine. He began his
teaching career here at UM-Flint in 1993.
Freedman also served as the department chair for the Psychology
Department and was also elected to chair the Faculty Council for the Psychology
Department as well.
Dr. Thomas Wrobel, a colleague and friend of Freedman, will
remember him as someone who was very talkative and his work ethic.
“He was usually the first person in the department in the
morning and the last one to leave at night,” said Wrobel. “He would take your
point of view seriously, and if it made sense to him, he would often modify his
opinion.”
In addition, Wrobel remembers Freedman for his quirky office
decor, his garish collection of ties and as a loyal friend.
“Knowing Freedman was like enjoying a bottle of champagne:
it opens with a loud pop, it overflows ebulliently and it bubbles with abundant
effervescence,” said Wrobel.
Freedman’s wife, Donna Fry, recalled several memories about
her husband.
“Eric was an explorer
of life whether it was through his research, his conversations, or our
explorations of culture and history as we took vacations together,” said Fry.
Fry will also remember holding intelligent conversations
with her husband, too.
“We were both geeks and we would simply love talking about
new discoveries in neuroscience together,” said Fry.
Kayla Lyle, a 2013 B.S. in clinical and community psychology
graduate, will remember Freedman not only as her mentor, but also as her friend
and as a teacher. Lyle credits Freedman for teaching her how to think
critically, and for making her feel as though she was his fellow intellectual.
Her best memory of Dr. Freedman was getting to know him on a
personal level. A Friday afternoon that was supposed to revolve around research
groups getting together and discussing their progress and goals turned into a
one-on-one meeting with Freedman.
“The first 15 minutes were about research and the next hour
were stories from our past. We started
talking more about psychology and he told me about when he grew up, why he
chose the route of psychology and how he got there. We then talked about most
of our childhood and that is when we both realized how similar we were,” said
Lyle.
This meeting served as a turning point in Lyle’s life.
“This meeting was when I first started to realize what I
truly wanted to do. This was also when I started considering him more as a
friend and a mentor. After this meeting, he started to inspire me more and I
began to realize that I wanted to continue with psychological research and
become a professor,” said Lyle.
mciak@umflint.edu
@cmadmichelle
The Curious Life of Tim Kranz
First Birthday for Flint Master Plan
"Five Armies" Ends With a Whimper
Open all references in tabs: [1 - 6]