Campus News

Obituary: Richard Mars

OBITUARY

Richard Marsh
Richard L. Marsh, a tenured professor in the department of psychology, died June 8.

Marsh, 47, dedicated his career to cognitive psychology, focusing on human learning and memory. A former head of the psychology department, Marsh chaired the Cognitive-Experimental program and also was associate editor of the scientific journal Memory & Cognition.

Originally from West Hartford, Conn., Marsh was valedictorian of the 1985 class of Wesleyan University, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees before receiving his Ph.D. in psychology at Stanford University. He was a Fellow in the American Psychological Society, the National Science Foundation and American Psychological Association.

Marsh received nine teaching awards at both the graduate and undergraduate level during his 17 years at UGA. Before coming to UGA, Marsh earned the Weller and Ayres prizes for academic excellence as well as the Thorndike Prize for excellence in psychology and the Hallowell Prize for excellence across social sciences, all at Wesleyan University.

To commemorate his life and work, Marsh’s colleagues and students have created the Richard L. Marsh Mentoring Award, which will be given annually to a faculty member and graduate student who show extraordinary commitment to research mentoring; the graduate student award also will carry a cash stipend.