In memoriam: Vera Lois Erickson
Vera Lois Erickson, PhD, was a professor emeritus and an alumni of the Department of Educational Psychology until her passing on September 25, 2022. She earned her BS degree, cum laude from the University of Minnesota – Duluth and completed her PhD in Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. In 1976, accepted a position as a professor of educational psychology at the U of M.
According to her obituary in the Star Tribune:
“She had a long, illustrious career in which she won a National Research Award (1976) and published many important, scholarly articles. Vera was much loved by her many students. She traveled the world by giving speeches at conferences and universities and was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education in 1980-81. Vera’s studies focused on longitudinal data about young women’s moral and ego growth. She was able to contribute towards making changes to the way women were valued and appreciated in this world. Vera was a feminist at heart. She valued fairness, honesty and justice. They were the pillars of her moral being. Vera joined other female colleagues at the U of M in a class-action lawsuit for equal pay and promotion. She helped change the culture, and mentored other women that were struggling to find equality. Vera retired from her position as Associate Professor in 2005.”
A celebration of life will be held at Wayzata Country Club, 200 Wayzata Blvd. 55391, on Friday October 14, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.