in memoriam
In Memoriam
Remembering Sheila Jackson Lee
On July 19, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee passed away at the age of 74. Jackson Lee represented Texas’ 18th Congressional District since 1995 and was campaigning for her 16th term in office when she announced she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was one of the two longest-serving members of the Texas congressional delegation. Jackson Lee’s legislative accomplishments included establishing the Juneteenth federal holiday and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. She served Houston in elective office for close to 35 years, first as a Houston City Council member before winning election to the U.S. House in 1994. Jackson Lee was on three…
Remembering Dr. Daniel Kahneman: A Pioneer of Behavioral Economics
The social and behavioral science community lost a giant with the passing of Dr. Daniel Kahneman on March 27 at the age of 90. Kahneman, known as the “grandfather of behavioral economics,” leaves behind a legacy that has fundamentally shaped our understanding of human decision-making, risk, and cognitive biases. Throughout his career, Kahneman’s research was heavily supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), receiving three significant grants that propelled his work on cumulative decision-making. His projects, such as “Understanding Loss Aversion,” “Analysis of Retrospective Utility,” and “Decision Under Uncertainty,” have paved the way for new insights in the fields of economics, psychology,…
COSSA Remembers Dr. Norman B. Anderson
COSSA mourns the passing of Norman B. Anderson, PhD, who died unexpectedly on March 1. Dr. Anderson, a clinical psychologist renowned for his research on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities, has left an indelible mark on the social and behavioral science community through this leadership, scholarship, and wisdom. Among his many leadership posts, Dr. Anderson served as the inaugural Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) from 1995 to 2000. In this role, he championed the inclusion and integration of the social and behavioral sciences across the NIH, laying the…
COSSA Remembers Science Champion Eddie Bernice Johnson
On New Year’s Eve, the scientific community lost one of its most dedicated champions. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) represented the people of Dallas in Congress for 30 years, retiring at the end of 2022. Over those 15 terms in Congress, Johnson served as a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, most recently serving as Chair. Johnson began her career as a nurse after being told that women could not be doctors. She rose through the ranks of the Veterans Administration hospital in Dallas, ultimately becoming chief psychiatric nurse. She became active in civil rights efforts and…
Remembering Dr. Kellina Craig-Henderson
The social, behavioral, and economic sciences lost one of their own on April 21 with the passing of Dr. Kellina (Kelli) Craig-Henderson. Dr. Craig-Henderson most recently served as Assistant Director for the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF), a post to which she was named in June 2022. Prior to that she served as Acting Assistant Director and Deputy Assistant Director in SBE, as well as various other roles during her 17 years at the agency. “Kelli will be remembered for her passionate promotion of the social and behavioral sciences and as a scholar and champion…
COSSA Remembers Janet Norwood
The social science and statistical communities lost a friend on March 27, Janet L. Norwood. Norwood was a former Commissioner of Labor Statistics (1979-1991), having served Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan during her 13 year tenure. As one of few women serving in the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the time and the first to lead the agency, Norwood was an inspiration and mentor to many professional women in Washington. She served as COSSA President from 2001-2002. In addition to her service to COSSA, Norwood also held advisory and leadership positions with the American Statistical Association, NORC at the…