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The Montclair State University Tribute Committee for Dr. Robert DeNigris McCormick invites you to attend a celebration of his life and achievements.  Dr. McCormick was a brilliant, supportive, progressive, passionate, funny and generous friend and colleague who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, January 3, 2014.  The loss to his beautiful family, friends, university community, and New JerseyÂ’s children is immeasurable. 

The breadth of Dr. McCormickÂ’s accomplishments is astounding.  An academic pioneer, he served MSU for more than four decades, teaching in the Department of Spanish and Italian, the Department of Psychology, and in the Child Advocacy and Policy Program.  For the past 13 years, he was the Director of the Center for Child Advocacy and Policy, which he founded.   The interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs in the Center are at the cutting edge of a new field of study, now replicated at some forty institutions nationwide. In 2011, Dr. McCormick was appointed by Governor Christie to serve on the New Jersey Task Force of Child Abuse and Neglect, a well-deserved recognition of his accomplishments in the field.  In addition to his position at the University, Dr. McCormick maintained a private practice as a psychologist in Montclair, where, over the years, he helped many adults and children.

Dr. McCormick was a man who modeled the goal of lifelong learning. He achieved multiple and diverse academic credentials: a Ph.D. in 18th Century Spanish Literature from C.U.N.Y., a Ph.D. in Psychology from Rutgers University, Certification from the New York University Post-doctoral Program in Psychoanalysis, and most recently a J.D. from Rutgers-Newark Law School in 2012. He was the author of two books, poetry, and many scholarly articles.

Dr. McCormick is survived by his beloved partner, Hunter Jones, and their two beautiful sons Matthew and Gregory, as well as many family members and friends.

We hope that you will join us for a celebration of Dr. McCormickÂ’s life and achievements. The evening will include tributes, a slide show and video presentation, a piano selection by Dr. McCormick's son, Matthew, and an opportunity for others to share their thoughts about Dr. McCormickÂ’s life and legacy.

This event is sponsored by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by March 17th by clicking here.  If you have any questions, please contact Nat Aker at (973)655-4188 or akern@mail.montclair.edu.

A scholarship fund in Dr. McCormick's name will provide financial assistance to deserving undergraduate and graduate students of Child Advocacy and Policy. If you would like to contribute, please make your check payable to the Montclair State University Foundation and reference “The Robert D. McCormick Memorial Scholarship Fund”.  Please contact Ely F. Santoni at 973-655-7298 with any questions or e-mail her at santonituere@mail.montclair.edu.

For a 2007 First Person interview with Dr. McCormick, please see http://www.montclair.edu/news/article.php?ArticleID=1735