Charles F. Flaherty – In Memoriam
June 25, 1937 – October 4, 2004
Dr. Charles F. Flaherty passed away on October 4, 2004. Many neuroscientists and members of the Pavlovian Society knew Charlie for his contribution to the understanding and appreciation of animal behavior processes and the biological bases of behavior. While Charlie made important contributions to many areas (e.g., glycemic conditioning, stress reactivity, human learning processes, psychopharmacology), his work on incentive relativity (the process by which an animal's experience determines its perception of reward magnitude) can only be described as a tour de force. His focus was comprehensive, spanning 30 years and well over 100 publications and five books. The methodical nature of this work is one of the premier examples of a "systematic" program of research, and should serve as an example of such to students and established scientists alike. Of course, Charlie will also be remembered as having made learning theory accessible to many thousands of students, having authored or co-authored several superb textbooks on the subject.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Charlie's contributions to graduate and undergraduate education were tremendous. Having arrived at Rutgers in 1967, Charlie directly and indirectly was instrumental in the growth and development of the psychology department. During this time of tremendous growth (in the Rutgers psychology department and in his field in general), Charlie served no less than five terms as Chairman and Director of Graduate Studies in the Psychology Department and one term as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
As early as 1980 (during his first term as Chairman), Charlie recognized a new direction in the field of psychology, and soon thereafter helped to establish a then rather unique Program in Behavioral Neuroscience as one of the areas of graduate training. Throughout his tenure at Rutgers, Charlie was an example to all that a successful program of research can co-exist with a devotion to education and a commitment to the growth and development of academic programs. Foremost, Charlie was a good friend to many at Rutgers University. He will be long appreciated and admired by the Rutgers community and behavioral neuroscientists around the country. The Pavlovian Society has lost a good friend and colleague.