Dr. Lary Shaffer

SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology

eMail: lawrence.shaffer@plattsburgh.edu

With deep sadness and great reluctance, I applied for an early retirement incentive and left the college and the Plattsburgh area in the Fall of 2002. I now live in coastal Maine where I am President and CEO of a furniture and cabinetry company: Scarborough Marsh Fine Furniture.

Before you jump to the conclusion that I have developed high level management skills since you last saw me, I should point out that I am the only employee of my company.

If you need to contact me, I will occasionally check my Plattsburgh email: lawrence.shaffer@plattsburgh.edu If you send me an email, be sure that your name is in the subject line or is recognizable from the sender designation. I do not even open emails from people with sender names such as buffbutt@hotmail.com unless there is some evidence that it is from someone I know.

I was an undergraduate at Plattsburgh from 1964 to 1968. During that time, I was very lucky to be mentored by Dr. Henry Morlock and Dr. Noel Smith. I doubt that I would have made it through my undergraduate years without the unfailing camaraderie of my roommate Jamie Herrick. Jamie was also a psychology major and we tackled the curriculum together. I met Tom Bromley and Al Howard at breakfast on my first morning in Plattsburgh and we still hang out when we get the chance.

From Plattsburgh, I went to Oxford University and earned my doctorate in Zoology working under the Nobel Laureate Niko Tinbergen. After some years making TV documentaries, I returned to Plattsburgh in 1976. I was fortunate to land back in the Psychology Department. The outstanding scholars in the Psychology Department embody the supreme standard for intelligence, collegiality, civility, and warmth. Over the years, I got to know some of the members of the department very well--often owing to chance factors such as office proximity. Others I knew less well, but I count all the department members, past and present, as friends. There are not many work situations like that.

By a somewhat conservative estimate, I taught about 15,000 students in classes during my Plattsburgh career. For 19 years I addressed upwards to 1000 new admits on their first evening on campus. For many years I also addressed new students and their families in summer orientation. I was the commencement speaker at the college three times. For years I coordinated the Freshman Experience Program with Cheryl Hogle. I was proud that Bill Laundry (at that time the Dean of Students), the fine people in his office, and the Residence Staff Association always treated me as an honorary member of their teams. While I was teaching, I co-authored two psychology textbooks, one with Matt Merrens. Matt and I have been close friends for years and we had a terrific time teaching together. I wrote the other book with Alan Morrison, who at that time, was a very talented undergraduate student. After Plattsburgh Alan did a number of things and is now a highly skilled professional computer geek. I edited four books of reprinted developmental psychology journal articles with another highly talented undergrad, Josh Duntley. Back when Josh and I worked together we co-designed a new teaching approach to go with the books. Subsequently Josh went on to earn a doctorate from the University of Texas and is now a college professor. Josh has now taken over as first author of the introductory psychology book that Matt Merrens and I wrote.

I shared hundreds of miles of academic discussions during early morning bike rides with Bryan Hartman. Former Plattsburgh Vice President and Provost Tom Moran and I were undergraduates together and his friendship and support always kept me on track. I shared many inspirational discussions with Professors Dave Mowry, Rich Robbins and Doug Skopp. These guys also joined me in wonderful sessions of laughing until I could not sit up straight. Our department secretary, Judy Dashnaw, kept me sane. Looking at all this, it is obvious that I had an academic career of enormous privilege. I will always be thankful for opportunities such as these. Borrowing a phrase from the late Dan Fogelberg, coming to Plattsburgh was, for me, the chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance.

I miss all the wonderful colleagues and friends I made among the faculty, students and staff. I consider myself lucky indeed to have worked so long at a place where there are so many dedicated and hardworking people. I worked pretty hard myself, but I had quite a bit of fun. I loved the college.