Panek, Dr. Paul E. Endowed Scholarship in Psychology
Christine Franklin Panek established The Dr. Paul E. Panek Endowed Scholarship in Psychology at The University of Akron in loving memory of her husband, Dr. Paul E. Panek. Dr. and Mrs. Panek’s life together began when they met at Bierce Library on The University of Akron campus. The University will always remain dear to their hearts.
Dr. Panek was born in Springfield, Mass., on November 13, 1946. He received a bachelor of arts in psychology from Central Connecticut State College in 1969, a master of science in psychology from the University of Bridgeport in 1973, and his Ph.D. in developmental psychology in 1977 from The University of Akron. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in the Vietnam War from 1969-1971. Dr. Panek was a professor, administrator, researcher/author, and practicing psychologist. He passed away December 28, 2007, having made many contributions in higher education and psychology.
Dr. Panek specialized in adulthood, aging, and developmental disabilities assessment. He conducted cross-cultural research with psychologists in Japan, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, and Croatia. Dr. Panek co-authored a widely used textbook on adulthood development and aging, now in its fourth edition, and a manual on the use of a projective technique, the Hand Test. In collaboration with the University’s faculty and fellow graduates, he published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters and was an invited guest lecturer at Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Panek was honored to have served as chair of the Psychology Department at Eastern Illinois University and The Ohio State University at Newark, where he also served as dean.
He received the Outstanding Faculty Award from Eastern Illinois University, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Institute of Life Span Development and Gerontology in 1993 from The University of Akron, and the Barnes Award for Exemplary Teaching and for Exemplary Research the following year from The Ohio State University.
The Dr. Paul E. Panek Endowed Scholarship in Psychology was established by Christine Franklin Panek to support a graduate student active in research in an effort to help advance and retain high-caliber graduate students and maintain the University’s legacy of excellence in the field of psychology. The award may be used for the scholar’s research-related expenses.
The selected scholar will be a student who already is active in the research arena and recognized as having great research potential in the field of psychology. The Department of Psychology’s Chair and Scholarship Committee, in cooperation with the Office of Student Financial Aid, will select the recipients of The Dr. Paul E. Panek Endowed Scholarship in Psychology.