Professor of Child Development Fred Rothbaum, an innovative researcher specializing in parent-child and family relationships, and beloved professor, died of a heart attack on Aug. 24 while biking on vacation in Maine. He was 61.
Rothbaum joined the university in 1979 and during his tenure served two terms as chair of the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development, from 1986-1989 and from 2003-2006. He had co-chaired of the Arts, Sciences and Engineering Executive Committee since 2010 and for the past five years had served as director of the graduate program at Eliot-Pearson.
Child Development Department Chair Jayanthi Mistry highlighted Rothbaum's dedication to the department and his willingness to serve on departmental committees.
"He was always ready to step up to the plate and work, whether it was serving on a committee or any service responsibilities," she said. "He had a commitment and a passion for an issue that he took on. He really put his all into it."
Professor of Child Development Richard Lerner credits Rothbaum with fostering a sense of community during his tenure as department chair.
"As chair, he was very concerned that faculty at all levels and staff all get along as colleagues in a caring community," Lerner said. "He devoted much of his time as chair to building that sense of community among faculty, staff, and students."
Mistry also remembers Rothbaum's thoughtful personality, which he often demonstrated by bringing back chocolates from a trip or buying flowers for the staff, she said.
Rothbaum has numerous publications in the field of parent-child and family relationships and conducted research on depression in youth. He co-founded the Child and Family WebGuide in 2001 in order to collect credible information about child development from various websites for parents and professionals.
Lerner described Rothbaum's work on the WebGuide as "visionary."
"He really was ahead of his time in recognizing the potential of the web as a source of great information for parents and families for child development," he said.
Rothbaum made a deep impact on his students as well.
"He really was exceptional," Natalie Rusk (GSAS '11) said. "I'm learning more and more as I talk to more students [about] just how big of an impact he had on people."
One of his signature attributes was identifying students' strengths and pushing them to take on more responsibility, according to Rusk, who worked extensively with Rothbaum while completing her PhD.
"He often empowered students to take the lead on projects that they didn't think they were capable of," Rusk said, adding that Rothbaum was always ready to provide support and advice.
His belief in students' abilities naturally extended into the classroom, where he challenged his students to think creatively and critically, according to Becky Phillips (GSAS '10).
"I have never seen a teacher believe in his students as much as Fred did," Phillips, who served as Rothbaum's teaching assistant for two years, said. "He really wanted the students to feel like they were really learning, growing as students of child development."
Rothbaum always created opportunities for his students to get more experience, whether it was working on the WebGuide or taking a larger role in an existing project, according to Phillips.
But above all, Phillips said, Rothbaum was a great advocate and friend.
"He was probably one of the best listeners that I've ever met," she said. "There is usually a student-teacher boundary, but I could always go to him and he would listen and be supportive."
The university memorial service will take place on Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. in Cohen Auditorium.
