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George A. Cicala, professor emeritus of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Delaware, passed away on Nov. 8, 2022. He was 87.
Dr. Cicala joined the faculty as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in 1961. He was named an associate professor in 1965 and professor in 1972. When he retired in 2003, he was awarded emeritus status.
Longtime colleague Sam Gaertner, Trustees Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychological and Brain Sciences, shared his reflections on Dr. Cicala:
“I first met George in April of 1970 when I interviewed for my faculty position at the University of Delaware. Standing about 6 feet 3 inches, wearing a starched white shirt and tie, he seemed to have a formidable, strikingly handsome appearance, sort of like Cary Grant, which made me nervous. Contrary to George’s strait-laced appearance, he was gentle, kind-hearted, funny, bright, friendly, passionate about various issues and he was self-confident, enough to use a pen to complete New York Times crossword puzzles. Although we did not share similar research interests, he was knowledgeable about many areas of psychology, and I appreciated his candid feedback about my research ideas.
“In addition to his research on animal behavior and courses on animal
learning," Gaertner said, "George’s service to the University involved
serving as associate chair of our department and for many years as an
AAUP adviser to faculty with workplace issues. George loved to read
contemporary novels (Stephen King was a favorite author). He also
enjoyed playing the piano and he had a most remarkable memory for the
lyrics to songs from the 1920s through the 1980s. He was also a
talented chef, and he especially enjoyed cooking for friends. He
appreciated his students and colleagues at the University and on
Saturday afternoons he loved attending UD football games. When he
retired several years ago, to me the department felt like a puzzle with a
missing, meaningful piece that defined its character.”