Joseph Fagan
American psychologist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph F. Fagan III (September 7, 1941 – August 10, 2013)[1][2] was an American psychologist and the Lucy Adams Leffingwell Professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve University from 1990 until his death in 2013.
September 7, 1941
Joseph Fagan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Francis Fagan III September 7, 1941 |
| Died | August 10, 2013 (aged 71) |
| Alma mater | University of Connecticut |
| Spouse | Cynthia Holland |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychology |
| Institutions | Case Western Reserve University |
| Thesis | Short-term memory processes in normal and retarded children (1967) |
| Academic advisors | Sam Witryol |
Education
Fagan received his B.A. from the University of Hartford in 1963 and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 1965 and 1967, respectively.[3]
Career
Fagan joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University in 1968, and became a full professor there ten years later. In 1990, he received the endowed Leffingwell professorship at Case Western, and from 1990 to 1995 he chaired the Department of Psychological Sciences there.[3]
Research
Fagan was known for his research into intelligence testing of infants,[3] and he developed one such test that can predict how successful an infant will be when he or she begins taking classes,[4] as well as another test that he said could predict the likelihood of an infant developing a mental disability by age 3.[5] He also conducted research on the relationship between race and intelligence, and concluded from this research that the black-white IQ gap was due to environmental factors.[6] He also published a number of studies in the early 1980s that found a correlation between novelty preference among infants and their later cognitive test scores.[7] His research has also found a link between infant IQ test scores and academic achievement by age 21. He conducted much of his research along with his wife, Cynthia Holland, a professor of psychology at Cuyahoga Community College.[8]
Death
Fagan died on August 10, 2013, of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 71.[1][3] In his honor, Case Western created the Joseph F. Fagan, III Award for Research Excellence, which is awarded annually to "a graduate student in the Department of Psychological Sciences who demonstrates a passion and commitment to research excellence."[9]