thomas kochanek:  

Tom Kochanek First, I want to express my deep appreciation to the Reunion Committee for the time and energy they devoted to organize the gathering of our classmates. Fifty years ago, I underestimated the value and impact of our friendships and experiences, but they are so clear and vivid to me five decades later. Sadly, I was quite stunned to see the long list of individuals who have passed on, many of whom were dear friends. With respect to my travels over the past fifty years, perhaps most importantly, I have been blessed with a 47 year marriage, two wonderful daughters, and four charming grandchildren. Like you, it is so gratifying to see your children become loving and competent parents, and to view the imprint of our parenting on their parenting behaviors. I have been enormously fortunate to have had a 40 year career in higher education as a child psychologist. I have devoted nearly my entire career to understanding those factors (both biogenetic and environmental) that significantly influence child outcomes. My colleagues and I have had wonderful and rich opportunities to f...Expand for more