Saturday, October 14th, we celebrated the life of Rick Miller, my amazing husband. Over 70 friends and family came together to share their love of this amazing man. To all of you who were able to join us, thank you for sharing this moment with us. The meal was prepared by friends and family from Rick's recipes--paella, chicken paprikash, dates and bacon, tortilla Español, lemon/parmesan artichoke ,and more. Tyler Collette, a former student and adopted family member was MC, and several speakers representing family, friends, students, colleagues spoke about Rick and shared their stories.
Here is a video of the photos taken at this event. A video recording will be posted soon.

During the Celebration of Rick's Life, family and friends presented tributes and memories of Rick. This video contains these remarks.

Friends, family, and colleagues can remember Rick and his commitment to undergraduate education by contributing to the Dr. Richard Miller Memorial Scholarship Fund at Texas A&M Kingsville. The University Foundation is currently matching funds donated to the scholarship fund. This will help continue Rick's legacy through support for undergraduate students.
Please go to 
https://www.javelinagiving.org/millermemorial?fbclid=IwAR3I_FQ9TdK1jZWXRfSjPr7aBElJkm_y82GQI96QDd4rNs4zZta3lYn5py8

This article appeared in the South Texan, the Texas A&M Kingsville Student Publication
http://thesouthtexan.com/index.php/2023/10/09/dr-millers-legacy-lives-on/
Dr. Miller’s legacy lives on

My ticket says I fly tomorrow, board a plane
for the conference, for my big speech.
More than a speech, really. It is, in fact, a workshop,
a workshop with multiple parts and numerous props,
a presentation I have planned, prepared, and mulled over,
worried about, rehearse and replayed in my mind.
I'm primed to do a great job, to have a good time,
do some teaching, see old friends, honor a promise.
There is only one glitch: I can't go. What do I do?
Where do I turn? How to bow out gracefully?
There is only one thing I can do; call him.

I can't come, I tell him. Connie's dad is dying, 
and I don't know what to do, don't know how
to escape letting down the good folks who count on me.
I've got your back, he says. I'll round up the guys.
We'll do it by committee. We'll make you proud.
Nothing more needs saying. He knows, and I know.
This is what we do. We don't talk about love, about friendship.
But we understand we're known by the company
we keep and by the unspoken debts we need not collect.
As I head out to the hospital, I don't know whether
to smile or cry. But there's one thing I do know.
He's got my back.

I can tell two stories of our being on the brink.
A kind student had posted a flyer with pictures of dogs and cats in need of a good home. There was an array of photos with the headline, “In need of a good home.” I had altered the flyer by replacing two photos with photos of a faculty member and the Dean. Rick’s involvement was to share the blame and thereby protecting me.
The other story has to do with the old toilet that Rick removed from his house after renovating his basement. The fairly clean toilet was a perfect addition to Bob and Denise’s newly purchased living room set. Since they were on vacation and left their house keys with me, It was an easy addition to their living room. Afterwards the toilet found a home on Ken Nikels' porch, then as a replacement for the Associate Dean’s office chair. Everyone took the joke in good spirit except for the Associate Dean, who threatened to fire Rick in retaliation. That action was above his pay grade, which was much too high anyway.

As the department recording secretary, Rick gave me poetic license to “interpret” the department minutes in my own manner. The Deans were given copies of the minutes which may have tarnished or enhanced our reputations. Here are samples of my art—tolerated and encouraged by Rick.

Minutes of the Meeting of January 15, 2002
1. New Human Subject Committee Procedures. Rycek reported that a group of students abused their privileges and ran a study without getting human subject committee approval. This became apparent toward the end of the semester when some students did not receive their experimental credit. Rycek suggested that giving each study a number would somehow serve as a safeguard against this heinous act in the future. A sign-up sheet without a number on it should be immediately destroyed or rolled into a tight tube and … The department seemed to consent to the new procedure. Wozniak called for the immediate keelhauling of their advisor, but apparently didn’t do so out loud….
2. Travel plans for Spring. Miller would like to know each faculty member’s travel plans for the spring semester by the end of the week. He also would like to know how much money will be requested so that plans can be coordinated. Benz mentioned that he and his family would like to go to the zoo sometime, at which point Miller knew he was back in America.
Meeting of January 29, 2002
1. More of Human Subject Policies. Rycek, smarting from last week's humor at his expense, said that as an addition to the policies set forth at the last meeting, WE decided that the unique research project number would include an identifier for the faculty sponsor and the student principal researcher. The faculty would be identified by a 2-digit number preceded by PF if the faculty was the principal researcher, the student number would be 3-digit preceded by a sF to indicate that he student was a secondary researcher unless he or she was a primary researcher in which case it would be SF and the faculty number was be abrogated to a secondary pF. The numbers would still be required as an addendum to the research protocol but would be assigned after the approval of the protocol but prior to the approval of said number, which would occur as a final step before sign-ups could be obtained. Rycek also noted that we had decided that room assignments could occur at the same time…..
2. Alumni survey. Aside from comments about formatting, Miller reported that there were no changes nor additional questions proposed for the alumni survey. Rycek asked about cost. Miller said the questionnaires and scoring costs have already been paid for. Miller will arrange to have the survey sent to a random selection of alumni, Mosig asked if the sample would include M--- S------, our alumni sociopath. Miller asserted that random was random, wink wink. Several faculty sneezed in a funny manner, i.e., sounded like “Bullchoo.”
Meeting of April 9, 2002
…6. LPGs. Miller asked for LPGs for various students, but didn’t get enough response to satisfy his thirst for perfection. He will harass the wayward faculty and beat the LPGs out of them blah blah blah.
7. High School Fair. Benz asked about the high school fair. When would be a good date and who would do what? blah blah blah blah blah blah The best response was “Who has a calendar?” Seeing that Rycek had a handout which gave the appearance of being organized, he moved the department along to the next agenda item.
September 29, 2009
Present: Benz, Briner, Ellingson, Forrest, Fritson, Miller, Mosig, Wozniak
1. Book orders should be submitted ASAP—We can win a prize!!!! Go Psych Go!!!
2. Family Day representative. The usual suspects were out of town on game day. Therefore, Miller will don his antelope-horned-victory-helmet and Viking coat and attend with his lovely spouse, Jeanne, whose face will be painted blue and gold. They plan on hanging out with the Dean who will be wearing his customary cheese-head hat.
3. NPS. Get student registrations to Ellingson ASAP (By next Tuesday) so that she can get the bureaucracy to cut a check for the registration fees.
4. Vacation Time. Ellingson will be on vacation the week of October 12. Please prepare. (reads—give her the work that you don’t want to do and usually dump on Dee--early.)

Trouble brewing

When Rick was hired in 1990, we had suspected that he had a decent sense of humor. An omen was the double feature at the movie theater, the World, that was showing during his interview, Pretty Woman and Ernest Goes to Jail. This was a not-so-obscure reference to a Psychology faculty’s troubles just before he had left.
Nevertheless, the humor continued when Bob Rycek, who was a good friend of the realtor who showed his future home to Rick and his cousin, Beverly, learned of her comment when seeing the brick fireplace in the front room. She said, his brick fireplace is perfect for this portrait of Elvis on velvet. Bob, Ken Nikels, and I pitched in and purchased a “beautiful” picture of Elvis on velvet and put it on the mantle before his arrival. I believe that the picture is now not-so-prominently displayed in their Canyon Lake garage.
The rumor that Rick was Elvis’s little brother persisted over the years. We had several birthday parties using the Elvis theme. I paid an Elvis impersonator to sing to Rick at the airport when he returned from a summer in Mallorca. At least two administrators, Mike Schuyler and Dave Anderson pitched in to pay for the cost—as long as I videotaped the event. The tape is somewhere in the archives. The Elvis theme culminated when Nathan dubbed their house in Mallorca “El Vis.”

We enter life, have an unspecified number of years to find our way, achieve some purpose, some meaning; if we are lucky, make a contribution and then it is over. As a renown leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Dieter Uchtdorf, observed, we see on grave markers the name of the departed, the date of birth, a dash, and the date of death. The two dates are separated by a dash. The dates are of lesser consequence. The thing of most consequence is the dash, for the dash represents life. The dash in the life of Rick Miller is huge.
I came to know Rich in the fall of 1965. I had just finished the Doctorate and had my first teaching assignment at Weber State College in Ogden, Utah. Rick had just enrolled and was in his first quarter and sat in my Introductory Psychology class. His presence was made obvious in a number of ways.
I started each class by asking if there were any questions. I assumed they would come from the text we were using - which at the time was Filmore Sanford's Introductory Psychology. Rick had a question from readings he had been doing outside the text and asked a question regarding intelligence. I sensed at the time it was, in a way, a challenge to see if I know my stuff. I apparently answered it to his satisfaction and there were no more such questions asked.
On unit tests in Introductory Psychology there were two students who contended for the top score: Mary Clark, the daughter of the Dean of Faculty (a position now called Academic Vice President), and Rick Miller, a kid from Texas who did not have a stellar record in high school, and had picked Weber State College by opening Lovejoy's Guide to Colleges and Universities and dropping a pencil to  randomly determine where to go. He was not without talent however. Having a strong interest in music, he had been a student conductor of a symphony orchestra in Texas. He and Mary had a friendly competition, and it was Rick who came to me before class one day. He was visibly shaken when he said the College Debate Teem had been involved in an accident while on a debate trip. The advisor and some students had been killed/ Mary was one of them.
Early in the quarter, Rick posed an interesting question. While living in the dorms, he noticed guys often had Playboy pictures posted on their walls. Some had girlfriends' pictures framed and sitting on their desks, His question was: If young men had a girlfriend's picture on their desk, would they be less likely to have Playboy pictures on their walls? We formed a research design to test the null hypothesis, ran the data, and found no difference.
Later that year he posed this question: Would student body leaders be more or less inclined to exhibit conforming behavior than high-academic students using the Solomon Asch Model to test conformity? As it ended up, leaders tended to conform more than high achievers. Results of his studies were either presented at State meetings of Psychology Associations or were published.
Perhaps the most significant event, maybe a co-equal event with his research interest, was his challenge to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. When he took issue with Maslow and gave me his reasons, I invited him to share his views with the class. He compared a rather unknown with Mozart who wrote a requiem on his deathbed. He was skilled, he was enthusiastic, and got his first taste of teaching - and you know what? He liked it.
I should mention, in the same class was a girl named Beth. She took a shine to Rick, They became friends, Both Rick and Beth called me Dr. C. My association with them was both professional and familial. They were in my office and in our home.
Instances on the more familial or personal level: I tried to intercede with a local automobile dealer to assist Ruck to help with the small foreign car he had driven to Utah from Texas. In another instance, we had Rick sharing time with our four children dyeing Easter eggs. In another, he helped move us from a rental to a new home in the spring of that first year. Later he helped (really engineered, designed and built) stairs from our first level, down one flight, out of railroad ties which he cut with a hand saw. All just a part of "Rick's way."
As bright as this kid was, he had an unquenchable curiosity and both his curiosity and intellect were eclipsed by his energy and work ethic. I had had little experience to allow me to see just how good, how promising, this kid really was. As it turned out, he was bound for greatness. As he grew his professional status and was acknowledged for his accomplishments by professional organizations, he always reached back to his surrogate teaching father to let me have a bit of "in the moment" limelight as a result of what we had shared in his professional infancy.
That infancy in fact grew into THE consummate Professional - and an adopted son. I loved him as one of my own. We came from Eternity, shared some of life, and we return to Eternity. I will see you soon, my son Rick - Richard Lee Miller

August 1991
One of the most memorable meals of my life was in August of ’91, when we sailed from Italy to Greece. We were out of sight of land for three days, then pulled into Argostoli on a Sunday afternoon. There were Greek kids on boats in the harbor who waved and yelled ‘Hello, America” on seeing our flag. Which was nice. And when we docked by the customs house, there were some other sailors who caught our lines and helped us tie up. They spoke English, some Brits and Aussies. They invited us to join them for supper ashore at a place we could smell from the dock, roasting lamb on a spit. We had dollars and lira, but no drachma and the change place wasn’t open. The bank would open in the morning and someone lent us enough drachma for supper. There were stuffed peppers and tomatoes and eggplant, chewy bread, olives, wine, ouzo, kleftika, tsadsiki, salads, and the most delicious bits of lamb, roasted on a spit that was built into a wall between the kitchen and the patio where we sat. With grape vines alive and growing on the trellis overhead, making shade and a lovely smell as well as grapes. There were about a dozen around the table, all sharing sailing stories. We ate and laughed and talked for hours with these lovely strangers. The next morning, I went to the bank to change some dollars for drachma. The bank opened at 9, and I was still in line at 10 when the manager came out and apologized for the delay. Seems the Soviet Union had fallen over the weekend and no one knew what that would do to currencies, so the manager contacted the other banks and he decided to use the Friday rate for a limited exchange. So he took my US hundred and gave me the number of drachma I could have gotten for it on Friday. Sometimes a big thing happens, and I miss it completely because I’m too busy having a good time. I’m ok with that. Love to all.

September 11, 2001
We were sailing from Kushadasi, Turkey to Samos, Greece when September 11 happened. We tied up and Doc went to check us in with the harbormaster. He came back to the boat, his face white, telling us to come to the office with him. They had a little black and white TV and we stood there and watched the second plane hit. Then the English news ended. We found a bar with German news on the TV and the owner translated for us. We tried to call home. The trunk lines were full. We kept trying. Late the next day Jeanne finally reached her sister who agreed to call Joan, who called Sarah for me. We didn’t know if we were at war. We did know that if war breaks out you’re supposed to let the nearest embassy know where you are and do what they say. Looking at the charts, we were about equally far from Athens and Istanbul. Both across major shipping lanes, both upwind. We huddled in the 32 foot boat flying an American flag with Akela Washington DC painted on the stern. We walked around the island. We had no idea how different things would be when we got home. We tried to not let it ruin our vacation. When it was clear there was no declaration of war, we sailed to some other islands, swam in some little bays, ate some good food. When Doc and Jeanne dropped us in Bodrum we spent a few days in a lovely hotel, swam in their lovely pool, watched Oprah in our room, ate some very memorable meals. The world didn’t actually end. It just felt like it for a few days. And I say that to say this. Sometimes bad things happen. We all process it differently. Some people need a safe place to cry, some need to watch reruns of I love Lucy, some will be angry at everything, some will want to talk and some will want to hide. It’s not the end of the world, it just feels like it. Try to give yourself and the people around you some time to adjust to the new reality. It might help to go outside and see that the sky isn’t literally falling. It just feels like it. Love to all.

A Long Sail

The longest time I’ve spent out of sight of land was the three days and nights it took us to get from Reggio de Calabria in Italy to Argostoli, Cephlonia in Greece. We had great weather and good charts. The three of us took turns standing watch. We sailed the whole way, but had a motor we could have used if the wind hadn’t been perfect. We had a primitive version of GPS and a captain who knew how to navigate by the stars. Those nights I was on watch I could see the horizon in every direction, the stars all the way down to the water and no lights, no other creature in sight. I had the whole world to my self. But I still can’t imagine what it must have been like to watch the coast of Spain disappear behind you and then spend weeks out of sight of land, subject to the weather of the Atlantic, no GPS, no chart, no one on board who had been this far west before. The results were good for some, not so good for others, but I still think of it as a gigantic leap of faith from the world they knew to the world they hoped was out there. I’d love to be that brave. So I mourn the destruction of the world that was here when the Europeans arrived, but I still honor the leap. I believe in leaping. For me, Columbus Day is about setting out on the vast untracked sea, looking for what you dream will be out there. Love to all.

Rick was my first love.We met the first day of classes at Weber State College (now University) in Psychology 101, Gary Carson was the instructor.Rick sat in the front row and I in the second.From day one his brilliance sparkled.I had long light brown hair and he was very neat with his ivy league corduroy (patches on the elbows) suited look.It was the early hippie years, the beginning of the women’s movement, but we were attending college at an ultra-conservative school.We talked after class and then really never stopped talking of our dreams, hopes and aspirations for the future.In later years Rick went on to accomplish many of the things we talked about all those years ago.We married in our sophomore year living in married student housing, a one-room studio apartment, a pullout hide-a-bed and many bookcases filled with mostly paperback books.

When Rick finished his bachelor’s degree, Mama Ida and Freddie came to Rick’s graduation ceremony.The four of us traveled to Yellowstone National Park to celebrate this achievement.We stayed in a cabin at Old Faithful.I remember hiking all the boardwalks winding up at the Morning Glory Pool.For dinner one night Mama Ida taught me how to make wiener goulash, Hungarian style.I think of that trip often and how beautifully unspoiled Yellowstone was.No four-leaf clover interstate around Old Faithful in those days, only a two-lane highway around the entire park with very few visitors.We were often the only people looking at an attraction at a time, so very different from today.

The Vietnam war was in full swing.Rick joined the Naval officer training program in Pensacola, Florida, where he attended flight school.At the end of his tour of duty he was accepted at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.I became pregnant with our son, Nathan.Nathan has proven to be the greatest gift we gave one another.We separated and divorced soon after.Rick proved to be a wonderful father to Nathan and I shall forever be grateful.It seems to me that he accomplished most of his goals.I am thankful that he found a solid and loving mate in Jeanne and that they enjoyed so many good years together.

But mostly I am thankful that we had Nathan, who with the help of others, has turned out to be a fun, happy, loving husband and a good father to Owen and Anton.Each of these boys emulate characteristics of Rick and I know they will do as well in life.I am thankful to have been a small part of his life.

In later years we became friends again spending many Christmases and holidays together in Texas.Always I will remember the wonderful celebrations at his home in Canyon Lake with his lovely wife, Jeanne, Christmas eve, Anton’s birthday and New Years Eve. The over-the-top decorations at the Miller household in Dripping Springs that Wendy did each year, and the Christmas dinners at Wendy and Nathan’s house, with fried turkey and so many fantastic side dishes. There was always so much laughter, love and happiness spilling from everywhere around me.

I am thankful and grateful to have been a small part of his life.

Jan 12, 2022
Richard (Rick) Miller is a dedicated educator whose philosophy created distinct and brilliant undergraduate programs as chair of psychology departments at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where I was his undergraduate student from 1997-2001 and Texas A&M University at Kingsville, where I continue to benefit from his guidance and support as I continue to develop my own teaching and mentorship abilities.

I have known Rick as a professor, research collaborator, teaching mentor, and professional colleague for almost 25 years. Since conducting my first psychology experiment under his guidance in my freshmen year at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (a study he went on to help me publish as my first peer-reviewed manuscript), I completed my undergraduate education and received my PhD in Social and Personality Psychology at Cornell University. I took my first position as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Ohio University and since then received tenure at New York University, where I am now an Associate Professor of Psychology.

Every year at NYU, I teach research methods in social psychology to advanced undergraduates who have never engaged in research before (and never thought they ever wanted to). It's an uphill battle to win over their hearts and minds—to convince them that the class won't be awful and might even be fun. Though decades since I took a similar class from Rick Miller myself, I still recall exactly how he approached the same psychological battle that I do each year. I model my pep talk and overall philosophy for the class based on the vivid recollections I still have as a student of his myself. Before it was a social meme or a TED talk keyword, Rick fully embraced and communicated a growth mindset. Wisely directed effort and practice structured and supported by collaborative coaching can expand the skill set and potential of quite literally anyone. I felt the effects of his approach as a student, and now as a professor myself I can see the consequences in the students who are the direct lineage of Rick's imparted philosophy. Students take intellectual risks they would not have before because they shed the fear of failure. They generate creative scientific products and expand their professional opportunities. They fulfill and expand upon any potential even they thought they had.

Taking a step back, let me offer some more about my direct experiences with Rick as a teacher that have informed my own style as an educator and mentor. In selecting the college or university that would provide my undergraduate experience, I sought much advice. All of whom I solicited agreed that the University of Nebraska at Kearney valued, promoted, and supported undergraduate research. Moreover, what became evident quickly was the fact that UNK’s psychology department reigned superior to the majority of other programs I was considering. The diversity of opportunities for undergraduate research was abundant. Students participate in all roles related to research and professional development. Selected students participate in a faculty fellowship program, where they are invited to attend faculty meetings and are offered an office to gain a taste of faculty life. All students can serve as research assistants, independent researchers, collaborators on student projects and faculty research, and can design a research-based senior thesis. Students are supported in their efforts to present and publish their work in undergraduate outlets. All the resources necessary to meet these goals are provided. What I came to learn during my time at UNK and in my years since is that this highly supportive, motivating, and growing department is the product of Rick’s innovation and perseverance. A program over 20 years in the making, designed and implemented by Dr. Miller, has produced many successful graduates who have gone on to great success in academics and business.

In my first semester at UNK as a freshman, I enrolled in an undergraduate honors course that served as a type of introduction to psychology. Within the first week, Rick visited our class and offered students the opportunity to be a part of his senior level social psychology research seminar. Rather than completing a final term paper for the honors course, students joined his research team. Rick met weekly with members of this research team, helped students design independent research projects, write an APA-style research paper, and present the work. I jumped on board and I was hooked! In the 3 ½ years that followed this class, I collaborated with Rick on a number of projects while still an undergraduate. We experimented with basketball players and businessmen to understand how the motivation to think well of oneself can lead to faulty assessments of one’s own skills even in domains where feedback is plentiful. We staged voodoo shrines in the woods to explore personality variables that predict which type of person creates, transmits, and distorts rumors. We solicited technology from the speech pathology department to use with musicians in exploration of those aspects of rehearsal that lead to improved performance. In each experience, I saw firsthand how and more importantly why he allows students the opportunity for intense creativity and room for unique vision. To grow a passionate scientist, a mentor must give them the opportunity to think independently. Rick has the patience and talent to do just that.

As a result of these projects, I presented 14 posters and oral presentations during my undergraduate years, including at the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Great Plains Student Psychology Convention, Nebraska Psychological Society, the Association for Psychological and Educational Research in Kansas, UNK Student Research Day, and the Women’s Studies department at UNK. I was awarded a Student Talent Development Research Grant, multiple grants from the Nebraska Research Services Council, multiple financial awards from the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, and multiple recognitions for my research from the various organizations at which I presented my work.

Without a doubt, this is the result of Dr. Miller’s unparalleled commitment and dedication to creativity in undergraduate education. As a professor now myself, I am fully aware of the extraordinary amount of time, patience, and dedication it takes to see a student’s research project to completion. When I stay up late at night reading students’ proposals, refining their methodologies and paradigms, and editing their work, I am humbled by the fact that for years Dr. Miller offered me in addition to dozens of other students every semester his energy, his creativity, and most importantly his unconditional support.

Next, I applied for PhD programs in social psychology. Given the competitive nature graduate admissions, I was ecstatic when I had been accepted into 9 of the 16 programs I applied to including the University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Oregon, Northeastern University, among others. I accepted the offer to attend Cornell University. At every interview, numerous faculty commented on the exceptional training and ample opportunities I received at a university with a liberal arts focus and in a psychology program that did not include a large graduate training program. The quality and quantity of opportunities offered to UNK psychology undergraduates amazed the faculty at these institutions.

Now, as a professor myself, I assist in reviewing over 300 PhD applications each year for our social psychology program. It is about 1 in every 1000 applications that document experiences similar to the extensive breadth of opportunities offered by the programs that are routine in the departments Rick has chaired.

In the 16 years since leaving UNK, I have continued to collaborate with Dr. Miller on research and writing. Three times, I have accompanied him to Mallorca, Spain—trips in which we conducted research investigating cross-cultural differences in the accuracy of self and social assessments. The manuscript based on this work is published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the leading journal in our field. We have published articles in popular media outlets like The Skeptical Inquirer where we have described research related to the necessity of maintaining a healthy dose of skepticism when consuming information from the media and from scientists alike. I have served as a section editor and co-author on a chapter included in two edited handbooks for helping institutions implement undergraduate research programs that Dr. Miller along with others contracted with APA’s Society for the Teaching of Psychology. I continue to work with him in this capacity for the shear joy of it. But I would be remiss if I did not say that I continue to learn from his mentorship and guidance through these collaborations.

Rick's generosity in mentorship and resource sharing extends far beyond the personal connections he cultivates. He created an extensive line of published resources on undergraduate curricula and institutional programming made freely available to all. He established a regional undergraduate research conference (Great Plains Students’ Psychology Convention) and founded an undergraduate research journal (Journal of Psychological Inquiry), both of which have operated for 20+ years thus far. Rick is responsible for the creation of research apprentice programs in the departments he has chaired. He has translated the most interesting, engaging, and important educational experiences into opportunities for undergraduates to grow from. Dr. Miller has made a lasting and large impact within his local community and the national landscape of undergraduate education. I aspire to follow his exemplary model in teaching myself, as Rick is, without hyperbole, the most accomplished and dedicated teachers and mentors I studied with in all of my undergraduate and graduate education.

As a mentor Dr. Miller shaped my professional and personal philosophy in ways unmatched by any other that I encountered during my education. The self-insight that I acquired as a result of his mentorship is one of the most valuable gifts he gave me. The high expectations he held for me, the high expectations he taught me to hold for myself, and the firm foundation of support to achieve these aspirations are now the pillars of excellence I am trying to instill in my own students. I hope that my influence on these students can someday be compared to what I received from Dr. Miller, but until then, I will continue to use him as a guide. More importantly, I am the person I hoped I would be primarily because of his guidance and friendship. It is an honor to write a letter of support. For all of the reasons noted above, I sincerely recommend Dr. Richard Miller for this award.

Dr. Emily Balcetis
Associate Professor of Psychology
New York University
Psychology Department


           

Note: American Psychologist® , established in 1946, is the flagship peer-reviewed scholarly journal of the American Psychological Association.

Richard L. Miller  1945-2023

Kenneth D. Keith, University of San Diego, Bernard C. Beins, Ithaca College, William Wozniak, University of Nebraska at Kearney

APA Fellow Richard L. “Rick” Miller was born October 14, 1945, in Houston, TX, and died June 30, 2023, in Palma, Mallorca, Spain. Rick was raised by his maternal grandparents, who encouraged him to study music, philosophy, history, and the classics. In high school he became an accomplished musician, and was inspired by an outstanding teacher, Daniel Bristow. Rick retained a life-long love of music, as well as the visual arts, but when he went off to Weber State College, he majored in psychology and sociology, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1968. By the time he had completed his undergraduate work, Rick had begun to find his way as a researcher, making presentations at state and regional conferences.

Following a stint as a pilot in the U.S. Navy, Rick enrolled in the interdisciplinary graduate program in social psychology at Northwestern University. At Northwestern, his research efforts were nurtured by Tom Cook and Marilyn Brewer, and Don Campbell encouraged an interest in cross-cultural psychology. Rick’s dissertation on the effects of post-decisional regret led to a Ph.D. in 1975. Concurrently, he taught at Georgetown University from 1973 to 1975.

From Georgetown, Rick went to Germany, where he served as senior research scientist at the General Research Corporation (1975-1978) and director of the European Field Office of the Human Resources Research Organization (1980-1985), investigating a variety of social psychological topics. While in Europe, Rick was able to indulge his love of sailing, and in the summer of 1984 he and future wife Jeanne Butler landed on Mallorca, where they would establish educational programs for English speakers and a summer camp for children—a project they continued for 30 years.

After returning to the U.S. and spending a year as visiting professor at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, in 1990 Rick began a 24-year tenure at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. At UNK, Rick’s true passion, teaching, blossomed. He engaged countless students in meaningful research activities, and received numerous awards for his teaching and mentorship, including the Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology Award and the CASE/Carnegie U.S. Professor of the Year. As department chair, Rick led the UNK Psychology Department to the system-wide University of Nebraska Outstanding Teaching Department Award.

In 2014, Rick moved to Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he served as department chair. At TAMUK, he was recognized for teaching, mentorship, and scholarship, including the A&M Piper Professor Teaching Award. He served in many leadership roles, including the presidencies of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division 2) and the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association. His extensive service to RMPA resulted in the renaming of its service award as the Richard L. Miller Distinguished Service Award.

Rick contributed extensively to the discipline in scholarship and service, but his true love was his students. Rick regularly co-authored national and regional publications and presentations with his students, and he was a major supporter of the Journal of Psychological Inquiry (a journal for students) and the Great Plains Student Psychology Convention. Hundreds of his students presented or published their work, both regionally and nationally.

The late Charles Brewer was fond of saying that teaching is not a job, but a calling. Rick Miller not only believed that maxim; he lived it, as well.

Rick gave hundreds (thousands?) of presentations and lectures around the world to esteemed bodies of scholars and students.
This is included because it was one of his last for which he received the medal and trophy shown in the photo collage.
You can read Closing the Gap: Connecting Understanding to Belief at https://www.tamuk.edu/artsci/_files_COAS/pysc/Miller-Faculty-Lecture.pdf

The purpose of the Mentorship of Teachers Award is to recognize various forms of mentoring of teachers, including sharing knowledge and expertise, providing support and encouragement, offering feedback on performance, helping to identify opportunities and resources, and serving as a professional role model. The mentorship award, which honors those who mentor teachers, is distinct from the Excellence in Teaching Awards, some of which recognize mentoring of student professional development. 
Criteria
Awardee plays an exceptional role in using psychological expertise to mentor teachers that may include the following:

• The person provides exceptional mentorship to aid colleagues at any level who are developing their skills in teaching
• The person supports faculty at any stage of their careers (e.g., graduate student teachers, early-career faculty, mid-career faculty, and/or senior faculty) with their professional development as teachers
• The person provides valuable advice to teachers at any stage on preparing for tenure and promotion, supporting and collaborating with faculty on Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), and/or any professional training/workshops for teachers

In summary, the award recipient is both a leader and role model for a broad range of teachers across career stages and/or disciplines.

In 1978 the Association started a procedure whereby members of the Association who have given their time and efforts over and above that which would be normally required should receive special recognition. That year, the Association established a Distinguished Service Award which was a small means whereby individuals could be afforded special recognition. In 2022 the award was named after Dr. Richard Miller to honor his dedication and service to the association.

http://www.rockymountainpsych.com/service-award

Dr. Richard Miller, a Texas A&M University-Kingsville psychology professor, was one of only ten professors across Texas who was selected as a Piper Professor. 

The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, a non-profit, charitable corporation that was organized in 1950, annually awards professors for superior teaching at the college level. Selections are made on the basis of nominations submitted by each college or university in Texas, the website states.

 "To be Texas A&M-Kingsville’s nominee for this award was an honor itself and to actually receive the award is both thrilling and humbling, especially since it is for teaching," Miller said.  “I am proud to have been recognized for the services provided to this state, this university, my discipline and more importantly, my students - past, present and future. They are the reason that we do what we do and they remain our greatest asset.”

Miller joined Texas A&M-Kingsville in 2014 as Chair of the Department of Psychology for a four-year term. He then chaired the Department of Clinical Health Sciences for one semester and then returned to the classroom as a professor of psychology. 

His teaching interests include attitude structure and change, cross-cultural psychology, organizational behavior, environmental psychology and developmental psychology. 

Miller has received numerous awards for his teaching including the Robert Daniel Teaching Excellence Award from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and was named US Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. In 2012, he received the Charles L. Brewer Distinguished Teaching of Psychology Award from the American Psychological Association. 

He has received awards from A&M-Kingsville including the College of Arts and Sciences Awards for Leadership and for Scholarship. He currently serves on the Faculty Senate and served on the Undergraduate Education Advisory Committee of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He is currently the editor of the Javelina Undergraduate Research Journal.  

Miller has published articles and contributed chapters on social psychology, research ethics, teaching methods, student engagement, leadership and organizational behavior and other topics. 

He has also directed a summer camp in Mallorca, Spain for more than 30 years.

“As a teacher, my passion is mentoring undergraduate students in conducting empirical research,” Miller said. “In my classes, I hope that students come to wonder about the ‘why’ behind what we know.”

Miller said he is committed to promoting undergraduate student research. In the past six years, he has sponsored 96 presentations at regional conferences, fourteen journal publications and six successful grant applications by undergraduate students.

"I think communicating to students that they can be more than they thought possible is an important characteristic of being a good teacher. All of us in the academy are incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to do what we love, with students who are ready and eager to share our enthusiasm.”

FROM https://www.tamuk.edu/news/2020/07/Psychology-professor-awarded-Piper-Professor-Award.html

The Distinguished Research Award is presented to a deserving faculty member who has shown superior scholarship through publication, continued creativity, the research impact on the field, and/or other academic or professional awards. 
Shown in the photo with Tyler Collette, one of Rick's protégés, who is now Assistant Professor of Psychology at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA. Tyler and Rick collaborated on many research projects, publications, and presentations.
Over the years, Rick's research has been cited more that 4,000 times.

Whereas, Dr. Richard L. Miller has been a member of the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) Faculty for 24 years;
Whereas, under his leadership as Department Chair, the UNK Department of Psychology and its members have received the 1999 University of Nebraska Outstanding Teaching Department Award, and numerous individual awards for teaching, scholarship and service;
Whereas, Dr. Miller has received three UNK Pratt-Heins awards for Teaching and Mentoring, for Scholarship, and for Research, as well as the University of Nebraska Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award;
Whereas, in 2009, he received the Robert S. Daniel Award for outstanding teaching in a four-year college or university from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, Division 2 of the American Psychological Association;
Whereas, in 2009, Dr. Richard L. Miller was recognized by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education as U.S. Professor of the Year;
Whereas, Dr. Miller has served as President, Program Chair, and Historian of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association and has significantly contributed to that organization’s growth and success;
Whereas, Dr. Miller has been a long-standing Adult Leader in the Boy Scouts of America in the Covered Wagon District and Overland Trails Council, thereby providing a positive influence on both adult leaders and boy scouts;
Whereas, Dr. Miller has extensive international experiences and connections, which he has generously shared with colleagues and students, thus providing educational and personal growth benefits;
Whereas, Dr. Miller has been a valued colleague, dedicated Faculty Senator, and the only three-time UNK Faculty Senate President, whose leadership has promoted shared governance at UNK;
Whereas, Dr. Miller will leave UNK on August 15, 2014, and will assume position of Chair of the Department of Psychology, Sociology, and Criminology at the University of Texas – Kingsville beginning in the fall; 
Therefore, be it resolved that in recognition of his remarkable accomplishments and his lasting influence on the University, the members of the Faculty Senate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney express our gratitude to him for his contributions the University and wish him well in his future endeavors.

The U.S. Professors of the Year program of  The Council for Advancement and Support of Education salutes the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country—those who excel in teaching and positively influence the lives and careers of students. Sponsored by CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.
The criteria are extraordinary dedication to undergraduate teaching, which is demonstrated by excellence in the following areas: impact on and involvement with undergraduate students; scholarly approach to teaching and learning; contribution to undergraduate education in the institution, community and profession; and support from colleagues and current and former undergraduate students

From https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/miller-wins-national-teaching-award
Miller Wins National Teaching Award January 1, 2010
APS Fellow Richard L. Miller of the University of Nebraska-Kearney has been named Outstanding Master’s Universities and Colleges Professor of the Year in a joint award by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Each year, just four professors in the United States are selected as national level winners of this prestigious prize. Miller was singled out for his focus on research in the classroom. For each class he teaches, Miller develops an optional lab group where students conduct a complete research project from design to testing to reporting the results, which have often ended up published or presented at conferences. Miller recently shared some thoughts with the Observer on teaching and this latest honor.

APS: What is your vision for the undergraduates in your classes?

Miller: In 1901, the psychologist Hugo Munsterberg wrote that the difference between high school and the University is that in high school, the role of the instructor is to provide the student with a good understanding of a knowledge base, whereas at the University, the professor must teach the student to critically evaluate the knowledge base and to master the skills to extend it. My greatest satisfaction has been in finding ways to involve undergraduate students in that critical examination and expansion of the knowledge base. In a rapidly developing field like psychology, I believe it is important to impress upon students the tentative nature of behavioral science. By emphasizing the experimental approach in class, involving students in the research process and encouraging a range of research interests, I believe that I have begun to teach students what psychology is and what it can be to them in the future.

APS: You emphasize research as a teaching tool — why do you think this is an important element of education?

Miller: The greatest joy I have in teaching is the process of mentoring undergraduate research. During my time at UNK, I have mentored over 200 undergraduate research projects that were presented at regional or national conferences. My students and I have very similar goals — to discover that which we did not know before. We tend to avoid replications and extensions and often take risks in examining little known or at least little written about phenomenon. As a result, we have published over 20 articles together in professional journals and they have published 27 articles as sole authors. Many students identify this experience as one of their most significant academic endeavors, and I find that my lectures have become enriched with examples drawn from the many student research projects that it has been my privilege to mentor. At this point, there are very few topics that I teach about that I can’t bring in the results of a student research project to expand students’ knowledge of the subject matter. And don’t think that that doesn’t affect their attention — its pretty cool to realize that fellow students can contribute to the knowledge base.

APS: What does this award mean for you both personally and professionally?

Miller: One of my favorite quotes is by baseball great Jackie Robinson, who said, “Our lives are unimportant, except for the influence we have on others.” For me, this award allows me to recognize three teachers who stand out as having made a real difference in who I have become. The first was my junior high school orchestra director who, with a bachelor’s degree from Julliard and a doctorate from Columbia, was once asked why he taught junior high. His answer was that it was the “last chance to have a real impact on people’s lives.” He was a teacher who inspired us to be better than we ever thought possible. Gary Carson, my mentor at Weber State College, taught me how to become involved in students’ lives beyond the classroom. When I ran out of money the end of my freshman year, he and his wife LouAnn took me in and they remain close to this day. Philip Brickman at Northwestern taught me that real teaching often happens outside of the classroom — in informal settings where ideas can be nurtured, coaxed, and molded into clarity. Summer get-togethers at the beach on Lake Michigan were the setting for many a dissertation topic. For whatever successes I have had working with students, I owe a large debt of gratitude to these outstanding teachers.

Alyce Dawson

Beth V Lipscomb

I am so sorry for your loss. I am sending you a huge hug. Please take care of yourself.

Denise Waibel-Rycek

Good memories. He will really be missed. Hugs to you and your family. I am so grateful we saw you both in March. Memories I will cherish.

Carol Hans

You’re in my thoughts and prayers, as is Rick. May he RIP!!

Chele Hardy Rouse

Oh no I am so saddened to read this . There are no words, to take away your pain. Our sincerest and heart felt love and wishes to you Jeanne Butler, Nathan Miller, Kate Phifer, and all of the family

Rebecca Von Boeck

Beautiful memories and beautiful pictures of the two of you. Big hugs, Jeanne. 

Anita Baggaley

We have so many happy memories with you and Rick, at Summer Camp, shows, orchestra concerts, parties at Can Elvis and meals together, to name but a few. Lots of love to everyone and he will be greatly missed. XX

Stephen Baggaley

We are so sorry to hear this sad news, but Rick Miller has been left us with so many happy memories. Thinking of you, Nathan, and all the family. RIP Rick.

Steve Bennett

So very sorry to hear this terrible news. I just had lunch with a group of UNK retired professors and shared with them Ricks heart attack and his recovery. Now this terrible news. Thinking of you and May Rick’s Memory Be a Blessing.

Dave Miller

Prayers to you and yours, so sorry for your loss

Chari Morris

My thoughts and prayers are with you. You were blessed to have had each other. He gave you so many wonderful memories that can never be taken away.

Kevin Byrd

I am so proud to count Rick among my friends as well as my mentors. His influence on academia and those who worked alongside him cannot be measured. Take care Jeanne - Rick’s friends are your friends.

Zulema Zapata

So sorry for your loss my friend

Christina Miller

So sorry for your loss and so glad to have been able to spend time with you two over the last few years and before that on the boat. Rick was an extraordinary teacher, sailor, friend, and "cousin-uncle". Will be asking God to give you and Nathan and Wendy strength.

Harry Wistrand

I'm so sad upon hearing this. I hope the wonderful memories you two created together help you in the next few weeks and beyond. I've enjoyed reading about your life and adventures together since we reconnected.

Annie Gottlieb

Oh Jeanne. You tried so hard. 

Hiromi Suzuki

We’ve shared so much great memories through the years. Rick was a wonderful person, wonderful teacher, a wonderful mentor who always taught us to work hard & do our best. No words can describe how this must feel for you. We’ll be here for anything you need. Sending a warm embrace and all our love during this sad time. 

Ron Waters

Oh Jeanne, my heart breaks for you and the family and friends who loved him. It was my privilege to get to know him. He was a true renaissance man, and I much admired him. I will try to get this news to Carolyn, but she is traveling overseas with her sisters Nene and Kathrine. Much love, Ron & Carolyn

Jessica Farrar

His passing is a heartbreaking loss to the world and all who loved and cherished him. Two people could not be more tailor made for each other than you and Rick Miller. What an amazing person. What a wonderful and full life he lived.

Glenna Hauser

I am so very, very sorry for your loss. I have so many memories of you both in Heidelberg. Sending our love. 

Amanda Goodwin Benz

Rick was a truly amazing person who touched minds and hearts wherever he went.

Kenneth D. Keith

Connie and I are so very sorry to hear this news. We will have many good memories of fine times with Rick and send our love to you and your family.

Lara Almond

So so sorry to hear this, sending all our thoughts and love xxx

Chuck Sepers

So sorry to hear this Jeanne Butler. My thoughts are with you

Barbara Green Haislip

I’m so sorry for your loss. Saddened by what your last few weeks have been. May his memory be a blessing for your family. 

Danielle Valenti

I am so terribly sorry. I can’t imagine your heartache right now. He was an incredible man who loved you so much.

Brian Kent Baptist

Rick Miller and his beloved Jeanne have been significantly inspirational to many, Muriel and I very much included. Your abundant lives and sacred partnership are rich examples to embrace. Sailing, cruising, surrounded by family and friends to the final voyage. You two are so beautiful.

Adam Baggaley

So sad to read this. Sending lots of love to you and the family. xxx

Michelle LaFountain

So saddened to hear this, Rick was a wonderful, caring friend. My deepest condolences to his entire family.

Serena Scaife

So sad to hear this. Thinking of you and all the family. Lots of love to you all xxxx

Fulden Şara

I will miss him deeply. I can never pay him back what he done for Chuck. Please take care of yourself there, Jeanne. We will see each other here.

Doc Lopez

Jeanne, this is sad news and Cyndie and I send our love to you and your family. I had such respect and admiration for Rick as a person and educator. I know he loved his profession and his students. He always treated me as a colleague, which was so appreciated by me. Please feel free to lean on us if you need too.

Thomas Fields

Jeanne, you seem so far away. I want to hold your hand; I want to bring you a glass of wine. Take Care of Jeanne until we can take Care of you.

Barney Beins

Linda and I are devastated to hear about Rick. You and he have been our prized friends. We wish you the best in this sad time.

Stacy Darveau

Sending prayers for you and your family. Rick will be missed

Kathy Spruill Dudley

You two squeezed every drop of happiness from the abyss! Love warriors, you two. Bittersweet. Much love and respect.

Eric Amsel

Rick will live through all his good work making everyone around him better. I consider myself fortunate to have been one. What a loss. My heart is broken.

Laurie Miller

What a rare, dearly loved man... known and respected by countless people, near and so very far.

I am so thankful to have been included in his remarkable journey... I look forward to a joyful reunion on fairer shores~~~

Oh Captain, My Captain, Bon Voyage 

Aniruddha Mukhopadhyay

Jeanne, you and Rick have been such inspirations to me. Rick to me was a truly Renaissance man. I was always amazed by how many talents he had. But more than that, he had such a kind heart. And both of you were a welcoming harbor to me during some turbulent times. I am proud to have been his friend for almost 7 years now, and I will miss him deeply. And I am always here for you.

Joe Springer

We are so sad to hear this news! We love you.  Joe and Elaine

Donald Michael

So so sorry to hear this tragic news.

Kim Carlson

Jeanne, I am so very sorry to hear this. Rick was a wonderful man, mentor, and friend. My heart is breaking tonight. Sending you lots of love from Darby and I.

Elisabeth Leembruggen

Dear Jeanne, we are shocked to read this. Please know you are thinking of you and send our love and condolences.

Sarah von Schrader

Oh Jeanne, I am so very sorry, such terrible news. Loved following you and Rick's adventures over the years. Rick was such a great mentor to so many, he will be missed. Thinking of you!!

Karin Covalt

We are so sorry to hear this, Ms. Jeanne. I learned so much from you and Rick. Many of our favorite memories include you two. We send our love and prayers for strength, my dear friend.

Trudy de Goede

Jeanne, I'm very sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and the family. We will miss him.

Sara Brady

Jeanne, we are so sad to hear this news. You and Rick are legends to Adam and me. Thank you for sharing your travels, updates, and special moments with all of us. Sending you lots of love, hugs, and our condolences. 

Kristin Habashi Whitlock

I’m so sorry to hear this. Rick was a wonderful man. I’m glad that I had the chance to know and work with him. Rick’s positive influence will continue. My sincere condolences.

Chari Morris

Prayers

Diana Raab Luscher

So so sorry to hear of the death of Rick. You both were such great folks to know in Nebraska and we remember you both fondly. Rick will be missed by so many people. We know your heart is broken and for that kind of broken heart we are such novices. May you find some comfort as you work through your grief..

Pat Gash

My most sincere condolences to you & yours Jeanne. May God give you the strength & courage as you progress in your Grief.

Beverly Ruth Miller

My heart goes out to you. He was such a huge part of what made me who I am today and I know he was that for you.

Sylvia Gallemore Stallings

Sending love and prayers.

Emily Balcetis

I owe my life as I know it to Rick.

Dana S Dunn

My deep condolences, Jeanne. Rick will always be remembered.

Mary Pierce

Thinking of you and wishing you well.

Ronald Ellermeier

That is such horribly sad news. We are so very sorry for all the people who loved him. He will be missed by all. He was such a giant of a man, so brilliant and accomplished in so many things. He was such a blessing to his family!

Jean Mason Mandernach

I am so very sorry to hear of Dr. Miller’s passing. Not only was he an innovative educator and mentor… but he had the rare gift of inspiring his students to believe in themselves. His legacy will live on through so many that he touched.

This poem is often said before the Kaddish, the Jewish mourners' prayer. 

Another of Rick's favorite poems.