A scholar devoted to improving lives for individuals with disabilities, Professor Emeritus Nancy Crewe died unexpectedly April 7, 2011 at the age of 71.
Crewe officially retired from Michigan State University in 2004 after serving as a leading faculty member in the university’s counseling psychology and rehabilitation counseling programs over 17 years. She has continued contributing to the field as a consultant, author and teacher – participating in major research projects during the current (2010-11) academic year.
Throughout her long and distinguished career, Dr. Crewe cared deeply about people with disabilities and the physical and psychological aspects that affected their lives. Through her extraordinary research and scholarship, Nancy made landmark contributions to understanding the disability experience and enhancing the quality of rehabilitation services to individuals with significant disabilities. Her work in functional assessment helped re-orient the focus of assessment from a deficit-orientated, medical model, to a capacity orientated functional model – foreshadowing and contributing to major shifts in public policy by nearly two decades.
Similarly, her recognition of the importance of the independent living movement resulted in co-authoring the preeminent book on this subject that captured and advanced a fundamental policy and paradigm shift, and brought her international recognition by consumers, advocates and professionals. Her 20-year longitudinal study of a cohort of persons with spinal cord injury chartered new territory in the understanding of long-term adjustment, health and aging for people with disabilities. Her most recent scholarly contribution, as a co-author with Carolyn Vash in the second edition of the Psychology of Disability, is an invaluable resource and text in rehabilitation education and disability studies in the United States and throughout the world.
As we reflect on Nancy’s extraordinary contributions, there are three key features to point out that clearly distinguished her work. The first is the unusual depth and breadth of her knowledge, the second is the singular creativity and intellectual power of her work, and the third is the impact of her other-centeredness on the learning achievements of those she served. Her contributions extend to at least four professional fields, namely, rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation psychology, rehabilitation medicine, and counseling psychology.
The awards and honors she has received (e.g., the 1981 Licht Award for Scientific Writing from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, the 1990 Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers, the 1993 Distinguished Contributions Award from the APA Division 22, the 1997 MSU Distinguished Faculty Award, the 1998 ARCA Research Award, the 2001 Roger Barker Distinguished Research Award from APA Division 22, and the 2004 NCRE Distinguished Educator Award) span these disciplines, attesting to the universality of her contributions in the generation and translation of knowledge to address new needs.
Nancy was the embodiment of leadership with grace. Her balance of gentleness and strength inspired a commitment to individual excellence and a feeling of community for students and colleagues alike. She will be greatly missed by all of us.