The U of A College of Education and Health Professions is mourning the loss of faculty member Kevin Roessger, who died unexpectedly on Sept. 3.

Described as brilliant, well-respected in his field and gracious with his time and energy, Roessger has been an integral faculty member of the college's adult and lifelong learning program in the Department of Counseling, Leadership and Research Methods since 2016.

Roessger's department is hosting an event to remember him and celebrate his life on Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Graduate Education Building auditorium foyer, GRAD 166. Remarks will begin at 4:30 p.m. All are invited.

Roessger taught courses in quantitative data analysis and adult learning theory. Dean Kate Mamiseishvili called him a passionate researcher and renowned scholar who cared deeply about his students.

Roessger's former doctoral student Daniel Parker said, "I wouldn't be where I am today without Kevin's mentorship. As a teacher, he put adult learning theory into practice and ensured we had the necessary skills to succeed. While he had high expectations, he provided us with rich learning opportunities and never left us out to dry. Even outside of the classroom, he was gracious with his time and energy."

Parker, who regarded Roessger a mentor, adviser, colleague and, "most importantly, friend," always considered himself lucky to have Roessger in his corner. "Kevin was not only incredibly sharp and well respected in the field, but he was also kind, considerate and always made room for others to shine," he said.

In Parker's third year in the adult and lifelong learning program, Roessger became co-editor of the top adult learning journal, Adult Education Quarterly, and offered Parker a graduate assistant position as its editorial assistant. During his time as Roessger's GA, the two co-authored five papers and co-presented at four conferences. Roessger also served as his dissertation chair, and they continued to work together after Parker graduated. "The day he died, I received word that I obtained funding for my first NSF proposal as a principal investigator. I was so excited to tell him, but unfortunately, I never got the chance," Parker said.

Roessger was also Julie Galliart's dissertation chair. When she completed the program in 2020, Galliart asked Roessger if he would continue to work with her as a research mentor. About a year later, they were awarded a grant by the University of Kansas School of Medicine Medical Alumni Innovative Teaching Fund to study developing effective teaching strategies for changing medical students' attitudes toward reflection in practice. Galliart said this was an ambitious project requiring in-person reflection workshops for students, which Roessger traveled to Kansas to facilitate. Galliart, an associate dean at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, said those multiple trips also facilitated their friendship.

"As friends, we were as similar as we were different. His brilliance made Kevin both opinionated and fun to argue with," she said. "He liked that I would step up to the lines he made in our conversational sand. 'I'm not sure I agree with that' was a phrase he heard a lot from me."

Galliart noted that he was a talented artist, woodworker and musician who liked to start each day by reading outdoors with his coffee and his pipe (a Dunhill LB). "Recently, he turned often to the words of the ancient Stoics — Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. As I think of him, I find myself reading them, too, reconnecting through a shared experience that defies space and time," she said.

Roessger's department head, Kristin Higgins, said she and others in the main office looked forward to Kevin's daily visits for candy or coffee. "His 'afternoon fix' as he would call it," she said. "He had a bright smile each day and would visit for a bit. He will be greatly missed. He always made each of us in the office feel appreciated."

Colleague Kenda Grover, who was part of the hiring committee when Roessger came on board in 2016, remembered him as a remarkable instructor who was brilliant and admired by colleagues, those in the adult and lifelong learning community — and his students.

She said Roessger was at his best in front of a classroom, sharing knowledge.

"He helped students reach their potential. He expected a lot, but they respected him and worked hard," she said. "He patiently helped them understand complex concepts in quantitative statistics. Those are really challenging classes."

Grover has heard from a wide swath of collaborators, alumni and friends since he passed. "He worked with people across the country. He was a great mind with ambitious plans," she said.

In addition to his roles as an editor or reviewer for various journals, he published numerous articles and book chapters in the field's most respected outlets. He recently received the Imogene Oaks Award from the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education, a national award that recognizes researchers who significantly contribute to the advancement of adult and continuing education.

Roessger also received various awards from his department over the years, lauding his advising, mentoring and impactful research efforts.

"We will greatly miss Kevin, even as we continue to feel his presence through his many contributions to his program and field," Mamiseishvili noted in an email to college leadership.