Growing up as an only child, Sandra Walker Russ made the most of her solitary hours.
Her role-playing, singing and other artistic activities not only filled unstructured playtime, but also laid a foundation for her scholarly focus: the connection between creative development and pretend play.
In turn, Russ’ career and the passion for her work have inspired a $1.5 million estate commitment to Case Western Reserve University to continue research in this field.
When realized, the gift will establish the Sandra Walker Russ, PhD, Assistant Professorship in Child Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. The selected faculty member will hold a primary appointment in the Department of Psychological Sciences, and lead a research program focusing on child psychology.
“With this gift, (Dr. Russ) has extended her legacy even more, in ways that will benefit those future faculty, research in child psychology and, ultimately, young people themselves,” said Joy K. Ward, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Case Western Reserve’s interim provost as of July 1. “We are truly honored by this commitment.”
Russ, who retired recently after 47 years at CWRU, is the Distinguished University Professor Emerita and the Louis D. Beaumont University Professor Emerita of Psychological Sciences. She is renowned for developing the “Affect in Play Scale,” a standardized tool that uses children’s play to help illuminate children’s development in such areas as creativity and divergent thinking. The measure is widely used today.
While Russ’ work was influenced by the joy and creative pleasure she derived from the pretend play of her youth, the correlation between how children experience play and the impact it has on developing minds drove her research and, ultimately, inspired her gift commitment.
“As you start to think about what you want to leave going forward,” Russ reflected, “you ask ‘what will make a difference for the future?’ In psychology, it’s research. And if you’re serious about research, the university is the place to do it. The faculty here is outstanding and the structure is here to help them and push them.”
Originally published in the summer 2023 issue of Forward Thinking magazine