It is with sadness that we share news of the death of Pat Averill, beloved Honors alumna, former staff member, and former professor. She passed away December 20, 2010, after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer nearly five years ago.

After graduating summa cum laude in psychology and earning the award for Most Outstanding Senior Honors Thesis in 1987, Pat worked for the then-Honors Program in academic and student services. Pat went on to work at The University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston—where she received several honors for outstanding teaching, mentoring, and research—after earning a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston in 1993. As a student, Pat was persistent, and she demanded the best from her teachers and herself. When she became a staff member and then a member of the teaching faculty—she taught PSYC 1300H for many years—she maintained those same high standards of excellence. Pat is survived by her husband Jim, daughter Kelly, son John (‘01, MIS), and three grandchildren.

To honor her memory and her achievements, the Honors College has founded the Patricia Averill Scholarship, which will be awarded to an outstanding psychology major each year. To contribute to the scholarship fund, donors should contact Beth Kungel Borck at 713.743.3220 or bkborck@uh.edu.