Robert Stern Papers

Robert Stern (May 12, 1948-April 22, 2001)

Robert Stern was a superb teacher and scholar, and an inspiration to faculty, staff, and students in the ILR School.

Bob joined the School in 1974, after earning an A.B. degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1970, and

M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Sociology from Vanderbilt University.

Professor Stern's research focused on problems of organizational governance and on the sources and nature of

organizational conflict.

Bob was an original member of the ILR School's Teaching Advisory Committee, and he was the committee's spark,

always looking for ways to improve his own teaching and that of others. He also was a mentor of young faculty

members, both in his own department of Organizational Behavior and in other departments within the School.

In 1997, despite mounting health problems, Bob became the Director of Graduate Studies in the ILR School. He

reasoned that if he could not do as much scholarly research as in the past, he could still serve the School in another

capacity. Bob was an excellent choice for the job: he was committed to both the professional masters program and

to the M.S./Ph.D. program, he enjoyed meeting prospective students, he was interested in the work of people in

disciplines other than his own, he was fair, and he always was sympathetic to students with academic, personal,

or financial problems.