The College of Education is saddened to announce the death of Educational Psychology Professor Emeritus Thomas Schwandt.
Tom was a national and international leader in evaluation, helping establish the profession’s value in democratic societies. He focused on qualitative inquiry across disciplines and how moral and ethical values shape our understanding of these practices.
During his tenure at Illinois, he served as Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology. He was recognized for his teaching at both the university and college levels, earning the University Distinguished Teacher-Scholar in 2003, the campus award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching in 2006, and receiving the Distinguished Teaching Career Award from the College of Education in 2012.
Tom was named an American Education Research Association (AERA) Fellow in 2010. He also received the American Evaluation Association’s Paul F. Lazarsfeld Award for his contributions to evaluation theory. He is a past editor of the American Journal of Evaluation.
A celebration honoring Tom’s life and legacy will be held on Saturday, January 24, at 1:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 6th and Lincoln St., in Bloomington, Indiana. A reception will follow in the church fellowship hall, where everyone is invited to join the family in celebrating Tom’s life and honoring Tom’s love for food and conversation.
