Katherine Krpan

Don was one of my graduate advisors in Psychology at the University of Toronto from 2002 until I defended my PhD in 2009. To the best of my knowledge, I was the last graduate student that Don took on – and I feel so lucky that I managed to snag the spot! Don was phenomenal advisor – both academically, and personally. Despite the many demands on his time, he always made time for me, and for the lab. Academically – he demanded precision and logic in everything from email correspondence to grant proposals and theses and neruopsych assessment. I remember sometime early in my graduate career, when I was learning to administer neuropsych tests, Don stayed late one night to play the role of one of my patients (and he was tough!). He wouldn’t let me test anyone until I had passed HIS tests. There I was, alone in a Rotman test room with this intellectual giant who was taking the time out of his schedule to train me. And, I might add (and he made this clear), to protect any future patients or subjects from the harm that might be done if a test was not administered correctly. He cared not only about my training, but about the people we were studying. Don also always took care of his lab. From drinks on Avenue, to theatre tickets and pizza, trips to Toronto Island for BBQ, the One of a Kind Show, or dinner at his home, we always had something fun planned as a group, with Don. In fact, two weeks before I defended my PhD, Don had the whole lab up to his cottage for the weekend. He and Lourenza made us ribs, we sat in the hot tub and hiked. And I also got to practice my defense talk. It was just what I needed during a very stressful time. I will be forever grateful to Don for that kind of support – academically, and emotionally. On a more personal level, Don also always encouraged balance in my life. I can think of many examples of this, but two, in particular, stand out in my mind. The first was back in 2004 when my Grandfather was in his final months suffering with Alzheimer’s Disease. I went to Don looking for advice about whether I should take a scholarship I had been offered to study the Frontal Lobes in Greece for six weeks, or stay in Toronto and be close to my Grandpa. I expected him to push me to take the opportunity, and remind me of how lucky I was to have the chance. But instead, we ended up speaking about life and death – about regrets and decisions. I didn’t go to Greece that summer, and I don’t have any regrets about that. The second is when I was finishing my postdoc at the University of Michigan, and I was expecting my first child. I felt a lot of conflict about how to proceed with life as an academic, and a Mother. Again, I expected Don to encourage my academic pursuits. And he did. But he also understood my conflict. He told me that my children would thank me for staying close to them, if that’s what I decided to do. In a way, it felt like Don had granted me the freedom of choice. Don knew that there were some things in life that were more important than work and study. Even a short conversation with Don – likely conversations that he didn’t even remember having years later, left lasting impressions on me. I feel so lucky to have been trained by Don. And I am so incredibly sorry to see the world lose such great mind, and human being. My deepest condolences to all Don’s family and dear friends. He will be greatly missed. His legacy will undoubtedly live on through his science, his teaching, and all the people he touched.