IN MEMORIAM: Remembering Nancy Petry

IN MEMORIAM: Remembering Nancy Petry
An Incredible Scientist Leaves Us Too Early

Nancy Petry, an incredibly productive scientist and very giving person whom everyone liked, died in July of 2018 at the age of 49. While maintaining a very demanding and busy academic career, Nancy was a loving and dedicated mother. Besides her husband, Dr. Willam (Billy) White, she leaves a 9-year-old son, Noah White, and a 11-year-old daughter, Hannah White. Nancy was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota and was raised in Jamestown, New York. She went to Randolph-Macon College in Lynchburg, Virginia, received her PhD from Harvard University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical addiction research at the University of Vermont School of Medicine. She joined the faculty of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1996. At the UConn School of Medicine, she became an academic superstar developing unique methodologies to treat addictive disorders using contingency management. At the young age of 34, she became the youngest full professor with tenure in the School’s history. She was internationally known for her work in behavioral treatments and impulsivity disorders. During her career at UConn she received $40 million in funding as a PI from the NIH, published over 300 original articles, and wrote several books in the areas of pathological gambling, contingency management and internet gaming disorders. Her novel treatment methods for addiction disorders were successfully disseminated to the Veterans Administration Medical Centers and internationally. At the time of her death, she was the Editor of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. Lastly, even with her busy schedule, Nancy found time to train a large number of post-doctoral fellows, many of whom became successful faculty members at universities around the country. Nancy will be dearly missed. The addictions field has lost one of its giants.

Linda C. Sobell, Ph.D., ABPP

President of Division 50 (SoAP), APA