Obituary of Robert Morris Stern

Robert M. Stern, 83, of State College died on Saturday, June 13, 2020.

           He was born in New York City on June 18, 1937, the son of Ervin Stern and Nellie Wachstetter Stern. He attended The Bronx High School of Science and earned his B.A. in Philosophy at Franklin & Marshall College, an M.A. at Tufts University, and Ph.D. at Indiana University, Bloomington, both in Psychology.

           He was married on June 19, 1960, to Wilma Olch Stern, who survives as do his daughters Jessica Leigh Benjamin and her husband, Eric Benjamin, of West Newton, Massachusetts; Alison Rachel Stern and her  husband, Amoshaun Toft, of Seattle, Washington; and his sister, Janice Victor of Montclair, New Jersey.

           After completing his doctorate he spent two years as a Research Associate at Indiana University and then continued his career in Psychophysiology at the Department of Psychology at Penn State until 2005. In 1992 he was named a Distinguished Professor of Psychology. He was a highly productive researcher, a Ph.D. mentor to over 35 graduate students, a recognized undergraduate teacher, and an academic administrator. His research focused on the autonomic nervous system, especially on the validation and development of electrogastrography (EGG), a non-invasive electrophysiological technique used to record gastric electrical activity. The EGG has become an internationally used technique for the study of the mechanisms and management of gastrointestinal functioning including nausea and gastroparesis.

           His research and publications were conducted with numerous students and two close colleagues with whom he worked for many years, Dr. Kenneth Koch, now at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Professor William J. Ray of Penn State. Biofeedback, by Stern and Ray, received the National Media Award by the American Psychological Foundation. They were also the primary authors of Psychophysiological Recording, for many years the basic text for this field. With Dr. Koch he wrote the Handbook of Electrogastrography, and, after his retirement, Nausea, Mechanisms and Management. For several years he held grants from NASA for the study of motion sickness in space. His research was recognized by being granted the Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution to Psychophysiology by the Society for Psychophysiological Research in 2004 and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Electrogastrography Society in 2005.

             From 1978-1987 he served as the Head of the Department of Psychology at Penn State. During that time, he organized the Department's Committee for Minority Graduate Students. His efforts led to grants from NIH, NASA, and NSF to train minority high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The Department has been nationally recognized for these programs.

             Widely travelled, he received Fulbright and DAAD awards and was a visiting professor at the University of London, Simon Fraser University, University of Vienna, the Universities of Mainz and Tuebingen, the Athens Naval Hospital, and Wake Forest University.

             For many years Bob, as he was known to one and all, served on the Board of Strawberry Fields, a non-profit provider of community-based services for individuals with developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and mental illness. In his honor the Board, many relatives, and friends established the Robert M. Stern Fund, for grants and loans to benefit staff.

            Having grown up within a block of Yankee Stadium, Bob was an avid fan who often watched Yankees games with friends from "tar beach," the roof of his apartment building. His last book, Joe DiMaggio, Joe DiMaggio, describes his adventures growing up in The Bronx and his college years at Franklin & Marshall. Bob enjoyed owning a series of MGBs and until his vision failed he was an active tennis and handball player. Later in life he developed an interest in genealogy, and while at a conference in Budapest discovered members of his family going back to the 1830s including the famous glass artist, Miksa Roth, considered the Tiffany of Hungary.

            The family is very grateful for the care Bob received at Juniper Village, and the care giving for many years by Robynne Godfrey, Sherry Ankeny, Heather Dick, and Letitia Kelly.

            A private burial will be held at Lincoln Park Cemetery in Warwick, Rhode Island. A gathering in his honor will be held in the future.

            In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Bob may send memorial contributions to the Robert M. Stern Fund, Strawberry Fields, Inc., 3054 Enterprise Drive, State College, PA 16801.

            Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.