Death of Dr. Gwen Sorell
Dr. Gwendolyn T. Sorell, Ph.D., died March 23, 2009, at VistaCare Hospice in Lubbock. She was born Aug. 1, 1936, in Peoria, Ill. She attended public schools in Fort Worth and Grandview, Texas. She most recently was an associate professor of human development and family studies at Texas Tech University, where she had taught since 1983.
Gwen was a human development scholar. Her area of specialization, reflected in her research and teaching, was development during adulthood. During her career, she taught undergraduate courses in early and middle age adult development, and a yearly graduate seminar in adulthood, which was highly valued by graduate students. Her ongoing research, the Women's Identity Project, involved many students over the years and filled a gap in the adult development literature in that much of the previous research on adult development had been limited to men. Underlying this work was her commitment to the importance of developmental theory, the philosophical bases of theory, and the implications of philosophy/theory for science and for social action. She often said that what she most enjoyed was discussing and debating theory -- in her graduate human development theories course, in her mentoring of graduate students, and with colleagues. Her expertise in and her passion for the study of human development enriched the lives and careers of many students and of her professional colleagues.
Dr. Sorell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal arts in 1976, at the age of 40, from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt. She earned her Master of Science and her Doctoral degrees in human development and family studies from the Pennsylvania State University in 1978 and 1982, respectively. In 1981-1982, she served a National Institutes of Mental Health postdoctoral research traineeship in psychology at the University of Denver.
During her tenure at Texas Tech, Dr. Sorell served as coordinator and director of the Women’s Studies Program from 1989 to 2004. While in the position, she grew the program both in numbers of students and in numbers of affiliated faculty, and she co-founded the Women’s Studies Community Connection. At Texas Tech, her awards included the Extra Mile Award in the College of Home Economics, the Faculty Award for Educational Inclusion from the Multicultural Services Center, elected membership into the Texas Tech University Teaching Academy, and the President’s Excellence in Teaching Award.
She was author or co-author of 27 publications and made more than 100 presentations at professional conferences. She authored a dozen editorials and commentaries in various publications. She was a guest lecturer and invited presenter to more than 125 organizations and classes. She served as supervisor for 24 master’s thesis graduate students and 16 doctoral dissertation graduate students.
Dr. Sorell’s community service included being on the board of directors from 1988-2007 for the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center, the board of directors of the West Texas AIDS Foundation, the board of directors from 2000-2006 of the Planned Parenthood Association of Lubbock, the special services advisory board from 1995-2005 of the Equity Project at South Plains College, and a member of the American Association of University Women. She also served as a consultant to the Region 17 Educational Service Center Evaluation of Lubbock Independent School District Drug Free Schools Project, the Lubbock Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, for Neighborhood-Based Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Needs Assessment, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Women’s Health Program.
Gwen’s extracurricular activities included gardening, reading, camping, bridge playing, and listening to West Texas music. To those who knew her well, she humorously referred to herself as the “Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise” as she was a devoted Star Trek enthusiast.
Surviving family members include: a sister, Sherri McKone, of Richmond, Va., a daughter, Leslie Alvarado, and a son-in-law, Jesse Alvarado, both of Angleton, Texas; grandson, Jesse Lynch Alvarado, his wife, Cheryl Lynn Alvarado, and their son, Jesse Lynch Alvarado Jr., all of Chesapeake, Va.; grandson, Matthew Alvarado, of Houston; grandson, Steven Alvarado, of Angleton, Texas; and grandson, Lucas Alvarado, also of Angleton, Texas.
In honoring Gwen’s wishes, no formal services will be held. Gwen had requested that all those who wished to do so would simply come to her home, share in a drink, reflect on a story or two, and then resume the living of their lives. In the spirit of an old-fashioned wake, individuals are invited to drop by her home Saturday, March 28, between the hours of 1-3 p.m. A memory tree will provide each person an opportunity to write a brief thought about Gwen’s impact on his or her life or share a story that her family may treasure later.
During her year and a half battle against cancer, Gwen received hundreds of e-mails and cards from colleagues, friends, and current and former students who expressed the impact she had made on their lives, both personally and professionally. The Gwen Sorell Endowed Scholarship in Women’s Studies was established in 2004 to honor her service as director of the Women’s Studies Program at Texas Tech. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes memorial donations to be made to the scholarship in care of the Office of Institutional Advancement, Box 41081, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409-1081.