Sharing Sad News on the Passing of Dr. Christopher Kilmartin
Dear UMW Colleagues,
It’s with a heavy heart that we share the death of Dr. Christopher Kilmartin, professor emeritus of psychology, who passed away from a heart attack this past weekend. Many of you have likely already seen or heard of this sad news, as he was well known on our campus, in our community, and among scholars, alumni, and friends. Our thoughts are with his family, including Allyson Poska, his wife and partner of more than 33 years, and a fellow faculty emeriti at UMW.
Chris retired in 2016 after teaching for more than 30 years at the University of Mary Washington. He loved playing guitar and listening to music and was an avid golfer and consumer of gin and tonics. A natural performer, he did stand-up comedy, performed in university productions, and wrote and acted in a solo theatre performance on men’s issues entitled Crimes Against Nature, which toured to over 150 campuses and other venues for a total of over 220 performances.
Chris was an internationally recognized expert on gender, violence prevention, diversity, equity and inclusion. A prolific writer, he is the author of five books, including The Fictions that Shape Men’s Lives, The Masculine Self, Men’s Violence Against Women: Theory, Research, and Activism, Overcoming Masculine Depression: The Pain behind the Mask, and Sexual Assault in Context: Teaching College Men about Gender. He served as a consultant on related issues with many institutions, including the U.S. military, the United Nations, and the U.S. Peace Corps.
He was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the United States Air Force Academy in 2013-14, as well as the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Gender Studies at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. He was also a Fellow in the American Psychological Association.
He earned a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Frostburg State College. He also was a licensed clinical psychologist, regarded as a faculty expert for media and a trusted source on numerous topics. He will be missed.
As we start this semester with this sad news, it is also a reminder of how deeply our practices of teaching and lifelong learning can extend and impact so many. We will share more information as memorial details are finalized, and I appreciate everyone who has already reached out with ways we might honor his memory. Read the Christopher Kilmartin obituary.
Timothy M. O’Donnell
Provost
University of Mary Washington
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