Make a difference
Through a bequest to the American Psychological Foundation, Jerome Kagan is cultivating new
talent in psychological science for years to come.
The Monitor asked developmental psychologist Jerome Kagan, PhD,
Harvard professor emeritus, to talk
about why he has included the American
Psychological Foundation in his will.
Why did you decide to make a
bequest to psychology through
APF?
Supporting talented students who have
chosen psychology is necessary to ensure
a quality of scientific work that will
advance our understanding of mental
phenomena and, in select instances,
contribute to the mental health of the
nation.
What has psychology meant to
you?
I chose psychology as my career early
in my undergraduate years because
I believed that a more profound
understanding of development would
be followed by insights that would
guide new practices that parents and
teachers could implement, which might
reduce the mental illness burden. I have
enjoyed my 59 years of research, teaching
and writing and I feel a deep sense of
privilege for the many satisfactions this
choice of career brought.
Why do you feel that giving back
is important?
I urge my colleagues to support APF in
any way they can. The social sciences
are faced with stiffer competition from
the biologists for funds to support
students and inquiry. Hence, increasing
the amount of resources is more critical
today than it was when I entered
graduate school in 1950. n
To read more about Kagan’s vision about
the future of psychology research, go to
www.apa.org/monitor/2012/10/ghost.
aspx.
“Supporting talented students who have chosen psychology is necessary to ensure
a quality of scientific work that will advance our understanding of mental
phenomena,” says Dr. Jerome Kagan.
Donate your IRA and
receive a tax benefit
In 2013, people age 70 and a
half years or older may donate
distributions of up to $100,000
from their traditional or Roth
IRAs directly to a charity
like APF without having to
pay income taxes on the
distributions.
If you are interested in
making a charitable gift with
your IRA, ask your fund
administrator to direct your
distribution to the charity of
your choice. Your distribution
will be rolled-over from your
IRA account to your charity,
and will be a non-taxable
gift. For more information,
contact APF’s Kimberly
Rowsome at (202) 336-5622.
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