AIR Loses Charter Member, Cameron L.
Fincher
Dear AIR Members
and Colleagues,
I regret to announce the death of Dr. Cameron Lane
Fincher, 83, on Saturday, March 13, 2010, in Athens, Georgia.
Dr. Fincher had a significant impact on the field of institutional research. He
was a charter member of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR), and is
one of the few individuals who received all three major awards from AIR: the Outstanding
Service Award, the Distinguished Membership Award, and the Sidney Suslow Award.
In addition, in 1991 he received the first Howard R. Bowen distinguished Career
Award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE).
Dr. Fincher also worked with more than 200 different institutions of higher education
at all levels. He developed, organized, and conducted many workshops and training
seminars related to planning, administrative leadership, teaching and learning,
assessment, and evaluation. Organizations with which he worked closely include the
Southern Education Foundation, Southern Regional Education Board, the College Board,
Educational Testing Service, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the
University System of Georgia.
Dr. Fincher had a distinguished and laudable career. He joined the University of Georgia faculty as professor and associate director in 1965. He was appointed director in 1969 and Regents Professor in 1981. Throughout his more than 40 years on the Institute faculty, he achieved recognition as one of the nation’s outstanding thinkers on American higher education. His service to Georgia and to higher education led to many innovations and improved practices in the administration of higher education both in the University System of Georgia and in private higher education as well. Additionally, the Fincher Library was named after Dr. Fincher in honor of his love and respect for all literature.
His numerous articles, book chapters, and reviews have been published in a wide spectrum of leading journals in higher education, psychology, and research and assessment. Dr. Fincher was also a contributing columnist to the Athens Banner Herald, publishing more than 200 articles on higher education and related topics from 1970 to 1990.
The AIR Board of Directors made a donation to the Julia M. Duckwall Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of Dr. Fincher. Each year, funds from the scholarship provide two members the opportunity to attend an AIR Institute. This donation will serve to further advance the profession of institutional research and honor Dr. Cameron Fincher, one of our most distinguished members.
Respectfully,
Rob Toutkoushian
AIR President