In Memoriam: Holly Shablack, Assistant Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Science Shablack joined the CBSC Department at Washington and Lee University in 2022.
Holly Shablack, assistant professor of cognitive and behavioral science at Washington and Lee University, died on April 14 at the age of 35. She was in her fourth year of teaching at W&L.
“Holly elevated listening to an artform, approaching others with genuine curiosity, compassion and kindness,” said Julie Woodzicka, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Science and department head. “She had a remarkable ability to make those around her feel seen and heard. Students spoke enthusiastically about how her guidance and availability supported them both in and beyond the classroom. Holly made our department a better place, and she will be deeply missed.”
“It’s very difficult to accept that someone so young and so generous with her time and spirit is no longer with us. Colleagues turned to Holly often to serve in a variety of capacities, and more than once, I found myself checking in with her to see if she had the space, and she always did,” said Paul Youngman, Dean of the College. “Her willingness to serve her department, the College and the university was simply who she was. We have lost not only a gifted scholar and teacher, but a rare and sustaining presence among us.”
Shablack was born on Oct. 28, 1990, to Mansueta Shablack and the late John Edward Shablack Jr. at the Patuxent River Naval Base in Maryland. She earned a B.S. from the University of Michigan in 2012, where she majored in brain, behavior and cognitive sciences and minored in linguistics. She earned her M.A. in 2017 and her Ph.D. in 2020, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a social psychology focus and quantitative psychology concentration. Her research program addressed issues surrounding language development, culture and emotion. She was the author of 13 research articles and book chapters, publishing in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, “Handbook of Emotion Development,” Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience and more — with a host of additional projects in progress. Her research examined the relationship between sociocultural factors and language and how they shape and influence attitudes, emotions, behavior and emotional and physical health.
Prior to coming to W&L, Shablack served as a visiting assistant professor in the Psychology Department at Oberlin College from 2020 to 2022. At W&L, Shablack taught courses related to health psychology, statistics and research design, data science, language, culture and emotion.
“Holly was an easygoing, down-to-earth individual with whom you always felt completely at ease in conversation and happy that she stopped by your office for whatever reason,” said Wythe Whiting, professor of cognitive and behavioral science. “Her classrooms were set with a warm and welcoming environment that was balanced with intellectual challenges and learning with precision.”
She was a member of W&L’s Community-Based Learning (CBL) Collaborative and the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics Ethical Reasoning in Action Faculty Learning Community. She served on W&L’s Public Functions and Student Affairs Committees.
“Holly was an exceptional model of citizenship, humility and growth for W&L students,” said Karla Murdock, Jo M. and James M. Ballengee Sr. Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Science. “Even while building a rigorous and creative program of research here, she embraced every opportunity to invest in her growth as a teacher. She integrated into her courses community-based learning practices and critical analysis of ethical complexities. Her legacy will be manifested through all of the ways her students make our world better.”
W&L’s Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science is establishing the Holly Shablack Memorial Award in Shablack’s honor. The award will be awarded annually to a student who exemplifies Shablack’s generosity of spirit.
Shablack was preceded in death by her father, John Edward Shablack Jr. She is survived by her husband, Derek Goodheart, daughter, Lucia, mother, Mansueta Shablack, siblings Junrey (Sarah), Sita Marie (Jeremy) and Johnnie Ann (Matt), father-in-law, Perry, mother-in-law, Darlene, sister-in-law Ashley (Levi), as well as many nieces, nephews, a vast circle of supportive and caring friends and beloved dog, Ein.
A funeral visitation will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory (230 Frontier Drive, Staunton, Virginia). A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. at Thornrose Cemetery (1041 W. Beverley St., Staunton, Virginia), followed by a celebration of life at Stable Craft Brewing (375 Madrid Road, Waynesboro, Virginia).
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in the form of donations to the Colon Cancer Society.
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