Professor Sarah DuBrow Tribute Page
We are mourning our colleague and friend Professor Sarah DuBrow’s much too early death from a sudden disease. She passed away on Sunday, February 13, 2022.
We created this page to allow those whose lives she changed to have a permanent, public space to write tributes to her.
Please add your testimonials, remembrances, and tributes to the comments.
Sarah has been a wonderful presence in our department. She exuded quiet strength, she was fearlessly creative in her science, fearless towards authority, principled in her engagement for fairness in the department and the broader scientific community, and enormously dedicated to mentoring students across all levels.
The two of us had overlapping research interests and I was truly looking forward to seeing her work blossom (quietly hoping that she would like to collaborate with me once she fully got her program in place). It is such a cruel twist of fate that only days before her passing, she received an important validation of her career prospects in form of notice of a K award.
At times, we also had the inescapable department-head-to-junior-faculty dynamics to navigate and I respected how she always let me know–softened through a her slightly mischievous smile–when she thought I fell short in one of my administrative duties.
Sarah would have been a leader in science and at the UO. It is heartbreaking that we all were robbed of the opportunity to witness her grow into these roles.
Ulrich Mayr
Ulrich,
I am so terribly sorry for the loss of your friend and colleague, which I learned of through a mutual friend.
Best,
Scott
I had the opportunity to be taught by Sarah and Ben during my first semester of graduate school. I was actually quite intimidated by her at first. The breadth of her knowledge and well-thought-out responses were evident in the first 5 minutes of the class, and I couldn’t read her for the life of me. Her passion for her work, teaching, and the discussion of ideas was evident. It was interesting having a married couple as my profs for a semester; I was hesitant about what that would look like at first. Their ability to play off each other’s ideas and comments were fluid and engaging. They both brought tremendous energy to the classroom, and I was looking forward to picking her brain once I got the confidence.
While not knowing her for long, her impact and reputation were clear on the department. I hope that she can live on through her academic legacy and continue her insights to help us understand.
I wish I have known Sarah more personally. From what I heard, she was always smiling and friendly. This heartbreaking news reminds me to cherish the opportunities to smell the roses and not take moments of my life and those of my loved ones’ for granted. No words can relieve Ben and Eve’s grief and sorrow. I would love to contribute more to support Ben and Eve.
no better person to get some perspective on Reviewer 2 comments! brilliant connections across literatures. i have a text from sarah that’s a scientific figure, saying “from a paper i’m reading demo’ing uniformity” — it is from a paper supplement (!) that sarah thought of while we were discussing reviewer 2’s questions about one of my figures, over kale salads at the EMU. i’ll leave between us some cheeky suggested phrasing to help said reviewer see the light 😉 i’m gonna miss these convos, and so much more.
In my memories of Sara — she is brilliant, energetic, funny, clear-headed … and wise and present beyond her years. She lit many candles as a scientist, teacher, friend, partner, mother, and just as a good human being. The world continues to be brighter because of her time in it.
This is hard to fathom….why such a beautiful gifted young soul would leave us so soon?
I only met Sarah & Ben once, many years ago, when they were just starting to date.
How can I forget?
I have a beautiful photo of the two of them at Thanksgiving
(held at Sarah’s dad, Paul and his partner Kathy’s home, who are personal friends.)
This is truly tragic to learn about.
I will remember her quiet demeanor and beautiful smile.
She was intelligent, beautiful and more.
I feel very sad for Paul, Sarah’s mom, Ben, Eve, and everyone whose lives Sarah touched.
May her legacy continue.
Soar high Sarah!
Sarah was so many things to our department. She was a brilliant scholar whose career was poised to skyrocket; and a dynamic, caring, and talented teacher. She also led efforts to connect and support our psychology community (especially early career researchers) through a ‘Growing up in Science’ series held over Zoom during the pandemic, where colloquium speakers shared their personal experiences (including their ‘unofficial’ bios) and discussed issues facing individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in science. Sarah’s warmth was honestly contagious. We will miss all that she was, and all she should have had the chance to become.
I first met Sarah about 15 years ago when she was an undergraduate at Stanford and Brice and I were graduate students. Sarah was a phenomenal student in a challenging major (Human Biology), and she was (unsurprisingly) a fantastic research assistant. I was struck by her intelligence, incredible work ethic, friendly demeanor, and her curiosity both about science and about careers in academia. When Sarah graduated and stayed at Stanford as a lab manager for Anthony Wagner’s lab, I had more opportunities to socialize with her and got glimpses of her quick wit.
Fast forward several years, and we overlapped with Sarah again, this time at NYU. Sarah was a graduate student in Lila Davachi’s lab, and I was starting a visiting faculty position. Sarah generously gave me the lowdown on graduate student life at NYU and gave me advice about teaching large lecture courses and working with graduate student TAs, both of which were new to me. During this time, Brice and I developed a closer friendship with Sarah, and she became part of our inner circle of academic friends.
When Sarah and Ben were hired by the University of Oregon, Brice and I felt like we had hit the personal and professional jackpot. As I observed Sarah transition to a faculty position, it made me happy to see her voicing her opinions and thoughts much more readily than she had as an undergraduate. I could see that she had built up confidence over the years, yet I’m not sure she ever fully knew just how brilliant and amazing she was. Sarah was a sharp and insightful thinker, who was passionate about science and committed to inclusivity in undergraduate and graduate education. She was a devoted mentor and an excellent role model for young scientists.
To me, Sarah seemed to have found that elusive sense of balance between her work and home life. Stanford undergrads are known for their “work hard, play hard” culture, and I felt like Sarah personified that motto in a healthy way. One moment she would be geeking out about a new research finding and in the next breath she would be telling us about a new restaurant we should try or sharing juicy news from one of her many academic friends. I admired her enthusiasm for science and her zeal for life.
Most of all, I will remember Sarah’s smile, her expressive face, and her laugh. I will remember the jokes we shared, the warm feeling I had in her company, and how she always made me feel heard with her encouraging nod. Sarah truly was a rising star. I miss her terribly, but I know her light will continue to shine through the many lives that she touched.
I first met Sarah when she was an undergraduate at Stanford. I was a graduate student and Sarah was a research assistant who happened to get paired up with me. Although I could not forecast at the time all the amazing things she would accomplish, it was clear from the very early days that Sarah possessed a brilliant mind and a wonderful personality. Our paths crossed again when we were both in the New York area and yet again when she and Ben moved to Oregon. At each turn, I was so fortunate to know Sarah.
Sarah’s career was off to a phenomenal start and she was already recognized as a leader in the field of temporal memory and perception. She was a Sloan Research Fellow, an APS Rising Star, and was days away from officially receiving her first major NIH grant as a PI. Sarah was a voracious reader, a lightning-quick thinker, and deeply curious about anything related to cognitive neuroscience. She would discuss papers, methods, and theories with such zeal, curiosity, and animacy that the most pedantic science-related discussions had the feel of scandalous gossip. These conversations will remain one of my fondest memories of Sarah.
On the personal side, among Sarah’s most precious gifts was her ability to make others feel happy. I think anyone that knew her will remember her smile. Sarah was instantly one of the most sought-after mentors in our department, someone that students fiercely admired, and she was adored by her trainees. Over the last few weeks—a breathtakingly short amount of time—it was remarkable, yet unsurprising, to see the outpouring of love and concern for Sarah. This outpouring was a testament to all that she had done to endear herself to others.
It is hard to overstate how much I valued my time with Sarah and how much I–and so many others–will miss her.
While Sarah’s life and career was cut cruelly short, she had accomplished more than most in full lifetime. Inspiring teacher and mentor, brilliant researcher, recognized by awards and peers alike. Wonderful colleague, instant friend. Most lately becoming a wife to her long-term partner and a mother to her daughter Eve. It was beautiful to watch the many milestones all coming together for Sarah, making her sudden passing even more tragic and incomprehensible. I will forever miss her smile in the hallway, our chats and lunches together, her radiating presence.
Dr. DuBrow guided me and my fellow cohort of honors psychology students through our final year of undergrad in a seminar focused on completing our thesis. We all met in Fall of 2019 in beautiful Straub Hall and got to collaborate and support each other in-person until March of 2020 when we suddenly had to go virtual.
Dr. DuBrow made that transition seamless for all of us stressed out seniors wondering how we were going to finalize a research project from our living rooms. She showed up for us every week with a bright smile and excited energy via Zoom. Together, we found a way to present our posters in an online symposium – complete with individual breakout rooms and a lobby!
Dr. DuBrow made a lasting impact on me and I am saddened that she left this Earth so soon. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with her. Her passion for Open Science was encouraging for students just getting into the field. She will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to Ben & Eve and all that knew and loved Dr. DuBrow.
I remember when I first met Sarah and Ben after they joined University of Oregon. I was so excited to have another neuroscience couple at UO! Sarah was so energetic and warm – It was hard to be around her without smiling. In addition to some vague ideas for collaborations we discussed ideas of future hikes with our dogs. I was looking forward to having her as a colleague and a friend. Unfortunately, like so many other things, the pandemic put a wrench in our social plans and I hadn’t heard from Sarah and Ben for awhile until this past summer when they reached out to us about strategizing parental leave as duel faculty members. They were both so excited about little Eve on the way. I wish I had followed up with Sarah more after that. Pregnancy during the pandemic was hard and I wish I had reached out more to see how she was doing with everything, but I was distracted by our new baby and my own heal issues. The news of her tragic passing is heartbreaking and senseless. I wish knew what else to say. I am just so sorry this happened. Sending all my love to Ben, Eve, and the rest of their family.
From the first time I met Sarah, it was apparent she was kind. It was at some social gathering on campus, and she invited others into conversation effortlessly. I was nervous because Sarah and Ben immediately struck me as wonderful people, and I wanted them to be our friends. Nicki and I celebrated when they told us they were expecting Eve. I am still reeling from the e-mail we received on February 13 notifying us of Sarah’s passing. I regret not reaching out more to nurture our friendship and to convey how much we value them. This is unfair, and I hope Ben, Eve, and their families know how much love we have for Sarah and for them.
After reading and rereading all of the heartfelt comments on this site as well as on Caring Bridge, I was and continue to be deeply moved. Having shared Sarah’s first 18 years with her in New Jersey and vicinity (alternating weekdays and weekends with her mother!), I was well aware of many of her attributes including her obvious intelligence, strength of character, modesty, spirit of adventure, etc. and, of course, what I must mention as many of those who commented did, her unforgettable, captivating smile reflecting the goodness and personal magnetism that was so Sarah.
When Sarah decided on the west coast for college, our contact was significantly reduced to a phone call or two a week and an occasional few days now and then during vacations and holidays. This situation continued through her graduate studies on the east coast at NYU and Princeton since I had retired to western North Carolina. Anyway, when I just last year sold the house in North Carolina and moved back to New Jersey, Sarah and Ben were already gone and back on the west coast in Eugene!
So, our relationship had returned primarily to the occasional phone call or text message with the subject matter usually focusing on cooking, especially using a smoker, a passion of Sarah and Ben’s, making ice cream, beer and wine (both the production and consumption of which also being passions of theirs), impressive restaurants, trips abroad, Marlon and Maisie (their dogs) and lately, of course, Eve. You will have noticed that neuroscience was not among our topics of conversation at least for the most part. I guess she figured either I wasn’t interested that much or more likely that I would not be able to grasp what she was talking about. She did occasionally, however, mention some of what she was involved with as well as some of her colleagues, mentors, and students. And it is precisely you who interacted with Sarah these last years whom I want to thank for your comments on this site which have helped to fill in this gray area for me, demonstrating just how much Sarah impacted your lives both professionally and personally. Thanks for sharing your memories of and feelings about Sarah.
And Sarah, you are and will always be such an important part of me and apparently many others as well.
I love you so much.
Your Dad
Hello Paul,
This is Alex, Sarah’s cousin from Miami. I want to send you my heartfelt condolences for the passing of my little cousin. Although I hadn’t spoken to her in years, I would constantly talk to my aunt and ask how she was doing. I was so happy to hear that she had gotten arrived and was going to have a baby. It broke my heart when my father told me the news. I will never forgot out times spent together in New Jersey and at your cabin in the mountains. I love you cuz
To all of Sarah’s family and friends:
Please accept my sincerest and heartfelt condolences! Our family is in complete shock!
My son went to grammar school with Sarah and they were dear friends. Sarah was at my house many times. I remember my conversations with her mom many times in front of OLG! Sarah was brilliant then; top of the class and everyone knew it. She never bragged or boasted! She was a true humanitarian and was so humble and kind. We all admired her drive and passion for education and discovering the unknown. I just knew Sarah would go on to do great things and make a difference in the world. Sarah, Eve, and Ben will forever be in all our hearts and prayers. What a magnificent mommy Eve will learn all about! God Bless and keep you in his care, little Eve. Your mommy will be your guardian Angel from Heaven! Love, light, and prayers! Lynn