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Heather Servaty-Seib

Professor and Associate Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Purdue University

Heather L. Servaty-Seib leads the grief and loss research team, which aims to conduct research that will assist society (e.g., service professionals, friends, family) in gaining a better understanding of the idiosyncratic experiences of grieving individuals. It is important to note that the team defines loss in a broad way (Harvey, 2001; Murray, 2015). Loss is a construct that traditionally applies to death losses, but can also be applied to many other challenging life experiences (e.g., college graduation, educational transition, divorce and romantic breakups). Grief, therefore, entails the multidimensional responses individuals experience following death and non-death losses (Corr & Corr , 2007).

Within this focus on grief, the team’s current empirical work is targeted toward addressing the interpersonal challenges faced by grieving individuals; including the interpersonal and communication distance/gap that often exists between grieving individuals and society.

Experience

  • –present
    Professor and Associate Dean , Purdue University

Education

  • 1997 
    University of North Texas , Counseling Psychology