I am writing on behalf of the Queens College Psychology ...

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President of our Psi Chi Chapter. Betty unexpectedly passed away on January 15. Betty played a major role in our departm
I  am  writing  on  behalf  of  the  Queens  College  Psychology  Department  regarding  Betty  Chan,  the   President  of  our  Psi  Chi  Chapter.    Betty  unexpectedly  passed  away  on  January  15.   Betty  played  a  major  role  in  our  department,  and  her  absence  was  felt  within  days  of  her   passing,  though  we  did  not  find  out  right  away  the  sad  reason  for  her  absence.  In  addition  to   her  service  as  chapter  president,  Betty  volunteered  at  the  Queens  College  Psychological  Center,   and  was  a  research  assistant  in  the  Psychology  lab  of  Professor  Justin  Storbeck.   Betty  was  driven  to  learn,  grow,  and  contribute  to  her  community.  One  thing  that  set  her  apart   from  the  other  Psi  Chi  presidents  we’ve  had  over  the  last  few  years  was  her  dedication  to   fundraising  and  social  awareness.    During  the  Fall  semester,  she  organized  events  to  raise   hundreds  of  dollars  for  The  American  Foundation  for  Suicide  Prevention  and  for  Domestic   Violence  Awareness.  She  had  additional  events  planned  for  this  semester,  and  would  no  doubt   have  executed  them  with  the  warmth  and  enthusiasm  she  brought  to  all  her  projects.     Ms.  Chan  was  an  active  and  valued  member  of  the  Queens  College  Psychological  Clinic  (QCPC)   Undergraduate  Volunteer  Corps.      Intelligent,  compassionate,  motivated,  and  enthusiastic;  her   commitment  to  de-­‐stigmatizing  mental  illness,  and  dedication  to  mentorship  in  psychology   perfectly  exemplified  QCPC’s  mission.    Understanding  that  quality  mental  health  services  are   often  difficult  to  access,  underutilized,  and  prematurely  terminated   in  marginalized  communities,  she  took  on  a  leadership  role  among  her  peers,  guiding  the  group   to  support  community  access  to  quality  psychological  services.  For  example  she  spearheaded   awareness  projects  to  help  local  communities  that  had  experienced  severe  trauma  in  their   home  countries  to  access  services  at  QCPC.  Ms.  Chan  also  contributed  to  shaping  new   opportunities  for  professional  development  and  mentorship  for  the  undergraduate  students  at   the  clinic  who  were  considering  the  mental  health  fields.       Betty  was  an  inspiration  for  her  fellow  students  and  drew  involvement  from  them.  I  can’t  stress   enough  how  challenging  this  is  at  a  commuter  college  where  students  have  so  much  else  going   on  off  campus,  but  Betty  was  in  constant  contact  with  her  fellow  students  in  Psi  Chi  to  keep  the   ball  rolling.     It  is  truly  a  tragedy  that  Betty  is  gone.  She  was  on  track  to  graduate  with  honors,  and  I  have  no   doubt  that  as  an  alumna  she  would  have  gone  on  to  accomplish  great  things  and  do  Queens   College  proud.    Her  passing  is  a  loss  for  Psi  Chi  and  the  profession.     Robert  Lanson,  Chairman  and  Associate  Professor   Psychology  Department   Queens  College/  City  University  of  New  York