Sam Sommers, a beloved professor, researcher, and chair of the Psychology Department at Tufts University, passed away on March 16 at the age of 49. Known for his brilliance as a scholar and his warmth as a colleague and mentor, Sommers left an indelible mark on the Tufts community and the field of psychology. His work focused on race, social perception, prejudice, and the intersection of psychology and law, making significant contributions to our understanding of diversity, bias, and justice.
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Sommers joined Tufts as an assistant professor in 2003 and quickly became a pillar of the Psychology Department. Rising to the rank of full professor, he also served multiple terms as department chair and directed the Racial Diversity & Equity Lab. His leadership was characterized by a deep commitment to fairness, inclusion, and academic excellence.
Bárbara Brizuela, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, first met Sommers in 2007 and was immediately struck by his thoughtfulness, warmth, and dedication to justice. “This is a tragic loss,” she said. “It will take us all time to process the grief of losing such a pillar of our Tufts community.”
Faculty members who worked closely with Sommers echoed these sentiments. Professor Heather Urry described him as “generous with his time, always thoughtful, exceedingly fair and principled, a fierce advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, and the first to inject light into serious conversations with his quick wit and keen mind.” His kindness and humor made him not only a great leader but also a cherished friend and mentor.
Lisa Shin, another professor of psychology, spoke about his ability to connect with others. “He had genuine compassion and phenomenal perspective-taking skills that made him a stellar teacher, advisor, leader, colleague, and friend,” she said. “He taught us all so much through both words and actions, and we are truly better people for having known him.”
Though his absence is deeply felt, his colleagues believe Sommers would want them to continue his work. “Sam would have wanted us to forge ahead, fighting for what is right and showing kindness and respect to others,” Shin added.
Sommers was an experimental social psychologist whose research explored how race influences social perception, prejudice, and decision-making. He was particularly interested in the impact of racial diversity on jury deliberations and the reliability of eyewitness testimony.
His early work examined the limitations of memory in the courtroom. A 2006 study published in *The Journal of Personality & Social Psychology* found that racially diverse juries processed information more carefully and made fewer errors compared to all-white juries. “Diverse juries had a diversity of perspectives,” Sommers explained. “They had more knowledgeable and thorough discussions, and that can have a significant influence on trial outcomes.”
In a 2008 lecture, he emphasized the fallibility of human memory, cautioning against over-reliance on eyewitness testimony. “Memory is not videotape,” he said. “Quite often, it is a reconstructed process.” His work in this area earned him the prestigious Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Excellence from the American Psychology-Law Society.
Sommers was deeply committed to studying racism and its consequences. In a 2011 paper, he found that many white Americans believed they were now the primary victims of racial discrimination, despite persistent racial disparities in income, home ownership, health, and employment. “It’s a pretty surprising finding,” he noted, “given the wide range of disparities that still exist in society.”
Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Sommers and his colleague Keith Maddox led an online conversation for students and alumni about navigating racial disparities during the pandemic. He worried that discussions of implicit bias could sometimes normalize discrimination, making people less motivated to challenge it. His research increasingly focused on the physiological toll of racism, including its neurological and health impacts on Black Americans.
Beyond his academic research, Sommers was an engaging teacher who inspired students with his humor, clarity, and ability to connect psychological theories to everyday life. He co-authored the widely used textbooks *Invitation to Psychology* and *Social Psychology* and wrote two books for general audiences: *Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World* and *This Is Your Brain on Sports*, co-authored with L. Jon Wertheim.
His love of sports extended beyond academia. A lifelong New York Yankees fan, he proudly played for and managed the Tufts psychology department’s softball team. He also had a deep appreciation for *Seinfeld*, having watched all 180 episodes multiple times, often incorporating lessons from the show into his lectures.
Sommers’ academic journey began at Williams College, where he received his B.A. in 1997. He later earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2002 before joining Tufts, where he spent the rest of his career.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, and daughters Abby and Sophie, both of whom attend Tufts. His legacy will live on through the countless students, colleagues, and friends he inspired, as well as through his research, which continues to shape conversations about justice, race, and psychology.
