Robert Sommer
Robert Sommer was an Environmental Psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis.
- Known for his book Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design, first published in 1969, he wrote 14 other books and more than 600 publications on a variety of subjects
- Environmental psychology included research in mental hospitals, libraries, classrooms, and living spaces
- Taught in Sweden and the University of Alberta, and then at the University of California, Davis in 1963
- Consulting work included the design of bicycle paths, residence halls, geriatric housing, airports, offices, prisons, farmers’ markets, and other facilities
- Received a number of awards including: City-University Research Award, City of Davis; Research Award, California Alliance for the Mentally Ill; Career Research Award, Environmental Design Research Association; Kurt Lewin Award, Division 9 APA; Fulbright Award to Estonia, USSR; and many others
- Received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1956
Robert Sommer passed away on February 27, 2021.
Last updated 3/4/21