Remarks prepared by Andy Elliot.
Ed Deci passed away at 8:20am on February 14; he was 83 years old. He died peacefully at his home, surrounded by those who loved him.
Ed was a generous teaching and mentoring presence at the University of Rochester from 1970 to 2017 (when he retired as Professor Emeritus). His early work demonstrated the undermining effect that extrinsic rewards can have on intrinsic motivation and laid the foundation for he and his longtime collaborator, Rich Ryan, to create Self-Determination Theory. His theoretical and empirical work impacted the field of human motivation in a profound way and provided a framework for widespread application to the domains of education, work, sport, healthcare, psychotherapy, and beyond. In addition to his academic work, Ed devoted considerable time and energy to the Monhegan Museum of Art and History in Maine, where he served as president and director for more than three decades. He will be dearly missed!