Farewell Robert Dunn

Psychology lecturer Robert Dunn is retiring after 17 years at University College Utrecht. “He opened students’ eyes, hearts and futures to clinical psychology.”

Praised for his courses by students and colleagues, Robert started teaching at University College Utrecht in 2002, when the College was still young and forming. His Clinical Psychology students profited from Robert’s rich experience as clinical practitioner. Among other courses which he developed are the advanced course in Psychology and, most recently, Health Psychology, while he also contributed to the field of Global Health.

Next to the courses, Robert has contributed to University College Utrecht in various other ways as well. He set up Life Skills and Values workshops, in which students discuss in small groups about matters close to their lives. “There seems to be a real need to reflect on one’s values and identity, and how they may lead to certain decisions,” Robert told in an interview. “One of the students told me upon her graduation how important the workshop had been for her in her first year at the College. It had given her the opportunity to talk about things she had never talked about with her friends or family before. Such feedback gives me a lot of energy.”

Robert’s volunteering activities brought him also to Jamaica, where he trained local hospital staff in clinical work. As part of this involvement, he recently organised a study trip to Jamaica, where students studied the cultural underpinnings of mental health with a local hospital and a local community.

Christel Lutz, fellow, lecturer and Psychology field coordinator at University College Utrecht: “Throughout the years Robert received the utmost most praise for his teaching and opened many of our students’ eyes, hearts and futures to the field of clinical psychology. The prospect of having to go on without Robert is not an easy one.”