Prepared by Professor Cheryl Dissanayake MAPS
Ross established the first department of experimental psychology in Australia at Monash University in 1965, where I and a whole generation of scholars in psychology cut their teeth. Indeed the very first experimental psychology conference, which continues to be hosted annually, was held at Monash University in 1974, chaired by Ross, with an enrolment fee of $4.00! Ross’ area of research and scholarship was visual perception, and anyone with any relationship to him was inadvertently introduced to a variety of visual illusions, whether in the classroom or out.
In establishing the department at Monash University, Ross brought together a group of scholars from diverse areas of psychology to build a department of such fine standing that it had a major influence not only on the students who studied there, but also in the development of other psychology departments in Australia. Indeed, many of his students have been department heads at some point, and I work in a building named after one of them – the George Singer Building at La Trobe University.
It was to this department Ross retired as Adjunct Professor where he continued to teach, undertake research and supervise students for the next 20 years. We have a room named after him in the George Singer building where I hope he will continue to be remembered by new generations of psychology students. Ross passed away on October 22 this year. I, like numerous others will miss him, but his legacy and contributions to the science and discipline of psychology will not be forgotten.