holmen@unm.edu
Deceased UNM student Wolfgang Scott-Cohen was awarded a posthumous Bachelor of Science in Psychology by the department. During the Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday, faculty voted to award the degree to Scott-Cohen for his efforts during the three and a half years he spent studying at UNM. In February, Scott-Cohen was in a coma for 11 days after a vehicle collision and died on Feb. 21.
Chriselle Martinez, advisement coordinator at the Department of Psychology, said Scott-Cohen was well-liked among his classmates.
“He was very outspoken and a lot of classmates were really fond of him,” she said.
In a letter addressed to the psychology department, Jane Smith, the department’s chair, said Scott-Cohen was well-known in the department and served as a research assistant with several faculty members.
Psychology major Jason Alexander said Scott-Cohen had hoped graduate either this spring or in the fall. Scott-Cohen had accumulated 110 credit hours, according to the degree request. Alexander said. Scott-Cohen was well known by classmates for his knowledge, not just in psychology but in a wide range of subjects.
“He always contributed in class, and he always knew so much,” he said. “Sometimes I think he would get off topic, but what he had to say was usually pretty interesting, off the wall, and well-informed. It’s really too bad that guy will never go to work in his field. I’m sure he would have come up with something no one else did.”
