Brant Burleson, Professor of Communication and Affiliate Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University, passed on 10 December 2010 after battling cancer. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Bruce Burleson and is survived by his wife Erina MacGeorge and children Jesalyn and Carson all of West Lafayette, Indiana, as well as his mother Ethel Claire Burleson of Lubbock, Texas, his sister Dr. Janet Oressa Dehler of Berthoud, Colorado, his brother Robert Carl Burleson of Houston, Texas.

Brant was born in Boise, Idaho on December 9, 1952.  He grew up in Boulder, Colorado, graduating from Fairview High School in 1971.  He graduated Summa cum Laude with a B.A. in Communication from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1975, and an M.A. in 1977 and Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Illinois in 1982.  After spending two years on the faculty at SUNY Albany, Brant came to Purdue University in 1980 where he spent the next 30 years.

Brant was a prolific scholar who published more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and chapters in scholarly books; he also edited five scholarly volumes including Communication Yearbook and the Handbook of Communication and Social Interaction Skills (with John Greene).  Along with his mentor Jesse Delia and several colleagues, Brant was an early proponent of the "constructivist" perspective which focused on explaining individual and developmental differences in communication skills.  His primary research focus was on the communication of social support, for which he became recognized as the leading authority in the communication discipline.  Using social scientific methods, Brant showed that social support matters -- that the support we receive from others during difficult times has consequences for our health and well being , and that specific ways of providing emotional support are more effective at relieving distress and facilitating coping.

Brant received numerous awards and honors in recognition for his scholarship.  He was elected a fellow of the International Communication Association as well as a distinguished scholar of the National Communication Association, and was recipient of the Mark L. Knapp Award for career contributions to the study of interpersonal communication from the NCA as well as the B. Aubrey Fisher Mentorship Award from the ICA.  Brant was especially proud of this latter award, as it recognized his work with graduate students.  Brant directed 20 Ph.D. dissertations during his years at Purdue and coauthored with and helped launch the professional careers of many more students.

As Brant said during a recent award acceptance talk, he found incredible joy in studying communication and being part of the communication discipline.  Let us remember him as an outstanding scholar, a devoted mentor to his advisees, and a faculty member who always stood by his convictions.  His joy in scholarship and mentoring was matched only by his love for his family. Let us also remember him as a loving husband, and a devoted "Papa" to his children.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Brant R. Burleson Memorial Fund at the Department of Communication, University of Illinois, 1207 W. Oregon St., Urbana, IL, 61801. This fund will be used to support research by graduate students.