LEND - Distinguished Alumni Award

Dr. Eric Mash

Acceptance Speech
June 5, 2003

Thank you, Russell Jackson, for those kind words, and thank you LEND Training Coordinators for this recognition. I am extremely grateful for the confidence you have placed in me by virtue of this award. I am also honored to be associated with distinguished previous recipients, and perhaps a bit surprised to think that my work merits such acknowledgement. It was not something I would have anticipated when I first arrived as an intern nearly 35 years ago, a time when it was still possible to find parking. My memories of that first day remain quite vivid. Young and filled with excitement and anticipation, I climbed a very steep driveway to the entrance of Gaines Hall where the program was then housed, entered the building, and promptly got lost, in the laundry room I think. Fortunately, there were many fine mentors in the building that day and since to guide me on my journey.

I am especially pleased that it is the LEND program that is honoring me. Of the many programs I have been associated with over the years none is quite as special to me as this one. So much so that I keep returning, first as a post-doc and then five times more as a Visiting Professor. I know of no other program that so effectively brings together such a diverse group of enthusiastic and interesting professionals across so many disciplines. In a very real sense, we are gathered here today to celebrate our commitment to interdisciplinary training, which is the legacy of the LEND Program.

My training here at CDRC was a watershed moment in my life as I am sure it will be for many of the current interns. I left the program with cutting edge training in my own specialization, an appreciation for interdisciplinary collaboration, sensitivity to cultural factors, and a profound respect for the dignity of persons with developmental disabilities. Inspired by an unwavering commitment to training by some wonderful mentors I also left the program with the confidence that I could make a difference in the field.

The themes of mentorship, community responsibility, and involvement reflect the spirit and values of the LEND program, as do the high standards of public service reflected in the lives and careers of so many who have passed through. I’d like to offer an anecdote that I hope captures the sentiment of what the LEND program has come to represent to me. It is titled “The Bridge Builder.”

At dusk, 2 old travelers nearing their journey’s end reached a vast, deep chasm cut by a raging torrent. Care, wisdom, and a measure of good luck helped them cross without injury. On reaching the far side, one turned and started to build a bridge across the chasm. Seeing him bent to his task, the companion stopped. “You have already crossed,” she said, “It grows dark, your path will never again take you this way. Why build a bridge you will never use?” The old man sighed, straightened, and smiled wearily at his companion. “We have lived long,” he said, “and the wisdom of our years helped us cross safely. Tomorrow young travelers will reach this chasm, and their lack of experience will make the crossing far more dangerous. Good friend, I am building the bridge for them.”

One of the great pleasures of being honored today is that it gives me an opportunity to thank those who have guided me throughout my career. Although certainly not old at the time, my mentors at CDRC built many bridges that eased and enriched my journey and the journeys of many others. I can only acknowledge these people briefly today, with deep gratitude and affection, as time will not allow me to do justice to their collective and unique contributions to training, to the field, and to me personally.

In psychology, Leif Terdal, Ann Garner, Connie Hanf, Bob Boyd, Jim Lindemann, and Russell Jackson were all bridge builders. These individuals displayed a unique set of skills, personal attributes, and sensitivities that served them well. Their skills benefited those they served and advanced the cause of what would become the modern day field of developmental disabilities. Throughout their careers they were skilled clinicians, enthusiastic teachers, active researchers, and vocal advocates for the individuals and families they served. Those of us concerned with contemporary education in our field would do well to reflect on these traits.

The LEND program, with its interdisciplinary core provided me with a model of respect for the unique perspectives of colleagues from many disciplines. Over the years I learned much from Chris Williams, Al Browder, Don Nelson, Warren Fay, John Hale, Peter Lax, Ellen McGinnis, Gene Stubbs, and many others who guided me on my journey perhaps unaware that I would be crossing the bridges they had built.

Given what we now know about developmental disabilities, interdisciplinary collaboration is not optional, and I believe it is our greatest strength. There is always a danger with any interdisciplinary enterprise that the center will not hold, that, we all, experts in our own special field, will become amateur inter-disciplinarians. However, this will not happen as long as we all continue to share our special knowledge, our special interests, and our special research. I applaud the LEND program that such sharing and collaboration are a fundamental part of its heritage and its future.

Program leaders have always shown great hospitality and generous support during my visits. Thank you LeRoy Carlson, Vic Menashe, Dave McFarlane, and Jerry Smith. Thank you Gloria Krahn, you are one of the most gifted administrators and psychologists I know. In many ways the hospitality and spirit of the program are captured in a few kind words in an E-mail note I received from the program’s current director, Dr. Brian Rogers, shortly after my arrival. In it he said simply, “it’s great to have you here Eric.” Thank you Dr. Rogers. It’s great to be here.

I also want to thank the thousands of children and families who generously, and with great effort, participated in our research and clinical programs, allowed us into their homes, and shared very deep personal stories. I am grateful for their devotion to this enterprise. I will never forget for an instant how much they contribute to and enrich the content of contemporary practice.

In closing, I’d like to say that whatever modest success I have enjoyed pales in comparison to the contributions made by so many alumni of the LEND program in so many different fields. I am acutely aware that any number of them could easily match or exceed any contributions I may have made. I also feel privileged to be part of a field where such contributions are increasingly becoming the norm rather than the exception.

Given the interactions I have had with the current group of interns this year and the fascinating research presentations I heard them make last week, the rich tradition of excellence continues. The dedication, commitment, and talents of individuals who were and are part of the LEND program represent the very best of our field. Many of you are destined, in the years ahead, to write exciting new chapters on how to better serve those with disabilities, and will no doubt build bridges for others as you become leaders in the field. We are all fortunate that we can participate in such an effort. This is the real legacy and charge that the LEND training program has given us. In the words of Rainer Rilke, to the current interns I would say, “golden thread, you are part of the weaving now.”

I look forward to joining you for many more years of what promises to be a truly exciting and rewarding journey. Thank you again for this great honor! I hope to be worthy of your trust and your kind thoughts.