Emeritus Professor Cindy Gallois died on June 8, 2023. Jeff, her husband, was at her side. Cindy had been ill for 2 years and valiantly fought her illness. Her sense of humor and lively spirit were never extinguished during any of that time. Liz Jones and I have contacted some of Cindy's close colleagues and asked them to reflect on what Cindy meant to them. There were so many people that we could have asked that it would take up a whole issue of JLSP, which is not feasible. We discussed who we should ask and decided on colleagues and friends who had known Cindy in different capacities. Cindy worked with, and mentored so many people that we hope the reflections below will reflect Cindy's diversity, scholarly prowess and generosity to all she knew.
Howie Giles and I were invited to write a remembrance for the ICA newsletter (newsletters/2023/junejuly23_51.05), so I will keep my reflection short and commence it with a bio of Cindy's career.
Cindy's academic career began in 1976 when she received her PhD from the University of Florida. The following year she arrived in Australia from the USA and in 1979 joined The University of Queensland (UQ) in what is now the School of Psychology, remaining at the University until her retirement and her transition to Emeritus Professor in 2010. However, Cindy's enormous contribution to language and psychology research within Australia and internationally continued up until her death.
Bernadette Watson: “Cindy encouraged me to commence further study and without her support, I would not have gone into academia. I came to consider Cindy in later years as not only my mentor but also my friend. Professionally, she always found time to advise me and gave me her undivided attention. Thank you Cindy from the bottom of my heart.”
Itesh Sachdev: “She was: Charming, Insightful, Nonviolent, Dedicated, Yogic;
Gregarious, Amenable, Loyal, Loving, One-of-a-kind, Inspiring, Sincere.”
Maggie Pitts: “Cindy was not only my mentor, but also my friend—accomplished, humble, forceful, and gentle all at once. She changed my life, and I delighted in her company. Cindy once awarded me the title éminence grise in recognition of my behind-the-scenes work as a graduate student for the International Association of Language and Social Psychology. It is an honor I cherish, conferred to me in secret code representing our mutual affection for the French language and our Association. To this day, it is the only honor, award, or credential hanging on my office wall. Cindy had an impeccable ability to see in others what they could not yet see in themselves. She saw a greater horizon and more impactful future for me than I could have dared. And then she ushered me into becoming. Becoming me. Becoming more. Becoming the kind of mentor, friend, and scholar that values compassion, curiosity, and integrity as Cindy did. For that I am grateful.
I miss Cindy greatly but find solace in recalling her to mind. In my imagined interactions, Cindy provides guidance with respect to my leadership trajectory as a woman in academic administration. I imagine she is sitting next to me when I am in a room with leaders. She reminds me of the power of civil, strategic, and poignant communication. I imagine scholarly conversations with her about my own research and academic journey. I situate those conversations in a café or bistro where we spar conversationally about impactful questions, methods, and—most importantly—sharing the findings with communities that will benefit the most. It is with these memories in mind that I look forward to the 2024 International Communication Association Convention in Gold Coast Australia where we will honor Cindy's scholarship and impact in a research salon and célébration. I hope you will join us.”
Pamela Kalbfleisch: “Cindy Gallois has a powerful impact on me as a scholar, educator, and person. I have known her for thirty years. She invited me to my first ICLASP at the University of Queensland to present my research on health communication. Professionally this had a powerful impact on me because it forever connected me with a prestigious and brilliant body of scholar educators who are concerned with the study of language and social psychology. She continued to open doors for me, including nominating and advocating for my editorship of the International Communication Association scholarly serial publication, Communication Yearbook. This editorship led me to other editorships and further advanced me as a scholar educator.
Cindy made sure I was included professionally and personally in intellectual conversations and personal merriment. She offered me friendship and personally connected me to so many wonderful scholar educators who are dear to me and whom I count among my closest friends.
Cindy was the guiding voice who stood up for others and argued for inclusion not exclusion. She was and continues to be an excellent role model for what a senior scholar should be. She shared the keys to the scholarly kingdom and will forever encourage me to help others succeed.
Cindy's brilliance and wit live on in the many scholar educators she has reached out to and encouraged in their careers. I am one of many whose lives are richer because of Cindy Gallois.”
Shuang Liu: “Cindy was a great mentor to me over the past 20 years. I remembered whenever I reached out to her, she would always offer me insightful and invaluable guidance. Under her mentorship, we co-authored 4 editions of an intercultural communication textbook which has been published by SAGE Publications and well-received globally, with the 4th edition being published one month before she passed away. Cindy always had confidence in me and inspired me to go further even when I did not have the confidence in myself. I am deeply indebted to Cindy for her mentorship.”
Richard Clement: “It is with a heavy heart that I learned of Cindy's passing. She was a giant among us, a pioneer of LSP, having carried its original precepts to new fields and actively promoting these extensions not only via her own research but also through advocacy and engagement in leadership roles locally and internationally. More so, she was a warm and welcoming scholar and friend, a beacon in our meetings and a source of inspiration for her many collaborators and students. We met under widely different skies, and I especially remember the enjoyable moments exchanging in French when in non-French linguistic contexts. Cate and I also remember our dinners in Ottawa when she visited with Jeff. Her spirit remains with us, but I will sorely miss her.”
Dan Angus: “I remember my first meeting with Cindy. I was a postdoc at The University of Queensland, working on new—largely unorthodox - computational approaches to study conversations. I’d struggled to get traction with the work, and so my mentors thought an hour with Cindy would sort me out … they weren’t wrong. Cindy made an impression on me instantaneously by making me feel like I was involved in the most important science to ever happen to the field. With her trademark enthusiasm, generosity, depth of knowledge, and patience, Cindy leaned in and helped me understand all the missing pieces to our work. In the months and years that followed she continued to be a guiding hand and used her significant standing to sponsor the work amongst a network of peers. Through our many wonderful collaborations I found new academic communities, and new meaning to my work. Cindy helped me find ‘my people.’ A source of constant encouragement and advice, Cindy gave her time and energy freely knowing that while I would never be able to pay her back, that today and forever I will seek to pay it forward.”
Liz Jones: “Cindy was both my Honours thesis and my PhD supervisor. Cindy was truly an expert in communication research, informed by her background in both psychology and linguistics. Her research was theory driven, yet she always looked to practical applications for her research and sought cross-disciplinary partnerships. She was always looking to give voice to those with less power, to examine in depth the sociohistorical context. She was early to integrate qualitative research methods alongside quantitative research methods in her work, and was always keen to examine behaviour, as well as affect and cognitions. She was also generous with her time to support others with their research, especially postgraduate students and early career researchers. I was a very fortunate beneficiary of this expertise, which enabled my own research to be theory driven, methodologically diverse, interdisciplinary, action oriented and seeking to have a spirit of generosity to co-researchers, postgraduate students and ECRs, and communities. I also thank her for having confidence in me long before I had confidence in myself.”
IALSP will celebrate the life of Cindy at ICLASP 18: 2024 and remember and honor her remarkable scholarship.
