Charles S. Carver

Calvin

My dog Calvin, pictured above when he was very young, was an exotic breed known as the shag terrier (for fascinating information about the breed, click here). He joined the Department of Psychology in September of 1995 as a 2-month-old. He spent much of his work time (when not sleeping) making sure people in the department were functioning to their full capacities.

Calvin left us in August of 2010 at the age of 15. Late in his career, he had taken up mathematics (using some of the techniques pioneered by Clever Hans). He had made it to square roots and was closing in on intercepts. Tragically, however, the same stroke that caused him to walk in small clockwise circles also impaired his statistical skills, and he reluctantly gave up that aspect of his work. In honor of his abiding passion for quantitative methods, however, the department has instituted an annual award in his name to a graduate student who displays outstanding accomplishment in statistical pursuits.

More photos of Calvin can be found on the attached gallery page.

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