Friends puzzled over tragic death of loved psych professor

By Steph Mostaccio

The Rider community suffered a loss on Saturday, Aug. 12, when professor Richard Deni, of the psychology department, died after a car accident.

According to The Times of Trenton, Deni, 54, died following a two-car crash on Princeton Pike at Province Line Road at 12:30 p.m.

The Times also reported that police believed a medical event caused Deni to lose control and collide with another car.

Dr. Michael Epstein, a fellow psychology professor and friend, said it was difficult for him to believe that a medical problem caused Deni’s death.

“He was a tall guy, he was a health fanatic, and he was very careful about everything,” said Epstein. “The strongest thing he drank was bottled water.”

Epstein added he believes Deni died of a broken heart.

“I just don’t think he was or could ever be the same after his daughter passed away,” Epstein said.

Deni’s 25-year-old daughter, Leah, died unexpectedly of a blood infection in December 2004. She was a program director at the Urban Ecology Institute at Boston College, where the LEAH Mentor Fund has been created to honor her and her work. LEAH stands for Leadership through Education, Action and Hope.

Deni joined Rider in 1978 as an assistant professor. He was promoted
to Rider’s highest faculty rank, often referred to as full professor, in 1986.

However, before Deni became a full professor, he helped another colleague become one. Deni served as Epstein’s departmental representative after only two years as a faculty member when Epstein went up for full professor in 1980. Epstein stressed that it is unusual for an untenured junior faculty member to represent a co-worker trying to obtain Rider’s highest rank.

But Epstein had confidence in Deni.

“He was so competent, he was so good that he was the person I wanted to do it,” said Epstein.

Deni made many contributions to the Psychology Department, according to Epstein. When Deni first came, he called the labs a “dusty heaven” — a place in which he saw the potentials of what he could do, Epstein said.

Epstein added that Deni spent many hours of his own time transforming the labs into a modern facility.

Deni was also one of the first professors to have a computer lab in his classes, according to Epstein.

“Students became computer efficient before it was popular to do so,” he said.

Dr. Jonathan Karp, associate professor of the Biology Department and friend of Deni, said the late scholar also wrote many research articles during his time at Rider, especially on the subject of kin recognition, which he used spiny mice to study.
Epstein added that there are very few spiny mouse colonies in the country. Rider has one because of Deni, he said.

According to Joseph Nadeau, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Sciences, Deni also designed a computerized student enrollment program, which he referred to as Denitel, in which enrollment and other information that is sent to the dean’s office can be easily managed.

About three years ago, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) institutionalized Deni’s program. It is now known as Datatel.

Deni was offered the Frank N. Elliott Award about four years ago for Denitel, but turned it down, according to Nadeau.

Karp said the late professor did not like to take credit for the things he did.

“He was the kind of guy who didn’t like the spotlight,” said Karp. “He liked doing things behind the scenes.”

Deni preferred solitude, choosing to work in his lab instead of socializing with his colleagues, according to Epstein.

“He had kind of a hermit quality to him,” said Epstein. “He will be remembered very quietly by the things we have here.”

Epstein added that Deni had a “prickly” personality.

“You had to develop a taste for him, kind of like horseradish,” he said.

However, Deni’s quiet and sometimes aloof personality did not prevent him from being a selfless friend, according to Epstein.

“If you were going to build a shed, he would be there to build it,” he said.

Epstein also said Deni was always there to help when other faculty members or secretaries had computer problems.

Karp added that Deni was also the computer guru of the Biology Department. He calls the late professor an honorary member of the department.

“He probably helped everybody in one way or another,” said Karp.

According to Epstein, Deni cared about his students’ competence. He supervised the students’ research articles, had them rewrite them multiple times until they were correct and would always be willing to put them up against anyone else’s, he said.

Nadeau also said Deni was committed to his students.

“I think the focus of his life was on the students here at Rider,” he said.

Deni cared about his students outside of the classroom as well. Senior Christine Schaefer, who took Introduction to Psychology with the late professor, said he would always be excited to see her in the halls and inquire about her and her family.
Deni’s zeal for his job also greatly impacted Schaefer.

“My plan is to have that same kind of devotion to my career,” she said. “I want to have the same passion for my subject area as Dr. Deni had for his, as well as influence students’ lives as Dr. Deni has influenced mine.”

Deni is survived by his son, Michael, and his former spouse, Kristine.

The memorial service was held on Wednesday, Aug. 16, at Gill Chapel, where the Rev. Thomas Baker described Deni as being “a caring, nurturing, enthusiastic maverick.”

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