Elaine Crovitz, PhD, associate professor emeritus in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, passed away at the age of 87 on February 29.
Born in Brooklyn, Dr. Crovitz graduated from Brooklyn College at the age of 19 and earned her master’s degree and PhD in psychology at Duke University.
Dr. Crovitz served in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences as an associate professor with tenure for 23 years, from 1975 to 1998, when she retired with emeritus status. She saw patients at the Duke University Medical Center and at the Durham Veteran’s Administration Health System. She also taught psychology at North Carolina Central University.
At a time when there were few women clinicians or psychology professors, Dr. Crovitz was a trailblazer across academic disciplines and geographies: She was a frequent site visitor for the American Psychological Association, including to China, enabling her to make the most of her passion for travel. In the 1970s, she conducted early research and counseled patients on transgender operations, helping many individuals get the chance to live as the gender with which they identified.
A lifelong feminist, Dr. Crovitz was the co-author of Courage Knows No Sex (1978), which profiled pioneering women. After retiring from Duke, she served as a substitute teacher in Orange County, NC, schools and penned Premedicated Murder, a murder mystery combined with pointed criticism of healthcare’s managed care system. Following the 9/11 attacks on New York’s World Trade Center by terrorists in 2001, Dr. Crovitz spent months in lower Manhattan giving psychological support to rescue workers and other essential workers through the American Red Cross.
You can read Dr. Crovitz’s full obituary to learn more about her life.
