Pepperdine Mourns the Loss of Graduate School of Education and Psychology Professor Laura Hyatt
It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Graduate School of Education and Psychology professor Laura Hyatt. The University was notified that Laura passed on Friday, October 18.
A native of California, Laura began her career in entertainment at the age of 16 as a studio lot script runner. She became a scriptwriter and was part of the writing team for the TV show Moonlighting.
Pursuing additional interests, she earned a nursing degree and worked in emergency rooms, intensive care units, and various administrative positions in healthcare companies. She combined her experience in entertainment and healthcare and served as vice president of education for a production company where she was part of a healthcare production honored by the entertainment industry with a coveted Telly Award. Additionally, she participated as an advisor to the office of assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., and received an appointment to a White House conference by President Clinton
Adding to her degrees, she obtained a master's in business management from the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change from the Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP). She served as professor of education, academic chair, and executive director of academic affairs at GSEP.
Her research interests focused on the intersections of learning, neuroscience, and the powerful climates created by convergent stories as individuals, organizations, and communities. She was awarded a grant from the California Endowment to support her research and assisted hundreds of dissertation students during her academic tenure. She authored books, chapters, and journal articles, and is well known for her contributions to The Dissertation Journey: A Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Planning, Writing, and Defending Your Dissertation, now in its fourth edition.
The throughline that connected all areas of Laura’s life was writing. Be it her academic publications, television and film scripts, health care books, and even her annual, collaborative digital Haiku, Laura’s love of writing was paramount.
Remembering Laura and her time at Pepperdine, GSEP senior program director June Schmieder-Ramirez shared, "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend and colleague, Laura Hyatt. Laura was an incredible source of information – especially knowledge of research and novel approaches to challenges and dilemmas in various dissertation approaches. Her legacy will be remembered deeply by all who were fortunate to work with her, particularly those in the fields of publishing and writing. Her humor and comradeship will be sorely missed."
We are planning a memorial service for our community, with details to follow.
We offer our deepest condolences to Laura’s loved ones and keep them in our hearts during this time of grief. Please join me in lifting up Laura’s community in prayer and remembering Laura as a beloved member of our Pepperdine community.