Monica J. Kern

1961 - 2019

KERN Monica J., died on September 1, 2019 due to complications of esophageal cancer at the age of 57. She was born on October 9, 1961 in Seattle, WA but spent most of her childhood in Garden Grove, CA. She obtained her B.A. in psychology from the University of California at Riverside in 1983. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 1987, where she worked under the supervision of Robert Rosenthal on the topic of interpersonal expectancy effects. She then joined the faculty at the University of Kentucky, where she published over 50 scholarly articles, book chapters, and edited books on the topics of expectancy effects, meta-analysis, and bullying and peer victimization. Growing disillusioned with academia in general and the University of Kentucky in particular, Monica took an early retirement buyout in 2012. She was eternally grateful for those seven years that she was able to devote full time to her family and other life goals. Monica is survived by her dearly beloved husband, Jonathan Kern, her children, Athena Kern and Isaac Kern, and her stepdaughter, Dr. Larissa Hufnagel. She also leaves behind her father, Dr. Stanley Harris, stepmother, Linda Harris, sisters, Ilene Huston and Laura Wigler, half-brothers, Burke Harris and Keith Harris, and several nieces and nephews. She always said that raising her children was her proudest achievement. Monica had hobbies and passions besides her career and family. She was an avid runner during her 20s and would routinely place in her age group in local races. Her proudest running accomplishment was qualifying for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:33:16. Monica also enjoyed writing. She served as a community columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader for one year, and she always liked to joke that more people read and appreciated her opinion columns there than whoever read any of her scholarly writings. Monica also wrote a weekly editorial column for the Appalachian News Express from 2011-2012, and in 2014 her writing for the ANE won third place in the Excellence in Kentucky Newspapers awards given by the Kentucky Press Association, for the "Best Column" category in a multi-weekly newspaper. She was also a member of the Amazon Vine program, wherein she was offered free products in exchange for writing reviews. At the time of her death she was ranked in the top 350 of Amazon reviewers nationally. One of her main passions in life was music, both listening to and playing. She indulged a midlife crisis and accomplished one of her long-held dreams by buying a grand piano and learning how to play it. She particularly loved the music of Ludovico Einaudi and traveled around the world to hear him play live in concert. Monica was a lover of nature and animals. She was named the 1991 Volunteer of the Year for the Kentucky Nature Conservancy chapter and served on their board of directors. Over her lifetime, she cared for and fostered dozens of cats and kittens and inspired others to do the same. Memorial service will be held at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home on Harrodsburg Road at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7th, followed by a visitation time with family and friends. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Lexington Humane Society.