Professor Michael John Power (or simply “Mick” to us) joined the Department on 3 August 2015 as Visiting Professor, and was appointed Professor on 1 April 2016. Sadly, Mick passed away on 10 October 2017.

In the two-plus years that he was with us, Mick made a huge impact on many people, as can be seen from the tributes that have flowed (see https://michael-power.muchloved.com/). Most certainly, Mick was a well-respected and much-beloved leader, colleague, teacher, supervisor, mentor, and scholar. Many in the department, as well as outside the department, have been touched in so many ways by a man who was friendly and easy-going as well as responsible and conscientious. He was ever jovial and positive, even when he was first diagnosed with the illness that would finally claim his life. Indeed, even during his final hospitalization, he was confident he would win the battle against the illness and return to work. Such was Mick as a fighter who never gave up on life. And even while in the hospital, he was marking the assignments from his module as well as reminding colleagues of an upcoming presentation he had to make on behalf of the department – such was the dedication, sense of duty, and sense of responsibility that Mick had for his job and especially for his students.

Mick’s many positive attributes were experienced by many, but perhaps one lesser-known attribute of Mick is that he was in many ways a risk taker, and in so being showed many of us that life can be so much fuller when we pursue our goals and dreams without too much fear or restraint. He himself took a great risk by agreeing to join the department (and relocating wholesale to an entirely new country/environment) on a visiting basis while the paperwork to appoint him on a permanent contract went through due processes. And yet he never regarded himself as a visitor – indeed, he plunged head-on into the work of being not only a professor but also director of clinical psychology programs. As clinical director, Mick was passionate about raising the standards and expertise of clinical psychologists in Singapore, and thus spent much time working on a proposal to achieve this end. It is my hope that the department will be able to secure approval for this proposal – it would be a fitting tribute to Mick’s work as clinical director.

Mick left us suddenly. Many of us are still coming to terms with not just his departure, but the suddenness of it. We will miss Mick and all that he was. As we try to slowly move forward, we are thinking of what we can do to commemorate Mick’s life and times with us. This includes the possibility of setting up a memorial fund that would be used to present an award (or something else) in Mick’s name to students. We will make this known again if and when this comes to pass.

So, with hearts that are deeply saddened, farewell Mick. Thanks for the times we had. And thanks for everything that you were and stood for. We will miss you.