Obituary of Dr. Anne H. Nardi

Dr. Anne H. Nardi, 74, of Morgantown, passed away Saturday, June 17, 2017 at Monongalia General Hospital.

Anne was born in Houston, Texas, on August 17, 1942, the daughter of the late Robert E. Higginbotham and the late Alice Mowrey Higginbotham.

Anne received a B.A. in French from Trinity College, now Trinity University, Washington, DC in 1964, an M.A. in Behavioral Disabilities from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1966, and a Ph.D. in Life-Span Developmental Psychology from West Virginia University in 1971.

Dr. Nardi served as chair of the Department of Educational Psychology from 1985 to 1996. She was Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College of Human Resources & Education, now the College of Education and Human Services from 1997 to 2002 and was interim dean and dean of the college from 2002 to 2008. In 2008, she returned to the faculty where she taught in Educational Psychology until she retired in 2014. Her research interests and publications include the areas of problem solving, problem-based learning, decision-making, adult learners, and perceptions of pre-service teachers about effective teaching.

In addition to her role as a long-time faculty member and valued instructor and mentor, Dr. Nardi served as the Associate Director of the Center for Guided Design, as a Fellow in the International Society for Exploring Alternatives to Teaching and Learning (ISETL), and as a member of the Board of Directors for ISETL. Within the University, she served on the WVU Faculty Senate, the WVU Senate Curriculum Committee, the College Graduate Faculty Committee, and the WVU Assistant and Associate Dean group.

At the state level, she was an active member of the West Virginia Teacher Education Advisory Committee (TEAC). An early advocate of faculty development, Dr. Nardi was actively involved in these efforts at national professional meetings. She was a consultant providing faculty development at other institutions as well as at WVU.

During her tenure as dean, Dr. Nardi oversaw the approval of the Ph.D. program in Education and established the College's Hall of Fame recognition program. She supported the early development of the Five Year Teacher Education Program where graduates received a B.A. in their teaching field and an M.A. in Education.

Her most significant accomplishment as dean was the establishment of financial stability in the College's budget. Through her efforts, a significant financial structural deficit was addressed and eliminated. This provided financial stability and ultimately provided resources and opportunities for growth in College Programs.

Her 43 years of service and dedication was recognized as she was inducted into The Order of Vandalia in 2016, a distinguished award bestowed upon the most loyal servants to West Virginia University.

She had a love of cooking, as was evident in her impressive display of cookbooks. She was an avid reader and she loved to knit, Anne was a devoted wife, loving mother, and proud grandmother and a good friend to many.

Anne is survived by her four children: Gabriel Alfred Nardi, Jr., and his wife Tiffany of Coral Springs, FL, Mary Elizabeth Nardi Micucci and her husband Joseph of Park Ridge, IL, Anne Marie Nardi Fitzgerald and her husband Scott of Aurora, Il, and Michael Robert Nardi of Morgantown; her grandchildren: Brooke and Presley Nardi, Brian, Jack and Grace Micucci, and JP, Matthew, Kaitlin and Ryan Fitzgerald; siblings: Stephen Higginbotham and his wife Janet.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Gabriel "Gabe" Nardi.

Family and friends will be received at Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce Street, Morgantown, on Friday, June 23rd from 4:00-8:00 PM. A Scriptural Wake Service will be held at 7:45 PM Friday in the funeral home to conclude the visitation. On Saturday, June 24th, Dr. Nardi will be moved to St. John University Parish, 1481 University Avenue, Morgantown, where visitation will continue from 10:00 AM until the celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM with Father Justin B. Blanc, Associate Pastor, celebrating. Entombment will follow in St. Mary's Peace Garden Mausoleum, Star City.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Dr. Anne H. Nardi Ph.D. in Education Student Research Fund or the Dr. Gabriel A. Nardi Student Professional Development Fund at the West Virginia University College of Education and Human Services.  Checks may be made to the WVU Foundation, PO Box 1650, Morgantown, WV 26507-1650.

Send condolences online at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com.

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