Dr. Bruce Peter Halpern

Dr. Bruce Peter Halpern of Kendal at Ithaca died peacefully on Monday, January 31, 2022 at the age of 88.

Bruce was born on August 18, 1933 to Leo and Thelma Halpern in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in East Orange, New Jersey, where he enjoyed horseback riding and photography. In 1951, he graduated from East Orange High School and began his studies at Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, Bruce was a Henry Rutgers Scholar and a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.

During his college years, Bruce also met his future wife, Pauline. Bruce and Pauline married in 1956 and recently celebrated their 65th anniversary.

In 1955, Bruce graduated with honors from Rutgers and began his PhD in Psychology at Brown University. After completing his doctorate in 1959, Bruce spent two years at Cornell University as a post-doctoral student. He served as an assistant professor at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse from 1961 to 1966, then returned to Cornell as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and the Section of Neurobiology and Behavior in the Division of Biological Sciences. He eventually become a tenured professor, was named the Susan Lynn Sage Professor of Psychology, and served as the Chair of the Psychology Department for a total of 12 years. Bruce loved teaching and mentoring both graduate and undergraduate students, all while conducting a broad range of research focused on taste and smell. He also took several sabbaticals while at Cornell, most notably as a visiting professor at Osaka University in Japan. Even after retiring from Cornell, Bruce remained active in research for NASA, working on a project simulating life on Mars.

Bruce and Pauline moved to Kendal in 2011. Bruce quickly became involved in the Kendal culture of volunteerism, helping other residents by serving on the computer committee and providing AV support for many concerts. Bruce and Pauline also traveled for fun, including an archaeological trip to the southwestern United States sponsored by the Smithsonian and a trip to China as well as returning to Japan. In addition, Bruce continued to explore his interests in American history, comparative religion, and science fiction.

Bruce was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Pauline; his children, Michael and Stacey; and his grandchildren, Caitlin, Dylan, Jakob, and Maya.

A small, private memorial was held at Bruce and Pauline’s home earlier this week. Donations in Bruce’s honor may be made to Cornell University’s Bruce P. Halpern Undergraduate Research in Psychology Fund, Number 0009969: https://bit.ly/bruce-halpern.