Kyle Gobrogge, a part-time lecturer in Northeastern’s psychology department since 2017, passed away unexpectedly in early September. He was in his early 40s.
Known for his research on the neurobiology programming responsible for motivated and dysregulated behaviours, Gobrogge received a number of awards and fellowships throughout his career, including the 2008 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Fellowship of the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
“Dr. Gobrogge was appreciated by his students for his passion for his discipline, his empathy and the supportive environment he created in the classroom. Students often commented on his enthusiasm while teaching and his dedication to his many students at Northeastern,” a Sept. 11 email sent to students in the College of Science reads.
Gobrogge earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Michigan State University, where he conducted research on the environmental influences that underlie sex differences in behavior. After completing his undergraduate studies, he moved to Florida State University where he received both an M.S. and Ph.D. in neuroscience.
After completing his Ph.D., he conducted behavioral neurogenetics research at Harvard Medical School under the National Institutes of Health’s Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Postdoctoral Fellowship and later moved to the psychology department at Tufts University to further expand his research. While at Tufts, he worked in labs that manipulated the corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in male mice.
In 2017, Gobrogge became a part-time lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Northeastern. He joined Boston University’s Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience in 2019 and was promoted to the position of senior lecturer in 2024. That same year, he was awarded the Templeton Award for Excellence in Student Advising for his continuous commitment to the academic and personal growth of his students. “Kyle’s kindness, empathy, and radically open teaching style left a mark on everyone he encountered,” Kristen Bushell, a fellow senior lecturer in the Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience, told Boston University’s Arts and Sciences department. “He did enjoy the spotlight, but even more, he loved creating a spotlight for his students and his community.”
