In Memoriam: Dr. Anne Hughson, Cumming School of Medicine

The University of Calgary is mourning the loss of Dr. Anne Hughson, BA'69, MSc'73, PhD'97, who passed away June 12. She was 74.

Anne was a registered psychologist, professor emerita, disability rights advocate and a community leader who worked to improve the lives of children and adults with disabilities and their families in Alberta and around the world for more than four decades.

Anne was named director of the Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies (CRDS) program within the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) in 2008, retiring just last year. Her career at the University of Calgary began in the 1980s, first with the Faculty of Education (now Werklund School of Education) Department of Educational Psychology.

Under Anne’s leadership, CRDS experienced tremendous growth, nearly quadrupling the number of non-transferable undergraduate students enrolled in the program over a five-year period.

She was active throughout her career in many government policy decisions related to disability in Alberta, nationally and internationally. Anne sat on the board of the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Society of Alberta for 22 years. Her vision and guidance were instrumental in creating initiatives to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, collaborating with post-secondary institutions across the province and as co-developer of Inclusion Alberta’s internationally recognized Family Leadership Series. She also headed the online journal, The International Journal of Disability, Community and Rehabilitation, for 10 years.

She is a recipient of the Werklund School of Education’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1999 and author or co-author of numerous texts and articles on disability-related subjects. She was internationally sought for teaching and lecturing in United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Australia, South Africa and other locations.

Funeral services for Anne will be held at McInnis & Holloway (Chapel of The Bells, 2720 Centre Street North, Calgary, Alta.), on June 30, 2022, at 2 p.m. A celebration of life will take place in fall 2022.

Read Anne’s obituary here.