In Memoriam: Ingeborg Paulus

Former WWU sociology professor Ingeborg Paulus passed away on Feb. 27 at the age of 93.

Ingeborg Paulus smiles at the camera

Paulus was born in 1929 and was a native of the border area between Germany and France. After World War II and the devastation of the German economy, she found work where she could until she migrated to Canada in 1952; in 1958 she began her educational career at the University of British Columbia, eventually attaining her doctorate in sociology at the London School of Economics. In 1971 she came to Western to begin her teaching career, where she impacted the lives of countless students until she retired in 1989.

Sociology chair Kristin Anderson said Paulus left a lasting impact on her department and the students it serves.

"Dr. Paulus was an engaging and impactful teacher-scholar, according to her colleagues.  She studied ways to help people addicted to narcotics and how to prevent crime among young people. Her scholarship informs efforts to address opioid addiction today," said Anderson. "Dr. Paulus also founded the Ingeborg Paulus Sociology Department Scholarship, which has supported dozens of sociology students over the past decade and will continue to encourage students for years to come."

Read more about the life and career of Ingeborg Paulus in her obituary here.