Beloved PSU Abington Professor Dies At 49

ABINGTON, PA — Ross Brinkert, a beloved professor at Penn State Abington and devoted member of the local community, died recently after a long battle with brain cancer, the school confirmed. He was 49.

Brinkert had been an associate professor of corporate communication at PSU Abington for 15 years, since 2005.

"Ross remained present, purpose driven, and grateful, living every moment deliberately," his friend and associate professor of business, Salar Ghahramani, said in a tribute published by the university. "He never complained of the challenges he faced. Instead, he would say it was all humbling."

Brinkert graduated from Concordia University in 1995 with a degree in communication studies, before receiving a Masters in applied communication from Temple in 1999, and a PhD. and communication sciences from Temple in 2006.

"I write about how organizations and individuals can transform conflicts from threats into opportunities, how organizations can benefit from gratitude communication, and how professionals at various career stages can best represent themselves," Brinkert wrote on his faculty profile biography.

"Hands down the best professor at Penn State," one former student shared.

"Simply put, Ross leaves a legacy of beauty, having positively touched so many lives across generations and backgrounds," Ghahrmani told PSU Abington.

Donations can be made to the Brinkert family and their children through UGift, an education fund. Use code 98P-V2T.

Services have not yet been announced.