For Steve and Ken Cain, the University of Michigan has always been more than just the institution where their parents, Dr. Al and Barbara (Bobbi) Cain, met and spent their careers; it’s been a guiding force, a “true north” that shaped their values and worldview growing up in Ann Arbor. As the family considered how best to honor the couple’s service to the university, it became clear that Al and Bobbi’s remarkable contributions to psychology and mentorship deserved recognition now—while they were able to participate in the celebration—and in perpetuity.

A Life Dedicated to Excellence and Integrity

Al Cain’s (A.B. 1954, Ph.D. ’62) career at the University of Michigan began in 1962 and over the decades, he became one of the most influential figures in both the Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry. Cain’s research on childhood bereavement helped shape the field. He served as chief psychologist at the university’s Children’s Psychiatric Hospital, then as chair of LSA’s Department of Psychology for more than a decade from 1980 to 1991. With Cain at the helm, Psychology’s global reputation strengthened as it grew to become the largest department within LSA, as well as the largest graduate department within Rackham Graduate School, and was consistently ranked among the top three university psychology programs in the nation. Cain transformed the department into what it is today, championing diversity in faculty hiring; expanding research areas to include neuroscience, culture and cognition, and clinical psychology; and playing a pivotal role in uniting the department under one roof in East Hall.

“As chair, Al Cain created opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration that hadn’t existed before. He brought faculty and graduate students together, fostering an environment where new ideas and research could flourish,” said LSA psychology professor Sandra Graham-Bermann (A.B. 1979, M.A. ’84; Ph.D. ’87). Cain chaired Graham-Bermann’s undergraduate honors thesis in 1978 and taught courses in her clinical graduate program.

“My love of child psychology and keen interest in researching children at risk for exposure to family violence stemmed from those early classes in developmental psychopathology, taught by Al Cain,” reflected Graham-Bermann, a U-M faculty member for 35 years, who has followed her mentor Al Cain’s example by chairing more than 27 graduate student dissertations and sending out cohorts of her own clinical scientists to universities and postdoctoral positions around the country. “He inspired me to focus my research by applying clinical science knowledge to address issues of serious concern in children's lives. I am forever grateful.”

For Ken Cain, his father’s career was emblematic of the University of Michigan’s unique blend of academic rigor and Midwestern humility. “Excellence is everywhere at U-M,” he said. “But here, you’re also expected to be a good person. My dad embodies that—he is one of the most brilliant minds in the field, but also the kindest, most humble guy you’d ever meet.”

Contributing to the university’s excellence in her own right, Barbara Cain (A.B. 1956, M.S.W. ’58) was clinical supervisor of graduate students at the University of Michigan’s Psychological Clinic for 40 years and a psychotherapist in private practice. She authored several highly regarded books for children and young adults on divorce, ambivalence, shyness, and diverse family structures. Her book Autism, The Invisible Cord: A Sibling's Diary was published in 2012 (Magination Press), and was a Silver Medal Winner in the Mom`s Choice Awards.

"Bobbi Cain’s years as clinical supervisor at the Psychological Clinic touched the lives of so many graduate students—interns from both psychology and social work—who went on to careers in clinical practice, teaching, and research,” said Graham-Bermann.

A Present-Tense Tribute

As thoughtful discussions about how to structure a celebratory gift progressed over several years, the Cain family expressed their appreciation for the open and flexible partnership of LSA fundraisers and psychology department administrators, who helped them define and create a unique living memorial tribute. In 2023, the Cain family honored Al & Bobbi by establishing the Al and Barbara Cain Living Memorial Award to recognize undergraduate students who are writing an honors thesis in bereavement; attachment and loss; and/or trauma. The intent was twofold: to recognize and encourage outstanding undergraduates doing research in areas close to Al’s heart—bereavement, attachment, and trauma, with an emphasis on Bobbi’s passion, excellence in psychological writing—and to ensure that the entire Cain family could celebrate their professional achievements with them.

It was especially important to the family that Ken and his wife Susan Cain’s children, Sam and Eli, could actively participate in honoring and furthering their grandparents’ legacy at Michigan.

“I knew I couldn’t just tell my kids about their grandparents’ contributions; they had to see it, experience it,” Ken explained. “And my parents always had a clear-eyed perspective on life’s milestones, including death. This wasn’t about waiting until they were gone; it was about celebrating their impact while they were still here to see it.”

The inaugural Al and Barbara Cain Living Memorial Award was presented to LSA undergraduate Sanzida Chowdhury at a ceremony in May 2024. The event felt as much like a heartfelt tribute as it did an academic milestone. Ken described the experience of helping his mother and father vacate Al’s campus office after 70 years, going through stacks of research papers and remembering the depth of his contributions. “It was bittersweet,” he recalled. “But it also reinforced how much his work mattered. This award ensures that his influence continues.”

The First Recipient: Sanzida Chowdhury

Sanzida Chowdhury; courtesy of Department of Psychology/Michigan Photography

Sanzida Chowdhury (B.S. ’24) was the inaugural recipient of the Al and Barbara Cain Living Memorial Award. Her research, which explores how adverse childhood experiences shape adult relationship dynamics, aligns perfectly with the themes Al Cain spent his career studying.

“I have always been interested in understanding how early life experiences impact social functioning,” Chowdhury said. “My goal was to bridge the gap between childhood trauma and long-term relationship health—an area often overlooked in research.”

“The Cain Living Memorial Award enabled me to complete my research and attend the annual Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) Conference, where I presented my findings in a panel discussion alongside other members of the Multicultural Praxis Lab,” said Chowdhury. “The recognition has increased my confidence and strengthened my commitment to learning and researching how trauma impacts livelihoods.”

Chowdhury’s work earned her additional accolades, including the Lorraine Nadelman Honors Thesis Award in Developmental Psychology. She is now pursuing a dual master’s degree in social work and health informatics at U-M.

“Through the generosity of the Cain family, the Living Memorial Award enables our department to support exceptional undergraduate research in bereavement, attachment, and trauma,” said Chris Monk, associate chair for faculty development in the Department of Psychology. “Al’s years as chair, along with his pioneering research on childhood bereavement, has made a lasting contribution to our academic community, and we are very grateful that his and Barbara’s legacy continue through this meaningful gift.”

The Memory of Michigan

Barbara, Al, Steve, Sam, Susan, Eli, and Ken Cain; courtesy of Ken Cain

Seeing the award come to life at the Michigan Union last May was a deeply personal and fulfilling experience, said Ken Cain. It brought his family full circle—allowing his children to better understand their grandparents’ impact while ensuring that future generations of students are able to continue the work his father pioneered. “It was such a happy occasion,” he said.

“The mood at the dedication of the living memorial was jovial, warm, and very tender with memories of times past. I saw many people who took a moment to personally thank Bobbi and Al for their part in providing them with early career guidance—colleagues from years past, present and former faculty, former students, clinical supervisors, and teachers, many of whom had graduated from the clinical Ph.D. program in years gone by,” said Graham-Bermann. “We were all sharing our stories and experiences of being mentored by Al or Bobbi, our enormous admiration (even love) of these two remarkable, talented people. It was like a reunion and celebration of what these two wonderful people have given to the University of Michigan.”

Ken and Susan’s son Sam, now a high school junior in New Jersey, wrote a poem several years ago about visiting his grandparents in Ann Arbor. It begins, “My favorite place, Ann Arbor, my grandparents’ house. I go once or twice a year, my whole life./I imagine the smell of the turkey on Thanksgiving day, prepared by grandma. I imagine the smell of grandpa’s old books, all over the house.”

But to see another, completely different side of his grandparents’ life at Michigan was “a bit surreal. I’d always heard about their successful teaching careers and the respect people had for them, but I had never really seen it until that night,” said Sam. “It was really nice to see the smile on my grandma’s face when the guests started pouring in to celebrate their lives and careers. I think it helped me understand the true impact they had on the school.”

“To the university community, he’s ‘Professor Cain.’ To me, he is the greatest father-in-law anyone could ask for,” added Ken’s wife, Susan Cain, a New York Times-bestselling author and speaker. “The University of Michigan is at the center of our family’s lives. Ken, the kids, and I have been visiting Ann Arbor, and the university itself, many times a year, for so many years now. It meant so much to all of us to visit yet another time, to establish a living memorial in Professor Cain’s beloved name.”

“My parents never left U-M, because they loved it,” Ken reflected. “They loved their students, their research, and this university. This award is a way of saying thank you—to them, and to the place that has meant everything to our family.”

The Cain family’s generosity has created a lasting tribute to two individuals who dedicated their lives to the University of Michigan. Through the Al and Barbara Cain Living Memorial Award, their values, mentorship, and groundbreaking research will continue to inspire students and faculty for years to come. The final line from Sam Cain’s poem sums it up beautifully, “...the memory of Michigan is what counts.”

Top image courtesy of Department of Psychology/Michigan Photography

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