Dr. Gordon Shaw

April 26, 2005 - Costa Mesa, California

With profound sadness, the MIND Research Institute announces that co-founder Dr. Gordon Shaw passed away early Tuesday morning after a struggle with cancer. He leaves his wife of 47 years, Lorna, and three children — Karen, Robin and Bruce — and four grandchildren.

Dr. Shaw co-founded the non-profit MIND Research Institute in 1998 after 30 years of scientific research at the University of California, Irvine. His vision of teaching all kids, regardless of cultural and socio-economic background, how to think, reason and create mathematically - is the foundation for the Institute’s revolutionary Math+Music curricula. Dr. Shaw recognized that “music is a window to a higher brain function” and dedicated a lifetime to seminal research that has influenced numerous arts-related educational programs.

A legacy to a true visionary, the Institute’s Math+Music (M+M) educational process is now being used by more than 67 elementary schools, directly impacting more than 13,000 Kindergarten through fourth grade students, with dramatic improvements in math scores.

Professor Shaw earned his Ph.D. in theoretical Physics from Cornell University in 1959 and joined the new UCI campus in 1965. He became a full Professor in 1968 and Professor Emeritus in 1994. In addition to his research in elementary particle theory, he began working on brain theory in 1974, which was his primary area of research. He had over 170 publications in neuroscience and elementary particle physics, including the book,“Keeping Mozart in MIND,” Academic Press 2000. His groundbreaking work with Dr. William A. Little of Stanford in the 1970's led to the trion brain model of mathematics. Dr. Shaw served as Chairman of the MIND Research Institute's Board of Directors for the first five years.

Dr. Shaw was deeply committed to making the MIND Research Institute's Math+Music program available to as many children as possible and his vision for the future of the Institute was to extend the program so that all children in the U.S. will have the opportunity to benefit from its unique and innovative approach. The Institute is continuing its research into “how children learn,” under the direction of co-founder Dr. Mark Bodner.

“Dr. Shaw’s unwavering belief that each child has the ability to do complex math and should be given the opportunity to reach their full potential, especially children from disadvantaged backgrounds, has made it possible for the Institute to make a difference in the lives of so many children today,” said Ted Smith, Chairman of the Institute. “Dr. Shaw will be remembered as having a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. Dr. Shaw’s work has had an impact on math and music education that will be clear in the years ahead, as a monument to a truly great man. We will miss his spirited participation, his ideas and his dedication to our mission. the MIND Research Institute will continue operation with its present structure and management.”

Dr. Shaw receives the Cultural Legacy Award from Arts Orange County for his contributions to the arts community this Thursday evening. Dr. Mark Bodner will accept the award on behalf of Dr. Shaw’s family.