Scope and Contents:
The collection includes audio files of interviews and files of interview transcriptions. In these interviews, Avner discussed his family, military service, work at the University of Illinois’ Computer-Based Education Research Laboratory, and involvement with Jewish organizations in Champaign-Urbana.
Biographical/Historical Context:
Richard Allen Avner was born on March 1, 1937 in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, to Sim N. Avner and Laura Mae Moore Avner. Avner received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1961 and a Master of Arts in Experimental Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1964. In 1962, he married astronomer and computer-assisted instruction developer Elaine Sweital Avner. Between 1964 and 1966, Avner served in the United States Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory at Fort Novosel (previously Fort Rucker), Alabama. Avner was a principal research scientist at the University of Illinois’ Computer-Based Education Research Laboratory from 1967 to 1993. Active in Champaign-Urbana’s Jewish community, Avner is a longtime member of Sinai Temple and has served on the board of directors of the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation.
Alexander Scheeline is a professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Illinois, having joined the faculty in 1981. He is also a member of Sinai Temple and has served on the board of directors of the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation.
| Illinois History and Lincoln Collections
Subjects (links to similar collections)
Submit request (Aeon)
