UMSN Remembers Sylvia Sukoff Hacker with Memorial Scholarship Fund

Dr. Hacker leaves a legacy of education on human sexuality and service to her community.

Dr. Hacker, associate professor emeritus at UMSN and the School of Public Health, passed away on January 13, 2013, at the age of 90.  Widely known and respected on and far beyond campus for her expertise in sexual education, Dr. Hacker used humor and forthrightness to encourage positive discourse when addressing controversial aspects of human sexuality.  

A memorial celebration will be held Sunday, May 19, from 1-3 p.m. at University of Michigan School of Public Health.

“She was a wonderful teacher and a most positive person,” said UMSN lecturer Norma J. Sarkar, MPH, RN, who worked with Dr. Hacker. “She did a number of trainings on human sexuality for teachers in the school system where I worked in the late 1980s. She was loved by all who heard her. She will be remembered for her significant contributions to understanding of human sexuality.”

In addition to Dr. Hacker’s numerous journal publications, she co-authored a book with her daughter called What Teenagers REALLY Want to Know about Sex. She hosted a community access call-in television program called “Sexy Minutes,” was interviewed on national television shows, and was cited in numerous local and national newspapers and magazines. She was honored by the Michigan Department of Community Health, Mensa, lesbian and gay civil rights groups, as well as the University of Michigan, where she was given the 1993 Mae Edna Doyle Teacher of the Year Award.

Memorial donations in honor of Dr. Hacker can be made via the Michigan Online Giving portal: Sylvia Hacker Scholarship Fund or can be mailed to the University of Michigan School of Nursing, 400 N. Ingalls, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482. Please put "Dr. Sylvia Hacker Scholarship Fund" on the memo line of your check.

If you have questions, please contact the School of Nursing Office of Development and External Relations, (734) 763-9710 or nursingalum@umich.edu.