Robert Sommer (April 26, 1929February 27, 2021) was an internationally known Environmental Psychologist and held the position of Distinguished Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of California, Davis. Sommer wrote 14 books and over 600 articles, he was best known for his book Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design (1969), which discusses the influence of the environment on human activities. "[Man] will adapt to hydrocarbons in the air, detergents in the water, crime in the streets, and crowded recreational areas. Good design becomes a meaningless tautology if we consider that man will be reshaped to fit whatever environment he creates. The long-range question is not so much what sort of environment we want, but what sort of man we want." ~ Robert Sommer Life and career Robert Sommer was born in New York City.<ref> Sommer, Robert (1929-). 2001. Retrieved November 06, 2011 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403804207.</ref> He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1956 and after teaching in Sweden and the University of Alberta, he arrived at the University of California, Davis in 1963. At Davis, he chaired four departments: Psychology (1964–70); Environmental Design (1991-1994), Rhetoric & Communication (1994–95), and Art (1997-2000) and was a Distinguished Professor of Psychology Emeritus (since 2003). Though he may be best known for his book Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design, first published in 1969, he has written 14 other books and more than 600 publications on a variety of subjects. His writings on environmental psychology include research in mental hospitals, libraries, classrooms, and living spaces. Sommer also has written a number of articles and a book on mushrooms, and other nontechnical subjects and his work has appeared in the journal Worm Runner's Digest, which publishes scientific papers alongside satirical articles. Sommer's consulting work included the design of bicycle paths, residence halls, geriatric housing, airports, offices, prisons, farmers' markets, and other facilities. He designed the board game Blacks & Whites in 1970 together with Judy Tart, as part of a project commissioned by Psychology Today. He also received a number of awards including: City-University Research Award, City of Davis; Research Award, California Alliance for the Mentally Ill; Career Research Award, Environmental Design Research Association; Kurt Lewin Award, Division 9 APA; Fulbright Award to Estonia, USSR; President-Elect 1998–1999, President 1999–2000, APA Div. 34, Doctorem Honoris Causa, Tallinn Pedagogical University. Thought Sommer was influenced by his studies on environmental psychology with