COLUMBIA, Mo. — Lizette Peterson-Homer, a University of Missouri professor and national leader in the field of child clinical psychology, has died at the age of 51.
Peterson-Homer, a native of Cedar City, died Thursday at University Hospital, several days after developing a severe infection.
Author of four books, 38 book chapters and 145 articles in scientific journals, Peterson-Homer was a Curators Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the Columbia campus.
She had recently received a six-year appointment, to have begun next year, as editor of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Ken Sher, a colleague in the Psychological Sciences Department, said Peterson-Homer was the first woman to be named editor of what he called "the most important journal in clinical psychology."
Peterson-Homer was known for her work to prevent child abuse and toddler injuries. Peterson-Homer received a bachelor's degree at Utah State University and earned her master's degree and doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Utah. After an internship at Salt Lake City Veterans Hospital in 1978, she became an assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia.