Memorandum

The UCLA Tarjan Center is sad to share that Dr. Andrew Russell (Drew), passed away in early November 2022 with his loved ones by his side. He was 78.

Drew was born in 1944 and raised in Berkeley, California, the son of two educators at U.C. Berkeley, David and Elizabeth Russell. As a young boy, he traveled the world with his parents and his older brother, David, making lasting memories that he would recount for the rest of his life. He graduated from Pomona College in 1966 and earned his medical degree from the University of Colorado in 1970.

In 1969, Drew married Kathleen Miller, and they moved to the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. They raised three children together: Julie, Douglas, and Michael.

Drew joined the UCLA faculty as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in 1977 and retired as Professor Emeritus 40 years later. He developed a national reputation for his work related to the care of children with severe developmental disabilities and was a beloved teacher and mentor to generations of psychiatry trainees. He served as Co-Director of the Tarjan Center from 1999 to 2010. He had a long-standing interest in intellectual disabilities, which was nurtured during his training at UCLA by the late George Tarjan, M.D. Dr. Russell was the author of numerous scientific articles and chapters examining the co-occurrence of intellectual disability and mental illness. He is a strong advocate for increasing the quality and accessibility of mental health services for persons with disabilities.

He is survived by his brother, three children and their respective spouses, and six grandchildren. He will be missed and recognized for his strong work in the field of developmental disabilities.