Former University of Miami dean, wife pass away

By Barbara Gutierrez [email protected] 05-13-2026

Isaac Prilleltensky, former dean of the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development, a noted educator and psychologist who was a strong advocate for community well-being in his teachings and writings, died on May 7 after a brief illness. He was 66 years old.

In a heartrending turn of events, Ora Prilleltensky, his wife of 44 years, a former clinical assistant professor at the School of Education and Human Development and a fierce proponent of disability rights, died four days later. She was also 66.

Ora and Isaac Prilleltensky were not only husband and wife, but they also formed an intellectual and personal partnership grounded in empathy, scholarship, and an unwavering belief in the dignity of every individual, said colleagues. Ora Prilleltensky used a wheelchair due to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

"Ora Prilleltensky was a brilliant thinker and writer, fierce advocate for the disability community, and tenacious instructor who brought her creativity, commitment, grace, and elegance to the School of Education and Human Development alongside her loving spouse, Isaac," said Laura Kohn-Wood, professor and dean of the School of Education and Human Development. "It is hard to imagine them apart, and my only comfort is that they are apart no longer."

Isaac Prilleltensky was born in Argentina and later lived in Israel, Canada, Australia, and the United States. He built a career focused on the theory that well-being was not limited to an individual but relied on justice, inclusion, mattering, and how community equity and wellness affected individuals.

The School of Education added the phrase Human Development to its name during his tenure at the school. Isaac Prilleltensky served as dean of the school from 2006 to 2017 and was the inaugural holder of the Erwin and Barbara Mautner Chair in Community Well-Being. He also served as vice provost of institutional culture and professor of educational and psychological studies.

Kohn-Wood said: "Isaac was an instrumental change agent for the school, at UM, and in the Miami community. Isaac's innovative vision for the school, emphasizing educational, physical, and psychological well-being provided focus and congruence across the school. His vision and leadership as dean shaped what we continue to do today, in programs, classes, and research."

During his tenure as dean, Isaac Prilleltensky instituted several successful programs, including an undergraduate major in Human and Social Development, co-founded with his wife and now known as Community and Applied Psychological Studies (CAPS); master's programs in Community and Social Change and Education and Social Change; an online Sport Administration M.S.Ed. program; and an online Ed.D. and M.S.Ed. in Applied Learning Sciences. He also established the Richard J. Kurtz Family Community Well-Being Doctoral Program and reinstated the Higher Education Administration Ed.D. program.

Isaac Prilleltensky earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Bar-Ilan University, followed by a master's degree in psychology from Tel Aviv University and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Manitoba.

Ora Prilleltensky received her Ph.D. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. At the School of Education and Human Development, she co-founded and served as the first program director of CAPS in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies, where she taught several courses. She co-authored four books with her husband. Much of her work focused on issues that bridged academic research with lived experience. Her research included a novel partnership with Shake-A-Leg Miami that contributed to her 2004 book, "Motherhood and Disability: Children and Choices," a groundbreaking work that explored the experiences of women with physical disabilities who wanted to become mothers or were already parenting.

Isaac Prilleltensky was a man who built strong friendships with his colleagues and students. In addition to his many academic publications, he regularly engaged in his hobby as a humor writer while serving as dean.

His colleagues reminisced about their relationship with Issac Prilleltensky:

• "I met Isaac as my Ph.D. advisor at Vanderbilt, and over the years, he became my mentor, thought partner, trusted colleague, co-author, and critical friend. I would not be where I am in my academic career without his unwavering support and nourishment," said Scotney Evans, associate professor and chair of the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies.
• "When I could not yet see my own potential, he saw it for me and handed me a purpose that grew into decades of leadership," said Soyeon Ahn, professor and senior vice dean for academic affairs and faculty affairs. "He did not just run a dean's office; he ran toward people. I am one of many he quietly and completely changed."
• "Prilleltensky was more than a brilliant scholar who had incalculable impact on his field: he was a humble, thoughtful mentor whose recognitions of my contributions made me feel seen and valued," said Carol-Anne Phekoo, clinical associate professor and director of the Higher Education Graduate Program.

Isaac Prilleltensky was fluent in English, Spanish, Hebrew, and Italian. He published more than 14 books about psychology and well-being, as well as more than 100 scholarly articles. He co-authored a book with his wife, called "How People Matter: Why it Affects Health, Happiness, Love, Work, and Society."

Isaac Prilleltensky believed that "mattering" was crucial to a human being's well-being. In a 2023 column he co-authored with his wife, they wrote: "Mattering consists of feeling valued and adding value to ourselves and others. It means feeling valued, appreciated, respected, and recognized. This is a precondition and a prerequisite for a meaningful life."

Scott Rogers, lecturer in law and director of the Mindfulness in Law Program in the School of Law, met Prilleltensky 16 years ago, and they shared an interest in mindfulness and the well-being of children. They collaborated in developing a master's degree program in well-being.

"Isaac's presence was unique and unmistakable," he said. "His energy, brilliance, curiosity, humor, and enormous capacity to care for others were gifts that brightened the world."

Marsha Talianoff worked with him for 12 years as executive director of major gifts for the School of Education and Human Development.

"Isaac came to the school with a vision to unify its three departments in a mission to integrate educational, psychological, and physical well-being," she said. "I was continually inspired by his teachings. He taught me the importance of creating a culture of belonging and fairness and of finding ways to make people feel valued."

Lithe and energetic, Isaac Prilleltensky believed in leading a healthy life and relied on a plant-based diet and in daily exercise. Although he was a frequent speaker at conferences, his passion was teaching, his colleagues said.

Isaac and Ora Prilleltensky are survived by their son, Matan.