We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Dr. Martha Foschi, Professor Emerita in the Department of Sociology. Martha passed away on December 22, 2025. Martha was a scholar and friend who revelled in making the lives of others better.
She began her scholarly career at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, graduating with an honours BA in philosophy in 1962. An important boost to her career came from assisting there, for three years, on a philosophy of science course with the distinguished physicist, Dr. Mario Bunge (a mentorship influence she paid forward to her own students throughout her career). Accompanied by her loving husband, Ricardo Foschi (Civil Engineering, UBC), she moved to Palo Alto in 1962, after receiving a scholarship from the University of Buenos Aires, to pursue graduate studies in Sociology at Stanford (MA and PhD). She came to UBC in 1967 and while she formally retired in 2003, she remained active in teaching and research throughout the early 2000s.
In 1988 she co-edited, with Dr. Murray Webster, the influential volume Status Generalization: New Theory and Research (Stanford University Press). Her 2000 Annual Review of Sociology paper, “Double Standards for Competence: Theory and Research” remains a foundational contribution to the study of gender bias in hiring, promotion, and workplace evaluation. Her contributions to teaching and mentorship are well established by her lengthy career of publishing peer-reviewed work in scholarly journals that she co-authored with both undergraduate and graduate students.
Throughout her distinguished career Martha also held visiting positions at the University of Iowa, Stanford University, Jagiellonian University in Poland, and the University of Nantes in France. A lover of opera and fine art, she will be remembered as a passionate supporter of the performing arts.
In Martha’s honor, the Department of Sociology established The Martha Foschi Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching: A biennial award established to recognize faculty members who excel in both scholarship and instruction.
The Department of Sociology extends its deepest condolences to Dr. Foschi’s family, friends, colleagues, students, and all who benefited from her extraordinary devotion to making the world a better place for us all. A Celebration of Life is being held at the University Golf Club (5185 University Blvd, Vancouver) on Tuesday, February 24 at 1:00 p.m.
