A Renaissance man for the millennium

While Rorschach--his white cat with amorphous tan blots--purrs in his lap, Jeff Bjorck, AS '91PhD, recalls a time in his childhood when he told his parents, "My hobby is collecting hobbies."

Bjorck's interests then ranged from playing the piano and clarinet, to drawing, painting and sculpting, to tree climbing, bird watching and spending hours in the woods near his home. "I also had every collection imaginable, from stamps and coins to minerals and leaves, not to mention a dust collection under my bed!"

Bjorck says he was a hyperactive child, which often made life for him and his parents a challenge. "My hobbies helped me sit still and stay focused, for at least a few minutes at a time."

Growing up with parents who encouraged his many pursuits, Bjorck (who says he feels hyperactive even now) still retains a wide assortment of avocations. A licensed clinical psychologist, he is a psychology professor at Fuller Theological Seminary's Graduate School of Psychology in Pasadena, Calif., where he teaches, conducts research and writes. He also maintains a part-time private practice that includes a wide variety of cases.

"I enjoy treating young children, adolescents, adults of all ages, families and couples. I think a broad focus helps me to be a better clinician, given my own personality," he says.

His recently published book, Casebook for Managing Managed Care (American Psychiatric Press, coauthored by Janet Brown, R.N., and Michael Goodman, M.D.) teaches mental-health professionals how to communicate patients' needs to managed-care organizations so that patients get proper treatment. "Writing this book proved that things always take longer than you plan, and that life is never predictable," Bjorck says. "For example, I started working on it officially in 1996, and the original second author died suddenly only a week after we began. There were many unexpected hurdles along the way, but it feels terrific to finally be done."

When not working, Bjorck says he enjoys hiking, camping and attending the step-aerobics class directed by his wife, Sharon McConnell, BE '86, who is a professor of English as a second language at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. Bjorck also hang glides regularly, participates in weight-lifting competitions, enjoys photography and still plays the piano.

Recently, he independently released 12 of his instrumental compositions on a CD, Pure Piano Portraits, which has received airplay on a number of public radio stations across the country. The CD cover features one of his photographs, taken in Glacier National Park, Mont.

"Some of the pieces on the CD were actually given birth on the piano in the lounge of Brown Hall, while I was a graduate student," he says. "I had an office in Elliott Hall for several years, which served as a psychology clinic then, and I would often play in that residence hall as a study break."

Nearly a decade after graduating, Bjorck says he has many fond memories of his graduate school years, from meeting his wife at an Intervarsity Christian Fellowship meeting to working with his mentor, psychology Prof. Larry Cohen. "Larry was someone who could give me frank, constructive, critical feedback on my scientific writing on the one hand, and, on the other, be comfortable going up to the gym and sharing a game of racquetball. We still keep in touch and occasionally collaborate."

Were there any negative aspects to Bjorck's graduate education? "One of the things I liked least," he says, laughing, "was losing every one of those racquetball games in six years."

Today, racquetball has been replaced by hang gliding. "Years ago, it was a very risky sport, but this is no longer true. I am the kind of person who does his research before trying something new, and statistically, I would much rather be hang gliding than skiing, mountain biking or driving on L.A. freeways," he says.

Bjorck frequently launches from a mountain 2,100 feet above a landing site in Sylmar, Calif., outside Los Angeles. Using thermals (rising columns of hot air), he is able to climb a mile or more above the ground and stay aloft for hours at a time.

"For me, this is not a thrill-seeking activity," he says. "It's one of the most peaceful places I know. To be soaring beside a hawk at perhaps 1,000 feet above mountain tops, with only the wind in my ears, is wonderful."

Bjorck still finds that there is never enough time to do everything he would like. To this end, he says he has found two maxims to be valuable: "All decisions involve loss" and "Embrace your limits."

"Limits are God's gift. They help to keep me focused on what's important in life, like loving my wife and trying to make a difference in the world. I waste no energy feeling guilty about my limits, though. Rather, I give myself permission to be sad about the losses involved in every choice I make. (I can't be two places at once, can I?) This frees me up to enjoy the fact that all decisions also involve gain. Frankly, given all the opportunities and experiences I have gained already, I feel extremely grateful and blessed."

--Gary Libman