William Damon

William Damon, Ph.D is Professor of Education and Director of the Center on Adolescence at Stanford University. He is also Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace. Prior to coming to Stanford, Damon was University Professor and Director of the Center for the Study of Human Development at Brown University. He received his bachelor's degree from Harvard and his doctorate in developmental psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. Damon is editor-in-chief of New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development and editor of The Handbook of Child Psychology (2006).

Dr. Damon's current research explores how people develop character and a sense of purpose in their work, family, and community relationships. He examines how young people can approach their careers with a focus on purpose, imagination, and high standards of excellence. Damon also has written widely about how to educate for moral and ethical understanding. Damon's work is being used in professional training programs in the fields of journalism, law, and business, as well as in character education programs at the precollegiate level.

In addition, Dr. Damon has been working with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Howard Gardner on a large educational project seeking to foster good work in several key domains of American society. The domains include journalism, business, the sciences, higher education, and philanthropy. Damon has received awards and grants from many sources, including the Pew Charitable Trusts, the John Templeton Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York , the New York Community Trust, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Thrive Foundation. He has recently been elected to membership in the National Academy of Education.

Before coming to Stanford in 1997, Damon was University Professor at Brown University, where he continues to hold a courtesy appointment as adjunct professor of human development. Earlier, Damon was Professor of Psychology at Clark University and, in 1988, was a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Puerto Rico. Damon is married and has three grown children.

Dr. Damon's most recent books are: Taking Philanthropy Seriously: Beyond Noble Intentions to Responsible Giving (2006) (with Susan Verducci); The Moral Advantage: How to succeed in business by doing the right thing (2004), and Noble Purpose: The joy of living a meaningful life (2003). His earlier books include Bringing in a New Era in Character Education (2002), Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet (2001) (with Howard Gardner and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi); the Youth Charter (1997); Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in Our Homes and Schools (1995); Some Do Care: Contemporary Lives of Moral Commitment (1992) (with Anne Colby); and The Moral Child (1990).

Damon is editor-in-chief of The Handbook of Child Psychology, Fifth and Sixth Editions (1998 and 2006). He is a member of the National Academy of Education.