He is Emeritus Professor in Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development and the Founding Director of the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development.

He is the author of over 350 journal articles and book chapters on the development of well-being, learning and the effects of prevention efforts on children and families.

He is a Founding Board Member of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Urie Bronfenbrenner Award for Lifetime Contribution to Developmental Psychology in the Service of Science and Society from the American Psychological Association (2016).

One of his current interests is how to help nurture awareness and compassion in our society.  He is the Chairperson of the Board of CREATE, a non-profit devoted to improving the quality of schooling and the lives of teachers and students (www.createforeducation.org).