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Event History
2020 Summer Research Institute

Cultivating Prosocial Development Across the Lifespan: Context Relationships, and Contemplative Practices

In the face of pressing ecological, economic, social, and political challenges, the world stands in need of a social systems renewal. We need individuals and communities that are educated and skilled in virtuous habits of the mind (e.g., awareness), the heart (e.g., compassion), and the body (e.g., engagement) to address the global challenges of our times.

How can virtuous prosocial qualities and behaviors such as trust, cooperation, empathy, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, truth-seeking, and reparation-making be cultivated in individuals, families, schools, and communities such that we support generations of people in becoming agents of positive change in the world today? The future of our planet, and all its inhabitants, depends on our collective ability to answer this question in ways that are compassionate and inclusive, evidence-based, practical, and immediate, as well as culturally and developmentally diverse.

SRI 2020 is an exploration of prosocial development across the lifespan of individuals and within communities, and of how history, social contexts, relationships, and contemplative practices all play key roles in such development. Integrating academic, contemplative, and artistic knowledge and wisdom, we will address how the development of prosocial qualities can be promoted at different stages of life––from infancy and childhood to adolescence, and from early adulthood to old age––and in different cultural-historical situations, through the use of contemplative practices, educational and social programs, community-building and activism, and systems reform.


Program Sessions

2020 Summer Research Institute Session

Developmental Contemplative Science: Framework for the Study of Prosocial Development

Phil Zelazo

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Compassion & Empathy | Education

2020 Summer Research Institute Session

Trust and Fairness in Development

Philippe Rochat

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Interconnection

2020 Summer Research Institute Session

Compassion-Centered Spiritual Healthcare

Jennifer Mascaro

Topics: Brain & Cognitive Science | Compassion & Empathy | Mental Health | Stress & Resilience

2020 Summer Research Institute Session

Our stories are our medicine: Centering culture and healing through story work with Indigenous communities

Ramona Beltrán

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Interconnection | Self & Other | Stress & Resilience

2020 Summer Research Institute Session

No Place Like Home: Decolonizing our American Dreams & the Necropolitics they Bury

Jasmine Syedullah

Topics: Body-based Practices | Self & Other | Social Change | Stress & Resilience

2020 Summer Research Institute Session

Contemplating 400 Years of Inequality: A Mindfulness & Compassion Community Practice

Angel Acosta

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Interconnection | Self & Other | Social Change

2020 Summer Research Institute Session

School-Based Promotion of Children’s Empathy, Kindness, and Altruism: Emerging Research, Lingering Questions, and Future Directions

Kimberly Schonert-Reichl

Topics: Compassion & Empathy | Education | Mindfulness | Stress & Resilience


Plenary Faculty and Discussants

Plenary faculty deliver lectures and are available to answer attendee questions throughout the week, often leading breakout sessions and participating in panel discussions. Their lectures expand on the week’s theme, deepening and broadening our shared knowledge from a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and disciplines.

Angel Acosta, EdD

Teachers College, Columbia University

Convening Faculty

Dr. Angel Acosta recently completed his doctorate degree in the Curriculum and Teaching Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. For the last decade, Angel has worked to bridge the fields … MORE

Ramona Beltrán, PhD

University of Denver

Convening Faculty

Ramona Beltrán, MSW, PhD is a Xicana of Yaqui and Mexica descent and dancer/activist/scholar. As an Associate Professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, her scholarship … MORE

Kamilah Majied, PhD, PhD

California State University, Monterey Bay

Convening Faculty

Dr. Kamilah Majied is a mental health therapist, clinical academician, and internationally engaged consultant on inclusivity and contemplative pedagogy and practice. She has practiced and taught Buddhism and mindfulness practice … MORE

Jennifer Mascaro, PhD

Science & Grants Consultant, Mind & Life Institute; Emory University

Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Reviewer

Jennifer Mascaro is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Emory University. Her research interests center on human social cognition and the biology of interconnection, … MORE

Barbara (Bobbi) Patterson, PhD

Emory University

Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer, Steering Council Member

Bobbi Patterson’s scholarship focuses on lived religion and place, human and earth ecosystems, and pedagogy, particularly those involving community-based partnerships. Her scholarly training and teaching engages Christian and Buddhist contemplative … MORE

Philippe Rochat, PhD

Emory University

Convening Faculty

Philippe Rochat was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland. He was trained by Jean Piaget and his close collaborators and received his Ph.D. from the University of Geneva, Switzerland in … MORE

Robert Roeser, PhD, MSW

Pennsylvania State University

Convening Faculty, Reviewer, Steering Council Member

Robert W. Roeser is the Bennett Pierce Professor of Caring and Compassion in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Health and Human Development, at Penn State … MORE

Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, PhD

University of British Columbia

Convening Faculty, Reviewer

Kimberly Schonert-Reichl is an applied developmental psychologist and a professor in the Human Development, Learning, and Culture area in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education at … MORE

Juan Santoyo

Universidad de Antioquia; Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer

Juan is an early-career researcher from Colombia who works in neuroscience and contemplative research. His training has involved studying the neurophysiological dynamics underlying meditation training and sensory perception in humans, … MORE

Jasmine Syedullah, PhD

Vassar College

Convening Faculty, Fellow

Jasmine Syedullah is a theorist of abolitionist movement scholarship as well as co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation (North Atlantic Books, 2016). She joined the faculty of … MORE

Phil Zelazo, PhD

University of Minnesota

Convening Faculty, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer

Phil Zelazo is the Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professor at the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota. His research has helped shape current understanding of executive function … MORE


Contemplative Faculty

Contemplative faculty guide participants through practices that integrate their first-person knowledge with themes being explored, interspersing contemplative art and practice sessions with free time for personal reflection. In addition to daily practice, the contemplative faculty lead the retreat time.

Kelvy Bird

Convening Faculty

Kelvy Bird is an artist and internationally recognized “scribe”, translating content and dynamics into visual, tangible formats to aid with reflection and decision-making. She has worked in the fields of … MORE

Brooke D. Lavelle, PhD

Courage of Care Coalition

Convening Faculty, Grantee, Reviewer

Brooke D. Lavelle, PhD, is the Co-Founder and President of the Courage of Care Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to facilitating the co-creation of a more just, compassionate world. Together with her … MORE

Srinivas Reddy

IIT Gandhinagar

Convening Faculty

Srinivas Reddy is a scholar, translator and musician. He studied classical South Asian languages and literatures at UC Berkeley and currently teaches at Brown University and IIT Gandhinagar. Srinivas is … MORE

Juliana M Santoyo, EdM

One Square World

Convening Faculty, Fellow, Grantee, Reviewer

Juliana Santoyo (they/them) is a mixed, nonbinary femme who walks the red road, born amongst the sacred mountains and rivers of the Northern Andes Mountains located in so-called Colombia. They … MORE

Laura Schmalzl, PhD

Southern California University of Health Sciences

Convening Faculty, Grantee, Reviewer

Laura Schmalzl is an associate professor at Southern California University of Health Sciences, where she teaches neuroscience, research methods, and yoga foundations for healthcare professionals. Laura initially trained as a … MORE

Martin Vitorino, PhD

Courage of Care

Convening Faculty

Martin Vitorino, PhD serves as a lead faculty member for Courage of Care and directs their LGBTQIA+ initiative. He is also the Director of Programming at InsightLA and leads the … MORE

Peter Wayne, PhD

Harvard Medical School

Convening Faculty, Fellow

Peter Wayne, PhD, is a researcher and practitioner in the field of mind-body and integrative medicine.  Dr. Wayne is the Bernard Osher Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School … MORE


Program Planning Committee

The Program Planning Committee (PPC) is a committee of invited specialists from diverse disciplines and perspectives who bring their expertise to curate and produce the content for the Summer Research Institute. In addition to developing the overall theme and narrative arc of the program, the PPC actively participate in SRI and serve as leader for small group discussions. Rob Roeser and Barbara (Bobbi) Patterson are co-chairs of this year’s Program Planning Committee.

Kamilah Majied, PhD, PhD

California State University, Monterey Bay

Convening Faculty

Barbara (Bobbi) Patterson, PhD

Emory University

Convening Faculty, Fellow, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer, Steering Council Member

Robert Roeser, PhD, MSW

Pennsylvania State University

Convening Faculty, Reviewer, Steering Council Member

Juan Santoyo

Universidad de Antioquia; Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Grantee, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer

Phil Zelazo, PhD

University of Minnesota

Convening Faculty, Planning Committee Member, Reviewer


About the Summer Research Institute

The purpose of the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute is to advance collaborative research among scientists, contemplative scholars, other humanities scholars, and contemplative practitioners, based on a process of inquiry and dialogue. With this unique program, we are not only nurturing a new generation of scientists interested in exploring the influence of contemplative practice and meditation on mind, behavior, brain function and health, but are also fostering the development of nascent research fields collectively referred to as “contemplative studies” (including contemplative neuroscience, contemplative clinical science, contemplative education, and contemplative scholarship).

The Mind & Life Institute

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info@mindandlife.org

 

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Mind & Life Institute
  • About
    • Mission and Values
    • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
    • 35 Years
    • Strategy
    • History
    • People
    • Careers
    • Contact
  • Events
    • Dialogues and Conversations
    • Summer Research Institute
    • Mind & Life Connect
    • Inspiring Minds
  • Grants
    • Varela Grants
    • PEACE Grants
    • Contemplative Changemaking Grants
    • Awards
    • Mentoring
  • Online Learning
    • Insights Essays
    • Mind & Life Podcast
    • Online Courses
    • Digital Dialogues
    • Academic Papers
  • Media
    • Blog
    • Documentaries
    • Books
    • Videos
  • Support
    • Why Give
    • Ways to Give
    • Annual Reports
  •