Robert W. Roeser is the Bennett Pierce Professor of Care, Compassion and Human Development in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State University. He has a Ph.D. from the Combined Program in Education and Psychology at the University of Michigan (1996) and holds master’s degrees in religion and psychology, developmental psychology and clinical social work. Dr. Roeser has been a United States Fulbright Scholar in India (2005, 2012), and the Senior Program Coordinator for the Mind and Life Institute (2007-2010). His main research interests focus on adolescent development and the cultural contexts that affect it; in schooling and its effects on students’ motivation, learning and broader well-being and identity development; and on the role of contemplative practices like mindfulness and compassion training in education in relation to educators’ and students’ social-emotional wellbeing, health, and educational outcomes. His laboratory is devoted to the creation of new forms of mindfulness and compassion training in education; as well as on the evaluation of such programs with regard to individual outcomes and the promotion of more equitable and compassionate cultures in schools (see https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2P-usd4AAAAJ&hl=en).
