About the Founder

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I am a social psychologist and relationship scientist. I have spent my career conducting basic research in social psychology and relationship science, to contribute scientific knowledge about the social condition and the ways in which people are affected (positively and negatively) by their social environment – and to understand the specific pathways by which social relations and the social environment impact health and well-being.

Throughout my career, I have felt dissatisfied that the valuable information that social psychologists and relationship scientists learn through their research mostly remains in scientific journals and has largely not been used to improve the human condition.

The field of social psychology, and relationship science, has amassed many insights regarding important social issues and has a great deal to offer toward the goal of creating a better humanity. Unfortunately, very few of these insights are known to the general public, and very few have been applied in the form of interventions or preventions to make the world better. I am passionate about bringing these insights to the general public in a variety of creative ways (via guidebooks, games, technology, etc.) so that all of humanity can benefit from knowing them. I hope to bring awareness of the importance of social psychology and relationship science for creating a better humanity – and I hope to help people apply these insights to sow the seeds toward a better humanity. 

These social issues include close relationships issues (how to have and maintain healthy relationships), group and inter-group process issues (guides to effective leadership and healthy interactions within and between groups), social connection issues (reducing the prevalence of loneliness/isolation by enhancing the quality of social connections in all age groups), social justice issues (issues of gender, racial, and other inequities, stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, stigma, issues of morality), and issues related to increasing all forms of prosocial behavior (behaviors such as helping, cooperation, kindness, perspective-taking, compassion, respect for all) and removing the many stumbling blocks to prosocial behavior. 

The purpose is to contribute to the welfare of humanity through this work - and to encourage everyone to join the mission. In starting this organization, I share the sentiment of George Westinghouse (1846-1914), an entrepreneur and engineer based in Pittsburgh, PA who created the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry, when he said: "If someday they say of me that in my work I have contributed something to the welfare of my fellow [human], I shall be satisfied." 

I also share the sentiments of another Pittsburgh hero, Mr. Fred Rogers (1928-2003), who said, "The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self" and "Often out of periods of losing come the greatest strivings toward a new winning streak." I resonate with these sentiments because this work is the culmination of my honest self – of what I think I am on the earth to contribute. And although I have had my share of losing periods, out of adversities and injustices come the biggest growth experiences, and I am excited to be working toward meaningful goals that will enable my growth as well. The central theme of this effort is that, although all of us (individuals, families, communities, societies, and nations) have experienced great periods of losing, we can emerge stronger and better from the losing periods and join together to win the ultimate goal of a better humanity.

In addition to founding, developing, and managing Toward a Better Humanity, LLC, I am also a faculty member and professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, where I teach courses on relationships, prosocial behavior, and research methods in social psychology.