Maurice J. Elias

Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., is a professor in the Psychology Department at Rutgers University and director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, where he also serves as co-director of the Academy for SEL in Schools and academic director of Rutgers’ Collaborative Center for Community-Based Research and Service. A past president of the American Psychological Association’s Division of Community Psychology (Society for Community Research and Action), he has received multiple honors for his contributions to social-emotional learning and character education, including the Joseph E. Zins Memorial Senior Scholar Award for Social-Emotional Learning and the Sanford McDonnell Award for Lifetime Achievement in Character Education.

Elias is an internationally recognized expert on social-emotional and character development, particularly in children, schools, and families, and he lectures widely on these topics. He is the author or coauthor of numerous works, including Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators, Emotionally Intelligent Parenting, Talking Treasure: Stories to Help Build Emotional Intelligence and Resilience in Young Children, The Joys & Oys of Parenting, and the educator-focused book Morning Classroom Conversations: Build Your Students’ Social-Emotional, Character, and Communication Skills Every Day.