About William Damon

William Damon is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, the director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, and a professor of education at Stanford University. His current research explores how people develop character and a sense of purpose in their work, family, school, and community relationships. He examines how young people can approach their careers with a focus on purpose, self-understanding, imagination, and high standards of excellence. Damon also has written widely about how to educate for ethical understanding.

Damon's most recent books are Taking Philanthropy Seriously: Beyond Noble Intentions to Responsible Giving (2006); The Moral Advantage: How to Succeed in Business by Doing the Right Thing (2004); and Noble Purpose: The Joy of Living a Meaningful Life (2003). Earlier books include Bringing in a New Era in Character Education (2002); Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet (2001); The Youth Charter (1997); Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in Our Homes and Schools (1995); and The Moral Child (1990).

Damon is editor-in-chief of The Handbook of Child Psychology, fifth and sixth editions (1998 and 2006). He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education.

Damon has received awards and grants supporting his research from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the John Templeton Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Before coming to Stanford in 1997, Damon was a professor of education and University Professor at Brown University, where he continues to hold an appointment as an adjunct professor of human development. From 1973 to 1989 Damon held a variety of academic positions at Clark University and, in 1988, was a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Puerto Rico. Damon received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. He is married and has three children.