CHICAGO –\u00a0It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Roger P. Weissberg, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning\u2019s (CASEL) Board Vice Chair and Chief Knowledge Officer.<\/p>\n
Dr. Weissberg was a leading voice and foremost expert on social and emotional learning (SEL), and his seminal research helped to establish a substantial evidence base for SEL and to transform how school districts and state departments approached education. He was a co-founder of CASEL, where he spent the past 25 years guiding the organization and contributing to the growth of the SEL field. Dr. Weissberg was also Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he was named the NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning Research in 2011.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoger made incalculable contributions to the science, practice, and policy of education in the United States and around the world,\u201d said CASEL co-founder and board chair Timothy Shriver. \u201cSEL has brought empathy, compassion, and strength to the lives of millions of children and adults, and no one did more to open their hearts and ours too than Roger. Future generations will long be indebted to him and those of us lucky enough to know and work with him will cherish his memory, his kindness, his endless commitment, and his life changing friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRoger was a tireless advocate for SEL and dedicated to improving the lives of all children,\u201d said CASEL President and CEO Karen Niemi. \u201cHis loss to both CASEL and the field as a whole will be felt deeply, and he will be greatly missed by both those who knew him personally and those who have felt the impact of his life\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Weissberg\u2019s work over the last four decades helped pioneer and grow the field of SEL, including co-authoring the 1997 book\u00a0Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators,\u00a0<\/i>which formally defined SEL as an educational approach. He also co-led the 2011 landmark meta-analysis that showed SEL programs led to an 11 percentile point increase in students\u2019 academic gains, and a 2017 follow-up that showed positive outcomes lasted up to 18 years after programs ended.<\/p>\n
Recognized throughout his career as a leader in education, Dr. Weissberg\u2019s many accolades include serving as president of the American Psychological Association\u2019s Society for Community Research and Action,\u00a0being elected to the National Academy of Education for his contributions to education research and policy, and being named one of Getting Smart\u2019s \u201c60 people shaping the future of K-12 education.<\/span><\/a>\u201d He\u00a0received the 2000 American Psychological Association\u2019s Distinguished Contribution Award for Applications of Psychology to Education and Training, the Society for Community Research and Action\u2019s 2004 Distinguished Contribution to Theory and Research Award,\u00a0and the 2008 Daring Dozen Award from the George Lucas Educational Foundation.<\/p>\n Dr. Weissberg\u2019s legacy of scholarly excellence will live on through the\u00a0CASEL Weissberg Scholars Program for Innovators of Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning<\/span><\/a>, a learning community created in his honor to continue his visionary approach to research and collaboration. In tribute, contributions to the Weissberg Scholars Program will help sustain his vision and legacy.<\/p>\n