Richard Weissbourd

Richard Weissbourd holds faculty positions at Harvard's Graduate School of Education and Kennedy School of Government, where he is at the helm of the Human Development and Psychology Program. His primary academic focus lies in the moral development of children, their resilience and vulnerability, and the effectiveness of schools and services designed for them. Weissbourd's noteworthy contributions to the literary world include "The Parents We Mean To Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine the Moral and Emotional Development of Children" and "The Vulnerable Child: What Really Hurts America's Children and What We Can Do About It," the latter being recognized as one of the top ten education books of all time by the American School Board Journal.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Weissbourd has a rich history of working as a psychologist in community mental health centers and on the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s New Futures Project. He has also been instrumental in setting up several interventions for at-risk students, such as ReadBoston, WriteBoston, and ProjectASPIRE, a collaboration with Robert Selman. Moreover, Weissbourd is one of the founders of The Lee Academy in Boston, a unique institution that offers a seamless educational program for children aged 3–11, spanning from preschool to elementary school.

Weissbourd is not just an esteemed academic and psychologist but also a social activist. He spearheads the Harvard University "Making Caring Common" Project, an initiative aimed at fostering kindness in children and prioritizing moral and social development in child-rearing. He also leads the Turning the Tide initiative, which seeks to reform college admissions by emphasizing ethical character and increasing equity and access. Weissbourd is currently conducting research on how older adults can mentor young adults and teenagers in developing caring, ethical, and mature romantic relationships.