Lea Waters, PhD

Lea Waters PhD is an Australian academic, researcher, psychologist, author, and speaker, renowned for her specialization in positive education, parenting, and organizational psychology. She holds the position of Founding Director and Inaugural Gerry Higgins Chair in Positive Psychology at the Centre for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne, where she has been an academic for over two decades. Waters also maintains affiliate positions at Cambridge University’s Well-Being Institute and the University of Michigan’s Center for Positive Organizations.

Waters is the President of the International Positive Psychology Association and serves on the World Happiness Council's Council of Happiness & Education. She has made significant contributions to the field with over 100 scientific articles and book chapters. Her groundbreaking work includes the development of "Visible Wellbeing," a program that merges the science of learning and well-being, implemented in educational institutions worldwide.

Her influential book, "The Strength Switch: How The New Science of Strength-Based Parenting Can Help Your Child and Your Teen to Flourish," was a top release on Amazon in the parenting category and has been recognized as a top read by Greater Good Magazine in 2017. It has been translated into multiple languages including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and French. Waters’ TEDx talk, "Warning: Being positive is not for the faint hearted!", highlights the profound impact of small positive changes on overall well-being.

Professor Waters has been acknowledged for her influence and contributions, being named one of Australia’s Top 100 Women of Influence by the Financial Review and Westpac Bank in 2015. She has been consistently listed in Marques ‘Who’s Who in the World’ since 2009. Her media presence is extensive, with features in prominent outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, TIME.com Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.

Waters directs several educational programs that have international reach. Besides "Positive Detective" and "Visible Wellbeing," her "Strengths Exchange" program encourages intergenerational conversations about character strengths globally. Her newest initiative, "The Strengths Switch," provides resources and a five-week online course designed to enhance strength-based approaches in parenting and education.