Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky

Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky is a featured contributor at Innerbody Research.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside, where she has been a faculty member since 1994. She is a leading authority on the science of human happiness, focusing on how people can sustainably increase their well-being through evidence-based interventions like gratitude, kindness, and connection. Her groundbreaking work has earned numerous accolades, including an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Basel, the Diener Award for Outstanding Midcareer Contributions in Personality Psychology, the Christopher J. Peterson Gold Medal, AAAS Fellow, the Faculty Research Lecturer Award (campus-wide), and a Positive Psychology Prize. Sonja is the author of two acclaimed books, The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness, which have been published in 39 countries.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Sonja Lyubomirsky graduated summa cum laude with an A.B. in Psychology from Harvard University in 1989, where she was awarded the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Work and the Faculty Prize for her Honors Thesis. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University in 1994, where she was recognized with the Centennial Teaching Assistant Award. Throughout her career, she has been awarded fellowships and research grants from organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Mental Health. She is also an elected Fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the Association for Psychological Science, and the International Positive Psychology Association.