William Damon is a professor at Stanford University, Director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, and senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He is one of the world's leading researchers on the development of purpose in life and the author of the influential book The Path to Purpose. Damon also helped develop innovative educational methods such as peer collaboration, project-based learning, and the youth charter. Damon is also known for his studies of purposeful philanthropy. His current work includes a scientific study that explores the development of purpose in higher education and a study of family purpose across generations. Dr. Damon writes on intellectual and social development through the lifespan. He is the founding editor of New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development and editor-in-chief of The Handbook of Child Psychology (1998 and 2006 editions). Damon has been elected to the National Academy of Education and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In January 2018, Damon was named one of "The 50 Most Influential Psychologists in the World".
