Positive Psychology: The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths

Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D. is a Gallup Senior Scientist and Research Director of the Clifton Strengths Institute. Dr. Lopez has published more than 100 articles and chapters and 10 books in addition to Positive Psychology: The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths. These include Making Hope Happen, his first trade book; The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (with C.R. Snyder); Positive Psychological Assessment: A Handbook of Models and Measures (with C.R. Snyder); Positive Psychology: Exploring the Best in People; The Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology; and The Psychology of Courage: Modern Research on an Ancient Virtue (with Cynthia Pury). Dr. Lopez is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the International Positive Psychology Association. A professor of education for a decade, he is now professor of business at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti received her doctoral and master’s degrees in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas and bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and English from the University of California at Davis. She is currently Associate Dean for Diversity and Curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts and Professor in the Department of Psychology and Child Development at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Dr. Teramoto Pedrotti taught multicultural psychology, intergroup dialogues, and other areas of psychology for over fifteen years. Her research areas of specialty include the effectiveness of intergroup dialogues and other types of multicultural education, and the study of strengths within a cultural context. She is the lead editor on a volume entitled Perspectives on the Intersection of Multiculturalism and Positive Psychology (Springer Science, with Lisa M. Edwards) and authored another undergraduate textbook, Positive Psychology: The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths (SAGE, with Shane J. Lopez, and C. R. Snyder). In addition, Dr. Teramoto Pedrotti’s work has appeared in multiple books and journals including the Handbook of Multicultural Counseling, the Journal of Counseling Psychology, the Journal of Positive Psychology, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, and Professional School Counseling. In her current role, she encourages students, staff, and faculty daily to use their strengths to make change toward a more inclusive and culturally competent campus.

C. R. Snyder, Ph.D. (deceased) was the Wright Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Internationally known for his work at the interface of clinical, social, personality, and health psychology, his theories have pertained to how people react to personal feedback, the human need for uniqueness, the ubiquitous drive to excuse transgressions and, most recently, the hope motive. He received 31 research awards and 27 teaching awards at the university, state, and national levels. In 2005, he received an honorary doctorate from Indiana Wesleyan University.   Snyder has appeared many times on national American television shows, and he has been a regular contributor to National Public Radio. His scholarly work on the human need for uniqueness received the rare recognition of being the subject matter of an entire Sunday cartoon sequence by Gary Trudeau. All of these accomplishments were packaged in a graying and self-effacing absent-minded professor who says of himself, “If you don’t laugh at yourself, you have missed the biggest joke of all!”