The How of Happiness During COVID-19 and Beyond: Boosting Well-Being Through Kindness and Connection
Sonja Lyubomirsky is Distinguished Professor and Vice Chair of Psychology at U.C. Riverside and author of “The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness” (published in 36 countries). Lyubomirsky and her research on the science of happiness have been the recipients of many grants and honors, including the Diener Award for Outstanding Midcareer Contributions in Personality Psychology, the Christopher Peterson Gold Medal, and a Positive Psychology Prize.
The majority of her research career has been devoted to studying human happiness. Lyubomirsky asserts that human happiness is an important area of scientific study because most people believe that happiness is meaningful, desirable, and an important, worthy goal; that happiness is one of the most salient and significant dimensions of human experience and emotional life; that happiness yields numerous rewards for the individual; and that happiness makes for a better, healthier, stronger society. Along these lines, her current research addresses three critical questions: 1) What makes people happy? 2) Is happiness a good thing? and 3) How and why can people learn to lead happier and more flourishing lives?
Lyubomirsky is a graduate of Harvard College; she earned her Ph.D. at Stanford University.
Professor Lyubomirsky's Athenaeum presentation is co-sponsored by the Berger Institute at CMC.
Photo credit: Josh Blanchard