J. Lawrence Aber
Professor of Applied Psychology and Public Policy (NYU Steinhardt School of Education)
Lawrence Aber is a Professor of Applied Psychology and Public Policy at the Steinhardt School of Education, New York University. Dr Aber earned his Ph.D. from Yale University and an A.B. from Harvard University. He previously taught at Barnard College, Columbia University and at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, where he also directed the National Center for Children in Poverty. He is an internationally recognized expert in child development and social policy and recently has co-edited Neighborhood Poverty: Context and Consequences for Children (1997, Russell Sage Foundation), Assessing the Impact of September 11th 2001 on Children Youth and Parents: Lessons for Applied Developmental Science (in press, Erlbaum) and Child Development and Social Policy: Knowledge for Action (in press, APA Publications). His basic research examines the influence of poverty and violence, at the family and community levels, on the social, emotional, behavioral, cognitive and academic development of children and youth. Dr. Aber also designs and conducts rigorous evaluations of innovative programs and policies for children, youth and families, such as violence prevention, literacy development, welfare reform and comprehensive services initiatives. He has been a recipient of a William T. Grant Faculty Scholar award as well as a Visiting Scholar award from the Russell Sage Foundation. Dr. Aber testifies frequently before Congress, state legislators and other deliberative policy forums. The media, public officials, private foundations and leading non-profit organizations also frequently seek his opinion or advice about pressing matters concerning child and family well-being. Dr. Aber was recently appointed as: an Honorary Fellow of the Institute for Families and Society, Birkbeck College, University of London; as a Board Director of the Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa; and as Chair of the Board of Advisers to the International Network on Children and Armed Conflict co-sponsored by the Social Science Research Council and the United Nations.
