Laboratory for the Study of Meaning and Quality of Life with Dr. Michael Steger

Michael Steger is an Associate Professor in the Counseling Psychology and Applied Social Psychology programs at Colorado State University. He was recently named as an Extraordinary Professor by North-West University in South Africa. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Macalester College and his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and Personality Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2005. His graduate work on developing a measure of meaning in life earned him the Best Dissertation Award from the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies. He has continued to research the foundations and benefits of living a meaningful life. In addition, he has published research on factors related to achieving well-being, how people adjust to traumatic life events, and social influences on depression. He is the co-editor of Designing Positive Psychology from Oxford University Press, and Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace from American Psychological Association Press. His research also investigates what makes work meaningful, and how meaningful work enriches employees and organizations. He currently serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Personality, and serves on the editorial boards of several other journals.