Martin e. p. seligman (1942– ) was born in albany, new york, on 12 august 1942. as an undergraduate, he majored in philosophy at princeton university, graduating summa cum laude. he went to the...

Martin e. p. seligman (1942– ) was born in albany, new york, on 12 august 1942. as an undergraduate, he majored in philosophy at princeton university, graduating summa cum laude. he went to the university of pennsylvania, receiving his phd in psychology in only three years. after teaching at cornell university for three years, he returned to the university of pennsylvania, fi rst in the department of psychiatry, and then in the department of psychology, where he has remained. a man of broad interests in psychology, he has made contributions in animal learning, the study of depression and optimism, has served as director of the clinical training program in psychology, and served as the primary consultant for a major study on the effectiveness of long-term psychotherapy for consumer reports. a prolifi c writer and recipient of numerous awards, he served as president of the american psychological association in 1998, which led to his current focus on positive psychology. Married, and the father of six children, seligman continues to be active as Fox leadership professor of psychology at the university of pennsylvania.