For more than 30 years, Dr. Richard Catalano has led research and program development to promote positive youth development and prevent problem behavior. He is the co-developer of the Social Development Model; the parenting programs "Guiding Good Choices," "Supporting School Success," "Staying Connected with Your Teen," and "Focus on Families"; the school-based program, "Raising Healthy Children'; and the community prevention approach, "Communities That Care."
Dr. Catalano's work has focused on discovering risk and protective factors for positive and problem behavior, designing and evaluating programs to address these factors, and using this knowledge to understand and improve prevention service systems in states and communities. He has served on expert panels for the National Academy of Sciences, federal and state government, and foundations.He has published over 350 articles and book chapters. His work has been recognized by practitioners (1996 National Prevention Network's Award of Excellence); criminologists (Fellow of the Academy of Experimental Criminology, 2007 August Vollmer Award from the American Society of Criminology, and 2003 Paul Tappan Award from the Western Society of Criminology); prevention scientists (2001 Prevention Science Award, 2012 Presidential Award from the Society for Prevention Research, President-elect, Society for Prevention Research), and social workers (Fellow in the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare).
Dr. Catalano received his bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, and his master's and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from the University of Washington.