Marvin Berkowitz

Dr. Marvin W Berkowitz is Founders Professor of Education and former inaugural Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professor of Character Education, the co-director of the Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and University of Missouri President’s Thomas Jefferson Professor. He has also served as the inaugural Ambassador H. H. Coors Professor of Character Development at the U.S. Air Force Academy (1999) and as a professor of psychology and the director of the Center for Ethics Studies at Marquette University (1979-1999). He was also founder and an associate director of the Center for Addiction and Behavioral Health Research in Milwaukee. Since 1999, he has directed the Leadership Academy in character education in St. Louis.

 

Born in Queens, NY in 1950, he earned his B.A. degree in psychology from the State University of NY at Buffalo in 1972 and his Ph.D. in life-span developmental psychology at Wayne State University in 1977. He served as a research associate at the Center for Moral Development and Education at Harvard University from 1977-79. He has served as a visiting scholar in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, Spain, and Taiwan.

 

His scholarly focus and expertise is in character education and development. He is co-author of PRIMED to Compete: Coaching for Character (2025), and author of PRIMED for Character Education (2021), You Can’t Teach Through a Rat: And Other Epiphanies for Educators (2012); Parenting for Good (2005); the editor of Moral Education: Theory and Application (1985) as well as Peer Conflict and Psychological Growth (1985); and the author of more than 100 book chapters, monographs, and journal articles. He is founding co-editor of the Journal of Character Education. 

 

Dr. Berkowitz was named Outstanding Young Educator of 1983 by the Milwaukee Jaycees, was cited as one of Milwaukee’s 87 Most Interesting People in Milwaukee Magazine (1987), was named Best University Professor in a 1998 readers’ poll of the Shepherd’s Express, was named Educator of the Year by the St. Louis Association of Secondary School Principals (2005), was an inaugural recipient of the Bill Porzukowiak Character Award (2005), received the Sanford  N. McDonnell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Character Education Partnership (2006), received the first Exemplary Partner Award from the Charmm’d Foundation (2008),  won the Good Works Award (2010) and the Kuhmerker Career Achievement Award (2013) from the Association for Moral Education (2010), and received the University of Missouri System’s Thomas Jefferson Professorship (2011).