MAPP Directors
Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman Bio (Click Here)
Dr. James Pawelski Bio
James O. Pawelski, Ph.D. is Director of Education and Senior Scholar in the Positive Psychology Center at the 
University of Pennsylvania. Having earned a Ph.D. in philosophy, he has published articles on the history of philosophy and its application to human development. He is the author of The Dynamic Individualism of William James, and is the editor of The Roots of Virtue: Philosophical Reflections on Positive Psychology (in progress).
His current research interests include the philosophical underpinnings of positive psychology, the philosophy and psychology of character development, and the development, application, and assessment of interventions in positive psychology. At the Positive Psychology Center, Dr. Pawelski is responsible for the development of educational initiatives in positive psychology, including the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Program (the world’s first degree program in positive psychology).
In addition to his research and administrative work, he is also a teacher and practitioner of positive psychology. He is one of the principal faculty in the MAPP program (teaching courses on positive interventions), a lecturer on positive psychology to diverse audiences, and a leader in the application of positive psychology and philosophy to life coaching.
Deborah Swick Bio
Deborah S. Swick, MBA, is Associate Director of Education in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of 
Pennsylvania. With experience in both the corporate world and in academia, she has put her MBA (Vanderbilt University) to good use in the development of both the structure and the content of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at Penn. Ms. Swick is a key part of the leadership team responsible for the delivery and ongoing development of the MAPP program and is the Assistant Instructor for the courses “Foundations of Positive Interventions” and “Positive Psychology and Organizations.” In addition, she is an Associate Executive Director of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). She has particular interests in the creation and development of positive communities and is applying these interests in her work with the growing community of MAPP alumni and students, as well as with the global IPPA community. In addition to her administrative and academic work, she is a speaker to diverse audiences, a business consultant, and a life coach.