The Center for Character and Citizenship is led by a diverse team of researchers, educators, and practitioners who share a commitment to character, citizenship, and human flourishing.
Our work is grounded in research and shaped by real experience in schools and communities. Together, we bring knowledge, care, and practical insight to support educators, leaders, and organizations around the world.
Melinda C. Bier, Ph.D.
Teresa M. Fischer Professor of Citizenship Education;
Co- Director, Center for Character and Citizenship
Melinda C. Bier serves as the Teresa M. Fischer Professor of Citizenship Education and as Co-Director of the Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. In these roles, she has led program evaluation, supported the design and adoption of K–12 educational innovations, and guided professional development for teachers and school leaders—particularly in underserved schools and communities.
Mindy currently leads research on Cultivating Virtues for Leadership (CViL), a project that examines whether specific servant leadership virtues can be intentionally developed and measured in educational leaders.
Her earlier work includes the development of Youth Empowerment in Action (YEA!), a series of cross-disciplinary service-learning projects. These projects engage students in evaluating interventions that combine media literacy, youth-led participatory action research, social marketing, and policy analysis. Together, these efforts aim to improve student and community outcomes related to health, character development, and academic achievement.
Mindy and Marvin W. Berkowitz are also co-authors of an ongoing series of scientific literature reviews focused on supporting the development of character in school-age students.
Marvin W Berkowitz, Ph.D.
Founders professor;
Co-Director, Center for Character and Citizenship
Marvin W. Berkowitz is a world-renowned scholar, researcher, and educator in the fields of character education, moral development, and educational leadership. He serves as Founders Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Character and Citizenship at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. He previously held the Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professorship of Character Education.
His research focuses on how character is developed and how schools can intentionally foster ethical leadership and positive school culture. Dr. Berkowitz is the author or editor of several influential books, including PRIMED for Character Education: “Six Design Principles for School Improvement”, “You Can’t Teach Through a Rat”, and “Parenting for Good”. He has published more than 100 scholarly articles, book chapters, and monographs.
Dr. Berkowitz is a founding co-editor of the Journal of Character Education and has served on national and international boards, including Character.org, the John Templeton Foundation, the Jean Piaget Society, and the Association for Moral Education. He has also been Principal Investigator on numerous research grants funded by organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the John Templeton Foundation.
Brittany Caldwell is a senior at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, majoring in Cybersecurity with an emphasis in Information Systems and Technology. She plans to graduate in May 2027.
Brittany works part-time at the Center for Character and Citizenship, where she supports daily operations, collaborates with team members, and strengthens her problem-solving, communication, and time-management skills in a professional setting.
She also serves as President of the UMSL Information Systems and Technology Mentoring Club, where she leads meetings and organizes activities and events throughout the semester.
Anastasia Hercules is a Graduate Assistant at the Center for Character and Citizenship and a doctoral student pursuing an EdD in Character Education. She holds an undergraduate degree in history, with a minor in literature, and a master’s degree in education from the University of Southern Indiana. She is a first-generation college graduate and identifies as a working-class academic.
Anastasia is a Fulbright Program scholar and has international teaching experience through an IREX teacher exchange program in India. She has also participated in and led several study abroad and cultural immersion experiences, including programs in Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and China.
She began her secondary teaching career in 2007 and has taught in a wide range of educational settings across three states. Her experience includes public, private, and charter schools, as well as urban, suburban, and rural contexts, working with learners from middle school through adulthood.
Anastasia has led professional development sessions through the National Council for the Social Studies and facilitated multicultural awareness training for teachers and students. Most recently, she served as a facilitator for the Sue Shear Women’s Leadership Academy during the 2024–2025 academic year.
Thomas R. Hoerr serves as a Scholar in Residence at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where he teaches in the Educational Leadership program and helps prepare future school principals. As part of the Center for Character and Citizenship team, he supports the integration of character and virtue development into school leadership preparation.
Before joining UMSL, Dr. Hoerr served as Head of New City School in St. Louis for 34 years and is now Emeritus Head of School. He has also led the ISACS New Heads Network and founded the Nonprofit Management Program at Washington University in St. Louis.
Dr. Hoerr is the author of seven books on education and leadership. His most recent book, “The Principal as Chief Empathy Officer” focuses on building school cultures where everyone can grow. He has written more than 170 articles, including the “Principal Connection” column in Educational Leadership from 2004 to 2017, and he currently writes a monthly blog on school leadership for ASCD.
Deborah Sanders O'Reilly, MBA, M.S.
Coordinator for the Center for Character and Citizenship
Deborah Sanders O’Reilly serves as Coordinator of the Center for Character and Citizenship, where she manages grants and supports the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Center’s programs and initiatives.
She brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education, with a background in program coordination, organizational leadership, and professional development. Prior to joining UMSL, Debbie held academic and administrative roles at National Louis University, where she worked across multiple colleges and supported faculty, students, and academic programs.
At the Center, Debbie has played a key role in the Cultivating Virtue for Leadership (CViL) project since its early stages, contributing to both research and professional learning. She has helped deliver CViL-related professional development in the United States and Kenya.
Debbie holds graduate degrees in psychology and business administration and has completed specialized training in character education and program evaluation.
Fatima Salas-Rodriguez is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Character and Citizenship. She earned her master’s degree in Social Science Research and her Ph.D. in Education and Psychology from the University of Navarra in Spain.
Her research focuses on school culture, educational leadership, and character education, with particular attention to servant leadership, school trust, teacher efficacy beliefs, educator well-being, and mentoring. At the Center, she has contributed to research and program evaluation projects in countries including Mexico, Colombia, and Kenya.
Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Fatima has studied and worked in several countries, including Spain, Australia, and the United States, and has volunteered in Belgium and Singapore. Her professional experience includes collaborating with K–12 educators and school leaders in both public and private schools across Mexico and Spain.
Fatima is deeply committed to supporting teachers and principals in their important work of fostering human flourishing. She believes that for students to thrive, the well-being of educators and families must be a central priority.
Suzanne Bright, EdD
Programming Consultant
Suzanne Bright is an educational leader with more than 25 years of experience supporting schools in building caring, high-performing cultures. Her work centers on leadership development, character education, professional learning, and comprehensive school improvement.
Her commitment to character education began through her participation in LACE (now CEEL). She later served as a coach and program leader for a CHARACTERplus/U.S. Department of Education research initiative that demonstrated improvements in academic performance, student behavior, and school culture. As Program Coordinator, she helped design and launch the Missouri Schools of Character program, which continues to grow and now includes more than 70 recognized schools.
Dr. Bright also served as the principal of a National School of Character within a National District of Character. Under her leadership, the school achieved strong academic growth and ranked among the top schools in Missouri, with character education as a central driver of success.
She is currently President and CEO of Orca Solutions, partnering with schools and districts nationwide. She also mentors aspiring principals through the Center for Character and Citizenship’s CEEL program.
Julie Frugo, EdD
Programming Consultant
Julie Frugo is an educational leader with more than 25 years of experience in teaching and school leadership. She has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and since 2010, CEO and Superintendent of Premier Charter School in St. Louis.
Premier Charter School serves more than 1,000 students in grades PreK–8 and is a highly diverse community, with students speaking 17 different languages. Under Julie’s leadership, the school became the only charter school in the St. Louis area recognized as both a State and National School of Character. A graduate of LACE (now CEEL), Julie has been deeply involved in the school’s character education journey, keeping relationships, empowerment, and student growth at the center of the work.
Julie earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and her EdD from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where she studied under Marvin W. Berkowitz. Her work focuses on professional learning, leadership development, and sustaining character-driven school culture.
Amy Johnston, EdD
CEEL Program Coordinator
Amy Johnston is an educational leader with more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, counselor, and school administrator. She is best known for her leadership as principal of Francis Howell Middle School, which earned both Missouri and National School of Character recognition during her tenure.
Dr. Johnston is widely respected for her work on character education and healthy adult culture in schools. She has shared the Francis Howell Middle School character education journey with educators across the country through conference presentations and professional learning events. Her work now extends internationally, where she advises school leaders in settings such as China and Dubai.
Amy earned her EdD in Character Education and Democratic School Governance from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, along with graduate degrees in educational administration and counseling. She is also a graduate of the Center for Character and Citizenship’s Leadership Academy in Character Education.
In addition to her work in education, Dr. Johnston serves others through equine-assisted therapy, supporting children with physical, social, and emotional needs.
Kristen Pelster, EdD
Programming Consultant
Kristen Pelster is an educational leader with more than 20 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and district leader. She is best known for leading the turnaround of Ridgewood Middle School, which transformed from low attendance and achievement into one of Missouri’s Top Ten Most Improved Schools by placing character education at the center of school culture. Under her leadership, the school earned National School of Character recognition.
Kristen later served as district leader for character education, helping Fox C-6 School District earn recognition as a National District of Character. She has shared this work nationally, including testifying before the U.S. Senate on the impact of social, emotional, and character development for students. She has also served as a keynote speaker at national conferences and has been featured in USA Today.
Kristen earned her EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and is a graduate of the Center for Character and Citizenship’s Leadership Academy in Character Education. She currently serves as the Chief Programming Officer at CharacterPlus and consults with the Center to support character-driven school leadership.
Julie Sperry, EdD
Programming Consultant
Julie Sperry is an educational leader with more than 15 years of experience in school leadership and character education. Her work in character education began in 2008 through her participation in the Leadership Academy in Character Education, where she developed a strong vision for positive school culture. As a principal, she led her school to recognition as a National School of Character in 2012.
After 14 years as a principal, Dr. Sperry expanded her impact by serving in regional leadership roles with EducationPlus and later with CharacterPlus. She currently works as Director of Program Expansion & Innovation at CharacterPlus. In this role, she has supported programs and professional learning reaching thousands of educators and students each year.
Julie also works with the Center for Character and Citizenship through the CEEL program and serves as a Missouri Leadership Development Specialist. Her work focuses on developing leaders who create school cultures where people can grow and thrive.
Jonathan Cohen, Ph.D.
Affiliate Scholar, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University
Jonathan Cohen is a psychologist, scholar, and international leader in school climate, character education, and violence prevention. He is an affiliate scholar at the Center for Character and Citizenship and Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Dr. Cohen previously served as Co-President of the International Observatory of School Climate and Violence Prevention from 2018 to 2023. His work bridges research and practice, supporting schools, districts, and ministries of education in the United States and around the world.
He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and books, including “Feeling Safe in School”, which examines bullying and violence prevention across global contexts. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Cohen is a practicing clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst, working with both children and adults.
Juan Pablo Dabdoub, Ph.D.
Affiliate Scholar, Co-Founder of Become, Associate Professor at Universidad Villanueva
Juan Pablo Dabdoub works with leaders to build communities where people can grow by promoting well-being, cultivating character, and supporting identity development.
He is the co-founder of Become, where he partners with school leaders in more than 18 countries to design and deliver leadership programs that are sustainable and locally driven. His work focuses on building regional capacity so that schools and communities can create lasting impact.
Juan Pablo’s work bridges educational practice and academic research. He is an Associate Professor at the Universidad Villanueva and serves as Secretary of the Association for Moral Education. He is also an Affiliate Scholar at the Center for Character and Citizenship and a member of the Education, Citizenship, and Character research group at the University of Navarra. He has published academic work on character development and has spoken at conferences across five continents.
Peter Kingori
Affiliate Scholar, Director of the Character Education Programme at the Centre for Character and Leadership (Nairobi, Kenya)
Peter Kingori is the Director of the Character Education Programme at the Centre for Character and Leadership in Nairobi, Kenya. He also serves as Secretary of the Character and Leadership Council. In his role, Peter supports research, training, advocacy, and community transformation focused on character and leadership development.
Peter has served as a Co–Principal Investigator for the Cultivating Virtues in Kenyan School Leaders (CViL) project, working in collaboration with Melinda C. Bier and the Center for Character and Citizenship.
His work focuses on character education, servant leadership, virtue development, spiritual growth, peacebuilding, youth mentorship, and positive parenting practices. He has extensive experience training school principals, teachers, students, and parents on leadership, mentorship, and effective character education implementation.
Peter is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Kenya Methodist University. He holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in religious studies and is an active member of the Association for Moral Education.
Mark Liston, Ph. D.
Affiliate Scholar, Founder of Liston Group and JOMO Counseling
Mark Liston is a thought leader in positive education and character development. He is the founder of Liston Group, which provides character development and assessment resources to organizations across the United States and in more than a dozen countries.
Dr. Liston developed Character Challenge, a research-based curriculum that uses film clips, peer discussion, and positive psychology practices to support character growth. He also created the Character Growth Index, a validated measure of character development, as part of his doctoral research.
Mark earned his PhD from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where he studied under Marvin W. Berkowitz. He consults with secondary and higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and businesses on effective character development practices.
His work is informed by both professional training and lived experience, shaping his commitment to helping individuals and organizations grow in character and well-being.
Pete Paciorek, EdD
Affiliate Scholar, Director of Character Development & Leadership at IMG Academy
Pete Paciorek is the Director of Character Development & Leadership at IMG Academy, a global leader in sports education. His work focuses on supporting students, athletes, educators, coaches, and parents in fostering positive youth development through character and leadership education.
At IMG Academy, Dr. Paciorek designs and leads character development programs that help students build strong identities, overcome challenges, support one another, and succeed both on and off the field. He works closely with middle and high school students, as well as with coaches and educators, to integrate character education into everyday practice and training.
Before his career in education, Pete spent ten years playing professional baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres organizations. He earned his EdD in Character Education from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, along with graduate degrees in sport management and organizational leadership.
Along with Marvin W. Berkowitz and David L. Shields, he co-authored “PRIMED to Compete: Coaching for Character.”
Mike Park
Affiliate Scholar, Chief Executive Officer of CharacterPlus
Mike Park has a long-standing connection with the Center for Character and Citizenship, beginning with his participation in and graduation from the Leadership Academy in Character Education. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of CharacterPlus, the largest community-wide character education initiative in the United States.
Mike brings a diverse leadership background spanning education, military service, and business. He previously served as an Army Intelligence Officer in Europe and later held executive roles in multi-million-dollar consumer retail companies. He continues to work as a managing partner for Brand-P® companies, including WeBeSchools®, CharacterMoxie®, and Mostbestos®.
Mike is a graduate of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School, the Wharton School Executive Development Program, and the University of Alabama. His work has included collaboration with K–12 schools, universities, and institutions such as the United States Military Academy.
Satabdi Samtani, Ph.D.
Affiliate Scholar, Senior Research Associate, Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education
Satabdi Samtani is a Senior Research Associate at the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, where she conducts research and evaluation focused on youth justice and behavioral health. Her primary work supports the Ohio Behavioral Health Juvenile Justice initiative, using rigorous methods to assess program effectiveness and inform policy and practice at the state level.
Satabdi brings extensive experience in program evaluation across behavioral health, youth development, and justice-focused initiatives. Her prior work includes evaluations of state- and federally funded programs addressing opioid response, suicide prevention, and justice reform. During her postdoctoral work at Montclair State University, she served as lead researcher on a national evaluation of character-focused youth programs.
Satabdi previously worked as a research scientist with the Center for Character and Citizenship, collaborating with school leaders on ethical leadership and social-emotional learning.
Her research interests include behavioral health disparities, social-emotional learning, mixed-methods research, and program evaluation.
Jonathan Tirrell, Ph.D.
Affiliate Scholar, Research Professor and Program Director, GLADi, Tisch College
Co-editor of the Journal of Character Education
Jonathan Tirrell is a developmental scientist and Research Professor at Tufts University, where he serves as Program Director of the Generous Listening and Dialogue Initiative (GLADi) at Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. He is also affiliated with the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development.
Jonathan’s work focuses on character development and positive youth development, with particular attention to forgiveness as a character strength and civic virtue. He studies how young people become good people and how character is shaped through relationships, communities, and culture—especially in contexts of conflict and marginalization.
Through researcher–practitioner partnerships, Jonathan collaborates with youth-serving organizations in the United States and internationally, including Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, and El Salvador. His work connects character education, restorative justice, peacebuilding, and civic engagement through practices of listening, dialogue, empathy, and responsibility.
Jonathan is also a co-editor of the Journal of Character Education.
