Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky is the former Dean of the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Miami, where he currently serves as vice provost for institutional culture. He was born in Argentina and has lived and worked in Israel, Canada, Australia, and the United States. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Hebrew, and proficient in Italian. He has given keynote addresses in 26 countries.
Isaac holds the inaugural Erwin and Barbara Mautner Chair in Community Well-Being. He has published 10 books and over 130 articles and chapters. His interests are in the promotion of well-being in individuals, organizations, and communities; and in the integration of wellness and fairness.
He was recipient of the 2010 “Distinguished Contribution to Theory and Research Award” of the Community Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association (APA), and of the 2014 “Lifetime Achievement Award in Prevention” by the division of Counseling Psychology of APA. In 2019 he also received the Seymour Sarason Award from the Division of Community Psychology.
He leads a research team that developed www.funforwellness.com, a research-based online platform to promote health and wellness using videos, games and humor. Isaac is a vegan, fitness aficionado, and humor writer. Isaac won an award for his humor writing in 2015 by the National Newspaper Association. His most recent book is The Laughing Guide to Well-Being: Using Humor and Science to Become Happier and Healthier.
