Rate My Professor Blaine Fowers

Blaine J. Fowers is a Professor of Counseling Psychology in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies at the University of Miami's School of Education and Human Development, where he has been a faculty member since 1990, progressing from Assistant Professor (1990–1995) to Associate Professor (1995–2003) and full Professor since 2003. He obtained his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987, M.A. in Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1983, and B.A. in Psychology from Weber State College in 1981. Before joining the University of Miami, Fowers was Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Family Studies at the University of New Mexico (1987–1990) and served as Clinical Director of the Family Center for Counseling and Education there from 1988–1990. His early professional roles included Staff Psychologist at Falkirk Hospital (1986–1987) and Counseling Psychology Intern at the State University of New York at Buffalo (1985–1986).

Fowers conducts theoretical and empirical investigations into virtue, human flourishing, phronesis, and ethics from an Aristotelian perspective at the intersection of philosophy and psychology. He has authored or co-authored key books such as The Science of Virtue: A Framework for Research (2024, Cambridge University Press, with B. Cokelet and N. D. Leonhardt), Phronesis: Retrieving Practical Wisdom in Psychology, Philosophy, and Education (2024, Oxford University Press, with K. Kristjánsson), Frailty, Suffering, and Vice: Flourishing in the Face of Human Limitations (2017, APA Books, with F. C. Richardson and B. D. Slife), The Evolution of Ethics: Human Sociality and the Emergence of Ethical Mindedness (2015, Palgrave Macmillan), Virtue and Psychology: Pursuing Excellence in Ordinary Practices (2005, APA Books), and Beyond the Myth of Marital Happiness (2000, Jossey-Bass). Notable recent articles include "Can a theory of human flourishing be formulated: Toward a science of flourishing" in Review of General Psychology (2024) and "Is the concept of personality capacious enough to incorporate virtues?" in Frontiers in Psychology (2023), contributing to his over 10,791 citations on Google Scholar. Among his honors are Fellowship in the American Psychological Association (2005), the Joseph B. Gittler Award (2016), and the Steve Harrist Distinguished Service Award (2017). Fowers has held leadership positions including Department Chairperson (2005–2011), Director of Training for the Counseling Psychology Program (1997–2005), and Director of the Master’s Program in Mental Health Counseling (2023–2024), alongside committee service in graduate fellowships and scholarships.