Peter T. Coleman
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About

Peter T. Coleman.

A professor, social entrepreneur for peace and justice — and someone who prides himself on breaking things. By departing from convention and innovating in how he theorizes, studies, educates, communicates, practices and activates, Peter aspires to have a profound and lasting impact on the promotion of just peace throughout our world.
— A short biography

Standing on the shoulders of Lewin and Deutsch.

Building on the legacies of brilliant, practical scientists like Kurt Lewin and Morton Deutsch, Peter came to believe in the extraordinary power of big ideas to better our world — and in the critical roles science and technology can play in refining and advancing those ideas.

Growing up in the 1960s in Chicago and experiencing a tumultuous home life, school desegregation, a violent anti-war movement, and a non-violent civil rights movement first hand, instilled in Peter a deep sense of concern over the state of our society and our world.

Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C.
Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C. — NARA

After working with violent, drug-addicted youth in New York City in the 1980s, he returned to school to learn how to bring the power of ideas and science to bear on addressing some of our most difficult, recalcitrant societal ills.

Four tracks of work — over thirty years.

For over 30 years, Peter has studied, educated, practiced and innovated around matters related to peace, conflict and justice through four interconnected tracks:

  1. 01 Understanding and addressing more complex, entrenched, intractable conflict systems.
  2. 02 Evidence-based strategies for how deeply divided societies can — and do — find the way out of toxic polarization.
  3. 03 Developing and applying a new scientific paradigm combining models from peace and conflict studies, social psychology, and complexity science.
  4. 04 Understanding and promoting more sustainably peaceful societies.
Academic appointments & leadership

Roles & appointments.

Peter T. Coleman is Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University, where he has held joint-appointments at Teachers College, The Earth Institute, and The Climate School.

2025 – Present
Senior Advisor to the President & Provost on Community and Culture
Columbia University
2019 – Present
Chief Scientist
Rapport
2008 – Present
Founding Executive Director
The Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict & Complexity (AC4)
1998 – Present
Director
The Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation & Conflict Resolution
1997 – Present
Professor of Psychology & Education
Teachers College, Columbia University
Research interests

A renowned expert on conflict resolution and sustainable peace.

Peter's current research focuses on conflict intelligence as an essential competency for navigating conflict constructively across all levels — from families and workplaces to communities and nations.

— Awards & recognition

Honors that mark a life of work.

A working selection of fellowships, awards, and lifetime recognitions across three decades of research, writing, and field practice.

2026
HBR Prize finalist — The Conflict-Intelligent Leader
Harvard Business Review cover story (July–August 2025); finalist for the 2025 HBR Prize
2023
Elected Fellow
International Association of Conflict Management
2020
Lifetime Commitment Award
Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies Association
2018
Peace Award
Meaningful World — 30th anniversary and the UN International Day of Peace
2018
Emerald Literati Award
“Adaptive mediation: An evidence-based contingency approach to mediating conflict,” International Journal of Conflict Management
2017
Best Conference Theoretical Paper Award
International Association of Conflict Management — “Conflict Intelligence and Systemic Wisdom: Meta-competencies for Engaging Difference in a Complex, Dynamic World”
2016
Best Paper Prize
International Biennial on Negotiation Conference, Paris — “Adaptive Mediation: An Evidence-Based Approach for Mediating Dynamic Conflicts”
2016
Outstanding Book Award — Making Conflict Work
International Association of Conflict Management
2015
Morton Deutsch Conflict Resolution Award
American Psychological Association, Division 48: Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence
2014
Marie Curie Fellowship
European Commission
2013
Invited speaker
Doha Forum, Qatar
2012
Founding board member
Gbowee Peace Foundation USA
2012
Founding member, Academic Advisory Council
United Nations Mediation Support Unit, UNDPA
2005–06
Outstanding Teaching Awards
Teachers College, Columbia University
2003
Early Career Award
American Psychological Association, Division 48: Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence
2003
Most Downloaded Article
Coleman, P. T. (2003). Characteristics of protracted, intractable conflict: Towards the development of a meta-framework—I. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 9(1), 1–37
2000
Book Prize for Excellence
CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution — The Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice, edited by Morton Deutsch & Peter T. Coleman
1997
Doctoral dissertation awarded Distinction
Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences — “Psychological Resistance to and Facilitation of Power-sharing in Organizations”
Public scholarship & advisory

Working with the people doing the repair work.

Peter serves as a scientific advisor to dozens of nonprofit peacebuilding groups. In 2020, he was asked through his affiliation with Tim Shriver's Unite to advise the Joe Biden presidential transition team on depolarization in the U.S.

He is also Founder of the United Nations Mediation Support Unit's Academic Advisory Council, a Founding Board Member of the Gbowee Peace Foundation USA, and a New York State certified mediator.

  • Builders
  • Fix US
  • Constructive Dialogue Institute
  • Search for Common Ground USA
  • Listen First
  • Braver Angels
  • Essential Partners
  • Civic Health Project
  • Horizons Project
  • Partners Global
  • Cascade Institute
  • One Small Step (StoryCorps)
  • Generations for Peace
  • Unite

For professional inquiries, speaking engagements, or institutional collaboration — get in touch.

See publications