George A. Bonanno, Professor of Clinical Psychology at Teachers College, has been elected as a 2025 Fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals.
Bonanno is among nearly 500 scientists, engineers and innovators who have been elected 2025 Fellows for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements throughout their careers. One of the most distinct honors in the scientific community, the Fellows will be celebrated at the AAAS 2026 Fellows Forum in May.
"Over the past three decades, Professor George Bonanno's groundbreaking work has helped to redefine our understanding of grief and resilience," said Thomas Bailey, President of Teachers College, Columbia University. “On behalf of Teachers College, I congratulate George on his well-deserved election as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow."
At the College, Bonanno leads TC’s Loss, Trauma, and Emotion Lab, which conducts critical research on the question of how humans cope with loss, potential trauma, and other forms of extreme life events. For three decades, he has led research that demonstrates resilience as a default response to highly aversive and potentially traumatic life events, including traumatic injury, war, natural disaster, the death of a loved one and more. Bonanno has also applied this research at the helm of TC’s Resilience Center for Veterans & Families, which offers support services for veterans and their families in their transition to civilian life.
Bonanno has received other notable honors including lifetime achievement awards by the Association for Psychological Science (APS), the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). He is the author of two critically acclaimed books, The End of Trauma and The Other Side of Sadness, and has published hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific articles, with many appearing in journals such as Nature, JAMA, American Psychologist and the Annual Review of Psychology. Bonanno is a frequent commentator in the national news media, including in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and The New Yorker.
A tradition dating back to 1874, election as a AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor. Distinguished past honorees include Thomas Edison, W.E.B DuBois, Maria Mitchell, Steven Chu, Ellen Ochoa and Irwin M. Jacobs.
“This year’s AAAS Fellows have demonstrated research excellence, made notable contributions to advanced science, and delivered important services to their communities, said Sudip S. Parikh, Ph.D., AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “These Fellows and their accomplishments validate the importance of investing in science and technology for the benefit of all.”
[Read more about Bonanno’s scholarship here and here, and this year’s AAAS Fellows here. Plus, read about Columbia University faculty who were elected as 2025 Fellows here.]