James Comer is the Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University Child Study Center. Dr. Comer career concentration has been the promotion of child and adolescent development as a way of improving schools. In 1968, Dr. Comer founded the Comer School Development Program, which promotes the collaboration of parents, educators, and the community to improve social, emotional, and academic outcomes for children that help them achieve greater school success. He has improved the educational environment in more than 1,000 schools throughout the U.S. Dr. Comer is the author of numerous publications and received many awards for his work, including 49 honorary degrees. In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Comer to his advisory commission on educational excellence for African Americans. In 2016, he became an honorary commission co-chair of the Aspen Institute’s National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. Dr. Comer received an MD from Howard University. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.