Michelle L. Tichy, Ph.D.
Michelle earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology with an emphasis on Social and Developmental Psychology from the University of Minnesota. Michelle has been involved in the Holistic Education SIG (Special Interest Group) at the American Educational Research Association since 2001 (her first AERA). She has been actively involved in the global holistic learning and wellness communities both academically and personally for over two decades. Her heart centered commitment is to create access to holistic and authentic educational opportunities for all students.
As a social and developmental psychologist she is fascinated by how people grow and thrive from prenatal development throughout life. Her work integrates various contemplative practices and social/ecological justice. Michelle’s work spans organizations from private high schools, small not for profit preschools, grassroots political organizations, parochial schools, Head Start, grassroots charter school systems, and traditional public schools. An overarching theme of her work as a scholar, teacher, and a leader, is how and why organizational systems are operating the way they are and what can be done to transform them in order to create systems that better serve the holistic needs of students, teachers, and communities using contemplative practices and heart centered social/ecological justice efforts.