Stewart Donaldson

Stewart I. Donaldson, Ph.D. is a psychologist specialising in evaluation science and optimal human and organizational functioning. He holds appointments as Professor of Psychology and Community and Global Health, Dean of the School of Social Science, Policy & Evaluation, Dean of the School of Community & Global Health, and Director of the Claremont Evaluation Center, Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. He was previously Dean of the School of Behavioral & Organizational Sciences (2001–2013) and Dean of the School of Politics and Economics (2012–2013), Claremont Graduate University.
Donaldson served as President of the American Evaluation Association in 2015. The American Evaluation Association is an international association of professional evaluators devoted to assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, organizations, large-scale change interventions, personnel, policies, and products to improve their effectiveness. The organization has approximately 7,500 members representing all 50 of the United States as well as over 60 other countries.
He was born in West Bromwich, England on 28 February 1961 but was raised and educated in California. He graduated from Chaffey High School in 1979, with an A.A. in Business Administration from Chaffey College in 1981, with a B.A. in Behavioral Science with a minor in Marketing Management from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 1984, with a M.A. in General Experimental Psychology from California State University, Fullerton in 1986, and he earned his PhD in Psychology specialising in Organizational Behavior and Evaluation Research from Claremont Graduate University in 1991. Before joining the faculty at Claremont Graduate University in 1995, he was on the faculty at the University of Southern California (USC) 1990–1995 and at Claremont McKenna College (CMC) 1991-1993.

He works with a wide range of colleagues and graduate students on applied research and evaluation projects focused on promoting optimal human, program, community, and organizational functioning. His work has been funded by The National Institute of Mental Health; The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; National Science Foundation; US Department of Education; National Office of Justice Programs; Office of Juvenile Justice Planning; Center for Substance Abuse Prevention; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; The Rockefeller Foundation; The California Wellness Foundation; The Howard Hughes Foundation; The David and Lucille Packard Foundation; The Hillcrest Foundation; The Weingart Foundation; The Robert Ellis Simon Foundation; The Irvine Foundation; The Fletcher Jones Foundation; The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation; Riverside County Department of Mental Health; State of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program; Stanford Business School; First 5 Riverside; and First 5 Los Angeles among many others.

As Director of the Claremont Evaluation Center he has provided organizational consulting, research, and evaluation services to more than 100 different organisations during the past decade.

Professor Donaldson has been chair or member of more than 50 doctoral dissertation committees at Claremont, and he also works with professionals enrolled in the Non-residential Certificate of Advanced Study in Evaluation program there. He is currently serving on the Board of the International Positive Psychology Association and EvalPartners, a fellow of the Western Psychology Association, and recently served a 3-year term on the Board of the American Evaluation Association (2009–2012). He also serves on the Editorial Boards of the American Journal of Evaluation, New Directions for Evaluation, Evaluation and Program Planning, Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation and the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, is editor of the IAP Evaluation and Society book series, is co-founder of the Western Positive Psychology Association and the Southern California Evaluation Association, and served as Co-Chair of the Theory-Driven Evaluation and Program Theory Topical Interest Group of the American Evaluation Association (AEA) from 1994–2002. Dr. Donaldson was a 1996 recipient of the AEA's Marcia Guttentag Early Career Achievement Award, in recognition of his work on theory and method and for accomplishments in teaching and practice of program evaluation. In 2001, he was honoured with Western Psychological Association's Outstanding Research Award. He received the American Evaluation Association's Paul F. Lazarsfeld Theory Award for sustained lifetime written contributions to the advancement of evaluation theory and practice in 2013.

His work has appeared in a broad range of peer reviewed journals, chapters, and books.

Selected books

• Donaldson, Stewart I., & Picciotto, Robert. (2016). Evaluation for an Equitable Society. Greenwich, CT: Information Age. ISBN 1681234432
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Christie, Christina A., & Mark, Melvin M. (2015), Credible and Actionable Evidence: The Foundation for Rigorous and Influential Evaluations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage ISBN 9781483306254
• Donaldson, Stewart I., & Rao, Meghana A. (forthcoming). Scientific Advances in Positive Psychology. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., & Rao, Meghana A. (forthcoming). Theory-driven Positive Psychology: A Culturally Responsive Scientific Approach. London: Psychology Press.
• Gargani, John, & Donaldson, Stewart I. (forthcoming). Theory-driven Program Design and Redesign: A Practical Guide to Achieving Social Impact. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Azzam, Tarek, & Conner, Ross (2013), Emerging Practices in International Development Evaluation. Information Age. ISBN 1623961831
• Donaldson, Stewart I. (2013), The Future of Evaluation in Society: A Tribute to Michael Scriven. Information Age. ISBN 978-1-62396-451-1
• Neff, Kelly, & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2012), Teaching Psychology Online: Tips and Techniques for Success. Psychology Press. ISBN 1848729235
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, & Nakamura, Jeanne (2011). Applied Positive Psychology: Improving Everyday Life, Health, Schools, Work and Society. Routledge Academic. ISBN 0415877822
• Mark, Melvin, Donaldson, Stewart I., & Campbell, Bernadette (2011). Social Psychology and Evaluation. Guilford. ISBN 160918212X
• Chen, Huey T., Donaldson, Stewart I., & Mark, Melvin M. (2011). Advancing Validity in Outcome Evaluation, Jossey-Bass. . ISBN 1118094077
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Christie, Christina A., & Mark, Melvin M. (2008). What Counts as Credible Evidence in Applied Research and Evaluation Practice? Newbury Park, CA: Sage.[5] ISBN 1-4129-5707-9
• Donaldson, Stewart I. (2007). Program Theory-Driven Evaluation Science: Strategies and Applications. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. ISBN 0-8058-4671-9
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Berger, Dale E., & Pezdek, Kathy (2006). Applied Psychology: New Frontiers and Rewarding Careers. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. ISBN 0-8058-5349-9
• Donaldson, Stewart I. & Scriven, Michael (2003). Evaluating Social Programs and Problems: Visions for the New Millennium. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. ISBN 0-8058-4185-7

Selected peer-reviewed articles and chapters

• Leeuw, Frans L., & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2015). Theories in evaluation: Reducing confusion and encouraging debate. Evaluation: The International Journal of Theory, Research, & Practice, 21(4), 467-480.
• LaVelle, John, & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2015). The state of preparing evaluators. New Directions for Evaluation, 145, 39-52.
• Rao, Meghana A., & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2015). Expanding opportunities for diversity in positive psychology: An examination of gender, race, and ethnicity. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 56(3), 271-282. doi:10.1037/cap0000036 (Special Issue on Positive Psychology)
• Rao, M. A., Donaldson, Stewart I., & Doiron, Kathryn. M. (2015). Positive psychology research in the Middle East and North Africa. Middle East Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(1), 60-76.
• Bledsoe, Katrina, & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2015). Culturally responsive theory-driven evaluations. In S. Hood, R. Hopson, K. Obeidat, & H. Frierson (Eds.), Continuing the journey to reposition culture and cultural context in evaluation theory and practice. Greenwich, NY: Information Age.
• Wilder, Natasha, Rao, Meghana A., & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2015). Contributions of positive organizational psychology to understanding and engaging differences. In L. M. Roberts, L. Wooten, & M. Davidson (Eds.), Positive organizing in a global society: Understanding and engaging differences for capacity-building and inclusion. New York: Taylor and Francis.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Dollwet, Maren, & Rao, Meghana A. (2014). Happiness, excellence, and optimal human functioning revisited: Examining the peer-reviewed literature linked to positive psychology. Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(6), 1-11.
• Rao, M., Donaldson, S. I., & Porter, N. (2014). Positive psychology for social justice interventions: A case example of strengths-driven evaluation. Academy of Management Proceedings, doi:10.5465/AMBPP
• Donaldson, Stewart I., & Dollwet, Maren (2013). Taming the waves and wild horses of positive organizational psychology. Advances in Positive Organizational Psychology, 1, 1–22.
• Gargani, John, & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2011). What works for whom, where, why, for what, and when? Using evidence to take action in local contexts. New Directions for Evaluation, 130, 17–30.
• Donaldson, Stewart I. & Ko, Ia. (2010). Positive organizational psychology, behaviour, and scholarship: A review of the emerging literature and evidence base. Journal of Positive Psychology, 5 (3), 177–191.
• LaVelle, John & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2010). University-based evaluation training programs in the United States 1980–2008: An empirical examination. American Journal of Evaluation, 31 (1), 9–23.
• Preskill, Hallie, & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2008). Improving the evidence base for career development programs: Making use of the evaluation profession and positive psychology movement. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 10(1), 104–121.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., & Lipsey, Mark W. (2006). Roles for theory in contemporary evaluation practice: Developing practical knowledge. In I. Shaw, J.Greene, & M. Mark (Eds.), The Handbook of Evaluation: Policies, Programs, and Practices (pp. 56–75). London: Sage.
• Donaldson, Stewart I. (2005). Using program theory-driven evaluation science to crack the Da Vinci Code. New Directions for Evaluation, 106, 65–84.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., & Gooler, Laura E. (2003). Theory-driven evaluation in action: Lessons from a $20 million statewide work and health initiative. Evaluation and Program Planning, 26, 355–366.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Gooler, Laura E., & Scriven, Michael (2002). Strategies for managing evaluation anxiety: Toward a psychology of program evaluation. American Journal of Evaluation, 23(3), 261–273.
• Donaldson, S.I., & Grant-Vallone, Elisa J. (2002). Understanding self-report bias in organizational behaviour research. Journal of Business and Psychology, 17(2), 245–262.
• Donaldson, Stewart I. (2001). Overcoming our negative reputation: Evaluation becomes known as a helping profession. American Journal of Evaluation, 22(3), 355-361.
• Grant-Vallone, Elisa J., & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2001). Consequences of work-family conflict on employee well-being over time. Work and Stress, 15(3), 214-226.
• Ensher, Ellen A., Grant-Vallone, Elisa J., & Donaldson, Stewart I. (2001). Effects of perceived discrimination on organizational citizenship behavior, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 12(1), 53-72.
• Donaldson, Stewart I. (2001). Mediator and moderator analysis in program development. In S. Sussman (Ed.), Handbook of program development for health behavior research (pp. 470–496). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Ensher, Ellen A., & Grant-Vallone, Elisa J. (2000). Longitudinal examination of mentoring relationships on organizational commitment and citizenship behavior. Journal of Career Development, 26(4), 233-248.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., & Blanchard, Anita L. (1995). The seven health practices, well-being, and performance at work: Evidence for the value of reaching small and underserved worksites. Preventive Medicine, 24, 270-277.
• Donaldson, Stewart I. (1995). Peer influence on adolescent drug use: A perspective from the trenches of experimental evaluation research. American Psychologist, 50, 801-802.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Graham, John W., Piccinin, Andrea M., & Hansen, William B. (1995). Resistance-skills training and onset of alcohol use: Evidence for beneficial and potentially harmful effects in public schools and in private Catholic schools. Health Psychology, 14, 291-300.
• Donaldson, Stewart I., Graham, John W., & Hansen, William B. (1994). Testing the generalizability of intervening mechanism theories: Understanding the effects of school-based substance use prevention interventions. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 17, 195-216.
• Donaldson, Stewart I. (1993). Effects of lifestyle and stress on the employee and organization: Implications for promoting health at work. Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 6, 155-177.
• Graham, John W., & Donaldson, Stewart I. (1993). Evaluating interventions with differential attrition: The importance of nonresponse mechanisms and use of follow-up data. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 119-128, 1993.