Clay Routledge, Arden and Donna Hetland Distinguished Professor of Business and scholar with the Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth, has been named a visiting fellow for the Program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange.

The program focuses on building pathways toward a free and peaceful society. Routledge’s project explores the psychology of progress. He recently launched Psychology of Progress, in collaboration with the Challey Institute, to develop a new area of psychology focused on the cognitive, affective, self-regulatory and motivational variables that promote or threaten civilizational progress.

Routledge believes the field of psychology has much to offer and discover in the area of human progress.

“Much of the work on the causes of progress has focused on economics, public policy, history and specific scientific and technological advancements. All of this is important, but psychology also plays a central role because progress is powered by people,” said Routledge. “To make the world a better place, people must want the world to be a better place, believe it can be a better place and view themselves as agents of progress.”

The program was launched in 2021 by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. It seeks to build a robust and diverse community of thinkers, writers, scholars and doers working in the broad liberal tradition. The complete list of visiting fellows is available on the Mercatus Center website.

Routledge is a leading existential psychologist who has published more than 100 scholarly papers, two books and the Ted-Ed lesson “Why Do We Feel Nostalgia?” His work has been featured and published in major media outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Harvard Business Review and Entrepreneur. He is a senior research fellow at the Archbridge Institute and co-editor of Profectus Magazine.

As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens.