Professor Salmela-Aro (born 1961) earned her PhD in 1996 from the University of Helsinki, where she worked as a researcher and lecturer from 1995 to 2001. She pursued post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute in Germany from 1999 to 2000. Salmela-Aro served as Professor at the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Educational Sciences from 2018 and was appointed Academy Professor in 2021. Previously, she held a professorship at the University of Jyväskylä’s Department of Psychology from 2004 to 2018, and held visiting professorships abroad (University College London (2015–2020), the University of California, Irvine (2015), Michigan State University (2016–present), the Australian Catholic University in Sydney, and ETH Zurich). Professor Salmela-Aro was also the President of the European Association of Developmental Psychology (EADP, 2015-2017) and the Division of Educational, Instructional, and School Psychology at the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP).
Her research focused on motivation, well-being, and development, and she was known for her expertise in topics such as school engagement, burnout, and the transition of young people into adulthood. Throughout her career, Professor Salmela-Aro was recognized for her high-quality research, prolific publication record, and dedication to public engagement. She authored and co-authored numerous influential books and scientific articles, and her work has been widely cited and respected in the field. She was also an active mentor, bringing together international scholars and supporting the next generation of researchers.
Professor Salmela-Aro was a vice-director of EDUCA Education for the Future Flagship program and she directed the EDUCA Flagship and the Minds Hub research groups at the University of Helsinki and was the principal investigator for numerous large-scale national Strategic Research Council, Academy of Finland, and the Ministry of Education projects and initiatives. Among the Academy of Finland projects, there were several Finland–USA bilateral projects, partly funded by the NSF. Furthermore, she collaborated on several EU projects, such as GUIDE, COORDINATE, and LEARN, focusing on children’s and young people’s well-being and development. She was also one of the leaders of the international Pathways network, which focused on advancing the careers of young postdoctoral researchers. Professor Salmela-Aro supervised numerous postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have since advanced to hold prominent positions in academia internationally.
Throughout her distinguished career, Katariina Salmela-Aro played a key advisory role in shaping international education policy as an expert contributor to both the OECD Education2030 initiative and the OECD Learning Compass framework. Her exceptional achievements were recognized with a wide array of honors, most notably the EARA Lifetime Achievement Award, which celebrated her profound impact on adolescent research. Salmela-Aro was also elected to several esteemed scholarly societies, including the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Academia Europaea, and the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD). In addition, her outstanding service was recognized at the national level when she was bestowed the title of First Class Knight of the White Rose by the President of Finland.
The loss of Academy Professor Katariina Salmela-Aro is a profound one for the scientific community, both in Finland and internationally. Her passing leaves a significant void in the fields of educational and developmental psychology, but her influence will continue through the work of those she inspired and mentored, and through the lasting impact of her research on the well-being of students, educators, and society at large. Her colleagues and the academic community remember her warmly as a pioneering scientist, inspiring teacher, and supportive collaborator, and extend their deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.
Katariina Salmela-Aro passed away 26 May peacefully, with her family by her side, following a serious illness.