The 2013 Stanford University Roundtable focused on happiness - what it is, why it seems to elusive, and how to have more of it. The panel was moderated by Katie Couric and featured experts from various fields of inquiry, including neuroscience, business, psychology/behavioral science, and design.

2013 Stanford University Roundtable: Are You Happy Now?

Streamed live on Oct 18, 2013


The science of happiness is a growing and intriguing field. Research about what truly makes people happy is not only surprising, but applicable no matter how much money we make or where we live.

Join moderator Katie Couric and a panel of experts in psychology, business, neuroscience and design for a Roundtable discussion about the happiness and sense of wellbeing that elude so many, but are sought by all.

This discussion featured the following experts in the field of happiness research:

2013 Panelists

Katie Couric (moderator) is the host of Katie, a daily syndicated daytime talk show that premiered in September 2012. She is an award-winning journalist and TV personality, well-known cancer advocate, and New York Times best-selling author of The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons From Extraordinary Lives. Couric also serves as a special correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials. 



Jennifer Aaker is the General Atlantic Professor of Marketing at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. A social psychologist, her research spans time, money and happiness. She co-authored the award-winning book, The Dragonfly Effect: Quick Effective Powerful Ways to Harness Social Media for Impact and is recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award, Citibank Best Teacher Award, and George Robbins Best Teacher Award. 



Firdaus Dhabhar is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford, specializing in the study of how stress affects immunity, health and well-being. Professor Dhabhar was the first to discover mechanisms by which short-term stress boosts the body's defenses. He is working to harness the “good” effects of stress to boost immunity during surgery, vaccination, and cancer treatment. 



Ian H. Gotlib is the David Starr Jordan Professor of Psychology, director of the Stanford Mood and Anxiety Disorders Laboratory at Stanford and chair of the Department of Psychology. Gotlib’s research examines psychological and biological factors that place individuals at increased risk for depression, as well as processes that are involved in recovery from this disorder. 



David Kelley, founder of IDEO, built the company that created many icons of the digital generation. He also led the creation of the groundbreaking d.school at Stanford, the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. Kelley’s passion is unlocking the creative potential of people and organizations so they can innovate routinely and find satisfaction and joy in their creative endeavors. His soon-to-be-released book is Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All. 

Sonja Lyubomirsky, (PhD, ’94) is a professor of psychology and director of the Positive Psychology Lab at the University of California Riverside where she studies the cognitive and behavioral causes of happiness. She is the author of The How of Happiness, a book of psychological strategies to help people maximize their joy. Through her work, Lyubomirsky strives to give people the tools to lead happier, more satisfying lives.