Dr. Blake Colaianne is a researcher, educator, and facilitator. He is currently an Assistant Research Professor at Penn State’s Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, where he develops and evaluates programs - intersecting mindfulness, compassion, and human development - to help people flourish. As an applied researcher, he has implemented evidence-based curriculum for high schools students and undergraduate students, and his K-12 teacher program, Together, We SOAR, has reached over 400 teachers. In 2023, he received the Samuel B. Hanser Visionary Grant Award from the Mind & Life Institute to build programming in collaboration with high school students. Broadly, he hopes his research contributes to ongoing efforts to redesign education around human development and social change.

Blake also teaches various courses in human development and has designed university-wide efforts to embed mindfulness throughout campus culture. Beyond his work in education, he facilitates trainings for corporate organizations both nationally and internationally on mindful leadership and how to strengthen social connection in the workplace.

Blake began his career as a high school science teacher and received the 2013 William B. McIlwaine Science Teacher Award from the Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association and the 2015 Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.

Blake completed his Ph.D. at Penn State University, M.Ed. at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and B.S. at Juniata College. He is trained as a relational compassion facilitator through the Courage of Care organization.