Hiram Fitzgerald, PhD began his academic career at Michigan State University in 1967. He was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology who studied the development of infants and very young children. His research on the long-term impacts of adverse childhood experiences on infants and young children is evidenced in over 500 scholarly works, including journal articles, chapters, books and technical reports.
In recognition of the impact of his research, teaching and community engagement, Michigan State University conferred him with the title of University Distinguished Professor in 1998.
Fitzgerald served as President and executive director for the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health and the International Association for Infant Mental Health. He was a founder of the World Association for Infant Mental Health, for which he served as Executive Director for 16 years.
He was a founder and President of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium. He served many years on the steering committees of the Native Children’s Research Exchange, the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center, the National Evaluation of Early Head Start and the Tribal Family and Children’s Experiences Survey national study.
For 30 years he was associated with the Michigan Longitudinal Study of Family Risk for Alcoholism over the Life Course. Fitzgerald has received the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Association’s Selma Fraiberg Award and the ZERO TO THREE Dolley Madison Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Development and Well Being of Very Young Children.
He was named an Honorary President of the World Association for Infant Mental Health. He also received a lifetime achievement award from the Michigan Campus Compact, and was elected Member of the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship and was named to the International Association for Continuing Education Hall of Fame.