Peter Molenaar is the Distinguished Professor of Human Development and Psychology at the Pennsylvania State University. The general theme of his work concerns the application of mathematical theories to solve substantive psychological issues. Some more specific elaborations of this theme are: 1. Application of mathematical singularity theory (in particular catastrophe theory) to the analysis of developmental stage transitions. 2. Application of nonlinear multivariate statistical signal analysis techniques to map theoretical models of cognitive information-processing onto dynamically interacting neural networks underlying EEG/MEG and fMRI. 3. Application of ergodic theory to study the relationships between intra-individual (idiographic) analyses and inter-individual (nomothetic) analyses of psychological processes. 4. Application of advanced multivariate analysis techniques in quantitative genetics and developmental psychology. 5. Application of adaptive resonance theory (ART neural networks) to study the effects of nonlinear epigenetic processes, complemented by the use of mathematical biological models of self-organization. 6. Application of engineering control techniques to optimally guide psychological and disease processes of individual subjects in real time.

Molenaar received a B.A. (summa cum laude) in Psychology, a B.A. in Philosophical Logic, an M.A. in Pschophysiology, an M.A. in Mathematical Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Social Sciences, all from the University of Utrecht in 1972, 1976, 1976, 1976, and 1981 respectively,