Tony Perone is widely Considered to be the 「Doctor of PLAY」, psychology professor in university of Washington-Tacoma, a professor who is well-known to use play/performance/games for his teaching for human development
What he says about himself
I received my doctorate in Educational Psychology with a focus on Human Development and Learning at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2013.
I teach introductory psychology and courses in human development. My research interests include the power and possibilities of imaginative play, improvisational theater, performance activism, social therapeutics, humanitarian clowning, and socially-engaged arts to create revolutionary opportunities for lifespan learning, development, and community building.
Prior to my academic career, I had worked as an adult educator and teacher educator of English as a Second Language for more than 20 years and had served as a program coordinator with youth development programs and community/family literacy programs in New York and Illinois.
Current Research
I am passionate about co-creating new opportunities for learning, development, community building, and social change. One of the main ways I explore this passion is through my research and teaching on life-span imaginative play. Imaginative play, broadly defined, can be a revolutionary activity for people to transform themselves and transform the communities of which they are a part. Imaginative play is not only an activity of young children; it’s an activity with transformative potential across the lifespan and I’m particularly excited about the presence and significance of imaginative play by, with, and for adults.
Scholarly Interests
• Imaginative play and improvisational theater for community and social change
• Socially-engaged arts activity/activism
• Adult education and development
• Community engagement and development
• Life-span human development
• Sociocultural theory
• Qualitative research
• Teacher education
Honors and Awards
• School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Scholarship and Teaching Fund recipient –University of Washington Tacoma, 2015, 2016, and 2018
• President’s Research in Diversity Travel Award – The University of Illinois, 2012
• Graduate Student Award Cultural Historical Special Interest Group – American Educational Research Association, 2011
• Volunteer Spirit Award - All Starts Project of Chicago, 2010
• Graduate Student Fellow Division E Counseling and Human Development - American Educational Research Association, 2009