Carol S.Pearson, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized scholar and well-known author of numerous books, among them the bestselling The Hero Within, Awakeningthe Heroes Within, The Hero and the Outlaw, and Magic at Work. Her new book,Persephone Rising: Awakening the Heroine Within, was published in October 2015. In May 2016, Persephone Risingwas named a gold medalist in the category of books for women by the NautilusBook Awards, an annual accolade of books in the genre of social and environmental justice.

Dr. Pearson previous book, The Transforming Leader, is an edited collection of cutting edge essays on the challenges facing leaders in the 21st century. It grew out of the Fetzer Institute's Leadership forTransformation Project, for which she was principal investigator. TheTransforming Leader was honored by the International Leadership Association formaking a significant contribution to the field of leadership.

Dr. Pearson previously was executive vice president and provost and later president of Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara,CA. She has been a senior administrator and professor at higher education institutions including the University of Colorado, the University of Maryland,Georgetown University, and Goucher College; a consultant for multinational corporations and government agencies; and a popular public speaker and workshop leader. Before going to Pacifica, she was executive director of the JamesMacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland, a professor in the UM School of Public Policy, and a member of the executive committee of the International Leadership Association. Earlier in her career,she was president of CASA: the Center for Archetypal Studies and Applications;president of Meristem, a nonprofit educational organization; and senior editor of The Inner Edge: A Resource for Enlightened Business Practice. She and her husband currently live in the Washington, DC area.