About Us

Dr. Benjamin Freer, PhD
Interim Dean and Professor, College of Psychology and Counseling
Co-Founder, The Empathy Center for Research and Training 
Office: 103 Williams Hall

Dr. Benjamin Freer is a psychologist, educator, and empathy researcher dedicated to advancing the role of empathy in education, leadership, and community life. As Interim Dean and Professor at the College of Psychology and Counseling, he teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses focused on cognition, emotion, and learning.

As co-founder of The Empathy Center for Research & Training at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dr. Freer leads collaborative efforts that apply empathy science to strengthen organizational culture and promote sustainable social change. His work bridges disciplines and communities – partnering with hospitals, schools, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, and municipal agencies to build connected, compassionate systems that thrive on collaboration and understanding.

Dr. Freer’s research explores empathy through multiple lenses, including its relationship to stigma and mental health, effective strategies for empathy training and organizational transformation, and the cognitive processes that underlie attention, inhibition, and working memory.

Since 2013, Dr. Freer has represented FDU at the United Nations, serving on the Executive Committee of the NGO Committee on the Family–New York. In this role, he leads student engagement at international events such as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), Commission for Social Development (CSocD), and Psychology Day at the UN, fostering global awareness of empathy’s role in creating resilient communities.

Dr. Steven M. Dranoff, PhD 
Director, The Empathy Center for Research and Training
Co-Founder, The Empathy Center for Research and Training 

Co-Founder and Director, Dr. Steven M. Dranoff is a clinical psychologist, psychoanalyst, and educator with more than five decades of experience helping individuals, organizations, and communities understand and apply the power of empathy.

As Co-Founder and Director of The Empathy Center for Research and Training at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dr. Dranoff leads programs that assess and cultivate empathy across hospitals, corporations, schools, colleges, and faith-based organizations, among others. His work bridges psychology, organizational dynamics, and communication to promote collaboration, reduce conflict, and strengthen human connection.

In addition to his work with The Empathy Center, Dr. Dranoff is the President of D&D Consultants, a pioneering firm he founded in 1996 that develops research-based programs for personal and organizational growth. He has also served as a field supervisor in Rutgers University’s doctoral program in clinical psychology for more than 20 years, having maintained a private practice since 1981, providing therapy to adolescents, adults, and couples. More recently, his clinical practice primarily serves CEOs from small, medium, and large companies and corporations. 

Earlier in his career, Dr. Dranoff directed several mental health and university counseling centers, co-founded the Psychoanalytic Institute for the Contemporary Center for Advanced Psychoanalytic Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he was one of the Directors, and co-chaired the Anti-Bullying Committee of the New Jersey Psychological Association.

A frequent speaker and collaborator, Dr. Dranoff created the Risky Business Development Series—a national program addressing bullying, harassment, and school violence and has an underbelly of empathy. He has co-authored The First Line of Defense and The Manager’s Guide to Preventing a Hostile Work Environment.

Dr. Dranoff continues to advance empathy-centered assessment and training methods to address challenges related to anger, conflict, and aggression—guided by a lifelong belief that empathy is essential to human well-being and global understanding.