BIO
Rick Miller
Rick is a professor of practice at the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona
State University and the Dean of the MASTER’s Institute, an annual event that attracts our
country’s top practitioners and researchers interested in learning and sharing the power of HOPE
Science.
Rick founded and created Kids at Hope, an international child and youth development movement
and research project that studies family, school, and community cultures to better understand
the dynamics of success and failure.
Rick’s research is revolutionizing how we understand and practice HOPE Science and youth
development. His strategies have been introduced in 24 states, the District of Columbia, and four
countries. The American Academy of Pediatrics cited his work in a book on youth resiliency, and
the Arizona Supreme Court adopted it to redefine the juvenile justice system from a focus on risk
to one of HOPE.
Rick is the author of six books and two comic books, including Youth Development from the
Trenches, The Soul, Science and Culture of HOPE, The HOPE and Gratitude Journal -Remembering,
Planning and Achieving the GOOD, and his most recent contribution, Creating and Activating
Hope – The Science, Culture and Practice of Possibility
Rick has received Arizona State University’s Visionary Award, the City of Phoenix's Martin Luther
King, Jr. Living the Dream Award, and the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge's George
Washington Medal.
Most recently, Rick was invited to speak at a Global Conference 2026 – Fostering HOPE in
Children at Vatican City, Italy, which was recognized by Pope Leo XIV
Among his many keynotes, workshops, seminars, and symposiums, Rick delivered a TEDx Talk.
Rick is married and has two children, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild (due in November 2026)
