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Edward J. Lawler is the Martin P. Catherwood Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Professor of Sociology at Cornell University.  Before joining the faculty at Cornell in 1994, he was a member of the sociology faculty at the University of Iowa for 22 years, where he became the Duane C. Spriestersbach Professor of Liberal Arts in 1990.  He earned bachelor's (1966) and master's degrees (1968) in sociology from California State University, Long Beach and Los Angeles, respectively, and a Ph. D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1972. 

Lawler has co-authored two books (with Samuel B. Bacharach) and co-edited 18 volumes (most in the series, Advances in Group Processes).  He has published over 50 articles, many appearing in American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, and Social Psychology Quarterly.  He served as Editor of Social Psychology Quarterly (1992-97); he was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (1996-97); and in 2001 he received the Cooley-Mead Award for career achievement from the Social Psychology Section of the American Sociological Association.  In 2002, he received the Chancellors Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities; and in 2003, his paper, "An Affect Theory of Social Exchange," won the 2002 Theory Prize from the Theory Section of the American Sociological Association. 

His primary teaching and research areas are group processes, exchange, power, negotiation, emotion, and sociological theory.  His current research deals with the role of emotion in social exchange relations (negotiations, trading) and group formation (cohesion and solidarity).  The work indicates that positive feelings from exchanging tangible or intangible items (goods, advice, approval) can result in relations, groups, or organizations taking on intrinsic value and becoming stronger sources of commitment, cohesion, and solidarity.  He is particularly interested in workplace and organizational applications of such ideas.  His research builds a stronger emotional/affective component into sociological theories of social interaction and shows ways that the emotional/affective aspects of human interaction are interwoven with the rational/cognitive.         

He has served in various academic administrative roles.  At Cornell University, he served as Dean of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations from 1997-2005.  At the University of Iowa, he chaired the Department of Sociology 1983-89, chaired a self study (86-87) and strategic planning process (1989) for the University, and was President of the Faculty Senate (92-93).  Professionally, he has chaired the Social Psychology (97-98) and Rational Choice (99-00) Sections of the American Sociological Association, and was President of Research Committee (42) on Social Psychology of the International Sociological Association (1998-2002).