Who We Are

Lobsang Tenzin Negi is the Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University. He developed CBCT® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training) and oversees all aspects of the CBCT® program including teacher certification and research involving the use of CBCT® as a protocol. Additionally, he regularly teaches CBCT® Foundation courses to the public and CBCT® courses for faculty and staff at the Emory School of Medicine. In addition to CBCT®, Lobsang oversees the Center's SEE-Learning and ETSI programs.

Lobsang was born in Kinnaur, a remote Himalayan region adjoining Tibet. A former monk, he began his monastic training at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamasala, India, and continued his education at Drepung Loseling Monastery in south India, where in 1994 he received the Geshe Lharampa degree. Lobsang completed his PhD at Emory University in 1999; his interdisciplinary dissertation centered on traditional Buddhist and contemporary Western approaches to emotions and their impact on wellness. His current research focuses on the complementarity of modern science and contemplative practice.

Timothy Harrison joined the staff of the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics (formerly Emory-Tibet Partnership) in 2013 and is the associate director for CBCT^® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training). In this capacity, he coordinates the expanding CBCT^® Teacher Certification program as well as the provision of CBCT^® for research studies. Harrison teaches CBCT^® courses to students at the Emory School of Medicine and to residents in the Emory Healthcare Spiritual Health education program.  Additionally, he teaches CBCT^® to undergraduate students through Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services, and he works with several community outreach and research programs, offering CBCT^® to public school teachers, vulnerable children and adolescents, and participants in numerous research studies. Harrison was a long-term practitioner of both lo jong and Zen meditation before expanding his outreach to those of various backgrounds through CBCT^®.

Contact: timothy.harrison@emory.edu

Carol Beck is the associate director of operations and communications for the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics. In this role, she supports research initiatives, facilitates partner programs, and spearheads outreach, marketing, and communications for CBCT^® and other center programs. With an MFA in filmmaking, Beck has had a diverse career as both an assistant professor and a self-employed media professional working on five continents. She has studied and practiced various types of meditation, especially within the Tibetan tradition, and has faciliated meditation practice for the past 18 years. Beck has taught CBCT^® to parents of autistic children through the Marcus Institute, students at Emory University, nurses, and the public. Recently she began offering CBCT^® to doctors and nurse practitioners at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Children's Hospital of Atlanta.

Contact: carol.beck@emory.edu

Hannah Smith is senior program coordinator for the Compassion Shift initiative. She graduated from Emory University in 2017, with a BA in Religious Studies concentrated in Asian Religious Traditions.  It was through her undergraduate studies that she was first introduced to CBCT® and participated in Emory’s Tibetan Mind-Body Sciences Summer Study Abroad Program in Dharamsala and Mundgod, India. After spending over a year teaching first grade in Bangkok, Thailand, she joined the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics. In her current role, she coordinates the projects to scale CBCT under the Compassion Shift initiative, which aims to advance a global culture of compassion by instilling compassion into all areas of human activity to transform interpersonal behavior, corporate cultures, and public policy. She also facilitates a monthly Contemplative Science Seminar and is a certified CBCT® instructor. 

Contact: hannah.e.smith@emory.edu

Michelle Liberman is an instructional content developer for the CBCT® program and a certified senior CBCT® instructor. Michelle works with the CBCT® team to develop content and instructional materials, serves as a facilitator and supervisor for the CBCT® teacher training program, and teaches CBCT® to various audiences, including the general public, the Emory community, and external organizations. Michelle joined the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics in 2017 after she graduated from Emory University with a BA in Human Health and minor in Religion. As an Emory student, she attended the Tibetan Mind-Body Sciences Program where she studied Tibetan Buddhism, contemplative science and meditation. In addition to her role at the center, Michelle is currently working towards a MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology at the University of East London.

Contact: michelle.heker@emory.edu

Cynthia Johnson is a CBCT® program coordinator at the Center, joining in 2023 after relocating to Atlanta from France, where she has lived for the last 20 years. She implements and optimizes program logistics of CBCT® online and in-person courses and events, serving hundreds of students annually. In addition, Cynthia is spearheading projects to automate and digitize CBCT operations. After her Ph.D., Cynthia has had a diverse career, including university teaching and research, translation, publishing, and most recently, marketing and project management for high-tech companies in Europe. She has studied and practiced meditation and lojong for some time, primarily within the Tibetan tradition, and is honored to be able to support the Center in its mission to advance a global culture of compassion.

Contact: cynthia.johnson@emory.edu

Penny Clements is the CBCT^® Teacher Certification Facilitator and a senior instructor.  From her initial training in 2014, Penny has taught CBCT^® to hundreds of people in many settings – to educators, healthcare workers, college students, parents of young children, and others.  She has been instrumental in supporting the annual CBCT^® Teacher Certification program since 2018, helping to plan and execute all phases, including workshops, practicum, and supervised co-teaching.  In 2020, she joined Senior Instructor Carol Beck in guiding the first ever teacher certification cohort for educators in India that are involved in SEE Learning™.  Along with her work with CBCT^®, Penny has many years of experience with contemplative practice and an extensive background working with non-profit institutions.

Contact: pcleme3@emory.edu

Marq Hardon graduated from Georgia College & State University with a degree in Psychology. He, however, holds the belief that his education actually began during his teaching days on the Westside of Atlanta where his contemplative practice developed. Over the years, Marq has had the opportunity to work in a variety of fields ranging from Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the collegiate level, primary education, and serving our nation's veterans through federal contracts. Marq currently works as one of the Program Coordinators for the CBCT® Teacher Certification Program. His vast work and personal experience have shaped his ability to continuously cultivate embodied understanding through the lens of compassion. He looks forward to using this as a platform to change the world with others.  

Contact: marq.benjamin.hardon@emory.edu

Alice Goddard is the administrative assistant for CBCT^®. She graduated from Emory University in 2023 with a BA in Art History and Economics. Through her participation in Emory's Tibetan Mind-Body Sciences Summer Study Abroad Program in Dharamsala and Mundgod, India, first as a student in 2019 and later as program assistant in 2023, she developed an interest in the contemplative sciences that she is pleased to further in her current role for the Compassion Center.  

Contact: alice.cleo.goddard@emory.edu