Peter Ladd is one of few people who can say that they have mediated violent disputes involving Native American tribes. Ladd, a St. Lawrence faculty member for nearly three decades, is an assistant professor of education with expertise in conflict resolution.  He has written a number of books on the subject, including “Relationships and Patterns of Conflict Resolution,” which was released in 2007.

“School systems, legal systems and political systems have little understanding of conflict resolution,” he says.  “That is beginning to change, but much of my writing is in response to this unfortunate phenomenon.”

For 30 years, Ladd has taught graduate courses at the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation, about 40 miles from campus, where he developed a rapport with the native people. There, he established the St. Regis Mohawk Counseling Center, helped aspiring Native American teachers to become certified, and acted as a mediator in times of violent conflict – he even worked for the Canadian government in resolving such disputes, utilizing his expertise in conflict resolution.

“It has been rewarding to see a group of people with little formal education grow over the years into an empowered group that is now in positions of authority,” he says.

His understanding of conflict resolution is not limited to violent conflict – he is also an expert in marriage counseling and has written a book on the subject.

Ladd was a code breaker for the U.S. government in the late 1960s.  He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Duquesne University in 1972.Four years later, he graduated from United States International University with his master’s degree in psychology.

Ladd, who coordinated the Teacher Education Program at St. Lawrence for 15 years, asserts that “the students here can hold their own at any school.”

“What I enjoy most about my work is learning from my students,” Ladd says.  “In order to be an effective teacher, you need to be an effective learner, and my graduate students have taught me a lot over the years.”