Once a student who struggled through high school with a D+ cumulative GPA, John Maag has built a national reputation in special education and is concluding a 38-year career at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Maag is the Larry and Sharon Roos Professor in Special Education in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders. His work at Nebraska has focused on behavior, learning and the practical application of research in classrooms and homes.
Across nearly four decades, Maag’s work extended well beyond teaching behavior management and special education. Through research, writing, counseling and mentorship, he developed a reputation as a scholar who paired academic rigor with a focus on practical, real-world application in classrooms and homes.
“What I remember most is the unwavering support our department chair, John Bernthal, provided me when I came to UNL in 1989,” Maag said. “His support included, but was not limited to, advocating for courses I wanted to teach, assistance through GA and monetary support to continue my research projects I had started at Maryland, loyalty and friendship and mentorship.”
Maag came to Nebraska after a year at the University of Maryland. He completed three degrees at Arizona State University in psychology and special education. While in Tempe in the 1980s, he became increasingly interested in human behavior and the factors that shape individual development.
Time spent walking across campus, observing students and daily life, helped spark a lasting interest in higher education and the academic environment. In 1988, Maag was selected to deliver the Ph.D. commencement address after being named Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Graduate Studies.
Throughout his career, Maag became known for challenging conventional thinking around behavior, discipline and motivation. His research focused on self-management, ADHD, behavioral disorders, childhood and adolescent depression, and relationships between teachers, students and families.
One of his most cited works, “Rewarded by Punishment,” published in Exceptional Children in 2000, examined long-standing assumptions about discipline in education and continues to be referenced in scholarly literature. His books, including "Parenting Without Punishment" and "Power Struggles," extended those ideas for broader audiences of educators and families.
Written during a visiting appointment at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, "Power Struggles" went on to be used by school consultants, teachers and parents nationwide.
Students often describe Maag’s teaching as direct, practical and intellectually demanding. He emphasized applying concepts beyond the classroom, pushing students to connect theory with real-world practice.
“What I’m most proud of is that I never compromised my values and issues that were dear to me,” Maag said. “People at all levels of the UNL administrative chain supported me and accepted me for what and who I am.”
Outside the classroom, Maag worked locally as a psychotherapist at and developed a national consulting practice that took him to schools and conferences across the country. Over his career, he presented in 49 states and delivered 42 keynote addresses.
At Nebraska, he received numerous honors, including the 2014 Donald R. and Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence, the 1993 Teachers College Award for Distinguished Teaching, and the Parents’ Recognition Award eight times. He was promoted to full professor in 2000.
In 2018, Maag returned to the commencement stage at UNL as a keynote speaker for graduate students — closing a professional arc that began decades earlier as a young scholar with an emerging voice in the field.
At the center of his work is a consistent belief: people respond best when they are understood, respected and supported. That principle shaped his research, teaching and mentorship, and it continues to define his influence on students, colleagues and the field of special education.
