Elise L. Amel, has a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Purdue University and has been teaching at the University of St. Thomas for over two decades. She has co-authored an article in Science Magazine introducing a broad and diverse audience to the role of psychology in addressing environmental crises. She has co-authored an undergraduate textbook, … Continued
Dr. James G. Cantrill received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois – Urbana. Currently, he is the head of the Department of Communication & Media Studies and serves as the Director of General Education at Northern Michigan University. Jim has an extensive publication record and, over the years, he has developed a reputation as … Continued
Dr. Victor Corral-Verdugo studies sustainable behavior, aimed at developing a classification of these actions, including self-care, care for others, and care for the environment. In recent years Dr. Corral-Verdugo’s team proposed, and started testing, a model of positive environments, conceived as scenarios that meet human needs and incite environmentally-protective behaviors in response to environmental challenges. … Continued
Rachelle Gould is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work involves social science, the humanities, and ecology. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Vermont. Her research explores the relationship between people and ecosystems and focuses on: (1) environmental values, including Cultural Ecosystem Services and relational values; (2) lifelong and life-wide environmental learning and its … Continued
Scientists continue to provide compelling evidence that environmental degradation and consequent global climate change are profoundly dangerous to humans and to other life on earth (Gallup Poll, 2009). Despite global awareness of environmental issues, actions promoting environmental sustainability have steadily declined over the past decades, particularly for adolescents and young adults (Twenge, Campbell, & Freemen, … Continued
Dr. Beth Karlin is the founder and CEO of See Change Institute, a research (and practice) institute devoted to studying and shaping behavior change programs for the greater good. Beth and her team deliver actionable research to support organizations in the fields of health, environment, social justice, and philanthropy. They are currently working on projects … Continued
Ezra Markowitz, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Environmental Decision-Making in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research and teaching focus is on the intersection of decision-making, persuasive communication, public engagement with science, and environmental sustainability. He is particularly interested and an expert in the practical application of behavioral … Continued
Dr. Matsuba’s work explores the links between environmental attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, and other factors that influence them, including personality and developmental factors. More recently, he has been exploring the importance of the “natural world” on human wellbeing, taking a mindfulness and Indigenous lens to this work. Dr. Matsuba’s previous research has focused on the … Continued
Dr. Lisa Nisbet’s work investigates the environmental and health (happiness) benefits of individual differences in connectedness with the natural environment (nature relatedness). Current research questions that Dr. Nisbet is focusing on include: identifying elements or aspects of nature that impact well-being, examining perceptions of wildlife and human-animal interactions, and exploring the antecedents (early experiences, parenting) … Continued
Bryan Norton is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Philosophy and Policy in the School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, His current research concentrates on sustainability theory, on problems of scale in the formulation of environmental problems, and the theory and practice of adaptive management, with special emphasis on methods to evaluate environmental change. His … Continued
Dr. John Zelenski studies how people connect with nature as a momentary experience and as an individual (nature relatedness). Broadly, Dr. Zelenski’s work explores the potential of a ‘happy path to sustainability’ that goes through nature. In essence, it seems like when people connect with nature they improve well-being and treat the environment better. Still, … Continued