What Makes Me Tick
I was interviewed a few weeks ago for a profile on members of the Executive Committee of the Tyler Prize for Environmental. Achievement. Here’s what I said:
My earliest memories of nature go back to road trips in British Columbia and Alberta with my parents. We’d drive through the foothills and Rockies, stopping at waterfalls, fishing spots, and hot springs. Those trips are my favorite childhood memories—I felt connected to my mom and dad, and to nature.
I’ve been working in environmental decision-making since 1997, nearly 30 years now. My motivation has always been solving real-world problems that affect real-world people—or at least trying to solve them.
I started my career in science as an oceanographer. But I ended up being a psychologist and professor of psychology, studying human behavior—how people process information, prioritize (or fail to prioritize) important issues, and make choices. That includes everything from how to respond to climate change to what to do during a pandemic - focusing on helping people make hard decisions.
I’m passionate about people, understanding them, and helping them become the best versions of themselves.
The most surprising thing I’ve found is how overconfident people tend to be in their decision-making. They think they’re considering multiple factors, but in reality, they’re usually looking at just one or two. Take the energy transition, for example—many people opposed to renewables ignore their benefits, while some renewable energy advocates dismiss our inescapable reliance on legacy fuels over the near-term. People struggle with understanding systems and making trade-offs.
If I had to name the biggest environmental challenge today, I’d say it’s not any single issue like climate change or biodiversity loss—it’s our inability, or unwillingness, to reason critically. People should actively seek out credible sources of information, engage with perspectives that might challenge their beliefs, and above all, be open to changing their minds. If we could address those psychological challenges, many environmental issues would become much easier to address.
To me, sustainability is about environmental, economic, and social well-being—they’re interconnected and can’t be addressed in isolation.
A common misconception about my field is that we know what you should choose. I can study how choices are actually made, compare that to what theory tells us about how they should be made, and then tell you about how you can improve your decision-making process. But what to actually choose; that’s up to you.
Decision-making is value-specific, and my role is to help people reason through the process, not impose solutions.
As a kid, I wanted to be a professional athlete or an astronaut. I even applied to be an astronaut twice—I still have my rejection letters! While I didn’t make it to space, I’m still a big fan. My dogs are named after 1950s test-pilots: Yeager and Ridley. Space has always fascinated me.
I joined the Tyler Prize Executive Committee because of the late Jan Amend, who was a close colleague and friend. When the Committee was looking for a new USC representative, I felt it would be important for someone to carry on Jan’s leadership. So when I was asked to join, it didn’t take much convincing.
The Tyler Prize is unique in recognizing environmental science that has long-term significance beyond the latest news cycle. It takes a step back, much like the Nobel Prize, and honors work that has a lasting impact.
There aren’t enough platforms recognizing the work of environmental scientists outside of moments of crisis. The Tyler Prize shines a light on groundbreaking contributions that unfold over someone’s lifetime and then shape our world for the better. I’m honored to be part of that process.
