Janet K. Swim, Ph.D

Dr. Swim strives to build on our better nature for nature to create a more livable planet for all life now and in the future.
She uses experimental and survey research to examine the psychological underpinnings of people's willingness to engage in personal and collective pro-environmental actions and support policies that affect natural processes and, by extension, all life. The outcomes she examines are water and climate change policy support, engaging with others on sustainability related solutions, preferences for adaptation vs. mitigation behaviors, and preferred preferences for what to do with abandoned land. The predictors include policy attributes, feelings–especially hope, anticipated sustainability related consequences from proposed solutions, and science knowledge.
She works in collaborative, interdisciplinary teams composed of natural scientists, social scientists, artists, and educators. Funded by NSF and the Belmont Forum, she is currently working with an international team to understand public perception of land use change and policies to address the impact of such land use on water quality. In the past, she was been a part of NNOCI (National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation) where she and a team of other researchers evaluated a program to increase educators' ability to talk about climate change at Zoos and Aquariums (NOCCI). On another project she and Ash Gillis with Mt. Cuba Center to create a neighborhood "Growing Together" program to increase planting native plants in neighborhoods,
She uses experimental and survey research to examine the psychological underpinnings of people's willingness to engage in personal and collective pro-environmental actions and support policies that affect natural processes and, by extension, all life. The outcomes she examines are water and climate change policy support, engaging with others on sustainability related solutions, preferences for adaptation vs. mitigation behaviors, and preferred preferences for what to do with abandoned land. The predictors include policy attributes, feelings–especially hope, anticipated sustainability related consequences from proposed solutions, and science knowledge.
She works in collaborative, interdisciplinary teams composed of natural scientists, social scientists, artists, and educators. Funded by NSF and the Belmont Forum, she is currently working with an international team to understand public perception of land use change and policies to address the impact of such land use on water quality. In the past, she was been a part of NNOCI (National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation) where she and a team of other researchers evaluated a program to increase educators' ability to talk about climate change at Zoos and Aquariums (NOCCI). On another project she and Ash Gillis with Mt. Cuba Center to create a neighborhood "Growing Together" program to increase planting native plants in neighborhoods,