Jolina Ruckert

Jolina Ruckert is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Lewis & Clark College's College of Arts & Sciences, specializing in Sustainability Psychology. She founded the Sustainability Psychology in Action (SPIA) Lab, exploring human relationships with the more-than-human Earth.

• PhD in Psychology, University of Washington (2014)
• M.Phil in Psychology, Pepperdine University (2006)
• BS in Psychology, University of Miami (2004)

Her research focuses on sustainable relationships between humans and nature, examining emotional bonds, animistic beliefs, and moral reasoning. Key projects include analyzing childhood nature experiences, developing community-based park redesign programs, and studying empathy's role in environmental morality. She integrates qualitative and quantitative methods to assess how nature interactions shape health and sustainability values, particularly in marginalized communities.

Recent publications address transcendent emotions, mindfulness, and animal encounters in fostering human-nature connections. Her lab collaborates with students on manuscript preparation and research design, providing hands-on experience in study development, data analysis, and academic dissemination. She has also contributed to media commentary on nature's role in child development and family well-being through platforms like The Child and Family Blog.