Jacob Benfield

Jacob Benfield is a Professor in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and the Department of Psychological and Social Sciences at Pennsylvania State University, serving as Program Chair for Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and Research Program Coordinator. His work bridges environmental psychology and recreation management through empirical research on human-environment interactions in natural settings.

Benfield earned his academic credentials from Colorado State University:

• Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology (2008)
• M.S. in Applied Social Psychology (2006)
• B.S. in Psychology and Sociology (2003)

His research centers on Social-Environmental Psychology with specific focus on anthropogenic environmental stressors including noise and light pollution. He investigates how these stressors impact psychological well-being, stress recovery, and behavior in parks and protected areas, while also examining resource management strategies and restorative environmental qualities. His work integrates experimental methodologies with field studies to quantify human responses to environmental conditions.

Analysis of Benfield's 15 most recent publications reveals consistent investigation of environmental stressors in natural settings, particularly noise and light pollution impacts on psychological states. His research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary collaboration across environmental science, psychology, and urban planning domains, with significant emphasis on practical applications for park management and urban green space design. Temporal trends show increasing focus on urban park dynamics and health outcomes since 2018.

Benfield has received notable recognition including:

• 2020 Faculty Outreach Award (University-wide)
• 2014 Outstanding Teacher Award for Tenure Line Faculty (Penn State Abington)
• Social Science Research Institute Research Collaborative Fellowship (2014)

His grant portfolio demonstrates substantial external funding from major organizations, with leadership roles in multi-year projects:

• William Penn Foundation: Principal Investigator for Summer College Immersion Program (2021); Co-PI for systematic park renovation evaluations (2015-2018)
• National Park Service: Co-PI for acoustical and night sky indicator development (2017)
• Penn State Institutes: Team member for Healthy Parks, Healthy People initiatives (2015-2016)

Benfield actively collaborates with the Social Science Research Institute and Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, maintaining strong partnerships with Philadelphia park management agencies and National Park Service units for field research in urban and protected natural areas.