Dr. Joe Arvai, Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability and the Dana and David Dornsife Professor of Psychology, Biological Sciences, and Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California, has been appointed a CREATE Senior Research Fellow. His early training was in oceanography, but he quickly became interested in why people say they are deeply concerned about particular risks but then don’t act to address them. So, starting with a PhD steeped in the study of psychology, economics, and environmental science, he began to conduct research on how people formulate their attitudes and beliefs, how they make judgments decisions, and how they ultimately behave against the backdrop of risk and uncertainty.

Professor Arvai’s current research unfolds on two fronts: First, Joe and his research team conduct interdisciplinary research aimed at improving our understanding of how people instinctively—and often in a biased fashion—approach judgment and decision-making in situations where environmental, security, social, and economic priorities intersect. Second, Joe and his team develop and test critical reasoning and decision-support tools aimed at helping policy-makers, business leaders, and consumers to make better, science-based judgments and choices. In light of current events in the United States and around. The world, a large fraction of the current research carried out by Joe and his team focuses on overcoming obstacles and biases associated with complexity and uncertainty, political partisanship, the powerful influence of heated emotions, and misinformation in online and traditional media. 

In addition to his research, Joe appears frequently as a commentator across a broad range of media. He is also a former science advisor to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a former member of the National Academies of Sciences Board on Atmospheric Science and Climate. He also serves as a frequent advisor to a broad range of government agencies, businesses, and NGOs. 

Some recent publication by Joe and his research team include can be found at: link, link, link, link.