Dr. Jiaying Zhao is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. She’s also a faculty affiliate with the Center for Effective Global Action at UC Berkeley, and an invited researcher at J-PAL at MIT. JZ completed her PhD in cognitive psychology at Princeton University. She uses psychological principles to design behavioral solutions to address financial and environmental sustainability challenges. Specifically, JZ examines the cognitive consequences of poverty and designs cash transfer interventions to reduce homelessness. Moreover, she develops impactful behavioral interventions to encourage climate action and improve human well-being, as described in her new book titled Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species.
