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Raymond De Young
Associate Professor
Behavior, Education, and Communication
Climate + Energy
Food Systems
Office
2034a Dana
About
Raymond De Young, PhD, is a broadly trained psychologist, planner, and engineer. He is an Associate Professor of Environmental Psychology and Planning at SEAS and in the Program in the Environment (PitE), and a Faculty Associate at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum and at the Graham Sustainability Institute. His research focus is on the process of re-localization, a response to emerging biophysical limits and the consequences of having deeply disrupted the Earth's ecosystems. De Young applies conservation and environmental psychology principles to the challenge of helping people to envision and adopt frugal behavioral responses that support a life lived well within local resource limits. Despite what for some people is a dismal forecast, his work is decidedly hopeful. He is described as neither an optimist nor pessimist when it comes to human behavior, but rather an idealist without illusions.
His current work includes research on (1) helping people to pre-familiarize themselves with the behavioral aspects of the coming resource downshift, (2) motivating environmental stewardship using innate satisfactions and (3) using nature to restore the mental vitality needed for responding to and coping with the lean and difficult yet exciting times ahead.
Publications
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Harbo, S. and R. De Young (2019). Community-based resource sharing: Motivations and spillover effect. In Boucher, J. and J. Heinonen [Eds.] Sustainable Consumption, Promise or Myth? Case Studies from the Field. (Ch. 6, pp. 100-120) Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Read more publications here.
Research
Selected student-led research projects:
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2022: Assessing the impact of consignment-based, farmer-supporting grocery stores: The Argus Farm Stop model. [Guidebook: How to Start a Farm Stop: A Pattern Language for Local Food System]
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2022: Ypsilanti, Michigan Resilience Hub: Implementing a physical Resilience Hub.
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2022: A Modern Settlement House Movement: The Impact of Neighborhood Centers on Climate Resilience.
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2021: A Pattern Language for neighborhood resilience.
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2020: Creating a library of workshops for enhancing neighborhood resilience.
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2020: A framework for implementing resilience hubs in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA.
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2019: Enhancing knowledge sharing and collaboration among farms at healthcare facilities.
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2019: Localizing the Mackinac Island, Michigan foodshed.
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2018: University-community partnerships for re-skilling and resilience building.
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2018: Psychological and organizational principles of a new model for selling locally grown food.
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2018: Foodloose: Stories and tours through Washtenaw County's local food system.
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2018: Assessing psychological well-being outcomes from involvement in planned, agriculturally-based sustainable communities.
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2017: Living well and living green: Participant conceptualizations of green citizenship.
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2017: Community-based resource sharing: Motivations and spillover effects.
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2017: The Farm at St. Joe’s: Growing healthy and resilient communities.
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2016: Sustainable food systems at the University of Michigan.
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2016: The Farm at St. Joe’s education program evaluation.
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2015: Evaluating a farm-based nutrition and health educational program.
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2014: Transition Times: YouTube/VideoScribe localization cases.
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2012: Urgent transitions: Responding to emerging biophysical limits.
Education
PhD, University of Michigan (Environmental Psychology and Planning)
MS, Stevens Institute of Technology (Ocean Engineering)
BS, Stevens Institute of Technology (Civil Engineering)
Affiliations
American Psychological Society
American Psychological Association
Environmental Design Research Association
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues
North American Food Systems Network (NAFSN)
Sustainable Agriculture Education Association (SAEA)
In the News
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