Gary Evans is a preeminent scholar and internationally recognized authority in environmental psychology whose work has fundamentally reshaped understanding of how physical environments influence human development across the lifespan. He currently holds the distinguished Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professorship in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, a position he has occupied since joining the institution in 1992. Professor Evans earned his A.B. with High Honors in Psychology from Colgate University in 1971 before completing his graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he received his M.S. in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Psychology in 1975 with a dissertation on the behavioral and physiological consequences of crowding in humans. Prior to his tenure at Cornell, he served as a faculty member at the University of California, Irvine from 1975 to 1992, rising to the rank of Full Professor and holding the position of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in Social Ecology from 1978 to 1981.
Professor Evans is renowned for his groundbreaking research on the mental health and physiological consequences of childhood poverty and environmental stressors, establishing critical causal pathways linking socioeconomic conditions to developmental outcomes through chronic stress mechanisms. His seminal investigations have demonstrated how cumulative environmental risks in impoverished settings adversely affect children's cognitive development, academic achievement, and long-term health trajectories, creating foundational knowledge that informs policy interventions worldwide. With an extensive publication record comprising over 350 scholarly articles and book chapters plus five influential books, his work has been consistently supported by major funding agencies including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, MacArthur Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. His highly cited 2019 publication in the Annual Review of Psychology on the projected behavioral impacts of global climate change has become essential reading for understanding environmental psychology in the context of contemporary ecological challenges.
Professor Evans has profoundly influenced the field through his mentorship of generations of scholars and his leadership in connecting psychological science with practical applications to improve children's environmental conditions. His exceptional contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013, an honorary doctorate from Stockholm University in 2006, and election as a Fellow of the American Psychological Society in 1989. Currently serving as Interim Director of Graduate Studies in Design + Environmental Analysis at Cornell, he continues to advance research on children's environments, the developmental impacts of poverty, and the formation of environmental attitudes and behaviors. Professor Evans remains a pivotal figure in translating scientific understanding into meaningful interventions that promote health equity and well-being for children facing environmental challenges worldwide.
