Student Spotlight: Abigail Brown
March 10, 2025
Abigail Brown is a doctoral candidate in design and environmental analysis with a concentration in human behavior and design from Fairfax, Virginia. She earned her B.S. in design and environmental analysis from Cornell University and now studies how adolescents’ experiences in nature contribute to climate change coping strategies under the guidance of Janet Loebach and Gary Evans at Cornell.
What is your area of research and why is it important?
I study how adolescents’ (ages 13-18) experiences in nature (9-, 14-, 25-, or 45-day wilderness excursions) contribute to the development of more constructive climate change coping strategies (e.g., greater trust in various societal actors and positive reappraisal for greater hope for the future). Both person- and environment-based changes are needed to support better coping outcomes, but the role of the physical environment is largely missing from empirical research. Using mixed methods, quasi-experimental design, and longitudinal analyses, my research contributes to an understanding of the role that nature experiences and physical environment features play in supporting young people in a changing climate.
What are the larger implications of this research?
Constructive climate change coping can enhance long-term engagement with pro-environmental behaviors while buffering against the mental health consequences of climate change. My research informs the evidence-based design of youth programs and environments that can support the development of better coping strategies.
What inspired you to choose this field of study?
As an undergraduate at Cornell studying design and environmental analysis, I was drawn to the research side of evidence-based design. Classes like “Introduction to Environmental Psychology” and “Healthy Places: Design, Planning, and Public Health” introduced me to a wide range of research on human-environment interactions. To gain experience with qualitative and quantitative methods as I applied to the department’s Ph.D. program, I worked as a research assistant on two projects. I enjoyed collaborating with professors and students to conduct rigorous, impactful research and confirmed that I wanted to establish my own research program.
How did you become interested in studying how design can support youth grappling with climate change and what have you found?
My interest in young people’s well-being and nature stemmed from experiences leading one- to four-week backpacking trips at a summer camp.
I administered surveys to adolescents before and after they went on wilderness excursions. On average, constructive coping improves following an immersive nature experience regardless of how long participants spend in nature.
A subset of participants also completed daily and intermittent journal prompts. I found that constructive coping indicators are not more likely to emerge at a specific time during the excursion. However, constructive coping indicators are significantly more likely on days following an intermittent reflection, suggesting that mindfulness practices could improve coping outcomes.
Next, I will use the journal data to identify features of nature excursions that contribute to increases in constructive coping found in the survey data.
What are your hobbies or interests outside of your research or scholarship?
In my free time, I teach swim lessons at the YMCA of Ithaca and Tompkins County, and I enjoy cooking, painting, hiking, and playing board games with my fiancé.
Why did you choose Cornell to pursue your degree?
Cornell and Ithaca have always felt like home. I love it here! Having completed my undergraduate degree at Cornell, I was grateful for the opportunity to continue working with incredible researchers and professors as I developed my research program. My department is one of a few offering studies in environmental psychology in the U.S. Furthermore, Cornell’s commitment to “any person, any study” allowed me to work across disciplines with minor advisors in the ecology of human development and learning, teaching, and social policy. Cornell has helped me grow as both a researcher, with unique contributions and approaches, and an individual.