People

Peter Kahn

Professor, Department of Psychology, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences

Peter H. Kahn, Jr. is Professor in the Department of Psychology and the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, and Director of the Human Interaction with Nature and Technological Systems (HINTS) Laboratory at the University of Washington. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the academic journal Ecopsychology. His research seeks to address two world movements that are powerfully reshaping human existence: (1) The degradation if not destruction of large parts of the natural world, and (2) unprecedented technological development, both in terms of its computational sophistication and pervasiveness. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. His publications have appeared in such journals as Science, Developmental Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, Environmental Health Perspectives, Child Development, and Journal of Systems Software, as well as in such proceedings as CHI, HRI, and Ubicomp. His 5 books (all with MIT Press) include Technological Nature: Adaptation and the Future of Human Life (2011).

Hongfei (Fei) Li

Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Student, College of Built Environments

Hongfei Li is a Ph.D. student in the College of Built Environments at UW. With a rich background in Landscape Architecture, Architecture, and collegiate teaching in art and design, she brings extensive experience as a lead designer and researcher with firms such as NBBJ, Stoss Landscape Urbanism, and Reed Hilderbrand. Her research investigates the intersection of design and human sensory and perceptual experiences. She employs interdisciplinary theories to explore bodily relationships with space, drawing from cognitive science, phenomenology of perception, and East-Asian spatial concepts. Fei’s work aligns with the lab’s focus on embodied aspects of human experience and biophilia, examining the relationship between embodied spatial experience and the sense of presence from a design perspective. Outside of the lab, she does felting art and garden design.

Chrystal Dunker

Ph.D. Student, Environmental Studies, Antioch University New England

Chrystal Dunker is a doctoral candidate in Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England. A former executive director of a regional non-profit environmental and outdoor education center in southern Minnesota, she brings her love of teaching and working with youth to her studies on human-nature interaction. Her research interests draw from the theoretical fields of ecopsychology and ecological psychology and are focused on the therapeutic, if not essential, mental, emotional, and social well-being outcomes derived from a human-nature relationship – particularly for children and especially for those considered at-risk. Her interest in working with Dr. Peter Kahn and the HINTS Lab centers on how nature interaction assists with coping and resilience for adolescents with trauma-informed backgrounds. She is deeply interested in exploring what having a nature language and associated interaction patterns allow us to communicate to others about the importance of a human-nature relationship for healing and human flourishing in light of an increasing decline in children’s experience with natural environments.

Xuanyi Wang

Ph.D. Student, Clinical Psychology, Zhejiang University

Xuanyi Wang is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Zhejiang University and, starting January 2025, a year-long visiting Ph.D. student in Psychology at the University of Washington in the HINTS lab. She is interested in the profound mental health benefits that natural environments can offer. Her research ventures into the vibrant intersection of environmental and clinical psychology, with a specific emphasis on the therapeutic impacts and underlying processes of nature exposure on depressive symptoms. She has employed a diverse array of research methods, including laboratory studies, field experiments, focus group discussions, and surveys. She loves nature and enjoys immersing herself in natural environments. She hopes to share the healing experience of nature with more people in a scientific way. She believes that nature-based treatments can be an important and useful approach for both the sub-clinical and clinical populations.

Yuqi Huang

Post Masters Student, UW Global Innovation Exchange

Yuqi Huang graduated with a Masters degree from the UW Global Innovation Exchange. She received her B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Journalism from Tsinghua University, while currently exploring the field of human-computer interaction. She is interested in the field of how humans interact with language and texts, and how it can be naturally supported by cutting-edge technologies. Her research experience includes, AI speech assistance, eye-tracking reading assistance, and more. Essentially, she believes that technology should evolve in ways that can benefit people. So from the beginning of 2023, she started exploring how technology can contribute to human well-being with members at HINTS lab.

Drew Schoenfeld

Postbac, Department of Psychology, Department of Economics

Drew Schoenfeld graduated from the University of Washington with B.A. degrees in psychology and economics. His primary interest lies in the intersection of behavioral economics and environmentalism. As a research assistant in the HINTS lab, Drew is investigating questions around consciousness and ecopsychology, such as: “what role do natural environments or experiences of Presence play in human flourishing?” and from this question, “what are the resulting implications for how we organize society?” In his free time, Drew enjoys writing music, rock climbing, and spending time in nature.

Gillian Sparks

Postbac, Department of Psychology

Gillian recently graduated with her B.A. in psychology and minor in business at the University of Washington. Her interest in Presence and Interaction Pattern Theory is grounded in her experiences in nature, from an environmental camp at Islandwood, to visiting the diverse wildlife of Luangwa Valley in Zambia. She believes these opportunities to interact with more wild nature have played an important role in building her intrinsic care for the environment. In working with children as a swim instructor and Lego STEM teacher, Gillian has developed a passion for understanding how we learn from a young age and how we can be proactive about protecting psychological well-being. Gillian hopes to contribute to research that will emphasize the importance of fostering resilience from an early age and a deep sense of compassion for the natural world.

Arshia Batra

Undergraduate, Department of Psychology

Arshia Batra is in their 3rd year at UW, pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Comparative History of Ideas (CHID). Arshia was part of the 2024 SIAH (Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities) cohort, during which they discussed a variety of literature considering more-than-human worlds, exploring ecopsychology, critical animal studies, oral histories, postmodern narratives, and so much more. Immersion in this scholarship has made them passionate about the reciprocal connections between nature and human (as well as nonhuman) life, which led them to join the HINTS Lab. Here, Arshia hopes to contribute to research that is developing measures for profound states of being in nature, as well as investigating other relationships between human psychology/physiology and the environment. In their free time, Arshia enjoys writing, collaging, photography, and running.

Leslie (Tianxiao) Cheng

Undergraduate, Department of Psychology

Leslie Cheng is a third-year undergraduate double majoring in B.A. Psychology and Sociology. As a Psychology honors student, she is currently working on a research thesis investigating and designing human-AI interactions to enhance depth, reciprocity, and authenticity in interpersonal relationships. Leslie’s experiences span diverse roles, including volunteering at the UW Autism Center and supporting literacy projects in rural communities. As a UI/UX designer, she collaborates with cross-functional teams to create intuitive user interfaces and conduct user-centered research. With a long-term goal of helping individuals adapt to the rapidly evolving technological era, Leslie integrates her knowledge of psychology, sociology, and technology in the HINTS Lab, where she explores the interplay between human interactions and technological innovations to enhance societal well-being.

Mayes Robertson Romera

Undergraduate, Department of Psychology

Mayes is a third-year undergraduate student at the UW, pursuing a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Public Health. He is interested in understanding the ways in which environmental inequality and unequal access to greenspaces can affect psychological well-being. This passion for investigating natural ecosystems can be traced back to his childhood, where growing up among the redwoods of Northern California, he was thoroughly exposed to the restorative effects of wild nature. With prior experience ranging from volunteering at the University District Food Bank to research on mosquito populations in downtown Seattle, he enjoys integrating human-centered service and natural environments. As a part of the HINTS Lab, Mayes hopes to help advance research that broadens the scientific understanding of the reciprocal interactions between nature and humans.

Sophie Root

Undergraduate, Department of Psychology

Sophie Root is beginning her 4th year at UW pursuing a B.A. in Psychology and Art with a focus in drawing and painting. Sophie has spent 4 years as a camp counselor and director at Heartwood Nature Programs. Every summer, while teaching children about the importance of taking care of our parks and finding stillness of the mind, Sophie also gets to reap the benefits of spending every day in the lush forest of Saint Edwards State Park. She has become aware of the healing powers of nature through this prolonged time outside as well as through her yoga and meditation practice that she explores outside in the sunnier months. As an advocate of spending time outdoors and maintaining mental wellbeing, Sophie is inspired to learn more through research in the HINTS Lab about the relationship between nature and psychological resilience.

Soteria Li

Undergraduate, Department of Psychology

Soteria is a junior undergraduate student double majoring in B.A. Psychology and Education, Community, and Organization. She is currently supporting Xuanyi’s research, which examines the mental health advantages offered by natural environments, focusing on the therapeutic effects of nature exposure on depressive symptoms and the psychological mechanisms involved. She is also collaborating with Leslie on a research that explores human-AI interactions aimed at fostering deeper, and more authentic interpersonal relationships. Soteria’s previous research experience includes working with the UW I-Lab and completing an internship at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University.Through the HINTS lab, Soteria aims to build on her experiences in environmental and clinical psychology, and is particularly interested in understanding how technology can enhance mental health and interpersonal relationships, both in social and clinical contexts.

Jordan Mushtaler

Undergraduate, School of Environment and Forest Sciences

Jordan is a third-year undergraduate student, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in May 2026 in Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management with a minor in Business. She is currently assisting with Xuanyi’s research, which explores how various environments impact health and well-being to quantify the psychological effects of being in natural environments compared to dense urban areas. Through her time working in the HINTS lab, she hopes to build upon her real-world knowledge gained through internships with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Karlin to learn more about the intersection between humans and the environment. She is looking forward to a career in sustainable policy and environmental consulting.