Research Interests
My research addresses two broad questions. Does having everyday contact with nature effect a person's functioning? That is, is there a connection between the presence of nature and effective human functioning? How for instance, does nature mitigate the difficulties of life for people who live in urban public housing? The second question concerns the process of changing or managing places: how can information about land development or environmental issues be more effectively communicated among experts, citizens, and policy makers?

Academic Interests/Expertise
I am interested in the ways in which having everyday contact with nature influences human functioning. Along with Professor Kuo and a number of graduate students, we have recently completed studies that examine the effect of everyday contact with nature on aggressive and violent behavior, crimes and other anti-social behaviors, and on the strength of social ties among neighbors in inner-city neighborhoods.

William C. Sullivan