By Riley Harper
Throughout my 4 years of classes at UF, I have never met anyone quite like Dr. Ron Chandler. He was my professor for PSY3626 Psychology of Sustainability, which fulfilled a core requirement for my Sustainability Studies major. However, I never could have guessed the impact he would have on my mindset. Dr. Chandler helped me identify and understand the choices that led me to become the person I am today, with my strong inclination towards sustainability.
Dr. Chandler is a Senior Instructional Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator in the Psychology Department. He is a pioneer in the field of Sustainability Psychology, which highlights the relationship between human ecology and pro-environmental behavior. He defines it as a “field of sustainability education and communication as much as it is a field of psychology research,” with the most important message being that “the relationship that we have with ourselves and the relationship that we have with others directly affects how we think and feel about nature.”
Ecoanxiety, the feeling of distress stemming from environmental degradation, is becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s climate. “Planetary debilitation, the invasion and destruction of nature, that’s a tough one to admit. We have to be careful to not get overwhelmed with how much there is to do,” Dr. Chandler advises. He says the “antidote to this existential angst” is recognizing that we have a moral responsibility as the causal agents of anthropogenic global warming to find solutions to these complex environmental problems. Trying to solve the world’s problems all at once is unsustainable, so he advises to focus on small steps that can create a ripple effect. Sustainable individual actions, such as composting, are simple yet meaningful habits to ease mental pressure while reducing food waste.
Recently, he won the 2026-2027 Sustainability Studies Course Development Award, which will allow him to develop and teach a new sustainability studies course. PSY4930: Understanding the Human Experience of Sustainability Through Participatory Action Research will be available starting in Fall 2026. It will include group collaboration and field excursions “to different types of built and natural environments. And part of the process is to use Participatory Action Research (PAR) for the researcher to become educated as to how somebody is experiencing that environment and whether or not they understand its sustainability or not.” PAR is a way for researchers to immerse themselves in the problems they are trying to solve. Through fostering beneficial connections and self-reflective inquiry, they can understand any unintended consequences on local communities and create well-rounded solutions.
Dr. Chandler has not always been in academia. He has previous career experience in limnology, hydrology and water pollution chemistry. However, it was during his time as a contract hydrologist in the Everglades when he decided to pivot. He felt he could do more by tapping into his fascination with elephants and social psychology and linking them to sustainability. “The reason why I decided that I had to go back and get my doctorate in psychology,” he says, is “I wanted to be able to take this message I thought I was hearing and turn the Psychology of Sustainability into higher ed. I needed not only the credentials but to do the research.”
‘I am the Paradigm Shift’ was the topic of his doctoral dissertation. It focused on the 6 essential characteristics to succeed in a liberal arts and sciences college studying sustainability. This was first conducted at Unity College, asking students questions like, “How do you feel about yourself as you go through this process from freshman to senior?” 12 years later, he is repeating his study to confirm the validity. “The objective is to see if the ‘I Am the Paradigm Shift’ theory still does really robustly describe this experience. If it doesn’t, what needs to be modified? If it doesn’t do a good job at all what do I do instead?” This fosters a reflective experience, allowing the students to find “what’s bolstering them and what’s holding them back”.
Dr. Chandler also had the opportunity to speak at a TedxUF Talk in 2023. He got an email from the organization’s representatives that two of his colleagues nominated him and he said, “Well sure, I’ll just give it a shot.” His Talk details how the development of human dignity can lead to positive sustainable solutions, linking economic viability, environmental health, and social justice. “It was absolutely thrilling,” he said. “My partner was there, my brother came down from Boston, so many of my good friends” came to support him, which made the experience invaluable.
Regarding UF’s Office of Sustainability, Dr. Chandler boldly remarked, “it was a very symbolic assassination.” He adds, “As far as sustainability at UF is concerned, I think it’s going to persevere through different channels without a lot of loud sound… with Anna Peterson at the wheel, I really feel very strongly that Sustainability Studies will grow finely to where it should be.” The interdisciplinary nature of sustainability ensures that “We have to find commonality.” Appealing to the cultural, economic and environmental aspects of society are good ways to cover all our bases, but that also means that disagreements are almost impossible to avoid. However, Dr. Chandler has a mitigation tactic to keep in mind. “Find one or two things that you know you can agree on, and step lightly on the other 98% of the things you don’t agree on and get people to pay attention” to the problems at hand.
He shared several resources to combat climate anxiety and identify like-minded individuals and organizations. Future Voters of America, Student Conservation Organization and Heather Cox Richardson are just a few examples of the people fighting for change. “We just have to fight like crazy right now… The passion for people and the planet is just monumental even with all the attacks on it”. Climate advocacy begins with keeping yourself educated, and Dr. Chandler is “optimistic that we can evolve.”
Dr. Chandler practices what he preaches. He is the Cofounder and President of the Conservation Initiative for the Asian Elephant (CIFAE). Located in the Garo hills in India, CIFAE aims to protect and conserve the biodiversity in that region. He discussed how his idea for protecting elephants came from unsatisfaction with his contract hydrology job. “So, I reached out to the Ether. I said, ‘here’s who I am, here’s what I’m ready to do, I’ve got no plan, who will join me?’ And I got one answer.” Christy Williams, Coordinator the WWF Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy (AREAS), responded and together, they developed a strategy. Dr. Chandler stated, “In 2000 we were incorporated as a 501(c)(3) and off we go. We turn 25 this summer.” CIFAE’s status as a non-tax paying nonprofit organization ensures it can have a greater reach without financial concerns.
Dr. Chandler is a prime example of how a successful career is not always linear. As a hydrologist he thought, “I’m studying all these things that are happening to the planet, and I’m tired of studying them. I want to do something about it.” He had a dream to save elephants and started an organization and helped pioneer a new field of learning to help people understand how human behavior and compassion can shape sustainability. “Honestly, our responsibility is to take care of our Self. And in this context…part of that is finding the truth, the positive truth. We are just completely inundated with the horrific things that are being done by our government… and that’s pretty easy to get caught up in. But there’s so much happening that’s really very positive.”