Nik Sawe

I'm a researcher and lecturer who studies how humans think, behave, and make consumer decisions, and what it means for our impact on the environment. Presently, my focuses on what motivates environmental philanthropy, how our interactions with nature imagery and natural settings influence our mental health and productivity, and consumer decision-making around energy efficiency and eco-labeling. I use a combination of neuroimaging, behavioral experiments, and econometric surveys to explore these areas.

I founded the Environmental Decision-Making and Neuroscience Group in 2010 with the help of neuroeconomist Dr. Brian Knutson. I hold a Ph.D. in Environment and Resources and a B.S. in Biology from Stanford University, and am a past Fellow at the Stanford Center for Ethics in Society, the Haas Center for Public Service, and the Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society.

Key areas of expertise:
• Mixed methods research
• Quantitative research
• Longitudinal survey and field experiments
• Marketing based on behavioral economics and psychology
• Behavioral interventions and strategies informed by decision science
• Creative ways of looking at data or solving problems in new ways
• Strongly collaborative working across diverse fields
• Experience in building and managing small to mid-size research teams
• Public speaking
• Writing, both creatively and for technical/academic/medical audiences
• Accessibility and diversity

Personal interests
• Created a novel way of turning data into music, allowing a visual cortex to play a string quartet and a forest of trees impacted by climate change to play an orchestra
• Enjoy creative writing; wrote and published a novel about a wolf pack and have written short stories, plays, and short films
• Enjoy digital painting and composing music