Gary W. Evans, the Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professor of Human Ecology at Cornell, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Stockholm University, Sept. 29.

Evans was cited for providing "essential contributions to environmental psychology and related areas like stress research and work psychology. Evans has studied the impact of environmental factors such as noise, crowding, air pollution and traffic congestion on human performance, physiological reactions, and mental and somatic health. He has also studied the impact of such factors from a developmental psychology perspective and in the work setting. One salient theme in his research is the mental development of children in poverty-stricken environments, another concerns the potential for rest and restoration of urban vs. natural environments."

A member of the Cornell faculty since 1992, Evans is the author of more than 250 scholarly articles and book chapters plus four books. Current research focuses on environmental stress, such children's environments as schools, day care and housing and the environment of poverty. He is also doing work on the development of environmental attitudes and behaviors in children. Evans received his bachelor's degree from Colgate University (1971) and his M.S. (1973) and Ph.D. (1975) from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, all in psychology.