Role
Senior Lecturer in Psychology (Mental Health)
Career overview
Ryan is a senior lecturer in psychology, having worked in Higher Education since 2013. His research has focussed on the psychological construct of nature connectedness and its associated wellbeing, mental health, and pro-nature behavioural outcomes, specifically how people can reconnect with nature through the five pathways of senses, emotion, meaning, compassion, and beauty, a framework he created in his PhD in 2016. This Pathways Framework has been applied by organisations across the world including the National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts, Durrell Conservation Trust, and the New Zealand Department for Conservation, with Ryan working as an advisor on their application and research partner. After working at other Higher Education institutions, Ryan joined NTU in May 2022.
Research areas
Alongside continued work researching and applying the Pathways, Ryan is currently conducting research with collaborators in conservation and ecological disciplines on citizen science and working with the VIA Institute on Character on research and applied projects. Ryan is particularly interested in applying the Pathways Framework within wider society including how it can benefit higher education institutions, and its potential for benefitting mental health within greencare/social prescribing.
External activity
Ryan has worked on evaluation projects for Derby Museum, the National Trust and Wildlife Trusts and was also a member of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trusts’ Conservation Advisory panel. Presently, Ryan is a member of external groups, notably the QUENCH Network and the Nature Connectedness Network, and acts as an advisor for the International Alliance for Nature Connected Practitioners.
Sponsors and collaborators
Dr Holli-Anne Passmore Concordia University of Edmonton
Dr Ryan Niemiec, VIA Institute on Character
Dr Rodney King, Natural Wisdom
Dr Michael Pocock, Centre for Hydrology and Ecology
Dr Helen Coulthard, De Montfort University
Dr Victoria Ruby-Granger, De Montfort University
Dr Joelene Hughes, RSPB
Dr Victoria Carr, RSPB
Prof Rhett Diessner, Lewis-Clark State College
Dr Dave Cudworth, Forest School Practitioner
Press expertise
Ryan has received training as part of a DEFRA funded Citizen Engagement with the Environment scheme to help communicate scientific research to the general public and engage them with it. Ryan has also appeared as a guest on BBC Three’s Hayley Goes Back to Nature in 2020. Ryan has the following expertise applicable media enquiries:
-Nature connectedness/human-nature relationships and interactions
-Wellbeing and mental health in relation to nature
-Pro-nature behaviours
Course(s) I teach on
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COURSE
Psychology - BSc (Hons)
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/social-sciences/ug/bsc-hons-psychology
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Postgraduate taught / Professional | Full-time / Part-time
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/course/social-sciences/pg/msc-psychological-wellbeing-and-mental-health