Dr. Natasha Tokowicz was born in northeastern Massachusetts and received a BA in Psychology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University. She is currently Professor of Psychology and Linguistics and Senior Scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh, and Associate Dean for Equity, Faculty Development, and Community Engagement in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. Her research combines behavioral and cognitive neuroscientific methodologies to address questions about adult second language learning and bilingualism. Her book, Lexical Processing and Second Language Acquisition, was published by Routledge.

What got you interested in sustainability and acting on climate change?

I’ve been interested in sustainability since my high school started their recycling program. The things I learned then started me on a path toward making more sustainable choices, which I now try to implement at work and at home. At home, we got solar panels, started composting, and switched to an electric car, among other things. I learned about the Green Lab program from my colleague Marc Coutanche and shared information with my lab group, and the students were very excited to ensure that we were doing our part to be as green as possible. We have been working together to make more intentional and sustainable choices in the lab.

How would you recommend those just getting started with sustainability on campus get involved?

I recommend starting small and thinking about one thing you can do to make a difference. Once you start, it’s easier to continue making incremental changes. Maybe try to only use reusable bottles or mugs or make it easier for your group to be sustainable by keeping a clean towel in the shared kitchen instead of using paper towels—there are many ways to make a difference.

What sustainability challenge would you like to tackle next, and what would you like to see the university address?

Our group has committed to start using more easily recyclable materials in the lab, such as gloves. Even though they have a higher up-front cost, it’s worthwhile if we can recycle them. In terms of next steps for the university, I would love to see composting be more available on campus. As a home composter I don’t like throwing away compostable materials, so I often take my compost home with me, but it would be great to not have to do that and to make this available to folks who don’t have home composting.

Thanks to Natasha for all your efforts to advance sustainability at Pitt!