Rate My Professor Jacob Benfield

Jacob Benfield, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychological and Social Sciences at Pennsylvania State University Abington, where he also holds the positions of Program Chair for Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and Research Program Coordinator. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from Colorado State University in 2008, an M.S. in Applied Social Psychology in 2006, and a B.S. in Psychology and Sociology in 2003, all from the same institution. His research focuses on social-environmental psychology, examining environmental stressors such as noise and light pollution, resource and recreation management, and restorative environments. Benfield's work explores how natural sounds aid mood recovery, the psychological impacts of anthropogenic noise and light in parks, and health benefits from exposure to diverse natural landscapes beyond traditional greenspaces and bluespaces.

At Penn State Abington, Benfield has built a distinguished career marked by scholarly impact and community outreach. Promoted to full professor in 2021, he founded the Abington Center for Civic Engagement and Social Scholarship (ACCESS) in 2015, forging partnerships with organizations like Congreso de Latinos Unidos to deliver college readiness programs for underserved Latino high school students. Over 70 participants have earned up to 18 college credits and certificates in rehabilitation and human services through academic workshops, dual enrollment, and immersion experiences. For these efforts, he received the university-wide 2020 Faculty Outreach Award and the 2014 Outstanding Teacher Award for Tenure Line Faculty. His publication record includes more than 20 peer-reviewed articles, with highly cited works such as 'Classrooms with nature views: Evidence of differing student perceptions and behaviors' (Environment and Behavior, 2015, 303 citations), 'Natural sound facilitates mood recovery from stress' (Ecopsychology, 2014, 231 citations), 'Aesthetic and affective effects of vocal and traffic noise on natural landscape assessment' (Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2010, 182 citations), and 'Beyond “bluespace” and “greenspace”: A narrative review of possible health benefits from exposure to other natural landscapes' (Science of the Total Environment, 2023). With over 2,600 citations, Benfield influences environmental psychology and recreation sciences. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Environmental Psychology and teaches courses like Introduction to Psychology, Applied Social Psychology, and Climate Change: Individual Behavior and Group Attitudes.