Prof. Dr Sonja Geiger joined the team at Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) as Professor of Psychology and Marketing in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Management on 1 March 2025.

With her interdisciplinary approach, she brings psychological and social science perspectives to teaching and research. Even before her appointment, she supported HNEE as a deputy professor in the field of sustainable food systems.

Her focus is on teaching the young degree programme "Designing Sustainable Food and Agricultural Culture" (ErNA). In addition, she will teach on the degree programmes "Organic Farming &Marketing" (OLE) and "Organic Farming & Marketing" (ÖLV) and will develop a cross-course teaching activity on the role of psychology in sustainability transformations.

The new ErNA degree programme integrates psychological and social science perspectives alongside agricultural and nutritional science. It looks at the entire value-added chain and its transformation towards greater sustainability - an innovative approach that complements traditional degree programmes. Sonja Geiger will teach psychological and ethical influences on sustainable nutritional behaviour as well as interventions for nutritional education. She will also lead a transdisciplinary project on developing visions for sustainable food systems.

Prof Dr Sonja Geiger is inspired by nature: "Meaningful experiences with or in nature can promote a connection to nature and have a lasting influence on and change our thoughts and actions. This is one of many ways in which psychology can be used to shape a more sustainable society and make a decisive contribution to sustainability transformation."

In her previous research, she has investigated far-reaching strategies that focus on moral values and emotional connection with nature. These take more time than more superficial measures such as nudging, which in turn effectively reduce behavioural costs but only change behaviour in the short term. She will continue to research how psychological influencing factors - such as values and ideas of justice - can be specifically integrated into communication strategies for sustainable challenges. She is also investigating the effects of advancing climate change on people's psychological well-being.

Sonja Geiger studied at the Humboldt University in Berlin, completed her doctorate at the University of Potsdam and habilitated at the Technical University of Berlin with a focus on sustainable consumer behaviour. Most recently, she worked as an environmental psychologist at Murdoch University in Perth, School of Psychology.

At HNEE, she will be focussing on new topics, in particular on international contexts of dietary patterns, such as the effects on South America, as well as on questions of global food justice.

With her work, Sonja Geiger wants to make her contribution to what is probably the shortest definition of sustainability: "Enough for all forever."

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