Most challenges to planetary health entail moral, economic, and cultural concerns that cannot be solved by technological solutions alone. Environmental crises are shaped by power struggles, entrenched interests, social inequities, and destructive disinformation. Addressing these complex challenges requires deeper engagement with the human dimensions of sustainability and the active involvement of disciplines across the social sciences and humanities.
Sally Kitch, PI, in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, is the principal investigator on Create the Change, a PSIF award now in its second year.
Create the Change (CTC) responds to this challenge by mobilizing the human sciences – social sciences, arts, and humanities -- in collaboration with sustainability sciences to address the moral, economic, political, and cultural complexities of planetary health. The initiative seeks to support projects that help align thriving and equitable human societies with Earth’s biosystems.
CTC supports Arizona State University’s charter and design aspirations by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging innovative forms of knowledge production, and building bridges between academic research and societal transformation.
Applications opening soon!
Zoom Information Session:
April 14, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM