UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Yale Professor Laurie Santos, author of “Thriving Through Crisis: How to Foster Happiness When the World Feels Overwhelming,” 7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall, Wednesday, May 7.
A psychologist and expert on human cognition, its origins and the evolutionary biases that influence our all-too-imperfect life choices.
Santos’ work centers on how behavioral change through positive psychology can lead to a happier and more fulfilling life.
Host of the The Happiness Lab podcast and professor of Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years, “Psychology and the Good Life,” Santos will discuss the tools science provides for managing stress and building a life of happiness, even when crisis looms large.
“Whether it’s the toll of environmental disasters and wildfires, the challenges of political instability or the anxiety that pervades modern life, Santos offers actionable insights for creating lasting positive change and provides practical habits to reduce stress, foster resilience and improve overall well-being, regardless of external pressures,” Santos said.
Santos is the Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University. Her aim is to help people improve their well-being with the science of happiness.
Teacher of the most popular class in Yale’s history, host of The Happiness Lab podcast, and creator of “The Science of Well-Being” on Coursera, Santos’ goal is to teach others how to use science-backed strategies to live happier, more fulfilling lives.
In addition to her work on the evolutionary origins of human cognition, Santos is an expert on the science of happiness and the ways in which our minds lie to us about what makes us happy.
Her Yale course Psychology and the Good Life teaches students how the science of psychology can provide hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling.
The class became Yale’s most popular course in some 300 years, with almost one in four students enrolled. Her course has been featured in the New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, GQ Magazine, Slate and O, The Oprah Magazine.
The online version of the class “The Science of Well-Being” on Coursera.org – has attracted more than 4 million learners from around the world.
A winner of numerous awards both for her science and teaching, Santos was recently voted as one of Popular Science Magazine’s “Brilliant 10” young minds, and was named in Time Magazine as a “Leading Campus Celebrity.”
Santis’ podcast “The Happiness Lab” is a top-3 Apple podcast which has attracted 100+ million downloads since its launch.
For tickets and more, visit www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu or call 805 893-3535.