I am a social scientist with a background in social psychology of leisure and applied statistics. My research includes two closely linked lines of work: (a) play and playfulness’ assessment, activation, and impact on human health and performances (e.g., adaptive behavior and creativity), and (b) leisure as a broad context and/or mechanism for achieving wellness and fulfillment. In my research, I employ mixed methods (e.g., experiments, surveys, psychometric testing, ethnographic methods, cross-cultural studies) and statistical modeling techniques to understand personal factors, social-cultural influences, and environmental conditions key to achieving human health, active living and wellbeing through play and leisure. My recent work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaborations with diverse stakeholders to develop innovation research and outreach that integrates health intervention and environmental education through nature play and place-based learning. When I am not working, I enjoying reading, jogging, and hiking in the woods.