The Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS) is committed to advancing knowledge of society’s most pressing challenges, and to pursuing solutions to those challenges through innovative and interdisciplinary research, education, and engagement in the world.
Director of the Natural Hazards Center and Professor of Sociology at CU Boulder, Lori Peek, has been studying the effects of disasters on children and families for decades. Her work highlights how successive catastrophes, such as Hurricane Katrina followed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, have multiplicative effects on vulnerable populations. Peek emphasizes that the
The December 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado, left a devastating impact on the area. New research co-authored by Associate Professor of Geography and IBS Fellow, Colleen Reid, shows the impact of the fire was also felt indoors – via poor air quality. Over half of residents whose homes survived the Marshall Fire reported
IBS hosts a variety of events for the larger community to learn about new research in the behavioral and social sciences. We offer our biannual Jessor Lectures, our fall and spring semester weekly Speaker Series, as well as a variety of conferences and training sessions. Events are often held both online and in-person at the IBS Building.
IBS draws faculty from across the social and behavioral sciences in work that transcends disciplinary boundaries and illuminates the complexity of social behavior and social life.
