“How can we nudge people? How can we get people to change their habits, to maintain new habits?” says Dr. Ellis, director of analytics at the Behavior Change for Good Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. One way to do this is to highlight something everyone cares about: their finances.
Christian Science Monitor, by Samantha Laine Perfas
November 21, 2024
Strategies for public engagement need to be rigorously tested around the world to maximize the potential of immunization.
Nature, Editorial
July 9, 2024
In a new megastudy, Katy Milkman of the Wharton School and collaborators at Penn’s Behavior Change for Good Initiative led research on reminders and free rides to and from pharmacies to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates, and finds that simple reminders like a text message are as effective as offering free rides and are far less costly.
Penn Today, by Nathi Magubane
June 26, 2024
In this episode, host Tom Butler dives headfirst into planning his ambitious 400-mile cycling goal for the season. Listeners gear up alongside Tom as he explores the route and anticipates the challenges that lie ahead, particularly due to the route's specific location.
But conquering physical hurdles isn't the only focus. Tom welcomes Dr. Sean Ellis, Ph.D., from the Behavior Change for Good initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Ellis, along with his colleagues, delve into the science of how people change. Together, Tom and Dr. Ellis explore what can be learned from the past year's successes to identify strategies to help Tom continue to make impactful lifestyle changes.
Cycling Over Sixty, Tom Butler interviewing Sean F. Ellis
March 21, 2024
Whether developing a safe vaccine or figuring out how to encourage its adoption, the same scientific method — systematically experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t — is key.
Philadelphia Inquirer, by Katy Milkman, Linnea Gandhi, and Angela Duckworth
September, 29,2022
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Florida, and the University of Delaware investigate consumers’ willingness to purchase food products grown with recycled water and how to mitigate their stigma towards it.
UDaily, by Dante LaPenta
November 17, 2021
A catastrophe, such as the one currently triggered by the catastrophic flooding in Germany, could be an opportunity to take action against climate change, said Dr. Sean F. Ellis, a Behavioral Economist with the University of Pennsylvania, but only under certain conditions.
Deutschandfunk, Kathrin Kühn interviewing Sean F. Ellis
July 19, 2021
Penn has partnered with the City of Philadelphia to sponsor a lottery of monetary prizes of up to $50,000 awarded to individuals for getting the COVID-19 vaccine, according to an announcement by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.
The Daily Pennsylvanian, by Samuel Cheever
June 16, 2021
University of Delaware research highlights community coordination combatting the spread of destruction from invasive feral hogs.
by Dante Lapenta
Morning AgClips, October 21, 2020
Phys.org, October 21, 2020
UDaily, October 20, 2020
Researchers from the University of Delaware's Center for Experimental and Applied Economics discuss their research on consumer perceptions of recycled irrigation water. This research was conducted in conjunction with CONSERVE: A Center of Excellence at the Nexus of Sustainable Water Reuse, Food, and Health.
November 13, 2019
"...if you ask Sean Ellis, who earned his doctorate in economics. He traces his doctoral goal to his kindergarten self.
“When I was in kindergarten, I wrote Dr. Sean Francis Ellis on the side of my crayon box — 25 years later it is a reality,” he wrote in one of the special student messages that were displayed on monitors at the convocation. “I cannot thank my family and friends enough for their moral support, love, and understanding through these years. Now, it is time for all of us graduating to use the knowledge we have learned and the skills we have developed to help solve the myriad of problems facing the world.”"
Sean Ellis wins 1st place in the Human Dimensions of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Division at the University of Delaware, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Symposium.
UDaily, by Adam Thomas
May 11, 2018
Previous research has probed how exactly water utilities should communicate with ratepayers. One study conducted by University of Delaware researchers, published in the journal Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, attempted to clarify how the public feels about paying for water at a time when infrastructure spending is sorely needed.
Water Online, by Sara Jerome
March 12, 2018
A new study from the University of Delaware has found that when given the choice, people prefer to invest their money in conservation, such as protecting key areas of a watershed — also referred to as green infrastructure — rather than in traditional water treatment plants — also referred to as gray infrastructure.
by Adam Thomas
Water Online, October 28, 2016
NSF, October 28, 2016
YubaNet, October 28, 2016
UDaily, October 28, 2016
The University of Delaware’s Center for Experimental and Applied Economics (CEAE) rolled out its innovative tuk tuk at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farmers Market on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Sept. 30, conducting a study on consumers’ preferences for food produced with non-traditional irrigation water.
UDaily, by Courtney Messina & Ashley Barnas
October 10, 2016
Researchers from the Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Environmental Research (CBEAR)at the University of Delaware were at the market from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to conduct the study. More than 150 shoppers participated in the study which enabled them to purchase food with their money in an authentic setting. The study was funded by an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grant from USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) as part of its CONSERVE (COordinating Nontraditional Sustainable watER Use in Variable ClimatEs) Center for Excellence.
USDA Blog, by Elanor Starmer & Mary Bohman
October 4, 2016
The Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) has announced its third class of DENIN Environmental Fellows. The program supports doctoral students whose research interests demonstrate a clear bridge between science and society.
UDaily, by Beth Chajes
August 11, 2016
Sean F. Ellis, Ph.D.
3720 Walnut St., Solomon Labs, Philadelphia, PA 19104
sfellis@wharton.upenn.edu | LinkedIn | GoogleScholar
Updated March 2025