mpeggyraisglid

I am an alumna of the University of Arizona, where I graduated with a Ph. D. in Chemistry. I worked as a chemist for many years in industry as well as in academia, and then finally decided to open a vegetarian restaurant. I have always has a keen interest in psychology, and specifically, what motivates people to make certain dietary choices. I've been a vegan for 25 years, and I have collected many anecdotal stories about why people move towards and away from a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. I now have the opportunity to work with Prof. Merrie Brucks from the Marketing Department at the University of Arizona to do research in this area in conjunction with her MBA students. There is much to learn with respect to what compels people to switch to a plant-based life style: Health? Ethics? Environmental issues? Peer or family? Economics? Why is it easy for some and difficult for others? How many people go back to eating meat and what are the drivers? I am very excited about working on this project and shedding light on a subject that isn't very widely understood.

November 2014