Evi Petersen

I am an Associate Professor at Oslo Metropolitan University and the University of South-Eastern Norway. My research explores how emotions, movement, and nature experiences shape well-being across the lifespan. Drawing on perspectives from environmental psychology, culture studies, movement science, outdoor studies, and public health, I investigate how embodied experiences influence nature connectedness, sustainability, health, and learning processes, with particular interest in social-relational emotions such as kama muta (“being moved”) and awe. I am particularly interested in outdoor learning, sensory and embodied pedagogy, nature-based education, and movement experiences in early childhood and higher education. Another area of my research focuses on balance, footwear, and fall prevention in older adults and clinical populations with neurological impairments, including barefoot and minimalist footwear interventions. I currently lead the DAM-funded project (2025–2026) "Better Balance for People with Balance Impairments". https://www.usn.no/forskning/prosjekter/andre-prosjekter/skoinnovasjon-for-okt-balanse/bedre-balanse My methodological expertise spans qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research, including interview methodology, phenomenology, photo elicitation, experimental designs, and survey-based studies using R. I am involved in interdisciplinary and international research collaborations related to nature, health, movement, sustainability, and education, and I welcome opportunities for invited talks, and roles as an external examiner or viva committee member.