Betty Lai is an associate professor in counseling, developmental, and educational psychology at Boston College. Lai’s research focuses on the impacts of the climate crisis and disasters (e.g., hurricanes, floods, wildfires) on children. She has over 20 years of experience working with children, first as a middle school teacher, then as a child psychologist, and now as an educator who trains future psychologists, mental health counselors, and school counselors.
Lai's recent projects have examined how schools may support children in the context of extreme weather events, which are increasing due to climate change. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, among others. These efforts have been recognized with awards from the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association. Lai is the author of The Grant Writing Guide (Princeton University Press). She has published over 100 articles and chapters and provided commentary in The New York Times, Huffington Post, and other media outlets.