Fellow: National Academy of Sciences; American Academy of Arts and Sciences
President: American Psychological Society; Western Psychological Association; Psychonomic Society; Society of Experimental Psychologists
Chair: UCLA Department of Psychology
Editor: Memory & Cognition; Psychological Review; Action Editor: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Teaching and Mentoring awards: UCLA’s Distinguished Teaching Award; Distinguished Scientist Lecturer; American Psychological Association; James McKeen Cattell Lifetime Achievement Award; Mentoring Award: Association for Psychological Science Award
Robert A. Bjork, Ph.D. in Psychology from Stanford and B.A. in Mathematics from Minnesota, served as a Distinguished Research Professor in Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research delved into human learning and memory, exploring the applications of learning science in instruction and training. A Fellow of the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has held editorial roles, chaired committees, and led academic departments. Recognized with numerous awards, including UCLA’s Distinguished Teaching Award, his contributions extend across multiple prestigious organizations in psychology and education.
Fellow: American Psychological Society; Psychonomic Society: Western Psychological Society; Society of Experimental Psychologists
Chair/Vice Chair: Chair of UCLA Academic Senate; Senior Vice Chair of Department of Psychology, and Undergraduates
Editorial Board/Reviewer: Perception & Psychophysics; Memory & Cognition; National Science Foundation; NIMH Initial Review Group
Awards: UCLA’s Distinguished Teaching Award; James McKeen Cattell Lifetime Achievement Award; Mentoring Award: Association for Psychological Science; Distinguished Career Award: Western Psychological Association
Service: Originator of Annual Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference); Faculty Advisor of UCLA’s Psi Chi Chapter (National Honor Society in Psychology)
Elizabeth L. Bjork, Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan and B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Florida, was a Professor of Psychology and Senior Vice Chair at the University of California, Los Angeles. She chaired UCLA’s Academic Senate and was a Distinguished research professor. her research in human memory focused on inhibitory processes and their role in creating an adaptive memory system. Supported by the James S. McDonnell Foundation, her recent work explored applying laboratory learning principles to enhance instructional practices. As a joint recipient of the James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award with Robert A. Bjork, she is recognized for outstanding contributions to applied psychological research.
Saskia Giebl, Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, Learning and Performance Consultant (Global) sgiebl@psych.ucla.edu
Saskia, Ph.D. investigates cognitive processes that enhance long-term learning and transfer of knowledge to new learning circumstances in the classroom, the workplace, and in sports. Specifically, she focuses on types of practice that promote effective activities and conditions for lasting learning to occur.
As an active liaison between learning scientists and the general public, Saskia gives presentations and provides workshops/seminars on how we can master lasting learning to both academic and business audiences. As well, her expertise extends to the sports field where she applies science-based training methodologies to promote better performance.
Jordan is broadly interested in the intersection of cognitive research and educational practice, Jordan is currently most interested in examining whether and how the true-false test, which is frequently derided as an ineffective, or even harmful, test format, can be optimized to elicit more generative retrieval processes, enhance the retention of accurate information, reduce the influence of negative suggestion, and promote transfer. Some of Jordan’s other, nonacademic interests include music composition and performance, plant-based cooking, theatre, and caring for his dog, Hershel, who is far too cute for his own good. After earning his PhD, Jordan plans to explore a career path in the private sector, applying his training as a cognitive psychologist in ways that, with any luck, might enhance the iterative improvement of our world.
Megan is interested in improving learning through strengthening the encoding and retrieval of accurate information and rejection of inaccurate information. She also has a specific interest in learning from non-traditional sources.
My research interests include memory capacity (both long-term and working memory), selectivity in learning and memory, false or distorted memories, metacognition, attention, intelligence, and how these things change over the course of life. Additionally, I am interested in many applied aspects of learning and memory.
