3240 Benjamin Building
University of maryland, college park
college park, md 20742
301-405-1304
A former middle-school teacher, Dr. Alexander received her reading specialist degree from James Madison University in 1979 and her Ph.D. in reading from the University of Maryland in 1981. Her research focuses on literacy and reading comprehension, learning and academic development, critical and relational reasoning, epistemic beliefs, and expertise. After completing her Ph.D., she joined the faculty at Texas A&M University before returning to UMD as a professor in 1995.
Recently named as one of the most influential educational psychologists of the past decade (Patterson-Hazly & Kiewra, 2012), Dr. Alexander has served as President of Division 15 (Educational Psychology) of the APA, Vice-President of Division C (Learning and Instruction) of AERA, and Past-President of the Southwest Educational Research Association. Since receiving her Ph.D., Dr. Alexander has published over 270 articles, books, or chapters in the area of learning and instruction. She has also presented over 400 invited addresses or papers at national and international conferences. She currently serves as the senior editor of Contemporary Educational Psychology, was past editor of Instructional Science and Associate Editor of American Educational Research Journal-Teaching, Learning, and Human Development, and presently serves on over 10 editorial boards including those for Learning and Instruction, Educational Psychologist, and the Journal of Educational Psychology.
Email | Curriculum Vita | ResearchGate | Ed-Talk: Re-Educating the Mind
Alina graduated magna cum laude from Carleton College in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and a minor in Latin. As a doctoral student, Alina is interested in the use of digital sources and technology in the classroom. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and going on hikes with her dog Rosie.
Jannah graduated with honors from California State University, Chico in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Now a fifth year doctoral student in the Human Development and Quantitative Methodology department, her current research focuses on how one learns from both visuals and text in digital and print formats. When not in the lab or classroom, you can find Jannah at a concert, painting, or playing her guitar.
Nancy graduated from the Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education in 2016. After four years of teaching elementary school in Columbus, Ohio and Charlottesville, VA, she chose to come back to Ohio State to pursue a master's degree in Educational Psychology and graduated in 2021. Nancy is currently in her second year pursuing a Doctoral degree in Educational Psychology. She is interested in studying the motivation of elementary-aged students and the methods of their teachers. Specific research interests for Nancy include socio-cultural learning in diverse communities, culturally and racially sustaining pedagogies, and epistemic cognition. Nancy hopes to continue working with teachers and students for a long time!
In her free time, Nancy enjoys reading, traveling to new places, hiking, and going on long walks with her husband and their two dogs, Thompson and Harrison.
Margaret graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor's in Psychology and a Minor in Music in 2018. She moved to Colorado to attend the University of Denver and obtained a Master's in Research Methods and Statistics in 2020. As a doctoral student, Margaret is interested in relational reasoning, and how students and experts use this ability to solve complex problems. In her free time, Margaret enjoys trying new restaurants around the DMV, hiking with her husband, and playing with her calico kitty.
Muhammad graduated with Honors from the University of California, Davis with degrees in International Finance and Economics. Following a sojourn in Silicon Valley, Muhammad discovered a love for Cognitive Science and Educational Psychology. Fascinated with how we process and learn information, Muhammad has worked with partners from Amazon and Google on several related projects including a hierarchical English language partitioning system for text analysis, and an AI-enabled assistive writing software (Editory.ai) that has been used by 50,000+ users.
A second year PhD student in the Disciplined Learning & Reading Research Laboratory, Muhammad is interested in both the practical and theoretical application of cognitive and pedagogical theory. He is interested in the development of AI-based educational applications, as well as the use of AI technology for student cognitive modeling.
When not working, Muhammad enjoys time with his cats, reading, and arguing with friends about AI and geopolitics.
Jenny graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2023 with Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Human Development and a minor in Asian American Studies. As a Masters student in the Disciplined Reading & Learning Research Laboratory, Jenny is interested in relational reasoning and its development as well as how it may relate to diverse populations, and neurological and psychiatric disorders. In her free time, Jenny enjoys making pottery, reading, and hanging out with her friends and family.
