Why did you join the division?
I was drawn to the division’s interdisciplinary approach. As a cognitive psychologist specializing in computational modeling of language development, I really appreciate the division’s mission “to promote the creation of coherence among psychology’s diverse evidence-based specialties, other scientific disciplines and the humanities.”
How did you become a division volunteer or leader?
I was inspired and encouraged by Clare Mehta, a colleague in my department at Emmanuel College, who previously served as the division’s president.
What do you get out of your involvement?
I have got a lot from my volunteering experience. Serving on the William James Book Award Committee, for instance, has given me the opportunity to explore outstanding works that bridge psychology with other disciplines—an intellectually enriching experience.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
During the academic year, my days revolve around teaching within my department. I regularly lead courses in General Psychology, Methods and Statistics, Cognition, and Psychology of Language. Other than teaching, I do computational research on language development and bilingualism, with the help of wonderful student RAs here at Emmanuel College.
What issues do you think will be front and center for all psychologists in the coming year(s)?
I might be biased, but I think embracing the challenges and opportunities brought by Generative AI will be essential.
What are you or your division working on now?
Our division is currently developing a series of free online webinars and workshops for members. Recently, in my role as an NVIDIA Higher Education Ambassador, I conducted an 8-hour workshop on Fundamentals of Deep Learning to Division 1 members. I'm particularly pleased that multiple participants went on to earn NVIDIA's Certificate of Competency.
If you weren’t a psychologist, what would you be?
If I weren’t a psychologist, I might have been a physicist. A fun fact about me is that my PhD was in theoretical physics. I transitioned to psychology during my postdoc and have loved it ever since.
Contact: Xiaowei Zhao