Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst

04/02/2026

Ella Ford '26, a psychology major and student in the Developmental Disabilities and Human Services Program at UMass Amherst, has received a $3,500 "Advancing Community, Democracy, and Dialogue Grant" from the Chancellor’s Community, Democracy, and Dialogue initiative to support the third annual Neurodiversity and Disability Studies Summit.

The summit will be hosted on Saturday, April 12th from 11:00 to 2:30 in Herter Hall (and on Zoom). The summit partners with the Boltwood Project to bring the Five College community an interactive poster session, keynote presentation and Q&A, as well as breakout discussions.

Keynote address:
‘At the end of the world, let there be you’: Crip-of-Color Writing in the Apocalyptic Now

In this lecture, Jina Kim (Smith College) will discuss her new book, Care at the End of the World: Dreaming of Infrastructure in Crip-of-Color Writing (Duke UP 2025), as well as debut some new work on the politics and poetics of crip-of-color friendship. Care at the End of the World demonstrates why we need radical disability politics and aesthetics for navigating contemporary crises of care. It brings a disability lens to bear on feminist, q***r, and crip-of-color writing following major US welfare reform, which passed in 1996. Looking to authors such as Octavia Butler, Jesmyn Ward, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, and Aurora Levins Morales, Kim examines how this body of literature grapples with the disabling effects of state austerity measures and interrupts dominant narratives about who deserves care. She calls forward the critiques and possibilities in their literary representations of infrastructure, honoring the imaginative work that these writers do to envision alternative infrastructural arrangements in a world that refuses to support them.

Attend the third annual Neurodiversity and Disability Studies Summit! Register online for in-person or Zoom attendance: https://websites.umass.edu/ddhs/neurodiversity-and-disability-studies-summit-2026/

Sponsors:
The Boltwood Project
The Developmental Disabilities and Human Services Program
The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Advancing Community, Democracy, and Dialogue Grant

03/30/2026

Aliah Zewail, a graduate student at Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst (PBS), has co-authored a new paper on moral stereotyping in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.” The paper examines the confluence of artificial intelligence (AI), large language models (LLMs), morality, and cultural diversity.

Zewail and her co-authors argue that generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs)—such as ChatGPT—play a role in the misrepresentation of the moral values of non-Western individuals. “We showcase that social scientists should not replace human participants with LLMs, as these AI systems fail to capture human diversity around the globe,” Zewail asserts.

This paper was written in partnership with: Alexandra Figueroa, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business; Jesse Graham, the George S. Eccles Chair of Business Ethics and Professor of Management at the University of Utah; and Mohammad Atari, an assistant professor at PBS.

Learn more about this research: https://bit.ly/4rud28z

03/06/2026

The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) has honored Linda Tropp as a member of their Policy Impact Recognition Program.

Tropp has leveraged her expertise in human behavior and relationships to influence policymaking locally, nationally, and internationally. Her dedication to science and to the dissemination of evidence-based policy has played an important role in addressing societal challenges.

Tropp has been uniquely productive and effective in developing resources for organizations seeking to design, implement, and evaluate contact-based programs in field settings. She created a guide to bridging differences with Welcoming America and the American Immigration Council, and a practical toolkit developed in partnership with the International Organization for Migration. She has collaborated with More in Common on nation-wide studies of social connection and co-authored public-facing reports on key drivers of division in the U.S. (with Beyond Conflict), effects of racial bias in education (with Perception Institute), and how in*******al contact can prepare youth to thrive in a multi-racial democracy (with the National Coalition on School Diversity). Alongside these public-facing activities, Tropp has engaged in extensive “behind the scenes” work with many civil society partners working to curb social and political divides in the U.S. and seeking pathways toward bridgebuilding and inclusive integration across lines of difference.

02/24/2026

Thanks to Dr. Ioulia Kovelman from the University of Michigan for her talk "The Bilingual Reading Brain: Cross-Linguistic Perspectives on Child Literacy" at the Great Hall of the Old Chapel.

The Anderson-Myers Colloquium Series is made possible through a generous donation from Robert and Elizabeth Lorch, honoring UMass Amherst Professors Emeriti Daniel R. Anderson and Jerome L. Myers. The series brings distinguished scholars whose research has transformed developmental and cognitive psychology.

02/17/2026

The Anderson-Myers Colloquium Series is pleased to host Dr. Ioulia Kovelman from the University of Michigan for a talk on Friday, February 20th, from 12:30–1:30 p.m (with a Q&A to follow) in the Great Hall of the Old Chapel.

Dr. Kovelman, a leading developmental cognitive neuroscientist, will present "The Bilingual Reading Brain: Cross-Linguistic Perspectives on Child Literacy." Her research examines how bilingualism shapes reading development, language comprehension, and dyslexia, comparing Spanish-English and Chinese-English bilingual learners.

Light refreshments will be provided. This event is open to all!

For more details about Dr. Kovelman’s work, visit the Language & Literacy Lab at the University of Michigan.

The Anderson-Myers Colloquium Series is made possible through a generous donation from Robert and Elizabeth Lorch, honoring UMass Amherst Professors Emeriti Daniel R. Anderson and Jerome L. Myers. The series brings distinguished scholars whose research has transformed developmental and cognitive psychology.

02/10/2026

Available Lab Position in PBS: Technical Assistant I - Lab Manager for Dr. Daniel Coppersmith’s Su***de Prevention Research Lab in the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. The incumbent will assist with multiple projects related to su***de prevention research. Duties include project management, recruiting and scheduling participants, administering questionnaires, and organizing data.

This is a full time position For more information or to apply for the position please go to:

Title: Technical Assistant I (Lab Manager, Su***de Prevention Research Lab) Executive Area: Academic Affairs College/School/MBU: College of Natural Sciences Department: Psychology and Brain Sci Work Location: Amherst Schedule: Full Time Work Arrangement: Hybrid Job Summary The incumbent will functio...

01/22/2026

PBS graduate students are featured in the Caregiver Conversations Series this winter/spring, brought to you by the Westfield branch of the Coordinate Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) network.

The first presentation in January featured Karolina Russin and Melissa Horger from the Somneuro Lab. They discussed how to improve sleep in early childhood.

Talks are scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00pm at the Westfield Athenaeum (address: 6 Elm St, Westfield, MA 01085).

Attend the next one on February 4th!
Nurturing Connection: Developing Secure Attachment Styles in Children
featuring Ana Berman from the Rudd Adoption Research Program
https://westath.libcal.com/event/15888114

Each participant will receive one FREE pass to Amelia Park Children’s Museum.

12/11/2025

Wreath making with PBS staff!

11/24/2025

11/18/2025

Our new student-designed PBS Merch is now available for purchase online, with all proceeds benefitting our undergraduate Psych and Neuro clubs! In case you haven't heard, UMass now offers a neuroscience major 🧠

T-shirts $15
Sweatshirts $30

Refresh your wardrobe, stock up for holiday shopping, and support UMass psych and neuro students!

Order by 11/30:
https://umassamherstpsychology.itemorder.com/shop/home/

10/30/2025

Meet our new faculty!
https://www.umass.edu/psychological-brain-sciences/news/pbs-welcomes-new-faculty

Lauren Aulet, Assistant Professor
Cognitive scientist Lauren Aulet has always been fascinated by how we see and understand the world — a curiosity sparked in childhood by a book of optical illusions.

Kelsey Canada, Assistant Professor
Canada's research involves the characterization of individual differences in brain and memory development.

Daniel Coppersmith, Assistant Professor
Coppersmith's current area of research is the understanding, prediction, and prevention of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Elsbeth Neil, Rudd Family Foundation Chair in Psychology
Neil is looking forward to advancing the goals of the Rudd program which extend beyond primary research, encompassing engagement and impact activities.

Jeremy Spool, Neuroscience Lecturer
Spool's research is broadly about animal decision-making. His work in birds, with Dr. Luke Remage-Healey, has focused on how the brain extracts social meaning from voices.

10/22/2025

New Faculty Position Posted! Psychology of Peace and Violence Program, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
University of Massachusetts Amherst

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is inviting applications for an Assistant Professor position in its Psychology of Peace and Violence Program to begin in Fall 2026. Applications are submitted online.

For more information on the position including minimum qualifications and application instructions, please visit: https://careers.umass.edu/en-us/job/528614/assistant-
professor-psychology-of-peace-violence-program

The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.

Assistant Professor - Psychology of Peace & Violence Program Apply now Job no: 528614 Work type: Faculty Full Time Location: UMass Amherst Department: Psychology and Brain Sci Union: MSP Categories: Faculty, College of Natural Sciences, Tenure Track About UMass Amherst The flagship of the Commonweal...