Psychological and Brain Sciences - UMASS Amherst

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...

10/14/2025

Why do people on the other side of the political spectrum often seem not just misinformed—but morally wrong? Why do even good-faith attempts at cross-partisan conversation so often stall or turn hostile?

These questions are not new—but in an era of social media outrage, partisan media bubbles, and eroding trust in institutions, they feel more urgent than ever. Fortunately, there is a growing body of research that helps us move beyond frustration and toward a deeper understanding of what drives our political differences—and how we might begin to bridge them.

One of the most compelling contributions to this conversation comes from Dr. Ronnie Janoff-Bulman, Professor Emerita at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a leading scholar in the field of moral psychology. In her latest book, “The Two Moralities: Conservatives, Liberals, and the Roots of Our Political Divide,” she outlines a powerful new framework that helps explain why liberals and conservatives so often talk past each other—and why each side believes it holds the moral high ground.

Why do people on the other side of the political spectrum often seem not just misinformed—but morally wrong? Why do even good-faith attempts at cross-partisan conversation so often stall or turn hostile?These questions are not new—but in an era of social media outrage, partisan media bubbles, an...

10/08/2025

Nilanjana (Buju) Dasgupta, provost professor of psychology in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, will present the 2025 Commonwealth Honors College (CHC) Plenary Lecture, “Change the Wallpaper: Transforming Cultural Patterns to Build More Just Communities,” on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom.

The CHC Plenary Lecture, which is connected to the Honors course “Ideas that Change the World,” is an annual event that features thought leaders from across the spectrum of UMass Amherst faculty.

Dasgupta's talk, co-sponsored by Phi Kappa Phi, will draw from her 2025 book “Change the Wallpaper: Transforming Cultural Patterns to Build More Just Communities,” published by Yale Press, which offers a science-driven approach to achieving social change. In the book she argues that small changes to the “wallpaper,” the local cultures around us, are far more effective in producing structural change locally than seeking change through bias awareness training, symbolic acts or relying solely on good intentions.

Dasgupta, provost professor of psychology in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, will present the 2025 Commonwealth Honors College (CHC) Plenary Lecture, “Change the Wallpaper: Transforming Cultural Patterns to Build More Just Communities,” at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom...