This summer, the Cognitive Science major is welcoming Dr. Melinh Lai as the new program coordinator and assistant instructional professor of cognitive science. Dr. Lai completed her PhD in psychology with a specialization in cognitive psychology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she studied prediction mechanisms of language comprehension using electrophysiological techniques (mainly event-related potentials, or ERPs).
In her new roles at the University of Chicago, she will be teaching several cognitive science courses, including sections of Mind, Brain & Meaning in Winter and Spring, as well as developing new courses to be offered in future quarters. As program coordinator, Dr. Lai will also work with Dr. Kennedy, the faculty advisory board, and Cognitive Science students to continue developing and improving the major, including by advising students, developing new programs, and writing the occasional blog post about herself in the third person.