I received my PhD in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. My research explores how people generate original ideas, solve problems creatively, and connect concepts through analogy and metaphor. I use experimental methods to understand the cognitive processes causing mental fixation in these situations, as well as what conditions mitigate this mental fixation. Some topics include the effects of exposure to example ideas on creativity, and the role of forgetting in reducing the accessibility of obvious information. I have also recently begun to explore meta-cognition as it relates to creative problem solving. I am currently an Assistant Research Scientist at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence & Security.

I am also a passionate instructor, with teaching experience in Cognitive Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Research Methods, and Statistics.