School of Psychology and Cognitive Science

Psychology BS Contact

Experimental Psychology MS Contact

Cognitive Science Ph.D. Contact

School Contacts

Lisa Dammeyer, Senior Staff Specialist
Molly Palocy, Senior Staff Assistant

RIT’s School of Psychology and Cognitive Science equips you to explore the science of behavior while building the skills to make a meaningful impact in the world.

Through collaborative, research-driven learning, you’ll work alongside faculty who are advancing discovery in areas ranging from cognition and perception to mental health, neuroscience, comparative psychology, human-centered technology, and the relationship between psychology and AI.

At the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, research is more than an academic experience—it’s a pathway to innovation, discovery, and career readiness. RIT students are active contributors to research that deepens our understanding of behavior across species and informs solutions to complex societal challenges.

You’ll graduate prepared to think critically, communicate effectively, and apply psychological science to fields spanning healthcare, technology, research, user experience, and AI-driven industries—helping shape technologies and systems that better understand and support humanity.

Research laboratories and centers

Academic Programs

Psychology (BS), Neuroscience (BS), Experimental Psychology (MS), Cognitive Science (Ph.D.), Engineering Psychology (Advanced Certificate)

$4.3M+

Research Grant Funding Awarded

in the last five years (2021-2026) for RIT School of Psychology and Cognitive led research.

Academic Programs

Study the brain to help advance AI, combat diseases, and support those with learning challenges in RIT’s neuroscience degree.

This degree program is offered jointly between the College of Science and the College of Liberal Arts.

Learn more about the program

Our psychology BS provides a scientific study of the brain paired with a focus on observing, experimenting, and analyzing the mind to understand what drives human behavior.

Learn more about the program

Graduate Programs

Explore the human mind through psychology, neuroscience, AR, and more in RIT’s interdisciplinary Ph.D.

Learn more about the program

Explore human-machine interaction, cognition, and ergonomics to improve design and user experience.

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Explore human behavior using scientific methods with RIT’s experimental psychology MS.

Learn more about the program

Minors and Immersions

The computational linguistics immersion provides exposure to computational linguistics and relevant language science course work. Students gain knowledge and practical skills in computational natural language processing and technical linguistic analysis, useful for analytics and modeling with language data and for developing, evaluating, and maintaining language technology software.

Learn more about the program

This immersion reflects the central themes of psychology, including topics such as the study of cognitive, developmental, social, and abnormal psychology. The study of behavior includes many different topics, but the unifying theme is that these courses all include the study of behavior using or applying the scientific method.

Learn more about the program

The minor in psychology provides the opportunity for students to take courses comprising the study of behavior. Students may select from among a variety of courses, which enables students to customize their minor while getting wide exposure to important concepts, issues, methods, and theories in psychology.

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Faculty / Staff

Tina Sutton

Department Chair

A. Eleanor Chand-Matzke

Senior Lecturer, Psychology

Caroline DeLong

Professor, Psychology

Rebecca Houston

Associate Professor, Psychology

Matt Dye

Professor, SPACE Center

Lisa Dammeyer

Senior Staff Specialist

Molly Palocy

Senior Staff Assistant

View Department Directory

Review the List of Psychology Emeriti Faculty

Student Resources

Here you will find additional resources for the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, such as co-op information and department forms.

See Resources for the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science

Labs and Centers

Through nearly 20 labs and centers, RIT advances research and discovery in psychology. Student researchers get hands-on experience and work alongside renowned faculty who are esteemed experts in their fields.

Attention, Cognition, and Emotion Lab
Child Study Center
Computational Linguistics and Speech Processing Lab
Cognitive Engineering and Engineering Psychology Lab
Comparative Cognition and Perception Lab
Developmental Psychopathology and Serious Mental Illness Lab
Health and Addictions Research Center
Meaning, Language, and Cognition Lab
Mood Across Life Transitions Lab
Neurobehavioral Lab
Psychopathology, Adolescence, Development, Methodology, Evaluation Lab
Perception and Acquisition of Words Lab
Risk and Resilience Lab
Social Cognition Across People & Environments Lab
Social, Methods, Evolution, and Legal Lab
Visual Plasticity and Translational Neuroscience Lab
NTID deaf x lab
NTID Perception, Language & Attention in Youth Lab

2025-26 Psychology Labs (PDF document) descriptions, locations, and lab director contact information

Featured Work and Profiles

One Lab Tour, A New Direction: Rose Khoobyar’s Shift to Experimental Psychology

Rose Khoobyar arrived at RIT planning for a career in law—but Psychology Lab Tour Day during her first year changed everything. A visit to the Comparative Cognition and Perception Lab sparked a new...
Read More about One Lab Tour, A New Direction: Rose Khoobyar’s Shift to Experimental Psychology
From Psychology to the Law: Romiere Horace Forged a Path to Forensic Psychology

When talent, drive, and passion meet opportunity and support, the possibilities are limitless. Romiere Horace—the RIT College of Liberal Arts 2026 Graduate Program Commencement Delegate and soon-to-be...
Read More about From Psychology to the Law: Romiere Horace Forged a Path to Forensic Psychology
Experimental Psychology Alum Focuses on Animal Cognition

Felicia Swartzenberg ’25 Anna Sofia Hege ’25 MS (experimental psychology) gained experience working on animal cognition research at RIT. Now that she’s graduated, she’s continuing to study animals...
Read More about Experimental Psychology Alum Focuses on Animal Cognition
Co-op & Internship Spotlight: Exploring Empowerment Through International Research

Through a Globalink Research Fellowship in Montréal, Ethan Martin explored complex questions of empowerment and well-being among 2SLGBTQ+ youth in Canada. Immersed in a fully French-speaking academic...
Read More about Co-op & Internship Spotlight: Exploring Empowerment Through International Research
Meet Olivia Bryant, May 2025 Psychology and 3+3 Law Grad

Olivia Bryant will graduate from the College of Liberal Arts with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a double minor in communication and business administration. As an RIT 3+3 accelerated law...
Read More about Meet Olivia Bryant, May 2025 Psychology and 3+3 Law Grad
Bo Allaby’s work on the resilience of the brain will lead her Ph.D. work this fall

Rebecca Houston ’25 “Why does one person with a brain injury recover faster than another? Or why does someone in their 90s still live independently while another faces early cognitive decline? I want to understand what...
Read More about Bo Allaby’s work on the resilience of the brain will lead her Ph.D. work this fall

Explore All

Latest News

July 15, 2026

Cultural Psychology course brings classroom learning to life in Japan

RIT students explored culture, identity, and psychology through an immersive study abroad experience.
May 6, 2026

College of Liberal Arts names Romiere Horace and Olivia Croteau as 2025-2026 Commencement Delegates

Recognizing two students whose academic excellence, leadership, research, and service reflect the breadth of impact possible through a liberal arts education.
February 10, 2026

RIT College of Liberal Arts Announces Dean’s List for the Fall 2025 Semester

Three hundred and sixty College of Liberal Arts undergraduate students earned a spot on the fall 2025 semester dean's list, including 74 who are double majors with the college.