DR. JACKIE BERRY

Dr. Jackie Berry is a Cognitive Scientist specializing in visual perception, human-computer interaction, and expertise development. She holds degrees in Psychology, Human Factors Psychology, Business Administration, and a Doctorate in Cognitive Psychology. She was the first in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Psychology department to collect online research data and the first African-American to earn a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the State University of New York at Albany.

Her research includes modeling geometric feature detection in English letter recognition, studying task switching in older adults, and exploring whether attention in visual search is purely driven by visual differences. She also investigates how switching between technology interfaces impacts performance, using Tetris to study “TetLag”—the temporary performance dip caused by adapting to a new interface.

As a joint Teaching and Research scholar, Dr. Berry is passionate about mentoring future scientists. At the American University in Cairo, she taught Research Methods in Psychology using interactive, real-world applications. In her From Novice to Expertise senior seminar, students develop personal skills challenges, apply learning theories, and track their progress throughout the semester.

Currently, as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar, she is studying whether Arabic-English biliterates are better at switching between interfaces due to their daily experience alternating between different text orientations in reading, writing, and technology use.

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