Weinberg College welcomes Assistant Professor of Instruction Almaz Mesghina to the Department of Psychology!
Mesghina recently answered a few questions about her research and the most fulfilling part of teaching. Mesghina uses insights from cognitive science to challenge our societal narratives about academic aptitude.
Where are you from? Where did you study?
Hello! I was born in Canada and spent most of my formative years in the Nashville area. I graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2016 and completed my Ph.D. at the University of Chicago this spring. I am a proud Eritrean American.
Please describe your research.
My research sits at the intersection of cognitive and educational psychology. Like many scholars, I’m interested in understanding how STEM achievement gaps form. Where I differ is in my focus on the “non-cognitive” contributors to achievement gaps. In other words, what are the feelings, emotions, and perceptions that may contribute to performance differences? Often, these “non-cognitive” contributors are rooted in societal expectations and contextual influences. My research specifically aims to uncover the cognitive mechanisms that explain how these “non-cognitive” factors can seep into the brain and disrupt learning. I also consider the positive side: when and how can emotions be leveraged to enhance learning?
What inspired you to pursue your area of study?
Frankly, I chose majors in Psychology and Child Development, and chose to get involved in related research, simply because I loved working with kids and was fascinated by the speed in which they learn. My interest in psychology shifted and narrowed over time. Now, like many other professors, my research is better described as “me-search”– as much a personal inquiry as it is a professional endeavor. What is most inspiring about my work is using insights from cognitive science to challenge our societal narratives about academic aptitude. I take educational issues that are often explained at an individual-level (e.g., “women are just bad at math”) and reveal the societal- or contextual-level factors that actually underlie these issues and in turn influence our cognitive processes (e.g., frame the test instructions differently and women outperform men). I also use these insights to design interventions in real classrooms to create more equitable learning environments for all. Using cognitive science to shift the focus from self to society has been empowering to say the least.
What are you working on right now that excites you the most?
My current projects focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. We all know that the pandemic has impacted academic achievement…but how? For whom in particular? And what can we do to intervene given that this crisis is ongoing? My current projects examine how distress about the pandemic influences STEM learning for undergraduates and fifth graders. I have some promising findings from classroom interventions that I’m excited to publish soon!
How do you enjoy spending your free time?
I run a lot! I use running as an opportunity to explore Chicago’s neighborhoods. Otherwise, I am an avid reader (alternating between fiction and nonfiction) and I volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters.
What is most fulfilling to you about teaching?
To me, teaching is the most energizing part of academia. Most fulfilling to me is the opportunity to build relationships with students and learn from them (I wholeheartedly subscribe to the Latin proverb “qui docet discit” – “He who teaches learns”). In my teaching, I prioritize real-world application. Nothing is more exciting (nor more indicative of higher-order thinking) than seeing a student apply what we discuss in class to their everyday lives. It tells me that what I am teaching is practical and how I am teaching is effective. bell hooks said it best when she wrote that anything “that cannot be used in everyday conversation cannot be used to educate the public.”
What’s a fun fact that you want to share with the Northwestern community?
Northwestern was the only school to straight up reject me when I applied to Ph.D. programs. Not only are setbacks temporary, but they might even turn into something greater. (Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and optimism takes time; I’ll forgive y’all soon enough!)