2023 Award Receipient

Đinh Ngọc Phượng (Phoebe)
She/They
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Psychology
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences

In their research, Phoebe blends cognitive science and philosophy of science to study the cognitive representations and processes that underlie people’s ability to learn new causal relations in the world, with a focus on participants in the U.S.

As an instructor, Phoebe recognizes the multi-directional and contextually embedded nature of learning and honors these through: collaborative projects, reflexive practice (including frequent student-driven course adjustments), and a syllabus that strives to upset white supremacist epistemology in psychology education. Drawing from evidence-based educational research (shout-out to the Eberly Center) and their experience in community event organizing, Phoebe aims toward a classroom environment in which students’ learning is co-created, justice-centered, and—if nothing else is working that day—fun.

At CMU, Phoebe taught research methods in cognitive psychology in fall 2022. Prior to that, they were a graduate teaching assistant for various introductory psychology courses.

Phoebe wholeheartedly believes that the making of a teacher is a communal process—as such, they want to thank their community elders, friends and co-conspirators and (importantly!) all of their students and mentees for helping them become the teacher-learner that they are today.