Elizabeth Kensinger named AAAS Fellow
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Elizabeth Kensinger, known for her research on emotion and memory over the human lifespan, was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a prestigious honorary society that recognizes cross-discipline merit and stewardship that improves society.
Kensinger, one of 449 scientists, engineers, and innovators across 24 disciplines elected to the academy this year, is the co-author of the 2023 book Why We Forget and How to Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory. She also published the book Emotional Memory Across the Adult Lifespan.
AAAS praised Kensinger for her 鈥渄istinguished contributions to the field of cognitive and affective neuroscience, particularly the role of emotion in memory across the lifespan.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 honored by this recognition,鈥� said Kensinger, who will join the other new AAAS fellows at a celebratory forum in Washington, D.C., on May 29. 鈥淚鈥檓 also aware that it reflects a collective effort, because my research program has been shaped by many outstanding students, fellows, and colleagues.聽 It has flourished at Boston College thanks to the University鈥檚 emphasis on asking meaningful questions and its commitment to developing scholars, both key ingredients for scientific discovery.鈥�
鈥淭his year鈥檚 AAAS fellows have demonstrated research excellence, made notable contributions to advance science, and delivered important services to their communities,鈥� said AAAS Chief Executive Officer Sudip Parikh, executive publisher of the Science family of journals. 鈥淭hese fellows and their accomplishments validate the importance of investing in science and technology for the benefit of all.鈥�
Kensinger, who joined 自慰视频 in 2006 and served as department chair from 2018 to 2024, directs the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, which uses behavioral testing and neuroimaging techniques to understand how age and emotional content influence how information is stored and remembered.
She also has been involved in the Innocence Project, a national pro bono network linked to the Innocence Program Clinic at the Boston College Law School. In collaboration with 自慰视频 Law Professor Sharon Beckman, Kensinger has conducted seminars with law school students to educate them about wrongful convictions, false confessions, flawed forensics, and mistaken identification, and generally about the fallibility of human memory.
Kensinger also serves on the Faculty Steering Committee for the 自慰视频 Healthy Aging Initiative and collaborates with Lynch School of Education and Human Development faculty on Translational Research on Learning and Memory.
Her previous honors include the Janet Taylor Spence Award from the Association for Psychological Science, the American Psychological Association F.J. McGuigan Early Career Investigator Research Prize on Understanding the Human Mind, the Searle Scholar Award, and the Psychonomic Society Mid-Career Research Award.
鈥淧rofessor Kensinger鈥檚 recognition by AAAS acknowledges the incredible impact of her career鈥檚 work to understand how factors like emotion and aging influence the nature of memory at both the cognitive and neural levels,鈥� said Professor John P. Christianson, chair of the Psychology and Neuroscience Department. 聽鈥淚n over 20 years of service to 自慰视频, she has shaped our faculty, research, and teaching by recruiting world-class scholars, authoring dozens of highly cited articles and award-winning books and introducing a popular neuroscience major. She is a gifted mentor to students and faculty who works tirelessly to realize 鈥榚ver to excel鈥� in all she does.鈥澛�