Jennie Pyers

Jennie Pyers is a Professor of Psychology at Wellesley College. She holds affiliations with the Cognitive & Linguistic Sciences and Latin American Studies programs. Her research explores the interplay between language and cognition, with a focus on bilingualism, sign languages, and cognitive development.

• Education
  • B.A., Smith College
  • Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley

Research Interests center on how language acquisition and use influence cognitive abilities, particularly in typically developing children, deaf individuals, bimodal bilinguals, and learners of emerging sign languages. She investigates language-general and language-specific cognitive effects, as well as how language delays impact cognitive development.

Grants supporting her work include funding from the James S. McDonnell Foundation and the National Institutes of Deafness and Communication Disorders. She is active in professional societies like the Cognitive Development Society and the Sign Language Linguistics Society.

As a native American Sign Language (ASL) speaker, she mentors Deaf students and contributed to Wellesley College’s recognition of ASL as a second language requirement. Students engage in research through her lab and courses such as Introduction to Psychology (PSYC101) and Psychology of Language (CLSC216/PSYC216).