Philip I. Pavlik Jr.

Philip I. Pavlik Jr. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Memphis, affiliated with the Institute for Intelligent Systems. His research focuses on educational software design, computational models of cognition, and strategies for optimizing learning. He holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan.

• Education: Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology (Carnegie Mellon University, 2005), B.A. in Economics (University of Michigan, 1992)
• Research Interests: Educational software, computational modeling, concept learning, transfer strategies, and AI-driven adaptive systems.

His work emphasizes applying cognitive science principles to improve educational technologies, such as the MoFaCTS tutoring system and the LearnSphere cyberinfrastructure. Pavlik has published extensively in journals like Journal of Educational Data Mining and International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education.

• Awards: Best Paper at EDM 2023, PI Millionaire Achievement (2020), First-Time Principal Investigator Award (2013).

He advises multiple PhD and master’s students and leads the Optimal Learning Lab. His grants include NSF-funded projects on adaptive learning systems and data-driven educational innovation.