Stephen B Blessing

Stephen B Blessing is a Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Tampa, affiliated with the College of Social Science, Mathematics, and Education. He holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University (1996), an M.S. (1994), and a B.S. (1992) in Psychology. His research focuses on applying cognitive psychology to real-world contexts, including intelligent tutoring systems, museum exhibits, and decision-making in games. He has collaborated extensively with student researchers, producing impactful work in areas like educational technology and AI-driven learning systems.

Notable contributions include the development of the extensible problem-specific tutor (xPST) framework and studies on how content influences problem-solving and decision-making. His publications span topics from authoring tools for intelligent tutors to the effects of masks on speech perception. Blessing has received awards for service, undergraduate research mentorship, and academic advising.

His advising and grants emphasize student-led research, with projects highlighted at conferences like the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC). While no specific labs or teams are mentioned, his work integrates collaborative environments like museums and gaming contexts to enhance learning outcomes.