معرفی
Barbara O'Brien is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Santa Clara University, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on cognitive development, particularly how collaboration and social interaction influence children’s memory and literacy skills. She investigates parent-child book reading dynamics and child/family factors impacting literacy development. Recently, she collaborates with Dr. Laura Doyle in the School of Engineering to integrate Ignatian pedagogy into STEM education, designing mobile engineering programs emphasizing empathy, social justice, and human-centered design. These initiatives aim to engage elementary/middle schools, involve high school mentors, and bridge informal learning with community needs.
She teaches courses such as Information Literacy, Quantitative Research Methods, Developmental Psychology, and Senior Capstone projects. Her future research goals include developing interventions to enhance parental awareness of child development and extending STEM outreach programs. The IDEAS Lab serves as a platform for her interdisciplinary work.
No academic awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided text.
