Christopher A. Kurby

Christopher A. Kurby is a Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Aging at Grand Valley State University's Psychology Department. He holds a Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University and serves as Department Chair. Kurby investigates how humans comprehend and remember events, focusing on event segmentation in aging, language comprehension, and perceptual simulations.

His research explores the breakdown of continuous activities into discrete events (e.g., zoo trips, sandwich-making) and how this segmentation impacts comprehension and memory across the lifespan. Kurby's work bridges cognitive psychology with neuroscience, examining neural mechanisms and behavioral outcomes.

Key trends in his publications include event structure analysis, aging effects on segmentation, memory organization, and cross-domain influences (e.g., domain knowledge, emotional states). His studies often employ experimental designs with eye-tracking, behavioral assessments, and neuroimaging techniques.

• Distinguished Early Career Scholar Award (2016)

Kurby teaches courses in research methods (PSY 300), lifespan development (PSY 364), and advanced research (PSY 400). He actively builds an adult participant pool for aging studies and collaborates with researchers like Jeff Zacks and Joseph Magliano. Contact: kurbyc@gvsu.edu