Gia Macias

Gia Macias is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Saint Xavier University. She holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Purdue University (2024) and prior degrees from California State University, San Bernardino. Her research focuses on interruption effects during learning and the impact of anxiety on attention and memory processes. She has presented at conferences such as the Psychonomic Society and Midwestern Psychological Association, and her work explores applications in education, clinical settings, and workplace environments.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology, Purdue University (2024)
• M.A. in Psychological Sciences, California State University, San Bernardino (2019)
• B.A. in Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino (2017)

Research Interests:

• Interruption effects on learning from text
• Trait/state anxiety's effects on attention and memory
• Cognitive control mechanisms in attentional tasks

Awards:

• Psychonomic Society Graduate Conference Award (2021)
• Office of Student Research Summer Grant (2016)

Teaching & Service:

• Teaches courses in Introduction to Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Research Capstone
• Serves as an academic advisor and Sona administrator at Saint Xavier University
• Past roles include Twitternome for the Psychonomic Society and mentorship in research programs

Labs & Affiliations:

Former lab affiliations include Purdue University's Cognitive Psychology Lab and CSUSB's Memory and Attention Lab.