Jeanette Altarriba

Dr. Jeanette Altarriba serves as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). She holds dual affiliations within the College of Arts and Sciences as a primary faculty member in the Department of Psychology and maintains connections to the Department of Africana, Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies through her administrative leadership.

Her educational background includes a B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University (1986), M.A. (1988) and Ph.D. (1990) in Cognitive Psychology from Vanderbilt University, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (1990-1992) under Dr. Keith Rayner.

Dr. Altarriba's research program centers on bilingual language processing and emotion representation, specifically investigating how bilingual speakers learn, store, and use language information. Her work addresses two core aims: (1) applying bilingual paradigms to resolve general language processing issues, and (2) examining the structure and function of bilingual memory. Key research domains include language representation across monolingual/bilingual speakers, language-culture interactions, applied language settings, second language acquisition, and cognition-emotion interplay.

She has earned significant recognition including:

• University at Albany Collins Fellowship
• University at Albany Excellence in Teaching Award
• SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching
• SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Faculty Service

As an educator, Dr. Altarriba has mentored countless students across classroom, laboratory, and career development contexts. Her administrative leadership includes founding the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (CURCE), overseeing undergraduate success programs, chairing the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Accreditation Self-Study, and previously serving as Chair of Communication, Chair of Psychology, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.