Katherine Binder

Katherine Binder is a William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Psychology and Chair of Neuroscience and Behavior at Mount Holyoke College. She investigates how context influences reading comprehension and language processing, with a focus on adults with low literacy.

Education

• Ph.D., M.A., University of South Carolina
• B.A., Southern Illinois University

Her research explores the interplay of morphological awareness, phonological processing, and contextual learning in literacy development. She employs eye-tracking technology to study reading behavior and has secured grants from the NIH and the U.S. Department of Education to support her work.

The 15 most recent publications span topics such as repeated reading interventions, spelling error analysis, test-taking strategies, and vocabulary acquisition. These works highlight her focus on improving adult literacy and educational outcomes through interdisciplinary methods.

Scientific Awards

• Meribeth E. Cameron Faculty Award for Scholarship (2018)
• NIH Grant (R15): Multi-skills Approach for Low Literate Adult Learners (2022)

Binder has mentored numerous undergraduate research assistants and student collaborators, some of whom have pursued advanced degrees in psychology, education, and speech-language pathology. Her lab engages students in data analysis, literature reviews, and intervention design, offering hands-on experience in cognitive psychology and educational research.

The Binder Lab at Mount Holyoke integrates eye-tracking and morphological interventions to address literacy challenges in both adult and elementary education, aligning with her expertise in contextual language processing and reading cognition.