Steven L. Franconeri

Steven L. Franconeri is a Professor of Psychology at Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences, Northwestern University, and holds courtesy appointments in the Department of Design at McCormick School of Engineering and in Marketing at Kellogg School of Management. He directs the Visual Thinking Laboratory and the Northwestern Cognitive Science Program.

• Ph.D. in Cognition, Brain, & Behavior, Harvard University, 2004
• M.A. in Psychology, Harvard University, 2001
• B.A. in Cognitive Science and Computer Science, Rutgers University, 1999

His research focuses on visual thinking, data visualization, and cognitive science, exploring how visual processing enhances memory, communication, and information efficiency. His work bridges psychology, computer science, and design to optimize visual communication.

His 15 most recent articles (2014) span visual attention, perceptual grouping, spatial cognition, and graph interpretation, with subfields including multiple object tracking, attentional deployment, mental rotation, and language-visual interaction.

• Early Career Award, Psychonomic Society, 2013
• CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 2011
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Izaak Walton Killam Memorial, 2004-2006
• Graduate Fellowship, National Defense Science and Engineering, 2001-2004

His Visual Thinking Laboratory investigates leveraging the visual system to improve cognitive efficiency, funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Education, and Department of Defense. His teaching expertise earned Certificates of Distinction in Teaching at Harvard University (2000-2001) and Phi Beta Kappa recognition (1999).