Zenzi M. Griffin

Zenzi M. Griffin is a Professor of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin (College of Liberal Arts). She holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1998) and a BA in Psychology from Michigan State University (1993). Prior to UT Austin, she was at Georgia Tech (2001–2008) and Stanford University (1998–2001). Her research focuses on the cognitive processes underlying language production, including speech planning, bilingualism, personal name retrieval, and eye-tracking methodologies.

Her work explores how speakers plan words and sentences, the timing of linguistic encoding, and individual differences in language processing. Current projects address bilingual language development and the cognitive mechanisms behind speech errors. She directs the Cognition and Communication Lab, collaborating with students from Psychology, Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Linguistics.

Recent articles highlight her focus on bilingual language processing (e.g., grammatical gender effects in Spanish-English speakers), executive function in adults who stutter, and PTSD’s impact on visual attention during reading. She has advised graduate students on topics like language production in adults and co-advises in related areas, though not in bilingualism/child language as a primary focus.

Dr. Griffin teaches courses such as Eye Movements and Language and Human Language Processing, integrating experimental methods and theoretical insights. Her research has advanced understanding of speech production’s cognitive underpinnings and its applications in clinical and developmental contexts.