Michelle L. Rivers

I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University, where I research how students learn and support their growth through teaching and mentorship in psychological science.

My research bridges cognitive psychology and education, applying theories of learning and memory to improve instructional practices and support self-regulated learning. I focus on how learners form metacognitive judgments—how they assess what they know—and how they manage their own learning strategies. My work has been published in leading journals such as Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, Memory & Cognition, and Educational Psychology Review, and has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the American Psychological Association, and the Psychonomic Society.

Beyond the lab, I am passionate about science communication and community building. I founded Cogbites.org, a collaborative blog where early-career researchers make cognitive science accessible to the public.