Shulan Lu, Ph.D.

Professor

A Conversation with Dr. Lu

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?

“My colleagues at the Department of Psychology and Special Education as well as my collaborators at Computer Science are energetic, caring and creative professionals. They do everything they can and create great training environments for our students. If you are interested in world class training and yet personalized environment, A&M-Commerce is the place to consider.”

How has A&M-Commerce influenced your life and/or career?

“Texas A&M University-Commerce is not just the place where I work. It has been part of my life.”

Tell us about an academic project you are working on or recently completed.

“One project is in collaboration with Dr. David Frank where we examined the effects of note-taking. Specifically, we investigated traditional handwritten notes and/or photo notes vs. no notes taken in a classroom setting. Contrary to common perception, we did not see any positive learning results from taking notes. Now, we are experimenting with learning factors that help students take notes in a way that enhances their learning during the lecture delivery of knowledge in a classroom setting.

We are also developing research that could have the potential to guide the development and design of augmented reality in the next 15-20 years. This project is in collaboration with the Army Research Lab and specifically focuses on the role of embodiment in perception and performance in augmented reality.”

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Cognitive Science, University of Memphis, 2004
• M.A., Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Zhejiang University, China, 1999
• B.A., Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Broadcasting University, China,1993

Academic Positions

• Professor, Psychology, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2016-Present
• Senior researcher, Carnegie Mellon University, 2012-2013
• Associate Professor, Psychology, Texas A & M University-Commerce, 2010-2016
• Assistant Professor, Psychology, Texas A & M University-Commerce, 2004-2010
• Research Associate, University of Memphis, 1999-2004

Honors and Awards

• Class Award, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2020
• The Donna Dunbar Odom “Fearless Investigation” Award, Texas A&M University-Commerce Faculty Senate, 2011
• Provost Award for Research and Creative Activity, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2011
• Junior Faculty Research Award, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2008
• Travel Award of Women in Cognitive Science, National Science Foundation, 2006

Research Interests

• Embodied Cognition
• Augmented Reality
• Cognition and Instruction

Featured Courses

• PSY 350: Cognitive Psychology
• PSY 497: Special Topics (Morality in Everyday Life)
• PSY 511: Cognitive Science

Selected Publications

• Lu, S., Harter, D., & Graesser, A. C. (2009). An empirical and computational investigation of perceiving and remembering event temporal relations. Cognitive Science, 33, 344-373.
• Lu, S., Harter, D. (2016). Toward a cognitive processing theory of player's experience of computer mediated environments. Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion, 198-203. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 198-203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/2968120.2987742
• Lu, S., & Rawlinson, T., & Harter, D. (2019). Embodied in virtual environments: The role of working memory in experiencing presence as revealed via eye tracking. Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology, 18 (2), 1-21. DOI: 10.1891/1945-8959.18.2.223