Interested in joining the lab?

We’re hiring! Thanks to generous funding from the National Science Foundation, we’re currently hiring for the following positions to work on a project investigating why students learn better when they feel curious

PhD student: 4-year funded position starting in Fall 2024; apply through the Behavior, Cognition and Neuroscience (BCAN) PhD program.

Undergraduate research assistants for the 2023-2024 academic year. Applications will open in early August 2023.

Please contact Dr. Peterson epeterso [at] american.edu with questions about any of these positions.

Additional information for students interested in working in the lab

The Peterson Lab seeks bright, hardworking students who can think critically about topics related to educational psychology and are not shy about contributing their own ideas. Student research assistants are involved in recruiting participants, running studies, helping to design studies, reviewing literature, and data analysis. With experience, this can transition to designing and running your own studies and writing papers for presentations or publication. 

American University undergraduate students can do research in the lab for independent study credit in EDU or PSYC (e.g., EDU 490) or as a volunteer research assistant. Paid positions (including FWS) are sometimes available.

Students interested in pursuing graduate studies with Dr. Peterson should email her directly: epeterso [at] american.edu