Kate Arrington

Catherine (Kate) Arrington, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department and Cognitive Science Program. The core of her research explores cognitive control and attention processes engaged during multitasking. When people engage in multitasking, cognitive control is necessary to coordinate input of perceptual information, retrieve information from memory, and direct behavior to competing tasks. Dr. Arrington uses behavioral and neuroimaging techniques to address questions related to the structure and function of the cognitive control processes underlying human multitask behavior. She is also engaged in a number of interdisciplinary research activities, bringing her expertise in experimental approaches to studying cognitive control to real-world educational and work environments. Dr. Arrington served as a program director of the NSF Perception, Action, and Cognition program from 2015-2017.

 

As the cognitive science team lead for the NHI Initiative, Dr. Arrington brings her expertise in human cognition and behavioral testing methods to guide the research efforts in understanding the human piece of the nano-human interface. Her team conducts both applied studies observing microscopists in their current and future work environments and basic research into the cognitive mechanisms underlying the human interaction with complex scientific equipment.