ASU Department of Psychology names scientist Tamera Schneider as new chair

Arizona State University has named Tamera Schneider as the new chair of the Department of Psychology.

An experienced transdisciplinary scientist who values collaboration, a diversity of perspectives and public impact, Schneider’s appointment marks a milestone in being the first woman to serve as the Department of Psychology chair. She joins a stellar natural sciences leadership team who all happen to be women.

“I’m thrilled to be joining ASU, and I look forward to enhancing the culture and capacity for collaboration in the Department of Psychology,” Schneider said. “The faculty and staff are engaged in such innovative and impactful work to understand the mind, brain and behavior, and they include students in immersive research experiences so they can collectively improve people’s lives and communities. It’s humbling to be a part of it.”

Established in 1932, the Department of Psychology, housed within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has flourished into a vibrant academic powerhouse boasting an impressive faculty roster and a student body of nearly 4,000. The department continues to grow, adding new programs like the launch of the MS in addiction psychology in 2022 and the BS in neuroscience in 2021. It’s regarded as one of the nation’s top psychology programs and maintains a steadfast dedication to research, consistently securing external funding each year, making the department well-poised to deeply contribute to ASU’s launching of a new medical school and public health technology initiatives. 

“As a public institution, ASU has this tremendous focus on transdisciplinary innovation and a service orientation that excites me. Why be incremental when you can be transformative? I’m focused on building upon the greatness of the department and taking us not just to the next step, but beyond that,” Schneider said.

Having previously served as the associate vice chancellor and university vice provost of research at the City University of New York (CUNY), Schneider is well-equipped to propel ASU’s Department of Psychology to new heights. While at CUNY, Schneider oversaw research integrity and compliance, research development and seed programs, and innovation and entrepreneurship. Before CUNY, she was the deputy director of the division of behavioral and cognitive sciences at the U.S. National Science Foundation, where she forged collaborations with philanthropic partners to address national priorities and led a cross-directorate executive community for the Future of Work at the Human Technology Frontier. 

“Tamera brings a high level of leadership and research experience to ASU as the chair of the Department of Psychology,” said Kenro Kusumi, dean of natural sciences at The College. “Her experience in leading national research initiatives in psychology provides valuable insight that will help the department grow and educate the next generation of scientists and clinicians.”

Schneider’s scholarly expertise lies in emotions and psychophysiological stress resilience, the science of persuasion to promote behavior change, and the science of broadening participation, particularly in STEM disciplines. She takes pride in her history training diverse and excellent scientists and practitioners, and she’s committed to advancing a growth-oriented inclusive and empowering learning environment for students, faculty and staff.

“When you see students learning and gaining confidence in their own abilities to learn, it’s priceless,” Schneider said. “I’m eager to be teaching in the classroom and working with students in my research lab again. It’s magic when students want to learn, claim their power, grow and run with it.”