Sample Biographies
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Robert A. Bjork Wendy Castleman Robert Hoffman Mark McDaniel Gregory E. Monaco |
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Helga Noice Victoria Romero Ann Speed Gordon Willis Dan Wright |
Victoria Romero
Professional Biography: Victoria Romero received her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. She is currently the Learning Development Manager for PhaseOne Communications, a marketing consultancy in Los Angeles. PhaseOne applies knowledge from the fields of psychology, communications, and marketing to evaluate communications and forecast their effects on target audiences.Personal Statement: As the Learning Development Manager, one of my primary responsibilities is staying current with the latest psychological research and applying relevant theories to improving PhaseOne’s analytical methods. I consult with top academic researchers in the areas of memory, event cognition, motivation, music cognition, and persuasion to ensure that the theories driving PhaseOne’s analytical methods are current. I also collaborate with academic researchers, testing their theories in an applied marketing environment. My other primary responsibility is developing and executing a training program to educate PhaseOne analysts in the PhaseOne methods and the theory underlying these methods.
For me, one of the most appealing parts of my job is the variety. As a graduate student, I found it very difficult to choose one area to research. Although I began my graduate career intending to study adult memory, I wound up writing my dissertation on the development of attention control in young infants. Along the way, I also engaged in research in categorization, neural correlates of selective attention, and the application of cognitive principles to the design of educational materials. In the academic world this sort of variety is perceived as a lack of focus, but in the commercial world I’ve found this varied experience to be an asset. Unlike research psychologists, I do not focus intently on a few topics; instead, I search all areas of psychology (and associated social sciences) for theories and techniques that may augment PhaseOne’s knowledge base and improve our analytical methods. I am expected to quickly educate myself on new topics and apply my knowledge to benefit PhaseOne and our clients. In a typical week, I may assist colleagues with statistical analyses, advise on survey interpretation, design learning resources, attend training on a topic new to me, give a presentation on working memory, and apply theories to the development of new analytical methods.
I am often asked for advice on finding jobs like mine. You cannot wait for a job like this to appear, you have to take an active role in creating your own position. PhaseOne initially thought they wanted a “trainer” but were disappointed with the corporate trainers they interviewed. When I interviewed, I explained to them how my background in college teaching prepared me to educate PhaseOne analysts. I also explained how I could use my deep knowledge of cognitive psychology and research methods to expand the company’s knowledge base, and how I could use my academic connections to involve PhaseOne in cutting edge research. You cannot expect business leaders to know what you can do; you need to explain how your extensive training in research can benefit their bottom line.
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