Biography

Diane F. Halpern is Dean Emerita of Social Sciences at Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute and Professor of Psychology, Emerita at Claremont McKenna College. She has won many awards for her teaching and research, including the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in teaching, research, and professional involvement from the Western Psychological Association, an Honorary Award from the Federation of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (FABBS) for "scientists who have made important and lasting contributions to the sciences of mind, brain, and behavior," the 2013 James McKeen Catell award from the Association for Psychological Science, the American Psychological Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Distinguished Career Award for Contributions to Education given by the American Psychological Association, and the California State University’s State-Wide Outstanding Professor Award.

Curriculum Vitae - Click here to download CV

Educational Background

  • B.A., University of Pennsylvania
  • M.A., Temple University
  • M.A., Ph.D., University of Cincinnati

Selected Professional Activities

  • Expert witness for several court cases (Click here for more information.)
  • 2014–2015: Founding Dean of Social Sciences, Minerva Schools at KGI
  • Chair, Department of Psychology, Claremont McKenna College
  • 2001–2008: Founding Director of the Berger Institute for Work, Family, and Children, Claremont McKenna College
  • 2004: President, American Psychological Association
  • 1999–2000: President, Western Psychological Association
  • 1997–1998: President, Society for the Teaching of Psychology

Selected Research and Publications

  • Halpern, D.F., & Dunn, D. (2023). Thought and Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (6th ed.) Routledge (an imprint of Taylor & Francis). New York, New York. Hb: 978-1-138-65516-4; Pb: 978-1-138-65517-1
  • Sternberg, R. J., Conway, A. R. A., & Halpern, D. F. (2022) (Eds.). How Intelligence Can Be a Solution to Consequential World Problems. Journal of Intelligence, ISBN 978-3-0365-3649-1 (Hbk)
  • Halpern, D. F, & Dunn, D. (2021). Critical thinking: A Model of intelligence for solving real-world problems. Journal of Intelligence, 9, 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence9020022
  • Halpern, D. F., & Butler, H. A. (2020). Is critical thinking a better model of intelligence? In Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.). The nature of intelligence pp. 183-196. Cambridge, UK. Cambridge University Press.
  • Wai, J., & Halpern, D. F. (2018). The impact of changing norms on creativity in psychological science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13, 466-472. doi: 10.1177/1745691618773326
  • Halpern, D. F., & Butler, H. A. (2017, September 1). Teachers understand critical thinking? That’s fake news. Times Education Supplement, (pp. 36-39).
  • Halpern, D. F. (2014). It’s complicated—In fact, it’s complex: Explaining the gender gap in academic achievement in science and mathematics. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, doi: 10.1177/1529100614548844
  • Toma, M., Halpern, D. F., & Berger, D. (2014). Cognitive abilities of elite nationally-ranked SCRABBLE and Crossword experts. Applied Cognitive Psychology. doi: 10.1002/acp.3059
  • Miller, D. I., & Halpern, D. F. (2014). The New Science of Cognitive Sex Differences. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 18, 37-45. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.10.011
  • Halpern, D. F. (2014). It’s complicated—In fact, it’s complex: Explaining the gender gap in academic achievement in science and mathematics. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, doi: 10.1177/1529100614548844
  • Halpern, D.F. (2013). Thought and Knowledge: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (5th ed.)
  • Nisbett, R. E., Aronson, J., Blair, C., Dickens, W., Flynn, J., Halpern, D. F. & Turkheimer, E. (2012). Intelligence: New findings and theoretical developments. American Psychologist, 67, 130-159. doi: 10.1037/a0026699
  • Halpern, D. F., Eliot, L., Bigler, R. S., Fabes, R. A., Hanish, L. D., Hyde, J. S., Liben, L., & Martin, C. L. (2011, September 23). The pseudoscience of single-sex schooling. Science, 333, 1706-1707. DOI: 10.1126/science.1205031
  • Halpern, D. F. (2010). How neuromythologies support sex role stereotypes. Science, 330, 1320-1321.
  • Halpern, D. F., Straight, C., & Stephenson, C. (2011). Beliefs about Cognitive Gender Differences: Accurate for Direction, Underestimated for Size. Sex Roles.64, 336-347. Doi: 10.1007/s11199-010-9891-2
  • Marin, L., & Halpern, D. F. (2010). Pedagogy for developing critical thinking in adolescents: Explicit instruction produces greatest gains. Thinking Skills and Creativity. Doi: 10.1016/j.tsc.2010.08.002
  • Cheung, F. M., & Halpern, D. F. (2010). Women at the Top: Powerful Leaders Define Success as Work + Family in a Culture of Gender. American Psychologist.
  • Halpern, D. F., Benbow, C., Geary, D., Gur, D., Hyde, J. & Gernsbacher, M.A., (2007). The science of sex-differences in science and mathematics. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 8, 1-52.
  • Halpern, D. F. & Murphy, S.E. (Eds.). (2005). From Work-Family Balance to Work-Family Interaction: Changing the Metaphor. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Publishers.
  • Halpern, D.F. (2005). How time-flexible work policies can reduce stress, improve health, and save money. Stress and Health, 21.
  • Halpern, D. F. (2004). A cognitive-process taxonomy for sex differences in cognitive abilities. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13 (4), 135-139.
  • Halpern, D. F., & Hakel, M. D. (2003). Applying the Science of Learning to the University and Beyond: Teaching for Long-Term Retention and Transfer. Change, July/August, 2-13.
  • Halpern, D. F., & Hakel, M. D. (Eds.), (2002). Applying the Science of Learning to the University and Beyond. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Halpern, D. F. (1997). Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum: A Brief Edition of Thought and Knowledge. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Also published in Spanish (2000).

Selected Awards

  • 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from The Society for Experimental and Cognitive Science (Division 3 of the American Psychological Association). Award is for “an individual who has made long-lasting and distinguished theoretical and/or empirical contributions to basic research in experimental psychology and/or cognitive science.” To be presented in August 2023.
  • 2021 Recognized by Stanford University as one of the top 2% of all scientists (176 subfields) in the world. https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/2
  • 2019 Western Psychological Association Lifetime Achievement Award—for outstanding achievement in teaching, research, and professional involvement
  • 2016: Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences (FABBS) Honored Scientist (IHO) “Who made important and lasting contributions to the science of mind, brain, and behavior.”
  • 2013: Association for Psychological Science James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award--for a lifetime of outstanding contributions to applied psychological research. It is the highest award given by the Association for Psychological Science.
  • 2009: George A. Miller Award, 2009, for "the outstanding journal article in psychology" Awarded by the Society for General Psychology, Division 1, American Psychological Association
  • 2004: Honorary Doctorate, Doctor of Humane Letters (Ph.D.), Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2003: Distinguished Alumni Award McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, University of Cincinnati
  • 2002: Western Psychological Association Outstanding Teaching Award
  • 1999–2000: Wang Family Excellence Award (Selected from among 10,000 eligible faculty members in the California State University system.)
  • 1998–1999: American Psychological Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching
  • 1998: Eminent Women in Psychology (One of three female psychologists selected annually for this recognition by the American Psychological Association.)
  • 1996–1997: Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training (American Psychological Association Award to recognize significant life-long contributions to teaching and learning. First woman to receive this award).