Who are the people behind the lectern? Did they appear one day to discuss t-tests and theories, and then disappear into the ether? It turns out that faculty are people too! The Department of Psychology strives to create a culture replete with high quality research and teaching. To foster that culture, the “meet the faculty” series is designed to give students an idea of what leads one to pursue a career aligned with this culture.
Let’s meet chat with one of UNCG’s most awarded teachers, Dr. Robert Wiley. Dr. Wiley started teaching at UNCG in 2018 and joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2019. He is aligned with the cognitive psychology area. Although he was born in California, Dr. Wiley grew up in Oak Ridge Tennessee. Dr. Wiley earned a Bachelor’s degree in French and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Virginia. He holds a Master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. Further, Dr. Wiley has a K-12 Foreign Language Education certification from North Park University. He found his home in psychology by earning a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Johns Hopkins University. You can learn more about Dr. Wiley’s research at his lab website.
Research Background and Interests
What inspired you to become a psychology professor?
My experiences as a high school teacher of Arabic and French raised lots of questions about language and learning—and I realized that the types of questions I was wondering could best be answered by cognitive science methods, especially cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and neuroscience.
Can you describe your research area and interests?
I’m interested broadly in the mental and neural processes that support learning, and how differences in learning experiences affect perception. Some of my research focuses on individuals with atypical language abilities, such as people with aphasia and children with dyslexia. My specialty (and favorite research area) is written language, particularly spelling and writing.
Are there any publications or work of which you’re particularly proud?
I developed software that can measure how likely a word’s pronunciation is given its spelling, or vice versa. For example, it can measure exactly how much more likely the sound of CH in “chat” is compared to in “choir.” This software can even the different ways people are likely to read or spell novel words, such as that “blease” might be pronounced like “please” or like “lease”. I surprised myself that I was able to create this software because I am not a trained programmer, and the work is important to me because it has given researchers a powerful new tool to investigate written language.
Working and Teaching at UNCG
Do you have a favorite course that you teach?
I love all of the courses I regularly teach!
What advice would you give to students aspiring to a career in your area?
Keep your eyes and mind open to unexpected opportunities—and get involved in research!
Fun Facts!
What do you like to do outside of work?
My #1 hobby is gardening, for sure—but I spend more time playing with my dogs and watching TV!
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I was a cartoonist and ran a daily comic strip for three years in The Cavalier Daily, the University of Virginia’s student newspaper.
Could you share a favorite movie, book, or band that you would recommend to others?
I most recently read A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark, which won both Nebula and Locus awards—I loved it!
