Nicole Calma-Roddin
Title: Assistant Professor
Department: Psychology and Counseling
Campus: Long Island
Area(s) of Expertise: Cognitive Science, Cognitive Neuroscience, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Memory, Statistics Education, Data Literacy, Psycholinguistics, Music Cognition, Social Cognition, Intergroup Communication, Technology in Teaching and Learning
Education Credentials: Ph.D.
Joined New York Tech: 2019
Nicole Calma-Roddin studies human cognition, seeking to understand how people integrate information into a context (for instance, a conversation or situation) or into memory. This takes the shape of research both in the lab and in applied settings, such as the classroom.
Her student-centered approach and use of interactive activities in her teaching have led her to study students' responses to a variety of different learning activities, including virtual reality, games, and songs used for educational purposes. Her music cognition work has examined how the brain responds to unexpected notes in a melody when the melody is familiar (or unfamiliar) to the listener, as well as the connection between language and music processing in the brain.
Having begun her own research journey as an undergraduate researcher, Calma-Roddin understands the importance of access to research experiences. She enjoys mentoring student researchers both in and out of the classroom. She desires for all of her students to feel a sense of belonging in research. In her teaching and mentoring, she seeks to ground her approach in equity, accessibility, and empathy.
Calma-Roddin is an assistant professor in the Psychology and Counseling department. She received her Ph.D. in cognitive science and a certificate in cognitive neuroscience at Stony Brook University in 2019. She received her M.A. in psychology at Stony Brook University in 2014 and her B.A. in linguistics, with a minor in music, in 2011. She also holds a Professional Certificate in Ear Training and Harmony from Berklee College of Music Online.
Recent Projects and Research
- Game-based learning
- Educational song
Publications
- Calma-Roddin, N. Recommendations for Implementing Anti-Ableism Across the Psychology Curriculum. Teaching of Psychology. doi: 10.1177/00986283241274997
- Calma-Roddin, N., Park, K., & Keighron, J. (2023). Exploring the Structure of Proteins and Other Biomolecules with a VR Museum: Lessons in Classroom Integration. Journal of Chemical Education, 100, 2574–2582. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c01015.
- Calma-Roddin, N., & Drury, J. E. (2020). Music, Language, and the N400: ERP Interference Patterns Across Cognitive Domains. Scientific Reports, 10, 1-14. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66732-0.
Courses Taught at New York Tech
- PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology
- PSYC 210: Statistical Analysis
- PSYC 245: Learning Theory
- PSYC 251: Measurement Concepts
- PSYC 270: Cognitive Psychology
- PSYC 370: Introductory Research Methods
- PSYC 410: Physiological Bases of Behavior
- DATA 101: Making Sense of a Data-Oriented Society