Courtney Stevens

Professor Stevens received her B.A. in Linguistics from Reed College and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Oregon. Before coming to Willamette, she served as a research associate at Weill Cornell Medical College and as visiting faculty at Sarah Lawrence College.

Dr. Stevens’ research examines how experience shapes neural and cognitive systems involved in learning across development, with a focus on selective attention, language, and literacy. She also studies predictors of well-being and academic functioning in college students to identify factors that support student success. Her translational work includes partnerships with educational and community settings, as well as scholarship on scientific reasoning and critical thinking in STEM and psychology education.

Professor Stevens’ scholarship spans cognitive neuroscience, developmental science, and the learning sciences, and she has given invited talks at universities and conferences nationally and internationally. At Willamette, she teaches courses in Cognitive Neuroscience, Language & Literacy Acquisition, Statistics, and Introduction to Psychology.