Dawn K. Melzer, Ph.D
Office Location
Dr. Melzer encourages an interactive classroom and strives to create an environment in which students feel comfortable expressing their ideas to enhance classroom discussions. She incorporates her research experience with young children into her classes and mentors undergraduate research assistants each semester. Her research students are trained to conduct various developmental and cognitive assessments with young children from local schools and dogs in the Canine Cognition Lab on campus.
Degrees and Certifications
- Ph.D. and M.S. University of Massachusetts at Amherst
- B.A. State University of New York at Binghamton
Teaching Responsibilities
- Child Development
- Lifespan Development
- Research Design & Analysis I & II
- Advanced Psychological Research
- Cognition in Children and Animals
Research Interests
Dr. Melzer’s research is focused on cognitive development in young children. Cognitive developmental research explores how children process information to assist them in understanding their environment. Dr. Melzer investigates problem solving, communication, and the relationship between cognitive development and motor abilities. She is also interested in the development of empathy and how young children understand and interpret other people’s thoughts and behaviors.
Dr. Melzer also collaborates with her colleague Dr. Yeater on comparative psychology studies. Comparative psychology provides insight into animal behavior and the differences and similarities of these activities to human behaviors and evolution. They have recently created a Canine Cognition Lab on campus where pet owners and their dogs are invited to participate in studies investigating cognitive abilities in dogs, similar to those studied in young children.