Manpreet Rai, PhD

Dr. Manpreet Rai is an associate professor in Psychology at D’Youville University Buffalo, NY. Her research interests are in cognitive psychology, namely working memory and language processing, and cognitive biases. Additionally, she is interested in the science of sleep. Other research interests are in Teaching and Learning within the scholarship of teaching and learning. She loves working with and teaching for overall student success. In her spare time she loves exploring all things Buffalo from food, hiking trials and festivals. Family, faith and friends are very important to me.

• PhD, Psychology, Kansas State University, 2014
• M.S. Fort Hays State University, 2006
• BSc. University of Calgary, 2004

• D’Youville College Faculty of the Year Award (Social Sciences) Fall 2020
• D’Youville College Faculty Committee Research Grant Fall 2019
• Institute for Teaching Innovations Seed Grant Fall 2019
• Academic Research Council Grant Spring 2019
• Association for Psychological Sciences small travel fund) Spring 2018
• Academic Research Council Grant Spring 2017
• Academic Research Council Grant Fall 2016

Cognitive psychology, namely working memory and language processing, and cognitive biases. Additionally, she is interested in the science of sleep. Other research interests are in Teaching and Learning within the scholarship of teaching and learning.

• Rai, M. (May 2020). Dr. Rai discusses sleep habits during pandemic. WIBV News Channel 4 Morning Show, May 4, 2020. https://www.wivb.com/news/health-news/dr-manpreet-rai- discusses-sleep-habits-during-pandemic

Publications

• Rai, M (2020). Teaching, research, and counting sheep: Sleep in and out of your classes. Society for the Teaching of Psychology Blog. https://www.teachpsych.org/page-1784686/9122240 
• Rai, M (2020). Teaching, research, and counting sheep: Sleep in and out of your classes.Society for the Teaching of Psychology Blog. https://www.teachpsych.org/page-1784686/9122240
• Rai, M (2016). Short-term memory. In W. Hill & J. Park (Ed.), Cognitive Psychology (pp 69-117). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing. 
• Rai, M (2016). Long-term memory. In W. Hill & J. Park (Ed.), Cognitive Psychology (pp 119-171). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing. 
• Rai, M., Loschky, L., Harris, J. (2015). The Effects of Inferential Complexity, Stress, and Working Memory Capacity on Foreign Language Readers' and Native English Readers' Comprehension of Inferences. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(2), 348-363. doi: 10.1037/a0037591
• Piocuda, J., Smyers, J.O., Knyshev, E., Harris, R.H, & Rai, M (2015). Trends of internationalization and collaboration in American psychology journals. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 3(1), 82-92. doi: 10.1037/arc0000020

Presentations 

• Rai, M. & Schenkel, A*  (2023, March) “Understanding the roles of musical genres and gender     in math cognition” Poster submitted to the annual Eastern Psychological Association     Conference, Boston, MA
• Rai, M. & Nguyen, T*  (2022, March) “A study of biblical proportions: Divided Attention and Task Impact on Recognition Memory” Poster presented at the annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference, New York, NY. 
• Rai, M., Walawander, C., & Nguyen*, B.N. (2020, May) Meet your professor: Does having an assignment to use office hours result in additional use of resources and office Hours? Poster presented at the annual Association for Psychological Science + Society for the Teaching of Psychology meeting, Chicago, IL
• Rai, M., Francis, D., Russ, L., & Prosser, T. (2020, May) Pillow talk: An exploration of the psychology of sleep as an interdisciplinary high impact teaching practice. Poster presented at the annual Association for Psychological Science + Society for the Teaching of Psychology meeting, Chicago, IL
• Bova, B*., & Rai, M. (2020, March) “The effect of athletic concussions on cognitive ability” Poster presented at the annual Eastern Psychological Association Conference. (online due to covid)