James Gross

Stanford University

James Gross is the Ernest R. Hilgard Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, where he directs the Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory, and his research focuses on emotion regulation. A Fellow and Charter Member of APS, Gross was the Founding President of the Society for Affective Science. His students describe him as a thoughtful, responsive, and empowering mentor who helped them find their voices and learn to share them. When asked how he decides which students to accept to his lab, Gross explained, “I choose people who I think I can help the most to advance their own goals.” He then works hard to foster “cohesiveness, camaraderie, and intellectual rigor” among his students, who report that years later they often find answers by asking, “what would James do?” Along with his scientific acumen, Gross impresses on his students “the importance of always putting younger scholars first.” According to one former mentee, “He trained students to be excellent scientists, and then trained them to be excellent mentors.”   

Claus Lamm

University of Vienna

Claus Lamm is a Full Professor of Biological Psychology and Head of the Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit in the Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology at the University of Vienna. An APS Fellow, his research focuses on the neural underpinnings of social cognition and behavior in humans and non-human animals. “Claus cares deeply about his mentees,” one noted. He is described as being “reliable, flexible, fast-thinking, and incredibly precise” and doing so “with dedication and thoroughness, always communicating at the eye-level, making one feel like a worthy interlocutor with a contribution to make, rather than a ‘helper.’” Past students are quick to point to Lamm’s humor, noting that “he would use humor to make me feel I was talking to a smart friend instead of a distant professor.” Early career researchers point to him as an advocate in the department who “is consistently working with us on ways to support ECRs’ academic careers…as well as their personal and mental well-being.”

Brenda Major

University of California, Santa Barbara

Brenda Major is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara, a past Fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Fellow and Charter Member of APS. Major’s research addresses how people cope with prejudice, discrimination, devalued social identities, and stressful life events. As one former mentee notes, “Brenda fosters this inclusive atmosphere in her own lab. She has been a strong advocate for training young women and minorities in social psychology and her lab consistently has a diverse array of graduate students and undergraduate assistants working collaboratively on research.” She is known for asking her students “so what?” to encourage them to think about the implications of their work and “models how to choose research questions that matter in the world.” Mentees have described her as “a tough and honest mentor, with high expectations, but also one who believed in them and is committed to supporting them in meeting those standards.” Many of her mentees have gone on to assume important positions in academia, business, and public service.