Janet Naju Ahn

Janet was born in Queens, New York and received her B.A. in Psychology and double-minored in Religion and Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. Her doctoral research, with her mentors, Gabriele Oettingen, Peter M. Gollwitzer, and Susan M. Andersen, primarily focused on how individuals experience assumed shared goal pursuit with others. Specifically, she investigated the mechanisms by which assumed shared goal pursuit occur (via projection and by transference). She is currently a Postdoctoral research scientist at Teachers College, Columbia University. With Xiaodong Lin-Siegler, she examines instructional interventions to increase students’ motivation and persistence in schools by exposing them to the struggles and failures of great scientists. In her leisure time she enjoys taking trips with her daughter and husband, shamelessly watching Walking Dead and Shark Tank, and trying all types of food!