About The Series
For decades, the Psychology Department at San Francisco State University has brought some of the most influential voices in psychology to campus.
Our Distinguished Speaker Series is more than a set of talks. It is an opportunity for students to engage directly with scholars whose work is shaping how we understand the mind, behavior, and society. These visits give students a sense of what research looks like at the highest level and, for many, help define what their own future in psychology could be.
It is not uncommon for a single talk to shift a student’s trajectory. Hearing a leading scientist discuss their work, their path, and their questions can open up possibilities that students had not previously considered.
Recent Distinguished Speakers
Silvia Bunge (upcoming)
Brian Knutson (Spring 2026)
Distinguished Speaker Archive
This archive reflects the breadth of scholars who have visited SFSU Psychology. We are continuing to expand this list and will add links to talks and recordings where available
| David Anderson | Ozlem Ayduk | Roy Baumeister | Bruce Bridgeman |
| Joseph Campos | Daniel Cervone | Serena Chen | Violet Cheung |
| Nicolas Davidenko | Nina Dronkers | Jennifer Eberhardt | Ja'nina Garrett-Walke |
| Adam Gazzaley | Joy Geng | Arthur Glenberg | James Gross |
| Steven Hillyard | Bernhard Hommel | Eve Isham | Benjamin Levy |
| Alicia Lieberman | Gary Marcus | Christina Maslach | James McClelland |
| Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton | Michael Merzenich | Carlos Montemayor | Amanda Morrison |
| Kathleen Mosier | Srikantan Nagarajan | T. Andrew Poehlman | David Rosenbaum |
| Sue Rosser | Travis Seymour | Phil Shaver | Jeff Sherman |
| Lisa Son | Michael Spivey | Benjamin Storm | Virginia Sturm |
| Simine Vazire | Peter Wais | Eric Walle | Greg Walton |
| Lawrence Williams | Frank Worrell | Rex Wright | Theodore Zanto |