Associate Professor

Department: Psychology

Dr. Bangert is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Her research lies within the field of human cognitive psychology, with special interests in understanding the mechanisms of attentional control, event cognition, and timing, and how these processes evolve across the lifespan.

Dr. Bangert’s research is organized around three core goals. First, she examines the mechanisms that guide timing behaviors in everyday situations and how they interact with attention to support higher-level processes such as motor coordination and event perception. Second, she explores the effects of aging and age-related diseases on attentional and temporal processes, and related cognitive functions such as memory, while identifying interventions that can mitigate these effects and enhance learning and performance. Third, she develops and applies behavioral methodologies, including the analysis of continuous performance data, to investigate how the dynamics of attention and timing unfold over time.

In addition to these primary aims, Dr. Bangert is increasingly interested in how artificial intelligence can inform and extend our understanding of human cognition. Her current work explores how AI tools can foster intergenerational engagement by helping older adults remain socially connected and cognitively active through adaptive and empathetic interfaces. This line of inquiry bridges cognitive psychology, aging research, and human–AI interaction, with the goal of creating technologies that promote learning, well-being, and connectedness across generations.

Other Affiliations: Community of Practice on the Scientific Study of Bilingualism, Community of Practice on Smart Cities, Community of Engaged Scholars, Bilingualism Matters

Keywords of Expertise: Cognition, Aging, Time Perception, Event Cognition, Attention.