Raja Parasuraman
University Professor of Psychology
George Mason University
Raja Parasuraman is University Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, where he has taught since 2004. He has a B.Sc. (1st Class Honors) in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
Dr. Parasuraman is internationally recognized for his research in human factors and cognitive neuroscience. His research focuses on human interaction with automation in aviation, air traffic control, robotic, and military systems. His neuroscience work includes groundbreaking investigations of the neural and genetic basis of cognition, both in healthy adults and in older persons at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. His research has been supported by $15 million in grants from sources such as NIH and NASA. He has published 128 scholarly journal articles. His 10 books include The Psychology of Vigilance (Academic Press), Automation and Human Performance (Erlbaum), and Neuroergonomics: The Brain at Work (Oxford University Press).
Dr. Parasuraman’s research accomplishments were recognized by his election as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. He also belongs to three other professional societies. In 2004, he received the Franklin Taylor Award for Lifetime Achievement in Engineering Psychology from the American Psychological Association. In recognition of his teaching contributions, Dr. Parasuraman received the Paul Fitts Education Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in 2006.
Dr. Parasuraman has taught numerous undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology and neuroscience over the past three decades. He is director of the human factors program at GMU—recognized as among the top programs in the US—overseeing about 35 master’s and 15 Ph.D. students. To date, he has directed 42 master’s and 29 Ph.D. theses and been external examiner for 10 Ph.D. theses in foreign universities. In addition, he has mentored 15 postdoctoral fellows.
His teaching philosophy is best exemplified by the Chinese proverb,“Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.” He has “opened the door” for many hundreds of students during his teaching career. They have gone on to enjoy success in academia, industry, and government in diverse settings worldwide. Those who became teachers—several now full professors—have been singularly influenced in their own teaching by his mentorship. Others have risen to important leadership positions in government and industry.
