Anna J Finley, PhD
@annajfinley.bsky.social
Wyoming transplant | Assistant Prof at North Dakota State University | PI of the Social Psychology and Affective Neuroscience in Health (SPANH) Lab | Emotions, loneliness, well-being, EEG, psychophysiology
Well ok ND! Absolutely stunning show tonight, pictures don’t do the explosion of reds and pinks overhead justice!
November 12, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Well ok ND! Absolutely stunning show tonight, pictures don’t do the explosion of reds and pinks overhead justice!
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
AI Surrogates and illusions of generalizability in cognitive science
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have generated enthusiasm for using AI simulations of human research participants to generate new know…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Can AI simulations of human research participants advance cognitive science? In @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social, @lmesseri.bsky.social & I analyze this vision. We show how “AI Surrogates” entrench practices that limit the generalizability of cognitive science while aspiring to do the opposite. 1/
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
@clarsonsbrain.bsky.social underscoring the importance of context and lived experience in trauma - make that in all our research really. Presidential Address @therealspr.bsky.social
October 18, 2025 at 11:24 PM
@clarsonsbrain.bsky.social underscoring the importance of context and lived experience in trauma - make that in all our research really. Presidential Address @therealspr.bsky.social
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
Genius
I just attended a truly amazing Keynote Talk at #SPR2025 by Dr. Daniel S. Bassett titled “Network Cognition in a Curious World”. They covered how humans engage in the world, build models, and how the brain builds these models. Check out their work! @therealspr.bsky.social @danisbassett.bsky.social
October 18, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Genius
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
If you applied to North Dakota State Unjversity’s job in developmental psych, you too could eat your (delicious) way across Fargo!!!
(Downside: I’m told it gets cold here?)
(Downside: I’m told it gets cold here?)
September 19, 2025 at 4:35 PM
If you applied to North Dakota State Unjversity’s job in developmental psych, you too could eat your (delicious) way across Fargo!!!
(Downside: I’m told it gets cold here?)
(Downside: I’m told it gets cold here?)
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
We are HIRING! The Department of Psychology at NDSU is seeking a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology (broadly defined) to begin August, 2026. Full details here: tinyurl.com/3sjknmxn
Questions can be directed to me.
Please share widely!
Questions can be directed to me.
Please share widely!
August 22, 2025 at 3:05 PM
We are HIRING! The Department of Psychology at NDSU is seeking a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Developmental Psychology (broadly defined) to begin August, 2026. Full details here: tinyurl.com/3sjknmxn
Questions can be directed to me.
Please share widely!
Questions can be directed to me.
Please share widely!
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.
July 8, 2025 at 3:31 PM
BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
I posted this article about my student's grant cancellation this morning. A few minutes ago, I learned that another very talented student in my lab had their funding cancelled too. I'm heartbroken -- not just about my students, but the future of science.
darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/my-student...
darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/my-student...
My student's funding just got axed
How the administration's attacks on science are hurting trainees
darbysaxbe.substack.com
June 4, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I posted this article about my student's grant cancellation this morning. A few minutes ago, I learned that another very talented student in my lab had their funding cancelled too. I'm heartbroken -- not just about my students, but the future of science.
darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/my-student...
darbysaxbe.substack.com/p/my-student...
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
In a little more than a week, kiddo will have the chance to pitch her novel at StokerCon! Do any of my Bluesky friends have experience or advice about how to prepare? We have some general guidelines from the editor she'll be talking to, but any insight about Qs to expect, etc. would be very welcome!
HOME | StokerCon 2025
www.stokercon2025.com
June 4, 2025 at 6:52 PM
In a little more than a week, kiddo will have the chance to pitch her novel at StokerCon! Do any of my Bluesky friends have experience or advice about how to prepare? We have some general guidelines from the editor she'll be talking to, but any insight about Qs to expect, etc. would be very welcome!
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
What happened when they instituted post-tenure review at Florida? The best professors left.
May 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
What happened when they instituted post-tenure review at Florida? The best professors left.
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
Bottom line: the proposed NIH & NSF cuts alone would eventually strip at least $10 billion per year from U.S. output.
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
Trump’s NIH And NSF Cuts Estimated To Cost The U.S. Economy $10 Billion Annually
Economists find public R&D drives U.S. productivity growth — and pays for itself
www.forbes.com
May 20, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Bottom line: the proposed NIH & NSF cuts alone would eventually strip at least $10 billion per year from U.S. output.
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
Testifying tomorrow at a Senate hearing showcasing damage done to HHS by (personnel) terminations 3:00-4:30 convened by Senators Welch and Baldwin.
With former leaders from CDC, SAMSHA< AHRQ, ACL (Admin. for Community Living)
www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...
With former leaders from CDC, SAMSHA< AHRQ, ACL (Admin. for Community Living)
www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...
Senate Democrats to hold hearings on mass terminations at HHS, decrying RFK Jr. "destructive rampage"
The widespread terminations at the Department of Health and Human Services have drawn questions about the functioning of key health programs.
www.cbsnews.com
May 21, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Testifying tomorrow at a Senate hearing showcasing damage done to HHS by (personnel) terminations 3:00-4:30 convened by Senators Welch and Baldwin.
With former leaders from CDC, SAMSHA< AHRQ, ACL (Admin. for Community Living)
www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...
With former leaders from CDC, SAMSHA< AHRQ, ACL (Admin. for Community Living)
www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
say it again:
4 million people work in higher ed, the largest employer in 10 states, second largest employer in 10 more, and in 60 of the 100 biggest cities
ROI for NIH and NSF for local economies is conservatively 4x, often close to 10x
demolishing higher education is economic sabotage
4 million people work in higher ed, the largest employer in 10 states, second largest employer in 10 more, and in 60 of the 100 biggest cities
ROI for NIH and NSF for local economies is conservatively 4x, often close to 10x
demolishing higher education is economic sabotage
There is a false dichotomy drawn between "the ivory tower" and "the real world," and I'm here to report that in a post-industrial society, your real-world economy absolutely hinges on the university.
University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
A must read
May 18, 2025 at 1:45 PM
say it again:
4 million people work in higher ed, the largest employer in 10 states, second largest employer in 10 more, and in 60 of the 100 biggest cities
ROI for NIH and NSF for local economies is conservatively 4x, often close to 10x
demolishing higher education is economic sabotage
4 million people work in higher ed, the largest employer in 10 states, second largest employer in 10 more, and in 60 of the 100 biggest cities
ROI for NIH and NSF for local economies is conservatively 4x, often close to 10x
demolishing higher education is economic sabotage
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
PI: "this draft is so great, why didn't we write it this way in the first place??"
PhD student: "I did, and then you told me to change it"
PhD student: "I did, and then you told me to change it"
May 15, 2025 at 6:57 PM
PI: "this draft is so great, why didn't we write it this way in the first place??"
PhD student: "I did, and then you told me to change it"
PhD student: "I did, and then you told me to change it"
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
New (and first solo) publication on belonging in school, which I'm presenting at AERA today (April 24 @ 5:25 in Bluebird Ballroom Room 3C). Here's the open-access link, and a very quick summary:
What do researchers vs. students really mean when we say “belonging”?
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
What do researchers vs. students really mean when we say “belonging”?
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Centering Social Fit, Self-Concept Fit, Goal Fit, and Resource Fit as Core Elements of Students’ Experiences of Belonging at School - Educational Psychology Review
A common theme across psychological research on belonging in school has been a focus on the social—on the quality of students’ connections to others in the school environment. In this review, I argue ...
link.springer.com
April 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
New (and first solo) publication on belonging in school, which I'm presenting at AERA today (April 24 @ 5:25 in Bluebird Ballroom Room 3C). Here's the open-access link, and a very quick summary:
What do researchers vs. students really mean when we say “belonging”?
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
What do researchers vs. students really mean when we say “belonging”?
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
The Spencer Foundation is offering rapid response bridge funding for those who lost NSF research grants.
www.spencer.org/grant_types/...
www.spencer.org/grant_types/...
Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program
In the face of recent abrupt shifts in federal funding for education research, including large-scale terminations of National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant awards, we have developed a rap...
www.spencer.org
May 2, 2025 at 9:07 PM
The Spencer Foundation is offering rapid response bridge funding for those who lost NSF research grants.
www.spencer.org/grant_types/...
www.spencer.org/grant_types/...
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
In its ongoing mission to shrink the federal government, the Trump administration is now proposing a more than 40% budget cut to the National Institutes of Health - the crown jewel of American medical research. 60 Minutes, Sunday.
April 24, 2025 at 10:39 PM
In its ongoing mission to shrink the federal government, the Trump administration is now proposing a more than 40% budget cut to the National Institutes of Health - the crown jewel of American medical research. 60 Minutes, Sunday.
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
Told you I was bad at guessing crowds. Local news is estimating 2000.
www.inforum.com/news/fargo/t...
www.inforum.com/news/fargo/t...
April 6, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Told you I was bad at guessing crowds. Local news is estimating 2000.
www.inforum.com/news/fargo/t...
www.inforum.com/news/fargo/t...
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
This made me cry and it really should not have. It is a document of basic decency. Good for Tufts, may the other institutions grow a spine too.
www.tufts.edu/president/sp...
www.tufts.edu/president/sp...
University Declaration for Rümeysa Öztürk
University Declaration for Rümeysa ÖztürkApril 2, 2025Dear Tufts community,Please see below a declaration by Tufts University in support of a motion filed today by Rümeysa Öztürk’s legal team in Öztür...
www.tufts.edu
April 3, 2025 at 8:29 PM
This made me cry and it really should not have. It is a document of basic decency. Good for Tufts, may the other institutions grow a spine too.
www.tufts.edu/president/sp...
www.tufts.edu/president/sp...
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
I have learned that the directors of ALL: PREP, IMSD, and IRACDA programs across the country have received similar cancelation notices. This follows previous cancellations of MARC and URISE programs. This further dismantles the mechanisms that enable scientific training opportunities for SO MANY.
You want to know the best way to show thanks for chairing a study section? Early the next morning sent them a termination notice for their PREP training grant.
Just completed day 2 of chairing a NIH study section. Brain is tired after intently listening and leading discussions of ~40 apps. So fulfilling to hear the passion people have for others' science, and heartwarming to see so many people who care about the training and environment of others 🫶 (299!)
April 2, 2025 at 8:49 PM
I have learned that the directors of ALL: PREP, IMSD, and IRACDA programs across the country have received similar cancelation notices. This follows previous cancellations of MARC and URISE programs. This further dismantles the mechanisms that enable scientific training opportunities for SO MANY.
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
BREAKING: We're suing the National Institutes of Health over their politically-motivated purge of research grants.
This is an unlawful attack on scientific progress that puts lives at risk.
This is an unlawful attack on scientific progress that puts lives at risk.
April 2, 2025 at 8:03 PM
BREAKING: We're suing the National Institutes of Health over their politically-motivated purge of research grants.
This is an unlawful attack on scientific progress that puts lives at risk.
This is an unlawful attack on scientific progress that puts lives at risk.
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
Head Start, which serves over 800K children and their families all over the country, was hit hard today by the HHS layoffs.
<1% of HS’s annual funding is spent on federal staff.
nhsa.org/press_releas...
<1% of HS’s annual funding is spent on federal staff.
nhsa.org/press_releas...
NHSA Expresses Deep Concern Over Administration Shuttering Regional Offices
NHSA is deeply concerned about the closing of regional offices and HHS's reorganization without open communication or a clear plan for how the administration intends on supporting Head Start.
nhsa.org
April 2, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Head Start, which serves over 800K children and their families all over the country, was hit hard today by the HHS layoffs.
<1% of HS’s annual funding is spent on federal staff.
nhsa.org/press_releas...
<1% of HS’s annual funding is spent on federal staff.
nhsa.org/press_releas...
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have frozen funding for federal programs that provide support and sustenance to dozens of millions of older adults and people with disabilities, including Meals on Wheels.
Agency for older adults, people with disabilities to be shuttered under HHS cuts
In 2022, the Administration for Community Living provided more than 261 million meals to older adults, assistance such as respite care to more than 1.5 million family caregivers, and independent-livin...
www.marketwatch.com
March 30, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have frozen funding for federal programs that provide support and sustenance to dozens of millions of older adults and people with disabilities, including Meals on Wheels.
Reposted by Anna J Finley, PhD
NIH has rescinded its scientific integrity policy. Hard to see this as anything other than clearing the way for shoddy research on things like vaccines. Regardless of the rationale, it's bad news for public health.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
NOT-OD-25-080: Rescission of the Final Scientific Integrity Policy of the National Institutes of Health
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Rescission of the Final Scientific Integrity Policy of the National Institutes of Health NOT-OD-25-080. OD
grants.nih.gov
March 29, 2025 at 8:04 PM
NIH has rescinded its scientific integrity policy. Hard to see this as anything other than clearing the way for shoddy research on things like vaccines. Regardless of the rationale, it's bad news for public health.
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...