Biography

Matthew Bernacki is an Assistant Professor who joined the UNLV faculty in 2013. He earned his Ph.D. in educational psychology in 2010 from Temple University in Philadelphia and also holds master’s degrees in Experimental Psychology from Saint Joseph’s University and Social Work from Temple University. Prior to arriving at UNLV, Matt worked at the Learning Research & Development Center (University of Pittsburgh) and the Human Computer Interaction Institute (Carnegie Mellon University) as a postdoctoral researcher at LearnLab.

Matt’s research focuses on (1) the roles that motivations and metacognitive processes play when learners use technologies like hypertext, intelligent tutoring systems, and learning management systems, (2) the development of interventions and software to promote effective learning strategies, and motivation to learn AND (3) the development of learning materials and environments that personalize learning to students’ interests.

Outside the Lab, Matt is a dad, cook, hiker, and nature- food- and baseball-tourist. He also avidly follows Pittsburgh-area sports teams and parlays his prior sports knowledge and quantitative training into a stable of slightly-better-than-mediocre fantasy sports teams.