Josh Fiechter
(Last name is pronounced "Feekter")
Research Psychologist
Air Force Research Laboratory
I am a cognitive psychologist working as a researcher at Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson AFB. I previously worked as a cognitive data scientist at Kairos Research in Dayton, Ohio, and before that I supported work at AFRL as a contractor at Ball Aerospace & Technologies, also in Dayton. I received my Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I worked with Aaron Benjamin. I subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Nate Kornell at Williams College.
My research program can broadly be broken down into two areas. First, I'm interested in developing computer-based learning techniques that help people of all abilities to successfully study and retain information (Fiechter & Benjamin, 2018; 2019; in review). Second, I'm interested in metacognitive monitoring and control, or how people assess and modify their current levels of knowledge to meet their learning goals (Fiechter & Benjamin, 2017; Fiechter, Benjamin, & Unsworth, 2016; Fiechter & Kornell, 2021; Tullis, Fiechter, & Benjamin, 2018). I conduct research with an eye towards facilitating learners' acquisition of new knowledge and skills.
