Yueran Yang, who received her Ph.D. in Psychology and Statistics from Iowa State University in 2016, is the 2026 J. Don Read Early Career Award recipient.
Dan Nettleton served as her co-major professor. She received the Bancroft Award in 2015.
From the Society of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC) announcement:
Dr Yan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Nevada, Reno (US). Dr Yang’s research aims to understand the psychological causes of convictions of the innocent. According to the Awards Committee, Dr Yang's work makes "fundamental contributions to applied memory and congition through its innovative and integration of mathematical modelling, cognitive theory, and legal decision-making” and noted that Dr Yang’s "ability to combine rigorous quantitative methods with questions of clear practical importance exemplifies the mission of SARMAC to promote research that is both theoretically significant and socially relevant“. Many thanks to SARMAC members Prof Margaret Bull Kovera and Dr Ryan Fitzgerald for nominating Dr Yang.
The Society will formally acknowledged Dr Yang's achievements at the opening ceremony of the SARMAC XV conference in Vancouver, Canada, 09-12 June, 2027. Dr Yang will also deliver a keynote talk at the meeting.