Associate Professor
HOH 102
(205) 934-8733
Research Interests: Visual psychophysics, aging (spatial vision, cognition, & mobility), cognitive science
Office Hours: By appointment
Education:
- B.A., University College Dublin, Ireland, Psychology
- KDS, Kleine Deutsche Sprachdiplom, Goethe Institut (Ireland) and Ludwig- Maximillians Universitat, (Munich, Germany), German
- DStats, Diploma in Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, Statistics
- M.A., University College Dublin, Ireland, Psychology
- Ph.D., Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, Psychology
Born and raised in Ireland, Mike Sloane joined the department as an Assistant Professor in September 1982 having completed his doctoral work at the Cresap Neuroscience Laboratory of Northwestern University. He directed the Psychology Honors Program for over 12 years, served as Director of Undergraduate Studies, and was the first Vice Chair of the department. In the mid 1980s he launched the Psychology Club, facilitated the development of UAB's chapter of Psi Chi, and organized the annual Southeastern Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference, which ran for 21 years. He was also instrumental in instigating and funding the department's annual John W. P. Ost Undergraduate Research Competition.
Dr. Sloane directed the cognitive science minor and the doctoral program in cognitive science. In 2004, he was selected to direct the University Honors Program, UAB’s flagship honors program established in 1983, which offers an interdisciplinary arts and sciences curriculum to a select group of highly motivated and talented undergraduates. In 2004 he authored a White Paper proposing the establishment of an Honors College, an Office of Undergraduate Research, and an annual undergraduate research conference at UAB.
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Research Interests
Dr. Sloane's research has been in the area of visual psychophysics, aging (spatial vision, cognition, & mobility), and cognitive science. His papers have been published in such journals as: Science; Journal of the American Medical Association; Perception; Perception and Psychophysics; Journal of Experimental Psychology; Vision Research; Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences; Journal of Gerontology; Gerontology; Journal of Applied Gerontology; British Journal of Ophthalmology; Journal of the Optical Society of America; Clinical Vision Sciences; Psychology & Aging; Accident Analysis & Prevention; Language, Speech, and Hearing; Archives of Ophthalmology; and Optometry & Vision Science. Dr. Sloane was awarded the 2009 Frederick W. Conner Prize in the History of Ideas, presented annually to a UAB faculty member for an outstanding essay on the history of ideas.
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Recent Courses
Dr. Sloane’s current teaching is mainly in the University Honors Program but he continues to teach a graduate History and Systems course in the department and occasionally the undergraduate course PY 420: Broken Minds, Broken Brains.