Dr. Elizabeth Bonawitz

Associate Professor

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Biography

Elizabeth Bonawitz is an Associate Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, specializing in Cognitive Development and Computational Cognitive Development. Her research integrates cognitive science theories of learning with the goal of enhancing educational practice. Bonawitz investigates how children's early causal beliefs are structured, how these beliefs interact with prior knowledge to affect learning, and how developmental processes influence beliefs, curiosity, and the role of social factors in guiding learning. She received her Ph.D. from MIT in Brain and Cognitive Sciences in 2009 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley. Prior to joining Harvard in 2020, she served as an Assistant and then Associate Professor at Rutgers University. Her work has garnered prestigious awards, including the James McDonnell Foundation Understanding Human Cognition Scholar Award and the Jacobs Early Career Research Fellowship. Bonawitz is also actively involved in a range of funded research projects and has published extensively in top-tier journals in psychology, cognitive science, and education. Additionally, she has served as an Associate Editor for academic journals and is committed to promoting high-quality STEM education.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

2020-01-01 — Present

Harvard University, Graduate School of Education • Cambridge, MA

Research focuses on cognitive development and educational practice.

Assistant Professor

2013-01-01 — 2020-01-01

Rutgers University, Newark • Newark, NJ

Focused on the intersection of cognitive science and education.

Requirements for Harvard University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Total
Required:80
IELTS
Overall
Required:6.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a technical or quantitative field
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).