Dr. Garrison Cottrell

Professor

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Biography

Garrison Cottrell joined the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) faculty in 1987 and has played a significant role in the advancement of cognitive science and artificial intelligence through his research on facial recognition and neural networks. He is one of five faculty members running UCSD's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and serves as the director of the Interdisciplinary PhD program in Cognitive Science. As a co-principal investigator of the Perceptual Expertise Network and director of the Temporal Dynamics Learning Center, an NSF-funded Science Learning Center, Cottrell's work intersects technology and the understanding of human cognition. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in 1985. His research includes exploring the implications of cognitive models in the recognition of facial expressions and the broader applications of these findings in education and social psychological disorders, particularly related to autism. Cottrell's interdisciplinary approach integrates computational philosophy to address philosophical questions through computer simulations, and he has made lasting contributions to the field of cognitive science.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).