Dr. James came to UCCS in 2001 from a post-doctoral position at the University of California, Los Angeles. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Cognitive Psychology from the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, CA. Dr. James' main research areas are memory, language, and age-related changes in these abilities. She primarily teaches courses in cognitive psychology and research methodology, and served as the department’s Director of Undergraduate Training from 2011-2019. Dr James is the Department Chairperson as of July 1, 2023.

Post-Doctoral, Cognition and Aging Lab, University of California, Los Angeles, 1997 - 2001
Ph.D. Cognitive Psychology, Claremont Graduate School, 1997
M.A. Cognitive Psychology, Claremont Graduate School, 1994 
B.A. Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1991

Cognitive psychology, language, memory, and cognitive aging

PSY 1100 - The Profession of Psychology 
PSY 2110 - Introduction to Psychological Research and Measurement
PSY 3130 - Learning and Cognition
PSY 4130 - Seminar in Learning and Cognition
PSY 5210 - Psychology of Aging I
PSY 6110 - Cognition

Outstanding Teaching Award for the UCCS Campus, 2019
Outstanding Research Award for the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, 2014
Outstanding Teaching Award for the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, 2011

Association for Psychological Science
Psychonomic Society

*Headen, B.A., *Venuto, J.M., & James, L.E. (2022). High frequency first syllables facilitate name-face association learning. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. Online publication. doi:10.1177/17470218221078851

*Swanson, C.L., James, L.E., & *Ingram, R.E. (2021). Incidental learning of proper names and “earwitness” recall. Memory, 29(5), 637-644. doi:10.1080/09658211.2021.1925301

*Silver, A.I., James, L.E., & *Small, B. (2021). Word retrieval improves following a mindful breathing exercise but is unrelated to dispositional mindfulness. Language, Cognition, and Neuroscience, 36(3), 371-381. doi:10.1080/23273798.2020.1844246

Sutton, J., Fisher, L., James, L.E., & Sheff, S. (2020). Earthquake early warning message testing: Visual attention, behavioral responses, and message perceptions. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. online pub doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101664

*Schmank, C.J., & James, L.E. (2020). Adults of all ages experience increased tip-of-the-tongue states under ostensible evaluative observation. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 27, 517-531. doi:0.1080/13825585.2019.1641177

*Metz, M. & James, L.E. (2019). Specific effects of the Trier Social Stress Task on speech fluency in young and older adults. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 26, 558-576.

James, L.E., *Schmank, C., *Castro, N., & Buchanan, T.W. (2018). Tip of the tongue states increase under evaluative observation. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 47, 169-178.

*Castro, N., & James, L.E. (2014). Differences between young and older adults' speech in descriptions of negative versus neutral pictures. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 21, 222-238.

James, L. E. (Principal Investigator), "Aging and Word Retrieval: Personal and Contextual Influences," Sponsored by National Institute on Aging, $385,165.00. (Funded: August 2019 – August 2023).

UCCS Psychology Department, Chairperson (2023-Present)
UCCS Psychology Department Director of Undergraduate Training, 2011-2019