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About Gregory Feist

Feist is currently Professor of Psychology at San Jose State University. He was also on the faculty at the College of William & Mary and the University of California at Davis. He received his PhD in 1991 from the University of California at Berkeley and his undergraduate degree in 1985 from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Feist is widely published in the psychology of creativity, the psychology of science, and the development of scientific talent. One major focus of his is to establish the psychology of science as a healthy and independent study of science, along the lines of the history, philosophy, and sociology of science. His major efforts toward this end are: publishing a book entitled Psychology of Science and the Origins of the Scientific Mind (2006, Yale University Press), which was awarded the 2007 William James Book Prize by the Division of General Psychology, American Psychological Association (APA); being founding president of the newly formed “International Society for the Psychology of Science and Technology”;  being the founding Editor-in-Chief of a new peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Psychology of Science & Technology; and co-editing Handbook of Psychology of Science (Springer Publishing). In 2022, Feist was awarded SJSU's College of Social Science Faculty Research Award--the Warburton Prize. 

A second major focus of his research program is the identification and development of scientific talent, as seen in finalists of the Westinghouse and Intel Science Talent Search. His paper (co-authored with Frank Barron) “Predicting creativity from early to late adulthood: Intellect, potential, and personality” won Article of Year for 2003 in Journal of Research in Personality. His research in creativity has been recognized by an Early Career Award from the Division for Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts (Division 10) of American Psychological Association (APA). Feist is Past-President of APA’s Division 10, and he served on the Editorial Boards of Review of General Psychology, and Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts.

Feist is also co-author of the textbooks Theories of Personality (McGraw-Hill), Psychology: Perspectives and Connections (McGraw-Hill), and Fundamentals of Psychology: Perspectives and Connections (McGraw-Hill).

His teaching efforts have been recognized by outstanding teaching awards at both UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Positions

2015 - Present Full Professor, San Jose State University ‐ Department of Psychology
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2008 - 2015 Associate Professor, San Jose State University ‐ Department of Psychology
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2006 - 2008 Assistant Professor, San Jose State University ‐ Department of Psychology
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2002 - 2006 Lecturer, University of California, Davis
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2005 Lecturer, University of California - Berkeley
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2002 - 2003 Visiting Associate Professor of Psychology, University of California - Berkeley
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1999 - 2003 Associate Professor of Psychology, William & Mary
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2001 - 2002 Visiting Scholar (Sabbatical), Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
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2001 - 2002 Visiting Scholar (Sabbatical), Institute of Personality and Social Psychology, University of California - Berkeley
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1995 - 1999 Assistant Professor of Psychology, William & Mary
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1991 - 1995 Assistant Professor, San Jose State University ‐ Department of Psychology
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Disciplines

Grants

2020 Sabbatical Work Leave
San Jose State University
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Professional Service and Affiliations

2020 - Present Fellow, International Society for the Study of Creativity and Innovation
2019 - Present Faculty Member, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
2020 Consultant, John Templeton Foundation, Intellectual Humility in Scientists
2019 - 2020 Board Member, Western Psychological Association
2019 Invited Chair, Festschrift Honoring Dean K. Simonton, Creativity Conference at Southern Oregon University
2017 - 2019 Member, University Level Sabbatical Committee
2016 - 2019 Member, Retention Tenure & Promotion (RTP) Committee, Department of Psychology, SJSU
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Honors and Awards

  • Outstanding Professor Nominee, San Jose State University, 2020

Courses

  • Psychological Test & Measures
  • Theories of Personality
  • Introduction to Psychology
  • Advanced Research Methods in Personality Psychology
  • Psychology of Science Seminar
  • Critical Thinking - The Art of Not Believing Everything You Think
  • Research and Experimental Methods
  • General Seminar
  • Multivariate Statistics
  • Personality Theory and Research

Education

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1991 Ph.D. in Psychology, University of California - Berkeley
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1985 B.A. in Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
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1980 - 1982 McNeese State University
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Links

Book Chapters (9)

Books (4)

Peer-Reviewed Articles (8)