Mohammad Atari Receives APS Rising Star Designation
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The Association of Psychological Science (APS) has included Mohammad Atari, assistant professor in the College of Natural Sciences’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (PBS), in its latest list of APS Rising Stars.
The APS Rising Star designation is presented to “outstanding APS members in the earliest stages of their research career post-PhD.” This title recognizes researchers whose “innovative work has already advanced the field and signals great potential for their continued contributions.”
“The APS Rising Star designation is more than a recognition of my past work; it’s a motivating reminder of the responsibility to keep growing as a researcher,” expressed Atari. “I’m deeply grateful and humbled for the acknowledgment. It has already opened doors to new collaborations and inspired me to think more ambitiously about mentorship and interdisciplinary engagement.”
To be eligible for this designation, individuals are evaluated for their promise of excellence in research, based on: significant publications; significant recognitions; significant discoveries, methodological innovations, or theoretical or empirical contributions; work with potentially broad impact; commitment to diversity in science; and/or demonstrated independence from mentors.
Atari's research at UMass Amherst focuses on moral psychology, cultural psychology, and the intersection of morality with social behaviors. He employs a variety of methods, ranging from international surveys and ethnographic experiments with small-scale societies to using advanced computational models to understand how the moral mind functions. His work spans multiple areas, including the variation of moral principles across cultures, the role of morality in radicalization, and social behavior.
“This award to Dr. Atari is clear recognition of what we have all seen in him: a researcher at the cutting edge, who does incredibly creative and rigorous research that combines multiple fields,” said Ilia Karatsoreos, the chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. “We are incredibly happy and fortunate to have Mohammad in our department. He’s a much-valued member of PBS, and a great asset to UMass.”
Aside from the gratitude he feels personally, Atari sees this recognition as something that can benefit the College of Natural Sciences: “It’s an opportunity to strengthen the work we’re doing in my lab at CNS and to help shape the next generation of social psychologists here at UMass Amherst.”
Learn more about Atari and his APS Rising Star designation.