Dr. Vivian Ta is currently Assistant Professor of Psychology at Lake Forest College in Chicago’s North Shore where she directs the Technology, Relationships, and Language Lab. She is also Chief Data Scientist at Polis Solutions, Inc. Her research uses natural language processing to examine psychological processes during social interactions in law enforcement and other settings. Dr. Ta is currently working on several projects funded by the US Department of Justice to expand the use of natural language processing and machine learning to improve the accuracy, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of tools for measuring police performance and expertise in training and operational settings. Her work has been published in journals such as Psychological Science, Journal of Language and Social Psychology, and Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, and has been funded by agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Andrew C. Mellon Foundation, and American Psychological Association.

What are your passions and hobbies?

Ballroom dancing, sampling craft beer, and board games.

Do you have a personal motto or other words to live by?

Just keep going.

Favorite snack food?

BBQ potato chips.