Home Departments: Psychology and Cognitive Science
Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language Laboratory
Affiliate Professor: Department of Cognitive Science, GIDP in Cognitive Science, Department of Linguistics
SLAT Area of Specialization: Cognitive Dimensions of L2 Learning
Dr. Lai is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department and the Cognitive Science program at the University of Arizona. She also has courtesy affiliations with Second Language Acquisition Teaching GIDP, Linguistics Department, and BIO5. The overarching theme of her research is the processing of meaning and language in context. Specific topics include non-literal language (metaphor, irony, idiom), emotion and language, and language and thought. She was elected a fellow in Psychonomic Society in 2018 and was awarded Distinguished Mentoring Award in 2023. In her free time, Vicky likes to swim, hike, eat, and watch sci-fi movies and (dark) comedies.