Richard J Gerrig earned his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at Stanford University. His academic career began at Yale University, where he was awarded the Lex Hixon Prize for teaching excellence in the social sciences. He moved to Stony Brook University in 1994, where he is currently a professor of psychology. At Stony Brook, he has been actively involved in initiatives focused on innovations in undergraduate education. His research on cognitive psychological aspects of language use has been widely published. One line of work examines the mental processes that underlie efficient communication. A second research program considers the cognitive and emotional changes readers experience when they are transported to the worlds of stories. He has served as an associate editor for the journals Psychonomic Bulletin & Review and Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. He has been named a fellow of the Society for Text & Discourse, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Psychological Science. His book Experiencing Narrative Worlds was published by Yale University Press.