Stephen Kosslyn

Stephen Michael Kosslyn (born 1948) is an American psychologist and neuroscientist.

Kosslyn is best known for his work on visual imagery and the science of learning.

Kosslyn is the president of Active Learning Sciences Inc., which helps institutions design active-learning based courses and educational programs.

He is also the founder and chief academic officer of Foundry College, an online two-year college.

Kosslyn attended graduate school at Stanford University and received a PhD in psychology from Stanford in 1974.

After an appointment as assistant professor of psychology at Johns Hopkins, he joined the faculty at Harvard in 1977, where he is currently listed as Professor Emeritus.

At Harvard, Kosslyn served as the departmental chair, Dean of Social Sciences, and the John Lindsley Professor.

He also was co-director of the Mind of the Market Lab at Harvard Business School and was an associate in the department of neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Between 1998 and 2002, Kosslyn received $200,000 in donations from Jeffrey Epstein for his research.

A report from Harvard University shows Kosslyn had known Epstein for about nine years and supported his application as a visiting fellow in the department of psychology in September 2005.

The report concluded that Kosslyn did not disclose Epstein's donations in the accompanying documents.

Epstein "lacked academic qualifications," but there was speculation that his application was approved with the support of Kosslyn as the head of the department.

The report also noted that disclosure was not requested and Harvard—having accepted the gifts—was previously aware of this funding.

Epstein withdrew from his appointment in 2006 following his arrest for sex criminal offenses.

Kosslyn has received numerous honors for his research.

These include the National Academy of Sciences Initiatives in Research Award, the Prix Jean-Louis Signoret, three honorary doctorates (from the University of Caen, France; the University of Paris-Descartes, France; the University of Bern, Switzerland), a Guggenheim fellowship, and a Cattell Award.

He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Society of Experimental Psychologists, and Academia Rodinensis pro Remediatione (Switzerland).

Kosslyn has published over 350 scientific papers and written or co-authored 15 books and edited or co-edited 13 books, including:

In 2010, Kosslyn was appointed director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

Kosslyn was then the Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Minerva Schools (now Minerva University).