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Dr. Sara J. Margolin, PHD

Associate Professor: (585) 395-2908
smargoli@brockport.edu
Office: Holmes Hall 141

Education

PhD, Cognitive and Sensory Processes, with a Certificate in Gerontology, University of Florida - 2007

M.S., Cognitive Psychology, with emphasis in Statistics and Research Methods University of Florida - 2005

B.S. (cum laude), Psychology with Mathematics Minor, University of Florida - 2002

Areas of Specialty

Language, Reading, Memory, and Aging

Cognitive and Sensory Processes

Reading Comprehension and Technology

Courses Taught

Cognitive Processes

Sensation and Perception

Research Methods

Psychology of Aging

Research Interests

Factors impacting language at both the word and sentence levels; both age-related changes and changes induced by our use of technologies; the effects of misspellings on reading comprehension in young and older adults; the effects of negation on reading comprehension and metacomprehension in young adults and older adults.

2025- Green and Gold Star for Graduate Program Serivce

2024- Presidential Teaching Award Nominee

2024- Green and Gold Star for Library Service

2023- Presidential Teaching Award Nominee

2023- Post Tenure Fellowship Award

2022- Presidential Teaching Award Nominee

2018 - Top 20 Downloaded Article in Mind, Brain, and Education Title: How should I use my e-reader? An exploration of the circumstances under which electronic presentation of text results in good comprehension

2018 - Discretionary Salary Award- Scholarship

2018 - NSF Discovery Grant ($449,931- not funded) Title: Connections across learning strands, preparing students for STEM majors (Role: Co-PI)

2018 - Scholarly Incentive Award; Title: The impact of re-reading on older adults’ comprehension and metacomprehension of negated text

2017 - NSF Discovery Grant ($450,000- not funded) Title: Improving instruction and learning of applied mathematics problems (Role: cognitive psychologist/consultant)

2017 - Presidential Teaching Excellence Award Nominee

2012 - NIH R15 Area Grant ($207,414- not funded) Title: Can negation interfere with older adults’ comprehension of and memory for medication instructions?

2011-2012 - Scholarly Incentive Award; Title: Older adults’ comprehension and metacomprehension of negated text

2011 - Discretionary Salary Increase- Scholarship

2009 - Discretionary Salary Increase- Scholarship

2008-2009 - Faculty/Staff Technology Initiative Grant, SUNY Brockport, State University of New York ;Title: Computer-based training for improvement of student study skills in a peer mentoring program

2008 - Nelson-Denny^TM Assessment, Funded by Dr. Fox’s Office of Assessment

2008 - Discretionary Salary Increase- Scholarship

2006-2007 - Sigma Xi Research Grant-in-Aid Award Title: Negation comprehension and aging: The role of inhibition and the impact of compensation during reading

2004-2005 - Sigma Xi Research Grant-in-Aid for Award Thesis: Implicit and Explicit Retrieval of Spelling in Young and Older Adults

Margolin, S.J. (2024). Psychology of aging: A concise exploration. Sage Publications.

Margolin, S.J., & Brackins, T. ⁺⁺ (2023). The impact of rereading on older adults’ comprehension and metacomprehension of negative text. Educational Gerontology.

Margolin, S.J., & Brackins, T. ⁺⁺ (2021). I’m not crying, you’re crying: An evaluation of the impact of emotional text on negation comprehension. Reading Psychology, 42, 131-149.

Margolin, S.J., & Brackins, T. ++ (2020). Comprehension and metacomprehension of negated text: Is retrieval practice beneficial for understanding. Written Language and Literacy, 23(1), 92-108.

Margolin, S.J. (2018). Cognitively active older adults’ comprehension and metacomprehension of negated text. Experimental Aging Research, 44(4), 329-337. doi: 10.1080/0361073X.2018.1475154

Margolin, S.J., Snyder, N. ++, & Thamboo, P. ++ (2018). How should I use my e-reader? An exploration of the circumstances under which electronic presentation of text results in good comprehension. Mind, Brain, & Education, 12(1), 39-48.

Riano, A. ++, & Margolin, S.J. (2018). But spell checker always corrects witch words eye misspelled: Spell checker dependency among good and poor spellers in college. Written Language & Literacy, 20(2), 129-146.

Margolin, S.J., & Snyder, N. + (2018). It may not be that difficult the second time around: The effects of rereading on the comprehension and metacomprehension of negated text. Journal of Research in Reading, 41(2), 392-402.

Margolin, S.J., Toland, M.J. + (in press). Should we LOL? The effects of text messaging on young adults’ spelling. The Journal of Reading, Writing and Literacy.

Margolin, S.J. (2015). Older adults’ comprehension of transformational and deactivation negation. Educational Gerontology, 41(8), 604-612.

Margolin, S.J. (2015). Ancillary quizzes for Sensation and Perception. Schwartz & Krantz. Sage Publications. Retrieved from https://edge.sagepub.com/schwartz.

Margolin, S.J., Driscoll, C. +, Toland, M.J. +, & Kegler, J.L. (2013). E-readers, computer screens, or paper: Does reading comprehension change across media platforms? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 27, 512-519.

Margolin, S.J. (2013). Can bold typeface improve readers’ comprehension and metacomprehension of negation? Reading Psychology, 34(1), 85-99.

Margolin, S.J., & Hover, P.A.+ (2011). Metacomprehension and negation: Assessing readers’ awareness of the difficulty of negated text. Reading Psychology, 32, 158-171.

Abrams, L., Farrell, M., & Margolin, S.J. (2010). Older adults’ detection of misspellings during reading. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 65B, 680-683.

Desrochers, M. N., & Margolin, S. (2010). Factorial Research Design. Office of Teaching Resources for Psychology Online.

Margolin, S.J., & Abrams, L. (2009). Not may not be too difficult: The effects of negation on older adults’ sentence comprehension. Educational Gerontology, 35, 308-322.

Margolin, S.J., & Abrams, L. (2007). Individual differences in spelling ability: Do good spellers age better than poor spellers? Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 14, 529-544.

Abrams, L., Trunk, D.L., & Margolin, S.J. (2007). Resolving tip-of-the-tongue states in young and older adults: The role of phonology. In L.O. Randal (Ed.), Aging and the Elderly: Psychology, Sociology, and Health (pp. 1-41). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

Margolin, S.J., (2026, January 27). Debunking Myths of Aging. Greece Public Library, Rochester, NY.

Margolin, S.J. (2026, January 20). Cognitive Wellness in Older Adulthood. Jewish Community Center, Rochester, NY.

Margolin, S.J., (2025, September 30). Myths of Aging. Mornings with the Professors, SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY.

Margolin, S.J. (2025, September 15). Cognitive Wellness in Older Adulthood. Greece Public Library, Rochester, NY.

Margolin, S.J. (2025, May 20). Cognitive Wellness in Older Adulthood. Gates Public Library, Rochester, NY.

Mosholder, J.⁺, Bulin, J.⁺, & Margolin, S.J. (2025, April). How can summarizing negated text support comprehension? Paper presented at SUNY Brockport’s Scholars Day, Brockport, NY.

Nemirovsky, J.⁺, Cornett, L.⁺⁺, & Margolin, S.J. (2025, April). The impact of note-taking modality in the learning of familiar and unfamiliar material. Paper presented at SUNY Brockport’s Scholars Day, Brockport, NY.

Margolin, S.J., (2025, March 25). Aging well in a world focused on Youth. Mornings with the Professors, SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY.

Margolin, S.J. (2025, January). Debunking the Myths of Aging. Jewish Community Center, Rochester, NY.

Margolin, S.J. (2025, January). Cognitive Wellness in Older Adulthood. Chili Public Library, Rochester, NY.

Maness, N. ⁺, Cornett, L. ⁺⁺, & Margolin, S.J. (2024, April). The effects of note taking method on long term memory. Paper presented at SUNY Undergraduate Research conference, Buffalo, NY.

Cornett, L. ⁺⁺, Maness, N. ⁺, & Margolin, S.J. (2024, April). The influence of technology on learning through note taking. Paper presented at SUNY Brockport’s Scholars Day, Brockport, NY.

Brackins, T. ⁺⁺, Edmonds, P. ⁺, & Margolin, S.J. (2019, April). The impact of emotion on comprehension of negated text. Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s 36^th Annual Scholars Day, Brockport, NY.

Brackins, T.⁺, & Margolin, S.J. (2018, April) . Comprehension and metacomprehension of negated text: Will retrieval practice assist readers’ situation model creation of negated text? Paper presented at SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference, Rochester, NY.

Brackins, T.⁺, & Margolin, S.J. (2018, April) . Comprehension and metacomprehension of negated text: Will retrieval practice assist readers’ situation model creation of negated text? Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s 35^th Annual Scholars Day, Brockport, NY.

Margolin, S.J. (2017, May). Divination and Cognitive Science. Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s Potter-Fest, Brockport, NY.

Snyder, N. ⁺⁺, & Margolin, S. J. (2016, April). The next generation in reading? The impact of electronics and working memory on reading comprehension. Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s 33^rd Annual Scholars Day, Brockport, NY.

Desrochers, M., Birch, S., Margolin, S. J., & Castaneda, J. (2015, May). Peer mentoring of undergraduate psychology students in career and graduate school preparation. Poster presented at 27^th annual convention of the Association for Psychological Science, New York City, NY.

Snyder, N. ⁺, & Margolin, S. J. (2015, April). The impact of re-reading on the comprehension and metacomprehension of negation. Paper presented at 1^st Annual SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference, Brockport, NY.

Snyder, N. ⁺, & Margolin, S. J. (2015, April). The impact of re-reading on the comprehension and metacomprehension of negation. Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s 32^nd Annual Scholars Day, Brockport, NY.

Agafonova, J. ⁺, & Margolin, S. J. (2013, April). Effects of spell checker on writing skills of college students. Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s 30^th Annual Scholars Day, Brockport, NY.

Driscoll, C. ⁺, Stephenson, E. ⁺, & Margolin, S. J. (2012, April). The effect of delay on metacomprehension of negated text. Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s 29^th Annual Scholar’s Day, Brockport, NY.

Rinella, M. ⁺, Hoock, A.M⁺⁺., Krolikowski, A. ⁺, Ratcliff, J.J., & Margolin, S.J. (2012, January). The impact of prior expectations on memory for authentic behaviors during a group pride display. Poster presented at the 13^th Annual Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference, San Diego, CA.

Driscoll, C.⁺, Toland, M.J. ⁺, Margolin, S.J. (2011, April). The effect of technology on young adults’ reading comprehension. Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s 28^th Annual Scholar’s Day, Brockport, NY.

Toland, M.J. ⁺, & Margolin, S.J. (2010, April). Spelling and texting slang: The effects of integrating alternative orthographies into the lexicon of individuals with established language proficiency. Paper presented at The College at Brockport’s 27^th Annual Scholar’s Day, Brockport, NY.

Margolin, S.J., & Abrams, L. (2008, April). Not may not be too difficult: The effects of negation on older adults’ reading comprehension. Poster presented at the 12^th biennial Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Margolin, S.J., Bodack, K.L. ⁺, & Abrams, L. (2006, April). The effects of negation on young and older adults’ perception of spelling. Poster presented at the 11^th biennial Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Sell, A. J. ⁺, Margolin, S. J., Trunk, D. L., & Abrams, L. (2006, March). Using homophones in auditory priming of tip-of-the-tongue resolution. Poster presented at Southeastern Psychological Association, Atlanta, GA.

Margolin, S.J., & Abrams, L. (2005, May). Implicit and explicit retrieval of spelling in young and older adults. Poster presented at the 17th annual meeting of the American Psychological Society, Los Angeles, CA.

Margolin, S.J., & Abrams, L. (2005, April). Implicit and explicit retrieval of spelling in young and older adults. Paper presented at the 20th annual meeting of the Southern Gerontological Society, Orlando, FL.

Media Features

Margolin, S.J. (Guest). (January 28, 2026). Use it or Lose it: The Psychology of Aging (Episode 35). [Audio Podcast Episode]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep35-use-it-or-lose-it-the-psychology-of/id1772105407?i=1000747043764

Margolin, S.J. (Guest). (January 21, 2026). Brain Health and Aging: What Every Woman Needs to Know (S3. Episode 26). [Audio Podcast Episode]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-health-aging-what-every-woman-needs-to-know-with/id1816580256?i=1000746038265

Margolin, S.J. (December 9, 2025). How to handle ageist comments during holidays and gatherings. Crunchy Tales. Retrieved from https://crunchytales.com/how-to-handle-ageist-comments-during-gatherings-and-holidays/

Margolin, S.J. (November 22, 2025). Knowing more about dementia- Is it a double-edged sword? Gray Matters, Gray Panthers NYC. Retrieved from https://www.graypanthersnyc.org/post/knowing-more-about-dementia-is-it-a-double-edged-sword

Margolin, S.J. (November 12, 2025). Three ways book clubs can help you age well and stay connected. Crunchy Tales. Retrieved from https://crunchytales.com/3-ways-book-clubs-can-help-you-age-well-and-stay-connected/

Lowe, N. (October 9, 2025). Are intergenerational relationships the key to fighting ageism? Crunchy Tales. Retrieved from https://crunchytales.com/are-intergenerational-relationships-the-key-to-fighting-ageism/

Margolin, S.J. (October 6, 2025). The difference between aging and disease (and why it matters). Gray Matters, Gray Panthers NYC. Retrieved from https://www.graypanthersnyc.org/post/the-difference-between-aging-and-disease-and-why-it-matters

Margolin, S.J. (September 19, 2025). What policymakers should prioritize in the Master Plan for Aging. Albany Times Union. Retrieved from https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/commentary-n-y-s-master-plan-aging-reflects-21053685.php

Margolin, S.J. (July 28, 2025). Age simulation suit: Teaching empathy or ageism? Gray Panthers NYC. Retrieved from https://www.graypanthersnyc.org/post/age-simulation-suit-teaching-empathy-or-ageism#viewer-0f7e7854

Margolin, S.J. (Guest). (June 3, 2025). Aging Well (No. 250). [Audio podcast episode]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aging-well-w-sara-margolin-phd-associate-professor/id1526204286?i=1000711060889

Margolin, S.J. (April 28, 2025). Unintentional ageism. Gray Panthers NYC. Retrieved from https://www.graypanthersnyc.org/post/unintentional-ageism

Margolin, S.J. (March 10, 2025). Expertise doesn’t fade with age, as too many Americans believe. Retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/opinion/article_a3a3189c-fb58-11ef-a43a-17891df72386.html

Margolin, S.J. (March 3, 2025) Old Age is NOT Depressing. Gray Panthers NYC. Retrieved from https://www.graypanthersnyc.org/post/old-age-is-not-depressing

Margolin, S.J. (Winter 2025). Memory Failures are Not Failure. Healthy Aging Magazine. Retrieved from What’s Inside the Winter 2025 Healthy Aging Magazine Issue? - Healthy Aging®

Margolin, S.J. (February 3, 2025). Dispelling Generalities about Dementia in Aging. Gray Panthers NYC. Retrieved from https://www.graypanthersnyc.org/post/dispelling-generalities-about-dementia-in-aging

Margolin, S.J. (January 29, 2025). Skip the Ageist Stereotypes in 100^th Day of School Celebrations. Albany Times Union. Retrieved from https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/skip-ageist-stereotypes-100th-day-school-20060904.php

Stern, G. (January 28,2025). Why Successful People Feel Dissatisfied. Next Avenue. Retrieved from https://www.nextavenue.org/why-successful-people-feel-dissatisfied/

Margolin, S.J. (December 23, 2024). Do you find yourself giving gifts that perpetuate ageism? Democrat and Chronicle.

Margolin, S.J. (November 28, 2024). Is it time to take Grandma’s keys? Albany Times Union. Retrieved from https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/commentary-time-take-grandma-s-keys-19942009.php

Margolin, S.J. (November 5, 2024). Sweeping generalities about aging have no place today. Buffalo News. Retrieved from https://buffalonews.com/opinion/my-view-sweeping-generalities-about-aging-have-no-place-today/article_0ebf88e0-96e6-11ef-b87e-2b40d85f6eba.html

Agarwal, S. (September 20, 2021). Paper vs. E-ink vs LED: Does the display affect how well we absorb information? Digital Trends. Retrieved from https://www.digitaltrends.com/features/paper-vs-e-ink-vs-led-how-display-affects-learning/

Baggini, J. (June 22, 2014). Ebook v paper? Financial Times. Retrieved from http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/53d3096a-f792-11e3-90fa-00144feabdc0.html#axzz35NJqZQvh

Keim, B. (May 1, 2014). Why the smart reading device of the future may be … paper. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2014/05/reading-on-screen-versus-paper/

August 27, 2010- Does text messaging impact how young people write? Channel 8 News, Rochester, NY.

Open gallery

Dr. Sara J. Margolin, PHD

Education

Areas of Specialty

Courses Taught

Research Interests

Awards/Recognitions

Recent Publications

Presentations