Barbara Acker-Mills, PhD, MM

Barbara Acker-Mills, PhD, MM has a diverse work experience in various fields. Barbara currently holds the positions of Research Psychologist and Senior Research Psychologist at Parallax Advanced Research. Prior to this, they worked as a Professor of Psychology at Tuskegee University from 2013 to 2022, where they conducted research on human factors and smoking cessation using EEGs and behavioral tasks. Barbara also served as a faculty advisor for Psi Chi, the international honor society for psychology students, and mentored undergraduate student research projects. In addition, Barbara worked as an Organist at Auburn First Baptist Church from 2021 to 2022 and as a Music Director and Organist at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church from 2018 to 2021. At Auburn University, they served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music from 2007 to 2016, teaching courses in Music Appreciation, Music Theory, and Keyboard Skills, and acting as a pianist for the women's choir and student instrumental soloists. Barbara also worked as a Course Developer at Grand Canyon University and South University, where they developed and taught courses in sensation and perception, cognitive psychology, statistics, research methods, and physiological psychology. Outside of academia, Barbara has experience as a Research Psychologist in the US Army from 2003 to 2006. Overall, their work experience spans multiple disciplines, including psychology, music, research, and education.

Barbara Acker-Mills, PhD, MM has an extensive education history in both cognitive psychology and piano performance. Barbara obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Cognitive Psychology from Binghamton University. Barbara also earned a Master of Music (MM) degree in Piano Performance from the same institution. Prior to their graduate studies, Barbara completed their undergraduate education at Salem College, where they obtained a Bachelor of Music (BM) degree in Piano Performance.

In addition to their academic achievements, Barbara Acker-Mills has obtained certifications in various fields. Barbara is a SAFe 5.0 government practitioner certified by Scaled Agile, Inc., which they achieved in November 2022. Barbara also holds a certification in Social and Behavioral Research - Basic/Refresher, obtained in September 2021 through the CITI Program. These certifications demonstrate their commitment to continuous professional development and their versatility in different domains.