Dr. Quinn Kennedy

Awards

• Recognition for Outstanding Teaching, Operations Research Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Summer Quarter 2008, 2009, 2010; Winter Quarter 2009- 2012.
• Naval Postgraduate School Rear Admiral John Jay Schieffelin Award for Teaching Excellence finalist, 2007 and 2008.
• National Institute of Health (NIH) Research Minority Supplement Grant Award Recipient, 2004 –2006.
• American Psychological Association accreditation awarded to VA Special Fellowship Program in Advanced Psychology, VA Palo Alto (First author), 2004.
• VA Incentive Award, 2003.
• Margret M. Baltes Doctoral Dissertation Award Recipient, 2003.
• Selected to attend the NIH/NIA Summer Institute on Aging Research, 2003.
• APA Board of Education Affairs Block Grant Award for Workshops for Graduate and Professional Education and Training in Psychology (First author), 2004.
• Stanford University Graduate Research Opportunity Funds awarded for dissertation study, 2001.
• Stanford University Department of Psychology Recognition for Scholarly Achievement, 1998 - 2001.
• National Science Foundation Minority Graduate Research Fellowship, 1998 - 2001.
• NCAA III Scholar Athlete, 1993.
• Seven Sisters Scholar Athlete, 1993.

Thesis Advising

• Coté, D. Captain, U.S. Marine Corps. A predictive model to assess the effectiveness and improve the efficiency of the Veterans Village of San Diego Veteran Rehabilitation Center (VRC) Intervention Program in order to mitigate the problem of Veteran Homelessness in Southern California. Second reader. In progress.
• Weaver, J. Lieutenant, U. S. Navy. The effects of motion on human psychomotor performance. Second reader. In progress.
• Bissonette, P. Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. A Retrospective Quantitative Analysis of Factors Affecting Retention of Female Aviators in US Naval Aviation. Second Reader. MS in Human Factors, Naval Postgraduate School, 2012.
• Kirby, C. Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy. An Analysis of Helicopter Pilot Visual Scan Techniques When Conducting Low Level Flight. Thesis Advisor. MS in Operations Research, Naval Postgraduate School, 2012. Finalist for the MORS/Tisdale Graduate Research Award. Outstanding Thesis.
• Neboshynsky, C. Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Expertise on Cognitive Workloads and Performance During Navigation and Target Detection. Thesis advisor. MS in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation, Naval Postgraduate School, 2012.
• Cowden, B. Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Modeling of Helicopter Pilot Misperception During Overland Navigation. Thesis co-advisor. MS in Operations Research, Naval Postgraduate School, 2012. Finalist for the MORS/Tisdale Graduate Research Award.
• Jensen, T., Lieutenant, U.S. Navy & Woodson, J., Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. A Naval Marksmanship Training Transfer Study: from Simulation Based Marksmanship Training (ISMT) to Live Fire. Thesis advisor. MS in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation, Naval Postgraduate School, 2012.
• Caldwell, J. Major, U.S. Army & Stinchfield, M. Major, U.S. Army. The Effects of Training Frequency and Threat Saliency on Change Detection. Second reader. MS in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation, Naval Postgraduate School, 2011. Outstanding Thesis.
• Phillips, A., Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Helicopter Vibration and the Scope of Back Pain in Navy Helicopter Pilots. Second Reader. MS in Human Factors, Naval Postgraduate School, 2011.
• Bakken, A., Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Active duty female military's experience of pain, discomfort and/or anxiety during pelvic exams. Thesis advisor. MS in Operations Research, Naval Postgraduate School, 2011.
• Glaser, W., Lieutenant Colonel, Army. Impact of user interfaces and visual peripherals on Virtual Battlespace 2 Training. Thesis co-advisor. MS in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation, Naval Postgraduate School, 2010. Outstanding Thesis. Winner of the 2010 Army Modeling and Simulation Award.
• Hernandez, H., Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Simulation of a potential sea-base enabler: The transformable craft (T-craft). Thesis co-advisor. MS in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation, Naval Postgraduate School, 2010.
• Kemmerer, K, Lieutenant Junior, U.S. Navy. Tactical decision making under categorical uncertainty with applications to modeling and simulation. Thesis second reader. MS in Human Factors, Naval Postgraduate School, 2008.

Research Interests

Psychological factors that affect older aviators' flight performance and decision making; the interplay between aging, emotion, and cognition on memory and decision-making.

Selected Publications

Kennedy, Q., Taylor, J., Heraldez, D., Noda, A., Lazzeroni, L., & Yesavage, J. (In press). Intraindividual variability in basic reaction time predicts middle-aged and older pilots' flight simulator performance. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences.

Yang, J., Kennedy, Q., Sullivan, J., & Fricker, R. (In press). Pilot Performance: Assessing How Scan Patterns & Navigational Assessments Vary by Flight Expertise. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine.

Buttrey, S., O'Connor, P., O'Dea, A., & Kennedy, Q. (In Press). An assessment of the predictive validity of the Command Safety Assessment Survey (CSAS). CA: Naval Postgraduate School.

O'Connor, P., Buttrey, S., O'Dea, A., & Kennedy, Q. (2011). Identifying and addressing the limitations of safety climate surveys. Journal of Safety Research,42 259-265.

Kennedy, Q., Taylor, J. L, Noda, A., Adamson, M., Murphy, G. M., Zeitzer, J., & Yesavage, J.A. (2011). The roles of COMT val158met status and aviation expertise in flight simulator performance and cognitive ability. Behavior Genetics, 41(5), 700-708.

O'Connor, P., Buttrey, S., O'Dea, A., & Kennedy, Q. (2011). An assessment of the relationship between safety climate and mishap risk in U.S. Naval Aviation. CA: Naval Postgraduate School.

Sullivan, J., Yang, J.H., Day, M., & Kennedy, Q. (2011). Training Simulation for Helicopter Navigation by Characterizing Visual Scan Pattern. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 82, 871-878.

Yesavage, J.A., Jo, B., Adamson, M. M., Kennedy, Q., Noda, A., Hernandez, B., Zeitzer, J. M., Friedman, L., Murphy G. M. Jr, Taylor, J. L. (2011). Cognitive processing speed predicts longitudinal aviator performance. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B Psychological Sciences, 66(4)443-53.

Taylor, J. L, Kennedy, Q., Adamson, M., Lazzeroni, L., Noda, A., Murphy, G. M., Yesavage, J. A. (2011). Influences of ApoE E-4 and expertise on performance of older pilots. Psychology and Aging, 26(2) 480-487.

O'Connor, P., O'Dea, A., Kennedy, Q., & Buttrey, S. (2011). Measuring safety climate in aviation: A review and recommendations for the future. Safety Science,49, 128-138.

Buttrey, S., O'Connor, P., O'Dea, A., Kennedy, Q. (2010). An evaluation of the construct validity of the Command Safety Assessment Survey. Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School.

Kennedy, Q., Taylor, J. L., Reade, G., & Yesavage, J. (2010). Age and expertise effects in aviation decision making and flight control in a flight simulator. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 81, 489-497.

Adamson, M., Samarina, V., Xu, X., Huynh, V., Kennedy, Q., Weiner, M., Yesavage, J., & Taylor, J. (2010). The impact of brain size on pilot performance varies with aviation training and years of education. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 16(3), 412-415.

O'Dea, A., O'Connor, P., Kennedy, Q., & Buttrey, S. (2010). A review of the safety climate as it relates to Naval Aviation. Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School.

Kennedy, Q., & Mather, M. (2007). Aging, affect, and decision making. In K. D. Vohs & R. F. Baumeister (Eds), Do Emotions Help or Hurt Decision Making? A hedgefoxian perspective.(pp. 245-266) New York: Sage.

Taylor, J. L., Kennedy, Q., Noda, A., & Yesavage. J. A. (2007). Pilot age and expertise predict flight simulator performance: A three-year longitudinal study. Neurology,68(9), 648-654.

Kennedy, Q., Mather, M., & Carstensen, L. L. (2004). The role of motivation in the age-related positive bias in autobiographical memory. Psychological Science, 15(3), 208 – 214.

Conference Papers

Yang, J., Kennedy, Q,, Sullivan, J, & Fricker, R. (2012) "Scan patterns on overland navigation in varying route difficulty: is total flight hours (TFH) a good measure of expertise?" Human Factors and Ergonomics Society's 56th Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.

Cowden, B., Yang, J., Kennedy, Q., & Sullivan, J. (2012) "Modeling of Helicopter Pilot Misperception during Overland Navigation." American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronomics Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference, Minneapolis, MN.

Yang, J., Cowden, B., Kennedy, Q., Schramm, H., & Sullivan, J. (2012) "Understanding cognitive processes of helicopter navigation by characterizing visual scan patterns." The 4th International Symposium on Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
O'Connor, P., Buttrey, S., O'Dea, A., & Kennedy, Q (2011). "Identifying and addressing the limitations of safety climate surveys: Lessons for organisational researchers." Irish Academy of Management conference, Dublin.

O'Connor, P., Buttrey, S., O'Dea, A., & Kennedy, Q. (2011) "An Assessment of Safety Climate in U.S Naval Aviation." Human Factors and Ergonomics Society's 55th Annual Meeting. Sept 19 -23, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Yang, J.H., Kennedy, Q., Sullivan, J., & Day, M. (2011) "Bayesian modeling of pilot belief and visual misperception in helicopter overland navigation." Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Systems, Man, and Cybermetrics Society Meeting, Anchorage, Alaska.

Selected Presentations

Yang, J. & Kennedy, Q (2012) The eyes: Windows into the successful and unsuccessful strategies used during helicopter navigation and target detection. MOVES Research & Education Systems Seminar, Monterey, CA.

Kennedy, Q., Sullivan, J., & Walsh, W. (2012). Update on the Healthcare Modeling and Simulation Certificate Program. MOVES Research & Education Systems Seminar, Monterey, CA.

Kennedy, Q., Taylor, J., Yesavage, J., Noda, A., Adamson, M., Murphy, G., & Zeitzer, J. (2011). Individual difference factors in challenging flight tasks. Gerontological Society of America Annual Conference, Boston, MA.

Kennedy, Q., Yang, J. H, & Day, M. (2011) Utilization of Psychophysiological Measurements to Improve Training Simulation in Aviation Tasks. MOVES 11th Annual Research and Education Summit, Monterey, CA.

Kennedy, Q. (2011) Medical M&S Education. MOVES 11th Annual Research and Education Summit, Monterey, CA.

Yang, J.H., Kennedy, Q., Sullivan, J., & Day, M. (2011) Understanding cognitive processes of helicopter navigation by characterizing visual scan patterns. 1st Conference on Pioneering Convergence Technologies, Jeju Island, Korea.

Taylor, J. Kennedy, Q., Adamson, M., Murphy, G., & Yesavage, J. (2008). Expert knowledge, APOE epsilon4, and risk for decline in aviation performance. Paper presented at the International Neurospyschological Society Annual Conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Taylor, J. L., Kennedy, Q., Noda, A., & Yesavage. J. A. (2006). Age, expertise and longitudinal aviator performance: Changes in domain-relevant performance versus change in general speed of processing. Paper presented at Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Selected Posters

Sullivan, J., Yang, J., Day, M. and Kennedy, Q. (2010) Understanding cognitive processes of helicopter navigation by characterizing visual scan patterns. Presented at Decade of the Mind VI, Singapore.

Kennedy, Q., Taylor, J. L., Noda, A., Murphy, G. & Yesavage, J. A. (2010). The roles of COMT status and aviation expertise in flight simulator performance. Presented at The Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.

Taylor, J. L., Adamson, M. M., Samarina, V., Kennedy, Q., Yesavage, J. A., & Weiner, M. W. (2009). Larger hippocampi help expert pilots maintain performance in a flight simulator. Presented at the International Neurospyschological Society Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.

Kennedy, Q., Taylor, J., Reade, G., & Yesavage, J. (2008). The roles of age and aviation expertise in approach performance under adverse weather conditions. Presented at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Conference, National Harbor, Maryland.

Adamson, M., Kennedy, Q., Duong, X., Xu, X., Noda, A., Samarina, V., Murphy, G., Weiner, M., & Taylor, J (2008). Predicting flight simulator performance with baseline brain volumes, expertise and age in older pilots at risk for Alzheimer's Disease. Presented at Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.

Adamson, M., Hutchinson, B., Rappako, S., Samarina, V., Kennedy, Q., Rosen, A., Wagner, A. & Taylor, J. (2008). Neurocorrelates of perspective-dependent spatial memory in middle-aged and older pilots. Presented at the International Neurospyschological Society Annual Conference, Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Kennedy, Q., Taylor, J., & Yesavage, J. (2007). The role of age and expertise in aviator risk perception. Presented at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Kennedy, Q., & Taylor, J. (2005). The effects of aging and expertise on change in flight simulator performance over time: preliminary results. Presented at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.

Media Coverage

For the paper: Kennedy, Q., Taylor, J. L, Noda, A., Adamson, M., Murphy, G. M., Zeitzer, J., & Yesavage, J.A. (2011). The roles of COMT val158met status and aviation expertise in flight simulator performance and cognitive ability. Behavior Genetics, 41(5), 700-708.

• Interviewed by journalist Ashley Merryman, October, 2011.

For the paper: Taylor, J. L., Kennedy, Q., Noda, A., & Yesavage. J. A. (2007). Expertise sustains flight simulator performance of older adults: A three-year study. Neurology,68(9), 658-654.

• Philips, M. The mind at midlife. APA Monitor, April 2011.
• PBS, May 8, 2007 6pm.
• Channel 2 News, February 27, 2007 5pm and 10pm.
• AVwebFlash staff. Older pilots perform better, study finds. AVwebFlash 13,9b, p1-2.
• Cassels, C. Older age nota factor in pilots' ability to fly. Medscape Medical News, February 26, 2007.
• Hall, C. T. Experience tops youth in study on aging pilots. San Francisco Chronicle, February 27, 2007.
• Perkel, J. Pilot study questions wisdom of mandatory retirement: Crewmen over 60 performed better, not worse, with time, study found. HealthDay, February 28, 2007.
• Veillete, P.R. Pilot experience vs Youth…Reality. Aviation Week, February 25, 2008.

For the paper: Kennedy, Q., Mather, M., & Carstensen, L. L. (2004). The role of motivation in the age-related positive bias in autobiographical memory. Psychological Science, 15(3), 208 – 214.

• Adelson, R. (2005). Older is happier: Older adults accentuate the positive. PsychologyMatters.Org
• Benson, E. (2003). Older and untroubled: New research suggests that older people have fewer negative memories than younger people do. APA Monitor, 34(6), pp. 24-25.
• Helmuth, L. (2003). The wisdom of the wizened. Science, 299(5611), pp. 1300 –1302.

Professional Activities

• Reviewer: Human Factors, 2011; Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 2011; International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2010; International Journal of Applied Aviation Studies, 2009; Social Development, 2003 – current; Psychology of Aging, 2008, 2010; Journal of Alzheimer's disease, 2008 -2010; Gerontological Society of America Annual Conferences, 2003 – current; American Psychological Association Annual Convention, 2003 - current.
• Co-organized career development seminars for the 2003 national and 2004 regional VA MIRECC conferences.
• Member: President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, Subcommittee on Older Adults, 2003.

Current Professional Memberships

• Society for Military Psychology, 2005 – current.
• Alzheimer Research Forum, 2005 – current.
• American Psychological Society, 2004 – current.
• American Psychological Association, 2002 - current.
• Adult Development and Aging Division of the American Psychological Association, 2002 – current.
• Gerontological Society of America, 2002 - current.