Matthew L. Bernacki, Ph.D. — an associate professor at the UNC School of Education and leading scholar focused on self-regulated learning, motivation, metacognition, and learning analytics — has been named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, recognizing his contributions to educational psychology. Bernacki is one of four Fellows recognized by APA Division 15, Educational Psychology in 2026.
Bernacki, whose work examines how learning technologies and data-informed designs can support student engagement and achievement while advancing more accessible and effective educational practices, is one of three UNC School of Education faculty members to have earned the honor. Dorothy Espelage, Ph.D., William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education, and Jeffrey A. Greene, McMichael Family Professor, were both named APA Fellows in 2019.
“This is an exceptional recognition of Matt’s scholarship, his stature among peers, and his contributions to educational psychology,” said Jill V. Hamm, dean of the School and William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education. “As excited as I am to celebrate Matt’s accomplishments thus far, I’m equally excited about where his research is taking us in our understanding of learning and how we support learners.”
Over the course of his research career, Bernacki has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on grants totaling $11.2 million from funders that include the Institute of Educational Sciences and National Science Foundation. He has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and 18 book and handbook chapters.
Bernacki co-leads the School’s Center for Learning Analytics, a collaborative team of learning scientists, data scientists, and education researchers working to develop practical, research-informed solutions that leverage emerging technologies to address challenges faced by educators and researchers.
Recently, Bernacki co-edited “The Handbook of Personalized Learning,” published by Routledge in 2025, which brings together decades of interdisciplinary research to examine how learning can be more effectively personalized across educational settings. Drawing from educational psychology, learning sciences, cognitive science, and educational technology, the handbook offers a comprehensive, theoretically grounded approach for teachers and educators to design and implement personalized learning.
Bernacki joined the School’s faculty in 2018 after having served as a faculty member at UNLV since 2013. From 2021-2024, he was the Donald & Justeen Tarbet Faculty Scholar in Education and, from 2024-2026, was the inaugural Kinnard “Kin” White Faculty Scholar in Education — both endowed distinctions for distinguished early scholars in the UNC School of Education.
Bernacki also serves as program coordinator for the School’s Learning Sciences and Psychological Studies concentration of the Ph.D. in Education program.
He earned his Ph.D. in educational psychology in 2010 from Temple University and also holds master’s degrees in experimental psychology from Saint Joseph’s University and social work from Temple University.