Sian Leah Beilock

Sian Leah Beilock is the president of Dartmouth College and a renowned cognitive scientist. Her research explores the science behind why people “choke” under pressure and how we can perform our best in stressful situations, whether it’s a big test, a public speech, or a championship game. By using a variety of research methods, from test performance to brain scans, she studies how our thoughts and reasoning skills change when we are under stress. Her work has been recognized with the Troland Award from the National Academy of Sciences and has been featured in major media outlets like The New York Times and NPR. Sian is the author of two acclaimed books: Choke and How the Body Knows Its Mind. She previously served as the president of Barnard College and was a leader at the University of Chicago. Today, she applies her knowledge of the human mind to guide one of the nation’s top universities.