Tamara van Gog is professor of Educational Sciences at Utrecht University and distinguished international professor of Learning and Instruction at the LEAD Graduate School and Research Network of the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany. At Utrecht University, Tamara coordinates the research program of the section Education and until recently coordinated the Research Master Educational Sciences: Learning in Interaction.

Tamara studied Developmental and Educational Psychology (specializing in the latter) at Tilburg University (2001) and obtained her PhD cum laude (the highest distinction in the Netherlands) from the Open University of the Netherlands (2006). She continued to work there, first as assistant professor, then as associate professor, until she moved to the Institute of Psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam in November 2009, where she was appointed endowed professor of Educational Psychology in May 2012. Tamara was a visiting researcher at the Knowledge Media Research Center in Tübingen, Germany from December 2007 – June 2008 (with a NWO Rubicon grant), at the University of New South Wales, Australia in December 2010, and at the University of California, Santa Barbara from December 2014 – February 2015.

Her research on learning and instruction focuses on example-based learning; multimedia learning; and (training) self-regulated learning, reflection, and critical thinking skills. Her research is conducted at all levels of education as well as with medical doctors (in training). She often uses eye tracking in her research and has investigated innovative techniques for using eye tracking as a tool both to study and enhance learning processes.

Tamara is NWO Rubicon (2007), Veni (2008), Vidi (2012), and Vici (2021) grant laureate. She had the honor of being appointed as a member of The Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences from 2010-2015, where she served as co-chair of the Science and Society Track from April 2012 – August 2014 and contributed to the development and dissemination of science game ‘Expedition Mundus’ for late primary/early secondary education students (which is just as suitable for curious, young-at-heart adults!). Tamara was a member of the Program Council for Fundamental Scientific Education Research (PROO) (2013-2017) and of the steering board (2017-2020) of the Netherlands Initiative for Education Research (NRO) which resides under the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).