J. W. (Bill) Whitlow, Jr., is a Professor of Psychology, whose research interests focus on understanding basic mechanisms of learning, memory, and cognition. These interests also channel his commitment to enhancing science education, especially among pre-college youth. He established the SPARC program in 1991 and has directed it since then; he also established and currently directs the Forum for Education in Neuroscience and Cognition (FENAC). He is a member of the AAAS and the American Psychological Association. He received his bachelor’s degree from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN and his doctorate from Yale University. From 1975-1979 he was a post-doctoral fellow in mathematical psychology at Rockefeller University in New York City.

Dr. Whitlow does research on learning, memory, judgment and other cognitive processes. He is currently interested in understanding the metacognitive skills and beliefs of adolescents in regard to learning, especially in regard to science.

Dr. Whitlow started the Science Preparation Alliance of Rutgers and Camden (SPARC) in 1991 in an effort to increase the appeal and apparent usefulness of scientific, mathematical and technical knowledge and skills for pre-college students, especially students with little or no exposure to professional mentors. As a general strategy, SPARC seeks to increase scientific literacy within pre-college “communities of learning” (students, their teachers, and their caregivers) with regard to the biological, behavioral, and cognitive (BBC) sciences and to show how these sciences address issues of immediate concern and relevance to the lives of pre-college youth.
To achieve its general objective, SPARC has undertaken various projects, ranging from hosting one-day workshops as well as summer training institutes for teachers, to creating research mentoring programs for students, to sponsoring the Allied Health Sciences Expo. The Expo is a day-long event at which representatives from hospitals, colleges, counseling programs, health-related businesses and research institutions in the area present “hands-on” demonstrations and exhibits about career opportunities in the allied health sciences. The Expo is directed to 8th grade students in Camden and is timed to allow them to consider applying to the Medical Arts High School.
For the past several years, Dr. Whitlow has also been involved in the AMULET project, which seeks to address environmental health issues in Camden that impact particularly on children. Foremost among these are the problems of asthma and lead poisoning.
Funding for these initiatives has come from the National Institutes of Health, including the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Johnson and Johnson Family of Companies, and other funders.

Whitlow, J.W. Jr. (1998). Lucent Scholars Khula Project: Report on Curriculum.

Whitlow, J.W., Jr., Dalton, P.H. & Martin, J. (1992/1996) Science Preparation Alliance of Rutgers and Camden (SPARC) Summer Institute Curriculum.

McCleery, Joseph & Whitlow, J.W., Jr. (2000). An evaluation of a procedure for increasing praise and decreasing correctives by teachers of children with autism. Poster presented at the annual convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Washington, DC, May.

Whitlow, J.W., Jr., Dalton, P.H. & Verdile, R. (2000). Long-term Outcome of a Science Enrichment Intervention: Evaluation of SPARC in Camden, NJ, USA. Paper presented at the annual meetings of the Southern African Association for Research on Mathematics and Science Education, Port Elizabeth, RSA, January, 2000.

1988 Warren Susman Award for Teaching Excellence, Rutgers University
1998 Class of 1962 Public Service Award, Rutgers University
2002 Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High School Special Service Leader