on ▁University ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁president ▁at ▁San ▁Diego ▁State ▁University ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁prov ost ▁and ▁senior ▁vice ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Maryland , ▁Baltimore ▁County . ▁ ▁Education ▁ ▁Hir sh man ▁earned ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁econom ics ▁and ▁mathematics ▁from ▁Y ale ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁He ▁received ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁( 1 9 8 4 ) ▁and ▁a ▁Ph D ▁in ▁cogn itive ▁psych ology ▁( 1 9 8 7 ) ▁from ▁U CLA . ▁He ▁then ▁took ▁a ▁two - year ▁post - do ctor al ▁fellow ship ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁University . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁He ▁taught ▁in ▁the ▁psych ology ▁department ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁at ▁Chap el ▁Hill ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁He ▁cha ired ▁the ▁psych ology ▁depart ments ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Colorado ▁at ▁Den ver ▁( 2 0 0 0 - 2 0 0 2 ) ▁and ▁at ▁George ▁Washington ▁University ▁( 2 0 0 2 - 2 0 0 5 ), ▁where ▁he ▁later ▁served ▁as ▁chief ▁research ▁officer ▁( 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 0 8 ). ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁he ▁was ▁prov ost ▁and ▁senior ▁vice ▁president ▁for ▁academic ▁affairs ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Maryland , ▁Baltimore ▁County . ▁He ▁became ▁the ▁e ighth ▁president ▁of ▁SD SU ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1