A graduate seminar with her mentor, Howard E. Gruber, on How to Think Better, changed Hartman's professional life. From then on, her work in cognitive psychology has emphasized applying theory and research to improve educational practice.Correspondingly, her doctorate in cognitive psychology has been used for a career in educational psychology, currently with joint appointments at The City College of New York, in Education, and The City University of New York Graduate Center, in the Educational Psychology Doctoral Program.Her areas of specialization are improving thinking, learning and teaching, including using instructional technology to achieve these goals.