Members

LAB DIRECTOR

Michele M. Tugade, Ph.D.

William R. Kenan, Jr. Endowed Chair and Professor of Psychological Science . Dr. Tugade directs the Resilience Laboratory at Vassar College. Her research focuses on positive emotions, resilience, and coping, with an emphasis on emotion-related processes associated with health and well-being.

Dr. Tugade received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Mental Health and is an elected member of the International Society for Research on Emotions. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Science Foundation. She has worked with a number of organizations, including: NASA, Apple, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and The United Way. She has also taught medical students in Rwanda, Africa at the University of Global Health Equity.

FORD RESEARCH SCHOLARS

Kaitlin Gelman is a psychology major with a minor in sociology. She is interested in clinical psychology, social psychology, emotional resilience, and mindfulness. She is particularly interested in the relationship between society and the individual and its resulting impact on mental health. 

Ella McNeil is a psychology major with a minor in chemistry. She is interested in social psychology, emotional resilience, and mental health. She is also interested in investigating the long-term impact of chronic stressors on adolescent development.

Gissette Noriega is a psychology major with a minor in education. She is interested in mental health, clinical psychology, psychosocial development, and the interactions between the education system and mental health. Her research investigates emotional regulation, perfectionism, and cognitive adaptation to stressors.

URSI RESEARCH SCHOLARS

Jack Holloway is a psychology major with minor in biology. His interests include social psychology, coping with bias and stress, and interpersonal relationships. He is also interested in liberation psychology and participatory action research.

Abigail Wang is a double-major in psychology and Chinese. She is interested in positive psychology, self-compassion, perfectionism, and the reciprocal influences of mental and physical well-being. She is also interested in the impact of systemic forces and culture on the hindrance or development of grit in the face of adversity.

LAB ALUMS & COLLABORATORS

Adrian Alpern, Ph.D., Pediatric Psychologist, Children’s Health Orange County

Elizabeth Chadbourne, MPH, Columbia University, School of Nursing

Hillary Devlin, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Sarah Dolan, B.A., Graduate Student, Hoftstra University

Alta Du Pont, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System

Ean Fonseca, Ph.D., Program Evaluator and Data Analytics Advisor, Hanover Research

Yael Granot, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Smith College

Kai Greenlees, B.A., Graduate Student at the University of Exeter and Analyst at Carbon Trust

Formosa Huang, B.A., Associate at Oxeon, Healthcare Leadership Firm

Lila Malin, B.A., Survey Research Group, RAND Corporation

Chelsea Mitamura, Ph.D., Engagement Manager, Contemporary Leadership Advisors

Marguerite O’Haire, Ph.D., Associate Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona

Rachel Proujansky, Psy.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Lillian Reuman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Stonehill College

Sonali Shah, B.A. Medical Student, New York Medical College

Violet Tan, B.A. Postgraduate Research Assistant, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

Carley Vornlocher, B.A., Graduate Student, Arizona State University

Louise Wachsmuth, M.A., Therapist at Viva Mental Health and Wellness

Meredith Ward., MSW, LSW, Therapist at A Better Life Therapy