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.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Alyssa Gu is a psychology major with minors in biology and creative writing. She is interested in clinical psychology, emotional resilience, and stress interventions. She is particularly interested in protective factors and the role of parents and mentors in the development of resilience.

Chloe Joo is a psychology major with a minor in music performance. She is interested in stress management, performance anxiety, and mental health. She is particularly interested in the role of humor as a coping mechanism and the interplay between anxiety, the body, and the mind in performance settings. 

Miranda Liu is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Media Studies. She is interested in social psychology, media psychology, and clinical psychology. She is particularly passionate about exploring the intersection of media, law, and psychology, focusing on how these fields influence individual emotions and behaviors.

Sophia Sederman is a psychology major with an education correlate. She is interested in clinical psychology, school psychology, and positive psychology. She is particularly interested in emotional resilience and coping in youth faced with chronic stress and trauma.

Sofia Satuito is a psychology major with a minor in computer science. She is interested in social psychology, emotion-related processes, and drivers of human behavior. She is particularly interested in understanding persuasion and how emotional mechanisms, such as resilience and adaptive coping,  shape choice and judgement. 

Charlotte Tanner-Morash is a double major in psychology and political science. She is interested in social psychology, the study of persuasion, individual differences, and the mind-body connection, especially in the context of emotional resilience. As an aspiring lawyer, she is particularly interested in exploring the intersection between psychology and the law. 

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