What is FAU Thrive?
FAU Thrive aims to build a network of people and resources to support FAU students, faculty, and staff in living full, rich, healthy lives, and overcoming psychological struggles. As an FAU family in partnership with our local community, we are BETTER TOGETHER!
FAU Thrive Wellness and Support Network is a mental health and wellness initiative started by Dr. Laura Vernon. Our team is creating and promoting wellness resources and opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and community members, including mental health training and learning opportunities, faculty and staff certification programs, FAU and community support services for students, and a hub for our FAU family to find all things mental health and wellness at FAU.
Leadership Team
Dr. Laura Vernon
FAU Thrive Director
lvernon@fau.edu
Dr. Vernon is Professor of Psychology at the Wilkes Honors College, the Provost Fellow for Student Mental Health, and Faculty Fellow of Student Affairs at Florida Atlantic University. As an undergraduate at Northwestern University, Dr. Vernon completed two undergraduate honors theses in Psychology and Sociology. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed an internship at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and a postdoctoral fellowship at Central Michigan University’s Trauma and Anxiety Disorders Clinic. Dr. Vernon enjoys exploring the fascinating nuances of Psychopathology, Psychotherapy, Positive Psychology, and Social Psychology with her students. Dr. Vernon’s lab broadly examines anxiety disorders, emotion, cognition, and mindfulness. Some of her recent research has examined the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based equine assisted therapy for clinical patients, the usefulness of brief mindfulness interventions for college students, the contributions of fear and disgust to spider phobia, and the cognitive processes of emotion and phobias. She is also interested in the potential for games and online gaming to revolutionize teaching and learning. Dr. Vernon leads FAU Thrive, a series of initiatives aimed at improving college student mental health through collaborative efforts by faculty, students, administrators, staff, and community partners.
Thrive Members
Alice Kim, Wilkes Honors College
Contact at akim2023@fau.edu.
Alice Kim is a second-year student concentrating in Cellular Neuroscience at the Wilkes Honors College of FAU. Her long-term goal is to become a compassionate physician who guides patients toward a life of wellness and happiness. During her leisure time, she enjoys baking, volunteering, crocheting, and spending time with family. As a proud member of FAU Thrive, she aims to emphasize the importance of mental health and promote wellness resources to create an inclusive community for all FAU members.
Gwendolyn Murray, Wilkes Honors College
Contact at gmurray2021@fau.edu.
Gwendolyn Murray is a fourth-year undergraduate, studying Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience at the FAU Wilkes Honors College. Outside of class, she likes to play videogames and spend time with her family. After graduation, Gwen plans to train to be a therapist. She has a passion for helping veterans and spreading awareness about mental health resources. As a part of the Thrive team, Gwen organizes the blog editing process. Her work focuses on selecting informative blogs that relate to the student experience, and collaborating with our student editors to post weekly to the Thrive Thursday blog.
Lauren Reynolds, Wilkes Honors College
Contact at reynoldsL2021@fau.edu.
Lauren Reynolds is a fourth-year undergraduate concentrating in Psychology with a minor in Data Science at the FAU Wilkes Honors College. She is passionate about improving mental healthcare accessibility within the community. In her free time, Lauren likes to dance with the Owlettes Dance Company student organization and play with her dogs, Sadie and Dirt. She enjoys working with Thrive to support the FAU community and promote student mental health and well-being.
Emily Peraza, Wilkes Honors College
Contact at eperaza2022@fau.edu.
Emily Peraza is a junior at the Wilkes Honors College of FAU and is concentrating in Cellular Neuroscience. She hopes to attend medical school after graduation and go on to work in hospitals or one day open her own practice. Her interests include dancing, reading, playing video games, listening to music, and volunteering. Her involvement in FAU Thrive means helping students, getting rid of negative stereotypes around mental health, and creating a safe community for students.