Michele M. Tugade

Michele M. Tugade is Professor of Psychological Science at Vassar College and holds the William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair. She directs the Affective Science Laboratory, where her research investigates the role of positive emotions in coping, resilience mechanisms during adversity, and emotion-related processes affecting health. Her work employs diverse methodologies including laboratory experiments, psychophysiological measurements, and experience-sampling techniques.

Tugade earned a BA from Vassar College and MA/PhD from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Her research integrates interdisciplinary approaches to understand how positive emotions foster resilience in high-stress contexts.

Research Focus: Tugade's work examines:

• The undoing effect of positive emotions on stress physiology
• Emotional granularity in health contexts
• Culturally specific expressions of resilience
• Mindfulness interventions for trauma recovery

Her collaborations extend to NASA, Apple, and global health organizations.

Publication Trends: Recent works demonstrate increasing focus on clinical applications of positive psychology, cross-cultural emotion regulation, and longitudinal resilience modeling. Her research consistently bridges laboratory findings with real-world interventions.

Awards & Recognition:

• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NIMH)
• Elected member, International Society for Research on Emotions
• Board of Directors, International Positive Psychology Association

Academic Leadership: She mentors graduate researchers in the Affective Science Lab and has secured funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NIH. Current projects examine resilience in frontline healthcare workers and disaster response teams.