Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Laura Vernon

DR. LAURA VERNON

Associate Professor of Psychology

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
B.A., Psychology with Honors, Northwestern University 
B.A., Sociology with Honors, Northwestern University

HARRIET L. WILKES HONORS COLLEGE

[from Dr. Vernon's faculty page]

As a Clinical Psychologist, my research is on psychological disorders and their treatment. I broadly examine anxiety disorders, emotion, cognition, and mindfulness. My recent research examines the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based equine assisted therapy for trauma, Expressive Writing treatment for Hispanic trauma survivors, brief peer-administered mindfulness interventions for college students, mindfulness’ influence on memory, the contributions of movement to emotional responses to animals, online measurement of symptoms, and the cognitive processes of emotion and phobias.

I enjoy teaching Psychopathology, Psychotherapy, Positive Psychology, and Social Psychology. I hope students apply their learning to themselves and their lives, while having fun. We review for exams by playing Jeopardy (“Terrorific Trivia” around Halloween) and have House competitions (Harry Potter fans: Slytherin is transformed into Freud House).

I love spending time with my children, Leo and Rosie, and wonderful friends and being outdoors hiking, biking, running, horseback riding, or stand-up paddleboarding. Videogames are a guilty pleasure. Weight training challenges and rewards me. And a good book is my constant companion.

 Contact: 561-799-8411; HA 115

lvernon@fau.edu

War and the cost to the environment

 P. BOULEY/GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK 2018

When people talk about the costs of war, they are usually referring to the impact it has on human lives, political relationships and government bank accounts [Envirotech]. What is often not discussed is the environmental impact that modern warfare has on the environment. Air pollution, habitat degradation, loss of species, and water pollution are all factors we should be investigating in relation to the cost of war.

A recent article published in Science News takes a look at ecologist trying to restore an entire ecosystem in the Gorongosa National Park that was devastated by civil war. The article states that by end of the war in 1992, only lions remained in very small numbers [single digits]. Large scale predators, such as African buffalo, blue wildebeest and zebra were all but eliminated. International scientists and officials are attempting to restore the entire ecosystem. This is one of the largest attempts at a large scale conservation mitigation project. The reintroduction of gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park is the closest in scale of this project. Still 25 years later, that project has scattered results.

The Gorongosa Restoration Project launched in 2004. They are still working to restore the area. This project is a fascinating look at ecosystem survival, mitigation, predator/prey balance, community structure and cascading effects in the wild in a complex ecosystem suddenly knocked out of balance by war.

To read the full report and intricacies of such a large scale restoration, follow this link to the article War wrecked an African ecosystem. Ecologists are trying to restore it. Written by Jeremy Rehm, published on May 5, 2019.