Ayla is a Clinical Psychology PhD student in the STRIVE Lab. She earned her BA in Psychology and her MSc in Mental Health from McGill University, where her research examined developmental pathways linking childhood exposure to intimate partner violence with adolescent suicidal behavior. Her current research interests are focused on the emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal mechanisms underlying IPV perpetration and other forms of impulsive self- or other-directed harm. She is particularly interested in understanding what happens in moments of intense distress that makes harmful behavior more likely, why similar vulnerabilities can lead to different outcomes across individuals, and how these processes can be interrupted. Ultimately, she hopes to identify modifiable mechanisms that can inform more targeted approaches to IPV and suicide prevention and intervention.

Rachel is a Clinical Psychology PhD student in the STRIVE and HEAL labs. Rachel graduated from Smith College in 2017 with a BA in Psychology and Religion and worked in two research labs prior to coming to UCF. Her research interest is broadly sexual assault, and more specifically, the roles sexual objectification and substance use play in perpetration and victimization, factors that contribute to negative psychological outcomes among survivors and how and why LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately affected by sexual violence. She is also interested in the development and implementation of empirically supported sexual health education and violence prevention programs for teenagers and young adults.

Alex is a sociology PhD student who received a BS in psychology and an MS in industrial/organizational psychology, both from the University of Central Florida. Alex has an eclectic history of research assistantship which includes astronaut team psychology, situational judgment testing, adverse childhood events in college freshmen, and, is currently assisting Dr. Woerner with the SWIPE project, related to dating app facilitated sexual violence. Alex is primarily interested in substance use, stigma, and the reintegration of those impacted by the criminal-legal system.

Genevieve is a first-year Clinical Psychology PhD student who graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 2023 with a BS in Psychology and an MA in Clinical Psychology in 2026. Her research interests broadly encompass marginalized women’s experiences post-victimization. Specifically, she is interested in investigating psychosocial mechanisms linked to PTSD and health risk behaviors (e.g., sexual risk, substance use) to determine which are protective and facilitate positive outcomes post-victimization for ethnic and sexual minority women. 

Taylor is a second-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student in the STRIVE Lab. She earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Women’s Studies from the University of Florida. Her current research examines how multicultural contexts and minority stress processes shape substance use, sexual violence, and sexual behavior. She ultimately aims to uncover mechanisms underlying sexual violence and health-compromising behaviors in traditionally understudied and underrepresented groups.