Michele M. Tugade, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Vassar College. Dr. Tugade also directs the Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory. Her research focuses on the function of positive emotions in the coping process; the mechanisms that promote resilience in the face of stress and adversity; and emotion-related processes associated with health and well-being. Her program of research incorporates multiple research methodologies, including laboratory-based experiments, experience-sampling methodology, behavioral analyses, and psychophysiological measurement procedures.

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. She has worked with a number of organizations, including: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NASA, Apple, Inc., and The United Way.