Featured Post from University of Mary Washington

UMW Psychological Trauma Expert Laura Wilson can help with your coverage

May 16, 2022

2 min

Laura Wilson


It was a typical spring weekend in Buffalo that was shattered by another mass-shooting.


The incident was the 198th to be classified a 'mass shooting' in America so far this year.


The 18-year-old man who allegedly shot and killed 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket Saturday afternoon was motivated by hate, authorities said.

The Tops Friendly Market where the shooting took place is located in the heart of Buffalo’s Black community and 11 of the 13 people shot by the White suspect were Black, officials said.

“This was pure evil,” Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia said at a Saturday news conference, calling the shooting a “straight up racially motivated hate crime from somebody outside of our community.”

The US Department of Justice is investigating the shooting “as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism,” according to a statement from US Attorney General Merrick Garland.  May 16 - CNN



Once the news coverage fades, there will still be so many co-workers, first responders and families left to grapple with incidents with this level of trauma and horror. If you are a reporter looking to cover the issues survivors of mass-shooting events might face, then let us help.



Dr. Laura Wilson is a clinical psychologist whose expertise focuses on post-trauma functioning, particularly in survivors of sexual violence or mass trauma (e.g., terrorism, mass shootings, combat). Her research interests extend to predictors of violence and aggression, including psychophysiological and personality factors, as well as indicators of PTSD following mass trauma, long-term functioning among first responders, outcomes among survivors of sexual violence and the influence of media on mental illness stigma.


Dr. Wilson is available to speak with media, simply click on her icon to arrange an interview today.

Connect with:
Laura Wilson

Laura Wilson

Associate Professor and Director of Safe Zone

Dr. Wilson focuses on post-trauma functioning, particularly in survivors of sexual violence and among minoritized communities.

LGBTQ+Minority StressTraumaSexual ViolencePost Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)‎

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from University of Mary Washington

2 min

Oh, Ozempic … Is THIN Back In?

After decades of what seemed like progress away from the obsession for “wellies” and “thigh gaps” the thin-is-in mentality seems to be creeping back into the spotlight to weigh on women’s minds – especially on social media. Channeling the renewed fascination with and focus on slimness, University of Mary Washington Assistant Professor of Communication Emily Crosby, and Associate Professors of Communication Adria Goldman and Elizabeth Johnson-Young, presented a talk titled "Social Media and the Changing Current of Health Messaging and Debates." Crosby's presentation, "Ozempic is Cheating!: Articulating a Digital Turn in Diet Culture," looks at the discourse surrounding Ozempic on social media. Employing feminist rhetorical criticism, Crosby analyzes posts and commentary to identify themes and conventions of analog and digital diet culture. This research articulates the digital turn in the "cult of thinness," to expose how medical injectable weight loss drugs undermine the body positive movement by invoking clinical technology as ethos. Goldman's presentation, "#SocialSupport: Examining the Informative and Emotional Functions of Bariatric Surgery Support Groups on Facebook," investigates the functions of digital support groups in assisting with mental well-being and emotional regulation for people considering, undergoing or recuperating from weight loss surgery. This research examines Facebook’s ability to function as both an informative and emotional resource for the bariatric surgery community. Johnson-Young's presentation, "Sugar, Snacks and Weight: An Examination of Posts and Parent Reactions to the Challenges of Nutritional Health Norms on the Growing Intuitive Eaters Instagram," examined posts and comments on an influencer's account. The research is rooted in both health behavior theory and non-evaluative and trust-based communication around food and nutrition. Preliminary findings show a variety of themes regarding reactions to the influencer's posts, from anger and resistance to relief and excitement. Weight loss, wellness and the enormous amount of attention this topic is getting has journalists looking for answers.  And if you're covering or are looking to know more - we can help. All three University of Mary Washington experts are available to speak with media - simply click on an icon now to arrange an interview today.

1 min

Where Will Millennials Take Us?

They’ve been described as entitled, self-centered and shallow. “Selfie-stick wielding, ‘KeepingUp with the Kardashians’-watching, soft-in-the-middle whiners” – Psychology Today. Worldwide, though, millennials (to whom also are attributed awesome characteristics like adaptability and creativity) are 1.8 billion strong, the most populated age group in modern history. And they’re soon to be our political, economic and social leaders. Where will they take us? How will their views shape our world? Jared McDonald’s new book, Citizens of the World, Political Engagement and Policy Attitudes of Millennials Across the Globe, uses data to examine this generation, born into technology, the “war on terror,” global interconnectedness and high unemployment. Published by Barnes & Noble in October 2022, the text looks at millennials’ attitudes about lifestyle, family life, gender roles, politics, religion and the future to better understand how governance might change under their leadership … and the influence they already wield. Millennials are a hot topic ... and for better or worse always in the news it seems as journalists, employers, parents and even professors work to figure this generation out. And if you'd like to know more - that where we can help. Published author and Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Jared McDonald is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

1 min

Civil Rights Trail Reveals Series of Never-Before-Heard Stories

This past February, during Black History Month, the City of Fredericksburg – known for its pivotal role in the Civil War – unveiled a civil rights trail: “Freedom, a Work in Progress.” Years in the making, the three-mile trail guides participants through the city’s post-Civil War history, including several stops on the UMW campus, tying together a saga of persecution and peril, power and promise. It chronicles court rulings and protests from the Jim Crow era to the Black Lives Matter movement, drawing together never-before-heard testimonies of the people and places that helped shape the civil rights narrative. “I can’t even begin to describe to you what a fantastic day this is for … our Black community,”  Chris Williams, Assistant Director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center said during the February unveiling. Featuring Virginia historical markers – the second of which is set to be unveiled during this year’s Juneteenth commemoration – the trail brings to public consciousness the struggle for everyday freedoms, justice and equality inherent with being a Black American. If you are interested in learning more about Black History in Virginia - then let us help. Chris Williams,  Assistant Director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center is available to speak with media.  Simply email him at cwilli27@umw.edu or contact: Lisa Chinn Marvashti, Media and Public Relations at University of Mary Washington lchinn@umw.edu to arrange an interview today.

View all posts
Powered by