Benjamin "Luke" Smith
Luke is a sophomore biology major from Kingwood, Texas. He graduated from Kingwood Park High school in May of 2017 and has two younger sisters and an older brother. He discovered the lab through his Psychology 2000 class, taught by Lab Director Dr. Raymond Tucker.
Luke is a Presidential Scholar who is researching the effects of social media use-- specifically Twitter-- on suicide risk and the public’s perception of depression as it relates to teenagers and young adults. Luke plans on attending medical school in the future so as to become a pediatric psychiatrist. In addition to studying psychology, he likes to spend time playing football and basketball and going on walks with his beagle, Ellie.
Gabrielle Kerkow
Gabrielle is a biological engineering major and psychology minor who plans to graduate in May 2020. She discovered the opportunity to work with Dr. Raymond Tucker and the MOSB lab from his Introduction to Psychology course. She plans to one day design and conduct her own research experiment in the lab. It is a personal goal of hers to ensure every LSU student is aware of the mental health services available on campus. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, sailing, tennis, and playing with her dog, Gizzmo!
Sabrina Dos Santos
Sabrina is a freshman perusing her major in Psychology. Originally from Orlando, Florida, she has ambitions to attend graduate school and earn her Masters in Psychology. Sabrina is a volunteer for the Crisis Intervention Center in Baton Rouge and aims to raise awareness about suicide prevention, with hopes of studying suicidology as a licensed psychologist in the future, through her volunteer position and research in the MOSB lab. As well as being a volunteer for the CIC, she has a passion for travel and chocolate, and she is a fan of C.S. Lewis and international cuisine.
Rachel Haydel
Rachel is a Junior majoring in psychology with a minor in business administration from the small town of Houma, Louisiana. Rachel is currently in the honors thesis program and is researching the effects of storytelling or lived experience on help-seeking behaviors in suicidal individuals. She is working with Dr. Tucker and Kevin Hines/CNQR to research if sharing personal stories of surviving and living through suicidal experiences can help encourage other suicidal individuals to seek the help they need.
Outside of her hopes to start her own private practice, Rachel loves any animal she sees, and loves to spend her time riding horses. She loves to play guitar and sing, and she occasionally has commissioned paintings on the side. Rachel loves adventures and spontaneous road trips, and she will be studying abroad this summer in Krakow, Poland.