December 19, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Wilson Speaks with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tree of Life Anniversary

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Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology

Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology

Associate Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson, an expert on the psychological effects of traumatic events, spoke to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the first anniversary of the Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting, in an article entitled “Stronger, more unified, survivors face risks and move forward after the Tree of Life tragedy.”

Wilson said “the responses of members of the three congregations who worship at Tree of Life, as well as a growing sense of unity, don’t surprise her.”

“It’s a common reaction we see. There is a long-term impact on psychology but what we see often is that people feel greater unity and are proud of their community when shootings target one group. It’s a way people collectively cope afterward.” Read more. 

October Safe Zone Events

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Safe Zone is excited to announce several upcoming programs during the month of October. The UMW Safe Zone program offers programs that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. All of our programs are free and open to all faculty and staff regardless of position or classification.

  • We are co-sponsoring an event with the Center for Prevention & Education and the Talley Center as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. On Monday, October 7 from 4:00-5:30pm we are hosting an event called “Pizza and Consent” in HCC 327. Consent is about more than just sex! Come enjoy free pizza as you participate in an LGBTQ+ friendly interactive workshop about consent in relationships. Content covered is relevant to all genders and sexualities, including asexual and aromantic. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag! No registration is required.
  • We will be offering a Basic Safe Zone workshop on Thursday, October 24th from 3:30pm-5:30pm. This training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus. This is an opportunity for any faculty or staff member to become a Safe Zone ally. Space is limited and registration is required. Please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu to register for this training or if you have questions. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag!
  • Come celebrate National Coming Out Day on Wednesday, October 9th from 11am-2pm on the UC Patio (rain location UC Kiosk A)! We will be giving out Safe Zone tech tattoos for your keyboards, pronoun buttons, and helpful resources.
  • We will be celebrating International Pronouns Day on Wednesday, October 16th. We will be handing out pronoun buttons at Coming Out Day and we ask everyone to wear a pronoun button on International Pronouns Day!

If you would like more information about Safe Zone, to see the list of campus allies or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit the website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone. Please also follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@umwsafezone).

Wilson Comments on Teens Using Tik Tok to Protest School Shootings

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Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology

Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology

Associate Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson, an expert in the psychological effects of mass shootings, commented on the phenomenon of teens turning to social media app Tik Tok to protest school shootings.

“People have really different reactions to humor as a coping strategy, but humor can be a really healthy form of coping,” Wilson said to the upstate New York FOX affiliate. “After trauma, what a lot of people struggle with is vulnerability, and by making a joke or video about it, they think, ‘I’m taking control of this.'” Read more. 

Upcoming Safe Zone Programs

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Hello colleagues—

Safe Zone is excited to announce several upcoming programs, including our Fall Book Club. The UMW Safe Zone program offers programs that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. All of our programs are free and open to the ENTIRE UMW community.

  • We will be offering a Basic Safe Zone workshop on Thursday, September 12th from 2:00pm-4:30pm. This training focuses on terminology, issues related to privilege, increasing awareness and sensitivity, and how to support the LGBTQ+ population on campus. This is an opportunity for any faculty or staff member to become a Safe Zone ally. Space is limited and registration is required. Please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu to register for this training or if you have questions. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag!
  • We will be offering an Advanced Safe Zone workshop on Wednesday, September 18th from 3:30pm-6:00pm. The advanced training is for faculty and staff who have already completed the basic training and covers more advanced topics, including bystander intervention. Space is limited and registration is required. Please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu to register for this training or if you have questions. All participants get cool Safe Zone swag!
  • We will be offering our Fall Book Club as a two-part program on Wednesday, October 2 from 5:00pm-6:15pm and Wednesday, October 9 from 5:00pm-6:15pm. We will be reading “Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter?” by Heath Fogg Davis. The first 13 people to register get a free book! Plus, all participants get cool Safe Zone swag. Space is limited and registration is required. Please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu to register for the book club or if you have questions.
  • Come celebrate National Coming Out Day on Wednesday, October 9th from 11am-2pm on the UC Patio (rain location UC Kiosk A)! We will be giving out Safe Zone tech tattoos for your keyboards, pronoun buttons, and helpful resources.
  • We will be celebrating International Pronouns Day on Wednesday, October 16th. We will be handing out pronoun buttons at Coming Out Day and we ask everyone to wear a pronoun button on International Pronouns Day!

If you would like more information about Safe Zone, to see the list of campus allies or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit the website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone.

Wilson Comments on Survivors of Mass Shootings

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Laura Wilson, assistant professor of psychology

Laura Wilson, assistant professor of psychology

Assistant Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson continues to provide insight about the psychological effects of mass shootings to national media. She was recently interviewed on Brinkwire.com in an article titled “‘National anxiety’ about mass shootings following massacres in El Paso and Dayton.”

“The narrative we hear in these impacted communities is, ‘I never thought it would happen here,’ and so I think that gets people thinking, ‘Well then, that can happen to me too,'” Wilson said, adding, “The immediate aftermath is the greatest level of risk for that type of reaction and then we tend to see it decrease over time.” Read more. 

 

Wilson Comments on Survivors of Mass Shootings in National News

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Laura Wilson, assistant professor of psychology

Laura Wilson, assistant professor of psychology

Assistant Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson’s expertise about the psychological effects of mass shootings continues to be sought-after by the national media. Here are her recent comments:

‘National anxiety’ about mass shootings inflamed by the 24-hour news cycle is sparking gunfire false alarms such as the Times Square hysteria – as experts warn of mass panic episodes following massacres in El Paso and Dayton (Daily Mail)

For some in Chicago, gun violence is a daily reality, leaving the same trauma as mass shootings (WRCBtv)