Top Row (Left to Right): Eric Foran, Garrett Beatty, Chris Janelle
Middle Row: Alex Cantillo, Brad Fawver, Eric Jorge, Jenni Keeler
Bottom Row: Jennifer Soltis, Emily Szabo, Torrie Higgins, Jackie Tennant

Lab Director

Dr. Christopher Janelle Christopher Janelle is the Director of the Performance Psychology Laboratory in the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida. His research interests focus on the interaction of emotion, attention, and movement as related to human performance and health issues. He has published over 60 papers in refereed journals, as well as 10 book chapters. He also co-authored the Handbook of Sport Psychology, and he has presented his research worldwide. Dr. Janelle serves on the editorial boards of five journals, including the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, Human Movement Science, and the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. He was recently named a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 47). In addition to his scholarly work, Chris serves as a sport psychology consultant to collegiate, Olympic, professional, and youth sport athletes.

Graduate Students

Ph.D. Students

	Garrett Beatty Garrett Beatty is a first year doctoral student concentrating in Biobehavioral Science and specializing in Exercise & Performance Psychology. Garrett's research interests include studying the impact of emotion on motor performance--including the impact of emotion on approach and avoidance behaviors; performance impacts of emotion regulation; and emotion regulation expertise development. Garrett is currently funded through the UF Graduate School Fellowship program.
	Brad Fawver Brad Fawver is a third year doctoral student in the Performance Psychology Laboratory. His research focuses on the interaction between emotion, attention, and motivated behavior. Emotions have been previously conceptualized to impact directional movements based on the pleasantness of stimuli, but a growing body of literature suggests that unpleasant emotional states such as anger, fear, and even disgust can prompt approach related behaviors. Brad intends to further explore the environmental and task constraints that impact directed behaviors, with particular emphasis on attaining goals and avoiding consequences during emotional states with conflicting valence and motivational direction. Additionally, he intends to investigate how dispositional differences in emotional processing might predispose individuals to approach or withdraw. One significant impact of this research line would be to understand the capacity of movement as a training or therapeutic intervention for emotional disturbances. Finally, exploring the capability of elite performers to achieve a state of “flow” and manage varying emotional contexts during unstable performance environments is an evolving research area in the sports psychology field. Brad is interested in the development of general and domain specific emotional expertise/regulation skills in elite performers and the application of those skills in highly stressful and demanding performance environments. Brad enjoys playing soccer and basketball during his free time and is a devoted fan of Manchester United Football Club.
	Torrie Higgins Torrie Higgins is a doctoral student concentrating in Biobehavioral Science in the Applied Physiology and Kinesiology department at the University of Florida. Torrie graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 2007 with a B.A. in Psychology. She currently holds a T32 award funded by the National Institute on Aging and is involved in research projects in both the Performance Psychology Laboratory and the Aging and Rehabilitation Research Center (AARC). Her research focuses on cognitive, affective, and kinematic mechanisms underlying the progression of physical disability, with a particular emphasis on the pre-clinical stage. Aims of her research include enhancing methods for identifying individuals at highest risk of developing mobility impairments. This research is designed to develop behavioral interventions aimed at improving functional status of individuals at risk of outright physical disability. Currently, Torrie is investigating the effects of two different physical activity interventions on a pre-clinically disabled population in an NIH-funded trial. Specifically, she is assessing associations among the use of compensatory strategies in performing tasks of daily living and psychological constructs such as self-efficacy, anxiety and affect. She has presented her research at numerous professional research conferences, including the Association for Psychological Science (2010 and 2011), the Gerontological Society of America (2011), and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (2008 and 2009). She will continue to build an understanding of mechanisms that explain transitions to disability through her dissertation work that will involve assessing cognitive, affective, and kinematic mechanisms among non-disabled, pre-clinically disabled, and outright disabled older adults. She will also study how individuals “break out” of this pathway through the use of novel exercise interventions. Once a collegiate lacrosse and field hockey player, Torrie now enjoys competing in the sport of roller derby with the Gainesville Roller Rebels under her alter-ego, LeBrawn Maimes.

M.S. Students

Eric Foran Eric Foran is a first year graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology with a focus on human performance. As an undergraduate at the University of Florida, Eric was a SEC medalist and NCAA performer for the Gator track and field team, which won 2 National Championships during his career. Eric is new to research, but looks forward to learning more about research in the field of human performance, with the goal of working with athletes after graduation.

Jackie Tennant Jackie Tennant is a first year Biobehavioral Sciences Masters student working in the Performance Psychology Laboratory. She completed her undergraduate studies as a Joseph E. Pogue Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with a degree in psychology and exercise and sport science. Her research interests focus on emotion regulation and the development of expertise. She is also interested in positive youth development through sport and enjoys coaching young runners. In addition to laboratory work, Jackie has a graduate fellowship working as a teaching assistant in the Applied Physiology and Kinesiology department. She is also a recreational endurance athlete and avid college basketball fan.

Undergraduate Students

	Alex Cantillo Alex Cantillo is a third year Undergraduate Pre-med student majoring in Psychology at the University of Florida. He is responsible for assisting on multiple tasks throughout the research process, such as data collection and organization. Alex has great interest in the research of numerous psychological factors that affect performance, specifically those of emotional regulation, confidence, and motivation. He aspires to attend and complete Medical school in order to attain his M.D. for Psychiatry. He hopes to one day work exclusively as a Sports Psychiatrist.
	Eric Jorge Eric Jorge is a fourth year undergraduate student at the University of Florida. He is majoring in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology and specializing in Exercise Physiology. Eric is responsible for subject screening, data collection, and lab maintenance. His research interests include emotion regulation and its physiological, neurological, and behavioral components. Eric will be attending medical school to earn a M.D. and go into Emergency Medicine.
	Jenni Keeler Jenni Keeler is a fourth year undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and minoring in Environmental Studies at the University of Florida. She is a research assistant for both Dr. Janelle's Performance Psychology lab and Dr. Shepperd's Social Psychology lab. Her research interests are fairly broad, and she enjoys most anything psychologically related. She plans to graduate in May 2012 and attend graduate school afterwards.
	Jennifer Soltis Jennifer Soltis is a fourth year Applied Physiology and Kinesiology undergraduate student specializing in Fitness and Wellness at the University of Florida. She has been a part of the performance psychology lab since fall 2010 as a research assistant. Her research interests include fitness and its effects on emotion. Jennifer will graduate in May 2012 and plans to continue her education in the accelerated nursing program here at UF.
	Emily Szabo Emily Szabo is a third year undergraduate student majoring in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology with a specialty in Exercise Physiology at the University of Florida. Her responsibilities in the lab as a research assistant include subject screening, data collection, scheduling participants, and lab maintenance. Her research interests are emotion regulation and the psychology of emotion. Emily plans to graduate in the Spring of 2013 and attend graduate school to become a doctor of physical therapy.