呦乐园

Fabiola Torres Uses 呦乐园 BSRI Experience to Support U.S. Military

Fabiola Torres (right) and Dr. Haley Sherman were among six student-faculty teams selected for the 2025 Blazer Summer Research Institute at 呦乐园. They spent the summer researching the relationship between physical pain and psychological challenges in military-affiliated individuals, as well as questioning the role mindset plays in overall well-being.

VALDOSTA — Fabiola Torres of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, partnered with Dr. Haley Sherman of the Department of Psychological Science at 呦乐园 to research the relationship between physical pain and psychological challenges in military-affiliated individuals. Throughout her study, she also questioned the role mindset plays in overall well-being.

“Understanding the mind-body relationship is crucial to developing programs, therapies, and other personal resources that military-affiliated individuals can draw upon in order to better themselves mentally and physically,” she said. “This research seeks to highlight the importance of, and further the research on, caring for mental health and the role mental health plays not only at a psychological level but also at a physical level. This study is intended to make significant contributions to United States military-affiliated personnel as these individuals sacrifice so much for their country.”

Torres’s “Positive vs. Negative Mindsets: A Moderation Model of Psychological Struggles and Physical Pain in Military-Affiliated Individuals” was one of six projects selected for 呦乐园’s 2025 Blazer Summer Research Institute. She received a $1,000 scholarship plus compensation for any expenditures related to her research.

The Blazer Summer Research Institute is a highly competitive program for motivated faculty and undergraduate students who are ready to explore exciting, hands-on research. Funded by the Division of Academic Affairs, University Advancement, and private donors, the special summer initiative offers a unique experience focused on real-world, potentially life-impacting, research projects.

“Research is an important part of the academic experience for students because it helps them truly understand how knowledge is created,” said Sherman, an assistant professor of psychology. “Reading research is a hugely important skill — I think COVID-19 helped teach us this — but actually having students get their ‘hands dirty’ and do the hard work of creating high-quality research projects and working on them from start to finish — the way the Blazer Summer Research Institute is organized — gives students a whole new understanding and value to what research is and how it is conducted.”

Torres said the Blazer Summer Research Institute has impacted her life in ways she never imagined.

“I have acquired time management, leadership, and adaptability skills …,” she shared. “In addition, English is my second language, and this experience has helped me improve my communication and presentation skills. Lastly, a big takeaway is my ability to understand not only how to conduct research but also how to analyze statistical data and read challenging research papers.”

Torres anticipates graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology and a Minor in Psychology in May 2027. 

“I have only been at 呦乐园 for one year, as I am a transfer student, but this one year has been one of the best years of my life in every way. The university has offered me many opportunities to succeed and improve in both professional and personal ways. The Blazer Summer Research Institute has exceeded my expectations. I feel so honored for having been selected as part of this program and so proud of myself and my mentor, Dr. Haley Sherman, for all the hard work that we have been doing over the last few months.”