Dr. Kanako Taku, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Oakland University, built the Post Traumatic Growth Lab at Oakland University in 2008. The PTG lab aims to further the understanding and knowledge of PTG as well as resiliency by studying these phenomena after highly impactful life events, such as death of a loved one, natural disaster, academic failure, relationship break-up in college students, adults, high school students, middle school students, teen parents, and medical staff.
Through collaboration within the county, community, country, and world including Turkey, Australia, China, and Japan, the PTG Lab has contributed cross-cultural research on PTG. The Lab distributes results of such studies at national/international conferences and in professional journals. The PTG Lab also trains and fosters graduate and undergraduate students’ research skill attainment through active involvement in the research process. A total of 40 students have worked in the Lab for the past 9 years.
Shelby joined in 2015 Fall and became a lab manager in 2016 Fall due to her exceptional talents and motivations.