The UCI Libraries Speaker Series presents "Coping with Traumatic Life Events," featuring Roxane Cohen Silver, professor of psychology and social behavior at UC Irvine. Silver has conducted extensive research on how people cope with traumatic events, ranging from personal loss to the broad emotional impact of the Sept. 11 tragedy. In this presentation, Silver not only discusses her findings, but common misconceptions about the coping process.

DATE:
Wednesday, March 15

TIME:
5:30 p.m. lecture; 6:30 p.m. reception

LOCATION:
Langson Library, UCI. Campus map: www.uci.edu/campusmap

INFORMATION:
Free and open to the public. Seating is limited and reservations are requested. For more information or to make a reservation, please call (949) 824-5300 or email partners@uci.edu. Parking is available for $7 in the UCI Student Center parking structure on the corner of W. Peltason and Pereira drives.

BACKGROUND:
Roxane Cohen Silver is a leading expert on stress and coping. Her most recent research examined the long-term health effects of combat trauma on Civil War veterans. She also has studied the psychological impact of Sept. 11 on the American public and testified at the U.S. House of Representative's Committee on Science hearing entitled "The Role of Social Science Research in Disaster Preparedness and Response." Her work seeks to examine cognitive, emotional, social and physical responses to stressful life events and to identify factors that facilitate successful adjustment to them. She also explores the long-term effects of traumatic life experiences and considers how beliefs and expectations of one's social network affect the coping process. Silver has found that common beliefs about how people are supposed to respond to traumatic events -- sometimes fed by media and clinical lore -- often contrast with people's actual reactions.

Media Contact:
Valerie Armstrong
(949) 824-7687
armstrov@uci.edu