Sarah Wilson Sokhey, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at CU Boulder, where she also is the founding director of the Studio Lab for Undergrad Research. It matches undergraduate students with faculty projects, paying them to work with faculty mentors. The lab also hosts social events and professional training opportunities. Sokhey’s research focuses on the relationship between politics and economics, emphasizing social policies including pensions and higher education. Last year, she was named to the latest cohort of President’s Teaching Scholars at CU.
The research of June Gruber, Ph.D., examines happiness and positive emotion, words that might bring to mind a smiling face. It’s no surprise, then, when she describes her CU Boulder lab – the Positive Emotion and Psychopathology (or PEP) Laboratory – as a fun, collaborative and creative space. Positive emotion also plays a role in mental illness, which Gruber and her team also study. The work is not eternal sunshine. "There really can be too much of a good thing when it comes to positive emotion," she said. "And that’s one of the central ideas in our work: that positive emotions, while often helpful and adaptive, can also have a darker side when experienced in excess or in the wrong context."
The University of Colorado Staff Council (UCSC) recently honored 10 exceptional employees across the CU system with the 2025 Staff Excellence Awards. CU staff members – two from each campus and system administration – received the honors presented annually to recognize those who go above and beyond their job duties and consistently surpass expectations. Each received a $250 award.
