The Positive Education & Addiction Recovery (PEARL) Lab
The PEARL Lab applies positive psychological and relational frameworks to the study of addiction recovery in educational and
peer-based contexts.
Our work examines how students and emerging adults navigate recovery within academic institutions and how recovery-supportive systems foster belonging, agency, and long-term well-being.
Research Themes
Recovery Identity Development
Exploring how recovery is experienced, understood, and integrated into identity over time.
Collegiate Recovery
Understanding how students navigate recovery within educational systems and communities.
Recovery-Support Systems
Examining how institutions, relationships, and support structures help sustain growth and well-being.
Peer Recovery Support
Studying peer relationships and recovery communities as pathways for connection and healing.
Why PEARL?
A pearl is formed when a grain of sand enters an oyster's shell—an intrusion that causes irritation, friction, and disruption.
Over time, through a slow and layered process, that irritation is transformed.
What begins as something unwanted becomes something valuable, resilient, and enduring.
Recovery is rarely linear, comfortable, or tidy.
Through time, care, support, and meaning-making, experiences that once felt painful can become sources of strength, identity, insight, and connection.
Our Approach
Lived Experience
• Community knowledge
• Human-centered research
Translation Into Practice
• Policy
• Training
• Higher education systems
Positive Psychology
• Strengths
• Growth
• Purpose
Trauma-Informed Practice
• Context
• Care
• Understanding
Work With Us
The PEARL Lab mentors undergraduate and graduate students whose research interests are centrally focused on addiction recovery. Our work applies positive psychological and relational frameworks within recovery contexts, particularly collegiate recovery, recovery identity development, recovery capital, and peer recovery support services.
Because mentorship is most effective when research interests are closely aligned, the PEARL Lab does not supervise projects that are not directly connected to addiction recovery.
Students whose primary interests are general well-being, relationships, or positive psychology outside of recovery contexts may find a better fit with other research groups.
We are especially interested in working with students who wish to study:
• Collegiate recovery and student recovery pathways
• Recovery identity and recovery capital
• Peer recovery support services
• Recovery-oriented systems of care
• Trauma-informed and lived-experience-informed recovery researchng meets thoughtful execution. Let’s create something meaningful together.
Apply Today
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For students interested in pursuing graduate research and mentorship opportunities within the PEARL Lab’s areas of focus.
Click here ( link to Microsoft Form).
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For undergraduate students interested in contributing to ongoing research and gaining hands-on experience in recovery-focused scholarship.
Click here ( link to Microsoft Form).
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For those seeking to become involved with the PEARL Lab and explore opportunities for collaboration, research, and learning.
Click here ( link to Microsoft Form).