Our team brings together researchers, educators, graduate students, and undergraduate students to rethink how we teach human flourishing.
This is our current team that shapes future Human Flourishing experiences.
Dr. Blake Colaianne is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State. His research interests include adolescent development and human flourishing, with a particular focus on how mindfulness, compassion, and social connection support well-being. As an applied researcher, he has developed and evaluated evidence-based curriculum for high school students, undergraduate students, and K-12 teachers.
Blake was recently named a 2026 CASEL Weissberg Scholar. His research has been supported by the Grable Foundation and Mental Research Institute, and he was awarded the 2023 Samuel B. Hanser Visionary Grant from the Mind & Life Institute.
Blake received his BS in secondary education from Juniata College, MEd from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and PhD from Penn State. He began his career as a high school science teacher at Dallastown Area School District.
Elise is the Research Coordinator for the Learn to Flourish Design Hub, serving a central role in bringing the Hub's ideas to life. Elise helps develop, refine, and organize the Hub's research projects while supporting the team across a variety of initiatives. As a recent Penn State graduate, she brings a firsthand understanding of the undergraduate experience.
With a B.S. in Nutritional Sciences from Penn State and an A.S. in Biological Sciences from HACC, her interdisciplinary background has shaped her interest in understanding how culture and the world around us influence our behavior and health. Elise is passionate about supporting young adult well-being and helping students build the tools they need to flourish, especially at a time when loneliness and other mental health challenges are so prevalent.
Raymond is a 2nd year graduate Student pursuing a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with a dual title in Social and Behavioral Neuroscience.
Raymond's research seeks to identify trainable capacities of well-being specific to emerging adulthood that promote flourishing and improve mental performance. His work aims to understand how the neurobiological and psychosocial characteristics of emerging adulthood interact to create a powerful window for cultivating human flourishing.
Project Team: Student Outreach Lead
Flourishing Focus: General College Students
Major: Human Development & Family Studies
"Learning to flourish is the continual and transformational process of understanding ourselves and others."
Project Team: Mindfulness Meets Self-Determination Theory
Flourishing Focus: General College Students
Major: Psychology & Sociology
"Learning to flourish for me, has been the realization that life doesn't have to be perfect in order to feel meaningful."
Project Team: Flourishing and Teaming
Flourishing Focus: Engineering/Business Students
Major: Communication Sciences & Disorders
"Learning to flourish is the constant journey of learning how to intuitively navigate whatever life may throw your way."
Project Team: Flourishing and Teaming
Flourishing Focus: Engineering/Business Students
Major: Biotechnology (Ethics minor)
"Learning to flourish by staying curious, appreciating life's beauty, staying present, recognizing how our connections shape us, and helping others build the tools they need to grow, thrive, and find meaning together."
Project Teams: Conversations on Purpose; Train to Flourish
Flourishing Focus: General College Students; Student Athletes
Major: Psychology
"Learning to flourish has completely changed my college experience and assisted me in recovering from a major injury."
Project Team: Mindfulness Meets Self-Determination Theory
Flourishing Focus: General College Students
Major: Applied Statistics
"Learning to flourish means that you and I appreciate every choice we've made in this world."
Project Team: Mindfulness Meets Self-Determination Theory
Flourishing Focus: General College Students
Major: Business Management
"Learning to flourish does not mean to learn to be perfect or even happy, for it is about learning and teaching others how to grow from an imperfect world."
Project Teams: Conversations on Purpose; Train to Flourish
Flourishing Focus: General College Students; Student Athletes
Major: Psychology
"Learning to flourish can change someone's life."
Project Team: Flourishing and Teaming
Flourishing Focus: Engineering/Business Students
Major: Mechanical Engineering
"Learning to flourish by remembering where I've been, staying grounded in where I am, growing through adversity, and recognizing the connections that make us perfectly human."
Project Team: Conversations on Purpose
Flourishing Focus: General College Students
Major: Architectural Engineering
"Learning to flourish is helping me grow into a more genuine and generous version of myself."