The below message was sent to faculty, staff, and students on May 7, 2025.
Dear Faculty and Staff,
I am deeply saddened to inform you that Laura Grafe, a colleague in the Department of Psychology, passed away on Monday. This is a tremendous loss to the department, to our students, and to the Bryn Mawr community as a whole. Laura was a brilliant scholar, an outstanding teacher, and a dedicated student advisor and mentor. She will be sorely missed.
Laura joined the Bryn Mawr faculty in 2018 and was one of the founding faculty of our Bi-Co Neuroscience major and minor. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She received her B.S. in Physiology and Neurobiology as well as a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Maryland in 2008, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013.
Laura’s research focused on how stress affects the brain and how this effect of stress may lead to behavioral phenotypes relevant to mental health. She advanced the understanding of sex differences in hormones, stress, and sleep, all the while contributing to a neuroscience knowledge base that promoted women’s well-being.
Before her post-tenure research leave during this academic year, Laura taught courses on behavioral psychology, introduction to psychology, and stress neuroscience. She built a tremendous legacy in such a short time, creating opportunities for so many students to study and research neuroscience.
Laura was dynamic, engaged, and above all kind, and accepting. She is survived by her husband, Corey, and two children.
Support services are available to all members of the Bryn Mawr community. Students can reach a counselor 24/7 by calling 610-526-7778 or by utilizing the TELUS Health app. In-person support is available for students from the Counseling Services office by appointment or walk-in. Employees may contact the Employee Assistance Program for counseling and other support services.
Our Interfaith Chaplain, Rabbi Nora Weiser-Woods, is also available for support. Please connect with her directly at nwoods@brynmawr.edu if you seek support or spiritual care.
Most sincerely,
Tim
Tim Harte
Provost and Professor of Russian
Bryn Mawr College
101 N. Merion Ave.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
(610) 526-5168