Student Health Psychiatry Staff

Dr. Jacobs-Elliott began her academic career by receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida. She then pursued a Medical Degree at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. After graduating from the University of Miami, she completed her psychiatry residency, as well as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship at the University of Florida. She currently works at the Student Health Care Center as a staff Psychiatrist.

Recently, Dr. Jacobs-Elliott was co-chair of a search committee for a Counseling and Wellness Center Psychiatrist position. She has also participated in various presentations on topics such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dr. Jacobs’s consults with undergraduate freshmen students as well as other university professors and staff from various departments, including the College of Nursing regarding mental health. In the future, she plans to continue her service to the university by becoming involved with the admissions process for the University of Florida College of Medicine.

As Co-Director of the Neuromodulation Fellowship Training Program and Chief of Electroconvulsive Therapy Services, I oversee the management of UF’s dual-hospital ECT facilities while leading psychiatric Deep Brain Stimulation programming and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. My role fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, and anesthesia, unified by a commitment to innovation in patient care. Alongside these clinical and academic responsibilities, I maintain a part-time engagement at the Student Health Center, where the pursuit of student well-being remains an immediate and ongoing priority.

My clinical and intellectual pursuits traverse psychiatry and its conceptual edge—engaging neuromodulation, the metaphysics of field interaction, and avant-garde frontiers including psychedelic neuroscience and neurophenomenology. This work is underpinned by a growing philosophical inquiry into the ontological and ethical architectures of psychiatric suffering. I engage in psychiatric movement disorders—including Parkinsonian affective presentations—and collegiate sports psychiatry, exploring the affective and neuropsychiatric consequences of embodied disruption, performance, and repair. Across these domains, I advocate for the integration of the arts and humanities into clinical care—not as ornamentation, but as epistemic and ethical counterparts to the therapeutic act. The most urgent insights often emerge at disciplinary boundaries: where certainty thins, where attention deepens, and where the unknown begins to structure inquiry.

My academic foundation was laid at Louisiana State University, where I earned undergraduate degrees in zoology, physiology, and philosophy before completing medical school at LSU New Orleans. I pursued psychiatry residency at Tulane University, where I remained for two decades, serving as Director of ECT. Further refining my specialization in neuropsychiatric intervention, I completed fellowships in electroconvulsive therapy at Emory University and in transcranial magnetic stimulation at Duke University, solidifying a career devoted to the evolution of psychiatric therapeutics.

Mentorship, for me, is not only a matter of guidance but of catalyzing inquiry, fostering independent thought, and cultivating the precision of scholarly expression. I work closely with students and residents to develop first-author projects across a wide array of neuropsychiatric and philosophical topics, many of which are presented on national and international stages, including the World Federation of Neurology, the World Congress of Psychiatry, and the APA. These collaborations span psychopharmacology, affective neuroscience, ethics, and the theoretical architectures of mental illness. Through this work, I aim to mentor the next generation of leaders while advancing a model of psychiatry that is intellectually rigorous, ethically attuned, and open to the evolving metaphysics of mind. ✦✧✦ Students with a strong interest in scholarship or residents seeking to pursue the Neuromodulation Fellowship are encouraged to reach out directly via email. ✦✧✦

Rizan Yozgat has been an Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with the University of Florida’s Student Health Psychiatry since 2002 when she graduated with her MSN from UF. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from UF and a Master of Arts in Education with a Mental Health Counseling specialization from Western Kentucky University. She enjoys providing supportive therapy as well as psychopharmacology for the students with whom she works. Her interests and expertise are in treating anxiety and mood disorders, PTSD, ADHD and the various mental health issues facing young adults.

Dr. Ludmila De Faria has been a psychiatrist in Florida for over 15 years, seeing patients, teaching psychopharmacology and participating in research. She is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. De Faria was born in Brazil where she earned her Medical Degree from the Universidade de Brasilia and moved to United States in 1991 to complete medical training at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami.

Dr. Lauren Schmidt, received her Medical Doctorate from Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA. After graduating from Penn State College of Medicine, she completed her psychiatry residency at Yale University in New Haven, CT. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She devoted her final year of residency to working with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at Yale University’s Student Mental Health and Counseling Center. Dr. Schmidt was recognized by the Yale Psychiatry’s Resident Association for her commitment to veterans with their Resident Diversity Award.

Dr. Schmidt is primarily invested in integrating therapy and medication management. She brings special expertise in perinatal mental health. Of note, she recently worked at Emory’s Women’s Mental Health Clinic, where she was able to provide perinatal to patients often excluded from traditional Women’s Mental Health Clinics. Dr. Schmidt is also passionate about teaching and was awarded a Medical Student Teaching Award while at Emory University.

Dr. Schmidt works in the Adult Psychiatry Division and provides patient care services at the UF Health at Springhill clinic where she serves as an important academic teacher and mentor for medical students, interns, training residents and fellows.

Maria Quinones, DNP, is a proud triple Gator who earned both her nursing degree and Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Florida. Before joining the Student Health Care Center, she worked at UF Health’s adult outpatient psychiatric center, where she gained valuable experience supporting patients with complex mental health needs using evidence-based care. Maria is passionate about providing holistic, compassionate care. She creates a supportive space where students feel truly heard and valued, and she’s especially focused on the mental and emotional well-being of college-aged patients. She understands the unique pressures students face and is committed to helping them thrive both personally and academically. Her clinical interests include global health, women’s health and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and she’s always looking to grow her expertise in ways that improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Maria takes a comprehensive, personalized approach to care, considering psychiatric needs alongside physical health, emotional resilience, and academic stressors. She works with students to build practical, sustainable plans for long-term wellness. Originally from South America, Maria speaks Spanish fluently and values being able to connect with her Spanish-speaking patients. Outside of clinical practice, Maria loves to travel and is passionate about staying current on mental health research to continually enhance the care she provides to support her patients.

Beth Browning is a licensed Physician Associate and Licensed Professional Counselor with a commitment to integrating both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic approaches to support mental health care. She holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Florida, a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and completed her PA training at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

With a clinical focus on trauma and mood disorders, Beth is passionate about working with college students, recognizing the unique mental health challenges and transitions that often arise during this stage of life. Her therapeutic approach emphasizes comprehensive medical and mental health care tailored to each individual’s needs.

In addition to her clinical work, Beth has a background in education. She has taught in higher education settings and presented at both state and national conferences, sharing her expertise in mental health and integrated care.

When not at work, Beth enjoys spending time with her family, running, and traveling.