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Q. What does well-being mean to you?
A. Well-being is a holistic experience that encompasses vitality (managing our physical, cognitive, and emotional energy and health), meaning and purpose, enjoyment, relationships, and community. My understanding is informed by research and theory—Martin Seligman’s theory of flourishing (PERMA, which includes positive emotion, engagement, positive Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments/achievements), the six dimensions of wellness (occupational, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, emotional) developed by the National Wellness Institute, longitudinal research on health and aging (such as the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which began in 1938), learning science, and research on student success. Q. Can you tell us about Koru Mindfulness and the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program course that you’re piloting this term? A. I am teaching a new healthy alternatives PE course during D-term: Koru Mindfulness Meditation. Koru Mindfulness is an evidence-based mindfulness curriculum designed for college-aged adults. As a certified Koru instructor, I teach students practical tools to help manage stress and increase self-compassion. Students are introduced to a variety of meditation skills, engage with the Koru mobile app, read the companion book, and participate in class discussion while earning PE credit. This course will also be offered each term in the coming academic year, and I hope to expand this offering in the coming years.
Q. Can you offer a brief description of what you feel the CWB will offer the WPI community?
A. I envision the CWB as an indoor, outdoor, and virtual space that focuses on strengthening the roots of well-being in the campus community. The indoor space will be an oasis of calm and peace with community spaces for popping in for a wellness break and cup of tea, quiet spaces for meditation or reflection, and gathering spaces for group programming. We hope to incorporate a water feature, plants, and environmentally sustainable materials and furnishings so that the space is green and fosters health. The CWB will be a place for engaging in conversations about what it means to slow down and focus on prioritizing what matters most. The virtual nature of the Center will involve considering how best to leverage technology to support wellness initiatives, such as providing easy access to information about wellness programs, offering online assessments, or promoting cultural change to rethink our conceptions of productivity. The CWB will also extend outdoors, and the design of some of these outdoor spaces will be fabulous projects for students. These spaces can be both physical reminders of wellness as folks walk by them as well as destinations for wellness breaks.
Q. What excites you most about the CWB’s development and its launch?
A. I am excited about being a part of all aspects of the CWB development—designing the space, hiring the staff, and developing and implementing our programming model. Plans are underway for the opening of the CWB in Fall 2022. I’ve partnered with departments across campus, including student life, residential life, advising, multicultural affairs, international student life, physical education, recreation and athletics, dining services, the Morgan Center for Teaching and Learning, undergraduate studies, graduate studies, and communications to ensure the CWB will be a hub for cross-functional campus efforts related to well-being. The CWB will be co-located with Student Health Services, some counseling rooms for clinicians from the SDCC, and WPI’s registered dietician in a renovated “Wedge” in Morgan and the first floor of Daniels. The CWB Space Planning Committee has been meeting weekly with the architectural design firm, Lamoureux Pagano Associates, to develop a programming model which will be shared with students, faculty, and staff for input in the coming weeks. I look forward to welcoming the WPI community to the CWB in the fall of 2022!
Q. Is there anything else we should know about you?
A. As a first-generation college student, I learned very early on that education was my gateway to creating the life I dreamed of. I stand here today because education transformed my own life, and I am passionate about sharing that transformative opportunity with others. Along the way, I have also discovered some foundational elements that are essential for me to maintain balance during the ups and downs of life, and I make time for them every day. First, books transport me in time and place, move me out of the confines of my own life, and connect me with universal themes, optimism, and hope. Second, spending time with exercise and nature is a top priority for me. I am lucky to have a beautiful farm and hiking trails near my house. Finally, meditation. Every day when I get up, the first thing I do is plop down on my cushion. The power of the breath to ground us in the present moment is profound. When life feels overwhelming, I bring my attention to the breath, coming in and out of the body, grounding me, moment to moment, breath to breath, with nowhere to go, nothing to do and continuing to choose life, one breath at a time.
