Student Wellbeing

Longhorn Mindfulness Project

Cohort

2022

Fellow(s)

This project focuses on mental health on campus. Specifically, the mental health and self-regulation challenges that mindfulness practices have been empirically shown to address: anxiety, depression, focus, and procrastination. There is strong empirical support for these benefits emerging around the 8-week mark of regular practice (10-15 minutes per day), which is feasible in the confines of the semester calendar.

The “Social/Wellness Module:” Providing Space for Wellbeing and Social Learning for Incoming UT Students

Cohort

2022

Fellow(s)

Marina Alexandrova

My project addresses the lack of built-in social/wellness-oriented interactions in introductory courses for

Marina Alexandrova

Current Fellow

Slavic and Eurasian Studies

College of Liberal Arts

Initiative Focus

Curriculum (Re)design

Student Success

Student Wellbeing

Dr. Alexandrova teaches a variety of courses on Russian history, culture, and language. Her current research interests include international modernism and avant-garde, Russian radical and revolutionary movements, spirituality in Imperial Russia, and, most recently, cultural and spiritual ties between Russia and the United States. Her Signature Course, UGS 303 "Tsars and Mystics," examines (un)Orthodox spiritual practices of Russian rulers from Ivan the Terrible to Nicholas II.

Tolga Ozyurtcu

Current Fellow

Kinesiology and Health Education

College of Education

Initiative Focus

Improving Teaching and Learning

Student Wellbeing

Tolga Ozyurtcu is a faculty member in Sport Management and Physical Culture and Sport Studies, in the department of Kinesiology and Health Education. He also serves as the department's Undergraduate Coordinator. He holds a PhD and MSc in Kinesiology from UT Austin and a B.A. in Political Science from Haverford College. Ozyurtcu teaches courses on the business and culture of sports and exercise, including topics such as organizational behavior, history, philosophy, and ethics.

Natalie Czimskey

Current Fellow

Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Moody College of Communication

Initiative Focus

Student Success

Student Wellbeing

Natalie Czimskey, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at The University of Texas where she earned all three of her degrees. She began teaching as a doctoral student in 2012 and continued teaching part time until completing her Ph.D. in 2019 when she joined the faculty full-time. Her primary research area is adult neurogenic disorders with a special interest in traumatic brain injury, though her passion is teaching; she has taught 9 different courses in the past 2 years.

Nina Telang

Alumni

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Cockrell School of Engineering

Initiative Focus

Student Success

Student Wellbeing

Nina Telang is a Professor of Instruction in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and a Kilby Faculty Fellow. She is passionate about student success and well-being and has implemented student success programs in her first and second-year courses.

Dixie Stanforth

PTF Emeritus

Kinesiology and Health Education

College of Education

Initiative Focus

Experiential Learning

Student Wellbeing

Dixie has been teaching in Undergraduate program in Kinesiology & Health Education since 1985. She has developed a successful curriculum for pre-allied health professionals within KHE, providing both theoretical content and practical experiences in a number of Specializations. She is a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, and serves on the Editorial Board for the ACSM Health & Fitness Journal. She has been a fitness editor for Shape magazine and a 5-star speaker for IDEA, presenting extensively at both national and international conferences.

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