Individual Fellow Initiatives

The “Social/Wellness Module:” Providing Space for Wellbeing and Social Learning for Incoming UT Students
My project addresses the lack of built-in social/wellness-oriented interactions in introductory courses for

Longhorn Mindfulness Project
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 Compassion Project
Evidence from allied health fields shows that patients’ relationship with their provider is often the most therapeutic aspect of the health care encounter (Tresolini

Student Success and Well-being
My project is designed to support engineering students primarily in their freshman and sophomore years, when they struggle the most, resulting in high failing rates. Students do not always implement the best study strategies as they transition from high school to college, and do not prioritize their self-care and well-being. College level coursework is significantly more difficult compared to high school level courses and require more critical and abstract thinking.

Learning To Just Do It: Get ‘Em While They’re Figs
Freshmen, often overwhelmed by perceived barriers of time, motivation, and knowledge don’t remain active, leading to weight gain and associated physical and emotional issues. Regular physical activity directly and positively impacts physical and emotional well-being and transfers to better scholastic outcomes. KHE majors need practical experiences to develop skills to develop programs that match personal goals and fitness levels. This project was unique in that it meets an identified need for freshmen and KHE majors.