Texas Well-being Faculty Ambassadors
About the Texas Well-being Faculty Ambassadors pilot program
In Spring 2025, Texas Well-being launched a pilot program where faculty collaborate as leaders of well-being efforts across The University of Texas at Austin.
Goals of the Texas Well-being Faculty Ambassadors pilot program
- Extend the impact of Texas Well-being by recruiting and collaborating with faculty to lead well-being efforts in their specific college and/or department.
- Create a more coordinated system of faculty who explicitly support student well-being across the University.
- Develop faculty well-being leaders who can support their fellow faculty, staff, and administrators in creating well-being programs that have direct impacts on student well-being both inside and outside classrooms.
Examples of Texas Well-being Ambassadors’ Activities
- Develop and deliver workshops to fellow faculty
- Form and lead a committee of faculty and staff to develop activities for supporting student well-being both inside and outside classrooms
- Conduct observations with feedback specifically focused on well-being strategies and methods within classrooms
- Develop and deliver workshops about supporting student well-being in the classroom to graduate students
- Identify a specific set of well-being strategies to create workshops, resources, etc. for implementation department- or college-wide
- Create a Canvas course, website, etc. for the college/department that provides ideas and resources for supporting student well-being in different learning environments
- Develop resources to support specific well-being needs of students in their college/department
- Organize well-being events for faculty, staff, and/or students to participate in
Funding
Faculty members selected for the Texas Well-being Ambassadors program received a stipend and programming funding.
The Inaugural Cohort of Ambassadors
Katie Ayers, MS, RN, Clinical Instructor, School of Nursing, is collaborating with the rest of the school’s well-being committee to implement wellness themes each semester to help faculty and students develop holistic well-being. Within each theme, she and other well-being leaders in the school will provide practical tools and resources (e.g., sleep masks, healthy snacks) to students in addition to creating informational brochures, email notifications, and posters with wellness techniques.
Raissa Douglas Ferron, PhD, Professor of Infrastructure Materials Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, is creating a “Mentoring for All” program that focuses on helping engineering faculty integrate wellness activities and resources into their various learning environments. She plans to develop a toolkit of evidence-based strategies and practical tools for faculty to use to support their students’ success and well-being.
Kristin Jensen, Professor of Bassoon, Division Head of Chamber & Collaborative, College of Fine Arts and Andrew Dell'Antonio, PhD, Professor of Musicology, Division head of Musicology and Ethnomusicology, College of Fine Arts, will focus on offering health-building activities within courses that are required for music students. They are planning to collaborate with their fellow faculty in the Butler School to integrate activities that address mindfulness, managing performance anxiety, reducing the risk of repetitive stress injuries and general self-care.
Nina Telang, PhD, Professor of Instruction in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering, is organizing and leading a program entitled “Rigor with Compassion in Engineering Education,” that focuses on helping engineering faculty integrate wellness activities into their various learning environments, scaffold academic work for students, create compassionate classroom environments, and implement flexible assessment methods. She plans to establish a faculty working group that will collaborate on building a toolkit of evidence-based strategies and practical tools for faculty to use to support their students’ success and well-being.
Greg Wallingford, MD, MBA, Assistant Dean for Professional Fulfillment and Well-being, Dell Medical School, aims to engage students, trainees, and faculty in a series of speaker events, workshops, and community-building activities focused on professional fulfillment and well-being. Through a structured “passport program,” participants will develop the knowledge and skills to enhance both their own well-being and that of their colleagues in daily work. Those who complete designated activities will be recognized and celebrated as Well-Being Champions. This program is designed to cultivate internal expertise and foster a strong community centered on well-being.
Andre Yu, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine in Dell Med, is collaborating with his fellow faculty to build meaning making and connection within daily clinical practice. He plans to support his others in his department by developing well-being strategies, tools, and resources that can be used throughout a weekly rotation. Examples include tools for identifying important and meaningful parts of practice related to an individual’s core values, practice in expressing gratitude, and intentionally finding joy in medicine.