Mental Health and Wellbeing Symposium
The University of Illinois System hosts an annual symposium devoted to issues around student, faculty and staff
mental health and wellbeing. Initially planned as a day-long symposium, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the
2020 and 2021 keynote addresses being held virtually. It was decided that 2022's and future symposiums would
also be offered via the virtual format.
The event is hosted by the U of I System and is keynoted by nationally recognized leaders in the student mental
health arena. The themes of the keynote address recognize the importance of employee and student mental health,
provide a forum to explore fresh ideas, strengthen system-wide relationships, and generate innovative strategies
to address the growing need for effective and available mental health services to promote employee and student
success.
The events, to date, are just the start of an ongoing effort to address mental health while emphasizing the role
all members of the campus community can play in supporting a caring and nurturing environment that allows
employees and students to thrive and reach their full potential.
2025 Symposium
The sixth system-wide virtual multi-university mental health and
wellbeing event will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. This year’s keynote address will be delivered by
Dr. Bryan Sexton, Chief Wellness Officer of Duke Health Integrated Practice and Director of the Duke Center
for the Advancement of Well-being Science.
Join Dr. Bryan Sexton, Chief Wellness Officer of Duke Health Integrated Practice and Director of the Duke
Center for the Advancement of Wellbeing Science, for a talk that will demonstrate the mechanisms at work
that cause burnout and look at how evidence-based interventions counteract those mechanisms to result in
wellbeing improvements. Dr. Sexton’s recent NIH R01 grant used Randomized Controlled Trials to demonstrate
that wellbeing can be improved using simple, practical, bite-sized strategies, and that these improvements
endure for the medium and long term.
With more than 30 years of experience as a psychologist, psychometrician, and investigator, Dr. Sexton now
partners with leaders to assess and improve workplace culture and workforce wellbeing. He has led
large-scale studies and randomized controlled trials demonstrating lasting improvements in employee
wellbeing. His work has resulted in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, and his research tools and
interventions have been translated and used in over 30 countries.
Mental Health and Wellness Symposium Committee
Sponsored by the Office of the EVP/VPAA
Event Staff:
Derek Briles, Assistant Director Shared Services, Event Program Coordinator
Colleen Crawford, Employee Engagement and Wellness Coordinator, Event Co-chair
Sophia Gehlhausen, Associate Director, University Academic Programs and Services, Event Co-Chair
Filip Przybysz, Assistant Director Shared Services, Event Communications Coordinator
Organization Sub-groups:
System Offices
Alejandro Gomez, Associate Director, DEI and Belonging, SHR
UIUC
Adita Chadha, Undergraduate Student
Carla McCowan, Director, Counseling Center
Christopher Ochs, Director Faculty Staff
Assistance Services IHR
Mitch Ryba, MPH Student and Gender and Sexuality Resource Center Intern
Deidre Weathersby, Associate Director Outreach and Prevention, Counseling Center
UIC
Geri Biamonte, Employee Assistance Social Worker, University Health Services HR
Shenay Bridges-Carter, Executive Director, Counseling Center
Raphael
Florestal-Kevelier,
Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Health & Wellbeing
Kathleen Kashima, Senior Associate Dean of Students, College of Medicine
Angelina Slager, M.Ed. in Urban Higher Education Student
Stephanie Torres, Assistant Professor, Educational Psychology
Samantha Wahlers, Medical Student
UIS
Bethany Bilyeu, Executive Director, Counseling Center
Olivia Frichtl, Graduate Student
Abigail Kroke, Assistant Professor Psychology
Heather Moore, Human
Resources Office
Previous Symposia
Expand the sections below to learn about past symposiums.
2024
The fifth system-wide virtual multi-university mental health
and wellbeing event was held on October 9th and was deliverd by Dr. Rebecca Kennedy, Assistant Vice
President for Student Health & Wellbeing, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the first
official health promoting university in the US. Her keynote,"Advancing
Student and Employee Health and Well-Being as a Health Promoting
University," focused on what it means to be a health promoting
university, and the steps to meet that aspirational goal.
Employees and students may access the event recording through this link "Advancing
Student and Employee Health and Well-Being as a Health Promoting
University," (NetID required to view the recording)
Dr. Kennedy serves as the Assistant Vice President for Student Health and Wellbeing at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham, the first official health promoting university in the U.S.
In addition to multiple leadership roles at UAB she is the co-chair of the International Health
Promoting Campuses Network and is a member of the Steering Group of the US Health Promoting
Campuses Network, serving as the Past Chair.
She is also the co-author of a chapter entitled, “Wellbeing in Higher Education: Evidence- and
Policy-based Strategies to Enhance the Wellbeing of People, Place and Planet” that was published in
early 2023. Prior to UAB she served at the University of West Florida from 1999 until 2018,
including for nearly five years as the AVP and Director, Counseling and Psychological Services.
2023
The fourth
system-wide virtual Mental Health Keynote Address was held on October 11 and was delivered by
Dr. Luoluo Hong. Dr. Hong's virtual keynote presentation: Resilience, Resistance & Roaring: Integrating
Belonging, Social Justice & Wellbeing Into Our Educational
Mission was attended by more than 350 system wide faculty and
staff.
Employees and students may access the event recording through this link Resilience,
Resistance & Roaring: Integrating Belonging, Social Justice & Wellbeing Into Our
Educational Mission Recording (NetID required to view the recording).
Dr. Hong is the inaugural Vice President for Student Engagement & Well-being at the Georgia
Institute of Technology. Dr. Hong is working to shape and guide the Institute’s collective
impact framework for student belonging, engagement, and wellbeing. She is responsible for developing
a comprehensive, coordinated and evidence-based approach for student activities, events, programs,
and services that supports student learning and holistic success at Georgia Tech and beyond, as well
as promotes educational equity.
Dr. Hong, a passionate educator, courageous leader, and energetic student advocate, brings over 30
years of experience in higher education spanning seven campuses. She has a record of service
providing visionary and strategic leadership in administration, enrollment management, public
health, student affairs, and JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) efforts. She has held
senior administrative roles at San Francisco State University, the California State University
system, the University of Hawaiˈi at Hilo, Shepherd College, the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
and at Arizona State University. Dr. Hong has taught undergraduate and/or graduate-level courses and
been an affiliated faculty member in a variety of disciplines.
Dr. Hong holds a BA in Psychology from Amherst College, a Master’s in Public Health from Yale
University, and a PhD in Educational Leadership & Research from Louisiana State University in
Baton Rouge. She is a nationally sought-after speaker and trainer in the areas of violence
prevention, social justice, and leadership, and has delivered over 3,300 presentations, keynoted
over 80 conferences and meetings, and authored several book chapters. Formerly a consulting editor
for the Journal of American College Health (2000-2008), she was also recognized
as a Fellow by the American College Health Association in 2006. Dr. Hong is the faculty coordinator
for the American College Personnel Association’s Aspiring SSAO Institute and is a member of the
Women’s Network Executive Council for the American Council on Education. She also completed a term
as chair for the Pacific West Athletic Conference from 2011-2013.
2022
The third Student Mental Health Keynote Address was held on September 28, 2022. Dr. Stacey
Pearson-Wharton served as the keynote speaker. Dr. Stacey Pearson-Wharton is Dean of Health &
Wellness and Director of the Counseling Center at Susquehanna University and has served the
Governing Board of the American College Personnel Association as the Director of Equity and
Inclusion where she used her expertise and experience to navigate complicated social justice issues.
She has significant experience teaching, publishing, and presenting on issues related to college
student development. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Pennsylvania State University
and a Masters in Counselor Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Pearson-Wharton's
keynote was based on the latest research on collegiate mental health that highlights the increase in
students' pathology and the proliferation of mental illness in all aspects of University Life. The
complexities of mental illness can cause a professional not trained in mental health to be reluctant
to engage students. This keynote provided information and answered questions about the latest trends
in collegiate mental health, best practices and trends in campus public health measures, the role
the entire University Community plays in understanding and engaging mental illness successfully
including the appropriate roles to assume in different mental health incidents, including explorer,
bridge builder, lightkeeper, and captain, build a unified mental health network intra-campus and
inter-state, and exploring inclusive excellence principles and their role in addressing student
needs.
University Specific Keynote Address
Events
2021
The second Student Mental Health Keynote Address was held on September 15, 2021. The keynote speaker
was Dr. Kelly Crace, Associate Vice President for Health & Wellness and Director of the Center
for Mindfulness and Authentic Excellence at the College of William & Mary. Dr. Crace has
published and presented in the areas of values, flourishing, resilience, life role development and
transition, and organizational development. His keynote, "Flourishing through Chronic Too-Muchness,"
is available below. Over 500 faculty, staff, and students from the three universities and system
offices participated.
Dr.
Crace PowerPoint Presentation
2020
The inaugural Student Mental Health Keynote Address was held on September 16, 2020. The keynote was
delivered by Dr. Gary Glass, Director of Counseling and Career Services at Oxford College of Emory
University, a nationally renowned proponent of addressing student mental health issues from a
community perspective. Dr. Glass' presentation is available below. Over 400 faculty, staff, and
students from the three universities and system offices participated.