February 2024
The Transformative Power of Joy
Presented by Meme Styles, the founder and President of award-winning nonprofit Measure, "The Transformative Power of Joy" is a compelling speech that explores the profound impact of joy on our personal and professional lives. It delves into how cultivating a mindset of joy can significantly enhance our overall well-being, resilience, and motivation. The speech combines personal anecdotes, inspirational stories, and practical tips to demonstrate how joy can be found and embraced, even in the face of life’s challenges. Attendees are not only provided with insights into the science behind joy and its benefits but are also equipped with actionable strategies to integrate more joy into their daily routines. This presentation aims to leave the audience feeling empowered, motivated, and ready to approach life with a renewed sense of positivity and purpose.
January 2024
Psychology of Spending
Do you ever wonder why you left the mall with $500 worth of clothes when you were not planning to get anything or bought one pair of shoes over another? It is not just personal preference. Psychologists have found that there are several forces that govern our consumer behavior and cause us to make decisions that are not necessarily rational or in our best interest. However, understanding why we buy what we buy can help us make better choices in the future.
May 2023
Career Zen: Letting Go of the Past, Inviting in the New
Everyone has talents that the world needs, but sometimes we feel stuck and uninspired. Creating a path toward your career fulfillment can lead to global impact and progress. Dr. Lynn Chang will guide us through several techniques and exercises that can lead to greater career fulfillment, professional development, and purpose including a demonstration of a fire ceremony based on traditions of the Q'ero shamanic lineage.
April 2023
Building a Strong Professional Network
Professional networking is a crucial aspect of career development, but it can be difficult for some people to effectively build their network and overcome the network gap. Join Cody Horton, the founder and Managing Director for Diverse Recruiting Experts, as he guides participants in developing and leveraging their professional network.
February 2023
Bringing the One-Room Schoolhouse to the Workplace: Building Community Through Learning
When we learn together, we thrive together. Emil Kresl, Director of Learning & Development at UT Austin Human Resources, will describe an approach to learning in which people from diverse backgrounds and varying levels of education and work experience can enrich the learning experience while building connections.
January 2023
Hitting the Reset Button
Many people view January as a chance to hit the reset button on life. Rather than succumbing to the pressure of New Year's resolutions, let's make January – and the whole of 2023 – a chance to celebrate everything that's already good in our lives. Join Nossè Ovienmhada, Wellness Manager, in a virtual journaling and reflection exercise as part of the Building Community During Times of Change Series. It's recommended that participants come prepared with paper and pen.
November 2022
Affirming LGBTQIA+ Colleagues and Community
Join Michelle Rameriz, Education Coordinator at the Gender & Sexuality Center, as she helps the group work through a series of strategies for creating gender and sexuality-affirming offices and conversations.
October 2022
Moving Bodies, Walking Archives
Join Dr. Madia W. Cooper as she guides us through a movement-based exploration into understanding how our bodies embrace and embody external actions that lead us to be change-makers and legacy carriers.
September 2022
Celebrate and Appreciate Together
Join the FAS Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and HealthPoint Wellness for a celebration of UT employees and an opportunity to meet each other in person at the William C. Powers Student Activity Center Ballroom! Enjoy music by the Texas Eastside Kings, food, games, and good company as part of the Building Community During Times of Change series. Virtual attendance is also available.
May 2022
My Gran'ma Used to Say...': Exploring our Cultural Healing Traditions
Is there a special soup or meal that you would be given only when you were sick? Were dreams discussed in your family as a blessing or a warning? Did you have the one elder that when they said something, everyone knew it was important and true? Did your when they said something family go to a healer to perform a limpia when the family was in trouble? Commemorate this year's National Mental Health Awareness Month 2022 theme: Back to Basics. Explore healing traditions or customs in our own families and across cultures and discuss a TedX talk by Dr. Fayth M. Parks, a psychologist, writer, and teacher who is an expert in global healing traditions. She outlines a model developed from her research of a Culturally-Based Healing Beliefs System that includes four components: Spirituality, Ritual, the Power of Words, and Dreams.
April 2022
Plant Care and Self Care: Creating a Space for Growth
To commemorate Earth Day, join a virtual and interactive planting session to experience the psychological and physiological benefits of interaction with plants. It is a scientific fact that living near green spaces and spending as much time as possible in nature can improve mood, reduce stress, enhance cognitive skills, and promote overall well-being in people of all ages. Like plants, we need to nourish ourselves, be mindful of our own environment, and “prune” things from our lives to support our overall growth.
March 2022
Grieving in a Time of COVID
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared that the spread of COVID-19 was a pandemic. On March 13, 2020, UT Austin faculty and staff learned that the preparations for online courses and moving to primarily working virtually from home were happening; some employees were asked to continue to work on campus amid a health crisis. Our world has not been the same since. This virtual event will hold space to acknowledge the many losses the UT community has experienced in the past two years. Facilitated by Jamie Justus LCSW-S HealthPoint Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
February 2022
The Impact of Trauma on the Black Community and the Quest for Keeping the Joy
Facilitated by Rakima Parson, LPC-S, join the UT community in honoring the shared hardships and celebrating the triumphs and brilliance of these individuals who are all part of the Black story, the Black identity. Participants will receive psychoeducation and prompts to discuss cultivating joy amid chronic stressors.
January 2022
I'm Stretched Thin after Break; Let's Snap Back Together!
Winter break can be stressful, and it may surprise you that being in dialogue with others can help calm your nervous system. In this "tell and show," organizers will provide a short explanation and give you a chance to experience the positive impact of co-regulation.
November 2021
Introductory Gathering
This forum is meant to be the beginning of a series created to bring people together and give everyone a voice in a dialogue about the intersection of well-being, mental health and equity, diversity, and inclusion. The goal is to provide peer support, social connection, and education to build a community of support at work.