Professor John Pijanowski has been named a Faculty Fellow in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs in support of efforts to promote faculty wellbeing.

Working with Vice Provost Kathryn Sloan, Pijanowski will help identify and promote existing initiatives on campus and create new programs and resources to support faculty. The fellowship will culminate in offering an eight-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) seminar sponsored by the Office of Faculty Affairs. Pijanowski is currently participating in the MBSR Teacher Training program through Brown University.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with our community of faculty on campus supporting each other in living healthier, less stressful lives. Mindfulness based practices have a long and well-studied history, which is what initially attracted me to it. For me, the most compelling aspect of MBSR is how it can be woven into our daily lives from how we communicate with each other, eat a meal or even how we walk from one building to another."

"Faculty wellbeing is critical to the academic enterprise. Faculty are first responders to students in distress; yet, they also need strategies and tools to reduce stress, sleep better and nurture their mental, physical and spiritual health. I am delighted that our inaugural faculty fellow, Dr. Pijanowski, will focus on integrating existing wellness programming with new initiatives to promote faculty wellbeing," Sloan said. 

Interim Provost Terry Martin agreed: "The pandemic has taken an extraordinary toll on faculty, students and staff. Now more than ever, it is paramount to institutionalize wellbeing programs into the fabric of academic affairs."