GradWell Podcast
Welcome to GradWell!
Welcome to GradWell! This limited series podcast explores various ways the University of Michigan can support its graduate students in their journey to greater well-being in their everyday lives. Created for graduate students, by a graduate student—brought to you by the Rackham Graduate School.
Explore the different dimensions of well-being and their effect on grad students with Sam Hobson, a Ph.D. candidate and a graduate student assistant in Rackham’s Professional Development and Engagement Office, as they interview university staff and faculty about resources on campus that can help you thrive a little better.
Register to join us for a virtual launch party on Wednesday, February 5, featuring a panel where representatives from the Well-Being Collective will break down the eight different dimensions of well-being and how they affect grad students.
Episodes
GradWell
Professional Well-Being
February 5, 2025
How could nurturing all aspects of your well-being be the thing that helps you land that dream job? In this episode, Assistant Director of Graduate Student Career Advancement Kirsten Elling explores all things professional wellness—including how to make networking easier, how to enhance your relationship with your advisor, and the perspective necessary for a sustainable work/life balance. Learn how the University Career Center can be a confidential space for you to figure things out on a professional level and a guide toward not only greater professional well-being but also that ideal job you didn’t even know existed.
GradWell
Social Well-Being
February 5, 2025
What do non-U-M people have to do with our social well-being? Dive into the necessity of having community outside of graduate school with Assistant Director for Community Partnerships Amanda Healy. Learn all the ways the Ginsberg Center can help you connect to, engage with, and build community independent of your role as an academic, and in doing so, achieve greater social well-being as a graduate student here at Michigan.
GradWell
Intellectual Well-Being
February 5, 2025
How will throwing away the standard image of well-being help our wellness journey? In this episode, Joe Zichi, the lead of the Well-Being Collective, explains how the beauty of failure, micro-dosing “discovery,” and the Well-Being Collective can all support your journey to greater intellectual well-being here at Michigan.
GradWell
Emotional Well-Being
February 19, 2025
How big do our morning or evening routines need to be to count toward our well-being? In this episode, Taylor Pahl and Erin Gaines of Campus Mind Works discuss the benefits of treating wellness like a muscle and the imperfect well-being we should strive for. Listen in and learn all the ways Campus Mind Works can help provide you with strategies, literacy, and opportunities to improve your mental health and emotional well-being.
GradWell
Physical Well-Being
March 5, 2025
In this episode, Dr. Robert Ernst, chief health officer for the University of Michigan, discusses some of the not-so-obvious things that can get in the way of our physical well-being as graduate students. Listen in and learn about the resources at the University of Michigan that can help you on your journey to greater physical well-being.
GradWell
Environmental Well-Being
March 19, 2025
How can our work and study spaces contribute to our environmental well-being? In this episode, John Muckler, Director of IT Facilities and Operations in the College of Engineering, discusses what inclusive and accessible learning environments look like and some small ways you can enhance your personal learning spaces for greater environmental well-being.
GradWell
Spiritual Well-Being
April 2, 2025
What does spiritual well-being have to do with your success as a graduate student here at Michigan? In this episode, Dr. Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, Director of Graduate Studies in the Asian Languages and Cultures department, discusses purpose, consciousness, and how spiritual wellness can benefit our academic and professional journey.
GradWell
Financial Well-Being
April 16, 2025
How is finance simultaneously a way of thinking and a set of tools? In this episode, Dr. Guatam Kaul, Professor of Finance at Ross, discusses the beauty and power of finance. Join us as we explore how to improve our financial literacy as graduate students and the resources at Michigan that can help you on your journey to greater financial well-being.
More Resources on Well-Being
General
Professional
- University Career Center
- One-on-One Coaching
- Ph.D. Connections Conference
- University Career Center & Rackham Resources: Resources for Advisor Relationships
- Mentoring Others Results in Excellence
- Graduate Student and Program Consultation Services
- Rackham Doctoral Intern Fellowship Program
- Guide for Graduate Student Mentees
- The Advising Relationship for Graduate Students
- Graduate Student Mentoring Guide
Social
- Ginsberg Center
- Ginsberg Graduate Consultant Program
- Connect2Community Portal
- MichiganX: Community Engagement—Collaborating for Change
- Campus Compact: Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement
- Community-Engaged Course Design workshop (Ginsberg Center)
- Graduate Student Opportunities (Ginsberg Center)
Intellectual
- Well-Being Collective
- Well-Being Toolkit
- Wellness Coaching
- Union and Pierpont Commons Wellness Zones
- Graduate Student Mental Health and Well-Being (Rackham)
- Calm App (Free for Michigan students!)
- Imposter Syndrome Resources (CAPS)