Home Student Experience GradWell Podcast Gradwell Podcast 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. ⚠️ JavaScript is required to view the podcast player. Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Music iHeartRadio Audible YouTube Episodes Professional Well-Being February 2, 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. Social Well-Being February 3, 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. Intellectual Well-Being February 4, 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. Emotional Well-Being February 19, 2025 How big do our morning or evening routines need to be to count towards 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. Environmental Well-Being March 5, 2025 How can designing with neurodiversity in mind positively impact all students’ academic success? In this episode, John Muckler, director of IT facilities and operations in the College of Engineering, discusses how the built environment can affect our thoughts and feelings, and why the spaces “in between” matter just as much as the classroom when it comes to our academic success. Explore how thinking differently about sound, lighting, open space, and furniture can positively shape your academic performance and how an expert like John is a key resource at Michigan to help you take your environmental well-being to the next level. Physical Well-Being March 19, 2025 How can we incorporate movement and physical activity into our lives in ways that will actually stick? In this two-part episode, Michigan’s chief health officer, Dr. Robert Ernst explores the relationships that are important for our physical well-being. Then, Ellen Taylor, senior assistant director of fitness & wellness from the Rec Department, explains how physical activity can function as a balance to the competitive, results-driven focus of our graduate careers. Listen in and learn about all the fitness classes, skills workshops, outdoor programs, ropes courses, equipment rentals, and more that are available here at Michigan to help you best achieve your movement goals. Financial Well-Being April 2, 2025 Why doesn’t money have that much to do with financial well-being? In this episode, Dr. Gautam Kaul, Professor of Finance at Ross, explains the answer to this question and discusses how to think differently about debt, money, and our time in graduate school. Listen in and learn how to see finance as a framework that can give you the agency that’s necessary to actualize your wellbeing. Spiritual Well-Being April 16, 2025 How can spiritual wellness help us navigate the difficulties we encounter in grad school? Explore this question and more with Christine Modey, Director of the Michigan Community Scholars Program, and Kelly Dunlop, our Spiritual, Secular, Religious, and Interfaith Engagement Lead. Listen in and learn why our spiritual life looks different now than when we were in undergrad; how to build spiritual wellness from the small things we do everyday; and the resources throughout campus that can support your journey to greater spiritual well-being.
Professional Well-Being February 2, 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.
Social Well-Being February 3, 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.
Intellectual Well-Being February 4, 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.
Emotional Well-Being February 19, 2025 How big do our morning or evening routines need to be to count towards 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.
Environmental Well-Being March 5, 2025 How can designing with neurodiversity in mind positively impact all students’ academic success? In this episode, John Muckler, director of IT facilities and operations in the College of Engineering, discusses how the built environment can affect our thoughts and feelings, and why the spaces “in between” matter just as much as the classroom when it comes to our academic success. Explore how thinking differently about sound, lighting, open space, and furniture can positively shape your academic performance and how an expert like John is a key resource at Michigan to help you take your environmental well-being to the next level.
Physical Well-Being March 19, 2025 How can we incorporate movement and physical activity into our lives in ways that will actually stick? In this two-part episode, Michigan’s chief health officer, Dr. Robert Ernst explores the relationships that are important for our physical well-being. Then, Ellen Taylor, senior assistant director of fitness & wellness from the Rec Department, explains how physical activity can function as a balance to the competitive, results-driven focus of our graduate careers. Listen in and learn about all the fitness classes, skills workshops, outdoor programs, ropes courses, equipment rentals, and more that are available here at Michigan to help you best achieve your movement goals.
Financial Well-Being April 2, 2025 Why doesn’t money have that much to do with financial well-being? In this episode, Dr. Gautam Kaul, Professor of Finance at Ross, explains the answer to this question and discusses how to think differently about debt, money, and our time in graduate school. Listen in and learn how to see finance as a framework that can give you the agency that’s necessary to actualize your wellbeing.
Spiritual Well-Being April 16, 2025 How can spiritual wellness help us navigate the difficulties we encounter in grad school? Explore this question and more with Christine Modey, Director of the Michigan Community Scholars Program, and Kelly Dunlop, our Spiritual, Secular, Religious, and Interfaith Engagement Lead. Listen in and learn why our spiritual life looks different now than when we were in undergrad; how to build spiritual wellness from the small things we do everyday; and the resources throughout campus that can support your journey to greater spiritual well-being.
