2026 MHCC Conference Agenda

Opening keynote session

Creating a Caring Campus Community: Connecting Research & Practice to Help Students Thrive

Alexis Redding, Ed.D., faculty, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Workshops & Lightning Talks | Choose one:  

Workshop 1: Redefining Success: Cultivating Collective Thriving for BIPOC Students in Higher Ed

• Jasmine D. Newsome, M.S., psychology intern, University Health and Counseling, University of Michigan
• Kalei Glozier, M.A., psychology intern, University Health & Counseling, University of Michigan
• Delanie Rodriguez, LLMSW, post-MSW fellow, University Health & Counseling, University of Michigan

Workshop 2: Unmasking Success: Dignity, Disability Justice, and Neurodiversity Mattering on Our Campuses

• Swapna Hingwe, D.O., M.A., director, Counseling and Psychiatric Services, University Health & Wellbeing, Michigan State University

Workshop 3: The Ripple Effect: Empowering Students to Flourish, Thrive, and Build Collective Care Through Peer Counseling

• Ed Huebner, LMSW, associate director of training, University Health & Counseling, University of Michigan
• Markie Silverman, Ph.D., LP, associate director of Mental Health Promotion, Community Engagement, and Access, University Health & Counseling, University of Michigan
• Kayla Douglas, LMSW, associate director of Mental Health Promotion, University Health & Counseling, University of Michigan

Workshop 4: Rewilding Campus: Nature, Movement, and the Embodied Path to Student Flourishing

• Jessa Lytle, assistant director, Adventure Leadership Team & Summer Camps, University of Michigan

Lightning Talks Session 1 (25 minutes each):

• The Power of Place: How Institutional Context Shapes Student Flourishing | Emily Davies, M.A., doctoral candidate, teaching associate, Department of Education & Childhood Studies, Swansea University, Wales
• Low-burden Preventative Digital Mental Health Interventions for First-Year College Students: A Pilot Feasibility Microrandomized Trial | Adam Horwitz, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School
• Let Me Feel at Ease: Designing Inclusive Campus Environments Through the Intersection of Identity and Sense of Place | Hairou Ren, M.A., doctoral student, research assistant, School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan; and Olivia Callahan, M.A., admissions & alumni specialist, Computer Science & Engineering Division, University of Michigan

Workshops & Lightning Talks | Choose one:  

Workshop 5: Advancing Student Success Success Through Comprehensive Care: A Case Study of Applying the Mental Health Continuum of Care to Michigan’s Community Colleges and Beyond

• Amy Rusch, M.P.H., doctoral candidate, Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity, School of Public Health, University of Michigan
• Mira Wang, M.P.H., doctoral candidate, Health Services Organization and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health
• Timothy Rhodes, MSW, MPH, training and technical assistance lead, Mental Health Improvement Through Community Colleges Initiative (MHICC), University of Michigan
• Shawna Smith, Ph.D., MPhil, associate professor of health management & policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, and associate professor of psychiatry, Michigan School of Medicine

Workshop 6: They All Cry at Some Point: Why We Mistake Suffering for Success

• Kayla Bueby, LMSW-CC, ACC, clinical assistant professor and BSW/MSW practicum education coordinator, Department of Social Work, University of Michigan-Flint
• Cait L. Braxton, LMSW-C, clinical assistant professor, BSW/MSW practicum specialist, University of Michigan-Flint

Workshop 7: It Takes a Village: A Collaborative Mental Health Approach to Student Retention and Academic Success

• Nikkita Jackson, DSW, assistant professor, Social Work, Central State University

Workshop 8: Fostering Psychological Safety in Doctoral Advising Relationships

• Dorian Bobbett, M.S., doctoral candidate, Engineering Education Research, University of Michigan 
• Karin Jensen, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Michigan
• Mark Huerta, Ph.D., assistant professor, Virginia Tech
• Jeanne Sanders, Ph.D., staff researcher, University of Michigan

Lightning Talks Session 2 (25 minutes each): 

• University Leave of Absence Policies and Mental Health: Insights from Canadian Students | Abby L. Goldstein, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, associate professor and department chair, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, OISE, University of Toronto
• Are You Running On Autopilot? Discover a Brief Mindfulness Practice to Center Yourself in Class, Meetings, or Daily Life | Madilyn Lay, BSN candidate 2027, ALA240 lead peer facilitator and program assistant, Wolverine Wellness, University of Michigan
• The Power of Purpose | Aaron Pryor, Ed.D., LCSW, assistant director, Counseling and Psychological Services, University of Southern Indiana

Poster session & networking reception

9:00 – 10:30 a.m. 

Plenary session

Arts & Mental Health: Performance, Perfectionism, and Prescribing

• Nicole D’souza, Ph.D., assistant professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa
• Noa Kageyama, Ph.D., performance psychologist faculty, The Juilliard School

Moderated by Mark Clague, MA, Ph.D., executive director, University of Michigan Arts Initiative 

Concurrent sessions | Choose one: 

Session 1: Mattering Now: Contribution as a Key to Student Success and Wellbeing

• Arthur Ernst, Ed.D., adjunct professor, College of Education, Rowan University 

Session 2: Pause, Breathe, Thrive: Mindful Integration for Student Well-Being

• Samantha Sweig, M.B.A., founder, Calmware, and entrepreneur in residence, Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking (Tsai CITY), fellow, Yale School of Management Program on Entrepreneurship
• Amy DiSanto, M.Ed., early childhood education, certified trauma-informed
  yoga nidra facilitator, certified children’s yoga instructor, Lotus Mind Learning

Session 3: Diving Deeper into Data to Design Holistic Wellness Education

• Alison Doehring, Ed.D., senior director, ZipAssist & Student Affairs Development, The University of Akron
• Katie Mosley, M.S.W., assistant director, ZipAssist, The University of Akron

Session 4: Beyond Crisis: Data-Informed, Student-Centered Innovations for Campus Mental Health and Resilience

• Ashley Metoyer, LCSW, M.P.A., psychotherapist; doctoral student, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver
• Jo Jo Lee, LPCC, consultant, former crisis counselor, Leeway Counseling Collective, University of California, San Diego (Former)

Concurrent sessions | Choose one: 

Session 5: Proactively Supporting Student Success with a Digital Mental Health Screening Platform

• Ashley Witmer, M.P.H., doctoral candidate, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
• James Aluri, M.D., M.A., associate professor, School of Medicine, John Hopkins University
• Susanna Lewis, LCSW-C, mental health clinician, John Hopkins University

Session 6: Compassion by Design: Reimagining Retention through Mattering, Belonging, and Institutional Care

• Justin St. Charles, LMSW, strategic retention manager, field Instructor, field Liaison, School of Social Work, Michigan State University
• Kay Stevens, LLMSW, M.Ed., BCC, strategic retention coordinator, SCND lead, Michigan State University
• Julia Barnes, M.A., strategic retention coordinator, Strategic Retention Unit, Michigan State University

Session 7: Preliminary Findings from a Novel Instrument Examining Graduate Students’ Mental Health Experiences: A Data-Driven Path to Take Graduate Students from Surviving to Thriving

• Sarah Jane (SJ) Bork, Ph.D., assistant professor, Engineering Education Transformation Institute, and School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Georgia
• Joseph Mirabelli, Ph.D., postdoctoral research consultant, University of Michigan

Session 8: Before the First Responder: Practical Skills to Maintain the Wellbeing and Dignity of Students in Crisis

• Adam Pierson Milano, DSW, LCSW, clinical instructor, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Naveed Arif Iqball Keynote Lecture

The Mattering Campus: Building an Ecosystem Where Everyone Feels Valued

Jennifer Wallace, founder, The Mattering Institute, co-founder, The Mattering Movement

Moderated by Rob Ernst, M.D., chief health officer, associate vice president, Health & Wellness in Student Life, University of Michigan