What’s Happening in Wellbeing
Be sure to check out Student Wellbeing In The Media too!
Warm Coat Drive Fall 2025
Have an extra coat that you can donate to a student-in-need? The annual Warm Coat Drive is an opportunity for all members of the BU community to donate gently worn or new coats that will be distributed to BU students in need. Any remaining coats will be donated to Goodwill Industries.
Coat Collection October 10-17.
Collection bin locations:
- BUMC (next to Chequers Café)
- Center for Career Development (6th floor of Yawkey Center for Student Services)
- FitRec Lobby
- George Sherman Union Lobby, next to piano
- GSDM, First Floor near elevators
- One Silber Way
- Questrom Lobby
If you are a student worried about affording a coat this winter and would like to inquire about receiving a free coat, please fill out the Coat Drive Interest Form below.
The Warm Coat Drive is part of a larger effort to ensure students’ most basic needs are met. Explore resources available to support core needs both on campus and in the local community including meals, clothing, and emergency needs.
This drive is a partnership between Center for Career Development, Newbury Center, Student Wellbeing, and Sustainability.
Coat Drive Interest Form
Thank you for your interest in receiving a warm coat this winter. We will email you an invitation to our coat pick up once details are available.
Student Wellbeing Partnering with Innovate@BU to Offer New Wellbeing Innovation Seed Grants
Are you ready to make an impact with funding from Student Wellbeing?
With funding and resources offered by BU Student Wellbeing and Innovate@BU, Wellbeing Innovation Seed Grants provide BU students with the necessary funding to kick-start a project or develop an intervention aimed at overcoming student wellbeing challenges.
The Wellbeing Innovation Seed Grant focuses on innovative ideas or initiatives that promote the holistic wellbeing of students at Boston University (BU). Student Wellbeing uses a framework of seven interconnected dimensions that supports holistic wellbeing, describing it as an active, lifelong process of learning what makes you feel balanced and well in all areas of your life.
Ideas are assessed based on innovation, reach, need and feasibility to implement.
Innovations from all fields of study and experience are welcome. Scalable projects for both BU and other institutions of higher learning are highly encouraged.
Applications available Wednesday, September 17.
Deadline for submissions is Sunday, November 2
Click here for more details such as selection criteria, project requirements and eligibility.
Colors + Connection – Bringing Students Together
Campus Colors & Connection is a one-hour workshop that brings people together with “connecting through colors” activities. We provide you with thought-provoking exercises that stimulate rich conversations and authentic engagement. Participants enjoy and grow their “creative intelligence” while exploring ways that color can express moods and emotions. The workshop promotes self-awareness, nurtures peer-to-peer communication and fosters a sense of belonging and connection.
Campus partners include Student Wellbeing, College of Fine Arts, FY101 and Newbury Center.
Workshops will be offered in a variety of FY101 sections as well as at the Newbury Center and CFA.
Background
To address the growing epidemic of loneliness and social isolation on college campuses across the country, the Foundation for Art & Healing (FAH), through our Campus UnLonely project, offers programs that harness the power of creative expression to engage, inspire, empower, and connect a diverse array of students and other communities within the campus environment.
Your Path to Financial Wellbeing & Independence
A collaboration between the Newbury Center, Student Wellbeing and Kindros, this workshop will focus specifically on habits and actions students can take to support their long term financial goals and wellbeing, such as managing credit scores, loans, financing and budgeting.
Join Stephen Martiros, the founder of Kindros, as we discuss financial literacy and how to build a financial picture that is in alignment with your goals and values.
Did you know all BU students have free access to Kindros, a secure money-management learning platform that provides people a safe place to learn how to make good financial decisions and take control of their financial lives?
Workshops offered:
- Thursday, September 25 | 5-6 pm | Hybrid - Newbury Center and online
- Tuesday, October 14 | 5-6 pm | Hybrid - Newbury Center and online
BU Meetup Returns as GradGather for AY25/26!
Calling all graduate students! Are you looking to meet people from different departments and grow your BU network?
For the past two years, BU Meetup has been connecting graduate students from across the university into small conversation groups. Eric Wellers (LAW’24) and Will Saunders (GRS’24), the founders of BU Meetup, have now created GradGather, a new website to facilitate more and easier connections. GradGather is being launched first at BU, and we want you to be a part of it!
Here’s how it works: after you make an account at https://bu.gradgather.com/student-auth/signup, you will receive invitations to join matching sessions. If you sign up for a matching session, you will be matched into a group of 3-4 graduate students from different departments. Then, the rest is up to you! Schedule a coffee chat, go for a walk, give each other tours of your departments, or anything else you'd like to do.
Each match will feature a unique GroupMe chat and email thread to make coordination easy. Happy gathering!
For more on BU Meetup's history, check out this feature on BU Today.
About the founders: Eric Wellers (LAW '24) and Will Saunders (GRS '24) joined forces with a great idea: to connect graduate students that are interested in meeting peers from other programs on campus. Originally piloted by Eric at LAW, Will brought his tech expertise to the table by creating an application to match graduate students into trios as an opportunity to socialize and foster community. With lots of work and determination, BUMeetUp launched in Fall 2022.
Stress ReLeaf Workshops Offered Fall 25
Discover this popular Student Wellbeing initiative that uses tea as a catalyst for mindfulness. Through education and relaxation, we will explore the ancient practice of gong fu cha (“making tea with skill”) and cultivate a space that focuses on the present moment.
Workshop offered Mondays, from 4-5 pm, at the LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center, 2nd floor, 808 Commonwealth Avenue.
Registration required. Registration links will be updated here each week in advance of the following week’s session.
Register here for the next workshop (12/1)
Fall 2025 Workshop Dates:
September 15
September 22
September 29
October 6
October 20
October 27
November 3
November 17
November 24
December 1
A combination of photography and filming will be used during each workshop. The facilitator will respect the privacy of those students who do not wish to be photographed or filmed.
And be sure to check out this video in BU Today for a sneak peek at this awesome workshop!
Breath, Rhythm & Music for Your Wellbeing Fall 2025
Join Professor Igor Iwanek (CFA) and Grammy-nominated tabla player Amit Kavthekar in learning the practice of Rhythmic Breath Control (RBC).
Imagine your body is the hardware and your mind is the software. How do we keep this machine charged? RBC teaches you to create a power station for your body and mind using breath guided by rhythms of North Indian Classical music. Studies have shown how we breathe relates to how healthy we are, and in this interactive session, we'll learn powerful ancient techniques of Naad Yog (yoga of sound) designed to promote emotional resilience and holistic wellbeing.
Learning Objectives:
- Improve cognitive performance and self-management in stressful situations with RBC.
- Learn to recreate the profound relaxation of deep sleep, on demand.
- Understand the power of breath to overcome overwhelming thoughts, stabilize the mind and energize the body.
Throughout the semester, one hour workshops will be offered most Wednesdays at 5:30 pm in FLR 209 at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, with the exception of the first session on 9/17 (see below).
Fall workshop dates:
- 9/17: Located in CAS 313 featuring Dr. Ramesh Bijlani
- 9/24: FLR 207
- 10/1: FLR 207
- 10/8: FLR 209
- 10/15: FLR 209
- 10/22: FLR 209
- 10/29: FLR 209
- 11/5: FLR 209
- 11/12: FLR 209
- 11/19: FLR 209
Thanks to our sponsors:
For an idea of what to expect, check out Dr. Iwanek's recent appearance on BU Today:
Global Grads Connect: Creating Community for International Graduate Students
Student Wellbeing is delighted to announce a new initiative for Fall 2025, Global Grads Connect: Creating Community for International Graduate Students.
This program pairs incoming first-year international grad students with upper-year international grad students who will serve as companions and guides throughout the semester. Through these connections, students can build friendships, receive support, and gain insights into navigating life at BU!
To start, this initiative is open to all international graduate students on the Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC).
Sign-up here for Upper Year Students!
Sign-up here for First-Year Students!
Program Details
Matches are made based on shared commitment, intentionality, and other preferences indicated in the sign-up form. Once paired, students will be introduced via email and can choose their preferred mode and frequency of communication. Whether you meet up for coffee, study together, talk about cultural adjustment, or simply hang out, the connection is what you make of it!
In addition to the one-on-one companion matches, the program will host monthly Cultural Mosaic events, welcoming, informal gatherings that give students a chance to meet others from across schools, share their cultures, and build community in a relaxed setting.
Program History
This program was founded by Manasa Sivakumar (SPH ’26), who won second place in BU's $12.5k Student Wellbeing Competition for pitching this idea. As an international graduate student herself, she saw a need for more intentional opportunities for international students to connect across the university.
Her vision is to create a space where students can support each other, build friendships, and feel a sense of belonging. With the support of Student Wellbeing, the program is now open to students across the BUMC community.
BU Food Pantry Open This Summer
The BU Food Pantry opens for Summer Hours on Monday, June 23 in its NEW CRC location! Pick ups will remain in the same location on the Medical Campus.
Orders on the Charles River Campus can be picked up at 930 Commonwealth Ave, Room 266. Use the entrance on Pleasant Street, labeled 940 Commonwealth Ave. Go to the second floor and follow the signs to the BU Food Pantry.
Orders on the Medical Campus can be picked up at 72 E. Concord St, in the Med Instructional Building, in the cabinets next to Room L-309.
The Food Pantry also has a new ordering system. Students will access the ordering system online and orders will be filled within three business days.
Place an Order
Food Pantry Hours
The BU Food Pantry is here to support all students on campus who may be facing episodic food insecurity and to educate students about how they they can make nutritious and budget friendly choices. Learn how you can support the Food Pantry.
Meet the winners of BU’s 2025 Hospitality Innovation and Student Wellbeing Competition
It all starts with an idea.
Do you have an innovative idea about how to support students' social wellbeing at BU?
These students did!
In the spirit of Experience Innovation, Boston University School of Hospitality Administration and Student Wellbeing celebrate these winners of the 2025 $12.5k Student Wellbeing Competition.
The Student Wellbeing Competition focuses on innovative ideas or initiatives that promote the social wellbeing of students at BU. The success of these ventures were assessed on creativity, novelty, reach, and feasibility to implement.
Student Wellbeing Winners
1st Place – Missed Connections ($6,000)
Frank Yang – College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Class of 2027
Andrea Rojas Doupovec – College of Fine Arts (CFA), Class of 2025
Mohammed Hit – College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Class of 2027
Joseph Marotta – College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Class of 2027
Jodi Yu – College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Class of 2026
MissedConnections is an iOS social app that fosters meaningful friendships among BU students. Using location tracking and interest-based matching, the app connects students who crossed paths during the day but didn’t interact, helping reduce loneliness and spark real-life friendships.
2nd Place – You and Me Both for International Graduate Students ($4,000)
Manasa Sivakumar – School of Public Health (SPH), Class of 2026
You and Me Both is a two-part program designed to combat isolation among international graduate students. The initiative pairs first-year international students with upper-year peers for mentorship and hosts monthly cultural events to build community and promote cross-cultural connection.
3rd Place – Kindness Chain ($2,500)
Qilin Liu – College of Communication (COM), Class of 2026
Chen Yang – College of Communication (COM), Class of 2026
Kindness Chain is a digital platform that cultivates a culture of giving at BU. Students can request or offer help, but to receive assistance, they must pledge to help someone else—creating a visible, growing chain of kindness across campus.
View the winning teams and their final pitches:
In addition to SHA and Student Wellbeing, partners include BU Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences and Innovate@BU.
Learn more about the BU School of Hospitality's Innovation Competitions.