What’s Happening in Wellbeing
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Meet The Winners of BU’s 2026 Hospitality Innovation and Student Wellbeing Competition
It all starts with an idea.
In the spirit of Experience Innovation, Boston University School of Hospitality Administration and Student Wellbeing celebrate the winners of the 2026 $20k 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.
Through a multi-stage judging process, five finalists were selected from over 40 applications. Award winners were announced at the BU SHA Hospitality Leadership Summit held April 10.
Student Wellbeing Competition Winners
1st Place – BU Brought to You! ($10,000)
Sarah Keating, Grace Dolan & Kristin Hudson - SPH Graduate Students
"BU Brought to You!" addresses loneliness experienced by off-campus students by hosting social-wellbeing events closer to where interested students live, such as local libraries or coffee shops.
2nd Place – TerrierFit ($6,000)
Dannar Zharkyn & Ana Balaci - ENG Graduate Students
TerrierFit is an app that connects BU students who want to work out or play sports together, reducing gym anxiety while making physical activity more social, accessible, and easy to organize on campus.
3rd Place – SkillSwap ($4,000)
Srikanth Reddy Gondireddy & Lakshmi Girija - GRS Alum
SkillSwap is a peer-to-peer platform where people can exchange skills without money - for example, teaching someone guitar in exchange for learning photography from them.
Finalist: BU Integration Lab
Maryjoy Gerald, Sam Amoako-Kusi, & Feven Lencha - SPH Graduate Students
The BU Integration Lab is a student-led hub where international BU students form small cohorts to connect, navigate campus life & build a lasting, supportive community.
Finalist: CommonGround
Dannar Zharkyn & Ana Balaci - ENG Graduate Students
CommonGround is a digital toolkit that helps BU roommates set healthy boundaries, resolve conflicts respectfully, and maintain positive shared living environments through guided support.
The Student Wellbeing Competition has grown each year thanks to partnerships across campus, including funding provided by BU Student Wellbeing, College of Communication, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Hospitality Administration, School of Social Work, and Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.
Congratulations also to the winners of the $50k Hospitality Innovation Competition.
Global Grads Connect Spring Social 4/2
Calling all international graduate students! Student Wellbeing’s initiative - Global Grads Connect - is back for the spring semester.
Through social connections, international grad students can build friendships, receive support, and gain insights into navigating life at BU!
You're invited:
- April 2, 5 pm
- George Sherman Union Small Ballroom
- 775 Commonwealth Avenue, 2nd floor
- Charles River Campus
RSVP here for the April 2 event!
Color for your Wellbeing
Join us most Wednesdays, 11:30am - 1 pm, in the GSU for Community Coloring. Upcoming dates: 3/25, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29.
Did you know that there is a science behind coloring? Coloring can be therapeutic, and creating beautiful art is not only stress relieving, it’s a great way to practice mindfulness. Disconnect from your devices, unwind, and unleash your inner creativity as you lose yourself in the flow of coloring.
No registration needed. Just stop by the GSU Link for some mindfulness and connection.
Beans for Bean: 3/31 & 4/2
We just got this note from Bean:
Mark your calendars 🐾
I’m teaming up with @bu_wellbeing and @sustainablebu for Beans for Bean on March 31 and April 2 to support the BU Food Pantry. Bring a shelf-stable donation, say hi to me and my friends, and help us fill a cruiser for students facing food insecurity.
And before you ask… it doesn’t have to be beans. See below for a list of what the pantry needs most.
Donate and you’ll get a limited-edition Bean card plus a chance to win a private playdate with me!
Support the BU Food Pantry on Giving Day April 8
Wednesday, April 8 is #BUGivingDay, BU’s annual 24-hour giving campaign!
Celebrate the cause that makes you #proudtoBU by making your gift to the BU Food Pantry.
Visit our Giving Page to learn more or give early! Mark your calendars for April 8!
April 25: Esplanade Clean Up
In observance of #EarthDay365 and Global Days of Service, join us for the 27th Annual Charles River Cleanup on Saturday, April 25, from 10 am to 12 pm!
Boston University students, faculty, staff and alumni will gather along the Charles River Esplanade near Warren Towers and the Questrom School of Business to remove trash and debris, preserving this iconic historical landmark. This event isn't just about making a positive impact on our local community; it's also an opportunity to connect with fellow Terriers who share a passion for volunteerism, sustainability, and service. It sounds simple, but you’ll have a great time chatting with others, enjoying nature and taking in some amazing views.
The Esplanade Association will provide gloves and all the tools we need to remove trash and debris from the section of the Esplanade adjacent to our campus. So bring yourself, a water bottle and all the Earth Day vibes!
You will be notified via email of the 10 am meeting spot!
Learn about the rich history of the Charles River, once known as Quinobequin, and the contributions of its indigenous stewards, including the Massachusett, Wampanoag, and Pawtucket peoples who lived in what would become known as Boston and Cambridge by their colonizers. Click here for more information on the history of the Charles River and the contributions of the Charles River Conservancy (CRC).
Hosted by:
- Boston University Development & Alumni Relations
- BU Warren Towers Residence Life
- BU Student Wellbeing
Thanks to the following participating student organizations for supporting the cleanup!
- BU Sustainable Ocean Alliance
- BU Questrom Graduate students of the African Diaspora
- BU Questrom Social Impact and Non-Profit Club
Sustaining Wellbeing for Student Leaders with BU SLIC – March 31
Student Wellbeing is pleased to offer this workshop in collaboration with BU Student Leadership & Impact Center on Tuesday, March 31.
CFA Color Garden Promotes Natural Materials. Sustainable Practices & Wellbeing
Learn more about how Boston University’s CFA students are using natural art materials & educating people on how they can use plants and natural materials in their own artistic practice.
Video by Leire Garrogerricaechebarria.
GradGather (BU Meetup) back with new mobile app!
Calling all graduate students! Are you looking to meet people from different departments and grow your BU network? GradGather (formerly BU Meetup) helps connect groups of BU graduate students from different departments for casual, flexible meetups.
GradGather launched a new website in Fall 2025, and now the GradGather mobile app is here! The app makes it easy to sign up for each matching session and message your group members. If you already have a GradGather account, you can log into the app right away, If not, it only takes a few minutes to set one up.
GradGather for Google Play is coming soon. In the meanwhile, Android users can use the mobile website with all the same functionality.
Finally, you can always use the website on computer or mobile in addition to the app.
How GradGather works:
Once you make an account, you will receive invitations to join matching sessions. If you sign up for a matching session, you will be matched into a small group of students from different departments. You can see your matches and message them from the app. 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.
We hope you join the thousands of BU grad students who have participated in gathers since 2022. We welcome questions or feedback and can be reached directly at admin@gradgather.com.
Happy gathering!
For more on GradGather'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, and both students won first place in the 2024 $12.5k Student Wellbeing Competition.
Breath, Rhythm & Music for Your Wellbeing Spring 2026
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.
One hour workshops will be offered most Mondays at 5:15 pm in FLR 209 at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground.
PLEASE NOTE - OUR LOCATIONS, DAYS OF THE WEEK & TIMES WILL VARY THIS SEMESTER. SEE THE SCHEDULE BELOW FOR DETAILS.
Remaining Spring workshop dates:
- Wednesday, 4/22, 11 am-12pm: CAS Writing Center (100 Bay State Road, 3rd fl)
Thanks to our sponsors:
- BU Office for the Arts
- CFA School of Music
- BU Center for the Study of Asia
- Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
For an idea of what to expect, check out Dr. Iwanek's recent appearance on BU Today: