What’s Happening in Wellbeing
Be sure to check out Student Wellbeing In The Media too!
GradGather Returns for Fall 2026!
GradGather is a program that connects BU grad students from different departments for casual, flexible meetups. We want to help you network, make friends, and build community by breaking down barriers between departments and schools.
Once you make an account, you can match with new groups each week throughout the semester. You can use the website or mobile app to chat with your group and make a plan to get coffee, explore around campus, or anything you’d like.
- Download the GradGather iOS app.
- Request early access to our Android app.
- Or access GradGather on our website bu.gradgather.com.
We hope you join the thousands of BU grad students who have participated and gathered together since 2022. We welcome questions or feedback and can be reached directly at admin@gradgather.com.
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.
“What We Get Wrong About College Cannabis Use”
Student Wellbeing Executive Director, Dr. Carrie Landa comments on the ways "...larger social trends among college students may be affecting substance use habits" in this LearningWell article.
Breath, Rhythm & Music for Your Wellbeing Fall 2026
Energize your body, quiet overwhelming thoughts, and optimize your cognitive performance. Join Professor Igor Iwanek in learning the yogic practice of Rhythmic Breath Control (RBC)—a powerful technique rooted in Naad Yog, the yoga of sound. Imagine your body as the hardware and your mind as the software. How do we keep this system charged and balanced? RBC teaches you to create a “power station” for the body and mind through breath guided by the rhythms of North Indian Classical music. Backed by modern research, this interactive series provides powerful techniques to promote resilience and well-being.
Mondays from 5:30 - 6:30 pm in FLR 207 at the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground.
Mini-Series One: ‘Emotions, Stress & Resilience’
- Monday, Sept. 21 | Booting the System: Intro & Beginning RBC Practices: Learn the foundational practices to down-regulate stress and reset your nervous system.
- Monday, Sept. 28 | Upgrading the Software: Next-Level Protocols & Q&A: Dive into more advanced breath patterns to build long-term stress resilience, followed by a live interactive Q&A.
- Monday, Oct. 5 | The Resonance: Immersive integration with live music: Uninterrupted breath journey to lock in your physical and emotional reset.
Mini-Series Two: ‘Happiness, Focus & Awareness’
- Monday, Oct. 19 | Clearing the Cache: Intro & Naad Yog Foundations: Practices to cultivate presence and somatic joy.
- Monday, Oct. 26 | Focus on Focus: Deeper Rhythmic Conditioning & Q&A: Next-level focus techniques to sharpen your cognitive baseline & Q&A.
- Monday, Nov. 2 | Sound into Stillness: Immersive practice with live music: Designed to heighten your everyday awareness.
Thanks to our sponsors:
- BU Student Wellbeing
- BU Office for the Arts
- CAS Experiential Connector
- Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
For an idea of what to expect, check out Dr. Iwanek's appearance on BU Today:
Stress ReLeaf Uses Tea for Mindfulness
Discover this popular Student Wellbeing initiative that uses tea as a catalyst for mindfulness. Through education and relaxation, we will explore the tea brewing ritual of gong fu cha - making tea with skill- and cultivate a space that focuses on the present moment in a light-hearted, whimsical fashion.
Workshop offered Mondays, from 4-5 pm, at the LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center, 2nd floor, 808 Commonwealth Avenue.
Registration required. Once registration opens for each week, link will be provided here.
Fall 2026 Session Dates:
- September 21
- September 28
- October 5
- October 19
- October 26
- November 2
- November 9
- November 16
- November 30
- December 7
A combination of photography and livestreaming will be used during each workshop. The facilitator will respect the privacy of those students who do not wish to be photographed or filmed.
Be sure to check out this video in BU Today for a sneak peek at this awesome workshop!
Community Coloring Mondays This Fall in the GSU
Starting Monday, September 14 and running until December 7, join fellow students in The Link in the GSU from 11 am to 1 pm for Community Coloring. There is no agenda! Just sit for for a few minutes (or as long as you want), color a section of our community mandala, and chat with others. This semester, this pop-up will be staffed by two Student Wellbeing student leaders, Daniel Krewson (KHC '29) and Shifa Valani (CAS '27).
Did you know coloring is good for your wellbeing? Taking a break, and connecting with others, also contribute to feeling good.
See you Mondays!
Money Matters: Financial Wellbeing Workshop Series 2026-2027
Financial wellbeing is a critical component of overall wellbeing. Student Wellbeing is pleased to introduce a new year-long series of workshops to help support our students' financial wellness.
Through the Money Matters Financial Wellbeing Workshop Series, Student Wellbeing is partnering with campus and community organizations to help students build financial knowledge, confidence, and practical skills to navigate common financial decisions throughout their academic journey and beyond.
Whether students are learning how to bank in the United States, create a budget, understand credit, prepare taxes, or begin investing, these workshops are designed to provide accessible, actionable information in a supportive environment.
The series is open to all Boston University students. Some events are offered in collaboration with partner offices and external organizations and may be tailored to specific student populations, including international students, first-generation students, graduate students, and students seeking additional financial resources.
Partners
Student Wellbeing is proud to collaborate with BU Financial Assistance (serving undergraduate students); BU Student Support Services and Housing Assistance (serving graduate students); Kindros Foundation; and JP Morgan Chase.
Workshop Schedule
Banking 101: Orientation to U.S. Banking System 9/22/26
Budgeting: Understanding Your Inflows and Outflows 10/7/26
Saving and Investing: How to Get Started 11/17/26
Taxes: Take the Fear out of Filing 2/4/27
Credit Scores and Credit Cards: From Swipe to Score 3/8/27
Credit Scores and Credit Cards: From Swipe to Score 3/8/27
Questions?
Contact Student Wellbeing at studentwellbeing@bu.edu.
Money Matters: Virtual Workshop for Grad Students August 4
Calling all Grad Students: Join us for a virtual workshop Tuesday, August 4 at noon, Money Matters.
Graduate students face unique challenges while pursuing an advanced degree, including adapting a personal budget to include tuition, fees, books, resources, living expenses, and other needs. In this session, learn more about how to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed financial decisions. Participants will explore key topics including budgeting, understanding and building credit, and available financial resources at Boston University and beyond to support their overall financial wellbeing.
Watch for more Money Matters workshops throughout the upcoming school year!
Hosted by Student Wellbeing, in collaboration with the Financial Aid Office, BU School of Law.
Take a Wellbeing Hub Cocurricular Fall 2026
Student Wellbeing is excited to continue to offer cocurricular experiences to undergraduate students. In Fall '26, Student Wellbeing will offer two Hub Cocurriculars. Registration is ongoing on MyBU Student.
Thriving Together: Hub CC 107
Need to fill a Hub Teamwork/ Collaboration unit? This exciting cocurricular examines what wellbeing looks like in your own life, as well as at BU. Explore wellbeing concepts through teamwork activities that culminate in a proposal to engage your peers. HUB CC 107: Thriving Together meets Wednesdays 2:30-4 pm.
Wellbeing for Leaders: Hub CC 108
Leaders have a unique role in their organizations and community. It’s critical that they know how to care for themselves as individuals in addition to caring for their organizations. This Hub cocurricular invites students to explore how to manage the demands of being a leader by learning skills and strategies they can use to promote their own wellbeing and simultaneously cultivate a culture of wellness within their organizations. Wellbeing for Leaders satisfies 1 Hub unit in Teamwork/Collaboration. HUB CC 108: Wellbeing for Leaders meets Tuesdays, 3:30-4:45 pm.
Goodwill Not Landfill – Through Move Out
Did you know that donating your gently used belongings promotes your wellbeing? It supports your environmental, social and mental wellbeing.
Since 2009, BU students have saved several hundred tons of materials from landfills and incinerators by donating to Goodwill during move out.
Student Wellbeing is excited to partner with BU Sustainability, Residence Life, Facilities Management and Operations and Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries to offer Goodwill Not Landfill through move out.
Learn more about donation locations and accepted items.
There are multiple donation bins at Goodwill, Not Landfill. These bins help separate items out and make it easier to donate and recycle during move-out.
- Goodwill: Clothing, shoes, accessories, small appliances, small furnishings, housewares, kitchenware, décor, etc.
- BU Food Pantry Drop-Off: Non-perishable, unopened food items will be collected at all major residence halls. Learn more about what to donate. All of these items will be donated to the BU Food Pantry.
- Textile Recycling: Ripped, dirty, stained clothing, all bedding & blankets, pillows. There will be a separate bin at every donation location for you to recycle dirty, stained, and ripped items.
- Mattress Pads & Toppers: We can take foam and fabric mattress pads for recycling.
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 - CommonGround ($4,000)
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.
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.
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.