HEAL Fellows: 2025-26 Cohort

Elenice DeSouza Oliveira, Ph.D., Fostering a Culture of Sustainable and Systematic Flourishing at Montclair State University

Dr. DeSouza Oliveira, is eager to join efforts to foster a culture of student wellbeing and flourishing at Montclair State University, ensuring sustainability and systematic implementation. The primary goal is to develop a comprehensive human flourishing pilot project tailored to the needs, interests, and challenges of students in Health Careers and Science and Mathematics programs. Through a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, this project will serve as a valuable learning opportunity to integrate human flourishing principles into curricular and extracurricular activities, design supportive tools and strategies, and promote student growth and transformation. It will also help build institutional capacity by creating assessment tools, generating empirical data, and developing best practices to support student wellbeing and holistic development. Additionally, the project aims to equip faculty and staff with the skills and insights needed to sustain, institutionalize, and integrate human flourishing efforts into the fabric of our academic community.

Manveer Mann, Scaling Up, Serving More: Expanding Faculty Engagement in Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning

Dr. Mann will use the HEAL fellowship to deepen the culture of community-engaged teaching and learning at Montclair. She will partner with various offices and departments to develop and implement initiatives in two areas. First, develop workshops focused on community-engaged pedagogy to increase awareness and build expertise in community-engaged pedagogy among MSU faculty. Additionally, develop a library of community-engaged teaching and learning materials as a resource and knowledge base. Second, develop a framework to connect a network of community-based partners and projects with MSU faculty. This framework will support the integration of community-based projects and/or service-learning into course curriculum.

Peter A. Hosick, PhD, CEP, FACSM, Physical Activity as a Vital Sign of Health: A Strategic Approach to Student Success

As a HEAL Fellow, Dr. Hosick will focus on implementing the Exercise Is Medicine On Campus (EIM-OC) initiative at Montclair to promote physical activity as a vital sign of student health and success. This program aims to reduce stress and anxiety among college students by integrating physical activity screening, referral systems, and supportive programming into campus life. This effort aligns with Montclair’s commitment to student well-being and offers a meaningful opportunity to strengthen both my leadership in higher education and the campus culture of wellness. Ultimately, his project seeks to create lasting impact by empowering students to prioritize movement for both mental and physical health.