UMass Boston

Beacon Wellness Initiative

At UMass Boston, we believe in the well-being of every member of our community.

Wellness is more than just physical health; it encompasses our mental, academic, psychosocial, intellectual, spiritual, financial, and ecological well-being. As a university, we understand the importance of creating an environment that supports and enhances the health and wellness of our students, faculty, staff, and the broader community.

Our Vision

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Beacon Wellness Initiative, a comprehensive program aimed at promoting health and well-being across our university. The Beacon Wellness Initiative seeks to strengthen the coordination of health promotion efforts throughout the university. 

Our objective is to embed health promotion in everything we do, making it an integral part of our culture and structures. This holistic approach will involve engaging every unit and corner of our campus to incorporate health promotion activities into daily work, fostering a collaborative environment of mindfulness for every member of the UMass Boston community.

Becoming Leaders in Health Promotion

UMass Boston, with its commitment to research, teaching, community engagement, diversity, and health equity, is uniquely positioned to lead in modeling health promotion strategies. The Beacon Wellness Initiative aligns with a growing movement in higher education, making health and well-being a core aspiration of campus life. We aim to create an ecology of systems and opportunities for wellness, setting the standard for universities nationwide.

Beacon Wellness Commission

As a significant step forward, we plan to establish the Beacon Wellness Commission. Comprising faculty, students, administrators, and experts, this commission will study UMB’s wellness and health promotion efforts and make recommendations about how we can improve. Three sub-committees will focus on students, faculty and staff, and the community, with an additional coordinating committee ensuring collaboration across the university.

Meet the Wellness Commission Members

Student Committee

  • Amanda Alioto
  • Amy Cook (co-chair)
  • Ashlee Carter
  • Beatriz Louzado
  • Delaney Bowen
  • Diane D’Arrigo
  • Janna Cohen-Rosenthal
  • Jurui Zhang
  • Madison Lemire
  • Morgan Tullar
  • Nina Williams
  • Robert Pomales (co-chair)
  • Samia Tariq
  • Sarah Hayes-Skelton
  • Vansh Khokhani

Employee Committee

  • Betsy Sweet
  • Daniela Bravo
  • Janet Wolk
  • Janice Geary
  • Jessica Whiteley (co-chair)
  • John Pagliarulo (co-chair)
  • Kimberly Duong
  • Marc Lavine
  • Paul Weiner
  • Penelope MacDonald
  • Samantha Regan
  • Schanna James
  • Stephanie Deronette (co-chair)
  • Zack Ronald

Community Committee

  • Austyn Mayfield
  • Janelle Fassi
  • Julie Wright (co-chair)
  • Rosanna DeMarco
  • Suamy Ventura
  • Sung Park
  • Susanna Gallor (co-chair)
  • Tiffany Alford
  • Tiffany Donaldson

Coordinating Committee

  • Amy Cook
  • Garrett Smith (co-chair)
  • Jessica Whitely
  • John Pagliarulo
  • Joseph Cooper
  • Julie Wright
  • Karen Ferrer-Muñiz (co-chair)
  • Rob Pomales
  • Stephanie Deronette
  • Susanna Gallor

University Resources

UMass Boston provides many different wellness and health promoting resources to students and employees.

For Students

For Employees:

News: