Reflections on Well-Being and Sustainability 2026
After focusing on the core value through speakers, reading, and conversation, we now turn to Equity and Justice — continuing the work of building a caring, fair, and resilient UMB community.
From November 2025 through January 2026, the UMB community engaged in a rich and multi-layered exploration of Well-Being and Sustainability, UMB’s core value set that calls us to care for ourselves, one another, and the systems that support our collective work. Through speakers, shared reading, and University wide conversation, this focus invited reflection not only on how we manage stress and prevent burnout, but on how we build structures and cultures that allow people and institutions to thrive over time.
Values in Action: Systemic Resilience and Well-Being
In collaboration with the Office of Values and Strategic Initiatives at the School of Graduate Studies, the Values in Action Speaker Series featured professor Karen Gordes, PhD, PT, DScPT, who spoke compellingly about the importance of building systemic resilience to foster well-being within higher education and health care professions. Her remarks highlighted a critical shift in how we think about well-being: moving beyond individual coping strategies to examine the policies, expectations, and organizational practices that either support or undermine sustainable work and learning environments.
Gordes’ insights underscored that resilience is not simply a personal trait, but a shared responsibility - one that requires intentional design, leadership commitment, and collective action. Her talk sparked thoughtful dialogue across the community about how institutions can better support those who care, teach, learn, and lead.
As we build on this momentum, we are excited to invite the UMB community to our next Values in Action Speaker Series event on March 9, featuring Rhea Roper Nedd, PhD, MA. This upcoming conversation will continue to explore how values are lived out in practice and how they shape our campus culture in meaningful ways. Register for the March 9 event.
UMB Reads!: Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
Well-being was also explored through shared reading and dialogue in the UMB Reads! Book Club, where participants read “Powered by Me: From Burned Out to Fully Charged at Work and in Life” by Neha Sangwan, MD. Together, participants engaged in honest and thoughtful discussions about burnout, boundaries, communication, and the ways both individuals and institutions can better care for themselves now while planning more sustainably for the future.
The conversations reflected a strong desire across the UMB community to move from reactive self-care toward proactive, values-aligned practices that support long-term health, effectiveness, and fulfillment. For updates on upcoming readings and to join future discussions, community members are encouraged to join the UMB Reads! Book Club Teams group.
Core Values Conversations: Gratitude, Action, and Shared Reflection
Engagement with Core Values Conversation questions further demonstrated how Well-Being and Sustainability resonate across schools and roles. We were especially encouraged to see students from both the School of Social Work and the School of Pharmacy actively participating in the online conversation.
One response that captured the spirit of this focus came from Terrina W. from the School of Social Work, who reflected on the role of gratitude in daily life. In response to a question about cultivating gratitude, she shared:
“One action I can take this week to cultivate a greater sense of gratitude in my daily life is to do something for someone else. … Giving my time, energy, or support to someone else feels like a meaningful way to express gratitude. Helping others is the least I can do to honor the opportunity I have to be alive, capable, and able to thrive.”
Her reflection beautifully illustrates how well-being is both personal and relational and how sustainable practices often extend outward in acts of generosity, connection, and care.
Community members who would like to continue responding to Well-Being and Sustainability conversation questions are invited to do so through the online form.
Looking Ahead: Shifting Our Focus to Equity and Justice
As we conclude this chapter on Well-Being and Sustainability, we now turn our collective attention to the next core value set: Equity and Justice.
Equity and Justice ask us to consider not only how we care for ourselves and our systems, but for whom those systems are working and where barriers to fairness, access, and opportunity still exist.
Just as Well-Being and Sustainability require intentional effort and shared responsibility, Equity and Justice call us to ongoing reflection, dialogue, and action. We invite students, staff, faculty, and leaders across UMB to join the upcoming Core Values Conversations, events, and learning opportunities as we continue this work together; strengthening our community and advancing UMB’s mission of improving the human condition.
From February through the end of April, we will be highlighting UMB’s core value of Equity and Justice - We embrace and are committed to diversity, and we value inclusive and just communities. We oppose racism and oppression in all their forms.
This is an opportunity to engage with this core value in an intentional way and share your insights with the UMB community.