Back to School Mental Health Pt. 1: Tapping into Tech to Support Students, Teachers

Bamboo Beat

Hosts Melissa Loble and Ryan Lufkin visit with Texas A&M University’s Dr. Jocelyn Widmer and student Ellie Richter about how important mental health is and how technology can help support teachers and students. Through Richter and Widmer's efforts, Texas A&M students now have access to a mental health button within Canvas.

Widmer has worked in digital and online education for more than 15 years, most recently as the assistant provost for academic innovation and online learning at Texas A&M University. Prior to her role at TAMU, Widmer held joint faculty appointments in the Colleges of Architecture and Public Health at both the University of Florida and Virginia Tech. With global experience across 18 countries, she is recognized for her teaching and research that integrate technology to build digital literacy capacity in low-resource communities around the world.

Richter is a history, philosophy, and pre-law student in her senior year at Texas A&M University. She has served one of the nation’s largest student bodies as a member of the TAMU Student Government Association since her freshman year. She has been instrumental in bringing student-driven academic concerns to the university leadership to effect change. In her role as Vice President of Academic Affairs of SGA she championed a major OER initiative that is now supported by TAMU’s Office of the Provost, saving students millions of dollars annually. The mental health button in Canvas was driven by Richter's passion for linking existing barriers to student success with innovative solutions. Her steadfast leadership that champions student success initiatives has led to transformational changes to academic policies and practices at TAMU that will have lasting impacts on Aggies well into the future.

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