Since the March 12 WISE Wednesday landed during UCI Happiness Week, the WISE PAC Culture Cluster hosted a "Mindfulness Meditation" session so Anteaters could unwind and destress as finals loomed.
Wellness Initiative in Social Ecology spreads across campus
COVID-19 gave Anteaters much not to like, including sick days, mask mandates, shuttered eateries, social distancing and, of course, exclusive online learning. This wasn’t your parents’ college experience—unless they darkened campus corridors during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918. But UC Irvine students did get one positive thing out of the more-recent pandemic: the Wellness Initiative in Social Ecology.
“The Wellness Initiative in Social Ecology, or WISE, is a program that really tries to embed wellness and mental health into all aspects of social ecology,” explains psychological science Professor Stephen Schueller, who, as the faculty director of WISE, advises the student leadership group, the WISE Peer Advisory Collective, or WISE PAC.
“We run regular events called WISE Wednesdays where we have faculty from social ecology, staff from other organizations around campus as well as other community members come in and help support students in wellness,” Schueller says.
“WISE really started during the pandemic, when a lot of students noted that they were having challenges feeling connected to the faculty on campus,” he recalls. “It was hard because you couldn't follow faculty members after class or come to their office hours in person to get to know them. So, these students wanted a space to really get to know their faculty.”
Like their studies, the students’ meetings were held online due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus. WISE Wednesdays are still presented via Zoom post-pandemic, although some participants watch together in a School of Social Ecology classroom.
Recent speakers have included Schueller’s Department of Psychological Science colleague Professor Jason Schiffman, who is director of clinical training for the PhD program in Clinical Psychology, the UC Irvine Basic Needs Center's CalFresh Manager Sandra Cuyuch and the Womxn’s Center for Success Program Coordinator Alicen Bosley.
“It’s been great to really get to know the different faculty in the School of Social Ecology in different ways,” Schueller says, “and a great opportunity to bring in individuals from across the whole campus.”
The WISE PAC is organized around four clusters: self-care, education, culture and social support. Each cluster also runs events to help support the mental health and wellness of students. For instance, during the recent UCI Happiness Week, WISE PAC hosted “Cookies n’ Company,” an event where Anteaters could sit back, relax and decorate cookies to de-stress before finals.
“That’s why this is really led by students for students,” Schueller says. “We have people participating beyond social ecology. We have events where we try to connect and collaborate with other organizations on campus.”
One of those student leaders is Lindsay Tran, who first learned of the WISE PAC from a Field Study catalog.
“I fell in love with its mission, everything it stood for, and the diversity of roles within the PAC through the different clusters,” says the fourth-year psychological science major, who became a member in Fall 2023, attached to the education cluster and later rose to WISE PAC vice chair and now chair.
“I believe the most important thing WISE and the WISE PAC do is de-stigmatize mental health within UCI by offering unique events and workshops and connecting students to internal and external resources, blog posts, newsletters, peer support groups and much more,” Tran says.
Although the 46 WISE PAC members are social ecology, psychological science or criminology, law & society majors, some have double majors or are seeking minors in such disciplines as education, informatics, philosophy, public health policy or English, which helps extend WISE’s impact beyond the School of Social Ecology.
“We’ve had many people share their appreciation for our mission,” Tran says. “We’ve had undergraduates say that WISE offers them a place to feel safe, and the events have connected them to amazing resources and de-stressors. One that meant a lot to me was when Dr. Schiffman thanked us for what we do and helping the community. It feels special when someone who works intensively in the clinical concentration openly shows support for our little community.”
Helping the little community continues, according to the newly minted WISE PAC Spring 2025 calendar. WISE Wednesdays are held from 5-6 p.m. on even numbered UC Irvine weeks, and participants can attend via Zoom.
Week 2, April 9: Şule Güney, assistant professor of teaching psychological science.
Week 4, April 23: Valerie Jenness, Distinguished Professor of criminology, law & society, sociology and nursing science.
Week 6, May 7: Womxn’s Center for Success Workshop
Week 8, May 21: Ana Isabel Contreras, operations assistant with the UCI Basic Needs Center
Week 10, June 4: WISE Chairs
“I am most excited about the WISE Chair talks because it will highlight the amazing accomplishments and progress the WISE members and board have had over the past year,” Tran says. “I am also excited about our workshop with the Womxn’s Center. We typically have a lot of talks; however, we haven’t had many workshops from our WISE speakers.”
Tran’s future goal for WISE PAC? More members. Applications are accepted year-round, and every applicant is contacted before each recruitment period. Click here for the application.
“We are intensively working to grow our team,” Tran says. “We have added multiple board positions and are always open to growing our WISE family.”
Follow the WISE PAC on Instagram at @uciwisepac.
— Matt Coker