Center for Healthy Minds

Richard Davidson is the Founder of the Center for Healthy Minds and the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and the Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is best known for his groundbreaking work studying emotion and the brain. A friend and confidante of the Dalai Lama, he is a highly sought after expert and speaker, leading conversations on well-being on international stages such as the World Economic Forum, where he serves on the Global Council on Mental Health. Time Magazine named Davidson one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2006.

Jennifer L. Mnookin is the 30th leader of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Carla Vigue leads strategic engagement, special projects, and initiatives for the University of Wisconsin-Madison with the Native Nations of Wisconsin. She is the primary resource and representative for campus leadership and is tasked with building and nurturing relationships with tribal nations and communities, as well as with associated tribal organizations and entities. Carla, a proud member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, has worked as a community advocate and public servant for Native people and others for over 20 years. She grew up on the Oneida reservation and is thankful for the community leaders who have paved the way.

Marisa Moseley, the Badgers' Head Coach since March 2021, propelled the team's success in her second season. They secured six Big Ten wins, the most since 2010-11, along with their best conference finish in 11 years. Previously, Moseley coached at Boston University, her alma mater, achieving a 45-29 record. She revitalized a struggling program, turning around a 26-63 record. Moseley was awarded the Patriot League Coach of the Year and led her team to a historic conference tournament championship game in the COVID-19 affected 2020-21 season. Off the court, Moseley utilizes a holistic approach to student-athlete development as well as recruiting and is a champion for student-athlete mental well-being.

Zoe King is a third-year student pursuing a BA in Political Science and a Certificate in Environmental Studies. Her passion for social justice is what fuels her academic and professional pursuits. She is currently interning with State Senator Tim Carpenter, and recently started working as a Student Flourishing Ambassador with Susan Huber, Director of Well-being in Higher Education at Center for Healthy Minds. Fun fact: She will be flying to Thailand in less than two months to study abroad at Mahidol University.

Christy Wilson-Mendenhall joined the Center for Healthy Minds in 2017 to contribute to interdisciplinary research on cultivating well-being and resilience. Her research seeks to conceptualize and understand emotional skillsets and how such skills may be cultivated through contemplative practices. This work is grounded in developing a contextual, situated understanding of emotional experiences and the conditions under which specific skills may be of benefit. Christy is grateful to work with incredible interdisciplinary partners and scholars on these complex questions.

Samantha De Leon Sautu is a Argentinian-born, Panamanian-raised MD, currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Human Development in the Life History Lab in Cornell University. Sam envisions health and wellbeing as a collective construction on the canvas of our minds and bodies. From perceiving others as a resource, to signaling for connection, to benefitting from the proximity of safe conspecifics, she focuses on the autonomic component of self and social regulation.

Dan received his Ph.D. in Psychology from UW-Madison in 2013 and has spent the past 10 years at the Center for Healthy Minds. Using a community-engaged approach, his research investigates the benefits of contemplative interventions for promoting wellbeing and mental health for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. This includes collaborative projects with formerly incarcerated individuals to support mental health during incarceration and the transition back to the community, and research on the benefits of mindfulness training for the wellbeing of police officers and the communities they serve.

Tamra Oman is the Housing & Programs Administrator for EXPO (Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing). She previously worked 12 years for DHS as a Human Services Program Coordinator Recovery Support Specialist at the Wisconsin Resource Center; a mental health treatment facility classified as a prison. She was the first “peer” to be hired in the state of Wisconsin to work in a prison in the past 30 years. Tamra is the 2015 recipient of the State of Wisconsin’s Virginia Hart award. She is a national speaker, consultant, group facilitator, and believes deeply in cultivating a culture of hope, healing, and compassion for all.

Dekila, founder of the Loka Initiative, is an accomplished environmental leader with 20+ years shaping global conservation and climate efforts. Renowned for her innovative approach, she is an expert in faith-led partnerships, and specializes in biodiversity strategy design and community-based conservation. Dekila began her environmental career in 2001, working on community-based conservation in the Eastern Himalayas and later advancing climate adaptation and freshwater conservation in the Mekong with the World Wildlife Fund. In 2008, Dekila established Khoryug, uniting 50+ Tibetan Buddhist monasteries working on Himalayan environmental projects under the auspices of His Holiness the 17^th Karmapa. That led her to create WWF’S Sacred Earth program, which garnered her acclaim and a Yale McCluskey Award in 2014. Loka was launched in 2019, following a year-long dialogue and design process with over 50 faith and Indigenous leaders. Originally from Sikkim, India, Dekila's Bhutia heritage informs her passion for environmental stewardship.

Reverend Ed Brown, Founding Director of Care of Creation, and co-facilitator of Loka’s Creation at the Crossroads project. Ed is the author of Our Father’s World: Mobilizing the Church to Care for Creation and When Heaven and Nature Sing. He is also the presenter of the seminar “Our Father’s World: Why Christians Should Care about the Environmental Crisis” and has been an active proponent and leader of the creation care movement for several decades.