Smaranda is a PhD student in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and a Master of Arts in Education student at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. She is also a certified practitioner of Positive Psychology and a certified Mindfulness and Meditation teacher. She recently won an Outstanding Teaching award at the University of California, Santa Barbara and has taught Positive Psychology to happy students, young and old (ages 5-100), in places as far apart and different as Hawaii, Romania, and Myanmar. Smaranda is also the founder and creator of the UCSB Resilience Summit and Certificate Program.

Adia is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Director of the Clinic and Community Programs at the Family Institute at Northwestern University. She has spent the past 12 years working with individuals, couples, employees and organizations to embody mental wellness in their everyday lives and engage boldly with the world. She is also author of the highly influential TEDx Talk “Cultivating Unconditional Self Worth.”

Nicole is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Psychology and Brain Sciences at UCSB. She is also the advisor of Psi Chi The International Honors Society in Psychology - UCSB Chapter and Principle Investigator of the Thinking About Life Experiences (TALE) lab.

Shannon is a health journalist, highly requested public speaker, and author with multiple books about amazingly impactful life changes. She is also the award-winning director of two internationally acclaimed documentaries, The Connection: Mind Your Body and My Year of Living Mindfully.

Alissa is an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and an expert in attention and mindfulness. Previously she was a postdoctoral researcher at UCSB’s Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential where she helped to develop a school-based program to help young-adults better focus. Along with her brother and sister, she has also published the highly successful book, Presence of Mind: a Practical Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation.

Angelo is a highly popular Adjunct Professor at Babson College. He is also an Advisor and Board Member to many entrepreneurial companies. He is a graduate of Fordham University and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. Angelo has more than twenty-five years of business experience with a strong background in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He is also a mentor (and hero) to many current and former NFL players trying to figure out their life after football.

Rebeca is an Assistant Professor at UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and Victor is Professor in the Department of Sociology and Associate Dean of Social Sciences. The dynamic husband and wife-duo are featured in the award-winning documentary “The Pushouts,” an inspiring story about the grit and resilience of young people living with stigma, social exclusion, and poverty. Victor is also author of one of the most popular Ted Talks to have ever aired. His talk, “Help For Kids the Education System Ignores” has over one and half million views.

Carmel is a UCSB alum and current Associate Professor of Psychology at Westmont College. She is also the founder of Carmel Saad consulting where she and her team focus on education in cultural competence, multicultural awareness, bias, diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Maryam Kia-Keating, Ph.D. is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She directs the Trauma & Adversity, Resilience & Prevention (TARP) research program. She is a Consulting Editor for two scientific journals: Child Development and Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology.

Mike is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in School Psychology and Research Professor at the International Center for School Based Youth Development at UCSB. He is also the coeditor of the Handbook of Positive Psychology in Schools (2009, 2014, 2021) and Associate Editor of Educational and Developmental Psychologist and the Journal of Positive School Psychology. As the Director of Project Covitality, he works with schools, children, and young-adults of all ages to develop positive personal mindsets in order to foster thriving and lifelong wellbeing.

Natalia Jaramillo is a 5th year Ph.D. student in the Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology program at UCSB. Natalia has engaged in research examining the psychological impact of acute mass violence and natural disasters. Natalia is currently an NSF-funded AGEP Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Alliance fellow which provides her with pedagogical training and experience to pursue a faculty career. Natalia is also passionate about providing therapy services and mentoring undergraduate students.

Nancy is a highly popular Professor in Psychology and Brain Sciences at UCSB and the recipient of multiple awards for outstanding teaching, outstanding mentoring, and outstanding research ( including the SPSP Theoretical Innovation Prize, the Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award, and the Sarah Miller McCune Service Award). She is also a renowned expert in romantic and close relationships, the Director of the UCSB Close Relations Lab, and the Chair of the Quantitative Methods in Social Sciences (QMSS) program on campus.