2023

2023 Event Summary

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“Wish for Well-Being: Emotional, Physical, and Brain Health” brought together students, educators, healthcare professionals, researchers, and community members for UConn Waterbury’s 2023 WISHfest, a day dedicated to promoting wellness in all its forms. Hosted in partnership with the City of Waterbury and Waterbury Public Schools, the event featured engaging keynote speakers, interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, health and wellness resources, and educational experiences focused on emotional well-being, physical health, and brain science. Attendees explored topics ranging from mental health awareness and healthy lifestyles to neuroscience, cognitive health, and community support services. Through demonstrations, student presentations, wellness activities, and collaborative learning opportunities, WISHfest 2023 fostered meaningful conversations about holistic health and empowered participants to prioritize well-being for themselves and their communities.

Photo Gallery

Keynote speaker addressing attendees during the first WISHfest event
UConn Wishfest speakers sitting in front of large screen
Wishfest attendees
Students gathered outside in front of a bus waiting to enter the theater.
Students watching and listening to the speaker
WISHfest keynote speaker addressing audience
Speaker behind a podium welcoming students and community members to the event.
Speaker on stage delivering remarks to the audience.

2023 Keynote Speakers

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Portrait of Adam Gazzaley

Adam Gazzaley, MD, Ph.D.

Adam Gazzaley, M.D., Ph.D. is the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco, and the Founder & Executive Director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center engaged in technology development and scientific research of novel brain assessments and optimization tools. Dr. Gazzaley is co-founder of Akili and JAZZ Venture Partners. He has been a scientific advisor for dozens of companies including Apple, GE and Janssen. He has filed multiple patents - notably his invention of the first video game cleared by the FDA, authored over 170 scientific articles and delivered over 700 invited presentations around the world. He wrote and hosted the nationally televised PBS special “The Distracted Mind with Dr. Adam Gazzaley”, and co-authored “The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World”, winner of the 2017 PROSE Award. Dr. Gazzaley is the recipient of the 2015 SfN Science Educator Award, 2020 Global Gaming Citizen Honor and named in Newsweek’s 2021 Inaugural list of America’s Greatest Disruptors. He is a Board of Trustee, Science Council Member and Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.

2023 KEYNOTE

A New Era of Experiential Medicine for a Healthy Mind

A fundamental challenge of our global healthcare system is the development and distribution of effective treatments to enhance cognition in those suffering from diverse psychiatric and neurological conditions. Dr. Gazzaley will describe the use of custom-designed, closed-loop video games to achieve cognitive benefits in both healthy individuals and patients. This approach has now yielded the first FDA-approved video game for any clinical condition. He will share with you the next stage of his research program, which integrates digitally-delivered experiences with the innovations in machine learning, virtual reality, multimodal physiological recordings, non-invasive electrical brain stimulation and psychedelics to enhance cognition.

Photo of Richie Davidson next to the Dalai Lama

Richie Davidson, Ph.D.

Richie Davidson, Ph.D. is the William James and Vilas Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds. 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. He has co-authored a number of books with authors such as Daniel Goleman. Time Magazine named Davidson one of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2006.

2023 KEYNOTE

Well-Being is a Skill

Just like being physically in shape means regular exercise, supporting one’s emotional well-being begins with a training program – for the mind. In this talk, world renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Richard J. Davidson discusses the scientific concept of neuroplasticity and how research in the lab confirms that well-being is a skill that can be taught. By learning and practicing the skills associated with awareness, connection, insight, and purpose – anyone can have a healthier mind, despite their external circumstances. Based on four decades of contemplative neuroscientific research, Dr. Davidson outlines a path to well-being for anyone in this highly relevant talk.

2023 Reed Fellow

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The Reed Fellow plays a vital role in the development of WISHfest and participates in a fireside chat with our keynote speaker(s).

Portrait of Sandra Chafouleas

Sandra M. Chafouleas, Ph.D.

Sandra M. Chafouleas, Ph.D. is a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Neag Endowed Professor in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Chafouleas is also the founder and co-director of the UConn Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH), as well as the co-founder of Feel Your Best Self. Her work focuses on assisting schools in implementation of policies and practices that support the whole child, with specific expertise in strategies to support mental health and emotional well-being.

Read More about Dr. Chafouleas

2023 Program

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Tuesday, April 18, 2023

9-11 a.m.

Location: Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury, CT

Welcome Remarks

Dr. Fumiko Hoeft – Dean & Chief Administrative Officer, UConn Waterbury
Dr. Radenka Maric – President, UConn
Neil O’Leary – Mayor, City of Waterbury
Dr. Verna Ruffin – Superintendent, Waterbury Public Schools

Keynote Address

Adam Gazzaley & Richie Davidson

Panel Discussion

Adam Gazzaley, Richie Davidson, Sandra M. Chafouleas, Sara Fitzgerald, & Kaitlin Tran

Closing Remarks

Dr. Fumiko Hoeft

11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Location: UConn Waterbury, 99 East Main Street, Waterbury, CT

Hands-On, Interactive Exhibits

Interactive exhibits that let participants explore, learn, and engage with innovative ideas firsthand.

1-4 p.m.

Location: UConn Waterbury, 99 East Main Street, Waterbury, CT

Closed Programming for UConn Students

Exclusive workshops and discussions

2023 Exhibits

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Come grab a UConn Newspaper and see what’s new in the world of the University of Connecticut!

Learn about the risk, rewards, expression, and performance of older drag queens.

Hug the vending machine for a drink.

Information on UConn’s Experiential Global Learning (EGL) and the Gilman Scholarship will be available from a recent study abroad participant.

Fun way to learn more about how research helps us live happier lives!

Kaitlin Tran will present a poster on her work on the administration of a dopamine blocker on the parental care of a beetle, and the associated effect on the care of her male partner.

Students will see and perform sheep brain dissections as well as learn about the human brain through MRI images.

Come and meet with local employers to gather career and industry information and learn more about the volunteer, internship and employment opportunities they offer.

See how using virtual reality can help with Clinical Neuroscience.

The virtual dissection of the human body will be demonstrated using the Anatomage.

See human anatomy with 3-D holograms.

Learn the basics of the human brain, how to explore brain structure/function with MRI, exercise the brain with videogames, and build “your own brain” with Play-Doh.

Offering fun, easy to use materials to help build emotion-focused coping skills to calm yourself, catch your feelings and connect with others.

If you or a loved one has had a serious illness or injury, you have experienced the passion and purpose behind every person involved in the care that made returning to life and family possible. Witness this play out while spending time with healthcare heroes who do this work every day!

Participate in a live EEG demonstration; see real-time changes in brain waves, including the brain on TikTok.

Have a gold sticker on your Palace ticket? Redeem it here! Limited to gold sticker guests only.

Our Healthcare Regional Sector Partnership will host an interactive and immersive virtual reality experience, that will allow students to undergo virtual healthcare training in five simulations, donning and doffing gloves, heart rate, blood pressure, respirations, and pain measuring/recording intake.

Learn about the CSD services and accommodation process offered at UConn Waterbury.

Stop by to demo an FDA approved videogame for ADHD invented by speaker Adam Gazzaley and his team.

You’re the cardiologist – measure heart rate, rhythm, and blood pressure.

12:30pm in the Courtyard

Small performance of different Korean pop songs by Kpop Fusion Club members.

Fun DIY activities, giveaways and more!

Featuring UConn Extension urban agriculture resources.

Learn how mindful reading can help you become a better reader and writer.

Learn about OLLI at UConn’s Fulton Garden project, which grows food that helps to feed the surrounding community.

Learn digital photography tips and tricks right on your cellphone from Timothy Padgett, a long-time OLLI at UConn instructor and mentor.

Meet First-Year Writing Students and hear about their experience hosting the first-ever Civic Expo.

Learn about the 4-year undergraduate Business majors offered at UConn Waterbury.

Join a proud network of successful UConn scholars who are leaders in the classroom, on campus, and in the community.

Learn where cities come from, how they grow, thrive, and decline, how they are organized, and how to construct meaningful, inclusive, secure, and sustainable places.

Learn more about being a UConn Waterbury Husky!

Giveaways and snacks.

Do you have a numbered sticker on your Palace ticket? Redeem it here!

Itty Bitty Cookie Company

Popcorn Machine

UConn Dairy Bar Ice Cream