Like sleep and exercise, food plays a critical role in student well-being and academic success. Whether it’s a healthy breakfast before an important exam or a hearty dinner at the end of a long week, there’s no discounting the significance of a balanced meal. Helping to support the University of…
UF Student Life initiative promotes literacy and college readiness in Gainesville students
Encouraging children to enjoy reading from a young age can be a challenging feat to accomplish, especially with the added stress of classroom disruptions and COVID-19. Over the past year, however, the University of Florida Division of Student Life team has been working toward fulfilling that very goal. In late…
Dwayne Isaacs named senior director of the Reitz Union
The University of Florida Division of Student Life has named Dwayne Isaacs senior director of the Reitz Union, the roughly 450,000-square-foot student hub on UF’s campus. Isaacs, previously director of the Division of Student Life and Engagement at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, will oversee the advancement…
A Q&A with Dr. Janelle Garcia, associate director of GatorWell, on how to build resilience
Dr. Janelle Garcia graduated from the University of South Florida with plans to be physician, but she later pivoted to a career in health promotion and wellness — allowing her to impact quality of life more meaningfully and on a larger scale. Now, as the University of Florida’s new associate…
Shaped by unique life experiences, student veterans cultivate rich community at UF
Savanna Turner returned to the familiar brick buildings of the University in 2019, roughly a decade after she first set foot on the campus as an undergraduate. Usually talkative, she found herself remaining quiet and reserved, she said. After a five-year run as an active-duty member of the U.S. Coast…
Searching for the career advice you can’t find on Google? UF alumni can help
Students are getting an inside look at how they can get a leg up in their industry from University of Florida alumni, thanks to the Career Connections Center. Since the launch of the Gator Career Consultant Program just over a year ago, more than 230 alumni have signed up to…
Gators get to know North Florida thanks to a new student organization offering free day trips
Cooking classes, musical theater productions, sports games and theme parks may not be the first things students imagine when they think about extracurriculars. But GatorDays, a recent addition to the University of Florida’s department of Student Activities & Involvement, is changing the game. Launched in June 2021, GatorDays is a…
Despite distance, Career Connections Center helped new students kick-start their paths at UF
The Career Connections Center on Level 1 of the Reitz Union is the heart of many of its services. But, at the start of the pandemic, identifying where students were – and then meeting them there – became the key focus. That challenge rang especially true for first-year students, who…
To shift campus culture, GatorWell opens bystander intervention training to all students
The University of Florida has been training faculty, staff and student leaders through Green Dot, a violence prevention program, since summer 2019. Now, the opportunity is open to the entire student body in the form of a 90-minute virtual training designed for groups of 10 or more students at a…
As artificial intelligence reshapes work, Career Connections Center prepares students to lead
Career experts at the University of Florida Career Connections Center are partnering with companies to identify how they’re using artificial intelligence, or AI, to ensure students have the skills they need to land a job of their choice after they graduate. AI – the ability of computer programs to complete…