CONWAY, Ark. (October 16, 2019) — Hendrix
College psychology professor Dr. Lindsay Kennedy has been named the College’s
inaugural Director of Well-Being.
A native of Delaware, Kennedy is an alumna of the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joined the Hendrix faculty in 2011. Her
teaching and research interests include health psychology and psychological
well-being.
Kennedy developed the Hendrix Well-Being Initiative, a
campus-wide effort to promote mental health and resilience at Hendrix, with the
support of the Nancy and Craig Wood Odyssey Professorship and with lots of
input from the Hendrix student body.
She designed the initiative to educate the campus community
about what well-being is and why it is important, and to give community members
the skills they need to maintain and enhance their own well-being.
“Nationally, stress and mental illness are on the rise in
college students. We can’t ignore those trends. We need to do something about
them,” said Kennedy, who is pleased that Hendrix has supported a proactive
approach to well-being. “Having the skills in place and knowing what resources
you have available to help you manage life’s stressors will not only help you
enjoy your personal life, but also help you succeed professionally.”
Hendrix is an ideal environment to emphasize well-being,
Kennedy said.
“I think what sets our well-being efforts apart from other
schools is how authentic it is to who we are as a community,” she said. “So
much of what we already do at Hendrix — from encouraging a love of learning to
Career Term to having a physical activity requirement for graduation — is in
the service of well-being. And our motto, ‘Unto the Whole Person,’ really
highlights how much well-being is woven into the fabric of our institution
already.”
“Our holistic approach sets us apart, too,” said Kennedy. “We
are working to incorporate well-being into the curriculum, into our training of
campus leaders, and into campus life in general.”
Learn more at www.hendrix.edu/well-being. Listen
to Dr. Kennedy and her students discuss the Hendrix Well-Being Initiative and
its origins in this
podcast episode.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Kennedy has agreed to serve in this
important role for our community,” said Hendrix College President Bill Tsutsui.
“Her enthusiasm for embedding well-being into the fabric of life at Hendrix is
incredible, and her program will be a model for well-being programs on campuses
across the country.”
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college
in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of
the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives:
40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have
established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and
rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United
Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.