GradWell

Bonus Episode: Caring For The Ones We Love - Adult Caregiving in Graduate School

How can viewing caregiving as teamwork change our experience with it? In this episode, Dr. Courtney Polenick, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Social Work, and Dr. Amanda Leggett, Associate Professor of Gerontology and Psychology, share insight on how a more holistic approach to adult caregiving—particularly for loved ones with dementia—can benefit the well-being of everyone involved in the relationship. Listen in as we discuss how to enhance the adult caregiving experience and some great Michigan resources that can help you do so. Resources * Michigan Caregiver Connection [https://www.micaregiverconnection.com/] * Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan [https://4ami.org/] * Maturity Matters Counseling [https://www.maturitymatterscounseling.com/] * Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center [https://iog.wayne.edu/madrc] * Alzheimer's Association | Greater Michigan Chapter [https://www.alz.org/gmc] * Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Center [https://medresearch.umich.edu/labs-departments/centers/madc] * Michigan Caregiving [https://www.michigancaregiving.org/] * Elder Care Resources [https://hr.umich.edu/benefits-wellness/work-life/elder-care-resources] * Backup Care Resources [https://hr.umich.edu/benefits-wellness/work-life/backup-child-adult-home-care-resources] * Eldercare Locator [https://eldercare.acl.gov/home] * Washtenaw Support Network for Caregivers [https://www.michiganmedicine.org/community/community-health-services/silver-club-memory-programs/washtenaw-support-network-caregivers] * Michigan Caregiver Support Groups [https://www.ageways.org/caregiver-services/caregiver-support-groups/] * Caregiving Resources [https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=1460726&p=10862581] Visit the GradWell website [https://rackham.umich.edu/rackham-life/gradwell-podcast/] for more! Reach out to the Drs. with any questions: leggetta@wayne.edu [leggetta@wayne.edu] and cpolenic@umich.edu [cpolenic@umich.edu] Email us about the podcast: rackhampdeworkshops@umich.edu Stay in touch by joining Gradwell's MCommunity group! [https://mcommunity.umich.edu/group/GradWell%20Podcast%20Group] Guests' Bio Dr. Courtney Polenick Courtney A. Polenick, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. Dr. Polenick's research focuses on family relationships and caregiving in the context of complex care needs including dementia and multimorbidity. She is particularly interested in understanding family and social influences in everyday life that shape the health and well-being of older adults and their care partners. Her long-term goal is to inform interventions and policies that mitigate stress and promote resilience among older adults living with complex care needs and their families. Dr. Amanda Leggett Amanda N. Leggett, PhD, FGSA, is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Institute of Gerontology and Department of Psychology at Wayne State University and Adjunct Professor in the Psychiatry Department at the University of Michigan. She is also faculty in the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. She currently co-leads Michigan's Dementia Coalition (a state-wide coalition of more than 300 individuals representing more than 65 organizations working together to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia and their families). She recently ended her tenure as Associate Editor of GSA's Innovation in Aging and is currently on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Research in Aging. She is a long-time Hospice volunteer.

Bonus Episode: Getting Control of Our Finances - Financial Wellness for Ph.D.s

How might throwing out the label of 'student' help us take better control of our finances? In this episode, Emily Roberts, Ph.D., a personal finance educator for early-career doctoral students, discusses why finances are such an important part of well-being and how we can start taking control of them as Ph.D. students. We explore her numerous tips on budgeting, the specialized approach we need to take to taxes, and why investing even $5 a month will make a big difference in the long run. Listen in for her recommendations on how to get started today! Make sure to sign up for Dr. Roberts' virtual workshop [https://sessions.studentlife.umich.edu/track/event/session/107261] with us on April 8, where she'll walk us through how to approach a number of financial goals that will increase your net worth! Resources * Emily's Website - Personal Finance for PhDs [https://pfforphds.com/] * Emily's Podcast - Personal Finance for PhDs [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personal-finance-for-phds/id1408422255] * Emily's Free Spending Tracker [https://pfforphds.com/tracker/] * Emily's Tax "Cheat Sheet" [https://pfforphds.com/tax/] * FreeTaxUSA [https://www.freetaxusa.com/] * Free file through the IRS [https://www.irs.gov/e-file-do-your-taxes-for-free] * U-M Financial Education Resources [https://finaid.umich.edu/tools-resources/financial-education] * U-M Food & Housing Resources [https://deanofstudents.umich.edu/food-and-housing-insecurity] * U-MStudent Support Resources [https://deanofstudents.umich.edu/critical-incidents] * U-M Career Center Clothes Closet for business attire [https://careercenter.umich.edu/content/clothes-closet] * Financial Well-Being Resources [https://hr.umich.edu/benefits-wellness/health-well-being/mhealthy/faculty-staff-well-being/financial-well-being] (Human Resources) * Resource Coach Program [https://hr.umich.edu/benefits-wellness/health-well-being/mhealthy/about-mhealthy/our-organization/resource-coach] (Human Resources) * Financial Empowerment Series [https://www.cew.umich.edu/financial-empowerment-initiative/] (CEW+) * Financial Wellness Resources [https://libguides.law.umich.edu/wellness/financial] (Michigan Law) * Financial Education Resources [https://www.umcu.org/Resources/Financial-Wellness] (University of Michigan Credit Union) * Modern Financial Literacy Tools [https://umcu.studentchoice.org/resources/financial-wellness/igrad/] (University of Michigan Credit Union) Emily's Favorite Personal Finance Beginner Books * I Will Teach You To Be Rich [https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tLP1TdIyclKKSkwYPRSz1Qoz8zJUShJTUzOUKjML1UoyVdISlUoygRyixJzM0sUilNLMjIB2m4SQQ&q=i+will+teach+you+to+be+rich+ramit+sethi&oq=&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqGQgAEC4YkQIYtAIY6gIYgAQYjAQYigUY5wYyGQgAEC4YkQIYtAIY6gIYgAQYjAQYigUY5wYyGwgBEAAYQhiRAhi0AhjqAhiABBiMBBiKBRjnBjIbCAIQABhCGJECGLQCGOoCGIAEGIwEGIoFGOcGMhsIAxAAGEIYkQIYtAIY6gIYgAQYjAQYigUY5wYyGwgEEAAYQhiRAhi0AhjqAhiABBiMBBiKBRjnBjIGCAUQRRhA0gEJMjQ2MDJqMGo5qAIFsAIB8QVbPVma5nU6hA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8] by Ramit Sethi * Get Good With Money [https://www.google.com/search?q=get+good+with+money+-+tiffany+aliche&sca_esv=8616942102c81106&biw=1258&bih=759&sxsrf=ANbL-n6Y2lEscLPlkXkPT_TvETY4jGuaWg%3A1774143263940&ei=H0e_aYaKOfva5NoP6bjhsAc&ved=0ahUKEwjGlZzYrrKTAxV7LVkFHWlcGHYQ4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=get+good+with+money+-+tiffany+aliche&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiJGdldCBnb29kIHdpdGggbW9uZXkgLSB0aWZmYW55IGFsaWNoZTIEEAAYHjIEEAAYHjIEEAAYHjIEEAAYHjIEEAAYHjIEEAAYHjIGEAAYCBgeMgYQABgIGB4yBhAAGAgYHkiUA1AAWABwAHgBkAEAmAFNoAFNqgEBMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCAaACU5gDAJIHATGgB4YHsgcBMbgHU8IHAzItMcgHA4AIAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp] by Tiffany Aliche * The Simple Path to Wealth [https://www.google.com/search?q=The+simple+path+to+wealth+by+JL+Collins&sca_esv=8616942102c81106&sxsrf=ANbL-n4X-V7Xky7Wrc88b9gtQe3Df7fdSA%3A1774143363928&ei=g0e_ad2POKXi5NoP46KY0AM&biw=1258&bih=759&ved=0ahUKEwid3fKHr7KTAxUlMVkFHWMRBjoQ4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=The+simple+path+to+wealth+by+JL+Collins&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiJ1RoZSBzaW1wbGUgcGF0aCB0byB3ZWFsdGggYnkgSkwgQ29sbGluczILEC4YgAQYkQIYigUyCxAAGIAEGJECGIoFMgsQABiABBiRAhiKBTIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyGhAuGIAEGJECGIoFGJcFGNwEGN4EGOAE2AEBSNg3UABYlDRwAHgBkAEAmAGrAaAB-QmqAQQxNy4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIRoAKfCsICBhAAGAcYHsICBBAAGB7CAgcQLhiABBgNwgIHEAAYgAQYDcICFhAuGIAEGA0YlwUY3AQY3gQY4ATYAQGYAwC6BgYIARABGBSSBwQxNi4xoAfGngGyBwQxNi4xuAefCsIHBzAuNy45LjHIBz2ACAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp] by JL Collins Online Finance Courses * Finance Courses [https://online.umich.edu/search/?q=finance] (Michigan Online) * Finance Courses [https://www.edx.org/learn/finance] (edX) * Financial Literacy Courses [https://www.edx.org/learn/financial-literacy?hs_analytics_source=referrals&utm_source=mooc.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=mooc.org-topics] (edX) * Cash Course [https://wellbeing.umich.edu/tools-resources/the-well-being-toolkit/cash-course/] (free for students) * Finance Courses [https://www.coursera.org/browse/business/finance] (Coursera - free for students) * Finance for Everyone [https://online.umich.edu/courses/finance-for-everyone-smart-tools-for-decision-making/] (Michigan Online) Make sure to register for Dr. Roberts' virtual workshop [https://sessions.studentlife.umich.edu/track/event/session/107261] on April 8th, 2026 — How to Set and Achieve Financial Goals as a Graduate Student Visit the GradWell website [https://rackham.umich.edu/rackham-life/gradwell-podcast/] for more! Reach out to Emily with any questions: emily@pfforphds.com [emily@pfforphds.com] Email us about the podcast: rackhampdeworkshops@umich.edu Stay in touch by joining Gradwell's MCommunity group! [https://mcommunity.umich.edu/group/GradWell%20Podcast%20Group] Guest Bio Dr. Emily Roberts is a personal finance educator specializing in early-career PhDs. Through her business, Personal Finance for PhDs [https://pfforphds.com/], she equips graduate students and postdocs to make the most of their money. She gives seminars at universities and for associations; interviews graduate students and PhDs on her podcast; and creates courses and workshops on taxes, investing, and more. Emily holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Duke University and lives in San Diego with her husband and two children.

Graduate Student Well-Being: Past, Present, and Future

How can the University of Michigan best support its graduate students in their journey to greater well-being? To wrap up the season, this episode will provide an overview of well-being at Michigan for graduate students with Elizabeth Rohr, Rackham's Well-being Advocate. Explore the behind-the-scenes approaches Rackham takes to graduate student well-being and what the future may hold for graduate wellness. Resources * Resources on the Graduate Advisor Relationship [https://rackham.umich.edu/podcast/psychological-safety-in-the-graduate-advisor-relationship/] * Resources on Cultivating a Sense of Belonging [https://rackham.umich.edu/podcast/the-importance-of-cultivating-a-sense-of-belonging/] * Michigan Doctoral Experience Survey [https://rackham.umich.edu/about/michigan-doctoral-experience-study-mdes/] * Transition Points: Well-being and Disciplinary Identity in the First Years of Doctoral Studies [https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/items/0cacdc87-5170-4b8c-94bd-cc452343e880] - Paper based on Michigan Doctoral Experience Survey * Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities & C [https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/53926/1.0132754/8]olleges [https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/53926/1.0132754/8] * Well-Being Collective [https://wellbeing.umich.edu/] Visit the GradWell website [https://rackham.umich.edu/rackham-life/gradwell-podcast/] for more! Reach out to Elizabeth with any questions: erohr@umich.edu Email us about the podcast: rackhampdeworkshops@umich.edu Stay in touch by joining Gradwell's MCommunity group! [https://mcommunity.umich.edu/group/GradWell%20Podcast%20Group] Guest Bio Elizabeth Rohr is the Well-Being Advocate and senior manager of the Well-Being Advocate Program of the Rackham Graduate School, partnering with Rackham graduate program faculty, staff, and students to identify and address structural issues that impact graduate student mental health and well-being. Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work, with an emphasis in interpersonal practice and mental health. She also holds a BS in Sociology with a minor in History from Northwestern University. Elizabeth has had an eclectic professional journey. She's worked in the private sector as a corporate project and event manager; was a Public Allies Americorp member in Chicago working with HIV+ women and children, an intimate partner and sexual violence prevention peer educator in San Francisco, and helped conduct research and develop new programs for nontraditional graduate students at the Center for the Education of Women (CEW+) here at U-M. Prior to joining Rackham, she worked directly with undergraduate students to develop their mindful leadership skills at the LSA Barger Leadership Institute for 5 years.

Lifting Our Mood - Reducing Anxiety, Depression, and Stress

How could we better navigate our mental health if we thought of it as a spectrum rather than in absolutes? In this episode, Dr. Patricia Deldin, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, shares insights from the alternative intervention to traditional mental health care that she created, Mood Lifters. Listen in and learn why a solutions-focused program works as an alternative to talking out our problems and explore strategies that can help reduce your anxiety, depression, and stress while in grad school. Resources * Indianapolis YMCA Mood Lifters - Virtual Program [https://indymca.org/programs/health-wellness/chronic-disease-prevention/] (Click drop-down menu under "Chronic Disease Prevention Programs") * The next cohort starts the first week of December 2025 * Granite YMCA Mood Lifters [https://www.graniteymca.org/programs/health-wellness/health-interventions/] Please scroll through the following pages to find resources on the various dimensions of well-being that Dr. Deldin mentioned in this episode * Physical Wellness Resources [https://rackham.umich.edu/podcast/physical-well-being/] * Social Wellness Resources [https://rackham.umich.edu/podcast/social-well-being/] * Social Wellness Resources pt2 [https://rackham.umich.edu/podcast/the-importance-of-cultivating-a-sense-of-belonging/] * Resources on the Graduate Advisor Relationship [https://rackham.umich.edu/podcast/psychological-safety-in-the-graduate-advisor-relationship/] * Emotional Wellness Resources [https://rackham.umich.edu/podcast/emotional-well-being/] * Resources on Finding Meaning and Purpose [https://rackham.umich.edu/podcast/spiritual-well-being/] Visit the GradWell website [https://rackham.umich.edu/rackham-life/gradwell-podcast/] for more! Reach out to Dr. Deldin with any questions: pjdeldin@umich.edu Email us about the podcast: rackhampdeworkshops@umich.edu Stay in touch by joining Gradwell's MCommunity group! [https://mcommunity.umich.edu/group/GradWell%20Podcast%20Group] Guest Bio Dr. Patricia Deldin is a transformational and creative leader in the mental health space. After teaching at Harvard for several years, Dr. Deldin was hired by the University of Michigan to serve as both the Chair of the Clinical Area and Director of Clinical Training in Michigan's Clinical Psychology program. During her tenure at Michigan, Dr. Deldin also helped shape the structure of the University's Depression Center, formerly serving as its Deputy Director, and helped to launch the National Network of Depression Centers. In 2014, she began to shift her research focus from understanding psychopathology to developing a new, more accessible, evidence-based mental wellness program, Mood Lifters. Since its inception, Mood Lifters has served over 2,000 people and worked with over 30 organizations. In December 2022, Mood Lifters was acquired by Color Health.

Exploring Our Needs - Accommodations and Support

How can getting our needs met academically help us bring wellness to the other aspects of our lives? This episode features Kat Nic, senior disability access coordinator for graduate students in the Services for Students with Disabilities at Michigan. Explore how taking a single step towards getting just one need met can put us in forward motion towards greater well-being. And learn how SSD provides exploratory support to help you find the resources and strategies that can best enhance your time in grad school, both inside and outside of official accommodations. Resources * Services for Students with Disabilities Office [https://ssd.umich.edu/] * Accommodations through SSD [https://ssd.umich.edu/accommodations] * Academic Support and Access Partnerships [https://ssd.umich.edu/academic-support] * Scholarships, Awards, and Funding through SSD [https://ssd.umich.edu/article/glance-scholarships-awards-funding] * CAPS [https://studentlife.umich.edu/article/counseling-psychological-services-caps] * Uwill [https://uhc.umich.edu/uwill-teletherapy-services] - video, phone, chat, and message sessions with licensed mental health professionals * Wellness Coaching [https://wolverinewellness.umich.edu/wellness-coaching] * International Center [https://internationalcenter.umich.edu/] * Spectrum Center [https://spectrumcenter.umich.edu/] Visit the GradWell website [https://rackham.umich.edu/rackham-life/gradwell-podcast/] for more! Reach out to Kat with any questions: katnic@umich.edu Email us about the podcast: rackhampdeworkshops@umich.edu Stay in touch by joining Gradwell's MCommunity group! [https://mcommunity.umich.edu/group/GradWell%20Podcast%20Group] Guest Bio Kat has worked in the higher education disability access field for six years. After several years of working in K-12 educational non-profits, all while grappling with their own disability identity after getting sick and being diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses, Kat attended Bowling Green State University, where she was a graduate student assistant in the Accessibility Services Office for three years. Afterwards, Kat accepted a position at the University of Michigan, and just celebrated three years in the Services for Students with Disabilities office.