Grad Girl Wellness

✨ On the heels of Black Maternal Health Week, this conversation is one you don’t want to miss. We sat down with Dr. Michele Mayne 🎓—a newly minted PhD in Sociology (with a focus on medical sociology + community health & well-being)—who navigated the journey of unexpectedly becoming a mom during her doctoral program 🤱🏾📚 From challenges to triumphs, Dr. Mayne kept going… and her story is bo...

Struggling to actually remember what you study? 🤯📚 On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness Podcast , we’re joined by Dr. Rachel Slaughter—an expert on how the brain learns and retains information 🧠✨ She breaks down practical, research-backed strategies you can start using right now : 🔑 Effective study techniques (chunking, highlighting, annotation, and more) 🧘🏾‍♀️ Why breaks + intentional...

The dissertation is done—but the writing isn’t over. 📝 In this solo episode with Grad Girl Wellness creator, Dr. Angela, she shares some big news related to her dissertation! She reflects on what it’s really like to turn a dissertation into a book, juggling time, expectations, and uncertainty. If you’re a grad student or postdoc in the “what now?” stage, this one’s for you 💛

On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness Podcast , we’re diving into all things leadership + higher education with the brilliant Dr. Nicole Rayfield . 🎓💛 She holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership with a focus on organizational citizenship behavior in Black women in academic spaces —aka all the extra labor we do that often goes unrecognized. 🙃✨ Get your notebooks ready, because she drops so...

Awwww S.N.A.P.! 🎙️ On this episode, we sit down with Dr. Pearis Jean — psychologist, assistant professor, healer, and author. In her final year of graduate school, Dr. Jean developed a powerful model for Strategically Navigating Anti-Black Racism in Professional Spaces (S.N.A.P.) which is now a book! 📚 In this conversation, Dr. Jean shares insights on: ✨ Understanding and addressing anti-Black r...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Destiny Williams-Dobosz , a postdoctoral fellow in Educational Psychology. Drawing from her own journey, Dr. Williams-Dobosz shares how personal experience became a doorway into her research on help-seeking among Black women in STEM and first-generation college students. Our conversation explores: The resilience and vulnerability paradigm Redefining success in...

🎓 You don’t have to do grad school alone! 💫 On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast, we sit down with Darrien Johnson , founder and CEO of The Community Curator — a social-impact consultancy supporting grassroots organizations across Philadelphia 🌆💼 With a Master’s in Non-Profit Organizational Management, Darrien shares her powerful journey of leaning into community to navigate grad...

🎙️ On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast, we chat with designer, advocate, and creative visionary Diona Nicole ! With a Master’s in User Experience and Interaction Design, Diona channeled her passion into founding Barren Fruit , a nonprofit dedicated to supporting those navigating infertility and reproductive health challenges 💛🌱 Tune in to hear: ✨ How Diona transformed an adjunct r...

Let's talk! On this episode of the podcast, we sit down with health advocate and doctoral student Shay Webb who is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Science. As someone diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and Rheumatoid Arthritis, she uses her passion for health equity to fuel her research and work in the legislative policy space. On this episode, you'll learn about: How and when to ask for ac...

Have you ever considered adjuncting as a side hustle or as a way to getting teaching experience on your CV? If so, this podcast is for you. On episode 36, we chat with Dr. Mecca Terry the originator of the "From Grad School to Adjunct" masterclass, which she developed based on10 years of working in an adjunct position. You'll learn the following just by tuning in: -How to leverage an a...

While we wait for a graduate student edition of Pop the Balloon, here's our newest episode all about dating. Here, we chat with Dr. Dalesa Martinez Rueda (@ docdalesa ) who is a marriage and family therapist and owner of Inspired and Free (@ inspiredandfreelife ), an online therapy practice for children, adolescents, individuals, and groups in 10 states! Listen in for answers to the following...

This is a solo episode with Angela where she offers her five keys to gift giving as a graduate student. On this episode, she not only tells you how to make the most of your limited grad school coins and where to look for deals, but she also takes the time to think through what it feels like to budget on a grad school stipend. If you're on the market to buy something for yourself or a graduate...

If you missed the live recording of the Postdoc Perspective webinar earlier this year, this is your chance to catch the playback. On this episode, you’ll hear from three postdocs, Dr. Angela (Education), Dr. Reka (Education) and Dr. Christine (Microbiology), as they discuss all things postdoc. Some of the topics they discuss include;  Why they chose a postdoc How they knew their postdoc was a good...

In 2024, GGW is standing on business, and that's what our guest, Dr. Emmanuela Stanislaus, is all about. As a multi-passionate professional, serial entrepreneur, and daughter of immigrants, she leverages her depth of experiences as a consultant and coach for women of color in graduate school. In this episode you'll learn: Advice for starting your own business Determining when it's time...

On this episode of the GGW podcast, we chat with Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Founder of Black Womnyn Professoriate, Dr. Keneisha Harrington. As a key component of wellness, W\we talk all things community in grad school and on the tenure track. Some topics include: Using graduate school to explore the types of wellness activities that work best for you A wellness toolbox Diffe...

Self care is important but we can't do it all on our own. This episode of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast features, Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu, a first generation, Chicana, mother scholar and academic coach. She shares how her experiences as a graduate student inspired her to be a resource for first generation students of color as they navigate the graduate school application process and beyond! O...

On this special Wellness Reset edition of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast, we sit down with Dr. Jennifer Bourgeois who will be a featured panelist and the yoga instructor for the retreat happening October 8 at 12 pm EST. Dr. Bourgeois is a "Pandemic PhD" who earned her doctorate in Administration of Justice in 2021. She is currently a professor, postdoctoral fellow and yoga instructor. Thro...

What happens when dissertation writing and romance collide? On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast, we continue our conversation about romantic relationships. Wynta, our featured guest, is currently a first year PhD student in clinical psychology but has been known to wear many hats as a researcher, lecturer and, stress coach. Some key points she shares about relationships as a grad stu...

Love is in the air. On this episode, we talk to Dr. Christina, a recently minted PhD in American studies. She shares her reflections and authentic advice on what it's like to date while in graduate school. Some of the topics we cover include: identifying the place of romantic relationships in our life and how the prioritization of relationships changes throughout grad school the pros and cons...

Add this to your book list! Danielle, a Second year PhD Student in Microbiology and Immunology, created an interactive mindfulness journal for students! The Mindful PhD journal was reviewed by licensed therapists, and is filled with reflective prompts, peer reviewed literature, meditations, quotes, and affirmations. On the show, Danielle talks about how her postbacc prepared her for prioritizing w...

In a recent Instagram poll of the GGW community, 93% of 120 respondents shared that their health had been negatively impacted while in grad school. This was prompted by a highly popular post by @becomingadoctora, a soon to be PhD in school psychology who developed a number of physical health issues including migraines and carpal tunnel syndrome all while pursuing graduate studies.  On this episode...

This episode is a long awaited response to the top 5 questions I received about writing a dissertation. After this very long 2 year process, I can finally take a step back to talk about the highs and lows of dissertation writing. The reflections I share are also applicable to folks working on a thesis or a capstone. On this episode, I cover the following questions with one bonus! What was my writi...

On this episode, we talk with Cydnee aka @naturallyclarke, a third year doctoral candidate in Global Leadership and Change, about grief in graduate school. This is a topic many of us have experienced but for which there is little data. While there are studies about the experiences of undergraduates, there is scarce information about graduate students as a whole and even less about underrepresented...

Have you been thinking about how to revamp your wardrobe for the new year? If so, this episode with Tiffany, a recent PhD in Education and the founder of Policy and Fashion, is just right for you! On this episode we cover: The importance of image as a student and instructor Shopping basics while on a grad student budget How to determine your individual style Head over to policy and fashion to down...

Need to change your approach to writing? On this latest installment of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast, we sit down with the founder and owner of The Dissertation Coach, Dr. Alison Miller, along with a fellow dissertation consultant, Dr. Rowena Robles to talk about sustainable productivity in the lives of grad students. Writing long texts can feel like being in a constant state of uncertainty, whic...