Coping in the Aftermath of COVID 19 Pandemic: How to Navigate Mental and Emotional Challenges

This workshop will discuss strategies to help recognize and manage the mental, emotional, and physical health challenges of students, staff, and faculty may also encounter after the pandemic. It will delineate symptoms and suggest resources and coping strategies It will discuss health and wellness and their importance in self-care. Audience participation is encouraged

Altered Immunity and Microbial Dysbiosis in Aged Individuals With Long-Term Controlled HIV Infection

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) resulted in a significant increase in life expectancy for HIV patients. Indeed, in 2015, 45% of the HIV+ individuals in the United States were ≥55 years of age. Despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection, geriatric HIV+ patients suffer from higher incidence of comorbidities compared to age-matched HIV- individuals. Both chronic inflammation and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome are believed to be major contributors to this phenomenon, however carefully controlled studies investigating the impact of long-term (>10 years) controlled HIV (LTC-HIV) infection are lacking. To address this question, we profiled circulating immune cells, immune mediators, and the gut microbiome from elderly (≥55 years old) LTC-HIV+ and HIV- gay men living in the Palm Springs area. LTC-HIV+ individuals had lower frequency of circulating monocytes and CD4+ T-cells, and increased frequency CD8+ T-cells. Moreover, levels of systemic INFγ and several growth factors were increased while levels of IL-2 and several chemokines were reduced. Upon stimulation, immune cells from LTC-HIV+ individuals produced higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Last but not least, the gut microbiome of LTC-HIV+ individuals was enriched in bacterial taxa typically found in the oral cavity suggestive of loss of compartmentalization, while levels of beneficial butyrate producing taxa were reduced. Additionally, prevalence of Prevotella negatively correlated with CD4+ T-cells numbers in LTC-HIV+ individuals. These results indicate that despite long-term adherence and undetectable viral loads, LTC-HIV infection results in significant shifts in immune cell frequencies and gut microbial communities

Finding My Voice:An African-American Female Professor at a Predominantly White University

Drawing from her personal experience, the author shares concrete examples from her promotion and tenurereview, including the experience of social integration issues and the ramifications that the higher educationenvironment had on her personal and professional attitudes as an African-American female faculty member.Included in the discussion is her feeling isolated, devalued, and unwelcomed. She discusses how her valuesystems, culture, ethnicity, and behavior patterns often conflict with those held by the university and whitefaculty members and students, and finally, how these conditions disempowered and suppressed her voice asa female faculty and faculty member of color

Faculty of Color: On the Track but Out of the Loop

As a follow up to two recent publications in Black Issues in Higher Education and The Chronicle of Higher Education Chronicle Review, this presentation will focus on the experiences of African American tenure-track faculty in predominantly White Institutions. Several themes are delineated and discussed as they relate to the professional and social integration experiences of this group

: A Travel Size CARE Package for Health and Mental Wellness in the Academy (virtual double session)

To help participants build a CARE Package for Health and Mental Wellness, the workshop presenters will discuss strategies to recognize, manage, and cope with the mental, emotional, and physical health challenges students, staff, and faculty may encounter in the academy. The workshop will focus on anxiety, stress, strain, burnout, and signs of distress that impact their mental wellness and well-being. As clinical mental health clinicians and educators, the presenters will discuss the importance of health and wellness and self-care. The workshop will focus on the needs of the participants and provide opportunities and safe spaces for the participants to create a self-care package. Resources will be provided by presenters and participants. Audience participation is strongly encouraged but optional

African American Millennial College Students: Owning the Technological Middle Passage

Set in a conceptual framework highlighting generational differences and socioeconomic and racial inequity, this article discusses the role of African Americans in the anticipated future changes related to technology. Focusing specifically on college-aged African American Millennial students, who they are, and the role technology plays in their development of identity, this article will bring much needed attention to this population. Additionally, the uses of and access to information pertinent to academic advancement for this cohort will be explored