Sarah Hite is the Social Media & Digital Content Officer at the Mind & Life Institute. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from James Madison University and brings a passion for creating compelling visual content to amplify nonprofit missions. With experience in social media strategy and graphic design, she has helped enhance online engagement through impactful storytelling and design. Outside of her role in social media, Sarah enjoys photography, freelance design projects, and exploring new creative techniques.
KT is Executive Assistant of the Mind & Life Institute, assuming her role in July 2024. Her background includes over 15 years of program management, event planning, and leadership level assistance within non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Mind & Life, she was Assistant Director Development & Stewardship at the University of Virginia, Alumni Association, where she managed high-level donor events, implemented and executed a yearly stewardship plan, tracked donor giving, and supported and collaborated with senior leadership, board members, the Chief of Staff, and the President & CEO. She has a BA in Linguistics and Phonetics (with a minor in Psychology) from the University of Leeds.
Over the course of her life KT has had the privilege of living for extensive periods of time in both the United States and the United Kingdom. She enjoys traveling and other cultures and hopes to broaden her experiences beyond Europe, South America, the Caribbean, and Canada. She has lived in Charlottesville VA for over 24 years and loves the vibe that a college town community provides. She enjoys the outdoors, scenic vistas, football, game nights, rooftop restaurants, the beach (in all seasons!), relaxing on her back patio, an eclectic taste in music, salsa and bachata dancing, a good margarita, laughing, and most of all spending time with friends and her two boys. She has a passion for health and wellness and is focusing on leading an Ayurvedic lifestyle.
Anna is the Grants & Research Coordinator at Mind & Life. She has previously worked at UVA’s Contemplative Sciences Center, and is currently a doctoral candidate in the philosophy department at UVA researching attention mechanisms and moral transformation. Outside of work and school, Anna loves running in the mountains, yoga, and working with the land.
Chase Bryer is a doctoral candidate in Behavioral and Social Health Sciences at the Brown University School of Public Health. His dissertation research is focused on Two-Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQ+ aging with HIV. Prior to Brown, Chase was selected as a Kathryn M. Buder Scholar at the Buder Center for American Indian Studies where he focused on understanding the historical and contemporary issues facing Native communities from cultural, policy, and practice perspectives. Chase holds an MSW from Washington University in St. Louis and a BA in Human Rights and Media from the University of Oklahoma.
Jacob Cousin, a Pine Ridge Indian Reservation native and 2016 Valedictorian of Mahpiya Luta (formerly Red Cloud), pursued his studies at Brown University as a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar, earning a BA in Science, Technology, and Society with a focus on Culture and Health, particularly Alternative Medicine. In 2024 he achieved a Masters of Public Health with a focus on Health Behavior. He is currently a Research Assistant at the Brown University School of Public Health, as well as a Policy Analyst/Political Advisor for the Oglala Sioux Tribe Vice President. Jacob’s work centers on preserving Native dance traditions and integrating them into health interventions. He manages study preparation, recruitment, and survey creation, emphasizing the incorporation of Indigenous art into scientific discourse. Jacob’s journey underscores the belief that the fusion of Culture and Health, embodied in Dance and Movement, is not merely academic but a lifelong dedication to enhancing community well-being.
Cristina Fuentes Antoniazzi, PhD in Drama Theatre and Performance at the
University of Huddersfield, UK, actor-researcher, mindfulness expert and
communications consultant.
On a professional level, Cristina combines knowledge from different disciplines
(theatre, psychology and meditation). She uses cutting-edge techniques to improve
individuals’ and groups’ communicational skills in her workshops and individual
sessions.
In her PhD she researched how mindfulness can enhance presence, developing a
Mindfulness-Based Performer Training (MBPT) model which synthesizes the
dynamic and multilayered phenomena of applying mindfulness onstage.
Cristina has experience working with a broad range of individuals and
organizations in Chile and the UK. For further information please visit
www.cristinafuentes.cl
Agustina is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a clinical psychologist specialized in cognitive and contemplative therapeutic approaches, and working within a team focused on the treatment of those suffering from substance-abuse and addiction. She is trained in Compassion Focused Therapy and Mindfulness. She is currently participating in a research project in a school in Buenos Aires, creating a program of contemplative practices based on the Healthy Minds Program, with 11-year-old children.
Serene Singh is a Rhodes Scholar pursuing a Doctoral degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Oxford. Her research centers on the experiences of women on death row in the United States, focusing on topics of femininity, gender identity, and life in confinement. With a commitment to understanding their material realities, Singh aims to contribute to academic knowledge and recommend reforms for this marginalized population.
Singh’s dedication to women’s rights and justice system improvement is exemplified by her nonprofit work, empowering women to build confidence and raise their voices. She holds a Master’s postgraduate degree in Public Policy from Oxford, where she was the youngest student in a global cohort. As a Truman Scholar, Fulbright recipient, and Boettcher Scholar, Singh graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Colorado, with a minor in Leadership Studies.
Outside of academia, Singh has made significant contributions to youth development and social impact causes. Serving as a Dalai Lama Fellow and a project development coach for the Renee Crown Wellness Institute, she provides one-on-one support to fellows in ideating, designing, and executing their passion projects for global change. Singh’s accomplishments include winning the title of National All-American Miss 2020-2023, authoring the acclaimed children’s book “The Queen Machine,” and establishing The Serenity Project, a 501c3 nonprofit focused on empowering marginalized women through fashion shows and confidence coaching. She has also collaborated with Mrs. Obama and the Girls Opportunity Alliance, advocating for girls’ education. Singh’s dedication to challenging stereotypes and promoting diversity is evident in her historic Sikh advocacy efforts at the University of Oxford, where she organized the first Sikh Langar and invited the first turbaned Sikh speaker to the Oxford Union.
Serene hopes to propel her extensive academic background, research focus on women on death row, dedication to advocacy, and involvement in impactful initiatives to pursue a career in justice and civil rights in the United States upon completing her Ph.D. from Oxford University.
Rahma Muhammad Mian is a yogi and academic. She teaches critical media and cultural studies to undergraduates at the Social Sciences and Liberal Arts program at IBA, Karachi. Rahma has over 14 years of experience working in journalism, communications strategy, and media development. From 2003-2012 she was an editor, reporter, and producer for some of Pakistan’s leading news organizations. She has also developed and implemented communication strategy for Unicef’s polio program in Sindh and for Aga Khan University’s examination board nationally. In media development, Rahma’s work has focused on media ethics, civic, and news technology. From 2012-2016, Rahma created, managed, and led programs focusing on media advocacy and public education, open data journalism, news technology, civic technology, and open government. She developed media and technology curricula, data driven media projects, and lead collaborations and partnerships between media organizations, government, universities and development organizations.
Rahma also works as a somatic therapist and yoga teacher. Rahma’s trauma and chronic pain focused body and breathwork practice is grounded in her Vipassana and Brahmavihara practice. Beginning in 2015, she has sat Vipassana retreats in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Burma and US, learning from monastics and teachersrooted in the Theravada tradition.
Rahma is trained in Ihsaas, a trauma-informed, somatic healing programme designed primarily for Muslim women as well as western trauma and somatic focused trainings. She is also trained in Hatha yoga (RYT-200) from South India and practices Qi Gong and Reiki.
An active part of the local wellness and Vipassana community, Rahma is one of the co-founders of Karachi Sangha, and the annual Karachi Wellness Festival.
