Inspired by a longstanding interest in neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric illness, Dr. Sarah Short’s research has consistently focused on identifying early determinants of neurodevelopmental risk. As an Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry Department at UNC, Dr. Short’s current research projects are designed to: 1) identify white matter connections in the brain that support the emergence of working memory from infancy to 6-years of age, 2) to examine the magnitude and location of experience-dependent structural plasticity in white matter tracts following a standardized working memory training program and, 3) to determine whether a parent-child mindfulness training program will improve working memory and result in measurable brain changes. Her long-term goal is to use this knowledge to design preventive intervention strategies that take advantage of optimal developmental periods of neural plasticity to strengthen neural circuits specific to formative cognitive processes.

Dev Ashish is a doctoral student in clinical psychology working in the Neuropsychology, Emotion and Meditation lab at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He is currently working on reviewing research on loving-kindness meditation and proposing future directions for the research. His research projects involve understanding the neural, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects of loving-kindness meditation and particularly self-compassion. His clinical interests relate to using meditation techniques to help not only in coping with psychological trauma, but also the development of resilience, using mindfulness and Loving-kindness practices in therapy with inmates with PTSD, severe mental illness, substance abuse and other complaints. He is also interested in the contemplative dimension of teaching and learning and he has designed courses in which he has added contemplative practices as a part of the curriculum and received highly positive reviews from his students.

Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray teaches in and chairs the Environmental Studies Department at Humboldt State University. I am finding that I desire to show up for so many things in my full life, that I simply cannot afford to not be present and resourced. The rippling crises from climate and COVID have led me to meditation and an Insight Mindfulness sangha & dharma practice, and opened my heart to my family, my students, my colleagues, and myself in ways that burnout and despair had been preventing. My recent book, A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety, is written for the “climate generation” (college-aged youth), so I’m keenly focused on how to help them cultivate the existential wisdom we all need in order to stay engaged in climate justice for the long haul.