Affiliates are valued members of our community. Center for Mindfulness is privileged to collaborate with our partners who work to empower their communities through equitable and sustainable mindfulness practices. Affiliates have collaborated with the center on various initiatives, providing their thought leadership, subject matter expertise, and knowledge sharing.
Andrea is a PhD candidate at the ASU School of Social Work, Office of Gender-based Violence. Andrea's research and applied projects focus on examining trauma-informed complementary and alternative therapeutic modalities, emphasizing yoga and mindfulness, among individuals with interpersonal violence experiences. Andrea is also a 200-hour registered yoga instructor and is currently completing her 300-hour Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Certification.
Dara James is a Postdoctoral Scholar, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University. She is also the Co-Founder of Early Career Mindfulness Council and Co-Founder and Director of Mindful Writing Groups. Her expertise includes mindfulness and well-being, mindful eating, self-compassion, and meditative movement.
Diane Sieg works with nurses and other healthcare professionals at the staff, team, and leadership level in community hospitals and large hospital systems such as Kaiser and Atrium Health, teaching skills and tools that are empowering and effective.
Diane’s signature program, The Resilience of Self-Leadership, builds and sustains resilience by teaching her version of "CPR" which stands for Compassion, Presence, and Recovery. She is the author of two books and the creator of The Resilience Academy.
Evaline is an ASU Barrett alum and current MSN student aiming to leverage her passion for trauma-informed mindfulness practices to advance a culture of caring both within the traditional medical sphere and the world at large. Her honors thesis explored the relationship between mindfulness, compassion, and student wellness, and was endorsed by Dr. Teri Pipe, Dr. Nika Gueci, and Dr. Manuela Jimenez.
Jacob Gold is a Professor of Finance at the W.P. Carey School of Business, Adjunct Faculty. He has expertise in Personal Finance and Financial Wellness.
M2 Well-Being is Arizona’s only mobile mindfulness studio. M2’s mission is to meet communities where they are, and provide resources, tools and inspiration to improve mental health and well-being. We provide a place of calm where people connect and feel more capable and fulfilled. M2 offers both in-person and virtual mindfulness training that can improve performance and enhance culture.
Dr. Mark Huerta is a Lecturer within the Fulton Schools of Engineering that has been involved in sharing mindfulness practices with engineering students. He has collaborated with the Center of Mindfulness, Compassion, and Resilience on several initiatives including his doctoral dissertation that explored the utility of mindfulness in engineering education.
Michelle Villegas-Gold is the Associate Director of Health and Clinical Research at Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise within the Office of the Vice President of Research, where she manages ASU's expansive and interdisciplinary health research portfolio. Prior to her current role, Michelle served as a University Innovation Fellow in the Office of the President, and the Center-Wide Research Assistant at the Center for the Future of Arizona, in the Office of the President Emeritus. Michelle has a PhD in Global Health with a Certificate in Women and Gender Studies from Arizona State, a Master of Public Health with an emphasis on global health and leadership from New York University, and a Master of Counseling from Arizona State.
As a research consultant for Center, Dr. Sophia Town regularly offers workshops on emerging leadership and communication research. Past workshops include "Mindful Leadership, Mindful Communication: Igniting Human Connection", and "What is Self-Care, Really?" Dr. Town is an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Fordham University.
TC Strategic Communications is a strategic communications consultancy with a passion for strategic solutions to push real business results through communications, storytelling and creating compelling content that engages audiences and drives them to take action. With nearly two decades of experience in creating strategic communications plans, we push boundaries and find innovative ways to build affinity for your brand, product or service, and then move people to take action.
Tend Health offered streamlined access to specialized, expert, private mental healthcare for healthcare professionals. In addition, they offer coaching, courses, trainings, and consulting on clinician well-being. They partner with healthcare training programs and organizations.
Wayne Tormala has provided leadership for over 45 years in the public and private sectors at the local, state, national and global levels. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Altruism in Medicine Institute, a global initiative of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, is an Adjunct Faculty of the University of Arizona - College of Public Health, and an Affiliate Member of the Arizona State University Center on Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience.
