Peer Health Advocates
Peer Health Advocates (PHAs) encourage and support holistic student health and well-being by providing culturally responsive peer-to-peer health education programs and services. Goals of the PHA program include:
- Serve as community liaisons for addressing campus health concerns.
- Reduce adverse health effects and improve holistic wellbeing by providing harm-reduction centered education and support.
- Empower students in making informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.
- Develop collaborations by establishing shared leadership for health and well-being across campus.
Peer Support Meetings
Students can schedule to meet with a Peer Health Advocate. PHAs meet with peers for 30 minutes and offer space to learn about, troubleshoot, and connect with resources. Some examples of how PHAs can offer support include:
- Setting and practicing communicating boundaries
- Navigating on and off campus resources
- Brainstorming mindfulness and meditation tools
- Reviewing and demonstrating safer sex tools like condoms, birth control, PrEP.
- Generating ideas and plans for satisfying and accessible snacks and meals
- And more!
These casual appointments are offered in-person or on Zoom. PHAs may meet up with you on campus wherever feels most comfortable for you - be it a coffee shop, walking around the track, or in a private room in the Health Promotion and Student Support Resources suit.
Please scroll to find the PHA you'd like to schedule with and use their scheduling link to set up a 1:1 session. You may also email your avaiability to cmupha@gmail.com to set up an appointment.
Meet the Undergraduate PHAs
Undergraduate and graduate students can schedule with whomever they prefer. Undergrads can schedule with grads and vice versa!
Amara Vergara Agyakwa (she/her)
First-Year, Business Administration
First-Year, Business Administration
Specialization: Nutrition
Interests: Nutrition, Running, Trading, VC
Jackson Chen (he/him)
First-Year, Economics
First-Year, Economics
Specialization: Mindfulness & Mental Health
Interests: The board game Go, Badminton, Piano
Ash Gelber (they/them)
Junior, Psychology
Junior, Psychology
Specialization: Disability Resources
Interests: Theater, Video Games, Cooking, Mental Health Advocacy
Emily Jordan
Senior, Psychology & Biological Sciences
Senior, Psychology & Biological Sciences
Specialization: Mindfulness & Mental Health
Justin Lam
Senior, Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Senior, Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Specialization: Disability Resources
Teresa Lourie
Senior, Design
Senior, Design
Specialization: Recovery & Harm Reduction
Interests: Rock Climbing, Wood Working, Video Game
Mani Chinesom
Junior, Business Administration
Junior, Business Administration
Specialization: Disability Resources
Sofia Cordoba Valencia
Senior, Global Studies and Chinese Studies
Senior, Global Studies and Chinese Studies
Specialization: Nutrition
Languages: English, Spanish and some Mandarin
Demetria White
Senior, Neuroscience
Senior, Neuroscience
Specialization: Sexual Health
Interests: Sci Fi Books, The Sims
Meet the Graduate PHAs
Graduate and undergraduate students can schedule with whomever they prefer. Grads can schedule with undergrads and vice versa!
Krithika Jagannath
Tepper - Business Analytics
Tepper - Business Analytics
Specialization: Nurtition
Languages: English, Kannada, Hindi
Interests: Baking, DIY Personal Care Products, Travel, Yoga
Siva Komaragiri (he/him)
Heinz - Health Care Analytics and Information Technology
Heinz - Health Care Analytics and Information Technology
Specialization: Mental Health, Mindfulness, and Nutrition
Languages: English, Hindi, Telugu
Specialization: Mindfulness & Mental Health
Interests: Art, History, Bollywood
Harsh Vaibhav Nallanthighal (he/him)
College of Engineering - Energy Science, Technology and Policy
Schedule with Harsh
College of Engineering - Energy Science, Technology and Policy
Schedule with Harsh
Specialization: Mental Health, Mindfulness, Sexual Health, and Disability Resources
Languages: English, Hindi, Telugu
Interests: Reading, Music, Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Baking
Virgile Franck Rapegno (he/him)
Information Networking Institute - Mobile and Internet of Things Engineering
Information Networking Institute - Mobile and Internet of Things Engineering
Specialization: Nutrition, Well-Being and Alcohol
Languages: English, French
Interests: Rowing, French cuisine, Outdoors activities
Specialization: Mental Health, Mindfulness, and Sexual Health
Languages: English, Hindi
Interests: Video games, Sketching, Strength training, Physical, Sexual, & Mental Health Advocacy
Highlights of the PHA Program
The PHA program began as a student organization and has evolved over the years with input from students. PHAs are now paid employees of University Health Services, working as liaisons and a resource for campus health and well-being.
Additionally, the program has shifted from group education to a one-on-one support model, including text support, drop-in visits, and scheduled consultations.
The PHAs engage in their support of students using a specialist model, including but not limited to the following areas:
- Disability Resources
- Sexual Health
- Mindfulness and Mental Health
- Nutrition
In addition to the undergraduate program, graduate students are now active in PHA roles to support graduate student health and wellbeing.
The PHA program offers a credited mini-course that teaches the foundations of peer education. Course enrollment is open to all students and required for PHAs.