Grad Girl Wellness

On this episode, we talk to Brittny, a fifth year doctoral candidate in Health Studies and creator of Black Mom PhD.  She shares her experiences in grad school and what it's like taking on a number of new roles one of which included becoming a mother. ⁠In the spirit of community, Brittny graciously answers listener questions including: When is the best time to to have a child? How do you find time for sleep? Is it reasonable to work full time and be a mother in a PhD program? ⁠There truly is something for everyone on this episode! For those who are looking for community with other moms in grad school or are just interested in knowing more about what the experience is like, be sure to follow her page!⁠

On this episode of the GGW Podcast, we talk to Breyonnah, a first year doctor of health student studying the maternal mortality rates of Black women. She shares how her early familial influences lead her to use working out as an outlet and how it is sustaining her as a graduate student. Breyonnah also provides tips on time management, finding a trainer and building a community through weightlifting.  •⁠She has a body building competition coming up soon, so send all positive vibes her way! •⁠Use the code "GRADGIRL" for a discount to attend Career Day hosted by @thefinancialdiet on May 15th!•⁠•⁠•⁠#gradschoolbound #gradlife #phdlife #phd #phdstudent #gradschoolstudent #gradschool #phd #graduateschool #phdlife #gradstudent #phdstudent #gradschoollife #dissertation #gradschoolproblems #graduatestudent #academiclife #phdjourney #thesis #gradlife #doctorate #masters #mastersdegree #academia #phdproblems #doctoralstudent #gradgirlwellness #collegepodcast #gradschoolpodcast #podcast ⁠

Calling all creatives! In this episode, I sit down with Amira who is a Scotland-based PhD student studying sustainable fashion. We talk about her evolving relationship with self-care, her passion for art and how the pandemic led her to create a signature event called "Create and Sip" to bring together creatives of all types for community and conversation. To find out more about Amira and her event, you can find her on Instagram @amiramonaie and atsustain-table.com!

On this episode, we talk to Chinenye, a second year PhD student in Electrical Engineering who has a passion for reading and physical fitness. She shares with us how she rediscovered her love of reading after a difficult semester and how it helped her to build a sense of community with others. Tune in for some great book recommendations and to learn about why reading is an ideal way to practice self care in the midst of a hectic semester. Find out more about Chinenye's favorites by following @phd.wchin and checking out the "Reads" highlight.

On this episode we talk to Shanice about how to get our mindset right when it comes to time. We cover topics ranging from time management, creating effective systems and unpacking what we really mean when we say that we don’t have any time to spare. As a graduate student, instructor, wife and mother, Shanice draws upon a wealth of experiences and to help us make the most of our time in ways that prioritize care and creativity. To connect with Shanice, you can find her on IG, Facebook and on her website at Her Guided Evolution. Find out more about the "Wellness Reset" on March 13th, 2021 by visiting: https://www.blkingradschool.com/wellness

On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast, we talk to Autumn who is a recent PhD and a certified yoga teacher (RYT200). She shares her experience of how practicing yoga helped her to move through her grad program with intention. She also ends by offering advice to listeners who are interested in starting their own yoga journey but aren't sure how.To connect, you can find Autumn as 1/2 of the @readblackademia podcast, on Instagram at @Autumnadia4, on Twitter @AutumnAdia and on Etsy at AdiaDesignStudio.

On this episode of the GGW podcast, we talk to Emily “The Fit Foodie” who shares what it’s like pursuing her PhD and being a competitive body builder. Emily shares the benefits bodybuilding has had on her academic career, tips for finding a coach and gives us lots of advice for staying fit on a budget. You can find her on Instagram at emily_thefitfoodie.

On this episode, we talk to Dr. Assita Diallo who is a recent PhD in Physical Therapy and a personal trainer. She shares how the healthy habits she’d established in high school got derailed while pursuing her BS and PhD. This experience compelled her to prioritize wellness in a new way, and it completely changed her graduate school experience. We end the show by talking through some common questions grad students have regarding making time, staying motivated, finding affordable resources and much more. If you’re slipping on your New Year’s resolutions to prioritize physical fitness, this is the episode you.Find out more about Dr. Diallo’s work here:Email: trainwithdrdiallo@gmail.com / Instagram: @trainwithdrdiallo

In this episode, I talk to Ariana, a third year PhD student in Bioengineering, who reminds us that investing in ourselves is always worth it. Ariana knows first hand that practicing wellness in graduate school is not easy, which is why she started a coaching program for women in STEM to provide them with the support they need but often don't get. Listen to find out how investing in herself allowed her to invest in others.

In this episode, I talk with doctoral candidate Juanita Tookes about her own wellness experience in grad school and her research as a scholar who studies "the Strong Black Woman Schema and its negative impact on Wellness for Black women in college." She reminds us that getting "lost" in your work, or any major life transition for that matter, is not uncommon, but rather, it is the grace and space that we allow ourselves to be "found" that makes all the difference.

On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness Podcast, we’re diving into all things leadership + higher education with the brilliant Dr. Nicole Rayfield. 🎓💛She holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership with a focus on organizational citizenship behavior in Black women in academic spaces—aka all the extra labor we do that often goes unrecognized. 🙃✨Get your notebooks ready, because she drops so many gems, including:1️⃣ How to identify your “strategic yes” and decide if a leadership role is truly for you2️⃣ How to step away from positions that no longer serve your growth 🙅🏽‍♀️✨3️⃣ How to spot your everyday leadership abilities (yes, you have them!) 💪🏽4️⃣ How to quiet self-doubt and trust your leadership power 💭➡️✨To learn more about Dr. Rayfield and her entrepreneurial brilliance, follow her on IG:👉🏽 @officialdrnicolerayfield👉🏽 @polishmeunbotheredor visit www.polishmeunbothered.com 💌Tune in, take notes, and step into your leadership era, Grad Girl. 💛🎧✨

Awwww S.N.A.P.! 🎙️On this episode, we sit down with Dr. Pearis Jean — psychologist, assistant professor, healer, and author. In her final year of graduate school, Dr. Jean developed a powerful model for Strategically Navigating Anti-Black Racism in Professional Spaces (S.N.A.P.) which is now a book! 📚In this conversation, Dr. Jean shares insights on:✨ Understanding and addressing anti-Black racism🤝 Building peer support across graduate student cohorts🧭 Using the S.N.A.P. decision-making model to prepare for, respond to and reflect on anti-Black racism💡 Bonus: How a conference presentation turned into a book opportunity!🌐 Connect with Dr. Jean:Website: www.drpearisjean.comInstagram: @pearisjeanphdLinkedIn: Pearis Jean📘 Check out the book:Strategically Navigating Anti-Black Racism in Professional Spaces: A Practical Guide for Black People Responding to Racism in the Workplace — available wherever you buy books.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Destiny Williams-Dobosz, a postdoctoral fellow in Educational Psychology. Drawing from her own journey, Dr. Williams-Dobosz shares how personal experience became a doorway into her research on help-seeking among Black women in STEM and first-generation college students.Our conversation explores:The resilience and vulnerability paradigmRedefining success in toxic environmentsStrategies for asking for help in college settingsWays to foster and support help-seeking behaviors in othersYou can dive deeper into her work by reading her recent publication:Williams-Dobosz, D. (2025). Storytelling as praxis: Leveraging a Black woman’s critical autoethnography as a first-generation college student to explore inequities and possibilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.

🎓 You don’t have to do grad school alone! 💫On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast, we sit down with Darrien Johnson, founder and CEO of The Community Curator — a social-impact consultancy supporting grassroots organizations across Philadelphia 🌆💼With a Master’s in Non-Profit Organizational Management, Darrien shares her powerful journey of leaning into community to navigate grad school and build lasting impact.Tune in to hear:🤝 How to find community in unexpected places🏡 The importance of leaning on your home base during academic challenges🌱 Tips for building sustainable and intentional communityWant to learn more about Darrien and her incredible work? Follow her on LinkedIn to stay connected and inspired!#GradGirlWellness #CommunityBuilding #BlackWomenInNonProfits #GradSchoolJourney

🎙️ On this episode of the Grad Girl Wellness podcast, we chat with designer, advocate, and creative visionary Diona Nicole! With a Master’s in User Experience and Interaction Design, Diona channeled her passion into founding Barren Fruit, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting those navigating infertility and reproductive health challenges 💛🌱Tune in to hear: ✨ How Diona transformed an adjunct role into an opportunity for self-growth 🎓 How she used her master’s thesis to visualize the “silent” pain of women’s reproductive health 🤝 Practical ways to support someone experiencing reproductive health concernsTo learn more about Barren Fruit and the inspiring work Diona does to birth new ideas, visit Barrenfruit.org or follow her on IG at @Diona.Nicole 💫#GradGirlWellness #ReproductiveHealth #InfertilityAwareness #WellnessJourney

Let's talk! On this episode of the podcast, we sit down with health advocate and doctoral student Shay Webb who is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Science. As someone diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and Rheumatoid Arthritis, she uses her passion for health equity to fuel her research and work in the legislative policy space. On this episode, you'll learn about:How and when to ask for accommodationsThe importance of building communityHow to manage advocacy work with pursuing a graduate workTo follow Shay's work you can subscribe to her newsletter "Webb of Diabetes", connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow on Instagram @shayd1t

Have you ever considered adjuncting as a side hustle or as a way to getting teaching experience on your CV? If so, this podcast is for you. On episode 36, we chat with Dr. Mecca Terry the originator of the "From Grad School to Adjunct" masterclass, which she developed based on10 years of working in an adjunct position. You'll learn the following just by tuning in:-How to leverage an adjunct position for future job prospects -How to determine if an adjunct position is right for you-Ways to begin your adjunct job search -The importance of wellness while adjuncting-How to be ok with being told "no"Dr. Terry will be hosting her "From Grad School to Adjunct" masterclass on Wednesday, January 29 from 6-7:30 pm EST. Go to drmeccaterry.com to register!Remember that admission for graduate students is FREE!

While we wait for a graduate student edition of Pop the Balloon, here's our newest episode all about dating. Here, we chat with Dr. Dalesa Martinez Rueda (@docdalesa) who is a marriage and family therapist and owner of Inspired and Free (@inspiredandfreelife), an online therapy practice for children, adolescents, individuals, and groups in 10 states! Listen in for answers to the following questions:How to not measure our journeys by societal expectations?How to turn down the tendency to compare?What work should you do prior to getting on the dating scene?What are helpful resources you could rely on while dating in graduate school?If you like what you hear, be sure to sign up for your free consultation at www.inspiredandfree.com!

This is a solo episode with Angela where she offers her five keys to gift giving as a graduate student. On this episode, she not only tells you how to make the most of your limited grad school coins and where to look for deals, but she also takes the time to think through what it feels like to budget on a grad school stipend. If you're on the market to buy something for yourself or a graduate student in your life, check out the GGW Etsy store which has lots of goodies--stickers, mugs, care packages and more!

If you missed the live recording of the Postdoc Perspective webinar earlier this year, this is your chance to catch the playback. On this episode, you’ll hear from three postdocs, Dr. Angela (Education), Dr. Reka (Education) and Dr. Christine (Microbiology), as they discuss all things postdoc. Some of the topics they discuss include; Why they chose a postdocHow they knew their postdoc was a good fitThe best and worst parts of their positionsWays to make additional money as a postdoc If you’ve ever considered a postdoc or don’t even know what it is, this recorded session is certainly for you!