The University of La Verne has awarded six university faculty members/ faculty teams with Randall Lewis Center for Well-Being and Research Faculty Research Fellowships for the 2025-2026 academic year. This fellowship award is funded by donor Randall Lewis and furthers the center’s mission to support interdisciplinary wellness research inside the University of La Verne and the surrounding region. Faculty applied from diverse fields of study to reinforce co-learning through intersectional disciplines. Recipients were selected by a committee of well-being experts outside the University of La Verne. Fellowship recipients and research topics are as follows:
Project Title: “El Poder Del Autoconocimiento y Liderazgo: A Mixed Methods Study”
Primary Faculty: Esmeralda M Rodriguez
Faculty College/ Program: La Fetra College of Education/ Educational Counseling
Description of Project: This study will test a one-day family workshop designed for Latinx parents and children to strengthen mental health and well-being. The program focuses on building emotional awareness, resilience, and open communication at home—skills children need to navigate challenges like stress, social media, and the lasting effects of the pandemic. By combining surveys and interviews, researchers will measure whether the workshop helps families feel more confident, communicate better, and support their children’s emotional growth. The goal is to show that even a short, culturally tailored program can provide meaningful mental health support for families who may not have access to longer-term services.
Project Title: “Aligning Actions with Expectations: How Leaders’ Green Behavior Enhances the Effect of Green Authentic Leadership”
Primary Faculty: Issam Ghazzawi
Faculty College/ Program: College of Business/ Management and Leadership
Description of Project: This study looks at how leadership can encourage employees to act in environmentally friendly ways, with a focus on the textile industry. It finds that when leaders clearly communicate green goals and model eco-friendly behavior themselves, employees are more likely to follow suit. In other words, employees respond not only to what leaders say about sustainability but also to how leaders personally act on those values. The research highlights that authentic leadership and clear communication are key to promoting green behavior at work, offering practical lessons for industries aiming to reduce their environmental impact.
Project Title: “Leading With Authenticity: How Culture of Care, Innovation Climate, and Work-Life Balance Shape Employee Well-Being in Hybrid Work Environments”
Primary Faculty: Louise Kelly
Faculty College/Program: College of Business/ Management and Leadership
Description of Project: This study explores how authentic leadership—leaders who are genuine, transparent, and values-driven—can improve employee well-being in today’s hybrid workplaces. While flexible work arrangements help, they are not enough to reduce stress and burnout. By looking at how leadership shapes cultures of care, inclusion, and innovation, and how work-life balance plays a role, this research aims to identify strategies that help employees feel happier and less stressed. Partnering with local nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, the project will generate practical, community-based solutions that can be applied across schools, healthcare, and civic organizations, ultimately building healthier and more supportive workplaces in Southern California.
Project Title: “Leader Mindfulness and Efficacy: The Move Toward Organizational Mindfulness”
Primary Faculty: Isabel Orijel
Faculty College/ Program: La Fetra College of Education/ Teacher Education
Description of Project: This study examines how mindfulness, often taught as an individual practice for reducing stress, can scale up to benefit entire organizations. The research looks at how leaders’ personal mindfulness and their ability to bring mindfulness into relationships—through empathy, awareness, and communication—shape leadership style, confidence, and ultimately create a culture of organizational mindfulness. By surveying leaders across industries, the project aims to show how mindful leadership practices can make workplaces more adaptive, resilient, and supportive. The findings could help organizations design leadership training that goes beyond personal stress management to foster healthier and more mindful organizational cultures.
Project Title: “Bridging Empathy and Innovation: Exploring AI-Enhanced Solutions for Dental Providers Serving Vulnerable Communities”
Primary Faculty: Astrid Keel
Faculty College/ Program: College of Business/ Marketing and Law
Description of Project: This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can support dental providers in community clinics that serve vulnerable populations. Building on earlier research showing that patient satisfaction depends as much on empathy, trust, and communication as on technical skill, this project will examine how dentists and staff view AI tools such as diagnostic support, automated follow-ups, and cost-transparency systems. The goal is to co-design solutions that improve efficiency without losing the human connection patients value. By centering the perspectives of both providers and patients, the research aims to develop AI-enhanced approaches that make dental care more equitable, empathetic, and accessible for underserved communities.
Project Title: “Results of Artificial Intelligence Supported Supervision with School Counselors”
Faculty Name (s): J Anthony Elizondo
Primary Faculty: La Fetra College of Education/ Educational Counseling and School Psychology
Description of Project: This study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to improve supervision for school counselors, who often lack structured support in their work. By providing AI-assisted transcripts and flexible, confidential tools for reflection, the model allows counselors to engage in supervision more easily and effectively. Over six months, the research will track how AI influences counselors’ self-reflection, confidence, and skill development, while also gathering their perspectives on its usefulness. The goal is to see whether AI can help overcome long-standing barriers to supervision, reduce burnout, and strengthen school counselor longevity in the profession.
