Chancellor Cook Shares Mindfulness Research with Montana Tech Psychology Students

09/26/2019

Chancellor Cook Shares Mindfulness Research with Montana Tech Psychology Students
Chancellor Cook presented information about neuroscience and mindfulness research for Psychology students on Monday, September 23, 2019, at Highlands College. Chancellor Cook has actively participated in and published research on this topic and shared his expertise from an academic and leadership perspective. "Mindfulness helps people become intentionally focused, which assists with being less stress reactive and more level headed. Rather than constant doing, one can focus on being present as a human being which strengthens our well-being and productivity," noted Dr. Cook. "Many institutions of higher learning have implemented mindfulness training to integrate a culture of well-being into their campus. Corporations, including Google, Nike, Apple, General Mills, and Patagonia, describe findings of improved health and well-being combined with increased productivity."

Students participated in a mindfulness exercise, and as Chancellor Cook asked how they felt, they collectively exclaimed, "I feel better, calmer, relaxed, and energized." Dr. Elyse Lovell, Psychology Instructor at Montana Tech, said, "Introduction to Psychology students were turning in their first research proposals relating to mindfulness, stress, and anxiety. Chancellor Cook's presentation appeared to engage students more fully providing a sense of empowerment as student-researchers were discussing psychological science research with their Chancellor."

For any information related to this issue or Montana Tech generally, please contact Amanda Badovinac at 406-496-4828 or Dr. Elyse Lovell at 406-496-3786.