Celebrating Each Other: The Dog Therapy Program & Faculty Supporting Student Wellbeing

Apr 5, 2021

A You Rock! nomination alerted us to the great work that the Graduate Student Health and Wellness Ambassador program is doing to support students in quarantine. Phil Tedeschi, a professor in the Graduate School of Social Work and a member of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, has been assisting them by bringing a therapy dog to DU students quarantined due to the pandemic. Phil Tedeschi and Samara, the therapy dog, have made time for every request to visit a recently quarantined student. The program has been very successful with DU students in reducing the loneliness and anxiety that can come with a possible Covid-19 exposure. Actions like supporting students through a visit from a therapy dog, or receiving a You Rock! award goes a long way in Covid times. Both can offer a much-needed feeling of connectedness and support from the DU community. Join us in celebrating the hard work of Phil Tedeschi and Samara!

Phil Tedeschi was nominated through the You Rock! program. The You Rock! program encourages faculty and staff to recognize each other for small and large accomplishments. Awardees will be emailed a You Rock! certificate with the details of their submission and will be celebrated in the monthly University newsletter. If you would like to know more about the You Rock! program you can find more here.

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