Stress could be considered synonymous with chemistry
graduate school. A first year student faces challenging
courses, teaching assistantships, grading assignments,
and navigating the path to a doctoral advisor and re-
search group — all while acclimatizing to life in a new
place. Later in the PhD program, students venture into
new and uncharted research areas where frequent fail-
ure is commonplace. Postdoctoral scholars face a short
timeline to learn new skills and make discoveries that will
propel them to permanent employment. But what is the
toll of such stress? A 2017 mental health and wellness
survey of UNC Chapel Hill students found that 60% of
graduate students felt overwhelming anxiety and 31% felt
so depressed that it was difficult to function.
We believe that the department can help graduate stu-
dents and postdocs reach their full potential by building
an environment with multiple layers of support.
The need for an improved departmental climate was un-
derscored by a 2018 climate survey led by graduate stu-
dents in the department. The high (70%) response rate
itself highlights an engaged community eager to improve
itself. While there were positive signs, a significant frac-
tion of students felt isolated in the department for per-
sonal or professional reasons. Others had experienced
10 | CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
conflicts or disagreements with peers of faculty. Few
acted to address these challenges.
In response to national and local trends, the Department
has founded the Student and Postdoc Wellness Commit-
tee, SWELL, with a mission to foster a healthy and vibrant
graduate student & postdoc community.
SWELL is comprised of 8 faculty and staff, led by co-
chairs Leslie Hicks and Alex Miller. The committee has
representation from teaching and research faculty from
various disciplines and staff from the teaching labora-
tories and student services. Many in this diverse group
have completed formal trainings including Safe Zone,
Mental Health First Aid, and Haven.
The committee will play several roles, including advising
on disagreements/conflicts, health issues, or any oth-
er concerns; organizing community-building activities
within the department; and curating and distributing in-
formation about campus resources pertaining to mental
health and general wellness.
In the 2019-2020 academic year, SWELL is focused on
several major initiatives. A new SWELL Website provides
a centralized and curated information on resources, re-
porting, training opportunities. A new graduate student
and postdoc lounge was completely renovated and had
its grand opening in October on the first floor of Kenan
Labs. The framework of a peer mentoring network is be-
ing built for launch in 2020, with senior graduate students
paired with first years upon arrival. The SWELL Commit-
tee holds two weekly office hours where students and
postdocs can find a supportive place for discussions.
The committee will also partner with other campus enti-
ties to ensure low-barrier access to professional mental
health and wellness resources.
| CHEM.UNC.EDU