Our Inaugural Chief Wellness Officer and ScarletWell Director

April 17, 2024

Dear Rutgers–New Brunswick Community,

I am proud to announce a significant development that will guide our campus toward a new approach to mental health and wellness for students, faculty, and staff: The appointment of our inaugural Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) and our inaugural ScarletWell Director.

Please warmly welcome Dr. Joshua Langberg as CWO and Dr. Margaret (Peggy) Swarbrick as ScarletWell Director, whose appointments will begin July 1, 2024. Their leadership is pivotal for Rutgers–New Brunswick in implementing the ScarletWell Initiative—a cornerstone of our Academic Master Plan—and establishing a preventative and public health-oriented approach to well-being across our campus community.

Dr. Langberg is a Professor in the Graduate School of Professional and Applied Psychology (GSAPP), serves as the Director of the Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness, is an integral member of the Rutgers Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and the Brandt Behavioral Health Treatment Center leadership team, and a clinical psychologist. Dr. Swarbrick is Associate Director of the Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies and a Research Professor at GSAPP. Each brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership experience in empowering members of our campus and neighboring communities to work together on improving wellness and mental health outcomes.

In their new roles, they will focus on:

• Embedding mental health and wellness considerations into Rutgers–New Brunswick's programmatic and policy deliberations. This effort starts with the Chancellor's Senior Leadership Team. It extends to collaboration with various departments including Student Affairs, Student Health, academic deans, the Center for Faculty Success, and many others.
• Creating a comprehensive online wellness hub on the ScarletWell website. The wellness hub will make it easier for our campus community to find and access wellness resources and programs. We aim to significantly improve the visibility and accessibility of our vast array of existing and developing resources.
• Introducing Wellness Connection Grants. Students, staff, and faculty proposals for grants supporting new wellness initiatives to benefit our community will be accepted. The inaugural competition will invite students to create wellness activities that enhance interpersonal connections.
• Supporting ongoing and new ScarletWell initiatives. For example, leveraging the Student Affairs initiative to bolster student support programs, infrastructure, and service delivery through a $1.6 million Mental Health in Higher Education grant from the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education; Student Affairs’ development of a Student Basic Needs Center made possible by our generous donors; various health and wellness programs for employees made possible by University Human Resources, and other forms of student support.

I am thankful to the members of the ScarletWell Task Force for their work and report. Under the leadership of Senior Vice Chancellor for the Student Experience Salvador Mena, and Dean of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology Arpana Inman, the ScarletWell task force was convened in the Fall of 2022. The task force conducted a comprehensive review of our wellness initiatives, comparing them to our peer institutions, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and recommending strategies for enhanced coordination and effectiveness. I am excited to advance their recommendations.

At Rutgers–New Brunswick, the mental health and wellness of all community members is paramount. If you or someone you know is in distress, please seek assistance. The ScarletWell website provides information on the many excellent well-being resources available to students and employees.

Together, we can commit to making significant strides toward a healthier community.

Sincerely,

Francine Conway, Ph.D.
Chancellor and Distinguished Professor
Rutgers University–New Brunswick