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Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning

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Post-Doctoral Scholar Spotlight: Zainab Almogheer, PhD

Kylie Pemberton

The Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) Post-Doctoral Scholars Spotlight highlights the journeys, accomplishments, and contributions of BH WELL’s post-doctoral scholars. This spotlight features Zainab “Zee” Almogheer, PhD, MSN, BSN. 

 

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Post-Doctoral Scholar Spotlight: Bassema AbuFarsakh, PhD

Kylie Pemberton

The Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) Post-Doctoral Scholars Spotlight is a platform dedicated to honoring the remarkable journeys and experiences of our post-doctoral scholars. In this spotlight, we will highlight BH WELL’s post-doctoral scholar, Bassema AbuFarsakh, PhD, MSN, BSN, RN, NCTTP.  

 

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Graduate Spotlight: Sarret Seng, PhD, BA, BSN, RN

The BH WELL team is proud to recognize Dr. Sarret Seng as she graduates from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Nursing (CON) with her PhD in Nursing. Dr. Seng successfully defended her dissertation, “Substance Use in Mental Illness: A Systematic Review of Metacognition and Empirical Studies of Cannabis, Tobacco, and Psychiatric Rehospitalization” on April 14, 2026. BH WELL Executive Director Dr. Zim Okoli and BH WELL team member Dr. Lovoria Williams served as Dr. Seng’s PhD committee chairs. 

 

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BH WELL Honors Leaders Advancing Tobacco Treatment in Behavioral Health

The University of Kentucky College of Nursing’s Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) recently recognized three leaders in behavioral health tobacco treatment during its virtual workshop, Tobacco, Cannabis, and Behavioral Health: Navigating Policy, Practice, and Emerging Products, held on February 25, 2026.

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Graduate Spotlight: Kayla Vargas, BSN

BH WELL celebrates Kayla Vargas, BSN, who is graduating from the UK College of Nursing with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing on December 19th, 2025. Kayla has been a part of the BH WELL team as an undergraduate nursing research intern during her time at UK.  

 

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UK Professor Dr. Canedo Translates BH WELL Comics for Spanish Speakers

BH WELL is proud to collaborate with Dr. Juan Canedo, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Behavioral Researcher at Markey Cancer Center at the University of Kentucky, to bring their comic book series, The Dimensions, to Spanish-speaking audiences. Originally from Bolivia, Dr. Canedo is a native Spanish speaker who has lived in the United States for more than 25 years. His work focuses on reducing cancer and health disparities in Hispanic communities through community-engaged research. 

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UK Professor Dr. Sauer Translates BH WELL Comics for French Speakers  

BH WELL is proud to highlight the work of Dr. Jeorg Sauer, one of the language translators behind the Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) comic book series. Dr. Sauer is an Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at the University of Kentucky, where she explores the rich intersections of comics, film, and gendered narratives. 

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Spotlight on Laurel County Health Department: Advancing Tobacco Treatment and Community Collaboration

In spring 2025, the Laurel County Health Department led a three-part professional development series, Strategies in SUD Treatment and Behavioral Health, to promote connection, education, and collaboration among community partners. The series brought together health professionals, service providers, and community members to strengthen efforts in behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and prevention.

 

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Celebrating Student Success in the Work Learning Program

After the spring semester ended, BH WELL hosted celebrations for the students in Eastern State Hospital’s (ESH) Work Learning Program (WLP). Hosted on the units where the student employees work, the end-of-semester celebrations brought together WLP participants and their colleagues to recognize the hard work and dedication of their peers who work hard on the unit as Mental Health Assistants (MHAs) and off the unit as students.  

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Graduate Spotlight: Claudia Robertson, OTD

As Claudia Robertson wraps up her Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at Eastern Kentucky University, we want to recognize her contributions to the BH WELL team. Her passion for promoting health and well-being through meaningful activities has shaped both her clinical path and her research focus.

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