Visiting Scholar Spotlight: Dr. Qingfang Liang
The Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) International Visiting Scholars Spotlight is a platform dedicated to honoring the remarkable journeys and experiences of our visiting scholars. Today’s spotlight is on Dr. Qingfang Liang who hails from Chengdu, China. Dr. Liang's experience as a BH WELL visiting scholar from November 2023 to November 2024 was marked by a dedication to advance research on mental health and behavioral wellness.
Dr. Liang learned about Dr. Chizimuzo Okoli, BH WELL Director and UK College of Nursing Professor, from her colleagues at Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine where Dr. Liang is a faculty member. Inspired by his dedication to psychiatric-mental health nursing and intrigued by BH WELL's focus on mental health, Dr. Liang found herself drawn to the vibrant community that the research team embodied.
Reflecting on her experience as a visiting scholar, Dr. Liang shared her appreciation for the culture of support within the team. Amidst the challenges of adapting to a new environment, she found gratitude due to the kindness of BH WELL team members, academic peers, and the Lexington community. Whether it was a helping hand in navigating needed resources or the warmth she quickly felt from new relationships, Dr. Liang 's journey is a testament to BH WELL’s nurturing environment.
Navigating the language barrier emerged as one of Dr. Liang 's greatest challenges. Immersed in a new culture, she had to work through the complexities of communication and accessing everyday resources. However, Dr. Liang embraced growth amidst the linguistic obstacles.
Dr. Liang treasures the invaluable lessons learned under Dr. Okoli's mentorship. From enhancing her writing skills to immersing herself in research and communication, her time with BH WELL has been transformative to both her academic and personal growth. She appreciated the balance cultivated by BH WELL which allows scholars the opportunity to delve into research while prioritizing moments of personal academic growth. Representative of this, she defended her dissertation during her time as a visiting scholar.
Dr. Okoli shares the following about Dr. Liang’s time with the BH WELL research team: “Dr. Liang quickly became an important contributor to the mission of BHWELL and immersed in its values. She was always willing to engage in the work that we do and contributed to publishing papers, presenting work at academic conferences, translating mental health literacy materials into Chinese, and participating in several of our community outreach events. I believe that her experiences with BHWELL demonstrated how much research can be used as a vehicle to challenge the stigma of mental illness while promoting strategies to maintain mental health and wellbeing. We are immensely thankful for her contributions during her time with BHWELL and look forward to continued work with her as her career advances.”
Through Dr. Liang’s unwavering dedication and ability to embrace challenges, she embodies the spirit of growth and support that defines the BH WELL research community.
Housed within the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, BH WELL exists to promote behavioral health and wellness among individuals facing behavioral health challenges. The BH WELL research team members are experts in behavioral health integration and change. They provide the essentials of mental and behavioral health support: practice, research, education, scholarship and service.