What does it mean to be mentally healthy? The answer has changed over time, says philosopher and historian of science Anya Plutynski. Her research on early 20th-century “mental hygiene” practitioners shows that some providers of the era sought to establish factors and skills that boosted patients’ mental health and prevented symptoms of mental illness from arising. That’s a different goal today’s standard of care, which more often equates mental health with the mere absence of the symptoms of mental illness. With her book-in-progress, “Making Mental Health,” Plutynski, a Faculty Fellow in the Center for the Humanities, is tracking the history of this early movement and considering why their approach was abandoned.

A philosophy graduate can help you unleash your true potential as a business leader — and help you take your business to new heights

Thinking about Mechanisms

A scholar of Caribbean literatures and cultures, PhD candidate Karla Aguilar Velásquez sees her research as deeply connected with her practice as curator and museum educator. She shares her recent work with COCA that invites visitors to interact with the exhibitions — and each other.

Graduate students from a range of departments and programs were selected for their exceptional contributions in the classroom.