Roxanna Medeiros, MIU Vice President of Online & Continuing Education, spoke as part of a panel presentation at the recent Quality Matters (QM) Conference, held November 3–5 at Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson, Arizona.

The annual event brings together educators and instructional designers to share best practices for improving the quality of online courses.

“The goal of our panel,” she said, “was to give institutions tools they can immediately adapt to improve academic integrity, course quality, and student support.”

Drawing on her work as a QM Research Colleague, Medeiros explored two timely topics in her presentation: artificial intelligence (AI) and Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

AI, she explained, can be more than a tool for detecting plagiarism or enforcing rules. “AI should serve as a reflective design partner,” Medeiros said, “helping faculty create clear course navigation, provide scaffolding for learning, and offer constructive feedback — not functioning as a policing mechanism.” Scaffolding refers to structured support that guides students step by step toward mastering complex skills.

“The goal of our panel was to give institutions tools they can immediately adapt to improve academic integrity, course quality, and student support.”

— Roxanna Medeiros, Vice President of Online & Continuing Education

She also introduced SEL, which focuses on helping students develop self-awareness, manage emotions, and build interpersonal skills — abilities that research shows are essential for academic success and well-being.

“SEL isn’t just about emotional support,” Medeiros noted. “It’s about creating clarity, fostering reflection, and ensuring instructor presence. These practices directly impact student engagement and retention in online environments.”

Her session offered practical strategies for embedding SEL into course design, such as adding well-being check-ins, reflective activities, and clear communication from instructors. She also shared approaches for building faculty AI literacy — helping educators understand how to use AI responsibly and design assessments that emphasize authenticity and meaningful application rather than rote memorization.

Audience members responded enthusiastically, especially to the integration of AI literacy, authentic assessment, and SEL-informed design. Several attendees expressed interest in MIU’s holistic approach to quality and asked follow-up questions about its instructional design practices.

Medeiros emphasized that MIU’s involvement in Quality Matters benefits the university by keeping it aligned with national standards for online learning, strengthening faculty support, and increasing visibility in global conversations about quality and integrity in education.

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Banner photo by JC Cervantes on Unsplash. Loews facility photo https://www.loewshotels.com.

Sean Downey, co-chair of MIU’s Art, Consciousness, & Creative Practice department and associate professor of art, has just completed a five-week solo exhibition of new paintings and sculptures at LaMontagne Gallery in Boston. This was his third solo exhibition there.

Pictured above: Slow Learner, 2025, oil on panel, 36 x 48 inches, by Sean Downey

Entitled Motion Pictures, the exhibition opened on October 24, with an opening reception on November 7, and concluded on November 29.

LaMontagne Gallery was founded in 2007 “to create an environment in Boston for the display and sale of emerging contemporary artists.” It features visual, sound, and performance artists based in Boston and beyond.

“Solo exhibitions in contemporary art venues are important milestones for artists, not unlike publishing a book or having research included in a peer-reviewed journal,” Professor Downey says. “This show constitutes the last eighteen months of my studio practice, so it is particularly gratifying to have it on display in a major city and exposed to a national audience.”

The response has been very positive. “The opening and lecture were packed,” Professor Downey says, “and the show has reignited many correspondences and conversations with colleagues at other institutions.”

Next on the horizon? “More work!” he says. “I also hope to continue exploring disciplinary crossover in my practice and integrate more of this interdisciplinary approach into the curriculum of the courses that I teach at MIU.”

Click here to see more of the paintings included in the exhibition.

Click here for Professor Downey’s website.

About Sean Downey

Sean Downey received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and his MFA from Boston University. He has had recent solo exhibitions at Steven Zevitas Gallery (Boston) and LaMontagne Gallery. He has also been included in recent group exhibitions at Richard Heller Gallery (Santa Monica), Abigail Ogilvy Gallery (Boston), the Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA (Portland), the Leroy Neiman Gallery at Columbia University (New York City), LaMontagne Gallery, and Park Place Gallery (Brooklyn, New York). He received the Blanche E. Colman Award in 2013, a Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowship in 2014, and was MacDowell Colony Fellow in 2015.

The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology have just updated their 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline — and they recognize the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique as an evidence-based method for lowering blood pressure.

This is the first time any meditation technique has been included in an AHA/ACC hypertension guideline. TM may now be recommended alongside lifestyle changes and medical therapy. 

The TM technique is the only meditation procedure cited, with evidence rated moderate to high quality. Other meditation and mindfulness practices were not included due to weaker data.

This AHA/ACC guideline represents the nation’s most authoritative high blood pressure treatment recommendations.

Why this matters: 

• Hypertension is one of the world’s leading preventable health problems 
• Stress is a major driver — but proven stress-reduction tools rarely appear in guidelines
• TM practice is highly effective in reducing psychological stress
• TM now has a place alongside lifestyle changes and medical care.

This update opens the door for the TM technique to be more widely used in clinics, communities, workplaces, schools, and wellness programs. TM is scalable, low-cost, easy to implement, and can be integrated into primary care, cardiology, workplace wellness programs, schools, and community health initiatives. 

This milestone may mark era of precision public health — one where reducing stress meaningfully reduces cardiovascular risk. 

Companion commentary in top cardiology journal co-authored by MIU’s Dr. Robert Schneider

Following the release of the guidelines, a companion commentary in the journal Nature Reviews Cardiology explains the science: TM practice helps lower stress hormones, calm the nervous system, improve autonomic balance, and support healthier heart and vascular function. 

Nature Reviews Cardiology is the world’s highest-impact journal in cardiovascular medicine.

The Nature article, co-authored by MIU’s Dr. Robert Schneider, points out that high blood pressure affects nearly half of U.S. adults and is the leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and dementia.

It also highlights psychological stress as a major, modifiable driver of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Chronic stress nearly doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke — similar to smoking or diabetes. Yet despite decades of evidence, stress reduction remains underutilized in prevention strategies.

The Nature article aims to address this.

Drawing on more than 30 years of NIH-funded research at the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, Dr. Schneider and co-authors Dr. Keith Norris and Dr. Robert Brook present Transcendental Meditation as an evidence-based, low-risk intervention that complements conventional lifestyle recommendations by reducing psychological stress.

“Transcendental Meditation can effectively lower blood pressure, improve cardiometabolic health and might even reduce clinical cardiovascular disease events,” the authors write. “Recognizing Transcendental Meditation within prevention frameworks could transform stress management from a lifestyle option into a core strategy for cardiovascular protection.”

“We wrote this piece to elaborate on the 2025 AHA/ACC high blood pressure guidelines, which include Transcendental Meditation as an evidence-based option for lowering blood pressure,” Dr. Schneider wrote in a first social media post from Nature. “This inclusion reflects more than three decades of research. At the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, our team has conducted NIH-funded mechanistic and clinical trials demonstrating that the Transcendental Meditation technique reduces sympathetic activation, improves metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers, slows vascular ageing, and in several randomized trials lowers the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.”

“We hope this commentary encourages wider inclusion of mind–body approaches in cardiovascular medicine and stimulates further research on mechanisms, implementation, and precision public health,” Dr. Schneider wrote.

The new national guidelines for high blood pressure

The new guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology strongly recommend lifestyle changes for all adults to prevent and treat high blood pressure. TM is now listed alongside diet, exercise, weight control, and other healthy lifestyle behaviors, with potential applicability to tens of millions of Americans.

The guidelines state: “In adults with or without hypertension, stress reduction through transcendental meditation may be reasonable to prevent or treat elevated BP and hypertension, as an adjunct to lifestyle or medication interventions.” 

“This is a landmark acknowledgement,” said Robert D. Brook, MD, Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University and past chair of the AHA scientific statement on alternative approaches to blood pressure.

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The banner image is an AI-generated image used for illustrative purposes, not a photo of actual study participants.

Resources

Click here for the comment in Nature Reviews Cardiology, here for Nature’s “Behind the Paper” social media post by Dr. Schneider, and here for the full AHA/ACC guideline.

Doctoral student T.J. Dedeaux-Norris, pursuing a degree in MIU’s EdD program in Education in Transformational Leadership and Coaching, was recently awarded the Rome Prize, one of the world’s most distinguished fellowship programs.

Established in 1921, the Rome Prize is granted by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy, a leading American overseas center for independent studies and advanced research in the fine arts and humanities. Each year the academy selects about thirty innovative American artists, writers, and scholars to study there.

This year there were 990 applicants for the 35 total prizes awarded.

Dedeaux-Norris began the fellowship in September and will be in Rome through next June. The formal title of the fellowship Dedeaux-Norris received is the Jules Guerin | John Armstrong Chaloner Rome Prize Fellow in Visual Arts (2025–2026) at the American Academy in Rome.

This fellowship work will be part of Dedeaux-Norris’s doctoral and dissertation research at MIU.

Dedeaux-Norris is also a tenured associate professor and area head in the University of Iowa’s Department of Painting and Drawing, within the School of Art, Art History, and Design. Dedeaux-Norris came to the University of Iowa after receiving a Master of Fine Arts at Yale University as a Grant Wood Art Fellow in 2016.

What does it feel like to have won this esteemed prize?

It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a community of esteemed artists and scholars from around the world that comes at a critical juncture. It’s a chance to step outside the sociopolitical climate of the United States — and the Midwest in particular — and reflect more deeply on my role as an artistic citizen.

What has it been like to live in Rome on this fellowship these past few months so far?

It’s truly been an incredible experience living and working in Rome. Every day at the American Academy feels like stepping into a conversation between art, history, and spirit. I’m profoundly grateful for this opportunity.

Tell us more about your project.

My project here, An Emergence in Rome, is both an artistic and educational investigation that directly connects to my doctoral research in the Education in Transformational Leadership and Coaching program at Maharishi International University.

I’m exploring how creative autoethnography and coaching tools can foster authentic leadership and well-being among artists and academics. One of the ways this is manifesting is through a multimedia memoir that has evolved into a podcast, The Emergence Room, where I interview artists, scholars, and thinkers to examine our collective “emergent arcs” of growth and transformation.

My time in Rome has deepened my study of early Christian martyrs like Saints Perpetua and Felicity, who serve as powerful metaphors for conviction, becoming, and self-actualization — central themes in both my art and my research.

What drew you to MIU’s doctoral program in Education in Transformational Leadership and Coaching?

Enrolling in MIU’s program was a response to a personal and professional desire to lead more authentically — integrating my lived experience, artistic practice, and sense of purpose. The program’s Consciousness-Based approach, including Transcendental Meditation and the Science of Creative Intelligence, has profoundly grounded me.

I was particularly drawn to Dr. Mike Zwell, who, like me, is a Yale alumnus. His vision for how transformational leadership can reshape education immediately resonated with me and was a major reason I chose MIU.

“I was particularly drawn to Dr. Mike Zwell, who, like me, is a Yale alumnus. His vision for how transformational leadership can reshape education immediately resonated with me and was a major reason I chose MIU.”

— T.J. Dedeaux-Norris

I’m also deeply grateful to Professor Vicki Alexander Herriott for her mentorship and guidance. In a wonderful synchronicity, I recently discovered that she is the cousin of one of my most influential undergraduate mentors at UCLA — Andrea Fraser, who is also currently a Fellow here at the American Academy in Rome. It feels like an extraordinary blessing to be supported by two brilliant scholars and mentors, each of whom has played such an important role in my academic, artistic, and transformational journey.

I’m continually inspired by my diverse, supportive cohort of fellow students and by our EQ Lab (Emotional Intelligence Lab), where we practice holding space for one another and cultivating authentic presence as leaders.

How has your Transcendental Meditation practice benefited you and your work?

TM has helped me navigate the pressures of competitive academic and artistic environments with greater calm, presence, and clarity. My partner and creative collaborator, Jason Šimánek, who is also currently enrolled in the Low-Residency MFA in Visual Arts program at MIU, and I learned TM together. Sharing this practice has been a meaningful addition to both our creative and spiritual lives, enriching our collaboration and overall sense of balance.

Where do you see things going from here?

Ultimately, my goal is to use the tools and insights gained from this program to design coaching-based, creativity-centered curricula that support artists and educators at all stages of life — helping them cultivate authenticity, resilience, and purpose.

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Banner photograph by Jason Šimánek. American Academy of Rome photo 1, Architectural Digest; photo 2 by CenozoicEra, public domain.

In a thrilling and hard-fought match, the MIU men’s soccer team came away with a 3-3 tie against an experienced William Penn University squad in its final home game of the season at the MIU Unified Field.

Early in the first half, the Pioneers took the lead when Jesse Cano (No. 5, California) scored with an assist from Angel Delgado (No. 16, Arizona). William Penn responded midway through the half with a goal to tie the game and then added another before halftime, taking a 2-1 lead into the break.

In the second half, Nicholas Webster (No. 9, England) brought the crowd to their feet with a spectacular free kick from 30 yards out, leveling the score at 2-2.

Midway through the half, MIU goalkeeper Juan Jose (No. 1, Spain) made a crucial save on a William Penn penalty kick to keep the game tied.

William Penn later regained the lead, making it 3-2, but the Pioneers continued to fight back. After earning a penalty, Nixon Valencia (No. 20, Ecuador) converted to equalize once again.

In the closing moments, William Penn was awarded another penalty, but Juan Jose again came up big for the Pioneers with his second penalty save of the match, preserving the 3-3 draw.

“The team fought extremely well,” said MIU Coach Caio Pereira. “I was very proud of how the team overcame the adversities of having a man down, and I also have to praise Juan Jose’s performance. It was remarkable how he was able to keep us in the game in several occasions and came in clutch with two penalty kick saves to secure our undefeated season at our home field.”

The team travels for a three-day road trip to face Northwestern College (October 9), Morningside University (October 10), and Briar Cliff University (October 11).

The MIU men’s soccer team delivered an exciting performance at home on Wednesday afternoon, September 17, defeating Central College 5-2 at the MIU Unified Field.

More than 80 fans, including MIU faculty, staff, and members of the Fairfield community, were in attendance to cheer on the Pioneers.

The scoring opened with MIU’s Nixon Valencia (No. 20, Ecuador), followed by Jesse Cano (No. 5, California) with another, giving the Pioneers a 2–0 lead going into halftime.

After the break, Central came back to level the score at 2–2, briefly shifting the momentum.

But MIU responded quickly. Bryan Eyiuche (No. 10, England) put the Pioneers back in front. Nicholas Webster (No. 9, England) sealed the victory with two consecutive goals, bringing the final score to 5–2.

With the win, MIU continues to build momentum heading into its next matchup on the road against Grand View University on September 21 at 7:30 pm. The Pioneers return home on September 25 at 5:00 pm.

“The guys worked really hard,” said Assistant Head Coach Caio Pereira. “I am very proud of how much they’ve grown in such a short period. I believe we relaxed too much during the game which gave Central the to tie.

“But Bryan and Alvaro along other players were able to lift our intensity up again and fight back for the win, Caio said. “Very happy with the result and the team growth. There’s still a lot to improve, but I trust that we’ll be able to handle the competition.”

“After a series of games building momentum this season, the Pioneer soccer team — led by captain and goalkeeper Juanjo, our first recruited player, and Bryan — finally clicked,” said Head Coach Ruben Sanchez. “Yesterday the players fully aligned their individual identity with the team identity as true Pioneers, enjoying, learning, and growing within the game. A strong start, followed by a terrific showcase of commitment and love for the sport, translated into three beautiful goals and secured our program’s first win against a prestigious Iowa opponent, Central College.”

With their first home performance behind them, the Pioneers continue to build on their season and prepare for the challenges ahead.

MIU ties Southeastern Community College in the season’s first game

The Pioneers home opener, two weeks earlier on September 7, turned into a true event for the Fairfield community, drawing over 100 fans, including MIU students, faculty, and staff, to support the Pioneers.

It was a highly competitive match.

Southeastern struck first to take the lead, but MIU responded with determination. After a sharp assist from Angel Delgado (No. 16, Arizona), Jesse Cano (No. 5, California) delivered the equalizer to secure a hard-fought 1-1 draw.

The match was intense and physical, with each team receiving a red card.

Click here to see drone footage from MIU’s first soccer match of the season, on September 7, against Southeast Iowa Community College, which ended in a 1–1 tie.

Some 24 student athletes were among the crowd of new students that landed on campus last month, bringing the total number of student athletes here to 53. They’re a diverse group, hailing from England, Colombia, Brazil, Spain, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Peru, and Mexico. They join three recently hired coaches and new sports opportunities.

“These are really exciting times,” says Rubén Sanchez, the director of MIU’s athletics program and head soccer coach.

“After a busy summer, our Pioneer Sports Program at MIU is up and running with a clear vision, a pioneer mindset, and a team that includes Consciousness-Based and industry leaders, staff, coaches, and players,” Rubén says. “We’re creating the foundations that will transform the MIU experience, the Fairfield community, and the way sports are understood in the industry around the world.”

>>Click here to see drone footage from MIU’s first soccer match of the season, on September 7, against Southeast Iowa Community College, which ended in a 1–1 tie.<<

New student athletes

Among the new student athletes is Cesar Israel Sanchez Mendez, a men’s soccer player from Alabama.

“I chose MIU because it offers a great opportunity to grow both athletically and academically,” Cesar says. “It has strong values and a community of committed, genuine people. What attracted me the most was its focus on the holistic development — not only shaping athletes but also forming purposeful leaders on and off the field.”

Andrea Iniguez, a women’s flag football player, came to MIU from Chicago.

“The thing I most like about MIU is the friendly environment, for sure!” Andrea says. “No matter who you pass, everybody is so friendly and always greets you with a warm smile. Everyone here is so unique and different. This is something I found very authentic and special, because you can really find your people here and take something you learnt from them. Exploring myself and being able to play in a sport I’m passionate about has opened a door for me here at MIU.”

New sports

Last year MIU began competing in men’s soccer and men’s tennis. This year adds women’s tennis, women’s flag football, and collegiate (coed) esports.

Women’s flag football has become very popular, rising quickly from a grassroots movement into a competitive intercollegiate sport. Played in a five-on-five format on a smaller field, it’s fast-paced, non-contact, and appealing to student athletes.

Janae Scott, one of the top women’s flag football players in the country, is enrolling at MIU this spring and will play on the team. Janae has been selected to the initial 18-athlete roster for the 2025 USA Women’s Flag Football team that will defend its International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Americas Continental Flag Football Championship, as announced by USA Football.

The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) officially recognized flag football for both men and women in 2020, and dozens of colleges have launched programs since then, offering scholarships and new athletic pathways for female athletes. Flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, with both men’s and women’s competitions.

Esports is huge and growing huger. The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) has 230 full member institutions. More than 615 colleges and universities compete in NACE Starleague, the largest collegiate esports league in North America, and more than 13,000 esports students compete for a wide range of esports titles. More and more schools are offering esports scholarships and other incentives to attract top gaming talent. Colleges are also building dedicated esports facilities, including gaming arenas and training centers.

New coaches

Three new coaches have joined MIU’s coaching staff, alongside Rubén Sanchez, MIU’s men’s soccer head coach and a founder of the new athletics program at MIU.

Makena Hurse is the head coach of women’s flag football. She started playing flag football at 11 and by 22 was running youth and adult leagues. She’s experienced as a player, coach, and referee.

She’s excited to join MIU and share her enthusiasm with college athletes. “Coaching is one of my greatest passions,” Makena says. “It allows me to inspire and guide others toward reaching their full potential. I love seeing growth, both in skills and confidence, and knowing that I played a role in that journey. Being a coach gives me purpose, connection, and the chance to make a lasting impact on people’s lives. I can provide all that with the help of being at MIU.”

Caio Pereira is the men’s soccer associate head coach. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he came to the US at 17. As a student-athlete at the College of Idaho, he was the team captain and a two-time All-Conference player.

Before coming to MIU, he was the assistant soccer coach at Indian Hills Community College, where he led the team to National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national appearances, a district championship, five weeks as nation’s number one-ranked team, and where he was voted 2024 NJCAA Midwest Region Staff of the Year.

“Working at MIU is a very amazing opportunity,” he says. “I’m learning a new perspective, and the Consciousness-Based sports methodology is teaching me every day how to become a better professional and a better human.”  

Emilia Katopodi is the women’s head tennis coach. A former professional tennis player of EthioGreek heritage, she started playing tennis at age four in Addis Ababa, played on Ethiopia’s national team, had the second-highest national ranking, won multiple local tournament wins, and trained internationally at academies in Germany and Spain.

She has worked as an assistant coach for children and teens in summer camps in Ethiopia and as an assistant coach at a tennis academy in Japan.

“I will lead the development of our university’s tennis program with a clear goal,” Emilia says. “To build a competitive and sustainable team capable of joining the NAIA and advancing to higher divisions.”

Eric Enlow, the head esports coach, comes with a wide range of coaching and teaching experience. He has coached more than 20 private esports teams. He was the head coach for the Lathrop High School esports team in Fairbanks, Alaska; assistant coach at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa; and a behavioral coach for LCS Proving Grounds, a competitive League of Legends esports tournament designed to spotlight emerging talent in North America.

He was the lead broadcaster for NECC Pokémon Unite 2026, a collegiate-level esports competition hosted by the National Esports Collegiate Conference. He also spent four years as a classroom teacher and four years in the field of mental health and suicide prevention.

“I intend to deploy and adapt to MIU’s powerful coaching methodology to present a powerful message to the community and beyond,” Eric says. “It’s my personal mission to redefine what it means to be an esport athlete.”

• Men’s soccer – 17 matches are planned altogether, including five home games. See the schedule below.
• Flag football – The season starts in the spring semester, with five tournaments planned.
• Esports – Competitions scheduled throughout the year.
• Tennis – The first tournament was at Simpson College on September 14. Other matches and events are being planned..

Exciting highlights for this year

Major strategic initiatives

• Doubling the number of student-athletes at MIU by next year.
• Applying to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), with its 237 member institutions across the country and more than 83,000 participating student athletes. The NAIA provides student-athletes with access to national competitions, athletic scholarships, and a well-established collegiate sports network.
• Applying to join the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) starting in Fall 2026. The USCAA supports smaller colleges by offering national championship opportunities and recognition tailored to schools with limited athletic budgets and enrollment.
• Expanding to other sports, including women’s soccer, women’s tennis, men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, and potentially men’s and women’s track and field.
• Launching a sports development program with donors, community, and alumni. Engaging donors, the local community, and alumni to support, invest in, and participate in the growth of MIU athletics programs — including fundraising, mentorship, volunteer opportunities, and special events.
• Developing a master plan to upgrade our sports facilities in the coming years.
• Planning a full upgrade to the Fieldhouse to be the Home of the Pioneers.

Community engagement and events

• Holding a major donor event on October 2 to present Global Consciousness-Based Activities aligned with the MIU Sports Program and Maharishi School’s vision for the future of sports.
• Launching sports events across campus to boost community involvement.
• Hosting a soccer camp to engage younger athletes and the community (next spring).

Athletic and training innovations

• Implementing Consciousness-Based Training for athletes and coaches, including EEG measurements and satisfaction metrics for success.

Visibility and branding

• New website – launching at the end of September.
• New social media – @miu.athletics @miu.mensoccer @miu.flagfootball @miu.tennis
• New sports gear – available for the whole community – pre-order opportunity coming soon.

Reporting by Maria Eduards Rodrigues da Silva, MIU Sports Information & Creative Director

Banner photo by Craig Pearson

A landmark randomized controlled trial involving multiple research centers has found that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique led to significantly better blood sugar control, improved insulin function, higher levels of healthy cholesterol, and reduced overweight and obesity among Black women.

Published in the Journal of Women’s Health, the trial compared TM practice to a structured health education (HE) program over 12 months. It enrolled 201 women from clinical sites at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and Howard University Hospital Heart Center in Washington, D.C.

While both groups showed stabilization of carotid intima-media thickness (a validated measure of early atherosclerosis), only the TM group demonstrated substantial improvements in metabolic health, including hemoglobin A1c, insulin sensitivity, HDL cholesterol, and modest weight loss in overweight participants.

Transcendental Meditation offers unique benefits beyond health education

“Our study shows that Transcendental Meditation goes beyond traditional health education in addressing the metabolic risks that disproportionately affect older Black women,” said Dr. Carolyn Gaylord-King, lead author and Director of MIU’s Intervention Quality at the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention. “We’re looking at an accessible behavioral intervention that may support not just cardiovascular health but the full range of metabolic factors driving disease.”

Transcendental Meditation is a standardized technique that allows the mind to settle inward to a state of deep rest, shown in previous research to reduce stress and improve neuroendocrine function. Participants in the TM group practiced the technique daily, attended regular group meetings, and demonstrated strong adherence over the course of the study.

Inclusive research addresses critical gaps

“Black women face some of the greatest inequities in heart and metabolic health,” said Charlie Harris, PhD, former faculty in the department of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine, current professor of psychology at Clayton State University, and a co-investigator in this study. “By demonstrating that meditation improves risk factors in this population, we begin to fill a longstanding gap in prevention research.”

The study highlights the role of stress — and chronic stress-related physiology — in metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia. The TM group experienced statistically significant reductions in HbA1c and insulin resistance, markers that were unchanged or worsened in the health education group.

Though both interventions stabilized vascular health markers like carotid artery thickness, only TM practice produced a broader set of benefits for metabolic health. Researchers say this underscores the potential of integrating evidence-based mind-body practices into preventive cardiometabolic care.

The interventions were designed to be culturally tailored, led by trained Black women educators at both clinical sites to reflect the lived experiences, health beliefs, and social contexts of the study population.

“Cultural sensitivity means more than language or appearance,” Gaylord-King said. “It includes designing and delivering interventions that resonate with the values and lived experiences of the community.”

Robert H. Schneider, MD, FACC, senior author and Director of MIU’s Institute for Prevention Research, concluded, “This study highlights the potential of integrating non-pharmacological, mind-body approaches into cardiometabolic care, particularly for high-risk populations.

Other co-investigators include MIU researchers Dr. John Salerno, Dr. Kenneth Walton, and Dr. Sanford Nidich; Shichen Xu, Howard University Hospital Heart Center, Washington, District of Columbia; and C. Noel Bairey-Merz, Barbara Streisand Women’s’ Heart Center, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.

The trial was supported by the National Institutes of Health – National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH-NCCIH). The full paper is available at Journal of Women’s Health.

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Editor’s note – This article was prepared with the help of AI writing assistance tools to summarize the clinical study; our editors reviewed and refined the content to ensure accuracy and clarity. The banner image is an AI-generated image used for illustrative purposes, not a photo of actual study participants.

MIU’s 2025 graduating class set a new record, with 13 students from China graduating with doctoral degrees. No single country has had more students graduate from MIU with PhDs than China.

These students were part of a special PhD program in sustainable management designed for Chinese students.

Most of them are business owners or managers of their companies, taking the PhD program alongside their regular jobs — yet most of them succeeded in completing the program within four years.

“This is quite an amazing achievement,” said Professor Yunxiang Zhu, Vice President of Asian Expansion and Professor of Business Administration, who helped create the program. “It’s a tribute to the quality of students we attract and to their work ethic and desire for higher knowledge.”

Partnership with two major Chinese universities

The program involves a partnership between MIU and two Chinese universities — Shenyang Jianzhu University in Shenyang and the School of International Policy and Affairs of Shanghai Jiaotong University in Shanghai.

Through this partnership, which Professor Zhu helped orchestrate, Chinese students can enroll in an MBA in Sustainable Business or a PhD in Management, depending on their qualifications. Courses are taught by MIU professors and the host universities.

“International collaborations with universities in China have been very popular in the past decades,” Professor Zhu said. “The foreign education market in China is very competitive. Most Western universities operating in China are offering bachelor’s and master’s programs, which were hard for MIU to compete with.”

But MIU was one of the first to establish partnerships with Chinese universities for a doctoral program.

“While more Western universities are now offering doctoral programs in China, the good reputation and word of mouth we have built up over the past twenty years will help us stay strong there.”

— Professor Yunxiang Zhu

“Our PhD in Management gave us the ‘first mover advantage’ in China when we entered into the Chinese market before the pandemic,” Professor Zhu said. “While more Western universities are now offering doctoral programs in China, the good reputation and word of mouth we have built up over the past twenty years will help us stay strong there. This new group of very satisfied graduates will give our program a big push in China. One of our PhD graduates has already asked to be our representative to promote our programs there.”

“It has been a great joy working with this group of PhD students from China,” said Professor Lijuan Cai, the Administrative Director of MIU’s China programs. “They are very intelligent, kind, and very devoted to their study. I am very impressed with them.”

The 13 new MIU PhD graduates from China

杜宝印 Baoyin Du

Baoyin Du is a senior executive in one of China’s top five real estate companies. He also invests in and operates his own education and international cultural exchange company. His doctoral dissertation – “Innovation Models for Sustainable Development of Real Estate Enterprises under the Circular Economy Perspective: A Case Study of B Group.”

Baoyin Du was this year’s outstanding PhD graduate from MIU. In his speech, he expressed his appreciation to the faculty who had guided him, both at MIU and at Shenyang Jianzhu University.

“I have not only gained the courage and insight to confront risks and challenges in enterprise management but have also cultivated within myself a spirit that is serene, resolute, and unwaveringly strong through my practice of Transcendental Meditation.”

— Baoyin Du

“I have not only gained the courage and insight to confront risks and challenges in enterprise management but have also cultivated within myself a spirit that is serene, resolute, and unwaveringly strong through my practice of Transcendental Meditation,” he said in his speech. “You have elevated my perspective, enabling me to connect with the vibrant world from a higher dimension. Becoming an outstanding graduate of this esteemed university is definitely one of the most important moments in my life.”

杨传飞 Chuanfei Yang

Chuanfei Yang is the Executive Deputy Director of Shanghai Financial Intelligent Engineering Center, responsible for the center’s daily operations and external business development. He is also Director of the Certificate Center of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics Lifelong Education College, responsible for the issuance of individual certificates for the education and training programs of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

His doctoral dissertation is entitled “Non-degree Education Quality Evaluation Based on the CIPP Model.”

江南 Nan Jiang

Nan Jiang came to MIU with a Bachelor’s of International Commerce and a Master’s in International Finance, graduating with distinction from one of the top ten universities in UK for her master’s degree. She then gained ten more years of experience in the banking sector and worked as the senior manager in a state-owned bank before joining MIU in 2021 to pursue a PhD in management.

Her doctoral dissertation is entitled “Impact of ESG Practices on the Cost Efficiency of Listed Banks in China.”

陈威 Wei Chen

Wei Chen is the owner and president of Zhejiang Unijia Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., a company committed to biodiversity conservation. They developed and produced an AI bird feeder that has become popular in North America.

The company has long-term partnerships with Costco, Walmart, and Amazon. Its TT Nature Bird Feeder with Camera — a best-seller on Amazon — delivers immersive birdwatching to your phone and to the cloud and can identify more than 10,000 species of birds.

His doctoral dissertation is entitled “Influence of Environmental Regulation on Green Innovation for Heavy Polluting Enterprises: A Heterogeneity Analysis.”

李艳 Yan Li

Yan Li is deputy director and associate professor in the Sports Department of Shenyang Jianzhu University. An international referee, she has participated in refereeing at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and World Games. She has frequently been named Outstanding Teacher, Advanced Individual in Teacher Ethics and Teaching Style, Outstanding Referee, and has been recognized as an outstanding educator at her university.

Her doctoral dissertation is entitled “Public Sports Service Innovation in Shenyang, China: A Comparative Case Study.”

田依 Yi Tian

Yi Tian is an Associate Professor and full-time faculty member at the School of Design and Art, Shenyang Jianzhu University, specializing in visual art and design. She holds patents in hydrogen-rich cup design, cups that use advanced technology to infuse regular water with molecular hydrogen — hydrogen-rich water is believed to offer various health benefits. She also holds patents in decorative wall lighting.

Her doctoral dissertation is entitled “Enhancing Pedestrian Satisfaction: A Quantitative Analysis on Visual Perception Factors.”

孙震 Zhen Sun

Zhen Sun is the Senior Project Director in the Academy for Education Development and Innovation at the Education University of Hong Kong. Specializing in teacher education and related disciplines and with a total student enrollment of more than 9,000 students, EdUHK serves as a hub for educational development and innovation in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (comprising eleven cities in southern China). In that capacity he oversees the admissions of four professional master’s degree programs along with school operations.

His doctoral dissertation is entitled “Impact of Internal Resource Allocation on Strategic Execution.”

吴国峰 Guofeng Wu

Guofeng Wu is the Chairman of Hainan Chengxi Investment Co., Ltd., in Hainan, China. The company recently made a significant philanthropic contribution of HK$6 million to the Education University of Hong Kong to support innovation in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and child development research. Guofeng Wu also serves as Chairman of the Beijing Zhongshan Century Culture Communication Company, a company involved in cultural promotion and media-related activities. He has held senior positions in many well-established companies, including president of the Huabin International Group Limited (Hong Kong).

His doctoral dissertation is entitled “Research on the Management Mode of ‘Nursing Home + Kindergarten.”

黄士升 Shisheng Huang

Shisheng Huang is the director of compensation and performance division of Taiping Pension Human Resources Department, part of Taiping Pension Insurance Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese pension insurance provider specializing in enterprise annuities, occupational pensions, and employee welfare plans. The HR department oversees talent acquisition, staff development, and internal welfare programs that support the company’s mission to deliver high-quality retirement and insurance services across China.

His doctoral dissertation is entitled “The Impact and Mechanism of Supervisor-subordinate Relationship (SSR) on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in Enterprises: Evidence from Chinese State-Owned Enterprises.”

屈彤 Tong Qu

Tong Qu is the Chief Operating Officer at Hong Kong Unknown Future Education Development Co., Ltd. She has strong experience in curriculum  development, data analysis, project coordination, and brand promotion, along with a wide range of skills, including managing course lifecycles, supporting strategic decisions, organizing publicity events, and producing professional documents. ​

Her doctoral dissertation is entitled “Study on the Impact of Digital Economy on Regional Coordinated Development under the Perspective of Labor Mobility.”

赵青 Qing Zhao

Qing Zhao is the regional general manager of Shanghai Dahua Commercial Group. He is responsible for the investment promotion, operation, property management and other matters related to shopping malls and commercial districts.

With more than 20 years of experience in commercial project development and operation management, he is committed to creating better commercial projects and providing consumers with better services.

His doctoral dissertation is entitled “Research on the Influence Mechanism of Shopping Mall Operation on Consumer Loyalty: An Analysis of the Mediating Effect of Tenant Attachment.”

郑杨 Yang Zheng

Yang Zheng currently works at the Shanghai Branch of Dongya Qianhai Securities Co., Ltd., where she specializing in wealth management and delivers expert financial services to high-net-worth clients and listed companies. With many years’ experience as a senior manager, she excels in innovative areas of the securities industry, including bond and brokerage business.

Her doctoral dissertation is entitled “The Mechanism of Generational Succession on The Family Firms’ Financialization – Analysis of Chinese Listed Companies.”

桑锦海 Jinhai Sang

Jinhai Sang is the Director of Shanghai Fuxihui Catering Co., Ltd., overseeing foreign investment and public relations business. He also extensive experience in mall management, having led department store investment, operations, and marketing. He developed and executed work plans, drove sales performance, and ensured overall profitability.

His doctoral dissertation is entitled “Research on Business Strategy Factors of Healthy Fast-Food Industry Based on Service Quality Model: The Market of Shanghai.”

Reporting by Professor Yunxiang Zhu and Professor Lijuan Cai.

On Saturday afternoon, June 21 — which also happened to be International Yoga Day — and amid a sea of gold and white caps and gowns, 802 students received MIU degrees: 163 bachelor’s degrees, 592 master’s degrees, 24 Master of Fine Arts degrees, and 17 doctoral degrees.

It was a truly international event. The graduating students represented 58 countries. Apart from the US, the countries with the most students graduating were Ethiopia (79), Nepal (64), South Africa (45), Bangladesh (33), Eritrea (29), Vietnam (27), Uganda (24), Pakistan (17), Mongolia (17), and China (11).

What a change from MIU’s very first commencement, held exactly fifty years earlier, in 1975. MIU’s first graduating class consisted of 51 students who received one of the two available degrees — a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies and a master’s in education.

The commencement address by 2014 Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, punctuated throughout by applause, brought the audience to its feet in a rousing standing ovation at the end.

Satyarthi won the Nobel Peace Prize for his life’s work rescuing children from slavery, trafficking, and forced labor and for inspiring similar movements worldwide. His organizations and movements have a global presence in 140 countries, including the Global March Against Child Labor, a coalition of over 2,000 social-purpose organizations and trade unions operating across these countries.

In his address, he explained how his life’s work emerges from a powerful sense of compassion.

“Compassion is not a soft emotion,” Satyarthi said. “It is not kindness, sympathy, empathy, or reverence. No. These are all great human traits. But compassion is different. Compassion is the sense of being responsible for each other. Compassion is the force born from the deepest feeling for the suffering of others as your own suffering, that drives one to take action to elevate that suffering.”

“We have to feel for others that they are your own sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, children. That feeling is a must in the world which is lost.”

— Kailash Satyarthi

“We have to feel for others that they are your own sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, children,” he said. “That feeling is a must in the world which is lost.”

Consciousness and compassion go hand in hand with each other, he said. “Compassion is something which we have to take forward along with elevating the level of consciousness. Both of them go hand in hand for your inner growth and outer growth.”

“We talk of interdependency and interconnectivity,” he said. “The world has never been so interconnected as it is today, but we don’t feel responsibility for others. We cannot live without each other. The nations cannot survive. That [sense of responsibility] is compassion.”

“Compassion is biological, it’s neurological, it is innate,” he said. “We are all born with it. This is the time to globalize compassion.”

Then he called on the audience. “Who will do it?” he asked. “Who will do it? Who will raise the consciousness of the world?” As one, the audience proclaimed, “We will!”

At the close of his address MIU President Dr. Tony Nader presented Mr. Satyarthi the degree of Doctor of World Peace honoris causa.

Dr. Nader also presented the degree of Doctor of Education honoris causa to MIU Trustee Josephine Fauerso, who has served as a member of the board since 1972, when the board was first formed.

“It’s been an inner and outer transformation – valedictorian and salutatorian addresses and class gift

Marta-Kristi Pold, who was graduating with a bachelor of arts in Consciousness and Human Potential, gave the valedictorian address.

“How lucky we are to be here to learn in peace and to receive an education that nurtures both intellect and spirit,” she said.

“At MIU we’ve cultivated something AI can’t replicate: consciousness,” she said — “that quiet, steady presence within. Because the most powerful intelligence isn’t artificial. It’s inner. AI can encode your apps, write your papers, even design your slides. But it can’t feel joy, imagine dreams, follow intuition, realize wisdom, or express love. We can.”

“We’re not just walking out of here with degrees. We are walking out with the ability to stay calm in chaos, grounded in change, and creative in complexity.”

— Marta-Kristi Pold

“So no, we’re not just walking out of here with degrees,” she said. “We are walking out with the ability to stay calm in chaos, grounded in change, and creative in complexity. That comes not from machines but from stillness.”

Courtney Beth Fenek, graduating with a bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences with a specialization in Ayurveda Wellness and Integrative Health, gave the salutatorian address.

“When I look back on what allowed me to take the leap when returning to school, the answer is clear — MIU,” she said. “The faculty and staff saw the potential in me and all of us, often before we could see it ourselves. Their guidance and belief in our growth has laid the foundation for futures filled with purpose and possibility.”

“It is through their hard work and support that our education has gone far beyond just knowledge,” she said. “It has been inner and outer transformation.”

On behalf of the graduating class, Ms. Fenek presented the class gift, “a scholarship fund which will support future students who embody MIU’s mission values and potential.” “This will lay the foundation for incoming students who need this in order to flourish at MIU,” she said, “so they can take their own leap into a new journey of enlightenment.”

Charge to the graduating students

At the close of the event, after hundreds of diplomas had been presented, hundreds of pictures taken, hundreds of cheers and rounds of applause, MIU President Tony Nader delivered the traditional charge to the graduating students.

“It is an honor and a profound joy to stand before you today at this momentous commencement ceremony, to feel your vibrant energy, to witness your joy, and to perceive the deep sense of purpose you carry with you,” he said. “It is truly inspiring. You are ready to step out into a world eagerly awaiting your contributions.”

Reflecting on Kailash Satyarthi’s address, President Nader said, “At MIU, compassion is not mere sentiment, it is a dynamic force for change in the world. A higher level of consciousness naturally embraces all life as part of oneself. This makes the injunction to love thy neighbor not a contrived effort but a natural, spontaneous outflow of your being.”

“I charge you to always go for the highest good, to think big, and to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you can contribute to happiness, flourishing, and well-being, not only for yourselves, but for all society.”

— MIU President Dr. Tony Nader

“This expanded identity, where others become part of yourself, is a glorious and inevitable outcome of cultivating higher consciousness,” he said. “I charge you to always go for the highest good, to think big, and to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you can contribute to happiness, flourishing, and well-being, not only for yourselves, but for all society. You are equipped to foster peace and harmony for the entire world family, this world.”

“A peaceful, prosperous, thriving, sustainable, regenerating, enlightened world is possible,” he said. “It is doable. It is practical. You deserve to live in that world. And who better than you to bring it about?”