Statement by Dr. Narketta M. Sparkman-Key, Vice President for Academic Wellness
World Meditation Day offers both a moment of reflection and a call to action. Across global academic communities—from the United States to India, Nepal, and beyond—we are witnessing the shared pressures facing scholars, students, and academic leaders. Meditation reminds us to slow down, to breathe with intention, and to remain grounded as we navigate complex institutional and societal demands.
My work is rooted in the belief that academic wellness must be embedded into the fabric of our global scholarly ecosystem, not relegated to moments of crisis or individual coping. Through Star Scholar, I am committed to advancing culturally responsive wellness practices that support leadership sustainability, scholarly excellence, and collective care across borders. On World Meditation Day, I reaffirm this commitment—holding space for reflection while continuing the work of building healthier, more humane academic communities worldwide.
I invite each of us—wherever we are in the world and in our work—to intentionally embrace meditative practices as part of our daily scholarly lives. Even a few moments of stillness can restore clarity, strengthen resilience, and reconnect us to our purpose. When we commit to reflection together, we create a global academic culture where wellness is not an exception, but a shared way of being.
Dr. Narketta M. Sparkman-Key