Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service in Qatar

Doha, Qatar – The Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar) kicked off a new health and wellness program with a Wellness Walk on March 15, 2009. Designed to promote a healthy work environment and healthy lifestyle choices, the GUWellness-Qatar program is a collaboration between the Office of Faculty and Staff Benefits at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and the Office of Human Resources in Doha.

“Stay well and healthy,” said SFS-Qatar Dean James Reardon-Anderson as he kicked off the campaign. Following the Dean, SFS-Qatar faculty and staff took a noontime walk around the Education City campus to inaugurate the wellness program. The participants were served healthy fruit snacks upon the walk’s completion.

Following the Jesuit tradition, Georgetown University is committed to the care of mind, body and spirit of men and women from all backgrounds. GUWellness is an engagement that carries this tradition to the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of the University’s community members.

GUWellness is a university-wide initiative to support the community in healthy living. With its “mind, body, soul” emphasis, the program provides tools and resources to all of SFS-Qatar faculty and staff to achieve their wellness goals. SFS-Qatar Wellness Officer, Mary Bryan noted that there are various components to the vision of GUWellness. “The Wellness Walk is our first step in creating a healthy campus community,” noted Bryan. “We are trying to encourage and reward healthy choices by empowering individuals to take charge of their physical, mental and spiritual health, and by promoting preventative healthcare.”

Aside from the Wellness Walk, a variety of initiatives, activities and seminars are being planned to promote wellness and enhance the lives of SFS-Qatar community members. In the coming weeks, a nutritionist will be on campus to discuss healthy eating tips. Meanwhile, water safety seminars, as well as health screenings, are being planned for later in the semester. Faculty and staff are urged to keep up to date with the Wellness-Qatar campaign by checking the GU Wellness website at wellness.georgetown.edu.