FDU Honored as Health Care Hero!

Fairleigh Dickinson University was honored as one of the 2025 NJBIZ Health Care Heroes — a program created to recognize excellence, promote innovation, and honor the efforts of individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of health care in New Jersey. The program recognizes individuals and organizations across 10 categories and FDU was honored for its work in mental health.

“We are proud to have been recognized for our commitment to placing mental health and community connected care at the heart of our mission,” President Michael Avaltroni said. “By weaving mental health and emotional support into our living and learning environment, FDU is nurturing a resilient and compassionate community. These efforts not only enhance individual well-being on campus but also prepare students to lead with empathy and understanding in their future careers and communities.”

FDU has taken a proactive and innovative approach by integrating Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training into its institutional framework. Over the past few years, a dedicated team of three professionals has trained more than 700 faculty, staff, and students, primarily from health-related fields. This initiative has enhanced the University’s ability to identify, understand, and respond to mental health and substance-use challenges, fostering a more supportive and responsive campus environment.

Avaltroni added that the leaders of the MHFA initiative are true health care heroes and have played a “transformative role in advancing FDU’s commitment to mental health education and support.” They include Chief Innovation Officer for FDU Health and Executive Associate Dean at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Chadwin Sandifer, Associate Professor of Social Work and Director of the Master of Social Work Program Zakia Clay and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice Dongmi Kim.

Through strategic planning, MHFA training has been embedded into faculty and staff professional development and student programming, helping to reduce stigma, promote early intervention, and increase confidence in providing support.

The impact has been significant, leading to greater utilization of mental health resources, increased engagement, and a strengthened culture of well-being. These efforts to support mental health align with the University strategic initiative FDU HealthPath Forward, which seeks to define health education and training through industry partnerships, interdisciplinary collaboration, experiential learning and community and campus-integrated hubs for lifelong learning, health and well-being.