Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Raphael D. Florestal-Kevelier, Ph.D., M.P.H., to the Restorative Works! podcast public health series. In this series of episodes, we discuss the U.S. Surgeon General's recent report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, with experts in the public health field.

We continue the conversation with Dr. Florestal-Kevelier and dig deeper into methods for successful implementation of restorative practices in higher education communities that promote health equity across campus. Dr. Florestal-Kevelier explains how assessing priority needs and identifying affected individuals are the first steps in creating common language and the foundation needed to build health equity solutions. From individual student intervention to university-wide policy change, the melding of restorative practices and health promotion helps to provide clearer, more well-rounded approaches to issues surrounding mental, emotional, and physical health in higher education settings.

Currently serving as the inaugural Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Health and Well-being at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Dr. Florestal-Kevelier is leading the integration of critical health and wellness programs and services, all while advancing a public health-grounded and community-oriented approach to supporting student health and well-being. With over 15 years of experience in scholarship, practice, and teaching focused on the well-being of university students, he also serves as a clinical assistant professor of community health sciences and is an affiliate faculty member of the Division of Gender and Women's Studies at UIC. Dr. Florestal-Kevelier currently serves as the president-elect of the American College Health Association and is a founding partner of the Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education at the IIRP Graduate School.