The State of Student Well-being: What Gen Z and Gen Alpha Need Now
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Show Notes
In this episode of “This Is Purdue,” we’re talking to Beth McCuskey, Purdue’s vice provost for student life.
Beth is a national thought leader on student mental health and has worked in higher education for over 30 years. She co-authored the upcoming book titled “The Oxford Handbook of Well-Being in Higher Education,” which explores why wellness is critical in higher education. During her time at Purdue, she’s prioritized advocating for Boilermakers’ well-being journeys with key university investment and participation from faculty and staff.
In this episode, you will:
- Learn more about the state of well-being for younger generations and why it’s important to meet students where they are to help them flourish inside and outside of the classroom.
- Discover how adults — like parents, coaches and mentors — can normalize failure and nurture well-being for Gen Z and Gen Alpha students and why that can help build vital life skills, like resilience, and prepare students to be successful in college.
- Hear more about how well-being and mental health have evolved from millennials to Gen Z to Gen Alpha and how technology, like smartphones and now AI, is playing a vital role in shaping student needs.
- Find out more about learning loss during the pandemic and Purdue Student Life’s innovative Steps to Leaps framework, which increased access to campus mental health resources and institutionalized well-being and was recognized by Forbes in 2025.
You don’t want to miss this episode with a campus leader who's transforming student mental health and well-being advocacy at Purdue and beyond.
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