Applied Contemplative Studies
Center
The Center for Applied Contemplative Studies (CFACS) was created to assist members of the UNC community and beyond in cultivating mindfulness in their personal, professional, and scholarly lives.
About Us
The Center for Applied Contemplative Studies advances wellbeing at UNC and beyond through practices that help people know themselves more deeply, align their inner lives with their values, and strengthen connections—with themselves, with others, and with their communities.
Contemplative practices are intentional activities—like mindfulness, reflection, and awareness exercises—that cultivate self-knowledge, emotional balance, and meaningful connection. Drawing on the wisdom that an examined life is a flourishing life, we explore how these practices can be learned, adapted, and integrated into daily living.
CFACS emphasizes the practical application of contemplative approaches through training, workshops, classes, events, and research. We investigate how these practices support personal growth, improve relationships, and contribute to thriving communities. Our work is grounded in the expertise of UNC’s Mindfulness Teachers Collaborative (MTC), a team of certified mindfulness instructors who create and deliver evidence-based programming for students, staff, and faculty across campus.
What is Mindfulness?
We define mindfulness as learning to direct one’s awareness and attention on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.
Practicing Mindfulness
The practice of mindfulness can often be described as a subset of Contemplative Studies, which focus on the power and value of introspection, compassion, and critical thinking in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
What are Contemplative Studies?
We define contemplative studies as experimentation with and dedication to mindful practices that reconnect us to ourselves, each other, other beings, our communities, and our natural world.
Mindfulness Teachers Collaborative Point of Contact
Mindfulness Teachers Collaborative Members
Logan Contreras
Assistant Professor of Voice, Head of Voice Area
Dannon Cox
Assistant Professor
Jarae Fulton
Senior Lecturer
Melissa Malde
Associate Dean & Professor, College of Performing and Visual Arts
Lu Tian
Professor
Fawn Gold
Adjunct Faculty, Communication Sciences and Disorders
Mindfulness Teachers Collaborative Members in Training
Shammi Gandhi
Assistant Professor
Angie Sandy
MED PhD Student
Mandy Spivak
Assistant Professor, Voice
Krissie Weimer
Assistant Professor, Music Education