Who We Are
Peer Health Advocates (PHAs) are a team of NASPA-Certified Peer Educators supporting and encouraging holistic student health and well-being across campus through culturally responsive programming, projects, and one-on-one meetings. Email us at cmupha@andrew.cmu.edu.
Our guiding values are:
Honesty
Empathy
Autonomy
Respect
Teamwork
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Peer Support Meetings
Students can schedule to meet with a Peer Health Advocate for things like:
- Practice setting and communicating boundaries
- Navigating on and off campus resources
- Brainstorming mindfulness and meditation tools
- Reviewing and demonstrating safer sex tools
- Generating tasty, satisfying, and accessible meal and snack ideas
PHAs can meet wherever feels most comfortable for you - be it a coffee shop, walking around the track, a private room in the Health Promotion office, or on Zoom.
SCHEDULE WITH A PHA
Meet the Undergraduate PHAs
Undergraduate and graduate students can schedule with whomever they prefer. Undergrads can schedule with grads and vice versa!
Amara Vergara Agyakwa (she/her)
First-Year, Business Administration
First-Year, Business Administration
Interests: Nutrition, Running, Trading, VC
Ash Gelber (they/them)
Junior, Psychology
Junior, Psychology
Mani Chinesom
Junior, Business Administration
Junior, Business Administration
Meet the Graduate PHAs
Graduate and undergraduate students can schedule with whomever they prefer. Grads can schedule with undergrads and vice versa!
Siva Komaragiri (he/him)
Heinz - Health Care Analytics and Information Technology
Heinz - Health Care Analytics and Information Technology
Languages: English, Hindi, Telugu
Anushka Mehta
Heinz - Information Systems Management
Schedule with Anushka
Interests: Art, History, Bollywood
Heinz - Information Systems Management
Schedule with Anushka
Interests: Art, History, Bollywood
Harsh Vaibhav Nallanthighal (he/him)
College of Engineering - Energy Science, Technology and Policy
Schedule with Harsh
College of Engineering - Energy Science, Technology and Policy
Schedule with Harsh
Languages: English, Hindi, Telugu
Interests: Reading, Music, Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Baking
Highlights of the PHA Program
The PHA program began as a student organization and has evolved over the years with input from students. PHAs are now paid employees of University Health Services, working as liaisons and a resource for campus health and well-being.
Additionally, the program has shifted from group education to a one-on-one support model, including text support, drop-in visits, and scheduled consultations.
The PHAs engage in their support of students using a specialist model, including but not limited to the following areas:
- Disability Resources
- Sexual Health
- Mindfulness and Mental Health
- Nutrition
In addition to the undergraduate program, graduate students are now active in PHA roles to support graduate student health and wellbeing.
The PHA program offers a credited mini-course that teaches the foundations of peer education (99-121). Course enrollment is open to all students and required for PHAs.