GradWell is a limited series podcast that explores various ways the University of Michigan can support its graduate students in their journey to greater wellbeing in their everyday lives. Created for graduate students, by a graduate student—brought to you by the Rackham Graduate School.
Bonus Episode: Caring For The Ones We Love - Adult Caregiving in Graduate School
How can viewing caregiving as teamwork change our experience with it?
In this episode, Dr. Courtney Polenick, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Social Work, and Dr. Amanda Leggett, Associate Professor of Gerontology and Psychology, share insight on how a more holistic approach to adult caregiving—particularly for loved ones with dementia—can benefit the well-being of everyone involved in the relationship. Listen in as we discuss how to enhance the adult caregiving experience and some great Michigan resources that can help you do so.
Resources
Michigan Caregiver Connection (https://www.micaregiverconnection.com/)
Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan (https://4ami.org/)
Maturity Matters Counseling (https://www.maturitymatterscounseling.com/)
Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (https://iog.wayne.edu/madrc)
Alzheimer's Association | Greater Michigan Chapter (https://www.alz.org/gmc)
Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Center
Michigan Caregiving (https://www.michigancaregiving.org/)
Elder Care Resources
Backup Care Resources
Eldercare Locator (https://eldercare.acl.gov/home)
Washtenaw Support Network for Caregivers
Michigan Caregiver Support Groups
Caregiving Resources
Visit the GradWell website for more!
Reach out to the Drs. with any questions: leggetta@wayne.edu (mailto:leggetta@wayne.edu) and cpolenic@umich.edu
Email us about the podcast: rackhampdeworkshops@umich.edu
Stay in touch by joining Gradwell's MCommunity group!
Guests' Bio
Dr. Courtney Polenick
Courtney A. Polenick, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. Dr. Polenick's research focuses on family relationships and caregiving in the context of complex care needs including dementia and multimorbidity. She is particularly interested in understanding family and social influences in everyday life that shape the health and well-being of older adults and their care partners. Her long-term goal is to inform interventions and policies that mitigate stress and promote resilience among older adults living with complex care needs and their families.
Dr. Amanda Leggett
Amanda N. Leggett, PhD, FGSA, is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Institute of Gerontology and Department of Psychology at Wayne State University and Adjunct Professor in the Psychiatry Department at the University of Michigan. She is also faculty in the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. She currently co-leads Michigan's Dementia Coalition (a state-wide coalition of more than 300 individuals representing more than 65 organizations working together to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia and their families). She recently ended her tenure as Associate Editor of GSA's Innovation in Aging and is currently on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Research in Aging. She is a long-time Hospice volunteer.
25 Mar 2026
Bonus Episode: Getting Control of Our Finances - Financial Wellness for Ph.D.s
How might throwing out the label of 'student' help us take better control of our finances?
In this episode, Emily Roberts, Ph.D., a personal finance educator for early-career doctoral students, discusses why finances are such an important part of well-being and how we can start taking control of them as Ph.D. students. We explore her numerous tips on budgeting, the specialized approach we need to take to taxes, and why investing even $5 a month will make a big difference in the long run. Listen in for her recommendations on how to get started today!
Make sure to sign up for Dr. Roberts' virtual workshop with us on April 8, where she'll walk us through how to approach a number of financial goals that will increase your net worth!
Resources
Emily's Website - Personal Finance for PhDs (https://pfforphds.com/)
Emily's Podcast - Personal Finance for PhDs
Emily's Free Spending Tracker (https://pfforphds.com/tracker/)
Emily's Tax "Cheat Sheet" (https://pfforphds.com/tax/)
FreeTaxUSA (https://www.freetaxusa.com/)
Free file through the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/e-file-do-your-taxes-for-free)
U-M Financial Education Resources
U-M Food & Housing Resources
U-MStudent Support Resources (https://deanofstudents.umich.edu/critical-incidents)
U-M Career Center Clothes Closet for business attire (https://careercenter.umich.edu/content/clothes-closet)
Financial Well-Being Resources (Human Resources)
Resource Coach Program (Human Resources)
Financial Empowerment Series (CEW+)
Financial Wellness Resources (Michigan Law)
Financial Education Resources (University of Michigan Credit Union)
Modern Financial Literacy Tools (University of Michigan Credit Union)
Emily's Favorite Personal Finance Beginner Books
I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
Get Good With Money by Tiffany Aliche
The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins
Online Finance Courses
Finance Courses (Michigan Online)
Finance Courses (https://www.edx.org/learn/finance) (edX)
Financial Literacy Courses (edX)
Cash Course (free for students)
Finance Courses (Coursera - free for students)
Finance for Everyone (Michigan Online)
Make sure to register for Dr. Roberts' virtual workshop on April 8th, 2026 — How to Set and Achieve Financial Goals as a Graduate Student
Visit the GradWell website for more!
Reach out to Emily with any questions: emily@pfforphds.com
Email us about the podcast: rackhampdeworkshops@umich.edu
Stay in touch by joining Gradwell's MCommunity group!
Guest Bio
Dr. Emily Roberts is a personal finance educator specializing in early-career PhDs. Through her business, Personal Finance for PhDs, she equips graduate students and postdocs to make the most of their money. She gives seminars at universities and for associations; interviews graduate students and PhDs on her podcast; and creates courses and workshops on taxes, investing, and more. Emily holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Duke University and lives in San Diego with her husband and two children.
10 Dec 2025
Graduate Student Well-Being: Past, Present, and Future
How can the University of Michigan best support its graduate students in their journey to greater well-being?
To wrap up the season, this episode will provide an overview of well-being at Michigan for graduate students with Elizabeth Rohr, Rackham's Well-being Advocate. Explore the behind-the-scenes approaches Rackham takes to graduate student well-being and what the future may hold for graduate wellness.
Resources
Resources on the Graduate Advisor Relationship
Resources on Cultivating a Sense of Belonging
Michigan Doctoral Experience Survey
Transition Points: Well-being and Disciplinary Identity in the First Years of Doctoral Studies - Paper based on Michigan Doctoral Experience Survey
Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities & Colleges
Well-Being Collective (https://wellbeing.umich.edu/)
Visit the GradWell website for more!
Reach out to Elizabeth with any questions: erohr@umich.edu
Email us about the podcast: rackhampdeworkshops@umich.edu
Stay in touch by joining Gradwell's MCommunity group!
Guest Bio
Elizabeth Rohr is the Well-Being Advocate and senior manager of the Well-Being Advocate Program of the Rackham Graduate School, partnering with Rackham graduate program faculty, staff, and students to identify and address structural issues that impact graduate student mental health and well-being.
Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work, with an emphasis in interpersonal practice and mental health. She also holds a BS in Sociology with a minor in History from Northwestern University.
Elizabeth has had an eclectic professional journey. She's worked in the private sector as a corporate project and event manager; was a Public Allies Americorp member in Chicago working with HIV+ women and children, an intimate partner and sexual violence prevention peer educator in San Francisco, and helped conduct research and develop new programs for nontraditional graduate students at the Center for the Education of Women (CEW+) here at U-M. Prior to joining Rackham, she worked directly with undergraduate students to develop their mindful leadership skills at the LSA Barger Leadership Institute for 5 years.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
55
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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