The State of Student Well-being: What Gen Z and Gen Alpha Need Now

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The State of Student Well-being: What Gen Z and Gen Alpha Need Now is an episode from This Is Purdue by Purdue University.

This episode is 37:11 long.

This episode was published on Feb 19, 2026.

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