Fairfield University Panel Explores America’s Anxiety Crisis and Paths to Healing

Photo: From L-R Dean: Evelyn Bilias Lolis, PhD; Martin Pino, PsyD, clinical psychologist; Danielle Conklin, DNP, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner; Natasha Booker, PhD, LCSW, clinical social worker and private practitioner; Frank Rodriguez, MEd, SYC’07, principal of Strawberry Hill Interdistrict Public Magnet School; and Michael J. Testani, MEd, superintendent of Fairfield Public Schools.

Press release

FAIRFIELD —On Monday, Sept. 29, Fairfield University’s School of Education and Human Development hosted a Dean’s Dialogue Series panel discussion titled Anxious America: Mental Health & Healing in the Era of Anxiety. Led by Dean Evelyn Bilias Lolis, PhD, the well-attended community event brought together educators, healthcare professionals, and community leaders for a cross-disciplinary conversation on one of the most prevalent issues of our time: the rise of anxiety in American life.

The panel featured Dean Lolis; Natasha Booker, PhD, LCSW, clinical social worker and private practitioner; Danielle Conklin, DNP, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner; Martin Pino, PsyD, clinical psychologist; Frank Rodriguez, MEd, SYC’07, principal of Strawberry Hill Interdistrict Public Magnet School; and Michael J. Testani, MEd, superintendent of Fairfield Public Schools.
Provost Christine Siegel, PhD opened the evening by citing a statistic from a June 2025 CDC report: 21 percent of children ages 3–17 are diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral condition, with anxiety leading the list. Against the backdrop of cultural unrest, pandemic aftershocks, social media saturation, and constant performance pressures, panelists urged the audience to consider not just the numbers but the lived realities behind them.

At the heart of the dialogue was a recognition that anxiety is not simply an individual problem but a shared societal challenge that demands collective care. Dean Lolis framed this within Fairfield’s Jesuit mission: “As a Jesuit institution, we are called to seek the truth, not in fragments, not in comfortable disguises, but in its fullness, in its unvarnished form. Then once we face the truth, we are called to hold it with understanding and to respond not narrowly but holistically.”

Panelists approached the topic from different angles but converged on a shared message: people must be recognized in their wholeness, not reduced to grades, job performance, or test scores.
Dr. Pino described students who are weighed down by perfectionism, fear of failure, and the constant comparisons fueled by social media. “Success is not an upward trajectory,” he reminded, urging educators to normalize setbacks and create spaces where students can be themselves.

From a clinical perspective, Dr. Conklin guided the audience through a breathing exercise to illustrate the power of co-regulation and nervous system awareness. “Anxiety tells us we’re alive,” she explained, “but it becomes a problem when it hinders how we experience things.”

Shifting to the workplace, Dr. Booker spoke about the “invisible backpacks” employees carry with them—burdens of stress, challenges, and anxieties that often go unseen. She argued that leadership sets the tone for well-being: “Workplaces must shine with creativity and trust,” she said, urging leaders to see employees as whole people with lives beyond their titles.”

In the K-12 setting, Dr. Rodriguez reflected on the overlapping pressures of testing, competition, and social media. He called for educators to “bring joy back to education” by fostering gratitude, connection, and human understanding.

Testani echoed this perspective. “Several interconnected pressures contribute to anxiety among students, the primary drivers are the high-stakes environment of academic, athletic, and extracurricular competition, as well as the relentless social pressures from social media,” he said. “This ‘always-on’ culture makes it difficult for them to disconnect and simply be children.”

The superintendent reminded the audience that “students are human beings, not test scores,” and stressed the importance of building school climates where mental health is openly addressed and students feel supported.

The evening concluded with a call to action: increase awareness, strengthen support in schools and workplaces, practice kindness and gratitude, and normalize imperfection. Above all, the panelists agreed, the conversation must continue.

The Dean’s Dialogue Series discussion left attendees with a clear message: behind every role—student, teacher, employee, parent—is a whole person navigating visible and invisible challenges. By meeting one another with empathy, patience, and curiosity, communities can begin not only to respond to anxiety but to build resilience and care.