University Human Resources recognizes that the physical, financial, mental and social well-being of our employees is the very foundation for the success of our university community. This initiative is intended to provide you with tools and resources to support and promote employee wellness and build communities of interest around topics relevant to your needs and interests. This webinar series is one of many ways we will support your well-being and we encourage you all to join us in building a strong and caring virtual employee community. Below is a list of the webinars and links to register.
You can also visit our Financial Carrier Consultations page for information related to scheduling one on one consultations with our financial investment carriers.
Financial Wellness & Retirement Planning:
ABP Retirement Planning Overview:
A presentation with LIVE Q&A for members of the ABP retirement system who are contemplating retirement.
- REGISTER HERE (under 'Employee Benefit & Work-Life Programs')
PERS & PFRS Webinars:
A variety of webinar options for member of PERS and PFRS provided by the New Jersey Division of Pensions & Benefits. Topics include Retirement Planning, PERS Retirement Estimates, Submitting an MBOS Retirement Application and Understanding your Pension Benefits.
Financial Wellness - Presented by Voya:
This session that is offered by Voya Financial incorporates the all-important topics that matter in financial and life goals. While financial wellness may mean different things to different folks, this session will focus on the fundamentals. We will review some best practices around budgeting, establishing emergency funds, understanding, and managing debt and of course the importance of saving. In times of market uncertainty, a reminder of the basics can be especially helpful. We'll also touch on valuable resources available to help you on your financial wellness journey. Lastly, we will go over your options in the NJABP in terms of approved vendors and basic 401a/403b information.
- 10/7/25 at 10:00am - REGISTER HERE
Set your retirement date: Understand the factors to get you to your goal - Presented by TIAA:
Whether you plan to retire today or 30 years from now, it’s never too early—or too late—to design the life you want. Let’s explore the steps to getting you there.
- 10/9/25 at 2:00pm - REGISTER HERE
Sources of Retirement Income - Presented by MetLife:
Common sources of retirement income, including 401(k)s, IRAs (Traditional & Roth), Social Security, Annuities, and other secondary sources of income, are outlined. Also discusses the importance of aligning types of income and expected expenses.
- 10/29/25 at 12:00 pm - REGISTER HERE
Retirement Readiness - Presented by Empower (formerly Prudential):
Prepare for your better tomorrow...TODAY
You can help position yourself for a more secure retirement! This presentation is designed to help you get ready for your next chapter and plan for your retirement income needs.
Topics include:
- Envisioning your future
- Your retirement income
- Social Security
- Healthcare costs in retirement and Medicare
- Creating a retirement budget
- Transitioning to retirement
- Considering advice
11/12/25 at 10:00am - REGISTER HERE
Understanding Social Security - Presented by MetLife:
Provides an overview of Social Security and how it works, including eligibility and Primary Insurance Amount, filing options, the importance of timing, and spousal benefits. Also discusses implications of working after beginning to collect benefits and other considerations that can impact filing decisions.
- 11/13/25 at 2:00pm - REGISTER HERE
Charting Your Course: A Woman's Financial Guide- Presented by TIAA:
Jump-start your financial journey. We will help you discover how to make your money work for you.
- 11/25/25 at 10:00am - REGISTER HERE
Deferred Compensation - Presented by Empower (formerly Prudential):
This session will discuss deferred compensation and provide information regarding the opportunity to voluntarily shelter a portion of your wages from federal income taxes while saving for retirement.
- 12/2/25 at 2:00pm - REGISTER HERE
Are you on-track for the retirement you envision? - Presented by Corebridge:
Can I retire when I planned
Am I saving enough to achieve my retirement goals?
Am I in danger of outliving or depleting my retirement savings?
- 12/3/25 at 10:00am - REGISTER HERE
Voya Cares - Presented by Voya:
We could all use a little help planning for the future – and when you have special needs to consider, knowing where to start and what resources are available can be one of the biggest challenges. We’re committed to helping all Americans retire better and making a positive impact in the lives of people with disabilities as well as their families and caregivers. Visit Voya Cares to learn more. State of NJ - Department of the Treasury - NJDPB | Alternate Benefit Program
- 12/18/25 at 12:00pm - REGISTER HERE
TIAA Financial Wellness: https://www.tiaa.org/public/land/rutgersfinancialwellness
VOYA Retirement Seminar Library: https://www.voya.com/voyalearn
Empower's Education on Demand Library: https://www.nj.gov/treasury/pensions/
Previously Recorded Sessions:
Parenting During a Pandemic - How to Keep Your Sanity – hosted by Dr. Maurice Elias
Advice on the best ways to cope with and make the best of the new way of life—and the new stressors caused by the global health crisis.
Dr. Maurice Elias
Dr. Maurice Elias is a Professor of Psychology, Rutgers; Director, Rutgers Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab; Co-Director, Collaborative Center for Community-Based Research and Service; Co-Director, Academy for SEL in Schools.
He is Past President of the Society for Community Research and Action/Division of Community Psychology (27) of APA and has received the SCRA Distinguished Contribution to Practice and Ethnic Minority Mentoring Awards, as well as APA’s National Psychological Consultants to Management Award, the Joseph E. Zins Memorial Senior Scholar Award for Social-Emotional Learning from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), the John P. McGovern Medal from the American School Health Association, and the Sanford McDonnell Award for Lifetime Achievement in Character Education.
Dr. Elias lectures nationally and internationally to educators and parents about students’ emotional intelligence, school success, and social-emotional and character development. Dr. Elias writes a blog for the George Lucas Educational Foundation’s Edutopia Website.
Stress & Coping – hosted by Dr. Kristen Riley
In these stressful times during the COVID-19 pandemic and racism pandemic and social movement, coping strategies are important.
Dr. Riley will present about stress and coping during a pandemic, will conduct two relaxation coping exercises (progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing), and will help participants create SMART goals for coping strategies.
Dr. Kristen Riley
Kristen E. Riley is an Assistant Professor at GSAPP. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a certificate in health psychology is from the University of Connecticut, and completed a health psychology internship at the Miami VA Medical Center and postdoctoral fellowship in cancer prevention at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Her program of research decreases unhealthy behaviors and increases access to care, with a focus on health disparities. Specifically, she studies stigma, rumination, superstition, mindfulness, tobacco, and sleep, and she uses dissemination and implementation science to integrate behavioral medicine into medical settings to improve access to care and get interventions to those who need them most.
Dr. Riley is the chief of the Health Policy Council at the Society for Health Psychology at the American Psychological Association. She promotes integrated care teamwork as a member of the Interprofessional Education Faculty Advisory Council. She is an affiliate member of the Department of Psychology, Center for Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, and the Center for Tobacco Studies at the School of Public Health, is a member of Women’s Health and Psychiatry at RWJBarnabas Health, and is an associate member of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey in Cancer Prevention and Control. She is fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Riley is currently working on several lines of research GSAPP, including:
- LGBTQ+ smoking cessation
- Lung cancer stigma and anti-tobacco public health campaigns
- Integrating psychology into primary care and medical settings
- Spanish speaking insomnia treatment
- Ultra-brief mindfulness interventions
- Maternal mortality and morbidity in Black women
The Growing Challenge of Suicide in America – hosted by Dr. Edward Selby and Dr. Evan Kleiman
Discussing trends in suicidal behavior and personal clinical factors such as suicide risk assessment and self-care.
- VIEW RECORDED SESSION | Password: iDxQpEi6
Dr. Evan Kleiman
Evan Kleiman is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University. Prior to coming to Rutgers, Dr. Kleiman was a Postdoctoral Fellow (2014-2017) and Research Associate at Harvard University. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at George Mason University (2014), completed his clinical psychology internship at Temple University (2014), and received his BA in Psychology from Temple University (2008). Dr. Kleiman’s work focuses on understanding the everyday occurrence of factors of interest to clinical psychological scientists. He has a specific focus on the everyday lives of individuals at risk for suicide using smartphone and wearable monitoring technology. His work has been published in over 80 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is currently funded by several NIMH grants. He has been the recipient of several awards for his research and was named a “rising star” in 2020 by the Association for Psychological Science.
Dr. Edward Selby
Dr. Edward Selby specializes in the research and treatment of suicidal and self-injurious behavior, personality disorders, and eating disorders. A major focus of his research on these disorders involves emotion dysregulation and the use of self-sabotaging behaviors, such as binging and purging, self-injury, alcohol and substance use, fighting or reckless driving, to distract from upsetting emotions. Dr. Selby completed his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at The Florida State University in 2011, following completion of his psychology residency at Brown University – Warren Alpert Medical School in 2011. He previously earned his M.S. in clinical psychology from The Florida State University in 2007, and he completed a B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience and a B.A. in Psychology at the University of Wyoming in 2005. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters. He was the recipient of a predoctoral National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Mental Health, and he has received several national awards for his research including the Neil S. Jacobson Award for Outstanding and Innovative Clinical Research from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies and the American Psychological Association Division 12 Distinguished Student Research Award. In his free time, Dr. Selby enjoys running, learning new languages, and spending time with his family.
Increasing Valued Living During COVID-19 – hosted by Dr. Samantha Farris
Describe common psychological reactions during COVID-19 and introduce valued living as a strategy to improve mood and well-being.
- VIEW RECORDED SESSION | Password: FnvFCUk2
Dr. Samantha Farris
Dr. Farris is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, a licensed clinical psychologist, and is the Director of The Rutgers Emotion, Health and Behavior (REHAB) Laboratory. Dr. Farris’ research focuses on understanding the link between how and why fear and anxiety contribute to problem health behaviors and chronic disease and developing novel behavioral interventions that target anxiety to improve both physical and mental health.
Mindfulness – hosted by Dr. Kristen Riley
Mindfulness has been shown to confer benefits to mental and physical health, which are especially important during the coronavirus pandemic and the racism pandemic. Didactics about mindfulness, discussion of mindfulness interventions and apps, and two mindfulness practices will be incorporated in this presentation.
Dr. Kristen Riley
Kristen E. Riley is an Assistant Professor at GSAPP. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a certificate in health psychology is from the University of Connecticut, and completed a health psychology internship at the Miami VA Medical Center and postdoctoral fellowship in cancer prevention at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Her program of research decreases unhealthy behaviors and increases access to care, with a focus on health disparities. Specifically, she studies stigma, rumination, superstition, mindfulness, tobacco, and sleep, and she uses dissemination and implementation science to integrate behavioral medicine into medical settings to improve access to care and get interventions to those who need them most.
Dr. Riley is the chief of the Health Policy Council at the Society for Health Psychology at the American Psychological Association. She promotes integrated care teamwork as a member of the Interprofessional Education Faculty Advisory Council. She is an affiliate member of the Department of Psychology, Center for Alcohol & Substance Use Studies, and the Center for Tobacco Studies at the School of Public Health, is a member of Women’s Health and Psychiatry at RWJBarnabas Health, and is an associate member of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey in Cancer Prevention and Control. She is fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Riley is currently working on several lines of research GSAPP, including:
- LGBTQ+ smoking cessation
- Lung cancer stigma and anti-tobacco public health campaigns
- Integrating psychology into primary care and medical settings
- Spanish speaking insomnia treatment
- Ultra-brief mindfulness interventions
- Maternal mortality and morbidity in Black women