Joana Franco

Joana Franco has a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences from Utah State University, in which she researched transformative learning with mindfulness as a way to support the well-being of graduate students. Her current areas of research interest are regenerative learning and awareness-based practices for human flourishing in higher education. She is also certified as a mindfulness teacher, a yoga instructor, and a somatic breathwork practitioner. She has also been trained in mindful communication and mindful leadership to bring applied mindfulness into the workplace. She holds a master’s in Communication and Society and a bachelor’s in Social Communication, both from the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil.

She created and leads the Mindfulness Trainings for Flourishing program at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy and Practice, offering every semester courses focused on developing mindfulness and well-being within higher education and the broader community. She also currently serves as a mindfulness teacher for the Center for Anticipatory Intelligence, where she supports students and faculty in building resilience and flourishing.

As an instructional designer, she supports project teams in developing online trainings. In addition to designing and teaching her mindfulness trainings, she is currently serving as the designer for the National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials & Instruction (NCADEMI) and for the Center for Mental Health Promotion (CMHP).