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Leona Brandwene

 

Member profile details

First name
Leona
Last name
Brandwene
 

Personal information

Bio
Leona is the Associate Director of Education at the Positive Psychology Center, and provides oversight to the MAPP program and the Applied Positive Psychology (APOP) undergraduate certificate. She serves as the coordinating instructor for MAPP 603 in the fall and MAPP 714 in the spring, and received the 2021 Liberal and Professional Studies Award for Distinguished Teaching in Graduate Programs as well as UPCEA’s 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Leona serves on the Council of Advisors of the International Positive Psychology Association and was the 2023 recipient of the Association’s Positive Catalyst Award; is a scientific advisor for Trellus Health, an organization supporting the needs of individuals with inflammatory bowel disease; and is on the board of Shining Light, an organization that leverages positive psychology to build the well-being of incarcerated individuals. She has served as coach/consultant for national health care performance improvement projects, as well as employee wellness and community health initiatives; she is pursuing a doctorate in education.
She loves running, cycling, triathlon, family, and cheering on her favorite collegiate sports teams (Duquesne women’s triathlon and Alvernia women’s ice hockey). She lives in the Lancaster area with her husband Josh and their 19-year-old daughter Sophie (who is currently away at university).
Photo
 

Professional Information

Employer
University of Pennsylvania
Job title
Associate Director of Education, PPC
Primary Focus
Positive psychology

Physical activity, health, and aging

Health care, the workplace, and executive coaching
Coach Training
  • 60+ Hours Coach Training
 

Social Media

Twitter
@LeonaBrandwene
 

Publications

Capstone title and abstract
From Presenteeism to Productivity: The Business Case for Positive Psychology Interventions in the Workplace New productivity tools and research demonstrate that poor mental health status among employees is one of the leading financial drains in the workplace. Traditional worksite approaches to mental status have focused exclusively on cost reduction strategies, leaving a gap on the revenue-generating side of the ledger. Good evidence from the field of epidemiology indicates that universal interventions can serve as cost avoidance and productivity-enhancing strategies by improving productivity and reducing new incidences of disorder. Positive psychology offers numerous empirically-validated approaches that can be implemented as universal mental health interventions in a workplace setting, positioning it as both a cost avoidance and productivity enhancing strategy. This science enables employers to shift from a disease-mitigation paradigm to a productivity-maximizing paradigm. By linking the empirical approaches of positive psychology, the epidemiological approach of population-wide intervention, the ability to measure changes in worker output, and performance improvement methodology, employers have the tools to gain competitive edge in cost avoidance and a productivity enhancement strategies, simultaneously building both employee psychological well-being and organizational financial well-being.
 

Contact data

Province/State
PA
Country
USA
MAPP Geography
  • USA - Mid-Atlantic
  • USA - Philadelphia Area
 

MAPP Information

MAPP Graduation Year
2010
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