The Department of Public Health Sciences recently held its first Cafecito with the Chair event, a new initiative introduced by Interim Chair Kathryn McCollister, Ph.D., to encourage conversation, engagement and community-building among students, faculty and staff.

Dr. McCollister said the idea behind the initiative was to create a space for people to connect outside of formal meetings, presentations and day-to-day responsibilities.

“Honestly, I just wanted a reason to get together that didn’t involve an agenda or a PowerPoint,” Dr. McCollister said. “In a department spread across five divisions, it’s easy to go weeks without really talking to each other. Cuban coffee felt like the right fit; it’s informal, it’s warm and it’s very Miami.”

“Connection, mostly,” Dr. McCollister said when reflecting on the goals of the initiative. “I want people to feel like they belong to a department, not just their own corner of it.”

“Some of the best conversations happen when there’s no agenda,” Dr. McCollister said. “People share things over coffee that never make it into a meeting, a frustration, an idea, a question they’ve been sitting on. That’s where you actually learn what’s going on in a community.”

Associate Scientist Erminia “Mimi” Fardone, Ph.D., said the event created an environment where students, faculty and staff could engage more naturally with one another.

“It was a true bond where students, faculty and staff exchanged ideas and laughs over coffee in a casual, no-strings-attached environment,” Dr. Fardone said. “Not everything meaningful happens in a classroom or office.”

Senior Research Associate Don Lochana Ekanayake, MSc., said the gathering also helped introduce attendees to research and collaborations happening across the department.

“It was a great opportunity to meet other researchers, staff and students in the department and learn more about the research and collaborations happening across,” Ekanayake said.

Dr. McCollister said initiatives like Cafecito can help foster a stronger sense of belonging within a large academic environment.

“Having a low-key space where everyone, regardless of role, can just show up and connect makes a real difference,” Dr. McCollister said. “It’s a small thing, but it signals that this department cares about people, not just output.”

Department leadership plans to continue hosting Cafecito events throughout the academic year as part of broader efforts to support engagement, wellness and community-building across the department.

Written by Deycha Torres Hernández, published May 26, 2026.