Student Health and Counseling Center
Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)

Student-Driven Health Advocacy: Your Health. Your Voice. Your Campus.
The Student Health and Counseling Center has two teams of volunteers within our building: Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) and Peer Ambassadors of Wellness (PAWs). For more information on the Student Health Advisory Committee, contact Kathy Yarmo at kyarmo@csufresno.edu.
Learn more about the Student Health Advisory Committee at Fresno State below!
- SHAC serves as a bridge between the student body and the Student Health and Counseling Center.
- It ensures that students’ needs, concerns, and experiences directly inform campus health policies, programs, and priorities
- According to CSU Executive Order 942, every CSU campus must maintain a student advisory committee to support and strengthen student health services.
- Kathy Yarmo, MPH, SHAC Advisor
- Victoria Lee, Psychology Undergraduate Student & SHAC Co-Chair
- Lorena Flores, LVN, Staff & Medical Subcommittee Chair
- Dennice McAlister, LMFT, Faculty & CAPS Subcommittee Chair
- Danielle Mendoza, LMFT, Staff & Wellness Subcommittee Chair
- Martha Serrano, MSW, Staff, Services for Students with Disabilities
- Dr. Jenelle Gilbert, Faculty, Kinesiology Department
- Dr. Jesse Scaccia, Faculty, Media, Communications, and Journalism Department
- Mireya Avila, Public Health and Chicano Studies Undergraduate Student
- Lorena Bernal, Human Nutritional Sciences Undergraduate Student
- Miyah Carrillo, Ag Business Undergraduate Student & ASI Senator of Student Affairs and Engagement
- McKenzie Felsted, Human Nutritional Sciences Graduate Student
- Jeian Lopez, Biochemistry Undergraduate Student
- Lasee Pena, Psychology Undergraduate Student
- Dilnoor Riar, Biology Undergraduate Student
- Rubi Rivera, Biology Undergraduate Student
- Mike Ursini, MFT Graduate Student
- Jocelyn Velazquez, Biology Undergraduate Student
SHAC is composed of three subcommittees, each with a different responsibility related to the well-being of Fresno State students.
- Wellness Subcommittee: Led by Danielle Mendoza, LMFT
- Increase student awareness of available campus resources and to foster a holistic approach to overall well-being.
- Current project for fall 2025: improve the selection of items in the Fresno State Wellness To Go vending machine.
- Medical Subcommittee: Led by Lorena Flores, LVN
- Identify areas for improvement with Fresno State’s range of medical services offered.
- Current project for fall 2025: develop plans to educate Fresno State students on how to respond to a medical emergency.
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Subcommittee: Led by Dennice McAllister, LMFT
- Support students seeking assistance from Fresno State’s counseling staff.
- Current project for fall 2025: promote group therapy services
Committee: Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)
Committee Charge: EO0943: Each president or designee shall establish a student health advisory
committee. The committee shall be advisory to the president or designee and the Student
Health Center on the scope of service, delivery, funding, and other critical issues
relating to campus health services. Students shall constitute a majority of membership
and the committee may include faculty, administrative, and staff members and shall
include a representative from the Student Health Center. A student shall chair the
committee.
Committee Members:
- Victoria Lee - Student, Co-Chair
- Kathy Yarmo, MPH - Advisor, Co-Chair
- Lorena Flores, LVN - Medical Subcommittee Chair
- Dennice McAlister, LMFT - CAPS Subcommittee Chair
- Danielle Mendoza, LMFT - Wellness Services Subcommittee Chair
- Martha Serrano, MSW - SSD Staff Member
- Jenelle Gilbert, PhD - Faculty Member
- Jesse Scaccia, PhD - Faculty Member
- Mireya Avila - Student Member
- Lorena Bernal - Student Member
- Miyah Carrillo - Student Member, ASI Senator for Student Affairs & Engagement
- McKenzie Felsted - Student Member
- Jeian Lopez - Student Member
- Lasee Pena - Student Member
- Dilnoor Riar - Student Member
- Rubi Rivera - Student Member
- Mike Ursini - Student Member
- Jocelyn Velazquez - Student Member
2025-2026 Goals:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Subcommittee Goal(s):
- Promote the utilization of Group Therapy.
Medical Subcommittee Goal(s):
- Create an Emergency Action Plan Campaign for students and faculty.
- Create classroom educational flyer/resource that can be posted in all classrooms.
- To provide guidance on steps on how to handle an emergency in the classroom setting.
Wellness Subcommittee Goal(s):
- Continue to identify ways to improve the marketing of the Outdoor Fitness Court.
- Create new programming for the Outdoor Fitness Court, as well as for the Bulldog Walking Trails.
- Expand Wellness in the Classroom.
Accomplishments:
- CAPS Subcommittee: (as submitted by CAPS Subcommittee Chair, Dennice McAlister) (1) CAPS members inquired about and found answers related to addressing the process that students can't sign up for groups via the Bulldog Portal. (2) Several CAPS Team members attended various groups and provided feedback. (3) CAPS Team members attended several tabling events promoting group participation. (4) CAPS Team members recruited for SHAC.
- Medical Subcommittee: (as submitted by Medical Subcommittee Chair, Lorena Flores) (1) Designed an emergency classroom poster for placements in all classrooms, which enhances campus safety awareness for students, faculty, and staff. It is expected to be implemented in all classrooms upon approval. (2) Identified a critical gap during the classroom emergency poster project: lack of awareness about AED monitoring and locations across campus. (3) The SHAC Subcommittee brought this to the attention of the Student Health Counseling and Wellness Center Associate Vice President and Medical Director they reached out to the EHS & Police department which prompted cross-departmental collaboration to address the issue.
- Wellness Subcommittee: (as submitted by Wellness Services Subcommittee Chair, Danielle Mendoza) (1) Secured a location for the second Wellness Vending Machine by surveying the student population. (2) From that same survey, the Wellness Vending Machine team provided a list of new products that students wish to see, and some were added to the machine. (3) Collaborated and brainstormed how to reach more students on Instagram, increase followers, and retain those new followers. Also collaborated with Alexis Ford-Duncil on this.
Goals for 2026 - 2027
- SHAC will witness an increase in student leadership opportunities, including one to two students serving as SHAC chair or co-chairs; students to serve as chairs of each of the subcommittees with staff/faculty serving as advisors.
- An addition of a Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Subcommittee with Martha Serrano, MSW to serve as advisor.
- Miranda Rogers will serve as the new advisor to the Wellness Services Subcommittee.
- Jazmine Sarabia, AMFT will serve as the new advisor to the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Subcommittee.
- Sandra Loehner, FNP, DNP will serve as the new advisor to the Medical Subcommittee.
- Each subcommittee advisor will prepare at least two potential projects and present at the first SHAC meeting of the fall 2026 semester. Students serving on the subcommittees will select one of the two projects to focus on in the upcoming year.
- Alexis Ford-Duncil, Health Communication and Promotion Specialist at the SHCC, will serve as a staff member of SHAC.
Committee: Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)
Committee Charge: EO0943: Each president or designee shall establish a student health advisory
committee. The committee shall be advisory to the president or designee and the Student
Health Center on the scope of service, delivery, funding, and other critical issues
relating to campus health services. Students shall constitute a majority of membership
and the committee may include faculty, administrative, and staff members and shall
include a representative from the Student Health Center. A student shall chair the
committee.
Committee Members:
- Kathy Yarmo, Co-Leader, Advisor – SHCC Staff
- Jocelyn Velazquez, Co-Leader, Student
- Lorena Flores, Medical Subcommittee Chair – SHCC Staff
- Dennice McAlister, CAPS Subcommittee Chair – SHCC Faculty
- Danielle Mendoza, Wellness Subcommittee Chair – SHCC Staff
- Dr. Jenelle Gilbert, Faculty Member
- Dr. Jesse Scaccia, Faculty Member
- Dr. Caio Sarmento, Faculty Member
- Sydney Firstman, ASI Representative, Student
- Niyah Heshmati, Student
- Noeleen Kitongan, Student
- Victoria Lee, Student
- Ivan Soto, Student
- Mike Ursini, Student
- Rynee Wijesinghe, Student
- Patricia Yang, Student
2024-2025 Goals:
CAPS Subcommittee Goal:
- Create an event to focus on helping students to forge social relationships to
increase healthy socialization.
Medical Subcommittee Goal(s):
- (fall) Focus on scooter safety and how to add to what has already been done to take
the education to the next level such as helping students be more aware of the rules
on campus and/or rolling out a helmet campaign.
2. (spring) Continue with the scooter safety project or focus on increasing awareness of the Student Health and Counseling Center.
Wellness Subcommittee Goal(s):
- 1. (fall) Create a new version of Wellness in the Classroom and find ways to promote
it to faculty.
2. (spring) Identify ways to improve the marketing of the outdoor Fitness Court and brainstorm new programming for the outdoor Fitness Court.
Accomplishments:
- CAPS Subcommittee: The first speed friending event was held on December 11, 2024, at 4:00 PM at the RSU. Approximately 20 to 30 students attended, many of whom stayed through all activities, reported positive connections and engagement. The final speed friending event of the year took place on April 4, 2025, near the campus free speech area. The event was successful and drew over 100 students. It reinforced the Subcommittee’s commitment to student well-being, inclusion, and connection.
- Medical Subcommittee: Partially met. While not able to enact a specific intervention, the committee was able to review the Student Accident Injuries Reports provided by the Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Department. During this time, the Subcommittee was notified that the Occupational Health & Safety Committee (OHSWC) would take on the task of submitting feedback and suggestions to the CSU Administration concerning scooter safety. The Subcommittee was given the opportunity to add feedback and suggestions to the OHSWC report and is awaiting the OHSWC review to see if SHAC can play a role in helping with those efforts.
- Wellness Subcommittee: Revamped Wellness in the Classroom (added student testimonials, examples of how to implement wellness practices, etc.) The Subcommittee plans to launch Wellness in the Classroom in Fall 2025. In addition, possible collaborations have been planned with the Rec Center for the Outdoor Fitness Court by them possibly offering a weekly class for Fall 2025. A kickoff event at the beginning of Fall 2025 is also being planned. It was also determined that Dr. Gilbert will be meeting with the graduate students who teach the KAC21 (Strength/Conditioning course) to encourage them to use the fitness center throughout Fall 2025.
Goals for 2025 - 2026
Below please find goals submitted by each Subcommittee Chair at the end of this academic
year. During May 2025 interviews for the new and continuing SHAC student leaders,
each applicant will be asked for project or priorities to focus on in the upcoming
year. This feedback will be integrated into the first SHAC meeting of the fall 2025
semester to help the subcommittees solidify their goals for the 2025-2026 academic
year.
CAPS Subcommittee Goal(s):
1. Promote the utilization of Group Therapy.
Medical Subcommittee Goal(s):
1. Create an Emergency Action Plan Campaign for students and faculty.
2. Create classroom educational flyer/resource that can be posted in all classrooms
to provide guidance on steps on how to handle an emergency in the classroom setting.
Wellness Subcommittee Goal(s):
1. Continue to identify ways to improve the marketing of the Outdoor Fitness Court
and create new programming for the Outdoor Fitness Court, as well as for the Bulldog
Walking Trails.
2. Expand Wellness in the Classroom
Each year, SHAC holds an open application process to select new student members who are passionate about contributing to our mission and goals. Individuals interested in advocating and serving as the voice for their peers at Fresno State on issues related to health and wellness are encouraged to apply.
- Being a SHAC member:
- Looks great on a resume!
- Builds advocacy, collaboration, and leadership skills.
- Students work closely with staff, faculty, and other student members to solve prevalent issues related to health, wellness, and services provided at the Student Health and Counseling Center.