University of Richmond To Host Renowned Mindfulness and Performance Expert George Mumford

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — The Office of the Provost and Richmond Spiders Athletics are partnering for an event next week focusing on mindfulness.

George Mumford, a mindfulness and performance expert, will speak Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. on the University of Richmond campus in the Robins School of Business, Ukrop Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public. RSVPs are requested. A book signing will follow.

Injuries forced Mumford, an aspiring basketball player at the University of Massachusetts, out of the game he loved. He then became addicted to his pain medications and later heroin. Mumford overcame his addiction through a mindfulness-based stress reduction program and co-created the Inner-city Stress Reduction Clinic in the early nineties.

Mumford’s work led him to an opportunity to teach mindfulness techniques to the Chicago Bulls, who were struggling following the departure of Michael Jordan in 1993 to play baseball. Since then, Mumford has worked with many professional teams, many of which have become NBA champions. 

The Faculty Learning Community on Mindfulness out of the University of Richmond’s Office of the Provost has been focused on integrating mindfulness techniques into the academic work of faculty and students. Partnering with Athletics to bring Mumford to campus further solidifies these efforts and the goal of assisting students with stress-management.

Before his public lecture, Mumford will conduct workshops with student athletes, coaches, and faculty to discuss how they can incorporate mindfulness into their own well-being.

“The University of Richmond is uniquely positioned as a top liberal arts college with a Division 1 Athletic program. This opportunity showcases our commitment to ensuring our students and our student athletes have the tools they need to be well in every aspect of their lives,” said Sandra Joireman, associate provost for faculty.

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