On May 28 at 14:00, a public lecture will be held at the Library of Caucasus University by Katie Rose Hejtmanek, Professor at Brooklyn College (USA), on the topic: Culture and Well-Being: Lessons from a Mental Institution, the Gym, and Beyond.

This lecture examines the link between culture and well-being in my research. I have studied mentally institutionalized children, fitness practices and sporting activities with regular gym goes, how COVID lock-down protocols shaped health experiences, and how small molecular changes in a woman’s body can shape her life for a decade. This talk examines well-being from an interdisciplinary perspective. 

To attend the public lecture, please register - Public lecture.

Katie Rose Hejtmanek, PhD is full professor of anthropology at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY) in the United States. She is in Georgia on a Fulbright Scholar Award. Her research examines self transformation in cultural context, including in mental institutions, gyms and strength sport collectives, and the longevity movement. She has published various academic and popular writings, been featured on television and podcast episodes, and her most recent book, The Cult of CrossFit: Christianity and the American Fitness Phenomenon, was published by NYU Press in 2025. She is also a world and national champion in masters weightlifting. While in Georgia she is learning jiu jitsu.