Dr. Nika Gueci is a born and bred New Yorker who moved to the desert to advance Arizona State University’s Charter of inclusion and belonging. She is the Executive Director of ASU’s Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience, created as an institutional-priority initiative to build human capacity through an innovative whole-person approach. Here, she furthers individual and community resilience through translational research, customized curriculum and leadership trainings. Nika has presented over 1k speeches, workshops, and events; and has been invited to speak on media sources such as AZ3TV, NPR, ASU News, and keynote at national conferences. She serves as co-chair of the Mental Well-Being Committee, Arizona Department of Health Services and leads a state-wide strategy to reduce loneliness and social isolation.

She is a Senior Fellow at ASU’s Learning Enterprise as venture design lead on Personal Development Solutions, created for learners to realize and develop their full potential as thriving human beings.

Nika has been recognized as one of the top 50 women leaders of Arizona for 2023. She is a registered yoga teacher and ardent advocate for animal rights. She serves on the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association Wellness Task Force and fosters dogs. She holds an EdD in leadership and innovation from Arizona State University, MA in communication from New Mexico State University and a BA in Russian from Columbia University in the City of New York.