Building Blocks: Libby Tsibulsky Talks Health and Wellness at SUNY Empire 

When it comes to student success, prioritizing health and wellness isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. So says Libby Tsibulsky, the director of Empire State University’s Office of Health and Wellness. 

“Basic needs and health and wellness resources are often, I think, kind of seen as the fluff or the ‘if I have time’ stuff when, in reality, those are the things that should be the building blocks of your academic career,” Tsibulsky explains. “If you learn how to take care of your health and your relationships, balance your time, and be financially responsible, it’s going to make all the academic stuff a whole lot easier.” 

It’s an ethos Tsibulsky has taken seriously since arriving at Empire State University in 2024. She joined the team after a 12-year tenure at SUNY Alfred, where she started as a mental health counselor before working her way up to an assistant director position. Tsibulsky says SUNY Empire’s reputation for supporting students inspired her to make the move to the online institution.  

“I love the university’s genuine dedication to helping students and the lengths [faculty and staff] go to make sure students succeed,” says the director, who holds degrees in psychology and mental health counseling. “It’s not a business to them—it’s human-centered. My own personal philosophy coming from the mental health world [centers around] a person-first approach, and that’s how it really feels here.” 

In the year she’s been at SUNY Empire, Tsibulsky has put that philosophy to good use. The popular Student Health Advisory Committee, the multi-pronged Basic Needs program—coordinated by new team member Anna Zoodsma—and the university’s free mental health first aid training course all fall under the health and wellness office’s purview. Planning events like the revamped health and wellness fair, successfully hosted for the first time as a virtual conference this past spring, is also part of the job.  

“I found out that’s a huge passion of mine—event planning and wellness programming and things like that,” Tsibulsky says, adding that her office designs each event and program to target different areas, or pillars, of health. “I’m very excited to be able to do that.” 

Right now, Tsibulsky is channeling that passion into initiatives like the university’s inaugural NASPA Peer Educator Internship Program, slated to kick off in the spring of 2026. As part of the program, a team of students will be chosen to “represent and promote the eight pillars of wellness through intentional programming, social media campaigns, and one-on-one peer wellness coaching,” she says. Tsibulsky also hopes to support Zoodsma—who has a background in agriculture—in expanding the university’s virtual food pantry and creating a Basic Needs programming series.  

Above all, though, Tsibulsky aims to let students know that SUNY Empire’s health and wellness office is “here to help.” 

“I think we went from a model of higher education that was like ‘you’re here to get a degree and do a job’ to ‘this is a transformative experience.’ We want you to grow in many ways. We want you to graduate feeling like, yes, I have a degree but I’m also a more fully equipped human,” she says. “Ask for help if you need it, and we can really move mountains to get you some resources.”